Nirvana (British band): Difference between revisions
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{{Short description| |
{{Short description|British pop rock band}} |
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{{Not to be confused with|Nirvana (band)}} |
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{{short description|British psychedelic band}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} |
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{{Use British English|date=August 2014}} |
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}} |
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| origin = [[London]], |
| origin = [[London]], England |
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| genre = {{hlist|[[Psychedelic pop]]|[[baroque pop]]|[[progressive rock]]}} |
| genre = {{hlist|[[Psychedelic pop]]|[[baroque pop]]|[[progressive rock]]}} |
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| years_active = {{hlist|{{start date|1966}}–{{end date|1971}}|{{start date|1985}}–present}} |
| years_active = {{hlist|{{start date|1966}}–{{end date|1971}}|{{start date|1985}}–present}} |
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'''Nirvana''' |
'''Nirvana''' are a [[pop rock]] band formed in [[London]] in 1966.<ref>[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]], ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music'', 1997. p. 329 {{ISBN|0-7535-0149-X}}; "Nirvana (UK) Songwriters Patrick Campbell-Lyons (b. Dublin, Eire) and George Alex Spyropoulus (b. Athens, Greece) and Ray Singer met in La Gioconda, a legendary coffee bar in Denmark Street, London. Prior to that Campbell-Lyons had been a member of ..."</ref><ref>''Encyclopedia of Rock'' - Phil Hardy, Dave Laing, Stephen Barnard - 1988, p. 320; "NIRVANA Multi-instrumentalists Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Alex Spyropoulos came together as Nirvana in 1967 to produce two superb dreamlike singles, 'Tiny Goddess' and 'Pentecost Hotel'. They went on to produce The Story of Simon ..."</ref> In 1985, the band reformed. Members of the band sued the American band [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] over the usage of the name, reaching an out-of-court settlement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2011/jun/29/viva-brother-name-change|work=[[The Guardian]]|title=From Nirvana to Viva Brother: what's in a name change?|author=Mark Beaumont|date=29 Jun 2011}}</ref> |
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== History == |
== History == |
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===1966–1971: Early years=== |
===1966–1971: Early years=== |
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Nirvana was created as the performing arm of the London-based songwriting partnership of Irish musician [[Patrick Campbell-Lyons]] and Greek composer Alex Spyropoulos (born 1941, Athens) and English producer [[Ray Singer (record producer)|Ray Singer]] (born 1946). On their recordings Campbell-Lyons, Ray Singer and Spyropoulos supplied all the vocals. |
Nirvana was created as the performing arm of the London-based songwriting partnership of Irish musician [[Patrick Campbell-Lyons]] and Greek composer Alex Spyropoulos (born George Alex Spyropoulos, 1941, Athens) and English producer [[Ray Singer (record producer)|Ray Singer]] (born 1946). On their recordings, Campbell-Lyons, Ray Singer and Spyropoulos supplied all the vocals. Campbell-Lyons contributed on guitars, and Spyropoulos contributed on some keyboards. Musically, Campbell-Lyons and Spyropoulos blended rock, pop, [[folk music|folk]], [[jazz]], Latin rhythms and [[classical music]], primarily augmented by [[baroque]] [[chamber music|chamber]]-style arrangements. |
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⚫ | In October 1967, they released their first album, a [[concept album]] produced by Chris Blackwell titled ''[[The Story of Simon Simopath]]''.<ref>Jim Irvin, Phil Alexander Mojo collection: the ultimate music companion 2007 Page 115 "Nirvana The Story of Simon Simonpath Sumptuous soft-psych classic from the original UK Nirvana. The brainchild of songwriters Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Alex Spyropoulos and Ray Singer, Nirvana was originally conceived as a group but devolved into a ..."</ref> The album was one of the first narrative [[concept album]]s ever released, predating story-driven concept albums such as [[Pretty Things]]'s ''[[S.F. Sorrow]]'' (December 1968), [[The Who]]'s ''[[Tommy (The Who album)|Tommy]]'' (April 1969) and [[The Kinks]]'s ''[[Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)|Arthur]]'' (September 1969). [[Island Records]] launched Nirvana's first album "with a live show at the Saville Theatre, sharing a bill with fellow label acts [[Traffic (band)|Traffic]], [[Spooky Tooth]], and [[Jackie Edwards (musician)|Jackie Edwards]]."<ref name="Brian Hogg 1992">Brian Hogg, Sleeve Notes to the compilation ''Travelling on a Cloud'', 1992.</ref> |
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Musically, Campbell-Lyons and Spyropoulos blended myriad musical styles including rock, pop, [[folk music|folk]], [[jazz]], Latin rhythms and [[classical music]], primarily augmented by [[baroque]] [[chamber music|chamber]]-style arrangements to create a unique sound. |
