Argent -

Argent was an English art-rock band that released six studio albums and a live double-LP on Epic between 1970 and 1975, followed by a seventh on RCA. They were the namesake of ex-Zombies keyboardist Rod Argent. On their first five albums, Argent was a four-piece with singer/guitarist Russ Ballard, who found success outside the band as a songwriter.

Musically, Argent evolved through three-distinct phases: the moody art-pop of their 1970/71 albums Argent and Ring of Hands; the heavier rock of their 1972/73 releases All Together Now and In Deep; and the spacier vibe of their 1974/75 albums Nexus, Circus, and Counterpoints. Over time, the band embraced lavish sounds, epic song-forms, and elongated musical passages.

Members: Rod Argent (keyboards, vocals), Russ Ballard (vocals, guitar, piano, 1969-74), Jim Rodford (bass), Bob Henrit (drums), John Verity (vocals, guitar, 1974-76), John Grimaldi (guitar, vocals, 1974-76)

Formation and Backgrounds

Argent formed in late 1968 upon the dissolution of beat legends The Zombies, which featured keyboardist Rod Argent and bassist Chris White. They wrote songs separately in that band but worked as a songwriting and production team for most of Argent’s existence. Despite its basis in Rod’s surname, the Argent nameplate translates in Europe as “money” (French) and “silver” (Italian).

The initial Argent formation included journeyman musician Mac MacLeod (Hurdy Gurdy), who cut three demos with the band: “Telescope,” “To Julia (For When She Smiles),” and “Girl Help Me.” In 1969, the four-piece lineup of Argent coalesced with ex-Roulettes/Unit 4+2 members Russ Ballard (guitar/vocals) and Bob Henrit (drums). White opted for a behind-the-scenes role, so Rod Argent enlisted his bassist cousin Jim Rodford, formerly of the Mike Cotton Sound.

Argent

Argent released their self-titled debut album in January 1970 on CBS (UK) and Epic (US).

The album contains seven songs by Rod Argent and Chris White and three by Russ Ballard. Argent blends post-psych heaviness and intensity with airy vocals and ominous traits (minor keys, dark/haunting keyboards) inherited from The Zombies. Jim Rodford sings three cuts.

“Like Honey” rolls through a ringing guitar figure, harmonized oohs, cymbal accents, and a full-stop break before the doubled lead. “Liar” erupts from a lean repeated figure into reverb-drenched lead lines and blunt harmonized title cries. “Be Free” brightens a harder beat with brisk low-end motion and an upward freedom text. “Schoolgirl” makes tentative steps amid stark echoes and reflective lines around adolescent regret. “Dance in the Smoke” coils through a slow-building fire chant, engulfed by a mid-song break and epic organ finale.

“Lonely Hard Road” saloon-struts between stark turns and foreboding pauses amid Ballard’s woeful journey. “The Feeling’s Inside” dissolves to airy space around a close lead line. “Freefall” climbs from low-register phrases toward falsetto, then breaks into a harmonized unaccompanied title call and organ-fronted jam. “Stepping Stone” presses Ballard’s rougher lead against polished harmony blocks, then diverts into a brief piano interlude. “Bring You Joy” starts with pained lead phrasing and gospel flourishes, then revs the title pledge.

A1. “Like Honey” (3:14) – Argent / White; Jim casts love as sensual excess, with sweetness and “rare wine” sliding into heat and night escape. Desire becomes bodily contact, intoxication, and release from loneliness.
A2. “Liar” (3:12) – Ballard; Russ frames betrayal through remembered vows and complete surrender. The phrase “take my soul” marks the point where devotion becomes evidence for the accusation.
A3. “Be Free” (3:47) – Argent / White; Rod turns encouragement into a claim of authorship. The command to “spread your wings” frames freedom as ascent and asks the freed person to remember who first named it.
A4. “Schoolgirl” (3:21) – Ballard; Russ looks back on adolescent intimacy through letters, tea visits, secrecy, and parental discovery. The “loveletters” reduce the memory to a kept token of closeness his younger self failed to understand.
A5. “Dance in the Smoke” (6:17) – Argent / White; Rod describes a bonfire ritual where people burn away their worries. The image of standing “on tiptoe” narrows the scene to a child’s view of flames rising beyond sight.

