Influenced by his local music scene and, of course, the Beatles, Shelley formed Budgie in 1967 with drummer Ray Phillips and guitarists Kevin Newton and Brian Goddard, but Newtown was out the following year and the long-serving Tony Bourge was brought in as his successor and he helped yield the most fruitful era of the band as Shelley's reliable co-writer. Read on.Shelley, the only constant member of Budgie during their three stints of activity (1967-1988, 1995-1996, 1999-2010), was born on Apin Tiger Bay, Cardiff, Wales and was one of seven children. The three albums were made on shoestring budgets, yet punched above their weights to influence heavyweight bands to come – Megadeth, Metallica and Soundgarden, to name three.īudgie, of course, continued to record and tour long after those first three, formative eggs had hatched – spreading their wings, particularly in North America.īut Budgie’s first three albums and the Shelley/Bourge/Phillips line-up that played on them are held in high regard by many a fan. The original line-up of Burke Shelley, Tony Bourge and Ray Phillips made three albums in three years at Rockfield Studios – a converted farmhouse in rolling countryside near Monmouth in South Wales.Ī self-titled debut in 1971 was followed by Squawk in 1972 and Never Turn Your Back On A Friend in 1973 – the latter album houses Breadfan, widely hailed as a precursor of thrash metal.

Against the odds, the little band from Wales helped to define and shape a new genre. There are photos and comments from photographer Fin Costello, and comments from Windsor Walby – who funded Budgie's trip to London in 1970 to record a demo.īudgie made a sizable – but often overlooked – contribution to the evolution of heavy rock and metal. The ebook includes lots of interview material from Ray Phillips, Burke Shelley and Tony Bourge. The ebook contains nearly 300 images, including photos on stage, off-stage and in the studio (many of which you won't have seen before), gig flyers, ticket stubs, songwriting contracts, royalty statements, MCA promotional flyers, press clippings and more. This ebook tells the story of the early days of the influential Welsh rockers, from 1967 to 1973.

Budgie The Best Of Itunes