Operating as a cult act in Britain despite their London origins SPOOKY TOOTH enjoyed considerable success in America and the band's ever fluctuating line up has contributed to numerous Rock bands in its wake. During their often tumultuos period of operation the band were often compared to TRAFFIC.

The band were borne out of ART, an outfit that once included KEITH EMERSON in the ranks and became SPOOKY TOOTH in late 1967. Previous to ART guitarist Luther Grosvenor and ex RAMRODS members vocalist Mike Harrison and bassist Greg Ridley had been involved with THE V.I.P.S., an act that issued four unsuccessful Pop singles. Adding drummer Mike Kellie THE V.I.P.S became ART for the 1967 album 'Supernatural Fairty Tales'. A flurry of French released singles failed to progress the band though and a rethink saw Harrison shifting to keyboards and American GARY WRIGHT coming into the lead vocal position as ART became SPOOKY TOOTH.

Their debut album for the Island label 'It's All About Spooky Tooth' fell shy of the charts but it's 1969 follow up landed them a top 50 album in America. 'Spooky Two' also features the Wright composition 'Better By You, Better Than Me', later covered in 1978 by JUDAS PRIEST and becoming the centre of world attention in the JUDAS PRIEST fan suicide case of the 90's.

SPOOKY TOOTH were often featured on John Peel's influential 'Top Gear' programme but could not cross over into commercial success in Britain. In 1969 Ridley departed accepting a job offer from HUMBLE PIE.

Their next album had the band in adventurous territory working with French keyboard maestro Pierre Henry. The resulting record 'Ceremony' was universally slated and the backlash actually broke up the band for a while. Wright opted out to found WONDERWHEEL (which included YES drummer Alan White) issuing two albums for A&M Records 1971's 'Extraction' and 1972's 'Footprint'. Kellie allied himself with the THREE MAN ARMY band and would wend his way through BALLS, PARRISH GURVITZ and FRAMPTON'S CAMEL. The drummer also found work with the GRIMMS 'Rocking Duck' opus of 1973.

Meantime SPOOKY TOOTH regrouped minus Wright pulling in GREASE BAND members Allan Spenner, Chris Stainton and Henry McCullough to record 'The Last Puff'. These session players were supplanted by erstwhile RENAISSANCE keyboard player John Hawken and ex BLUESBREAKERS bassist Steve Thompson for live work.

Yet again success eluded them and SPOOKY TOOTH folded again. Hawken went onto ILLUSION whilst Thompson joined STONE THE CROWS. Grosvenor recorded a solo album 'Under Open Skies; in 1971 then adopted the pseudonym of Ariel Bender founding MOTT THE HOOPLE.

Harrison teamed up with JUNKYARD ANGEL from his hometown of Carlisle and issued a solo album 'Smokestack Lightning' in 1972. However, with neither Harrison or Wright's solo ventures being particularly succesful the pair reunited SPOOKY TOOTH in September 1972 adding Wright's WONDERWHEEL colleagues drummer Bryson Graham (also an ex MAINLINE member), guitarist MICK JONES and JUNKYARD ANGELS bassist Ian Herbert.

subsequent album 'You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw' enabled them to tour America once more rebuilding their following.

Kellie rejoined the following year ousting Graham to record the 'Witness' album with ex EIRE APPARENT bassist Chris Stewart. SPOOKY TOOTH on the road now including bassist Keith Ellis, previously with VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR. He in turn was replaced by Val Moore as Graham rejoined the band too as Kellie forged a union with Punk act THE ONLY ONES. Kellie's diversion into Punk would later find the man sharing the stage with SID VICIOUS of the SEX PISTOLS and JOHNNY THUNDERS of the NEW YORK DOLLS in the ad hoc band THE LIVING DEAD.

Meantime the SPOOKY TOOTH 'Witness' album did not live up to expectations though and disillusioned Harrison concentrated work on a further solo album 'Rainbow Rider'.

By early 1974 SPOOKY TOOTH had risen again, this time fronted by the energetic character of ex PATTO man Mike Patto as the band relocated to New York. The band gasped out one final album 'The Mirror' before folding for good.

GARY WRIGHT went on to enjoy considerable solo success (particularly with the track 'Dreamweaver, recently resurrected for the spoof movie 'Wayne's World') whilst Jones joined THE LESLIE WEST BAND then founded the multi-platinum band FOREIGNER with another ex-patriot former KING CRIMSON man Ian McDonald. Graham joined RABBIT and ALVIN LEE before a stint with glamsters GIRL. Patto issued albums with BOXER (together with Stainton) before sadly succumbing to leukemia.