AFFINITY

Glad to report this one is actually all available, technically, via Spotify--who cares that it was off their greater 4-hour boxset? This is going to be a happy day to get a band off The List... I really had higher hopes in general, but earlier today, to explain, I was deep in their earlier, less-than-Prog (and I mean "less-than"...) material (from 1965-1967). Ultimately, the band has a very confusing mix of material, ranging from Beat to Garage Rock to straight-up Jazz to what I would call Proto-Prog. In the very least some of this, like "Grey Skies" (see notes below, too) is indeed very early Progressive Rock as we would know it now.

Overall, most is a bit bland. Some decent songs, and I am a fan of Vivienne McAuliffe's vocals (sometimes reminiscent of Ann Wilson (not too possible she was an inspiration, is it?), but... I dunno. Plenty of low-lights; plenty of material that just isn't going to appease someone looking for Prog (as I frequently am).

The clear highlights for me were "Rio" and "Sarah's Wardrobe", both satisfactory Prog-Lite songs. The latter I can't believe is actually from the early-70s... I hope I'm not listening to re-recordings (though I guess I'm not really complaining here). I'm just saying, hope I've not been duped, somehow (again, not that I'm complaining).

True Rate: 2.5/5.0

A compilation showing what Affinity were up to early on, and very 1965 it is. Performed live, this is largely beat and jangle/garage pop with a bluesy flair; much of it, if not all of it (I don't have the time to check), cover songs. They cover a lot of Beatles in particular. It's well performed, sure. But what were they bringing to the table here that the original versions or Affinity's contemporaries didn't do worlds better? Beat music was a rich tradition of the time; even after its short few-years stint in the international limelight, it had a not-so-unbelievable influence on Pop music overall, and on Power Pop in particular. We can look elsewhere, and we should: for instance, The Beatles themselves, The Hollies, The Action, early Golden Earring, The Creation, The Searchers, etc. etc.

As the album progresses, too, I assume with the bonus material--again, don't have the time to waste on this, to also make a point--the quality takes a nice ugly dip.

Personally, I just really want to listen to The Nazz now... [All hail Todd Runtman!]

And to what degree is this going to appeal to fans of Prog? Who the hell knows? Highly subjective. But still, I feel the need to give this disclaimer, as respectfully as I can muster: Don't be fooled by previous (high) ratings for this'n...

AFFINITY were a Jazz-Rock quintet led by vocalist Linda Hoyle. The group formed in Brighton on the south coast of England in 1965. Their one and only studio album, eponymously titled "Affinity" was released in 1970 just before the band broke up and went their different ways. There were two bonus tracks included in the 1993 CD reissue of the album and eight bonus tracks on the 2002 re-mastered album. Four compilation CD's of early material were released in the early 2000's.

The album opens in bright and lively style with "I Am and So Are You", an intriguingly-titled song with these cryptic lyrics, "I am a singer of songs, A writer of wrongs, A dreamer of sighs, A hater of lies, so are you, And so are you."..... I am liking this song, and so will you. The song romps along in traditional 4/4 time with a solid brass section in accompaniment. Now get on board for, "Night Flight". It's the second-longest song on the albim, running at over 7 minutes long. It features these enigmatic lyrics, "My window looks out onto night and darkness comes, And birds in flight without a sound, Night is strange, My spirit floats out into space on silver wings, And joins the birds without a sound." ..... The song has a very melancholic and laid-back opening before bursting into life with impressive energy and vigour. Linda Hoyle's emotional vocals carry the song along on a flight of fancy with a powerful instrumental Jazz break halfway through the song, featuring some nifty finger-work on the Hammond organ. This stimulating number is sure to keep the listener entertained with it's constant changes of tempo and impressive vocals. Next comes "I Wonder If I'll Care As Much", a cover version of a little-known Everly Brothers song. This emotionally appealing, beautiful ballad really tugs at the heartstrings when Linda Hoyle passionately sings, "Last night I've cried myself to sleep, For the one that made me weep, I've dried my eyes to greet the day, I wonder why I had to pay." ..... It's often the saddest songs that are the best, and that's certainly the case here, and it represents one of the highlights of the album. After the sadness comes "Mr. Joy", a bluesy song to close out Side One with the refrain, "Mr Joy, He's a toy, You can wind him up, And he'll do anything you want him too." They're not exactly earth-shattering lyrics but Linda Hoyle sounds like she's really enjoying herself in this song with her breathless gasps and moans towards the end. It makes you wonder who or what "Mr Joy" actually is. The mind boggles...... And so, on to Side Two as we flip the album over and begin with "Three Sisters", a brassy up-tempo Jazz-Rock number to set those feet tapping and get the drinks flowing. Just try not to spill your drink though while you're dancing along to this bright and lively number. There's a change of pace now with the next song, "Coconut Grove", a gently laid-back acoustic cover version of the well-known Lovin' Spoonful song. You can lie back and put your feet up on the veranda and sip on a pina colada to really get into the spirit of this warmly melodic song. Now for the grand finale, a pulsating powerhouse performance of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower", which was of course made famous by Jimi Hendrix. This tremendous song has the unstoppable power of a runaway train and it's the perfect way to close out the album. This is eleven and a half minutes of raw power and sheer delight, so prepare to be amazed!

