The Roxton Giants

The Roxton Giants

Little or nothing is known about The Roxton Giants, a forgotten band from Roxton, Texas. But they don’t just deserve to be highlighted – this sensational find demands a renaissance.

The Roxton Giants are a forgotten name these days, if not completely unknown. The group seems to have been active in the late 60s and perhaps a bit into the 70s, but if you’re looking for traces of them, you’ll most likely find nothing at all. Now that Fanfar! reissues an EP by the group – 4 Songs EP – we have, through intensive detective work, reached the current rights holder of the original label. But the originator of the songs, Clarence Van Cleef, is, if not dead, at least swallowed up by the earth. That’s about all we know about The Roxton Giants.

Either way, we’re very happy to shine a light on this delightful blend of rocksteady and Italian spaghetti western music. All thanks to Per Thorsell, known from Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks, Hi-Winders and many other bands.

Per Thorsell tells us:

At an auction in 2021, I called in a pack of vinyl records, unseen and at a profit and loss. In this pile were some 4-track EPs by The Roxton Giants. In the little information that can be found, it says that the band probably comes from Roxton in Texas, USA. There was a band there with this name in the late 60s and early 70s. The members seem to have varied over the years. They also seem to have started out as a blues or r’n’b band, but later switched to ska/rocksteady; inspired by bands like The Skatalites. They did do a number of gigs, but as far as I know only in the US.

Per Thorsell

Now we dream of releasing more music with The Roxton Giants.