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The Nice were originally formed in 1967 by keyboardist Keith Emerson, drummer Brian 'Blinky' Davison, bassist/vocalist Lee Jackson and guitarist David O'List, the band actually clung together after all four musicians had backed soul singer P.P. Arnold. It wasn't long before they built up a solid reputation as a stunning live band with Emerson, in particular, earning an outrageous showmans tag - he would often during live shows throw knives at his organ!
 The groups fusion of classical music and rock (or 'Bach, Beat and Blues' as one music paper of the day described it) was given a vinyl debut on late '67's "The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack" LP (they also issued a single of the same name) though like so many brilliant live acts The Nice had trouble capturing the same energy and vitality in the studio. The departure of O'List soon after the LP's release, however, seemed to inject a new urgency into the band and the remaining trio issued the stunning "Ars Longa Vita Brevis" LP which contained their first and only UK hit single "America" (The single hit no.21 in the summer of '68). Adapted from the play "West Side Story" the track was a great live favourite and performances of it often saw the band burning the American flag which incensed the songs author, Leonard Bernstein, and saw The Nice banned from playing London's Royal Albert Hall!
September '69 saw the band at no.8 in the UK charts with "The Nice" LP whilst a year later they went one place better with the semi orchestral suite "Five Bridges" which was a bold attempt by the band to tell the story of what working class life was like in Jackson's home town of Newcastle. This, however, turned out to be the bands final studio release and although the live "Elegy" managed to spend three months in the British charts in early 1971, peaking at no.6, The Nice finally called it a day when Emerson left to form the incredibly popular Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Indeed much of the success E.L.P. enjoyed could be traced back to the groundwork and foundations laid by the pioneering recordings and performances of The Nice and they, unlike so many others, can truly claim to have been 'years ahead of their time'.
M.B.
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