Granada was a Spanish symphonic/flamenco-rock band that released the 1975–78 Movieplay albums Hablo de Una Tierra, España, año 75, and Valle del Pas. Members: Carlos Cárcamo (flute, violin, piano, Mellotron, harpsichord, acoustic guitar, vocals, percussion), Juan Bona (drums, percussion, backing vocals, ?-1976), Antonio García Oteyza (bass, ?-1976), Michael Vorteflich (guitar, ?-1975), Javier Monforte (guitar, 1975-76), […]
Chase was an American brass-rock band from Las Vegas that made the 1971–74 albums Chase, Ennea, and Pure Music on Epic Records. They ended in August 1974 when four members perished in the crash of their tour plane. Members: Bill Chase (trumpet), Ted Piercefield (trumpet, vocals, 1970-74), Alan Ware (trumpet, 1970-74), Jerry Van Blair (trumpet, […]
Montrose was an American hard-rock band that released the 1973–74 albums Montrose and Paper Money with original singer Sammy Hagar, a future solo star and Van Halen frontman. His replacement, Bob James, fronted the 1975–76 Montrose albums Warner Bros. Presents Montrose! and Jump on It. Their namesake guitarist, Ronnie Montrose, cut solo instrumentals and spearheaded […]
Heart are an American hard-rock band from Seattle that debuted with the popular album Dreamboat Annie on Canadian small-press Mushroom in 1975, followed by five studio albums on the CBS imprints Portrait and Epic between 1977 and 1983. In 1985, the band issued a self-titled album on Capitol that spawned a new round of success […]
Fireballet was an American symphonic/art-rock band from New Jersey that made the 1975/76 albums Night on Bald Mountain and Two, Too on Passport Records. Multi-instrumentalist and composer Jim Cuomo hailed from Spoils of War and Mormos and later played in the multi-national jazz-funk group Pacific Eardrum. Cuomo and guitarist Ryche Chlanda partook in the 1977 […]
The Sons of Champlin were an American brass-rock-soul band from San Francisco, formed in 1965 by namesake vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and songwriter Bill Champlin. Originally a teen R&B combo called the Opposite Six, the group took shape as the Sons of Champlin in the wake of the British Invasion, blending soul, jazz, and rock elements […]
Cameo are an American soul-funk band from New York that released eight albums (1977–82) on Chocolate City, followed by six albums (1983–90) on Atlanta Artists. Musically, Cameo plied the P-Funk style on their R&B/dance hits “Find My Way,” “Rigor Mortis,” “Funk Funk,” “It’s Serious,” “Sparkle,” “Shake Your Pants,” “Keep It Hot,” “Freaky Dancin’,” and “Flirt.” […]
Gracious was an English symphonic/art-rock band that released a self-titled album on Vertigo in 1970, followed by This is…Gracious!! on Phillips in 1971. Each album contained one multi-movement sidelong suite and four short-to-medium-length songs and instrumentals. The band had already split by the time their second album hit the shelves. Drummer Tim Wheatley later surfaced […]
Labelle was an American soul-funk trio best known for their 1974 hit “Lady Marmalade.” The three women — Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash — first grouped in The Blue Belles, a 1960s Motown-style quartet. Labelle collaborated with Laura Nyro on the Columbia release Gonna Take a Miracle and made the 1971–72 Warner albums […]
Fusion Orchestra was an English symphonic/art-rock-soul band that released the album Skeleton in Armour in 1973 on EMI. Members: Dave Bell (drums), Mick Sluman (bass, 1969-71), Dave Cowell (bass, harmonica, 1971-73), Paul Jennings (bass, 1973-75), Colin Dawson (guitar), Stan Land (guitar, synthesizer, percussion, horns), Jill Saward (guitar, synthesizer, flute, vocals) Background They sprung from a […]
Chaka Khan (born March 23, 1953) is an American soul singer who first emerged as the featured vocalist of Chicago funksters Rufus. She fronted the band on a string of 1970s hits, including “Tell Me Something Good,” “Sweet Thing,” and “Ain’t Nobody,” before launching a solo career in 1978 with Chaka and its crossover anthem […]
