Ashton, Gardner and Dyke in concert this Saturday – recorded for Belgian Radio and TV in 1971.
Every decade brings a flood of music that puts an indelible mark on that decade. The 70s saw wave after wave of new directions and new ideas – and if you were open to it, you would stand the chance of being overwhelmed on one hand, but being incredibly excited and feeling lucky on the other.
The thing though, is that it happened, and continues happening with each decade that passes. But sometimes being overwhelmed means missing some gems here and there. Ashton, Gardner and Dyke were one of those bands who were much-much more than one hit. Granted, Resurrection Shuffle is timeless and it put the band on the map. But the downside of that is being categorized as “one hit wonders”. Ashton, Gardner and Dyke had a whole lot more going for them than two albums would indicate – and their individual contributions to each successive band each were involved in was testimony that you had three guys whose talents were palpable and their contributions remain valid over 50 years later.
Ashton, Gardner and Dyke were great on record – they were even greater in person. Supplemented by a horn section, their sound blossomed as is evidenced by this concert recording which appears to be a studio concert via Belgian Radio-TV. The nice part about ensemble playing is the collaborative energy that takes place – mind reading, or all being in the same page is what you might call it.
But the bottom line is that the group shines and the message is clear and Ashton, Gardner and Dyke were brilliant and that we’re fortunate to be able to get such a good sounding example of that magic – can’t often say that about many artists and bands at the time. We take that for granted now – you have no idea what a miracle it was to get this down on tape and on the fly.
For that, we’re all grateful somebody recorded it and somebody kept it and now we get to hear the evidence of what a sensational band Ashton, Gardner and Dyke were.
So hit play and find out.
