Fruupp

Fruupp originated in 1971 when guitarist Vince McCusker assembled the ensemble in Belfast. Following a short period of musical training in London, McCusker recruited musicians who were mostly schooled in classical techniques; the configuration stood out because keyboardist Stephen Houston also performed on oboe. The group’s name derived from a sheet of Letraset lettering. Their music echoed the atmospheric approach of Spring and the early work of Genesis, with McCusker and Houston serving as the chief songwriters whose contrasting styles shaped the material. Houston’s cello, oboe, and violin typically supplied somber folk elements that offset McCusker’s forceful guitar lines and the Celtic-tinged singing of Peter Farelly. After two years of steady live performances, the band submitted a demo that led Pye Records to sign them to its Dawn imprint. From 1973 to 1975 Fruupp issued four albums, the final one overseen by former King Crimson member Ian McDonald, and they also appeared as support act for Crimson on tour. Although the musicians maintained a schedule of several hundred concerts annually across the United Kingdom and Europe, album sales remained modest, prompting the group to disband after their last engagement at London’s Roundhouse in 1976.