Budgie (prog rock, hard rock, heavy metal / UK)

Budgie formed in 1967 in Cardiff, Wales under the name Hills Contemporary Grass. Their original line-up consisted of Burke Shelley, Tony Bourge, and Ray Phillips. 
After performing several gigs in 1968, the band changed their name to Budgie the following year and recorded their first demo. The band originally formed under such names as Hills Contemporary Grass and Six Ton Budgie. Burke Shelley has said that the band's name came from the fact that he, "loved the idea of playing noisy, heavy rock, but calling ourselves after something diametrically opposed to that".

Their debut album in strong blues oriented hard rock lines was recorded at Rockfield Studios with Black Sabbath producer Rodger Bain and released in 1971, followed by Squawk in 1972. The third album, Never Turn Your Back On a Friend (1973), contained "Breadfan", which was covered by Metallica in 1988, the band having covered another Budgie song, "Crash Course In Brain Surgery" earlier in their career. Ray Philips left the band before the fourth album In for the Kill! was recorded and was replaced by Pete Boot (b. Peter Charles Boot, 30 September 1950, West Bromwich, Staffordshire).



Musical style and legacy:

Budgie's music is a cross between the progressive textures of Rush and heaviness of Black Sabbath. Burke Shelley's vocals have been compared to Geddy Lee due to his similar approach of high-pitched banshee wails (incidentally, Shelley and Lee are also the bass players in their respective bands). Although Budgie remained quite obscure during their early career, many future stars of hard rock/metal have cited them as an important influence and covered their songs, including Iron Maiden, Metallica, Van Halen, Melvins, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden.


Discography:

Studio albums:


1971 Budgie
1972 Squawk
1973 Never Turn Your Back on a Friend
1974 In for the Kill!
1975 Bandolier
1976 If I Were Brittania I'd Waive the Rules
1978 Impeckable
1980 Power Supply
1981 Nightflight
1982 Deliver Us From Evil
2006 You're All Living in Cuckooland

More albums: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budgie_(band)


Parents: 

Current members:

Burke Shelley – lead vocals, bass guitar (1967–1988, 1995–1996, 1999–present)
Steve Williams – drums, backing vocals (1974–1986, 1999–present)
Craig Goldy – guitars (2007–present)


Former members:

Tony Bourge - guitars (1967–1978)
Ray Phillips – drums (1967–1974)
Pete Boot – drums (1974)
Rob Kendrick - guitars, backing vocals (1978–1979)
John "Big" Thomas - guitars (1979–1988, 1995–1996, 1999–2002)
Duncan Mackay – keyboards (1982)
Jim Simpson – drums (1986–1988)
Robert "Congo" Jones - drums (1995–1996)
Andy Hart – guitars (2002–2003)
Simon Lees – guitars (2003–2007)


Touring members:

Myf Isaac - guitars (1975–1978)


More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budgie_(band)

Classic Albums (The Making Of) / The Doors - The Doors (1967)

Classic Albums: The Doors - The Doors (1967)

The Doors is the debut album by American rock band The Doors, recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967. It was originally released in different stereo and mono mixes, and features the breakthrough single "Light My Fire", extended with an instrumental section mostly omitted on the single release, and the lengthy song "The End" with its Oedipal spoken word section. The Doors credit the success of the album to being able to work the songs out night after night at the Whisky a Go Go and the London Fog. The Doors was ranked #42 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It has sold over 12.5 million copies.

More info about the album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doors_(album)

Vashti Bunyan (folk / UK)

Jennifer Vashti Bunyan (born 1945 in Newcastle) is an English singer-songwriter. In 1970, Bunyan released her first album, Just Another Diamond Day. The album sold very few copies, and Bunyan, discouraged, abandoned her musical career. 
By 2000, her album had acquired a cult following; it was re-released and Bunyan recorded more songs, initiating the second phase of her musical career after a gap of thirty years.