The Commodores were an American soul-funk band from Tuskegee that released eleven studio albums (1974–1985) on Motown. Musically, the Commodores evolved from the hard funk of their early R&B singles “Machine Gun,” “Slippery When Wet,” and “Brick House,” to the ballads of keyboardist/singer Lionel Richie, who wrote their Billboard Top 5 hits “Sweet Love,” “Easy,” […]
Cannonball Adderley (September 15, 1928 – August 8, 1975) was an American jazz alto saxophonist of the hard bop era whose playing combined blues phrasing with bebop agility. After early performances with his brother Nat Adderley in Florida, he led an Army dance band and moved to New York. He launched his bandleader career with […]
Arti & Mestieri was an Italian jazz-rock band that released the 1974/75 albums Tilt (Immagini per un Orecchio) and Giro di Valzer per Domani. After a four-year pause, they issued three further albums between 1979 and 1985. Along with Area and Perigeo, they were Italy’s most prominent jazz-rock band of the 1970s. Drummer Furio Chirico […]
Loleatta Holloway (1946–2011) was an American soul singer from Chicago who made the 1973–75 albums Loleatta and Cry to Me on the Atlanta-based Aware Records. She made four subsequent albums (1976–80) on Gold Mind/Salsoul and scored R&B/dance hits with “Hit and Run,” “Love Sensation,” “I May Not Be There When You Want Me (But I’m […]
Manfred Mann Chapter Three was an English jazz-rock/psych band that released two albums on Vertigo: Manfred Mann Chapter Three (1969) and Volume Two (1970). They were a followup to keyboardist Manfred Mann’s namesake R&B/beat combo of the 1960s. He followed this project with the Earth Band for a 13-album run between 1972 and 1987. Members: […]
Clearlight was a French space-rock ensemble that released the 1975 Virgin albums Clearlight Symphony and Forever Blowing Bubbles. Group mastermind Cyrille Verdeaux also co-led the soundtrack project Delired Cameleon Family and continued Clearlight with the 1976–78 albums Les Contes du Singe Fou and Visions. Members: Cyrille Verdeaux (piano, keyboards) Background Cyrille Verdeaux was born in […]
Magazine was an English rock band led by original Buzzcocks frontman Howard Devoto. They debuted with the 1978 Virgin single “Shot by Both Sides,” followed by the albums Real Life, Secondhand Daylight, and The Correct Use of Soap. The band’s instrumentalists — guitarist John McGeoch, bassist Barry Adamson, and keyboardist Dave Formula — were also […]
Gary Moore (April 4, 1952 — Feb. 6, 2011) was an Irish blues-rock/hard-rock/jazz-rock guitarist with a musical career that spanned more than 40 years. He first emerged as a member of the Limerick rock combo Granny’s Intention, which issued the album Honest Injun on Deram in 1969. This was followed by two albums with blues-rockers […]
Egg was an English jazz-psych trio that released the 1970/71 Deram albums Egg and The Polite Force. After keyboardist Dave Stewart signed to Virgin with Hatfield and the North, he reunited Egg for the 1974 album The Civil Surface. Stewart later played in National Health and Bruford. Members: Dave Stewart (organ, piano, keyboards, synthesizer), Mont […]
Roy Harper (born June 12, 1941) is an English folk-rock singer/songwriter and guitarist from Rusholme, Greater Manchester, who released an album apiece on Strike, CBS, and Liberty, followed by a run of nine studio albums between 1970 and 1980 on Harvest. The subsequent decades yielded further albums on EMI, Science Fiction, and Awareness Records. His […]
Mama Lion was an American soul-rock band that released the 1972–73 albums Preserve Wildlife and Give It Everything I’ve Got on Family Productions. Singer Lynn Carey and bassist Neil Merryweather worked beforehand, both as a duo and with blues-rockers Ivar Avenue Reunion. The musicians (without Carey) cut two concurrent albums as Heavy Cruiser. Keyboardist James […]
It’s a Beautiful Day was an American psychedelic folk band from San Francisco that released four albums between 1969 and 1973 on CBS/Columbia. Centered on classically trained violinist–vocalist David LaFlamme, they emerged from the Bay Area ballroom circuit with a soaring chamber-psych sound shaped by his electric violin, wife Linda’s organ, and Pattie Santos’ vocal […]
