Jade Warrior -

Jade Warrior was an English New Age combo that recorded nine albums during the 1970s. Their output was marked by two distinct phases: the soft/heavy 1971–72 Vertigo “swirl” trilogy and the quiet, vocal-less 1974–78 Island quadrilogy.

Members: Jon Field (flute, percussion, keyboards), Tony Duhig (guitar, percussion, keyboards, 1970-90), Glyn Havard (vocals, bass, 1970-73, 2005-present), Allan Price (drums, 1971-73), Dave Sturt (bass, 1990-present), Colin Henson (guitar, keyboards, 1990-2006)

Background

Jade Warrior was the brainchild of musicians Jon Field (b. 1940) and Tony Duhig (1941–1990), who first met in the early 1960s when both worked as factory forklift drivers. Their shared exotic interests (jazz, Asian folk, African tribal music) were uncommon at the dawn of the beat era. They began making music on four-track with Field on congas and Duhig on guitar (tuned to open C).

In 1965, they assembled the R&B/beat sextet Second Thoughts with singer Patrick Campbell-Lyons. The band recorded four songs — released three decades later on the EP Seventh Son by archivists Essex Records — and disbanded later that year. Campbell-Lyons teamed with Alex Spyropoulos in the orchestral pop combo Nirvana. Field and Duhig joined beatsters The Tomcats, which toured Spain and issued five singles (two in Spanish) on Philips in 1966.

By the time The Tomcats returned home, psychedelia had taken hold on the UK music scene. They changed their name to July and issued a self-titled album on Major Minor in 1968. July disbanded later that year and Duhig took a brief gig with beatsters Unit 4 + 2, where he rubbed shoulders with songwriter Russ Ballard and befriended Icarus bassist Glyn Havard (b. 1947, Wales), who he introduced to Field.

In 1969, Duhig and Havard embarked on a brief, clandestine stint in Persia, purportedly for money. As soon as they returned, they started a new musical project with Field based on their long-held exotic interests. Noting the soft/heavy contrasts in their sound, the band drew up lists of feminine and masculine words for group vote. The words “jade” and “warrior” were selected. Their sound mixed Oriental motifs with elements of folk, jazz, and blues rock; at times resembling Traffic, Jethro Tull, and Peter Green‘s Fleetwood Mac.

Through their contacts with Campbell-Lyons — now a talent scout for Vertigo — Jade Warrior signed with the label through a joint-management deal with Assagai, an Afro-rock ensemble with saxophonist Dudu Pukwana and trumpeter Mongezi Feza, both of South African jazz legends Brotherhood of Breath .

Jade Warrior

Jade Warrior released their self-titled debut album in May 1971 on the Vertigo swirl label.

The album introduced their hybrid approach to psychedelic folk, fuzzed-out hard rock, and Far Eastern modalities, often shifting between ethereal acoustic passages and sudden distorted outbursts. It set the blueprint for their subsequent work, though this release remains their rawest and most unfiltered, created as a trio without a full drum kit. Jon Field handled all percussion on flute, congas, and assorted ethnic instruments, while Tony Duhig and Glyn Havard shaped the band’s dynamic contrasts.

Duhig plays electric and acoustic guitars, alternating serene strums with buzzing fuzz leads that erupt mid-song or underscore transitions. Havard sings and plays bass throughout, often carrying the melodic line when Field retreats into ambient space. The absence of a traditional drum kit gives the album its suspended, unanchored feel, with Field’s tuned percussion and flute adding texture and tension.

All ten tracks are credited to Duhig, Field, and Havard. “The Traveller” sets the tone with pastoral guitar and flute interrupted by a sudden wall of saturated lead guitar. “Masai Morning” unfolds in three sections: tribal percussion and chants, a driving fuzz-rock attack, and a droning reprise. “Dragonfly Day” and “Sundial Song” follow similar arcs, evolving from calm acoustics and vocals to heightened, layered conclusions. In contrast, “A Prenormal Day at Brighton,” “Petunia,” and “Telephone Girl” explore bluesy psych motifs, while “Psychiatric Sergeant” invokes jazzy phrasing and flute leads. “Windweaver” and “Slow Ride” provide the album’s most meditative moments, favoring flutes and gliding harmonics.