B1. “Lonely Hard Road” (4:24) – Ballard; Russ follows a poor, remorseful traveler who blames himself for losing a woman and keeps moving toward reunion. The plan to “hitch a lorry” grounds the journey in physical hardship rather than symbolic wandering.
B2. “The Feeling’s Inside” (3:50) – Argent / White; Jim treats love as inward warmth triggered by ordinary domestic care. The “special cup” turns a cold morning into a private sign of affection.
B3. “Freefall” (3:19) – Argent / White; Jim hears another person’s demand for freedom as abandonment. The phrase “like a child” reduces the speaker’s response to exposed, helpless confusion.
B4. “Stepping Stone” (4:39) – Argent / White; Rod contrasts warm seasonal memory with refusal. The “summer days” hold the lost intimacy before the speaker rejects a temporary support role.
B5. “Bring You Joy” (4:10) – Argent / White; Rod presents devotion as self-sacrifice. The phrase “depths of my soul” turns the promise into total emotional commitment before the lyric expands into shouting, flight, and lifelong attachment.

Argent recorded the album during 1969 at Sound Techniques in London with producers Rod Argent and Chris White and engineer Jerry Boys.

Tony Lane designed the gatefold cover with a red neon lowercase “a” and the group name on a black field. Lane used the same spectrum on his contemporary design for Red Clay by Freddie Hubbard.

Date issued “Liar” as a November 1969 US single (b/w “Schoolgirl”). Epic issued “Schoolgirl” as a 1970 German single (b/w “Like Honey”). “Liar” inspired covers by Capability Brown, The Meters, and Three Dog Night, whose 1971 version reached No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Ring of Hands

Argent released their second album, Ring of Hands, in February 1971 on Epic.

Rod Argent and Chris White wrote six of the nine songs. Russ Ballard wrote “Cast Your Spell Uranus,” “Chained,” and “Where Are We Going Wrong.” The album retains the debut quartet and extends the keyboard credit to electric piano. Ballard adds piano on “Cast Your Spell Uranus,” and Jim Rodford carries a secondary guitar credit.

“Celebration” sways through strummed midtempo motion, saloon-piano figures, and a close-harmonized refrain. “Sweet Mary” shuffles through repeated church-marked motifs and choral rise. “Cast Your Spell Uranus” erupts through abrupt handclap bursts and a blunt title call. “Lothlorien” extends organ-led passages with stately medieval vibes.

“Chained” pleads through a hard backbeat, arranged replies, and Ballard’s tightened lead line. “Rejoice” settles from solemn keyboard framing into contoured phrase turns and soft internal rises. “Pleasure” circles direct title phrases and close harmony in a compact song form. “Sleep Won’t Help Me” darkens around uneasy electric-piano motion and a sleepless text pattern. “Where Are We Going Wrong” closes on heated solo breaks, firm low-end motion, and a repeated title lament.

A1. “Celebration” (2:52) – Argent / White; presents a shared ritual of song, dance, and joined hands. The burning “torches” turn communal gathering into physical excitement and pull the singer into the scene.
A2. “Sweet Mary” (4:05) – Argent / White; treats desire as heat, reassurance, and escape from loneliness. The word “fire” makes Mary the source of sensual force before the lyric softens into comfort and companionship.
A3. “Cast Your Spell Uranus” (4:29) – Ballard; follows a young man drawn to an older, glamorous woman whose status feeds his ego. The “princess” image casts her as remote, lunar, and socially elevated.
A4. “Lothlorien” (7:50) – Argent / White; frames departure through beauty already marked by danger. The “shadow” warns of change, forcing the singer away from both the loved person and the fair land.

B1. “Chained” (5:18) – Ballard; contrasts natural freedom with human bondage and turns that contrast into a plea for release. The “whip” fixes the lyric in cruelty, captivity, and moral accusation.
B2. “Rejoice” (3:44) – Argent / White; links affection, guidance, and spiritual renewal to a public call for joy. The word “resurrection” places the speaker’s promise inside a cycle of death, return, and release.
B3. “Pleasure” (4:51) – Argent / White; presents love as bodily relief and daily transformation. The “rain” image cools pain and turns the woman’s tenderness into physical comfort.
B4. “Sleep Won’t Help Me” (5:09) – Argent / White; places sleepless grief against a quiet city at daybreak. The “city” becomes the outward shape of isolation as ordinary morning begins without inner rest.
B5. “Where Are We Going Wrong” (4:10) – Ballard;turns everyday renewal into a question about repeated human failure. The “tight rope” image makes hope precarious, with each new day balanced against the same mistake.

