Scope were a Dutch instrumental jazz-rock band that released two albums on Atlantic between 1974 and 1975. Members: Henk Zomer (drums, 1971-76), Rik Elings (keyboards, flute, bass), Rens Nieuwland (guitar), Erik Raayman (bass, 1971-75), Rob Franken (keyboards, 1975-76), Robert Vink (drums, 1976), Roland Zeldenrust (drums, 1976), Pablo Nahar (bass, 1976) Along with Crypto, Scope was […]
Aleph were an Australian symphonic-rock band from Sydney that released the album Surface Tension on Atlantic in 1977. Alongside Chetarca, Sebastian Hardie, and Ragnarok, Aleph were front-runners in the antipodean response to the U.K. symphonic heavyweights of the era (Yes, Genesis, ELP, Camel). Members: Mary Jane Carpenter (keyboards), Ron Carpenter (drums), David Froggatt (guitar), Mary […]
Aalon were an American soul-funk band from Los Angeles that released the album Cream City on Arista in 1977. Namesake frontman/guitarist Aalon Butler hailed from the Eric Burdon Band. Members: Aalon Butler (guitar, vocals), Alvin Taylor (drums), Ron Hammond (drums), Al Roberts (bass), Luther Rabb (bass), Luis Cabaza (keyboards) Aalon William Butler (born Sept. 17, […]
Abraxis were a Belgian jazz-rock band that recorded a self-titled album for local EMI subsidiary IBC in 1976. Members: Charles Loos (piano, keyboards), Dirk Bogaert (flute), Paul Elias (guitar), Jean-Paul Musette (bass), Tony Malisan (drums), Jacky Mauer (drums) Abraxis was assembled in Brussels by pianist/composer Charles Loos (born July 29, 1951), who played on the […]
Opa were an Uruguayan jazz-rock band that released two albums during 1976 and 1977 on Milestone/RCA Victor. The first, Goldenwings, features appearances by vocalist Flora Purim and guitarist David Amaro. On the sophomoric Magic Time, the band are joined by early Totem member and Latin-funk solo artist Rubén Rada. Both albums were produced by Airto […]
Esperanto was a multi-national art-rock/flamenco ensemble, formed in Brussels by violinist Raymond Vincent (Wallace Collection) and pianist Bruno Libert. The project yielded three albums on A&M Records between 1973 and 1975, the first featuring English-born vocalist Glenn Shorrock, formerly of the Aussie pop acts The Twilights and Axiom. He soon found fame fronting the Little […]
Arachnoïd were a French symphonic/space-rock band that released a self-titled album on Divox in 1979. It was later reissued by archivists Musea and has since become a holy grail of the nation’s ’70s scene, alongside releases by Ange, Atoll, Carpe Diem, Mona Lisa, Pulsar, and Shylock. Members: Patrick Woindrich (bass, guitar, vocals), Michel Pilot (rhythm […]
Living Force were a New Zealander Latin-rock band that released a self-titled album on Atlantic in 1977. Members: Harvey Mann (guitar), Eddie Hansen (guitar), Murray Partridge (guitar), Ivan Thompson (keyboards), John Pepper (keyboards), Gary Clarke (bass), Matt Matepi (bass), Glen Absolum (drums), Mike Fisher (drums), Mona Hollguin (vocals) The roots of Living Force date back […]
Artcane was a French symphonic-rock band that released the album Odyssée on Philips in 1977. Members: Alain Coupel (keyboards, synthesizer, vocals), Jack Mlynski (guitar, vocals), Stanislas Belloc (bass, vocals), Daniel Locci (drums, percussion) Odyssée Artcane assembled in Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, in 1973. They recorded their singular album, Odyssée, in 1976 and released it the following year […]
Città Frontale were an Italian symphonic-rock band from Naples that released the album El Tor on Fonit in 1975. Members: Lino Vairetti (vocals, guitar, Mellotron, Jew’s harp), Gianni Guarracino (guitar, synthesizer, vocals), Enzo Avitabile (saxophone, flute, vocals), Paolo Raffone (keyboards), Rino Zurzolo (bass), Massimo Guarino (drums, percussion, vibraphone, vocals) Città Frontale originally formed in 1970 […]
