Spirogyra (band)

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Spirogyra is a British rock band whose music can be classified between folk and progressive rock . Spyrogira recorded three albums between 1971 and 1973. After a long break, the band was revived in the new millennium. New albums have been released since 2009.

Band history

Martin Cockerham ( vocals / guitar ) and Mark Francis (guitar / vocals) founded the Duo Spirogyra in the summer of 1967 in Bolton near Manchester . Without success, they sent demo recordings to the new Apple label .

After a few trips, Cockerham enrolled at the University of Kent in Canterbury in 1969 . Here he founded a new version of Spirogyra. The final line-up consisted of his fellow students Barbara Gaskin (vocals), Steve Borrill ( bass ) and Julian Cusack ( violin ). They soon established themselves on the Canterbury scene and eventually received a recording deal.

In 1971 their first album, St. Radigunds , was released, named after the street where their student residence was. The second album Old Boot Wine (1972) was rockier; by that time the solid strain of Spirogyra had shrunk to Cockerham and Gaskin. The third album Bells, Boots and Shambles was released in 1973 and - apart from various compilations - would be Spirogyra's last album for more than three decades. After a last European tour in 1974, Cockerham and Gaskin parted ways.

While Gaskin enjoyed success on various projects with Dave Stewart , Cockerham traveled erratically around the world. He lived temporarily in Ireland, India, Australia, Bali, California and Hawaii.

In the new millennium, Martin Cockerham returned to England and began working on a Spirogyra comeback with his original partner, Mark Francis . Her new album Children's Earth was released in 2009 , followed by Spirogyra 5 in 2011 .

Discography

Albums

  • St. Radigunds - 1971
  • Old Boot Wine - 1972
  • Bells, Boots and Shambles - 1973
  • Children's Earth - 2009
  • Spirogyra 5 - 2011

Compilations

  • We Were a Happy Crew - 1999 - Excerpts from the first three albums
  • Burn the Bridges - 2000 - previously unreleased demo recordings 1970–71
  • A Canterbury Tale - 2006 - the first three albums with additional material
  • Spirogyra Box Set - Si Wan Records, Korea

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Martin Cockerham's biography on the Rainbow Empire website, see web links