Bronco – Time (So Long Between)

Ever since hearing Robbie Blunt, who played with Robert Plant on his first 3 albums, I wanted to know more about him. Bronco was the first major band he was in, and I love the results. His style was so unique and helped make Plant’s signature sound after Zeppelin. One listen to Big Log, and you can hear the uniqueness of his guitar playing. He didn’t have that sound in this, but really tasteful guitar playing.  Bronco wasn’t formed for hits; they made really good, solid albums. My UK readers, do you remember this band? 

Bronco never really became a well-known band, but for a few years in the early seventies, they were one of those British bands that blended country rock, blues, and folk in a way that fit right alongside bands like Buffalo Springfield, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and The Band. They formed in 1969 around singer Jess Roden after he left The Alan Bown Set. They signed with Island Records during the label’s peak years, when they had many roots-style bands. This song and album are very seventies-sounding, which makes sense, of course. 

Robbie Blunt joined on guitar alongside Kevyn Gammond, and even then, you could hear the tasteful style that later became so important. Blunt is not a super flashy player. He worked more in mood, tone, and feel.

Their first album, Country Home, came out in 1970 and had a laid-back country-rock sound with harmony vocals and touches of blues.  Around this period, Bronco toured the US and played shows at places like the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles. Blunt later talked about seeing Duane Allman during that trip, something that left a real impression on him as a guitarist.

This song is off the Country Home album. Jess Roden and Robbie Blunt wrote this song. 

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

33 thoughts on “Bronco – Time (So Long Between)”

  1. Pingback: Bronco – Time (So Long Between) – MobsterTiger

  4. Interesting song. I’d never heard of them. Roden ,I guess it is, reminds me of an early Elton John straining on some of the bluesy numbers from the ‘Madman across the Water’ era, while the chorus really has a nice CSN vibe to it. Kind of weird but might work after three or four listens

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  6. I dig it. I hear that Buffalo Springfield Mr. Soul in there…Some Humble Pie and some Black Crowes too, though the Crowes, of course, are neo stadium/boogie rock…and Traffic. I definitely hear some Traffic in there. Good stuff.

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  9. Well I was up dancing so I’m in. Really like it Max. I’ll spin the whole record. Nice find. Pam hit on some good points. Love this hard rock from those days. Like that Robbie let loose a couple times. Very curious how the rest of the record sounds.

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  10. Blunt played some great guitar on those first three Plant solo albums. Glad you dug into Blunts past as I never ever thought to do it myself haha

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      1. True, he was as far from sounding like Page thats for sure. Even the guy that followed him Doug Boyle who was more rock guitar than Blunt refused to play a Gibson guitar on stage to avoid the Page comparison. Smart move really.

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  11. The name Bronco didn’t ring a bell at all. Based on “Time (So Long Between) and sampling a few additional tracks from the “Country Home” album, Bronco definitely sound like they’re up my alley. Jess Roden’s vocals remind me a bit of Jesse Colin Young of the Youngbloods. Great stuff, Max!

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  12. Yes, the comments show lots of influences coming through, Springfield etc. ‘Misfit On Your Stairs’ has a Grateful Dead feel but maybe that’s because of another recent post?! And I looked at that Alan Brown Set link, I don’t quite know what to say or think, it’s quite strange but still compelling.

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  15. I vaguely remember Bronco from when this album came out. I vaguely remember Jess Roden being involved in a couple of things that sounded interesting, even promising, but got lost in the next album to be opened. Yes, they were addictive things back then, new albums.

    I am not a Led Zeppelin fan so I didn’t know about Blount’s association with Plant. Don’t really care.

    And then today, a few days after Max’s post, I tripped across a blog from entitled Sucking the Colours from a Puffin’s Bill. Oh, the entry has the Puffin’s Bill title, the blog is from Colin McQueen, the URL is https://colinmcqueen.home.blog/2020/06/02/sucking-the-colours-from-a-puffins-bill/

    I offer this because of what he writes. Not about Puffin Bills, but, well, read it yourself. It truly is spot on to this 72 year old who has followed this music and the record industry and found a lot of things I’d never thought about echoed nicely therein.

    I think it will be of interest to a lot of the people who follow Max, and it will make the others wonder what the hell I am talking about.

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