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Japan 24-Bit Remaster

John Simms, Ken White and Mark Sheather were long term friends, all originating from Acton, West London. Their common denominator and binding factor was their passion for music. They were richly influenced by early blues, soul and rhythm and blues artists, such as Bo Diddley, Alexis Korner, Yardbirds, B.B.King and so forth. Still attending school, funds were severely limited, so they had to improvise regarding musical instruments. Ken used books as substitute drums, and forks as sticks! John had an old acoustic guitar.
They took menial, part-time jobs - anything - just to get some money rolling in to finance the cost of musical instruments. The music scene in West London was thriving and they longed to perform live!

They were still far too young to drive. Consequently, they did not have a vehicle to transport the equipment to rehearsal studios, so they compromised and solved the problem by loading the gear onto push bikes and old prams. It must have been a sight for sore eyes, but at least they became very fit as a result, and frankly, nothing could dampen their enthusiasm!


The Original Line-Up
Having worked hard to achieve a musical ability they felt confident with, they literally got their act together and formed a rhythm and blues band called 'JUG BLUES'.

They swiftly boarded the club circuit, performing to all and sundry, gaining experience playing cover songs. An extensive tour of Germany resulted from this effort. They were fired with inspiration having been well received by audiences everywhere. >From this point on, they decided to commence writing their own material.

Their primary original set evolved. They took it to listening ears everywhere, performing under various band names such as ' X ' and 'MATUSE', covering the entire UK club circuit, and Germany once more. They entered the the famous Marquee club talent contest in London, and won outright. Having just come off stage, they were approached by Donovan's manager, Ashley Kozak, and worked with him for some time.

Bigger status was achieved. The band played on the same bill as Janis Joplin/Big Brother & the Holding company, Rory Gallagher/Taste, Country Joe and the Fish, Free, Edgar Broughton, Gentle Giant etc, etc...

Their unique style had now fully emerged along with a constant procession of new material - raw, exciting, experimental and heavy. They were wowing audiences, although still in their teens! They soon collected a large loyal following of fans. The vitality and originality of the music together their musical ability soon attracted the attention of the record companies.

One of the foremost producers of that era, namely Patrick Campbell-Lyons, formerly of 60's chart success band ' NIRVANA ', came to to see them perform, and instantly decided the band had enormous potential. A partnership was formed, and the band came under his guidance and sharp business skills.

Another era was beginning for these three youngsters from West London... ...Come inside... ...it's a warm, 1970 springtime. Live music filled every club and pub. The energy of heavy rock, changing folk, psychedelia and just about every other style of music was being mixed to heady proportions. Its volume filled the skies and its message spoke the language of countless personalities.

Entwined within this swirling experience was the nucleus of this three piece band. They came wrapped in crushed velvet and with a sincere approach. They were young, fresh, innovative, fun and compelling. That ever growing guitar style embroidering the luxurious threads of basic rhythm. The band took the name 'CLEAR BLUE SKY'.


The First Album On Vertigo
Within that spring of 1970, Patrick Campbell-Lyons signed the band to the celebrated VERTIGO record label - home of many original new sounds that were emerging at that time. Barely eighteen, that summer they went into the studios to make their very first album, which was self - titled, and featured one of the very first cover designs by artist Roger Dean. It was released into the cold atmosphere of January 1971, and certainly warmed the ears of many a progressive music lover.

It was apparent, not for just that year, nor even for a few years to come. As we bring it up to date, the first Clear Blue Sky album continues to sell well deep into the late 1990's and beyond, having been reproduced and licensed by such companies as Repertoire, Si-Wan among others. Many bootleg versions have been seen too!! The original vinyl is now very much a collectors item.

Later that same year, Clear Blue Sky were featured on a compilation album issued by Vertigo entitled ' Heads Together/Round One '. Still another compilation was later released, namely, ' The Vertigo Trip ' which featured their track ' Birdcatcher '.

The band toured constantly, working the four corners of the rock circuit, and also spent time in the studio recording. Days and weeks on the road were exhausting.

John decided a change was as good as a rest, and in 1975, he left Clear Blue Sky and joined 'Tangerine Peel'. He took the place of Michael Chapman of Chinnichap fame, and toured and recorded with them for a while. Unreleased material remains in the archives........ The time that John spent with ' Tangerine Peel ' was very rewarding. It was interesting working in a more commercial field.

However, after a while John felt the need to get back the heavier, more experimental style. So he left ' Tangerine Peel ' and formed another band with Clear Blue Sky drummer Ken White. Bass player Mark Sheather had by this time married, and completely dropped off the scene. So they recruited Smith Campbell for the role, whose band ' Hokus Poke ' had also appeared on the Vertigo label. They had a gritty, powerful, to-the-point sound, and consequently called themselves ' The Needle '.

Once again the club circuit was toured extensively, and they were spotted by John Entwistle (The Who). He helped them out in many ways, and occasionally turned up unannounced at their gigs, and jammed with them, much to the astonished amazement of the audience!!

The next musical venture took a different approach altogether. This time, John got together with gifted drummer Paul Gibbs (who later joined 'The Wild Angels'), and master-of-the-bass, Ian McDonald (of 'Furniture' and Claus Bohling's 'Elektrum'). Their individual influences and backgrounds combined into a most unique style. Dynamic and fresh, it resulted in a recipe that boasted a combination of jazz, funk, rock, fusion and progressive, as it's main ingredients. The name 'Separate Energy' seemed a perfect description of the music they performed, and so they adopted that name.