Years active: 1965–1970, 2002–present

At 18, she travelled to New York and discovered the music of Bob Dylan through his The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan album and decided to become a full-time musician. 
Returning to London she was discovered by Rolling Stones' manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, and, in June 1965, under his direction, she released her first single, the Jagger and Richards penned "Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind" (their own version later turning up on the outtakes compilation Metamorphosis), on Decca Records. 
Released using simply the name Vashti, it was backed with her own song "I Want to Be Alone". The single and her follow-up "Train Song", released on Columbia in May 1966, produced by Canadian Peter Snell, received little attention. Her only other performance of this time to find release was her distinctive vocal on "The Coldest Night of the Year" with Twice as Much (which eventually turned up on their second and final LP, That's All, appearing on Oldham's Immediate Records in 1968). After recording further songs for Immediate Records, which remain unreleased, and making a brief appearance in the 1967 documentary 'Tonite Let's All Make Love in London', performing her song "Winter Is Blue", she decided to travel with her boyfriend Robert Lewis by horse and cart to the Hebridean Islands to join a commune planned by a friend, fellow singer/songwriter Donovan ("...from South London up to the Hebrides. Initially to Skye but we carried on to the Outer Hebrides."). During the trip she began writing the songs that eventually became her first album, Just Another Diamond Day.

During a break from her trip at Christmas 1968, she met Joe Boyd through a friend and he offered to record an album of her travelling songs for his Witchseason Productions. A year later Vashti returned to London and recorded her first LP with assistance from Simon Nicol and Dave Swarbrick of Fairport Convention, Robin Williamson of The Incredible String Band and string arranger Robert Kirby, today best known for his work on Nick Drake's first two albums. The album appeared on Philips Records to warm reviews in December 1970, but struggled to find an audience. Disappointed, she left the music industry and moved to The Incredible String Band's Glen Row cottages, then Ireland. Much of the ensuing 30 years were spent raising her three children and tending animals. In this time, entirely unknown to her, the original album slowly became one of the most sought-after records of its time. It has sold on eBay for as much as $2000.


Bunyan has been labelled "the Godmother of Freak Folk" for her role in inspiring the "new generation of folk experimentalists including Devendra Banhart and Adem".

Some internet journalistic sources categorize her music as folk, psych folk, or new folk.


Just Another Diamond Day (1969, full album):

Dark Ages:

Discography:

Studio albums:

Just Another Diamond Day (Philips 1970)
Lookaftering (Fat Cat Records 2005)
[edit]Compilations
Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind – Singles and Demos 1964 to 1967 (Fat Cat Records/Spinney Records 2007)


Singles:

"Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind" / "I Want To Be Alone" (Decca, 1965) (as Vashti)
"Train Song" / "Love Song" (Columbia (EMI), 1966) (as Vashti)

Compilation appearances:

Tonite Let's All Make Love in London (1967)
"Winter Is Blue" (as Vashti)
"Winter Is Blue (Reprise)" (as Vashti)
Circus Days - UK Psychedelic Obscurities 1966-70 Vol.1 (1990)
"I'd Like To Walk Around In Your Mind" (as Vashti)
A Pot By Any Other Name (2001) (compilation issued by Ptolemaic Terrascope magazine)
"17 Pink Sugar Elephants" (rec. 1966) (early variation of "Train Song")
Instant Karma (2002)
"Winter Is Blue" (as Vashti) (combined version of song from Tonite Let's All Make Love in London)
Folk Rock and Faithfull: Dream Babes Vol. 5 (2004)
"Train Song" (rec. 1966) (as Vashti)
"Love Song" (rec. 1966) (as Vashti)
The Golden Apples of the Sun (2004)
"Rejoicing in the Hands" (with Devendra Banhart)
The Enlightened Family: A Collection Of Lost Songs (2005)
"Song of a Wishwanderer" (rec. 1968)
Not Alone (2006)
"Same But Different"
Ballads of the Book (2007)
"The Fire" (lyrics by Rodge Glass)
Gather In The Mushrooms - The British Acid-Folk Underground 1968 - 1974 (2004)
"Winter Is Blue"


Guest appearances:

- Twice as Much - That's All (1970)
  "Coldest Night of the Year" (rec. 1967)
- Piano Magic - Writers Without Homes (2002)
  "Crown of the Lost"
- Piano Magic - Saint Marie EP (2004)
  "Dark Ages"
- Devendra Banhart - Rejoicing in the Hands (2004)
  "Rejoicing in the Hands"
- Animal Collective - Prospect Hummer (2005)
  "It's You"
  "Prospect Hummer"
  "I Remember Learning How to Dive"
- Vetiver - Thing of the Past (2008)
  "Sleep a Million Years"
- Dudley Benson - Forest: Songs by Hirini Melbourne (2010)
  "Tui"


Source: Wikipedia

Classic Albums (The Making Of) / Deep Purple - Machine Head (1972)

Classic Album - The making of:

Deep Purples Machine Head is one of the definitive rock albums of the 70s. Recorded in 1972 it features the classic Deep Purple line up of Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice at the very peak of their creative powers and became their most commercially successful album worldwide.

