Icecross was an Icelandic post-psych powertrio that released a 1973 self-titled album on Icecross Records. Members: Axel Einarsson (guitar, vocals), Ómar Óskarsson (bass, vocals), Ásgeir Óskarsson (drums, vocals) Background Icecross formed in Iceland in early 1972 when guitarist-singer Axel P.J. Einarsson and drummer-singer Ásgeir Óskarsson recruited guitarist Ómar Óskarsson (no relation) as bassist. Ómar first […]
Latimore is an American soul singer who released eleven albums between 1973 and 1987 and scored R&B hits with “Let’s Straighten It Out,” “Keep the Home Fire Burnin’,” “Somethin’ ‘Bout ‘Cha,” and “I Get Lifted.” Background Latimore was born Benjamin Latimore on September 7, 1939, in Charleston, Tennessee. His mother sang in the Baptist church […]
Amii Stewart is an American soul singer who had a 1979 disco No. 1 with a remake of the Eddie Floyd classic “Knock On Wood.” Abroad, she scored subsequent hits with the Doors appropriation “Light My Fire/137 Disco Heaven” and the 1985 Italian hit “Friends.” Between 1979 and 1990, she made three albums on Hansa/Ariola […]
Rousseau was a German symphonic-rock band that debuted with the album Flower in Asphalt on Steyrer Disco in 1980, followed by two further titles on SL Records and Musea between 1983 and 1988. Members: Rainer Hofman (keyboards), Dieter Beerman (bass), Jörg Schwarz (guitar, lead vocals), Ali Pfeffer (drums) Background Rousseau formed in 1978 in Marl, […]
Bullfrog was the German hard-rock band behind the 1976/77 Sky albums Bullfrog and High in Spirits and the 1980 Musk release Second Wind. Members: Sebastian Leitner (guitar), Gerd Hoch (vocals), Harald Kaltenecker (keyboards), Vincent Trost (bass), Bruno Perosa (drums, percussion), Robert Wimmer (guitar), Ali Halmatoglu [aka Ali Khan] (drums), Tim Gainer (vocals, guitar), Achim Wielert […]
Mo-dettes were an English post-punk quartet that released five singles and the 1980 Deram album The Story So Far. Their cover of “Paint It Black” reached the UK Top 50, followed by a second chart entry with “Tonight.” Guitarist Kate Korus hailed from an early lineup of The Slits. Drummer June Kingston went on to […]
Tangerine was a French folk-rock band that debuted with the album De l’autre côté de la forêt on Arcane in 1975, followed by Mémoire on Crypto in 1976. Members: Valéry Btech (vocals, guitar, piano), Marc Donahue (guitar, flute, keyboards, saxophone, bongos, vocals), Gabriel Malka (guitar, vocals), Charlie Sabban (guitar, vocals), Francis Lockwood (keyboards), Jean My […]
Et Cetera was a multi-national jazz-rock ensemble led by German keyboardist Wolfgang Dauner. They cut the 1971 Global Records disc Et Cetera and the 1972/73 MPS titles Knirsch and Et Cetera Live. Members: Wolfgang Dauner (piano, organ, keyboards, electronics, flute, vocals), Jürgen Schmidt-Oehm (flute, vocals), Pierre Cavalli (guitar), Siegfried Schwab (guitar, vocals), Larry Coryell (guitar), […]
Mick Karn — aka Andonis Michaelides (July 24, 1958 — Jan. 4, 2011) — was an English-Cypriot multi-instrumentalist and composer who rose to prominence as the bassist in the New Wave/art-pop band Japan, which released five studio albums between 1978 and 1981. Just as the band announced its breakup, Karn debuted as a solo artist […]
Wireless was a Canadian hard-rock band that released a 1976 self-titled album on Atlantic, followed by the 1978–1980 Anthem titles Positively Human Relatively Sane and No Static, the latter produced by Geddy Lee. Members: Steve McMurray (guitar, vocals), Glenn Beatson (drums, 1975-77), Allan Marshall (bass, vocals), Mike Crawford (guitar, vocals), Laurie Delgrande (keyboards, 1975), Michael […]
