Album: Refugee / Refugee (3CD Remastered and Expanded Boxset)
Artist: Refugee
1974 The Famous Charisma Label, distrib. by Atlantic / 2019 Esoteric Recordings (Cherry Red Records Ltd.)
LP: FC 6066 / 3CD: ECLEC 32685

Credits for the original album
Band members:
Patrick Moraz: organ, Mini-Moogs, AKS Synthesizer, piano, clavinet, pipe organ, Mellotron, marimbaphone, Alpine horn, electronic Slinky, electric piano, occasional vocals
Brian Davison: drums, timpani, gongs, Tibetan temple bells, African drums, kabassa, broken glass
Lee Jackson: bass, electric cello, guitar, 12 string acoustic guitar, lead vocals

Produced by John Burns/Refugee
Recorded at Island Studios, London, Feb 1974
Remastered by Jean Ristori
Cover photo: Roger Stowell

Credits for discs 2 & 3
Patrick Moraz: keys, Alpine horn (3)
Brian Davison: drums, percussion
Lee Jackson: bass, vocals
Mike Harding: introduction (disc 2)

Produced by Jeff Griffin (disc 2), Davison (disc 3)
Engineered by John Etchels (disc 2)
Remastered by Ben Wiseman (disc 2), Ristori (disc 3)

Credits for the 3CD remastered and expanded boxset
Liner notes: Martyn Hanson
Compiled and coordinated by Mark Powell
Package design: Meriel Waissman
Photos: Ristori


Tracks:
LP (1974)/original CD/CD (2019) disc 1:
1. "Papillon" [Moraz] (5:10)
2. "Someday" [Moraz/Jackson] (5:02)
3. "Grand Canyon Suite" (16:46)
    a. "1st Movement – The Source" [Moraz]
    b. "2nd Movement – Theme from the Canyon" [Moraz]
    c. "3rd Movement – The Journey" [Moraz/Jackson]
    d. "4th Movement – Rapids" [Moraz]
    e. "5th Movement – The Mighty Colorado" [Moraz/Jackson]
4. "Gatecrasher" [Moraz] (1:02)
5. "Ritt Mickley" [Moraz] (4:52)
6. "Credo" [Moraz/Jackson] (18:04)
    a. "1st Movement – Prelude"
    b. "2nd Movement – I Believe"
    c. "3rd Movement – Theme"
    d. "4th Movement – Lost Cause"
    e. "5th Movement – Agitato"
    f. "6th Movement – I Believe (Part II)"
    g. "7th Movement – Variation"
    h. "8th Movement – Main Theme Finale"

CD (2019) disc 2: BBC Radio One in Concert, 9th May 1974

7. "Ritt Mickley"
8. "Someday"
9. "The Grand Canyon Suite"
    a. "1st Movement – The Source"
    b. "2nd Movement – Theme from the Canyon"
    c. "3rd Movement – The Journey"
    d. "4th Movement – Rapids"
    e. "5th Movement – The Mighty Colorado"


CD (2019) disc 3: Live at Newcastle City Hall, 16th June 1974

10. "Outro – Mitt Rickley" [Moraz] (2:53)
11. "One Left Handed Peter Pan" [Moraz/Jackson] (8:44)
12. "The Diamond Hard Blue Apples of the Moon" [Keith Emerson/Jackson] (7:00)
13. "Someday" (6:06)
14. "Papillon" (8:00)
15. "She Belongs to Me" [Bob Dylan] (8:54)
16. "The Grand Canyon Suite" (18:24)
    a. "1st Movement – The Source"
    b. "2nd Movement – Theme from the Canyon"
    c. "3rd Movement – The Journey"
    d. "4th Movement – Rapids"
    e. "5th Movement – The Mighty Colorado"
17. "Refugee Jam" [Moraz/Jackson/Davison]



Notes: Jackson's vocals come in for criticism (they are perhaps an acquired taste), but overall this is good mid-'70s keyboard-led progressive rock, akin unsurprisingly to ELP.

The Nice had been one of the pivotal early prog rock bands with Keith Emerson on keys, Lee Jackson on bass and vocals, and Davison on drums. But Emerson had left for ELP, so Jackson and Davison did the obvious thing and paired up with a replacement superstar keyboard player, namely Patrick Moraz. Except it wasn't quite that linear. After The Nice split, Jackson had formed Jackson Heights and Davison formed Brian Davison's Every Which Way (with Graham Bell, who would later work with Alan White in Griffin). After their fourth and final album, Bump 'n' Grind (1973), Jackson Heights were looking for another keyboard player on tour, so Jackson approached Moraz. (Brian Chatton had been the keyboardist in Jackson Heights. He'd previously played in The Warriors with Jon Anderson. He moved on to Snafu, with Colin Gibson, who worked with Alan White in Griffin and other projects.) Moraz proposed instead forming a new band instead, along with Davison. Thus Refugee was formed in 1973. The name came from Gail Munt (née Colson), wife of their manager Fred. The three signed to Charisma Records, which was run by Tony Stratton-Smith, formerly The Nice's manager (when Gail had been his PA; she later managed acts herself, including Peter Gabriel).

Moraz wrote the music, Jackson the lyrics. (2) is about the break-up of Jackson's first marriage. The title for (1) was partly inspired by the film "Papillon". The title of (5) occurred because Moraz' English pronunciation wasn't great: he was trying to saying "rhythmically", but his band mates thought initially he was talking about someone called "Ritt Mickley". (11) was intended for a second album that was never to happen, with somewhat autobiographical lyrics from Jackson. (12) was a piece by The Nice. (15) is a cover of Bob Dylan, previously played by The Nice.

Refugee's first outing was at The Roundhouse, Camden Town, London on 2 Dec 1973, followed by a short tour, mainly playing universities. They released this, their only album while they were in existence, in spring 1974. They played an English tour and a few Swiss dates followed. A possible US tour supporting Eric Clapton was mooted and the band began work on material for a second album. Davison recounts seeing the Melody Maker headline about Wakeman quitting Yes and visiting Moraz to tell him that Yes would come for him. Moraz said he would refuse the offer. While Moraz wasn't the first person Yes approached, they did come a-calling and Moraz joined in Aug 1974. Refugee played together for the last time on 11 Aug 1974, Jackson announcing from stage that this would be their last show what with Moraz joining Yes. Davison went on to join Gong for a while, before leaving the music business for a period. Jackson's career sunk into obscurity: he never recorded another studio album. In 2002, The Nice reunited for live dates. Davison died in 2008.

The 2019 re-release of the album is remastered and includes two additional discs of live material. CD2 was previously unreleased, while CD3 had been previously released as Live in Concert Newcastle City Hall 1974 (Voiceprint) in 2007. Hanson was visiting Davison in 2001 and asked about Nice bootlegs: Davison said he didn't have any, but produced this mixing desk recording. The remastering was by Ristori, who has done multiple remastering projects for Moraz. Moraz also oversaw the remastering. (HP, 28 Apr 2020; thanks to Kevin Rosenstein for providing info)
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