Henry Cow

Henry Cow was a British avant-garde rock group, founded at Cambridge University in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. An inherent anti-commercial bias kept them at arm's leng

Henry Cow was a British avant-garde rock group, founded at Cambridge University in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. An inherent anti-commercial bias kept them at arm's length from the mainstream music business enabling them to experiment at will and not compromise their music for anyone. They remained in existence for 10 years and produced a body music that was challenging, provocative and influential for years to come.

While it was generally thought that Henry Cow took their name from Twentieth Century American composer Henry Cowell, this has been repeatedly denied by band members. According to Tim Hodgkinson, the name was "in the air" in 1968, and it seemed like a good name for the band. It had no connection to anything.