Two Quid Deal

Skating a fine line between prog-rock, jazz fusion and blues, Skin Alley emerged in London in 1968, formed by schoolfriends Thomas Cripple (bass) and Giles Pope (drums); Birmingham-based saxophonist Bob James and Polish keyboardist Krzysztof Juskiewicz completed the lineup. Recorded in late 1972, 2 Quid Deal? was released by folk label Transatlantic in the UK and soul label Stax in the US, after CBS unceremoniously dropped the group; the album heralded the arrival of Atomic Rooster main man Nick Graham, who replaced Cripple when the latter joined Hawkwind. Graham's presence helped the group reclaim their blues underpinning on songs like 'Nick's Seven' while Juskiewicz's 'So Many People' had funk shades. Less commercial than later LPs, 2 Quid Deal? Captures Skin Alley at their creative apex.