Colosseum II
Encyclopedia
Colosseum II was a British
band formed in 1975 by the former Colosseum
drummer and leader, Jon Hiseman
, following the 1974 demise of his band Tempest
. Hiseman announced his plan to form the band eventually named Colosseum II in November 1974, but only Gary Moore
was named. Rehearsals were due to begin on January 1, 1975, but a permanent unit was not finalised until May 1975. Among musicians who almost made the group were Graham Bell, Duncan Mackay
and Mark Clarke. The line-up was completed by Don Airey
, Neil Murray
and Mike Starrs
.
The band was oriented toward jazz fusion
, much of which was based around the guitar work of Moore, leading to a much heavier sound than the original Colosseum
band. After disappointing sales of the first album, Murray and Starrs were unceremoniously sacked by the band's record label (Bronze) in July 1976.
The band continued with a new record label and a new bass player (John Mole
), and recorded two further largely instrumental (and still commercially unsuccessful) albums. They also performed on Variations with Andrew Lloyd Webber
, which also featured Julian Lloyd Webber
on cello
, Rod Argent
on keyboards and Hiseman's wife, Barbara Thompson, on flute and sax. This album reached number 2 on the UK charts.
In August 1978, Moore left to rejoin Thin Lizzy
for a fourth spell, and Airey's brother Keith Airey replaced him on guitar. Plans for a fourth album fell through when Don Airey decided to join Rainbow in December 1978.
All tracks are instrumental except track 3 which is sung by Gary Moore.
All tracks are instrumental except track 4 which is sung by Gary Moore.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band formed in 1975 by the former Colosseum
Colosseum (band)
Colosseum is a pioneering British progressive jazz-rock band, mixing progressive rock and jazz-based improvisation.-History 1968 - 1971:The band was formed in September 1968 by drummer Jon Hiseman, tenor sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith and bass player Tony Reeves, who had previously worked together...
drummer and leader, Jon Hiseman
Jon Hiseman
Jon Hiseman is an English drummer, recording engineer, record producer and music publisher.-Career:...
, following the 1974 demise of his band Tempest
Tempest (UK band)
Tempest was a British progressive rock band active from 1973 and 1974. Its core members were Jon Hiseman on drums and Mark Clarke on bass. They released two studio albums before breaking up.-Band biography:...
. Hiseman announced his plan to form the band eventually named Colosseum II in November 1974, but only Gary Moore
Gary Moore
Robert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
was named. Rehearsals were due to begin on January 1, 1975, but a permanent unit was not finalised until May 1975. Among musicians who almost made the group were Graham Bell, Duncan Mackay
Duncan Mackay (musician)
Duncan Mackay is a British composer, singer, arranger, and keyboard player.-External links:...
and Mark Clarke. The line-up was completed by Don Airey
Don Airey
Donald Airey has been the keyboardist in the rock band Deep Purple since 2002, succeeding Jon Lord...
, Neil Murray
Neil Murray (British musician)
Philip Neil Murray is a Scottish bass player, best known for his work in Whitesnake and Black Sabbath.-Early days:Originally a drummer, Murray formed his first band with school friends in 1967 and his musical tastes were heavily influenced by the mid-1960s 'blues boom' bands and musicians,...
and Mike Starrs
Mike Starrs
Mike Starrs is a vocalist of Scottish origin. He left Scotland in the 1970s to work with Rick Wakeman on various projects. Starrs was signed by the record producer Tony Atkins for Marquee Productions and released several singles. He joined Colosseum II in 1975 and featured on their first album,...
.
The band was oriented toward jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
, much of which was based around the guitar work of Moore, leading to a much heavier sound than the original Colosseum
Colosseum (band)
Colosseum is a pioneering British progressive jazz-rock band, mixing progressive rock and jazz-based improvisation.-History 1968 - 1971:The band was formed in September 1968 by drummer Jon Hiseman, tenor sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith and bass player Tony Reeves, who had previously worked together...
band. After disappointing sales of the first album, Murray and Starrs were unceremoniously sacked by the band's record label (Bronze) in July 1976.
The band continued with a new record label and a new bass player (John Mole
John Mole
John Mole was an English bass guitar player.Mole was born in Stratford, London. A member of Jon Hiseman's reformed Colosseum II, he went on to work with fellow band members Gary Moore and Don Airey...
), and recorded two further largely instrumental (and still commercially unsuccessful) albums. They also performed on Variations with Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
, which also featured Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber is a British solo cellist who has been described as the "doyen of British cellists".-Early life:Julian Lloyd Webber is the second son of the composer William Lloyd Webber and his wife Jean Johnstone . He is the younger brother of the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber...
on cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, Rod Argent
Rod Argent
Rod Argent is an English rock musician and a founding member of the 1960s English pop group The Zombies and the 1970s band Argent....
on keyboards and Hiseman's wife, Barbara Thompson, on flute and sax. This album reached number 2 on the UK charts.
In August 1978, Moore left to rejoin Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
for a fourth spell, and Airey's brother Keith Airey replaced him on guitar. Plans for a fourth album fell through when Don Airey decided to join Rainbow in December 1978.
Members
- Don AireyDon AireyDonald Airey has been the keyboardist in the rock band Deep Purple since 2002, succeeding Jon Lord...
- Grand Piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, MinimoogMinimoogThe Minimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. It was released in 1970 by R.A. Moog Inc. , and production was stopped in 1981. It was re-designed by Robert Moog in 2002 and released as Minimoog Voyager.The Minimoog was designed in response to the use of...
