Eyes Of Blue - Crossroads Of Time/In Fields Of Ardath (1968/69 uk, psychedelic rock with soul touches - MP3 320k and FLAC)

Starting out as a soul-based band from Neath, the Eyes Of Blue gradually turned to the American West Coast sound. All of their recordings are quite collectable.



In collaboration with Quincy Jones they contributed to the 'Toy Grabbers' film score and they later appeared in the film 'Connecting Rooms'. Their albums are diverse with pop, R&B, jazz, classical, psychedelic and Eastern influences. The best tracks on the first one are two R&B Graham Bond songs (he also wrote the sleevenotes) Love Is The Law and Crossroads Of Time. It also included good versions of Love's 7 And 7 Is and The Beatles' Yesterday. Also noteworthy are their own Inspiration For A New Day and Prodigal Son, which feature some Eastern-sounding psychedelic guitar work.



Their second album is more progressive. The best tracks are Merry Go Round (from the 'Toy Grabbers' Soundtrack), which is a keyboard-dominated progressive piece with some good guitar breaks and much classical influence; Graham Bond's Spanish Blues, with some jazzy organ; Door, with its spooky vocals, which along with the dreamy title cut indicated the band's interest in the supernatural and the occult (especially reincarnation).



They also recorded an album in October 1968 as the backing band to American singer-songwriter Buzz Linhart, Buzzy. Highlights included a very good R&B version of Tim Hardin's Yellow Cab and Linhart's Willie Jean and End Song. There's a long track on side two which they don't play on which is also very good. On this Linhart is backed by Big Jim Sullivan (gtr) and Keshav Sathe (tabla).



Phil Ryan later played in Man, whilst Weathers went onto play with Pete Brown and Piblokto! and Gentle Giant. Ritchie Francis later made a solo album in 1971. The band later recorded as Big Sleep and aided Ancient Grease on their sole album.

by Vernon Joynson and Costas Arvanitis

Tracks

1. Crossroads Of Time - 4:54

2. Never Care - 3:18

3. I'll Be Your Friend - 3:30

4. 7+7 Is - 2:33

5. Prodigal Son - 4:47

6. Largo - 3:15

7. Love Is The Law - 5:17

8. Yesterday - 4:23

9. I Wonder Why - 3:13

10.World Of Emotions - 2:48

11.Inspiration For A New Day - 3:11

12.Merry Go Round - 9:04

13.The Light We See - 2:12

14.Souvenis - 2:38

15.Ardath - 2:33

16.Spanish Blues - 4:01

17.Door - 6:41

18.Little Bird - 2:33

19.After The War - 3:30

20.Extra Hour - 2:19

21.Chances - 2:53



Eyes Of Blue

*Phil Ryan - Organ, Piano

*Ritchie Francis - Bass, Piano, Vocals

*John "Pugwash" Weathers - Drums, Vocals

*Raymond "Taff' Williams - Guitar

*Gary Pickford Hopkins - Vocals, Guitars

*Melvyn Davies - Guitar

*David Thomas - Drums

*Wyndham Rees - Vocals



[ Thank you CHRIS41 for sending this post]

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