AFFINITY - Affinity (1970) (2024)

In the early 70's a number of Jazz/Prog rock outfits signed and recorded with VertigoRecords with AFFINITY being one of the stellar acts. AFFINITY were a 4 piece band led bylead singer Linda Hoyle (who has a gorgeous and powerful epic style voice) andkeyboardist Lynton Naiff who plays some scrumptious 70's analog keys. Songs are nice andvaried with the overall album posing a highly 70's styled music. Of instant attraction for mehere was the fine bass, guitar and drum interplay which along with Hoyle vocals will makeyou drool. At times AFFINITY carries a "psychy" feel to their music and when combinedwith the orchestration gives the listener a wild connection. AFFINITY were a highly originalband who wrote and recorded 1 fantastic album with great virtuosity and color. One of thefinest examples of their musical competence is found on 12 minute version of "All Along TheWatchtower". The fine folks at Repertoire have included a couple of bonus tracks fromAFFINITY which nicely closes the chapter in this superb charming bands history. A greatdiscovery...!

AFFINITY's self-titled album from 1970 is one of the best English progressive albums ever.This album has been available on CD before, but this new Angel Air edition contains no lessthan 8 bonus tracks. The original LP was released on the well-known Vertigo label, which atthe time were one of the most interesting labels for progressive rock. The value of theoriginal LP has reached £100.

Their music is a blend of blues, jazz-rock and progressive rock with lots of nice Hammondorgan. The band had a fantastic female vocalist in Linda Hoyle. AFFINITY started writingfor a second album, but in January 1971 Linda left the band and that was the end for thewhole band.

If you're into 70's progressive rock this album should have its given place in your collection,and if you haven't already got it you should buy it immediately.

AFFINITY was a short-lived band that released one album and one single in 1970 and thenspilt up. They were a highly regarded band and looked upon with much promise as the oneof the new wave of jazz-rock fusion artists. With an effective blend of folk, jazz, soul,blues, and rudiments of modern-day psychedelia and progressive rock, it simply was notfair to put them into any one classification of music. With the powerful vocals of LindaHoyle leading the way, it looked as though the band had quite a future ahead of them. Itwas not in the cards unfortunately. What they left for us was a superb achievement byany musical standards, and that includes the most important factors such as sound,production, and musicianship.

The original LP artwork is packaged and reproduced beautifully; it comes displayed ontraditional gatefold sleeves with original reviews of the LP and liner notes. The180-gramvirgin vinyl renders a gorgeous sound and highlights Ms. Hoyles' excellent vocals. Whatcomes as a real surprise is their version of Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower." It runs forover 11 minutes and it stands as one of the very best versions I have ever heard, andthat includes HENDRIX's classic version.

This is very progressive music for its day; in fact, logic dictates that it was more than likelyconsidered a little on the extreme side in 1970. I cannot help but think how this groupwould have evolved if they had stayed together for a few more albums.

Rating: 4.5/5

The jazz influences of this charming album seem to come from bluesy soul music, so the rhythms are not chaotic, and the music is accessible and easy to listen to. The brass dominated orchestrations accompanied with the instrumentation of the early 70's create a pleasant sound texture, which resembles Uriah Heep's jazzy maneuvers on "Salisbury" and the music of Mogul Thrash. The beautiful voice of Linda Hoyle also shares the voice range of the male hard-rock singers of the 1970's certainly. What I found sad about this record was the fact that all of the tracks except "Three Sisters" and "All Along The Watchtower" ended up to a fadeout (I have been listening to a CD version with two bonus tracks). This felt annoying, especially on the fourth song, where Linda is just starting to get it seriously from Mr. Joy, and then her ecstatic voices are muffled by the engineer with a fade-out fetish. If you are not allergic to this kind of treatments, then the listening experience should be more rewarding. I'm certainly going to check out Linda's Solo album and the other posthumous instrumental recordings of this band, as the music sounds very good despite the mixing solutions.

Affinity's sole release in their lifetime is this S/T album. Originally on the famed 'Vertigo'label and highly collectable, the wonderful Italian label 'Akarma' is responsible for re-issuingthis (and many other prog rarities) with an affordable price tag, and even pressing this oneonto orange vinyl !! Stylistically, the album covers many aspects of music from straightforward pop/rock (I Am And So Are You, I Wonder If I Care As Much), to 'underground'groove with 'Three Sisters', soft rock (Cocoanut Grove, Mr. Joy), the more typicallyprogressive tunes being 'Night Flight' and their rendition of 'All Along The Watchtower. Themusic is superbly performed, with loads of excellent Hammond organ soloing fromkeyboardist Lynton Naiff (funny how the organ isn't even credited in the gatefold), solidbass playing from future studio session ace Mo Foster, competent drumming from GrantSerpell and the seductive voice of Lynda Hoyle, which can be ever so soft and sweet, orfiery and aggressive. Even guitarist Mike Jupp gets a chance to shine.

