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On this site, you can find out all you want to know about CLOUDS - records, reviews, present
activities etc.
'......of such importance that without their influence, seventies Rock could not
have happened as it did' from 'The Illustrated History of Rock'
'......a definitive precursor to the Progressive Rock movement' from 'The Encyclopedia
of Popular Music'
“These three thistle-and-haggis-voiced bairns had the audacity to face a mob of
self-opinionated hippies with a brand of unique pop music, which, because of its intolerance of mediocrity, floated as would
a Hogarth cartoon in Beano.”
David Bowie 1967
“I was taken aback when I heard the song...it was so radically altered, but still
retained its heart and soul. Billy was an unrecognised genius”
David
Bowie 1994
"They were the greatest Scottish band..and the most influential we've produced, ever"
Aidan
Smith 'Scotland on Sunday' 2012
'See the transition from
1960’s pop to progressive rock happening before your very ears!'
From 'Kinesiscd.com'
'They
had a seismic influence on the development of British progressive rock.'
David
Wells
One of the earliest practitioners of prog-rock, CLOUDS paved
the way for Yes and King Crimson.
Record Collector
It remains a complete mystery why
the group never achieved the recognition it deserved at the time, but in retrospect they are as good as any of the other artists
that were successful.
Adam Baruch ‘The Soundtrack
of my Life’
hearing this album anew nearly 40 years on, it's even more difficult to understand how this trio
didn't find more success than they did
Bruce Eder ‘AllMusicGuide’
It would be foolish to highlight Keith
Emerson and Rick Wakeman without acknowledging British keyboardist Billy Ritchie. ...he became the first keyboard player to
take a leading role in rock and literally stand up at the keyboard...... His band 1-2-3(which later became Clouds) is credited
for laying the blueprint for prog-rock, and they did it sans guitarist. Even Bowie himself called the man a genius.
Vinyl
Revinyl (USA)
The
influence of Clouds could be heard later in Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the organ-heavy sounds of The Nice, and other followers.
Up Above Our Heads is another chapter of what may be one of the oldest stories in the rock & roll book: why wasn’t
this band huge? Clouds’ strength lies in their almost Beatlesque level of varied sounds and successful experiments with
different styles. Riding a number of stylistic waves so well, it’s a mystery why Clouds never really made it to the
shore.
Fred
Thomas ALLMUSIC 27/2/2012
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CLOUDS
Ian Ellis: Bass & Lead Vocals
Harry
Hughes: Drums
Billy Ritchie: Keyboards
Personal Manager: Archie Colquhoun
Managers: Brian Epstein; Robert Stigwood; Terry Ellis.
Road Managers: Paul Hughes(a brother to us all); Peter; Frazer; Don. The late Ian
Birch, dear Pepe RIP, died far too young; buried in Finchley cemetery with a guitar plectrum on
a wooden cross marking the grave.
Thanks also to the girls who were there every step of the way - Jean Ellis; Cathy
Hughes; Agnes Staines - without them, none of this would have been possible.
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