Quatermass (band)

Quatermass
Origin	London, England
Genres	Progressive rock
Years active	1969–1971
Labels	Harvest
Associated acts	Episode Six Ian Gillan Band Gillan
Members
Mick Underwood John Gustafson Peter Robinson

Quatermass was a British progressive rock band formed in London, England in September 1969. Lauded as a band of the future on the release of their debut album and supplementing single, "Black Sheep of the Family", major commercial success eluded the band throughout its brief duration.

Career

The trio consisted of bass player and vocalist John Gustafson, keyboardist Peter Robinson (born John Peter Robinson, 16 September 1945, Fulmer, Buckinghamshire) and Mick Underwood on drums, all well-established and previously distinguished musicians who had met while playing in Episode Six. As Quatermass, these musicians strove for a distinguished organ-tinged sound, with swinging rock coupled with striking ballads. Their first and only album sold itself through "...compactness, wealth of ideas, forceful lead vocals and complicated arrangements, enriched by pianist Robinson's tasteful use of classical strings which are on display along with spacious keyboard passages at their height in the mold of The Nice."

In 1994, Underwood, and Nick Simper joined in a project titled Quatermass II. Gustafson contributed two songs on their eventual album, Long Road (1997), which also involved Gary Davis and Bart Foley on guitar, with Don Airey on keyboards.

The band took its name from Professor Bernard Quatermass, a fictional scientist who had been the hero of three science fiction serials produced by BBC Television in the 1950s.

Discography

Albums

• Quatermass (1970)
• Quatermass II: Long Road (1997)

Singles

• "Black Sheep of the Family" / "Good Lord Knows" (1970)
• "One Blind Mice" / "Punting" (1971)
• "Gemini" / "Black Sheep of the Family" (1971)