Space Opera

• Formed: 1969, Fort Worth, TX
• Genres: Rock
• Representative Albums: "Space Opera

Biography

Space Opera were formed in the late '60s by Brett Wilson (drums/percussion), Philip White (bass/guitar/keyboards/vocals), Scott Fraser (guitar/keyboards/vocals), and David Bullock (guitar/flute/harmonica/vocals). (All but Wilson had appeared in the one-off studio group Whistler, Chaucer, Detroit & Greenhill, whose lone LP became a collector's item after the band's T-Bone Burnett became a well-known producer and performer.) After years spent playing small gigs and large festivals alike, the Dallas/Ft. Worth-based group finally recorded their first album in 1972. After moving to New York, the band impressed legendary music biz big-shot Clive Davis enough to be offered a contract with Columbia. The band turned the offer down and decided to sign with Epic's Canadian branch because they were offered creative control of the album.

The self-titled Space Opera was released in 1973 to little acclaim and absolutely no commercial success. The band's uniquely American synthesis of pop, rock, country, folk, jazz, and even classical put them in the same creative ballpark as the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Byrds, and the Grateful Dead. Despite never releasing a second album, the group stayed together off and on throughout the '70s and '80s, living in Texas, Canada, and New York and playing shows wherever they could. In 1997 the group staged a hometown comeback show in Ft. Worth, played together sporadically after that, and recorded Space Opera II. In 2004 their first album was re-released by Collectors' Choice. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide