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Poco

Poco was a country rock band started by Richie Furay (vocals and rhythm guitar) and Jim Messina (lead guitar and vocals) following the demise of Buffalo Springfield in 1968. Other initial members were Rusty Young (pedal steel and dobro), George Grantham (drums and vocals) and Randy Meisner (bass and vocals). The first album Pickin' Up the Pieces was significantly delayed - so that Meisner had already joined The Eagles by the time it was issued. Timothy B. Schmit - bass and vocals - subsequently joined the band. Poco (1971) and Deliverin' (1972) followed. Messina then left the band - being replaced by Paul Cotton. Messina experienced considerable subsequent success with Kenny Loggins as Loggins & Messina. After two Poco more albums: A Good Feelin' to Know and Crazy Eyes, Furay also left the band - forming the Souther Hillman Furay Band.

For Poco, the albums Seven, Cantamos, Head over Heels, Rose of Cimarron and Indian Summer followed. In 1977, both Schmit and Grantham left; being replaced by Steve Chapman and Charlie Harrison. The new quartet recorded Legend which featured 'Crazy Love' and 'Heart of the Night'. Kim Bullard then joined the band, and four more albums: Under the Gun, Blue and Gray, Cowboys and Englishmen and Ghost Town were released.

Subsequently, Furay, Schmit and Grantham appeared at times with the band - which has, as a unit, broken up and re-formed a number of times. Inamorata was released in 1984 and Legacy in 1990.


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Inamorata was released in 1984 and Legacy in 1990. Creation Records website http://www.creation-records.com. Subsequently, Furay, Schmit and Grantham appeared at times with the band - which has, as a unit, broken up and re-formed a number of times. Official Website http://www.rideox4.net/. Kim Bullard then joined the band, and four more albums: Under the Gun, Blue and Gray, Cowboys and Englishmen and Ghost Town were released. Fan's Website http://www.ticket2ride.it/index2.htm. The new quartet recorded Legend which featured 'Crazy Love' and 'Heart of the Night'. It was reported on the internet that he had asked the band to reform for a special concert with Radiohead a number of years ago which was, unfortunately, turned down.

In 1977, both Schmit and Grantham left; being replaced by Steve Chapman and Charlie Harrison. Thom Yorke, lead singer of Radiohead, was a fan of Ride before his own success. For Poco, the albums Seven, Cantamos, Head over Heels, Rose of Cimarron and Indian Summer followed. Smile 1992
OX_4 The Best of Ride 2001
Firing Blanks_Unreleased Ride Recordings 1988-95 2001
Live_Reading Festival 1992 2001
Waves (BBC Radio One sessions) 2003
. After two Poco more albums: A Good Feelin' to Know and Crazy Eyes, Furay also left the band - forming the Souther Hillman Furay Band. COMPILATIONS. Messina experienced considerable subsequent success with Kenny Loggins as Loggins & Messina.
.

Messina then left the band - being replaced by Paul Cotton. Ride (EP) (UK Chart #71) 1990
Play (EP) (UK Chart #32) 1990
Fall (EP) (UK Chart #34) 1990
Today Forever (EP) (UK Chart #14) 1991
Leave them all Behind (EP) (UK Chart #9) 1992
Twisterella (EP) (UK Chart #38) 1992
Birdman (EP) (UK Chart #38) 1994
How does it feel to feel? (EP) 1994
I don't know where it comes from (EP) 1994
Black Nite Crash (EP) 1996
Coming up For Air (EP) 2001
. Poco (1971) and Deliverin' (1972) followed. SINGLES. Timothy B. Schmit - bass and vocals - subsequently joined the band.
. The first album Pickin' Up the Pieces was significantly delayed - so that Meisner had already joined The Eagles by the time it was issued. Nowhere (UK Chart #11) 1990
Going Blank Again (UK Chart #5) 1992
Carnival of Light (UK Chart #5) 1994
Tarantula (UK Chart #21) 1996
.

Other initial members were Rusty Young (pedal steel and dobro), George Grantham (drums and vocals) and Randy Meisner (bass and vocals). ALBUMS. Poco was a country rock band started by Richie Furay (vocals and rhythm guitar) and Jim Messina (lead guitar and vocals) following the demise of Buffalo Springfield in 1968. Any thoughts of permanently re-forming the band, however, have been explicitly denied by Bell.
. The fact that the band appears to be releasing new material and even being interviewed together seems to indicate that the tension between Gardener and Bell, which was one of the main causes of the band's demise, has been mended. He has enlisted the help of fellow local mates Goldrush and has been extensively touring America with them in early 2003 and early 2004.

Mark Gardener is also now pursuing a solo career and has an album on track for 2005. In 2003 they released Waves, a series of recordings the band made for the BBC. In late 2002, Ride released a 3CD box set which is made up of OX_4 The Best of Ride, Firing Blanks (Unreleased tracks) and Live_Reading Festival 1992. The interest this limited release CD caused the band to consider future releases.

The recording of this song, plus two short sound checks, were released in 2002 as Coming up for Air. 2001+ Channel Four and beyond
On 16 October 2001, all four members of Ride agreed to be filmed by Channel 4. The footage was used for a documentary on Sonic Youth, and featured both Bell's and Gardener's unique use of feedback and distortion during a thirty minute jam. Queralt appears to have retired from professional music. Gardener has also toured as a solo artist, while Colbert has also been playing for a Bob Dylan tribute band called "The Zimmermen".

