NEU! was a German experimental duo from Düsseldorf that released three albums on Brain between 1972 and 1975. Formed by ex-Kraftwerk members Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger, they pioneered the minimalist “motorik” rhythm and a layered, texture-based approach to rock. Their work bridged ambient abstraction and proto-punk force, presaging future post-punk, electronic, and art rock […]
Triumph was a Canadian hard-rock band that released six albums on Attic Records between 1976 and 1983, followed by three further studio albums and a live double-LP through 1987 on MCA. They scored a stateside breakthrough with their 1981 album Allied Forces, which spawned the Billboard rock hits “Fight the Good Fight” and “Magic Power,” […]
The Residents were an American avant-garde/performance band of unidentified players, formed in Shreveport, La., and based in San Francisco for most of their career. Between 1972 and 1985, the band released twelve albums and assorted shortplayers on self-press Ralph Records. Members: Hardy Fox, Carlos (percussion, 1984–2009), Nolan Cook (guitar, 1998–) ? Background The musicians who […]
The Turtles were an American pop-rock band that released six albums between 1965 and 1970 on White Whale Records. They are best known for the hits “She’d Rather Be With Me,” “You Showed Me,” “Elenore,” and the 1967 Billboard No. 1 “Happy Together.” Guitarist–singer Mark Volman and singer–keyboardist Howard Kaylan continued as the comedy-rock team […]
Titus Groan was an English jam-rock band that released a self-titled album and a standalone single on Dawn in 1970. Members: Stuart Cowell (keyboards, guitar, vocals), John Lee (bass), Tony Priestland (saxophone, flute, oboe), Jim Toomey (drums) Background Titus Groan formed in late 1969 when guitarist Stuart Cowell and drummer Jim Toomey teamed with bassist […]
Tony Williams (1945–1997) was an American jazz drummer who emerged in the second Miles Davis Quintet. As Anthony Williams, he cut the 1965/66 Blue Note albums Life Time and Spring. After Miles, Williams formed Lifetime, a pioneering jazz-rock band that cut the 1969–72 Polydor albums Emergency!, Turn It Over, Ego, and The Old Bum’s Rush. […]
Fun Boy Three was an English new wave trio that released the 1982–83 albums The Fun Boy Three and Waiting on Chrysalis. They formed as a breakaway act from two-tone ska pioneers The Specials. Fun Boy Three collaborated with Bananarama on the UK Top 5 singles “It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way That […]
Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera was an English psych-rock band that released multiple singles and a 1968 self-titled album on Direction. After Gantry’s departure, singer/guitarist Paul Brett led them on the 1969 release Ride a Hustler’s Dream. The rhythm section joined the Strawbs and later recorded as Hudson–Ford. Gantry surfaced in funk-rockers Stretch. Members: Colin Forster […]
Pet Shop Boys are the English electro-pop duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. They emerged with the 1985 single “West End Girls,” an international hit included on their 1986 debut album Please, which spawned further hits with “Opportunities” and “Love Comes Quickly.” Their 1987 album Actually charted with “It’s a Sin” and “What Have I […]
The Battered Ornaments were an English jazz-rock/psych band that released two albums on Harvest in 1969, the first with singer/poet Pete Brown, who later cut two albums with Piblokto! He also wrote lyrics for Jack Bruce during and after Cream. The Ornaments also included guitarist Chris Spedding, who fronted the band after Brown’s departure. Pete […]
Patrick Forgas (born 1951) is a French multi-instrumentalist and composer who released the popular 1977 jazz-rock album Cocktail on Gratte-Ciel. Starting in 1990, he proliferated with discs under his surname and the Forgas Band Phenomena banner on Musea, Cosmos, and Cuneiform. Background Patrick Forgas took up drums as a teenager, inspired by Soft Machine and […]
Steel Mill was an English post-psych hard rock band that released the 1972 album Green Eyed God on Penny Farthing. Members: David “Dave” Morris (keyboards, vocals), Derek Chandler (bass, 1969-71), Terry Williams (guitar, 1969-72), John Challenger (saxophone, woodwinds), Colin Short (drums, 1969-70), Ricky [aka Rupert Bear] (drums, 1970), Chris “The Rat” Martin (drums, 1970-72), Jeff […]
Madura was an American jazz-rock trio from Chicago that released the 1971–73 Columbia albums Madura and Madura II. Bassist–keyboardist David “Hawk” Wolinski subsequently joined Rufus and became a songwriting collaborator with Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine. Members: David “Hawk” Wolinski (bass, keyboards, vocals), Alan De Carlo (guitar, vocals), Ross Salomone (drums, percussion) Background Madura formed from […]
Ike White (1945–2014) was an incarcerated American musician who recorded the jazz-funk album Changin’ Times for LAX Records in 1976. Background Ike White, born Milton David White in 1945 in California, plays guitar, keyboards, and vocals. In 1964, at age 19, he faced a murder charge and received a life sentence, landing in San Quentin […]
David Sancious is an American keyboardist, guitarist, composer, and arranger who led jazz-rockers Tone on the 1975/76 Epic albums Forest of Feelings and Transformation (The Speed of Love). After the 1977 recording Dance of the Age of Enlightenment, he issued three further albums on Arista. Background Sancious was born on November 30, 1953, in Long […]
Spyro Gyra are an American jazz-funk band that released thirteen albums between 1977 and 1989 on MCA. They developed a signature sound blending tight ensemble arrangements, saxophone-led melodies, and textured mallet-synth lines. The group released their self-titled debut in 1977, followed by Morning Dance (1979), which featured the breakout title track, and Catching the Sun […]
Cold Blood was an American Bay Area brass-rock band that released the 1969/70 albums Cold Blood and Sisyphus on Bill Graham’s San Francisco Records label, followed by the 1972/73 titles First Taste of Sin and Thriller! and the 1974 Warner release Lydia, named after frontwoman Lydia Pense. Members: Larry Field (guitar), Lydia Pense (vocals), Danny […]
Carly Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American singer/songwriter from the Bronx who released eight albums between 1971 and 1979 on Elektra, followed by 1980s titles on Warner, Epic, and Arista. Simon first charted with “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be,” an evergreen ballad that won her the 1972 Best New […]
John Martyn (September 11, 1948 — January 29, 2009) was an English singer/songwriter and guitarist who released eight studio albums and a live disc on Island between 1967 and 1980, followed by a pair of 1981/82 titles on WEA and a further round of Island albums during the late 1980s. His early acoustic work culminated […]
Robert Wyatt is an English vocalist and songwriter who rose to prominence as the singer and drummer in Soft Machine. After recording four albums with the band between 1968 and 1971, he left to form Matching Mole, which cut two albums for CBS in 1972. The following year, he was paralyzed from the waist down […]
Deaf School are an English art-rock band that released three albums on Warner Brothers between 1976 and 1978. On its first two albums — 2nd Honeymoon (1976) and Don’t Stop the World (1977) — the band pairs ’30s/’40s ambience (cabaret, music hall) with the lavish arrangements of contemporary theatrical pop (Sparks, Sailor, Cockney Rebel, Brian […]
Tasavallan Presidentti was a Finnish psychedelic jazz-rock band that released four albums and a collaborative work on Love and Sonet between 1969 and 1974. Members: Jukka Tolonen (guitar, piano), Frank Robson (vocals, keyboards, 1969-72, 1983-present), Vesa Aaltonen (drums, percussion), Måns Groundstroem (bass, keyboards, 1969-72, 1983-2002), Juhani Aaltonen (saxophone, flute, 1969-70, 1983-present), Pekka Pöyry (saxophone, flute, […]
Rodriguez (July 10, 1942 – August 8, 2023) was an American singer/songwriter from Detroit who released the 1970 album Cold Fact, followed in 1971 by Coming From Reality. After losing touch with the industry, his work gained a mass following in South Africa, where his song “Sugar Man” became a national anthem. He remained unaware […]
