Amazing Blondel

Amazing Blondel are an English folk-rock group that became known pseudo -Renaissance music in the early 1970s.

Occupation

  • John David Gladwin: twelve-string guitar, lute, bass, theorbo, Tabor ( drum), Glockenspiel.
  • Terence Alan Wincott: six-string guitar, harmonium, flutes, ocarinas, congas, curved horn, pipe organ, Tabor, harpsichord, piano, Mellotron, bongos, percussion.
  • Edward Baird: Loud, glockenspiel, zither, dulcimer, twelve-string guitar, percussion.

History

The Amazing Blondel group emerged from a rock band called Methuselah, which had been established in the English city of Lincoln. When the two musicians Terry Wincott and John Gladwin played acoustic, ajar to traditional melodies songs at a concert, the audience was so enthusiastic that they decided to maintain only that style. They chose the name Amazing Blondel and participated jointly with studio musicians, a plate of the same name on. Although the group did not come with it on a regional notoriety addition, but the Shepherd's song remained for years by a humorous live version a highlight of the concert. Through the mediation of the bassist of the group Free, Andy Fraser, a record deal was reached with the company Iceland. Now Edward Baird the group concurred. The arrangements were sophisticated and the plate Evensong contained for the first time the typical pseudo- Elizabethan sound.

Amazing Blondel played exclusively her own songs, but cleverly resorted to the traditional English music. Besides love songs they sang their home Lincolnshire. All three musicians were multi-instrumentalists and played so unusual instruments such as the lute ( theorbo ), curved horn, zither and harmonium, supported by interaction of two acoustic guitars and a sophisticated harmony vocals. Since there was no percussion instruments, you could assign the group also the folk, but unlike, for example, Steeleye Span played Amazing Blondel no rearranged traditionals, but only his own compositions. Spectacular was the twenty-minute suite Fantasia Lindum from the same album, were connected with the individual songs by dances and the recurring basic theme. Although the group attended a successful European tours, she managed never the big breakthrough because a resounding hit was missing.

After the recording of the album England John Gladwin left the group in 1973, which now took a complete change of style and to succeed with rockier songs was looking for. Now the band was called only " Blondel ". Although she still presented several albums, success was ultimately. Therefore, the band broke up in 1977.

It was not until twenty years later awoke a new interest with the fans, as the albums were published by Edsel on CD. Now the musicians decided to record an album. With the Restoration CD Amazing Blondel followed up on the plates of the early 1970s, without whose finesse to achieve again. Sporadically, the group met on again, especially in England, Scandinavia and Italy. Amazing Blondel made ​​music with a distinctive style and sat in the English folk rock of the early 1970s own accents. However, they were always in the shadow of the more popular folk-rock band.

Discography

  • The Amazing Blondel (on CD re-released under the title The Amazing Blondel & a few faces ) ( 1970)
  • Evensong (1970 )
  • Fantasia Lindum (1971 )
  • England (1972 )
  • Blondel ( 1973)
  • Mulgrave Street ( 1974)
  • Inspiration ( 1975)
  • Bad dreams (1976 )
  • Mulgrave Street / Inspiration ( U.S. double LP) (1976 )
  • Live in Tokyo ( 1977) ( The album title is misleading, and the recordings are from a European tour )
  • Englishe Musicke (CD sampler with songs from the albums Evensong, Fantasia Lindum and England) (1993 )
  • Restoration (1997)
  • A foreign field is forever England did ( live album with pictures from the European tour 1972/73) (1996)
  • Harvest of gold - The English Folk Almanac (sampler with live recordings of Steeleye Span, Lindisfarne ( band) and Magna Carta ( band); contains five live recordings of Amazing Blondel from the early 1970s, which on any other LP / CD published! )
  • Going Where The Music Takes Me (Live & Studio Archive recordings From The 60 's To the 80's ) (2-CD & DVD) ( 2004) ( compilation of 38 unreleased recordings, but which come from the musicians and not by the group )
  • On With The Show ( compilation of unreleased recordings, but which come from the musicians and not by the group )
  • The Amazing Elsie Emerald ( 2010)
  • Dead / Live in Transylvania ( live album ) (2011 )
Crumhorn Lincoln, England Free (Band) Folk music Lindisfarne (Band)
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