Nazareth the rock band were comprised of Dan McCafferty (raw vocals), Manny Charlton (chiming guitars), Pete Agnew (steady, sturdy basslines) and Darryl Sweet (skinman). Originally, they were a trio of
Dunfermline,
Scotland-based semi-professionals, Charlton not joining the troupe until 1969.
Signing up with the Warner Brothers' label, the band had their first self-titled album out in 1971 and were doing the Scottish circuit, where they garnered a respectable reputation as a lean, mean, no-nonsense hard-rock combo, but it was clear only a shift to London could translate that to national acclaim.
The move was duly made and their third album, "Razamanaz", produced by former Deep Purple bassman Roger Glover, yielded results. Two lifts from the album, "Broken Down Angel" and "Bad Bad Boy", gave them their first U.K. hits in 1973, followed up the same year by a Joni Mitchell composition(!), "This Flight Tonight".
The continent was next, "Loud 'n' Proud" topping the album charts in Finland, Sweden and Switzerland and placing second in West Germany. It also helped Nazareth make the first waves on American shores. This was firmly consolidated in 1975 with release of "Love Hurts" to enormous FM airplay.
Canada also buckled in 1975, the "Rampant" album going pre-release gold. These two albums also saw the group (specifically Charlton) taking over production chores for themselves.
From this time up to the end of the decade, a no-show in the album Top 100 was a rare occurrence. Recruiting Zal Cleminson (from the Sensational Alex Harvey Band) in 1979 did nothing to dim their light, resulting in "No Mean City" and, the following year, "Malice In Wonderland".
Cleminson's guitar was, perhaps surprisingly, replaced by keyboards that year, with Spirit's John Locke being called up. He, in turn, was replaced by Bill Rankin - originally a guitarist joining in 1981.
It was the Eighties now, however, and a new world order was looming. Faced with the folding of their Mountain label and no immediate prospect of a contract and also a chronically-diminished commercial appeal, Nazareth took a sabbatical.
Resurfacing in 1992, they found "No Jive" achieving little in either the U.S. or the U.K. and took cover again, returning in 1999 with "Boogaloo"
Discography.
"Nazareth"
"Exercises"
"Razamanaz"
"Loud 'n' Proud"
"Hair Of The Dog"
"Rampant"
"Close Enough For Rock 'n' Roll"
"Play 'N The Game"
"Nazareth Greatest Hits"
"No Mean City"
"Malice In Wonderland"
"Snaz" (live)
"No Jive"
"Boogaloo"
"Dan McCafferty" (solo)