Fandangos In Space  (45:54)
	01	Bulerias						05:23
	02	Bullfight						04:17
	03	Stepping Stone						02:52
	04	Sailor Song						05:12
	05	Lonely House						04:06
	06	Poor Tarantos						01:44
	07	Looking Outside (My Window)						05:07
	08	Tales Of Spain						08:58
	09	Retirando						00:43
	10	Fandangos In Space						06:36
	11	Reprise Finale						00:56
Dancing On A Cold Wind  (58:02)
	01	Viva Mi Sevilla						06:03
	02	I've Been Crying						05:08
	03	Drifting Along						07:18
	04	She Flew Across The Room						01:31
	05	Purple Flowers						05:18
	06	Table Two For One						02:15
	07	She's Changed						02:57
	08	Gypsy Girl (Caravan)						01:38
	09	The City						03:12
	10	Time (She's No Lady)						01:24
	11	People Dressed In Black						04:05
	12	Dancing On A Cold Wind						02:11
	13	The Horseman						03:45
	14	She's Changed						02:12
	15	Quiriquitu (Bonus Track)						02:52
	16	Out On The Street (Bonus Track)						06:13

An unique band, Carmen combined flamenco music with progressive rock. Adding to their distinctiveness was the fact that during long instrumental passages, members of the band would dance onstage, adding those sounds to the instrumental mix.
Composed of Roberto Amaral (vocals, castanets), David Allen (guitar), his wife Angela Allen (keyboards), John Glascock (bass), who later worked with Jethro Tull, and Paul Fenton (drums), Carmen's sound was focused on up-beat flamenco guitar with a strong rhythm section and subtle keyboards. Their first album, Dancing on a Cold Wind, was released in 1973 and featured the 23-minute epic "Remembrances (Recuerdos de Espana)." It was followed by Fandangos in Space in 1974. The quintet's final album was The Gypsies, released in 1975, a more restrained effort than previous releases. - Geoff Orens


AMG EXPERT REVIEW: Released in 1973, Fandangos in Space introduced to the world the one of a kind blend of flamenco music and progressive rock of Carmen. Produced by Tony Visconti (whose credits at the time ran from Gentle Giant to David Bowie), it is a stunning demonstration of virtuosity, creativity, and songwriting skills. The Spanish/gypsy element translates into some predictable and clichйd lyrical topics, like bull fights, but the musical elements are so well integrated into the progressive rock vocabulary (including hand claps, castanets, and flamenco footwork) that one wonders why nobody followed the band's footsteps (literally!). Fandangos in Space opens with the three-part "Bulerias," a roller coaster of sharp complex rhythmic prog and flamenco; future Jethro Tull member John Glascock's bass work is simply amazing. The piece establishes the main musical motif that will come back later in "Looking Outside" and the closing "Reprise." Roberto Amaral's typical falsetto vocals are put to good use in the torrid "Bullfight," while David Allen gives rare emotional depth to "Lonely House," a ballad built on the metaphor of an abandoned house. When Allen, his wife Angela, and Amaral join forces for the chorus line ("you've gone"), the listener dives into the despair conveyed by the lyrics. The second half of the album is loosely linked thematically and musically, each melody subtly hinting at the others. "Looking Outside (My Window)" brings another highlight and includes a flamenco dance as an interlude. A must for prog rock fans, Fandangos in Space is one of the genre's unsung classics. - Franзois Couture

David Allen - Guitar, Vocals
John Kongos - Engineer
Angela Allen - Synthesizer, Keyboards, Vocals, Mellotron, Foot Percussion
Roberto Amaral - Percussion, Castanets, Vocals, Vibraphone, Foot Percussion
Paul Fenton - Percussion, Drums
John Glascock - Bass, Vocals, Bass Pedals
Alan Harris - Engineer
John Kurlander - Engineer
Peter Mew - Engineer
Tony Visconti - Producer, Engineer
Robert L. Heimall - Cover Design
Benno Friedman - Photography
David "Leather Sax" Allen - Vocals