Thelma Houston is an American soul singer who emerged with a pair of 1966/67 Capitol singles, followed by the 1969 ABC release Sunshower, produced by Jimmy Webb. In 1972, she cut a self-titled album on MoWest. After multiple stop-gap singles, she fronted the jazz-funk big band Pressure Cooker on the 1975 Sheffield Lab title I’ve […]
The Greatest Show on Earth was an English brass-rock band that released the albums Horizons and The Going’s Easy on Harvest in 1970. All eight members initially grouped in the Ossie Laine Show, an R&B covers band that cut an album for the Spanish market. Bassist Norman Watt-Roy later surfaced in Ian Dury’s Blockheads. Members: […]
Trifle was an English brass-rock/funk band that released a standalone single on United Artists in 1969, followed by the album First Meeting on Dawn in 1970. Trumpeter Dick Cuthell became an in-demand sessionist in the years that followed, appearing on albums by Nasty Pop, Burning Spear, Delroy Washington, XTC, The Specials, Chaz Jankel, Linton Kwesi […]
Landscape was an English electronic band that released the 1977–78 jazz-rock EPs U2XME1X2MUCH and Worker’s Playtime, followed by the 1979–82 RCA albums Landscape, From the Tea-rooms of Mars… to the Hell-holes of Uranus, and Manhattan Boogie Woogie. Between their first two albums, they evolved from instrumental fusion to comedic electro–pop. From the Tea-rooms of Mars… […]
Rabbitt was a South African rock band that released three albums between 1975 and 1977 on Jo’Burg. Trevor Rabin headed their first two albums, Boys Will Be Boys! and A Croak and a Grunt in the Night, both issued stateside on Capricorn. Duncan Faure led their third album, Rock Rabbitt. Rabin launched a solo career […]
Howard Jones (born Feb. 23, 1955) is an English keyboardist, singer, and songwriter who released four albums on WEA between 1984 and 1989, charting first with “New Song” and “What Is Love?” He achieved transatlantic success with his 1985 release Dream Into Action, which spawned the hits “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Like to Get […]
Sui Generis was the Argentine folk-rock duo of singer–keyboardist Charly García and guitarist–singer Nito Mestre. Between 1972 and 1975, they made three studio albums and a two-volume live set. Members: Charly García (keyboards, vocals), Nito Mestre (vocals, guitar, flute), Alberto Rodríguez (drums), Alejandro Correa (bass), Rolando Fortich (bass), Juan Carlos Bellia (guitar), Carlos Piégari (guitar, […]
UFO was an English hard-rock band from Enfield, Middlesex, that released two albums on Beacon in 1970 and 1971, followed by a live album on Decca. Between 1974 and 1985, the band released ten studio albums and a live double-LP on Chrysalis. The early lineup featured vocalist Phil Mogg, guitarist Mick Bolton, bassist Pete Way, […]
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band was an American psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles that cut a 1966 demo album on small-press Fifo, followed by a three-volume 1967/68 run on Reprise and a 1969 fifth album on Amos. They changed names to Markley (after percussionist Bob Markley) for their 1970 swan song on […]
Ryuichi Sakamoto — 坂本龍一 (January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023) — was a Japanese musician and composer who rose to international prominence in the electro-pop trio Yellow Magic Orchestra. YMO released nine albums between 1978 and 1984, of which four reached No. 1 in Japan. Their Japanese chart hits include “Technopolis” (No. 9, 1979) […]
Lenny White is an American jazz-rock drummer who emerged behind Miles Davis (Bitches Brew) and Freddie Hubbard (Red Clay). After guesting on Santana‘s Caravanserai, he cut two albums with Latin-rockers Azteca. White joined bassist Stanley Clarke in keyboardist Chick Corea‘s Return to Forever for the 1973 release Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy. With guitarist Al […]
The Doobie Brothers were an American rock band that released nine albums between 1971 and 1980 on Warner Bros. Their first five albums feature guitarist/singer Tom Johnston, who led a hard-rocking sequence of lineups, augmented from 1974-onward by Steely Dan guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. During this phase, they scored hits with “Listen to the Music,” […]