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⚫ | Unable to perform their songs live as a duo, Campbell-Lyons and Spyropoulos decided to create a live performing ensemble, the Nirvana Ensemble, and recruited four musicians.<ref>Donald Clarke, ''The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', 1990. p. 859; "NIRVANA Psychedelic rock band formed in UK '67, led by Patrick Campbell-Lyons (b Waterford, Eire) and Alex Spyropoulos (b Greece). Songwriter Campbell-Lyons had moved to England to attend university, instead joined Second Thoughts"</ref> Though hired to be part of the live performance group rather than as band members, these four musicians were also included in the photograph alongside the core duo on the album cover of their first album to assist in projecting an image of a group rather than a duo. However, within a few months, Nirvana had reverted to its original two-person lineup. The four musicians who augmented Campbell-Lyons and Spyropoulos on their live appearances and television shows for those few months were [[Ray Singer (record producer)|Ray Singer]] (guitar), Brian Henderson (bass), Sylvia A. Schuster (cello) and Michael Coe (French horn, viola). [[Sue and Sunny]] also participated in providing their vocals.<ref>{{Discogs artist|4809078-The-Nirvana-Ensemble|4809078-The-Nirvana-Ensemble}}</ref> |
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⚫ | In October 1967, they released their first album |
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⚫ | The band appeared on French television with [[Salvador Dalí]], who splashed black paint on them during a performance of their third single, "Rainbow Chaser". Campbell-Lyons kept the jacket but regretted that Dalí did not sign any of their paint-splashed clothes. Island Records allegedly sent the artist an invoice for the cleaning of Schuster's cello.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Magazine |first=Smithsonian |last2=Meisler |first2=Stanley |title=The Surreal World of Salvador Dalí |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-surreal-world-of-salvador-dali-78993324/ |access-date=2024-07-13 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref> |
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Island Records launched Nirvana's first album "with a live show at the Saville Theatre, sharing a bill with fellow label acts [[Traffic (band)|Traffic]], [[Spooky Tooth]], and [[Jackie Edwards (musician)|Jackie Edwards]]."<ref name="Brian Hogg 1992"/> |
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⚫ | Following the minor chart success of "Rainbow Chaser", "live appearances became increasingly rare" and the songwriting duo at the core of Nirvana "decided to disband the sextet" and to rely on session musicians for future recordings.<ref name="Brian Hogg 1992" /> Spyropoulos cited Schuster's departure due to [[pregnancy]] as the instigator for the band returning to its core membership. Campbell-Lyons also cited the high cost of having the additional members as a reason for their departure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z14bxIJuGIc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Z14bxIJuGIc| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|title=Nirvana UK |publisher=YouTube |date=18 August 2008 |access-date=18 April 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Schuster later became the principal cellist of the [[BBC Symphony Orchestra]].<ref>"Dali" spoken word track on ''Secret Theatre''</ref> |
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⚫ | Unable to perform their songs live as a duo |
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⚫ | The band appeared on French television with [[Salvador Dalí]], who splashed black paint on them during a performance of their third single "Rainbow Chaser". Campbell-Lyons kept the jacket |
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⚫ | Following the minor chart success of "Rainbow Chaser", "live appearances became increasingly rare" and the songwriting duo at the core of Nirvana "decided to disband the sextet" and to rely on session musicians for future recordings.<ref name="Brian Hogg 1992"/> Spyropoulos cited Schuster's departure due to [[pregnancy]] as the instigator for the band returning to its core membership. Campbell-Lyons also cited the high cost of having the additional members as a reason for their departure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z14bxIJuGIc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Z14bxIJuGIc| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|title=Nirvana UK |publisher=YouTube |date=18 August 2008 |access-date=18 April 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Schuster later became principal cellist of the [[BBC Symphony Orchestra]].<ref>"Dali" spoken word track on ''Secret Theatre''</ref> |
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In 1968, Nirvana recorded their second album, ''All of Us'', which featured a similar broad range of musical styles as their first album. After the release of the album, Ray Singer left the group to produce Peter Sarstedt. |
In 1968, Nirvana recorded their second album, ''All of Us'', which featured a similar broad range of musical styles as their first album. After the release of the album, Ray Singer left the group to produce Peter Sarstedt. |
