Stewart played some dates on his own in late 1964 and early 1965, sometimes backed by the Southampton R&B outfit the Soul Agents.Gray, Rod Stewart: The Visual Documentary, p. 13. The Hoochie Coochie Men broke up, Baldry and Stewart patched up their differences (and became lifelong friends),Ewbank and Hildred, Rod Stewart: The New Biography, p. 41. and music manager Giorgio Gomelsky put together Steampacket, with Baldry, Stewart, Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll, Micky Waller, Vic Briggs and Ricky Fenson; their first appearance was in support of the Rolling Stones in July 1965.Gray, Rod Stewart: The Visual Documentary, p. 14. The group was conceived as a white soul revue, analogous to the the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, with multiple vocalists and styles ranging from jazz to R&B to blues.Nelson and Bangs, Rod Stewart, p. 61. Steampacket toured with the Stones and the Walker Brothers that summer, ending in the London Palladium; seeing the audience react to the Stones gave Stewart his first exposure to crowd hysteria.Pidgeon, Rod Stewart and the Changing Faces, as quoted in Nelson and Bangs, Rod Stewart, p. 61. Stewart, who had been included in the group upon Baldry's insistence, ended up with most of the male vocal parts. Steampacket was unable to enter the studio to record any material because its members all belonged to different labels and managers, although Gomelsky did record one of their Marquee Club rehearsals.
Stewart played some dates on his own in late 1964 and early 1965, sometimes backed by the Southampton R&B outfit the, Soul Agents.Gray, Rod Stewart: The Visual Documentary, p. 13. The Hoochie Coochie Men broke up, Baldry and Stewart patched up their differences (and became lifelong friends),Ewbank and Hildred, Rod Stewart: The New Biography, p. 41. and music manager Giorgio Gomelsky put together Steampacket, with Baldry, Stewart, Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll, Micky Waller, Vic Briggs and Ricky Fenson; their first appearance was in support of the Rolling Stones in .July 1965.Gray, Rod Stewart: The Visual Documentary, p. 14. The group was conceived as a white soul revue, analogous to the the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, with multiple vocalists and styles ranging from jazz to R&B to bluesNelson and Bangs, Rod Stewart, p. 61. Steampacket toured with the Stones and the Walker Brothers that summer, ending in the London Palladium; seeing the audience react to the Stones gave Stewart his first exposure to crowd hysteria.Pidgeon, Rod Stewart and the Changing Faces, as quoted in Nelson and Bangs Rod Stewart, p. 61. Stewart, who had been included in the group upon Baldry's insistence, ended up with most of the male vocal parts. Steampacket was unable to enter the studio to record any material because its members all belonged to different labels and managers, although Gomelsky did record one of their Marquee Club rehearsals.