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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Emerson, Lake & Palmer — alternately known by the acronym ELP — were an English symphonic-rock trio that released three studio albums and a live classical recording on Island (UK) and Cotillion (US) between 1970 and 1972. In 1973, the band established Manticore Records for original releases and albums by like-minded artists. As one of […]
The Pale Fountains were an English sophisti-pop band that released three standalone singles and two albums on Virgin between 1982 and 1985. Members: Michael Head (guitar, vocals), John Head (guitar), Chris McCaffery (bass), Thomas Whelan (drums), Andy Diagram (trumpet) Background Formed in 1980 Liverpool, The Pale Fountains were part of that city’s post-Deaf School musical […]
Rush was a Canadian maximalist hard-rock trio from Toronto, Ontario, that was active for nearly five decades, debuting on vinyl with a standalone single on Moon Records in 1973, followed by a self-titled album on the label in 1974. After a change of drummers, the lineup solidified around the trio of bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist […]
The Psychedelic Furs are an English New Wave/psych band from London that released six albums on CBS between 1980 and 1989, followed by a seventh on EastWest/Columbia in 1991. Members: Richard Butler (vocals), Tim Butler (bass), Roger Morris (guitar, 1978-81), Duncan Kilburn (saxophone, 1978-81), John Aston (guitar, 1978-91), Vince Ely (drums, 1978-91), Ann Sheldon (cello, […]
Killing Joke are an English post-punk/industrial band from Notting Hill that debuted with an EP on small-press Malicious Damage in 1979, followed by seven albums on EG between 1980 and 1988. Members: Jaz Coleman (lead vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums, vocals, 1978-88), Geordie (guitar), Youth (bass, 1978-82), Paul Raven (bass, 1982-88, 1989-91), Martin Atkins (drums, […]
Animal Nightlife were an English sophisti-pop band from London that released a clutch of singles on Inner Vision circa 1982/83, followed by the album Shangri-la on Island in 1985. Members: Paul Waller (drums), Steve Shawley (bass), Steve “Flid” Brown (guitar), Steve Shanley (bass), Michael “Mac” McDermott (percussion), Declan John Barclay (trumpet), John Crichinson (piano), Billy […]
Airplay were an American studio-based melodic-rock combo that released a self-titled album on RCA in 1980. The project was headed by writer/producers David Foster and Jay Graydon, both successful with other acts at the time. Members: David Foster (keyboards, vocals), Tommy Funderburk (vocals), Jay Graydon (guitars) David Foster, Jay Graydon Credits Airplay was assembled by […]
Ruefrex were an Irish New Wave/post-punk band from Belfast, formed in 1977 and active for 10 years. The band released three small-press singles between 1979 and 1983, followed by the 1985 album Flowers for All Occasions on Kasper/MCA. Members: Paul Burgess (drums, 1977-87), Tom Coulter (bass, 1977-86), Ivan Kelly (vocals, 1977-78), Jackie Forgie (guitar, 1977-82, […]
Ekatarina Velika were a Yugoslav New Wave band from Beograd in modern-day Serbia. Between 1985 and 1989, the band released four albums and a live recording on ZKP RTVLJ and RTB. The band evolved from Katarina II, which sprung from the ashes of Šarlo Akrobata. Members: Milan Mladenović (vocals, guitar), Margita Stefanović [Magi] (keyboards), Bojan […]
Silent Running were an Irish modern-rock band from Belfast that released the album Shades of Liberty with assorted singles on EMI/Parolphone in 1984/85, followed by two albums on Atlantic during the latter part of the decade. Members: Peter Gamble (vocals), Tony Scott (guitar), Richard Collett (bass), Ian Gault (drums), Alex White (keyboards, 1984) Silent Running […]
Trevor Rabin (born Jan. 13, 1984) is a South African-born/U.S.-naturalized guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer with a musical career that dates to the early 1970s. He first emerged in the Johannesburg art-rock/pop band Rabbitt, which he joined at age 18 in 1972. Rabbitt scored locally with the chart-topping symphonic-ballad “Charlie” and the album Boys Will […]
Jim Diamond (Sept. 28, 1951 — Oct. 8, 2015) was a Scottish vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Bridgetown, Glasgow, who debuted with a standalone single on Bradley’s in 1975. He then embarked on a series of band-oriented projects, starting with a 1976 album heading hard-rockers Bandit. After a brief stint with Alexis Korner, Diamond finished […]
Richard Thompson (born April 3, 1949) is an English singer/songwriter from Notting Hill with a professional recording career that has spanned half a century. He first performed circa 1965/66 in a school band, Emil and the Detectives, with classmate and future-Stranglers frontman Hugh Cornwell. In 1967 at age 18, Thompson became a founding member of […]
Mick Karn — aka Andonis Michaelides (July 24, 1958 — Jan. 4, 2011) — was an English-Cypriot multi-instrumentalist and composer who rose to prominence as the bassist in the New Wave/art-pop band Japan, which released five studio albums between 1978 and 1981. Just as the band announced its breakup, Karn debuted as a solo artist […]
Hugh Hopper (April 29, 1945 — June 7, 2009) was an English bassist from Whitstable, Kent, that gained global renown with jazz-rockers Soft Machine, premiering his signature fuzz-bass sound on 1969’s Volume Two and appearing on the band’s subsequent four albums. In 1973, he released the experimental solo album 1984 on CBS and also appeared […]
Steve Winwood (born May 12, 1948) is an English vocalist, keyboardist, and songwriter from Birmingham who emerged as the voice of the Spencer Davis Group, which he joined in 1963 at age 15. After four years, three proper albums, and assorted singles with the band — including the soul-rock evergreens “Gimme Some Lovin’” and “I’m […]