A1. “The Traveller” (2:40)
A2. “A Prenormal Day at Brighton” (2:45)
A3. “Masai Morning (Incl. Casting of the Bones / The Hunt / A Ritual of Kings)” (6:43)
A4. “Windweaver” (3:42)
A5. “Dragonfly Day (Incl. Metamorphosis / Dance of the Sun Spirit / Death)” (7:45)

B1. “Petunia” (4:46)
B2. “Telephone Girl” (4:54)
B3. “Psychiatric Sergeant” (3:07)
B4. “Slow Ride” (2:36)
B5. “Sundial Song” (5:08)

Sessions took place in early 1971 with Jade Warrior self-producing. Jade Warrior is housed in a gatefold that depicts a junk (Chinese sailing ship) floating over barren land to a tree- and water-laden hillside. The inner-gates sport a purple/white scheme with lyrics and a group photo.

In Portugal, Vertigo paired “A Prenormal Day at Brighton” and “Sundial Song” on 7″. The a-side appears on Superheavy Vol. 1, a 1971 Peruvian Vertigo comp with cuts by Beggars Opera, Black Sabbath, Still Life, and Warhorse. “Telephone Girl” appears on Heads Together / First Round, a UK Vertigo comp with tracks by Assagai, Clear Blue Sky, Jimmy Campbell, Magna Carta, Nirvana, and Tudor Lodge.

Released

Jade Warrior dropped their second album, Released, in November 1972 on Vertigo.

The album marks a shift from the debut’s chamber-like, flute-percussion palette toward a harder, amplified sound with expanded arrangements. The sequence alternates compact vocal pieces with extended instrumental passages that preview the group’s later long-form tendencies.

Tony Duhig centers the sound with overdriven guitar themes and recurring chord figures, balanced by Jon Field’s flutes, hand percussion, and additional keyboards. Glyn Havard anchors the faster numbers with driving bass patterns and lead vocals. They’re joined by saxophonist Dave Conners (Lizard) and drummer Allan Price, a fourth wheel on their subsequent three recordings.

Duhig, Field, and Havard composed all eight titles. Havard handles the lead vocals on the five sung pieces. Conners contributes saxophone lines that shape the instrumental motion on “Water Curtain Cave” and “Barazinbar,” while Price’s kit parts give the heavier tracks clear rhythmic direction.

Fast, riff-led pieces open the album: “Three-Horned Dragon King” pushes a rapid meter underscored by sharp unison accents from guitar and percussion, which break into brief flute-sax exchanges. “Eyes on You” tightens around a repeating bass figure with clipped guitar entries and short sax phrases. “Bride of Summer” and “Yellow Eyes” slow the pace with soft acoustic lines and sustained flute leads. “Water Curtain Cave” cycles between brisk horn-driven sections and quieter mid-sequence pauses. “Minnamoto’s Dream” builds on a low-register guitar line that expands into a long central solo before the theme returns. “Barazinbar” runs as a continuous 14-minute instrumental built on a steady percussion pattern, gradually adding guitar, reeds, and overlapping flute phrases in long, rising layers.

A1. “Three-Horned Dragon King” (6:14)
A2. “Eyes on You” (3:09)
A3. “Bride of Summer” (3:21)
A4. “Water Curtain Cave” (6:29) is a windy gust of sax, snare-rolls, and ride cymbals in 6/4.
A5. “Minnamoto’s Dream” (5:22)

B1. “We Have Reason to Believe” (3:50)
B2. “Barazinbar” (14:47) layers up gradually over a repetitive ostinato, invoking the Latin rock of Santana, Pirana, and Paladin.
B3. “Yellow Eyes” (2:56)

Jade Warrior self-produced Released at Nova Sound, London. The engineer, Richard Dodd, also worked on 1971 albums by Gordon Haskell (It Is and It Isn’t), Still Life, Sweet, and the Philips release Zimbabwe, one of two albums that year by Assagai.

Field designed the Released cover, a six-fold poster depicting a pinkish, barren seaside setting with a silhouetted eagle flying toward the Japanese rising sun and a sand-set chimney (foreground) painted with a bow-wielding samurai. The front side shows only the title, name, and a slung arrow. In early 1972, the album appeared on US Vertigo with the busier elements of the UK poster (samurai, arrow) condensed on a regular gatefold.

