The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 by guitarist Brian Jones with singer Mick Jagger and rhythm guitarist Keith Richards. They emerged in London’s R&B–beat boom with bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts. In November 1963, they scored their first UK hit with The Beatles cover “I Wanna Be Your […]

Miles Davis

Miles Davis (May 26, 1926 — September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter with a recording career that spanned nearly five decades. In the late 1940s, Davis collaborated with Gil Evans and Gerry Mulligan on the nonet sessions that became the Birth of the Cool LP (1957). He later formed his first great quintet […]

David Bowie

David Bowie (January 8, 1947 – January 10, 2016) was an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor with a career in music and the performing arts that spanned more than fifty years. He played in a sequence of mid-Sixties beat groups and released two self-titled albums, charting first with the 1969 opus “Space Oddity.” Between […]

Genesis

Genesis was an English rock band that released fifteen studio albums between 1969 and 1997. They formed as a baroque-psych quintet at Charterhouse school and cut their debut album, From Genesis to Revelation, under the guidance of producer Jonathan King. The original lineup featured singer Peter Gabriel, keyboardist Tony Banks, guitarist Anthony Phillips, and bassist […]

Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder is an American R&B musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer who began recording for Tamla/Motown in 1962 at age 12. He catapulted to fame with “Fingerprints Pt 2,” an exuberant chant followed by an upbeat run of mid-Sixties hits: “Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” “I Was Made to Love Her,” “For Once In My Life,” and […]

XTC

XTC was an English rock band that released ten albums on Virgin between 1978 and 1992, followed by two albums at century’s end on Cooking Vinyl. On their first five albums, XTC’s core consists of vocalist–guitarist Andy Partridge, bassist–vocalist Colin Moulding, and drummer Terry Chambers. During their first two years on Virgin, XTC featured future-Shriekback […]

James Brown

James Brown (May 3, 1933 — December 25, 2006) was an American soul singer who was active as a performer and recording artist for more than five decades, issuing his first singles on King Records-subsidiary Federal in 1956. For the ensuing twelve years, he was backed by the Georgian R&B instrumental group The Famous Flames. […]

Queen

Queen was an English rock band that released fourteen studio albums between 1973 and 1991. Their first two albums, Queen and Queen II, contain epic rockers by flamboyant frontman Freddie Mercury and guitarist Brian May, including their early anthem “Keep Yourself Alive.” They scored a transatlantic breakthrough with “Killer Queen,” a cabaret rocker from their […]

Japan

Japan was an English new wave band that released five albums between 1978 and 1981. They formed in 1974 when brothers David Sylvian and Steve Jansen teamed with their school friend Mick Karn, whose fretless basslines dominate the band’s later releases. Musically, Japan’s output falls into three distinct phases: the subterranean buzz of their guitar-based […]

Sparks

Sparks is the musical partnership of American keyboardist–songwriter Ron Mael and his vocalist brother Russell Mael. They first recorded as Halfnelson, a quintet with drummer Harley Feinstein and another set of brothers, guitarist Earle Mankey and guitarist–bassist Jim Mankey. They signed to Bearsville for the 1971 release Halfnelson, produced by Todd Rundgren. Soon after, they […]

Camel

Camel are an English symphonic/jazz-rock band that released ten studio albums between 1973 and 1984. They formed as a quartet composed of guitarist Andrew Latimer, keyboardist Pete Bardens, bassist Doug Ferguson, and drummer Andy Ward. This lineup made the 1973–76 albums Camel, Mirage, The Snow Goose, and Moonmadness, which established their mix of subdued vocal […]

Electric Light Orchestra

Electric Light Orchestra is an English rock band that released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986. Conceived by multi-instrumentalists Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, ELO started as an avant-garde spinoff of The Move with drummer Bev Bevan. After one album of psychedelic baroque rock, Wood departed for Wizzard, leaving Lynne to head a septet […]

Jackson 5

The Jackson 5 was an American soul-pop group composed of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael Jackson. They formed in 1964, aged between 6 and 13. After multiple talent wins and a local single, they signed to Motown in 1969 and cut ten albums through 1975. Their hits include “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” […]

Renaissance

Renaissance are an English rock band that released eleven studio albums between 1969 and 1983. The original concept behind the name — a fusion of multi-century folksiness and ivory-laden classicism — was expanded and modernized over the years, culminating with the neon-powered, precision-fueled trio lineup of the early 1980s. They formed from the ashes of […]

Chicago

Chicago are an American band formed in 1967; noted as one of the first rock acts with an integrated three-piece brass section. Between 1969 and 1980, they released twelve studio albums on Columbia, followed by five albums on Warner. For eleven years, they maintained the same seven members: keyboardist–singer Robert Lamm, guitarist–singer Terry Kath, bassist–singer […]

The Who

The Who are an English rock band that released ten studio albums between 1965 and 1982, including the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia. They started during the early sixties beat boom when singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist–songwriter Pete Townshend, and bassist John Entwistle evolved from West London hopefuls The Detours. In 1964, drummer Keith Moon joined […]

Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa (December 21, 1940 — December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, producer, and bandleader with a career that spanned three decades. He emerged as the frontman of the Mothers of Invention, an LA-based avant-garde rock band that combined pop parody with psychedelia and free jazz on the 1966–69 albums Freak Out!, Absolutely […]

Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye (April 2, 1939 — April 1, 1984) was an American R&B vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Washington, D.C., who was musically active for a quarter-century, achieving worldwide renown as one of Tamla/Motown’s leading performers. Gaye rose to fame with a string of duets, first with Kim Weston and then with Tammi Terrell, his […]

Gentle Giant

Gentle Giant was an English art-rock band that released eleven studio albums between 1970 and 1980. Their original lineup featured multi-instrumentalist brothers Phil, Derek, and Ray Shulman, plus guitarist Gary Green and composer–keyboardist Kerry Minnear. Derek, Phil, and Kerry traded lead vocals. In 1972, John Weathers joined as their permanent drummer. After the fourth album, […]

Herbie Hancock

Herbie Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz and funk keyboardist active since the late 1950s. His 1962 Blue Note debut, Takin’ Off, includes his signature piece, “Watermelon Man.” In 1963, he joined Miles Davis‘s Second Great Quintet with Ron Carter and Tony Williams. Hancock’s profile rose with the 1964/65 albums Empyrean Isles […]

Talking Heads

Talking Heads were an American art-rock band from New York City. They released eight studio albums between 1977 and 1988 and scored crossover hits with “Psycho Killer,” “Take Me to the River,” “Life During Wartime,” “Once In a Lifetime,” “Burning Down the House,” “And She Was,” and “Wild Wild Life.” They emerged from the new […]

The Miracles

The Miracles were an American soul group from Detroit, best known for the Motown hits “Shop Around,” “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” “Going to a Go-Go,” “I Second That Emotion,” “Tracks of My Tears,” “Ooh Baby Baby,” and “Tears of a Clown.” During their 1960s heyday, Tamla billed them as Smokey Robinson & […]

Ultravox

Ultravox was an English new wave band, first fronted by John Foxx on the 1977–78 Island releases Ultravox!, Ha!-Ha!-Ha!, and Systems of Romance. Their early music encompasses ambient vocal numbers (“My Sex”), post-psych chamber rock (“I Want to Be a Machine”), punk (“Young Savage”), and pioneering examples of electro-pop (“Quiet Men”). Midge Ure headed the […]

Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac are an English–American rock band formed in 1967 by drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Peter Green. The first-recorded lineup stabilized with guitarist Jeremy Spencer and bassist John McVie. Green created the band’s name by combining the surnames of Mick (Fleetwood) and John (Mac). This lineup cut three singles and the 1968 albums Peter […]

Weather Report

Weather Report was a multinational jazz-funk/fusion ensemble that released fourteen studio albums between 1971 and 1986 on Columbia. Throughout its existence, the band was co-led by American saxophonist Wayne Shorter and Austrian keyboardist Joe Zawinul. Numerous rhythm players did stints with the band during its fifteen-year history, most notably drummers Alphonse Mouzon and Narada Michael […]

The Cars

The Cars were an American new wave band that released six albums between 1978 and 1987 on Elektra. Their first two, The Cars and Candy-O, spawned the radio-rock evergreens “Just What I Needed,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Good Times Roll,” and “Let’s Go.” Singer/guitarist Ric Ocasek formed the band in Boston with bassist/singer Ben Orr. […]

Deep Purple

Deep Purple are an English hard-rock band formed in 1967. They emerged at the height of psychedelia and played a key role in the development of heavy metal during the early 1970s. Their most well-known songs include “Hush,” “Smoke On the Water,” and “Woman from Tokyo.” The first Deep Purple lineup released the 1968 albums […]

