High Tide
Encyclopedia
High Tide was a band formed in 1969 by Tony Hill (guitar
and vocals
), Simon House
(violin
and keyboards), Peter Pavli (bass guitar
) and Roger Hadden (drums
).
High Tide made their first recordings as the backing band on Denny Gerrard's album Sinister Morning. Gerrard returned the favor by producing their first album, Sea Shanties, which was released in October 1969. Though it met with a scathing review in Melody Maker
, reviews in the underground press were universally positive, and sales were just enough to convince Liberty to give the green light to a second album.
This second album, High Tide
, was released the following year. A third album was being recorded in 1970, but Roger Hadden, who had been suffering from chronic mental instability and depression since before joining High Tide, had a mental breakdown and was hospitalized before the album could be finished. Unable to continue without Hadden, the group split up.
During the late 1970s, Hill and House recorded Interesting Times as a duo, taking turns playing bass and using a drum machine
to replace Roger Hadden. The album featured heavy use of synthesizers, which to an extent supplanted the use of House's violin. The album was originally released as a mail order cassette, and issued on vinyl and CD in 1989 and 1990.
Any possibilities of further recordings from this semi-reunion were dissolved when House rejoined Hawkwind
in 1990. However, under the encouragement of drummer Drachen Theaker, Hill pushed out no less than five albums under the High Tide banner by the end of the following year, starting with two discs of retrospective material, and then with three albums recorded by an entirely new band.
The first retrospective release, Precious Cargo, consists of sessions recorded in 1970 by the original group, but their exact nature is not specified. It has been theorized, however, that they are the rehearsal sessions for their unfinished third album. One song, "The Great Universal Protection Racket"(mislabeled on the album as "Exploration"), had been recorded for Sea Shanties but went unreleased at the time due to space constraints. None of the other six songs were used in any earlier recordings.
The second retrospective album, The Flood, is a collection of demos of various origins. It includes four demos recorded by the original High Tide shortly before their breakup, six demos recorded in 1971 and 1976 by Tony Hill and Peter Pavli with other musicians, and a Peter Pavli solo demo from 1979.
The new band which recorded the remaining High Tide albums consisted of Tony Hill (guitars and bass), Dave Tomlin (violin and bass), and Drachen Theaker (drums), though various guest musicians also contributed, included a few appearances by Peter Pavli and Simon House. Eschewing the tight, complex compositions which were the staple of the original High Tide, the new band's albums Ancient Gates and The Reason of Success consisted almost solely of lengthy improvised performances
with little to no compositional
basis. Between these two albums was released A Fierce Nature. Tony Hill wrote all the songs on A Fierce Nature and played everything but the drums.
A two disc compilation album, Open Season, was released in 2000. However, with the exceptions of a new Tony Hill solo track, a new Peter Pavli solo track, and a short track from Ancient Gates, the content was drawn entirely from The Flood and The Reason of Success.
The tracks "Futilist's Lament" and "Blankman Cries Again" are on the United Artists Records
2004 sampler All Good Clean Fun
CD re-package (Liberty 8660902), but High Tide did not appear on the original 1971 LP.
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
), Simon House
Simon House
Simon House is a composer and classically trained violinist and keyboard player, perhaps best known for his work with space rock band Hawkwind. His arrival in 1974 introduced a new element to the band's style...
(violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and keyboards), Peter Pavli (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and Roger Hadden (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
).
History
Allmusic author, Wilson Neate, stated this of the group, "High Tide had the muscularity of a no-nonsense proto-metal band, but they also ventured into prog territory with changing time signatures and tempos, soft-hard dynamics, multi-part arrangements, and even some ornate faux-Baroque interludes".High Tide made their first recordings as the backing band on Denny Gerrard's album Sinister Morning. Gerrard returned the favor by producing their first album, Sea Shanties, which was released in October 1969. Though it met with a scathing review in Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
, reviews in the underground press were universally positive, and sales were just enough to convince Liberty to give the green light to a second album.