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Their third album, ''Black Flower'', was rejected by Blackwell, who compared it disparagingly to [[Francis Lai]]'s ''[[A Man and a Woman]]''. Under the title |
Their third album, ''Black Flower'', was rejected by Blackwell, who compared it disparagingly to [[Francis Lai]]'s ''[[A Man and a Woman]]''. Under the title ''To Markos III'' (supposedly named for a "rich uncle" of Spyropoulos who helped finance the album), it was released in the UK on the [[Pye International Records|Pye]] label in May 1970, though reportedly only 250 copies were pressed and it was deleted shortly after. One track, "Christopher Lucifer", was a jibe at Blackwell.<ref>"Melanie Blue" (attr.)liner notes, ''To Markos III''</ref> |
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In 1971 the duo |
In 1971, the duo separated, with Campbell-Lyons the primary contributor to the next two Nirvana albums, ''Local Anaesthetic'' (1971), and ''Songs of Love And Praise'' (1972), the latter featuring the return of Sylvia Schuster. Campbell-Lyons subsequently worked as a solo artist and issued further albums: ''Me and My Friend'' (1973), ''The Electric Plough'' (1981), and ''The Hero I Might Have Been'' (1983). |
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===1985–present=== |
===1985–present=== |
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The duo{{explain|reason=If Sylvia Schuster returned for Songs of Love And Praise (1972), who's in this duo?|date=January 2023}} reunited in 1985, touring [[Europe]] and releasing a compilation album ''Black Flower'' (Bam-Caruso, 1987) |
The duo{{explain|reason=If Sylvia Schuster returned for Songs of Love And Praise (1972), who's in this duo?|date=January 2023}} reunited in 1985, touring [[Europe]] and releasing a compilation album, ''Black Flower'' (Bam-Caruso, 1987). (''Black Flower'' had been the original planned title of their third album.) In the 1990s, two further albums were released. ''Secret Theatre'' (1994) and ''Orange and Blue'' (1996), which contained previously unreleased material, including a flower-power cover of the song "[[Lithium (Nirvana song)|Lithium]]" originally recorded by the Seattle [[grunge]] band of the same name, [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]. According to the band's official website, this was intended as part of a tongue-in-cheek album called ''Nirvana Sings Nirvana'' that was aborted when lead singer [[Kurt Cobain]] died. When the recording was presented on the ''Orange and Blue'' album, Campbell-Lyons's liner notes treated it seriously and with allusion to [[Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights)|Heathcliff]] from ''[[Wuthering Heights]]''. Also, according to the website, the band still wanted to open for [[Hole (band)|Hole]] even after Cobain's death.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}} |
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The original group filed a [[lawsuit]] in [[California]] against the Seattle grunge band in 1992. The matter was settled out of court on undisclosed terms that apparently allowed both bands to continue using the name and issuing new recordings without any packaging [[disclaimer]]s or caveats to distinguish one Nirvana from the other. Music writer [[Everett True]] has claimed that Cobain's record label paid $100,000 to the original Nirvana to permit Cobain |
The original group filed a [[lawsuit]] in [[California]] against the Seattle grunge band in 1992. The matter was settled out of court on undisclosed terms that apparently allowed both bands to continue using the name and issuing new recordings without any packaging [[disclaimer]]s or caveats to distinguish one Nirvana from the other. Music writer [[Everett True]] has claimed that Cobain's record label paid $100,000 to the original Nirvana to permit Cobain band's continued use of the name.<ref>Everett True. ''Nirvana: The Biography''</ref> |
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In 1999, they released a three-disc CD anthology titled ''Chemistry'', including twelve previously unreleased tracks and some new material. Their first three albums were reissued on [[CD]] by [[Universal Records (defunct record label)|Universal Records]] in 2003 |
In 1999, they released a three-disc CD anthology titled ''Chemistry'', including twelve previously unreleased tracks and some new material. Their first three albums were reissued on [[CD]] by [[Universal Records (defunct record label)|Universal Records]] in 2003. In 2005, Universal (Japan) reissued ''Local Anaesthetic'' and ''Songs of Love And Praise''. In 2018, a new album was released on the Island label ''Rainbow Chaser: The 60s Recordings (The Island Years)'', which featured the first two albums in a double CD package, featuring 52 tracks with 27 previously unreleased outtakes, demos and alternative versions. |
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In 2018, a new album was released on the Island label ''Rainbow Chaser: The 60s Recordings (The Island Years)'', which featured the first two albums in a double CD package, featuring 52 tracks with 27 previously unreleased outtakes, demos and alternative versions. |
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==Musical styles and techniques== |
