1970

The Greatest Show on Earth - Horizons (1970). The Greatest Show on Earth were one of the more stylistically original signings to EMI’s legendary Progressive label Harvest. The band was formed in 1968 and featured brothers Garth and Norman Watt-Roy (who played guitar and bass respectively), along with American vocalist Ozzie Lane, Mick Deacon on Organ, a horn section of Dick Hanson, Tex Philpotts and Ian Aitcheson and drummer Ron Prudence. Initially beginning life as a Soul outfit, the band’s musical direction changed when vocalist Lane returned home to New Orleans in early 1969. Replaced by Colin Horton-Jennings (who also played guitar and flute), the band began to take on board more "progressive” influences, incorporating rock, jazz and acoustic music into their sound…

Layla stands as one of a handful of pillars of classic rock. The short-lived ensemble that was the Dominos provided an outlet for Eric Clapton to vent his then unrequited (and secret) passion for the wife of his best friend, George Harrison. Romantic anguish inspired Clapton to write and collect an embroiling and interconnected song cycle. Meanwhile, latecomer Duane Allman prodded Clapton to tear it up on guitar, so as not to be overwhelmed by his even more talented foil. Of course, Clapton eventually won the hand of his lady love. And then he divorced her. Sometimes real life messes up a good plot line. ~ Steve Stolder

Gary Burton hits a sweet electric funky sound here - a great groove that really makes the album stand out from most of his other work! The support Burton gets is a big reason for the greatness of the date - as he's working in a group that includes Eric Gale on guitar, Richard Tee on piano and organ, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Bernard Purdie on drums. The album's got a bit of trippiness to it - kind of in the style of some of Herbie Mann's funky production work for the Vortex label - and a few cuts have producer Joel Dorn working with Arif Mardin on the cuts, giving them a more expansive sound that pushes Burton's playing nicely. The vibes have a dark chromatic quality to them that sounds great next to the sweeter playing of the funky player - and the record's filled with nice numbers

The Trip were but one of many Italian bands combining rock, classical, jazz, pop and folk to produce what is now known as the Italian rock renaissance. They are another three man classical rock band in the realm of the Nice and Le Orme. All four of their albums are completely different and bear the stamp of another international group or movement. "Caronte" was considered their best album by psych collectors. On their third, "Atlantide", The Trip looks squarely at Emerson, Lake & Palmer for inspiration. The both are recommended to ELP or Le Orme fans.

Esoteric Recordings is proud to announce the release of a new re-mastered four disc deluxe expanded boxed set limited edition (comprising 3 CDs and a DVD) of the legendary self-titled debut album by Barclay James Harvest.
In April 1968 Barclay James Harvest released their first single, Early Morning, on EMI’s Parlophone label and became the first signing to EMI’s progressive label Harvest Records (named after them) the following year. Their self-titled debut album was released in June 1970, and saw BJH successfully fuse an orchestra with rock to create a unique, sometimes pastoral, form of symphonic progressive rock. Produced by Norman Smith (also famed for his work with Pink Floyd and the Pretty Things), Barclay James Harvest was dominated by the twelve-minute epic Dark Now My Sky and also featured such wonderful material as The Iron Maiden, Mother Dear, When the World Was Woken…

The Greatest Show on Earth - Horizons (1970). The Greatest Show on Earth were one of the more stylistically original signings to EMI’s legendary Progressive label Harvest. The band was formed in 1968 and featured brothers Garth and Norman Watt-Roy (who played guitar and bass respectively), along with American vocalist Ozzie Lane, Mick Deacon on Organ, a horn section of Dick Hanson, Tex Philpotts and Ian Aitcheson and drummer Ron Prudence. Initially beginning life as a Soul outfit, the band’s musical direction changed when vocalist Lane returned home to New Orleans in early 1969. Replaced by Colin Horton-Jennings (who also played guitar and flute), the band began to take on board more "progressive” influences, incorporating rock, jazz and acoustic music into their sound…

Máquina! is maybe the very first underground rock group to have recorded in Franco's Spain, their first single dating back to early 69, and the following year, their first LP was out with a striking artwork depicting a clock coming out from a croissant meaning that it was time to wake-up (and have breakfast) in Spain. The album was called Why? and it was clearly so rebellious under a dictature that fellow group Tapiman (and Barcelona crosstown rivals/friends) answered them with a track Don't Ask Why. The five-piece group developed a high-energy Hammond-driven psych/prog rock with two lead guitarists, with many extraordinary musical moments given the context of those years.