Sir Lord Baltimore

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Sir Lord Baltimore
From left: Louis Dambra, Gary Justin, and John Garner, circa 1971
From left: Louis Dambra, Gary Justin, and John Garner, circa 1971
Background information
Origin Brooklyn, New York, USA
Genre(s) Christian rock
Hard rock
Heavy metal
Rock and roll
Years active 1968-1976
2006-present
Label(s) Mercury Records, Polygram, Red Fox, JG Records, Anthology Recordings
Associated
acts		 The Koala, The Lizards
Website www.sirlordbaltimore.com
Members
John Garner
Louis Dambra
Former members
Gary Justin
Joey Dambra
Tony Franklin

Sir Lord Baltimore are a pioneering American heavy metal band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 1968 by lead vocalist/drummer John Garner, guitarist Louis Dambra, and bass player Gary Justin. They are most notable for the fact that a 1971 review of their debut record, Kingdom Come, contained the first documented use of the term "heavy metal" to refer to a style of music.[1] Additionally, Sir Lord Baltimore featured a drumming lead singer, traditionally a rarity in rock and metal music.[2]

In 2006, Garner and Dambra reunited as Sir Lord Baltimore and released a new album, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw. However, the band now has a Christian rock focus not present in their earlier work.[3] Justin, who is no longer an active musician, did not participate.[4]

Contents

Sir Lord Baltimore's career is divided into two distinct periods: their original formation from 1968-1976, during which time they put out two studio albums and started a third; and lead vocalist/drummer John Garner and guitarist Louis Dambra's reunion in 2006.

Having first met in high school, Garner, Dambra, and bassist Gary Justin started rehearsing together in 1968.[5] At the time of their formation, Dambra (as Louis Caine) was also playing for a group called The Koala, who released an eponymous LP in 1969.[6] Additionally, Justin has cited Cream's Jack Bruce as an influence on his early career choice.[7]

After a relatively short time, the new band auditioned for Mike Appel, who was then working as a talent scout and would later launch and manage the career of Bruce Springsteen. Appel agreed to mentor them, reportedly gave them the name Sir Lord Baltimore, and would later co-write and co-produce their debut album.[8] Before going into the studio, though, the group played their first live concert at Carnegie Hall, but it wasn't a paid performance.[9]

Their first studio release, Kingdom Come, was recorded at Vantone Studios in West Orange, New Jersey, with Jim Cretecos serving as Appel's co-producer. More notably, it was mixed at New York, New York's Electric Lady Studios by legendary engineer Eddie Kramer, better known for his work with Jimi Hendrix, KISS, and many others. According to Appel, British psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd had the opportunity to hear Sir Lord Baltimore during these sessions, and were reportedly impressed.[10]

Released on Capitol Records in 1970, the resulting album featured very fast-paced rock 'n' roll with high levels of distortion in the guitar and, in some cases, the bass, and extensive multi-tracking to further enhance the guitar sound.[11] Though this style of rock 'n' roll would become popular in later years, it was considerably different from the majority of that era's contemporary rock music.[12]

Also issued on Mercury, 1971's Sir Lord Baltimore marked a change in direction, with Kingdom Come's frenetic pace giving way to slower-tempoed songs more reminiscent of music produced by the band's hard rock peers. Sir Lord Baltimore expanded to a four-piece for this album, with Louis Dambra's brother, Joey Dambra, joining as a second guitarist.[13] Furthermore, Sir Lord Baltimore contains the band's only officially released live recording, "Where Are We Going."[14]

On February 19-20, 1971, Sir Lord Baltimore played consecutive nights at New York's Fillmore East as the opening act on a bill that included The J. Geils Band and Black Sabbath. A photo of the band used in the shows' programs was later used as the cover of their 2006 reunion album, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw.[15]

Their career started to fade after Sir Lord Baltimore's release,[16] and Garner has publicly blamed drugs on the band's initial downfall.[17] However, the band did start work on an unreleased third album in the mid-1970s, and music written for that project was eventually used on Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw.[18]

In 1994, Kingdom Come and Sir Lord Baltimore were reissued on a single compact disc, Kingdom Come/Sir Lord Baltimore, from PolyGram, and again in 2003 via Red Fox. However, the track listing on the combined CD differs from the original recordings. Kingdom Come was published again separately in 2007, this time on Anthology Recordings, and uses the same track listing as the 1994 and 2003 editions. It is unknown if the band received royalties from any of these re-releases.

Some 30 years after the band's break-up, Garner and Dambra reunited to record and self-distribute a new Sir Lord Baltimore album, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw, on JG Records in July 2006. Garner produced the album. The majority of the album's bass guitar lines were performed by Tony Franklin, with guitarist Anthony Guido and bass player Sam Powell being credited as guest musicians.[19] Though the album's music was originally written for the aborted 1976 release, the lyrics were changed to present a Christian viewpoint not found on Sir Lord Baltimore's 1970s recordings. As of February 2007, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw has not been released in brick-and-mortar or online stores, though the band is seeking traditional distribution.

In addition to his modern day work with Sir Lord Baltimore, Dambra is an active pastor who ministers to homeless families in Los Angeles, California.[20] To date, he and Garner have not announced any future projects.

  • Joey Dambra - guitar (Sir Lord Baltimore)
  • Tony Franklin - bass (Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw)
  • Anthony Guido - guitar (guest musician, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw)
  • Sam Powell - bass (guest musician, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw)

  1. ^ Saunders, Kingdom Come review, Creem.
  2. ^ Sir Lord Baltimore biography, BNRMetal.com.
  3. ^ Freeman, "Godsmacked: Seventies heavy-metal pioneers Sir Lord Baltimore have returned with a new sound and a new master", The Village Voice.
  4. ^ Garner, SirLordBaltimore.com.
  5. ^ Freeman, "Godsmacked: Seventies heavy-metal pioneers Sir Lord Baltimore have returned with a new sound and a new master", The Village Voice.
    * Sir Lord Baltimore biography, Metal-Archives.com.
  6. ^ The Koala biography, Bad Cat Records.
  7. ^ Saunders, Kingdom Come review, Creem.
  8. ^ Freeman, "Godsmacked: Seventies heavy-metal pioneers Sir Lord Baltimore have returned with a new sound and a new master", The Village Voice.
    * Rivadavia, Sir Lord Baltimore biography, AnthologyRecordings.com.
  9. ^ Garner, SirLordBaltimore.com.
  10. ^ Rivadavia, Sir Lord Baltimore biography, AnthologyRecordings.com.
  11. ^ Cope, Kingdom Come review, HeadHeritage.co.uk.
  12. ^ Rivadavia, Sir Lord Baltimore biography, AnthologyRecordings.com.
  13. ^ Cope, Kingdom Come review, HeadHeritage.co.uk.
  14. ^ Sir Lord Baltimore, Sir Lord Baltimore, 1971 Mercury Records.
  15. ^ Garner, SirLordBaltimore.com.
  16. ^ Rivadavia, Sir Lord Baltimore biography, AnthologyRecordings.com.
  17. ^ Freeman, "Godsmacked: Seventies heavy-metal pioneers Sir Lord Baltimore have returned with a new sound and a new master", The Village Voice.
  18. ^ Garner, SirLordBaltimore.com.
  19. ^ Rockwell, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw review, AngelicWarlord.com.
  20. ^ Freeman, "Godsmacked: Seventies heavy-metal pioneers Sir Lord Baltimore have returned with a new sound and a new master", The Village Voice.

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