The Kane Gang was an English sophisti-pop trio that released four singles in 1983/84 on Kitchenware Records, followed by the 1985–87 albums The Bad and Lowdown World of The Kane Gang and Miracle. Members: Martin Brammer, Dave Brewis, Paul Woods Background The Kane Gang formed in late 1982 in Seaham, County Durham, when vocalist and […]
Rikki and the Last Days of Earth were an English art-punk band from Tamworth, Staffordshire, that released two singles on DJM in 1977, both included on the 1978 album 4 Minute Warning. In 1979, vocalist Rikki Sylvan served as a studio hand for Gary Numan on the albums Replicas and The Pleasure Principle. As a […]
Maad was an Italian avant-jazz/rock band that released a 1976 album on Divergo, followed by two Philips singles. Members: Pino Devita (keyboards), Attilio Zanchi (guitar), Jonathan Scully (percussion, vibraphone), Joe Castanuela (drums) Background Maad emerged in mid-1970s Milan as a studio-oriented avant-jazz/rock ensemble. Formed by pianist and trombonist Pino Devita, the band brought together American […]
Hookfoot was an English rustic/hard-rock band that released four albums between 1971 and 1974 on A&M/DJM. Their vaulted 1969 album appeared four decades later courtesy of AMR Archive. The band featured DJM house musicians who backed Elton John on his early albums for the label. Members: Caleb Quaye (guitar, piano, vocals), Ian Duck (vocals, guitar, […]
J.E.T. was an Italian symphonic-psych band that released six singles and the 1972 album Fede, Speranza, Carità. Three-fourths of the band formed Matia Bazar. Members: Carlo Marrale (guitar, vocals), Piero Cassano (keyboards), Aldo Stellita (bass, vocals), Renzo “Pucci” Cochis (drums) Inception J.E.T. formed in 1971 in Genova. Their name (a stylization of Jet) was not […]
The Lucy Show was a Canadian–English underground rock band that released the 1985–86 albums …Undone and Mania. The latter spawned the college radio hits “A Million Things” and “New Message.” Members: Mark Bandola (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Rob Vandeven (vocals, bass), Peter Barraclough (guitar, keyboards), Bryan Hudspeth (drums) Formation The Lucy Show evolved from Midnight Movie, […]
Inez Foxx (September 9, 1937 – August 25, 2022) was an American soul singer from Greensboro, NC. She recorded early sides as Inez Johnston before she reached the pop and R&B charts with “Mockingbird,” a clipped call-and-response duet with her brother Charlie Foxx. The pair followed with the charting singles “Ask Me” and “Hurt By […]
Conventum was a Québécois avant/symphonic-folk band that released the 1977–79 albums À l’affût d’un Complot and Le Bureau Central des Utopies. Members: Jean-Pierre Bouchard (acoustic guitar, tenor recorder), Bernard Cormier (violin, metallophone), André Duchesne (classical guitar), Charles Kaczynski (violin, alto violin, viola), Jacques Laurin (electric bass, double bass), René Lussier (electric guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, […]
Galaxy-Lin was a Dutch art-rock band that released three singles and the 1974/75 Polydor albums Galaxy-Lin and “G.” Members: Dick Remelink (saxophone, flute), Hugo van Haastert (mandolin, vocals), Peter Rijnvis (drums), Peter Wassenaar (bass), Robbie van Leeuwen (mandolin, vocals), Ruud van de Berg [aka Rudy Bennett] (vocals), Hans de Vos (mandolin), Skip van Rooy (keyboards) […]
L’Infonie was a Québécois avant-jazz/psych collective that released two albums on Polydor in 1969 and 1970, followed by another pair of titles on Kot’ai between 1972 and 1974. Members: Raôul Duguay, Walter Boudreau, Andre Pelchat, Gilles Haineault, Jack Rider, Jacques Beaudoin, Jacques Valois, Jean Grimard, Jean Préfontaine, Michel Le François, Pierre Daigneault, Ysengourd Knörh Background […]
