Affinity

Affinity - Live Instrumentals 1969 - 2003 - Angel Air Records

A magnificent piece of archive scouring, Live Instrumentals 1969 was recorded during the month or so that Affinity vocalist Linda Hoyle spent recuperating from an operation on her vocal chords, leaving bandmates Mo Foster, Mike Jupp, Lynton Naiff, and Grant Serpell to fill their time with a month-long residency at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London. Nine of the tracks here, including tumultuous jazz-rock versions of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" (a staple of the like-minded Brian Auger's repertoire around the same time), and "Fever" were recorded there; four more were taken from a period-radio broadcast, and the disc wraps up with the instrumental rampage "On Green Dolphin Street," recorded by the University of Sussex Jazz Trio, from which the original Affinity ultimately arose. A great-sounding album, Live Instrumentals is further distinguished by a sleeve that hangs perfectly alongside the band's own debut album. © Dave Thompson © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-instrumentals-1969-r619635

...Nine live tracks recorded in January 1969 and at a time when long sideburns and frizzy hair was de rigueur ... and that was just the women! Some jazz standards expertly played and some less familiar, this is a real archive find. The music hasn't dated at all. There is some great Hammonding from Lynton Naiff and authoritative jazz rock chops from Mike Jopp. Bassist Mo Foster went on to work with Ray Fenwick in Fancy and Jeff Beck amongst others but this release captures a superb band and drips with cool soul jazz that is perhaps now best enjoyed with a good wine, and with the headphones on. Nice. - James Rutherford, Get ready to ROCK! (January 2003)

While Mo Foster and Grant Serpell kept the rhythm section nailed it allowed guitarist Mike Jopp and organist Lynton Naiff to play melody or go off at a tangent as they desired. Given how powerful their arrangements are it is probably of little surprise to see that Lynton later worked as an arranger for bands as diverse as Gene, Gay Dad and Page/Plant! Good sleeve notes and photos as well as powerful jazz make this an album that can easily be enjoyed. -
Feedback, (February 2003)

…everything's intelligently arranged and tastefully played… John Sturdy, Record Collector (March 2003)

They are polished and classy and the sound qualiy is very good. I found it surprisingly accessible…Any aficionado of the Hammond/guitar relationship should add this CD to their collection. - Alan Taylor, Pipeline (Spring 2003)

...Serves as a reminder that the band were damn good. - Modern Dance, Issue 43 (March 2003)

Affinity was an exceptionally talented UK jazz rock band signed by Vertigo Records in the early '70's. Amazingly, the band recorded only one official album in 1970. "Live Instrumentals 1969" is an extraordinary album of jazzy progressive psychedelic rock with fusion, blues and soul elements. The album is full of brilliant arrangements and complex tempo changes. It's hard to believe that these tracks date from 1965 to 1969. This is timeless music and VHR by A.O.O.F.C. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: Album split into 2 rar files: Combined files' size = 168.4 Mb]. Listen to Affinity's s/t album and "If You Live" album, and Linda Hoyle's "Pieces Of Me" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Jive Samba - N.Adderley 4:50
2 Dis Here - B.Timmons 5:48
3 Comin' Home Baby - B.Tucker, B.Dorough 3:48
4 Out Of The Storm - E.Thigpen 7:25
5 Fever - E.J.Cooley, J.Davenport 3:15
6 13 Death March - McFarland 5:42
7 All Blues - M.Davis 4:17
8 81- R.Carter 4:01
9 A Day In The Life - Lennon & McCartney 6:48
10 All Blues 4:25
11 81 4:36
12 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy - J.Zawinul 4:47
13 Jive Samba - N.Adderley 3:45
14 On Green Dolphin Street - B.Kaper, N.Washington 4:28

Tracks 1-9 recorded at Ronnie Scott's Club in January 1969: Tracks 10-13 were recorded at Maida Vale Studios, London, England in August 1968 for an FM radio broadcast: Track 14 was recorded by the University of Sussex Jazz Trio, (an early incarnation of Affinity) at The Refectory, Falmer House, University of Sussex, England on 27th February 1965 during the semi-finals of the 1965 Inter University Jazz Federation competition.

MUSICIANS

Mike Jopp - Electric Guitar
Mo Foster - Bass Guitar
Nick Nicholas - Double Bass on Track 14
Lynton Naiff - Hammond M102 Organ, Piano
Grant Serpell-Rogers - Drums

SHORT BIO

Signed by Vertigo in 1970 on the crest of the jazz-rock wave, the short-lived Affinity released only one single and album before splitting. Comprised of young singer Linda Hoyle, bassist Mo Foster, guitarist Mike Jupp, keyboardist Lynton Naiff, and drummer Grant Serpell, a musical maturity was displayed, blending folk, jazz, soul, blues, and elements of contemporary psychedelia and progressive rock. Highly regarded by critics, who praised the young Hoyle's powerful vocals and Naiff's inherent organ skills, it looked as if the band were to have a healthy career. Derek Jewell of The Sunday Times wrote, "Naiff is already a virtuso, soul-style, and the whole group is probably the best new thing heard in the jazz-pop area this year." But although the seven-track album was well received, the band split soon after. To label their work under any one genre is a hard task, and the jazz-rock/blues-rock classification they are usually squeezed into is far from fitting. As with many other late-'60s progressive acts, Affinity was just getting their footing when they split. © Jon "Mojo" Mills © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/affinity-p381019/biography

