Biography.
Born in London, Roger Knott moved at age 7 with his family to the newly expanding Hertfordshire “new town” of Hemel Hempstead (which family members who remained in London disparagingly referred to as “Treacle Bumpstead” when country folk were often thought by town-dwellers to be unsophisticated bumpkins!).
However, Roger flourished there, passing his Eleven Plus exam to attend the local Grammar School, the first in his family to do so. Playing by ear, he began to learn piano and guitar, later entering talent contests and playing solo pieces in school assembly (His staid headmaster forbade applause in assembly so these performances were met with stony silence!).
Roger and his first guitar, c.1959
Newspaper photo of Adeyfield neighbourhood talent contest, June 1963. Roger (2nd right) won second prize playing piano
Soon after leaving school Roger participated in “Lifesong”, a theatrical musical play staged by the local Kings Langley Youth Players under the direction of his former school friend Chris McCullough, who later became a stage and television actor. This performance caught the attention of Rob Burns who was looking for a replacement guitarist/songwriter for his band with drummer Alan Culley. This three-piece thus became the first line-up of Lifeblud.
Roger had developed an interest in songwriting, starting out by writing lyrics to be read as poetry, simultaneously putting them to music for Lifeblud to perform. One such lyric, “The Journey Home” was printed in a poetry book published by Regency Press in 1970. This was reported in an article in the local Gazette in the same year. The song became a part of Lifeblud’s repertoire and was re-visited and newly recorded by Roger in Nashville in 2019.
Extracts from a local newspaper article Lifeblud’s business card, c.1970
Despite supporting some of the era’s more prominent bands (Head Hands & Feet, Caravan, Uriah Heep, etc.) Lifeblud attracted only a very small coterie of followers, so Roger abandoned the idea of poetry in favour of more mainstream lyrical content. Lifeblud recorded tracks in studios in London and Shefford, touring the material until 1972. The band designed and printed their own gig posters, one copy of which bassist Rob Burns believes may have survived in storage awaiting rediscovery!
Shortly after Lifeblud folded, Roger briefly joined a covers band called Gypsies Tramps & Thieves who played pubs and clubs around the UK but after a series of insurmountable personnel, agency and management problems they soon disbanded.
Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves, 1973, with Roger (right)
Roger then embarked upon a career outside of music while continuing to write and record songs, ostensibly under the Lifeblud banner. These were recorded in Piper and Quest studios in nearby Luton, Decibel in Stamford Hill and Alvic studio in Wimbledon. His few public appearances during this period included sitting-in with Pat McInerney (Don Williams & Nanci Griffith) and Dan K. Brown (The Fixx), and a solo concert performance in 1978 at St. Albans City Hall (now the Alban Arena) when he supported the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Roger performed his set on vocals and piano.
With Pat McInerney (l.) and Dan K. Brown (r.), December 31st 1977 at the Horn of Plenty, St. Albans
Local newspaper ad for solo gig
Roger “live” in St Albans 1978
For the next couple of decades he experimented musically with new software and co-writers until an opportunity came in 2004 when a friend in Nashville, drummer Pat McInerney, invited Roger to record there. Over the next few years he recorded 140 songs in Nashville as a solo artist self-releasing limited edition CD albums along the way for friends and family.
Roger with Pat McInerney, Kings Langley 2018
Venturing closer to home, Roger was working in Cardiff Bay in 2006 when he decided to seek out a local recording facility and consequently discovered Albany Studio, run by Incredible String Band stalwart Lawson Dando and recorded versions of some new songs. Lawson chose the musicians, largely drawn from members of Celtic group Mabon plus ex-Shakin’ Stevens guitarist Ian Lawrence. Lawson engineered the session and contributed piano and harmonium.
To promote all this new material, Roger made various “live” local radio appearances, chatting and performing. He has been interviewed on three occasions by UK Country Radio and has appeared on U.S. stations WAPS (Ohio) and WTSR (New Jersey).
Roger @ Hillz FM, Coventry Roger @ Radio Dacorum, Hertfordshire
To keep active in recent years, Roger has played acoustic guitar, mandolin and keyboards for local country band The Chiltern Hillbillies, playing favourite country classics at various events throughout southern England.
Roger (centre) with the Chiltern Hillbillies at Tisbury, Wiltshire, 12th May 2019
At long last, Roger’s Nashville archive has now been opened and the first of several international releases was issued by the American label Think Like A Key Records on October 6th 2023 as a 2-CD set titled “Nashville Sessions”. This release covers the self-composed material recorded during the period 2005-2016. Further releases are expected to cover the later period of 2017-2022 and the co-writes with various writing partners. The legendary “gateway” tracks that led to Roger’s invitation to Nashville, re-workings of 18 Lifeblud songs and various bonus tracks will be among the selections.
Similarly, all of Lifeblud’s surviving recordings have now been released on Seelie Court Records. These including the first studio session at Trusound studio (“Esse Quam Videri”), the Gooseberry sessions (“Be Thou My Very Armour”), the later sessions (“Songs 1973-78”) and a recently discovered live recording on cassette which had languished at the bottom of drummer Charlie’s cupboard for many years (“Live at Bowes Lyon House 1971”). Among the songs presented are various versions of the iconic “Waxing of the Moon” and “Oakenshade”.
DISCOGRAPHY
ROGER KNOTT
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“Nashville Sessions” Think Like A Key 2-CD TLAK1158
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“Pull The Plough That Furrows Deepest” Think Like A Key 2-CD, due 2024
LIFEBLUD
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“Waxing of the Moon” appears on “Strangers in the Room – A Journey Through the British Folk Rock Scene 1967-73” Cherry Red/Grapefruit Records CRSEGBOX054
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“Bridge” appears on “New Moon’s In The Sky – The British Progressive Pop Sounds of 1970” Cherry Red/Grapefruit Records CRSEGBOX059
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“So Be It” appears on “Peephole In My Brain – The British Progressive Pop Sounds of 1971” Cherry Red/Grapefruit Records CRSEG076T
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“Esse Quam Videri” Seelie Court LP SCLP006; CD SCD044
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“Be Thou My Very Armour” Seelie Court LP SCLP020; CD SCD009
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“Live at Bowes Lyon House 1971” Seelie Court CD SCD028
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“Songs 1973-1978” Seelie Court 2-CD SCD032
Other biographies may be found here:
Lifeblud | Interview | "Lost Acetate of Folky Prog" - It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine