Flash

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Flash

Flash was an English progressive rock group, formed by former Yes guitarist Peter Banks and vocalist Colin Carter in August 1971. Bassist Ray Bennett and drummer Mike Hough completed the line-up.^[1][2]

The band wait straight into the studio in November 1971 to record its debut album, and performed its first gig on January 14, 1972 (coincidentally, exactly one year later, on January 14, 1973, Flash would fill New York's Philharmonic Hall).

There is some controversy over whether fellow ex-Yes member, keyboardist Tony Kaye, who appeared on the first Flash album, was actually an "official" member of the group, or merely a guest. The confusion stems from the fact that Kaye is listed alongside the other members of the group on the back cover. Interviews with all the parties confirm that, though Kaye was invited to join he declined, and should have been cited as a guest on the first album. He went on to found Badger in 1972. Other potential keyboard players were approached or auditioned at the time, including Ian McDonald (formerly of King Crimson), Rick Wakeman (soon to join Yes) and Patrick Moraz (also a future member of Yes), but eventually the band decided to carry on as a keyboard-less quartet, with Carter handling the occasional synthesizer part.

Flash had a minor hit with "Small Beginnings" (1972, #29 Billboard Hot 100 chart) which was featured in the movie, Record Review. The song "Small Beginnings" has also been included in numerous compilation CDs, most recently Bob Stroud's "Rock 'n Roll Roots, Vol. 10". ^[3]

The band released three albums, Flash (1972), In The Can (1972) and Out Of Our Hands (1973).

Flash were signed with Sovereign, a sub-label of Capitol Records and received a lot of support from the label, who were hoping for a similar level of success to other progressive rock bands such as ELP or Yes. The debut LP sold in excess of 100,000 copies. They toured North America a total of four times, and Continental Europe (Holland, Belgium and Germany) once, in early 1972, while regularly playing gigs in their native UK, including a joint tour with Beck, Bogert & Appice in 1973. Flash also did a brief tour of Australia, while making their third album.

Flash disbanded during an American tour in Albuquerque, New Mexico in November 1973. At this point relationships inside the band had soured, particularly between Banks and the rest of the band. One episode that proved particularly damaging was when, at the insistence of Capitol, the third album was released under the name Flash - featuring England's Peter Banks, to capitalise on the interest generated by Banks' solo album Two Sides Of Peter Banks which was released almost concurrently, but the band weren't informed of the decision until the actual release.

A 1997 release, Psychosync, compiles a live recording made in 1973 for a WLIR radio broadcast as well as their two songs performed on The Midnight Special TV show.

After Flash

In the years following the band's breakup, the musicians kept working together in various combinations.

Bennett and Carter tried to start another band, eventually joined by Hough, with keyboard player Chris Pidgeon and ex-Flaming Youth member Gordon Smith on guitar, later replaced by Barry Paul (ex-Savoy Brown). After playing what turned out to be its only gig at London's Marquee Club, the band (unofficially named Blaze) settled in New York, but failed to secure a record deal (its management having turned down several offers hoping for a better one to turn up) and broke up.

In 1975, Peter Banks invited Bennett to join him in a new project with Sidonie Jordan [aka Sydney Foxx] (vocals) and Andrew McCulloch (drums, formerly of King Crimson and Greenslade). Initial rehearsals in London led to a demo recording, but despite the help of Pete Townshend and Robert Stigwood, Banks failed to secure a deal. Later, Bennett recorded another demo with Jordan and McCulloch, but without Banks.

In 1976, Bennett was briefly a member of Banks' new project Empire, again featuring Jordan, but the reunion was short-lived.

In the early 1980s, with all ex-Flash members now based in Los Angeles, a reformation was attempted but failed to take off. Banks and Bennett kept playing together informally until they fell out again.

More recently, Bennett and Carter have been working together again under the Flash name (Hough was initially involved but later dropped out, and there was, briefly, talk of Banks taking part but, in the end, he declined). Bennett and Carter played together at the 2005 Baja Prog musical festival in Mexico.^[4][5][6]

Bennett and Carter posted new material as Flash on the flash/bennettcarter MySpace website in July, 2009.[9] Titles of the new songs are "Grand Canyon," "How The West Was Won," and "10,000". Videos of the reunited Bennett and Carter can be found on youtube. ^[7][8]

Discography

• Flash [recorded November 1971] (January 1972) U.S. #33.

1. Small Beginnings [Banks/Carter]
2. Morning Haze [Bennett]
3. Children Of The Universe [Bennett]
4. Dreams Of Heaven [Banks/Carter]
5. The Time It Takes [Banks/Carter]

• In The Can [recorded June 1972] (1972) U.S. #121

1. Lifetime [Carter]
2. Monday Morning Eyes [Bennett]
3. Black and White [Banks/Bennett]
4. Stop That Banging [Hough]
5. There No More [Bennett]

• Out Of Our Hands (1973) U.S. #135

1. Open Sky [Banks]
2. None The West [Bennett]
3. Farewell Number One [Bennett]
4. Man Of Honour [Bennett]
5. Dead Ahead [Bennett]
6. The Bishop [Bennett]
7. Psychosync [Banks/Bennett]
8. Manhattan Morning [Carter]
9. Shadows (It's You) [Carter]

• Psychosync 1997

1. Small Beginnings
2. Room With a View
3. Children of the Universe
4. Dreams of Heaven
5. Dead Ahead
6. Psychosync

Flash also released two singles: "Small Beginnings" c/w "Morning Haze", and "Lifetime" c/w "Watch That Step". ("Watch That Step" has never appeared on an album or CD, and was only relased in the UK as a single B side).

References

External links

• Psychosync - The Flash Homepage
• Flash MySpace website
• - youtube "10,000"
• - youtube "Grand Canyon"