ECLECTION:

Kerrilee Male (vocals)Michael Rosen (guitar, vocals, trumpet)Georg Hultgreen (guitar, vocals)Trevor Lucas (bass, vocals)Gerry Conway (drums)

(1967)August Canadian singer/songwriter and guitarist Mike Rosen is living in London and meets Norwegian singer/songwriter and guitarist Georg Hultgreen (b. Prince Georg Johan Tchegodaieff, Trondheim, Norway) in a restaurant in Bayswater called Bangers, where he is playing Gordon Lightfoot songs on his 12-string guitar. Hultgreen is the son of Russian prince Pavel Tchegodaieff and Finnish sculptress Johanna Kajanus. They suggest forming a group and round up players from the folk-rock scene. Australian singer/guitarist Trevor Lucas (b. 25 December 1943, Melbourne, Australia; d. 4 February 1989) is recruited after the pair see him perform at the Cambridge Folk Festival and he recommends fellow Australian Kerrilee Male (Newsome) as a singer. Lucas has recorded several albums in Australia before moving the UK in 1965 while Male has previously been a member of Dave’s Place Group with Dave Guard from The Kingston Trio. The final piece in the jigsaw is English drummer Gerry Conway (b. 11 September 1947, King’s Lynn, Norfolk), who was previously a member of Alexis Korner’s backing group. Rosen’s friend, Joni Mitchell names the band, Eclection because in her words, they were such an eclectic bunch. October (16) Band members, Trevor Lucas and Kerrilee Male appear at the Royal Festival Hall for a folk festival, which features a number of artists, including future Eclection singer Dorris Henderson.December (1) Eclection appear at Middle Earth in London, opening for visiting US act, The Electric Prunes.

(1968)April (30) Eclection appear on BBC Radio 1’s Top Gear performing Mark Time, In Her Mind, In The Early Days, Morningof Yesterday and Confusion, which is broadcast on 12 May.June Eclection hold a press reception at London’s Revolution club. (21) The group’s debut single, Rosen’s Nevertheless backed by the non-album single, Hultgreen’s Mark Time is released but does not chart. Around this time, Election appear at the Paradiso club in Amsterdam and appear on Dutch TV. (28) Eclection performs seven songs from their forthcoming album on BBC 2’s Colour Me Pop, including In The Early Days, Morning of Yesterday, Nevertheless, Mark Time and Another Time, Another Place.July (23) Eclection record a second John Peel session for BBC radio, recording Another Time, Another Place, Nevertheless, St Georg & The Dragon and Will You Be The Same? The show is broadcast on 28 July. August (24) The band joins Ten Years After, Family, Peter Sarstedt, Fleetwood Mac, Stefan Grossman, Roy Harper, Fairport Convention and The Deviants for a show in Hyde Park, London.(30) Eclection’s eponymous debut album, produced by Australian Ossie Byrne, is released in the UK to critical acclaim.September (1) The group appears on John Peel’s Top Gear with Tim Hardin, Fairport Convention and Fleetwood Mac.(4) The band makes its debut at the Marquee in London, supporting by Keef Hartley.

(11) The Eclection returns the following week to the Marquee with Gordon Smith the opening act.(25) They appear at Eel Pie Island with Village in support.(29) The band performs at Fairfield Hall, Croydon, Surrey with Jethro Tull, David Ackles, The Alan Price Set, Spooky Tooth, The Nice and Julie Driscoll & The Brian Auger Trinity. October (5) Election travel to Birmingham and appear at Mothers with Ron Greesin.(11) The group’s second single, a cover of US folk-rock band, Kaleidoscope’s Please, which is another non-album track, is released but fails to chart.(12) They appear at Brunel University with Proteus.(16) The band is guest group on BBC 1’s Friday Play where they perform their latest single. American singer Dorris Henderson (b. 1933, Lakeland, Florida; d. 3 March 2005) replaces Kerrilee Male, who leaves after recording their second single. Male holidays in Rome, Italy while trying to decide on her future plans and eventually returns to Australia. (23) Eclection play at the Marquee in London supported by Pegasus. November Eclection’s latest single Please is re-released with Dorris Henderson’s lead vocal replacing Male’s. (6) The band appears at the Marquee in London, supported by East of Eden.(19) Eclection record a John Peel session with producer Bernie Andrews at the BBC’s Piccadilly Studio 1, which comprises Please and three new songs: If I Love Her, Days Left Behind and Time For Love. The session log lists Kerry Male as female singer rather than Dorris Henderson and the show is broadcast on 18 December.December (1) The Beach Boys kick off a 10-day UK tour at the London Palladium with Eclection in support. (14) Eclection appear at Mothers in Birmingham with Ron Greesin.

