Eela Craig
Encyclopedia
Eela Craig was an Austrian rock band of the 1970s and 80s that combined progressive rock with Jazz and classical music influences as well as Christian lyrics. The band's name is without known meaning.

History

The band was founded in Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...

 in 1970 and recorded its first album entitled Eela Craig in 1971 with a circulation of 1500. Critics compared this album with established bands such as Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...

, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...

, Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band was known for the complexity and sophistication of its music and for the varied musical skills of its members. All of the band members, except the first two drummers, were multi-instrumentalists...

 and Colosseum. The band had a few onstage performances with the Zürich Chamber Orchestra in 1972, which led to more performances in well known opera houses of Italy, Germany and Austria, very uncommon venues for a rock band at the time.

The band signed a contract with Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...

 in 1975 to release a number of singles and albums, including the Christian concept album Missa Universalis and a signature ethereal style cover version of Chris de Burgh
Chris de Burgh
Chris de Burgh is a British/Irish singer-songwriter. He is most famous for his 1986 love song "The Lady in Red".-Early life:...

's A Spaceman Came Travelling, both released in 1978.

Missa Universalis was a musical translation of a (Catholic) high mass, which embraced lyrics in Latin, German, English and French languages. The compositions resembled the works of Anton Bruckner
Anton Bruckner
Anton Bruckner was an Austrian composer known for his symphonies, masses, and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-German Romanticism because of their rich harmonic language, complex polyphony, and considerable length...

, mixed with elements of rock and electronic music. The premiere was performed at the Brucknerfest of the city of Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...

 and received positive acceptance.

The band was largely inactive between 1982 and 1986, but the two founding members produced solo music under the Bognermayr/Zuschrader name with Bognermayr's own New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...

 label Erdenklang. 1987 saw the release of three singles, which were targeted to match the contemporary Pop Music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

 style. Eela Craig released their last album Hit or Miss in 1987.

On 17 November 1995, the band reunited for a one-time live performance in Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...

. At the same time, Hubert Bognermayr published a compilation of the band's music entitled Symphonic Rock.

Singles

  • Stories / Cheese (1974)
  • A Spaceman Came Travelling / Heaven Sales (1978)
  • Mo-bike Jive / Carry On (1981)
  • Linz / Fühl mich so... (1987)
  • Il Tempo.../Lovers in Love (1987)
  • Weihnachtszeit / (Instrumental) (1987)
  • Lord’s Prayer / Vaterunser (1988)

Albums

  • Eela Craig (1971)
  • One Niter (1976)
  • Hats of Glass (1977)
  • Missa Universalis (1978)
  • Virgin Oiland (1980)
  • Hit or Miss (1988)

External links

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