Argent

Argent - Greatest: The Singles Collection - 2008 - Varèse Sarabande

The title of this collection of Argent's music is somewhat deceiving since only 10 of the 18 tunes were 45s. Those songs are presented in their rare single edits and mixes, though, which makes this a necessary addition to Argent collections since they're hard to find in the digital age. Eight more popular and representative album tracks are added to max out the playing time and provide a well-rounded overview of the U.K. quartet's relatively short run from 1970 through 1975. There is only one inclusion from the two albums released after primary singer/songwriter/co-founder Russ Ballard left for a solo career in 1975, both of which were commercial and artistic disappointments. Argent -- the band -- had an unusually eclectic career, touching on the Zombie-fied pop of Ballard's dreamy "Schoolgirl" to the anthemic harder pop/rock of "Hold Your Head Up" (here in its tight 3:18 edit), and "God Gave Rock and Roll to You," Rod Argent's keyboard-driven prog of "Lothlorien," and the gutsy thump of "It's Only Money, Pt. 2" that effectively combined all of the above songs and quoted from Motown, too. Considering the mixture of styles, the songs flow together unusually well and feel like the work of a unified band with a vision, albeit a diverse one. While some would argue that Argent was an album act whose approach didn't translate well out of the context of the original sets, this compilation flows surprisingly well. It also resurrects excellent, missed-chance singles such as the pounding, militaristic beat of the Yes-styled "Man for All Reasons" one of Ballard's few political songs. A live "Time of the Season" extends and bolsters Rod Argent's Zombies' hit and shows how powerful this quartet was in concert, even if their sole live album wasn't a particularly well-recorded document of their on-stage prowess. The remixed sound is another bonus, making this a terrific summation of an influential and creative outfit too often pegged as a one-hit wonder. © Hal Horowitz © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/greatest-the-singles-collection-mw0000751559

Argent was a great 70’s English progressive rock band who incorporated pop rock, art rock, and jazz rock/fusion into their music. If you are a fan of Argent you most likely have heard all these tracks. Arguably, all of Argent's albums before their 1974 "Nexus" album were more in the AOR mould, but very good AOR. However, later albums like "Nexus", "Circus" and "Counterpoints" were in the classic progressive rock vein, and contain some of the band's best work. “Greatest: The Singles Collection” contains many of Argent’s best tracks from the 1970-1975 period and includes 10 original single mixes appearing on CD for the first time. The album also includes a live reworking of Rod Argent's previous band, the Zombie’s classic “Time of the Season.” If you're not looking for overly intense progressive rock this album is a great chronicle of an often forgotten band, and is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Argent’s 1974 "Encore: Live In Concert" album. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 176 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Liar (single version)
2. Schoolgirl (single version)
3. Dance In The Smoke
4. Sweet Mary (single version)
5. Lothlorien
6. Pleasure
7. Celebration (single version)
8. Cast Your Spell Uranus
9. Hold Your Head Up (single version)
10. Be My Lover, Be My Friend
11. I Am The Dance Of Ages
12. Tragedy (single version)
13. God Gave Rock and Roll To You (single version)
14. Its Only Money, Pt 2 (single version)
15. Man For All Reasons (single version)
16. Thunder And Lighting (single version)
17. Jester
18. Time Of The Season (Live)

N.B: See album sleeve for composers

MUSICIANS

Rod Argent – Organ, Mellotron, Electric Piano, Vocals
Russ Ballard – Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Derek Griffiths - Guitar
Jim Rodford – Guitar, Bass Guitar, Double Bass, Vocals
Robert Henrit – Drums, Bass Drums, Percussion, Vocals

SHORT BIO

After the Zombies broke up, keyboardist/songwriter Rod Argent formed his own band in 1969, which incorporated more classical, jazz, and art rock influences in accordance with Argent's musical training. The group's other members were guitarist/songwriter Russ Ballard, bassist Jim Rodford, and drummer Bob Henrit. Argent's first two albums, Argent and Ring of Hands, received a fair amount of critical acclaim, but their real breakthrough came with 1972's All Together Now, which contained the Top Five smash "Hold Your Head Up"; In Deep produced a minor hit in "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You," which was covered by Kiss in 1992. By 1974, Ballard had developed his songwriting talents enough to leave for a solo career (Three Dog Night had a Top Ten single in 1971 with his "Liar," from Argent), and was replaced by guitarist John Verity and string player John Grimaldi. Without Ballard, the group lost its focus and indulged its tendencies toward extended art rock passages and improvisational solos to somewhat excessive levels. Argent broke up in 1976; Rodford joined the Kinks, while Argent himself recorded several solo albums and became a record producer, working with Tanita Tikaram, among others. © Steve Huey © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/argent-p3571/biography

