Label: Operation Seraphim (UK), EWCD18
Style: Progressive Rock, Symphonic Rock
Country: Leeds Castle, Kent, England (30 July 1947)
Time: 41:02
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 213 Mb
Born
on the Leeds Castle estate in Kent, England, Godfrey was privately
educated in various prep schools prior to going to Finchden Manor in
Tenterden, which was described by its founder George Lyward as a
"therapeutic community for adolescents", other alumni of which included
Alexis Korner and Tom Robinson. Although he didn't start to play the
piano until the age of twelve, Godfrey's talent was prodigious enough to
gain him admission to the Royal College of Music, then the Royal
Academy of Music. He studied under concert pianist Malcolm Binns, and
those around him included Sir Michael Tippett, Benjamin Britten and Hans
Werner Henze.
From 1968 to 1971 Godfrey became resident musical
director with Barclay James Harvest, making musical contributions to
early recordings which established their full, orchestral style of rock
music. The relationship fell apart and accounts differ as to why.
Godfrey is gay, and claimed this was one reason he was fired from BJH.
"It was the band’s girlfriends who forced the issue," he told Classic
Rock magazine. "They were from the Lancashire/Yorkshire area and
couldn’t handle the idea of a gay man like me with a plummy accent."
Years later Godfrey filed a lawsuit alleging he was owed composing
credits and corresponding royalties on several of Barclay James
Harvest's songs. He established that he had made a significant and
original contribution to the creation of the works and must be regarded
as a joint author. But as he had waited 14 years before asserting his
rights, he was estopped from revoking the implied license granted to
Lees for the exploitation of the works.
Before Fall of Hyperion,
Godfrey was involved in the embryonic prog rock band Siddhartha who
played the university and club circuit before being seen by Tony
Stratton Smith (Charisma Records) at the Marquee Club, where they were
supporting Mike Patto. The Band consisted of Godfrey on Steinway grand
piano, Tony Ball bass guitar, Chris Lewis vocals, Nigel King lead
guitar, Colin Green Hammond C3 organ and Nigel Culpepper drums. Various
other members drifted in and out but these were the main members. The
band fell apart through personal and musical differences before they
could produce their first album (although somewhere there exists a three
track demo recorded at Joe Browns Studio in Chigwell).
In 1974 the
Charisma Records label released his first solo album, Fall of Hyperion.
It had abysmal sales and Godfrey himself has since described it as
"stupid".
He then went on to form The Enid.
Godfrey was the winner of the Visionary award at the 2014 Progressive Music Awards.
He
has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. In 2016, he retired from
playing with The Enid due to his illness. His last regular performance
with the band took place on 2 April 2016. However, in June 2017, it was
announced that Godfrey would be joining The Enid in August of that year
to celebrate his 70th birthday with a one-off performance at the Union
Chapel in London, that took place on 5 August.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_John_Godfrey)
01. The Raven (08:40)
02. Mountains (06:57)
03. Water Song (05:27)
04. Isault (05:20)
05. The Daemon of the World (14:36)
No comments:
Post a Comment