The lengthy 'Night Flight' (7.15) is a beauty - a precisely composed piece, book-ended withsoft, melancholic verses, with the mid-section Hammond solo sounding very much likeAtomic Rooster's Vincent Crane and the vocals sung to perfection byLynda. 'Watchtower' goes on for 11.36, and features extended Hammond work-outs, anda grand, GRAND finale. It's huge !! 'Mr Joy' is an excellent track, showcasing the dynamics ofHoyle's voice, backed by rather sombre music. Of the remaining tracks, onlytheir version of the Everly's 'I Wonder If I care As Much' is a rather weak choice, and thebonus tracks of 'Eli's Coming' and 'United States of Mind' being firmly 'pop' oriented.Another album deserving a 4 star rating though.

Affinity were a short-lived group of quite talented musicians who played a style of musicbest described as blues-based but created by folks who knew more than a little bit aboutjazz, and certainly weren’t above ripping off some fat and funky B3 keyboards when themood suited them.

Formed from the ashes of forgotten sixties act Ice, the quintet was fronted by the powerfuland ranging vocals of Linda Hoyle, who runs the gamut between from heavy rock (“ThreeSisters”) to the almost lounge-act jazz of “Cocoanut Grove” to an early version of new-wavewith the peppy girl-band sounding “Eli's Coming”. Her voice suits the music very wellthroughout, although the one place it is nearly absent she isn’t necessarily missed; on thefunky and clearly improvised cover of “All Along the Watchtower”.

The musicianship is top-notch on every track, even if the group does not seem to have anyclear sense of what sort of band they want to be. Besides the tracks already described,there is the mostly acoustic and folksy toe-tapper “United States of Mind” with catchy guitarwork courtesy of Mike Jupp (Hoyle sounds exactly like the Canadian singer Martha Johnsonof the 70s group Martha & the Muffins (“Echo Beach”); there’s also the original jamcomposition “Night Flight” in which a very talented Lynton Naiff totally wails on theHammond and a variety of other keyboards; and the wafer-light “Mr. Joy” that has a coolbass riff from famous session musician Mo Foster but is otherwise a bit too long andlacking a bit in spark.

I can’t really decide if I like this record or am simply mildly curious about it. Affinity is a bandthat is often mentioned as a lost ‘gem’ of the late psych days, but really I don’t hear muchhere that is striking or ground-breaking. The one thing I would say is they managed to putout a very solid album of well-played music in 1970 without being too dependent on eitherpsych, folk or rocking blues; which is in itself a bit of a feat.

Hoyle would depart the band and the music business shortly after this album released,although she did first manage to crank out a solo record that included future Nucleus andSoft Machine member Karl Jenkins. Jupp would go on to play for Michael d'Abo, whileLynton Naiff would appear on a long list of artist’s albums and tours for years includingQueen, Real Thing, Blonde on Blonde and Delegation. Drummer Grant Serpell moved onto the 70s pop group Sailor, and Foster, like Naiff, would enjoy a lengthy career in studioand tour work.

This isn’t a masterpiece and it isn’t indispensable, but it is a decent record. I’d probably gowith two stars and consider it a curio more than anything, but the solid musicianshipdeserves more respect than that, so three stars and recommended to folks who are willingto spend a little time and money on music from the past that is worth the time to rediscover.

peace

The only album of short-lived British band. Not too many prog fans know this name, I think.

The music is excellent there, if you like cool,dreamy and melancholic sound. Songs aremelodic and include mix of blues-rock, jazz-rock, soft psychedelia and early progressive.

Female voice (Linda Hoyle) are beautiful and both together with all music buid very pleasantsound dreamy pictures. All the music is based on r'n'b structures, similar to Trinity/BrianAuger's music of that time. And Linda Hoyle's voice is often similar to Julie Tippett's.

There are strong bass line , plenty of brass and rich Hammond line in all songs. If you likeAuger/Julie Tippett/Trinity music ( as I am), you will really enjoy Affinity .

Original LP is great rarity, but there are some re-issues in the market. I own Vertigo/RepertoireCD re-release with two added tracks, but some re-releases can offer till 8 bonuses!

I absolutely enjoy this beautiful music and only pity is that the band released just this onealbum!

