The Nice

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Gotta Start Somewhere...

P P Arnold

The First Cut Is The Deepest / Speak To Me Stevens (3:07) / Hurst-Oldham (2:15) Immediate E-1901, 7/67

Note: The Nice were formed as a back-up band for former Ikette Arnold, but soon broke out on their own.
 

Jimmy, meet Keith... If music critics hammer Jimmy Page's thieving ways, then we shouldn't let Keith Emerson off the hook. But Keith "borrowed" (mostly) from dead guys†—great composers who have had their classical works adapted into pop hits since the 1920s. Wiki has a section on the music that "inspired " Keith †OK, so Dave Brubeck wasn't dead and he really should've credited him for Rondo (Dave's Blue Rondo à la Turk)

1/29-2/10/68: Steve Paul's Scene, New York with One

Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack / Arzial (Angel Of Death)¹ Emerson-O'List (2:40) / Emerson-Jackson (2:48) Immediate 5004, 2/68 Also their first UK single (Immediate IM-059, 11/67)

	The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack
	Immediate Z12-52004
	2/68 [UK: 12/67]
	Back Cover

Side One
Flower King Of Flies	Emerson-Jackson	3:56
Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack	Emerson-O'List	2:47
Bonnie K	Jackson-O'List	3:22
Rondo	Emerlist Davjack	8:25
Side Two
War And Peace	Emerlist Davjack	5:13
Tantalising Maggie	Emerson-Jackson	4:30
Dawn	Davison-Emerson-Jackson	5:07
The Cry Of Eugene	Emerson-Jackson-O'List	4:30

America (From "West Side Story")~2nd Movement² / Diamond Hard Apples Of The Moon¹ Bernstein-Sondheim/Davjack (6:20) / Davjack (2:46) Immediate 5008, 11/68 UK

Davy O'List fired during recording of second album, continue as trio

	Ars Longa Vita Brevis
	Immediate Z12-52020
	3/69 [UK: 12/68]
	Back Cover

Side One
America/2nd Amendment	Bernstein-Sondheim/Davjack	3:55
Daddy, Where Did I Come From?	Emerson-Jackson	3:44
Little Arabella	Emerson-Jackson	4:18
Happy Freuds	Emerson-Jackson	3:25
Intermezzo From The Karelia Suite	Sibelius	8:57
Don Edito el Gruva	Davison-Emerson-Jackson	:13
Side Two
Ars Longa Vita Brevis    Prelude    1st Movement - Awakening    2nd Movement - Realization    3rd Movement - Acceptance "Brandenburger"    4th Movement - Denial    Coda - Extension To The Big Note	Emerson    Davison    Emerson-Jackson-O'List    Davison-Emerson-Jackson    Davison-Emerson-Jackson    Emerson	19:20

Note: For the UK release, side two was subtitled: Symphony For Group And Orchestra; America/2nd Amendment added for US issue

	Nice
	Immediate Z12-52022
	10/69 [UK: 8/69] T20
	Back Cover   Reissue Cover   Reissue Back Cover Same gatefold as the UK release  UK Cover   UK Back Cover   UK Inside

Side One
Azrael Revisited	Emerson-Jackson	5:52
Hang On To A Dream	Hardin	4:46
Diary Of An Empty Day	Emerson-Jackson	3:54
For Example	Emerson-Jackson	8:51
Side Two
Rondo '69	Davison-Emerson-Jackson	7:53
She Belongs To Me	Dylan	12:15

Note: Side 2 recorded live at The Fillmore East, 4/9-10/69; Rondo '69 is based on Dave Brubeck's Blue Rondo A La Turk
Reissued (with new cover - see note) as Everything As Nice As Mother Makes It (Immediate IMOCS-102) the next month (11/69)
when record production changed to Capitol. See the April 2020 update for details
 

 ➜ Live: 12/19-20/69, Fillmore East; released 2009: Live At The Fillmore East December 1969 

Keith forms ELP with Greg Lake (from King Crimson) and Carl Palmer (from Atomic Rooster)

	Five Bridges
	Mercury SR-61295
	7/70 BB [UK: 6/70] T20
	Back Cover   Inside Cover

Side One
Fantasia: 1st Bridge	Emerson-Jackson	6:08
2nd Bridge	Emerson-Jackson	3:59
Chorale: 3rd Bridge	Emerson-Jackson	3:30
High Level Fugue: 4th Bridge	Emerson-Jackson	1:02
Final: 5th Bridge	Emerson-Jackson	3:34
Side Two
Intermezzo "Karelia Suite"	Sibelius, arr Eger-Emerson	9:00
"Pathetique" Symphony No. 6, 3rd Movement	Tchaikovsky, arr Eger-Emerson	9:27
Country Pie/Brandenburg Concerto No. 6	Dylan/Bach	5:40
One Of Those People	Emerson-Jackson	3:08

Note: The five bridges honored are those at Newcastle, UK spanning the River Tyne. The piece was arranged by Keith and Joseph.
Side One and first two tracks on Side Two recorded 10/17/69, Fairfield Hall, Croydon
Side Two, track three (Country Pie..) recorded 4/10/69, Fillmore East
 

Isle of Wight Festival(8/29/70) ELP

Country Pie-Brandenburg Concerto #6-Part 1³ / One Of Those People Dylan/Bach (2:48) / Emerson-Jackson (3:08) Mercury 73114, 9/70 as by: Keith Emerson With The Nice

	Emerson, Lake & Palmer
	Cotillion SD-9040
	1/71 T20 [UK: 11/70] T20
	Back Cover

Side One
The Barbarian	Bartok, arr Emerson-Lake-Palmer	4:27
Take A Pebble	Lake	12:32
Knife Edge	Emerson-Frazer-Lake	5:04
Side Two
The Three Fates:    Clotho(Royal Festival Hall Organ)    Lachesis(Piano Solo)    Atropos(Piano Trio)	Emerson	7:46
Tank	Emerson-Palmer	6:49
Lucky Man	Lake	4:36

Note: No, that is not Spirit's Ed Cassidy in the back painting. Read Nic's explanation @ wiki
The Barbarian is an adopation of Bela Bartok's Allegro Barbaro (1911).
 

Lucky Man / Knife Edge Lake (4:36) / Emerson-Frazer-Lake (5:04) Cotillion 44106, 3/71 BB

	Elegy
	Mercury SR-61324
	4/71 [UK: 4/71] T20
	Back Cover   UK Full Cover   UK Inside Cover

Side One
Hang On To A Dream†	Hardin	12:43
My Back Pages	Dylan	9:12
Side Two
"Pathétique" Symphony No. 6, 3rd Movement	Tchaikovsky	7:05
America†	Bernstein-Sondheim	10:27

Note: †recorded 12/19-20/69, Fillmore East
 

4/21/71: Thiel College, Greenville, PA ELP's US debut at a small college (<1000 students)

	Tarkus
	Cotillion SD-9900
	6/71 T20 [UK: 6/71]  #1
	Full Cover   Inside Cover

Side One
Tarkus:
Eruption	Emerson	2:43
Stones Of Years	Emerson-Lake	3:43
Iconoclast	Emerson	1:16
Mass	Emerson-Lake	3:09
Manticore	Emerson	1:49
Battlefield	Lake	3:57
Aquatarkus	Emerson	3:54
Side Two
Jeremy Bender	Emerson-Lake	1:41
Bitches Crystal	Emerson-Lake	3:54
The Only Way (Hymn)†	Emerson-Lake	3:50
Infinite Space (Conclusion)	Emerson-Palmer	3:18
A Time And A Place	Emerson-Lake-Palmer	3:00
Are You Ready Eddy?	Emerson-Lake-Palmer	2:09

Keith Emerson-Hammond organ, piano, celeste, Moog synthesizer, pipe organ at St Mark's Church, Finchley†
Greg Lake-bass, guitars, lead vocals
Carl Palmer-drums, percussion
§Paintings-William Neal
Produced by: Greg Lake

Note: Album notes for The Only Way (Hymn): Themes used in intro, and bridge only - Tocata in F and Prelude VI, Bach
Are You Ready Eddy? is a jam based on The Girl Can't Help It. Too bad they didn't credit Dr Early (Bobby Troup).
More about the armadillo with tank treads @ wiki
 

Stone Of Years³ / A Time And A Place Emerson-Lake (2:44) / Emerson-Lake-Palmer (2:58) Cotillion 44131, 9/71

Links!