Bram Stoker was an English post-psych band that released the album Heavy Rock Spectacular on Windmill in 1972. Members: Tony Bronsdon (organ), John Bavin (bass), Pete Ballam (guitar, 1969-72), Rob Haines (drums, 1969-72) Background The nucleus of Bram Stoker formed when ex-Shadows bassist Jet Harris assembled three musicians — organist Tony Bronsdon (ex-Renaissance Fare), guitarist […]
Taka Boom (born Oct. 8, 1954) is an American soul singer from Chicago and the younger sister of Chaka Khan. Boom emerged as a Parliament backing singer before her 1979 debut album, which landed R&B hits with “Night Dancin’” and “Red Hot.” She resurfaced with the 1983 Mercury album Boomerang and its 1985 followup Middle […]
Festa Mobile was an Italian symphonic keyboard trio that released the 1973 album Diario di Viaggio della Festa Mobile on RCA Italiana. They morphed into Il Baricentro and released two late-Seventies jazz-funk albums. Members: Francesco Boccuzzi (keyboards), Giovanni Boccuzzi (keyboards, guitar), Tonio Napolitano (bass), Alessio Alba (guitar) Background Festa Mobile (Italian for Traveling Festival or […]
Errata Corrige was the Italian symphonic/chamber-folk combo behind the 1976 album Siegfried, il Drago e Altre Storie. They recorded a second album that surfaced in 1992 on Mellow Records. Members: Mike Abate (guitar, vocals), Marco Cimino (flute, keyboards, cello), Gianni Cremona (bass, vocals), Guido Giovine (drums, vocals) Background Errata Corrige formed in 1974 in Torino as […]
The Softones were an American soul group from Baltimore that released a self-titled album on Avco in 1973, followed by two studio albums and a live disc on H&L in 1977/78. The group’s name was shortened to The Tones for a further album on self-press Criminal in 1983. Members: Marvin Brown, Steven Jackson, Elton Lynch, […]
Einzelgänger — German for “individualist” — was the name used by Italian keyboardist/producer Giorgio Moroder for a 1975 electronic album, issued on his Oasis label with an accompanying single. Background Giorgio Moroder adopted the Einzelgänger for a dip into Berlin School experimentation. By this time, he’d already established himself as a key figure in early […]
Gulliver was an American rock quartet formed in Philadelphia by singer-keyboardist Daryl Hall, singer-guitarist Tim Moore, bassist-keyboardist Tom Sellers, and drummer Jim Helmer. The four musicians worked through John Madara’s production circle on Sound of Genesis and the Electric Indian before Elektra issued the group’s sole album. Members: Daryl Hall (vocals), Jim Helmer (drums), Tom Sellers […]
Duello Madre was an Italian jazz-rock band that released a self-titled album in 1973 on Produttori Associati. Members: Marco Zoccheddu (guitar, vocals), Pippo Trentin (saxophone, flute), Bob Callero (bass), Franco Lo Previte (drums, percussion) Background Duello Madre (Italian for “duel mother”) formed in Genoa in early 1973 when guitarist/singer Marco Zoccheddu and bassist Bob Callero […]
Granicus was an American hard-rock band from Cleveland that released a 1973 self-titled album on RCA. Members: Joe Battaglia (drums), Wayne Anderson (guitar), Dale Bedford (bass), Woody Leffel (vocals, guitar), Al Pinelli (guitar) Background Granicus formed circa 1970 when drummer Joe Battaglia teamed with guitarist Al Pinell. The two rehearsed in a Lakewood house, where […]
Ophiucus was a French folk/psych band that released two albums and three singles between 1971 and 1973 on Barclay. Members: Michel Bonnecarrère (guitar, vocals), Alain Labacci (guitar, percussion, vocals), Bernard Labacci (drums, percussion, vocals), Jean-Pierre “Chinois” Pouret (bass, guitar, vocals) Background Ophiucus formed in Flagy, Seine-et-Marne, in 1971 when musician-actor Emmanuel Booz brought together guitarist-flautist […]