Argent recorded Ring of Hands during 1970 at Sound Techniques in London with producers Rod Argent and Chris White and engineer Jerry Boys.

Hipgnosis photographed the outside cover, a black-field image of three hands under a vertical stream of water. Richard Dunkley shot the inside-cover photographs.

Epic issued “Celebration” as a January 1971 UK single (b/w “Kingdom”). The label issued “Sweet Mary” as a March 1971 US single (b/w “Rejoice”). “Chained” inspired another Three Dog Night cover.

Also in 1971, Rod and White produced and contributed three songs (“She Loves the Way They Love Her,” “Smokey Day,” and “Her Song”) to One Year, the debut solo album by ex-Zombies bandmate Colin Blunstone. He’s backed by the full band on three tracks (“She Loves the Way…,” “Caroline Goodbye,” and “Mary Won’t You Warm My Bed.”) Rod Argent also played on two tracks on the album Pigmy by folk-rocker Keith Christmas.

All Together Now

Argent released their third studio album, All Together Now, in April 1972 on Epic.

Rod Argent and Chris White wrote five of the seven pieces, including the four-part “Pure Love.” Russ Ballard wrote “Tragedy” and “He’s a Dynamo.” The album retains the original quartet, with Ballard adding piano on “Tragedy” and Jim Rodford adding guitar. The program places four shorter pieces on side one and closes side two with the 13-minute “Pure Love.” Stylistically, they abscond the Zombies shadow for organ-based hard rock akin to Uriah Heep and Spooky Tooth.

“Hold Your Head Up” looms with a slow, rising chant across a stark, lurching beat. “Keep On Rollin’” barrels through organ figures, bright accents, and a barroom cadence. “Tragedy” leans into rough-edged lead lines and a compact refrain. “I Am the Dance of Ages” slows into ominous calls, close-stacked replies, and a shadowed cadence. “Be My Lover, Be My Friend” coils around hazed figures and a dampened lead line. “He’s a Dynamo” races through repeated riff accents and a hard title refrain. “Pure Love” opens on a church-toned prelude, veers through a loose central passage, and resolves with a clipped instrumental finale.

A1. “Hold Your Head Up” (6:15) – Argent / White; is an organ-based heavy rocker with gospel undertones. The song opens with distant, rippling organ and rattling tambourine; followed by bass and closed-cadence guitar chords (suspended thirds) that herald the verses. Russ urges a woman to “hold her head up,” regardless of sneers and small talk (“And if they stare, just let them burn their eyes on you moving”). Midway, Rod plays an extended, fluid Hammond solo. “Hold Your Head Up” is entirely in D major part from an F plunge on the words “Hold your head high.”
A2. “Keep On Rollin'” (4:30) – Argent / White
A3. “Tragedy” (4:45) – Ballard; rides on a funk riff with shuffled licks (in A minor). Verse: Russ belts words of caution (amid ghostly parentheticals) about an impending storm (“A chill in the wind and it’s blowing our way… Could be tomorrow, could be today”). In the second verse, he indicates this could be god’s wrath for humanity’s fails. Chorus modulates (A→B) amid call-and-response between staccato chords and Rod’s organ. Rises (to F) for the “if we don’t give a damn” refrain. Three-part break: compound-meter bass/guitar fugue (in A); cymbal-sprayed funk chords (in B); flowing guitar/organ trade-off (in E).
A4. “I Am the Dance of Ages” (3:45) – Argent / White; opens with faint, ominous organ (in E minor) on a lurching medium-slow beat. Verses: (Em–D–A–F) Russ portrays a prophet (or demon) who makes fire-and-brimstone claims of divinity (“I am the body power… the shout of thunder… the beat of anger”). The chorus swells (in D) as he bellows “Ride on the rising tide, walk on the water; Spray with each burning day, high, going higher.”

