Roxy Music
Roxy Music in 1973
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Art rock, glam rock, new wave, new romanticism
Years active	1971–1976, 1978–1983, 2001–present
Labels	Island, E.G., Virgin Atco Reprise/Warner Bros. Records
Associated acts	The Explorers, 801
Website	www.roxymusic.co.uk
Members
Bryan Ferry Andy Mackay Paul Thompson Phil Manzanera
Past members
Brian Eno Graham Simpson David O'List Dexter Lloyd Rik Kenton Roger Bunn John Porter Eddie Jobson John Gustafson John Wetton Paul Carrack Alan Spenner Gary Tibbs Andy Newmark Neil Hubbard Jimmy Maelen

Roxy Music are an English art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone and oboe) and Paul Thompson (drums and percussion). Former members include Brian Eno (synthesizer and "treatments"), and Eddie Jobson (synthesizer and violin). Although the band took a break from group activities in 1976 and again in 1983, they reunited for a concert tour in 2001, and have toured together intermittently since that time.

Roxy Music attained popular and critical success in Europe and Australia during the 1970s and early 1980s, beginning with their debut album, Roxy Music (1972).^[1] The band was highly influential, as leading proponents of the more experimental, musically sophisticated element of glam, as well as a significant influence on early English punk music.^[2] They also provided a model for many New Wave acts and the experimental electronic groups of the early 1980s. The group is distinguished by their visual and musical sophistication and their preoccupation with style and glamour.^[3] Ferry and co-founding member Eno have also had influential solo careers, the latter becoming one of the most significant record producers and collaborators of the late 20th century. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Roxy Music #98 on its "The Immortals – 100 The Greatest Artists of All Time" list.^[4]

Their music was influenced by other British artists of the time such as Ferry's favorite band The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who, The Pretty Things, Pink Floyd, The Creation, The Move, Traffic, David Bowie, King Crimson, and Elton John. Eno's "treatments" were influenced by the experimental sound of The Velvet Underground.

In 2005 they began recording a new studio album, which would have been their ninth. It would have been Roxy's first record since 1973 with Brian Eno, who wrote two songs for it as well as played keyboards.^[5] However, Bryan Ferry eventually confirmed that material from these sessions would be released as a Ferry solo album, with Eno playing on "a couple of tracks,"^[6] and that he doesn't think they'll record as Roxy Music again.^[7] Subsequently, this was confirmed by the announcement of a solo Bryan Ferry album, titled Olympia.

History[link]

Formation and early years (1970–71)[link]

In November 1970, Bryan Ferry, who had recently lost his job teaching ceramics at a girls' school for holding impromptu record listening sessions,^[8] advertised for a keyboard player to collaborate with him and Graham Simpson, a bass player he knew from his Newcastle art college band, The Gas Board, and with whom he collaborated on his first songs. In early 1970 Ferry had auditioned as lead singer for King Crimson, who were seeking a replacement for departed vocalist Greg Lake. Although Robert Fripp and Pete Sinfield decided that Ferry's voice was unsuitable for King Crimson's material, they were impressed with his talent and helped the fledgling Roxy Music to obtain a contract with E.G. Records.

Andy Mackay replied to Ferry's advertisement, not as a keyboard player but a saxophonist and oboist, though he did have a VCS3 synthesizer. Mackay had already met Brian Eno during university days, as both were interested in avant-garde and electronic music. Although Eno was a non-musician, he could operate a synthesizer and owned a Revox reel-to-reel tape machine, so Mackay convinced him to join the band as a technical adviser. Before long Eno was a member of the group. When Dexter Lloyd, a classically-trained timpanist, left the band, an advertisement was placed in Melody Maker magazine saying "wonder drummer wanted for an avant rock group".^[9] Paul Thompson responded to the advertisement and joined the band in June, 1971. The group's name was partly an homage to the titles of old cinemas and dance halls, and partly a pun on the word rock.^{[citation needed]} Ferry had named the band Roxy originally, but after learning of an American band with the same name he changed the name to Roxy Music.

In October 1971 Roxy advertised in the periodical Melody Maker seeking the "Perfect Guitarist" and Phil Manzanera was one of about twenty players who auditioned. Manzanera, the son of an English father and a Colombian mother, had spent a considerable amount of time in South America and Cuba as a child and although he did not have the same art school background as Ferry, Mackay and Eno, he was perhaps the most proficient member of the band, with an interest in a wide variety of music. Manzanera also knew other well-known musicians, such as David Gilmour, who was a friend of his older brother, and Soft Machine's Robert Wyatt. However, Manzanera would not initially make the band as a guitarist; the successful applicant was David O'List, former guitarist with The Nice. The group was impressed enough with Manzanera that he was invited to become Roxy Music's roadie, an offer which he accepted.

The band's fortunes were greatly increased by the support of Melody Maker journalist Richard Williams and broadcaster John Peel. Williams became an enthusiastic fan after meeting Ferry and being given a demonstration tape during mid-1971, and wrote the first major article on the band, featured on Melody Maker's "Horizons" page in the 7 August 1971 edition. This line-up of Roxy Music (Ferry/Mackay/Eno/Simpson/Thompson/O'List) recorded a BBC session shortly thereafter.

First two albums (1972–1973)[link]

In early February 1972, guitarist O'List quit the group abruptly after an altercation with Paul Thompson which took place at their audition for David Enthoven of EG Management. When O'List didn't show for the next rehearsal, Manzanera was asked to come along, on the pretext of becoming the band's sound mixer. When he arrived he was invited to play guitar and quickly realised that it was an informal audition. Unbeknownst to the rest of the group, Manzanera had learned their entire repertoire and as a result, he was immediately hired as O'List's permanent replacement, joining on 14 February 1972. Two weeks later Roxy Music contracted with EG Management.^[10]

With this team, EG Management financed the recording of the tracks for their first album, Roxy Music, recorded in March–April 1972 and produced by King Crimson lyricist Peter Sinfield. Both the album and its famous cover artwork were apparently completed before the group signed with Island Records. A&R staffer Tim Clark records that although he argued strongly that Island should contract them, company boss Chris Blackwell at first seemed unimpressed and Clark assumed he was not interested. A few days later however, Clark and Enthoven were standing in the hallway of the Island offices examining cover images for the album when Blackwell walked past, glanced at the artwork and said "Looks great! Have we got them signed yet?"^[11] The band signed with Island Records a few days later. The LP was released in June to good reviews and became a major success, reaching #10 on the UK album chart in September 1972.^[1]

During the first half of 1972 bassist Graham Simpson became increasingly withdrawn and uncommunicative, which led to his leaving the band almost immediately after the recording of the debut album. He was replaced first by Peter Paul,^[12] then by Rik Kenton.^[13]