Budgie was a Welsh hard-rock band that released 10 albums between 1971 and 1982 on MCA, A&M, and RCA Victor. The one constant member throughout that time was bassist/vocalist Burke Shelley, who resurrected the nameplate in the 21st century. Members: Burke Shelley (lead vocals, bass), Tony Bourge (guitar, 1967-78), Ray Phillips (drums, 1967-73), Pete Boot […]
Eloy is a German symphonic space-rock band formed in 1969 by guitarist Frank Bornemann. The original lineup with singer/keyboardist Erich Schriever made a 1971 hard-rock album on Philips. Bornemann reconfigured the group with the 1973/74 Harvest albums Inside and Floating, which established their Floydian identity. After their 1975 conceptual breakthrough Power and the Passion, Bornemann […]
Blue Magic was an American soul group from Philadelphia that released five albums on ATCO between 1974 and 1978, followed by an album apiece on Capitol and Omni during the early 1980s. Members: Keith “Duke” Beaton (tenor vocals), Ted “The Wizard” Mills (lead vocals, 1972-90, 2012-present), Wendell Sawyer (baritone vocals, tenor vocals, lead vocals, 1972-77, […]
Charles Earland (1941–1999) was an American organist who made two Sixties soul-jazz albums heading the Charlie Earland Trio. Between 1970 and 1975, he made ten albums for Prestige Records, including Leaving This Planet (a jazz-funk double-album) and The Dynamite Brothers (a blaxploitation soundtrack). In 1976, Earland reappeared on Mercury with Odyssey and formed a big […]
Tower of Power was an American soul-funk band from Oakland that debuted with the album East Bay Grease on San Francisco Records in 1970, followed by five studio albums and a live disc on Warner Bros. between 1972 and 1976. A further trio of titles appeared on Columbia during the remainder of the decade. Members: […]
Stephanie Mills is an American R&B singer and actress who emerged (at 17) with the 1974 ABC release Movin’ in the Right Direction and its 1975 Motown followup For the First Time, a Burt Bacharach production. After roles in 1976/77 Broadway productions of The Wiz and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Mills reemerged with the […]
Mandrake Memorial was an American psych-rock band from Philadelphia that released three albums between 1968 and 1970 on Poppy Records. Formed in 1967, they quickly became a fixture of the East Coast underground with a distinctive blend of baroque instrumentation, modal experimentation, and electronic processing. Their self-titled debut combined ornate harpsichord textures with concise psych-pop, […]
Judee Sill (October 7, 1944 — November 23, 1979) was an American singer/songwriter from Oakland who released a 1971 self-titled album on Asylum, followed by the 1973 release Heart Food, both revered as masterworks in the 21st century. Background Judee Sill was born on October 7, 1944, in Studio City, Los Angeles. She spent her […]
The United States of America were an American psych-rock band that released a 1968 self-titled album on Columbia. Members: Joseph Byrd (electronics, electric harpsichord, organ, calliope, piano, vocals), Dorothy Moskowitz (lead vocals), Gordon Marron (electric violin, ring modulator, vocals), Rand Forbes (electric bass, vocals), Craig Woodson (electronic drums, percussion), Ed Bogas (organ, piano, calliope) Background […]
The Thompson Twins were an English new wave band that rose to global prominence with the Second British Invasion. They made eight albums between 1981 and 1991 and scored hits with “Love On Your Side,” “Hold Me Now,” “You Take Me Up,” “Lay Your Hands On Me,” and “Doctor! Doctor!” Tom Bailey formed the initial […]
The Headhunters were an American jazz-funk supergroup assembled by keyboardist Herbie Hancock as a backing band for his series of albums on Columbia between 1973 and 1975. As an independent entity, the band released two albums on Arista between 1975 and 1977 Members: Herbie Hancock (keyboards, 1973-98), Bennie Maupin (saxophone, clarinet, flute), Paul Jackson (bass), […]
SRC was an American psychedelic rock band from Michigan. They released the 1968–70 albums SRC, Milestones, and Traveler’s Tale on Capitol, followed by two 1972 singles (one as Blue Scepter) on the Motown-subsidiary Rare Earth. Members: Gary Quackenbush (guitar, 1968-69), Glenn Quackenbush (keyboards, vocals, 1968-70), E. G. Clawson (drums, 1968-70), Scott Richardson (vocals, 1968-70), Steve […]