10cc

10cc are an English art-pop band that released two albums on UK Records in 1973/74, followed by seven albums and a live two-record set on Mercury between 1975 and 1983. In their initial four-piece lineup, 10cc recorded the choral-layered production landmark “I’m Not in Love.” Following the departure of co-founders Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, […]

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin (March 25, 1942 — August 16, 2018) was an American soul singer from Memphis. She began performing gospel in her father’s Detroit church before signing with Columbia Records in 1960. During her Columbia tenure, Franklin recorded jazz, pop, and R&B albums, including Aretha (1961) and The Electrifying Aretha Franklin (1962). Singles such as […]

Supertramp

Supertramp was an English rock band that released nine studio albums and a live double-LP on A&M between 1970 and 1987. Their radio evergreens include “School,” “Give a Little Bit,” “The Logical Song,” “Goodbye Stranger,” and “Take the Long Way Home.” Their sound ranges from rock, folk, and R&B to cabaret and orchestral pop. They […]

The Stranglers

The Stranglers are an English rock band, formed in 1974 by guitarist–singer Hugh Cornwell. They rose to prominence with the 1977 albums Rattus Norvegicus and No More Heroes and the UK hits “Peaches,” “Grip,” “Something Better Change,” and “No More Heroes.” Their early sound is characterized by grimy guitar tones, arpeggiated keyboard runs, and the […]

The Kinks

The Kinks were an English rock band that released twenty-four studio albums between 1964 and 1993. Singer–guitarist and songwriter Ray Davies formed the band with his guitarist–singer brother Dave Davies. The original lineup featured bassist Pete Quaife and drummer Mick Avory. They burst on the scene with the twin hits “You Really Got Me” and […]

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd was an English rock band that released twelve studio albums and two soundtracks between 1967 and 1994. They emerged in the psychedelic era with the album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, a showcase for the writing, singing, and guitar talents of original frontman Syd Barrett. His replacement, David Gilmour, headed the […]

Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy was an Irish rock band that released twelve studio albums between 1971 and 1983. They started as a power trio fronted by bassist–singer Phil Lynott with guitarist Eric Bell and drummer Brian Downey, the one other constant member. This lineup released the 1971–73 albums Thin Lizzy, Shades of a Blue Orphanage, and Vagabonds […]

Ike & Tina Turner

Ike & Tina Turner were the R&B/soul-rock duo of American guitarist/bandleader Ike Turner and his then-wife, singer Tina Turner. They came together in the late 1950s when Ike hired Tina as a backing vocalist for his band, the Kings of Rhythm. She first sang lead on the 1960 Sue Records single “A Fool In Love,” […]

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin was an English rock band, formed in 1968 and active till 1980. Guitarist Jimmy Page formed the band from the ashes of the Yardbirds. They emerged as standard bearers for a new generation of hard-rock performers, fronting a movement that soon included Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Nazareth, and Budgie. Across the […]

The Supremes

The Supremes were an American soul-pop trio from Detroit, formed in 1961. Their classic lineup featured singers Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and frontwoman Diana Ross, who all grew up on the city’s east side. Signed to Motown, The Supremes were part of that label’s classic roster of chart-topping sixties artists, along with the Four Tops, […]

Yes

Yes are an English rock band that released twenty-one studio albums between 1969 and 2014. Formed in London in 1968, their original lineup contained guitarist Peter Banks, keyboardist Tony Kaye, drummer Bill Bruford, and two constant members: bassist Chris Squire and singer Jon Anderson. Their early showpieces include “Looking Around,” “Survival,” “The Prophet,” and “Astral […]

Jethro Tull

Jethro Tull are an English rock band that released twenty studio albums between 1968 and 1999. They are best known for the classic rock evergreens “Aqualung,” “Bourée,” “Bungle In the Jungle,” “Living In the Past,” and “Locomotive Breath.” Their style encompasses blues, folk, hard rock, electronic and orchestral music. Singer Ian Anderson distinguished himself among […]

Elton John

Elton John (born March 25, 1947) is an English vocalist, pianist, songwriter, and philanthropist with a career stretching back to the mid-1960s. He achieved global stardom with his self-titled second album in 1970. Since that time, he has recorded more than 30 albums and scored numerous hits that have gained evergreen status around the world. […]

Split Enz

Split Enz was a New Zealander art-rock band from Auckland, formed in late 1972 and active through several iterations over a 12-year period. In 1973, the band released a pair of singles on Vertigo and EMI, followed by nine albums on Mushroom between 1975 and 1984. Their first album, Mental Notes, includes the popular early […]

Van der Graaf Generator

Van der Graaf Generator are an English rock band, formed at Manchester University in 1967 by singer–songwriter Peter Hammill. On their 1969 debut album, The Aerosol Grey Machine, they crossed psychedelia with darker, haunted sounds, which they codeified on the 1970 albums The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other and H to […]

Return to Forever

Return to Forever was an American jazz-rock supergroup that evolved from a namesake 1972 solo album by bandleader Chick Corea. Members: Chick Corea (keyboards), Stanley Clarke (bass), Joe Farrell (reeds, 1971-73, 1977), Airto Moreira (percussion, 1971-73), Flora Purim (vocals, 1971-73), Bill Connors (guitar, 1973-74), Steve Gadd (drums, 1973), Mingo Lewis (percussion, 1973), Lenny White (drums, […]

Daryl Hall & John Oates

Daryl Hall and John Oates — commonly known as Hall & Oates — were an American musical duo, active from the early 1970s to the 2000s. They first recorded as a singer/songwriter duo but soon embraced maximalist art-rock and lavish blue-eyed soul. Applying their signature vocal trade-offs to a range of musical styles, Hall & […]

Santana

Santana are an American Latin-rock jam band from San Francisco, formed in 1966 by guitarist Carlos Santana. Their self-titled debut, released after a breakout appearance at Woodstock, fused sustained electric solos with syncopated hand percussion and thick organ layers by Gregg Rolie. Abraxas (1970) added expanded textures, drawing from Afro-Cuban rhythms and modal frameworks. The […]

Todd Rundgren

Todd Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, and producer, originally from Philadelphia. He first emerged in psych-rockers the Nazz, which released two proper albums in 1968–69. He initially recorded solo under the band moniker Runt, issuing the 1970/71 Bearsville albums Runt and The Ballad of Todd Rundgren. Under his […]

The Clash

The Clash was an English rock band that released five albums between 1977 and 1982 on CBS. Their classic lineup featured singer, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer, who co-wrote most of their songs with lead guitarist, composer, and second vocalist Mick Jones. Bassist Paul Simonon completed the original lineup, which welcomed drummer Topper Headon […]

Henry Cow

Henry Cow was an English avant-garde rock and free-jazz band that released four studio albums between 1973 and 1975 on Virgin: Legend, Unrest, Desperate Straights, and In Praise of Learning, the last two in partnership with the cabaret-pop trio Slapp Happy. In 1978, Henry Cow recorded the albums Western Culture and Hopes and Fears — […]

McCoy Tyner

McCoy Tyner (1938–2020) was an American jazz pianist, active for six decades. He earned his earliest credits on 1960 albums by Curtis Fuller, Freddie Hubbard, and Art Farmer’s Jazztet. During his four-year stint with John Coltrane (1961–65), he cut six titles for Impulse! In 1967, he made his Blue Note debut with The Real McCoy. […]

Bee Gees

The Bee Gees were a pop trio comprised of three English-born/Aussie-raised brothers — Barry (born 1946) and twins Robin and Maurice Gibb (born 1949). They were active as a recording unit from 1963 to 2001. Performing together since childhood, the brothers first recorded for the Australian market during the mid-1960s. Returning to their nation of […]

Kate Bush

Kate Bush is an English singer–songwriter who released five albums between 1978 and 1985 on EMI. She rose to international prominence with her debut single “Wuthering Heights,” one of the biggest global hits of 1978. Background Kate was born Catherine Mary Bush on July 30, 1958, in Bexleyheath, Kent, into an artistic family. Her father, […]

Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell is a Canadian singer–songwriter who released nineteen studio albums between 1968 and 2007. She emerged with the Sixties North American folk revival that included singers Tom Rush, Judy Collins, and Buffy Sainte-Marie, who recorded Joni’s songs in advance of her debut album, Song to a Seagull. Her 1969–70 albums Clouds and Ladies of […]

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath was an English hard-rock and heavy-metal band from Birmingham that formed in 1968. Their original lineup—guitarist Tony Iommi, vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward—defined the band’s early sound, releasing eight studio albums between 1970 and 1978, including Black Sabbath, Paranoid, and Master of Reality. Signature tracks such as “Iron […]

The Jam

The Jam was an English rock trio that released six albums between 1977 and 1982 on Polydor. They scored eleven UK Top 20 hits, including the No. 1’s “Going Underground,” “Start!,” “Town Called Malice,” and “Beat Surrender.” Guitarist and songwriter Paul Weller led the group, anchored throughout its existence by bassist Bruce Foxton and drummer […]

