Manu Dibango (Dec., 12 1933 — March 24, 2020) was a Cameroonian saxophonist, malletist, and composer with a music career that spanned more than fifty years. In 1972 he cut the Afro-funk classic “Soul Makossa,” which became a much-covered, widely sampled global hit for the artist. Background Manu Dibango was born Emmanuel N’Djoké Dibango on […]
Cos was a Belgian avant-jazz-rock band that released four albums on IBC between 1974 and 1979, followed by two 1983–84 titles on Lark. Keyboardist Charles Loos (Abraxis/Julverne) appears on the first and third albums, Postaeolian Train Robbery and Babel. Former Placebo keyboardist Marc Moulin produced their 1976 release Viva Boma, which features sundry instrumentation from […]
Murray Head (born March 5, 1946) is an English singer–songwriter and actor who portrayed Judas Iscariot on the 1970 rock musical album Jesus Christ Superstar by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. He released the albums Nigel Lived (CBS, 1972) and Say It Ain’t So (Island, 1975), which offered source material for Roger Daltrey (“Say […]
Dixie Dregs were an American instrumental band that fused jazz-rock and bluegrass across six studio albums between 1977 and 1982. Their Capricorn-era titles—Free Fall (1977), What If (1978), and Night of the Living Dregs (1979)—featured guitarist Steve Morse and violinist Allen Sloan as primary soloists. After moving to Arista, they issued Dregs of the Earth […]
Arco Iris are an Argentine folk-rock/art-rock quartet with a prolific 1970s output and a sporadic body of subsequent work. The band released six studio albums between 1970 and 1977, including the ambitious double-LPs Sudamérica o el Regreso a la Aurora and Agitor Lucens V. Mastering the chromatic fluidity and epic grandeur of symphonic jazz-rock, the […]
Akiko Yano — 矢野顕子 (born Feb. 13, 1955) — is a Japanese art-pop singer who released five albums on Philips between 1976 and 1979, followed by three albums on Japan Records during the early 1980s. She has released more than two dozen titles since that time, mostly on Epic and Midi Inc. Background Yano was […]
Clannad was an Irish family group from Gweedore, County Donegal, that moved from Gaelic folk-rooted records in the 1970s into spacious keyboard-led work that shaped the Celtic/New Age crossover of the 1980s and 1990s. Their early albums—Clannad, Clannad 2, Dúlamán, and Crann Úll—centered on close vocal harmonies, harp, flute, acoustic strings, and traditional material drawn […]
Foreigner was an English-American melodic-rock band formed in New York by ex-Spooky Tooth guitarist Mick Jones and former Black Sheep vocalist Lou Gramm. The band released six albums on Atlantic between 1977 and 1987, scoring stateside with the radio evergreens “Feels Like the First Time,” “Double Vision,” “Hot Blooded,” “Urgent,” “Waiting for a Girl Like […]
Catalyst was an American jazz-funk band that released four albums between 1972 and 1975. Their first, a self-titled release on Cobblestone, features future Weather Report bassist Alphonso Johnson. After the label was acquired by Muse Records, Catalyst released the albums Perception, Unity, and A Tear & A Smile. Members: Eddie Green (keyboards, vocals), Alphonso Johnson […]
Robert Palmer (Jan. 19, 1949 — Sept. 26, 2003) was an English soul-rock singer famed for the hits “John and Mary,” “Addicted to Love,” and “Simply Irresistible.” He charted with songs originated by Andy Fraser (“Every Kinda People”), Moon Martin (“Bad Case of Loving You”), and The System (“You Are In My System”). He got […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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, […]
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” […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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, […]
Joachim Kühn (born March 15, 1944) is a German pianist who appeared on more than 400 recordings across six decades. During the 1970s, he released multiple jazz-funk albums on MPS/BASF and Atlantic. After early work with his older brother Rolf Kühn, Joachim debuted with the 1968 Impulse! release Impressions of New York. He collaborated with […]
Steve Hillage is an English guitarist, composer, and producer from London who first recorded under the pseudonym Simon Sasparella in psych-rockers Arzachel, the starting vehicle of keyboardist Dave Stewart (Egg, Hatfield & the North). The two re-teamed in Khan (with bassist Nicholas Greenwood) for the 1972 Deram release Space Shanty. In 1973, Hillage backed Kevin […]
Starry Eyed and Laughing were an English rustic-rock band that released the 1974–75 CBS albums Starry Eyed and Laughing and Thought Talk. Earlier recordings later surfaced on the archival discs Forever Young and To Try for the Sun. Their use of Rickenbacker 12-string guitars and West Coast harmonies drew comparisons to The Byrds. Members: Tony […]
Ann Peebles is an American soul singer from St. Louis who released seven albums between 1969 and 1977, including the Hi Records classics Straight From the Heart and I Can’t Stand the Rain. She landed R&B hits with “Part Time Love,” “I Pity the Fool,” “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home,” “I Can’t Stand the Rain,” and […]
Natalie Cole (Feb. 6, 1950 — Dec. 31, 2015) was an American soul singer from Los Angeles. She recorded soul, pop, jazz, and standards across a career that began with a sequence of Capitol albums produced by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy. Her first four albums spawned the 1975–77 R&B No. 1’s “This Will Be,” […]
Tarika Blue was a New York-based, multi-national jazz-funk/soul collective that released the 1976 album The Blue Path, followed by a 1977 self-titled release. Members: Phil Clendennin (keyboards, piano), Ryo Kawasaki (electric guitar), Barry Coleman (bass), Kevin Atkins (drums), Marvin Blackman (tenor saxophone), Bradie Speller (percussion), Justo Almario (soprano saxophone), James Mason (electric guitar), Tequila (vocals), […]
Fred Frith is an English avant-garde multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser who gained international cult renown as a member of Henry Cow, which made three studio albums and two collaborative discs with Slapp Happy. They instigated the UK/Euro Rock In Opposition network but disbanded over musical differences that spawned the Art Bears. As a solo artist, […]
Ronnie Laws is an American jazz-funk flutist and saxophonist who played in the 1972/73 lineup of Earth, Wind & Fire. Between 1975 and 1981, he cut three albums each on Blue Note and UA/Liberty. His 1975 debut Pressure Sensitive produced “Always There,” while the 1977 album Friends and Strangers earned US gold certification. Laws placed […]
Scritti Politti was an English art-pop band led by singer/musician Green Gartside. The original trio with bassist Nial Jinks and drummer Tom Morley cut three post-punk EPs in 1978/79, including the pioneering DIY release “Skank Bloc Bologna.” In 1981, Scritti Politti resurfaced with a new sound on the Rough Trade single “The ‘Sweetest Girl’,” followed […]
April Wine is a Canadian hard-rock band from Halifax that released twelve studio albums and three live discs between 1971 and 1985 on Aquarius Records. They caught domestic wind with their 1972/73 albums On Record and Electric Jewels, charting with “You Could Have Been a Lady,” “Bad Side of the Moon,” and “Lady Run, Lady […]
The Babys were an English rock band that released the 1976–77 Chrysalis albums The Babys and Broken Heart. They moved stateside and changed members for the 1978–80 albums Head First, Union Jacks, and On the Edge. They charted with two songs co-written by American singer Ray Kennedy: “Isn’t It Time” and “Every Time I Think […]
Lalo Schifrin (June 21, 1932–June 26, 2025) was an Argentinian pianist, composer, and arranger who began his career in the mid-1950s. During his first active decade, he served as a backing musician for Ástor Piazzolla, Xavier Cugat, Duke Ellington, and Dizzy Gillespie. Schifrin’s first headlining album was the 1959 release Piano Espanol on Tico Records. In […]
Nara Leão (January 19, 1942 — June 7, 1989) was a Brazilian singer and actress who carried Rio bossa nova repertory into samba, protest song, Tropicália-linked material, and later MPB. She made her album debut with the 1964 Elenco release Nara and built her mid-Sixties profile on Philips with Opinião de Nara and O Canto […]
Osibisa are an Afro-funk/jazz-rock band formed in London by four Ghanaian and three Caribbean musicians. Between 1971 and 1976, they made eight albums on MCA, Warner Bros., and Island, including the soundtrack to the second installment of the Super Fly franchise. Their first three albums feature cover illustrations by fantasy painter Roger Dean (Yes, Uriah […]
Sailor was an English music-hall pop band from London that released five albums between 1974 and 1978 on Epic. Rupert Holmes produced their 1975 second album Trouble, which spawned the UK hits “Glass of Champagne” and “Girls, Girls, Girls.” After the departure of singer–guitarist Georg Kajanus, a revamped Sailor linked with onetime Chicago producer James […]
Sweet was an English hard-rock/pop band from Harefield, Greater London, that released four studio albums and 18 singles on RCA between 1971 and 1976. Under the guidance of songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, they placed eight singles on the UK Top 10, including “Little Willy,” “Block Buster!,” “Hell Raiser,” “The Ballroom Blitz,” and “Teenage […]
Back Street Crawler was an English/American hard-rock band that released two albums on Atco in 1975 and 1976. The band took its name from a 1973 solo album by ex-Free guitarist Paul Kossoff, who formed the group with members of Houston rockers Bloontz. After Kossoff’s death in early 1976, the remaining members carried on as […]
Randy Crawford is an American soul and jazz singer featured on albums by Harvey Mason, Steve Hackett, and The Crusaders. As a solo artist, she released eleven albums between 1976 and 1993 on Warner Bros. Crawford’s R&B hits include “Same Old Story (Same Old Song),” “One Hello,” “Nightline,” and “Your Precious Love,” a duet with […]
Brass Construction was an American soul-funk band from Brooklyn, best known for their crossover hit “Movin’.” They released six numerically titled albums (1975–80) on United Artists, followed by four titles (1982–85) on Liberty and Capitol. Members: Randy Muller (keyboards, vocals), Michael Grudge (saxophone), Jesse Ward Jr. (saxophone), Wayne Parris (trumpet), Morris Price (trumpet), Joseph Arthur […]
Gòtic was a Spanish symphonic-rock band that released the 1978 album Escenes on Movieplay. Members: Rafael Escoté (bass, gong, palmas), Jordi Martí (drums, percussion, palmas), Jep Nuix (flute, piccolo, palmas), Jordi Vilaprinyó (keyboards) Background Gòtic formed in 1975 in Barcelona around the long-running partnership between keyboardist Jordi Vilaprinyó and drummer Jordi Martí, who first collaborated […]
Richard Hell — aka Richard Lester Meyers (born Oct. 2, 1949) — is an American singer, bassist, songwriter, and poet from Lexington, Ken., who became a fixture of NYC’s Lower East Side bohemian/art scene during the early 1970s. He first recorded with The Neon Boys, a formative version of Television. After a brief stint with […]
Pat Travers (born April 12, 1954) is a Canadian guitarist, singer, and bandleader who released eight albums and a live disc between 1976 and 1984 on Polydor. His popularity peaked with the 1977/78 albums Makin’ Magic, Putting It Straight, and Heat in the Street, recorded with input by Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple), Pat Thrall […]
Saluki was a Norwegian progressive jazz-rock band that release a 1976 self-titled album on Compendium Records. Members: Freddy Dahl (vocals, guitar), Peter Berg Nilsen (vocals, saxophone), Kjell Rønningen (keyboards), Sverre Beyer (bass), Bjørn Jenssen (drums) Background Frontman Freddy Dahl emerged from Junipher Greene, contributing to their 1971 double album Friendship, then worked with the George […]
Kimiko Kasai — 笠井紀美子 (born Dec. 10, 1945) — is a Japanese jazz vocalist who released a clutch of live and collaborative recordings on assorted labels during the early 1970s, culminating with her solo-studio debut Umbrella, released in 1972 on Liberty. Between 1973 and 1986, she released fourteen albums on CBS/Sony. Background Kimiko Kasai was […]
Side Effect an American soul-funk vocal group from Los Angeles, formed in 1972 by producer–arranger Augie Johnson. They debuted on Canada’s G.A.S. label in 1973 and recorded four albums for Fantasy Records between 1975 and 1978. During this period, the group featured a sequence of female vocalists—Sylvia Nabors, Helen Lowe (Helen Baylor), and Sylvia St. […]
Kellee Patterson is an American singer who released the 1973 album Maiden Voyage on Black Jazz Records, followed by the 1976–79 soul-funk albums Kellee, Turn On the Lights, and All the Things You Are on Shadybrook. Background She was born Karen Lynette Patterson and grew up in Gary, Indiana, where she competed in child talent […]
Stephen Bishop (born Nov. 14, 1951) is an American singer/songwriter who debuted with the 1976 ABC release Careless, which spawned the hits “On and On” and “Save It for a Rainy Day.” In 1982, he charted with the ballad “It Might be You” from the comedy film Tootsie. His songs have been recorded by Frida […]
Dexter Wansel is an American keyboardist, singer, composer, and producer who cut a 1973 album with the funk-psych one-off Yellow Sunshine. As a solo artist, he released four albums between 1976 and 1979 on PIR. Background He was born Dexter Gilman Wansel on August 22, 1950, in Philadelphia. From age nine to thirteen, he worked […]
Starcastle was an American symphonic-rock band that released four albums between 1976 and 1978 on Epic. Their first three albums — Starcastle, Fountains of Light, and Citadel — are noted for their elaborate fantasy covers and lavish music, which explore themes of aquatic enchantresses and celestial marvels. Starcastle’s epic numbers include “Lady of the Lake,” […]
Larry Coryell (April 2, 1943 — Feb. 19, 2017) was an American guitarist who emerged in the late-1960s jazz-rock-psych combo The Free Spirits. During the mid-1970s, he led the jazz-rock supergroup The Eleventh House, cutting the albums Introducing, Level One, and Aspects. He also partook in Wolfgang Dauner’s Et Cetera with Colosseum drummer Jon Hiseman, […]
Andy Pratt is an American singer/songwriter from Boston, best known for the song “Avenging Annie” as his acclaimed 1976 album Resolution. Background He was born Andrew S. Pratt on January 25, 1947; the youngest of four children borne to educator Edwin Howard Baker Pratt (1913–1975) and Monte Carlo-born Aileen Kelly (1915–1976). The elder Pratt served […]
