No One

A-Side: No One
B-Side: The Fantastic Story Of The Steam Driven Banana

Record label: Fontana TF 904
Producer: Unknown

Released: 09/02/68

Legay | No One | (Fontana) 1968 | Rumour has it that the strangely-named Legay were actually called Legacy, until the printers left the letter “c” out of their name on their one-and-only single for Fontana.

Whatever they were supposed to called, this Leicester band comprised Robin Pizer (guitar and vocals), Rod Read (guitar and vocals), John Knapp (guitar, keyboards and vocals), Dave McCarthy (bass) and Moth Smith (drums).

In February 1968, they released the wonderful “No-One”, an exhaustingly loud number with furious guitar, which is certainly one of the classic records of the period. The B-side’s interesting too, a pop-psych track with one of the most ridiculous titles of the Sixties: “The Fantastic Story Of The Steam-Driven Banana.”

This was the band’s only single, but eighteen months after its release, Legay became the harmony-rock group Gypsy (swapping guitarist Rod Read for Ray Martinez along the way). Gypsy’s main claims to fame were their two LPs for United Artists and playing on the same bill as Bob Dylan at the 1969 Isle Of Wight Pop Festival. (Record Collector)

Legay | No One | (Fontana) 1968

Formed in Leicester in 1965, Legay were initially a soul / Motown-inspired band named after their original drummer, Legay Rogers, who was joined by Rod Read (lead vocals, guitar), Robin Pizer (guitar, vocals), John Knapp (guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Dave McCarthy (bass).

Rogers was then replaced by Rob Townshend, who in turn was quickly lured away by another local band, Family, with Dave ‘Moth’ Smith stepping into the beach. By this juncture Legay had become immersed in psychedelia, making their own stage clothes and penning such original tunes as “Impartial Judge”, “Vacuum Cleaner Mother” and (only in the psychedelic era . . . ) “The Fantastic Story Of The Steam Driven Banana”.

“Steam Driven Banana” became the B-side of their sole release, the February 1968 single “No One”, before the band turned into the West Coast-influenced Gypsy, who recorded a couple of early Seventies albums for United Artists. (Grapefruit)

LEGAY sound very Move-like on “No One” which isn’t bad. (Penny Valentine, Disc, 17/02/68)

“No One” by LEGAY is a powering, rather repetitive beater, fair enough only. (Record Mirror, 17/02/68)