Krazy Kat was an English rock quintet behind the 1976/77 albums China Seas and Troubled Air on Mountain Records. Three members hailed from Charisma harmony rockers Capability Brown. Members: Ray Lewis (bass, vocals), Roger Bradley-Willis [Roger Willis] (drums), Grahame White (guitar), Tony Ferguson (guitar), Harry MacDonald (keyboards) Background Krazy Kat formed in 1976 when guitarist-singers […]
Slik was a Scottish pop-rock quartet that released five singles and a 1976 album on Bell Records. They hit No. 1 with “Forever and Ever” and scored a second hit with “Requiem.” After their prescient followup single “The Kid’s a Punk,” they morphed into the punk-oriented PVC2 for the 1977 EP Put You in the […]
Polifemo was an Argentine hard-rock/jazz-rock band that released two albums on EMI during 1976 and 1977. The band was comprised of noted journeymen on the Buenos Aires scene, including guitarist/vocalist David Lebón (Color Humano, Pescado Rabioso, Pappo’s Blues), bassist Rinaldo Rafanelli (Color Humano, Sui Generis), and keyboardist Ciro Fogliatta (Los Gatos, Sacramento, Espíritu). Lebón teamed […]
Hot Flash was an American space-rock band that released the 1977 album First Attack! They’ll Never Take Us Alive on small-press Rockwell Records. Members: John Ferrara (bass, synthesizer, bass pedals), Fredric “Muff” Schwenk (flute, guitar, vocals), Thom Stolar (flute, keyboards, vocals), Joe Prima (keyboards, vocals), Steve Balsavage (percussion, vocals) Background Bill Macek directed Hot Flash […]
Flashman was an English cabaret/art-pop trio that released a 1977 self-titled album on Pye/Vanguard. Pianist and singer/songwriter Gerald Watkiss released the 1978 solo album Purgatory and Paradise, followed by three albums as Gerald Masters. Members: Gerald Watkiss [aka Gerald Masters], Nick Walpole (timpani, percussion), Chris Hudman (bass), Dylan Fowler Background Flashman formed by 1975 while […]
Nadavati was a French jazz-rock band that released the 1978 IPG album Le Vent de l’esprit Souffle où il Veut. Members: Jaques Liot (guitar, percussion), Patrice Freequentin (alto saxophone, flute), Mico Nissim (piano, synthesizer), Alain Lecointe (bass, percussion), Didier Hauck (drums, percussion) Background Nadavati formed in Paris after guitarist Jacky Liot left Hechetu Welo, an […]
Esagono was an Italian jazz-rock band that released the 1976 album Vicolo on Mu Records. Members: Aldo Rindone, Claudio Montafia, Giorgio Diaferia, Marco Cimino, Marco Gallesi Background Esagono formed in Turin in 1975 when bassist Marco Gallesi teamed with keyboardist Marco Cimino, keyboardist Aldo Rindone, and drummer Giorgio Diaferia. Gallesi played in Arti & Mestieri, […]
MAX (aka RODAN) was an American brass-rock band active from 1970 through 1974, when Pandora issued their recordings under the unauthorized title Rodan, which misidentified several contributors. Group leader David Cortopassi restored the archive through the expanded Beyond Rodan, released by Digital Cellars for the fiftieth anniversary. Members: David Cortopassi (bass, guitar, vibraphone, piano, vocals), […]
Panna Fredda was an Italian symphonic-rock band that released the 1971 album Uno on Vedette Records. Members: Angelo Giardinelli (guitar, vocals), Giorgio Brandi (keyboards, guitar, vocals, 1969-70), Carlo Bruno (bass, 1969-70), Filippo Carnevale (drums, guitar, 1969-70), Lino Stopponi (keyboards, 1970-71), Pasquale “Windy” Cavallo (bass, 1970-71), Roberto Balocco (drums, 1970-71) Background Panna Fredda (Cold Cream) formed […]
Ambiance was an American jazz-funk/soul band from Los Angeles that released the 1979/80 albums Ebun and Drift Up to Space on Da Mon. Members: Daoud Abubakar Balewa Background Ambiance began in Los Angeles when Nigerian-born reedist and multi-instrumentalist Daoud Abubakar Balewa organized a changing studio collective around his compositions and the self-financed Da Mon Records imprint. […]
