The Groundhogs

The Groundhogs were an English blues and rock band founded in late 1963 in London. Named after John Lee Hooker's song "Groundhog's Blues", they were part of the burgeoning British rhythm and blues scene, backing Hooker on his album ...And Seven Nights. They were predominantly a power trio of Tony McPhee (singer, guitarist, song-writer), Peter Cruickshank (bass) and Ken Pustelnik (drums), with Clive Brooks replacing Pustelnik in 1972 until the band split in 1974. They issued seven albums via Liberty/UA, including the UK Top 10 Thank Christ for the Bomb (1970, #9), Split (1971, #5) and Who Will Save the World? (1972, #8). McPhee resurrected the name with a different rhythm section in 1975 for two more studio albums, and again in 1982 to 2003 for a further two studio albums. A re-union of the early 1970s trio in 2003 ended Mcphee's run, with Cruickshank and Pustelnik continuing as The Groundhogs Rhythm Section. McPhee resurrected the name again in 2007 through to 2014, although only for live performances. Career Early Years: 1962–1967 The band were originally formed as the Dollar Bills in New Cross, London, in 1962 by brothers John and Peter Cruickshank (born in 1943 and 2 July 1945 respectively in Calcutta, West Bengal, India). Tony McPhee (born 22 March 1944), the lead guitarist in the instrumental group the Seneschals, joined the group later that year. McPhee steered them towards the blues and renamed them after a John Lee Hooker song "Groundhog's Blues".