Odysseus – Notts Music Archive

Nottingham group circa 1972/74

Including Fritz & Superdude

Odysseus appeared on the “Nottingham Castle Rock” LP
with the track Aguana, credited to the band, who were:
Andy Toone: Guitars, Vocals
Stewart Knowles: Drums
John Carling: Bass

Bob Rowe who produced the album also got in on the recording playing the Cow Bell

From the album notes “Been together now since January 1972, and gig all over the country “from Yeovil to Kendall” says manager John Carling, “except, ironically, in the Nottingham area.” The Boat club is the only likely place to find them. Judging by the strong affinity for heavy music in Nottingham, this could well be the most popular sound on the album”.

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The track also appeared on the Acid Rock / Stoner Rock compilation:
Various – Casting The Runes “The Recorded British Abyss 1969-1976” – 2012

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**Andy Toone playing at the Imperial circa 1970/71. Not sure if this is with Odysseus or someone else. There is a Medicine Hat poster in the background.**

Andy Toone’s father was booking agent and promoter George Toone

John Carling played with “Maze” before Odysseus.

John Carling eventually joined the company John Birch Guitars Ltd.

http://www.johnbirchguitarsuk.com/history

HISTORY (2021)

John Birch Guitars Ltd was founded in Birmingham UK in the early 1970’s with John Birch, John Diggins and Arthur Baker. Together they produced a new way of guitar building and pickup design that was revolutionary. These guitars and pickups attracted interest across the globe with numerous world famous guitarists and artists using their products.

In 1993 John Birch moved to Nottingham and continued John Birch Guitars with John Carling up until November 2000 when sadly John Birch passed away. The business was left to John Carling and was renamed John Birch Guitars UK.

In 2021 John Carling retired and John Birch Guitars relocated back to it’s home town of Birmingham back under the direction of John Diggins with his sons Michael and Andrew and Peter Francis.
As for the future, John Birch Guitars will continue to produce professional guitars with legendary pickups from it’s extensive iconic range and develop and create new products which has always been the essence of John Birch’s phlilosopy.

A previous version

HISTORY
John Birch Guitars Ltd was founded in Birmingham UK in the early 1970s with John Birch, Arthur Baker and John Diggins and produced a new way of guitar building and pickup design that really was very popular with bands in the 70,s period, almost everybody that was anybody played a new John Birch or had John Birch pickups fitted to other guitars. In the early 1980s after a ten year run the music scene changed from rock to punk and the demand for professional instruments dropped out of fashion, John Birch decided to leave and his partner John Diggins carried on under his own name. In 1993 John Birch now back in West Bridgford Nottingham met up with John Carling, ex pro musician and technician and decided to restart John Birch Guitars again. This got off to a good start and ran up to November 2000 when sadly John Birch passed away. The business was left to John Carling and renamed it John Birch Guitars UK ,along with master builder Laz Gajic and master finisher Phil McAllister carried on for another 15 year and still running today. John Carling developed some new pickups from 2013 having invented a process (CEM) which brings guitar pickups up to a new level and today an extended range is available.
Professional guitar builders and outstanding guitar pickups.

ecided to leave and his partner John Diggins carried on under his own name. In 1993 John Birch now back in West Bridgford Nottingham met up with John Carling, ex pro musician and technician and decided to restart John Birch Guitars again. This got off to a good start and ran up to November 2000 when sadly John Birch passed away. The business was left to John Carling and renamed it John Birch Guitars UK ,along with master builder Laz Gajic and master finisher Phil McAllister carried on for another 15 year and still running today. John Carling developed some new pickups from 2013 having invented a process (CEM) which brings guitar pickups up to a new level and today an extended range is available.
Professional guitar builders and outstanding guitar pickups.

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1972