1974 LP Paramount PAS-1044
1973 LP Dunhill 50192
ABC 50192


AMG EXPERT REVIEW: If Dancing on a Cold Wind is not as strong as Carmen's previous album, it is mostly because the 24-minute suite "Rememberances (Recuerdos de Espana)" is not as tightly linked musically than the second half of Fandangos in Space. The fact that heartbreak and failed relationships provide the sole topic on this album also gives it redundant flavor. Still, this effort showcases the same elements that made the band's first LP an artistic success: sharp musicianship and the spellbinding blend of progressive rock and flamenco, although this time around the first influence is far more important than the second. It is not obvious in the opener "Viva Mi Sevilla," though; this frenetic dance is the album's energy peak. A set of variations on the theme of Fandangos in Space's "Bulerias," pushing the Spanish element to new heights, can be considered as Carmen's best song ever, impressive in every possible way, and John Glascock's distorted bass rips the tiles off the floor. All other tracks follow a lightly melancholic mood. The pop song "I've Been Crying" hints at the direction Carmen will take on its last album The Gypsies. The nine-part suite "Rememberances" follows the plot of an impossible love: a gypsy woman, ex-prostitute who turned her life around, finds and loses the love of her life. All band members are cast, with Roberto Amaral acting as narrator and first singer. The piece features some good themes ("Table Two for One [Sambra]," "Time [She's No Lady]") but it suffers from structural problems. This album is still worthy of any prog rock fan's attention. - Franзois Couture

David Allen - Guitar, Vocals
Angela Allen - Keyboards, Vocals
Roberto Amaral - Percussion, Vocals
David Katz - Violin, Orchestra Contractor
Paul Fenton - Drums
John Glascock - Bass, Vocals
Mary Hopkin - Vocals
Chris Karan - Percussion
Tony Visconti - Wind

1975 LP Regal Zonophone 1040


Carmen [UK]
Dancing on a Cold Wind (73), Fandangos in Space (74), The Gypsies (75)

One of the more interesting bands of the 70's, Carmen's music could possibly be described as progressive flamenco rock - with a sound that was influenced by folk somewhat, but the delivery was much harder. The band was: Roberto Amaral (Vocals,Castinets,Footwork), Angela Allen (Keyboards,Synthesizer,Footwork), David Allen (Guitars), John Glascock (Bass) and Paul Fenton (Drums). Live, the band had a special stage they toured with which was miked, and during the instrumental passages Roberto and Angela would dance as part of their show. Most of the songs are driven by David Allen's flamenco styled rock guitar, with a very strong rhythm drive from Glascock and Fenton, with Angela adding some nice but subordinate synth to the mix. Amaral's vocals are excellent, and perfectly styled for the music, as are the lyrical images they conjure up. Their sound is difficult to draw any comparisons to, because it IS so unique, but I suppose that a paralell could be drawn with Jethro Tull, Horslips, and other bands that fuse folk themes into the progressive rock idiom. They released three albums only: Dancing On A Cold Wind, Fandangos In Space, and The Gypsies. Start with the first or second.

Do you like Jethro Tull? Curved Air? Flamenco dancing? Did you ever wish for a combination of the three? Your wish has come true, and its name is Carmen! And if you don't think they could pull off such a "Hey-you-got-chocolate-in-my- peanut-butter" combination, you've obviously not yet heard a Carmen album. The players are: David Allen on vocals and guitars, his wife Angela Allen on vocals, keyboards and "footwork," Roberto Amaral on vocals, "footwork," castanets and vibes, John Glascock (later of Jethro Tull) on bass, and Paul Fenton on drums. The sound is centered around guitar, keyboards are used subtly but to good effect. David and Roberto alternate as lead singers, with occasional lead vocals by Angela. But the distinctive part, of course, is the flamenco angle, which is certainly why they are one of the most original progressive bands ever. Of course, there's Allen's guitar playing. He plays the electric guitars with the same force as the acoustics. But the one thing that assures you'll never forget is the heel-clicking, castanet-clomping dances, which is the one thing that I look forward to whenever listening to a Carmen album. It's hard to say which of the first two albums is better, both are excellent starters. But Dancing on a Cold Wind does include "Remembrances (Recuerdos de Espana)," a 23-minute rock-opera type epic, so use that as a factor in deciding which one you want first. (I haven't heard The Gypsies, the third album, yet. The prevailing opinion is that that's the last one to get, it's supposedly more subdued than its predecessors.) Progressive rock and flamenco music. Two great tastes that taste great together. :-)

