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Topic ClosedMartin Orford to leave IQ

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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Martin Orford to leave IQ
    Posted: July 19 2007 at 16:14
This is a shock, and a sad one, imho- here's Martin's take on it...It seems though, that the band are continuing without him as he pursues his solo career.
 
 
MARTIN TO LEAVE IQ

With great sadness, we have to announce that Martin Orford has decided to leave IQ. A founder member of the band since its inception in 1981, his contribution to IQ in the years since then has been incalculable. Everyone will be extremely sorry to see him go but we wish him every success in his future endeavours.

Martin explains the reasons for his decision:

"So...26 years in IQ. Well, it had to end sometime and after a lot of thought I've decided to (metaphorically speaking) hang up my keyboard player's cape and give someone else a chance.

There are lots of factors that contributed to my decision so I won't bore you with too many details, but basically I've just become weary of the whole process of 'being in a band' and I need a bit of time and space to do my own thing, and hopefully to re-discover some of the joy and enthusiasm that brought me into music in the first place. Including The Lens, Jadis and the John Wetton Band I've been in bands continuously for 30 years now with hardly a pause for breath and I urgently need a break from all that intensity.

And it has been incredibly intense and not without a certain amount of friction. IQ has always prided itself on being a democracy but in recent years I've found myself increasingly at odds with the process of all the band members writing together. Having been brought up with classical music where it's perfectly usual for everything to be written by one person, I've never felt at all comfortable with the idea of collective writing. I guess I'm just not a natural team player when it comes to music.

IQ is not something that I walk away from lightly. It's a fantastic band, easily the best of the Class of '83 that came through in the New Wave of Prog Rock, and we've done some brilliant stuff which I'll always be proud of. But as I've grown as a musician and a writer, I've found that I need to work and interact with other musicians less and less, and whilst I remain in a band, the vision I have for a piece of music is often blurred or altered out of all recognition by the intervention of others. So, rather than have a solo career that is almost permanently on hold because of IQ commitments, I now want to seize the opportunity to make my own music in my own way. It may be, of course, that the public deem it to be unmitigated rubbish, but I hope maybe you'll give it a chance.

And it goes without saying that I hope IQ will continue for many more years. Of course it will be different without my involvement, but it might even be better. People almost always overstate the impact of line-up changes - would Pink Floyd have made 'The Dark Side of the Moon' if Syd Barrett had been with them, or would Fleetwood Mac have made 'Rumours' if Peter Green was still in the band? Probably not, but both are iconic albums nonetheless.

Finally, a big thank you to all the band members for their understanding and support following my decision to leave. Everyone has been incredibly sensible and grown-up about the whole thing. Although I won't miss the collective writing process at all, I will miss each and every one of the members of IQ. They're a decent bunch at the end of the day."


Martin's final appearance with IQ will be at the Pierre-Péladeau Center in Montreal on 16th September 2007.

The good news is that IQ will continue and they would like to hear from any keyboard players interested in stepping into Martin's illustrious shoes. Please email us at: [email protected]. Live dates in November and December will still be going ahead. Meanwhile, work progresses on the new studio album, with Martin's involvement, although the release date has been put back while the band concentrate on recruiting a new keyboard player. Full details will be announced nearer the time.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 19 2007 at 16:58

NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! CryDead

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 19 2007 at 17:03
All good things...
 
At least the band are to carry on.Clap
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 19 2007 at 17:31
Cry

Surely they were prepping new material. Dark Matter was released 3 years ago. Oh, this surely means a year or two or 3 more for a new IQ album at best, or possibly a big split at worst! Ouch
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 19 2007 at 18:38
ˇHola!
Well, this is sad news, but hey, maybe we'll get a new and awesomely revamped IQ with the future keyboard player!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 19 2007 at 19:56
Wow!! All I can say is "Wow!!!"

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 19 2007 at 20:01
This is awful. This saddens me nearly as much as Lindgren and Lopez leaving Opeth and Zonder leaving Fates Warning.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2007 at 01:23
I haven't been big into IQ for long, and only have three of their albums (Subterrenea, The Seventh House and Dark Matter), but this is sad news at any rate. At least the band will continue, and I wonder how they will sound, and how soon they will put out a new album, especially with the hunt for a new keyboardist. I'm sure whoever they get, they'll fit right in!

Best of luck to both IQ and Orford. Maybe I'll get his next solo album if it's any good!

-Marc.
I know what I like and I like what I know. I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose free will. If I die tomorrow, I`d be alright because I believe that after we`re gone, the spirit carries on.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2007 at 03:49
this is a sad day.

in recent years martin o. hasn't looked or sounded too happy in all things
IQ (interviews, photo-, DVD-shoots) so i had already sensed that
something may be at odds here.

i'm always one to give a situation the benefit of the doubt (new keysman,
new album, new sound) but this will be a tough one.

widge – all the best. i understand completely.

this is a sad day.
progressive rock and rural tranquility don't match. true or false?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2007 at 08:58
No words..
I am afraid this replacement will be very hard for the band..
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2007 at 10:29
No, I can't believe it - for me Martin's keyboards were the element that created IQ sound. All right, Peter's voice unique, and Matt's brilliant guitarist, but there many guitarists of his kind, and Martin is simply irreplaceable
 
And I was so eager to see them in November
yet you still have time!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2007 at 10:47
That is a big shame. IQ will really miss Martin. They survived the departure of drummer Paul Cook, but Orfords contribution was crucial to the IQ sound.

I'll never forget just how good his intro to 'The wrong side of wierd' sounded live.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2007 at 11:23
I'm just bummed that the new album is to be pushed back. I would think that some of the new songs were already written with Martin. It will be interesting to hear the new IQ disc and also Martin's solo CD.
Best of 2006 that I've heard:
PFM-Stati Di Immaginazione
Zenit-Surrender (Best "unknown" album)
Oaksenham - Conquest of Pacific
2007:
Phideaux - Doomsday Afternoon
La Torre Del Alchimista - Neo
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2007 at 11:53
Really bad news, i just hope they will record the show at the FMPM and maybe put on cd, that's would the the heritage of martin Orford hand for IQ.
I was here in montreal  when they replace Paul Cook by Andy Edwards and 2 years after, Martin's left... and is last show will be again in montreal, really strangeConfused
 
But the show must go on and i wish good luck for Martin's side project
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2007 at 12:30
Crap!Why???
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2007 at 14:07

Bad news indeed.  I can't imagine IQ without Martin's signiture keyboard sound.  I don't think this bodes well for IQ at all.  Martin is one of the few modern keyboard players that makes digital keys sound good.  You just can't replace him.  IQ will be a much different band.Cry

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2007 at 14:15
Wait, the drummer's gone too? :(

The keyboards and drums are my favorite part of Harvest of Souls. Oh well.

Edited by KeleCableII - July 20 2007 at 14:16
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2007 at 14:20
Ouch. There goes IQ. I'm sure they'll make good music with his replacement, but it won't be IQ, anymore.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2007 at 17:38
Ouch
 
It will be intersting to see what there new stuff will sounds like, and if his solo output will sounds just like IQ...I for one would find that hilarious.
 
But it is sad.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 21 2007 at 15:45
 
 
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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