World’s Largest Prog Rock Supergroup THE PROG COLLECTIVE Revisit Folk & Rock Masterpieces On New Album SONGS WE WERE TAUGHT, Release First Single!

Album features performances by David Clayton-Thomas (Blood Sweat & Tears), Rod Argent (The Zombies), Sonja Kristina (Curved Air), Candice Night (Blackmore's Night), Dweezil Zappa, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (Guns N' Roses/Asia), Steve Morse (Deep Purple/Dixie Dregs), Martin Barre (Jethro Tull), Steve Hillage (Gong) and more!

Los Angeles, CA – Producer Billy Sherwood has helmed the massive prog rock supergroup The Prog Collective through an astonishing 10 years and 3 studio albums with an ever-evolving cast of 50+ elite-level musicians, vocalists, and creative minds. Through it all, one thing has remained constant: the project has always brought some of the most innovative musical arrangements, unique performances and cutting-edge production techniques, all in service of creating the most engaging, enthralling listening experience to the listener. The same holds true for the band’s newest effort, the gorgeous and sublime Songs We Were Taught.

As the title suggests, Sherwood and his cohort travel back in time to revisit some of the most formative and influential songs of the ‘60s & ‘70s. From Bob Dylan’s massively important “The Times They Are A-Changin’” to Simon & Garfunkel’s unforgettable classic “Sound Of Silence” to the folk standard-turned-chart-topping-rock-dirge “House Of The Rising Sun,” the compositions included here are not ones that would immediately be associated with the kind of progressive /art-rock players featured on Prog Collective albums. But just one listen to the astonishing musicianship Wishbone Ash’s Martin Turner and electric violinist Jerry Goodman bring to Dylan’s song or the mix of soul and atmosphere that David Clayton-Thomas and Steve Hillage add to “House Of The Rising Sun” and you’ll know why this album exists. Thankfully, the band has released “House Of The Rising Sun” as the album’s first single!

Check out the single: https://orcd.co/house_of_the_rising_sun

Watch for the whole of Songs We Were Taught to be released on all formats, including CD, vinyl and digital, starting July 1.

Pre-order the CD/vinyl: https://cleorecs.com/store/?s=songs+we+were+taught&post_type=product

Pre-order/pre-save the digital: https://orcd.co/songs_we_were_taught

Track List:
1. The Sound Of Silence - Jon Davison (Yes) & Geoff Downes (Yes/Asia)
2. Year Of The Cat - Billy Sherwood (Yes/Circa) & David Sancious (Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band)
3. House Of The Rising Sun - David Clayton-Thomas (Blood Sweat & Tears) & Steve Hillage (Gong)
4. In The Land Of Grey And Pink - Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (Guns N' Roses)
5. Summer Breeze - Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings) & Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs)
6. Fire And Rain - Sonja Kristina (Curved Air) & Martin Barre (Jethro Tull)
7. The Weight - Rod Argent (The Zombies) & Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (The Doobie Brothers)
8. Wild World - Rosalie Cunningham (Ipso Facto) & Patrick Moraz (The Moody Blues)
9. It's Too Late - Candice Night (Blackmore's Night) & Dweezil Zappa
10. The Times They Are A-Changin' - Martin Turner (Wishbone Ash) & Jerry Goodman (The Flock)

Press inquiries:
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
glassonyonpr@gmail.com

CLEOPATRA RECORDS, Inc.
11041 Santa Monica Blvd #703
Los Angeles CA 90025
www.CleopatraRecords.com

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UK Music Legends Strawbs 50th Anniversary 3 Days Celebration in Lakewood, NJ - April 26, 27 & 28

Featuring special guests Tony Visconti, Annie Haslam, Larry Fast and others! Weekend celebration of the first album release by seminal British band. 

In celebration of their 50th anniversary, UK music legends Strawbs, plus a host of guest performers, former Strawbs, and Strawbs-related artists, will be performing at the Strand Theater in Lakewood, NJ on  April 26-28, 2019!

Come join a weekend celebration of the first album release by seminal British band Strawbs!

Strawbs are Britain's most successful international progressive folk-rock band. They are mentioned in the same breath as progressive rock bands Yes, King Crimson and The Moody Blues. Strawbs have a devoted fan base that continues to grow on the strength of their incredible live performances together with their classic albums over the years including “Grave New World”, “Bursting at the Seams”, “Hero & Heroine” and “Ghosts.” The band has achieved sales of over three million albums, seven consecutive Strawbs albums have featured in the US Billboard Top 200 albums.