==Musical styles and techniques== |
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The group were in the school of baroque-flavoured, [[melody|melodic]] pop-rock music typified by [[the Beach Boys]] of ''[[Pet Sounds]]'' and ''[[God Only Knows]]'', [[the Zombies]] of ''[[Odessey and Oracle]]'' and ''Time of the Season |
The group were in the school of baroque-flavoured, [[melody|melodic]] pop-rock music typified by [[the Beach Boys]] of ''[[Pet Sounds]]'' and ''[[God Only Knows]]'', [[the Zombies]] of ''[[Odessey and Oracle]]'' and ''[[Time of the Season]]''. The majority of the tracks on Nirvana's albums fell into the broad genre of contemporary [[popular music]], sometime described as chamber strand of [[progressive rock]], [[soft rock]] or orchestral pop and chamber pop.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://docteurorlof.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/nirvana-travelling-on-a-cloud-island-196769/ | title=Nirvana – Travelling on a Cloud (Island, 1967/69) | date=February 2011 }}</ref> |
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The Nirvana song "Rainbow Chaser" is thought to be the first-ever British recording to feature the [[audio signal processing|audio effect]] known as phasing or [[flanging]] throughout an entire track, as distinct from occasionally within a song such as the [[Small Faces]] in "[[Itchycoo Park]]". Phasing was, by 1967, |
The Nirvana song "Rainbow Chaser" is thought to be the first-ever British recording to feature the [[audio signal processing|audio effect]] known as phasing or [[flanging]] throughout an entire track, as distinct from occasionally within a song such as the [[Small Faces]] in "[[Itchycoo Park]]". Phasing was, by 1967, identified with [[psychedelic music|psychedelia]], and "Rainbow Chaser" achieved number 34 in [[UK Singles Chart]] during May 1968.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> |
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==Notable collaborators== |
==Notable collaborators== |
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A who's-who of behind-the-scenes craftsmen, who went on to become [[United Kingdom|Britain]]'s top producers, arrangers, engineers and mixers of the 1970s, chose to work with Nirvana in the late 1960s and in essence cut their [[recording studio|studio]] teeth working with Nirvana. Two of these arranger/producers actually worked with Nirvana before working with [[the Beatles]] and [[the Rolling Stones]]. |
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Nirvana's producers, arrangers, engineers and mixers included: |
Nirvana's producers, arrangers, engineers and mixers included: |
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*[[Chris Blackwell]], [[Island Records]]' founder |
*[[Chris Blackwell]], [[Island Records]]' founder, produced the band before hitting his production stride in the 1970s with [[Bob Marley]] |
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*[[Tony Visconti]], [[music arranger| |
*[[Tony Visconti]], [[music arranger|arranger]] and [[music producer|producer]], worked with [[David Bowie]], [[Marc Bolan]], the [[Moody Blues]] and [[U2]], among others |
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*[[Mike Vickers]], former [[Manfred Mann]] multi-instrumentalist |
*[[Mike Vickers]], a former [[Manfred Mann]] multi-instrumentalist who undertook arrangement work for Nirvana in 1967 and 1968 |
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*[[Jimmy Miller (producer)|Jimmy Miller]], the US-born producer, |
*[[Jimmy Miller (producer)|Jimmy Miller]], the US-born producer, worked with them immediately before starting his five-album streak producing the [[Rolling Stones]], including the ''[[Beggars Banquet]]'', ''[[Exile On Main Street]]'' and ''[[Goats Head Soup]]'' albums. |
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*[[Chris Thomas (record producer)|Chris Thomas]], the producer, whose credits include [[the Beatles]], [[Procol Harum]], [[Roxy Music]], [[Pink Floyd]] (mixed ''[[The Dark Side of the Moon]]''), the [[Sex Pistols]] and [[INXS]]. |
*[[Chris Thomas (record producer)|Chris Thomas]], the producer, whose credits include [[the Beatles]], [[Procol Harum]], [[Roxy Music]], [[Pink Floyd]] (mixed ''[[The Dark Side of the Moon]]''), the [[Sex Pistols]] and [[INXS]]. |
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*[[Guy Stevens]], A&R executive and producer, before his production work with [[Mott the Hoople]]. |
*[[Guy Stevens]], A&R executive and producer, before his production work with [[Mott the Hoople]]. |
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*Brian Humphries, the recording engineer, |
*Brian Humphries, the recording engineer, started engineering Nirvana before going on to work with [[Traffic (Traffic album)|Traffic]], [[Paranoid (album)|Black Sabbath]], [[McDonald and Giles]] and [[Pink Floyd]] (eventually engineering their acclaimed ''[[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)|Wish You Were Here]]'' and ''[[Animals (Pink Floyd album)|Animals]]'' albums). |
