. The band's musical roots were steeped in early rock, classic blues/boogie blues, and earned a reputation for exciting concerts, which lead to a loyal fan base. They're best known for the 1975 hit "Slow Ride," "Drivin' Wheel," their concert version of
' hit "I Just Want to Make Love to You," and "Third Time Lucky (First Time I Was a Fool)."
Born in England,
Dave Peverett was an ardent fan of such rock pioneers as
Chuck Berry and
Little Richard. Around age nine, his father got him a guitar. During his teens,
Peverett played in various bands, including Cross Ties Blues Band where he met
Chris Youlden. In 1967,
Peverett and
Youlden joined the band
Savoy Brown. Drummer Roger Early and bassist
Tony Stevens were band members. Adopting the moniker
Lonesome Dave Peverett, he began singing with the band. One song that he sang lead on, "Louisiana Blues," became a crowd favorite.
Savoy Brown broke up at the end of 1970.
Peverett,
Stevens, Early, and guitarist
Rod Price formed a new band,
Foghat, which was the last name of a popular cartoon character Luther Foghat. Signing with manager
Tony Outeda,
Foghat was signed to the American label Bearsville Records, owned by manager
Albert Grossman (
Bob Dylan,
Janis Joplin) and distributed by Warner Bros. Through extensive touring, the band built a strong fan base, even though due to a visa problem they had to play their first U.S. concert, in Oshkosh, WI, for free.
Foghat's debut album, Foghat, was produced by roots rocker Dave Edmonds and issued in summer 1972. It was followed by Foghat (Rock and Roll) in 1973, and
Energized became the group's first gold album in spring of 1974. Their fourth LP,
Rock and Roll Outlaws (1974), also went gold in late 1974.
Fool for the City (1975) went platinum in spring 1976. Both albums were produced by bassist
Nick Jameson, who replaced
Tony Stevens in 1975. Jameson left for a solo career and was replaced by
Craig MacGregor in 1976, just in time to play on the band's 1976 gold LP
Night Shift.
Foghat's other LPs were the two-million selling
Foghat Live (number 11 pop, fall 1977),
Stone Blue (gold, summer 1978), Boogie Motel, Tight Shoes (1980), Girls to Chat and Boys to Bounce (1981), and
Zig-Zag Walk (1983). Following the death of
Albert Grossman in 1987, Rhino Records reissued the entire Bearsville catalog, including
Foghat's albums.
Foghat disbanded in the '80s and reformed in 1993 following the resurgence in popularity of "Slow Ride" and the
Muddy Waters cover "I Just Want to Make Love to You" due to their inclusion of the movie soundtrack to Dazed and Confused.
At the age of 56,
Lonesome Dave Peverett died of pneumonia and complications from kidney cancer on February 7, 2000, in Orlando, FL.
Dave Peverett-related releases are Savoy Brown-The Savoy Brown Collection (Chronicles Series), Looking In,
Raw Sienna, Blue Matter, A Step Further, Getting to the Point; Rattlesnake Guitar, The Music of Peter Green, Guitar Player Presents: Legends of Guitar: The 70s, Vol. 1, Summerdaze, and
Savoy Brown's Jack the Toad Live: 1970-1972, released April 18, 2000.
–
Ed Hogan, Rovi