Audience were a cult British art rock band which was formed in 1969 by Howard Werth on nylon-strung electric acoustic guitar and vocals, Keith Gemmell on alto and tenor saxophone, flute and clarinet, Trevor Williams on bass guitar and vocals, and Tony Connor on drums and vocals. They rose from the ashes of a semi-professional soul band called Lloyd Alexander Real Estate, which had included all the Audience members except Connor, and they released one single under that name in 1967, but when Werth, Williams, and Gemmell decided to form their new band, they thought of Connor. Within weeks of starting rehearsals, Audience had acquired management, a publishing contract, a residency at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, and a recording contract with Polydor, with whom they recorded their first album 'Audience', an acoustic guitar-driven album featuring Gemmell's saxophone often electrically altered to resemble an electric lead guitar and with string and horn arrangements by Andrew Pryce Jackman. The band was dissatisfied with the record company's promotional approach and temporarily moved to Switzerland to avoid involvement in proposed publicity stunts, but by the end of the year they were drawing public and journalistic acclaim for their songs, arrangements, and stage act. After the debut album came out on Polydor, Tony Stratton-Smith of Charisma Records spotted the band supporting Led Zeppelin and signed them up to his label immediately, for which they recorded three albums. Their first two records were not issued in the U.S. until Elektra signed them, when their final two albums were issued in America, and although their 1971 single 'Indian Summer' took them into the lower reaches of the U.S. charts, by this time they were exhausted and fractious, having worked virtually non-stop for three years, and Gemmell left the band in January 1972. The unfinished 'Lunch' album was completed with the help of The Rolling Stones and Mad Dogs and Englishmen brass section, Jim Price and Bobby Keys, following which they went straight back on the road with new members Nick Judd on keyboards and Pat Charles Neuberg on alto and soprano saxophone. The band never recovered from Gemmell's departure, with Williams resigning eight months later, and when Judd received an offer to join Juicy Lucy shortly afterwards, the band folded. 'House On The Hill' has long been a favourite album of mine, including a superb remake of the title track from that unsatisfactory first album, and they were one of the great unsung British progressive rock bands, so if you like the sound of this collection then do check out their albums, and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Track listing
01 Watcha Gonna Do (When Your Baby Leaves You) (single by Lloyd Alexander Real Estate 1967)
02 Gonna Live Again (b-side of 'Watcha Gonna Do (When Your Baby Leaves You)')
03 Paper Round (previously unreleased 1969)
04 The Going Song (previously unreleased 1969)
05 Troubles (previously unreleased 1969)
06 House On The Hill (original version 1969)
07 The Big Spell (b-side of Belladonna Moonshine' 1971)
08 Indian Summer (single 1971)
09 Grief And Disbelief (previously unreleased 1972)
10 Hard Cruel World (previously unreleased 1972)
11 Elixir Of Youth (previously unreleased 1972)
12 Buy Me An Island (John Peel session 1972)
13 Trombone Gulch (John Peel session 1972)
14 Barracuda Dan (John Peel session 1972)
