Eclection
Encyclopedia
Eclection were a British-based folk rock
band, originally formed in 1967 in London
by Norwegian-born Georg Kajanus
(then known as Georg Hultgreen), Canadian Michael Rosen, Australians Trevor Lucas
and Kerrilee Male, and Britisher Gerry Conway
. They released one album on Elektra Records
before singer Kerrilee Male left to be replaced by Dorris Henderson
, but the group broke up in December 1969.
restaurant. They decided to form a group, and recruited Lucas, who had previously recorded in Australia, and in Britain as an accompanist to A. L. Lloyd
, after seeing him perform at the 1967 Cambridge Folk Festival
. Lucas in turn recommended Kerrilee Male, who had previously worked as a singer with Dave Guard
, formerly of The Kingston Trio
, on his Australian TV show Dave's Place
. The four rehearsed together and acquired the name Eclection - a back-formation
to describe their "eclectic" style and origins - at the suggestion of Joni Mitchell
, who was playing folk clubs in England at the time and who was a friend of Rosen's girlfriend. On a visit to New York
, the group approached Elektra Records owner Jac Holzman
, who then heard them rehearse in London, and offered them a record deal. The quartet made their first public appearance at the Royal Festival Hall
in late 1967, supporting Tom Paxton
.
The group then added drummer Gerry Conway, a member of Alexis Korner
's backing group. Despite their backgrounds, the band regarded themselves as being a "progressive rock
" group rather than playing "folk rock", a term which had not yet come into widespread use. They began recording at IBC Studios
in London in December 1967, with Australian record producer
Ossie Byrne
and arranger Phil Dennys, who had both worked on The Bee Gees' first hit "New York Mining Disaster 1941
". The songs were recorded as rehearsed, with vocal harmonies and ornate orchestral arrangements overdubbed later. The band released their first single, "Nevertheless", written by Rosen, in June 1968; it received some airplay
in the UK but did not chart. They also appeared on Dutch TV, BBC radio, and the BBC TV show Colour Me Pop
.
The band's self-titled album, Eclection, was released in August 1968. Eight of the songs were written by Hultgreen, and the remaining three by Rosen. Hultgreen and Rosen also shared the lead vocals with Kerrilee Male, although most critics commented on the strength of Male's voice, Lillian Roxon
stating that "Her voice cuts into the brain like a carving knife". The band's style drew comparisons with The Seekers
, Jefferson Airplane
, The Mamas and The Papas and We Five
. Reviewer Richie Unterberger
stated: "The combination of male-female harmonies, optimistic lyrics with shades of romantic psychedelia, folk-rock melodies, acoustic-electric six- and twelve-string guitar combinations, and stratospheric orchestration couldn't help but bring to mind similar Californian folk-pop-rock of the mid-to-late 1960s."
Kajanus (Hultgreen) later said:
's song "Please (Mark II)", was released in October 1968. However, that month Kerrilee Male decided to leave the band, and returned to Australia. Gerry Conway said: "Once we started playing live, it was very soon apparent that Kerrilee didn't want to stay with it. I think she decided she didn't want to be in the music world." The band immediately replaced her with Dorris Henderson, an African-American singer who had moved to Britain, performed in folk clubs, and recorded a 1965 album with John Renbourn
. The single was re-recorded with Henderson's vocal replacing Male.
In December 1968, Eclection supported The Beach Boys
on a 10-day tour, and afterwards they continued to tour clubs. Mike Rosen left the band in March 1969, and the band recruited guitarist Gary Boyle, previously a member of The Brian Auger Trinity, and vibraphone player John "Poli" Palmer of Blossom Toes
. However, Boyle left again in June to rejoin Auger. The band continued as a five-piece and performed (along with Bob Dylan
and The Who
) at the Isle of Wight Festival
in August 1969, but Hultgreen then decided to leave. Lucas, Conway, Palmer and Henderson continued to tour for several months, finally agreeing to split up in December 1969 when Palmer decided to join Family
. Conway said: "We just decided, eventually, that we weren't really going anywhere. Not where we wanted to go, anyway."
Jac Holzman stated:
with Lucas' girlfriend (and later wife) Sandy Denny
, formerly of Fairport Convention
. Lucas and Denny later both rejoined Fairport Convention for a period; Sandy Denny died in 1978, and Trevor Lucas in 1989. Gerry Conway continued a prolific career as a drummer, with Cat Stevens
, Steeleye Span
, Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull
and others.
