The Greatest Show on Earth were originally formed in 1968 by guitarist Garth Watt-Roy and his bass-playing brother Norman. Also featured in the original line-up were organist Mick Deacon, drummer Ron Prudence and three horn players, Dick Hanson, Tex Phillpotts and Ian Aitcheson. The band's first vocalist was black American Ozzie Lane but he returned to his native New Orleans a year later and was replaced by Colin Horton-Jennings, not only a strong gravel-voiced singer but also quite adept on the guitar, bongos and flute.
The group's mixture of R'n'B soul, jazz and prog-rock brought them to the attention of EMI's progressive label Harvest Records, who signed the band and issued, in February 1970, the single, "Real Cool World"/"Again And Again" (HAR 5012) which, though not a hit in the UK, gave the band a medium-sized hit across Europe where they were also an in-demand live attraction. Both tracks featured on their March 1970 debut LP, "Horizons" (SHVL 769) which was housed in a distinctive sleeve designed by Hipgnosis and coincided with a Radio One session for Mike Harding on which they played three new songs: "Border Line", "Mountain Song" and "Time".
1. Sunflower Morning (Colin Horton Jennings, Mick Deacon) - 4:56
2. Angelina (Colin Horton Jennings) - 4:07
3. Skylight Man (Colin Horton Jennings, Garth Philip Watt-Roy) - 4:31
4. Day Of The Lady (Colin Horton Jennings, Roger Saunders) - 4:10
5. Real Cool World (Garth Philip Watt-Roy) - 4:49
6. I Fought For Love (Colin Horton Jennings, Garth Philip Watt-Roy) - 4:24
7. Horizons (The Greatest Show On Earth) - 13:59
8. Again And Again (Garth Philip Watt-Roy) - 4:04
The Greatest Show On Earth
*Mike Deacon - Keyboards
*Dick Hanson - Horns
*Colin Horton-Jennings - Vocals, Guitar, Drums
*Tex Philpotts - Sax
*Ron Prudence - Congas, Drums
*Garth Watt-Roy - Vocals, Guitar
*Norman Watt-Roy - Vocals, Bass
1970 The Greatest Show On Earth - The Going's Easy (2012 remaster)
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ReplyDeleteYou have no idea how long I have searched for this band. I was born in 69 and my parents travelled to Europe from Canada in the early 70’s. My Dad had brought back the Horizons album and I remember he sang the song Angelina to me as a kid. I loved the album and he played it a lot. My parents split when I was 4 and I didn’t see my Dad much. As I got older I used to ask him what happened to the Album but he moved a lot and it must have gotten left behind. My Dad died of Suicide in 2002 and I never got a chance to find out what the album was called or who it was, I was so young. But the memory of the album cover and the lyrics to Angelina got me searching on google and I can’t believe I found it. You have to remember I was only maybe 3 when I listened to it. It’s incredible to listen to music that you remember that evokes such long ago memories. Thank you.
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