1971 Albums

Ikarus’ roots formed in the Beatique In Corporation, formed in 1966 in Hamburg. Their members were mostly educated in classical music, including keyboardist Wulf-Dieter Struntz and bassist Wolfgang Kracht, but as was typical of the era, they played covers and gigged wherever they could. Singer Lorenz Köhler, drummer Bernd Shröeder, guitarist Manfred Schultz and multi-instrumentalist Jochen Petersen-also a record producer with his own label-rounded out the lineup.

Caravan’s third album sports a fine cover illustration from Anne Marie Anderson; on the turntable, the album steps up a notch from the group’s previous efforts. Richard Sinclair’s affable (and perennial favorite) “Golf Girl” kicks off; its concise pop, Caravan-style, while “Love To Love You (And Tonight Pigs Will Fly)” offers more of the same. David Hitchcock’s production and the band’s instrumentation are immaculate, while the melodies and lighthearted subject matter are, again, typically Canterbury.

Beginning on April 12th, 1971, at the Zoom Club in Frankfurt, Germany, King Crimson returned to live performance with a lineup comprised of Robert Fripp, Mel Collins and newcomers Ian Wallace (ex-The Warriors) on drums and Boz Burrell on vocals, with Pete Sinfield back-of-the-house on VCS3 synthesizer and lights. Per legend, auditions for bassists proved so unsuccessful that Fripp eventually taught Burrell how to play the instrument. The band toured extensively, breaking only to record their fourth album, Islands.

Immediately recognizable by their Orient-inspired album covers, Jade Warrior formed around the duo of guitarist Tony Duhig and percussionist Jon Field. During the mid-to-late 60s, the two drifted through a series of bands, eventually forming July with Tom Newman. Adopting the name Jade Warrior, the pair then recruited Glyn Havard on vocals and bass and secured a contract with Vertigo, reportedly because they shared the same management as Afro-rock band Assagai (also courted by Vertigo). Though the Jethro Tull comparisons are inevitable, their music occupies a much different space.