In past due June ultimate yr, we re-posted an epic interview with Nazareth’s Pete Agnew and Dan McCafferty. First revealed long ago in 2004, and carried out over an Olympic-level ingesting consultation within the bar of the Pitfirrane Lodge in Fife, it’s a rock’n’roll yarn that has the whole lot, beginning with Agnew and McCafferty, elderly 5, asking for to proportion a double table on their first day at St Margaret’s Number one Faculty in Dunfermline, to them turning into easiest pals, and the sluggish elevation of Nazareth, the band they co-founded in 1968, from marriage ceremony crew into some of the underrated and stubbornly power onerous rock bands that those isles ever produced.
With a smile, McCafferty had published how every yr on July 1, the anniversary of the band first giving up their day jobs to show professional again in 1971, both he or Agnew would telephone the opposite to investigate: “D’ya fancy giving it some other 365 days?”
With a mixture of good-natured humour and authentic astonishment that this stuff took place in any respect, the pair dug right into a treasure chest of conflict tales that incorporated being taken beneath the wing of early manufacturer Roger Glover from Deep Pink, reluctantly teetering on stack heels and dressing up “like bloody Christmas bushes” on Most sensible Of The Pops throughout the technology of 70s glam, and the eventual patronage of Weapons N’ Roses, whose singer Axl Rose fan-worshipped McCafferty, whose robust gravelly voice may just strip paint from partitions.
When Nazareth and Lynyrd Skynyrd toured the USA in combination, in October 1977 they declined a call for participation to go back and forth with Skynyrd at the flight from Greenville, South Carolina to their subsequent display in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The aircraft crashed, killing Skynyrd’s Ronnie Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, highway supervisor Dean Kilpatrick and each pilots.
“We’d noticed their aircraft, which appeared like Gaffa Tape Airways,” stated Agnew. McCafferty claimed that probably the most pilots had attended the barbecue on the space of drummer Artimus Pyle earlier than the vintage line-up of Skynyrd boarded the airplane. Then again, radio reviews had claimed that Nazareth did board the flight, so when McCafferty telephoned house his spouse Maryann wept tears of aid.
Not like Pink, Skynyrd or GN’R, Nazareth neither attained nor in particular sought A-Checklist famous person, despite the fact that doubtless they made a better-than-average profession out of track, notching a run of hit singles that incorporated Damaged Down Angel, Dangerous Dangerous Boy, My White Bicycle, This Flight This night and Might The Sunshine throughout the 70s, and recording a hefty catalogue that now comprises 25 studio albums.
With guitarist Manny Charlton quitting in 1990, and co-founding drummer Darrell Candy loss of life of a middle assault whilst on excursion 9 years later, as Nazareth’s first flush of stardom dimmed, Agnew and McCafferty gratefully authorized the standing of being, within the bassist’s personal phrases, a band that “sings for its supper”.
“We’ve been a rock band, we’ve been pop stars, after which we become dinosaurs,” Agnew stated that night twenty years in the past on the Pitfirrane Lodge. “However are living throughout the dinosaur duration and also you develop into a legend.”
With the band no longer having a brand new album or excursion to advertise, and even an anniversary to rejoice, we re-posted the Nazareth retrospective tale in a rather random model, nevertheless it unexpectedly started to attract readers, and its reputation persisted to extend over the next weeks. It went directly to develop into our most-viewed track tale of 2023, and second-most total. Which turns out like a nice sufficient reason why for a catch-up with the Naz…
Two decades on, it’s Pete Agnew on my own that greets Vintage Rock for an alcohol-free but no much less convivial lunch on the Arduous Rock Café in London’s Leicester Sq.. A yr after dropping his oldest good friend and bandmate McCafferty on the age of 76, the ache from that also lingers. The pair had said time and again earlier than that they had been like an previous married couple. If considered one of them was once past due coming down from their room for a lodge breakfast, the opposite knew completely properly what to reserve for them.
