The Last Rebel

Ashton, Gardner and Dyke was a remarkable Hard Rock ensemble, who are best known for their transatlantic hit single 'Resurrection Shuffle' in 1971. But they could have been so much more! Singer Tony Ashton, for example, was part of the band that backed George Harrison on his first solo album in 1968. Even when the trio were in the height of both critical and commercial success, he was working outside the group with various members of Deep Purple. This record, originally intended as a band project, actually became something far more exciting. An article on deep-purple. Net puts this extraordinary record in historical context. 'To a Deep Purple fan, especially a Jon Lord fan, this album is a lost gem. Add to which that it also features Tony Ashton (as part of Ashton, Gardner & Dyke) and you have both an addition to the catalogue of Jon's orchestral work and a precursor to their subsequent collaborations, 'First Of The Big Bands' and 'Malice In Wonderland'. Whilst originally credited as an Ashton, Gardner & Dyke album, a look at the writing credits shows that this album owes an awful lot to Jon Lord. The session tapes also testify to Jon's management of the project. In addition to providing keyboards on many tracks, he also conducts the orchestra and turns his hands to tambourine and xylophone. ' There have been several films called 'The Last Rebel' but this one is set in Missouri in 1865 at the end of the American Civil War. The main actors and their characters are: Joe Namath as Burnside Hollis, Jack Elam as Matt Graves, Woody Strode as Duncan, Ty Hardin as Sheriff, and Victoria George as Pearl.