Jade Warrior, who backed Assagai on Zimbabwe, teamed with Pukwana and Feza for a cover of “Louie Louie,” released under the name Simba on assorted small labels. The b-side, “Movin’,” is a percussive jazz-rock number credited to Field–Duhig–Havard. Its underlying chord sequence resembles the Steve Winwood composition “I’m a Man,” popularized by the Spencer Davis Group and Chicago.

In North America, Vertigo issued a 3:50 7″ edit of “Barazinbar” (b/w “We Have Reason to Believe”).

Last Autumn’s Dream

Jade Warrior released their third album, Last Autumn’s Dream, in November 1972 on Vertigo.

The album refines the group’s soft–hard sequencing with a more coherent contrast between pastoral interludes, guitar-driven bursts, and atmospheric instrumentals. It introduces a wider color range than Released, balancing short-form vocal tracks with unfolding instrumental pieces that outline the direction of their later Island-era sound.

Tony Duhig shapes Autumn’s Dream with layered electric themes and clipped rhythmic figures, offset by Jon Field’s flutes, percussion, piano, and acoustic guitar textures, anchored Glyn Havard’s bass work and occasional vocals. Allan Price returns on drums with a firmer, more centered role, while David Duhig joins for electric guitar on “The Demon Trucker” and contributes a solo to “Snake,” adding a sharper attack to the album’s heavier passages. Jade Warrior wrote all material except “The Demon Trucker,” a David co-write.

“A Winter’s Tale” opens the album with subdued vocals and Leslied guitar reverb; overtaken by a swelling, singalong chorus of triplets. “Snake” is a slithery, fuzzed-out rocker with biting vocals and billowing flute over a Peter Green-style riff indebted to “Oh Well.”

“Dark River” shifts through waves of flute, plucked harp-liked acoustic guitar, and tribal percussion; presaging their Island quadrilogy. “Joan,” another rocker, sports double-tracked guitar (one fuzzed and wailing) over a syncopated, half-note rhythm figure with vocals high in the mix.

Price plays on all four cuts, plus two tracks on the second side: “The Demon Trucker,” a cowbell funk-rocker; and “Borne On the Solar Wind,” a slow, echoey outro. The trio close ranks on the remainder of side two. “Morning Hymn” is serene and rhythmless, comprised of flute, plucked electric, and quiet harmonies. “May Queen” is a mid-tempo, riff-based number with minimal backing and treated vocals; overtaken by fuzz-tone and a recurring closed-cadence melodic pattern.

The penultimate ballad, “Lady of the Lake,” is another exercise in Leslied sustain. Field and Duhig work as a duo on the closing instrumental of side one, “Obedience,” a rising tide of sizzling, multi-tracked sustain.

A1. “A Winter’s Tale” (5:06) opens with restrained acoustic lines and soft flute phrases that rise into a mid-tempo section marked by brighter guitar phrasing.
A2. “Snake” (2:55) shifts to a fast, distorted guitar figure and a pulsing bass line that breaks briefly for a quieter midpoint before regaining its forward pressure.
A3. “Dark River” (6:26) unfolds as a two-part instrumental: a slow opening built on solitary flute and low percussion, followed by a tighter acoustic sequence with sharpened rhythmic accents.
A4. “Joanne” (2:50) compresses several turns into its short frame, moving from bent-note guitar phrases into a tight, repeated cadence.
A5. “Obedience” (3:12)

B1. “Morning Hymn” (3:36) restores the quieter tone with overlapping acoustic parts and lightly stepped drums.
B2. “May Queen” (5:22) moves through changing rhythmic patterns with passing electric lines and shifting flute cues.
B3. “The Demon Trucker” (2:34) centers on a quick, straight-ahead beat with repeated vocal phrases.
B4. “Lady of the Lake” (3:17)
B5. “Borne on the Solar Wind” (3:02)

The trio produced Last Autumn’s Dream with engineer Dodd at Nova Sound Studios, London. All tracks are trio-credited apart from “The Demon Trucker,” which features input from Tony’s younger brother David Duhig, who plays guitar on that track and “Snake.” Vertigo paired both songs onto a single.

