John Miles

[alucard]

There is a new vinyl shop that has opened right around the corner, which is a bit dangerous, because every time I go there I feel obliged to buy something ... the owner is really a nice guy (like most vinyl vendors) and every time I'll go there I spend time Chatting with him while going through the sections...my favorite bin has always been the cheapo bin...in opposition to the Electric Ladyland pirate ("original cover") on blue vinyl for a small fortune...so I came upon the first John Miles record "Rebel" and I showed the cover to him and he didn't know the record and I felt suddenly very old...and I said to him : 'Music' was a mega hit and he was curious and put on the record and he recognised the song and we listened to the entire record and at the end he pulled it out of the cheap bin and put it for a decent price in the prog section....lol...anyway while listening for ages the first time to Rebel I suddenly got an urge to listen to Miles hrecords which I never did ....


.

[SteveSly]

There is a new vinyl shop that has opened right around the corner, which is a bit dangerous, because every time I go there I feel obliged to buy something ... the owner is really a nice guy (like most vinyl vendors) and every time I'll go there I spend time Chatting with him while going through the sections...my favorite bin has always been the cheapo bin...in opposition to the Electric Ladyland pirate ("original cover") on blue vinyl for a small fortune...so I came upon the first John Miles record "Rebel" and I showed the cover to him and he didn't know the record and I felt suddenly very old...and I said to him : 'Music' was a mega hit and he was curious and put on the record and he recognised the song and we listened to the entire record and at the end he pulled it out of the cheap bin and put it for a decent price in the prog section....lol...anyway while listening for ages the first time to Rebel I suddenly got an urge to listen to Miles hrecords which I never did ....


.

Miles is mostly unknown in the U.S. The only reason I ever heard of him was through his work with The Alan Parsons Project.

[progcd54]

Miles is mostly unknown in the U.S. The only reason I ever heard of him was through his work with The Alan Parsons Project.

And his work with Jummy Page/Outrider and Night of the Proms. Outstanding vocalist and multi-instrumentalist!!!

RIP John

[Dave (in MA)]

I recalled the name as being someone who was fairly famous and played on the radio, so I checked out "Music" on youtube for a few seconds and it did not sound at all familiar, though it sounded like something that would have caused me to change stations.
I thought the title "High Fly" sounded familiar, so I played a bit of that-- yep, the annoying Styx-sounding (but I repeat myself) singing that I used to switch channels on.

[alucard]

Strange stage decor with kinda giant vegetables lying around

[moecurlythanu]

The title track from Zaragon got good airplay on Cleveland FM radio in 1978.

[taliesin]

Music and High Fly both got radio play on Canada at the time - I don't know if they were big hits but had some success.

[Dan Roth]

My first introduction to Miles was his mid-80s album Transition.

This song, produced by Trevor Rabin, got a lot of MTV play back then. I remember back then mixing him up with John Parr and John Farnham (two other singers with great voices who scored hits in the mid-80s), but I always enjoyed this album and his work he did with Parsons.

[SteveSly]

My first introduction to Miles was his mid-80s album Transition.

This song, produced by Trevor Rabin, got a lot of MTV play back then. I remember back then mixing him up with John Parr and John Farnham (two other singers with great voices who scored hits in the mid-80s), but I always enjoyed this album and his work he did with Parsons.

I do remember hearing that song. I had completely forgotten about it.

Farnham is another guy who is hardly known in the U.S. outside of his work with Little River Band.

[alucard]

http://https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wi...hn_Miles_song)
Was more an European thing, 'Music' was number 1(Single Charts) in the Netherlands , Number 3 in the UK and Number 10 in Germany....the track was 6 minutes long and quite rare to have had such a long track in the single charts....

[Progbear]

Miles is probably one of the last artists signed via the old A&R system (Kate Bush being the other). His versatility was both his greatest asset and kind of a millstone around his neck, the main reason he never found a proper audience. He could sing great, play both guitar and keyboards at a virtuosic level, and his first three albums include stabs at prog, power-pop, MOR balladry, jazz pop, disco funk, proto-metal hard rock and probably more besides. "Slow Down" (his disco song) was his only top 40 hit in the States, "Music" and "Highfly" also charted outside the top 40.

Arista were not satisfied with his fourth album, More Miles Per Hour, and demanded changes. Miles' career, already flagging by this point, was basically dead in the U.S. thanks to the delay of this album's release (retitled Sympathy).

He had another top 40 hit, sort of, singing lead on "Dr. Tarr & Professor Fether" by the Alan Parsons Project, their first charting single.

[Dan Roth]

Miles is probably one of the last artists signed via the old A&R system (Kate Bush being the other). His versatility was both his greatest asset and kind of a millstone around his neck, the main reason he never found a proper audience. He could sing great, play both guitar and keyboards at a virtuosic level, and his first three albums include stabs at prog, power-pop, MOR balladry, jazz pop, disco funk, proto-metal hard rock and probably more besides. "Slow Down" (his disco song) was his only top 40 hit in the States, "Music" and "Highfly" also charted outside the top 40.

Arista were not satisfied with his fourth album, More Miles Per Hour, and demanded changes. Miles' career, already flagging by this point, was basically dead in the U.S. thanks to the delay of this album's release (retitled Sympathy).

There is a box set with those four albums (plus bonus tracks) and a live disc that has been on my wishlist for a while.

He had another top 40 hit, sort of, singing lead on "Dr. Tarr & Professor Fether" by the Alan Parsons Project, their first charting single.

APP's "Stereotomy" (with Miles on lead vocals) was a Top 5 hit on Billboard's Rock charts as well.

