Quarteto 1111
Encyclopedia
Quarteto 1111 was founded in 1967 in Estoril and is one of the most influential progressive rock
and psychedelic rock
bands in Portugal
. Originally formed by Miguel Artur da Silveira (Drums), José Cid
(Vocals and Keyboard), António Moniz Pereira (Guitar) and Jorge Moniz Pereira (Bass). Latter members included Tozé Brito and Mike Sargent.
It was one of the many musical groups inspired in The Shadows
. Originally called the Mystery Group (Conjunto Mistério), the name later changed to 1111 Quartet (Quarteto 1111). The name was inspired by phone number of the band's rehearsal place, at the drummer's house.
Quarteto 1111 was the first symphonic rock
band in Portugal. Since 1968-69 they got media attention through a hit single, "El Rei D. Sebastião", actually with lyrics about the theme of the lost Portuguese king, who supposedly died in the fields of Morocco during the battle of Alcácer-Quibir (a loss that would eventually lead to Portugal losing its independence to Spain). All the myths related with the return of King Sebastian — a quite anchored Portuguese myth — were fairly treated in this song. The harpsichord
made its first appearance in Portuguese rock
music. A single with the English version of the song was published in Great Britain. José Cid was the band leader, composer, keyboard player and lead singer. The rest of the band had a classic formation influenced by the usual Beatles line-up, but with a sound and song structure that reminds the early Moody Blues. The following album continued in the same vein, combining melodic songs with newly progressive instruments, namely the Mellotron
. Later on the band evolved to late 70's pop sound.
The band (with Michel, Tozé Brito and Mike Sargent) briefly reunited in 24 November 2007, during a José Cid show, where the rest of the band joined him onstage and played four songs from their work.
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...
and psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
bands in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Originally formed by Miguel Artur da Silveira (Drums), José Cid
José Cid
José Cid is a Portuguese singer and composer. Outside of his home country, Cid is best known for performing "Um grande, grande amor" at the Eurovision Song Contest 1980 and for the progressive rock album 10,000 Anos Depois Entre Venus E Marte.Over his longlasting career, Cid has been awarded...
(Vocals and Keyboard), António Moniz Pereira (Guitar) and Jorge Moniz Pereira (Bass). Latter members included Tozé Brito and Mike Sargent.
It was one of the many musical groups inspired in The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
. Originally called the Mystery Group (Conjunto Mistério), the name later changed to 1111 Quartet (Quarteto 1111). The name was inspired by phone number of the band's rehearsal place, at the drummer's house.
Quarteto 1111 was the first symphonic rock
Symphonic rock
Symphonic rock is a sub-genre of progressive rock. Since early in progressive rock's history, the term has been used sometimes to distinguish more classically influenced progressive rock from the more psychedelic and experimental forms of progressive rock....
band in Portugal. Since 1968-69 they got media attention through a hit single, "El Rei D. Sebastião", actually with lyrics about the theme of the lost Portuguese king, who supposedly died in the fields of Morocco during the battle of Alcácer-Quibir (a loss that would eventually lead to Portugal losing its independence to Spain). All the myths related with the return of King Sebastian — a quite anchored Portuguese myth — were fairly treated in this song. The harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
made its first appearance in Portuguese rock
Portuguese rock
The Portuguese rock scene has a fifty year history, and is popular within that country.-History:Rock music arrived to Portugal in the late 1950s with Joaquim Costa....
music. A single with the English version of the song was published in Great Britain. José Cid was the band leader, composer, keyboard player and lead singer. The rest of the band had a classic formation influenced by the usual Beatles line-up, but with a sound and song structure that reminds the early Moody Blues. The following album continued in the same vein, combining melodic songs with newly progressive instruments, namely the Mellotron
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
. Later on the band evolved to late 70's pop sound.
The band (with Michel, Tozé Brito and Mike Sargent) briefly reunited in 24 November 2007, during a José Cid show, where the rest of the band joined him onstage and played four songs from their work.
External links
- Quarteto 1111 - Retrospective (in Portuguese) (Retrieved 2011-09-06)