B1. “Be My Lover, Be My Friend” (5:15) – Argent / White; opens with gurgling Hammond (in E) and cuts to a heavy riff-rock verse (in G minor) against a pounding backbeat. Rod worships his lover (“Be my lover, Lord, I’ll be your friend; Oh, sweet woman, ‘til my days’ll end”) while Russ interjects choice words. Chorus: swelling chromatic slope (from A♭) as they counter-sing the “Ooh, baby” lines. Break: fluid, searing Hammond solo (Gm) amid cutting bar chords.
B2. “He’s a Dynamo” (3:45) – Ballard; retro boogie-woogie
B3. “Pure Love” (13:00) – Argent / White; moves from ceremonial phrase blocks into a quieter prelude, then swells through lyrical verses before a short finale seals the suite. Rod treats desire as intoxication, with “young wine,” sleepless pleasure, and a promised “crown of joy” turning love into bodily release. The repeated phrase “stoned by the love” makes happiness feel overwhelming, while the later “tomorrow you die” line darkens the bed scene with mortality.
— a. Fantasia
— b. Prelude
— c. Pure Love
— d. Finale

Rod Argent and Chris White produced All Together Now in late 1971 at Abbey Road Studios with engineer Peter Bown.

All Together Now appeared in a gatefold sleeve developed from a concept by Ian J. Latimer and Richard Dunkley, with front-cover photography by Dunkley and inner-sleeve design by Richard A. Kenerson. F.D. Costello photographed the band images inside the package.

Epic issued “Hold Your Head Up” as a 1972 UK single (b/w “Closer to Heaven”), which reached No. 5 on both the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard 200. The label lifted “Tragedy” as the second single (b/w “Rejoice”), which reached No. 34 in the UK.

All Together Now reached No. 13 on the UK Albums Chart.

Also in 1972, Rod and White re-teamed with Colin Blunstone for the singer’s second solo album, Ennismore. It features one writing contribution from the pair (“Andorra“) and the first recording of the Ballard ballad “I Don’t Believe in Miracles.” Once again, Blunstone includes the entirety of Argent among his backing platers. Elsewhere, Rod Argent played on two tracks on You Are the Music …We’re Just the Band, the third album by hard-rockers Trapeze. Meanwhile, Ballard wrote and produced the first two singles by the Bell Records pop act Hello.

In Deep

Argent released their fourth studio album, In Deep, in March 1973 on Epic.

In Deep retains the original quartet. Russ Ballard wrote the first tracks and “Rosie.” Rod Argent and Chris White wrote for songs, including the swelling/spacey “Losing Hold” and the gruff/churning “Be Glad.” Derek Griffiths plays the guitar-solo on “Christmas for the Free” with Rod Argent on lead vocals.

“God Gave Rock and Roll to You” expands through sung, choral, and instrumental sections, with a frontal chorus that becomes a communal chant. “It’s Only Money, Part 1” bears down on a lean refrain and hard riff motion. “It’s Only Money, Part 2” splits the theme into a different rhythmic setting, with the arrangement opening into a broader second half. “Losing Hold” swells from a quiet lurch to a haunted rise, with Ballard’s lead line set against heavier organ figures.

“Be Glad” hammers through piano-led changes and close harmonies across its long form. “Christmas for the Free” brightens the album’s middle stretch with hymn-like lift and a Derek Griffiths solo break. “Candles on the River” floats through a heavier late-sixties-tinted haze, with harmonies and organ tone carrying the river image. “Rosie” clatters into a barroom cadence and closes the set with a compact Ballard number.

A1. “God Gave Rock and Roll to You” (6:41) – Ballard; mentions Cliff Richard, a first-generation British rock ‘n’ roller who later converted to Christianity. The line “please don’t tease” refers to his 1960 UK No. 1 hit.
A2. “It’s Only Money (Part 1)” (4:02) – Ballard
A3. “It’s Only Money (Part 2)” (5:08) – Ballard
A4. “Losing Hold” (5:32) – Argent / White

B1. “Be Glad” (8:38) – Argent / White
B2. “Christmas for the Free” (4:13) – Argent / White
B3. “Candles on the River” (7:00) – Argent / White
B4. “Rosie” (3:43) – Ballard

Rod Argent and Chris White produced In Deep with engineer Peter Bown and tape operator Mark Vigars.

In Deep features cover design and photography by Hipgnosis. The front cover shows a crouched figure underwater on a blue swimming-pool floor, with white group lettering and a red title line above the image.

Epic issued “God Gave Rock and Roll to You” as a February 1973 UK single (b/w “Christmas for the Free”), which reached No. 18 on the Official Singles Chart. The label followed with “It’s Only Money (Part 2)” as a June 1973 UK single (b/w “Candles on the River”).

In Deep reached No. 49 on the Official Albums Chart and No. 90 on the Billboard 200. “God Gave Rock and Roll to You” inspired a 1991 cover by Kiss, who removed the Richard lines.