Mark Gardener and Laurence Colbert formed "The Animalhouse". 1997-2001 Post break-up years
After the split, Andy Bell formed a new band called "Hurricane #1" but this project was permanently dissolved when he was asked to play Bass for Oasis.
. It appears that they had just been too young and too stubborn and had no real idea of where the band was heading when they changed their style.

Since the break-up, both Bell and Gardner have been able to be more reflective on the reasons why the group disintegrated, with Bell especially admitting his own part in the process. Critics and fans alike had panned the album, and it was no surprise to them to learn that the band had split before the record had even been released. Against all common sense from the record company, the album was released and remained on sale for one week before being withdrawn. Castle on the Hill, written by Bell, was a lament for the band's situation and contains references to Gardner's self imposed exile from the group.

Bell penned most of the songs while Gardner provided only one - the tension within the band leading to an inability to write meaningful musical pieces. By the time Tarantula appeared, the band was beginning to self destruct. Other musical changes, such as the use of a Cathedral boy's choir for one song and Hammond organs for a number of others, were not as innovative or creative as had been hoped. The track listing of Carnival of Light gives an indication of the tension that was mounting between the two guitarists, with the first half of the album being songs written by Gardner and the last half of the album being songs written by Bell - one or both had refused to let their songs be interspersed with pieces written by the other.

It has been remarked by Queralt that the band had two future directions open to them, and they chose the wrong option. Both had led the band away from their Shoegazing roots to become more contemporary, hoping to change their style with the times. It appears that the band split due to creative and personal tensions between Gardner and Bell. 1996 The Break up
1995 (1995 in music) saw the dissolution of the band while recording Tarantula, universally agreed to be their worst album.

Despite this, Carnival of Light remains a favourite for many fans. Carnival of Light was oriented towards this new sound, but sales were sluggish and the shift in musical tastes devastated much of their original audience. Their third LP, Carnival of Light, was released in 1994 (1994 in music), after shoegazing had given way to Britpop among mainstream listeners. 1994-96 Change in Musical Direction
Despite having a solid fanbase and some mainstream success, the lack of a breakthrough contributed to inter-band tension, especially between Gardner and Bell.

Ride's early influences include Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine, both of which influenced the style of Ride's music and the songs found on Going Blank Again. This link, between Shoegazing and Grunge_music, has never been fully explored. It needs to be pointed out, also, that the band had listened to and had been been influenced by the album Nevermind by Nirvana as they recorded their second LP. The twin rhythm guitars of Bell and Gardener, both distorted, both using Wah-wah pedals and both feeding back on each other was the highlight of the album's critical and chart success.

Opening with the anthemic 8.17 single Leave them all behind, the album showcased the band's creative work and skill in working with the Wall of Sound style that typifies Shoegazing bands. March 1992 saw the band release probably their best work, the album Going Blank Again. Ride made their first international tour to Japan, Australia and France later on that year. Sennen, the second track from this EP, became a crowd favourite.

The EP showed a band that was maturing quickly and producing material that was more subtle and complex than their releases barely 12 months previously. Demand for new material was high, and the band recorded another EP, Today Forever in March 1991. It was from this period that the band usually closed their live set with Seagull, a mass of feedback and rhythm guitar that remains one of the band's classic pieces.
. Many fans regard this as their favourite album, with songs like Vapour Trail, and Dreams Burn Down becoming classics in Shoegazing.

Nowhere was hailed as a critical success and the media dubbed Ride "The brightest hope" for 1991. The first two EPs were eventually released together as Smile years later in 1992, while the Fall EP was incorporated into their first LP, Nowhere, released in October 1990. While each EP was not a chart success, enough critical praise was received to make Ride the "darlings" of music journalists. From these EPs, the songs Chelsea Girl, Like a Daydream and Dreams Burn Down became favourites.

1989-1993 Early Creation Years
Ride released three EPs between January and September 1990, entitled Ride, Play and Fall, each with distinctive blurred artwork on the covers. After supporting The Soup Dragons in 1989 McGee from Creation Records signed a record deal with them. In February 1989 'Ride' was asked to stand in for a cancelled student union gig at Oxford Poly that brought them to the attention of Alan McGee. While still at Banbury the band produced a tape demo including the tracks 'Chelsea Girl' and 'Drive Blind'.

The first gig as Ride was for the College's Christmas Party in 1988. After considering the name 'Donkey' the band called itself 'Ride' after a piece of graphic design Gardner produced for a typography workshop. Queralt was recruited from a local record shop. There they met Colbert.

1988-1989 Starting out
Gardner and Bell had been to Cheney School in Oxford appearing in the schools musical theatre productions and in October 1988 moved went to Banbury to do Foundation Studies in Art and Design. Since 2001 the band has been semi-active and has released a number of compilation and live recordings, as well as a limited pressing EP with new material. Since then, the band members have gone on to other projects, most notably Andy Bell becoming Bass Player for Oasis. During that time they received much critical acclaim, although this was never translated into the chart and financial success that they aimed for.

The band formed in 1988 in Oxford, England, and officially broke up in 1996. Ride is a 1980s and 90s British shoegazing band, formed by Laurence Colbert (Drums), Mark Gardner (Guitar), Steve Queralt (Bass) and Andy Bell (Guitar) in 1988.