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⚫ | Mike Weighell also contributed at the beginning of the 1970s. Others who worked on production with Nirvana include [[Muff Winwood]] (formerly of the [[Spencer Davis Group]]); arranger/producer [[Mike Hurst (producer)|Mike Hurst]], who worked with [[Jimmy Page]], [[Cat Stevens]], [[Manfred Mann]], the [[Spencer Davis Group]], [[Colin Blunstone]]; and arranger [[John Scott (composer)|Johnny Scott]], who arranged for [[the Hollies]] and subsequently scored films such as ''[[The Shooting Party]]'' and ''[[Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes|Greystoke]]''. |
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Mike Weighell, Nova Studios, beginning of the 1970s. |
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⚫ | Others who worked on production with Nirvana include [[Muff Winwood]] (formerly of the [[Spencer Davis Group]]); arranger/producer [[Mike Hurst (producer)|Mike Hurst]] who worked with [[Jimmy Page]], [[Cat Stevens]], [[Manfred Mann]], [[Spencer Davis Group]] |
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Top musicians who played on Nirvana sessions include |
Top musicians who played on Nirvana sessions include [[Lesley Duncan]], [[Big Jim Sullivan]], [[Herbie Flowers]], [[Billy Bremner (musician)|Billy Bremner]] (later of [[Rockpile]]/[[Dave Edmunds]] fame), [[Luther Grosvenor]], [[Clem Cattini]] and the full lineup of rock band [[Spooky Tooth]]. Patrick Joseph Kelly (keyboards) also co-wrote the "Modus Operandi" track on the ''Local Anaesthetic'' album. |
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==Discography== |
==Discography== |
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===Studio albums=== |
===Studio albums=== |
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*''[[The Story of Simon Simopath]]'' (Island 1967) |
*''[[The Story of Simon Simopath]]'' (Island 1967) |
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*''[[All of Us (album)|The |
*''[[All of Us (album)|The existence of chance is everything and nothing while the greatest achievement is the living of life and so say ALL OF US]]'' (Island 1968) |
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*''Dedicated to Markos III'' (Pye 1970) a.k.a. ''To Markos III'' a.k.a. ''Black Flower'' |
*''Dedicated to Markos III'' (Pye 1970) a.k.a. ''To Markos III'' a.k.a. ''Black Flower'' |
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*''Local Anaesthetic'' (Vertigo 1971) |
*''Local Anaesthetic'' (Vertigo 1971) |
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*''Me And My Friend'' (1974) Patrick Campbell-Lyons's first solo album, but marketed as a Nirvana album when released on CD (on which most of the tracks of ''Songs of Love and Praise'' were also included) |
*''Me And My Friend'' (1974) Patrick Campbell-Lyons's first solo album, but marketed as a Nirvana album when released on CD (on which most of the tracks of ''Songs of Love and Praise'' were also included) |
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*''Orange and Blue'' (Edsel 1996) |
*''Orange and Blue'' (Edsel 1996) |
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*''Secrets'' (Madfish 2023) |
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===Compilations=== |
===Compilations=== |
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[[Category:English pop music groups]] |
[[Category:English pop music groups]] |
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[[Category:Psychedelic pop music groups]] |
[[Category:Psychedelic pop music groups]] |
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[[Category:Baroque pop |
[[Category:Baroque pop groups]] |
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[[Category:English progressive rock groups]] |
[[Category:English progressive rock groups]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Pop music groups from London]] |
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[[Category:Rock music groups from London]] |
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[[Category:Musical groups established in 1967]] |
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1967]] |
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[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1971]] |
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1971]] |
Latest revision as of 17:56, 12 September 2024
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Nirvana | |
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Origin | London, England |
Genres | |
Years active |
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Labels | |
Members |
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Past members |
Nirvana are a pop rock band formed in London in 1966.[1][2] In 1985, the band reformed. Members of the band sued the American band Nirvana over the usage of the name, reaching an out-of-court settlement.[3]
History
[edit]1966–1971: Early years
[edit]Nirvana was created as the performing arm of the London-based songwriting partnership of Irish musician Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Greek composer Alex Spyropoulos (born George Alex Spyropoulos, 1941, Athens) and English producer Ray Singer (born 1946). On their recordings, Campbell-Lyons, Ray Singer and Spyropoulos supplied all the vocals. Campbell-Lyons contributed on guitars, and Spyropoulos contributed on some keyboards. Musically, Campbell-Lyons and Spyropoulos blended rock, pop, folk, jazz, Latin rhythms and classical music, primarily augmented by baroque chamber-style arrangements.