Carmen are a very unique and very excellent band that combine the British flair for progressive rock with traditional Spanish folk themes. On the whole, they are a rather hard band to describe because you can't say they sound like King Crimson or Yes. They sound only like themselves. Some vague comparisons could be made to Jethro Tull (some of the folk-like qualities, for example as well as the decidedly British aura), Mezquita (some of the Spanish themes), and Triana (the flamenco/prog combination). They were a six-piece who included vibraphone and nice vocal harmonies in their musical arsental along with the standard mellotron and synth fare. Bassist John Glascock became better known as the bassist for Jethro Tull. Carmen's 1973 release, Fandangos in Space--the only one I have--was a fresh piece of work compared to other 1973 British prog releases and still sounds fresh today. Highly recommended!
The Gypsies includes two outstanding tracks: "Daybreak" and the title song. The rest of the album isn't bad, but it's much more subdued than previous ones. Not for first timers, nonetheless, quite enjoyable. "Shady Lady" is one of those songs that sticks in your head for days. -- Mike Ohman



Carmen - Fandangos in Space
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Release Date: 1973


Member: Levgan
Date: 10/24/2003

One of the most innovative and unique rock bands to emerge in 1970s, Carmen amalgamated highly complex and inventive progressive rock and... pure Spanish flamenco!

The sound of the band was largely dominated by David Allen's (not to be confused with Gong's Daevid Allen) virtuoso guitar playing - from ultra-heavy leads to some unbelievably beautiful acoustic Spanish-flavored passages. There is also a very solid rhythmic base throughout the album (including future Jethro Tull member John Glascock on bass guitar) and some incidental tasty spacey keyboards (including mellotron) thrown here and there. But what makes the sound truly unique is the prominent use of castanets and other traditional latin percussives that augmented the rhythmic background. Plus, two of the band members are even credited for doing "footwork" - Carmen's onstage performance included a fair amount of flamenco dancing.

So even at the first glance on the line-up you begin understanding, that Carmen is something very special. And the music greatly proves it! Most of it is vocal-oriented (Roberto Amaral has a wonderful voice, ranging from high-pitched harmonies to deep roaring), but don't make this scare you. The hauntingly beautiful melodies neighbor upon the accomplished constantly changing rhythmic patterns - one time you hear a danceable beat, be sure it will turn into a syncopated complex rhyme in a split second. Opening three-part "Bulerias" can be a perfect example of such spellbinding diversity within one song - it starts with rocking riff (which will later reappear in album's second three-part suite "Looking Outside My Window"), but then turns into an excellent Spanish-tinged part, where the simple, but outsanding bass line is accompanied only by castanets, "footwork" and some background shouts. "Stepping Stone" is Carmen at their catchiest - a pure romantic poppy tune, but progressively arranged (where are you mellotron fans?) and of course showcasing the great instrumental abilities of both Allen and Glascock. "Por Tarantos" is a feast for acoustic guitar lovers, while "Tales Of Spain" sounds like the most mellow, beautiful and, dare I say, introspective piece on the album.

The title-track is a true masterpiece - starting with a complex vocal lines, sung along a highly unusual somewhat jazzy patterns, but then turning into an unexpected upbeat funky jam with guitar blasts galore. After this part comes to an end, the opening melody returns for a while only to be interrupted by fantastic choral coda with Amaral's specific timbre on the forefront. But the climax of this great album is saved for the very end - an incredibly energetic "Reprise Finale", which follows the three-part structure despite being less than 3 minutes long. This is maybe Carmen's ultimate track - the first part includes the breathtakingly intense flamenco-styled rhythm, the second shows the most rocking side of the band (actually it's a reprise of the main theme from "Looking Outside (My Window)"), while the third part, with Allen's beautiful acoustic guitar fingering, sounds like a great reprieve after 40 minutes of sheer energy. Overall, this track sums up all Carmen's distinctive features and its three minutes alone can be worth million side-long suites.

