This song was written by and features the incredible voice of Glenn Hughes. The original version featured on the 1972 album You Are The Music We're Just The Band by Trapeze. Trapeze were a groundbreaking band from the West Midlands of England, who combined funk influences with hard rock guitars long before the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers (though this song is more of a dreamy ballad). They would surely have been massive if Hughes had not received an irresistible offer to join Deep Purple, with whom he went on to record 3 studio albums before they disintegrated in 1976.
Ten years later Hughes teamed up with American guitarist Pat Thrall (ex Pat Travers Band) for a critically acclaimed but ultimately poor-selling album. For this he decided to re-record Coast to Coast, and it is this version featured here, which I think just shades it over the Trapeze original (though I'd encourage you to check out both).
Hughes / Thrall imploded before recording a second album, with Hughes going on to short-lived spells with, among others, Black Sabbath and Gary Moore. Bizarrely, he was also credited as the "Voice of Rock" on The KLF's hit single America: What Time is Love? Problems caused by certain addictions meant that his output was fairly sporadic until he finally got clean in the early nineties. Since then he has followed a couple of Trapeze reunions with numerous solo albums and tours, keeping a loyal fan base throughout.
Success on a bigger scale has returned recently with Hughes forming rock "supergroup" Black Country Communion with guitarist Joe Bonamassa and drummer Jason Bonham (son of Led Zeppelin's John). Their second album in less than 12 months is slated for release in June 2011.
Coast to Coast remains, for me, his greatest moment, and even after nearly forty years it deserves a wider audience (as long as it isn't recorded by Kelly Clarkson or Maroon 5 or somebody equally dire).
Coast to Coast remains, for me, his greatest moment, and even after nearly forty years it deserves a wider audience (as long as it isn't recorded by Kelly Clarkson or Maroon 5 or somebody equally dire).
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