If you have an Affinity for some stimulating early-1970's British Jazz-Rock, then this is the album for you.

The roots of Affinity go back in mid-60's and the friendship of classmates Lynton Naiff (keyboards) and Grant Serpell (drums), both students at the University of Sussex in Brighton.They played together in a band called Ice for a year or so after their graduation and continued to work together in a new band, for which old friend and bassist Mo Foster was called.Through auditions they found guitarist Mike Jopp from the act The Tridents and later teacher Linda Hoyle was brought in for the vocal duties.Since their official formation in 1968 Affinity became an instant call in various clubs of London, leading to a contract with Vertigo and an eponymous album in 1970.Actually ''Affinity'' was released through three different labels in 11 countries worldwide, from New Zealand to South Africa.

''Affinity'' was a collection of original compositions and personal cover versions with the absolute standout being the 11-min. reworking on Bob Dylan's ''All along the watchtower".The band in fact was formed out of the need of Naiff and Serpell to combine the accesible forms of Pop Music with the freedom given by Jazz improvisations, so reasonably the album is dominated by these sources of inspiration with a good bunch of bluesy and psychedelic colors along the way.The short tracks apparently are the most poppy ones as well with simplistic song structures and an instrumental background of nrass instruments, soft guitars and outdated organ, while the longer ones contain flashes of the Proto-Prog sound in early-70's Britain.''Night flight'' for example is a mix of soft Psychedelic Pop, organ-driven Psych Rock and a jazzy jamming section with nervous organ soloing and a rhythmic background.''Mr. Joy'' is pure poetry, a dreamy and lyrical piece of intelligent Art Rock with bluesy and jazzy vibes, driven by the electric piano of Naiff and the outstanding voice of Hoyle.''Three Sisters'' is closer to JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, an aggressive form of loosy Psychedelic Rock with another great performance by Hoyle and the electric guitars/organ in evidence.''All along the watchtower" clocks at almost 12 minutes and comes as a combination of tricky sounds from the past and future of British Rock, actually a very groovy track all the way, borrowing the freedom of Jazz, resulting to a vastly instrumental execution with quirky organ moves and solos, which remind me of old DEEP PURPLE.

Very much a product of its time, which has stood well in the sands of time, but the progressive content is rather limited.This is well-played, free-spirited Psychedelic Rock with a great female singer and an orgasmic keyboardist leading the sound.Rather dated but still recommended.

This is a little bit of a misnomer, as these recordings are actually by The Jazz Trio and not Affinity at all. Two of these members of this band (Lynton Naiff and Mo Foster) did go on to form Affinity in 1968 but on these recordings Mo is on drums and not the bass for which he became widely known. So if you were expecting an album with the vocals of Linda Hoyle then you will be disappointed, as this is a trad jazz album which is totally instrumental (apart from one bonus number from 1980 featuring Linda). On top of that the recording levels vary as some were recorded without an audience, some with; some are complete performances while others are not. That being said, this is actually very enjoyable.