Manfred Mann was an English R&B/beat band from London that released a string of singles and two albums on His Master’s Voice during the mid-1960s with original vocalist Paul Jones, followed by three albums with accompanying singles on Fontana between 1966 and 1968 with singer Mike D’Abo. Guitarist/bassist Tom McGuinness later teamed with Bluesbreaker Hughie […]
Les McCann (September 23, 1935 – December 29, 2023) was an American jazz pianist and singer. He emerged on Pacific Jazz Records with the 1960/61 albums Les McCann Ltd. Plays the Truth, Les McCann Ltd. in San Francisco, and Les McCann Sings. His records blended energetic trio performances with gospel-inflected vocals. He expanded his reputation […]
John Cale (born March 9, 1942) is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who emerged on the London/New York avant-garde scene during the early 1960s, playing alongside Michael Garrett, John Cage, Tony Conrad, and La Monte Young. He entered rock as the bassist/violist in The Velvet Underground, with whom he recorded two albums: The Velvet Underground […]
Terry Callier (May 24, 1945 — Oct. 27, 2012) was an American singer/songwriter from Chicago whose songs appear on 1970s albums by Jerry Butler, Dee Dee Sharp, and The Dells. As a solo artist on Cadet Records, he made the 1971–73 albums Occasional Rain, What Color Is Love, and I Just Can’t Help Myself. He […]
Cheryl Lynn is an American soul-funk singer who released six albums on Columbia between 1978 and 1985, scoring big with the post-disco/boogie evergreen “Got to Be Real.” Background She was born Lynda Cheryl Smith on March 11, 1957, in Los Angeles. As a child, she sang in her church choir. In early 1976, she performed […]
Level 42, an English jazz-funk band from the Isle of Wight, released seven studio albums and a live double-LP on Polydor between 1981 and 1988. Their sound blended Mark King’s slap bass with jazz-fusion and pop. Early albums, Level 42 and The Early Tapes, showcased instrumental tracks like “43” and “Mr. Pink,” alongside singles such […]
The Style Council was an English sophisti-pop band fronted by ex-Jam leader Paul Weller. Starting in 1983, they placed twelve songs on the UK Top 20, including “Speak Like a Child,” “Long Hot Summer,” “My Ever Changing Moods,” “Shout to the Top!,” and “The Lodgers.” Their popularity peaked with the 1984–85 Polydor albums Café Bleu […]
The Keef Hartley Band was an English brass-rock ensemble that released five albums and a live disc on Deram between 1969 and 1972. Drummer–bandleader Keef Hartley and frontman–songwriter Miller Anderson later collaborated in Broken Glass and Dog Soldier, releasing one album with each band in 1975. Members: Keef Hartley (drums), Miller Anderson (guitar, vocals), Gary […]
Air was an American jazz-pop/psych quartet that released a 1971 self-titled album on Embryo/Atlantic. Members: Googie Coppola (vocals, piano, organ, harpsichord), Tom Coppola (organ, piano), John Siegler (bass), Mark Rosengarden (drums) Background Air formed in New York City around keyboardist Tom Coppola and vocalist–keyboardist Googie Coppola (née Carolyn Brooks Gottlieb), a musically active couple with […]
High Tide was an English psychedelic hard-rock band that released the album Sea Shanties on UA/Liberty in 1969, followed by a self-titled second album in 1970. Guitarist Tony Hill hailed from transatlantic garage-rockers The Misunderstood. Violinist Simon House later joined the Third Ear Band and Hawkwind. Members: Tony Hill (vocals, guitar, bass), Peter Pavli (bass, […]
The New York Rock & Roll Ensemble was an American psychedelic baroque-rock band that released three albums between 1968 and 1970 on Atco, followed by two 1971–72 titles on Columbia. Keyboardist Michael Kamen became a Hollywood film composer. Members: Clifton Nivison (vocals, guitar, percussion), Dorian Rudnytsky (vocals, cello, bass, piano, trumpet, french horn), Michael Kamen […]