Coping with persistent obstructive pulmonary illness, which reasons a shortness of breath, rendered singer McCafferty’s ultimate few years in Nazareth tricky. He was once a fiercely proud man, and in spite of his well-publicised ingesting and smoking, all through his profession just a handful of presentations needed to be cancelled, so the curbing of a gig in Switzerland after simply 3 songs waved an enormous crimson flag.
McCafferty retired from the band on August 28, 2013, finishing a 45-year run as frontman with the declaration: “If you’ll be able to’t do the process, then you definately shouldn’t be there – Nazareth’s too large for that.” Agnew, the singer’s easiest mate for greater than part a century, was once “overwhelmed”.
Respecting McCafferty’s departing want that Nazareth proceed with out him would end up tricky, and Agnew admits that he very just about gave up, particularly after a doomed first try with Linton Osborne, a neighborhood singer, who he now admits was once “a snappy selection”.
“For some time I believed: ‘Oh properly, a minimum of we gave it a move’,” Agnew says. “Perhaps this was once the time to forestall.” It was once Ted McKenna, former drummer with the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, who advised to Nazareth that they take a look at Carl Sentance, an Englishman who had sung with Persian Possibility (the Welsh band who offered long run Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell), Krokus and the solo bands of Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler and Deep Pink keyboard participant Don Airey.
A couple of days previous to our dialog, Fb ‘recollections’ had jogged my memory of the primary time I noticed Nazareth with Sentance on the mic, on the Brooklyn Bowl in London 8 years in the past.“That was once Carl’s 3rd or fourth gig, proper initially of the ‘new band’,” Agnew says.
Oddly, the target market that night time had appeared simply as frightened because the band. No one sought after a moment failure.
With a brand new man there’s all the time nervousness, however this was once a brand spanking new singer, and we had been in London, which makes issues extra pressurised nonetheless. What I bear in mind maximum about that gig was once the intro tape buggering up. In true Spinal Faucet taste, the tape rolled thru two times and the target market stood round having a look perplexed because it reduce out and started taking part in for a 3rd time. That doesn’t precisely convey a nice feeling simply as you’re about to stroll on degree, however Carl handled the location really well.
Yeah, he did. The ‘new boy’ strode out from the wings and demanded: “Kill that fucking tape, for god’s sake!” earlier than including: “We’re going to have a great time this night, let’s kick some fucking ass.”
That’s the man’s persona. Carl is an overly, excellent frontman. When the brand new band performs someplace for the primary time, the critiques all the time say it is a man that is aware of what he’s doing. He comes to the target market and he’s lively – I need to be cautious to not get stepped on whilst he’s working about. He’s an old-school frontman and he suits in in point of fact properly. Particularly while you believe what monumental footwear he’s filling. Someone coming after Dan had higher be a firstclass singer. Carl doesn’t sound like Dan – no one may just – however he’s a super are compatible with the band. We by no means had any ideas that once Dan it would paintings. I had a large number of doubts. We were given very fortunate.
After that display on the Brooklyn Bowl, I advised to you that Love Hurts, Dan’s signature energy ballad (a track first popularised by way of the Everly Brothers again within the early 60s) must possibly be retired from the set. You strongly disagreed.
What you’re announcing is largely true, regardless that every time I listen that track, irrespective of the vocalist, in my head I nonetheless listen Dan making a song it. However it will be unimaginable to drop Love Hurts. With out it there more than likely wouldn’t be a Nazareth. That track turning into a success was once what made the Hair Of The Canine album take off. It had pop out in the United Kingdom [in 1975] and executed not anything in six months, then the similar factor took place within the States. However Jerry Moss [co-owner of A&M Records], God bless him, heard our model of the track recorded as a B-side and insisted it went onto the album.
Thank God that he did. It become this sort of large hit that Nazareth has lasted eternally. Sadly, we’re no longer like Rod Stewart, who releases one track and it’s a success in all places the arena. We’ll have a super large hit in South Africa, or some other track of ours takes to the air in Russia or Brazil and does completely fuck all anyplace else. It’s onerous to stay monitor of that, as a result of for those who don’t play the native favorite everyone desires their a refund.