Last Autumn’s Dream is one of the earliest credits of tape op’s Wally Samuels (Glencoe, Ro Ro) and Mick Glossop, who worked on the concurrent album by Renaissance (Prologue) and engineered titles on Virgin (Mallard, Penetration, Skids, Supercharge). Dodd’s other 1972 credits include albums by Duffy Power, Keef James, and Matching Mole.

Illustrator Kunio Hagio designed the Last Autumn’s Dream gatefold, which shows a samurai waving pixie dust across a cluster of apparitions (dragon, hippie elf, winged geisha).

“The Demon Trucker” appears on the 1973 Vertigo comp Superheavy Three along with tracks by Aphrodite’s Child, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Status Quo, and aforementioned labelmates.

Eclipse

Jade Warrior prepared their fourth album, Eclipse, for a June 1973 release on Vertigo.

Conceived as the first part of a double album, Eclipse was shelved after the label terminated the group’s contract following a troubled U.S. tour and internal managerial issues. Though unreleased at the time, the album captured the final phase of Jade Warrior’s original trio format — bassist–vocalist Glyn Havard, guitarist Tony Duhig, and flautist–percussionist Jon Field — before the group reformed as an instrumental duo for their Island years. The sessions showcased a transitional sound, blending structured psych-rock songs with extended modal jams and ambient tone poems.

Havard plays bass and sings on multiple cuts, including three with conventional verse-chorus structure. Duhig supplies electric and acoustic guitars across both rhythmic and textural passages, while Field’s flute and percussion provide the group’s defining tonal contrast. Dave Duhig guests on additional electric guitar. Alan Price anchors the rhythm section on drums. The trio self-produced the album and tracked it at Nova Sound Studios in London.

Field, Duhig, and Havard co-wrote the seven songs, which alternate between compact vocal numbers and sprawling instrumental pieces. “English Morning” opens with soft pastoral motifs and minor-key shifts. “Sanga” follows with upbeat African-inspired percussion and flute melodies. “Too Many Heroes” returns to heavier terrain, driven by a hard rock riff and anti-war lyric. “Song for a Soldier” moves between sparse, bell-laced minimalism and agitated guitar surges. “Maenga Sketch” unfolds across three sections — ambient intro, percussion-driven middle, and ensemble coda — and functions as the album’s centerpiece. “Holy Roller” presents a blues-based boogie in 4/4 with a brash vocal refrain, while “House of Dreams” closes with a slow, hypnotic progression of flute, sustained chords, and cyclic guitar patterns.

A1. “English Morning” (4:21)
A2. “Sanga” (4:01)
A3. “Too Many Heroes” (4:41)
A4. “Song for a Soldier” (6:05)

B1. “Maenga Sketch” (8:35)
B2. “Holy Roller” (3:24)
B3. “House of Dreams” (8:08)

Sessions occurred in early 1973 at Nova Sound Studios in Marble Arch, London, with Jade Warrior producing and Denis Blackham remastering for the eventual 1998 reissue.

Eclipse remained unreleased until Acme issued it on CD in 1998. Its companion LP, Fifth Element, drawn from the same 1973 sessions, was also issued that year. The two albums were remastered and reissued in 2023 by Esoteric Recordings as part of a definitive 2CD archival set.

Fifth Element

Jade Warrior recorded Fifth Element in mid-1973 as a follow-up to Eclipse for Vertigo Records.

Both albums emerged from the same troubled period: a botched U.S. tour, internal tension between vocalist–bassist Glyn Havard and the Duhig–Field axis, and Vertigo’s abrupt termination of the band’s contract. After completing Eclipse, the band attempted to fulfill their six-album deal by compiling leftover tracks and rushing to complete additional material. Vertigo refused the submission, and Fifth Element remained unreleased until 1998, when Background Records issued it alongside Eclipse as a long-delayed glimpse into the band’s final Vertigo-era phase.

Havard sings and plays bass throughout, taking the creative lead amid a lull in output from guitarist Tony Duhig and flautist–percussionist Jon Field. Dave Duhig plays lead guitar on multiple tracks, and Allan Price appears on drums. Compared to Eclipse, which maintained a moody cohesion, Fifth Element veers stylistically from one idea to the next, combining outtakes, song drafts, and spontaneous material into a patchwork set.