Georg Hultgreen was later known as Georg Kajanus, and had commercial success in the mid-1970s with the band Sailor
, later forming DATA
and Noir with Tim Dry (Tik from Tik and Tok
), and writing musicals and soundtracks. Mike Rosen managed the progressive rock band Cressida
, and was later a member of Mogul Thrash
, before returning to live in Canada. Little is known publicly about Kerrilee Male after her return to Australia.
Dorris Henderson headed a new band, Dorris Henderson's Eclection, in the 1970s, with her son Eric Johns. She died in 2005.
The album Eclection was re-issued on CD by Collector's Choice Music in November 2001.
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band, originally formed in 1967 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
by Norwegian-born Georg Kajanus
Georg Kajanus
Georg Kajanus is a Norwegian composer and pop musician, best known as the lead singer and songwriter of the British pop group, Sailor.-Early years:...
(then known as Georg Hultgreen), Canadian Michael Rosen, Australians Trevor Lucas
Trevor Lucas
Trevor George Lucas was an influential folk artist, a member of Fairport Convention and one of the founders of Fotheringay...
and Kerrilee Male, and Britisher Gerry Conway
Gerry Conway (musician)
Gerald Conway is an English folk and rock drummer/percussionist, best known for having performed with the backing band for Cat Stevens in the 1970s, Jethro Tull during the 1980s, and currently a member of Fairport Convention as well as his side projects...
. They released one album on Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
before singer Kerrilee Male left to be replaced by Dorris Henderson
Dorris Henderson
Dorris Henderson was an American-born, United Kingdom-based folk music singer and autoharp player.-Early years:Born in Lakeland, Florida but raised in Los Angeles, she was the daughter of an African American clergyman and the granddaughter of a Blackfoot Native American...
, but the group broke up in December 1969.
Formation and initial reception
Rosen and Hultgreen met when Hultgreen - who had grown up in Canada - was playing songs in a BayswaterBayswater
Bayswater is an area of west London in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to the west . It is a built-up district located 3 miles west-north-west of Charing Cross, bordering the north of Hyde Park over Kensington Gardens and having a population density of...
restaurant. They decided to form a group, and recruited Lucas, who had previously recorded in Australia, and in Britain as an accompanist to A. L. Lloyd
A. L. Lloyd
Albert Lancaster Lloyd , usually known as A. L. Lloyd or Bert Lloyd, was an English folk singer and collector of folk songs, and as such was a key figure in the folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s....
, after seeing him perform at the 1967 Cambridge Folk Festival
Cambridge Folk Festival
The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival held on the site of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is renowned for its eclectic mix of music and a wide definition of what might be considered folk. It occurs...
. Lucas in turn recommended Kerrilee Male, who had previously worked as a singer with Dave Guard
Dave Guard
Donald David "Dave" Guard was an American folk singer, songwriter, arranger and recording artist. Along with Nick Reynolds and Bob Shane, he was one of the founding members of The Kingston Trio.Guard was educated in Honolulu, Hawaii, at Punahou School in what was then the pre-statehood U.S....
, formerly of The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds...
, on his Australian TV show Dave's Place
Dave's Place
Dave's Place was a national Australian weekly musical variety television show starring Dave Guard, formerly of The Kingston Trio and The Whiskeyhill Singers. Guard as host was joined each Sunday night with Dave's Place Group, performing several folk songs...
. The four rehearsed together and acquired the name Eclection - a back-formation
Back-formation
In etymology, back-formation is the process of creating a new lexeme, usually by removing actual or supposed affixes. The resulting neologism is called a back-formation, a term coined by James Murray in 1889...
to describe their "eclectic" style and origins - at the suggestion of Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
, who was playing folk clubs in England at the time and who was a friend of Rosen's girlfriend. On a visit to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the group approached Elektra Records owner Jac Holzman
Jac Holzman
Jac Holzman was the founder, chief executive officer and head of both Elektra Records and Nonesuch Records.-Biography:He founded Elektra Records in his St. John's College dorm room in 1950 and Nonesuch Records in 1964...
, who then heard them rehearse in London, and offered them a record deal. The quartet made their first public appearance at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
in late 1967, supporting Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton
Thomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
.
The group then added drummer Gerry Conway, a member of Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner was a blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a Founding Father of British Blues"...
's backing group. Despite their backgrounds, the band regarded themselves as being a "progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
" group rather than playing "folk rock", a term which had not yet come into widespread use. They began recording at IBC Studios
IBC Studios
The IBC Recording Studios were recording studios in 35 Portland Place, London, England. After the Second World War it was the address of the leading independent studio in London and the British Isles...
in London in December 1967, with Australian record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Ossie Byrne
Ossie Byrne
Oswald Russell "Ossie" Byrne was an Australian record producer, best known for producing the early recordings of The Bee Gees, including their first international hit, "New York Mining Disaster 1941"....
and arranger Phil Dennys, who had both worked on The Bee Gees' first hit "New York Mining Disaster 1941
New York Mining Disaster 1941
"New York Mining Disaster 1941" was the first song to be released by the Bee Gees in the United States , and their first song to hit the charts in the US or UK...
