East of Eden (band)
{{Short description|British progressive rock band}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| background = group_or_band
| name = East of Eden
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| origin = Bristol, England, United Kingdom
| genre = {{Hlist|Progressive rock|psychedelic rock|experimental rock|avant-prog|jazz-rock|jazz fusion|country rock}}
| discography =
| years_active = {{Start date|1967}}–{{End date|1978}}
{{Start date|1996}}–{{End date|2005}}
2011
| spinoffs =
| spinoff_of =
| current_members =
| past_members = Dave Arbus
Ron Caines
Geoff Nicholson
Al Read
Terry Brace
Stuart Rossiter
Tony Addison
Tony Fennell
Steve York
Dave Dufort
Bryan Appleyard
Andy Sneddon
Geoff Britton
Jeff Allen
Davy Jack
Jim Roche
Don Weller
Garth Watt-Roy
Martin Fisher
Joe O'Donnell
Alan Parkes
Les Davidson
Peter Filleul
Dyl Katz
Ian Lynn
| website = {{URL|https://www.eastofedentheband.co.uk/}}
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East of Eden were a British progressive rock band, who had a Top 10 hit in the UK with the single "Jig-a-Jig" in 1970. The track was stylistically unlike any of their other work. Although some might consider them a symphonic progressive band, others state that their style is mostly jazz-oriented.
History
Their professional career began back in 1967 when they were formed in Bristol as Picture of Dorian Gray, by Dave Arbus (b. David Arbus, 8 October 1941,Leicester died 21st March 2025 – violin, flute, saxophone, trumpet), Ron Caines (b. Ronald Arthur Caines, 13 December 1939, Bristol – alto saxophone), Geoff Nicholson (b. Geoffrey Nicholson, 27 June 1948, near Bristol – guitar, vocals), Mike Price (bass), and Stuart Rossiter (drums). Price left in spring 1968 and was replaced by Terry Brace (born Terrence Brace, 28 September 1943, died 2006 (Bristol). Vocalist and guitarist Al Read (b. Alan G Read, 26 March 1942, [[Chelsea, London,died 2009) joined at the same time.
With this line-up the band released the now very-rare single, "King Of Siam", on 25 July 1968.{{cite book |title=The rock years 1969-1988 |last=Read|first=Al |date=2003 |publisher=Broadcast Books |last2=Brace|first2=Terry |isbn=1874092826 |location=Bristol |oclc=851743737}} They appeared in the film Laughter in the Dark.
Brace and Read left in September 1968; the band carried on with Nicholson as their main vocalist, with Ron Caines occasionally contributing. Brace was replaced by Steve York (b. 24 April 1948, London died 2020). Rossiter also left, and was replaced in September 1968 by Dave Dufort (b. David Dufort, 1947, London). In 1968 they moved to London, and were signed to a recording contract with Deram Records. In February 1969 Dufort left and in came Bryan Appleyard, who was replaced in June 1969 by Geoff Britton (b. Geoffrey Britton, 1 August 1943, Lewisham, South East London) (drums), who later joined Wings.{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p17219 |title=Biography by Bruce Eder |publisher=Allmusic.com |access-date=8 January 2009 |archive-date=31 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231103842/http://allmusic.com/artist/p17219 |url-status=live }} York also left in June 1969, and in came bassist Andy Sneddon (born Andrew Sneddon, 8 May 1946, Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, Scotland).
