| The Enid |
The Enid at a live show in Derby, 1998 (Robert John Godfrey, Grant Jamieson, Max Read, Dave Storey)
|
| Background information |
| Origin |
England |
| Genres |
Symphonic rock |
| Years active |
1975 - present |
| Labels |
Various |
| Members |
Robert John Godfrey
Jason Ducker
Dave Storey
Max Read |
| Former members |
Francis Lickerish
Steve Stewart
David Williams
Glenn Tollet
Robbie Dobson
Jeremy Tranter
Nick Magnus
Charlie Elston
Terry Pack
William Gilmour
Tony Freer
Martin Russell
Nick May
Steve Hughes
Alex Tsentides
Grant Jamieson
Robert Perry
Niall Feldman
Chris North
Damian Risdon
Geraldine Connor
Colin Woolway
|
The Enid is a British rock band founded in 1975 by Robert John Godfrey, Stephen Stewart and Francis Lickerish. Another early member was William Gilmour, who subsequently founded his own band Craft and now plays keyboards in Lickerish's band Secret Green [1].
History
The Enid's membership has since undergone several changes, always with Godfrey firmly at the helm, and its creativity seems to come in fits and starts. Godfrey has diabetes, and has also described bouts of depression associated with periods of writer's block.
Godfrey also has a tendency to dismiss some of his ideas, such as a brief flirtation with dance music in the early 1990s, as juvenile or misguided, a view that is not always shared by the band's fans. Now more than 30 years old, the band is still recording sporadically although there have been no full-length album releases since 1997.
The Enid at a live show in 1979 on the Touch Me tour (L-R: Dave Storey, Terry Pack, Steve Stewart, Tony Freer, Willie Gilmour, Francis Lickerish, Robert John Godfrey)
The Enid began recording at about the same time as punk rock burst upon the scene. Godfrey has said that he always regarded The Enid's ironic takes on classical music as being just as anarchic as anything by the Sex Pistols, but this did not translate into either musical or commercial recognition, despite their work being played frequently by Tommy Vance on BBC Radio One's Friday Rock Show. In 1981, the band played most of the music for Kim Wilde's self-titled debut album. After some unpleasant experiences with major record labels, which initially welcomed the band with open arms and then dumped them after failing to promote their records, the band relied on self-publishing and promotion, which was helped by the fact that their settlement with one of the labels included some recording equipment. The band used this equipment to establish The Lodge Recording Studio, hiring its facilities to other bands in between their own projects.
It may be worth noting that unlike many current rock and pop releases on CD and download, The Enid's music is not processed with dynamic range compression to artificially enhance loudness.
Robert John Godfrey has said that he does not regard The Enid as a progressive rock band and would rather not be associated with the term, but that has not stopped prog rock fanzines and websites from promoting the band. He has also been quite scathing in his criticism of "neo-progressive" bands like Marillion and Pendragon, accusing them of lacking charm, talent and originality.
Marketing innovations
In addition to traditional vinyl and CD releases, in the late 1990s the band also pioneered the production of "Bespoke CDs" - mail-order custom compilation CD-Rs containing rare tracks chosen by listeners from a catalogue. This service was discontinued after a couple of years.
In March 2006 Godfrey announced on the band's website that he would shortly be making its entire back catalogue available for free download on high-quality mp3s. This apparently includes all of the rarities previously available on Bespoke CDs.
Godfrey wrote: "The purpose of this is to make sure that The Enid's music reaches as many people as possible and does not entirely disappear when I am dead. The Enid represents my life's work and I want it and what it contains to live on in those who warm to it. Having taken this decision it may well influence the way I think about The Enid and may drive me to do some more."[citation needed]
Discography
Studio Albums
- In the Region of the Summer Stars (1976) (BUK BULP 2014)
- Aerie Faerie Nonsense (1977) (EMI International INS 3012)
- Touch Me (1978) (Pye NSPH 18593)
- Six Pieces (1979) (Pye NH 116)
- Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) (ENID 3)[1]
- Live at Hammersmith (Vol 1) (Recorded 1979) (1984) (ENID 1)
- Live at Hammersmith (Vol 2) (Recorded 1979) (1984) (ENID 2)
- Aerie Faerie Nonsense (Recorded 1983) (ENID 6) - Band's own rerelease
- In the Region of the Summer Stars 1984 (1984) (ENID 7) - Band's own reissue of debut album
- The Spell (1985) (ENID 8) (originally released as a double-45 rpm album) (UK Indie #24)[2]
- Salome (1986) (ENID 10)
- Lovers And Fools (double retrospective compilation) (1986)
- The Seed and the Sower (originally released as by Godfrey and Stewart) (1988)
- Final Noise (live album) (1988)
- Tripping the Light Fantastic (1994)
- Sundialer (1995)
- Anarchy on 45 (singles compilation) (1996)
- Members one of Another (compilation, fanclub's choice) (1996)
- Healing Hearts (compilation by Matthew Manning) (1996)
- White Goddess (1997)
- Tears of the Sun (1999)
Some albums have been issued on CD two or three times, sometimes with different bonus tracks and cover artwork.
- Far Out has been announced as forthcoming on the Enid's website. A rough mix of one track from the album, "Mars", was made available for download in July 2008.[3]
Special & Fanclub Releases
- The Stand (1984)
- The Stand (1985)
- Fand (Special Extended Re-recording) (1985)
- Liverpool (1986)
- The Music of William Arkle (1986)
- The Enid at Hammersmith 17th October 1986 (Official Bootleg)
- The Enid at Hammersmith 30th October 1987 (Official Bootleg)
- Joined By The Heart (1987)
- Reverberations (Robert John Godfrey Solo recording) (1987)
- Inner Pieces (Compilation) (1987)
- Inner Visions (Compilation (1988)
- Fall of Hyperion (Robert John Godfrey Solo recording) (1974)
- The Story of The Enid (Told in words and music by Robert John Godfrey) (1991)
Singles
- "The Lovers"/"In The Region Of Summer Stars" (1976) (Buk BUK 3002)
- "Jubilee"/"Omega" (1977) (EMI International INT 534) release cancelled
- "Golden Earrings"/"Omega" (1977) EMI (BUK) INT 540
- "Dambusters March"/"Land Of Hope & Glory"/"The Skyeboat Song" (1979) (Pye 7P 106)(PS, Blue vinyl with RAF roundel design)
- "Fool" (with Malcolm Le Maistre)/"Tito" (1980) Pye 7P 187 (PS)
- "Golden Earrings"/"665 - The Great Bean" (1980) EMI 5109 (PS)[4]
- "When You Wish Upon A Star"/"Jessica" (1981) (Bronze BRO 127)(PS)
- "Heigh Ho"/"Twinkle Little Star" (1980)(Bronze BRO 134)
- "Then There Were None"/"Letter From America" (1982) RAK 349 (PS)
- "Then There Were None"/"Letter From America"/"Raindown" (1984) (PS, 12")
- "Itchycoo Park"/"Sheets Of Blue" (1986) (7": Sedition EDIT 3314)(PS) - (12" - Sedition EDITL 3314, blue vinyl)
- "Salome"/"Salomee" (1990) (7" - Enid ENID 7999)(PS) (12"- Enid ENID 6999)(PS)
References
External links