Donna Summer

Donna Summer (December 31, 1948 — May 17, 2012) was an American soul-funk singer. She began performing in the late 1960s with soul and R&B ensembles before relocating to Europe, where she joined the Munich-based musical Hair cast and recorded her early solo work. Her breakthrough came with the 1975 single “Love to Love You […]

Curved Air

Curved Air are an English symphonic-psych band that released four albums on Warner Bros. between 1970 and 1973, followed by two mid-decade albums on RCA Victor. They formed around the creative core of violinist Darryl Way, guitarist–keyboardist Francis Monkman, and alto vocalist Sonja Kristina. With a fluctuating rhythm section, Curved Air released the 1970–72 albums […]

Mahavishnu Orchestra

The Mahavishnu Orchestra was a multinational jazz-rock ensemble headed by English guitarist John McLaughlin, who led two lineups during their original six-album run. The first incarnation was a five-piece band with Czech keyboardist Jan Hammer, Irish bassist Rick Laird, and two Americans: violinist Jerry Goodman and drummer Billy Cobham. They released the 1971–73 Columbia albums […]

Brian Eno

Brian Eno is an English art-rock/ambient musician and producer who first emerged as the original keyboardist for Roxy Music. Between 1973 and 1977, he released four solo albums under his surname on Island Records. From 1978 onward, he issued a series of ambient recordings on E.G. Records Ltd., including collaborative efforts with Harold Budd, Jon […]

Procol Harum

Procol Harum was an English symphonic-rock band that released nine studio albums between 1967 and 1977. Functioning for most of its existence as a quintet with a non-performing lyricist, the band played a pivotal role in rock’s maximalist trajectory by recording the world’s first side-long multi-movement suite, “In Held ‘Twas in I,” in 1968. Members: […]

Soft Machine

Soft Machine was an English jazz-rock band that was active between the late 1960s and early 1980s. They were among the first rock acts to make use of asymmetric and compound meters. Due to numerous lineup changes, the first and final Soft Machine albums feature none of the same members. Nonetheless, the nameplate was passed […]

George Duke

George Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American jazz-funk keyboardist, composer, arranger, and producer, active from the mid-1960s through the early 2010s. During the 1970s and ’80s, he released 21 studio albums. Duke began his career as a Bay Area post-bop bandleader. After a stint with Jean-Luc Ponty, he embraced jazz-rock […]

Uriah Heep

Uriah Heep are an English hard-rock band that released twenty-five albums between 1970 and 2023. They emerged in London’s post-psych boom with the 1970–71 Vertigo albums …Very ‘eavy…Very ‘umble and Salisbury, followed by thirteen studio albums through 1983 on Bronze Records. Guitarist mainstay Mick Box formed Uriah Heep in 1969 with singer David Byron and […]

The Temptations

The Temptations were an American soul group from Detroit, formed in 1961. They first charted in 1964 with “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” sung by tenor Eddie Kendricks. With baritone David Ruffin at the fore, they hit number-one with the evergreen ballad “My Girl,” co-written and produced by Smokey Robinson, who also […]

Devo

Devo are an American new wave band from Akron, Ohio, best known for the 1980 hit “Whip It” and their iconic red-dome stage costumes. Between 1978 and 1984, they released six albums on Virgin and Warner Bros. They emerged from the art department at Kent State University. By 1976, the lineup stabilized with brothers Mark […]

Billy Joel

Billy Joel is an American pianist, singer, and songwriter from the Bronx who released the album Cold Spring Harbor on Family Productions Inc. in 1971, followed by eleven studio albums on Columbia between 1973 and 1993. Prior to his solo career, he recorded two albums with psych-rockers The Hassles, which splintered into the 1970 hard-rock […]

Jefferson Airplane / Jefferson Starship

Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band from San Francisco that rose to fame during the countercultural explosion of the late 1960s. Formed in 1965 by singer Marty Balin and guitarist Paul Kantner, the group solidified its classic lineup with the arrival of vocalist Grace Slick and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, debuting nationally with Jefferson Airplane […]

Patrice Rushen

Patrice Rushen is an American keyboardist, composer, and singer who started as a sidewoman on mid-Seventies jazz albums by Alphonso Johnson, Azar Lawrence, Donald Byrd, Eddie Henderson, Harvey Mason, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Luis Gasca. As a solo artist, she made three post-bop/jazz-funk albums (1974–77) on Prestige, then transitioned to soul-funk for a five-album run (1978–84) […]

