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Clouds were a 1960s Progressive rock band that disbanded in October 1971. The band consisted of Ian Ellis (bass & lead vocals), Harry Hughes (drums) and Billy Ritchie (keyboards).

In early 1964, Ian Ellis and Harry Hughes were playing in a band called The Premiers. The band itself consisted of Bill Lawrence (bass guitar), ‘Shammy’ Lafferty (rhythm guitar), Derek Reid (Lead guitar), Harry Hughes (drums) and Ian Ellis (vocals). It was decided that an organ would help the sound of the band, and Billy Ritchie joined.

Cyril Stapleton took the band to London to record some demos, but nothing came of that, and Derek Reid, Bill Lawrence, and James Lafferty decided to leave. It seemed that Ritchie joining the band had prompted more changes than had been intended. Ian Ellis decided that he would take up the position of bass guitarist as well as lead vocalist. The group decided to move in a new musical direction, and changed their name from The Premiers to 1-2-3.

1-2-3 had a much different sound from the previous band, or from almost any other band at that time.^[1] After achieving little success in Scotland, the band moved to London, England where they hoped that their original music would catch on, but "early audiences were confused by the lack of a guitarist."^[2]

The band were given a headlining residency performing at the Marquee Club, which was unusual, as they hadn't first performed the customary support spots. At the time, they were described as "a unique group...who have created an entirely new sound in pop group music". The same publication referred to "the truly exciting nature of 1-2-3."^[3] During the time the group performed at the club during 1967, they were signed by NEMS management company and Brian Epstein of Beatles fame. This event was heralded in the National Press, complete with photograph and accompanying article.^[4]

Among the Marquee audiences were future superstars such as Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, King Crimson, Yes, and David Bowie, who said, when interviewed by Record Mirror in 1967, that they were "three thistle and haggis voiced bairns [who] had the audacity to face a mob of self-opinionated hippies with a brand of unique pop music which, because of its intolerance of mediocrity, floated, as would a Hogarth cartoon in Beano."^[5]

The death of Brian Epstein, founder of NEMS, left the band in the care of Robert Stigwood, his successor. But Stigwood had just signed The Bee Gees, fellow Australians, and was preoccupied with making them a success. This brought an end to the management relationship shortly afterwards. After parting company with NEMS, the band kept busy playing in the local London club circuit. At a club in Ilford, east London, the band were seen by Terry Ellis who quickly signed them to his new agency, and re-named the band Clouds.

Originally known as the Ellis-Wright agency, the organisation grew and became Chrysalis. Clouds had also risen in prominence, playing many major tours, and appearing at the Royal Albert Hall and many of the headlining concert venues in the world, including the Fillmore East in New York.^[6] The band released a number of albums during this period. The recordings were generally very well received by the critics, with respectable sales.^[7] Concert reviews were also favourable. A review of a 1970 concert at the Arragon ballroom, Chicago, began by saying 'This band will be a giant.' ^[8]

But despite some initial success for the band, Chrysalis increasingly focused its attention on Jethro Tull, and the momentum was lost. Only in hindsight was the pioneering role of the group revealed, and in that light, it was 1-2-3 who had carried the torch.^[9] Ritchie, the organist, was credited as being the first of his kind, providing a role model for others, such as Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman.^[10] Though the later incarnation, Clouds, was interesting, the music had become somewhat watered-down and mainstream, and the group disbanded in October 1971, unable to find a niche in an overcrowded progressive rock scene.^[11]

Date of release	Title	Record label
1969	"Make No Bones About It" b/w "Heritage" (single)	Island WIP6055
1969	You Can All Join In (sampler)	Island IWPS2
1969	"Scrapbook" (album)	Island ILPS9100
1969	"Scrapbook" b/w "Carpenter" (single)	Island WIP6067
1969	"Scrapbook" b/w "Old Man" (single)	Island (European continent only)
1969	"Bumpers" (sampler)	Island IDP1
1969	"Up Above Our Heads" (album)	Deram Records DES18044 (USA/Canada only)
1970	"Take Me To Your Leader" b/w "Old Man" (single)	Island (European continent only)
1971	"Watercolour Days"	Island/Chrysalis ILPS9151, Deram
1996	"Scrapbook/Watercolour Days" (re-issue)	BGO Records BGOCD317
1999	"Coda"	Sunrise Records
2007	"Strangely Strange but Oddly Normal"	Island-Universal Records 9822950 Box set

1. ^ The History of Scottish Rock and Pop by Brian Hogg BBC/Guiness publishing. Quote ‘There was nothing remotely like it around’. Also published on Clouds website
2. ^ The Illustrated History of Rock; Clouds by Ed Ward; also published on Clouds website
3. ^ Marquee club programme, March 1967. Reprinted in “The History of Scottish Rock and Pop” by Brian Hogg (BBC/Guinness Publishing), shown on the Clouds website
4. ^ Daily Record June 1967. Also reprinted in Mojo Magazine Nov 1994 and Clouds website
5. ^ Record Mirror June 1967, letter by David Bowie plus interview and photograph. Reprinted in Mojo Magazine Nov 1994 and on Clouds website
6. ^ Fillmore East programme June 1970. Reprinted in Mojo magazine Nov 1994 and on Clouds website
7. ^ Melody Maker ‘Album of the Month‘ (Scrapbook) Sep 1969. Kid Jensen radio show ‘Album of the week‘ (Watercolour Days) March 1971
8. ^ Billboard Magazine concert review July 1970. Reprinted in Mojo Magazine Nov 1994 and Clouds website
9. ^ Mojo Magazine “1-2-3 and the Birth of Prog“ Nov 1994. Also reprinted on Clouds website. “The History of Scottish Rock and Pop“ by Brian Hogg (BBC/Guinness publishing)
10. ^ Q Magazine record review by Martin Aston May 1996 quote “a definite influence on the following Nice and ELP”, “the virtuoso keyboards of Billy Ritchie, pre-empting Emerson and Wakeman“, “the most outstanding“. “The Illustrated History of Rock“ - Clouds by Ed Ward “Ritchie took the lead role, standing, of all things, and thereby became the model for Emerson and Wakeman to follow“ . Mojo Magazine interview with Ed Bicknell (manager of Dire Straits) Nov 1994 “The organist, Billy Ritchie, was especially brilliant“. Interview with David Bowie in the same article “ Billy was yet another unrecognised genius“ All on Clouds website
11. ^ “The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Popular Music” edited by Colin Larkin. Now on Virgin books as “ The Virgin Encyclopaedia of Popular Music”

• www.cloudsmusic.com