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Affinity had its origins in the mid-60s at the University Of Sussex when three science students - pianist Lynton Naiff, drummer Grant Serpell and double-bass player Nick Nicholas - formed the US Jazz Trio. One year later another science student, Mo Foster, who had originally played bass guitar in his school band, adapted to playing drums for the trio when Grant Serpell graduated. After University, and incorporating members gathered from other University bands, Lynton and Grant formed the pop-group "Ice" and achieved moderate commercial success. Sadly within a year they had disbanded. Still keen to pursue a career in music, Lynton and Grant invited Mo to revert to bass guitar in a proposed new jazz-influenced pop band. The guys held auditions for a guitarist and were delighted to find ex-Tridents guitarist Mike Jopp who had both jazz and blues chops. (More importantly he also had his own amplifier and a car!). They also held auditions for singers but finally realised that the only person for the job was Linda Hoyle, a qualified English teacher who they had earlier met through a friend at University. With a loan guaranteed by Mike Jopp's father the band bought some Impact amplifiers, a Hammond M102 organ, a Gibson EBO bass guitar, some microphones, and, eventually, a grey Ford Transit van. They spent the summer of 1968 "getting it together" - writing and rehearsing - in a rented bungalow on the edge of Brighton. The name "Affinity" was taken from the title of an Oscar Peterson LP. At the end of the 60's an exciting new hybrid music form, "Jazz/Rock", was evolving. Musicians such as Miles Davis, Brian Auger, Jimi Hendix, and bands such as Blood Sweat and Tears, Cream, Chicago, Lifetime and Colosseum were all experimenting with this blending of jazz improvisation with the power of rock rhythms. This liberating and exciting approach suited Affinity perfectly since it separated the band from other contemporary new outfits such as Yes, genesis, Led Zeppelin, Family and Humble Pie. Affinity's first-ever London gig took place on 5 October 1968 at the Revolution Club in Bruton Place, just off Berkeley Square. As a result of hearing a tape of a broadcast on BBC Radio Jazz Club the late Ronnie Scott agreed to manage them and to book them into his club where they played alongside countless world-class players including Elvin Jones, Gary Burton, Les McCann, Stan Getz and Charles Mingus. (They may not have been earning much at this point, but they did get to see these incredible artists for free - every night). Live work was plentiful: there was a thriving discotheque and club scene in London, the college circuit paid well, there were European and Scandinavian tours (which didn't pay well!), festivals, the occasional TV show (two sings were recorded for "Disco 2", the predecessor of "The Old Grey Whistle Test"), and even the occasional jingle session (Linda, Mike and Mo recorded an advert for Shredded Wheat - "There are two men in my life"...) Things were looking good. The band was able to buy the ultimate instrument, the 'split' Hammond B3 that had once belonged to Brian Auger. Affinity recorded a critically-acclaimed first album for the Vertigo label and DJ Anne Nightingale who proclaimed that Linda was "the girl most likely to succeed in 1970." Lynton and Mo started to write for a second album (see "Yes Man") and the band was lined up for a USA tour, but in January 1971 Linda announced she had decided to leave the business. It was a sad, but inevitable, decision: the band had worked hard for two and a half years and yet had little to show for it. The fun had gone. The remaining contracted gigs were honoured and the guys went their separate ways. Linda Hoyle recorded a solo album "Pieces Of me" co-written with Karl Jenkins, and backed by Soft Machine members Chris Spedding, John Marshall, Jeff Clyne and Karl. Linda renounced live performances and now teaches Art Therapy at the University of Western Ontario, Canada. She still sings and occasionally works with Juno nominee guitarist Oliver Whitehead. Lynton Naiff niched himself into the field of orchestral arrangement on pop records leading to various projects with artists such as Queen, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Mike Joop joined the Mike D'Abo Band together with Mo and Grant. This particular line-up recorded a couple of albums and toured America. Mike quit playing professionally in 1973, became a guitar-dealer, and, after many years as a specialist audio consultant for Sony and Fairlight, now has a successful career in broadcast television with his own company, Hyperactive Broadcast. He still plays and has a collection of interesting guitars. Mo Foster met ex-Manfred singer Mike D'Abo - an encounter which led to his career as a studio player. He has since recorded and toured with artists as varied as Jeff Beck, Phil Collins, Gil Evans, Gerry Rafferty, Joan Armatrading, Hank Marvin, Maggie Bell, Van Morrison and the London Symphony Orchestra. Mo has produced three solo albums, and his first book "17 Watts?", an anecdotal history of British rock guitar, is published by Sanctuary. Grant Serpell played with Geno Washington and then Mike D'Abo before becoming a founder member of SAILOR, a band which achieved recording success - "Girls Girls Girls" - in the mid 70's in most countries except the States. When SAILOR temporarily disbanded (for 11 years!) he pleased his mother by getting a "proper job" as a Chemistry teacher. The rebirth of SAILOR in 1989 surprisingly resulted in hits all over Europe, so for eight years he juggled two careers, eventually quitting teaching in 1997. [Taken from the 2002 reissue of "Affinity"]