Gypsy, Morgan & Mark Ashton Sunderland Polytechnic Wearmouth Hall 27th May 1972
I’ve spent this week reflecting on Mott the Hoople, as part of my coverage of bands I’ve seen in concert beginning with “M”, and in the run-up to seeing Mott in concert once again, at Newcastle City Hall last night. This brought to mind another Mott-related band, Morgan. Morgan were a prog-oriented band formed by keyboard player Morgan Fisher, in the period between his spell with chart-toppers The Love Affair and joining Mott the Hoople. I saw Morgan on a triple bill with Gypsy and Mark Ashton, at Sunderland Poly Students Union in May 1972.
Morgan were formed in 1972 by keyboardist Morgan Fisher, drummer Maurice Bacon (both of The Love Affair), bassist Bob Sapsed and singerTim Staffel (who came from Smile, the pre-Queen outfit of Brian May and Roger Taylor). They released their debut album in 1972 called “Nova Solis”. I’d never seen The Love Affair, and was looking forward to seeing Morgan. Their music was typical ’70s progressive rock. I remember Morgan himself being surrounded by lots of keyboards (the album features a Hammond organ, a Moog synthesizer, a mellotron, and piano). I was pretty impressed by them; they were quite like Yes, ELP, the Nice and King Crimson; all favourites of mine at the time. I remember going along hoping that they would play “Everlasting Love” (of course that was foolish and no of course they didn’t play it), and being quite pleasantly surprised just how different they were from The Love Affair.
First up that night was Mark Ashton, who had just left Rare Bird (of “Sympathy” fame) to follow a solo career. Headliners for the night were Gypsy, a psych rock band from Leicester. They were quite popular at the time, and gigged a lot up and down the country. I remember that I’d gone along mostly to see Morgan, and it is Morgan that stick in my mind as the best band of the three that night. It all seems so long ago now; it all seemed so new and exciting at the time. Morgan also appeared in the “Giants of Tomorrow” tent at the Lincoln Festival in 1972.
Archive for the ‘Gypsy’ Category
18 Nov
Vintagerock's Weblog. 