National Health were an English progressive rock band associated with the Canterbury scene. Founded in 1975, the band featured members of keyboardist Dave Stewart's band Hatfield and the North and Alan Gowen's band Gilgamesh, including guitarists Phil Miller and Phil Lee and bassist Mont Campbell as original members. The band was named after Stewart's National Health spectacles. Bill Bruford (previously of Yes and King Crimson) was the initial drummer, soon replaced by Pip Pyle. Campbell was replaced by Neil Murray and then John Greaves. Alan Gowen left the group before its first album (although he appeared on it as a guest musician), but returned for their final tours, replacing Dave Stewart, who resigned after their second album. Amanda Parsons sang with the group in its original line-up but also appeared on the first album only as a guest; the group never had another full-time vocalist, although Richard Sinclair sang a few times, and Greaves sang on one track of the second album and occasionally in concerts. Guitarist Phil Miller was National Health's only constant member.
They toured extensively and released their first album, National Health, in 1978. Although it was created during the rise of punk rock, the album is characterized by lengthy, mostly instrumental compositions. National Health continued performing live until winter 1980, but disbanded after recording only two studio albums.
After the May 1981 death of Gowen, the Queues lineup of Stewart, Miller, Greaves and Pyle reunited to record the album D.S. Al Coda, a set of compositions by Gowen, most previously unrecorded. The original albums and additional archival material have subsequently been released on CD.
The intro of National Health's "Binoculars" was used as a sample on American rock band Deftones' "Black Moon".
Line-ups July – September 1975 October – December 1975 December 1975 – January 1976 January – March 1976 Dave Stewart – keyboards Alan Gowen – keyboards Phil Miller – guitar Phil Lee – guitar Mont Campbell – bass Amanda Parsons – vocals Dave Stewart – keyboards Alan Gowen – keyboards Phil Miller – guitar Phil Lee – guitar Mont Campbell – bass Amanda Parsons – vocals Bill Bruford – drums, percussion Dave Stewart – keyboards Alan Gowen – keyboards Phil Miller – guitar Mont Campbell – bass Amanda Parsons – vocals Richard Burgess – drums, percussion Dave Stewart – keyboards Alan Gowen – keyboards Phil Miller – guitar Mont Campbell – bass Amanda Parsons – vocals Steve Hillage – guitar Bill Bruford – drums, percussion March – June 1976 July 1976 – January 1977 January – March 1977 March 1977 – January 1978 Dave Stewart – keyboards Alan Gowen – keyboards Phil Miller – guitar Mont Campbell – bass Amanda Parsons – vocals John Mitchell – drums, percussion Dave Stewart – keyboards Alan Gowen – keyboards Phil Miller – guitar Amanda Parsons – vocals Bill Bruford – drums percussion Neil Murray – bass Dave Stewart – keyboards Alan Gowen – keyboards Phil Miller – guitar Amanda Parsons – vocals Neil Murray – bass Pip Pyle – drums, percussion Dave Stewart – keyboards Phil Miller – guitar Neil Murray – bass Pip Pyle – drums, percussion January – September 1978 September – October 1978 January 1979 – March 1980 March 1980 – October 1981 Dave Stewart – keyboards Phil Miller – guitar Pip Pyle – drums, percussion John Greaves – bass Dave Stewart – keyboards Phil Miller – guitar Pip Pyle – drums, percussion John Greaves – bass Georgie Born – cello Lindsay Cooper – bassoon Phil Miller – guitar Pip Pyle – drums, percussion John Greaves – bass Alan Gowen – keyboards Dave Stewart took part in a performance of "The Collapso" on BBC's The Old Grey Whistle Test in January 1979, before being replaced by Alan Gowen.Disbanded October – November 1981 November 1981 – August 1983 August 1983 Phil Miller – guitar Pip Pyle – drums John Greaves – bass Dave Stewart – keyboardsDisbanded Phil Miller – guitar Pip Pyle – drums John Greaves – bass Dave Stewart – keyboards Guests Elton Dean – saxophone Jimmy Hastings – flute Barbara Gaskin – vocals
Discography Studio albums National Health (1978) Of Queues and Cures (1978) D.S. Al Coda (1982)
Other releases Complete (1990; all three studio albums plus bonus tracks) Missing Pieces (1996; archival material) Playtime (2001; live recordings from 1979) Dreams Wide Awake (2005; all tracks from the first two studio albums)
Filmography 2015: Romantic Warriors III: Canterbury Tales (DVD)
References
External links Biography at Calyx Discography