Janus, is a progressive rock band made up of English musicians in Krefeld in Germany in 1970, retired broke and unknown in 1973, despite being signed to the prestigious EMI "Harvest" label, alongside such bands as Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, and Edgar Broughton. Re-born in 1990, and just achieving success in 2001.Their style was truly original, and it has been said that Janus were the originators of the genre that became "acoustic rock". That probably misses the fact, that like the name, the band had two very distinct, schizophrenic, sides. Capable of soft, beautiful melodies, they also cranked out some mega-decibel material, which a few years later would have had them tagged as a punk band.
Signed to EMI Harvest in 1970, in 1971 they recorded the classic "Gravedigger" album. Remarkably, the whole album, including mixing was put together in 24 hours of studio time.
For two years, the band lived in Holland, partied on - making the "summer of love" a 36 month event - and managed very few live appearances. The second album, which should have been made in 1972/1973 included some dramatic concept pieces, and a 25 minute track "Under the Shadow of the Moon", which included elements that other artists would not make popular until the 1980's. Sadly, EMI never took up the option on the contract, due to the disappointing sales of "Gravedigger", so the album never got further than the rehearsal studio.
At the tail of 1973 Janus came to England, and managed to perform to one or two appreciative university audiences, before becoming the only band in history to be thrown out of the Cavern Club in Liverpool (too heavy.... read loud). By 1974 it was time to call it a day, so that was the first end of Janus.
In 1989, Colin Orr was contacted by a friend, who showed him an article in the UK "Record Collector" magazine. The Janus album "Gravedigger" was being re-released as a CD, and the band were now seen as ...." a turning point in German popular music." As well as having achieved cult status, the original album was selling to a new audience.
Orr who was always the "strange one" in the band, had been many things in the intervening 16 years. A teacher in the Falkland Islands, an office worker, and finally a mad scientist who had published scientific papers on microbiological work, despite having left school at 15 years of age. He ran his own business which had been successful enough to enable him to put together a private recording studio, which he had used for his own amusement.
Orr got together most of the original members of the band, and put down some new material in 1990, but was so disappointed with it, most was junked. In his own words, "it was too old. I didn't want to be one of those people with a 1970's hair style (although hair of any kind would have been nice....), clothes, and music stuck in a time warp."
Orr started a new Janus, involving several young, very talented, musicians, including Dave Harrold an Irish bass guitarist, Doug Boyes on Cello, and Paul Phoenix a phenomenal classical vocalist, graduate of the Royal Northern College, and somebody who had had a worldwide number 1 at the age of 11, as the lead in the St. Pauls Cathedral Choir, with the theme to a BBC TV show, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy". The resultant collaboration was released as "Out of Time" on CD, subsequently changed to "Agnus Dei" CD, following the release of the track of that name as a 20 minute single that made the Dutch top 50 in 1992. Had it made the top 40, and got some daytime radio play, who knows where things might have gone, but.......... "Agnus Dei" was a rare cross-over of musical styles, with rock guitar, Latin plainsong, classical cello, on 4 tremendously atmospheric mini-pieces.
First lineup:
Colin Orr (Guitar/Keyboards)
Roy Yates (Classical Guitar)
Bruno Lord (Vocals)
Derek Hyett (Vocals)
Mick Peberdy (Bass)
Keith Bonthrone (Drums)
Source: http://www.janus-music.com/JANUS.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment