After the split of Gillan in 1982, the bearded John McCoy (bass guitar; 19 stone) recruited session musicians 'Tubby' Vinnie Reed (drums; 22 stone), 'Big' Mac Baker (guitars; 24 stone) and Nicky Moore (vocals; 20 stone and 5'6") for his solo project.
Initially christened 'Dinosaur', they changed their names after complaints from a similarly titled California blues outfit.
Changing their name to 'Mammoth', the band toured with Whitesnake and Marillion and were generally well-received by fans, although an "incident" in Leeds meant that the band had to request a specially reinforced stage at all future gigs, due to the concentrated pressure of some 1200 pounds (plus allowance for on stage exuberance).
After a few years of touring without hitting the big-time in the manner of their contemporaries, the band decided to call it a day, and moved onto other solo projects.

The band starred (?) in the 1988 film Just Ask For Diamond, where the entire band play henchmen of the Fat Man (Michael Robbins).

The Album (Mammoth)

Produced in 1987 (after the band had ceased touring), this eponymous title received a limited edition release on American indie label, Jive. As the band's nostalgic popularity increased, the few records that were released became collector's items - vinyl copies of the album trading hands for as much as £60.