Hannibal

British psychedelic rock band

Hannibal is the name of a rare UK psychedelic rock group from the early 1970s. The band is associated with B&C Records and records a horn-led blend of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, hard rock, heavy rock and heavy progressive rock. It forms after Clem Clempson leaves Bakerloo and the remaining musicians continue under the Hannibal name.

The group’s album is noted for its rarity and for its original-master reissue. Its tracks include “Look Upon Me”, “Winds Of Change”, “Bend For A Friend”, “1066”, “Wet Legs” and “Winter”. The sound is described through comparisons with groups such as If and the Web, with particular emphasis on the prominence of brass and progressive arrangements.

Other artists using the same name

Hannibal is also used by several other acts. One is Marvin Peterson, known as Hannibal Lokumbe, a koto and trumpet player who composes under his first name. He begins in the avant-garde jazz scene, working with Pharaoh Sanders and others, and releases Children of the Fire in 1974. His operetta African Portraits premieres at Carnegie Hall in 1990 under Daniel Barenboim and features Jevetta Steele, David “Honeyboy” Edwards and his own jazz trio.

Another Hannibal is the personal project of Alex Balakakis, former lead singer of Spitfire. He records vocals in 1997 for the album Sign of rage for Power Crue, later stabilises the line-up, and records a second album in Roland Grapow’s studio in Slovakia. The project releases the album This is you; its first track, “TOUCH ME NOW”, appears on a Midwest NailGun Records compilation in the United States. The band also opens for S.I.T.D., Unheilig, Scorpions, Def Leppard and Whitesnake, and appears at the 2008 MMD in Athens.

A further artist using the name is Finnish rapper Hannu Stark, also called Hannibal, from Tampere. He founds Joku Roti Records.

Track note

The name Hannibal is also attached to the trance single “Zauberstab”.