Janus (English band)
Janus | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Krefeld, Germany |
| Genres | progressive rock |
| Years active |
|
| Labels | Harvest, EMI Electrola |
Janus are an English rock band formed in Krefeld, Germany, in 1969.[1]
History
They were formed in 1969[1] by combining two bands and were initially named Bonthrone after the drummer Keith Bonthrone. The other members were Colin Orr (guitar/keyboards), Mick Peberdy (bass guitar), Roy Yates (classical/flamenco guitar), Bruno Lord (vocals), Derek Hyett (vocals).[2] Yates and Hyett were British soldiers stationed in Germany.[2] (The name of the band would later be changed on suggestion of EMI, who noted that Germans had trouble pronouncing "th" and proposed "Janus".)[2]
Eventually they were signed by EMI Electrola (headquartered in Köln) and recorded one album, titled Gravedigger, on EMI's Harvest record label.[2]
A couple of years later, in 1974, the band split up. There were plans for a second album, but they were not realized due to low sales of the first one.[2]
After in 1989 Gravedigger was released on CD, Colin Orr revived the band and started releasing albums under their name.[2]
With time, the band's only album became valuable among LP collectors[3] and came to be considered sort of a "hidden treasure".[4] In 2012, EMI asked Colin Orr to remix it.[3] That reawakened Orr's activity and led to a new album titled Under the Shadow of the Moon.
Discography
- Gravedigger (1972) – Harvest / EMI
- Gravedigger (Re-issue Edition, 2013) – EMI Electrola GmbH
- Under the Shadow of the Moon (2013) – Harvest / EMI Music Germany GmbH & Co. KG
- Gravedigger (Hybrid, 2025) – M.I.G. Music GmbH
Moreover, Colin Orr recorded 8 or 9 albums using the band's name between 1989 and 2015.[2]
References
- 1 2 "Janus discography and reviews". progarchives.com.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Janus | Interview". It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine. April 2015.
- 1 2 "The back from the grave diary". Record Collector Magazine.
- ↑ "Janus "Gravedigger" review". progarchives.com.