Mona Lisa was a French symphonic-rock band that released the 1974/75 Arcane albums L’escapade and Grimaces, followed by the 1976–79 Crypto titles Le petit violon de Mr. Grégoire, Avant qu’il ne soit trop tard, and Vers demain. Members: Christian Gallas (guitar, violin), Jean-Luc Martin (bass), Jean-Paul Pierson (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), Francis Poulet (drums, percussion, […]
Pescado Rabioso was an Argentine blues-folk-psych band headed by former Almendra guitarist, singer, and songwriter Luis Alberto Spinetta. In 1972, they released Desatormentándonos on Microfon, followed by two albums in 1973: Pescado 2 (a double album) and Artaud. David Lebón replaced Osvaldo “Bocón” Frascino when the latter departed after the first album for the psych-rock […]
UB40 are an English reggae-pop band from Birmingham that debuted with the LP+EP release Signing Off on local small-press Graduate Records in 1980. After setting up their own DEP International imprint through a distribution deal with Virgin, the band released their second proper full-length, Present Arms, concurrent with a dub-version of the album in 1981. […]
The Masters Apprentices were an Australian rock band from Adelaide that emerged as one of the nation’s premiere beat groups. They issued five singles and one album on Astor between 1966 and 1968, including the Aussie rock classics “Undecided,” “Wars or Hands of Time,” and “Elevator Driver.” After a change in lineup, they advanced into […]
Sadao Watanabe — 渡辺貞夫 (born Feb. 1, 1933) — is a Japanese saxophonist and flutist who emerged as a bandleader in the early 1960s, releasing his first album in 1961 on King Records. During the 1970s, he released more than 25 albums in solo and collaborative form on CBS, East Wind, and other labels. Background […]
George Benson (March 22, 1943) is an American jazz-funk guitarist and singer from Pittsburgh. He recorded small-group jazz and orchestrated CTI albums before a run of vocal-led Warner Bros. releases. Benson first recorded as a child and joined organist Jack McDuff, then debuted as a bandleader in 1964 on Prestige. Between 1976 and 1983, Benson […]
Melba Moore (born Oct. 29, 1945) is an American R&B singer and actress who got her start in showbiz as part of the off-Broadway cast in the musical Hair in 1967. She released two albums and a live disc on Mercury between 1970 and 1972, followed by four albums on Buddah and three on Epic […]
The Doctors of Madness were an English post-psych, proto-punk band that released three albums on Polydor: Late Night Movies, All Night Brainstorms, Figments of Emancipation (both 1976), and Sons of Survival (1978). Historically, the Doctors are a missing link between the avant-garde fringe of symphonic/space-rock (Van der Graaf Generator, Curved Air, Hawkwind), the theatrical side […]
The Lovin’ Spoonful was an American pop-rock band that released five albums and two soundtracks between 1965 and 1969 on Kama Sutra. They are best-known for the AM radio evergreens “Do You Believe in Magic,” “Daydream,” “You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice,” “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?” and the Billboard […]
Trees were an English folk-rock/psych band from London that released the album The Garden of Jane Delawney on CBS in 1970, followed by On the Shore in 1971. Along with the works of like-minded contemporaries (Forest, Spirogyra, Fuschia, Trader Horne, Dr. Strangely Strange, Jan Dukes de Grey), Trees catalog gained newfound respect during the 21st […]
Atlantic Ocean was a Swedish psych band that issued a standalone single on CBS in 1969, followed by the concept album Tranquillity Bay on Love Records in 1970. This was an early band for reedist Björn J:son Lindh (Ablution, Baltik) and musician/composer Greg FitzPatrick, who later collaborated with Samla Mammas Manna. Both played immediately afterward in […]