The story of the albums creation, in the rooms and corridors of the Grand Hotel in Montreux following a fire which burnt down the Casino where they were planning to record, was immortalised in their all time classic track Smoke On The Water.

This latest addition to the Classic Albums series features exclusive interviews with all the members of the band plus Martin Birch, the albums engineer, and renowned rock journalist Chris Welch. Alongside the interviews there is archive footage of the band performing tracks from the album in concert.

Bonus features include additional interviews not seen in the TV broadcast version, very rare American footage of the band performing Smoke On The Water and the original 1972 promo film for Never Before.

https://youtu.be/9ttmg25OrbQ :

Machine Head is the sixth studio album released by the English hard rock band Deep Purple. It was recorded through December 1971 in Montreux, Switzerland, and released in March 1972.
Machine Head is often cited as a major influence in the early development of the heavy metal music genre. Commercially, it was Deep Purple's most successful album, topping the charts in several countries following its release. The album reached number 1 in the United Kingdom and stayed in the top 40 for 20 weeks. It reached number 7 in the United States, remaining on the Billboard 200 for 118 weeks.

More info about the album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Head_(album)


https://youtu.be/uhxkHqY9HJA : 

Classic Albums (The Making Of) / Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)

The second album by Black Sabbath, released in 1970, has long attained classic status. Paranoid not only changed the face of rock music, but also defined the sound and style of heavy metal more than any other record in rock history. The result of a magic chemistry which had been discovered between four English musicians, it put Black Sabbath firmly on the road to world domination.

This programme tells the story behind the writing, recording and success of the album. Despite vilification from the Christian and moral right and all the harsh criticism that the music press could hurl at them, Paranoid catapulted Sabbath into the rock stratosphere.

Using exclusive interviews, musical demonstration, archive footage and a return to the multi-tracks with engineer Tom Allom, the film reveals how Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward created their frighteningly dark, heavy and ear-shatteringly loud sound.
Additional comments from Phil Alexander (MOJO & Kerrang! editor), Geoff Barton (Classic Rock editor), Henry Rollins (writer/musician) and Jim Simpson (original manager) add insight to the creation of this all-time classic.

Only to see on YouTube: http://youtu.be/ALQkxWp4AOg

or try:

Part 1:  http://youtu.be/Zp6fMY_0v8k


Part 2: 

Part 3:

Part 4: 

Paranoid is the second studio album by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Released in September 1970, the album was the only one by the band to top the UK Albums Chart, and as a result is commonly identified as the band's magnum opus. Paranoid has been certified four times platinum by the RIAA and contains some of the band's best-known signature songs, including the title track, "Iron Man" and "War Pigs".To capitalise on their chart success in the US, the band returned to the studio in June 1970, just four months after Black Sabbath was released. The new album was initially set to be named War Pigs after the song "War Pigs", which was critical of the Vietnam War; however, Warner changed the title of the album to Paranoid. The album's lead-off single "Paranoid" was written in the studio at the last minute. As Bill Ward explains: "We didn't have enough songs for the album, and Tony just played the [Paranoid] guitar lick and that was it. It took twenty, twenty-five minutes from top to bottom." The single was released in September 1970 and reached number four on the UK charts, remaining Black Sabbath's only top ten hit. The album followed in the UK in October 1970, where, pushed by the success of the "Paranoid" single, it made number one in the charts.