This second album, High Tide
High Tide (album)
-Track listing:All tracks by High Tide except where noted.#"Blankman Cries Again" – 8:28#"The Joke" – 9:29#"Saneonimous" – 14:30- 2006 Remastered Version :#"The Great Universal Protection Racket" – 15:45#"The Joke" – 7:44...
, was released the following year. A third album was being recorded in 1970, but Roger Hadden, who had been suffering from chronic mental instability and depression since before joining High Tide, had a mental breakdown and was hospitalized before the album could be finished. Unable to continue without Hadden, the group split up.
During the late 1970s, Hill and House recorded Interesting Times as a duo, taking turns playing bass and using a drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
to replace Roger Hadden. The album featured heavy use of synthesizers, which to an extent supplanted the use of House's violin. The album was originally released as a mail order cassette, and issued on vinyl and CD in 1989 and 1990.
Any possibilities of further recordings from this semi-reunion were dissolved when House rejoined Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
in 1990. However, under the encouragement of drummer Drachen Theaker, Hill pushed out no less than five albums under the High Tide banner by the end of the following year, starting with two discs of retrospective material, and then with three albums recorded by an entirely new band.
The first retrospective release, Precious Cargo, consists of sessions recorded in 1970 by the original group, but their exact nature is not specified. It has been theorized, however, that they are the rehearsal sessions for their unfinished third album. One song, "The Great Universal Protection Racket"(mislabeled on the album as "Exploration"), had been recorded for Sea Shanties but went unreleased at the time due to space constraints. None of the other six songs were used in any earlier recordings.
The second retrospective album, The Flood, is a collection of demos of various origins. It includes four demos recorded by the original High Tide shortly before their breakup, six demos recorded in 1971 and 1976 by Tony Hill and Peter Pavli with other musicians, and a Peter Pavli solo demo from 1979.
The new band which recorded the remaining High Tide albums consisted of Tony Hill (guitars and bass), Dave Tomlin (violin and bass), and Drachen Theaker (drums), though various guest musicians also contributed, included a few appearances by Peter Pavli and Simon House. Eschewing the tight, complex compositions which were the staple of the original High Tide, the new band's albums Ancient Gates and The Reason of Success consisted almost solely of lengthy improvised performances
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
with little to no compositional
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
basis. Between these two albums was released A Fierce Nature. Tony Hill wrote all the songs on A Fierce Nature and played everything but the drums.
A two disc compilation album, Open Season, was released in 2000. However, with the exceptions of a new Tony Hill solo track, a new Peter Pavli solo track, and a short track from Ancient Gates, the content was drawn entirely from The Flood and The Reason of Success.
The tracks "Futilist's Lament" and "Blankman Cries Again" are on the United Artists Records
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
2004 sampler All Good Clean Fun
All Good Clean Fun
All Good Clean Fun was originally a promotional sampler issued by United Artists Records in 1971. This original release was a double album containing 23 tracks by 20 different artists, with three artists; Morning, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Canned Heat, having 2 tracks each.Most of the...
CD re-package (Liberty 8660902), but High Tide did not appear on the original 1971 LP.
Studio Albums
- Sea Shanties (1969)
- High TideHigh Tide (album)-Track listing:All tracks by High Tide except where noted.#"Blankman Cries Again" – 8:28#"The Joke" – 9:29#"Saneonimous" – 14:30- 2006 Remastered Version :#"The Great Universal Protection Racket" – 15:45#"The Joke" – 7:44...
(1970) - Interesting TimesInteresting Times (album)^Bonus tracks on 2003 reissue- Personnel :*Tony Hill - vocals, guitars, bass*Simon House - electric violin, keyboards, drum machine, mandolin, bass...
(1989) - Precious Cargo (1990)
- The Flood (1990)
- A Fierce Nature (1990)
- Ancient Gates (1990)
- The Reason Of Success (1990)