Morse Code was a Québécois symphonic/art-rock band that released two albums as Morse Code Transmission on RCA Victor circa 1971/72 before shortening the nameplate for a three-album run on Capitol between 1975 and 1977. A fourth album appeared on Aquarius in 1983. Members: Christian Simard (keyboards, vocals), Jocelyn Julien (guitar), Daniel Lemay (guitars, flute), Raymond […]
The Dazz Band was an American soul-funk nine-piece from Cleveland, first named Kinsman Dazz for two 1978/79 albums on 20th Century Fox. As Dazz Band, they released seven 1980–85 albums on Motown and scored R&B crossover hits with “On the One for Fun,” “Let It All Blow,” and the electro-funk anthem “Let It Whip.” Members: […]
Hermann Szobel (born 1958) is an Austrian keyboardist, composer, and arranger who was briefly active on the New York jazz-rock scene during the mid-1970s. In 1976 at age 18, he released the album Szobel on Arista. He disappeared from the music world soon after, but his album has since gained cult status in the 21st […]
The Old Man & the Sea were a Danish symphonic/hard-rock band from Horsens that was active for eight years, starting in 1967. The band released a popular self-titled album on Sonet in 1972 and recorded a followup that would ultimately be thrice issued by archival labels in subsequent decades. Members: Lars “Bekse” Thygesen (drums, 1967-69), […]
Tom Petty (1950–2017) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He fronted the Heartbreakers, a classic rock quintet that released eight albums between 1976 and 1991. Their radio evergreens include “Breakdown,” “Refugee,” “The Waiting,” “A Woman In Love,” “You Got Lucky,” and the Stevie Nicks duet “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” In 1988, Petty appeared […]
Michał Urbaniak (1943–2025) was a Polish violinist, saxophonist, and composer who first recorded with The Jazz Rockers, a Warsaw post-bop quintet. He debuted as a bandleader with two albums in 1971/72 on Spiegelei. In 1973, he moved stateside and made numerous jazz-funk albums, many with his then-wife, singer Urszula Dudziak. Early Career Urbaniak was born […]
Serpentine was a Dutch soul-psych band that released the album In the Grass on Pink Elephant in 1970. Later that year, they changed their name to Apartment 1 and issued a second album, Open House. Members: Frank van Tijn (drums, vocals), Peter van der Sande (vocals, guitar, cello, organ, bass), Bob de Laat (saxophone, 1967-69), […]
Def Leppard are an English heavy metal band, best known for the Eighties FM/video staples “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak,” “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages,” and “Love Bites.” Between 1980 and 1992, they released five albums and went multi-Platinum with their 1983 third, Pyromania. Members: Joe Elliott (vocals), Rick Savage (bass), Pete Willis (guitar, 1977-82), Tony Kenning […]
Taeko Ohnuki — 大貫妙子 (Nov. 28, 1953) — is a Japanese art-pop vocalist and songwriter who fronted the band Sugar Babe during the mid 1970s. As a solo artist, she released two albums on Panama in 1976 and 1977, followed by four albums on RCA between 1978 and 1982. In 1983, she released her first […]
Cockney Rebel was an English rock band fronted by Steve Harley. They released the 1973/74 albums The Human Menagerie and The Psychomodo and scored UK/European hits with “Judy Teen” and “Mr. Soft.” Their sound combined music hall, folk, and lavish orchestral pop. After the original band’s breakup, Harley retained drummer Stuart Elliott for the second […]
Icehouse was an Australian new wave band from Sydney, led by multi-instrumentalist Iva Davies. They first recorded as Flowers but soon renamed after their 1980 first album, Icehouse, noted for the tracks “Can’t Help Myself,” “Walls,” and “We Can Get Together.” After their 1981 single “Love In Motion,” Davies used the Icehouse name as a […]
Atoll was a French symphonic/space-rock band that released the 1974 Eurodisc album Musiciens-Magiciens. With the addition of ex-Komintern violinist Richard Aubert, they released L’araignée-mal in 1975. After further lineup changes, they issued the 1977–79 albums Tertio and Rock Puzzle. Their music is often compared to countrymen Ange and Mona Lisa. Members: Jean-Luc Thillot (bass, 12-string […]