More info about the album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranoid_(album)

David Bowie (Photos)

Classic Albums (The Making Of) / Rush - 2112 (1976) and Moving Pictures (1981)

The making of:  Rush - 2112 & Moving Pictures

Rush - 2112 & Moving Pictures / Classic Albums:  https://youtu.be/kJYVSaIin6g :

2112 (pronounced "twenty-one twelve") is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band, Rush.
Released in 1976, the album features an eponymous seven-part suite written by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, with lyrics written by Neil Peart telling a dystopian story set in the year 2112. The album is sometimes described as a concept album although the songs on the second side are unrelated to the plot of the suite. Rush repeated this arrangement on the 1978 album Hemispheres.


More info about the album: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2112_(album)

2112 (full album) : https://youtu.be/wPpQWyMjQ-s :

Moving Pictures is the eighth studio album by Canadian progressive rock band Rush, released on February 12, 1981, through Anthem Records. After touring to support their previous album, Permanent Waves (1980), the band started to write and record new material in August 1980 with co-producer Terry Brown. They continued to write songs with a more radio-friendly format, featuring tighter song structures and songs of shorter length compared to their early albums.

More info about the album: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_Pictures_(Rush_album)

Moving Pictures (full album):  https://youtu.be/M1uA4O6g1G4 : 

Source: wikipedia

Rock Family Trees - The British R & B Boom (documentary)

Rock family trees traces the history of the British R & B boom of the 60's.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4: 

Part 5: 

Part 6:

Pain of Salvation (prog rock, prog metal / Sweden)

Pain of Salvation is a Swedish progressive rock band headed by Daniel Gildenlöw; the band's lyricist, chief composer, guitarist, and lead vocalist. Their sound is characterised by powerful, accentuated guitar work, broad vocal range, abrupt switching between heavy and calm passages, intense syncopation, and polyrhythmic experimentation. Another trademark of the band is that each album is a concept album. Some of the topics addressed in the band's albums include sexuality, war and its effect on family and humanity, environmental issues (such as nuclear power), the forming of the individual, and the nature of God, humankind, and existence.

The name "Pain of Salvation" was devised by Daniel Gildenlöw, whose intention was to incorporate the notion of balance, which he believed to be of vital significance, e.g. good and bad, light and dark, life and death; pain and salvation.

"I wanted a name that meant something, a name that was more than a cool expression. For me, Pain of Salvation has the meaning of balance. Taking the good with the bad. It is also a good expression in everyday use, when something does not go the way you planned; "well, that’s just the pain of salvation," to indicate that this is just a slight setback on an otherwise painless journey towards your goal." 

"The idea with the name is that everything has two sides, everything is in balance." 

"Imagine yourself exhausted in the middle of a desert... Sitting down will take away your pain, but it will kill you. The walk for water will hurt, but it may save your life."

"I formed my first band at eleven, I called it Reality. When I turned 15, I decided to change, because I did not the same as in the age of 11. I tried to come up with a new band name. It was during a math lesson, I was writing band names. I wrote Pain of Salvation and it stuck. I showed it to my classmate, who later became a member of the band, he said too long, nobody would remember that!" 



Biography:

Early days (1984-1996):
In 1984, Daniel Gildenlöw (at the age of eleven) founded the band "Reality" in Eskilstuna, Sweden. One of the early members was Daniel Magdic, who would remain with the band until after the first album was eventually recorded in 1997. In 1987, Reality qualified to participate in the Swedish Annual Music Contest "Rock-SM" (this is the same contest that fellow Swedes Europe won in 1982, earning them international recognition in the early 80s). They were the youngest competitors ever to enter the competition and Daniel Gildenlöw also won the prize for "Best Vocalist".
1990 saw a number of line-up changes, including the addition of talented Johan Langell (then 14 years old) on drums; as the core composers Gildenlöw and Magdic found it difficult to fully implement their musical ideas with the current members. Also joining the band was Gustaf Hielm on bass guitar. Somewhat disillusioned and bored of the "Reality" moniker, Gildenlöw renamed the band to "Pain of Salvation" in 1991. For the next 3 years, the band achieved national success in several contests and competitions. Some of the songs performed during this era can be found on the earlier albums.
In 1994, Kristoffer Gildenlöw (Daniel’s younger brother) replaced Gustaf Hielm (who later went on to join fellow Swedish metal band Meshuggah) on the bass. This resulted in a steady group consisting of the Gildenlöws, Daniel Magdic and Johan Langell. The band entered a local studio soon after to record a demo, Hereafter, with a combination of old and new material. While they had recorded several tapes before, this was the first to be actually sent to a record company in the hope of procuring a record deal. This demo however was recorded without a keyboardist. To complete the line up (and sonic requirements) of the band, they began the search for one. It was through this Hereafter tape that Fredrik Hermansson got interested in the band and after an introduction to the band through a fellow student he got the invitation to do an audition. In the autumn of 1996, Fredrik Hermansson became the fifth member of the band.