The trio wrote and produced all eight songs, opening with “On the Mountain of Fruit and Flowers,” an early, extended version of the piece later reprised on Floating World. It offers a rare direct bridge between the Vertigo and Island periods. “Discotechnique” breaks the flow with glam-inflected rock, while “Hey Rainy Day” and “Annie” present acoustic psych-folk in the spirit of earlier ballads. “We Are the One” and “Have You Ever” incorporate layered vocals, subdued instrumentation, and introspective lyrics. “24 Hour Movie” and “Yam Jam” flirt with Latin-inflected jam rock, recalling Santana’s rhythmic templates while incorporating Field’s woodwinds.

A1. “On the Mountain of Fruit and Flowers” (5:11)
A2. “Discotechnique” (2:43)
A3. “Hey Rainy Day” (4:11)
A4. “We Are the One” (4:27)

B1. “24 Hour Movie” (5:02)
B2. “Annie” (4:03)
B3. “Yam Jam” (3:49)
B4. “Have You Ever” (5:58)

Sessions occurred in 1973 at Nova Sound Studios in London with Jade Warrior self-producing. The album was digitally remastered in 1998 and again in 2023 for a two-CD Esoteric Recordings reissue paired with Eclipse.

Fifth Element functions less as a unified album than as a behind-the-scenes document, showing Havard’s growing stylistic input and the band’s shifting trajectory in the wake of label rejection. The project also highlights material and tonal ideas that would eventually reemerge in more refined form on the Island albums.

Floating World

Jade Warrior began a new phase with Floating World, released in December 1974 on Island Records.

This marked a stylistic and structural overhaul for the band, reduced to the core duo of Jon Field and Tony Duhig after their departure from Vertigo. Under Island’s directive, they abandoned vocals and band format in favor of ambient instrumental works shaped by Eastern philosophy and dynamic contrast. Floating World inaugurated a four-album cycle on Island themed around nature, movement, and impermanence.

Duhig handles electric and acoustic guitars, percussion, and occasional tonal effects. Field contributes flutes, tuned percussion, bells, and gongs. The two overdubbed much of the album’s content, though select tracks feature Graham Deakin (drums), Martha Mdenge (vocals), and David Duhig (guitar). The absence of bass and keyboards gives the album a dry, wide spatial profile, with layered flutes and bells creating suspended textures between percussive peaks.

Field and Duhig composed eight of the ten pieces, including the ambient interludes “Clouds” and the central suite “Easty.” Mdenge co-wrote the closer “Quba,” and “Monkey Chant” adapts a traditional Balinese kecak ritual for overdubbed chants and guitar distortion. Despite its fragmented structure, the album unfolds as a continuous, immersive sequence.

“Clouds” opens with faint acoustic tones, wind chimes, and ethereal choral bursts before yielding to “Mountain of Fruit and Flowers,” where flute cycles over dry drums and phased electric bursts. “Waterfall” shifts from cyclic acoustic figures to hand percussion and resonant bells. “Red Lotus” builds tension through layered guitar distortion and suspended flute lines, then breaks into a meditative coda. Side two begins with the quiet guitar duet “Rain Flower,” followed by the suspended pulse of “Easty,” where flute and tuned percussion alternate in staccato bursts. “Monkey Chant” overlays shouted vocal patterns with tremolo guitar. “Memories of a Distant Sea” reverts to airy acoustic phrasings and flute arabesques before “Quba” closes with layered winds, sparse guitar, and a spoken epilogue punctuated by a final gong.

A1. “Clouds” (2:52)
A2. “Mountain of Fruit and Flowers” (3:16)
A3. “Waterfall” (5:59)
A4. “Red Lotus” (4:34)
A5. “Clouds” (1:25)

B1. “Rain Flower” (2:46)
B2. “Easty” (5:26)
B3. “Monkey Chant” (2:22) — traditional
B4. “Memories of a Distant Sea” (3:37)
B5. “Quba” (4:13) — Field, Duhig, Mdenge

Sessions occurred in 1974 at Island’s Basing Street Studios in London with Jon Field and Tony Duhig producing. Graham Deakin plays drums on “Red Lotus,” David Duhig plays guitar on “Monkey Chant,” and Martha Mdenge appears on “Quba.”