". The songs were recorded as rehearsed, with vocal harmonies and ornate orchestral arrangements overdubbed later. The band released their first single, "Nevertheless", written by Rosen, in June 1968; it received some airplay
Airplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...
in the UK but did not chart. They also appeared on Dutch TV, BBC radio, and the BBC TV show Colour Me Pop
Colour Me Pop
Colour Me Pop was a British music TV programmebroadcast on BBC2 from 1968-1969. It was a spin-off from the BBC 2 arts magazine show Late Night Line-Up. Designed to celebrate the new introduction of colour to British television, it was directed by Steve Turner, and showcased half-hour sets by pop...
.
The band's self-titled album, Eclection, was released in August 1968. Eight of the songs were written by Hultgreen, and the remaining three by Rosen. Hultgreen and Rosen also shared the lead vocals with Kerrilee Male, although most critics commented on the strength of Male's voice, Lillian Roxon
Lillian Roxon
Lillian Roxon was a noted Australian journalist and author, best known for Lillian Roxon's Rock Encyclopedia . Her niece Nicola Roxon, the Australian politician, is currently the federal Minister for Health....
stating that "Her voice cuts into the brain like a carving knife". The band's style drew comparisons with The Seekers
The Seekers
The Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop music group which were originally formed in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States...
, Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
, The Mamas and The Papas and We Five
We Five
We Five was a 1960s folk rock musical group based in San Francisco, California. Their best-known hit was their 1965 remake of Ian and Sylvia's "You Were on My Mind", which reached #1 on the Cashbox chart, #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart...
. Reviewer Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger is a US author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.-Life and writing:Having worked as a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia, he started reviewing records for Op magazine in 1983...
stated: "The combination of male-female harmonies, optimistic lyrics with shades of romantic psychedelia, folk-rock melodies, acoustic-electric six- and twelve-string guitar combinations, and stratospheric orchestration couldn't help but bring to mind similar Californian folk-pop-rock of the mid-to-late 1960s."
Kajanus (Hultgreen) later said:
"The musical direction of the group was probably closer to American folk-rock than anything else. I must confess, having spent my formative musical years haunting the folk clubs in Montreal, Canada and watching all the current folk and folk/rock programs on TV, I was strongly influenced by this music. The most influential artists for me at the time were people like DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, the ByrdsThe ByrdsThe Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, Fred NeilFred NeilFred Neil was an American folk singer-songwriter in the 1960s and early 1970s. He did not achieve commercial success as a performer, and is mainly known through other people's recordings of his material – particularly "Everybody's Talkin'", which became a hit for Harry Nilsson after being...
, Simon and GarfunkelSimon and GarfunkelSimon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the...
, the Beach BoysThe Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, the Mamas and the Papas, and Gordon LightfootGordon LightfootGordon Meredith Lightfoot, Jr. is a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music, and has been credited for helping define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s...
. Pre-Eclection, I was a purist fighting the acoustic battle versus the electric "demons" creeping into the scene. I remember being shocked when Dylan went electricElectric Dylan controversyBy 1965, Bob Dylan had achieved the status of leading songwriter of the American folk music revival.Paul Simon suggested that Dylan's early compositions virtually took over the folk genre: "[Dylan's] early songs were very rich ... with strong melodies. 'Blowin' in the Wind' has a really strong...
. It is therefore ironic that I should end up a few years later playing an electric 12-string in Eclection."
Later career and split
After the album was released, the band began to perform at festivals and in clubs around Britain. Their second single, a version of American band KaleidoscopeKaleidoscope (US band)
Kaleidoscope was an American psychedelic folk and ethnic band who recorded 4 albums and several singles for Epic Records between 1966 and 1970.-Formation:...
's song "Please (Mark II)", was released in October 1968. However, that month Kerrilee Male decided to leave the band, and returned to Australia. Gerry Conway said: "Once we started playing live, it was very soon apparent that Kerrilee didn't want to stay with it. I think she decided she didn't want to be in the music world." The band immediately replaced her with Dorris Henderson, an African-American singer who had moved to Britain, performed in folk clubs, and recorded a 1965 album with John Renbourn
John Renbourn
John Renbourn is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career before, during and after that band's existence .While most commonly labelled a...
