Biography
The guitarists and singer/songwriters Dave Curtiss and Clive Maldoon recorded a pair of understated rock albums as the duo Curtiss Maldoon during the opening years of the 1970s, though later recognition came chiefly through ties to far better-known performers.
Curtiss, who played bass, and Maldoon both belonged to Bodast, the short-lived band that featured Steve Howe on lead guitar in the gap between his stints with Tomorrow and Yes. Maldoon, born Clive Skinner, joined Curtiss and sometimes Howe in writing most of the songs Bodast tracked in 1969, material that resurfaced on reissues after Howe’s ascent. Once Bodast dissolved at the close of the 1960s and Howe entered Yes, Curtiss and Maldoon launched their own project, steering toward a singer/songwriter approach less rooted in hard rock. They signed with Deep Purple’s Purple label and released albums in 1971 and 1973. Steve Howe and Bruce Thomas, later of Elvis Costello’s Attractions, numbered among the many musicians supporting their self-titled debut. The final album, issued in late 1973 under Maldoon’s name alone, still included Curtiss throughout, yet he withdrew his credit over dissatisfaction with the results. The partnership ended soon afterward, and Maldoon died in a 1978 accident linked to drug use.
Curtiss Maldoon drew fresh notice in 1998 when Maldoon’s niece, Christine Leach of Baby Fox, collaborated with producer William Orbit on a new version of “Seraphyn” from the duo’s first album. Orbit forwarded a backing track of Leach’s recording to Madonna while she sought new material, and after further revision and a retitling to “Ray of Light,” the song became the title track of Madonna’s 1998 album.
Curtiss, who played bass, and Maldoon both belonged to Bodast, the short-lived band that featured Steve Howe on lead guitar in the gap between his stints with Tomorrow and Yes. Maldoon, born Clive Skinner, joined Curtiss and sometimes Howe in writing most of the songs Bodast tracked in 1969, material that resurfaced on reissues after Howe’s ascent. Once Bodast dissolved at the close of the 1960s and Howe entered Yes, Curtiss and Maldoon launched their own project, steering toward a singer/songwriter approach less rooted in hard rock. They signed with Deep Purple’s Purple label and released albums in 1971 and 1973. Steve Howe and Bruce Thomas, later of Elvis Costello’s Attractions, numbered among the many musicians supporting their self-titled debut. The final album, issued in late 1973 under Maldoon’s name alone, still included Curtiss throughout, yet he withdrew his credit over dissatisfaction with the results. The partnership ended soon afterward, and Maldoon died in a 1978 accident linked to drug use.
Curtiss Maldoon drew fresh notice in 1998 when Maldoon’s niece, Christine Leach of Baby Fox, collaborated with producer William Orbit on a new version of “Seraphyn” from the duo’s first album. Orbit forwarded a backing track of Leach’s recording to Madonna while she sought new material, and after further revision and a retitling to “Ray of Light,” the song became the title track of Madonna’s 1998 album.
Albums