Progressive rock fans worldwide are buzzing
with excitement about the forthcoming release of a new covers CD by
music legends Nektar called “A Spoonful Of Time”, featuring an
all-star guest line-up! Celebrating their 43rd Anniversary, Nektar's
contribution over the past four decades has quite rightly earned them
their place in any 'Progressive Rock Hall of Fame'. But the band is
much more than a “prog legend;” the Nektar brand of innovative
composition, performance and visuals is simply unique. And now on
November 27th Cleopatra Records will be releasing the
first ever covers album by the iconic UK ensemble, joined by an
incredible gathering of musical heroes from a wide variety of genres!
Says
founding Nektar member Roye Albrighton, “The idea originated from
Cleopatra themselves...they thought it might be a good idea to do an
album of classic songs with a multitude of different players but
under the Nektar banner. Klaus, Ron and myself were to be the staple
musicians taking part and the files would be given out to various
musicians to do their parts. I was asked to do most of the vocals
except for the one track which was (“Africa”) and quite a few
guitars too. Ron did a lot of the drums and Klaus was prominent on
several of the tracks on Hammond and mellotron.”
Track
listing:
1.
Sirius featuring Michael Pinnella (Symphony X)
2.
Spirit Of The Radio featuring Mark Kelly (Marillion)
3.
Fly Like An Eagle featuring Geoff Downes (Asia / Yes) • Joel
Vandroogenbroeck (Brainticket)
4.
Wish You Were Here featuring Edgar Froese (Tangerine Dream)
5.
For The Love Of Money featuring Ian Paice (Deep Purple) • Nik
Turner (Hawkwind)
6.
Can't Find My Way Home featuring Steve Howe (Yes) • Derek Sherinian
(Dream Theater/Black Country Communion) • Mel Collins (King
Crimson)
7.
2000 Light Years From Home featuring Simon House (Hawkwind)
8.
Riders On The Storm featuring Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big) • Rod Argent
(The Zombies / Argent)
9.
Blinded By The Light featuring Joakim Svalberg (Opeth) • Ginger
Baker (Cream)
10.
Out Of The Blue featuring Simon House (Hawkwind)
11.
Old Man featuring David Cross (King Crimson)
12.
Dream Weaver featuring Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra)
13.
I'm Not In Love featuring Rick Wakeman (Yes)
14. Africa featuring
Bobby Kimball (Toto) • Patrick Moraz (The Moody Blues)
Nektar's
“A Spoonful Of Time” was produced by the band and mixed by prog icon Billy
Sherwood, who also played bass on some of the tracks.
Says Billy, “I really enjoyed working with Nektar on
their new record, it was an honor playing bass on the entire project
too!! Roye is very creative and inspiring to be around, Ron and Klaus
are great to work with too... I felt like it was working with
friends, making music, as it should be. I look forward to playing
some gigs with them in the future.” Roye adds, “The songs
featured on the album were chosen by Cleopatra, of which a few of
them I quite like. It was good working with Billy, on this covers
album and our new studio album 'Time Machine', and like me, he wants
the absolute best for the music.”
The
Nektar story is a remarkable one. A British rock band that found
stardom and major success in Germany and the USA, yet failed to make
a significant breakthrough in their own country. With three gold
albums under their belt ("Remember The Future", "Down
To Earth" and "Recycled"), Nektar produced some of the
most original work of the seventies and eighties. In virtuoso
guitarist Roye Albrighton Nektar had a charismatic front man who had
shared a stage with Jimi Hendrix, in Allan "Taff" Freeman a
unique keyboard player, in Derek "Mo" Moore a bass playing
powerhouse and in Ron Howden a fluidity rarely found in a drummer.
Fifth member Mick Brockett was not a musician, but was responsible
for one of the most stunning light and visual shows ever to grace a
rock stage. Nektar's history appeared to have been written when they
finally split in the eighties. Despite attempts to re-kindle the
flame, the Nektar light, it seemed was out...until the year 2000. The
new millenium saw the long awaited reunion tour of the classic
line-up, to rave reviews and fantastic receptions. The light we
thought was out, had in fact been kept aglow - by loyal fans across
the globe! "It's pretty timeless music," says Albrighton,
"and what I'm hearing from most of the new, younger fans that
are now coming to our shows, is that it's like going back in time.
They are starting to really discover music again, which, of course,
is a great thrill to us and some of the older bands from our time."
An
American tour in September 2004 saw Taff Freeman depart the band for
personal reasons and his successor, Hammond virtuoso Tom Hughes,
instantly earning a place in the hearts of the Nektar faithful. With
continued concert dates, along with the remastering of the remainder
of the Nektar back catalogue on CD, this legendary band has become
once more a proud force to be reckoned with in the world of
progressive music. In 2007 Nektar truly took over their own
management, procured their official website as their own, became an
entity entirely under their own control and went on a 22-date tour of
Germany. The band released the critically acclaimed CDs 'Book of
Days' in 2008 and the live DBL CD 'Fortyfied' in 2009. Signing with
US label Cleopatra in 2011, the band competed it's first U.S. Tour in
seven years by virtue of a successful month-long jaunt of the States,
to the delight of their U.S. Fans both old and new. Nektar is set to
make its mark once again with the release of their critically
acclaimed studio album “Time Machine.” Now with the release of “A
Spoonful Of Time,” Nektar is back with a psychedelic head trip
through classic rock radio with artful twists on classics by The
Doors, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Blind Faith, Steve Miller, 10cc
and others!
As
far as future plans for Nektar: "To make more music, and to
experiment more in different ways,” says Albrighton. Nektar will be
a part of the Cruise to the Edge crusie in March with the Yes,
Tangerine Dream, Saga, Steve Hackett, Carl Palmer Band, UK and
others. In closing Roye has this to impart to the band's
long-standing fans, “A huge thanks to all those fans who have stuck
by the band through thick and thin over the years... We are only
doing it for you.”
Nektar
“A Spoonful Of Time” is available for pre-order now at iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/
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