Eyes of Blue In Fields of Ardath

Digitally remastered and expanded edition of the classic 1969 album by the legendary Welsh band Eyes Of Blue. Formed in 1966, the band won the Melody Maker "Beat Contest" that year and signed to Decca's Deram label. Following the release of some unrepresentative singles, the band came to the attention of producer Lou Reizner. The line-up of Gary Pickford-Hopkins (vocals), Wyndham Rees (vocals), Phil Ryan (keyboards), Ray "Taff" Williams (guitar), Ritchie Francis (bass) and John Weathers (drums) recorded their debut album between March and July 1968 in London. The album sold in sufficient quantities for the band to be given the chance to record a second album in the Spring of 1969, In Fields of Ardath. The sessions coincided with the departure of Wyndham Rees and the band's second album was more progressive in feel, touching on a range of influences from psychedelic rock, R&B, jazz, Indian and classical music. Quincy Jones (with whom the band worked on the unreleased score to the film Toy Grabbers) would later comment; "All the ethnic qualities which I had recalled about the people of Wales were manifest in that tape. There was a native sensuality in their playing. Eyes Of Blue was musically curious"