(Progressive rock) AFFINITY 1970 -If you live (Boxset/Compilation, released in 2002) - APE (image + .cue), lossless

Affinity had its origins in the mid-60s at the University Of Sussex when three science students - pianist Lynton Naiff, drummer Grant Serpell and double-bass player Nick Nicholas - formed the US Jazz Trio. One year later another science student, Mo Foster, who had originally played bass guitar in his school band, adapted to playing drums for the trio when Grant Serpell graduated.
After University, and incorporating members gathered from other University bands, Lynton and Grant formed the pop-group "Ice" and achieved moderate commercial success. Sadly within a year they had disbanded.
Still keen to pursue a career in music, Lynton and Grant invited Mo to revert to bass guitar in a proposed new jazz-influenced pop band. The guys held auditions for a guitarist and were delighted to find ex-Tridents guitarist Mike Jopp who had both jazz and blues chops. (More importantly he also had his own amplifier and a car!).
They also held auditions for singers but finally realised that the only person for the job was Linda Hoyle, a qualified English teacher who they had earlier met through a friend at University.
With a loan guaranteed by Mike Jopp's father the band bought some Impact amplifiers, a Hammond M102 organ, a Gibson EBO bass guitar, some microphones, and, eventually, a grey Ford Transit van.
They spent the summer of 1968 "getting it together" - writing and rehearsing - in a rented bungalow on the edge of Brighton. The name "Affinity" was taken from the title of an Oscar Peterson LP.
At the end of the 60's an exciting new hybrid music form, "Jazz/Rock", was evolving. Musicians such as Miles Davis, Brian Auger, Jimi Hendix, and bands such as Blood Sweat and Tears, Cream, Chicago, Lifetime and Colosseum were all experimenting with this blending of jazz improvisation with the power of rock rhythms. This liberating and exciting approach suited Affinity perfectly since it separated the band from other contemporary new outfits such as Yes, genesis, Led Zeppelin, Family and Humble Pie.
Affinity's first-ever London gig took place on 5 October 1968 at the Revolution Club in Bruton Place, just off Berkeley Square.
As a result of hearing a tape of a broadcast on BBC Radio Jazz Club the late Ronnie Scott agreed to manage them and to book them into his club where they played alongside countless world-class players including Elvin Jones, Gary Burton, Les McCann, Stan Getz and Charles Mingus. (They may not have been earning much at this point, but they did get to see these incredible artists for free - every night).
Live work was plentiful: there was a thriving discotheque and club scene in London, the college circuit paid well, there were European and Scandinavian tours (which didn't pay well!), festivals, the occasional TV show (two sings were recorded for "Disco 2", the predecessor of "The Old Grey Whistle Test"), and even the occasional jingle session (Linda, Mike and Mo recorded an advert for Shredded Wheat - "There are two men in my life"...) Things were looking good. The band was able to buy the ultimate instrument, the 'split' Hammond B3 that had once belonged to Brian Auger.
Affinity recorded a critically-acclaimed first album for the Vertigo label and DJ Anne Nightingale who proclaimed that Linda was "the girl most likely to succeed in 1970."
Lynton and Mo started to write for a second album (see "Yes Man") and the band was lined up for a USA tour, but in January 1971 Linda announced she had decided to leave the business. It was a sad, but inevitable, decision: the band had worked hard for two and a half years and yet had little to show for it. The fun had gone.
The remaining contracted gigs were honoured and the guys went their separate ways.