Gracious! — Gracious! 1970 (UK, Art-Progressive Rock)

Gracious! — Gracious! 1970 (UK, Art-Progressive Rock)

In the mid-1960s, Alan Cowderoy and Paul "Sandy" Davis, who were attending a Catholic school near London, decided to form a band. Inviting their friends Martin Kitcat and Tim Wheatley to join them, they quietly began rehearsing in the school building, learning folk songs and popular hits of the day. They soon decided that Davis should switch from drums to vocals, and drummer Robert Lipson was recruited. The band quickly developed material, which featured the typical pop music of the time, and began playing gigs in the school building. Initially, the band was called "Satan's Disciples." The teenagers thought it was "cool" that a band based in a Catholic religious school would have such a "controversial" name. Gradually, the musicians gained knowledge and experience, and soon they were no longer satisfied with the pop format in which they were working. They decided to work seriously, and "gags" with a Satanic name no longer "sat" them. Eventually, at the suggestion of their manager, David Both, they adopted the name "Gracious!" (with an exclamation point at the end). In the late 1960s, the band prepared a demo tape and presented it to the experienced producer Norrie Paramor, known for his work with Cliff Richard and The Shadows. He highly praised the work, but said that "it wasn't his format" and introduced the musicians to Tim Rice (the libretto writer for the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar). Rice put in a good word for the band, and they soon received a recording contract with Vertigo. Around the same time, another event occurred that greatly affected the fate of Gracious! The band was fortunate to share the stage with King Crimson, and the musicians, upon first hearing the Mellotron, were stunned by its unique sound and wide range of possibilities. They soon acquired and mastered this expensive and extremely difficult-to-tune instrument, which greatly influenced the band's sound and style. Their debut album, "Gracious!", was released in 1970.01. Introduction - 0:00

02. Heaven - 5:53

03. Hell - 14:02

04. Fugue In 'D' Minor - 22:34

05. The Dream - 27:41

Bonuses:

06. Beautiful (Single A-Side, 1969) - 44:40

07. What A Lovely Rain (Single B-Side, 1969) - 47:33

08. Once On A Windy Day (Single A-Side, 1970) - 50:25


Personnel:

Paul "Sandy" Davis - lead vocals, 12-string guitar, timpani
Alan Cowderoy - guitar, vocals
Martin Kitcat – mellotron, piano, electric piano, harpsichord, vocals
Tim Wheatley - bass
Robert Lipson - drums, percussion
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Hugh Murphy - producer


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