• Track: Breadfan
• Artist: Budgie
• Album: Never Turn Your Back on a Friend
• Year: 1973

Lyrics:

Breadfan
Open up your mind
Open up your purse
Never, never, never gonna lose it

Breadfan
Take it all away
Never give an inch
Gotta make a mint
Gotta make a million

Breadfan
You got it wrong
Some longtime friend’s gonna lose it
In the end who’s a fool?

Seagull
Give it all away
Stay a bird
Stay a man
Stay a ghost
Stay what you wanna be

Seagull
Give it all away
Stay a bird
Stay a man
Stay a ghost
Stay what you wanna be

Loser
Give it all away
Never stay with the winner
With the man
With the money

Sailor
Roughin’ up the town
With the gal
With a record on the top
If you’re gonna be a bad boy

Breadfan
Finger in the pie
In the sky
Put a guinea on the nose
Of a gee gee

Come on
Keep it on the side
With a ride
On a throne
In the middle of an island

Loser, give it all away
‘Cause I’m never gonna stay
‘Cause I don’t need it

Don’t you feel it in your veins?
All the money in this world
And I don’t need it

Breadfan
Open up your mind
Open up your purse
Never, never, never gonna lose it

Breadfan
Take it all away
Never give an inch
Gotta make a mint
Gotta make a million

Breadfan
You got it wrong
Some longtime friend’s gonna lose it
In the end who’s a fool?

Seagull
Give it all away
Stay a bird
Stay a man
Stay a ghost
Stay what you wanna be

Loser
Give it all away
Never stay with the winner
With the man
With the money

Sailor
Roughin’ up the town
With the gal
On a record on the top of your van

Breadfan
Finger in the pie
In the sky
Put a guinea on the nose
Of a gee gee

Come on
Keep it on the side
With a ride
On a throne in the road
In the middle of an island

Hey there, it’s me again!  Did you miss me?  In the spirit of keeping it loud and proud, I’d like to introduce you to Budgie; a heavy little band with a funny little name. Budgie is a hard rock band hailing from Wales and is considered to be a forerunner of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). The trio originally consisted of Burke Shelley on vocals and bass, Tony Bourge on guitar and backing vocals, and Ray Phillips behind the kit. The band has undergone several line-up changes with Shelley being the only surviving founding member. In addition to Shelley, the current lineup features Steve Williams on drums and backing vocals and Craig Goldy (of Giuffria and Dio fame) on guitar.

A budgie, by the way, is short for budgerigar:

budg·er·i·gar

ˈbəjərēˌɡär/

noun: budgerigar; plural noun: budgerigars

1. a small gregarious Australian parakeet that in the wild is green with a yellow head. It is popular as a pet bird and has been bred in a variety of colors.

Burke Shelley said that the name Budgie was chosen because he “loved the idea of playing noisy, heavy rock, but calling ourselves after something diametrically opposed to that.”

You might be unknowingly familiar with the music of Budgie. In 1987, a relatively new and obscure band by the name of Metallica, who were heavily influenced by the music of the NWOBHM, covered two of Budgie’s songs, Breadfan and Crash Course in Brain Surgery.  Budgie has been described as a blend of the progressive vibe of Rush and the heaviness of Black Sabbath. Shelley’s high-pitched vocals have even been compared to Geddy Lee of Rush who, incidentally, also plays the bass in a rock trio. Budgie never made the “big time,” but many bands, including Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Soundgarden, and Van Halen have listed Budgie as a big influence.  

So, without further ado, I give you Budgie. Turn it up and rip the knob off!!!

Video:

Here is the official video for Breadfan:

There is no official video for Zoom Club, but I wanted to share the song with you. It’s ten minutes of toe-tapping, head bobbing wonderfulness.

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