Also in 1973, Ballard and Henrit played on the debut albums by Leo Sayer (Silverbird) and Roger Daltery. Concurrently, Rodford and Henrit played on the tracks “Ragged Rain Life” and “Journey” on singer/songwriter Duncan Browne‘s self-titled second album. Meanwhile, each member of Argent helped in varying capacities on Lane Changer, the debut solo album by Michael Fennelly.

Nexus

Argent released their fifth studio album, Nexus, in March 1974 on Epic.

Rod Argent and Chris White composed the spacious “Music from the Spheres,” the melodramatic “Keeper of the Flame,” and the opening sequence of instrumentals: “The Coming of Kohoutek,” “Once Around the Sun,” and “Infinite Wanderer.” Ballard contributed the ballad “Love” and the bulk of side two, including the funky “Thunder and Lightning” and the martial “Man for All Reasons.” Musically, the band steer toward symphonic/space-rock on this release.

“The Coming of Kohoutek” tolls a solemn motif before the full band breaks into a tighter vamp. “Once Around the Sun” circles stately keyboard passages around the suite’s returning theme. “Infinite Wanderer” winds the opening sequence through quicker turns and a playful final cadence. “Love” softens around a tender lead line, with Mellotron shading the ballad form. “Music from the Spheres” surges into a long ensemble passage, then locks into a hypnotic coda.

“Thunder and Lightning” stomps through earthier accents and a blunt title refrain. “Keeper of the Flame” surges through broad Mellotron bands, hard accent changes, and a chant-like refrain. “Man for All Reasons” marches through clipped man-figure couplets and parade-band accents, then drops from the central break into a quiet peace refrain. “Gonna Meet My Maker” plods through heavier, hellacious refrains.

A1. “The Coming of Kohoutek” (3:10) – Argent / White
A2. “Once Around the Sun” (2:20) – Argent / White
A3. “Infinite Wanderer” (3:02) – Argent / White
A4. “Love” (3:51) – Ballard; defines attachment through belonging, daily language, care, forgiveness, and loss. The phrase “line in the news” places love inside ordinary public life, not just private feeling.
A5. “Music From the Spheres” (8:10) – Argent / White; treats a returning celestial presence as awe, not threat. The “morning star” draws the singer away from collective fear and toward a vast, time-spanning sound.

B1. “Thunder and Lightning” (5:05) – Ballard; follows confidence as it flips into humiliation and collapse. The image “painted like a clown” turns sudden reversal into public embarrassment.
B2. “Keeper of the Flame” (6:02) – Argent / White; presents memory as the force that shapes identity across youth, love, sadness, and age. The phrase “rare and perfect sadness” gives the singer’s wonder a precise emotional ache.
B3. “Man for All Reasons” (4:44) – Ballard; sets different male types against each other: ruler, outcast, giver, warmaker, profiteer, and peacemaker. The phrase “eagle as the dove” marks the figure who answers power with gentleness.
B4. “Gonna Meet My Maker” (4:35) – Ballard; faces death with belief but still asks why suffering persists. The question around the “innocent die” turns faith into a demand for moral explanation.

Rod Argent co-produced Nexus with Chris White, who worked in sequence on the 1974 debut by Jersey Isle rockers A Band Called O, the second iteration of Parlour Band.

Nexus features photography by Garry Merrin, Michael Putland, and John Brown. The backside displays live snapshots of each member, including the upshot profile of a shirtless Rod Argent with long back-swept hair; his fist raised with cocky front-man swagger. Polish illustrator Roslav Szaybo designed the grey-scale UK cover: an infinity-mirror spoof where each member holds a photo of his next-in-command. The US cover, credited to House of Wizzard, shows a red-lit Rod poised in the dark, clad in an open kimono.

Epic issued “Thunder and Lightning” as a 1974 UK single (b/w “Gonna Meet My Maker”). The label issued “Man for All Reasons” as a May 1974 US single (b/w “Music From the Spheres”), followed by an August 1974 US issue of “Thunder and Lightning” (b/w “The Coming of Kohoutek”).

Concurrently, White produced Blundstone’s third solo album, Journey. It opens with the martial Argent/White composition “Wonderful.” Rod plays keyboards on the track “Beware.”

Encore

In late 1974, Epic issued Encore, a two-record live document of Argent from their final tour with Russ Ballard.

