Paladin - Jazzattack (1970-1971)

"In Gloucestershire, England, 1970, five musicians got together to rehearse, producing one of the most innovative and under rated rock bands of the seventies. The original idea for this band was first conceived in a hotel room in New York City, by Peter Solley and Keith Webb. At the time, they were the opening act for The Rollingstones, with the Terry Reid Band. Deciding to break away from the creative restrictions imposed on them as backing musicians, they returned to England to form their own band called PALADIN. Many months were spent finding the right blend of musicians, writing and rehearsing. The band consisted of Lou Stonebridge on vocals, piano, and harmonica, Derek Foley on guitar and vocals, Peter Solley on organ, piano, violin and vocals, Keith Webb on drums and percussion, and Peter Beckett on bass and vocals. Stonebridge and Foley had been playing with the band Grisby Dyke, and Peter Beckett was formerly of the band WORLD OF OZ. When the rehearsals began, it was clear that PALADIN was going to be a dynamic live band. Instead of recording a demo, they invited people from the music industry to attend the rehearsals. Their sound was a mix of rock, blues, soul, jazz, and latin, creating a rich blend of world beat, long before it existed. PALADIN'S use of dual keyboards also created a unique sounds. By the end of 1970, they hit the road to play live gigs. Their first appearance took place at the Revolution in London. After some negogiations, PALADIN signed with the newly formed Bronze Records. They began recording their self-titled, debut album on January 8, 1971, at Olympus Studios in West London. They also recorded some of the album at Island Studios, also in London. They recorded almost everything live in the studio, with a few overdubs. This decison produced some outstanding pieces of music. A year later, it was time for their second album, which was recorded at the famous Apple Studios in London. Entitled CHARGE!, the second album was pegged by critics to be the absolute classic masterpiece of the 70's. This diverse album, which at times mixed folk with rock and roll, made it difficult to pinpoint influences. The lead vocals were shared by the band members on select songs. Famous album cover artist Roger Dean, designed THE PALADIN, a rider on a horse, for CHARGE!, claiming it to be one of his most difficult sketches. Unfortunately, PALADIN'S lack of success led to frustration, with Stonebridge and Foley deciding to leave the band in the middle of 1972. Foley was replaced by Joe Jammer on vocals and guitar. However, the revised lineup didn't last long and by the end of the year, PALADIN disbanded. The career of PALADIN produced two of the finest hard/prog albums of the 70's. They also recorded early versions of tracks leaning more toward jazz. These were later reworked and the tapes were forgotten for almost 25 years until their release in 2002 by Rock Symphony under the name of JAZZATTACK. PALADIN did record live for the BBC but the tapes are believed to be still collecting dust in the vaults of old Beeb in London. Today, Peter Solley owns Peter Solley Productions, a company that produces MIDI files." (www.peterbeckett-player.com)

"The Brazilian Rock Symphony label has released this collection from Paladin, a British band that released two hard progressive albums in 1971 and 1972. The music here consists of early versions of tracks that ended up on their debut album and were later reworked. The sound is studio quality. These are the band’s most inventive and experimental pieces, though the album title is a bit of a misnomer as it is mostly rock with some jazz influence, sometimes sounding like a more progressive version of Santana." (www.kinesiscd.com)

1. The Gong (0:13)
2. The Fakir I (5:35)
3. Third World Part I (5:39)
4. Third World Part II (3:02)
5. Carry Me Home (4:49)
6. Dance of the Cobra (7:42)
7. Bad Times (7:14)
8. Fill Up Your Heart (5:42)
9. It's Time (4:28)
10. The Fakir II (5:01)

Lou Stonebridge / vocals, electric piano, harmonica
Pete Soley / organ, violin, Grand piano
Keith Webb / drums, percussion
Derek Foley / lead guitar, slide guitar, vocals
Peter Beckett / bass guitar, vocals

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 413 MB

Part 1__Part 2__Part 3

See ya!