Nectar (tape)

nectar
	; Roye Albrighton with Nectar live on September 21, 2007
	General information
origin	Hamburg
Genre (s)	Psychedelic rock , progressive rock , hard rock
founding	1969, 2018
Website	https://www.nektarband.com
Founding members
Guitar , vocals	Roye Albrighton († 2016)
Keyboard	Allan "Taff" Freeman (until 2004)
Drums	Ron Howden
bass	Derek "Mo" Moore (until 1978)
Current occupation
Keyboard	Klaus Henatsch (since 2007)
Guitar, vocals	Alex Hoffmeister (since 2017)
Drums	Norbert "Panza" Lehmann (since 2018)
bass	Heike Nolden (since 2019)
Background	Helen Landbie (since 2018)
Background	Sandra Kawka (since 2018)

The rock band Nektar was founded in 1969 by the British Roye Albrighton (* February 6, 1949 - † July 26, 2016, lead vocals, guitar), Allan "Taff" Freeman (* June 7, 1945, keyboards), Ron Howden (* 5 January 1945, drums) and Derek "Mo" Moore (born March 27, 1946, bass) together with Mick Brockett (born December 23, 1947, light effects) in Hamburg . At first stylistically at home in the intersection between burgeoning progressive rock and declining psychedelic rock , the later albums turned to more simple hard rock . The pieces on the earlier albums are characterized by numerous breaks and changes in tempo, and other musicians are often quoted.

Band history

Derek Moore and Ron Howden met in France in 1964, where they both appeared in various bands in American army casinos. When the two met Allan Freeman in Germany, the duo became the trio Prophecy . Allan Freeman also played with Prophecy in the late sixties in the Hamburg Star Club . Freeman's son Alain Freeman now lives in Hamburg and runs a travel agency there. When Nektar was founded, the band settled in a house in the Ober-Beerbacher Tal on the outskirts of Seeheim-Jugenheim (Hesse). The symphonic debut album Journey to the Center of the Eye was released in 1971.

In 1972 a Nektar LP made it into the American charts. A Tab in the Ocean was remixed especially for the United States. This recording with more tempo and instruments that can be clearly distinguished should suit the taste of the Americans better. The group decided to tour the USA and achieved a remarkable success: more than 100,000 Americans wanted to see nectar. Characteristic of the live performances of the band was the light show , which was staged on large screens behind the musicians from "light musicians' virtuosity Brockett.

In 1976 Albrighton left the band. The album Magic is a Child was recorded with guitarist and vocalist Dave Nelson, but did not get the attention that Nektar's earlier works had received. It is the only LP in this line-up. In 1980, Albrighton and Freeman got together again to produce Man in the Moon with Carmine Rojas on bass and David Prater on drums . After that there was a long silence about nectar.

2001 Nektar was revived by the former founding members Albrighton and Freeman together with Ray Hardwick (drums) and was able to build on the old successes. In 2002 the band toured in the original line-up in the USA, followed by concerts in Great Britain and Germany. The bassist Moore was no longer able to cope with the stress of the tour, so he withdrew. He was replaced by Randy Dembo, who is also on the Evolution - CD starred. Since September 2004 Tom Hughes could be found on the keys, especially on the Hammond organ .

In 2006 Nektar was re-cast and recorded Book of Days . Randy Dembo (bass) was replaced by Desha Dunnahoe and Tom Hughes (keyboards) by Steve Mattern. Steve Adams came as 2nd guitarist. The three new members also play in Steve Adams' band.

In September 2007 a major tour through Germany and neighboring countries took place. Klaus Henatsch (including Jane , Jutta Weinhold Band) on keyboards and Peter Pichl (including Running Wild ) on bass were new .

In 2008 Roye Albrighton released the album "Book of Days". Albrighton plays the instruments for this album alone, for concerts he is accompanied by the live line-up with Klaus Henatsch, Ron Howden and Peter Pichl.

In 2009 the double CD "Fortified" is released, on which the band reinterprets some of the older compositions.

For the "Space Rock Invasion Tour" 2011, after Peter Pichl left, Lux Vibratus (bass) will be hired.

In 2012 the band brought out the session album "A Spoonful of Time " with the line-up Roy Albrighton, Ron Howden, Klaus Henatsch & Billy Sherwood (bass & producer) . In 2013 Nektar released the album “Time Machine” with the same line-up.

In 2014 bassist Lux Vibratus left the band and was replaced by Tom Fry. This is followed by a European tour with Roy Albrighton, Che Albrighton (Roy's son on drums) Tom Fry and Klaus Henatsch.

In 2015 the band signed with On Stage Promotion.

In 2016 the front man and with it the most enduring constant of nectar dies: Roye Albrighton.

