History: The Greatest Show on Earth were originally formed in 1968 by guitarist Garth Watt-Roy and his bass-playing brother Norman. Also featured in the original line-up were organist Mick Deacon, drummer Ron Prudence and three brass players, Dick Hanson, Tex Phillpotts and Ian Aitchison ...
Ian began his musical career in 1961 as a promising clarinet student at the Watford School of Classical Music, later teaming up with Nick Lowe who at the time was an aspiring singer / songwriter. They formed an amateur pop group performing mainly in their local area. Nick then moved on to enjoy a successful spell with Brinsley Schwarz before joining Stiff Records where he produced hits for a number of artists including Elvis Costello & The Attractions. Nick also wrote & recorded various hit singles, the most successful being: 'Cruel To Be Kind and 'I love the sound of breaking glass'.
Ian Aitchison meanwhile had also returned to the UK and joined Ruby James & The Stax playing tenor saxophone. For a short while they backed the American soul singer Ben E. King when he visited London on a European tour. After leaving The Stax in 1968, Ian joined a newly formed band called The Greatest Show On Earth. Their first vocalist was black American Ossie Lane but he returned to his native New Orleans a year later and was replaced by Colin Horton-Jennings, not only a strong gravel voiced singer but also quite adept on the guitar, bongos and flute. The group's mixture of R&B, soul, jazz and prog-rock brought them to the attention of EMI's progressive label Harvest Records, who signed the band and issued in February 1970 the single, 'Real Cool World' / 'Again And Again' (HAR 5012) which, though not a hit in the UK, entered the charts in many other European countries reaching number one in Switzerland where they were also an in-demand live attraction.
Thanks to their popularity in Switzerland 'The Greatest Show' were invited to perform at the world famous Montreux Jazz & Rock Festival in 1970 alongside other leading bands of the day including American blues guitarist Johnny Winter, Emmerson Lake & Palmer, Led Zeppelin, Santana and Canned Heat. However, the lack of continuing chart success contributed to the band splitting in 1971. Ron Prudence, Ian Aitchison and Tex Phillpotts quit music altogether, whilst Horton-Jennings joined Chaser then released an LP for EMI in 1974. Mike Deacon played with several bands including Suzi Quatro and Darts. Norman Watt-Roy formed Glencoe and Loving Awareness before they evolved into Ian Dury and The Blockheads. Garth Watt-Roy joined Fuzzy Duck while undertaking session work for Bonnie Tyler, Marmalade, East Of Eden, The Q-Tips and The Barron Knights.
Meanwhile in the Spring of 1967, Ian was recruited by The Joint - a British pop group who were resident at The Griffins Club, a leading night spot in Geneva. They were soon spotted by a major film company who invited the boys to perform in a movie called 'What's Happening' that was being made on location at Château D'echandens (see image left), a fairy-tale setting near Lausanne. The film was directed by Guido Franco. When the film was completed later that year, The Joint split up and their keyboard player Rick Davies returned home to England and formed Supertramp.
'Borderline' was released in 1970 and considered by music critics at the time to be one of the greatest prog-rock tracks ever! This digitally remastered recording (see left) showcases the exceptional musicianship of the group members. All tracks published on this - their last album - were written by The Greatest Show On Earth.
'Real Cool World' was the band's first hit record in Europe, achieving a number one spot in Switzerland.
Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide reviews the album Horizons...
Although The Greatest Show on Earth (TGSOE) were not the first bunch of rockers to incorporate a powerful brass and woodwind section, they are among the best and heaviest-sounding British bands to have emerged from the post-psychedelia period of the late '60s and early '70s. TGSOE were, in essence, the invention of EMI Records subsidiary Harvest, who were focusing in on new and progressive artists such as Pink Floyd and Deep Purple. When the group was initially signed in 1968, they were an R&B/soul revue whose forte was more along the lines of Stax or Motown, instead of trippy acid rock. After ditching their original vocalist Ozzie Lane, they eventually settled on Colin Horton-Jennings, a multi-faceted performer who would begin to compose originals that would allow the octet to incrementally abandon their Yankee soul leanings. After a few months of composing new tunes, they emerged with a fresh sound and material for their debut, Horizons (1970). The extracted single "Real Cool World" is marked by its open-throttle, galloping tempo and some equally pungent electric organ riffs. As such, it was also given a few cursory spins on BBC's Radio One; however, the remainder of the disc was criminally overlooked...
To modern ears, this is a great shame, as the effort is full of well-crafted and adeptly executed material. Of primary interest is the aggressive rocker "Angelina" and the groovy "Skylight Man." The latter title features a brief and buoyant trumpet-led introduction by Dick Hanson that recalls the Tijuana Brass more so than, say, Blood, Sweat & Tears or Chicago. The darker "I Fought for Love" stands as one of the edgier sides and is augmented by some stellar organ leads and fills from Mick Deacon. The title track extends over a quarter-hour and allows the combo room to demonstrate their remarkable improvisational skills in the context of an ensemble. In particular, Ron Prudence (drums/percussion) and Norman Watt-Roy (bass/vocals) stand out as a rock-solid rhythm section. Although they stuck around for a follow-up effort, The Going's Easy, the Greatest Show on Earth were never given the due that this release so evidently deserves.
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