No longer receiving a telephone name from Dan, and no longer with the ability to name him, on July first ultimate yr will have to had been very difficult.
That first time was once very, very bizarre. It’s the time I in point of fact, in point of fact felt it. The primary of July will all the time imply one thing to me. The American citizens have the fourth of July, Nazareth has the primary of July.
Does it melt the blow just a little that you simply get to spend a lot time along with your son Lee, who got here into Nazareth on drums after Darrell Candy died?
It does. Lee has develop into an actual driver within the band. He writes those in point of fact rocking songs. The entire guys within the band are writers, which brings us a large number of other kinds.
It was once in truth stunning to be informed that you simply’d hand over ingesting a decade in the past.
It was once slightly a very simple selection, if truth be told: forestall ingesting or die. So I finished.
It sort of feels virtually not possible. Nazareth had been mythical drinkers.
[Laughs] Someone who went out ingesting with Dan and I might agree. Completely. However finally it stuck up with me. Each physically serve as began to near down. I went into health center, and for some time it appeared like I may not be popping out once more. Since then I haven’t touched a drop. To inform you the reality, I wasn’t an alcoholic, I simply liked a bevvy. I really like beer. I didn’t even like whisky. I don’t omit the thrill such a lot, simply the style.
How had been the primary gigs you performed with no need a drink?
They had been extraordinary. I by no means was once inebriated on degree however I all the time had a buzz on. Enjoying totally instantly was once bizarre. I needed to ask: “Used to be that alright?” As it didn’t in point of fact really feel like that to me. Nevertheless it handed, and it’s beautiful to get up within the morning and be ready to keep in mind why you were given punched within the head the night time earlier than. There have been occasions once I by no means had a clue.
Now that the mud has settled at the line-up adjustments, to your middle of hearts does it nonetheless really feel to you prefer Nazareth?
[After a moment’s pause] That’s a difficult one to respond to. On some nights I realise that no longer simplest am I the ultimate of the originals nonetheless within the band, I’m additionally the ultimate considered one of us left alive. Manny [Charlton] were out of the band longer than he was once ever in it, so Jimmy [Murrison, who joined in 1994] is our guitarist. The ones [very early] occasions are simply recollections for me. Dan and I persisted Nazareth and it felt totally herbal.
Clearly, when Dan needed to depart, that’s when the whole lot modified. Dan’s voice was once Nazareth. He was once what separated us from all the ones different bands – particularly the heavy steel bands whose singers to me are interchangeable. Once Dan opened his mouth, that’s Nazareth. With out Dan it not felt like Nazareth, regardless that it does once more now.
How lengthy did it take to achieve that time?
I wished a couple of years. Jimmy and Lee had been there see you later now, which helped to make issues comfy. However this was once my easiest good friend, and it was once slightly a wrench. I’d say it took 3 or 4 years. It felt so atypical. I wouldn’t say it was once like being in a covers band, nevertheless it felt a wee little bit of a cheat. I had checked out all the ones different bands with only one authentic member, and now I used to be considered one of them. It was once like: “Ah sure, truthful sufficient, so long as the folk nonetheless settle for us.”
We had been nonetheless getting nice crowds, in some circumstances larger ones than we did earlier than, since the popularity of this band [fronted by Sentance] is in point of fact, in point of fact nice. That acceptance helped me to come back to phrases with the location. I’ve realised that we’re including one thing to the Nazareth factor, no longer doing away with from it.
Nazareth now play those superb fairs in mainland Europe, attended by way of a more youthful form of fan who more than likely regards you as a brand new band. That will have to appear very bizarre.
Numerous other folks don’t seem to be simplest seeing us for the primary time, they weren’t even alive for the unique band – people who don’t know or care who performed on which album, they only know the identify and experience listening to the songs. And you realize what? If they believe it’s Nazareth and I believe it’s Nazareth… it’s Nazareth.
