Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Biography
By J Poet
Emerson Lake & Palmer may not have invented the genre called progressive rock, but they were undoubtedly the most successful progressive rock band in history. In their heyday, from 1970 – 1978 they took home nine gold (and two multi-platinum) records and became known for their flamboyant stage shows. The immense talent of each member led inevitably to inner conflicts about musical direction and they broke up after an amazing eight-year run. In 1985 Emerson and Lake teamed up with metal drum great Cozy Powell for a tour and an album, but that line up didn’t last. In 1991 they were asked to contribute music for a film in progress, and agreed. The film didn’t happen, but the reformed trio returned to the studio and produced two more albums before going on hiatus in 1998.
Keith Emerson was born in 1944 in Lancashire and was a child prodigy on the piano. He moved to London in the mid ‘60s and became a well know session musician and sideman. In 1967 Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham signed soul singer P.P. Arnold, a former Ikette, and put together a band to back her up on tours of Europe and in the studio. That band became The Nice and Emerson’s amazing keyboard abilities made them a hit in the UK.
After four brilliant albums, The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack (1967 Immediate, UK), Ars Longa Vita Brevis (1968 Immediate, UK) Nice (1969 Immediate, UK), released in the US as Everything As Nice As Mother Makes It (1969 Columbia US, 1991 Columbia), and Five Bridges (1970 Charisma, Mercury US) the band fell apart.
In 1969, while on tour with The Nice in America, Emerson met Greg Lake, then bassist and lead singer of King Crimson, Robert Fripp’s legendary band. Lake was also a musical prodigy and wrote “Lucky Man”, one of ELP’s biggest hits while he was still in high school. He knew Fripp from high school and when Fripp put together King Crimson, he asked Lake to join. Lake had been a guitarist, but switched to bass to play with King Crimson, and produced their first album In the Court of the Crimson King (1969 Atlantic, 2001 Virgin). He met Emerson backstage at a King Crimson/Nice double bill at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. They jammed on a tune Emerson was writing, and they knew they were going to work together.
The Nice imploded, Lake left King Crimson, and they started auditioning drummers including Ginger Baker and Mitch Mitchell from The Jimi Hendrix Experience. They were at their wit’s end when Robert Stigwood, who managed Cream, suggested Carl Palmer. Palmer grew up playing jazz, influenced by Joe Morello (Dave Brubeck Quartet) and Buddy Rich, but joined The Crazy World of Arthur Brown when their original drummer refused to tour. He had just finished recording the first Atomic Rooster album, Atomic Rooster (1969 Elektra), when he signed on to ELP.
The band started rehearsing in June of 1970, blending rock, European classical music and jazz. They played the Isle Of Wight Pop Music Festival in August, only their second gig, and became an instant supergroup thanks to their strong material and Emerson’s stage antics. Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970 Island UK, 1971 Cotillion/Atlantic Records, 1996 on Rhino) quickly went gold, and the band immediately started work on Tarkus (1971 Cotillion/Atlantic Records, 1996 Rhino) which the cut in six days. The anti-war theme of the album was in keeping with the times as was the 5/4 rhythm of the title track, “Tarkus.” The album went gold and topped the British pop charts; ELP mounted a successful American tour and returned home to work on album number three.
Wanting to keep up the momentum, they released Pictures At An Exhibition (1971 Manticore UK, 1972 Cotillion/Atlantic,1996 Rhino), a live recording on their own Manticore label. The music was based on Mussorgsky’s piece of the same name, but Atlantic didn’t want to release it in the US. After the band sold 50,000 import copies in the US, Atlantic gave in and the set became their first multi-platinum success and hit #10 on the US pop charts.
