Biography
By all rights the Eyes of Blue merit an honored position among the pioneering ensembles of art rock and progressive rock. Active well ahead of most groups in those fields, the band was already exploring film scoring and jazz-rock fusion textures at a time when the style itself had yet to be defined, and they secured consecutive contracts with the major imprints Deram and Mercury. Apart from drummer John Weathers, who would eventually move on to Gentle Giant, the Eyes of Blue have largely faded from memory. They began as a jazz- and rhythm-&-blues-focused unit whose debut album carried liner notes by Graham Bond, mixing material in that tradition with occasionally mismatched choices such as “Yesterday.” Initially taken on by Decca’s forward-looking Deram Records subsidiary, they issued a string of strong yet overlooked singles before shifting to Mercury, where the emphasis turned to long-playing records and their most satisfying creative work, if not their greatest sales. Serious attention led to a collaboration with Quincy Jones on the soundtrack for the film Toy Grabbers, and the group even secured on-screen appearances in Connecting Rooms. Their earliest strength resided in R&B-oriented numbers, among them Bond’s “Love Is the Law,” “Crossroads of Time,” and “7 and 7 Is,” though Eastern elements already surfaced on their first album. The follow-up disc incorporated cues from that initial film score along with another Bond composition, yet leaned further into experimentation through lengthy instrumental passages and classical-music references. In late 1968 the Eyes of Blue served as backing musicians on Buzzy Linhart’s self-titled release, and the next year they earned a supporting slot at London’s Marquee Club, though continued commercial indifference signaled the end of their run. Phil Ryan subsequently joined Man, while John Weathers passed through Pete Brown and Piblokto! on the Harvest label before moving to Gentle Giant.
Albums