Ronald Shannon Jackson (Jan. 12, 1940 — Oct. 19, 2013) was an American jazz-funk drummer on the New York avant-garde scene. He emerged as a free-jazz sideman for Albert Ayler, Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, and James Blood Ulmer. As a bandleader, Jackson led the No Wave-inspired Decoding Society on the 1980–83 albums Eye on You, […]
Johnnie Taylor (1934–2000) was an American soul singer who first recorded for Sam Cooke’s SAR label. On Stax (which dubbed him the “Philosopher of Soul”), he scored R&B crossover hits with the 1968–73 singles “Who’s Making Love,” “Take Care of Your Homework,” “Jody’s Got Your Girl and Gone,” “I Believe in You (You Believe in […]
Judie Tzuke is an English singer/songwriter, best known for her 1979 ballad “Stay With Me Till Dawn.” She released seven studio albums through 1989 and charted with the first two, Welcome to the Cruise and Sportscar, on Elton John‘s Rocket Record Company. Background Tzuke was born Judie Myers on April 3, 1956, in London to […]
Anthony Phillips is an English multi-instrumentalist and composer with a career dating back to the late 1960s. As a solo artist, he’s recorded more than thirty albums. Phillips entered the scene as a member of Genesis, which he co-founded in 1967 with fellow pupils at Charterhouse boarding school. He serves as their primary guitarist on […]
Trettioåriga Kriget was a Swedish symphonic/hard-rock band that released the 1974/75 CBS albums Trettioåriga Kriget and Krigssång, followed by the 1978–81 albums Hej På Er, Mot alla Odds, and Kriget. Members: Stefan Fredin (bass, vocals), Dag Lundquist (drums, Mellotron), Olle Thörnvall (harmonica), Pocke Öhrström (guitar, vocals, 1970-71), Dag Kronlund (piano, 1970-71), Johan Gullberg (drums, 1970-71), […]
Aksak Maboul (or Aqsak Maboul) was an avant-garde Belgian group that made the 1977–79 albums Onze Danses pour Combattre la Migraine and Un Peu de l’âme des Bandits. Musician Marc Hollander headed the project with revolving door UK/Continental talent, including members of Placebo, Cos, and Henry Cow. Members: Marc Hollander (clarinet, drum machine, percussion, alto […]
Placebo was a Belgian jazz-funk band that made the 1971–73 albums Ball of Eyes and 1973, followed by a 1974 self-titled release on Harvest. Keyboardist Marc Moulin made a 1975 solo album, Sam’ Suffy, and did subsequent stints with Cos, Aksak Maboul, and Telex. Members: Marc Moulin (Wurlitzer, clavinet), Nic Fisette (trumpet), Alex Scorier (saxophone), […]
Grover Washington Jr. (Dec. 12, 1943 — Dec. 17, 1999) was an American jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist who released 10 albums on Kudo between 1971 and 1977, followed by multiple titles on Motown, Elektra, and Columbia during the next two decades. Background Washington was born on December 12, 1943, to a musical family in Buffalo, […]
Chairmen of the Board were an American soul trio from Detroit that released four albums between 1970 and 1974 on Invictus. They scored a pop crossover hit with their debut single “Give Me Just a Little More Time,” followed with “Pay to the Piper” and the R&B hits “(You’ve Got Me) Dangling on a String,” […]
The Bonzo Dog Band was an English comedy rock act that released four albums on Liberty between 1967 and 1969. Formed in the early 1960s by Vivian Stanshall and Rodney Slater, the group evolved from a trad jazz and Dadaist revue into a surrealist pop ensemble that blended satire, pastiche, and theatrical absurdity. They became […]
Etron Fou Leloublan was a French avant-rock band that released the 1977/78 albums Batelages and Les Trois Fous Perdégagnent (Au pays des…) on Gratte-Ciel and 9H 17 Productions. The 1980 live album En Public aux Etats-Unis d’Amérique documented the group’s US tour, followed by the studio albums Les Poumons Gonflés, Les Sillons de la Terre, […]
Heaven 17 are an English electro-pop band, best known for the Eighties classics “Penthouse and Paevement,” “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang,” “Let Me Go,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” and the UK hits “Temptation,” “Come Live with Me,” and “Crushed by the Wheels of Industry.” They released five albums between 1981 and 1988 on […]
