Wynder K. Frog

Wynder K. Frog originated in 1967 as a jazz/blues ensemble founded by keyboardist Mick Weaver. Early London performances sometimes listed the act as Wynder K. Frogg, including one supporting the recently assembled Traffic, while personnel shifted frequently during the initial phase. Their discography grew especially tangled because the debut album, Sunshine Super Frog, consisted largely of Mick Weaver overdubbing alongside anonymous New York session players under Jimmy Miller’s supervision; the 1967 Island release remains one of the label’s scarcest LPs from that year.

A more stable configuration later crystallized around guitarist Neil Hubbard, formerly of Bluesology, bassist Alan Spenner, saxophonist Chris Mercer who had played with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, percussionist Anthony Reebop Kwaku Baah, and drummer Bruce Rowland. Weaver’s Hammond B-3 remained the sonic centerpiece, and he adopted the performing alias “Wynder K. Frog.”

This lineup earned praise from both listeners and reviewers, leading to the 1968 album Out of the Frying Pan, jointly overseen by Miller and Gus Dudgeon. The record mixed interpretations of material stretching from “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” to “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” with two original Mick Weaver compositions. Their forceful reading of “Green Door” drew particular attention, while the instrumental treatment of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” circulated widely as a single and developed a lasting cult following; the standalone single “I’m a Man” has likewise retained popularity. Although the group secured substantial acclaim within London circles, prevailing tastes were shifting toward expansive American arena-rock styles they could not match.

The core personnel began dispersing by the close of 1968, though guitarist and vocalist Shawn Phillips joined briefly beforehand. Spenner and Rowland subsequently entered Joe Cocker’s Grease Band, accompanying an extensive American tour that concluded at Woodstock in August 1969; together with Neil Hubbard they later formed the nucleus of the independent Grease Band. After Wynder K. Frog disbanded, Weaver and the label released the posthumous album Into the Fire in 1969. Recognition stayed largely local to London’s music scene, yet repeated mentions in narratives surrounding the Grease Band and Joe Cocker afforded the group incidental international notice as a historical footnote. Of the three LPs, only Out of the Frying Pan has appeared on CD.