Lynton has a delicate style on the piano, Nick Nicholas is a dab hand on the double bass and Mo is more than just making up the numbers on the drums. This is delicate jazz, music to relax to; music to lose one in and I found that when playing this I could just drift away without a care in the world. It may not strictly be Affinity but it does show where the band came from and is a worthwhile release in its' own right. Mo has provided a family tree and there are also notes and photos from the period in the booklet.

Originally appeared in Feedback #80, Sept 2004

By the end of 1968 singer Linda Hoyle had strained her voice and had to undergo an operation which meant the she was unable to sing or even talk for a month. But, there were still bills to pay so the other four members of Affinity decided to go it alone as an instrumental act until she could rejoin. They were booked into Ronnie Scott's and one night their session was taped and it nine tracks from this set that makes up the majority of this album. Four songs are taken from a radio session while the last number goes back to pre-Affinity days and 1965 and the US Jazz Trio.

None of the songs are originals but the band show that they can take a standard and adapt it with ease so at one moment they can be playing Miles Davis' "All Blues" then can go into "A Day In The Life" which actually works very well indeed as a jazz instrumental. While Mo Foster and Grant Serpell kept the rhythm section nailed it allowed guitarist Mike Jopp and organist Lynton Naiff to play melody or go off at a tangent as they desired. Given how powerful their arrangements are it is probably of little surprise to see that Lynton later worked as an arranger for bands as diverse as Gene, Gay Dad and Page/Plant!

After the first nine songs Ronnie Scott thanks the audience etc, then it is into the four songs recorded for an American Jazz FM station (three of the numbers are repeated) then finally into "On Green Dolphin Street" by the band that would become Affinity. Good sleeve notes and photos as well as powerful jazz make this an album that can be easily enjoyed.

Originally appeared in Feedback #72, Feb 03

At the end of January 1971 both lead vocalist Linda Hoyle and organist Lynton Naiff left Affinity. Although the other three initially decided to go their separate ways they missed playing together so much that they instead looking for replacements. Singer Vivienne McAuliffe was the first on board. She had previously been in Principal Edwards Magic Theatre, and the line-up was completed by ex-Tornados keyboardist Dave Watts. In Vivienne they had a much more folky singer than previously, so some of the jazz edges were knocked off. Her voice is reminiscent at times of Sonja Kristina, or even Sandy Denny.

However, for one reason or another, this line-up never recorded an album and imploded in 1972. But Mo Foster and Mike Jopp have worked through demo tapes and taped rehearsals and have put together this album. What is immediately apparent is that not only is this an enjoyable outing throughout, but that Vivienne had a wonderful voice and it is beyond belief that she wasn't a far better known singer. She died in 1998, aged only fifty, but after Affinity had performed with Gerry Rafferty and Patrick Moraz among others. If you enjoy good strong songs and great female singing then this is worth seeking out.