Os Mutantes are a Brazilian samba-psych band that released five albums between 1968 and 1972 on Polydor. Singer Rita Lee and bassist/keyboardist Arnaldo Baptista married and launched solo careers. In 1974, a revised Mutantes surfaced on Som Livre with the symphonic-oriented Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol. Sessions held the prior year produced the similarly-styled O […]
Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer from Detroit who began her solo career in 1970 after serving as lead vocalist of The Supremes. Her self-titled debut album that year included the #1 hit “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. She followed with further #1 singles such as “Touch Me in the Morning” […]
Marillion are an English art-rock band that released a 24-minute EP on EMI in 1982, followed by four studio albums and two live discs on the label between 1983 and 1988. After the departure of frontman Fish for a solo career, the band added ex-Europeans vocalist Steve Hogarth for a lengthy run of albums during […]
City Boy was an English art-rock sextet from Birmingham that released seven albums on Vertigo between 1976 and 1981. The band was noted for its theatrical stage shows and harmonized, multisectional material. Their first five albums were produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who developed his later-famous surround-sound techniques while working with the band. Members: […]
Men at Work were an Australian new wave band that achieved global fame with their 1981 debut album Bushiness as Usual and the back-to-back international chart-toppers “Who Can It Be Now?” and “Down Under.” Their 1983 followup Cargo spawned further evergreens with “Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive,” “Overkill,” and “It’s a Mistake.” They matched deadpan […]
Slade was an English hard-rock and pop band from Wolverhampton that scored sixteen UK Top 10 hits between 1971 and 1984. They evolved from beatsters The N’ Betweens and signed with Fontana for one 1969 album as Ambrose Slade. In 1970, they met ex-Animal (and Hendrix manager) Chas Chandler, who refashioned them as skinheads under […]
Il Balletto di Bronzo was an Italian symphonic/psych band that released the 1970 album Sirio 2222, followed by the 1972 classic Ys. Members: Lino Ajello (guitar, vocals 1969-73), Giancarlo Stinga (drums, 1969-73), Marco Cecioni (guitar, vocals, 1969-70), Michele Cupaiuolo (bass, 1969-70), Vito Manzari (bass, 1971-73), Gianni Leone [aka Leo Nero] (keyboards, vocals) Background Il Balletto […]
Brand X was an English jazz-rock unit active between 1976 and 1980, driven by the fluid interplay of bassist Percy Jones and drummer Phil Collins. Their five studio albums—Unorthodox Behaviour, Moroccan Roll, Masques, Product, and Do They Hurt?—chart a progression from intricate instrumentals to tight ensemble work with occasional vocals. Guitarist John Goodsall anchored the […]
Ian Dury (May 12, 1942 — March 27, 2000) was an English singer, lyricist, and bandleader who emerged in the R&B band Kilburn and the High Roads, which released one album on Dawn/Pye in 1975. As a solo artist, he debuted with the 1977 single “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll,” followed by the […]
Marianne Faithfull (December 29, 1946 — January 30, 2025) was an English singer from Hampstead who released three albums on Decca between 1965 and 1967, scoring early successes with the singles “Come and Stay With Me,” “This Little Bird,” “Summer Nights,” and a cover of the Rolling Stones ballad “As Tears Go By.” The early […]
The Eleventh House was an American jazz-funk-rock supergroup led by guitarist Larry Coryell. They issued a self-titled album in 1974 on Vanguard, followed by the 1975–1976 Arista albums Level One and Aspects. Noted participants included drummer Alphonse Mouzon, keyboardist Mike Mandel, and trumpeters Randy Brecker and Terumasa Hino. Members: Larry Coryell (guitar), Randy Brecker (trumpet, […]
America is a rustic folk–pop combo, formed in 1968 in Watford, England, by American musicians Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley, and Dan Peek, the sons of U.S. Air Force personnel stationed in the UK. They rose to fame in the early 1970s with the transatlantic chart-topper “A Horse with No Name,” followed by a string of […]