The remaining band members Ron Howden, Klaus Henatsch and Tom Fry are in deep mourning after Roye's death. But in order to carry on the legacy of Nektar and the legendary music, they decide to continue the project on behalf of Albrighton. In 2017, Alexander Hoffmeister, an old friend of Roye, was chosen as his successor for the occasion.

The band started to write new songs together in 2017 and in January 2018 they recorded the first basic recordings for the new concept album "Megalomania". In February 2018 Ron Howden decides to leave the band to start his own nectar project in the USA. To do this, he convinced founding member Derek "Mo" Moore, who left the band in 1978, to found a new band. After Mo has signed the contract, others - former members of the band - decide to come back, including Mick Brockett (special effects) and Randy Dembo (bass).

This division of the band in February 2018 led to the fact that today there are two line-ups that share the name "Nektar" and both try to preserve the legacy of the legendary prog rock band. The one "Nektar" grouped around the former drummer Ron Howden in the USA and consists of Ron Howden, Derek "Mo" Moore, Mick Brockett, Ryche Chlanda, Randy Dembo and Kendall Scott. They released their album "The Other Side" in January 2020.

In Germany again, Klaus Henatsch decided to continue the band without Ron Howden, but with Tom Fry and Alexander Hoffmeister. Che Albrighton, Roye Albrighton's son, played the drums for the concept album “Megalomania”. In order to distance themselves from the old successes and to break new ground, the band decided to release the new album under the name "Nektar" with the addition "New". In addition, the addition was added on the advice of the label Sireena Records to avoid disputes with Ron Howden's formation.

Norbert "Panza" Lehmann has been playing the drums since 2018, as Che Albrighton was employed by another band during the Megalomania Tour. In 2019 Tom Fry left the band and was replaced by Heike Nolden.

Discography

Studio albums

1971: Journey to the Center of the Eye ( Bellaphon / Bacillus BLPS 19064)
1972: A Tab in the Ocean (Bellaphon / Bacillus BLPS 19118)
1973: Sounds Like This (2LP) (Bellaphon / Bacillus BDA 7506)
1973: Remember the Future (Bellaphon / Bacillus BLPS 19164)
1974: Down to Earth (Bellaphon / Bacillus BLPS 19190)
1975: Recycled (Bellaphon / Bacillus BLPS 19219)
1977: Magic Is A Child (Bellaphon / Bacillus BAC 2050)
1980: Man in the Moon (Ariola)
2001: The Prodigal Son (Bellaphon 9729528)
2004: Evolution (Eclectic Discs / Dream Nebula DNECD 1205)
2008: Book of Days (Bellaphon 9705326)
2012: A Spoonful of Time ( cover album , Cleopatra)
2013: Time Machine (Cleopatra)

2018: Megalomania (Sireena)
2020: The Other Side

Live albums

1974: Sunday Night at the London Roundhouse (Bellaphon / Bacillus BLPS 19182)
1977: Live in New York (2LP) (Bellaphon / Bacillus BAC 2004)
1978: More Live Nektar In New York (2LP) (Bellaphon / Bacillus BAC 2058)
2002: Unidentified Flying Abstract (Bellaphon 9724525)
2005: Nektar 2004 Tour Live (2 CD) (Treacle Productions / Nektar Evolution Music)
2005: Door to the Future (Eclectic Discs / Nebula Recordings DNECD 1212)
2009: Fortyfied (M2 Music / inakustik) / Treacle Productions TMCD 209-2D
2017: Live in Bremen (2CD) (Sireena / On Stage Records SIR 2162)
2018: Live in Bremen (Limited Edition - 3LP) (Sireena / On Stage Records SIR 4048)

Compilations

1976: Nektar (Compilation) (Bellaphon / Bacillus BLPS 19224)
1987: Nektar (Compilation) (Bellaphon / Bacillus 260-09-038)
1994: Highlights (Compilation) (2CD) (Bellaphon / Bacillus 99309001CD)

Singles

1972: Do You Believe In Magic? / 1-2-3-4 (Bellaphon / Bacillus 1644/141)
1974: Fidgety Queen / Little Boy (Bellaphon / Bacillus 1722/246)
1975: Flight to Reality / It's All Over (Bellaphon / Bacillus BF 184119)

SACDs

2004: Journey To The Center Of The Eye (Eclectic Discs / Dream Nebula Recordings DNECD 1203)
2004: Remember The Future (Eclectic Discs / Dream Nebula Recordings DNECD 1204)
2004: Live In New York (Eclectic Discs / Dream Nebula Recordings DNECD 1206/7)

Video albums

2003: Live (PAL), Classic Rock Productions CRP 1008, United Kingdom (NTSC), Classic Rock Productions CRP 10090
2005: Pure (2DVD, SPV, Germany, September 23, 2005)