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

^^ I was about to say that most people here would know him from Dr. Tarr & Professor Feather and Stereotomy. He also sang lead on Shadow of a Lonely Man, the last track on Pyramid.

[SteveSly]

^^ I was about to say that most people here would know him from Dr. Tarr & Professor Feather and Stereotomy. He also sang lead on Shadow of a Lonely Man, the last track on Pyramid.

"La Sagrada Famillia" is also an amazing APP vocal from him on the "Gaudi" album.

[Trane]

Now I know where our ex-member Zaragon got his username from.

Miles is mostly unknown in the U.S. The only reason I ever heard of him was through his work with The Alan Parsons Project.

I totally missed out on that in Canada (I think we all did). It didn't cross the pond back then, IMHO.
TBH, I never thought we'd really missed much once I knew about him.

What's the link with APP (what era?), though??

I recalled the name as being someone who was fairly famous and played on the radio, so I checked out "Music" on youtube for a few seconds and it did not sound at all familiar, though it sounded like something that would have caused me to change stations.
I thought the title "High Fly" sounded familiar, so I played a bit of that-- yep, the annoying Styx-sounding (but I repeat myself) singing that I used to switch channels on.

at the (second-rate) Styx comparison.

http://https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wi...hn_Miles_song)
Was more an European thing, 'Music' was number 1(Single Charts) in the Netherlands , Number 3 in the UK and Number 10 in Germany....the track was 6 minutes long and quite rare to have had such a long track in the single charts....

It still gets played once in a while on Belgian classic rock radio.
Had a few buddies that were in a cover band in the mid-00's that had played that Music at a few concert.
Most of my buddies in Western Europe were astounded I'd never even, at least, heard of Music before.

==================

I'm rather surpised he's not on PA's database, if only as "prog-related" or as "pomp rock".

[SteveSly]

Now I know where our ex-member Zaragon got his username from.



I totally missed out on that in Canada (I think we all did). It didn't cross the pond back then, IMHO.
TBH, I never thought we'd really missed much once I knew about him.

What's the link with APP (what era?), though?? ".

Miles sang on the APP albums:

Tales Of Mystery And Imagination
Pyramid
Stereotomy
Guadi
Freudiana

[Steve983]

I was a big fan of John back in the early days, still have my original vinyl of Stranger In The City and a cd best of collection.

[Trane]

Miles sang on the APP albums:

Tales Of Mystery And Imagination
Pyramid

thanks

Unsurprisingly, I never really took a close look at the participants of the APP back then, since it wasn't a "real group"

I stopped at Pyramids anyway (OK, I still paid attention until Eye In The Sky)

[Mr.Krautman]

Now I know where our ex-member Zaragon got his username from.

It still gets played once in a while on Belgian classic rock radio.
Had a few buddies that were in a cover band in the mid-00's that had played that Music at a few concert.
Most of my buddies in Western Europe were astounded I'd never even, at least, heard of Music before.

"Music" is the ONLY J.M track ever played on the "Belgian Classic Rock Radio", and more than "once in a while".
It's also the ONLY track J.M is know for. (In Europe it was a hit and reached #1 in some countries)
It's a multi-part well orchestrated 6+ minutes long song, pleasant to listen to but a little bit cheesy and simplistic. Reminds me Elton John's "Funeral Of A Friend", but less "proggy".
In the same style I very much prefer Jim Webb's MacArthur Park.



Great voice, but... OMG this tasteless heavy orchestration !

And If you listen to the instrumental bridge there's obviously some APP in it, which is not surprising since A.P produced the original (1976) recording.

[moecurlythanu]

Now I know where our ex-member Zaragon got his username from.

Probably, but there was also a Danish Prog-Rock band from the early 80s by that name.

[Trane]

"Music" is the ONLY J.M track ever played on the "Belgian Classic Rock Radio", and more than "once in a while".
It's also the ONLY track J.M is know for. (In Europe it was a hit and reached #1 in some countries)
It's a multi-part well orchestrated 6+ minutes long song, pleasant to listen to but a little bit cheesy and simplistic. Reminds me Elton John's "Funeral Of A Friend", but less "proggy".

And If you listen to the instrumental bridge there's obviously some APP in it, which is not surprising since A.P produced the original (1976) recording.

I don't see much reference to EJ's FFaF, which is my fave Elton piece by a galaxy. No cheese at all in there (and I am a fondue& Camembert freak).

Yes, now that you mention it, there is clearly some APP in Music


As for airplay, I wouldn't know if JM's other tracks would get any, because I'm still not familiar with his stuff. I just listened to his longer tracks and nothing rang a bell.

[sidetracked]

John Miles released an album in 1993 called Upfront which was probably the best album he ever did. Excellent album.

[headphoneland]

I was surprised to hear about that boxset (The Decca Albums) as I am fairly certain the master tape of his proggiest album 'Zaragon' have been erased or lost.. I read a few reviews of it but there is nothing beyond the "some great music here which helped me relive my youth" type flim-flam. Even the supposedly official Zaragon CD on the (aptly-named) Lemon label is a glaringly obvious needle-drop!

[alucard]

I was surprised to hear about that boxset (The Decca Albums) as I am fairly certain the master tape of his proggiest album 'Zaragon' have been erased or lost.. I read a few reviews of it but there is nothing beyond the "some great music here which helped me relive my youth" type flim-flam. Even the supposedly official Zaragon CD on the (aptly-named) Lemon label is a glaringly obvious needle-drop!

Found 'Zaragon' today on vinyl (Spanish Decca) in NM shape....quite curious

[Trane]

Found 'Zaragon' today on vinyl (Spanish Decca) in NM shape....quite curious

Are you sure the "Z" wasn't missing on the title??