''Midnight Wire'' is the fifth studio album by

Curved Air Curved Air are an English progressive rock group formed in 1970 by musicians from mixed artistic backgrounds, including classical, folk, and electronic sound. The resulting sound of the band is a mixture of progressive rock, folk rock, and fus ...

and was recorded in 1975. It marked another line-up change in the band, with

Darryl Way Richard Darryl Way (born 17 December 1948 in Taunton, Somerset, England) is an English rock and classical musician who was a founding member of Curved Air and co-writer of their Progressive Rock seminal albums from 1970 to 1976. He is best kno ...

and

Sonja Kristina Sonja Kristina (born Sonia Christina Shaw; 14 April 1949) is an English singer, best known for starring in the seminal 1960s musical ''Hair'', and for being the lead vocalist of the 1970s progressive rock band Curved Air.''Rocking the Classics ...

recruiting new musicians after the end of the reunion tour marked by the ''Curved Air - Live'' album. Kristina's friend Norma Tager, who had helped design the costumes she wore on stage from Curved Air's reunion in 1974 to their breakup in 1976, contributed all the lyrics to the songs.

Background and recording

The album's recording was marked by intense and bitter arguments between the band and producers Ron and Howard Albert, who often vehemently criticized the band members.Sutcliffe, Phil & Fielder, Hugh (1981). ''L'Historia Bandido''. London and New York: Proteus Books. . p. 16.

Track listing

Side one

#"Woman On A One Night Stand" (

, Norma Tager) – 5:06 #"Day Breaks My Heart" (

, Tager) – 4:38 #"The Fool" (Way,

Mick Jacques Curved Air are an English progressive rock group formed in 1970 by musicians from mixed artistic backgrounds, including classical, folk, and electronic sound. The resulting sound of the band is a mixture of progressive rock, folk rock, and fu ...

, Tager) – 4:27 #"Pipe of Dreams" (Jacques) – 3:58

Side two

#"Orange Street Blues" (Way, Tager) – 5:01 #"Dance of Love" (Jacques, Way, Tager) – 4:36 #"Midnight Wire" (Way, Tager) – 7:32

Personnel

;Curved Air *

– lead vocals *

–

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

–

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

s *

Stewart Copeland Stewart Armstrong Copeland (born July 16, 1952) is a Scottish-American musician and composer. He is best known for his work as the drummer of the English rock band the Police from 1977 to 1986, and again from 2007 to 2008. Before playing with th ...

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

;Guest musicians *

John G. Perry John G. Perry (born 19 January 1947 in Auburn, New York, United States) is a British bass guitarist and singer. He was born in the U.S. to British parents and when he was young, the family moved back to England. Perry's first band of note was ...

–

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

* Peter Wood –

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

s * Derek Damain – backing vocals on "The Fool" ;Technical *Will Reid-Dick - engineer *Bob Searles, Liz Gilmore - sleeve design "Thanks to Beric Wickens, Carolann Nicholls,

Ian Copeland Ian Adie Copeland (April 25, 1949 – May 23, 2006) was an American music promoter and booking agent who helped launch the new wave movement in the United States. Early life Copeland was born in Rif Dimashq near Damascus, Syria, the second of ...

, Miles Copeland, Moray McMillin, Nick Blackburn"

References

{{Authority control Curved Air albums 1975 albums