In October 1967, they released their first album, a concept album produced by Chris Blackwell titled The Story of Simon Simopath.[4] The album was one of the first narrative concept albums ever released, predating story-driven concept albums such as Pretty Things's S.F. Sorrow (December 1968), The Who's Tommy (April 1969) and The Kinks's Arthur (September 1969). Island Records launched Nirvana's first album "with a live show at the Saville Theatre, sharing a bill with fellow label acts Traffic, Spooky Tooth, and Jackie Edwards."[5]
Unable to perform their songs live as a duo, Campbell-Lyons and Spyropoulos decided to create a live performing ensemble, the Nirvana Ensemble, and recruited four musicians.[6] Though hired to be part of the live performance group rather than as band members, these four musicians were also included in the photograph alongside the core duo on the album cover of their first album to assist in projecting an image of a group rather than a duo. However, within a few months, Nirvana had reverted to its original two-person lineup. The four musicians who augmented Campbell-Lyons and Spyropoulos on their live appearances and television shows for those few months were Ray Singer (guitar), Brian Henderson (bass), Sylvia A. Schuster (cello) and Michael Coe (French horn, viola). Sue and Sunny also participated in providing their vocals.[7]
The band appeared on French television with Salvador Dalí, who splashed black paint on them during a performance of their third single, "Rainbow Chaser". Campbell-Lyons kept the jacket but regretted that Dalí did not sign any of their paint-splashed clothes. Island Records allegedly sent the artist an invoice for the cleaning of Schuster's cello.[8]
Following the minor chart success of "Rainbow Chaser", "live appearances became increasingly rare" and the songwriting duo at the core of Nirvana "decided to disband the sextet" and to rely on session musicians for future recordings.[5] Spyropoulos cited Schuster's departure due to pregnancy as the instigator for the band returning to its core membership. Campbell-Lyons also cited the high cost of having the additional members as a reason for their departure.[9] Schuster later became the principal cellist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.[10]
In 1968, Nirvana recorded their second album, All of Us, which featured a similar broad range of musical styles as their first album. After the release of the album, Ray Singer left the group to produce Peter Sarstedt.
Their third album, Black Flower, was rejected by Blackwell, who compared it disparagingly to Francis Lai's A Man and a Woman. Under the title To Markos III (supposedly named for a "rich uncle" of Spyropoulos who helped finance the album), it was released in the UK on the Pye label in May 1970, though reportedly only 250 copies were pressed and it was deleted shortly after. One track, "Christopher Lucifer", was a jibe at Blackwell.[11]
In 1971, the duo separated, with Campbell-Lyons the primary contributor to the next two Nirvana albums, Local Anaesthetic (1971), and Songs of Love And Praise (1972), the latter featuring the return of Sylvia Schuster. Campbell-Lyons subsequently worked as a solo artist and issued further albums: Me and My Friend (1973), The Electric Plough (1981), and The Hero I Might Have Been (1983).
