Nektar
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- Genres: Rock
Biography
The four Englishmen who formed the initial incarnation of Nektar met in Germany and formed the band there in 1969. For a little while in the early to mid-'70s, it seemed like they might take American rock by storm, but that was mostly hype, and by 1975 their big moment had already passed, although they lingered on until the end of the decade and have re-formed in the new millennium, recording several new CDs and appearing at various progressive music festivals.Allan Freeman (keyboards, vocals), Roye Albrighton (guitar, vocals), Derek Moore (bass, Mellotron, vocals), and Ron Howden (drums) all came to Hamburg from England in 1965 as members of different bands. They met in 1968 at the Star Club, where they discovered some common ground in the Beatles as well as early rock & roll, but were drawn to the more experimental sounds just beginning to emerge on the rock scene. A year later they formed Nektar and began working at combining these influences into an effective whole. By 1970, with a light show (designed and operated by unofficial fifth member Mick Brockett) added to their stage act, they began attracting a growing following in Germany.
They were signed to the Bellaphon label in 1971 and released their debut album, Journey to the Center of the Eye, a year later. Their second album, A Tab in the Ocean, followed later the same year, and achieved a cult following as a direct import. Their extended songs, usually involving extensive variations on the same theme, found a growing audience in an era dominated by the sounds of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes. Nektar's sound, built around guitar, electronic keyboards, and bass, was far more gothic, with dense textures that didn't always reproduce well on-stage -- but the fans didn't seem to notice. On radio, however, their music filled in large patches of time and attracted listeners ready to graduate from Iron Butterfly and Vanilla Fudge, and seeking a re-creation of the drug experience in progressive rock.
Their third album, Remember the Future, released in Germany in 1973, was the group's breakthrough record. The title track, broken into two side-length halves, took up the entire record, and became a favorite of FM radio in 1974. The album was followed later in 1973 by Sounds Like This, which was made up of shorter, simpler songs, but it was eclipsed in the United States by the American release of Remember the Future on the Passport label, their first U.S. release. When the group made its New York debut at the Academy of Music on September 28, 1974, Remember the Future was still the only Nektar album officially available in the United States. An indication of their stage presence and the nature of their act can be gleaned from the fact that between the wattage of their instruments and their light show, they blew the power at the Academy of Music upon taking the stage.
Their next album, Down to Earth (1974), featured ten support musicians and singers, among them P.P. (Pat) Arnold, but it didn't attract nearly the radio play of Remember the Future. Their next album, Live at the Roundhouse (1974), was cut live at the London venue, and didn't include "Remember the Future" among its tracks. They maintained a devoted and significant cult following in America as well as Germany, and their German label later released two double live albums from concerts in New York (which, between them, included two versions of "Remember the Future, Pt. 1" and two versions of "Pt. 2"). Ironically, Passport Records never released either album in the United States.
Albrighton was gone by Magic Is a Child (which featured one of the worst punning titles ever, "Eerie Lackawanna"), replaced on guitar by Dave Nelson, and synthesizer virtuoso Larry Fast joined the lineup for this album. The release of a double-LP best-of anthology in 1978 heralded the end of the group's run of success during the decade, although Man in the Moon, with David Prater on drums, was issued in 1980. However, the band re-formed in 2002 and began releasing new albums and appearing at progressive rock festivals such as that year’s NEARfest in Trenton, NJ. Original members Albrighton and Howden were featured in the group’s lineup, along with bassist Randy Dembo and organist Tom Hughes, although both Dembo and Hughes departed Nektar in 2006, and have since been replaced by Peter Pichl on bass and Klaus Henatsch on keyboards. During the 2000s, Nektar’s albums have included The Prodigal Son (2001), Evolution (2004), and Book of Days (2007). The live album Fortyfied was issued in 2009. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
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Nektar
Not to be confused with Nectar.
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This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2010) |
| Nektar | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Hamburg, Germany |
| Genres | Progressive Rock Space Rock |
| Years active | 1969–1982 2000–present |
| Labels | Current: Dream Nebula Bellaphon Former: United Artists Passport Decca Polydor Ariola Bacillus |
| Associated acts | The Peeps Rainbows Message Snowball Grand Alliance |
| Website | www.nektarsmusic.com |
| Members | |
| Roye Albrighton Ron Howden Klaus Henatsch Peter Pichl |
|
| Past members | |
| Derek Mo Moore Allan Taff Freeman Mick Brockett Keith Walters Larry Fast Dave Nelson Carmine Rojas Dave Prater Randy Dembo Tom Hughes |
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Nektar (German for Nectar) is a 1970s English progressive rock band originally based in Germany.
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Contents
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History
The band formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1969, members included Englishmen Roye Albrighton on guitars and vocals, Allan "Taff" Freeman on keyboards, Derek "Mo" Moore on bass, Ron Howden on drums, and Mick Brockett on lights, special effects and other miscellanea. Songwriting was always considered a group effort.
The band's early albums such as Journey to the Centre of the Eye, ...Sounds Like This and A Tab in the Ocean were obscure psychedelic rock albums that won the band a small but growing cult following, based largely on word of mouth. The last of those albums was the first Nektar album to be released in the U.S., on the small Passport Records label.
