The cover may have you expecting some prog-psych-rock nightmare, but this is actually a rare piece of Australian 70s jazz.
Crossfire were my introduction to electric jazz - my brother (15) and myself (13) were both keen guitarists, introduced to the funk via the radio and some Reneé Geyer shows, then this local band Crossfire appeared in 1975, with some funk guitar riffs, rhodes and various woodwinds and brass, often with several instruments played through wah-wah pedals. Whenever I hear this now, I can hear my brother practising the guitar riffs ...
Listening to it again now, more than thirty years later, I think I can hear what they might have been listening to - maybe some early pre-guitar wank Return to Forever, some wah-wah Eddie Henderson, the occasional MPS?
Crossfire made seven albums, and often backed international jazz visitors like Randy Brecker and Ben Sidran. They backed jazz-pop singer Michael Franks on a 1980 live album which is ... ermm ... not recommended by me, but there's a link for Franks fans anyway.
This 1975 album is their first and best album, hope you enjoy it!
Thanks to Micko and the Midoztouch community for the vinyl rip and scans.
TRACKLIST
01. "Remember The Trees" (Jim Kelly)
02. "Nobody Nose" (Mick Kenny)
03. "Freddie Funkbump" (Jim Kelly)
04. "Perverted Pavanne" (Mick Kenny)
05. "Inside Out" (Mick Kenny, Don Reid)
06. "Nada" (Ian Bloxsom)
07. "Stygian Night" (Mick Kenny)
08. "You Gotta Make It" (Greg Lyon)
MUSICIANS
Greg Lyon - bass, voice
Mick Kenny - keyboards, trumpet
Don Reid - Reeds
John Proud - drums
Ian Bloxsom - percussion
Jim Kelly - guitars
PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Harvest Records
Catalogue # SHVL 616
Producer - Peter Dawkins
Recording Engineer - Paul Goodwin
Mastering Engineer - Mark Opitz
Cover Illustration - Lauretta Goodwin
Photography - Ralph Cooper
Recorded at EMI Studios, Sydney, July 1975