Healing Now: 

Sisters:

Current members:

Daniel Gildenlöw - lead vocals, guitar (1984−present)
Gustaf Hielm - bass guitar, backing vocals (1992–1994, 2011–present)
Léo Margarit - drums, backing vocals (2007−present)
Daniel Karlsson - keyboards, backing vocals (2011–present), bass guitar (2011)
Ragnar Zolberg - guitar, lead & backing vocals (2012–present)


Former member:

Joakim Strandberg - bass guitar (1984–1990)
Mikael Pettersson - drums (1984–1989)
Daniel Magdic - guitar, backing vocals (1986−1997)
Johan Langell - drums, percussion, backing vocals (1989−2007)
Magnus Johansson - bass guitar (1990–1992)
Kristoffer Gildenlöw - bass guitar, cello, backing vocals (1994−2006)
Fredrik Hermansson - keyboards, synthesizers (1996−2011)
Johan Hallgren - guitar, lead & backing vocals (2012)
Simon Andersson - bass guitar, backing vocals (2007–2008)


Touring: 

Per Schelander - bass guitar, backing vocals (2008–2010)



More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain_Of_Salvation

Jethro Tull - BBC 1979 (documentary)

JETHRO TULL - LIVELY ARTS  / "BBC Documentary - North American Tour 1979"

This documentary was filmed in the first half of 1979. It includes interviews and statements of all band members, as well as some rare concert footage that was filmed at the North american tour in 1979, probably most of it at the Seattle Coliseum April 10, 1979. Also some rare footage from the "Waters Edge" ballet can be found, as well as the band rehearsing the unreleased track "Apocalypse". The documentary was broadcast in various countries.

Classic Albums (The Making Of) / Grateful Dead - Anthem to Beauty (1968 and 1970)

Anthem to Beauty is a music documentary about the making of the Grateful Dead albums Anthem of the Sun and American Beauty. It originally aired in a somewhat shortened version in 1997 as part of the television series Classic Albums. It was released on VHS video tape in 1998 and on DVD in 1999, with a running time of 1 hour 15 minutes.


The video combines footage from the early years of the Grateful Dead with 1997 interviews of former band members and associates. Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bob Weir, Robert Hunter, and David Grisman, among others, discuss the creation of 1968's experimental, psychedelic "Anthem of the Sun" and 1970's folk-rock classic "American Beauty". 
They also listen to and analyze the original master recordings for the albums, and talk about being in (or working with) the Grateful Dead at that time. Recording engineer Stephen Barncard rolls the original master tape and solos tracks, recalling the recording sessions and highlighting specific moments.
Keyboardist Tom Constanten discusses the artificiality of appearing on Hugh Hefner's show Playboy After Dark. David Grisman plays his full version of the mandolin part for Ripple, as he had intended.

Anthem of the Sun is the second studio album by the Grateful Dead, released in 1968. It is the first album to feature second drummer Mickey Hart, who joined the band in September 1967. In 2003, the album was ranked number 287 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.


More info about the album Anthem of the Sun:  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthem_of_the_Sun







American Beauty is the sixth album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. It was recorded between August and September 1970 and originally released in November 1970 by Warner Bros. Records. The album continued the folk rock and country music explored on Workingman's Dead and prominently features the lyrics of Robert Hunter.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 258 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.


More info about the album American Beauty: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Beauty_(album)

Mellow Candle (folk rock, prog folk / Ireland)

Mellow Candle was an Irish progressive folk rock band of the 70s. The members were also unusually young, Clodagh Simonds being only 15 and Alison Bools (later O'Donnell) and Maria White 16, and still at school, at the time of their first single, "Feelin' High", released in 1968 on Simon Napier-Bell's SNB Records. Though sometimes compared to Renaissance, Pentangle, and Fairport Convention, Mellow Candle had a distinctive sound driven by the interweaving harmonies of singers Clodagh Simonds and Alison Williams, the melodic bass playing of Frank Boylan, and original songwriting. 