The Mixed Bag was an American jazz-funk sextet from the Detroit–Ann Arbor corridor that released the 1976 Tribe album Mixed Bag’s First Album. Keyboardist Eddie Russ introduced the group on his 1974 Jazz Masters release Fresh Out and maintained a parallel solo career. Members: Ron Brookes (bass), Geoff Dunsun [aka Eddie Russ] (keyboards), Jerry Glassel […]
Bronski Beat was a Scottish–English synthpop band that released two albums and a remix compilation between 1984 and 1986 on Forbidden Fruit. The first album features singer Jimmy Somerville, who released two subsequent albums as one-half of The Communards. Members: Steve Bronski (keyboards, percussion, acoustic guitar, programming), Larry Steinbachek (keyboards, percussion), Jimmy Somerville (vocals, 1983-85, […]
GoodThunder was an American post-psych hard rock band from Los Angeles that released a 1972 self-titled album on Elektra. Members: James Cahoon Lindsay (lead vocals, percussion), John Desautels (drums), David Hanson (guitar, vocals), Bill Rhodes (bass), Wayne Cook (keyboards) Background GoodThunder took root in early 1972 when five Los Angeles musicians pooled their respective experiences […]
Moonkyte was an English folk-psych band from West Yorkshire that released the 1971 album Count Me Out on Mother/Metronome. Members: Dave Stansfield (harmonium, percussion, vocals), Dave Foster (acoustic guitar, harmonica, vocals), Trevor Craven (bass, vocals), Mick Humphreys (drums) Background Moonkyte took root through Bradford singer, promoter, and band manager Dave Stansfield. In 1967, Stansfield and […]
Streetmark was a German symphonic-rock band behind the 1976/77 Sky albums Nordland and Eileen, the latter with Wolfgang Riechmann. A trimmed lineup under co-founder Dorothea Raukes made the 1979–81 albums Dry and Sky Racer. Members: Dorothea Raukes (keyboards, vocals), Thomas Schreiber (guitar, vocals), Georg Buschmann (vocals), Wolfgang Westphal (bass), Hans Schweiß (drums), Wolfgang Riechmann (vocals, […]
Companyia Elèctrica Dharma was a Spanish jazz-rock band that released eleven studio albums and two live discs between 1975 and 1991, mostly on Edigsa and PDI. They remained active into the 21st century. Members: Pep Fortuny (drums, percussion, vocals), Joan Fortuny (soprano saxophone, vocals), Carles Vidal (bass, guitar), Jordi Soley (keyboards, 1974-78), Esteve Fortuny (guitar, […]
Ramses was a German symphonic-rock band that released three albums between 1976 and 1981 on Sky Records. Members: Herbert Natho (lead vocals), Norbert Langhorst (guitar), Peter Klages (guitar), Bernd Probst (keyboards), Winfried Langhorst (keyboards, vocals), Hans Dieter Klinkhammer (bass), Hans-Jürgen Lammers (drums), Reinhard Schröter (drums, percussion), Carsten Loll (drums), Matthias Möller (lead vocals, keyboards), Frank […]
Ave Sangria was a Brazilian folk-psych band that released a 1974 self-titled album on Continental. Members: Marco Polo (vocals), Ivson Wanderley (guitar, violin), Paulo Raphael (bass, synthesizer, violin, vocals), Almir (bass), Israel Semente (drums), Juliano (percussion) Ave Sangria formed in 1968 in Recife, the capital of the state of Pernambuco, is a vibrant coastal city […]
The Moments were an American soul trio from Washington, D.C., formed in 1965. Signed to Sylvia Robinson‘s All Platinum-subsidiary Stang Records, the group released 10 albums on the label between 1969 and 1978. In 1979, they dropped the Moments moniker and issued subsequent albums under their collective surnames: Ray, Goodman & Brown. Members: John Morgan […]
Lou Bond — aka Ronald Edward Lewis (1945 — Feb. 1, 2013) — was an American soul singer/songwriter from Chicago who released 1974 a self-titled album on We Produce Records, a division of Stax. Background Lou Bond was born Ronald Edward Lewis in 1945 in Chicago. He grew up in Memphis foster homes and met […]
