The Attack were an English rock group formed in London in 1966, principally associated with the psychedelic and garage‑rock movements of the mid‑1960s. Their brief initial career produced a small number of singles released on the Decca and EMI subsidiary labels, after which the band dissolved in 1968. A later incarnation of the group, led by original vocalist and rhythm guitarist Richard Shirman, was re‑formed in the early 2000s and performed both original material and re‑recordings of the 1960s catalogue.
History
Formation and early period (1966‑1968)
The Attack originated in the London music scene of 1966. The founding lineup included vocalist/guitarist Richard Shirman, guitarist Geoff Barnes, and drummer Alan Miller (also known as “Benny Miller”). The group signed a recording contract with Decca Records and later with EMI’s subsidiary, a common pathway for emerging British beat and psychedelic acts of the era. Between 1966 and 1968 they released three singles that received modest regional airplay but failed to achieve national chart success. The band ceased activity in late 1968 as members pursued other projects.
Revival (2000s‑present)
In 2002 Richard Shirman re‑assembled The Attack with a new set of musicians, aiming to revive the band’s 1960s repertoire while also introducing new compositions in a retro‑psychedelic style. This later version of the group performed at a variety of rock and psychedelic festivals in the United Kingdom and Europe, and issued a limited‑edition CD compiling the original 1960s singles alongside newly recorded tracks. As of the mid‑2020s the revived lineup continues to perform intermittently.
Musical style and influence
The Attack’s early recordings blended the driving rhythms of the British beat movement with emerging psychedelic production techniques, such as fuzz‑toned guitars, organ overlays, and experimental studio effects. Their sound has been compared to contemporaries such as The Pretty Things, The Creation, and early Pink Floyd. While the group never attained commercial prominence, music historians note their singles as representative examples of the “underground” British psychedelic scene that influenced later garage‑rock revivals.
Selected discography (original 1960s releases)
| Year | Title (A‑side) | B‑side | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | “Try It” | “Leave Me Be” | Decca |
| 1967 | “Hi‑Ho Silver Lining”* | “Never Told a Soul” | EMI (Pathe Marconi) |
| 1968 | “Don't You Love Me” | “The Attack” | EMI (Pathe Marconi) |
*The attribution of “Hi‑Ho Silver Lining” to The Attack appears in several discographic sources, but some publications list the recording as a cover performed by a different act; thus the association remains partially uncertain.
Legacy
Although The Attack did not achieve significant chart success, their singles are cited by collectors and scholars as notable artifacts of the British psychedelic era. Original 1960s pressings are considered rare and are sought after in the vintage record market. The band’s 2000s revival contributed to a renewed interest in obscure 1960s psychedelic groups, and their reissues have been featured on specialty anthology compilations devoted to the period.
References
- L. Unterberger, The Attack – Biography, AllMusic.
- G. Ankeny, “The Attack”, The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 4th ed., Oxford University Press, 2018.
- M. C. Berman, “British Psychedelia: The Lost Acts”, Journal of Rock Studies, vol. 12, no. 3, 2021.
Note: Detailed personnel listings and session credits for the original 1960s recordings are not comprehensively documented in publicly available sources; where specific information is lacking, the entry reflects the current state of available encyclopedic data.