Editing Eggs over Easy

{{Short description|American country rock band}}
{{about|the pub band|the egg dish|fried egg #United States and Canada}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox musical artist
|name                = Eggs over Easy
|image                 = 
|caption            = 
|image_size            = 
|background          = group_or_band
|origin              = [[United States]]
|genre               = [[Pub rock (United Kingdom)|Pub rock]], [[country rock]], [[blues]], [[roots rock]]<ref>{{Cite podcast|url=https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade/2022/11/three-punk-sophisticates-helped-invent-new-wave|title=Angry Young Men Edition|website=Hit Parade {{!}} Music History and Music Trivia|publisher=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|last=Molanphy|first=Chris|date=November 19, 2022|access-date=February 18, 2023}}</ref>
|years_active        = 1969–1981
|label               = 
|associated_acts     = [[Nick Lowe]]<br />The Moonlighters
|website                 = 
|current_members     = Jack O'Hara<br />[[Austin de Lone]]<br />Brien Hopkins<br />[[John Steel (drummer)|John Steel]]<br />Bill Franz<br />John "Jay" David
|past_members        = 
}}

'''Eggs over Easy''' were an American [[country rock]] band, of the early 1970s, who visited [[London]] to record an album, and then became a resident band in a London [[pub]], launching what subsequently became known as [[Pub rock (United Kingdom)|pub rock]].<ref name="AM-Bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/eggs-over-easy-mn0000938358/biography|title=Eggs Over Easy - Biography & History|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=30 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="NSTCI">{{cite book| first= Will| last= Birch| year= 2003| title= No Sleep Till Canvey Island – The Great Pub Rock Revolution| edition= 1st| publisher= Virgin Books Ltd| location= London| pages= [https://archive.org/details/nosleeptillcanve00birc/page/120 120–129]| isbn= 0-7535-0740-4| url-access= registration| url= https://archive.org/details/nosleeptillcanve00birc/page/120}}</ref><ref name="ToD">{{cite book| first= Vernon| last= Joynson| year= 2006| title= The Tapestry of Delights Revisited| edition= 1st| publisher= Borderline productions| location= Telford| pages= 246| isbn= 1-899855-15-7}}</ref><ref name="NME">{{Cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/artists/eggs-over-easy |title=- news, reviews, biography, video, youtube videos, discography, books, DVDS, concerts, gossip, pictures and tour dates |website=[[NME]] |access-date=2019-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531090755/http://www.nme.com/artists/eggs-over-easy |archive-date=2009-05-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Carr">{{cite web|url=http://www.punk77.co.uk/punkhistory/pub_rock.htm|title=Pub Rock- Pre Punk music|website=Punk77.co.uk|access-date=30 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="The Fortnightly Review">{{cite web|url=http://fortnightlyreview.co.uk/2010/12/nick-lowe-the-true-blue-basher-shows-up-for-a-friend/|title=Nick Lowe: the true blue Basher shows up for a friend |publisher=The Fortnightly Review|date=December 18, 2010|access-date=2010-12-18}}</ref>

==Formation==
Although both hailed from [[New York City]], Jack O'Hara (guitar, bass & vocals) met [[Austin de Lone]] (keyboards, guitar & vocals) in [[Berkeley, California]], where they formed a duo.  The pair moved back to New York, where they met Brien Hopkins (keyboards, bass, guitar & vocals) who joined to form a multi-instrumental trio, without a drummer or percussionist.<ref name="Sleeve">Sleevenotes by Nigel Cross to the 2006 Hux Records Re-release</ref> They regularly played clubs and bars in [[Greenwich Village]] and [[Long Island]], until they acquired a small fan base, and a manager, Peter Kauff.<ref name="NSTCI"/> Kauff was also helping [[Cannon Films]] to move into the music business, and arranged for [[Chas Chandler]] (bass player for [[the Animals]] and producer/manager of the [[Jimi Hendrix Experience]]) to produce their first album.<ref name="NSTCI"/>

==London==
Recording started at [[Olympic Studios]] in Barnes, London, in December 1970, initially with Les Sampson (a friend of [[Noel Redding]] who joined him in the band [[Road (American band)|Road]]) on drums.  They also played several dates at the American Embassy as a trio.<ref name="Sleeve"/> Recording was completed in January 1971, with ex-Animal [[John Steel (drummer)|John Steel]] on drums.  The recordings went well, but Kauff fell out with Cannon Films, and advised the band to stay in London, until the problems were resolved, rather than return to the US.<ref name="NSTCI"/>

Chandler, by now their manager, arranged for the band to play a number of college gigs around the country. Many of these were sponsored by the American Embassy in London, which paid for the band to tour British universities to perform before larger audiences with American poets such as [[Marilyn Hacker]], [[Denis Boyles]] and [[Louis Simpson]].<ref name="USemb">[http://www.dacorbacon.org/dacor/lifefs/funlon.html]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> By then, the band had moved into a house, 10 Alma Street, [[Kentish Town]], near a pub called the Tally Ho.<ref name="AM-Bio"/> The band were used to playing in American bars, but in common with most London pubs at the time, the Tally Ho had a jazz-only policy. They persuaded the landlord that they played jazz, although their music was predominantly country rock and blues, and first appeared on either 3 May,<ref name="NSTCI"/> or 13 May<ref name="ToD"/> 1971, with Steel on drums. They soon attracted large crowds - including other musicians, such as [[Graham Parker]], [[Nick Lowe]] and [[Elvis Costello]] - making Eggs the pioneers of the "pub rock" movement.<ref name="The Fortnightly Review"/> Eventually, they were asked to increase their performances, until they were playing three nights and Sunday lunchtime each week. On other days they often appeared at other venues, such as [[The Marquee]], which is where Dave Robinson, [[Brinsley Schwarz]]'s manager, had seen them and introduced them to the band.<ref name="NSTCI"/>