This band was a force to be reckoned with, and in no time at all they were touring with acts such as Bernie Torme (ex-guitarist with Ian Gillan). Within its primary formation, the band achieved third form top billing at the Stonehenge festival. Hawkwind topped the roster for that particular year. The whole thing was televised and is available out there somewhere. 'Separate Energy' continued gigging. Amongst their audience one evening was Ginger Baker's manager, who appeared to be talent spotting for members of Ginger's forthcoming new band, and subsequent international tours. He considered John and Ian to be the ideal partners for Ginger's imminent project.

Signed, sealed and delivered to the destination of their first tour, namely Austria, John and Ian warmly anticipated a meeting and rehearsal with this infamous drummer.

To their horror, the rehearsal never materialised at all! Ginger simply gave them a verbal list of songs very shortly before they were due to perform them!

"'E're" said Ginger, "do you know 'Toad'?"

"Sure!" replied Ian and John, beaming confidently. After just a quick practice, they could deliver the goods - no problem.

"Great" said Ginger, smirking. "We'll do that one… and… and…"

THAT was the rehearsal! So they faced a huge stadium filled with thousands of people, with no rehearsal - and completely pulled the whole thing off brilliantly!!

Ginger was ecstatic and booked Ian and John for numerous other tours, all of which were an enormous success.

Ginger had a son, Kofi, who also played drums. A rapport was instantly established and they agreed to have a jam together.



Kofi Baker's band Karisma
John was stunned to discover that not only did Kofi display every inch of talent that his father possessed, but that he also very much had his own style, and an incredible never ending thirst for new techniques.

A fire began to blaze, and to this day, it has never gone out since those early jams. Inspiration flowed, and a torrent of songs flooded out. The music was a diverse blend of progressive rock with rich jazz overtones. Since the music revolved around Kofi's highly technical drum style, the band took the name 'Kofi Baker's Karisma'. On bass was the accomplished and eccentric Kraznet Montpelier, and Max Marten added to the vocal input and songwriting. They recorded extensively - about two to three albums worth of stuff, which will be available soon on CD.


The Album 'Destiny' (vinyl)
By the start of 1990, there had been a revival of interest from the public in bands from the '70's and this renewed the interest in Clear Blue Sky. Recordings made by the band in the '70's were exhumed, and were constructed into an album entitled ' Destiny ' , after one of its featured tracks. Many of the songs were recorded live at various venues, so it tends to have a much rawer sound. It was released by Saturn Records in August 1990. It was originally pressed as a limited edition on vinyl and cassette format.


Barry 'Vertigo' Winton with John
The band were asked to play the 20th Anniversary Isle of Wight Festival in the summer of 1990. So, John decided to reform Clear Blue Sky. They performed a superb set of their '70's material which was the highlight of the festival

In October 1990, Vertigo Records released a compilation album, namely 'Vertigo Classics & Rarities, Vol.1.' This featured many of great bands and artists of the '70's, and on which Clear Blue Sky feature with the track ' Rocket Ride ' from their first album.
They continued gigging, and it was not long before record companies showed interest in new material for a third album.


The Vertigo Compilation
Finally, they signed to Aftermath, who requested a new album and promptly issued 'Destiny' on CD with new artwork by Phil Schmee. Many Clear Blue Sky fans wrote asking for news of the band and availability of new material and live performances. Indeed, letters continue to come in from all over the world.

Greatly encouraged by this, they took the threads of their original style and wove new songs. The result was a totally new album entitled 'Cosmic Crusader'.

Like the first, this one was a concept album entitled 'Cosmic Crusader ', depicting a story within the music, based on a science fiction theme. This time, they added the magical keyboards of Adam Lewis and a female backing vocalist, and the result is typically Clear Blue Sky, with its melodious, flying -in-the-clouds style, conversely married to the distinct stamp of the heavyweights, together with the inimitable acid/prog/rock outstanding guitar works of La Simms. The artwork was provided by Ginger Baker's (ex) wife Elizabeth Finch.

The album was warmly received world wide, attracting warm reviews, much radio airplay and invitations for interviews. Like it's predecessor, it is sure to endure the tides of time.


'Still Dizzy' Compilation
In the autumn of 1998, from Polygram yet another compilation of all the Vertigo greats, a luscious double CD collection with the wonderful title 'Still Dizzy after All These Years'. This time Clear Blue Sky's featured track was 'My Heaven', and graciously, the sleeve note ( penned by the one and only Barry 'Mr Vertigo' Winton, the foremost knowledge of progressive rock) also made mention of the recent album 'Cosmic Crusader'.

2001 marked the 30th anniversary of Clear Blue Sky's recording career. To celebrate the occasion, Hi-Note Music issued two new releases on the Aftermath label.


'Out Of The Blue' album

These embrace the band's entire career. The first release, entitled 'Out of the Blue/live & unreleased features the first recordings made by the band way back in 1969, preceeding their Vertigo debut album by two years, and making the average age of the band just 16 years old! Other previously unreleased tracks are included together with live versions of songs from the first album.


The Latest Album
The second release, namely 'Mirror of the Stars', brings us right up to date with the band's best offering yet. Their record company, Hi-Note Music, had this to say: "A stunning and electrifying new album, their heavyweight rock style now multi-layered with facets of psych, blues-space and garage, projecting bounddaries ever further."

Clear Blue Sky have selected the best songs from their 30 year career, and have fused them into an explosive live set.

Indeed, they have never sounded better!