Airborne (Curved Air album)
Encyclopedia
Airborne is the sixth studio album by Curved Air
and was recorded in 1976. Like their last few releases, it was not a significant commercial success. After a follow-up non-album single, "Baby Please Don't Go" b/w "Broken Lady", the group disbanded. Drummer Stewart Copeland
went on to form The Police
, while violinist Darryl Way
and lead singer Sonja Kristina both pursued solo careers. Bassist Reeves and guitarist Jacques both later became members of the semi-pro band Big Chief.
The Police covered "Kids to Blame" in their early performances, using a stripped-down punk arrangement of the song. Stewart Copeland also reused a guitar riff from "Desiree" in his hit solo single "Don't Care".
as a songwriter. Around the release of Midnight Wire
, he was informed about publishing royalties for songwriters, and responded by churning out compositions until the band accepted a few of his contributions.
Producer Dennis McKay quit the project midway through recording, leaving the remaining four tracks to be produced by Curved Air themselves.
Curved Air
Curved Air are a pioneering British progressive rock group formed in 1970 by musicians from mixed artistic backgrounds, including classic, folk, and electronic sound. The resulting sound of the band was a mixture of progressive rock, folk rock, and fusion with classical elements...
and was recorded in 1976. Like their last few releases, it was not a significant commercial success. After a follow-up non-album single, "Baby Please Don't Go" b/w "Broken Lady", the group disbanded. Drummer Stewart Copeland
Stewart Copeland
Stewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks...
went on to form The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, while violinist Darryl Way
Darryl Way
Darryl Way is a British rock and classical musician who was a founding member of Curved Air and co-writer of their only hit single, "Back Street Luv". He is best known as a violinist although he also played keyboards.He began his musical training at Dartington College of Arts, and later studied at...
and lead singer Sonja Kristina both pursued solo careers. Bassist Reeves and guitarist Jacques both later became members of the semi-pro band Big Chief.
The Police covered "Kids to Blame" in their early performances, using a stripped-down punk arrangement of the song. Stewart Copeland also reused a guitar riff from "Desiree" in his hit solo single "Don't Care".
Background and Recording
The album sessions marked the debut of Stewart CopelandStewart Copeland
Stewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks...
as a songwriter. Around the release of Midnight Wire
Midnight Wire
Midnight Wire is the fifth studio album by Curved Air and was recorded in 1975. It marked another line-up change in the band, with Darryl Way and Sonja Kristina recruiting new musicians after the end of the reunion tour marked by the "Curved Air Live" album...
, he was informed about publishing royalties for songwriters, and responded by churning out compositions until the band accepted a few of his contributions.
Producer Dennis McKay quit the project midway through recording, leaving the remaining four tracks to be produced by Curved Air themselves.
Reception
Allmusic described Airborne as an overlooked record and "a strong summation of all that made the group so important in the first place." While appraising the album as a whole as weaker than their first three, claiming it veers towards generic 1970s rock, they regarded "Desiree" and "Heaven (never seemed so far away)" as equal to anything on the band's strongest releases.Track listing
Personnel
- Sonja KristinaSonja Kristina LinwoodSonja Kristina , is an English musician most recognizable as the vocalist for Curved Air.- Biography :...
– vocals - Darryl WayDarryl WayDarryl Way is a British rock and classical musician who was a founding member of Curved Air and co-writer of their only hit single, "Back Street Luv". He is best known as a violinist although he also played keyboards.He began his musical training at Dartington College of Arts, and later studied at...
– violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, keyboards - Tony ReevesTony ReevesAnthony 'Tony' Reeves is an English bass guitarist/contrabassist, noted for his "extremely prominent and complex bass sound" and use of electronic effects...
– bass, keyboards, double bass on "Broken Lady" - Stewart CopelandStewart CopelandStewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks...
– drums - Mick Jacques – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s
Guest musicians
- Robin LumleyRobin LumleyRobin Lumley is a British jazz-fusion musician.He is a cousin of the actress Joanna Lumley. He started playing drums in a student band at college, and that band entered the finals of the Melody Maker band talent contest in the early 70s....
– piano on 'Broken Lady' - Alan SkidmoreAlan SkidmoreAlan Skidmore is a tenor saxophonist of jazz and blues music, son of the saxophonist Jimmy Skidmore.-As a sideman:...
– sax on 'Hot & Bothered' - Henry LowtherHenry Lowther (musician)Henry Lowther is an English jazz trumpeter.Lowther's first experience was on cornet in a Salvation Army band. He studied violin briefly at the Royal Academy of Music but returned to trumpet by 1960 though he sometimes played violin professionally...
– trumpet on 'Hot & Bothered' - Frank RicottiFrank RicottiFrank Ricotti is an English jazz vibraphonist and percussionist.Ricotti played in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra while a teenager, then attended Trinity College of Music...
– congas - Jack Emblow – accordion on 'Broken Lady'
- Bob Sargeant – organ on 'Desiree' and 'Kids to Blame'
Additional credits
- Tracks 3-5, 7, and 8 produced by Dennis McKay
- Tracks 1, 2, 6, and 9 produced by Curved Air
- Track 10 produced by Tony ReevesTony ReevesAnthony 'Tony' Reeves is an English bass guitarist/contrabassist, noted for his "extremely prominent and complex bass sound" and use of electronic effects...