Hanuman was a German Krautrock band that released a self-titled album in 1971 on Kuckuck. Three-fourths of the band continued as Lied des Teufels. Members: Wolf-Rüdiger Uhlig (organ, piano, vocals), Peter Barth (flute, alto saxophone, vocals), Jörg Hahnfeld (bass), Thomas Holm (drums) Inception Hanuman formed in May 1971 when organist Wolf-Rüdiger Uhlig befriended a jazz […]
Titanic was a Norwegian hard-rock band that released four albums on CBS between 1970 and 1975, followed by two titles on Barclay and Souplet during the latter half of the decade. The group opened on CBS with Titanic, Sea Wolf, and Eagle Rock, records that put Hammond organ, hard guitar attack, and Roy Robinson’s lead […]
Badfinger was a Welsh pop-rock band first called The Iveys, which released the 1969 album Maybe Tomorrow on Apple Records. As Badfinger, they released the 1970–71 albums Magic Christian Music, No Dice, and Straight Up and scored hits with “Come and Get It,” “No Matter What,” “Day After Day,” and “Baby Blue.” After their 1973 […]
De Press was a Norwegian post-punk band that released the 1981/82 albums Block to Block and Product on Siberia Music. Amid lineup changes, the band later relocated to Poland and released twelve albums between 1994 and 2016. In 2024, they returned with Europa Płonie on Olifant Records. Members: Andrej Nebb (vocals, bass), Jørn Christensen (guitar, […]
Faust was a German krautrock band from Hamburg that released the 1971/72 Polydor albums Faust and So Far, followed in 1973 by the Virgin albums The Faust Tapes and Faust IV, plus a collaboration with American composer Tony Conrad on the Caroline release Outside the Dream Syndicate. A decade after their split, unreleased material surfaced […]
The Members were an English punk-pop/reggae band that debuted with the track “Fear of the Streets” on the 1977 various-artists compilation Streets. After their 1978 Stiff single “Solitary Confinement,” they signed with Virgin for the 1979/80 albums At the Chelsea Nightclub and The Choice Is Yours, scoring hits with “The Sound of the Suburbs” and […]
Neighb’rhood Childr’n were an American psychedelic rock band that released a 1968 self-titled album on Atca Records. Members: Dyan Hoffman (vocals, keyboards, tambourine), Rick Bolz (vocals, guitar, harmonica, tambourine), Ron Raschdorf (guitar, harmonica, tambourine, vocals), Wayne Arthur Farrens (harmonica, drums, vocals), George Glenn (bass guitar) Background Neighb’rhood Childr’n evolved from The Navarros, a garage band […]
Kiki Dee is an English pop-rock singer who cut nine singles (1963–67) on Fontana, which issued her 1968 debut album I’m Kiki Dee. She became Tamla Motown’s first British white act with her 1970 second album Great Expectations. In 1973, she joined Elton John‘s Rocket Record Company and scored her first UK hit with “Amoureuse.” […]
Jack the Lad was an English folk-rock band from Newcastle that released three albums during 1974/75 on Charisma, followed by a 1976 fourth on United Artists. They emerged from the initial breakup of Lindisfarne. For their 1976 Jackpot tour, they donned jester hats and toured with jester-haired Kiwi art-rockers Split Enz. Members: Simon Cowe […]
Jarvis Street Revue was a Canadian psychedelic rock band that released the 1970 album Mr. Oil Man on Columbia. Their music fused heavy acid guitar, protest lyrics, and psych-era studio effects in a sound shaped by their geographical isolation and countercultural ethos. Members: Tom Cruickshank (drums), Wayne Faulconer (guitar), Tom “Tommy” Horricks (vocals), George Stevenson […]
Azimuth was a contemporary jazz trio featuring English pianist John Taylor and his vocalist wife Norma Winstone. Canadian trumpeter Kenny Wheeler rounded out the combo, which released five albums on EMC between 1977 and 1995. Members: John Taylor (piano), Kenny Wheeler (trumpet), Norma Winstone (vocals) Background Norma Winstone came up on the London jazz circuit […]
