Great Lost Band Members # 17 Roy Loney

Listening to Flamingo and Teenage Head and then to their succeeding album Shake Some Action, you might as well be listening to the work of completely different bands. In between The Flamin' Groovies lost the services and guiding inspiration Roy Loney and became by default the band's fellow songwriter Cyril Jordon's vehicle. With the exception of the song Shake Some Action itself, (which is one of the finest songs by anyone from anytime, I'd say), they became a much lesser force without Loney who supplied a sizable portion of the true Rock and Roll swagger and vim of their early years. Diminutive, and sporting a series of defiantly odd hairdos over the years Loney cut an odd figure but he was a real force both in terms of his delivery and songwriter and the band was never quite the same following his departure, becoming something of a beat band pastiche just as Punk roared over the horizon. They'd have been much better served with Loney still in their ranks acting as a foil and sparring partner for Jordan.