In 1969, they released the Mercator Projected album, featuring the line-up of Dave Arbus, Ron Caines, Geoff Nicholson, Steve York and Dave Dufort (Dufort's surname was misspelled "Dufont" on the cover of the original LP release, and also on the CD re-release in 2008, which featured as part of its artwork a photo of the back cover of the original LP, complete with the misspelling). This album was followed by Snafu (1970) featuring Nicholson, Britton, Arbus, Caines and Sneddon; and later by Jig-a-Jig, a European-only compilation, released in 1971. Snafu reached the Top 30 of the UK Albums Chart,{{cite book |first=David |last=Roberts |year=2006 |title=British Hit Singles & Albums |edition=19th |publisher=Guinness World Records Limited |location=London |isbn=1-904994-10-5 |page=176}} while a single, "Ramadhan", reached number two in France. After the band had left Deram, the company released Jig-A-Jig as a single and it was a surprise Top-10 hit. Caines and Nicholson had left the band in 1970, and the band (now effectively a quartet of Arbus, Davy Jack, Jeff Allen and Jim Roche) continued less successfully with Harvest Records releasing albums East Of Eden and New Leaf . The last original member, Arbus also left at the end of 1972, and was replaced by Joe O'Donnell (b. Joseph O'Donnell, 26 December 1948, Limerick, County Limerick, Ireland). In the mid-70s the band continued to record albums for the European market and tour in Europe.
Original guitarist Nicholson left in May 1970. The band broke up in 1978 having undergone various changes in membership. Important members in late line-ups included vocalist Al Read; bassist Terence 'Terry' Brace; bassist Andy Sneddon; bassist/vocalist David 'Davy' Jack (b. 24 January 1940, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland); drummer Jeff Allen (b. Jeffrey Allen, 23 April 1946, Matlock, Derbyshire – from June 1970); bassist/vocalist Martin Fisher (b. 1947, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey); violinist Joe O'Donnell (from March 1973); Alan 'Al' Perkes (b. 26 May 1949, Bow, east London); and guitarist Garth Watt-Roy (b. Garth Philip Watt-Roy, December 1947, Bombay, India – from February 1972).
The three core members (Arbus, Caines and Nicholson) reunited in 1996, and their album Kalipse was released the following year. Like most of their earlier work, it was a cult hit.
Arbus was a guest musician on The Who's track "Baba O'Riley", playing the violin solo. He was a friend of Who drummer, Keith Moon, and, later, became a member of Fiddler's Dram.
Personnel
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| bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Late 1967 – Early 1968
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Early 1968 – July 1968 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | July 1968 – September 1968 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | September 1968 – March 1969 |
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valign=top |
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| bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | March 1969 - July 1969
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | July 1969 – February 1970 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | February 1970 – July 1970 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | July 1970 – August 1971 |
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| bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | August 1971 - April 1972
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | April 1972 – February 1973 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | February 1973 – 1975 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1975 |
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| bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1975-1976
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1976-1978 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1997-2005 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | September 2011 |
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=Timeline=
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id:voc value:red legend:Vocals
id:wi value:gray(0.5) legend:Wind_instruments
id:vln value:drabgreen legend:Violin
id:g value:green legend:Guitar
id:key value:purple legend:Keyboards
id:b value:blue legend:Bass
id:dr value:orange legend:Drums
id:lines value:black legend:Studio_album
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bar:Ron Caines from:start till:15/06/1970 color:wi
bar:Ron Caines from:start till:15/06/1970 color:voc width:3
bar:Ron Caines from:01/01/1997 till:01/01/2006 color:wi
bar:Ron Caines from:01/01/1997 till:01/01/2006 color:voc width:3
bar:Ron Caines from:01/09/2011 till:end color:wi
