Joy Unlimited ‎– Reflections 1973 (Germany, Krautrock/Progressive/Folk Rock) Full Album

Joy Unlimited biography Formed Mannheim, Germany, 1966 (as JOY & THE HIT KIDS). Disbanded 1976. A blues rock outfit called JOY & THE HIT KIDS, which had been playing mostly cover songs since 1966, rebranded itself in 1969 by changing its name to JOY UNLIMITED to reflect their new progressive ideas, and began playing technical, folky prog rock - releasing a debut album in 1970 followed by three heavy concept albums before dissolving in 1976. One of the band’s founders was Roland HECK on acoustic and electric pianos and vibraphone. His counterpart was Gerd KÖETHE on flutes and saxophones. It was at Mannheim’s music school where they met the other band members between 1966 and 1970. These were Albin METZ on bass, Dieter KINDL on guitar, Hans HERKENNE on drums, a couple of rotating others and an incredibly talented female blues and soul singer called Joy FLEMING. In their early years the group were in demand all over the Continent, and after their appearance at the Dusseldorf Jazz And Pop Festival in 1968 they were voted as top group of the year for both 1968 and 1969 in a German music poll. Their first album under the new name was confusingly released in 1970 as ’Overground’ in Germany, ’Turbulence’ in the UK and ’Joy Unlimited’ in the United States. It’s a superb blend of psych, funk and pop, boasting the powerhouse vocals of Joy FLEMING, an array of guitar and organ textures and breaks and samples galore, but it was only when they received a commission from the Stadttheater in Bonn to write and produce music for a ballet that the band really took off artistically. Having been initially signed to the Polydor label, when that contract expired the band signed with the newly founded BASF label, and the resulting album, ’Schmetterlinge’, was released in 1971 on the legendary Krautrock imprint Pilz - this being a sub-label of BASF. The music is a bold mix of ballet music, progressive sounds, blues & jazz, with the title being the corresponding German word for ’Butterfly’. The album is about the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly in three sections, which is considered to be a symbol of human development. Tracks: 01. Reincarnation - 00:00 02. Ocean Of Ruins - 04:41 03. King Richard’s Court Jester -09:41 04. Colossus Of Steel And Iron - 12:11 05. Crystal Palace - 14:39 06. Motion Is Movement / Hate Nine And Ten -18:43 07. The Search For Father Time - 24:23 08. Silently Sung -31:01 09. Question - 34:59 Personnel: Ken Traylor - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar Albin Metz - bass, percussion, trumpet (10-16) Roland Heck - organ, piano, electric piano Dieter Kindl - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass Gerd Köthe - tenor & soprano saxophones, flute, woodwinds Hans W. Herkenne – drums, percussion