In 1965, Auger played on "For Your Love" by The Yardbirds as a session musician.[3][4] He was brought in to play the Hammond organ, but settled for the only available keyboard, the harpsichord.[5] That same year, Auger formed the group The Steampacket with Long John Baldry, Julie Driscoll, Vic Briggs, and Rod Stewart.[6] Due to contractual problems there were no official recordings made by the band; nevertheless, nine tracks were laid down for promotional use in late 1965 and released as an LP in 1970 in France on the BYG label. They were released on a CD by Repertoire Records in 1990 (licensed from Charly Records) as well as 12 live tracks from Live at the Birmingham Town Hall, February 2, 1964. Stewart left in early 1966 and soon thereafter the band broke up.
The Trinity
With Driscoll and the band Trinity, he went on to record a cover version of David Ackles' "Road to Cairo" and Bob Dylan's "This Wheel's on Fire", which appeared on Dylan Covered. The latter track was a number 5 pop hit in the UK. In 1969 Auger, Driscoll, and Trinity performed in the United States on the NBC special 33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee. Auger and Driscoll stopped performing together after the 1969 album Streetnoise,[7] but reunited for the 1978 album Encore.[8]
Brian Auger's Oblivion Express
In 1970, he formed the jazz fusion ensemble Brian Auger's Oblivion Express shortly after abandoning the abortive "Wassenaar Arrangement" jazz rock commune in a small suburb of The Hague. Oblivion Express cultivated the talents of several notable musicians, including Average White Band drummers Robbie McIntosh and Steve Ferrone, as well as guitarist Jim Mullen.[citation needed]
According to the 13 December 1970 issue of The Baltimore Sun, the line up comprised Brian Auger on Keyboards, Jim Mullen on guitar, Barry Dean on bass, and Keith Bailey on drums. Another musician, saxophonist Alan Skidmore was expected to join the group in the near future.[9]
Auger toured with Kim Simmonds, Gregg Errico, and Tim Bogert in the mid-1980s in a band they called Maestro. No album resulted from this collaboration and tour. In 1986, he played keyboards for the Italian singer Mango on the album Odissea.
Auger (right) after a show at the Cabaret de Monte-Carlo with bassist-arranger Pino Presti in 2006
Further activities
In 1989, Auger was musical director for the thirteen-part film retrospective series Villa Fantastica made for German television. A live recording of the series, Super Jam (1990), features Auger on piano, Pete York on drums, Dick Morrissey on tenor saxophone, Roy Williams on trombone, Harvey Weston on bass guitar, and singers Zoot Money and Maria Muldaur.
Auger toured with Eric Burdon in the early 1990s and recorded the live album Access All Areas with him in 1993. Oblivion Express was revived in 2005 with recording and touring. The group featured Brian Auger, his son Karma Auger on drums, his daughter Savannah Auger on vocals, and Derek Frank on bass.
In 2012, Auger released Language of the Heart, one of the few solo albums of his career, produced by Tea. It features Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Julian Coryell on guitars.
