Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Supply Demand And Curve - Supply Demand And Curve (1976 ireland, sophisticated jazz influenced progressive rock, 2018 edition)



Dublin band with a long history dating back to 1970. Jolyon Jackson was an anglo-irish multi-instrumentalist who'd come to Dublin to study in the late '60s. Brian Masterson, the bands other mainstay, had played with Jackson and Roger Doyle in Jazz Therapy in 1969 before forming SD&C in 1970. 

The 1970-75 period is largely undocumented though SD&C were very active during these years. They played the Foxrock Folk Club on at least three occasions: 29 Feb 1971, 5 December 1971 and 2 April 1972. Gigs at this club were regularly recorded on reel-to-reel by one of the organisers. It is not yet known if any of SD&C's gigs were recorded (they were listed in the announcement of the RTE radio documentary series but not actually included in the programs themselves). If anyone has these recordings, please get in touch. Supply Demand and Curve also played the pop concert organised as part of Human Need Week at the Examination Hall in TCD on 9 February 1971 with The Chosen Few, Thin Lizzie and The Junk. In the report in The Irish Times of February 10th, the band was described as "...representing the present trend towards conscious artistry within popular limits that had to emerge from the anything-will-do scene of recent years". 

They appeared at the Rock in the Hollow Free Open Air Concert held at Blackrock Park, Dublin, on 8 August 1971 with Thin Lizzy, Horslips, Elmer Fudd, Gypsy Rock and Mellow Candle. This gig may also have been recorded. SD&C appeared on RTE at least twice, once as the trio pictured above with Paddy Finney (vocals, guitar, whistle) who was a member circa 1972, and once on Tangents with Roger Doyle (drums) (also in Jazz Therapy), who joined in the summer of 1972 and was with the band for at least a year, including the Canadian tour of March 1973. Jolyon Johnson subsequently appeared on Doyle's "Oizzo No" solo LP recorded in 1973. 

In January 1972 the band premiered Jolyon Jackson's 20-minue rock operetta "Fred and Mary" at the American Embassy in Dublin, an event organised by An Taisce. They were subsequently invited by the Arts Society of Trinity College Dublin to perform it again at the Exam Hall a few months later. During christmas 1972 the band rehearsed at a cottage in Enniskerry over several days and many of the sessions were recorded by Brian Masterson. There are undoubtedly many other demo and live recordings spanning the band's long career which with the right treatment would make an excellent box set. 

SD&C toured in Canada in March 1973 and supported Gay & Terry Woods on their Irish tour the same year. At one time or another the lineup included Rosemarie Taylor and Nigel Rolfe. By the time of their sole LP, the lineup was Jackson & Masterson with ace guitarist Greg Boland and drummer Paul McAteer. 

The debut LP finally emerged on Mulligan Records in 1976. It is usually described as 'Canterbury' style progressive by dealers usually asking for too much money for it. It is a good progressive rock LP with slight fusion and/or experimental touches a la Isotope. In 1977 this band appeared more or less as a unit on Midnight Well's LP (Mulligan Records), Sonny Condell's "Camouflage" LP (Mulligan Records) and Rosemarie Taylor's "Taylormaid" (ID Records). They backed Sonny Condell at Macroom '76. They split sometime in the late 70s. 

Jolyon Johnson guested on Gay & Terry Woods "Tender Hooks" (Mulligan) in 1978. In 1980 he recorded the seminal "Hidden Ground" album with fiddle-player Paddy Glackin (Tara Records) on which he plays and arranges all the music and instruments which frames Paddy Glackin's solo fiddle. He also appeared on Operating Theatre's two CBS singles released in 1980-81 and Scullion's "Balance And Control". And he wrote extensively for theatre and TV. He died in 1985. 

Greg Boland was later in Stagalee (1978-82), recorded four albums with Scullion (mid-80s), Bumper to Bumper (80s), Moving Hearts, the Davy Spillane Band and The Big Noise (1987-89), but he is probably best known now as a session musician. Paul McAteer also played with Stagalee. 
from Irish Bands
Tracks
1. Changeling - 6:14
2. When You’re By Yourself - 6:20
3. Corea Guidance - 3:47
4. To Know To-Night - 3:04
5. Samuel - 5:25
6. Lunar Sea - 2:04
7. November The Third - 4:09
8. Ooh Gilbert! - 5:03
9. Freckle - 3:04
10.Cat On The Keys - 4:25
11.Precious Time - 4:28
All songs by Jolyon Jackson except track #6 written by Greg Boland

Supply Demand And Curve
Brian Masterson - Bass, Vocals
Jolyon Jackson -  Keyboards, Cello, Vocals, Recorder, Tin Whistle, Melodica
Greg Boland - Guitar, Backing Vocals, Whistle, Bells
Paul McAteer - Drums, Bongos, Percussion 
With
Rosemarie Taylor - Vocals (Track 4), Piano (Tracks 4, 10)
Michael Ward - Drums (Track 2)