Roxy Music

England's Roxy Music arose during the 1970s by fusing avant-garde rock explorations with polished, sparkling pop, establishing the ensemble as one of the era's signature and unapologetically flamboyant art-rock acts. An affinity for style, elegance, cinema, pop art, and experimental culture distinguished them from surrounding groups of the period. In the opening years of that decade, creative friction between Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno propelled the collective in divergent paths: Ferry favored American soul and Beatles-inspired art-pop, whereas Eno gravitated toward dismantling rock conventions through raw, Velvet Underground-influenced experimentation. Though this lineup produced only two albums—1972's Roxy Music and 1973's For Your Pleasure—it sparked countless followers, ranging from early-'70s glam acts to late-'70s art-rock and new-wave ensembles. After Eno exited, the band sustained its adventurous leanings on further landmarks such as 1974's Country Life and 1979's Siren, later incorporating disco and soul textures on 1979's Manifesto. By the early 1980s the outfit had refined a sleek, alluring soul-pop centered on Ferry's elegant vocals, prompting him to dissolve the group at its commercial zenith in favor of solo pursuits. While Eno has stayed largely removed, Ferry and Roxy Music have reconvened for select live appearances, among them their 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction and a 2022 tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of their debut.

Born to a coal miner, Bryan Ferry, who handled vocals and keyboards, studied art under Richard Hamilton at the University of Newcastle prior to assembling Roxy Music in 1970. During his student years he performed in rock outfits, including the R&B unit the Gas Board alongside bassist Graham Simpson. Toward the close of 1970, Ferry and Simpson resolved to launch their own project and soon enlisted saxophonist Andy Mackay, who had earlier played oboe with the London Symphony Orchestra. Through Mackay, Brian Eno entered the fold. By summer 1971 the group—originally titled Roxy until an American band of the same name forced a change—had added classical percussionist Dexter Lloyd and guitarist Roger Bunn via a Melody Maker advertisement; both departed within weeks, yet they contributed to the earliest demos. A second Melody Maker notice yielded drummer Paul Thompson and guitarist Davy O'List, formerly of the Nice. O'List departed at the start of 1972 and was succeeded by Phil Manzanera, previously of Quiet Sun. Before tracking the debut album, Simpson stepped away; the band never installed a permanent replacement, instead engaging session bassists record by record and tour by tour, beginning with Rik Kenton on the self-titled Island debut.

Crafted by King Crimson's Peter Sinfield, that first album reached the British Top Ten in summer 1972; soon afterward the non-album single "Virginia Plain" surged into the same chart, followed by the non-album "Pyjamarama" in early 1973. Although Roxy Music captivated Britain and Europe through their witty blend of high and kitsch culture, they struggled to gain traction in the United States. Both the debut and its 1973 successor For Your Pleasure, recorded with bassist John Porter, earned enthusiastic U.K. notices yet drew scant attention stateside. Discontented with Ferry's reluctance to record his own songs, Eno departed once For Your Pleasure was finished. Before commencing the third album, Ferry issued the solo covers collection These Foolish Things.

Issued in December 1973, Stranded marked the band's initial British number-one album. It introduced multi-instrumentalist Eddie Jobson, formerly of Curved Air, and was the first release to credit compositions by Manzanera and Mackay. The record fared better in America than its predecessors, paving the way for Country Life's breakthrough in late 1974. Its provocative cover—two models in sheer lingerie—was banned by several retailers and replaced in the U.S. with a forest photograph; nonetheless Country Life became the first Roxy album to enter the American Top 40 and the group's fourth British Top Ten entry. After touring with bassist John Wetton, the ensemble cut Siren. Bolstered by the disco-tinged "Love Is the Drug," their first American Top 40 single, Siren again reached the British Top Ten while peaking at number 50 stateside. Following that tour the members turned to individual projects—Manzanera formed prog-rock outfit 801, while Mackay and Ferry each began solo recordings—and announced a temporary split in summer 1976. The live album Viva Roxy Music! appeared shortly thereafter.

Roxy Music reassembled in autumn 1978 after eighteen months of solo activity. Ferry, Manzanera, Mackay, and Thompson recruited former Ace keyboardist Paul Carrack and employed Gary Tibbs of the Vibrators plus ex-Kokomo bassist Alan Spenner for studio duties; Jobson and Wetton, not invited back, formed UK. The comeback album Manifesto surfaced in spring 1979, showcasing a glossy, disco-inflected soul-pop markedly smoother and more accessible than prior work. It reaffirmed British popularity by hitting the Top Ten and achieved the band's highest U.S. placement at number 23, propelled by "Dance Away." An international tour supporting the album featured Carrack and Tibbs; shortly before its launch Thompson exited after fracturing his thumb in a motorcycle mishap. Flesh + Blood, recorded solely by Ferry, Manzanera, Mackay and additional session players, followed in summer 1980. It became Roxy's second British number-one album thanks to the Top Ten single "Over You" and reached the American Top 40. In spring 1981 the non-album cover of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy," offered as tribute to the murdered artist, delivered the group's sole British chart-topping single.

Nearly two years later the band resurfaced in summer 1982 with Avalon. Its elevated production values and refined musicianship yielded Roxy's biggest seller, which spent three weeks atop the British charts and twenty-seven weeks on the U.S. chart while spawning British hits "More Than This" and "Take a Chance with Me." It remains the outfit's only American gold album and has since attained platinum status. After a successful Avalon tour the group issued the live EP The High Road in spring 1983. That tour proved the final collective outing. Ferry concentrated on solo work, beginning with 1985's Boys and Girls. Manzanera and Mackay formed the Explorers that same year and continued recording under assorted guises while also pursuing individual projects over the ensuing fifteen years. The 1989 compilation Street Life: 20 Great Hits collected both band and Ferry solo material; a year later the live album Heart Still Beating documented a 1982 concert. Additional archival sets such as 1995's The Thrill of It All and 2006's The Thrill of It All: A Visual History 1972-1982 preserved key tracks, B-sides, promos, and television appearances.

In 2001 Ferry, Manzanera, Mackay, and Thompson reconvened for concerts marking the band's 30th anniversary. Manzanera and Thompson also contributed to Ferry's 2002 solo album Frantic, as did Eno on the track "I Thought." The non-Eno lineup performed again at the 2005 Isle of Wight Festival. That year the full original group entered the studio with Eno, though the resulting material ultimately appeared on Ferry's 2010 solo release Olympia. In the interim Ferry and the non-Eno configuration continued headlining festivals worldwide. The career-spanning box set Roxy Music: The Complete Studio Recordings 1972–1982 appeared in 2012. In March 2019 the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Ferry, Manzanera, Mackay, and Jobson performing a six-song set. In 2022 Roxy Music again reunited without Eno for a tour commemorating the 50th anniversary of their debut album.