Jericho
Churchill’s into Jericho
Out of the chosen fields of Zion came the Judaic Churchill’s, one of the least known freakbeat pioneers. The eventual group consisted of 15 year old bassist Michael Gabriellov, guitarist Rob Huxley, drummer Ami Trybich and a lethal 13 year old axeman called Hayim Romano.The story started in 1965 when founder member of the Churchill’s Ytshak Klepter left just before the group undertook to record. The Churchills started out playing Shadows and Elvis under the name The Whisperers which evolved into Churchill’s Hermits and then Churchill’s. Klepter was drafted in 1968 and the group recruited ex Tornado Rob Huxley and ex Saints Stan Solomon for their 1969 Middle Eastern debut Mikre Isha, recorded for Israeli soundtrack A Woman’s Case. At this stage the group were also backing an eccentric singer called ‘Poopik’ who even covered two Hebrew versions for their singles. As a torchbearer to the Churchill’s album they released “Too Much In Love To Hear” which played backwards says ‘We Are the tits – men of Tel Aviv’. The Churchill’s were into effects using an oscillator on “Debka” while “Songs from the Sea” and the Cirrus sailing “Pictures In My Mind” are simply out of this world. The middle Eastern raga were still evident as in “Subsequent Finale” ( A Woman’s Case) and phased “Sunshine Man”, B – Side to Beatles’ “She’s A Woman”. Future Jericho riffs ride out of “Comics” while in the next exotic breath was the scintillating “When You Gone” which takes you into the lapping tides of Tiberius. This was an introspective time when the group merged into Prog recording with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra – “Churchill Sebastian Bach” and “Double Concerto” & “Chorale For The Young Lovers”. In 1971 the Churchill’s left for the UK with ex Lions Of Judah vocalist Danny Shoshan the future bassist who pointed the band to heavy Led Zeppelin’s “Living Loving”. The mesmerising “Signs Of You” reflected the softer side of Jericho Jones as in “Yellow And Blue” until actualization as Jericho and opening for Deep Purple.
The stained walls of Jericho
By 1971 the Judaic Churchill’s had evolved into Jericho Jones with an exquisite release called Junkies Monkeys& Donkeys.The completed Jericho Jones was guitarist Robb Huxley (replacing Yitzhak Klepter) drummer Ami Triebich, lead guitar Haim Romano, bass Michael Gabriellov and lead singer, ex Lion Of Judah Danny Shoshan who followed in the Zion light of Stan Solomon and Selvin Lifshiz. Although the album displayed a volley of ricochet axe by Haim Romano and Rob Huxley, a more sensitive riff is attained where the duo learns to whisper on ballads like “Yellow and Blue” and “Mare Tranquilitatas”. Jericho Jones launched into an expedient sci fi blues introspection on “Junkies Monkeys & Donkeys” with God sharpening Robb Huxley’s axe in amongst the shimmering voice trade – offs. The groups self titled 1972 follow up now baptised as Jericho spawned an apocalyptic cover and conceived one of the heaviest singles ever produced, “Ethiopia”. Not even Hawkwind’s “Silver Machine” could conjure the urgent power drive that scorched through the blazing “Ethiopia”.
Visions of the Queen Of Sheba alighting Eric Van Danikan’s Chariots of the Gods or the Ethiopian being dashed into the stars on Paul’s galactic heavenly vessel come to mind. Guitarist Robb Huxley and Haim Romano most likely bathed in the shallows of the forgotten underworld, yet their eight minute epic “Justin and Nova”, a tale of alien abduction, could well be listed as one of the finest progressive arrangements to rise out of the seventies. Magnificent oriental guitar work by Haim coupled with a myriad of vocal arrangement creates a climactic orgasm as galactic guitar steals you away. String arranger Robb Young played the riveting piano solos. Andy Henrikson produced and engineered a space shuttle with propensity equal to any Floyd master. “Justin & Nova” is the ultimate star quest with arrangements strung in the galactic spheres of the quaking Nebulous. The eponymous also welled with spunky riffs on the undulating “Featherbed” and ambient strains of “Kill Me with Your Love”, slightly before the walls of Jericho were shattered.