Chicory Tip

Hailing from Maidstone, Kent, in England, this pop quartet was formed in 1968 by singer Peter Hewson (b. 1 September 1950, Gillingham, Kent, England). The rest of the group comprised Barry Mayger (b. 1 June 1950, Maidstone, Kent, England; bass), Brian Shearer (b. 4 May 1951, Lewisham, London, England; drums) and Dick Foster (guitar). Foster was replaced in October 1972 by Rod Cloutt (b. 26 January 1949, Gillingham, Kent, England; lead guitar, synthesizer, organ). Chicory Tip’s main claim to fame was a gnawingly infectious piece of pop ephemera titled ‘Son Of My Father’ which topped the UK charts for three weeks in early 1972. In the USA the band was marketed as Chicory, and the same song made a respectable number 91. The record was something of a combined star effort having been written by the soon-to-be-famous disco producer Giorgio Moroder. The distinctive synthesizer backing on the disc was played by another producer-elect, Chris Thomas. Finally, the man who actually produced the record was Roger Easterby, manager of another seasoned pop outfit, Vanity Fare. Although Chicory Tip had a low-key image, they rode the glam rock wagon long enough to enjoy two further UK Top 20 hits with ‘What’s Your Name?’ (1972) and ‘Good Grief Christina’ (1973).