After this groundbreaking effort Carmen gained a certain popularity (hell, even Ian Anderson was fascinated, when the band played some shows with Jethro Tull) and released yet a couple of nice albums in 1974 and 1975. Neither of them could match the genius of the debut album, though.
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c2001 - 2003 Progressive Ears






1951 - 1979 John Glascock

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John Glascock, Jethro Tull's third bass player, was the first member of Jethro Tull to have had a recording career that didn't start with Ian Anderson. He was with the band for only four years (1975-1979), before he died suddenly at the age of twenty eight from complications stemming from a congenital heart defect.
Pleasant, unaffected, and highly competent, John was well liked by the other members of the band; he and Barrie Barlow were particularly close. He enjoyed playing for Jethro Tull, and is remembered fondly by fans for his energetic performances and his flamboyant stage clothes, many of which he sewed himself.
Although known primarily for his work with Jethro Tull, John had already had an impressive career beforehand, playing on a total of eight albums starting at age seventeen, seven of which are available today on CD. His first venture into music, however, was with a single he made with the Juniors, a quintet which included future Rolling Stone Mick Taylor, and his older brother Brian on drums (Brian is best known as the drummer of the Motels). In spite of their brief existence, they were written up in fan magazines, and opened at a pop festival at Wembley Stadium.
John was left handed, but played right handed bass with a pick. He changed his strings daily, to keep his sound precise. His lyrical, melodic style was greatly influenced by Paul McCartney, whom he had to good fortune to meet while in the Juniors. John's earlier work comprised several different styles of music, ranging from progressive rock with Ken Hensley and Lee Kerslake in the Gods, soul and blues with Cliff Bennett in Toe Fat, and more blues in Chicken Shack, a band which remained obscure in the United States but enjoyed a huge following in the
U.K. and Europe. In spite of John's years around the London music scene, it was his detour through Los Angeles that wound up bringing him to Jethro Tull, a band he had long admired. In 1972, John went to visit Brian, who was living in L.A., to check out the avant-garde Flamenco-Rock fusion band his brother was playing in. The band, to be known as Carmen, had excellent credentials and a fresh, unique sound. They didn't fit into any existing rock genre, and were finding it difficult to find a market. Carmen needed a bass player, so John decided to stay, intrigued by the art of Flamenco, and left the success of Chicken Shack for a new venture. It appeared for a while that everything was going to go right for Carmen, They moved to London, recorded two albums with Tony Visconti, David Bowie's producer, appeared with Bowie on the Midnight Special, toured England, and then returned to the United States to open for major rock acts. In January 1975, they landed a 13 week engagement, opening for Jethro Tull on the War Child tour.
It was after the tour with Jethro Tull, where Ian first encountered John, the band found out they were broke, they no longer had a recording contract, and that their upcoming tour opening for the Rolling Stones had fallen through. That, coupled with their drummer's serious injury from a fall off a horse abruptly ended the band in 1975. John found himself suddenly unemployed at the not-yet-famous Long View Farm, in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, where he chose to stay for several months, working on the farm in exchange for the privilege of using the recording studio at the farm. With Jeffrey Hammond's departure at hand, Ian asked John to audition for him, after hearing of Carmen's demise.
John had been with Jethro Tull three years, when he became gravely ill on the Heavy Horses European tour. It was discovered that a tooth infection had spread to his heart, seriously damaging a weak valve, a condition he had inherited from his father. He underwent major heart surgery, to replace the valve, but he never totally recovered. John missed the 1978 Bursting Out tour in the U.S in the fall of 1978, then returned for the second leg the following spring. He played his last gig on May 1, 1979, in San Antonio, Texas, three years to the day of his first gig with Jethro Tull. John's condition deteriorated during the recording of the Stormwatch album, forcing him to leave Jethro Tull. He was replaced by David Pegg.
On November 17, 1979, after his body ultimately rejected the new valve placed in his heart, John Glascock died. The suddenness of his death, especially at his young age was a terrible and lasting shock to the many people who loved him, and didn't get to say goodbye. To this day he is sadly missed.