BIO (WIKI)

Argent are an English rock band founded in 1968 by keyboardist Rod Argent, formerly of The Zombies. The first three demos from Argent, recorded in the autumn of 1968 featured Mac MacLeod on bass guitar though he was not meant to become a member of the group. Original members of the band were bassist Jim Rodford (Rod Argent's cousin and formerly with the Mike Cotton Sound), drummer Bob Henrit and guitarist/keyboardist Russ Ballard (both formerly with The Roulettes and Unit 4 + 2). Lead vocal duties were shared between Ballard and Argent. Rod Argent, Chris White (former Zombies bassist, producer, songwriter) and Russ Ballard were the group's songwriters. Some of Ballard's compositions became hits when they were covered by other artists, including Kiss, Petra, Rainbow, Hello and Santana. When Ballard left in 1974, he was replaced by guitarist/vocalist John Verity and guitarist John Grimaldi and there followed a period of intense recording and touring until the band decided to come off the road late in 1976. Rodford, Henrit and Verity briefly continued together under the name Phoenix before going their separate ways, with first Rodford and then Henrit becoming members of The Kinks. Argent's biggest hit was Rod Argent and Chris White's "Hold Your Head Up" from the All Together Now album, which, in a heavily-edited single form, reached #5 in the U.S. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. "Hold Your Head Up" was covered in 1987 by the band 20/Twenty, which recorded on Refuge records' Christian label. Argent also recorded the original version of "God Gave Rock and Roll to You", written by Russ Ballard, which was covered by Kiss in 1992 under the name "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II", and featured prominently at the end of the film Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. The song also became a Contemporary Christian rock anthem and was twice covered by the Christian Rock band Petra, in 1977 (on the album Come and Join Us) and again in 1984 (on the album Beat the System), albeit with new verses. The Russ Ballard song "Liar" on Argent's first album became a hit for Three Dog Night. The sound of the band was a mix of rock and pop, but also covered more progressive rock territory in songs like "The Coming of Kohoutek," an instrumental from their Nexus album. When Ballard left the band after Encore, they took an even more progressive/fusion turn with their final Epic album Circus and then signed to a new record label (United Artists) for the final 1975 album Counterpoints. By 2005, all albums, including compilations, have been re-released on CD, except Counterpoints. The original Argent lineup reunited at the High Voltage Festival in Victoria Park, London on 25 July 2010, and undertook a short five date concert tour in December 2010, with gigs in Frome, Southampton, Wolverhampton, Leamington Spa and London.

ROD ARGENT BIO (WIKI)

Rod Argent (born Rodney Terence Argent, 14 June 1945, St Albans, Hertfordshire, England) was a founding member of the 1960s English pop group The Zombies and the 1970s band Argent. While at St Albans School, he met Paul Atkinson and Hugh Grundy. The three of them joined up with Colin Blunstone and Chris White to form The Zombies. In addition to playing piano and keyboards in the group, Rod Argent was (with Chris White) one of the group's two main songwriters, penning the hits "She's Not There", "Tell Her No", and "Time of the Season", amongst others. Argent was initially the group's lead singer, with Blunstone on guitar. Upon realizing Argent's keyboard talents, he became the group's full time keyboard player, conceding the role of lead singer to Blunstone. After The Zombies split, he went on to form Argent, who had a hit album in 1972 with All Together Now, which contained the single "Hold Your Head Up". They also recorded the original version of the rock anthem "God Gave Rock and Roll to You", written by lead singer Russ Ballard which was later covered by Kiss. Argent's first album included the song, "Liar" (also composed by Ballard) which became a hit for Three Dog Night. Argent later played keyboards with many other musicians, including playing piano on the title track of The Who's album Who Are You, and on Variations with Gary Moore, Julian Lloyd Webber and Andrew Lloyd Webber. In 1986 he composed the ITV theme music for their coverage of the 1986 World Cup - "Aztec Gold". It was released as a single under the title of "Silsoe". Argent also composed the theme music to the ITV (LWT) sitcom The Piglet Files airing from 1990 to 1992. He also played keyboards on and produced Joshua Kadison's 1993 album "Painted Desert Serenade". In 1999 Argent recorded a solo piano album, Rod Argent Classically Speaking, in which he played Chopin études and music by Ravel, Bach and Grieg as well as three of his own compositions. Argent and Blunstone have continued to perform together, and in 2004 they recorded a new album — As Far as I Can See — in the style of the Zombies. Subsequent album and DVD Colin Blunstone & Rod Argent of The Zombies Live At The Bloomsbury Theatre received favorable reviews, as did their 2007 U.S. tour - "The Zombies, still led by original keyboard wizard Rod Argent and featuring the smoked-silk vocals of Colin Blunstone, is the best 60s band still touring which doesn't have Mick Jagger as a front man". In 2006, Argent joined Hamish Stuart, Richard Marx, Billy Squier, Edgar Winter, and Sheila E. touring with Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band.

