It's Flash -- lead singer, Colin Carter, and original bassist, Ray Bennett, now on lead guitar, replacing Pete Banks. The new members are another Brit, Mark Pardy, replacing Mike Hough on drums, Rick Daugherty on keys and Wayne Carver on bass. Thanks for asking.
It's been a long time coming but It's official...the release date for the new Flash CD is May 21st on Cleopatra Records. Title-"FLASH featuring Ray Bennett and Colin Carter."
This is wonderful stuff - i saw Flash at the Sundown Edmonton in N London. They were on with Beck Bogert and Appice - still one of the best concerts i have ever seen. I seem to remember that Tony Kaye played with them - the original Yes Hammond Organ player The first Flash album is still up there with the greats - Pleased tosee Flash have reformed Progdave
@sherrynoland - nice one sherry - they sound really good in this video - I mentioned 73 cause that's when the BBA/Flash gig was (February 73) Thanks for uploading this, all the best.
Thanks for posting this live footage from 2010, Sherry. Keep me posted if they are going to be touring in the NY/ NJ market. They sounded in great form at this concert.
Great video! I always admired Ray Bennett. His bass playing could equal if not better anything by Squire. Too bad Bennett, Carter and the rest of the original line up didn't get the recognition they deserved. When the first LP came out, people accused Banks and Kaye of exploiting their roots with Yes but, my god, the roots were theirs too and they had just as much right to that sound as Anderson and all the rest. To me, Kaye made a terrible mistake by not joining Flash as a full time member. He had the Yes pedigree so why not milk it? Instead he formed Badger, with, I suspect, encouragement from Anderson and Squire who probably didn't want to see him team up with Banks.
..better than Squire? Maybe? I just like how Squire's bass stands out to people who do not play the bass. This bass doesn't seem to stand out but you could be right?
Keon Crosswell this live performance has Wayne Carver on bass, not Ray Bennett. Ray plays bass in the studio and on the new CD. Too bad he's only got two hands!
@TheJetfighter666 - Ray's putting the finishing touches on the new CD and expects a Jan. 2011 release. I'll keep everybody posted. It's my pleasure to spread the word!
@NeilThompson30 - The first Flash album was recorded in '71 and Tony was a guest on the album, but never a member of the band. Flash toured without keyboards. Lots of "Flashy" guitar and bass had to get the job done...and I hear they did!
Peter made it impossible, my friend. It was truly a shame, but I'm so glad Ray and Colin finally realized there was unfinished Flash business and decided to carry on. Check out the new Flash facebook page at facebook/FlashFeaturingRayBennettColinCarter
@thelustjohnnylust - Yes, I'm sorry it's out of sync. I'm trying to fix it, but I'm not sure how. I may have to start over with another upload. Glad you like the music!
good music from these guys.......only other band that comes close is Yes but they made it BIG and are now 'commercial'.Flash is more creative!!!! thanx!