Many top musicians have featured in the Strawbs line up over the years, including Sonjia Kristina, Blue Weaver, Don Airey and as well as Rick Wakeman , both his classically trained sons Adam and Oliver have been featured, a certain compliment to the band's talent. After several years of touring in both acoustic and electric lineups, in 2017 Strawbs released “The Ferryman's Curse,” their first studio album of original material in eight years. The album returned to the album charts and garnered rave reviews worldwide!

The current Strawbs line-up comprises David Cousins, lead guitarist Dave Lambert, bass player Chas Cronk, and drummer Tony Fernandez, who recorded and toured together in the 1970s. They are joined by keyboard and guitar virtuoso Dave Bainbridge of Iona - a band who created a mystical blend of rock, folk, Celtic and ambient music - a perfect match for Strawbs.



ARTISTS:

STRAWBS (Present)

David Cousins (1968 - present)
Dave Lambert (1972 - present)
Chas Cronk (1973 - present)
Tony Fernandez (1978 - present)
Dave Bainbridge (2016 - present)

With
TERRA NOVA ORCHESTRA - 30 PIECE ORCHESTRA

STRAWBS (Past)

Blue Weaver (1971 - 1973) (subject to visas) – Amen Corner, Mott the Hoople, Bee Gees (Played on “Saturday Night Fever” and the 1970s hits)
John Ford (1969 – 1973) – Velvet Opera, Hudson Ford (Writer of Strawbs biggest single “Part of the Union”) 
John Hawken (1973 - 1976) – Nashville Teens, Renaissance, Illusion
Brian Willoughby (1978 - 2092) – Mary Hopkin, The Monks, Nanci Griffith

SPECIAL GUESTS

Tony Visconti – David Bowie, T Rex, Moody Blues, Gentle Giant, Angélique Kidjo
Annie Haslam – Renaissance
Larry Fast – Nektar, Synergy, Peter Gabriel
Eric Bazilian – The Hooters, Joan Osborne
Wesley Stace – John Wesley Harding, Cabinet of Wonders
Cathryn Craig – Bill Medley

HIGHLIGHTS

Tony Visconti – conducts Strawbs with the Terra Nova Orchestra for the first orchestral performance of “Oh How She Changed”, the band's first single, featuring a new Tony Visconti arrangement.   

David Cousins, Blue Weaver, John Ford will play the whole of Strawbs classic album “Grave New World” with Eric Bazilion and narrator Wesley Stace.

Annie Haslam – sings Sandy Denny's “Who Knows Where The Time Goes” with the Terra Nova Orchestra, featuring a brand new arrangement by Tony Visconti.

Eric Bazilion – sings “What If God Was One Of Us,” the hit he wrote and produced for Joan Osborne, with Strawbs and the Terra Nova Orchestra.

Sandy Denny and the Strawbs – the classic songs recreated by Annie Haslam and Acoustic Strawbs.

Larry Fast and David Cousins – Peter Gabriel's synthesizer master and the complete songwriter put a new edge on Strawbs lesser known material.



WHERE:

Strand Theater 
Center for the Arts
400 Clifton Avenue
Lakewood
New Jersey 08701
Phone: (732) 367-7789

Historic 1922 theater for the Jersey Shore.
60 minutes from Newark Airport
90 minutes from Manhattan

DATE AND TIME:

Friday - 26 April 2018
Performances 6pm - 10.30pm

Saturday - 27 April 2018
Performances 1pm - 10.30pm

Sunday - 28 April 2018
Brunch (VIP) 10am - 12 noon

TICKETS:

VIP $300 (sold out)
All performances plus Sunday brunch with artists

Weekend $200
All performances

For more information:
Strawbs official website: www.strawbsweb.co.uk/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

French Musician/Composer Alan Simon Releases New Compilation "Songwriter" 2CD Feat. Jon Anderson, Justin Hayward, Alan Parsons, Martin Barre, John Wetton, Mick Fleetwood and others!

London - Alan Simon is a French folk-rock musician and composer best known for his rock operas which are performed with collaboration from other noted rock musicians. Simon is associated with Breton Celticism, and his most ambitious works are typically on themes linked to Celtic myth and history. Simon has also branched out into film-making. Alan Simon is the creator of the legendary EXCALIBUR: THE CELTIC ROCK OPERA.

