Highly successful in the mid 70s, NAZARETH delivered rough hewn, melodic arena Rock characterised by the distinctive gruff vocals of DAN McCAFFERTY. The band not only achieved a succession of hit singles in their homeland but would rise to near major status in the USA with the huge radio ballad 'Love Hurts'. Oddly, the band's trademark international smash, 'This Flight Tonight', would be a cover version although the band stamped such a uniqueness onto the song it has become recognised almost solely by their version.

NAZARETH first came into being in 1966, when vocalist DAN McCAFFERTY, bassist Pete Agnew and drummer Darryl Sweet formed a covers band, THE SHADETTES, in their hometown of Dunfirmline, Scotland. After a couple of years slogging round the clubs the trio quit their day jobs, added erstwhile MARK FIVE guitarist MANNY CHARLTON and changed their name to NAZARETH. The band soon created a stir and were picked up by manager Bill Fehilly, who paid for the recording of their first album.

The Pegasus label signed the band and their debut album, engineered by Roy Thomas Baker, was released in 1971. NAZARETH promoted the release by supporting the likes of RORY GALLAGHER and ATOMIC ROOSTER. Their big break came when they grabbed the highly coveted DEEP PURPLE support slot after their second album. DEEP PURPLE bassist ROGER GLOVER was to produce their third album 'Razamanaz' (for the Mooncrest label, which had taken over the under financed Pegasus) which also saw the band achieving their first single chart success with 'Broken Down Angel'.

Glover also produced the next album, 'Loud n' Proud', which had aboard probably NAZARETH's finest moment. This album, clad in its noew famously distinctive preening peacock artwork, was laid down in just two weeks at The Ganghut studio in Jamestown, Scotland and featured covers of Lowell George's 'Teenage Nervous Breakdown' and an overtly Psychedelic take on BOB DYLAN's 'The Ballad Of Hollis Brown'. The group had also chosen to record a re-working of the JONI MITCHELL cut 'This Flight Tonight' from her 1970 'Blue' album'. Mitchell was so impressed that she was to tell people it was in fact a NAZARETH composition. Needless to say, 'This Flight Tonight' gave NAZARETH another British hit and made a major impact in the USA, reaching number 11 on the charts. In later years the album track 'Not Fakin' It' would be covered by MICHAEL MONROE. 'Loud n' Proud' sold strongly, even gaining the no. 1 spot in the Swedish, Finnish, Austrian and Swiss charts. It hit no. 2 in Germany.

For the ensuing 'Rampant' album Roger Glover produced once again, but this time in Montreux, Switzerland with the Rolling Stones Mobile. Vocals and final mixes were conducted in London at Kingsway studios, owned by DEEP PURPLE vocalist Ian Gillan.

'Rampant' was to consolidate NAZARETH's progress, issuing forth a take on the YARDBIRDS' 'Shapes Of Things' which was to remain the band's set closer for many years to come. Glover's DEEP PURPLE colleague JON LORD was to add his deft Hammond organ touch to the single 'Shanghai'd In Shanghai'. Impressively the album also grabbed the no. 1 spot on the Austrian charts.

With NAZARETH concentrating on worldwide, rather than domestic, success the 1975 album 'Hair Of The Dog' actually failed to chart in Britain, but gave them their biggest selling album globally, pushing past the two million sales mark in America. Not a bad return for a self-produced album mainly recorded at Escape Studios in Kent on an eight track machine.

The band opted to go with their RANDY NEWMAN cover 'Guilty' as a European single, but upon presenting the album to their American label A&M label president Jerry Moss picked up on the studio out-take track, a version of THE EVERLY BROTHERS 'Love Hurts' as the first single. Subsequently, the song was to give NAZARETH a monumentous American radio hit as well as staying on top of the Norwegian charts for over 40 weeks. 'Hair Of The Dog' went on to become a seminal marking post in the history of Hard Rock and in later years GUNS N'ROSES would repay the debt by covering the title track for their covers album 'The Spaghetti Incident'.

NAZARETH were by now truly a global act. Their 1975 'Greatest Hits' compilation spending 22 weeks on the national Swedish charts and re-entering the same charts no less than four times. Prior to switching labels to Mountain NAZARETH gave Mooncrest one more hit with their version of 'My White Bicycle', originally by failed pop band TOMORROW.

DAN McCAFFERTY took a break to record a solo album featuring Charlton and Zal Cleminson, of the ALEX HARVEY BAND, on guitar, Roger Glover on bass and drummer Ted McKenna, later to join MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP. The single from the album 'Out Of Time' reached number 41 in the British charts.