The James Taylor Move was an Australian psychedelic rock band from Adelaide that issued two singles in 1967 on Festival Records, followed by a stint behind blues singer Wendy Saddington. Guitarist Kevin Peek and rhythm players Alan Tarney and Trevor Spencer moved to the UK, where they teamed with fellow Aussie Terry Britten in Quartet. […]
Sensations’ Fix was an Italian space-rock band that released six albums between 1974 and 1978 on Polydor. Members: Franco Falsini (guitar, keyboards, vocals, 1974-75), Richard Ursillo (bass), Keith Edwards (drums, 1974-77), Stephen Head (keyboards, 1975-?, drums, 1976-?) Background Sensations’ Fix formed in Florence in 1973 when guitarist/keyboardist Franco Falsini teamed with bassist Richard Ursillo and […]
The Leopards were an American music-hall band that released the album Kansas City Slickers on Moon Records in 1977. Ten years later, a revised lineup released Magic Still Exists on Voxx Records. Members: Dennis Pash (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion, harmonica), Kevin Sanders (vocals, guitar, 1975-87), James Bordy (guitar, vocals, 1987-present), Dennis Bouch (drums, percussion, 1987-present), […]
Mandrill is an American soul-funk band from Brooklyn that released five albums on Polydor between 1970 and 1974, followed by a pair of albums on UA and a trio of titles on Arista during the second half of the decade. Members: Carlos Wilson (trombone, vocals), Lou Wilson (trumpet, vocals), Ric Wilson (saxophone, vocals), Claude “Coffee” […]
Aphrodite’s Child was a Greek symphonic/psych-rock band that released numerous singles and three albums between 1968 and 1972 on Mercury/Vertigo, culminating with the experimental double-album 666. The band included future electronic maestro Vangelis, superstar balladeer Demis Roussos, and eventual Ypsilon drummer Lucas Sideras. Members: Demis Roussos (bass, guitar, vocals), Vangelis (keyboards), Lucas Sideras (drums), Argyris […]
Korni Grupa was a Yugoslav symphonic-rock band that released fourteen singles and the 1972–74 albums Korni Grupa and Not an Ordinary Life. Members: Kornelije Kovač (keyboards, 1968-74), Seka Kojadinović (vocals, 1968), Borko Kacl (guitar, 1968-69), Bojan Hreljac (bass, 1968-74), Vladimir Furduj Furda (drums, 1968-74), Dušan Prelević (vocals, 1969), Dalibor Brun (vocals, 1969), Dado Topić (vocals, […]
Høst was a Norwegian symphonic/hard-rock band that recorded two albums between 1974 and 1976 for the On label. Members: Geir Jahren (lead vocals), Svein Rønning (guitar, Clavinet, organ, Minimoog, grand piano, vocals), Lasse Nilsen (guitar), Fezza Ellingsen (guitar), Halvdan Nedrejord (keyboards), Bernt Bodahl (bass), Knut R. Lie (drums), Willy Bendiksen (drums) På sterke vinger Høst […]
ZNR was a French avant-garde/electro-classical duo that released the popular album Barricade 3 on Isadora in 1976, followed by Traité de Mécanique Populaire on SCOPA Invisible in 1978. Members: Hector Zazou, Joseph Racaille Background ZNR had its roots in Barricade, a Marseille jazz-psych group with bassist Hector Zazou (Z) and pianist Joseph Racaille (R). Zazou […]
Allan Holdsworth (Aug. 6, 1946 — April 16, 2017) was an English guitarist from Bradford, West Yorkshire, who emerged in the jazz-psych band ‘Igginbottom in the late 1960s. During the 1970s, his profile rose with stints in Nucleus, Tempest, Gong, Soft Machine, UK, and Bruford. As a solo artist, he released the album Velvet Darkness […]
The Rezillos were a Scottish New Wave band that released the 1978 Sire album Can’t Stand The Rezillos, surrounded by the singles “I Can’t Stand My Baby,” “(My Baby Does) Good Sculptures,” “Destination Venus,” and the UK Top 20 hit “Top of the Pops.” After their collapse, singer Fay Fife and multi-instrumentalist Eugene Reynolds formed […]
Clarence Carter (Jan. 14, 1936 – May 13, 2026) was an American R&B singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Alabama who first recorded in the C&C Boys with fellow blind singer Calvin Scott, issuing multiple early 1960s singles on Fairlane and Duke. As a solo singer, Carter cut three 1966/67 singles on soul-press Fame, followed by […]
