Led by the extraordinary keyboard talents of Vincent Crane (ne Cheeseman), ATOMIC ROOSTER purveyed a unique sound based on a hard driving Hammond organ rather than the guitar. Crane suffered from manic depression and as such the career of the band and Crane is an erratic one of unfulfilled promise.

Crane first came to prominence as a founder member and main lyric writer for THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN, which initially comprised Brown, Crane and drummer Drachen Theaker. Crane had played keyboards on the number 1 hit 'Fire' by CRAZY WORLD quitting the band in the middle of a North American tour. He formed ATOMIC ROOSTER with former CRAZY WORLD drummer Carl Palmer and bassist Nick Graham in the early seventies. the debut album made the British charts at number 49 before dropping straight out again.

1970 saw the addition of former ANDROMEDA guitarist John Cann (he was later to change his name to John Du Cann). YES guitarist STEVE HOWE had auditioned too but Cann got the job. Cann overdubbed guitar on the first album, released in February 1970, produced by the band with Tony Colton and simply billed 'Atomic Rooster', for its North American release but before touring commenced the band lost their bass player, Graham leaving to form SKIN ALLEY and later ALIBI.

Somewhat inexplicably Crane refused a replacement and so ATOMIC ROOSTER's unique sound manifested itself with Crane performing bass parts on the lower end of his organ as the band soldiered on as a trio. Cann meanwhile had to radically change his playing to cover for the missing bass and perform lead vocals.

Second album 'Death Walks Behind You', issued in September 1970, fared better hitting the top 20 and yielded two hit singles in 'Tomorrow Night' and 'The Devil's Answer'. After nine months of solid touring Palmer also upped and left to join form EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER and drum duties were entrusted to ex-HORSE man Rick Parnell. However, the new drummer's tenure was brief and before long FARM member Paul Hammond was poached into the line up.

Parnell was to surface as part of Italian Jazz Rock outfit NOVA and much later relocated in America with ex MC5 guitarist WAYNE KRAMER and subsequently a 1997 act entitled BROWN RING. Parnell also achieved notoriety acting out the part of one of spoof Rockers SPINAL TAP's unfortunate drummers.

Meantime, back with ATOMIC ROOSTER the early 70's also found Crane guesting for Irish Blues Rock guitarist RORY GALLAGHER. Unfortunately, although successful on the surface, internally ATOMIC ROOSTER was engaged in bitter in fighting. Cann and Crane had got into a dispute regarding royalties for the second album and although the line up managed a third album, the July 1971 top 5 'In Hearing Of...' Crane, on the eve of an American tour and toying with the idea of turning the band into a funk project, sacked Du Cann from the band. The hapless frontman found out via a job advert in the Melody Maker advertising his position. Hammond left on protest. Crane enrolled ex-CACTUS vocalist Pete French as replacement and also pulled in guitarist Steve Bolton and a redrafted Parnell.

The departing duo of Du Cann and Hammond meanwhile founded BULLET signing to DEEP PURPLE's Purple Records, a band that released one single prior to being sued by an American band of the same name and re-titling themselves HARD STUFF. With this act Cann issued two albums.

Du Cann later undertook a German tour in 1973 with THIN LIZZY as guitarist but his stay in the band was purely a temporary one filling in contracted gigs after Gary Moore had quit unexpectedly. Du Cann was later to reinvent himself as Johnny Du Cann and assembled an ad hoc band featuring STATUS QUO members Francis Rossi, Pete Kershaw and Andy Bown plus GILLAN's John McCoy on a proposed "Powerpop" project! The album, cut for Arista and to be titled 'The World's Not Big Enough' was never issued. The guitarist reverted back to his former name and gained himself a solo hit single with 'Don't Be A Dummy'.

Cann's role in ATOMIC ROOSTER was to be filled by Bill Smith. French left in 1972, later recording a solo album 'Ducks In Flight' featuring THIN LIZZY guitarist Brian Robertson, and was replaced by former COLOSSEUM singer CHRIS FARLOWE, a man lauded by none other than MICK JAGGER as "having the best rock voice in Britain". Farlowe was to record the 1972 'Made in England' and 1973 'Nice n' Greasy' albums. Bolton was supplanted by former BRAND X man Johnny Mandala (real name John Goodsall) joined in 1973.

Bolton formed HEADSTONE with ex-ARRIVAL bassist Phil Chen, former TRANQUILITY keyboard player Tony Lukyn and a pre RARE BIRD Mark Ashton. Bolton was to turn up again over a decade later with the 1986 project MAX & THE BROADWAY METAL CHOIR. The 90's found Bolton as guitarist for PAUL YOUNG and then in 1990 for THE WHO. Bill Smith joined JADE WARRIOR for their 1978 Egyptian concept album 'Way Of The Sun'.

Despite releasing some excellent albums ATOMIC ROOSTER was continually dogged by line up changes. Crane rejoined ARTHUR BROWN to record the 1978 album 'Chisholm In My Bosom' on Gull records reuniting again in 1980 to release 'Faster Than The Speed Of Sound' on I.C. Records.

Resurrecting ATOMIC ROOSTER once more in 1980, Crane settled his differences with John Cann once more. Session man Preston Hayman was pulled in on drums for live work (he much later appeared on ASIA's 'Archiva 2' album of 1996) before none other than ex CREAM drummer GINGER BAKER took his place. However, Baker's tenure was short and Hammond was re-enlisted to release an eponymous album on EMI Records. The band were blighted by an horrendous piece of bad luck as the pressing plant used to manufacture their 1981 single 'Play It Again' went on strike. Calculations made afterwards revealed this had cost the band a number 15 chart placing.

Another stab at rekindling the flame arose in 1983 as Crane reassembled the band with drummer Paul Hammond once more and ex-GILLAN guitarist BERNIE TORME. This line-up toured Europe before with the release of the worthy 'Headline News' album featuring Hammond, Torme and guest musicians ex-ENERGY and OZO guitarist John Mizaroli and PINK FLOYD's guitarist DAVE GILMOUR. Torme joined OZZY OSBOURNE's band replacing Randy Rhoads on the road in America.

Crane spent his post ROOSTER time playing keyboards for DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS live band. Another attempt to re-ignite the ATOMIC ROOSTER flame with ex-CHEVY guitarist Barry Eardley never got off the ground. Crane was also assembling some unreleased ATOMIC ROOSTER material for a projected album on the Demi Monde label titled 'Something Old, Something New - The Rooster Tapes'. Sadly Crane committed suicide, by ingesting an overdose of painkillers, on 14th February 1989 at his home in Reading after suffering years of depression.

The 1999 album 'The First Ten Explosive Years' adds bonus tracks re-recorded with bass from GILLAN's John McCoy. During 2003 Cann and McCoy would be working on a new ATOMIC ROOSTER album. Drums are being handled by no less than original IRON MAIDEN drummer Ron Rebel.