Carmen

A unique band, Carmen combined flamenco music with progressive rock. Adding to their distinctiveness was the fact that during long instrumental passages, members of the band would dance on-stage, adding those sounds to the instrumental mix. Composed of Roberto Amaral (vocals, castanets), David Allen (guitar), his sister Angela Allen (keyboards), John Glascock (bass) -- who later worked with Jethro Tull -- and Paul Fenton (drums), Carmen's sound was focused on up-beat flamenco guitar with a strong rhythm section and subtle keyboards. Their first album, Dancing on a Cold Wind, was released in 1973 and featured the 23-minute epic "Remembrances (Recuerdos de Espana)." It was followed by Fandangos in Space in 1974. The quintet's final album was The Gypsies, released in 1975, a more restrained effort than previous releases. ~ Geoff Orens