Floating World features cover art adapted from a Bunraku puppet print, reflecting the album’s conceptual basis in the Edo-period Buddhist notion of ukiyo, or “the floating world.”

Waves

Jade Warrior released Waves in late 1975 on Island. This was their second release as a studio-based duo.

Unlike Floating World, which sequenced discrete vignettes, Waves unfolds as two extended suites that trace elemental cycles through layered instrumental development. The album’s sea theme reflects the duo’s growing use of organic transitions and wave-like structures, marked by an expanded dynamic range and rhythmic cohesion.

Jon Field plays flute, percussion, guitar, and effects, while Tony Duhig handles electric, acoustic, and rhythm guitars alongside percussion and ambient electronics. Steve Winwood contributes piano, Moog, and additional keyboards throughout, with David Duhig supplying electric lead guitar on Part II. Drummer Graham Morgan appears on several rhythm passages. Suzi adds wordless vocals, and Maggie Thomas plays alto recorder. The lack of bass and conventional drums in most passages gives the album a buoyant, fluid quality shaped by suspended tones and slowly unfolding gestures.

Field and Duhig composed both sides as a continuous composition, dividing them for LP format into “Waves Part I” and “Waves Part II.” Winwood’s keyboard textures define multiple passages, while Field’s woodwinds take the melodic foreground. Duhig uses electric guitar sparingly, reserving it for dramatic entry points in the second suite. Wordless vocals and ambient layers underscore the naturalist theme, with whale sounds appearing at the end.

“Part I” opens with near-silence, gradually giving way to flute and chimes that build into a restrained jazz-folk section at 5:30, where piano and percussion rise in tandem. Flute and guitar trade phrases over a slow pulse that dissipates into suspended figures. At 15:50, a new section begins with interlocking guitar and tuned percussion in a quiet dance that closes side one. “Part II” starts with birdsong and soft drumming, soon overtaken by cycling flute and bright guitar lines. At 5:00, ominous chords shift into a deep rhythm led by electric guitar, where Dave Duhig enters with phased distortion and syncopated leads. Winwood’s Moog solo crests the peak, followed by flute motifs that pull the suite back toward softer ground. Whale calls and recorder tones close the work in a slow retreat.

A1. “Waves Part I” (19:52)
B1. “Waves Part II” (24:43)

Sessions occurred in 1975 at The Manor Studios and Argonaut Studios with Jon Field and Tony Duhig producing. Tom Newman and Mick Glossop served as engineers.

Waves features thematic cover art by Island’s in-house designers, depicting aquatic tones that evoke the album’s dedication “to the last whale.” The original LP was later reissued in remastered form as part of the Elements box set.

Kites

Jade Warrior released Kites in November 1976 on Island Records.

This third installment in their instrumental Island series presented their most layered and compositionally elaborate work to date. Compared to the seamless flow of Waves, Kites adopted a more fragmented, episodic structure across two conceptual suites: Side A, led by Jon Field, evokes the flight of a kite across open skies; Side B, guided by Tony Duhig, centers on a Zen monk’s philosophical journey in Tang dynasty China. The album took nine months to record and drew on the largest roster of guest players in the band’s catalogue.

Field performs flutes, percussion, guitar, and ambient elements, while Duhig contributes electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, and effects. The album features Fred Frith, Joe O’Donnell, and Debbie Hall on violins; Pete Gibson (horn), Coleridge Goode (bass), Jeff Westley (electric piano), and Clodagh Simonds (vocals). Winwood does not appear, but Graham Morgan and two additional percussionists provide rhythmic foundation on select tracks. Roger and Geoff Westley add piano, and Gowan Turnbull plays saxophone. The wide orchestral palette replaces the dense guitar motifs of earlier works with bowed strings, choral textures, and layered percussion.