Visage was an English electronic supergroup that made a 1980 self-titled album and charted with “Fade to Grey” and “Mind of a Toy,” defining hits of the New Romantic movement. Further chart and club hits followed with their 1982 release The Anvil, including “The Damned Don’t Cry” and “Night Train.” Both albums feature then-current members […]
Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – Jan. 19, 2006) was an American soul singer who released ten albums on Atlantic between 1965 and 1971, scoring hits with “In the Midnight Hour,” “Land of 1,000 Dances,” “Mustang Sally,” and “Funky Broadway.” During the 1970s, he released five soul-funk albums on RCA Victor. Background Wilson Pickett was […]
Shawn Phillips (born Feb. 3, 1943) is an American singer/songwriter who released the 1965/66 Columbia albums I’m a Loner and Shawn. He linked with Traffic for the 1970 A&M release Contribution, an eclectic reinvention followed by Second Contribution, Collaboration, and seven further Seventies albums. During the early 1980s, he issued two albums with the space-rock […]
Michael Franks (born Sept. 18, 1944) is an American singer/songwriter who released eleven studio albums between 1973 and 1990, recorded largely with Steely Dan, Crusaders, and LA Express personnel. He reached smooth-jazz playlists with “Your Secret’s Safe With Me” and “When Sly Calls (Don’t Touch That Phone).” His 1975 album The Art of Tea contains […]
Hugh Masekela (April 4, 1939 — Jan. 23, 2018) was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer, composer, and bandleader from Witbank, Mpumalanga. His recordings joined South African song forms with jazz, soul, and electronic production across six decades. The Philemon Hou instrumental “Grazing in the Grass” became a U.S. No. 1 single. Background Hugh […]
The Edgar Broughton Band was an English psychedelic blues-rock combo from Warwick that released five albums between 1969 and 1973 on Harvest, followed by a 1976 sixth album on NEMS. They shortened their name to The Broughtons for two further albums between 1979 and 1982 on EMI and Telex. Members: Edgar Broughton (vocals, guitar), Steve […]
Candi Staton is an American Southern soul singer who emerged on FAME Records with the 1970–72 albums I’m Just a Prisoner, Stand by Your Man, and Candi Staton. She signed with Warner Bros. for her 1974 release Candi, her first of six soul-funk albums. In 1976, Candi scored a transatlantic hit with “Young Hearts Run […]
Can was a German Krautrock band that debuted with the album Monster Movie on Music Factory in 1969. After the 1970 Liberty release Soundtracks, they signed to United Artists and released the 1971–74 albums Tago Mago, Ege Bamyası, Future Days, and Soon Over Babaluma. They moved to Virgin for the 1975–77 albums Landed, Flow Motion, […]
Semiramis was an Italian symphonic/art-rock band that released the 1973 Trident album Dedicato a Frazz. The members of the band were 17–18 years old at the time of the album’s release. Members: Maurizio Zarrillo (keyboards), Marcello Reddavide (bass), Memmo Pulvano (drums, 1970-73), Maurizio Macos [Maurizio Macioce] (vocals, 1970-72), Michele Zarrillo (guitar, vocals, 1972-74), Paolo Faenza […]
Octobre was a Québécois symphonic-folk band that released five studio albums, each on a different label, between 1973 and 1980. Members: Pierre Flynn (vocals, keyboards), Jean Dorais (guitar), Mario Légaré (bass), Pierre Hébert (drums), Richard Pelletier (drums), Gerry Leduc (saxophone, keyboards, 1979-?) Background Octobre formed in 1972 when 18-year-old singer, keyboardist, and songwriter Pierre Flynn […]
Toto are an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1977 by prolific industry studio musicians. Between 1978 and 1982, four albums appeared by their original lineup with Bobby Kimball, the voice behind the radio hits “Hold the Line,” “Roseanna,” and “Africa.” After their 1984 release Isolation with singer Fergie Frederiksen, they hired Joseph […]
Eela Craig was an Austrian rock band that made a 1971 post-psych album and the 1974 single “Stories.” They reemerged on Vertigo with the 1976–78 symphonic-rock albums One Niter and Hats of Glass, followed on different labels with the 1978–80 albums Missa Universalis and Virgin Oiland. Members: Hubert Bognermayer (keyboards, vocals), Harald Zuschrader (guitar, keyboards, […]
