(Stray exhibited their talents early, with a nine minute plus version of this as the first track on their first album. Now, that’s how you create an impression!)

It can hardly be stated that Stray were an ‘unknown’ band – far from it. Their years together, their rigorous gigging schedule and eight album releases before disbanding in 1977 ensured they played in before many thousands of fans, predominately in UK and Europe.

However, as with most of the bands mentioned on this blog, they just couldn’t get all their ducks in a row at the same time.

Stray were a favourite band of mine in the early to mid-Seventies. I think they only played Glasgow Apollo a couple of times, as support to Groundhogs in 1972 and Rush in 1977. They may well have played some smaller venues the even smaller me wasn’t aware of at the time 😉 so, regrettably, I didn’t get to see them play live.

I do have five of their first six albums, though. 🙂

The four original members, Del Bronham, Ritchie Cole, Steve Gadd and Gary Giles got together whilst still at school in Shepherd’s Bush, London in February 1968. Playing what’s been described as ‘wholesome rock music with smoke clouds, light shows and explosions’ they appeared at such illustrious venues like The Roundhouse when they were still aged sixteen.

A demo was cut and hawked around various labels without success. However, the band were spotted playing a college show in London by producer / A&R man, John Schroeder who had already built a reputation working with the early, psychedelic Status Quo. He got the Stray lads into the Pye studio and produced three more tracks.

However, the label decided against taking an option on the band following a formal audition. It seems they were looking for a group more in the mold of Love Affair, and Stray were just too much on the side of heavy rock.

However, the Transatlantic label came to their rescue. They had traditionally been more of a folk based label, but towards the end of The Sixties, had branched out to provide UK releases for some of the more counter culture bands like The Fugs and The Mothers of Invention. They also signed likes of UK’s own The Deviants, so Stray were indeed in good company.

It would prove a hurried and ill conceived decision though, to sign with a label whose heart and commitment was elsewhere. Warning bells were sounded when two of the debut album’s tracks were mis-named; studio recording and rehearsal time was underfunded and rushed.

I’m assuming contractual obligations kept the band with the label for their first five albums, as Transatlantic continued to load their funding elsewhere on their roster. Promotion of Stray was poor to say the least, and were it not for their heavy gigging schedule, I doubt they’d have mustered much by way of support and interest.

For instance, their fourth album (which was the first I bought) indicated a change of musical direction. In fact, the album name ‘Mudanzas‘ is derived from the Spanish word for ‘changes.’ The band were keen to release a single from the LP to generate some radio play and promotion. However, Transatlantic, in their wisdom, only did so some months after the album hit the shops. By this time the album had peaked and those who would have normally bought the single, already had it on the full-length vinyl!

‘Mudanzas‘ was indeed a bit of a change. I’ve read some reports deriding it as sub-standard to what went before … but I absolutely love it. In fact it’s my personal favourite Stray album, incorporating little folky and soul influences, and with the addition of a brass and strings section, the sound is even more robust than before.

Stray had finally changed labels by the time of their sixth album, ‘Stand Up And Be Counted.’ They were now signed to Dawn Records, a subsidiary of Pye, but vocalist Steve Gadd had had enough and left the band, disillusioned by the previous label’s apparent intransigence. Despite supporting and touring with some of the biggest acts from both sides of the Atlantic (oops! … best not mention trans-atlantic again!) Stray had not progressed into ‘the big league,’ as they undoubtedly merited.

Guitarist Del Bronham took on vocal duties as well, in the absence of Steve Gadd, and additional guitarist Pete Dyer joined which meant Del could also move on and off keyboard duties too.

However, it was bit like ‘out of the frying pan, and into the fire,’ as the new label had no experience of promoting a band like Stray either, and sadly, the band folded in 1977, no doubt conscious of their place in the UK market with the upsurge of interest in the punk movement.

Stray’s time was up; yet another terrific band, well respected among those in the know, but hideously let down by some who obviously didn’t know their arse from their elbow!

STRAY

Del Bromham – Guitar / Keyboards / Vocals
Steve Gadd – Vocals / Harmonica / Guitar
Gary Giles – Bass
Ritchie Cole – Drums
+
Pete Dyer – Guitar / Vocals

TITLE	FORMAT	YEAR	LABEL	NOTES
Stray	LP	1970	Transatlantic
Suicide	LP	1971	Transatlantic
Saturday Morning Pictures	LP	1971	Transatlantic
Mudanzas	LP	1973	Transatlantic
Move It	LP	1974	Transatlantic
Stand Up And Be Counted	LP	1975	Dawn Records
Houdini	LP	1976	Pye Records
Hearts of Fire	LP	1976	Pye Records
Various singles	7″ vinyl			There are @ 14 single releases between 1970 & 1976