Кинг Харвест: Француз-американдық рок тобының тарихы

French American rock band
the song by The Band

King Harvest was a 1970s French American rock band who was formed initially in Ithaca, New York, U. S., but broke up and reformed in Paris where they began recording their first songs.

King Harvest's original four members first formed the group in 1969 in Ithaca, New York, where all four—Dave "Doc" Robinson (lead vocals/bass/keyboards), Ron Altbach (keyboards), Ed Tuleja (guitar), and Rod Novak (saxophone)—were attending Cornell University. At this point, the group primarily played cover tunes by such artists as Sly and the Family Stone, Jimi Hendrix, and The Band, among others, at fraternities, bars, and other local colleges. The group broke up for the first time in 1971. each of the four former bandmates would migrate to Paris that same year, where they reformed King Harvest, now as expatriates. Although the band's membership fluctuated constantly over the next five years, it always included its four core co founders. French musician Didier Alexandre was among the first to join the quartet, becoming a member of the group in the early 1970s. At one point, the band consisted of three keyboardists, with fellow Cornell alumnus Sherman Kelly (who wrote "Dancing in the Moonlight") joining Altbach and Robinson on the instrument. Sherman Kelly had previously performed together with Robinson in the band Boffalongo, who first recorded "Dancing in the Moonlight" in 1970. Sherman Kelly's brother, drummer Wells Kelly, who went on to form the band Orleans, also served for a brief time in the group both in Paris and in the US.

As group members gradually made their way to Paris, they became involved in session work individually, performing on albums by the likes of Jacques Morali and Nancy Holloway. Altbach also studied classical music with Nadia Boulanger. Once solidified as a unit, King Harvest won a Rock and Roll contest/talent show, (It is possible that he had not yet made the journey to France in time to participate in the recording but arrived in time to be photographed.) Also in 1971, King Harvest was invited to write and perform songs for the French film, Le Feu Sacré, which represented France at that year's Cannes Film Festival. Throughout these early days in Paris, King Harvest also performed and recorded under pseudonyms, such as E. Rodney Jones and the Prairie Dogs. With support from Beach Boys Carl Wilson and Mike Love, this line up signed with A&M Records and recorded another album, simply titled King Harvest. Released in 1975, this album did not produce any hits, with lone single "Hickory", a cover of the Four Seasons song, failing to chart. Following the band's dissolution, King Harvest's members continued their association with the Beach Boys. Novak, Altbach, Tuleja, and Figueroa toured with the group at one point. Tuleja and Novak played on Dennis Wilson's 1977 solo Pacific Ocean Blue, while Altbach and Robinson performed with Mike Love in his band, Celebration. The other three members reunited again on July 19, 2013, in Olcott Beach with a song titled "Doc" in memory of him. The King Harvest album Old Friends was released on April 6, 2015. The three surviving founding members released their new King Harvest single "Our Old Songs" on August 16, 2016.