. The single was re-recorded with Henderson's vocal replacing Male.
In December 1968, Eclection supported The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
on a 10-day tour, and afterwards they continued to tour clubs. Mike Rosen left the band in March 1969, and the band recruited guitarist Gary Boyle, previously a member of The Brian Auger Trinity, and vibraphone player John "Poli" Palmer of Blossom Toes
Blossom Toes
Blossom Toes were an English psychedelic pop band active between 1967 and 1969. Initially known as The Ingoes, they were renamed and signed to manager Giorgio Gomelsky's Marmalade label...
. However, Boyle left again in June to rejoin Auger. The band continued as a five-piece and performed (along with Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
) at the Isle of Wight Festival
Isle of Wight Festival 1969
The 1969 Isle of Wight Festival was held on August 30–31, 1969, at Wootton, and attracted an audience of approximately 150,000 to see the acts of Bob Dylan, The Who and Free. It was the second of three music festivals held on the Isle of Wight between 1968 and 1970...
in August 1969, but Hultgreen then decided to leave. Lucas, Conway, Palmer and Henderson continued to tour for several months, finally agreeing to split up in December 1969 when Palmer decided to join Family
Family (band)
Family were an English rock band that formed in late 1966 and disbanded in October 1973. Their style has been characterised as progressive rock, although their sound often explored other genres, incorporating elements of styles like as folk, psychedelia, acid, jazz fusion and rock and roll...
. Conway said: "We just decided, eventually, that we weren't really going anywhere. Not where we wanted to go, anyway."
Jac Holzman stated:
"I loved that group. They were a fascinating group, a wonderful band, and I thought the records were wonderful. I think our mistake was not bringing them to the States, because they really needed to get out of England. There was too much other stuff competing in England, and in the States, we might have had an easier time. I don't know why we didn't bring 'em. I think, had we got 'em the right venues and gotten them some help with their show, it would have worked."
Aftermath
After Eclection split up, Lucas and Conway formed FotheringayFotheringay
Fotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock group, formed in 1970 by singer Sandy Denny on her departure from Fairport Convention. The band drew its name from her 1968 composition "Fotheringay" about Fotheringhay Castle, in which Mary, Queen of Scots had been imprisoned...
with Lucas' girlfriend (and later wife) Sandy Denny
Sandy Denny
Sandy Denny , born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny, was an English singer and songwriter, perhaps best known as the lead singer for the folk rock band Fairport Convention...
, formerly of Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
. Lucas and Denny later both rejoined Fairport Convention for a period; Sandy Denny died in 1978, and Trevor Lucas in 1989. Gerry Conway continued a prolific career as a drummer, with Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
, Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span are an English folk-rock band, formed in 1969 and remaining active today. Along with Fairport Convention they are amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles "Gaudete" and "All Around My Hat"....
, Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
and others.
Georg Hultgreen was later known as Georg Kajanus, and had commercial success in the mid-1970s with the band Sailor
Sailor (band)
Sailor are a British pop group, best known in the 1970s for their hit singles "Glass of Champagne" and "Girls Girls Girls", written by the group's lead singer and 12-string guitar player, Georg Kajanus.-In the 1970s:...
, later forming DATA
DATA (band)
DATA were an electronic music band created in the late 1970s by Georg Kajanus, creator of such bands as Eclection, Sailor and Noir...
and Noir with Tim Dry (Tik from Tik and Tok
Tik and Tok
Tik and Tok are the robotic mime and music duo of Tim Dry and Sean Crawford. They began performing together with SHOCK: a rock/mime/burlesque/music troupe in the early 1980s with Barbie Wilde, Robert Pereno, L.A. Richards and Carole Caplin....
), and writing musicals and soundtracks. Mike Rosen managed the progressive rock band Cressida
Cressida (progressive rock band)
Cressida were a British progressive rock band, best known for their mellow, symphonic sound. Originally known as Charge, they were active from 1968 and 1970, and recorded two albums for Vertigo.-Career:...
, and was later a member of Mogul Thrash
Mogul Thrash
Mogul Thrash was a progressive rock band from the United Kingdom active in the early 1970s.-Biography:British jazz-rock band Mogul Thrash evolved from James Litherland's Brotherhood, which in addition to guitarist Litherland also featured guitarist/reedist Michael Rosen , drummer Bill Harrison and...
, before returning to live in Canada. Little is known publicly about Kerrilee Male after her return to Australia.
Dorris Henderson headed a new band, Dorris Henderson's Eclection, in the 1970s, with her son Eric Johns. She died in 2005.
The album Eclection was re-issued on CD by Collector's Choice Music in November 2001.