Archie Whitewater was an American brass-rock/soul band that released a self-titled album on Cadet Concept in 1970. Members: Bob Berkowitz (keyboards), Fred Johnson (vocals), Jim Abbott (drums), Lynn Sheffield (alto saxophone, percussion), Paul Metzke (guitar), Peter La Barbera (percussion), Sam Burtis (trombone), Tony Vece (bass guitar), Travis Jenkins (tenor saxophone, flute, vocals) Background Archie Whitewater […]
Wah! was the revolving band-moniker of English singer/musician Pete Wylie, who emerged on the late Seventies Liverpool post-punk scene. He dubbed the first lineup Wah! Heat for two 1980 singles on Inevitable Music, then shortened the name to Wah! for the 1981 Eternal album Nah=Poo – The Art of Bluff. In 1983, Wah! scored UK/Irish […]
Schicke Führs Fröhling (SFF) were a German symphonic-rock band that released three albums on Brain between 1976 and 1979. After the departure of drummer/percussionist Eduard Schicke, the remaining two continued as Führs & Fröhling. Members: Eduard Schicke (drums, percussion, Moog, metallophone, xylophone), Gerd Führs (grand piano, electric piano, Moog, clavinet, Mellotron, ARP Solina string ensemble, […]
Música Urbana was a Spanish jazz-rock band that released the 1976–78 albums Música Urbana and Iberia. Members: Joan Albert Amargós (keyboards, winds), Salvador Font (drums), Carles Benavent (bass), Lluís Cabanach (guitar, 1976-78), Enric Herrera (keyboards, 1976), Emili Baleriola (guitar, 1976), Lucky Guri (keyboards, 1976-78), Jordi Bonell (guitar, 1978-79), Matthew Simon (trumpet, flugelhorn, 1978-79), Jaume Cortadellas […]
Brick was an American soul-funk band from Atlanta that released six albums between 1976 and 1982 on Bang Records. They scored Billboard Top 20 crossover hits with their 1976–77 R&B chart-toppers “Dazz” and “Dusic.” Members: Jimmy Brown (vocals, saxophone, flute, horns), Ray Ransom (vocals, bass, keyboards, percussion), Donald Nevins (keyboards, vocals), Regi Hargis (vocals, guitar, […]
Evelyn “Champagne” King is an American soul-funk singer who released eight albums between 1977 and 1985 on RCA Victor. She emerged with Smooth Talk (1977), which featured the gold-certified hit “Shame” produced by Theodore Life. She reached new heights in the early 1980s working with Kashif on I’m in Love (1981) and Get Loose (1982), […]
Utopia was an American maximalist-rock band that released six studio albums and a live disc on Bearsville between 1974 and 1982, followed by three further albums on Network and Passport. The band was formed by musician/producer Todd Rundgren and initially featured a six man lineup, as heard on Todd Rundgren’s Utopia (1974). By the time […]
Ambrosia is an American rock band that released the 1975–76 20th Century albums Ambrosia and Somewhere I’ve Never Travelled, followed by the 1978–82 Warner albums Life Beyond L.A., One Eighty, and Road Island. Their style evolved from symphonic art-rock to West Coast blue-eyed soul. Ambrosia’s chart hits include “Holdin’ on to Yesterday,” and the soft-rock […]
The Shirts were an American new wave band from New York that emerged on the mid-Seventies Bowery scene. They appeared in the NY punk film The Blank Generation and landed three songs on the 1976 scene document Live at CBGB’s. Between 1978 and 1980, they released three albums: The Shirts, Street Light Shine, and Inner […]
Al Di Meola is an American guitarist who emerged in the jazz-rock supergroup Return to Forever, playing on the 1974–76 albums Where Have I Known You Before, No Mystery, and Romantic Warrior. As a solo artist, he’s issued more than 40 albums, starting with the 1976/77 Columbia titles Land of the Midnight Sun and Elegant […]
Thomas Dolby is an English keyboardist, songwriter, producer, and arranger who first appeared on the 1979 album English Garden by Bruce Woolley and The Camera Club. After working for two years as a session musician (Foreigner, Jane Kennaway, Joan Armatrading, Thompson Twins), Lene Lovich charted with his song “New Toy.” Dolby launched his solo career […]
