In Fields Of Ardath

In the beginning, there were two prominent bands in Port Talbot, Wales: The Mustangs featured guitarist Ray “Taff” Williams, bassist Ritchie Francis and vocalist Wyndham Rees, while The Smokestacks offered keyboardist Phil Ryan and guitarist Gary Pickford-Hopkins. After the two bands merged, they added drummer John “Pugwash” Weathers and changed their name to Eyes Of Blue. The band released a couple of singles on the Deram label before being dropped, but after meeting Lou Reizner, the band signed to Mercury Records. Their debut, Crossroads Of Time, released in early 1969, was ripe with West Coast influences. Rees then left, and concurrent with soundtrack work with Quincy Jones, they recorded their second album, In Fields Of Ardath. Again unsuccessful, the band attempted a third album with Reizner in 1971, but this time under the name Big Sleep and on the Pegasus label. Bluebell Wood is telltale of the times: there’s a marked progression between the 60s music of Eyes Of Blue and what was within. Most importantly, all the music they would make in the 70s seemed possible from there. But by this time, the band had fractured: Francis was planning a solo album with Reizner, while Pickford-Hopkins was off to Wild Turkey. Ryan, Youatt and Weathers would eventually form The Neutrons, after a brief stint with Pete Brown & Piblokto! and Man.