Colosseum

Their name sounds bombastic, and indeed, Colosseum constitute something like the dinosaurs in the history of Rock music: a conglomerate of stunning virtuosos, who nevertheless achieve a congruous, compact sound and manage to be highly innovative in their various musical constellations. The first two albums, “Those Who Are About To Die Salute You” and “Valentyne Suite”, both released in 1969, reached the UK Top Twenty. The band was founded in 1968 by drummer Jon Hiseman and saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith, together with keyboarder Dave Greenslade, bass player Tony Reeves and the guitarist/singer James Litherland. In 1967, Hiseman and Heckstall-Smith had met in the GRAHAM BOND ORGANIZATION (with Ginger Baker, who would later join Cream) and both joined JOHN MAYALL`S BLUESBREAKERS (together with future Stone Mick Taylor), to record the studio album “Bare Wires”. The very first Colosseum line-up was part of the legendary Rock movie “SUPERSESSION”, featuring Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Stephen Stills, Buddy Miles and Led Zeppelin.
The actual leader of the band was Jon Hiseman – his musical career mirrors the versatility of COLOSSEUM: His musical up-bringing had been in Jazz, but he had gathered experience in Blues & Rock and couldn´t wait to fulfill his more complex musical ideas with a group of accomplished, masterful players. And indeed, he achieved this goal: the critics marvelled at their recording debut, especially with regard to the interplay between a sophisticated one-man horn section with a perfectly skillful rhythm machinery. Their audience first and foremost loved their second album “Valentyne Suite” (1969), while Colosseum managed to gain a reputation as an excellent, innovative live act. In early 1970, Litherland joined MILLION, and Reeves reverted to his role of producer, this time for Sandy Denny and John Martyn. Hiseman replaced them with the former BAKERLOO guitarist Dave ´Clem´ Clempson, bass player Mark Clarke, and he also hired a professional singer: Chris Farlowe. Farlowe was renowned as a first-rate representative of the British Rhythm & Blues scene, and had achieved a number one success with the ROLLING STONES-Song “Out Of Time” as early as 1966. Interestingly, “Valentyne Suite” had appeared in the US as “The Grass Is Greener”, complete with fresh (and rare!) material by the new line-up. This was because part of the famous Suite had already been used on the American version of their debut album. It was this line-up, augmented by Barbara Thompson, Hiseman´s wife and excellent Jazz saxophonist, that recorded COLOSSEUM´s third LP, “Daughter Of Time”- in 1970. It was to be their last studio album. This was because less than a year later, in October/November 1971, it was not possible to keep this band of solo virtuosos together anymore. Clempson became Peter Frampton´s successor in HUMBLE PIE. Farlowe, after an interim period with ATOMIC ROOSTER, continued to concentrate on his solo career. Greenslade started a band under his own moniker (featuring original Colosseum bass player Tony Reeves), and Heckstall-Smith also started his own outfit. Clarke and Hiseman founded TEMPEST, comprising singer Paul Williams (ex Zoot Money Band) and guitarist Allan Holdsworth, who later joined SOFT MACHINE. Ironically, coinciding with the band´s split, their double album “Colosseum Live” hit the market, surely standing tall as one
of the true jewels in the crown of Rock history – until today!
The live double was compiled from recordings made in Brighton and Manchester, England, during
March 1971. The six basic members of “Daughter Of Time” were captured at the height of their powers: “Lost Angeles” and “Skelington”, epic tracks which filled one vinyl album side each, as well as the encore of one gig, “Stormy Monday Blues”, are true classics of Rock music and thus belong in every collection. Hardly any recordings from that era manage to document in a more exemplary way how the interactive, creative devotion of soloists can be displayed in a group context. Hiseman managed to present an authorized Best-Of-compilation in early 1972 with “Collector´s Colosseum”, while he continued to devote his efforts to his then current band TEMPEST. In 1975, he tried to revive the old spirits with COLOSSEUM II: this time, the ex SKID ROW guitarist Gary Moore, who also worked on-and-off for THIN LIZZY, singer Mike Starrs, keyboarder Don Airey and bass player Neil Murray were part of the line-up. In 1994, it was decided to start a comeback of the classic line-up as featured on 1971´s “Colosseum Live”, and their inspired, ever-changing set has since been displayed on numerous festivals and European tours, accompanied by their new releases “The Reunion Concerts 1994”, “Bread And Circusses” (1997). With tremendous success, their latest studio effort “Tomorrow´s Blues” and the double live CD, “LIVE 05” was presented during the autumn/summer of 2003/2004/2005 & 2007 on a over 100 date tour through Germany/Austria/Czech Republic/Hungary/Japan and the United Kingdom.
Also, Colosseum received ecstatic reactions on countless German/Austrian summer festival events, and they are on the road again for autumn 2010 through Europe.
(Uli Twelker, Good Times Magazine)
 

Discography:
COLOSSEUM:
"Those Who Are About To Die Salute You" (1969), Fontana/Dunhill
"Valentyne Suite" (1969), Bronze
"Daughter of Time" (1970), Vertigo
"Live" (1971), Bronze (1971) Vertigo
"Collector's Colosseum" (1971), Bronze
"The Reunion Concerts 1994“ (1995) Intuition
"Bread And Circusses“ (1997) Intuition
"Tomorrow´s Blues" (2003) Q-rious
"The Complete Reunion Concert" DVD (2003) Angel Air
“LIVE ´05” (2007) the new Live double CD Temple Music
COLOSSEUM II:
"Strange New Flesh" (1976), Bronze
"Electric Savage" (1977), MCA
"Wardance" (1977), MCA
Best Of/Hitlist:
Walking In The Park (1969)
Backwater Blues (1969)
Butty's Blues (1969)
Valentyne Suite (1969)
Three Score & Ten, Amen (1970)
Theme For An Imaginary Western (1970)
Lost Angeles (1971)
Skelington (1971)
Encore... Stormy Monday Blues (1971)
Dark Side of the Moog (1976)
Down to You (1976)
The Scorch (1977)