bar:Ron Caines from:01/09/2011 till:end color:voc width:3
bar:Don Weller from:15/08/1971 till:15/04/1972 color:wi
bar:Don Weller from:01/10/1975 till:01/01/1979 color:wi
bar:Dave Arbus from:start till:15/02/1973 color:vln
bar:Dave Arbus from:start till:15/02/1973 color:wi width:3
bar:Dave Arbus from:01/01/1997 till:01/01/2006 color:vln
bar:Dave Arbus from:01/01/1997 till:01/01/2006 color:wi width:3
bar:Dave Arbus from:01/09/2011 till:end color:vln
bar:Dave Arbus from:01/09/2011 till:end color:wi width:3
bar:Joe O'Donnell from:15/02/1973 till:01/10/1975 color:vln
bar:Al Read from:01/03/1968 till:15/09/1968 color:voc
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bar:Geoff Nicholson from:01/09/2011 till:end color:g
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bar:Davy Jack from:15/07/1970 till:15/04/1972 color:b
bar:Davy Jack from:15/07/1970 till:15/04/1972 color:g width:7
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bar:Davy Jack from:01/07/1975 till:01/11/1976 color:b
bar:Davy Jack from:01/07/1975 till:01/11/1976 color:voc width:3
bar:Davy Jack from:01/11/1976 till:01/01/1979 color:voc
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bar:Les Davidson from:01/07/1975 till:01/01/1979 color:g
bar:Al Parkes from:01/07/1975 till:01/10/1975 color:key
bar:Peter Filleul from:01/10/1975 till:01/11/1976 color:key
bar:Peter Filleul from:01/10/1975 till:01/11/1976 color:voc width:3
bar:Ian Lynn from:01/11/1976 till:01/01/1979 color:key
bar:Mark Price from:start till:01/03/1968 color:b
bar:Terry Brace from:01/03/1968 till:15/09/1968 color:b
bar:Steve Yorke from:15/09/1968 till:15/03/1969 color:b
bar:Andy Sneddon from:15/03/1969 till:15/07/1970 color:b
bar:Andy Sneddon from:01/09/2011 till:end color:b
bar:Martin Fisher from:15/04/1972 till:01/07/1975 color:b
bar:Martin Fisher from:15/04/1972 till:01/07/1975 color:key width:7
bar:Martin Fisher from:15/04/1972 till:01/07/1975 color:voc width:3
bar:Dyl Katz from:01/11/1976 till:01/01/1979 color:b
bar:Stuart Rossiter from:start till:01/03/1968 color:dr
bar:Tony Fennell from:01/03/1968 till:15/07/1968 color:dr
bar:Dave Dufort from:15/07/1968 till:15/03/1969 color:dr
bar:Brian Appleyard from:15/03/1969 till:15/07/1969 color:dr
bar:Geoff Britton from:15/07/1969 till:15/02/1970 color:dr
bar:Geoff Britton from:01/09/2011 till:end color:dr
bar:Jeff Allen from:15/02/1970 till:01/01/1979 color:dr
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at:01/11/1978
at:01/07/1998
at:01/07/2000
at:01/07/2005
}}
Discography
Albums
- Mercator Projected (April 1969, Deram){{cite periodical |title=Album Reviews |periodical=Melody Maker |date=April 5, 1969 |page=11 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Melody-Maker/60s/69/Melody-Maker-1969-0405.pdf |access-date=15 September 2021 |archive-date=29 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929145330/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Melody-Maker/60s/69/Melody-Maker-1969-0405.pdf |url-status=live }}
- Snafu (February 1970, Deram){{cite periodical |title=Album Reviews |periodical=Melody Maker |date=February 21, 1970 |page=22 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Melody-Maker/70s/70/Melody-Maker-1970-0221-OCR.pdf |access-date=15 September 2021 |archive-date=29 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929150251/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Melody-Maker/70s/70/Melody-Maker-1970-0221-OCR.pdf |url-status=live }}
- Jig-a-Jig (1971, Deram, European-only compilation)
- East of Eden (June 1971, Harvest)
- New Leaf (November 1971, Harvest)
- Another Eden (1975, Harvest, European-only release)
- Here We Go Again (1976, EMI, European-only release)
- It's the Climate (1977, EMI, European-only release)
- Silver Park (1978, EMI, European-only release)
- Kalipse (1997, Transatlantic)
- Armadillo (2001, Blueprint) (Voiceprint)
- Graffito (2005, Eclectic)
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www.eastofedentheband.co.uk}}
- {{discogs artist|East of Eden (2)|East of Eden}}
- {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p17219|label=East of Eden}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:East of Eden}}
Category:Rock music groups from Bristol
Category:English progressive rock groups
Category:English experimental rock groups
Category:English jazz fusion ensembles
Category:Deram Records artists
Category:Harvest Records artists
Category:Musical groups established in 1967
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1978
Category:Musical groups reestablished in 1992
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2005
Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2011
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2011
Category:1967 establishments in England
Category:1978 disestablishments in England