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mr70s View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Mystery band identified !
    Posted: July 23 2008 at 14:18
Fermata : Piesen Z Hol 1976
 
I recorded some great prog / fusion from a European radio station around 1983. The problem is I have no idea who they are !  From the style and arrangements, I would say that it was probably recorded between 1975 - 1979. The full album was played through continuously, and I managed to record around 30 minutes of it. There is a Mahavishnu influence in the long instrumental passages, with plenty of guitar solos that echo John Mclaughlin's use of extreme string bending such as on Birds Of Fire. However, there is no violin. Most tracks start with melodic electric piano introductions, and the keyboards are prominent throughout with synth solos.
On one long track, the bass plays a repeating sequence which is quite hypnotic. This particular piece reminds me of Santana in a spaced out frame of mind. The guitar and synth play quite loose improvisations which gives the music a spontaneous feel. At times the music breaks out into quirky funk, then takes a turn into almost straight rock. But it always is resolved back to proggy fusion. After all these years I am no closer to finding out who they are, despite following up many reviews on Prog Archives, and other forums. Is there some means of uploading this music so that it could be identified ? It was recorded from AM radio, but is of decent quality.  Any help would be appreciated.
 


Edited by Easy Livin - September 04 2008 at 14:46
ric
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 23 2008 at 14:26
I think that someone like Dick Heath or dark shade might be able to help you identify the band.  Both are highly knowledgeable in the realm of jazz/fusion bands.  You might want to PM them and arrange to provide them with a way to listen to it. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 23 2008 at 15:16
I know this might sound silly but what you're describing could be Journeys first album. Worth checking out maybe?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 23 2008 at 15:18
^ Not too silly actually.  That kind of crossed my mind too.  Especially because of the reference to Santana.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 23 2008 at 20:19
Thanks for the suggestions. Yes there are some similarities with Journey's first abum in the guitar style and use of synths. However, there are no vocals at all on my recording, and no Hammond, which does seem to push it more to the jazzier side of the spectrum.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 23 2008 at 22:22

The description is pretty vague, but perhaps Jeff Beck's Blow by Blow or Wired?

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2008 at 00:44
Originally posted by rushfan4 rushfan4 wrote:

I think that someone like Dick Heath or darkshade might be able to help you identify the band.  Both are highly knowledgeable in the realm of jazz/fusion bands. 


awww im so flattered
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2008 at 04:58
mr70s: You've been pm-ed.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2008 at 17:59
Thank you everyone for your interest. The two Jeff Beck albums are excellent , but quite different. This music seems to favour a more loose and experimental direction at times.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2008 at 18:36

Wanna upload it, or a part of it somewhere like rapidshare.com? might help us help you...

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2008 at 12:54
Just pm-ed this to mr70s, perhaps one of you guys can narrow it down a bit further (if I am correct, that is): 
 
OK, I've listened to those tracks and although I don't recognise these actual ones, I'm as certain as I can be that it's something by Chick Corea. As his catalogue is absolutely vast, it's not surprising that I don't recognise these ones though.
 
Although I can say that if it is him, it won't be one from his band 'Return to Forever' as I know those albums pretty well (except RTF live).
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2008 at 13:53
Yes, the electric piano style is similar to Corea's, and the influence of RTF is evident. I think I have the complete RTF recordings including the live performance (which does not have any guitar at all). The guitarists that Chick Corea recorded with in the 70s were Bill Connors and Al DiMeola, yet this guitarist has quite a different way of playing - more like John Mclaughlin. I just remembered that Corea did play on Mclaughlin's Electric Guitarist, so there is that link, but I don't think this is a collaboration between the two.
Pianists such as Jasper Van't Hof used to have a similar style in the 1970s, not forgetting Thomas Bettermann playing great Rhodes on albums such as Volker Kriegle's Elastic Menu from 1977.
 
The guitar player whips up a storm on the first track, and it is amazing how such a fiery player is not well known. I actually think the origin is European, due to hints of classical themes, and it is entirely possible that the band were an 'Iron Curtain' fusion band, as this genre thrived in Eastern Europe at this time.
But of course, I could be entirely wrong ! 


Edited by mr70s - July 26 2008 at 08:02
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2008 at 15:58
i have heard some of the tracks too, and i have to agree, i really think it's Chick Corea on keys. (this music is AWESOME BTW!!!!)

Maybe it's that band Circle??? i dont have anything by them, but i do know they were more avant-guard, so idk. this reminds me of Return to Forever. The only thing is that the bass is NOT Stanley Clarke, and he was on every RTF record. and this is definitely not from the 80s. sounds like it could be from between 1970-1974, not sure.

i will need to investigate this further.... Maybe Dick Heath knows??

I WANT THIS ALBUM IN GREAT QUALITY!!! lol


Edited by darkshade - July 25 2008 at 16:00
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2008 at 18:11

Really glad that you enjoyed the tracks !   I agree, the bass is not Stanley Clarke. Don't recognise the drummer either.  Circle sounds interesting, - I will check them out. 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2008 at 18:38
Maybe one of Chick Corea's solo albums?  My Spanish Heart or some other?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2008 at 18:57
Originally posted by jammun jammun wrote:

Maybe one of Chick Corea's solo albums?  My Spanish Heart or some other?


i dont think so, i have that album. I dont have all of CC's solo albums from the 60s and 70s so it's possible it's one of them. The style of these songs is very Chick Corea-esque that it cant be anyone else.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2008 at 19:11

Chic made many solo albums, but the musical direction moved away from jazz / rock, and featured more acoustic instruments. They are still worth seeking out if you are into rhodes and mini moog. My Spanish Heart was a double LP, and followed the same pattern. My recording is very different to these albums.

 


Edited by mr70s - April 03 2009 at 11:16
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 26 2008 at 09:09
The MO-like sound, the date, no violin, European radio station broadcast immediately have me thinking Isotope. I saw them live during this period and they weren't as together a MO. BTW Cuneiform Records have announced they are issuing an Isotope live albums recorded in the mid 70's this autumn. Then perhaps Larry Coryell - who has variously claimed to have influenced McLaughlin- try Back Together Again with Alphonse Mouzon, who did the Cobham speed thing on drums - but no keys?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 26 2008 at 17:36

I don't think it's Isotope as I have most of their albums. I would say that Isotope have a more reserved style, although they produced some good music, and were certailnly one of the better European bands. I saw the guitarist (Gary Boyle) play many times, but I think his sound was different, - although he acknowledged the influence of Mclaughlin. I will look forward to hearing those Isotope live recordings though. If anyone wants to check out the Gary Boyle solo albums, there is some blistering fusion playing by Gary Moore on Electric Glide.

The Coryell / Mouzon album Back Together Again is also quite different, in that as you say there are no keys. Also, this album takes a turn into a more 'radio friendly' direction with poppy funk tracks.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 02 2008 at 05:06
Dick Heath suggested the Texan band Electromagnets.    What a band !
Great musicians, great tunes. This was released in 1975, and features Eric Johnson, who sounds like Mclaughlin, Beck and Al Di Meola rolled into one. (Don't worry, it's not a train wreck)
Criminally ignored record !
 
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