THE GUINNESS ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF POPULAR MUSIC

From High Wycombe, England, Ron Watts (vocals), Steve Darrington (keyboards), John McKay (guitar), Malcolm Barret (bass) and Bob Walker (drums) constituted perhaps the most alarming blues revivalist act of the early 70s. They specialised in an Anglicised form of Cajun with more than a dash of the hilarious smut that got them banned from many venues. Whit his foam-rubber phallus and wobbling beer gut, Watts was their sex-symbol but Birmingham's Big Bear Records still saw much star potential in the group's beer-sodden outrage. Augmented with horns, the aptly-titled Opening Time was a diverting encapsulation of their bawdy humour and stylistic motivation but it struck the populous with, shrugged Ron, "the impact of a feather hitting concrete". It seemed that the moment for a UK equivalent of Canned Heat had passed. Produced by Dave Edmunds, a second album was released posthumously when it was discovered that Droop's line-up for this venture had included Pick Withers and Mark Knopfler, later of the more marketable Dire Straits.

Albums: Opening Time (1972), Booze Brothers (1989).