Ethel the Frog (band)

Ethel the Frog was a heavy metal band formed in 1976 in Hull, England. They are notable for being a part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. The band's unusual name was taken from a Monty Python sketch about the "Piranha Brothers".^[1]

Line-up edit

The original line-up was:

Paul "Doug" Sheppard (lead guitar)
Terry Hopkinson (vocals, bass)
Paul Tognola (vocals, lead guitar)
Paul Conyers (drums).

Career edit

After building a local following, they released a heavy version of The Beatles song "Eleanor Rigby" in 1978. Ethel the Frog also contributed the song "Fight Back" to one of Neal Kay's Metal for Muthas compilations.^[1] In 1979, they signed a recording contract with EMI, which re-released the "Eleanor Rigby" single with "Fight Back" as the B-side.^[2]

Their self-titled debut album was released in 1980.^[1] A CD release on a small record label, British Steel, appeared in 1997.

Post Ethel edit

Hopkinson, probably one of the very few early new wave metal bassists to play a six string Fender bass guitar, became a lecturer at the University of Leicester School of Archaeology.^[3]

Tognola and Conyers went on to join a band called Salem, releasing one single called "Reach for Eternity/Cold as Steel" in 1982.^[1] That band split in 1983, then reformed in 2009.

Doug Sheppard continued to play in cover bands, but then formed the band No Messiahs which has since dissolved. He continues to play guitar in the Netherlands and has several original songs issued on Reverbnation.^[4]

Discography edit

Metal for Muthas - Compilation (1980) EMI
Ethel the Frog (1980) EMI^[1]

References edit

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Heavy Metal (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 124. ISBN 0-85112-656-1.
^ "Ethel the Frog". Geocities. 1 September 2001. Archived from the original on 30 August 2005. Retrieved 20 January 2007.
^ "Dr Terry Hopkinson — University of Leicester". 2.le.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
^ "Doug Sheppard - Rock from Hull Uk, ENG, UK". ReverbNation.com. Retrieved 19 January 2018.

External links edit

Article and discography

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[LarkinHM-1] Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Heavy Metal (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 124. ISBN 0-85112-656-1.

[2] "Ethel the Frog". Geocities. 1 September 2001. Archived from the original on 30 August 2005. Retrieved 20 January 2007.

[3] "Dr Terry Hopkinson — University of Leicester". 2.le.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 January 2018.

[4] "Doug Sheppard - Rock from Hull Uk, ENG, UK". ReverbNation.com. Retrieved 19 January 2018.

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