MORE ABOUT ROD ARGENT

Keyboardist/songwriter Rod Argent spent the '60s as a crucial part of underappreciated British Invasion popsters the Zombies, and later moved on to embrace album rock as leader of his own band, Argent. He was born June 14, 1945, in St. Alban's, England (near London); aside from about two years of lessons, he was a largely self-taught pianist. He discovered rock & roll at 11 through his cousin's Elvis Presley records, but also grew up appreciating classical music and jazz, and his study of those forms would lend his future pop compositions a definite melodic and harmonic sophistication quite unlike most of his British Invasion peers. The Zombies were formed when Argent was just 16, and signed with Decca in 1963 on the strength of his composition "She's Not There," which became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic the following year. Their second American Top Ten, the Argent-penned "Tell Her No," arrived in 1965, but despite a number of stunning singles written either by Argent (the band's most prolific composer) or guitarist Chris White, the Zombies had trouble landing another hit. They disbanded in 1967 after completing the psychedelic classic Odessey and Oracle, and Argent formed a new band called Argent, with Chris White sharing production and songwriting duties (though he wasn't an official member). Argent the band remained their main focus even after "Time of the Season" belatedly became the Zombies' biggest hit in early 1969. Later in 1969, Argent issued its eponymous debut album, which found the bandleader taking a heavier, more visceral approach while maintaining the intricacy of his keyboard work with the Zombies. Additionally, the burgeoning progressive rock movement was offering new ways to fuse jazz and classical music with rock & roll, which was a natural direction for Argent to take. Their second album, 1971's Ring of Hands, was one of their most prog-oriented, featuring lots of keyboard soloing. It didn't break the band to a wider audience, though; that would only happen with the next album, 1972's All Together Now, which produced a Top Five hit in America with a truncated version of "Hold Your Head Up." Argent toured successfully over the next few years and recorded several more albums, landing a smaller hit single in 1973's "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You" (actually written by Argent's bandmate Russ Ballard). Argent disbanded in 1976, and Rod immersed himself in session work in an effort to expand his musical range. Over the next few years, he recorded with the Who (Who Are You), Roger Daltrey solo, John Dankworth, Cleo Laine, Gary Moore, and Andrew Lloyd Webber (Variations), not to mention old Zombie cohort Colin Blunstone. In 1978, he released his first solo album, Moving Home, and two years later, he wrote the stage musical Masquerade, which premiered in London in 1982. After working with British jazz saxophonist Barbara Thompson, Argent composed music for British television during the mid-'80s, and in 1987 he formed a production partnership with ex-Van Morrison drummer Peter Van Hooke. Together they produced successful and acclaimed records like Tanita Tikaram's Ancient Heart (1988), Nanci Griffith's Late Night Grande Hotel (1991), Joshua Kadison's Painted Desert Serenade (1993), and Jules Shear's Healing Bones (1994), among others. Additionally, Argent broke a decade's worth of silence as a solo artist with 1988's Red House. Ten years later, he returned with an album of solo piano performances titled Classically Speaking, which true to its title featured a number of classical pieces interspersed with a few originals. In addition to his work as a producer, arranger, and session player, Argent reunited with Colin Blunstone for 2001's Out of the Shadows, which was accompanied by a tour. © Steve Huey © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=RODARGENT&sql=11:k9fyxqr5ld0e~T1