Giles, Giles and Fripp
Encyclopedia
Giles, Giles and Fripp were an English
late 1960s band, featuring brothers Michael Giles
on drums
and vocals
, Peter Giles on bass guitar
and vocals
, and Robert Fripp
on guitar
.
, Dorset
area in August 1967 when the Giles brothers sought a singing keyboard player through a newspaper advertisement. Fripp, a non-singing guitarist responded but was hired anyway. Between late 1967 and late 1968 the group lived in Brondesbury Road, London
. Throughout their time at the house they made many demo recordings. The early home demos soon led to a recording contract
with UK Decca
's newly formed Deram Records
division.
In April 1968 the group recorded an album The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp
and two singles, all of which sold poorly. In autumn 1968 the group added Ian McDonald
on saxophone
, flute
and clarinet
, and former Fairport Convention
vocalist Judy Dyble
. Ian McDonald's clarinet
overdubs were added to the single version of "Thursday Morning". Deram then rejected their next studio sessions including "She Is Loaded" and "Under the Sky". These later recordings now appear as bonus tracks on the CD reissue of the album. Dyble did not feature in any of the Deram recordings.
The group continued to record at home; Dyble was only with the group for a short time but did perform with the group on a few songs including "Make It Today" and demo versions of "Under The Sky" and "I Talk to the Wind
". One of the melodies from "Passages of Time" was later re-used for "Peace - An End" on the second King Crimson album, In the Wake of Poseidon
. A collection of the home recordings was released in 2001 as The Brondesbury Tapes. The demo recordings were made on a professional two track Revox
recorder which was specially modified to allow for multiple overdubs
. Though the finished recordings are mono
many have excellent sound quality and are close to studio sound for the period.
In late 1968 Peter Giles left the group. Michael Giles, Robert Fripp and Ian McDonald went on to form the first line-up of King Crimson
, rounded out by bassist/vocalist Greg Lake
and lyricist Peter Sinfield
. Peter Giles would go on to appear on the second Crimson album, In the Wake of Poseidon
in 1970, and more recently joined with 21st Century Schizoid Band
. Dyble would go on to join the duo Trader Horne. In 1971, Michael Giles and Ian McDonald released an album together as McDonald and Giles
.
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...
late 1960s band, featuring brothers Michael Giles
Michael Giles
Michael Giles is an English drummer, best known as a co-founder of King Crimson in 1969...
on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, Peter Giles on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, and Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
on guitar
Guitar
The 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...
.
Career
The group formed in their native BournemouthBournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
area in August 1967 when the Giles brothers sought a singing keyboard player through a newspaper advertisement. Fripp, a non-singing guitarist responded but was hired anyway. Between late 1967 and late 1968 the group lived in Brondesbury Road, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Throughout their time at the house they made many demo recordings. The early home demos soon led to a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with UK Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
's newly formed Deram Records
Deram Records
Deram Records was a subsidiary record label established in 1966 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom. At this time U.K. Decca was a completely different company than the Decca label in the United States, which was then owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings were also distributed in the U.S. through...
division.
In April 1968 the group recorded an album The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp
The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp
The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp was the first album from the 1960s psychedelic rock group Giles, Giles and Fripp.In addition to 13 songs, the album contains two comedic spoken word pieces, "The Saga of Rodney Toady" and "Just George", which are interspersed between the songs...
and two singles, all of which sold poorly. In autumn 1968 the group added Ian McDonald
Ian McDonald (musician)
Ian McDonald is an English multi-instrumental musician, best known as a founding member of progressive rock group King Crimson, formed in 1969, and of the hard rock band Foreigner in 1976. He is well-known as a rock session musician, predominantly as a saxophonist...
on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, and former Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
vocalist Judy Dyble
Judy Dyble
Judith Aileen Dyble, better known as Judy Dyble , is an award winning British singer/songwriter most notable for being one of the vocalists with, and founder members of, Fairport Convention and Trader Horne; in between these she was very briefly with Giles, Giles and Fripp, which evolved into...
. Ian McDonald's clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
overdubs were added to the single version of "Thursday Morning". Deram then rejected their next studio sessions including "She Is Loaded" and "Under the Sky". These later recordings now appear as bonus tracks on the CD reissue of the album. Dyble did not feature in any of the Deram recordings.
The group continued to record at home; Dyble was only with the group for a short time but did perform with the group on a few songs including "Make It Today" and demo versions of "Under The Sky" and "I Talk to the Wind
I Talk to the Wind
"I Talk to the Wind" is the second track from the British progressive rock band King Crimson's debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King....
". One of the melodies from "Passages of Time" was later re-used for "Peace - An End" on the second King Crimson album, In the Wake of Poseidon
In the Wake of Poseidon
In the Wake of Poseidon is the second album by the progressive rock group King Crimson. By the time this album was released, the band had already undergone their first change in line-up, however they still maintained much of the style of their first album, In the Court of the Crimson King.Greg Lake...
. A collection of the home recordings was released in 2001 as The Brondesbury Tapes. The demo recordings were made on a professional two track Revox
Revox
ReVox is a brand name of Swiss audio equipment created by Studer on March 27, 1951.The ReVox brand name was spun off into Studer Revox AG in 1990. During Studer's acquisition by Harman International Industries, Revox was sold separately to a group of private investors...
recorder which was specially modified to allow for multiple overdubs
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
. Though the finished recordings are mono
Monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
many have excellent sound quality and are close to studio sound for the period.
In late 1968 Peter Giles left the group. Michael Giles, Robert Fripp and Ian McDonald went on to form the first line-up of 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...
, rounded out by bassist/vocalist 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:...
and lyricist Peter Sinfield
Peter Sinfield
Peter John Sinfield is an English poet, lyricist and artist, most famously known as the lyricist and co-founding member of early incarnations of King Crimson, whose debut album In the Court of the Crimson King has been regarded as one of the most influential progressive rock albums ever...
. Peter Giles would go on to appear on the second Crimson album, In the Wake of Poseidon
In the Wake of Poseidon
In the Wake of Poseidon is the second album by the progressive rock group King Crimson. By the time this album was released, the band had already undergone their first change in line-up, however they still maintained much of the style of their first album, In the Court of the Crimson King.Greg Lake...
in 1970, and more recently joined with 21st Century Schizoid Band
21st Century Schizoid Band
21st Century Schizoid Band are a King Crimson alumnus group formed in 2002.The name derives from the famous song "21st Century Schizoid Man" from the first King Crimson album, In the Court of the Crimson King...
. Dyble would go on to join the duo Trader Horne. In 1971, Michael Giles and Ian McDonald released an album together as McDonald and Giles
McDonald and Giles
McDonald and Giles is an album of music released by British musicians Ian McDonald and Michael Giles in 1971. The album was first issued on Island Records in the U.K. and in the U.S. as Cotillion Records , a division of Atlantic Records. The album was recorded at Island Studios between May and...
.