Encore presents the original quartet during the Nexus tour. The 78-minute set collects performances at London’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (2/24/74); St. Albans’ City Hall (3/9/74); and Swansea’s Top Rank.

Encore features elongated renditions of the Nexus epics “Music from the Spheres” and “The Coming of Kohoutek.” They also perform extended arrangements of the favorites “I Am the Dance of Ages” and “Hold Your Head Up.” Side A contains Ballard’s two-part “It’s Only Money,” performed in reverse order but not listed as such. They also perform is his now-popular ballad “I Don’t Believe in Miracles” and the Zombies chestnut “Time of the Season.”

A1. “The Coming of Kohoutek” (10:38) – Nexus
A2. “It’s Only Money (Part One)” (3:51) – In Deep
A3. “It’s Only Money (Part Two)” (5:14) – In Deep

B1. “God Gave Rock’n’Roll to You” (7:01) – In Deep
B2. “Thunder and Lightning” (6:17) – Nexus
B3. “Music From the Spheres” (9:13) – Nexus

C1. “I Don’t Believe in Miracles” (3:37) – Ennismore, Russ Ballard
C2. “Dance of Ages” (9:19) – All Together Now
C3. “Keep On Rolling” (5:30) – All Together Now

D1. “Hold Your Head Up” (11:29) – All Together Now
D2. “Time of the Season” (6:42) – Odessey and Oracle

Argent recorded the concerts with the Island Mobile at venues in London, St. Albans, and Swansea, Wales. Rod Argent and Chris White produced Encore for Nexus Productions. CBS remixed the album at Abbey Road Studios.

David Myers designed and coordinated a package with red-orange concert photographs arranged in filmstrip rows around a centered white title block.

Before the release of Encore, Russ Ballard left Argent and issued his self-titled debut solo album in September 1974 on Epic.

Argent reconfigured as a five-piece with guitarist/vocalist John Verity and guitarist John Grimaldi. Verity had just released an album with his namesake band, which served as a spring 1974 opening act for Argent. Grimaldi hailed from the 1972 Deroy Records one-off Motiffe.

Circus

Argent released their sixth studio album, Circus, in March 1975 on Epic.

The album presents a loose circus-themed concept, performed by the new quintet Argent with John Verity, John Grimaldi, and co-founders Rod Argent, Jim Rodford, and Bob Henrit.

Rod Argent wrote six pieces; he juggles Fender Rhodes electric piano, acoustic piano, Mellotron, Moog synthesizer, and Hammond organ. Verity handles the vocals in an airy, sometimes languid tone that recalls Blunstone. Soundwise, the album pursues a misty vibe replete with stormy instrumental passages that invoke the era’s jazz-rock.

“Circus” soars with frosty intro keys and cuts between fixed vocal passages and brief release points. “Highwire” stretches the circus-risk frame across a long sectional arc; clipped verse motion gives way to solo space, repeated pressure, and delayed release. “Clown” slows with languid harmonic movement around the public role and private loss.

“Trapeze” answers “Highwire” in looser form, with a buoyant pulse and broader rise-and-fall. “Shine on Sunshine” turns away from the darker circus roles through a simpler song shape and lighter refrain. “The Ring” serves as a short reset. “The Jester” closes on a theatrical pulse and sharper lyric portrait that casts the performer as a self-serving manipulator.

A1. “Circus” (3:45) – Argent; turns public life into a ring where everyone performs for approval. The phrase “love of the crowd” makes applause the shared need beneath fool, king, clown, and jester.
A2. “Highwire” (9:05) – Argent; treats risk as exhilaration, with the performer suspended between danger and audience hunger. “Watch me death-defying” turns the act into a direct demand for witness.
A3. “Clown” (5:50) – Argent; presents grief as public humiliation after lost love strips the speaker of private dignity. The “painted fool” image makes sorrow visible beneath the stage role.

B1. “Trapeze” (8:48) – Rodford, links ambition to height, timing, dependence, and fear of collapse. “Trusted hands” grounds the metaphor in partnership as much as personal daring.
B2. “Shine on Sunshine” (4:02) – Argent, casts love as warmth against fatigue, fear, and dullness. “Paint my life of grey” turns the woman into the force that restores color and motion.
B3. “The Ring” (1:20) – Argent
B4. “The Jester” (3:35) – Argent; warns against a charming manipulator who treats other people as material for amusement. “Plays for himself” fixes the jester as a figure of self-interest rather than mischief alone.