It was Nektar's second U.S. release, Remember the Future (1973), that propelled the band briefly into mass popularity. A concept album about a blind boy who communicates with an extraterrestrial being, the music was a big leap forward for the band with a much more melodic sound than on previous albums. It shot into the Top 20 album charts in the U.S. The follow-up album, Down to Earth (1974), was another concept album with a circus theme; it also sold well, breaking into the Top 40 album charts and included Nektar's only song to chart on the Billboard singles charts, "Astral Man". The next album, Recycled (1975), was stylistically close to bands like Gentle Giant and is considered by many fans to be Nektar's finest moment.
Guitarist Roye Albrighton left the band just prior to the studio sessions to record Nektar's first major-label release, Magic is a Child (1977). Guitarist Dave Nelson joined the band after Albrighton's departure. The album was more eclectic, although with shorter songs and fairly straightforward rhythms-but many fans thought it was too pop-oriented; lyrically the album covered a wide range of subjects from Norse mythology and magic to more down to earth subjects like railroads and truck drivers. But there are some fans who considered the album a misfire and it proved to be the end of Nektar's brief popularity, although a few more albums were released, mostly live albums and compilations.
When the Nektar back catalog was first released on compact disc in the early 1990s, the wrong master(the quad rear channel mix)was used for the Bellaphon CD release of Remember the Future. The mix practically buried Roye Albrighton's lead guitar. This was corrected in later CD releases.
Nektar regrouped in 2002 and headlined NEARfest (opposite Steve Hackett) with a full line-up including synthesizer wizard Larry Fast. They also released their first album of new material since the 1970s, "The Prodigal Son". They followed this release up in 2004 with "Evolution". Recent members of Nektar have included Randy Dembo on bass, and Tom Hughes on Hammond organ alongside original members Albrighton and Howden. Dembo and Hughes left in August, 2006 citing communication problems, money issues, personality issues and trust in the management issues. All of Nektar's back catalogue has either been remastered and re-released or is in the process of being so. This includes A Tab in the Ocean which now features the original 1972 German mix, as well as an alternate 1976 "American" mix, Remember the Future with two bonus tracks in the form of two radio promo singles. The re-issue of Recycled features the original album release mix, and an alternate mix by Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick, something many fans found akin to hearing the music for the first time. Nektar's re-issue of Down to Earth contains seven bonus tracks, including hilarious out-takes by Robert Calvert. The re-issue of Magic Is a Child (an album which did not feature founding member Roye Albrighton) features amazingly clear sound, and four bonus tracks including a live-from-the radio version of "Midnight Light".
In 2006, the band found new management (Roy Clay) to replace The Eclectic Records staff, playing "Prog fests" around the globe on a part-time basis, and occasionally appearing in some of their old haunts in the New Jersey/New York area. Clay was subsequently released from management duties early 2007 after a dispute over financial matters.
The band also embarked on the production of a new album Book of Days. The album was released on 16 May 2008 on the Bellaphon Label.
In mid-2007, a solo tour was undertaken by lead singer Roye Albrighton, to be followed by a full band tour of Europe (primarily Germany), and scheduled by a European-based promoter, but they had to postpone as extra funds were needed to complete the new album.
The band is currently completing work on a new album for 2011, titled Juggernaut.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1971 | Journey to the Centre of the Eye |
| 1972 | A Tab in the Ocean |
| 1973 | ...Sounds Like This |
| Remember the Future | |
| 1974 | Down to Earth |
| 1975 | Recycled |
| 1977 | Magic is a Child |
| 1980 | Man in the Moon |
| 2001 | The Prodigal Son |
| 2004 | Evolution |
| 2008 | Book of Days |
| 2011 | Juggernaut |
Live albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1974 | Sunday Night at London Roundhouse |
| 1977 | Live in New York |
| 1978 | More Live Nektar in New York |
| 2002 | Unidentified Flying Abstract - Live at Chipping Norton 1974 |
| Nearfest 2002 (Studio M Recording) | |
| 2004 | Greatest Hits Live |
| 2005 | 2004 Tour Live |
| Door to the Future | |
| 2009 | Fortyfied |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1976 | Nektar |
| 1978 | Thru the Ears |
| 1994 | Highlights - The Best of Nektar |
| 1998 | The Dream Nebula: The Best of 1971-1975 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Billboard Hot 100 | U.S Mainstream Rock | UK Top 100 | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | "Do You Believe in Magic?" | - | - | - | ...Sounds Like This |
| 1974 | "What Ya Gonna Do?" | - | - | - | |
| "Remember the Future (Edit)" | - | - | - | Remember the Future | |
| "Fidgety Queen'" | - | - | - | Down to Earth | |
| "Astral Man" | 91 | - | - | ||
| 1975 | "Flight to Reality" | - | - | - | Recycled |
| 2005 | "Always" | - | - | - | Evolution |
Videography
Video albums
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Live |
| 2005 | Pure: Live in Germany 2005 |
References
External links
- The Official Nektar web site
- The Nektar Project: the classic Nektar years from 1969 to 2003
- Nektar discography at Discogs
- Allmusic
- 2010 interview with Roye Albrighton
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Mentioned in
Nektar Therapeutics
(Public Company)
Magic Is a Child
(1977 Album by Nektar)
Thru the Ears [Import]
(1978 Album by Nektar)
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