1985–present
[edit]The duo[further explanation needed] reunited in 1985, touring Europe and releasing a compilation album, Black Flower (Bam-Caruso, 1987). (Black Flower had been the original planned title of their third album.) In the 1990s, two further albums were released. Secret Theatre (1994) and Orange and Blue (1996), which contained previously unreleased material, including a flower-power cover of the song "Lithium" originally recorded by the Seattle grunge band of the same name, Nirvana. According to the band's official website, this was intended as part of a tongue-in-cheek album called Nirvana Sings Nirvana that was aborted when lead singer Kurt Cobain died. When the recording was presented on the Orange and Blue album, Campbell-Lyons's liner notes treated it seriously and with allusion to Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. Also, according to the website, the band still wanted to open for Hole even after Cobain's death.[citation needed]
The original group filed a lawsuit in California against the Seattle grunge band in 1992. The matter was settled out of court on undisclosed terms that apparently allowed both bands to continue using the name and issuing new recordings without any packaging disclaimers or caveats to distinguish one Nirvana from the other. Music writer Everett True has claimed that Cobain's record label paid $100,000 to the original Nirvana to permit Cobain band's continued use of the name.[12]
In 1999, they released a three-disc CD anthology titled Chemistry, including twelve previously unreleased tracks and some new material. Their first three albums were reissued on CD by Universal Records in 2003. In 2005, Universal (Japan) reissued Local Anaesthetic and Songs of Love And Praise. In 2018, a new album was released on the Island label Rainbow Chaser: The 60s Recordings (The Island Years), which featured the first two albums in a double CD package, featuring 52 tracks with 27 previously unreleased outtakes, demos and alternative versions.
Musical styles and techniques
[edit]The group were in the school of baroque-flavoured, melodic pop-rock music typified by the Beach Boys of Pet Sounds and God Only Knows, the Zombies of Odessey and Oracle and Time of the Season. The majority of the tracks on Nirvana's albums fell into the broad genre of contemporary popular music, sometime described as chamber strand of progressive rock, soft rock or orchestral pop and chamber pop.[13]
The Nirvana song "Rainbow Chaser" is thought to be the first-ever British recording to feature the audio effect known as phasing or flanging throughout an entire track, as distinct from occasionally within a song such as the Small Faces in "Itchycoo Park". Phasing was, by 1967, identified with psychedelia, and "Rainbow Chaser" achieved number 34 in UK Singles Chart during May 1968.[14]
Notable collaborators
[edit]Nirvana's producers, arrangers, engineers and mixers included:
- Chris Blackwell, Island Records' founder, produced the band before hitting his production stride in the 1970s with Bob Marley
- Tony Visconti, arranger and producer, worked with David Bowie, Marc Bolan, the Moody Blues and U2, among others
- Mike Vickers, a former Manfred Mann multi-instrumentalist who undertook arrangement work for Nirvana in 1967 and 1968
- Jimmy Miller, the US-born producer, worked with them immediately before starting his five-album streak producing the Rolling Stones, including the Beggars Banquet, Exile On Main Street and Goats Head Soup albums.
- Chris Thomas, the producer, whose credits include the Beatles, Procol Harum, Roxy Music, Pink Floyd (mixed The Dark Side of the Moon), the Sex Pistols and INXS.
- Guy Stevens, A&R executive and producer, before his production work with Mott the Hoople.
- Brian Humphries, the recording engineer, started engineering Nirvana before going on to work with Traffic, Black Sabbath, McDonald and Giles and Pink Floyd (eventually engineering their acclaimed Wish You Were Here and Animals albums).
Mike Weighell also contributed at the beginning of the 1970s. Others who worked on production with Nirvana include Muff Winwood (formerly of the Spencer Davis Group); arranger/producer Mike Hurst, who worked with Jimmy Page, Cat Stevens, Manfred Mann, the Spencer Davis Group, Colin Blunstone; and arranger Johnny Scott, who arranged for the Hollies and subsequently scored films such as The Shooting Party and Greystoke.
Top musicians who played on Nirvana sessions include Lesley Duncan, Big Jim Sullivan, Herbie Flowers, Billy Bremner (later of Rockpile/Dave Edmunds fame), Luther Grosvenor, Clem Cattini and the full lineup of rock band Spooky Tooth. Patrick Joseph Kelly (keyboards) also co-wrote the "Modus Operandi" track on the Local Anaesthetic album.