THANK YOU SHERRY! I am so happy I lived long enough to see this! Wish I had been there .As you know my store went backrupt and I'm in hiding lol. I will meet you guys in the future . Now how do i get the new album? Ronnie Ace
Great to see that Carter and Bennett finally got the band back on the march again. But I feel it was far too late - 37 years or so, is way too long for a band who never saw that much action, or had that much of a fanbase, to be inactive. And they had way too little experience in the studio to really develop a strong identity, or on the live circuit to establish a really strong following. My god, they were good, though!! If only they had been able to take on the estimable services of Yes's Eddie Offord and Tony Colton as engineer and producer (on Time And A Word), to rein in their more outlandish flights of fancy and say 'look, this really doesn't work', 'these vocals could do with being more finely harmonised and not so flat', or 'this bit is boring or tedious, and is going to work against the album's longevity in people's minds' - all these things and more did the band no favours. They clearly had the ability and the individuality to rise and soar on wings of fire around the entire planet, but it all got dissipated by a lack of direction and poor management. Whereas they could and should have been one of those bands in the rarefied shortlist that people always namecheck when listing prog giants - Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Van der Graaf Generator, ELP, Jethro Tull, Family, Greenslade, Todd Rundgren and, personally at least, Caravan, Camel, Starcastle, Stardrive, Rare Bird, Fields and Refugee. There have been no greater bands in the entire history of rock, and Flash should have been up there with them in the top bracket. Bye, Peter - thank you so very much for the small but vital legacy of great music and memories. The flame I always carried in my heart for Flash was never quite bright enough to illuminate the dark corners of unreceptive minds. But the music is made for ever, and will be discovered and appreciated by future generations through this miracle we are now so fortunate to have at our fingertips... if the gathering forces of recessive primitivism currently threatening to wipe out all technological progress and enlightenment around the world aren't crushed out of existence before they can succeed. (I hadn't intended for this to be a soap box mouthpiece for a political message, but... there's nothing more dangerous than a 13th century mindset with access to 21st century technology. Fare thee well, starship envoys of the future, and let the music of our hard-won freedom inform and guide you safely across the vast void of the cosmos. You are all truly Children Of The Universe).
To Terry Platt: I can tell you Ray and Colin don't make music because of anything other than the pure desire to do it. Therefore, it can never be "too late." Thanks for all the kind words and appreciation. Ray has said he, too, was dissatisfied with a lot of their early efforts. This is another chance to do it better, maybe even "soar on wings of fire." We'll see. That's always the intention...
Wow... To bad this video is way "out-of-sink" at times... Makes it way frustrating to enjoy the performance... I'm just saying... The music is good though...
Great !!! I have these guys from the 70's. Still sound super. Thanks for posting.
It's Flash -- lead singer, Colin Carter, and original bassist, Ray Bennett, now on lead guitar, replacing Pete Banks. The new members are another Brit, Mark Pardy, replacing Mike Hough on drums, Rick Daugherty on keys and Wayne Carver on bass. Thanks for asking.
It's been a long time coming but It's official...the release date for the new Flash CD is May 21st on Cleopatra Records. Title-"FLASH featuring Ray Bennett and Colin Carter."
RIP Peter Banks
This is wonderful stuff - i saw Flash at the Sundown Edmonton in N London. They were on with Beck Bogert and Appice - still one of the best concerts i have ever seen.
I seem to remember that Tony Kaye played with them - the original Yes Hammond Organ player
The first Flash album is still up there with the greats -
Pleased tosee Flash have reformed
Progdave
@sherrynoland - nice one sherry - they sound really good in this video - I mentioned 73 cause that's when the BBA/Flash gig was (February 73) Thanks for uploading this, all the best.
Thanks for posting this live footage from 2010, Sherry. Keep me posted if they are going to be touring in the NY/ NJ market. They sounded in great form at this concert.
Great video! I always admired Ray Bennett. His bass playing could equal if not better anything by Squire. Too bad Bennett, Carter and the rest of the original line up didn't get the recognition they deserved. When the first LP came out, people accused Banks and Kaye of exploiting their roots with Yes but, my god, the roots were theirs too and they had just as much right to that sound as Anderson and all the rest. To me, Kaye made a terrible mistake by not joining Flash as a full time member. He had the Yes pedigree so why not milk it? Instead he formed Badger, with, I suspect, encouragement from Anderson and Squire who probably didn't want to see him team up with Banks.
..better than Squire? Maybe? I just like how Squire's bass stands out to people who do not play the bass. This bass doesn't seem to stand out but you could be right?
Keon Crosswell this live performance has Wayne Carver on bass, not Ray Bennett. Ray plays bass in the studio and on the new CD. Too bad he's only got two hands!
oh ok I get it
@TheJetfighter666 - Ray's putting the finishing touches on the new CD and expects a Jan. 2011 release. I'll keep everybody posted. It's my pleasure to spread the word!
