GALE FORCE Fantasy Records

GALE FORCE

After being signed with Frank Zappa's manager Herb Cohen, founding members, brothers Kenny and Lennie Gale were joined by bass player Charlie Souza in 1977. Rehearsals for their first album were held at S.I.R. studios in Hollywood where in the next room, Stevie Wonder was working out some tracks with an abundance of other musicians! That really was an inspiring time for the band while they worked on their first album. Then, Bill Champlin of Chicago came in on some sessions for their second album. He played some mean Hammond B-3 on some tracks and helped with some of the arrangements and great backing vocals!

Gale Force

Gale Force Two

The bands' producer, Wayne Henderson of The Jazz Crusaders was an American soul jazz and hard bop trombonist and record producer. In 1961, he co-founded the soul jazz/hard bop group.
Wayne left the group in 1976 to pursue a career in producing. He produced two LPs with Gale Force in 1977 & '78 and later revived Crusaders in 1995. The Gale Bros could always count on Wayne to call for some congnac and barbque ribs for dinner at most of their recording sessions!

For the second album, keyboard player Rocke Grace from Joe Walsh’s band joined Gale Force. Rocke had played piano on a few Joe Walsh albums as well as the hit tune "Rocky Mountain Way"! Gale Force recorded one of Rockes' tunes on the second album as well as one of Charlies' songs.

Lennie and Kenny wrote most of the music except for the songs
“Fever” by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, “I Was Made to Love Her” by Stevie Wonder and “Rosie” by Tom Waits.

Len Gale, band leader, drummer and lead vocalist has a powerful voice that sounds just a good as any of the top groups of that period including Bad Company, Free and Foreigner. Rock and Soul Rock and Roll Gale Force!

* US rock band Gale Force took their name from the surnames of the brothers who gave them their creative thrust - Len Gale (vocals/drums) and Ken Gale (guitar). Together with Sneaky Pete (guitar), Bobby Lyle (keyboards) and Charlie Souza (bass), they made their debut with a self-titled collection for Fantasy Records in 1977. The group’s tough, high-spirited blues rock style earned immediate comparisons to Bad Company, though Len Gale’s place behind the drum kit limited his ambitions to emulate Paul Rodgers. Nevertheless, Gale Force remains an impressive achievement!
Artist Biography by AllMusic.com