Field and Duhig co-composed the album’s twelve short-form movements. Side A includes the rhythmic tone poem “Wind Song” and the slowly morphing “Wind Borne,” where electric piano and acoustic guitar interweave over shifting percussion cycles. Side B includes “Land of the Warrior,” structured like a ceremonial march with ambient choral surges, and the episodic sequence “Arrival of the Emperor” through “The Last Question,” in which motifs emerge and vanish in ritualistic procession. Each movement functions as part of a whole, with sharp dynamic contrasts and abrupt transitions forming the structural arc.

“Songs of the Forest” opens with atmospheric chimes and gradually builds to a brassy crescendo. “Wind Song” balances flute, gong, and wordless vocals in a drifting pulse, while “The Emperor Kite” uses brass and percussion to evoke stately movement. “Wind Borne” introduces electric piano and acoustic guitar in overlapping patterns; flute guides the transitions before a closing section of low-register bass and dry percussion. “Kite Song” closes the first side with suspended flute tones. Side B opens with “Land of the Warrior,” where vocal textures and subdued brass swell across rhythmic fragments. The suite progresses through brief vignettes — ambient string lines, distant percussion, reverent silences — culminating in “Towards the Mountains,” where flute, strings, and soft guitar carry the closing mood into the final burst of “The Last Question.”

A1. “Songs of the Forest” (3:12)
A2. “Wind Song” (4:05)
A3. “The Emperor” (1:58)
A4. “Wind Borne” (6:52)
A5. “Kite Song” (3:04)

B1. “Land of the Warrior” (3:29)
B2. “Quietly by the River Bank” (3:20)
B3. “Arrival of the Emperor: What Does the Venerable Sir Do?” (1:06)
B4. “Teh Ch’eng: Do You Understand This?” (2:32)
B5. “Arrival of Chia Shan: Disclosure and Liberation” (4:10)
B6. “Towards the Mountains” (2:03)
B7. “The Last Question” (0:36)

Sessions occurred throughout early to mid-1976 at Island’s Basing Street Studios and The Manor with Jon Field and Tony Duhig producing. Engineering was handled by Tom Newman, George Chkiantz, and Mick Glossop.

Kites features abstract cover art referencing the Japanese ceremonial uses of kites, aligning with the album’s dual themes of flight and philosophical inquiry. The album was later remastered for inclusion in the Elements anthology.

Way of the Sun

Jade Warrior released Way of the Sun in September 1978 on Island Records.

This album marked the final entry in their Island-era tetralogy and presented the most extroverted and rhythmic material of the four. Where earlier entries emphasized suspended textures and ambient transitions, Way of the Sun foregrounded syncopated themes and overtly structured compositions, unified under a conceptual cycle drawn from Mesoamerican and Egyptian sun mythology. Each track corresponds to a symbolic moment in the solar journey — from ascension and zenith to eclipse and renewal.

Jon Field contributes flute, percussion, acoustic guitar, and ambient overlays, while Tony Duhig handles rhythm and lead guitars, keyboards, and electronics. They are joined by multiple guest players, including Graham Morgan and John Dentith on drums, Bill Smith on bass, and Dick Cuthell on flugelhorn. The rhythm section expands on “Way of the Sun,” with congas and layered kit drums by Alan, Godfrey, and Kuma. Skaila Kanga adds harp on “Sun Child,” and Gowan Turnbull plays saxophone on “Carnival.” Walter Samuels engineered and mixed the sessions with Dick Cuthell, George Chkiantz, and Terry Barham at Island Studios and DJM Studios.

Field and Duhig wrote all nine tracks, each representing a stage in the sun’s symbolic journey. Tracks like “Moontears” and “Heaven Stone” retain the textural layering of Kites, but the structural clarity, heightened tempo, and global rhythmic influence signal a deliberate shift toward cinematic orchestration and terrestrial imagery. For the first time in the Island series, the pieces form discrete, standalone movements with recognizable motifs and immediate rhythmic entry points.

“Sun Ra” opens with brass fanfare and rapid flute cycles over pounding drums, establishing the sun’s ascent. “Sun Child” follows with harp, flute, and layered percussion in a playful dance. “Moontears” overlays acoustic and electric guitar against pulsing hand drums and slow-building orchestration. “Heaven Stone” alternates between overlapping chimes and modal acoustic phrases, while “Way of the Sun” anchors side one with its thick polyrhythmic foundation and Duhig’s longest sustained solo.