Sherry, that was GREAT!! I'm sure sorry that I wasn't there to share in the fun!! Standing ovation & everything!! Thanks for posting, dear!!
@NeilThompson30 - The first Flash album was recorded in '71 and Tony was a guest on the album, but never a member of the band. Flash toured without keyboards. Lots of "Flashy" guitar and bass had to get the job done...and I hear they did!
very nice =COME BACK!!!
Peter made it impossible, my friend. It was truly a shame, but I'm so glad Ray and Colin finally realized there was unfinished Flash business and decided to carry on. Check out the new Flash facebook page at facebook/FlashFeaturingRayBennettColinCarter
@thelustjohnnylust - Yes, I'm sorry it's out of sync. I'm trying to fix it, but I'm not sure how. I may have to start over with another upload. Glad you like the music!
good music from these guys.......only other band that comes close is Yes but they made it BIG and are now 'commercial'.Flash is more creative!!!! thanx!
THANK YOU SHERRY! I am so happy I lived long enough to see this! Wish I had been there .As you know my store went backrupt and I'm in hiding lol. I will meet you guys in the future . Now how do i get the new album? Ronnie Ace
Great to see that Carter and Bennett finally got the band back on the march again. But I feel it was far too late - 37 years or so, is way too long for a band who never saw that much action, or had that much of a fanbase, to be inactive. And they had way too little experience in the studio to really develop a strong identity, or on the live circuit to establish a really strong following. My god, they were good, though!! If only they had been able to take on the estimable services of Yes's Eddie Offord and Tony Colton as engineer and producer (on Time And A Word), to rein in their more outlandish flights of fancy and say 'look, this really doesn't work', 'these vocals could do with being more finely harmonised and not so flat', or 'this bit is boring or tedious, and is going to work against the album's longevity in people's minds' - all these things and more did the band no favours. They clearly had the ability and the individuality to rise and soar on wings of fire around the entire planet, but it all got dissipated by a lack of direction and poor management. Whereas they could and should have been one of those bands in the rarefied shortlist that people always namecheck when listing prog giants - Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Van der Graaf Generator, ELP, Jethro Tull, Family, Greenslade, Todd Rundgren and, personally at least, Caravan, Camel, Starcastle, Stardrive, Rare Bird, Fields and Refugee. There have been no greater bands in the entire history of rock, and Flash should have been up there with them in the top bracket.
Bye, Peter - thank you so very much for the small but vital legacy of great music and memories. The flame I always carried in my heart for Flash was never quite bright enough to illuminate the dark corners of unreceptive minds. But the music is made for ever, and will be discovered and appreciated by future generations through this miracle we are now so fortunate to have at our fingertips... if the gathering forces of recessive primitivism currently threatening to wipe out all technological progress and enlightenment around the world aren't crushed out of existence before they can succeed. (I hadn't intended for this to be a soap box mouthpiece for a political message, but... there's nothing more dangerous than a 13th century mindset with access to 21st century technology. Fare thee well, starship envoys of the future, and let the music of our hard-won freedom inform and guide you safely across the vast void of the cosmos. You are all truly Children Of The Universe).
Reads like you watched the last 15 minutes of the COSMOS series finally. If you didn't ,check it out and you will hear why. :)
Reads like you watched the last 15 minutes of the COSMOS series finale. If you didn't ,check it out and you will hear why. :)
To Terry Platt: I can tell you Ray and Colin don't make music because of anything other than the pure desire to do it. Therefore, it can never be "too late." Thanks for all the kind words and appreciation. Ray has said he, too, was dissatisfied with a lot of their early efforts. This is another chance to do it better, maybe even "soar on wings of fire." We'll see. That's always the intention...
@progdave - I thought Tony Kaye was in Badger by 73
If you want to cut to the chase, music starts at 1:30...
Wow... To bad this video is way "out-of-sink" at times... Makes it way frustrating to enjoy the performance... I'm just saying... The music is good though...