This 40 TRACK collection, released on Cherry Red, features a cross-section of Alan Simon's work from his various projects and rock operas.

“The 40 songs on the compilation are all personal selections from my rock operas and concept albums: 'Excalibur (the quadrilogy)', 'Gaia', 'Anne de Bretagne', 'Tristan & Yseult', 'Captain Kid' and various soundtracks...Some of these tracks fans may know already and other tracks offer a deeper insight into my work! 'Songwriter' a sentimental and personal collection which also includes a comic strip of my journey.” - Alan Simon

This collection features songs with guest appearances by:

Members of Supertramp
Midnight Oil
Alan Parsons
Jon Anderson
Fairport Convention
Moya Brennan
John Wetton
Justin Hayward
Maddy Prior
Billy Preston
Roberto Tiranti
Martin Barre
Les Holroyd
Mick Fleetwood
And Zucchero

This collection was previously vinyl only and is now being given its first mainstream CD release.

TRACK LISTING:

DISC ONE
1. CELTIC RING (Feat. Alan Parsons)
2. LES CAVALIERS DU VENT
3. WORLD (Feat. Brankica Vasic)
4. MORHOLT
5. THE ORIGINS PT 1 (Feat. Moya Brennan)
6. THE KINGS
7. LETTRE À YSEULT (Feat. Christian Décamps)
8. DIHUN
9. WAR
10. AD LIBITUM (Feat. Carlos Nũnez)
11. CELTIC LAND
12. BELTAINE (Feat. Fairport Convention)
13. SKYE (Feat. Skilda)
14. CASTLE ROCK (Feat. Fairport Convention)
15. DUN AENGUS (Feat. Martin Barre)
16. THE END
17. IN THE WIND OF THE CELTIC DREAM (Feat. Konan Mevel)
18. THE VISION (Feat. John Wetton)
19. ADELA (Feat. Jesse Siebenberg)
20. I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE (Feat. Jesse Siebenberg And John Helliwell)

DISC TWO
1. NO MAN’S LAND (Feat. Midnight Oil)
2. COME (Feat. Jesse Siebenberg)
3. THE ELEMENTS (Feat. Roger Hodgson & Dan Ar Braz)
4. DANCING HEART (Feat. Roberto Tiranti)
5. CIRCLE OF LIFE (Feat. Jon Anderson)
6. FAME AND GLORY (Feat. Fairport Convention)
7. PEACE ON EARTH (Feat. Heather Small & Billy Preston)
8. ANGEL'S TEARS (Feat. Jeremy Spencer)
9. WHERE IS THE WAY (Feat. Billy Preston)
10. ON THE ROAD (Feat. Justin Hayward)
11. JANGADERO (Feat. Cesaria Evora)
12. EVIL DAY (Feat. Roberto Tiranti)
13. SECRET GARDEN (Feat. Maddy Prior)
14. WORLD (Feat. Zucchero & Anggun)
15. MOTHERLAND (Feat. Jimmy O Neill)
16. SAMAN (Feat. Les Holroyd & Mick Fleetwood)
17. MARIE LA CORDELIÈRE (Feat. James Wood & Fairport Convention)
18. LUGH (Feat. John Wetton & Martin Barre)
19. DESIRE (Feat. Les Holroyd)
20. A PRAYER FOR MY LOVER (Feat. Siobhan Owen)

To purchase:
Amazon: http://geni.us/BAB001

Alan Simon's official website: http://www.alansimononline.com/eng.html

Forthoming on November 3, 2017!
Alan Simon's EXCALIBUR IV is the widely anticipated fourth NEW STUDIO ALBUM in the Celtic Rock Opera series, following on from the GOLD and PLATINUM selling original trilogy. EXCALIBUR IV was played live in its entirety to 12 ARENAS in Germany in December 2016 and will be touring again in 2018.

This new album based on the legendary story of KING ARTHUR features guest appearances from:
Alan Stivell, Michael Sadler (Saga), Jesse Sibenberg & John Helliwell (Supertramp), Martin Barre (Jethro Tull), Moya Brennan (Clannad), Roberto Tiranti (Labyrinth), Bernie Shaw (Uriah Heep), Siobham Owen, Sonja Kristina (Curved Air), John Kelly (The Kelly Family), Maite Itoiz (Elfhental)

Official Excalibur Facebook page: https://en-gb.facebook.com/Excalibur.The.Celtic.Rock.Opera/