Very nice little known british band that released only one album during their brief career. If youever wonder where those 80´s acts like Everything But The Girl, Basia, Swing Out Sister and othersgot their inspiration from, this CD is a good clue: soft singing female vocals, cool jazz, R&B,bossa nova, soul music, gospel and a little prog. It´s all there. Affinity was doing it more thanten years before any of those artists. And although the production is not top notch, is stilladequate for the style.

It is only a pity that this group did not stayed around longer. Their mix would prove to be asuccessful one some time later. And those guys (and lady) were indeed very talented. I just lovedthe tasteful arrangements with heavy use of Hammond organ, a versatile rhythm section and nicejazzy guitar lines. And, above all, the cool voice of Linda Hoyle. She had a style of her own thatcombines the soft and the strong side of the woman in music. And even if their 11 minute version ofDylan´s All Along The Watchtower was not entirely satisfying, their self titled album provesAffinity as a strong force in the competitive british scene of the late 60´s. Night Flight, apowerful tune mixing all elements mentioned above in a 7 minute track, is the CD´s highlight. Mycopy has two short bonus tracks that sit well with the original ones.

A hard album to rate. In a progressive site like this I think this CD is very good, but not reallyessential, as the progressive element is present, but in a very subtle way. So I guess 3,5 stars isquite fitting.

Affinity - s/t (1970)

The review is based on the two bonus-tracks vinyl reprint of the album.

Affinity is one of the most famous infamous bands among vinyl collectors. There is little reasonfor being an unknown group, for there only albums is quite good. All musicians areprofessional, the recording is good for the time being, the artwork is strong and the mixture ofstyles that are presented is original. At first I was blown away by the great vocals of femalevocalist Linda Hoyl with a low-pitched voice for a woman. Her jazzy vocal style gives the music avery 'classy' feel. The guitars of Mike Jupp are very good, he has a perfect 1970 hard rocksound and his solo's are good. The rhythmical section also strikes me as very professional.The wind-section reminds me a bit of Chicago, but Affinity uses is more functional in myopinion. The wind-section is often used to 'thicken' the harmonic structures. The key's remindme a bit of Colosseum.

The composition of Affinity are quite remarkable. Their mix of jazz and rock is perhaps betterthen Chicago on it's best. This is due to the stylish sound of the band. Mr. Joy stands out as avery provocative track about a 'toy', but the composition of the song is also very atmospheric.The performance of Linda Hoyl is very courageous here. Three Sisters is one of my favoritetracks of the album because it's a very catchy jazz-rocker with great vocals and powerfularrangements. The main riff reminds me a bit of Led Zeppelin. The long version of All Along theWatchtower is quite progressive and very atmospheric. The solo's are good.

Conclusion. This album features a warm combination of hard-rock, improvisational rock, jazz-rock, vocal jazz and some psychedelic vibes. Perhaps the album has no outstandingmoments, but it's satisfying throughout and the two bonus-tracks are also a good extra. A verygood addition for fans of early hard rock and jazz-rock. Also recommended to collectors of raremusic. Four stars.

A pleasant enough showcase for the organ skills of Lynton Naiff - especially in the cover of AllAlong the Watchtower, which seems as though it's going to follow the Dylan version fairlyloyally before his wild soloing appears - the sole Affinity album is a nice enough early Vertigorelease which many prog fans will enjoy. It's an especially good pick if you like some jazz andvery light psych touches in your prog mixture, though even then it's only good, not great.

In particular, I found that singer Linda Hoyle's vocals just aren't very interesting - it sounds likeshe's trying to be a fusion answer to Janis Joplin or Grace Slick at points, and she doesn'tquite manage it. Anna Meek from fellow Vertigo act Catapilla succeeds much better, to mymind - and to be honest, I find Catapilla (or even Valentyne Suite-era Colosseum) to be a betterexample of organ-driven early jazz-prog than Affinity. Still, if you're into this particular seam ofprog - one left comparatively abandoned after the early 1970s and seems to have been thesole purview of the Vertigo label - the Affinity's only album is worth a listen. But it's probably notquite worth digging out a super-expensive vinyl copy.