NAZARETH returned to action with 'Play n' The Game'. But, despite the album's worldwide success, the band were shaken by the death of long-time manager Bill Fehilly in an air crash.

In 1977 NAZARETH once again scored numerous British chart successes most notably with their 'Hot Tracks EP'. Intent on building their worldwide standing the band enlarged to a five piece with the addition of old friend Zal Cleminson on guitar and recorded what is probably their heaviest album 'No Mean City'. Tour work in Europe during February of 1979 saw the up and coming WHITESNAKE as support act with Welshmen BUDGIE doing the honours for US concerts. Meantime, Charlton took time out to co-produce the 'Under Heaven And Over Hell' album from Canadian megastars STREETHEART.

The follow up, 1980's 'Malice In Wonderland', produced by Jeff Baxter, was a far more radio orientated affair. The record was aimed squarely at the American market, where NAZARETH had enjoyed consistent success touring on a regular basis as headliners and guesting for the likes of LYNYRD SKYNYRD, AEROSMITH and TED NUGENT. The album did well abroad, but it's poor reception in Britain prompted Cleminson to quit. He was later to turn up backing ELKIE BROOKS and forming a brief union with ex-JETHRO TULL drummer Barriemore Barlow in TANDOORI CASSETTE, before abandoning the music business.

In 1980 Dan took time out to contribute vocals to the 'Exiled' concept album which also included STATUS QUO's Francis Rossi. NAZARETH meanwhile enrolled BILLY RANKIN on guitar, , a veteran of Scottish act PHAZE and even having been fleetingly employed by the SCORPIONS, and former SPIRIT keyboard player John Locke. The pair first appeared on 1981's 'The Fool Circle'. Rankin's pre-NAZARETH career included stints with PHAZE and ZAL prior to a very brief membership of the SCORPIONS in 1978. This had union faltered due to language difficulties but the guitarist did score a deal with EMI Records with new band THE MIRRORS before hopping over to CBS as a solo artist to issue two 1979 7" singles 'I Wanna Spend My Life With You' and 'Can't Stop Now'.

Promoting 'The Fool Circle' NAZARETH conducted North American tours from January and into May of 1981. The success of 'The Fool Circle' was quickly capitalized on by the excellent double live album 'Snaz', recorded with The Record Plant mobile in Canada, where the band had already collected over 50 gold and platinum discs previously. The new look NAZARETH's studio inauguration came with the track 'Crazy', included on the soundtrack to the animated movie 'Heavy Metal'.

Unfortunately, the ensuing '2XS', recorded at George Martin's Air Studios in Monserrat, proved a rather limp offering after the blockbusting live effort, but nonetheless allowed NAZARETH, minus John Locke who had bailed out to reform SPIRIT, to tour Europe as support to RUSH then North America successfully once more, this time supporting BILLY SQUIER.

Vinyl product improved once more with 'Sound Elixir', recorded at Little Mountain studios in Vancouver. Regrettably, a legal wrangle prevented 'Sound Elixir's release in Britain until Castle Records picked it up much later.

In early 1984 BILLY RANKIN signed to A&M Records to record the solo album 'Growing Up Too Fast'. Musicians involved in this project included Zal Cleminson, Ted McKenna and bassist Jeremy Meek. He scored an American hit with the single 'Baby Come Back' before washing his hands of NAZARETH after releasing a second, Japanese release only, solo effort 'Crankin' and taking up residency in a Scottish bar band.

Once more a four piece NAZARETH signed next to Vertigo to release 'The Catch' in late 1984. In the same year the band put on a below par show at the Great Yarmouth festival alongside WAYSTED and MOTÖRHEAD.

The band returned to Europe on September 14th 1985, performing at the 'Metal Hammer Fest' in Loreley, Germany sharing a diverse billing with METALLICA, VENOM, HEAVY PETTIN, WISHBONE ASH, SAVAGE GRACE, RUNNING WILD, TYRAN PACE, PRETTY MAIDS and WARLOCK.

That year ex-manager Jim White issued numerous back catalogue NAZARETH albums in Britain on his own Sahara label. The band sought a court injunction to assert their rights and had the albums withdrawn. Time involved in such legal disputes took its toll and it was not until 1986 that further official product in the form of the 'Cinema' album came forth. Unfortunately, it was never granted a British release. NAZARETH may have built up healthy respect abroad, but support in Britain was waning.

Toward the close of the decade McCaffery issued his second solo album 'Into The Ring' in Germany. before returning to the ranks and the recording of 1989's 'Snakes And Ladders'. This album fared well in Europe, but once again eluded a British release until a crop of re-releases finally saw the album being issued in 1997. At the time 'Snakes And Ladders' did provide the band with a further hit in far flung Russia with the track 'We Are Animals' and NAZARETH got to tour the Soviet Union the following year.

