Emerson, Lake & Powell
Encyclopedia
Emerson, Lake & Powell, sometimes abbreviated as ELPowell, were an English
rock band
, an offshoot or variant lineup of Emerson, Lake & Palmer
, that released one official studio album in 1986.
Keith Emerson
and Greg Lake
had planned to re-form the original ELP in 1985 but drummer Carl Palmer
was unavailable because of contractual obligations to Asia
. After auditioning a series of drummers unwilling to commit to the band, they approached Cozy Powell
, a longtime friend of Emerson's, to replace him. The band have always insisted that it was a coincidence that his surname also happened to start with a P, thus allowing the band to retain its original initials, although they also joked about looking for a "Gene Prupa
" and having approached "Phil Pollins
" and "Ringo Parr
" before Powell agreed to join. Shortly into recording, Emerson's barn studio was destroyed by a runaway tractor, requiring some parts of the album be rerecorded, leading him to joke, "Perhaps we should have called it 'Emerson, Lake & Plow!'"
The band's self-titled studio album
was a return to the familiar ELP style, with long progressive rock
suites, mellow ballads and a classical theme ("Mars, the Bringer of War
" by Gustav Holst
, a piece previously performed by Lake during his tenure in King Crimson
). One song, "The Score", even references the lyric "Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends" from ELP's "Karn Evil 9: First Impression" (on the album Brain Salad Surgery
). Initially, when the record company suggested that the group perform "Mars," Emerson refused, saying it would be like ELP Plays the Classics or Richard Clayderman Plays 'Clair de Lune. After Powell showed him a video of one of his former bands playing the number, however, Emerson agreed to try it.
In live performance the band also performed classic ELP and Nice
material.
The band's live tour was marred by a dispute which led to the band firing its management, and "ELPowell" disbanded without recording a second album. Emerson rejoined Palmer and with Robert Berry
formed the band 3
in 1988, before the original ELP lineup reformed for 1992's album Black Moon, which bears some stylistic similarities to the Emerson, Lake & Powell album.
Some ELPowell studio rehearsals and live recordings found their way onto bootlegs
in the 1990s. The material was subsequently remastered and given an official release on two 2003 CDs, available via the ELP website
.
Cozy Powell died on April 5, 1998, following a car crash.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, an offshoot or variant lineup of 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...
, that released one official studio album in 1986.
Keith Emerson
Keith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
and Greg Lake
Greg Lake
Gregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
had planned to re-form the original ELP in 1985 but drummer Carl Palmer
Carl Palmer
Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer is an English drummer and percussionist. He is credited as one of the most respected rock drummers to emerge from the 1960s...
was unavailable because of contractual obligations to Asia
Asia (band)
Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup as it included former members of several veteran progressive rock bands, namely John Wetton , Geoff Downes , Steve Howe and Carl Palmer Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a...
. After auditioning a series of drummers unwilling to commit to the band, they approached Cozy Powell
Cozy Powell
Colin Flooks , better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer who made his name with many major rock bands.-Early history:...
, a longtime friend of Emerson's, to replace him. The band have always insisted that it was a coincidence that his surname also happened to start with a P, thus allowing the band to retain its original initials, although they also joked about looking for a "Gene Prupa
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa was an American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:...
" and having approached "Phil Pollins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
" and "Ringo Parr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
" before Powell agreed to join. Shortly into recording, Emerson's barn studio was destroyed by a runaway tractor, requiring some parts of the album be rerecorded, leading him to joke, "Perhaps we should have called it 'Emerson, Lake & Plow!'"
The band's self-titled studio album
Emerson, Lake & Powell (album)
Emerson, Lake & Powell is the only studio album recorded by the ELP offshoot band of the same name. It was recorded in 1985 and released in 1986 on Polydor Records. However, two further albums comprising rehearsals and live material were subsequently issued in 2003...
was a return to the familiar ELP style, with long 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...
suites, mellow ballads and a classical theme ("Mars, the Bringer of War
The Planets
The Planets, Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst...
" by Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
, a piece previously performed by Lake during his tenure in 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...
). One song, "The Score", even references the lyric "Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends" from ELP's "Karn Evil 9: First Impression" (on the album Brain Salad Surgery
Brain Salad Surgery
Brain Salad Surgery is the fourth studio album by progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in 1973 and the first under their Manticore Records imprint. It fuses rock and classical themes. Lyrics were co-written by Greg Lake with fellow ex-King Crimson member Peter Sinfield. Cover...
). Initially, when the record company suggested that the group perform "Mars," Emerson refused, saying it would be like ELP Plays the Classics or Richard Clayderman Plays 'Clair de Lune. After Powell showed him a video of one of his former bands playing the number, however, Emerson agreed to try it.
In live performance the band also performed classic ELP and Nice
The Nice
The Nice were an English progressive rock band from the 1960s, known for their blend of rock, jazz and classical music. Their debut album, The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack was released in 1967 to immediate acclaim. It is often considered the first progressive rock album...
material.
The band's live tour was marred by a dispute which led to the band firing its management, and "ELPowell" disbanded without recording a second album. Emerson rejoined Palmer and with Robert Berry
Robert Berry
Robert Berry is an American guitarist, vocalist and producer, best known for his work with Hush, 3, Ambrosia, Alliance & Los Tres Gusanos.-History:...
formed the band 3
3 (1980s band)
3 were a short-lived progressive rock band formed by former Emerson, Lake & Palmer members Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer and American multi-instrumentalist Robert Berry in 1988....
in 1988, before the original ELP lineup reformed for 1992's album Black Moon, which bears some stylistic similarities to the Emerson, Lake & Powell album.
Some ELPowell studio rehearsals and live recordings found their way onto bootlegs
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
in the 1990s. The material was subsequently remastered and given an official release on two 2003 CDs, available via the ELP website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
.
Cozy Powell died on April 5, 1998, following a car crash.
Band members
- Keith EmersonKeith EmersonKeith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
– keyboards - Greg LakeGreg LakeGregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
– bass, guitar, vocals, production - Cozy PowellCozy PowellColin Flooks , better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer who made his name with many major rock bands.-Early history:...
– drums, percussion
Discography
- Emerson, Lake & PowellEmerson, Lake & Powell (album)Emerson, Lake & Powell is the only studio album recorded by the ELP offshoot band of the same name. It was recorded in 1985 and released in 1986 on Polydor Records. However, two further albums comprising rehearsals and live material were subsequently issued in 2003...
(1986) - The Sprocket Sessions (rehearsal tapes) (2003)
- Live in Concert (recorded live in Lakeland, FloridaLakeland, FloridaLakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
, November 1986) (2003)