Clouds (2)

Clouds were a progressive rock group from Edinburgh, Scotland who never found true commercial success despite rave reviews for their records and concerts. Not to be confused with The Clouds (2) (1980s indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland). In their earlier incarnation as '1-2-3', Edinburgh's Clouds had a now-legendary residency at the Marquee club in early 1967, directly influencing many important bands such as [a50263], The Nice, and [a70828]. They were managed by Brian Epstein and Nems, but this association ended shortly after Epstein’s death, and the band was signed by [a267837] to the fledgling Chrysalis empire. But the success of [a30122] took the focus away from Clouds, and despite successful European and American tours, and numerous recordings with Island records, the band failed to capture the imagination of the record-buying public, and disbanded in Oct 1971.As years passed, however, it was the band's earlier incarnation as 1-2-3 that became the subject of a critical reappraisal. With accolades from the likes of David Bowie and others, the band's distinctive guitar-less, organ-driven sound is now viewed as a definitive precursor to the progressive rock movement.