JOHN GLASCOCK DISCOGRAPHY:
(not including work with Jethro Tull)

THE JUNIORS
1962 single
There's a Pretty Girl/Pocketsize Decca

THE GODS
1968 GENESIS Columbia SCX 6286 Repertoire CD REP 4418-WY
Baby's Rich/Somewhere in the Street Columbia DB 8486
Hey Bulldog/Real Love Guaranteed Columbia D 8544

1969 TO SAMUEL, A SON Columbia SCX 6372 Repertoire CD REP 4555-WY
Maria/LongTime, Bad Time, Sad Time Columbia DB 8572

TOE FAT
1970 TOE FAT Rare Earth RS 511 Repertoire CD REP 4416-WY
1971 TOE FAT TWO Rare Earth RS 525 Repertoire CD REP 4417-WY
BGO CD 278 UK
(both records on one CD)

CHICKEN SHACK
1971 IMAGINATION LADY Deram SDL5 Deram 844169-2 UK
Deram 18063 US
CARMEN
1973 FANDANGOS IN SPACE Regal Zonophone SRZA 8518 UK Line LICD-9.00598
Paramount PAS 1044 US
Dunhill DP 50192 US
DSDP 50192 US
1974
Flamenco Fever/Lonely House Regal Zonophone RZ 3086
Bulerias/Stepping Stones Regal Zonophone RZ 3090

1974 DANCING ON A COLD WIND
Regal Zonophone SLRZ 1040 UK Line LICD-9.21150
(this is a double CD with both DANCING ON A COLD WIND and FANDANGOS IN SPACE)
1975 THE GYPSIES Mercury SMR1 1047 US Line LICD-9.00658
MADDY PRIOR 1978 WOMAN IN THE WINGS Chrysalis 51 1185 BGO CD215
RICHARD DIGANCE 1979 COMMERCIAL ROAD Chrysalis CHR 1262

Martha Klassanos.







Even More Forgotten than Our Boys
Some intriguing Procol parallels

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Jonas Soderstrom writes to BtP

Their music was unique: rock mixed with music of a completely different genre, to a unique and truly original blend. Tony Visconti was involved in their first albums. They recorded on the Regal Zonophone label. They toured with Jethro Tull and seemed to be on their way to stardom. But somehow mismanagement, or bad luck or general befuddlement struck and the great promises were not fulfilled.

Sounds familiar? Yet it is not Procol Harum; but Carmen - a band that today seem even more forgotten than our boys. As you might guess from their name, Carmen mixed their rock with flamenco music, including tap-dancing and handclaps. (And if anyone would interpret the name as "The Car-Men" or something, the record cover with a guitarist and female dancer in traditional Spanish outfit would definitely show them they were mistaken.)

It was a friend that showed me those records back in the early seventies - and played them to me. God knows where he found them. They were totally unknown to me at the time. That friend is long since lost to me, so I haven't heard the music in maybe twenty years. (And I don't think I ever have met anyone that knows about the band or remembers it at all.)

There is, as far as I have been able to find out, not one single fan webpage devoted to the band. They are briefly mentioned in a few encyclopaedia-websites of rock or progressive rock, but apart from that - almost nothing. A few of the words that are used to describe Carmen's music in those pages sound very familiar to any PH fan:

"Majestic"
"A rather hard band to describe ... they sound only like themselves"
"Their sound is difficult to draw any comparisons to, because it IS so unique."
"A very unique and very excellent band"
"Still sounds fresh today"
And I do remember that I liked them very much, too. Front man in Carmen was guitarist David Allen (not to be confused with Daevid Allen of Gong). Allen played flamenco styled rock guitar, with the same force as an acoustic flamenco player.

The other distinct part of the band's sound was the castanet-taps and heel-clicks of Allen's wife Angela and of lead singer Roberto Amaral, doing flamenco dancing. Live, the band had a special stage that was miked, and Roberto and Angela would dance as part of their show. Angela Allen occasionally played keyboards. Drummer Paul Fenton also added to the rhythm.

