Art Woods Quiet Melon

Art Wood's Quiet Melon
This page is a work in progress

Art Wood's Quiet Melon was formed and lasted for approximately the month May of 1969

Ronnie Lane and Art Wood's Quiet Melon

"Art Wood's Quiet Melon lived its short shelf life for a few months of 1969. Formed by Art Wood who recruited the leaderless fragments of the Small Faces, his little brother Ron, and his mate Rod Stewart. They played a handful of gigs throughout that year, using ex-Bird Kim Gardner on Bass (replacing the absent Ronnie Lane) before their expiry date brought about the end of Art's musical career. This forgotten studio recording is all that remains of the great band that spanned the short transitional period between the Small Faces becoming simply the Faces" ~ Terry Rawlings.

Listen to Art Wood's Quiet Melon on Spotify!
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0yG1BDePFMbvzND2610jbk

1. Engine 4444 (3:05)
2. Early Roller Machine 4444 (2:52)
3. Diamond Joe (3:47)
4. Instrumental (3:47)
5. Diamond Joe (2:28)

Art Wood's Quiet Melon Band Members:
Vocals- Rod Stewart
Guitar/vocals- Art Wood
Bass- Ronnie Lane/Kim Gardner
Drums- Kenney Jones
Guitar- Ronnie Wood
Keyboards- Ian McLagan

Art Wood's Quiet Melon

Arthur "Art" Wood (July 7, 1937 – November 3, 2006) was a British blues, pop and rock singer, who led The Artwoods in the 1960s and subsequently became a graphic artist. He was the brother of Ronnie Wood of The Birds, The Jeff Beck Group, Faces and The Rolling Stones.

By 1962, Art Wood was one of several singers regularly featured with Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, which also included Charlie Watts and Cyril Davies. However, as that group firmed up its line-up with Long John Baldry as the main lead singer, Wood formed his own group, which he now called The Artwoods. The group included organist Jon Lord (who would go on to join Deep Purple) and drummer Keef Hartley.

The Artwoods failed to make a major commercial breakthrough, and split up in 1967.

In May of 1969 Wood formed the short-lived group Quiet Melon, with his brother Ronnie Wood, Rod Stewart, Kim Gardner and the remaining members of the Small Faces: Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan (without Steve Marriott, as he had left Small Faces in early in the year.

Art Wood and his brother Ted had an important influence on the career of Ronnie Wood, the youngest Wood brother, who was also in a mod group, the Birds, and went on to join the Creation, the Jeff Beck Group and the Faces, and has been a Rolling Stones guitarist since 1975.

Faces evolved from a short-lived group called Quiet Melon which Art Wood formed in May of 1969. "Ron and the members of the Small Faces were between jobs at the time and completely skint," he recalled.

"I had some studio time so we rounded up Rod Stewart, Kenny Jones, Ian McLagan, Ronnie Lane and Kim Gardner and recorded the songs "Engine 4444" and "Diamond Joe". We played a few Quiet Melon gigs afterwards. But then Rod and Ronnie blew me off, the little bastards, and went on to become hugely famous as the Faces. Oh well."

Quiet Melon recorded four songs (we have found 2 of them): "Diamond Joe", "Engine 4444", "Right Around The Thumb" and "Two Steps To Mother".

The tapes were delivered to Fontana Records, who said the tracks weren't good enough and cancelled Art's contract. The group then got a promoter called Rufus Manning to try and get them a deal but nobody wanted to know. The group played quite a few gigs but the project soon folded and Art semi-retired from the music business to become a Graphic Designer.

At some point, Ronnie Lane was replaced by Kim Gardner who had been in the Birds and the Creation with Ronnie Wood. Gardner went on to another band and the remaining members - Ronnie Wood, Rod Stewart, Kenney Jones ,Ian McLagan then reunited with Ronnie Lane and carried on to become the rock supergroup Faces.

Wood joined his other brother Ted in setting up a graphic design business and continued to perform on a semi-professional basis with the Downliners Sect, the Carlo Little All-Stars, and reunited versions of the Artwoods, with occasional guest appearances by his brother Ronnie.

Arthur "Art" Wood passed away in London November 3, 2006, age 69.