Heavy Cruiser was an American hard-rock/psych band that released the 1972/73 albums Heavy Cruiser and Lucky Dog on Artie Ripp’s Family Productions label. Canadian bassist Neil Merryweather formed the band in Los Angeles with keyboardist James Newton Howard, later a noted film composer. Heavy Cruiser also recorded as Mama Lion behind Merryweather’s then-partner, singer Lynn […]
Tarantula was an American psychedelic rock band that released a 1969 self-titled album on A&M, produced by Chad Stuart of Chad & Jeremy. Bassist Oz Bach hailed from Spanky & Our Gang and Wings. Members: Tom Grasso (keyboards, vocals), Mike Edelman ([electric] flute, saxophone, vocals), Steve Swirn (drums), Oz Bach (bass, vocals), Thad Maxwell (guitar, […]
Taggett was an English rustic-rock supergroup that made a self-titled album in 1973, re-released in 1975. Members: Peter “Pete” Arnesen (keyboards, vocals), Colin Horton-Jennings (lead vocals), Tony Hicks (guitar), Terry Fogg (drums), Tim Wheatley (bass, vocals) Background Singer Colin Horton-Jennings played flute and acoustic guitar on two albums with The Greatest Show on Earth. Keyboardist […]
Spirogyra was an English folk-rock band that released the album St. Radigunds on B & C Records in 1971, followed by Old Boot Wine on PEG in 1972. The band’s third and final album of the period, Bells, Boots and Shambles, appeared on Polydor in 1973. Singer Barbara Gaskin joined The Northettes, the backing singers […]
Cosmic Overdose was a Swedish space-rock/minimal-wave combo that released two singles and the 1980/81 albums Dada Koko and 4668 on Silence Records. The final lineup continued as Twice a Man. Members: Dan Söderqvist (guitar, vocals), Karl Gasleben [Ingemar Ljungström] (synthesizer, vocals), Regnmakaren [Kjell Karlgren] (drums, 1979-80), Jimmy Cyklon [Thomas Andersson] (guitar, synthesizer, vocals, 1980-81) Background […]
Mandala was a Brazilian Latin/jazz-rock band from São Paulo that released a 1976 self-titled album on Morisom. The band featured prolific session keyboardist and eventual solo artist Nelson Ayres. Members: Luiz Roberto Oliveira (acoustic guitar, synthesizer), Roberto Sion (flute, saxophone), Nelson Ayres (piano), Zé Eduardo Nazario (drums, percussion), Zeca Assumpção (bass) Mandala “Mandala” by MAD […]
The Remains were an American garage-rock band from Boston that released a self-titled album on Epic and scored a 1966 regional hit with “Don’t Look Back,” later anthologized on the original Nuggets. Members: Barry Tashian (lead vocals, guitar), Bill “Billy” Briggs (keyboards, harmonica, vocals), Vern Miller (bass, guitar, vocals), Rudolph “Chip” Damiani (drums, vocals, 1964–66; […]
The Soul Children were an American vocal group that released seven albums between 1969 and 1978, with five Stax titles and two Epic albums. Isaac Hayes and David Porter wrote and produced the 1969 debut, which includes the R&B entries “Give ’Em Love,” “I’ll Understand,” “Tighten Up My Thang,” and “The Sweeter He Is.” Porter […]
The National Head Band was an English blues-psych band that released the album Albert 1 on Warner Bros. in 1971. Members: Neil Ford (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Moog, vocals), Lee Kerslake (drums, percussion, Moog, vocals), David “Dave” Paull (bass, Moog, guitar, vocals), Jan Schelhaas (piano, organ, harmonium, Moog) Background The National Head Band evolved from […]
Maximum Joy are an English art-funk/dub band that cut the 1981/82 Y Records singles “Stretch,” “White and Green Place,” and “In the Air,” followed by the album Station MXJY. Members: Janine Rainforth (vocals, violin, clarinet, 1979-83), John Waddington (guitar), Tony Wrafter (saxophone, flute, trumpet, 1979-82), Kevin Evans (bass, piano, vocals), Dan Catsis (bass), Charlie Llewellin […]
