Robert John Godfrey (born 30 July 1947) is a British composer, pianist and a founding member of The Enid.
Robert John Godfrey (born 30 July 1947) is a British composer, pianist and a founding member of The Enid.
Born on the Leeds Castle estate in Kent, England, Godfrey was privately educated in various prep schools prior to going to Finchden Manor in Tenterden, which was described by its founder George Lyward as a "therapeutic community for adolescents", [1] other alumni of which included Alexis Korner and Tom Robinson. Although he didn't start to play the piano until the age of twelve, Godfrey's talent was prodigious enough to gain him admission to the Royal College of Music, then the Royal Academy of Music. He studied under concert pianist Malcolm Binns, and those around him included Sir Michael Tippett, Benjamin Britten and Hans Werner Henze.
From 1968 to 1971 Godfrey became resident musical director with Barclay James Harvest, [2] making musical contributions to early recordings which established their full, orchestral style of rock music. The relationship fell apart and accounts differ as to why. [3] [4] Godfrey is gay, and claimed this was one reason he was fired from BJH. "It was the band’s girlfriends who forced the issue," he told Classic Rock magazine. "They were from the Lancashire/Yorkshire area and couldn’t handle the idea of a gay man like me with a plummy accent." [5] Years later Godfrey filed a lawsuit alleging he was owed composing credits and corresponding royalties on several of Barclay James Harvest's songs. He established that he had made a significant and original contribution to the creation of the works and must be regarded as a joint author. But as he had waited 14 years before asserting his rights, he was estopped from revoking the implied license granted to Lees for the exploitation of the works. [6] [2] [7]
Before Fall of Hyperion, Godfrey was involved in the embryonic prog rock band Siddhartha who played the university and club circuit before being seen by Tony Stratton Smith (Charisma Records) at the Marquee Club, where they were supporting Mike Patto. The Band consisted of Godfrey on Steinway grand piano, Tony Ball bass guitar, Chris Lewis vocals, Nigel King lead guitar, Colin Green Hammond C3 organ and Nigel Culpepper drums. Various other members drifted in and out but these were the main members. The band fell apart through personal and musical differences before they could produce their first album (although somewhere there exists a three track demo recorded at Joe Browns Studio in Chigwell).[ citation needed ]
In 1974 the Charisma Records label released his first solo album, Fall of Hyperion. It had abysmal sales and Godfrey himself has since described it as "stupid". [8]
He then went on to form The Enid. [8]
Godfrey was the winner of the Visionary award at the 2014 Progressive Music Awards. [9]
He has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. [10] In 2016, he retired from playing with The Enid due to his illness. His last regular performance with the band took place on 2 April 2016. [11] However, in June 2017, it was announced that Godfrey would be joining The Enid in August of that year to celebrate his 70th birthday with a one-off performance at the Union Chapel in London, that took place on 5 August. [12]
Personnel
IQ are a British neo-prog band founded by Mike Holmes and Martin Orford in 1981 following the dissolution of their original band The Lens. Although the band have never enjoyed major commercial success and had several lineup changes, IQ have built up a loyal following over the years and are still active as of 2024, currently with the original recording line-up. In 2021/22, IQ performed a series of concerts in the UK and Europe celebrating their 40th anniversary.
Peter John Sinfield is an English poet and songwriter. He is best known as a co-founder and former lyricist of King Crimson. Their debut album In the Court of the Crimson King is considered one of the first and most influential progressive rock albums ever released.
The Enid are a British progressive rock band founded by keyboardist and composer Robert John Godfrey. Godfrey received his main musical education from The Royal College of Music. He is previously known for his work with Barclay James Harvest, and as a recording artist on the Charisma label. In 2014, he won the Visionary Award for establishing an early fan based crowdfunding model to finance the band named The Stand.
In the Court of the Crimson King is the debut studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on 10 October 1969 by Island Records. The album is one of the earliest and most influential of the progressive rock genre, where the band combined the musical influences that rock music was founded upon with elements of jazz, classical, and symphonic music.
Barclay James Harvest are an English progressive rock band. They were founded in Oldham, in September 1966 by bassist/vocalist Les Holroyd, guitarist/vocalist John Lees, drummer/percussionist Mel Pritchard (1948–2004), and keyboardist/vocalist Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme (1947–2010).
H to He, Who Am the Only One is the third album by the British progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. It was released in 1970 on Charisma Records.
Once Again was the second album released by Barclay James Harvest, in early 1971. As was the case with their other early albums, it was recorded with a full orchestra.
The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other is the second album by the British progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator, released in February 1970 on Charisma Records. It was the group's first album to be released in the UK and the only one to chart in the top 50 in that country.
Felona e Sorona is an album by the Italian progressive rock band Le Orme. It was released in 1973.
Five Bridges is a live and studio album and fourth overall by English progressive rock band The Nice, released in June 1970 by Charisma Records. Most of the album was recorded live in concert at Fairfield Halls in Croydon, London, in October 1969. The final track, "One of Those People", is a studio recording. The album's centrepiece is "The Five Bridges Suite", a five-part composition about Newcastle upon Tyne that features the group performing with the Sinfonia of London session orchestra conducted by Joseph Eger.
"Starship Trooper" is a song written by British musicians Jon Anderson, Steve Howe and Chris Squire, which first appeared on Yes' 1971 album The Yes Album. The song is in three parts, "Life Seeker", "Disillusion" and "Würm". "Life Seeker" was released as a single on the B-side of the UK release of "Your Move".
Spring were an English progressive rock band from Leicester.
The Aerosol Grey Machine is the debut studio album by English progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. It was first released in the United States in 1969 by Mercury Records.
Fool's Mate is the debut solo album by Peter Hammill of progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. The title is both a chess and tarot reference. It was produced by Trident Studios' in-house producer John Anthony. The album was recorded in 1971, in the midst of one of Van der Graaf Generator's most prolific periods. Hammill used the album to record a backlog of songs which were much shorter and simpler than his Van der Graaf Generator material, and declared on the original album sleeve: "This isn't intended to be any kind of statement of my present musical position, but at the same time, it is an album which involves a great deal of me, the person, basically a return to the roots."
The Sentinel is the debut album by British progressive rock band Pallas. Released in February 1984, it is a concept album with lyrics based upon Cold War themes, using a futuristic version of the tale of Atlantis as a metaphor for a technologically advanced society brought to the brink of destruction. The cover artwork is by Patrick Woodroffe.
Tales from the Lush Attic, released in 1983, is the debut album by neo-prog group IQ, following the cassette-only demo Seven Stories into Eight. It was also among the first neo-progressive releases, alongside Marillion's Script for a Jester's Tear, released in the same year.
National Health is the first album recorded by the progressive rock and jazz fusion group National Health, one of the last representatives of the artistically prolific Canterbury scene. Although it was created during the rise of punk, the album is characterized by lengthy, elaborate and mostly instrumental compositions that combine prog and jazz elements.
Barclay James Harvest is the first album by British progressive rock band Barclay James Harvest.
"The Barbarian" is the opening track on the eponymous debut album of British progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in 1970.
Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories is the third album by English progressive rock band Barclay James Harvest, released in 1971. The band has been said to be "dabbling in symphonic rock" with this album., which was described as a "by-now-familiar assortment of orchestral rock, tales of lost love, apocalyptic warnings and bird songs."
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