Dundee jazz-rock outfit, Elegy, were on the go in the mid 70's era.
Photo line-up, L to R - JOHN DILLON (trumpet) - SANDY ROBERTSON (drums) - NEIL CONNEL (bass) - STEVE McDONALD (guitar) - BRUCE RAYNOR (keyboards) and squatting down at the front is PETER McGLONE (sax).
They played regularly in town and have also gigged up at the University supporting prog-jazz band, Hatfield & The North, that was in May 1975.
The photo was taken in '74 outside The Ambassador just before they set off for London to take part in a Melody Maker band contest - which they were 3rd.
After Elegy split, an offshoot sprouted into another local jazz-rock outfit called Europe.
Europe played locally and around other parts of Scotland.
Members were - BRUCE RAYNER (keyboards) - PETER VETTESE (keyboards) - GLEN JONES (drums) - ROB ADAMS (bass) - JOHN SINGERS (guitar)
You may remember Rob as the chap who worked in Forbes record shop in Commercial Street.
I saw Europe play up at the University and recall them doing a version of Weather Report's "Birdland", and this excellent review here which was published in the national music press confirms this was the style of jazz-rock material they performed.
You'll probably need to click onto the review to read it.
Photo line-up, L to R - JOHN DILLON (trumpet) - SANDY ROBERTSON (drums) - NEIL CONNEL (bass) - STEVE McDONALD (guitar) - BRUCE RAYNOR (keyboards) and squatting down at the front is PETER McGLONE (sax).
They played regularly in town and have also gigged up at the University supporting prog-jazz band, Hatfield & The North, that was in May 1975.
The photo was taken in '74 outside The Ambassador just before they set off for London to take part in a Melody Maker band contest - which they were 3rd.
After Elegy split, an offshoot sprouted into another local jazz-rock outfit called Europe.
Europe played locally and around other parts of Scotland.
Members were - BRUCE RAYNER (keyboards) - PETER VETTESE (keyboards) - GLEN JONES (drums) - ROB ADAMS (bass) - JOHN SINGERS (guitar)
You may remember Rob as the chap who worked in Forbes record shop in Commercial Street.
I saw Europe play up at the University and recall them doing a version of Weather Report's "Birdland", and this excellent review here which was published in the national music press confirms this was the style of jazz-rock material they performed.
You'll probably need to click onto the review to read it.
Check Pete Mcglone's hair, wish he had that mullet now ha ha. And Paul McCartney above him! Proper 70's photo!
ReplyDeleteI Must remember to send the link to the page to Steve McDonald on MySpace.
ReplyDeletecould be wrong , but pretty sure when I played a school concert in 1977 with our punk band FLUX , the young kids a year below me (3 rd year) had a band called "Elegy" featuring Gary Clark and Ged grimes ,I remember they knew how to technically play guitars! whatever happened to them ?
ReplyDeleteGary and Ged were never in Elegy. the photo posted showed the band that won the Scottish heat of the melody maker national folk rock contest in 1974 think it was having originally entered as a 3 piece the previous year. the band's bass player Neil Connell won the prize for the best bass player. Whispering Bob was a judge in the roundhouse. The band later toured Germany without John Dillon. When they split Bruce Rayner, a 16 year old Peter Vettese, Rob Adams John Singers and Glenn"season ticket" Jones formed 2 keyboard sidlow supergroup "Europe" who rehearsed in Arbroath and Forfar and toured with the Hatfields and National Heath. Peter departed and after brief stints in Edinburgh joined Jethro Tull.
ReplyDeleteThe band was formed by Bruce and Steve in the late 60's and John joined circa 68. The first drummer was Dave leslie from Alyth and that was the first line up to go to the Melody maker comp. in Bathgate. [Steve played bass ] After that they played in the Lion's den on the clepington road where the photo was taken. Later as they gained a reputation they played in the bowling alley, queens hotel and other gigs in Scotland. The main gig being in Strathclyde univ. and winning the Scottish heat of the Melody Maker comp. which gave them a chance to play in the Roundhouse in Chalkfarm London. The band imploded after that and went their separate ways untill they reformed as Sharon Tabors backing band in 1975 which is an entirely different story.
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ReplyDeleteI was at Elegy's gig in Dundee in May 1975, with Hatfield and the North. Elegy were really good - why did they stop?
ReplyDeleteBit late to this party but I saw Europe when they supported National Health and often wondered what happened to them as they seemed pretty good. Shame that The Final Countdown band swiped their name!
ReplyDeleteSandy Robertson I think became a professional photographer, I remember him as the photographer at the ABB George Bonar 25 year final do, before the company closed the Dundee
ReplyDeleteFactory His brother Ian was part of the management
We used to go and watch Elegy in the Queens hotel on a Sunday afternoon