The Cock and Bull Band
"Eyes Closed and Rocking" 1985
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Dave Whetstone has been on the cutting edge of British folk music since the mid-'70s when he performed with Hemlock, a group featuring his future Cock & Bull Band bandmates Paul Martin and Brad Bradstock. Whetstone continued to play with Martin and Bradstock in the 1978 offshoot the Hemlock Cock & Bull Band and, joined by Jean Pierre Rasle, in the Cock & Bull Band. An extremely melodic accordionist, his playing played a major role in the band's debut album, All Buttoned Up, reaching the folk charts compiled by Melody Maker. A subsequent two-year merger between the Cock & Bull Band and the Albion Band resulted in the memorable 1985 album Eyes Closed & Rocking. Whetstone, who left the Cock & Bull Band in 1985, was a founding member of Waz, a British folk band he shared with ex-Fairport Convention multi-instrumentalist Martin Allcock and bassist, woodwind player, percussionist, and vocalist Pete Zorn. His playing helped transform the trio's self-titled 1998 debut album into a groundbreaking event. Leaving the group shortly afterwards, his place was taken by British guitar wiz Steve Tilston. Several of Whetstone's original songs -- "Rhythm of the Time," "Red and Gold," and "The Five Seasons" -- were covered by Fairport Convention. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20170226075832im_/http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/3954/eyesclosedfronznf5.jpg)
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20170226075832im_/http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/6571/eyesclosedbaczmm9.jpg)
6 Comments:
Thanks so much for this, and for everything else I've been enjoying again (or for the first time) over the past few weeks. Much of what I've downloaded here is long-lost favourites that I originally taped from the mighty collection of folk LPs at Nottingham's central library in the early 80s -- and then lost when a big box of my cassettes went missing from storage in Oxford in 1988 (housemates Greg and Julie, are you reading this?) Funny, I'd been thinking about Cock and Bull's All Buttoned Up, which was one of those lost gems, but decided you didn't seem to be much of a country dance fan. Happy to see I was wrong. If you have All Buttoned Up, I'd be thrilled to see it.
Thanks for uploading the Cock & Bull band "Eyes Closed & Rocking" I have been a fan for many years.
However my copy of this LP is pristine, I have uploaded a what I think you will find sounds a lot better, copy
http://rapidshare.com/files/65573123/
C_BB-ECR.rar.html
Also some higher resolution scans of the LP.
Just join the two parts of the link
Enjoy
Hi - I'm actually the band's latest member, Steve Cobham, and I play electric guitar.
The band is now Jean-Pierre Rasle, Paul Martin, Pete Lockwood and myself.
Dave has since given up squeeze boxes, sold them all and now plays just guitar and African drums.
John Maxwell is now no longer with us - RIP. I played with him in another band - the T-Bone Boogie Band and then he left, shortly after getting cancer of the jaw. A sad story - he basically lived like a recluse after the op and drank himself to death.
Brad Bradstock is still about and I am honoured to have him as one of my best friends.
However, the band is still going strong and amongst other gigs we have Chester Folk Festival next year.
Jean-Pierre, Paul and myself are also in a band called "Monsieur Pantin" which is an acoustic act, C&B; having become very electric!
As promised, here is the link to the HEMLOCK (Cock & Bull band) "All Buttoned up" album
http://rapidshare.com/files/66441669/
HC-BBABU.rar
Just join the link parts, click and
hopefully GO!
Hi there,
I'm just starting to get into the music of Dave Whetstone, thanks for uploading Eyes closed and rocking. I tried to download the Hemlock album but the link isn't working.
All the best
Any chance of updating or reinstating this link, please?
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