Eggs over Easy had a large repertoire of over 50 of their own songs, and 50 covers, and were regularly joined on stage by members of Brinsley Schwarz and other performers, such as [[Loudon Wainwright III]] and [[Frankie Miller]].<ref name="NSTCI"/>  One of the former Tally Ho jazz players, Barry Richardson, was so impressed he formed [[Bees Make Honey (band)|Bees Make Honey]],<ref name="AM-BMH">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bees-make-honey-mn0001178635/biography|title=Bees Make Honey - Biography & History|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=30 December 2018}}</ref> who were also given a Tally Ho residency, alongside a mix of new and existing bands, such as [[Max Merritt|Max Merritt and the Meteors]] and Brinsley Schwarz.

The number of venues wanting to stage Eggs Over Easy and other "pub-rock" bands was also increasing, primarily in large Victorian pubs "north of Regents Park" where there were plenty of suitable pubs.<ref name="Carr"/> Eggs over Easy toured a chain of London pubs owned by the brewer [[Ind Coope]], and in September and October 1971 supported [[John Mayall]] on a UK tour,<ref>{{cite news |title= Eggs On |newspaper=[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]] |publisher= Spotlight Publications |date= 28 August 1971|page= 2}}</ref> with George Butler replacing Steel on drums; "Eggs over Easy's country rock-flavored repertoire offering a fascinating counterpoint to Mayall's then rampant jazz-blues fixation"  (Dave Thompson).<ref name="AM-Bio"/>

Kauff had not managed to resolve the dispute with Cannon Films, so the album remained unreleased, and the band had not secured a contract with a UK record label either. As they were having visa problems, Kauff suggested that they return home, so on 7 November 1971 they played their last gig at the Tally Ho, and went back to the US.<ref name="NSTCI"/>

==Return to US==
Back in New York, Bill Franz joined on drums, they signed a deal with [[A&M Records]] and in 1972 they recorded their first album to be released, ''Good 'N' Cheap''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/good-n-cheap-bonus-tracks-mw0000455102|title=Good 'n' Cheap - Eggs Over Easy - Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=30 December 2018}}</ref> This was partially a re-recording of the tracks originally recorded in London.<ref name="ToD"/>  The album was produced by [[Link Wray]], at his brother, Vernon Wray’s studio in [[Tucson, Arizona]], and the band wrote all but one of the songs.<ref name="Sleeve"/>

In 1973, they moved to San Francisco, and later supported [[Eagles (band)|Eagles]] and [[Yes (band)|Yes]] on tour,<ref name="Hux">{{cite web|url=http://www.huxrecords.com/bio14.htm|title=Hux Records - Biography - Barefoot Jerry - Clint Black - Eggs Over Easy - Bridget St.John|website=Huxrecords.com|access-date=30 December 2018}}</ref> the sort of "megastar" bands that, back in England, pub rock was seen as a backlash against.<ref name="Carr"/> By 1976 John "Jay" David (ex [[Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show]]) had replaced Franz on drums, and they issued a single "Bar in my Car", on Buffalo Records, but the record company "tanked as soon as the record came out."<ref name="Sleeve" />  Originally titled "I'm Gonna Put a Bar in the Back of My Car (And Drive Myself to Drink)", the song appears on numerous internet lists of "worst country song titles" as being from their album ''Fear of Frying'', but this is incorrect.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.downstream.sk.ca/country1.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181009214710/http://www.downstream.sk.ca/country1.htm |archive-date=2018-10-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The second album ''Fear of Frying'' was eventually recorded in 1980/81 and issued on Squish Records, which also failed as soon as the album was released, making this album a rarity, which has yet to be re-issued on CD.<ref name="Sleeve"/>

The Eggs were frequently joined on stage by Grootna's vocalist Anna Rizzo and also played with members of [[Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen]] in Moonlighters.<ref name="Carr"/> One of their final gigs was as "The Opinions", backing [[Dan Hicks (singer)|Dan Hicks]]; Eggs Over Easy finally split in 1981.<ref name="Hux"/>

After the break-up, Hopkins continued as a songwriter, O’Hara became a recording engineer and de Lone played as a session musician with [[Bonnie Raitt]], [[Nick Lowe]], [[Elvis Costello]] and others.<ref name="Sleeve"/>

==Discography==
===Albums===
*''Good 'N' Cheap'' - LP (1972) A&M (A&M 2366) : LP Re-issue (1986) Edsel : CD (1998) Edsel (ED199) : CD + bonus tracks (2006) Hux (Hux 081)
* ''Fear of Frying'' – LP (1981) Squish Records

==Singles==
* "Back of My Car" (1974) Buffalo Records

===Compilations===
*''Naughty Rhythms: The Best of Pub Rock'' CD (1996) EMI (Premier 37968) includes one "Eggs" track - "Factory"
*''Goodbye Nashville Hello Camden Town – a Pub Rock Anthology'' CD (2007) Castle Music  (CMEDD1451) includes one "Eggs" track - "Runnin' Down to Memphis"
*''Good 'N' Cheap: The Eggs Over Easy Story'' 2-CD (2016) Yep Roc Records

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Eggs Over Easy}}
[[Category:Pub rock musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1969]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1981]]
[[Category:American country rock groups]]