By 1972, the lineup had expanded to include Dave Williams on guitar, Frank Boylan on bass, and William Murray on drums. 
With this lineup in place, the band released their only album, Swaddling Songs (Deram Records), which was commercially unsuccessful at the time. Over the years, however, the lone album by the band has received considerable critical acclaim and original vinyl copies are now very valuable. Boylan was later replaced by Steve Borrill (ex-Spirogyra), but shortly afterwards the band split up.



Years active 1965–1973


Personnel:

Clodagh Simonds – lead vocals, backing vocals, piano, harpsichord, mellotron
Alison Williams – lead vocals, backing vocals
David Williams – guitar, backing vocals
Frank Boylan – bass guitar, backing vocals
William Murray - drums, percussion



Silver Song:

The Poet and the Witch:

Discography:

Swaddling Songs (the only studio album released in December 1971):


Track listing:

"Heaven Heath" (Alison Williams) – 3:00
"Sheep Season" (Clodagh Simonds, A. Williams, David Williams) – 5:01
"Silversong" (Simonds) – 4:26
"The Poet and the Witch" (Simonds) – 2:51
"Messenger Birds" (A. Williams) – 3:38
"Dan the Wing" (Simonds) – 2:45
"Reverend Sisters" (Simonds) – 4:21
"Break Your Token" (Simonds) – 2:27
"Buy or Beware" (D. Williams) – 3:04
"Vile Excesses" (D. Williams, William Murray) – 3:14
"Lonely Man" (Simonds) – 4:30
"Boulders on My Grave" (Simonds) – 3:40

Bonus tracks:

The CD re-issue includes the following as bonus tracks: 
"Feeling High" (Simonds) – 2:23
"Tea with the Sun" (Simonds) – 3:18
(These tracks were the original single and B-side released by the young band in 1968.)






More info: http://www.janetrecords.com/mc/

Classic Albums (The Making Of) / The Who - Who's Next 1971 (documentary)

The Who - Who's Next (1971)


Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyzQ_bAbrIQ&feature=share&list=PL170108058EBABB24


Part 4: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5rGKrIpu4A&feature=share&list=PL170108058EBABB24


Part 5:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?=eyuZ5DUaMaM&feature=share&list=PL170108058EBABB24




Who's Next is the fifth studio album by English rock band The Who, released in August 1971. The album has origins in a rock opera conceived by Pete Townshend called Lifehouse. The ambitious, complex project did not come to fruition at the time and instead, many of the songs written for the project were compiled onto Who's Next as a collection of unrelated songs. Who's Next was a critical and commercial success when it was released, and has been certified 3× platinum by the RIAA.


More info about the album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who's_Next

Spirogyra (prog folk / UK)

Spirogyra are a British folk/prog band that recorded three albums between 1971 and 1973, with further original albums in 2009 and 2011.

History:

Martin Cockerham (vocals/guitar) and Mark Francis originally formed Spirogyra as a duo in Bolton, Lancashire in the summer of 1967, not to be confused with a similarly named 1980s American jazz group (Spyro Gyra).
When Martin went to the University of Kent at Canterbury in December 1969 he expanded the band to include fellow students Barbara Gaskin (vocals), Steve Borrill (bass guitar), and Julian Cusack (violin). They were soon spotted by student union entertainments officer Max Hole, who offered to manage them and got them a recording contract with B&C Records. 


Their debut album, St. Radigunds, was named after the street that their student house was on. It established them as a cult act on the underground club circuit, and sold respectably. Its follow-up, 1972's Old Boot Wine, appeared on Peg Records and showcased a harder-edged sound than their predominantly acoustic debut.
After the release of Old Boot Wine, the band was pared back to the duo of Cockerham and Gaskin, who were by now romantically involved. Their final album, Bells, Boots and Shambles, appeared on Polydor in April 1973 and sold poorly.

