Keith West: Cross That Bridge - The Anthology 1965-1999, 2CD

• First ever anthology of singer songwriter Keith West compiled by West himself.

• Stretching from his first recordings with Four + One in 1965 up to a 1999 cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Lay Lady Lay’ with guitarist Steve Howe.

• Includes Keith West’s UK #2 hit ‘Excerpt From A Teenage Opera’ plus its follow up ‘Sam (From A Teenage Opera)’ plus six tracks by his cult psychedelic band Tomorrow including a recently discovered demo version of their debut single ‘My White Bicycle’ taken from acetate.

• Features all nine recordings by his mod soul group The In Crowd comprising the A and B sides of their four singles including their UK #48 hit ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is’, an originally unreleased cover of Ike And Tina Turner’s ‘Finger Poppin’’ and two tracks recorded for the Michelangelo Antonioni film Blow-Up but not used.

CD 1 covers Keith’s 1960s recordings with his evolving band initially named Four + One then The In Crowd and finally Tomorrow. Guitarist Steve Howe (later of Yes), joined The In Crowd before their second single and also features in Tomorrow alongside future Pretty Things and Pink Fairies drummer John ‘Twink’ Alder. As The In Crowd they gained a mod following playing venues such as The Marquee, Tottenham’s Club Noreik and Portsmouth’s The Birdcage while Tomorrow were regulars at The UFO Club and played the legendary 14 Hour Technicolor Dream event at Alexandra Palace. Also featured are Keith’s three 1960s solo singles plus a cancelled fourth single and demos.

CD 2 shows that Keith’s 1970s and 1980s recordings are little known gems ripe for discovery. These include his singles for the Deram label, tracks from his 1974 solo album ‘Wherever My Love Goes' and 1975 recordings with Moonrider, a group that also featured Bruce Thomas (later of Elvis Costello and The Attractions) and John Weider (formerly of Eric Burdon and The Animals). Keith has donated three previously unreleased demos from his archive. His excellent 1986 collaboration with Howe ‘Cross That Bridge’ provides the Anthology’s title.

Notes are by MOJO magazine’s Lois Wilson and draw from a new interview with Keith West.

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