Salty Dogg were a New Zealander art-pop band that released the album Love to Play and Sing on EMI in the Australasian market in 1977. Members: Mike Harvey (keyboards), Vic Williams (drums), Martin Winch (guitar), K.Chris Gunn (bass), Graham Chapman (vocals) Salty Dogg was assembled in 1975 by veteran writer/producer/keyboardist Mike Harvey and drummer Vic […]
Dorian Zero — aka Kenneth J. Passante (Jan. 16, 1948 — Jan. 7, 1994) — is an American art-rock musician and songwriter from NYC who released a self-titled album on Amerama Records in 1977. Passante hailed from an unrecorded rock group called Sweet Dirt, which was active in NYC circa 1973. He was briefly in […]
Crack was the supposed name of an American hard-rock/psych band whose music was released on the album Day of Doom by the Tiger Lily tax scam label in 1976. Members: Andrea Borega (lead vocals, synthesizer, percussion), Darryl Kaye (backing vocals, flute, guitar, bass, harp) Day of Doom was one of more than 50 albums issued […]
Babylon was an American symphonic-rock band from Florida that released an eponymous album on self-press Mehum in 1978. The band morphed into Helicopter for a further self-issued title, Insect Perfect, in 1981. Members: Rick Leonard (bass, vocals, bass pedals), Doroccus (lead vocals, synthesizer, electric piano), Rodney Best (drums, percussion), David Boyko (guitar), Gary Chambers (synthesizer, […]
Mandalaband was the symphonic-rock project of English composer/arranger David Rohl. The project yielded a self-titled album on Chrysalis in 1975. The musicians on that recording became Sad Café. The Mandalaband nameplate was resurrected for the 1978 rock-opera The Eye of Wendor: Prophecies, which features Justin Hayward on one track. Members: David Rohl (keyboards), David Durant […]
Sebastian Hardie was an Australian symphonic-rock band from Sydney that released the 1975 album Four Moments on Polydor. Their 1976 second album, Windchase, inspired the subsequent band formed by guitarist/vocalist Mario Millo and keyboardist Toivo Pilt. Members: Graham Ford (guitar, 1967-73), Dennis Laughlin (vocals), Dave Waddington (vocals), John Bellamy (bass), Neil Williamson (organ), Richard Lillico […]
Ungava were a Québécois symphonic/space-rock band that released a self-titled album on the 36 label in 1977. Members: André Devito (guitar), Jacques Marois (percussion, vocals), Richard Fortin (bass, vocals), Martin Perron (keyboards), Maurice Bouchard (saxophone, flute) Ungava formed in 1968 and functioned for several years as a jam-psych/improv act. The band was named after the […]
Mirthrandir were an American symphonic-rock band from New Jersey that issued the album For You the Old Women on self-press Mirth Music Inc. in 1976. Members: Robert Arace (drums), Richard Excellente (guitar), Simon Gannett (keyboards), James Miller (bass, flute), Alexander Romanelli (guitar), John Vislocky III (vocals, trumpet), John Callahan (guitar) Mirthrandir formed in New Jersey […]
Quill were an American symphonic-rock trio that self-released the album Sursum Corda in 1977. Members: Keith Christian (vocals, bass, classical guitar), Ken DeLoria (Hammond organ, Moog, Mellotron, electric harpsichord, grand piano, ARP Solina string synthesizer, keyboards), Jim Sides (vocals, drums, bells, tubular bells, timpani) Quill formed in California in 1975. Their 1977 singular album, Sursum […]
Fox was an English dream-pop band that released three albums on GTO between 1975 and 1977. After the departure of vocalist Noosha Fox, the band morphed into Yellow Dog for two further albums on Virgin during the late 1970s. Members: Noosha Fox (vocals), Herbie Armstrong (guitar, vocals), Kenny Young (guitar, percussion, vocals), Pete Solley (keyboards), […]