“River Song” begins side two with soft flute and fingerpicked guitar, soon overtaken by electric flourishes and syncopated breaks. “Carnival” moves into jagged Santana-like rhythm with saxophone bursts and a brisk electric solo. “Dance of the Sun” escalates the energy with heavy, overlapping drums and brass punctuations. “Death of Ra” concludes with echoing guitar figures, quiet acoustic passages, and layered electric phrasings that dissolve into silence.

A1. “Sun Ra” (3:33)
A2. “Sun Child” (2:43)
A3. “Moontears” (4:02)
A4. “Heaven Stone” (5:28)
A5. “Way of the Sun” (6:00)

B1. “River Song” (5:04)
B2. “Carnival” (2:19)
B3. “Dance of the Sun” (4:55)
B4. “Death of Ra” (7:18)

Sessions occurred in 1978 at Island Studios in Hammersmith and DJM Studios in London with Jon Field and Tony Duhig producing and Walter Samuels engineering and mixing. Additional engineering was handled by Dick Cuthell, George Chkiantz, and Terry Barham.

Way of the Sun features cover art and illustrations by Eckford/Stimpson, depicting an abstract solar mandala consistent with the album’s pan-mythological theme. It concludes the Island Records cycle later compiled and reissued in full as the Elements anthology.

Horizen

Jade Warrior released Horizen in 1984 on Pulse Records. This tenth-recorded album marked their return after a six-year hiatus, following the closure of their Island Records chapter.

Compared to the atmospheric fusion of their 1974–78 output, Horizen embraced a smoother, digitally produced sound more aligned with emerging new age aesthetics. The album also reintroduced David Duhig and brought in a wider cast of guest players, though Jon Field appeared on only select tracks. Conceived largely by Tony Duhig, the material retained Jade Warrior’s structural contrasts while leaning into luminous textures and spatial clarity.

Tony Duhig played guitars, keyboards, and handled production across all tracks. Jon Field contributed flute, percussion, and co-composition on select pieces. Guest musicians include David Duhig on second electric guitar, Brad Lang on bass, Gowan Turnbull on saxophones and flute, Anisse Hadeed on steel drums and timbales, and Jeff Barak on drums. Members of the Pro Musica of London Chorus appear on the closing number, adding a liturgical vocal layer. Engineering was handled by Brian O’Shaughnessy, with mixing by Andy Dransfield and Rick Woolgar.

Duhig and Field composed the six tracks, which balance melodic development with textural ambiance. Side A opens with the three-part suite “Images of Dune,” originally intended as a film score proposal. Its twelve-minute arc shifts from slow-blooming drones and guitar figures into layered saxophone motifs and spacious rhythmic overlays. “Caribbean Wave” introduces syncopated steel drums and upbeat phrasing, offering the album’s only pronounced tempo lift. The title track, “Horizen,” acts as a brief, suspended interlude with floating guitar figures.

“East Wind” opens Side B with flute-led modal motifs and soft percussive counterpoints. “Grey Lake, Red Mountain” centers on interlocking guitar lines and ambient backdrops. “Long Wait at Mount Li” concludes the album with a slow, minor-key ascent, featuring choir voices and gradual harmonic expansion, culminating in one of the album’s few full-band climaxes.

A1. “Images of Dune” (11:58)
a. “Prescient Dawn”
b. “The Freman”
c. “Journey on a Dream”
A2. “Caribbean Wave” (5:37)
A3. “Horizen” (2:18)

B1. “East Wind” (7:08)
B2. “Grey Lake, Red Mountain” (5:29)
B3. “Long Wait at Mount Li” (7:02)

Sessions occurred in 1984 at Bark Studio with Brian O’Shaughnessy as recording engineer. Mixing took place at Chapel Studios with Andy Dransfield and Rick Woolgar.

Horizen features cover art by Stefan Suchomski, depicting a stylized desert sunscape consistent with the opening “Dune” suite’s conceptual setting. Issued by the short-lived independent label Pulse, the album functioned as a bridge between Jade Warrior’s 1970s cinematic phase and their more electronic-oriented late-’80s resurgence.

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