Crawler (band)

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Crawler
Genre(s)	Blues Rock
Years active	1976 - 1979
Label(s)	Epic Records
Associated acts	Back Street Crawler Paul Kossoff
Members
Terry Wilson-Slesser Geoff Whitehorn John 'rabbit' Bundrick Terry Wilson Tony Braunagel

Crawler was a band created from the ashes of Back Street Crawler, following the death of guitarist, Paul Kossoff. They recruited former IF guitarist Geoff Whitehorn to fill the vacancy created by replace Kossoff death, but the band were dropped by Atlantic Records because of Whitehorn's then relative obscurity added to the fact it was Kossoff rather than the band they were interested in. They subsequently signed to the Epic Records label.

The band name Crawler is also used by an Italian heavy metal band.

[edit] History

Crawler initially toured the UK as part of a package tour which included label mates Boxer and Moon. Their debut album, Crawler, did well in the USA, thanks to airplay of the track Stone Cold Sober, on FM radio stations. The band concentrated on the American market and working with producer Gary Lyons they released a second album, Snake, Rattle & Roll .

An exhaustive series of live performances found Crawler as support band for the likes of Robin Trower, Cheap Trick, and Foreigner and a 54 date tour across the USA as support band for Kansas. At the end of a USA tour in December 1978, keyboard player John 'rabbit' Bundrick left to work with The Who and the band folded soon after.

After the dissolution of the band, Terry Wilson-Slesser went on to join Charlie and proved backing vocals on Def Leppard's Pyromania album. In 1984, Wilson-Slesser acted as an offstage singer for the Michael Schenker Group, performing on a European and Japanese tour.

Geoff Whitehorn has since played with Maggie Bell, Elkie Brooks, Shortlist, Bad Company, Roger Waters and issued several solo albums including Geoff Who? and Big in Gravesend. In the 90's the guitarist teamed up with ex-Free and Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers. In 1991, he joined Procol Harum and is now their longest serving guitarist.

Bassist Terry Wilson has since worked with Steve Bruton Band and sessioned on Darling Cruel's 1993 album Passion Crimes.

Tony Braunagel went to work with Bette Midler, Taj Mahal, Andy Fraser, Buddy Guy, B. B. King, John Martyn, John Mayall, Ian McNabb, Keb' Mo', Maria Muldaur, Bonnie Raitt.

A number of live albums including, Snakebite (2001) and Pastime Dreamer (2003), recorded during tours in 1977 & 1978 have been released from John 'rabbit' Bundrick's private collection of recordings.