You have to feel for bassist/vocalist Lee Jackson and drummer
Brian "Blinky" Davison. By the end of 1969, the three years of hard work they'd put in as the engine room of
the Nice were beginning to pay dividends. From being
P.P. Arnold's backing band, through the early days of psychedelia, they had gone on to lay the foundations for what would become known to future generations as progressive rock, and had begun playing prestigious gigs with full symphony orchestras. But Jackson and
Davison must have known even then that few members of their ever growing audiences were there to marvel at their bass and drum playing, proficient as they were. No, they were there to see
Keith Emerson doing battle with his Hammond organ. So when
Emerson professed himself dissatisfied, in particular with Jackson's distinctive croak of a voice, and left to form
ELP, they could have been forgiven for anticipating a period of downscaling. Jackson promptly decided he'd had enough of prog rock anyway and formed the altogether folkier
Jackson Heights, with whom he recorded five largely acoustic albums. For his part,
Davison took something of a jazz-rock direction with the short-lived Every Which Way. But when in 1973 they discovered the keyboard wizardry of the Swiss-born
Patrick Moraz, then a member of
Mainhorse, both were quick to spot the potential for creating a
Nice Mark II. The new band was called
Refugee, and their debut album was released by Charisma to mostly rave reviews. Extensive touring followed and global success seemed assured. Until, that is, word filtered through that
Rick Wakeman had left
Yes and a replacement keyboard wizard was being urgently sought. It can't have come as much of a surprise to the long-suffering Jackson and
Davison when
Moraz landed the job, once more leaving them without a frontman. This time, however, there would be no comeback. ~ Christopher Evans