Refugee were a

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Initi ...

band formed in 1973 that consisted of vocalist and bassist Lee Jackson, drummer Brian Davison and keyboardist

Patrick Moraz Patrick Philippe Moraz (born 24 June 1948) is a Swiss musician, film composer and songwriter, best known for his tenures as keyboardist in the rock bands Yes and The Moody Blues. Born into a musical family, Moraz learned music at a young age a ...

. They released one album, ''

Refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

'' (1974), and went on several tours. Refugee were preparing material for a second album when Moraz left the group in August 1974 to join Yes. The group subsequently dissolved.

History

Jackson had formed Jackson Heights, while Davison formed his own band, Brian Davison's Every Which Way. After their fourth and final album ''Bump 'n' Grind'' (1973), Jackson Heights were looking for another keyboard player on tour, so Lee Jackson approached Patrick Moraz to ask him if he would be interested in joining. Moraz proposed forming a new band instead, and specifically with drummer Brian Davison, who had been in

The Nice The Nice were an English progressive rock band active in the late 1960s. They blended rock, jazz and classical music and were keyboardist Keith Emerson's first commercially successful band. The group was formed in 1967 by Emerson, Lee Jacks ...

with Jackson. They took on Fred Munt as their manager, and Munt's wife Gail Colson came up with the band name Refugee. The music press characterized Refugee as an attempted revival of The Nice. The three signed to

Charisma Records Charisma Records (also known as The Famous Charisma Label) was a British record label founded in 1969 by former journalist Tony Stratton-Smith. He had previously acted as manager for rock bands such as The Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der ...

, and developed a tight sound by practising up to eight hours each day. After a few months of this, Refugee played their first concert, at

The Roundhouse The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhouse, ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

on 2 December 1973. Refugee recorded their only studio album, ''

Refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

'' (1974), at

Island Studios An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An islan ...

in London. The music was composed by Moraz, with lyrics from Jackson. Refugee supported the album with a tour. Refugee began preparing material for a second album, and at least one song that would have been included on the album, "One Left Handed Peter Pan", was played in their later concerts. The group dissolved in August 1974, when Moraz accepted an offer to join Yes, as the replacement for the departing

Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist best known as a former member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his solo albums released in the 1970s. Born and raised ...

. At their final concert, held at The Roundhouse (like their debut) on 11 August 1974, Jackson announced that this would be their final performance since Moraz was leaving. Davison went on to work with

Gong A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...

. A live album, '' Live in Concert Newcastle City Hall 1974'', was released in 2007. In 2019 a Refugee three-disc

boxed set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...

was released, compiling the band's studio album, the live album, and a

BBC Radio One BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

live recording.

Discography

*''

Refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

'' (1974) *'' Live in Concert Newcastle City Hall 1974'' (2007)

References

;Footnotes ;Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Refugee English progressive rock groups Musical groups established in 1974