Of all the groups that came and went during the progressive rock boom of the early 1970's,Affinity were perhaps one of the most intriguing. With just one full-length studio album undertheir belts, this Sussex-based outfit seemingly came-and-went in the flash of an eye, theobvious quality of their self-titled debut ignored by the fickle record-buying public for reasonsbest known to themselves. However, as seems to be the trend with these things, Affinity'sbrief tenure in the British pop landscape has survived the intervening decades withimpressive popularity, with much posthumous kudos heaped upon the six jazz-tinged tracksthat make up this wholly eclectic album. The group themselves emerged from the beer-and-smoke stained concert halls of West Sussex, a green, homely and quintessentially Britishcounty South of London where the University of Sussex - the group's formative home - was,not surprisingly, based. Featuring a line-up comprised of Linda Hoyle(vocals), MoFoster(bass), Michael Jupp(guitars), Lynton Naiff(piano, harpsichord, vibraphone) and GrantSerpell(drums), Affinity enjoyed limited success on the road, building up a small-but-enthusiastic following which eventually led to a deal with Phillips progressive imprint VertigoRecords(home to the likes of Juicy Lucy, Black Sabbath and an early, psych-flavouredversion of Status Quo) which in turn led them to record their first, and only, album. The groupwere helped along their(short) journey by jazz-man Ronnie Scott, who was so impressed bythe five-piece that he subsequently became their manager, booking them tours in jazz clubsacross Europe and even snaring them a spot on the BBC's prestigious Jazz Club radioshow, a spot usually reserved for more traditional purveyors of the genre. Perhaps spurredon by Miles Davis unique electronic excursions into the hither uncharted territories of jazz-rock fusion with his post-1969 albums 'Bitches Brew' and 'Dark Magus'(too name but a few),more and more groups were starting to merge the idioms of rock and jazz with increasingsuccess on both sides of the Atlantic. Affinity, although leaning more towards progressive-and-psychedelic rock elements, sported a refined jazz-edge, prevalent on such tunes astheir blistering, guitar-heavy version of 'Hey Joe' and the more relaxed, almost playful 'NightFlight'. These songs, along with the more conventional tracks 'Mr Joy', 'Three Sisters' and'Coconut Grove', showcased a unique outfit who were willing to do things slightly differently,as evidenced by having a female lead-singer, a rare occurence in Western rock music at thetime. Sadly, thought, despite the many interesting ingredients Affinity had to offer, it seemedtheir refined mixture of sounds and styles proved a touch high-brow for the era's rock fans,and not quite authentic enough for the jazz lovers. And it's a shame. 'Affinity'(the album, notthe band) is great little release, filled with expert musicianship and stylish grooves, and thegroup's muscular version of 'Hey Joe', which clocks in at around the ten-minute mark, is stillone of the defining versions of the oft-recorded song. Progressive rock fans who enjoy thesimilarly-styled jazz-flecked rock of Colosseum, Nucleus, Samurai or The Advancementshould find much to admire here, with the only real disappointment being the lack of afollow-up. Otherwise, this is very Impressive stuff.STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2011

The roots of Affinity go back in mid-60's and the friendship of classmates Lynton Naiff (keyboards) and Grant Serpell (drums), both students at the University of Sussex in Brighton.They played together in a band called Ice for a year or so after their graduation and continued to work together in a new band, for which old friend and bassist Mo Foster was called.Through auditions they found guitarist Mike Jopp from the act The Tridents and later teacher Linda Hoyle was brought in for the vocal duties.Since their official formation in 1968 Affinity became an instant call in various clubs of London, leading to a contract with Vertigo and an eponymous album in 1970.Actually ''Affinity'' was released through three different labels in 11 countries worldwide, from New Zealand to South Africa.

''Affinity'' was a collection of original compositions and personal cover versions with the absolute standout being the 11-min. reworking on Bob Dylan's ''All along the watchtower".The band in fact was formed out of the need of Naiff and Serpell to combine the accesible forms of Pop Music with the freedom given by Jazz improvisations, so reasonably the album is dominated by these sources of inspiration with a good bunch of bluesy and psychedelic colors along the way.The short tracks apparently are the most poppy ones as well with simplistic song structures and an instrumental background of nrass instruments, soft guitars and outdated organ, while the longer ones contain flashes of the Proto-Prog sound in early-70's Britain.''Night flight'' for example is a mix of soft Psychedelic Pop, organ-driven Psych Rock and a jazzy jamming section with nervous organ soloing and a rhythmic background.''Mr. Joy'' is pure poetry, a dreamy and lyrical piece of intelligent Art Rock with bluesy and jazzy vibes, driven by the electric piano of Naiff and the outstanding voice of Hoyle.''Three Sisters'' is closer to JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, an aggressive form of loosy Psychedelic Rock with another great performance by Hoyle and the electric guitars/organ in evidence.''All along the watchtower" clocks at almost 12 minutes and comes as a combination of tricky sounds from the past and future of British Rock, actually a very groovy track all the way, borrowing the freedom of Jazz, resulting to a vastly instrumental execution with quirky organ moves and solos, which remind me of old DEEP PURPLE.

Very much a product of its time, which has stood well in the sands of time, but the progressive content is rather limited.This is well-played, free-spirited Psychedelic Rock with a great female singer and an org*smic keyboardist leading the sound.Rather dated but still recommended.