Groundhogs

The Groundhogs were an English blues and rock band that made four albums on Liberty, including the popular 1970/71 titles Thank Christ for the Bomb and Split. On United Artists, they made the experimental 1972 albums Who Will Save the World? The Mighty Groundhogs and Hogwash. After their 1974 effort Solid on the short-lived WWA […]

Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello is an English musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Paddington who debuted with the album My Aim Is True on Stiff/Columbia in 1977. After assembling his backing band The Attractions, he issued the popular Radar titles This Year’s Model (1978) and Armed Forces (1979), followed by seven albums on F-Beat between 1980 and […]

Be-Bop Deluxe

Be-Bop Deluxe was an English rock band led by guitarist and songwriter Bill Nelson. The first lineup released the glam-inspired Axe Victim on Harvest in 1974. Nelson reconfigured the band as a three-piece for the 1975 album Futurama, comprised of lavish, theatrical rock epics. With keyboardist Andy Clark, they made the 1976 albums Sunburst Finish […]

Billy Preston

Billy Preston (1946–2006) was an American R&B singer and keyboardist who released 24 albums between 1963 and 1986. After multiple teen-prodigy soul-jazz albums, his profile soared as a fifth Beatle on their 1969 hit “Get Back.” His fame peaked with the 1972–74 R&B crossover hits “Outa-Space,” “Will It Go Round in Circles,” “Space Race,” and […]

Gong

Gong was a French–Anglo musical collective that existed through numerous iterations over a four-decade period, starting in 1969. During the first half of the 1970s, the band operated as a space-rock performance act under the leadership of Australian-born guitarist–vocalist Daevid Allen. Later in the decade, Gong steered toward jazz-rock with drummer–percussionist Pierre Moerlen affixed to […]

Hatfield and the North

Hatfield and the North were an English jazz-rock band that released the 1974/75 Virgin albums Hatfield and the North and The Rotter’s Club. They were formed by ex-members of Caravan, Delivery, and Matching Mole. Keyboardist Dave Stewart (Arzachel, Egg, Khan) completed the band. Their backing vocalists, The Northettes, included singer Barbara Gaskin (Spirogyra). Three-fourths of Hatfield […]

Television

Television was an American art-rock band from N.Y.C. that released the single “Little Johnny Jewel” on Ork in 1975, followed by two albums on Elektra: Marquee Moon (1977) and Adventure (1978). They were the first rock band to play the Bowery dive bar CBGB, which became the epicenter of the Lower East Side band boom […]

Dee Dee Bridgewater

Dee Dee Bridgewater is an American soul and jazz singer from Memphis. After numerous sessions for noted jazz artists, she made her solo debut with the 1974 album Afro Blue, followed by a self-titled 1976 Atlantic release and the 1977–79 Elektra titles Just Family and Bad for Me. Background Bridgewater was born Denise Eileen Garrett […]

Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk are a German electronic group formed in Düsseldorf by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider, who steered the band from avant-garde krautrock to streamlined machine music. Their early albums (Kraftwerk, Kraftwerk 2, Ralf & Florian) fused analog electronics with flute, violin, and organ in longform instrumental passages. With Autobahn (1974), Kraftwerk embraced motorik rhythm and […]

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band was an English symphonic/art-rock band that released a pair of albums on Philips in 1972, followed by nine studio albums on Bronze between 1973 and 1983, plus a further pair of titles on Virgin/10 Records in the late 1980s. They are best known for the 1973 UK hit “Joybringer” (from Solar […]

Isotope

Isotope was an English jazz-rock band that released three albums on Gull between 1974 and 1976. Guitarist Gary Boyle formed the band with veteran jazz bassist Jeff Clyne, who left after the first album and formed Turning Point. The second album, Illusion, features the signature fuzz bass of Hugh Hopper (ex-Soft Machine). Members: Gary Boyle […]

Isaac Hayes

Isaac Hayes (Aug. 20, 1942 – Aug. 10, 2008) was an American R&B musician, singer, composer, producer, and actor with a 50-year career in entertainment. The lavish orchestration and elongated arrangements of his 1969 second album, Hot Buttered Soul, spearheaded the transformation of soul music into a maximalist form. Background Isaac Hayes was born Isaac […]

Caravan

Caravan are an English rock band from Canterbury that released ten studio albums between 1968 and 1982. They debuted with Caravan, a jam-oriented psych release on the American jazz label Verve. On Decca/Deram, Caravan released five studio albums, including In the Land of Grey and Pink and For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night. […]