Argent recorded Circus at CBS Studios, Whitfield Street, London. Rod Argent and Chris White produced the album with engineer Mike Ross-Trevor and assistant engineer Mark Williams. Despite White’s ongoing involvement, this was the first Argent album without his songwriting input.

John Grimaldi created the cover art, with inner-sleeve illustration by Martin Springett.

Counterpoints

Argent released their seventh and final studio album, Counterpoints, in October 1975 on RCA Victor. In the US, the album appeared in April 1976 on United Artists.

Counterpoints continues the tend of connected spacey pieces and compact vocal number. Rod Argent wrote six of the nine pieces while John Grimaldi closes Side A with his two songwriting contributions to the band. For these sessions, an uncredited Phil Collins deputized the ill-stricken Robert Henrit.

“I Can’t Remember, But Yes” punches through theatrical accents in a compact instrumental run. “Time” loosens into improvisatory runs, a restless low-register line, and intermittent harmonized chants. “Waiting for the Yellow One” drifts through subdued lead phrases, close harmonized passages, and a mortality text. “It’s Fallen Off” quickens through a nervous bass line and strident keyboard accents.

“Be Strong” wavers around falsetto-edged phrases and a goodbye refrain. “Rock n’ Roll Show” charges through a harder-edged guitar lead and a broad title refrain. “Butterfly” floats around a brassy line and soft tribute text. “Road Back Home” recedes through space-hazed lead phrases and a fadeout cadence.

A1. “On My Feet Again” (3:08) – Argent
A2. “I Can’t Remember, But Yes” (3:11) – Argent
A3. “Time” (7:20) – Rodford
A4. “Waiting for the Yellow One” (2:48) – Grimaldi
A5. “It’s Fallen Off” (2:44) – Grimaldi

B1. “Be Strong” (4:14) – Argent
B2. “Rock ’n’ Roll Show” (4:04) – Argent
B3. “Butterfly” (3:02) – Argent
B4. “Road Back Home” (7:41) – Argent

Chris White and Rod Argent produced Counterpoints in conjunction with Tony Visconti, who worked in sequence on 1975/76 albums by David Bowie (Young Americans), Sparks (Indiscreet), Nasty Pop (self-titled), Carmen, and the Surprise Sisters.

Counterpoints features cover art by John Grimaldi, whose black-field image places green title lettering above white torn-edge forms, crossing light beams, and a small marked card near the upper-right corner.

RCA Victor issued “Rock ’n’ Roll Show” as an October 1975 UK single (b/w “It’s Fallen Off”).

Breakup and Post-Argent Activities

Argent ran aground in 1976, purportedly due to Grimaldi’s failing health (the guitarist died in 1983 at age 28). Rod Argent played on the 1976 debut album by Easy Street, lending rippling organ to the opening harmony-rocker “Feels Like Heaven” and tender piano to the ballad “Part of Me.” He also features heavily (alongside Ballard and Verity) on Blunstone’s 1976 release Planes.

In 1977, Rod played on “Silver Lady” from the Passport Records all-star project Intergalactic Touring Band. He also played on 1977/78 albums by Gary Boyle (The Dancer), Chris Rea (Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?), The Who (Who Are You), and Andrew Lloyd Webber. In 1978, Argent released his debut solo album, Moving Home, on MCA. During the 1980s, he cut a collaborative album with jazz-rock woodwindist Barbara Thompson (Ghosts, 1982) and formed a production partnership with journeyman drummer Peter Van Hooke (Van Morrison, Mike + the Mechanics). Their greatest successes were behind German-Indian art-pop singer Tanita Tikaram, for whom they produced a series of hits in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

Henrit, Rodford, and Verity maintained their partnership in Phoenix, which cut two albums between 1976 and 1979. Rodford left before the second of those to join The Kinks, where he was later joined by Henrit. The two also played on Silver Eagle, the 1977 second album by Limey. Verity surfaced in an early ’80s lineup of Charlie.

In 1995, archivists Windsong International released In Concert, consisting of seven tracks from Argent’s performance at London’s Paris Theatre on 14/12/72, plus four tracks from three 1973/74 appearances on The Old Grey Whistle Test.

Argent reunited for five UK shows in late 2010 and for another five in early 2012. Rodford died in January 2018 at age 76.

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