, ARP OdysseyARP OdysseyThe ARP Odyssey was an analog synthesizer introduced in 1972. Responding to pressure from Moog Music to create a portable, affordable "performance" synthesizer, ARP scaled down its popular 2600 synthesizer and created the Odyssey, which became the best-selling synthesizer they made.The Odyssey is...
, Solina String EnsembleARP String EnsembleThe ARP String Ensemble, also known as the Solina String Ensemble, is a fully polyphonic multi-orchestral ARP Instruments, Inc. synthesizer with a 49-key keyboard, produced by Solina from 1974 to 1981. The sounds it incorporates are violin, viola, trumpet, horn, cello and contrabass. The keyboard... - Jon HisemanJon HisemanJon Hiseman is an English drummer, recording engineer, record producer and music publisher.-Career:...
- Percussion, Drums - Gary MooreGary MooreRobert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
- Guitars, Vocals - John MoleJohn MoleJohn Mole was an English bass guitar player.Mole was born in Stratford, London. A member of Jon Hiseman's reformed Colosseum II, he went on to work with fellow band members Gary Moore and Don Airey...
- Bass (1976–1978) - Neil MurrayNeil Murray (British musician)Philip Neil Murray is a Scottish bass player, best known for his work in Whitesnake and Black Sabbath.-Early days:Originally a drummer, Murray formed his first band with school friends in 1967 and his musical tastes were heavily influenced by the mid-1960s 'blues boom' bands and musicians,...
- Bass (1975–1976) - Mike StarrsMike StarrsMike Starrs is a vocalist of Scottish origin. He left Scotland in the 1970s to work with Rick Wakeman on various projects. Starrs was signed by the record producer Tony Atkins for Marquee Productions and released several singles. He joined Colosseum II in 1975 and featured on their first album,...
- Vocals (1975–1976)
Track listing
- "Dark Side of the Moog" (instrumental) – 6:22
- "Down to You" – 9:10
- "Gemini and Leo" – 4:50
- "Secret Places" – 4:00
- "On Second Thoughts" – 7:29
- "Winds" – 10:25
Personnel
- Don AireyDon AireyDonald Airey has been the keyboardist in the rock band Deep Purple since 2002, succeeding Jon Lord...
- Synthesizer, Keyboards - Jon HisemanJon HisemanJon Hiseman is an English drummer, recording engineer, record producer and music publisher.-Career:...
- Percussion, Drums - Gary MooreGary MooreRobert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
- Guitars, Vocals - Neil MurrayNeil Murray (British musician)Philip Neil Murray is a Scottish bass player, best known for his work in Whitesnake and Black Sabbath.-Early days:Originally a drummer, Murray formed his first band with school friends in 1967 and his musical tastes were heavily influenced by the mid-1960s 'blues boom' bands and musicians,...
- Bass - Mike StarrsMike StarrsMike Starrs is a vocalist of Scottish origin. He left Scotland in the 1970s to work with Rick Wakeman on various projects. Starrs was signed by the record producer Tony Atkins for Marquee Productions and released several singles. He joined Colosseum II in 1975 and featured on their first album,...
- Vocals
Electric Savage
Released June 1977 on MCA Records.All tracks are instrumental except track 3 which is sung by Gary Moore.
Track listing
- "Put It This Way" – 4:55
- "All Skin & Bone" – 3:46
- "Rivers" – 5:50
- "The Scorch" – 6:02
- "Lament" – 4:40
- "Desperado" – 5:59
- "Am I" – 4:16
- "Intergalactic Strut" – 5:58
Personnel
- Don AireyDon AireyDonald Airey has been the keyboardist in the rock band Deep Purple since 2002, succeeding Jon Lord...
- Synthesizer, Piano, Keyboards, Hammond Organ, Clavinet - Jon HisemanJon HisemanJon Hiseman is an English drummer, recording engineer, record producer and music publisher.-Career:...
- Percussion, Cymbals, Drums, Gong, Bells - John MoleJohn MoleJohn Mole was an English bass guitar player.Mole was born in Stratford, London. A member of Jon Hiseman's reformed Colosseum II, he went on to work with fellow band members Gary Moore and Don Airey...
- Bass - Gary MooreGary MooreRobert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
- Guitars, Vocals
War Dance
Released November 1977 on MCA Records.All tracks are instrumental except track 4 which is sung by Gary Moore.
Track listing
- "War Dance" – 5:56
- "Major Keys" – 5:10
- "Put It That Way" – 3:37
- "Castles" – 5:40
- "Fighting Talk" – 5:50
- "The Inquisition" – 5:45
- "Star Maiden/Mysterioso/Quasar" – 6:15
- "Last Exit" – 3:22
Personnel
- Don AireyDon AireyDonald Airey has been the keyboardist in the rock band Deep Purple since 2002, succeeding Jon Lord...
- Organ, Synthesizer, Piano, Keyboards, Hammond Organ, Clavinet, Bells - Jon HisemanJon HisemanJon Hiseman is an English drummer, recording engineer, record producer and music publisher.-Career:...
- Percussion, Cymbals, Drums, Gong - John MoleJohn MoleJohn Mole was an English bass guitar player.Mole was born in Stratford, London. A member of Jon Hiseman's reformed Colosseum II, he went on to work with fellow band members Gary Moore and Don Airey...
- Bass, Piano - Gary MooreGary MooreRobert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
- Guitars, Vocals