Little Free Rock was an English hard-rock/psych trio that released a self-titled album on Transatlantic in 1969. Members: Peter Illingworth (guitar, vocals, 1966-74), Frank Newbold (bass, vocals, percussion, 1966-70), Paul Varley (drums, 1966-72), ‘Lord’ Eric Carboo (percussion), Terry Poole (bass, 1970-71), Jon Taylor (bass, 1971-74), Nick Payne (saxophone, flute, harmonica, 1971-74), Kevin Flanagan (drums, 1972-74) […]
The Reds were an American hard-rock/punk band from Philadelphia that released a 1979 self-titled album on A&M, followed by the 1981/82 albums Stronger Silence and Fatal Slide on Stony Plain Records. Members: Rick Shaffer (guitar, vocals), Bruce Cohen (keyboards), Tommy Geddes (drums), Jim Peters (bass) Background The Reds formed in Philadelphia as a unit built […]
Refugee was an English symphonic-rock trio that released a self-titled album on Charisma in 1974. The band was essentially a reformed Nice with keyboardist Patrick Moraz in lieu of Keith Emerson. The project ended soon after the album’s release when Moraz was invited to replace Rick Wakeman in Yes. Members: Patrick Moraz (keyboards), Lee Jackson […]
Re-Flex was an English synthpop band that released the album The Politics of Dancing in 1983 on EMI. In 1985, they recorded a second album that later appeared as the archival CD Humanication. Members: John Baxter (vocals, guitar), Paul Fishman (keyboards, computer), Nigel Ross-Scott (bass), Roland Vaughan Kerridge (drums, percussion, programming) Background Re-Flex formed in […]
Ramases was the performance moniker of English folk-psych musician Kimberley Barrington Frost, who cut three singles and two albums with his wife Selket (aka Dorothy Frost.) The singles appeared on CBS and Major Minor between 1968 and 1970 under the name Ramases and Selket. Their album, Space Hymns, was recorded at Strawberry Studios with backing […]
Pere Ubu was an American avant-garde rock band from Cleveland that cut the 1975–76 proto-punk singles “30 Seconds Over Tokyo” and “Final Solution,” followed by their debut indie album The Modern Dance. Ubu signed with Chrysalis for the 1978–79 post-punk albums Dub Housing and New Picnic Time, then jumped to Rough Trade for 1980’s The […]
The Edge was an English new wave/post-punk band from London that debuted with a 1978 single on Albion Records, followed by two 1979 singles on Hurricane Records. That same year, they backed American singer Jane Aire as “The Belvederes” on her singular album for Virgin. The band’s own album, Square 1, appeared in 1980 on […]
The Trammps were an American soul group from Philadelphia, formed in 1972. Early on, the group released a string of singles later compiled on the 1975 Buddah release The Legendary Zing Album. In 1975, the group released a self-titled album on Golden Fleece, followed by six albums on Atlantic between 1976 and 1980. The members […]
Prosper was a German symphonic/jazz-rock band that self-released the 1975 album Broken Door. Three decades later, they unearthed a further disc of ’70s-era tracks on Second Running – The Basement Tapes. Members: Jürgen Pluta (keyboards, bass), Wolfgang Teske (drums), Uli Ingebold (saxophone, flute), Evert Brettschneider (guitar), Matthias Geisen (bass), Friedhelm Misiejuk (drums), Fritz A. Fey […]
E. A. Poe was an Italian symphonic-rock band that released the 1974 album Generazioni (Storia di Sempre) on the Milano-based Kansas label. Members: Angelo (1967-69), Giorgio Foti (keyboards, vocals), Beppe Ronco (guitar, mandolin), Lello Foti (drums, mandolin), Marco Maggi (bass), Roberto Bertazzi (guitar) Background E. A. Poe formed in 1967 in the Lombard town of […]
