Alan Parsons Projet

Alan Parsons Projet

Genres: Progressive rock, classic rock, rock, 80s, electronic

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About Alan Parsons Projet

The Alan Parsons Project were a British rock group formed in London in 1975. Its core membership consisted of producer, audio engineer, musician and composer Alan Parsons and singer, songwriter and pianist Eric Woolfson. The two shared writing credits on most of their songs, with Parsons producing or co-producing all recordings. They were supported by a large pool of session musicians, some of whom appeared frequently and were sometimes regarded by listeners as unofficial members. The group released eleven studio albums over a 15-year period. Their most commercially successful works included "I Robot" (1977), "The Turn of a Friendly Card" (1980) and "Eye in the Sky" (1982). Their albums were often conceptual and drew on themes such as science fiction, the supernatural, literature and social commentary. Their best-known songs include "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You", "Games People Play", "Time", "Sirius", "Eye in the Sky" and "Don't Answer Me". Alan Parsons met Eric Woolfson in the canteen at Abbey Road Studios in 1974. Parsons had previously worked as assistant engineer on the Beatles albums "Abbey Road" (1969) and "Let It Be" (1970), engineered Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" (1973), and produced recordings for EMI. Woolfson worked as a session pianist and songwriter, and had been developing material for a concept album inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Woolfson initially managed Parsons' production career, helping him secure work with artists such as Pilot, Steve Harley, Cockney Rebel, John Miles, Al Stewart, Ambrosia and the Hollies. He later proposed a conceptual approach to recording albums that reflected the increasing prominence of producers in the music industry. This idea, combined with Woolfson's existing Edgar Allan Poe material, led to the formation of the Alan Parsons Project. The first album, "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" (1976), was released by 20th Century Fox Records and featured contributions from members of Pilot and Ambrosia. It reached the top 40 of the US Billboard 200 chart. The track "The Raven" featured lead vocals by actor Leonard Whiting. According to later reissue notes, the recording is often cited as an early example of the use of a vocoder in rock music, although earlier experimental uses existed. The group subsequently signed with Arista Records, which supported their further releases. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the group achieved greater commercial success, particularly in North America, Ibero-America and mainland Europe. They did not achieve major chart success in the United Kingdom, with no Top 40 singles or Top 20 albums there. Singles such as "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You", "Games People Play", "Damned If I Do", "Time" and "Eye in the Sky" charted in the United States, with "Time" marking Woolfson's first lead vocal performance on a single. "Don't Answer Me" became their final significant US hit in 1984. Following this period, the group's commercial performance declined, with fewer hit singles and reduced album sales. Their final studio album, "Gaudi" (1987), was released before planned work on a further project titled "Freudiana" (1990). Although "Freudiana" was produced by Alan Parsons and featured regular session musicians associated with the group, it was primarily conceived by Woolfson as a stage musical. Parsons continued with solo and touring work, while Woolfson developed theatrical productions inspired by the group's style. Musicals associated with this period included "Freudiana", "Gaudi" and "Gambler", which incorporated material associated with the Project, including songs such as "Eye in the Sky", "Time", "Inside Looking Out" and "Limelight". A live recording of "Gambler" was distributed at performances in Mönchengladbach, Germany. In 1979, during contract negotiations with Arista Records, Parsons, Woolfson and the label agreed to the recording of an instrumental album titled "The Sicilian Defence", named after a chess opening. Parsons later stated that the project was recorded quickly and was not intended for release, but rather as part of negotiations for a revised contract. The label did not initially release the album. One track, later titled "Elsie's Theme", appeared as a bonus on a reissue of the album "Eve" in 2008. The full album was eventually issued in 2014 as part of a box set. Parsons and Woolfson both pursued separate careers after the group's main period of activity. Parsons released solo albums including "Try Anything Once" (1993), "On Air" (1996), "The Time Machine" (1999), "A Valid Path" (2004), "The Secret" (2019) and "From the New World" (2022). Woolfson produced concept albums such as "Freudiana" (1990), based on the work of Sigmund Freud, and "Poe: More Tales of Mystery and Imagination" (2003), which continued themes from the group's debut album. The album "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" was remixed in 1987 for CD release and included narration by Orson Welles recorded in 1975 but not used on the original release. A later deluxe edition issued additional archival material, including recordings used for promotional and broadcast purposes. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alan_Parsons_Project Studio albums Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1976) I Robot (1977) Pyramid (1978) Eve (1979) The Turn of a Friendly Card (1980) Eye in the Sky (1982) Ammonia Avenue (1984) Vulture Culture (1985) Stereotomy (1985) Gaudi (1987) The Sicilian Defence (2014)

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