Widely regarded today as one of the classics of British 'acid folk', it featured guest appearances from the band's former members, as well as contributions from Henry Lowther on trumpet. Copies of all three albums are rare and expensive today. All three also appeared on Brain Records in Germany, with gatefold sleeves (unlike their UK counterparts). Dave Mattacks of Fairport Convention played drums on all three albums as a guest.

In March 1974 Spirogyra undertook their last tour, with Martin Cockerham (vocals and guitar), Barbara Gaskin (vocals and electric piano), Rick Biddulph (bass and guitars) and Jon Gifford (woodwinds). The new, rather experimental material was promising, but never made it on a fourth studio album. New titles were "The River", "Waves" and "Sea Song".

Cockerham lived abroad for many years but returned to England early in the new millennium. He began to issue privately new editions of old Spirogyra material and some previously unreleased work. He reunited with Mark Francis using their original Spirogyra name, and from 2004 to 2006 they recorded a new album which was finally released as a physical CD in 2009, entitled Children's Earth. At the same time another new album called Rainbow Empire, while officially a Martin Cockerham solo release, featured the same collaborations and is musically cognate. Both were made available, as are other releases, through his Rainbow Empire website, and were favourably reviewed in the Christmas 2009 edition of Record Collector magazine.


On June 6th 2010 Spirogyra reunited for a 'A Psychedelic evening with Spirogyra' at The Union Chapel Islington, hosted by Ron Brand and Tiffany Vivienne Brown of Ron Brand Management. The gig received positive reviews and Martin was well received amongst his long standing fans.
The duo of Cockerham and Francis, with several colleagues, combined for another Spirogyra album in 2011, calling it "Spirogyra 5". This album reunited Cockerham and the trumpeter Henry Lowther who had earlier contributed to the "Bells, Boots and Shambles" album.



The Duke of Beaufoot (1971):

In The Western World (1973): 

Discography:

Albums:

St. Radigunds - 1971
Old Boot Wine - 1972
Bells, Boots and Shambles - 1973
Burn the Bridges - 1969-72
Children's Earth - 2009
Spirogyra 5 - 2011

Compilation albums:

We Were a Happy Crew - 1999 - Best of compilation
A Canterbury Tale - 2006 - 2 disc retrospective
Spirogyra Box Set Si Wan Records


Sources: Wikipedia, Last.fm

Classic Albums (The Making Of) / Frank Zappa - Over-nite Sensation (1973) and Apostrophe (') (1974)

Classic Albums - Frank Zappa: Over-nite sensation / Apostrophe (') (1973/1974)

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4: 

Part 5:

Over-Nite Sensation is the seventeenth studio album by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. Released on September 7, 1973, it was followed by Zappa's solo album Apostrophe (') (1974), which was recorded during the same sessions.


Frank Zappa wanted to use backup singers on the songs "I'm the Slime", "Dirty Love", "Zomby Woof", "Dinah-Moe Humm" and "Montana". His road manager suggested The Ikettes, and Ike & Tina Turner were contacted. Ike Turner insisted that Zappa pay the singers, including Tina Turner, no more than $25 per song. During the recording sessions, Tina brought Ike into the studio to hear one of her recordings with Zappa. Ike listened to the tape and responded "What is this shit?" before leaving the studio. Ike later insisted that Zappa would not credit the Ikettes on the released album.
The recording sessions, which produced Over-Nite Sensation also produced Zappa's followup, Apostrophe (') (1974), released as a solo album rather than a Mothers of Invention release.

More info about the album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over-Nite_Sensation

Apostrophe (') is an album by Frank Zappa, his eighteenth, released on March 22, 1974 in both stereo and quadraphonic formats. An edited version of its lead-off track, "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow", was Zappa's first chart single, reaching position 86. Apostrophe (') remains Zappa's biggest commercial success in the US. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on April 7, 1976. The album also peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Charts, and would end up becoming Zappa's highest-charting album.
Continuing from the commercial breakthrough of Over-Nite Sensation (1973), this album is a similar mix of short songs showcasing Zappa's humor and musical arrangements. The record's lyrical themes are often bizarre or obscure, with the exception of "Uncle Remus", which is an extension of Zappa's feelings on racial disharmony featured on his earlier song "Trouble Every Day".

More info about the album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostrophe_(%27)