But Vertigo weren’t having much success with their more progressive groups and Gracious! weren’t doing enough gigs. Their self-titled debut album included the 17-minute long The Dream – which they were required to record in a single take – and was one of the highlights of the early Vertigo catalogue, featuring a striking Barney Bubbles cover design.ĭavid ‘Kid’ Jensen devoted an entire show on Radio Luxembourg to the group and they played at the 1970 Isle Of Wight Festival. Gracious! released a single, Once On A Windy Day, in 1970 and were obliged to cut it down from the 18-minute version that they were playing live. It’s not in my area, but I’d be happy to help you wherever I can.’”
“He said, ‘Listen guys, I can’t do anything for you. “We sat Norrie down and played him some more ‘underground’ music, longer pieces,” says drummer Robert Lipson. Ours was that kind of collision but on a much smaller scale.” “I’m not comparing us specifically with King Crimson,” says guitarist Alan Cowderoy, “but they had a progressive thing with a collision of jazz and rock that hadn’t really been done before. Keyboardist Martin Kitcat introduced classical elements and by 1969, their music had become increasingly eclectic. MBįormed in 1967, Gracious! were initially a pop band under the auspices of legendary producer Norrie Paramor, but were soon having loftier ambitions. Value: Upwards of £40 for a copy in Very Good condition. But even without the benefit of the stage show, Soundtrack more than holds its own as a musical statement from this most singular of progressive The follow-up was The Asmoto Running Band, produced by Nick Mason in 1971, and the band left Dandelion shortly before the label went under. John Peel saw Principal Edwards Magic Theatre play their debut gig at Portsmouth Guildhall and was so taken by their strongly narrative song suites, accompanied by choreographed dance and mime, that he signed the 14-person collective (including sound engineers and lighting designers) to his nascent Dandelion label, on which Soundtrack was one of the first releases in 1969. Value: Expect to pay upwards of £500 for a decent copy. Original pressings of their first album remain ridiculously obscure, largely due to the fact that it was issued in a limited run of 1,500 on a tiny local label, Pro-Disc. Led by Fairlight pioneer Hubert Bognermayer, they signed to Virgin in the mid-70s, by which time they’d become altogether more symphonic and had begun singing in a variety of tongues, including Latin. KNĪustria has never been one of prog’s great outposts, but it did give us Eela Craig, a hairy sextet whose debut LP was a dense synthesis of foraging jazz blues and keyboard-heavy psychedelia. Value: Although later reissued, Elektra originals have sold for £700. The ominous drones and random creakings are not for the faint-hearted, expecting songs (subsequent onslaught The Crypt rose to terrifying levels of bombardment). Syd Barrett was heavily influenced by Rowe’s unorthodox guitar techniques and was said to have been at Sound Techniques studio in June 1966 when AMM recorded their one album for Elektra Records, with early Floyd manager Peter Jenner one of the producers. SSĪMM was a floating free-music outfit formed by guitarist Keith Rowe, experimentalist Cornelius Cardew and others who felt confined even by jazz. Value: For an original pressing graded on Discogs as Very Good, you can expect to pay upwards of £40, and all the way up to £330 for a Mint copy.
We were so enthusiastic and there were some great ideas in there, but I’m amazed it keeps coming back. Perhaps its because there’s a few interesting cover versions on it? There’s things I don’t like about it, of course, but I suppose it’s of its time. That vinyl editions of the album still change hands between excited collectors for large sums of money is a source of bemusement for Collins: “It was fresh at the time, of course, but I couldn’t tell you why it’s become so sought after these days. With the band splitting upon Collins’ departure for King Crimson in early 1970, a subsequent lack of promotion ensured the few surviving copies fell into obscurity.
The Beatles’ Norwegian Wood gets the Vanilla Fudge-style heavy treatment, as does Charles Mingus’ jazz anthem II BS, while two Mel Collins-penned ballads lend an air of melancholic baroque pop.Ĭircus’ cult status failed to help sales.
Signed to Transatlantic Records, their sole album is an eclectic mix of pop, jazz and rock.
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