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]- The Story of Simon Simopath (Island 1967)
- The existence of chance is everything and nothing while the greatest achievement is the living of life and so say ALL OF US (Island 1968)
- Dedicated to Markos III (Pye 1970) a.k.a. To Markos III a.k.a. Black Flower
- Local Anaesthetic (Vertigo 1971)
- Songs of Love and Praise (Philips 1972)
- Me And My Friend (1974) Patrick Campbell-Lyons's first solo album, but marketed as a Nirvana album when released on CD (on which most of the tracks of Songs of Love and Praise were also included)
- Orange and Blue (Edsel 1996)
- Secrets (Madfish 2023)
Compilations
[edit]- Black Flower (Bam-Caruso 1987) (LP compilation)
- Travelling on a Cloud (Edsel 1992) (CD compilation)
- Secret Theatre (Edsel 1994) (CD compilation of rarities and outtakes)
- Chemistry (Edsel 1997) (3CD retrospective)
- Forever Changing - An Introduction To (Island 2003) (CD compilation)
- Cult (Burger 2012) (2LP compilation)
- Rainbow Chaser: The 60s Recordings (The Island Years) (Universal 2018) (2CD compilation)
Singles
[edit]- "Tiny Goddess" (July 1967) – UK No. 62[A]
- "Pentecost Hotel" (October 1967) – UK No. 56[A]
- "Rainbow Chaser" (March 1968) – UK No. 34[14]
- "Girl in the Park" (July 1968)
- "All of Us" (November 1968)
- "Wings of Love" (January 1969)
- "Oh! What a Performance" (May 1969)
- "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (September 1981)[15]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Colin Larkin, The Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music, 1997. p. 329 ISBN 0-7535-0149-X; "Nirvana (UK) Songwriters Patrick Campbell-Lyons (b. Dublin, Eire) and George Alex Spyropoulus (b. Athens, Greece) and Ray Singer met in La Gioconda, a legendary coffee bar in Denmark Street, London. Prior to that Campbell-Lyons had been a member of ..."
- ^ Encyclopedia of Rock - Phil Hardy, Dave Laing, Stephen Barnard - 1988, p. 320; "NIRVANA Multi-instrumentalists Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Alex Spyropoulos came together as Nirvana in 1967 to produce two superb dreamlike singles, 'Tiny Goddess' and 'Pentecost Hotel'. They went on to produce The Story of Simon ..."
- ^ Mark Beaumont (29 June 2011). "From Nirvana to Viva Brother: what's in a name change?". The Guardian.
- ^ Jim Irvin, Phil Alexander Mojo collection: the ultimate music companion 2007 Page 115 "Nirvana The Story of Simon Simonpath Sumptuous soft-psych classic from the original UK Nirvana. The brainchild of songwriters Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Alex Spyropoulos and Ray Singer, Nirvana was originally conceived as a group but devolved into a ..."
- ^ a b Brian Hogg, Sleeve Notes to the compilation Travelling on a Cloud, 1992.
- ^ Donald Clarke, The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 1990. p. 859; "NIRVANA Psychedelic rock band formed in UK '67, led by Patrick Campbell-Lyons (b Waterford, Eire) and Alex Spyropoulos (b Greece). Songwriter Campbell-Lyons had moved to England to attend university, instead joined Second Thoughts"
- ^ 4809078-The-Nirvana-Ensemble discography at Discogs
- ^ Magazine, Smithsonian; Meisler, Stanley. "The Surreal World of Salvador Dalí". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ "Nirvana UK". YouTube. 18 August 2008. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
- ^ "Dali" spoken word track on Secret Theatre
- ^ "Melanie Blue" (attr.)liner notes, To Markos III
- ^ Everett True. Nirvana: The Biography
- ^ "Nirvana – Travelling on a Cloud (Island, 1967/69)". February 2011.
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 396. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Nirvana [UK] — The Picture of Dorian Gray". 45cat. c. 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
External links
[edit]- Electric Roulette review of Markos III
- Nirvana discography at MusicBrainz
- Marmalade Skies: Nirvana
- Trilogy Rock: Nirvana Interview to the band in 2010
- Myspace: Nirvana
- English pop music groups
- Psychedelic pop music groups
- Baroque pop groups
- English progressive rock groups
- Pop music groups from London
- Rock music groups from London
- Musical groups established in 1967
- Musical groups disestablished in 1971
- Musical groups reestablished in 1985
- Island Records artists
- Vertigo Records artists