Captain Marryat was a Scottish band active from 1971 to 1975, with only one self-titled album to their credit, and an intense live activity almost exclusively in Scotland. The band comprised of Ian McEleny (Lead Guitar), Hugh Finnegan (Bass / Vocals), Jimmy Rorrison (Drums / Vocals), Tommy Hendry (Accoustic Guitar / Vocals) and Allan Bryce (Organ / Vocals). They took their name from a London author, and associate of Charles Dickens, Captain Frederick Marryat. It is interesting that they chose a friend of Dickens for their moniker, as the character of Uriah Heep comes from the Dickens novel David Copperfield. Their live activity was mainly concentrated in Scottish pubs and festivals always in their country, with very intense shows. Thanks to their performances the band got noticed by two well-known Scottish bands, Alex Harvey Band and Nazareth, who appreciated the sound. After a few years of live-only activity, in 1974 they released their only self-titled album via Thor Recordings, which was printed in only 200 copies, thus not allowing the band to establish itself in the music scene. A real shame as this LP is a masterpiece with Heavy Prog sounds, with the organ in great evidence, a solid sound and high quality ideas. The limited availability of the disc has made it become an object of desire for lovers and collectors over time, who only in 2010, at the first reissue, had the opportunity to buy it at affordable prices. In its original version, in fact, it reaches prices among the highest ever, touching the 3,000 pounds skins, as well as being hardly available on the market even at such high figures. Given the limited commercial success of the record, the band disbanded in 1975, and as already mentioned for many other artists in these editorials, it would have deserved better distribution. From 2010 to today the disc has been reissued 1 time on CD and 3 times on LP, giving it a new and above all greater visibility, also an unofficial CD reissue by a Russian label. A band that enters by right in this editorial on the hidden rarities of Prog, their only album is a Heavy Prog masterpiece, with organ-driven sounds and intense vocals and solid rhythmic sessions. The quality of the mixing and mastering is also of a high standard.
Discography
(1974) Captain Marryat [Thor Recordings]
Lineup
Hugh Finnegan / Bass, Vocals
Jimmy Rorrison / Drums, Vocals
Ian McEleny / Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Tommy Hendry / Vocals
Allan Bryce / Hammond M102 Organ, Electric Piano
