10 Forgotten 70s Rock Bands Worth Rediscovering

Another great band on this list with links to Vertigo Records, Warhorse are an outfit to savour.

Formed by bassist Nick Simper following his departure from Deep Purple, Warhorse released their self-titled debut album on the aforementioned label in '70. Neither that record nor the album's single, St Louis, found commercial success. The group released a follow-up, Red Sea, in '72, but were dropped by Vertigo soon after.

We could argue forever as to why some bands 'make it' and others don't, and Warhorse certainly fall into the 'why ever not?' category. Certainly discontent within the ranks and too many line-up changes can't have helped (various Warhorse alumni jumped ship to join the likes of Rick Wakeman and Gong).

Nevertheless, there is a lot to enjoy in Warhorse's scant discography. You'll hear future echoes of Emerson, Lake and Palmer here, with powerful hooks, heavy use of organ/keyboards and highly melodic bass welded to some first-class composition and song-writing. Warhorse were certainly heavy rockers, but they had a lot more than the straight-ahead approach in their playbook.