And but right here in the United Kingdom we hardly see Nazareth play any longer. There was once a reasonably large push to regain probably the most misplaced flooring initially of the present millennium, nevertheless it now seems like that’s been relinquished.
It’s very tricky for a band like us to do a excursion and make it paintings financially. Our excellent pals Large Nation do not anything however play right here [in the UK], they’re out each weekend. As a result of they’re regulars they’ve retained their fan base. There’s no level in taking part in one British gig each blue moon. We’ve executed twenty gigs in Germany within the ultimate two months, but if we attempt to play right here we generally tend to get: “‘Oh, the ones guys? Are they nonetheless going?” It’s all the time been like that for Nazareth. For 20 years we scarcely performed right here in any respect. I’d like to rectify that, nevertheless it’s the financials. And beginning out once more in golf equipment? No. I did all that stuff a very long time in the past.
So if a band like Standing Quo occur to learn this…
Ah, you spot, that’s some other downside. No longer a large number of bands [of our own vintage] will allow us to open up for them. Every now and then we get a gig with probably the most biggies, after which we don’t listen from them once more for 3 or 4 years. I gained’t say any longer than that.
Nazareth with Carl Sentance have launched two albums. The sound become just a little punkier with Tattooed On My Mind and Surviving The Legislation (2018 and 2022).
Most likely it has. It’s harder-edged than what we had been doing within the eighties. That’s what assists in keeping issues attention-grabbing. I believe the fanatics slightly like that variety.
Why is it nonetheless vital for you and Nazareth to stay on making new track?
It’s about credibility, basically. Folks will have to know that you simply’re nonetheless ingenious. We’ll by no means forestall writing. The issue is attending to play the songs are living. Although an album will get nice critiques, it’s difficult to incorporate greater than a few new ones within the set. No longer too way back we performed with Deep Pink, and other folks stated: “That set, it is advisable to have performed it twenty or thirty years in the past.” To which I responded: “Wait until you spot those guys [Purple].”
Nazareth’s highway stories of turning down the be offering to go back and forth on Skynyrd’s aircraft, your affiliation with Weapons N’ Roses, or even you lending fifteen kilos to a broke Robert Plant for petrol in order that the Band Of Pleasure may just get to a gig in Scotland, are mythical. Are new chapters nonetheless being written?
Aye. They’re rather less loopy than they had been earlier than, however lifestyles isn’t dull. For some time I began jotting them down [as an autobiography], after which I began to grasp I’d more than likely have to attend until I’m useless to post it. In a different way I might get started getting punches within the head.
Did Robert Plant ever pay again the fifteen quid you lent him?
Did he fuck! I’ve written that off. Perhaps I must fee him pastime.
If, as you stated, Nazareth had been pop stars, rock stars, dinosaurs and legends, the place do the band stand at this level of their profession?
I might say we’ve develop into mythical legends. Nah, I’m kidding. What I’m maximum happy with is that we attempted to position throughout a lot of several types of rock track. A few occasions – greater than a few occasions – it didn’t paintings, however at the complete we had been rather a hit at it. We all the time attempted to make every file other than the only earlier than. We’ve made twenty-five albums, and I will be able to put my hand on my middle and say that I’ve favored maximum of them.
You’re now seventy-seven. Will you ever retire?
I will be able to’t even consider no longer being within the band. I will be able to be off the street for a month and slightly experience it, however after 5 weeks I desire a gig. If the time comes once I get started speaking about scones and cups of espresso, please shoot me. Y’know, that’s once I get started ingesting once more [laughs]. However right here’s the object. We do those Eu fairs with bands of a definite antique – I’m speaking about Candy, Uriah Heep and Wishbone Ash; I name them ‘the standard suspects’. When it was once time to depart, I all the time used to mention: “See you subsequent yr.” However now I in finding myself announcing: “I may see you once more.” There’s a large distinction.
Nazareth have Eu dates covered up all through the summer season. They play a unprecedented UK display on the Love Are living Pageant in Blackpool on March 2, 2025.