Germany NAZARETH's services were requested to lay down the theme music for a TV police series and as such the track 'Winner On The Night' saw a single release. Shortly afterwards Charlton opted for life behind the production desk and the estranged BILLY RANKIN returned to the fold to record 'No Jive' for the Belgian Mausoleum label. The album was well received and once more NAZARETH hit the road in America during 1993.

As Charlton resurfaced in 1994 on the British club circuit with the MANNY CHARLTON BAND, his former band mates returned with the 'Move Me' album, produced by 'Hair Of The Dog's Tony Taverner. The album relied heavily on acoustic versions of past glories such as 'This Flight Tonight', 'Razamanaz' and 'My White Bicycle'.

Interestingly, NAZARETH found further exposure in Germany when a re-recorded Rock orchestral version of their old chestnut 'Love Hurts' was used as the them music to the movie 'Scarlett'.

In 1995, in need of a shake up, NAZARETH added guitarist Jimmy Murrison and former STONE THE CROWS, ALVIN LEE and THE DUKES keyboard player Ronnie Leahy in February 1995 and by 1996 were to return to the fore appearing alongside SAXON and SURVIVOR on the German 'Rock Pioneers' festivals. Meantime, their ex-guitarist BILLY RANKIN would unsuccessfully audition for THE WILDHEARTS.

The NAZARETH legend would continue towards the millenium as interest in the group resurfaced in 1997 as Castle began to release the band's back catalogue in remastered form with bonus tracks (including live numbers and rare single B-sides), all proving popular with collectors. The 1998 studio album 'Boogaloo', with new members guitarist Jimmy Murrison and keyboard player Ronnie Leahy- a veteran of ALVIN LEE, WHITE TRASH and STONE THE CROWS, prompted a revival of the band's fortunes. The group would tour Russia and then Europe on a twin headliner dubbed the 'Double Trouble' tour alongside veteran label mates URIAH HEEP. On these dates NAZARETH would often suffer from the prankster nature of URIAH HEEP drummer Lee Kerslake who would often invade their stage space dressed in a kilt and armed with a toy drum and plastic sword!

Tragically Sweet suffered a fatal heart attack in April 1999 whilst the band were on tour in America. The drummer had just stepped of the tour bus in readiness for the first gig of the tour when he collapsed and died. Understandably the tour was cancelled and NAZARETH returned home. NAZARETH opted to continue pulling in Pete Agnew's eldest son Lee on drums. Touring plans for an ambitious set of American dates ranked alongside SCORPIONS and JUDAS PRIEST were for 2000 were scuppered though when JUDAS PRIEST withdrew. To make matters worse NAZARETH lost both their European and American label. A planned second single 'Light Comes Down', to be complete with a newly recorded acoustic version of 'Love Hurts', was pulled.

The new millenium found the band putting in a sell out UK tour on a double bill with former tour campaigners URIAH HEEP in 2001. The same year American Rockers WARRANT became next in line to cover 'Hair Of The Dog', the track appearing on their ''Under The Influence' record. NAZARETH would be scheduled to play dates in Mexico during October of 2003 but had to pull out due to a strike at Scottish airports. Gigs in Prague the following month were set be be filmed for a DVD release. NAZARETH set out an exhaustive tour schedule for 2004, performing in Russia then Brazil in May before spending much of the Summer traversing Canada, gigs in Newfoundland seeing TROOPER as support act. The band would be in the Ukraine during October.

A new cover of 'Hair Of The Dog' featured on MICHAEL SCHENKER's covers album 'Heavy Hitters', this version recorded by a cast including Schenker, former IRON MAIDEN singer PAUL DIANNO, the OZZY OSBOURNE credited Phil Soussan on bass and ex-BLACK SABBATH drummer Vinnie Appice.

In mid November 2006 the band, alongside a guest cast comprising GLENN HUGHES, RICK WAKEMAN, BLACK SABBATH's TONY IOMMI, KINGDOM COME, KEN HENSLEY, THE ANIMALS and BONNIE TYLER, performed at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia as part of the 30 year anniversary of Russian act ZEMLYANE.

In early 2007 the members of NAZARETH featured as backing vocalists on a cover version of 'Hair Of The Dog' performed by Hull based Sleaze Rockers KID EGO. The single was a benefit for the "Rock For Rainbows" charity for terminally ill children based in Leicestershire.

Garry Sharpe-Young