Cressida

Cressida came together as a British art rock group near the end of the 1960s, operating in the stylistic orbit of the Moody Blues and relying on keyboardist Peter Jennings for its prominent organ and Mellotron textures. The initial members—Jennings, Angus Cullen on vocals and guitar, John Heyworth on guitar, Kevin McCarthy on bass, and Ian Clark on drums—landed a contract with Vertigo Records, the progressive imprint of Polydor. Their sound was dense and lyrical, while Cullen delivered vocals of an agreeable, nearly pop character akin to that of Justin Hayward, Paul McCartney, and similar artists. The band’s self-titled debut album presented hauntingly beautiful melodies within relatively accessible, straightforward song structures, remaining somewhat indebted to earlier acts such as the Moody Blues yet performing strongly enough to support a 1971 follow-up. By the time Asylum was recorded, Heyworth had exited and been replaced on guitar by John Culley and Paul Martin Layton of the New Seekers, with Harold McNair also brought in on flute. Produced by Ossie Byrne, the album pursued greater instrumental ambition and, contrary to expectations raised by Byrne’s prior work with the Bee Gees and Eclection, placed less emphasis on Cullen’s vocals. Momentum and the recording contract both ended by 1972, preventing the group from establishing any further history. Ian Clark later spent a brief period with Uriah Heep, while John Culley joined Black Widow.