Bassplayer in Carmen was John Glascock, formerly of Chicken Shack, who had joined the band in 1972 in Los Angeles. John Glascock was later to become bass player with Jethro Tull. And one of the few places where Carmen seems to be remembered today is at the official Jethro Tull website, www.j-tull.com. This text is taken from the musician's webpages at that website:

"In 1972, John went to visit Brian, who was living in L.A., to check out the avant-garde Flamenco-Rock fusion band his brother was playing in. The band, to be known as Carmen, had excellent credentials and a fresh, unique sound. They didn't fit into any existing rock genre, and were finding it difficult to find a market. Carmen needed a bass player, so John decided to stay, intrigued by the art of Flamenco, and left the success of Chicken Shack for a new venture.

It appeared for a while that everything was going to go right for Carmen: They moved to London, recorded two albums with Tony Visconti, David Bowie's producer, appeared with Bowie on the Midnight Special, toured England, and then returned to the United States to open for major rock acts. In January 1975, they landed a 13-week engagement, opening for Jethro Tull on the War Child tour.

It was after the tour with Jethro Tull, where Ian first encountered John, the band found out they were broke, they no longer had a recording contract, and that their upcoming tour opening for the Rolling Stones had fallen through. That, coupled with their drummer's serious injury from a fall off a horse abruptly ended the band in 1975."

John Glascock joined JT and played with them from 1975 to 1979, when he died, tragically, at the age of just twenty-eight, from complications stemming from a congenital heart defect. He was replaced by David Pegg (whose son, Matt Pegg, played with Procol in the mid-nineties!)

Carmen released three albums, as far as I know:

Fandangos in space (1973)
Dancing on a cold wind (1974)
The gypsies (1975)
Line records released a CD with both Fandangos in space and Dancing on a cold wind, but that CD has now expired.

What has this to do with PH? Apart from the similarities... well, at least it makes me wonder how much good music that is out there; the brilliant songs that didn't make it, music sadly never heard. It makes you humble.

So even if we sometimes experience a sting of bitterness for the success our boys didn't get but deserved... maybe we should really consider ourselves very lucky, for all the praise the band in fact did get - and for the continuing love shown by a small but loyal following at this website and the mailing list - a love that just refuses to die.


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Carmen - "Fandangos in Space" (1973) This British group was possibly one of the most original progressive rock bands you'll ever hear. Their music combined progressive rock with a strong flamenco-influence and it was all performed in a very fresh, energetic and powerful way. The instrumentation included vibes, castanets and lots of flamenco dancing! Keyboards are limited to some Mellotron and a spacey synth here and there. "Fandangos..." is to my knowledge their first album and maybe their best. It's hard to point out any highlights here, because this is a very even album. But excellent examples of their flamenco-prog includes "Bulerias", "Bullfight", "Looking Outside (My Window)" and the title-track. There are also some shorter and less progressive tracks here, like the beautiful, acoustic "Lonely House" and the catchy "Stepping Stone". Vocals are great (both male and some female) and the harmonies are gorgeous. Overall, this is a very tasty and highly unique album that should be in any progressive rock fans' collection.


Carmen - "Dancing on a Cold Wind" (1975) The second album opens with a fantastic track called "Viva Mi Sevilla". The vocal-part features some references to the track "Bulerias" from the first album. After the vocals, the track goes into a bunch of instrumental-passages and ends with a beautiful synth/vibe theme that builds up to an incredible powerful finale! "Purple Flowers" includes some very heavy bass (by the way, the bass player was John Glascock who later joined Jethro Tull) and the usual flamenco-influences in the middle of the track. "Drifting Along" and "She Flew Across the Room" are both more laidback, acoustic tracks that floats into each other. "I've Been Crying" sounds to me almost like a flamenco version of Curved Air. The second side of the album consists of the 24-minute "Rememberances". Very vocal-orientated with few instrumental parts, but the themes and melodies are really nice. A very good album, but personally I still like "Fandangos..." a tad more.