Written by John Rossall and Gerry Sheppard, their debut single, "Angel Face," was an obvious close relation to the Glitter sound, a pounding, stomping number that raced to number four in Britain in March 1974, but it unquestionably possessed a charm all of its own. The decision to launch the Glitter Band as a recording act in its own right was made in late 1973. Their choice of bandleader also reached back to that earlier era - baritone sax player John Rossall had previously played with Leander's own eponymous orchestra, and with Glitter in the subsequent Boston International. The Glitter Men, as the group was originally known, was built around an idea that Glitter and Leander had first experimented with during the mid-'60s: a sprawling combo whose sound and visuals were based upon a core of two drummers and two saxophonists. And while the band's original sound was firmly cut in the style of their namesake, by the end of their career, they'd developed into a wholly original and utterly captivating act in their own right. Ultimately, the Glitter Band became almost as successful, and certainly as well-known, as Gary Glitter himself. Although the band was not physically present on any of Glitter's own hits (according to the singer, Mike Leander alone played every instrument himself), the Glitter Band not only accompanied Glitter on his tours and television appearances, they also racked up seven hits of their own, six of them making the Top Ten. They originally came together in 1972, following Glitter's own breakthrough with the hit "Rock and Roll." With his first major concert tour looming, Glitter and producer/co-conspirator Mike Leander needed a full-time backing band for live work. Playing hard-stomping glam rock with singalong choruses as well as more straightforward romantic pop, the Glitter Band were named for their association with glam idol Gary Glitter.
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