Emerson had purchased one of the first Moog Synthesizers and its sound gave ELP their own unique sound, especially in concert. They toured the US and Canada, and released Trilogy (1972 Cotillion/Atlantic. 1996 Rhino), a prog rock masterpiece. It included “Hoedown,” their arrangement of Aaron Cropland's “Rodeo,’ which became an FM radio staple. The album went gold. In 1972 Lake began collaborating with Peter Sinfield, his King Crimson pal, who contributed lyrics as complex as the band’s music.
Brain Salad Surgery (1973 Atlantic Records, 1996 Rhino) featured artwork by H.R. Giger, before he designed the creatures for Alien, and is another prog rock milestone and another gold album. “Toccata” was adapted from the fourth movement of Alberto Ginestera’s First Piano Concerto and when the publisher wouldn’t grant the band permission to record it, Emerson flew to Geneva to meet Ginestera and ask his permission to use the piece. After hearing Emerson play, Ginestera told him: “That is the way my music should be played.”
ELP’s stage act now took 25 roadies and 35 tons of equipment to put on and included including a revolving drum kit and a grand piano that rose 30 feet into the air and flipped over. The tours produced another live album, the three LP set Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends -- Ladies & Gentlemen (1974 Atlantic). It hit #4 on the US charts and went platinum.
ELP took a few years off to recharge their batteries and work on solo material. Works Vol. 1 (1977 Atlantic,1996 Rhino) was another double LP set, with one side of new ELP compositions and one side given over to each member’s solo work. It included Emerson’s “Piano Concerto #1.” They followed it with a tour that was to include a full symphony orchestra and choir, but after three weeks cost overruns forced them to scale back to the trio. They barely broke even, and the tensions that surfaced during the recording of Works led to the band’s dissolution. To fulfill their recording obligations to Atlantic they released Works Vol. 2 ( 1977 Atlantic,1996 Rhino ) put together from material left over from Works Vol. 1, and Love Beach (1978 Atlantic, 1996 Rhino) which the label insisted they make. ELP themselves allow it wasn’t their finest hour, but it did go gold.
In the early 80s, Emerson did a few film scores, including Sylvester Stallone’s Nighthawks and a few solo albums. Lake made two solo albums, Greg Lake (1981 Chrysalis) a basic rock record and Manoevres (1983 Chrysalis) a ballad heavy collection that showed his gift for touching melodies. Carl Palmer joined Asia, a progressive pop rock super group with Steve Howe from Yes, John Wetton from King Crimson and ex-Buggle Geoff Downes. Asia had #1 with hits with “In The Heat Of The Moment,” “Sole Survivor,” and “Only Time Will Tell” and made several multi-platinum albums including Asia (1982 Geffen) and Alpha (1982 Geffen).
In 1985, Emerson and Lake recruited Cozy Powell for a tour and an album; Palmer was too busy with Asia to rejoin his mates. Emerson, Lake and Powell (1986 Atlantic) was a valiant effort, but not up to the work of ELP. By 1991 Palmer had left Asia and when ELP were asked to contribute music for a film in progress, they agreed. The film didn’t happen, but the reformed trio returned to the studio and produced Black Moon (1992 Victory/ PolyGram,1996 Rhino) which included a rocking version of “The Dance of the Knights” from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet re-titled as “Romeo and Juliet.”
The band hit the road again, and moved to LA to record In The Hot Seat (1994 Victory/PolyGram, 1996 Rhino). During recording Emerson had problems with his right arm and had surgery to relieve the pain. The album was pieced together in the studio. The band toured again until 1998, when they went on an extended hiatus. In 2003 Emerson took part in a Nice reunion tour, Lake toured the US with Ringo Starr’s band in 2001 and the UK with his own band in 2005. In 2006 Palmer played a 25th Anniversary World tour with Asia. Sadly- and tragically- Keith Emerson committed suicide by a gun shot to the head March 10, 2016. Emerson, a sensitive soul, was devastated by his inability to play up to standard after his surgery, and fell into a deep depression, as on line criticism of his deficiencies created psychological wounds from which he never recovered. He was 71 years old.
