CROWN OF THORNS

Chris Wilson (ex-Harem Scarem) formed Crown of Thorns, with Barry Palmer (ex-Harem Scarem), and Chris Rodgers on double bass, bass guitar and fiddle, in 1987. Stuart Coupe of The Canberra Times described the group's sound as "a diverse amalgam, recalling everything from Tim Buckley to Captain Beefheart and American blues". While Wilson felt his group was not only a blues band as "there's elements of country and straight rock 'n' roll". Their debut release was a six-track extended play, 'Gnawing on the Bones of Elvis', which was produced by the band and appeared in April 1988. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, noted it was "sparsely recorded which mixed one side of electric blues including Willie Dixon's 'Bring It on Home', and one side of acoustic folk tunes".

Crown of Thorns issued a studio album, 'Carnival' (February 1989), using the lineup of Wilson, Palmer, Rodgers, joined by Justin Brady on violin, Barbara Waters on guitar, vocals and mandolin (ex-Hollowmen), and former band mate, Peter Jones on drums (ex-Harem Scarem). The album was produced by Wilson and Waters with Chris Thompson. McFarlane described it as a "more fully realised work than the debut. It mixed blues, country and folk with a great deal of verve and authority". It contained Wilson's composition "The Ballad of Slim Boy Fat", which was a highlight of the album with its spectacular blues/gospel style. In 1990 the group released another studio album, 'Babylon', with Wilson, Rodgers, and Waters joined by Ashley Davies on drums (ex-White Cross). Chris Wilson died in 2019 of pancreatic cancer.

Members

Chris Wilson (vocals/harmonica/guitar), Barry Palmer (guitar), Chris Rogers (bass),
Barbara Waters (guitar/mandolin/vocals), Peter Jones (drums), Ashley Davies (drums)

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Wilson_(Australian_musician)