Art Wood's Quiet Melon (with Ronnie Lane)
"Engine 4444" 1969
(3:07)

Art Wood's Quiet Melon (with Ronnie Lane) - "Diamond Joe" 1969
(3:46)

From Facebook comments,
"Love these 2 tracks ! I named my son after Diamond Joe, originally
wanted to call him Engine 4444 but his mum wouldn't have it." ~Tim C.
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialRonnieLane/posts/1480363775498368

Art Wood's Quiet Melon Timeline
http://the-faces.com/wood/woodwork2.htm

Note: Art Wood's Quiet Melon appears to have formed directly after Ron Wood recorded with Donovan and Jeff Beck at Olympic Studios in London May 16-17, 1969

690900E May: ART WOOD’S QUIET MELON. Phillips Studios, London.
Producer: unknown, maybe Art Wood. Incl.
- Engine 4444 (Art Wood)
- Diamond Joe I (Art Wood) -instrumental
- Diamond Joe II (Art Wood)
- Right Around The Thumb ( ) -unverified
- Two Steps To Mother ( ) -unverified
Line-up: RW (gtr)/Art Wood (voc)/Rod Stewart (voc)/Ian McLagan (keyb)/
Ronnie Lane (bass)/Kenney Jones (dr)
Note: The first three tracks got released on a CD-single in November 1995.

690500B May: THE QUIET MELON. Cambridge, University Ball (1st show).

690500C May: THE QUIET MELON. Cambridge, University Ball (2nd show).
                  Note: Both shows had the same setlist, incl (unverified):
                   - Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon)
                   - I Got My Mojo Working (Preston Foster)
                   - What’d I Say (Ray Charles)
                   Line-up: RW (gtr)/Art Wood (voc)/Rod Stewart (voc)/Ronnie Lane (bass)/
                                 Kim Gardner (bass)/Ian McLagan (keyb)/Kenney Jones (dr)

690500D May: THE QUIET MELON. Oxford, May Ball
Line-up: probably as 690500B/C, maybe without Ronnie Lane.

690500E May: THE QUIET MELON. Surrey, University Ball
                   Line-up: RW (gtr)/John Baldry (voc + maybe harm and/or gtr)/Rod Stewart
                                 (voc)/Ian McLagan (keyb)/Kenney Jones (dr)/Jimmy Horowitz (keyb)/
                                  Kim Gardner (bass)

Next official Ronnie Wood performance date, without credit to who he played with:
690606A 6th June: London, The Marquee

After May 1969, there are no more references to "The Quiet Melon" recording or performing as a band

Blink and ...you missed it!

Quiet Melon Discography

Singles & EPs

1995 Quiet Melon ‎– Art Wood's Quiet Melon
Lost Moment Records 1995

Tracklist
A1 Diamond Joe
A2 Engine 4444
B1 Instrumental

Bass – Ronnie Lane, Kim Gardner
Drums – Kenny Jones
Guitar – Art Wood, Ron Wood
Organ – Ian Mclagan
Vocals – Rod Stewart

12" Vinyl

Art Wood's Quiet Melon - Quiet Melon Front Cover horse -12 in vinyl

Art Wood's Quiet Melon - Quiet Melon -12 in vinyl -photos

Art Wood's Quiet Melon- Quiet Melon -CD cover

Art Wood's Quiet Melon -CD back cover

Art Wood's Quiet Melon -CD inside

COMPILATIONS

1998 Art Wood's Quiet Melon* ‎– Moneydue

Includes two archive tracks from Quiet Melon

COMPILATION APPEARANCES

1996 Diamond Joe Various - Daytrippers: 50 Classic Tracks From The Sixties By Original Artists ‎(3xCD, Comp + Box) Dressed To Kill, Dressed To Kill, Dressed To Kill, Dressed To Kill DTK Box 52, DTK CD 007, DTK CD 008, DTK CD 009 1996

One track from Quiet Melon, "Diamond Joe" (Disk Three)

1997 Diamond Joe Various - Disraeli Years ‎(5xCD, Comp, Ltd, Box) Dressed To Kill DTK BOX 69 1997

One track from Quiet Melon, "Diamond Joe" (Disk Three)

2001 Diamond Joe Various - Sixties - A Decade In Sound ‎(10xCD, Comp + Box) Dressed To Kill MOPTOP 1960 2001

One track from Quiet Melon, "Diamond Joe" (Disk Two)

2005 Early Roller Machine 4444 Various - Sugar Lumps 2 versions Acid Jazz 2005

One track from Quiet Melon, "Early Roller Machine 4444"

2007 Diamond Joe Various - Sugar Lumps 2 2 versions Acid Jazz 2007

One track from Quiet Melon, "Diamond Joe"

Ronnie Lane with Quiet Melon Page Sources
-https://www.discogs.com/artist/425702-Quiet-Melon
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Wood
-https://www.last.fm/music/Quiet+Melon/+wiki
-https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/art-wood-423177.html

http://the-faces.com/wood/woodwork2.htm

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Ronnie Lane Complete Album Discography
https://www.ronnielane.com/ronnie-lane-complete-album-discography.html