5 Forgotten Rock Bands That Started and Ended In the 70s

Think you know everything about 1970s rock music? Even the biggest classic rock fans may have never heard of the following five bands, but I don’t exactly blame you if that’s the case. These outfits were very short-lived and didn’t survive to see the 1980s. Let’s take a look at a few bands that started and ended in the 70s, shall we?

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Ramatam (1972 – 1974)

Would you consider Ramatam to be a supergroup? Some would. This 1970s rock band featured Mike Pinera (Iron Butterfly, Blues Image) and Mitch Mitchell (The Jimi Hendrix Experience), as well as April Lawton. At one point, the band included former members of Big Brother And The Holding Company. The outfit’s debut self-titled album from 1972 charted at no. 182 on the Billboard Albums chart, but their follow-up record failed to chart. The band called it quits in 1974.

Fuzzy Duck (1970 – 1971)

This is another very short-lived band that could be considered a supergroup of sorts. The prog-rock outfit Fuzzy Duck featured Mick Hawksworth of Andromeda and Killing Floor, plus Roy Sharland of Crazy World Of Arthur Brown and Paul Francis of Tucky Buzzard and Tranquility. Fuzzy Duck broke up shortly after releasing their only album in 1971.

Kingdom Come (1970 – 1974)

If you loved music festivals in the 70s, you might actually recognize this group. Kingdom Come, fronted by Arthur Brown, was a big prog and psych rock outfit that became popular in England’s festival culture in the 1970s. Sadly, because of their low record sales and poor promotion of their records, they broke up in 1974. Kingdom Come is widely considered to be one of the very first rock bands to utilize a drum machine.

Colosseum II (1975 – 1978)

When one band comes to an end, why not create a new one with almost the same name? Colosseum II came to life in 1975 via drummer Jon Hiseman, just a few years after Colosseum (I) ended. This prog-jazz-rock outfit’s debut, Strange New Flesh, is an honest delight. Sadly, they struggled in terms of album sales, and the band’s members diverted to other projects and bands by 1978.

Armageddon (1974 – 1976)

This example of bands that started and ended in the 70s, yet again, could be considered a supergroup. Bobby Caldwell (Captain Beyond), Keith Relf (The Yardbirds), Martin Pugh (Steamhammer), and Louis Cennamo (Renaissance) made up this little hard rock outfit. Honestly, this band could have lasted a lot longer than two years. But issues with their management, band members indulging in illicit drugs, and Relf’s asthma problems caused the whole thing to more or less collapse.

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