Of all the groups that came and went during the progressive rock boom of the early 1970's, Affinity were perhaps one of the most intriguing. With just one full-length studio album under their belts, this Sussex-based outfit seemingly came-and-went in the flash of an eye, the obvious quality of their self-titled debut ignored by the fickle record-buying public for reasons best known to themselves. However, as seems to be the trend with these things, Affinity's brief tenure in the British pop landscape has survived the intervening decades with impressive popularity, with much posthumous kudos heaped upon the six jazz-tinged tracks that make up this wholly eclectic album. The group themselves emerged from the beer-and- smoke stained concert halls of West Sussex, a green, homely and quintessentially British county South of London where the University of Sussex - the group's formative home - was, not surprisingly, based. Featuring a line-up comprised of Linda Hoyle(vocals), Mo Foster(bass), Michael Jupp(guitars), Lynton Naiff(piano, harpsichord, vibraphone) and Grant Serpell(drums), Affinity enjoyed limited success on the road, building up a small-but- enthusiastic following which eventually led to a deal with Phillips progressive imprint Vertigo Records(home to the likes of Juicy Lucy, Black Sabbath and an early, psych-flavoured version of Status Quo) which in turn led them to record their first, and only, album. The group were helped along their(short) journey by jazz-man Ronnie Scott, who was so impressed by the five-piece that he subsequently became their manager, booking them tours in jazz clubs across Europe and even snaring them a spot on the BBC's prestigious Jazz Club radio show, a spot usually reserved for more traditional purveyors of the genre. Perhaps spurred on by Miles Davis unique electronic excursions into the hither uncharted territories of jazz- rock fusion with his post-1969 albums 'Bitches Brew' and 'Dark Magus'(too name but a few), more and more groups were starting to merge the idioms of rock and jazz with increasing success on both sides of the Atlantic. Affinity, although leaning more towards progressive- and-psychedelic rock elements, sported a refined jazz-edge, prevalent on such tunes as their blistering, guitar-heavy version of 'Hey Joe' and the more relaxed, almost playful 'Night Flight'. These songs, along with the more conventional tracks 'Mr Joy', 'Three Sisters' and 'Coconut Grove', showcased a unique outfit who were willing to do things slightly differently, as evidenced by having a female lead-singer, a rare occurence in Western rock music at the time. Sadly, thought, despite the many interesting ingredients Affinity had to offer, it seemed their refined mixture of sounds and styles proved a touch high-brow for the era's rock fans, and not quite authentic enough for the jazz lovers. And it's a shame. 'Affinity'(the album, not the band) is great little release, filled with expert musicianship and stylish grooves, and the group's muscular version of 'Hey Joe', which clocks in at around the ten-minute mark, is still one of the defining versions of the oft-recorded song. Progressive rock fans who enjoy the similarly-styled jazz-flecked rock of Colosseum, Nucleus, Samurai or The Advancement should find much to admire here, with the only real disappointment being the lack of a follow-up. Otherwise, this is very Impressive stuff. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2011

This album 'got to me' in my teens, when music was a sled, a seesaw, a white bicycle, a rollercoaster, a magic carpet ride-usually all in one album.

I was working in radio then, and would often dig through the stacks of LPs that never would get played, gather as many as I could carry down from the attic or up from the fallout shelter, camp out in a production studio, and listen for hours...

There was a lot of music I was not ready for then; but this album got me in its groove. It was the beginning of a lifelong enjoyment of what it creates in me when I listen.

My notion of this album? It's a richly satisfying journey through a timeless time in 1970, when the Muse worked Special Magic through these people, their instuments, and the supporting cast. Rough production values? I kinda love the roughness. Sounds real. Pre-Plastic.

I listen freshly eared each time, and it continues to weave its spell around me...

Thank you for reading this, if you got this far...

Sillybear969

P.S. If I could I'd give it a 6th star, for "Leaves me wishing they'd had enough material for at least one more album(s) at the time..."

P.P.S. This is a review of the original vinyl album. Haven't heard any other songs by the original group; not sure I'd want to after reading the other reviews.

A pleasant enough showcase for the organ skills of Lynton Naiff - especially in the cover of All Along the Watchtower, which seems as though it's going to follow the Dylan version fairly loyally before his wild soloing appears - the sole Affinity album is a nice enough early Vertigo release which many prog fans will enjoy. It's an especially good pick if you like some jazz and very light psych touches in your prog mixture, though even then it's only good, not great.

In particular, I found that singer Linda Hoyle's vocals just aren't very interesting - it sounds like she's trying to be a fusion answer to Janis Joplin or Grace Slick at points, and she doesn't quite manage it. Anna Meek from fellow Vertigo act Catapilla succeeds much better, to my mind - and to be honest, I find Catapilla (or even Valentyne Suite-era Colosseum) to be a better example of organ-driven early jazz-prog than Affinity. Still, if you're into this particular seam of prog - one left comparatively abandoned after the early 1970s and seems to have been the sole purview of the Vertigo label - the Affinity's only album is worth a listen. But it's probably not quite worth digging out a super-expensive vinyl copy.