Flash (band)


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Flash
Origin Flag of England London, England
Genre(s) Progressive rock
Years active 1971–1973
Label(s) Sovereign, Capitol, Voiceprint, Friday Music
Website psychosync.info/
Members
Peter Banks
Colin Carter
Ray Bennett
Mike Hough

Flash was a short-lived English progressive rock group, formed by former Yes guitarist Peter Banks and vocalist Colin Carter in 1972. Bassist Ray Bennett, drummer Mike Hough and ex-Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye completed the line-up.[1][2]

There is some controversy over whether Kaye was actually an "official" member of the group, or merely a guest on their first album. Kaye is listed as a full member of the band alongside the other members of the group on the back cover of Flash's self-titled debut LP, but he only intended to be in the band on a temporary basis and left after the first album to found Badger. Ray Bennett: "Tony was asked to join, but didn't want to. I never knew why, but I think he had ideas for a band of his own. The story on many websites is that Peter and Tony formed Flash. Absolutely not true. Tony really had very little to do with us. Colin Carter started Flash with Peter. We auditioned many keyboard players, mostly unknown, but Ian McDonald was one who came down. He wasn't right - more of a sax player. At the time of starting the first album we had no one, so Tony came in as a session player and rehearsed for a few days, then recorded. Eventually we gave up on having a keyboard player - we had become used to being just the four of us. Rick Wakeman was suggested to me by Jon Anderson, very early on while we were beginning rehearsals. He was still with The Strawbs then. Quite soon after that I found out Rick was joining Yes ! Patrick Moraz came to one of the Flash gigs in London and he tried to talk us into having him in the band. We had no idea who he was or if he could even play. We said "No, get lost", or something to that effect. Our drummer Mike went off with him after the gig and jammed with him at his house, and reported to us that Patrick was a very good player and that we should try him. We said no again - I don't think we really wanted keys by then. Later of course we found out about him!".

Flash had a minor hit with "Small Beginnings" (1972, #29 Billboard Hot 100 chart) which was featured in the movie, Record Review. Ray Bennett: "Flash was considered a hot band. Capitol Records really got behind us, and many thought we were going to be huge, another ELP or Yes. We zoomed into the forefront of rock and made a sizeable impact at that time. Many people now don't realise that. It was a fabulous beginning for a band. We toured the US four times (the last two seemed to run into each other), and Europe once, early in 1972 (Holland, Belgium and Germany) - this was before our first album took off in the USA. We did regular gigging in the UK, starting January 1972, and then continued between USA tours. We did a UK tour in 1973, with Beck, Bogert & Appice. There was also one short trip to Australia, while we were making our third album". Flash disbanded during an American tour at a Hilton Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico in November 1973.

The band released three albums, Flash (1972), In The Can (1972), Out Of Our Hands (1973). Bennett: "The reason that the third album was titled 'Flash - featuring England's Peter Banks', was because Capitol Records had, surprisingly, lost a lawsuit in California regarding the name Flash. They were ordered to identify us as a "particular" Flash on our records. Their solution was that title - as Peter had the solo record coming out. The rest of the band didn't know about this until the record had been pressed and was about to be released. Complicated, and rather badly handled!".

A 1997 release, Psychosync, compiles a live recording made in 1973 for the King Biscuit Flower Hour as well as their two songs performed on The Midnight Special TV show.

After Flash

In the years following the band's breakup, the musicians kept working together in various combinations. Bennett: "After the split, when things had settled down a bit, in early '74, the management asked us - Colin, Mike and I - if we wanted to carry on as Flash and find a replacement guitarist. We, rather impetuously, decided to end the band completely, and start something new. Those two and a half years were intense, and the last tour difficult, we really had no idea what we were throwing away. Our perspective was warped and we could only think of a fresh start. Later, with hindsight we knew we had thrown out the baby with the bathwater".

Bennett and Carter tried to start another band, eventually joined by Hough, with keyboard player Chris Pidgeon and ex-Flaming Youth member Gordon Smith on guitar, later replaced by Barry Paul (ex-Savoy Brown). After playing what turned out to be its only gig at London's Marquee Club, the band (unofficially named Blaze) settled in New York, but failed to secure a record deal (its management having turned down several offers hoping for a better one to turn up) and broke up.

In 1975, Peter Banks invited to Bennett to join him in a new project with Sidonie Jordan [aka Sydney Foxx] (vocals) and Andrew McCulloch (drums, formerly of King Crimson and Greenslade). Initial rehearsals in London led to a demo recording, but despite the help of Pete Townshend and Robert Stigwood, Banks failed to secure a deal. Later, Bennett recorded another demo with Jordan and McCulloch, but without Banks.

In 1976, Bennett was briefly a member of Banks' new project Empire, again featuring Jordan, but the reunion was shortlived.

In the early 1980s, with all ex-Flash members now based in Los Angeles, a reformation was attempted but failed to take off. Banks and Bennett kept playing together informally until they fell out again.

More recently, Bennett and Carter have been working together again under the Flash name (Hough was initially involved but later dropped out, and there was even, briefly, talk of Banks taking part). They played together at the 2005 Baja Prog musical festival in Mexico.[3][4][5]

Discography

  • Flash 1972 U.S. #33.
  1. Small Beginnings [Banks/Carter]
  2. Morning Haze [Bennett]
  3. Children Of The Universe [Bennett]
  4. Dreams Of Heaven [Banks/Carter]
  5. The Time It Takes [Banks/Carter]
  • In The Can 1972 U.S. #121
  1. Lifetime [Carter]
  2. Monday Morning Eyes [Bennett]
  3. Black and White [Banks/Bennett]
  4. Stop That Banging [Hough]
  5. There No More [Bennett]
  • Out Of Our Hands 1973 U.S. #135
  1. Open Sky [Banks]
  2. None The West [Bennett]
  3. Farewell Number One [Bennett]
  4. Man Of Honour [Bennett]
  5. Dead Ahead [Bennett]
  6. The Bishop [Bennett]
  7. Psychosync [Banks/Bennett]
  8. Manhattan Morning [Carter]
  9. Shadows (It's You) [Carter]
  • Psychosync 1997

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