(1969)January (25) The group performs at Lanchester Arts Festival in Coventry with Family. February (7) Eclection play at Mothers in Birmingham.April (6) After Election shares the bill with Fairport Convention at Mothers in Birmingham, Mike Rosen leaves. The remaining members recruit top jazz guitarist Gary Boyle (b. 24 November 1941, Patna, Behar, India) from The Brian Auger Trinity and vibes player John “Poli” Palmer (b. 25 May 1943, Evesham, Worcestershire), formely a member of Blossom Toes. (21) Eclection’s new line up records another BBC John Peel session with producer Bernie Andrews at the Playhouse Theatre. The session comprises a cover of Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now, three new numbers written by Hultgreen: Earth, Restitution and Put On Your Face and the uncredited Charity. The show is broadcast on 27 April.(23) The revised line up appears at the Pavilion in Hemel Hempstead. (25) The group returns to Birmingham to play a show at Mothers.(26) Eclection performs at Portsmouth College of Education with Harmony Grass. May (11) Eclection play at Mothers in Birmingham with Fairport Convention.(14) The band appears at East Ham Town Hall with The Gods. (20) The group plays at the Speakeasy in London. (29) Sharing the bill with Yes, King Crimson, Bridget St John and Principal Edwards, Eclection appear at the Van Dyke Club in Plymouth, Devon. When Julie Driscoll leaves his band, Brian Auger contacts Gary Boyle and asks him to rejoin. The guitarist leaves just before a prestigious show at the Albert Hall the following week.June (5) Stripped down to a quintet, Eclection appear at the Albert Hall supporting American singer/songwriter Richie Havens. A third single, Rosen’s Confusion, taken from the band’s album is set for release and then delayed. July (6) Eclection play at Mothers in Birmingham with Fairport Convention.

(7) The band returns to the Marquee in London supported by Grail. (21) The group plays another show at the Marquee, once again supported by Grail. (25) Eclection joins Roy Harper and The Liverpool Scene for a show at the Lyceum on the Strand in London. (26) The band appears alongside Family at the Dunstable Civic Hall. August (3) The group plays at the Country Club in Belsize Park, London.(4) The band performs at the Marquee in London, supported by Cressida. (24) Eclection appear at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, London with Quintessence, Stray and Mariupilami.(25) The group performs another show at the Marquee in London.(29-31) Eclection appear at the Isle of Wight Festival, which features The Pretty Things, Mighty Baby, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, The Nice, Gypsy, Blonde on Blonde, Blodwyn Pig, Edgar Broughton Band, Aynsley Dunbar, Marsha Hunt and White Trash, Family, Free, The Who, Fat Matress, Joe Cocker, The Moody Blues, The Liverpool Scene, Third Ear Band, Indo Jazz Fusions, Gary Farr, Tom Paxton, Pentangle, Julie Felix, Richie Havens, The Band and Bob Dylan. Soon after their appearance, Hultgreen leaves the band. He subsequently adopts his mother’s maiden name Kajanus and forms the group, Sailor, which scores with a UK #2 hit with A Glass of Champagne in 1975 and a UK number 7 hit with Girls, Girls, Girls in 1977, both penned by Kajanus. September After getting married and visiting his wife’s parents in New York, sailing on the QE2, former member Mike Rosen returns to the UK and joins James Litherland’s Brotherhood, which later changes name to Mogul Thrash.(6) Eclection makes an appearance at the Dunstable Music Festival in Queensbury Hall, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Fleetwood Mac, Junior Eyes and Eire Apparent. (12) The band plays at the Fishmongers Arms, Wood Green, London.(17) Eclection appear at the Railway Hotel, Bishop Stortford. (20) They play at Dudley Town Hall, Dudley. (23) The group performs at the Speakeasy in London.(26) Travelling to Birmingham, they appear at Mothers. (27) Eclection play at Philippa Fawcett College, Streatham, London.(28) The group performs at Redcar Coatham Hotel with The Third Ear Band.(29) The band makes its final Marquee appearance supported by Gypsy. October (3) The group joins Blodwyn Pig and Aynsley Dunbar for a show at University College, London.(4) Eclection play at St Mary’s College, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham. (16) They appear at Green’s Playhouse, Glasgow with Fleetwood Mac and The Sleaz Band. (25) The band plays Barking College in Dagenham, Essex. November (2) Eclection appear at the Country Club, Belsize Park, London.(8) The group performs at Essex University in Colchester with East of Eden also on the bill.(9) Eclection play at the Wake Arms in Loughton.(21) The band appears at King’s College on the Strand with Shape of The Rain.(29) Eclection, The John Dummer Blues Group and Gracious appear at Chelsea College, London.December (5) The group plays one of its final shows at Goldsmith’s College in New Cross, London with Tech-Neek and The Night People. Palmer leaves to join Family while Lucas and Conway form Fotheringay with Lucas’girlfriend, Sandy Denny from Fairport Convention. Changing his name to George Kajanus, Hultgreen subsequently becomes a member of Sailor while Henderson returns to a solo career.

SOURCES:London Live by Tony Bacon, Balafron Press, 1999. Mothers 1968-1971 by Kevin Duffy, Birmingham City Council, 1997.Peel Sessions by Ken Gardner, BBC Books, 2007.Revelation, Elektra Records’ newsletterStrange Brew – Eric Clapton & The British Blues Boom 1965-1970, by Christopher Hjort, Jawbone Press, 2007Time Out magazine, 1969Richie Unterberger’s liner notes to Eclection CD re-issue on Collector’s Choice MusicValentine, 2 November 1968

Thank you to Georg Kajanus and Gary Boyle for their input in this article.

I would particuarly like to acknowledge Mike Capewell’s exhaustive site for material:www.marmalade-skies.co.uk/

The Family Bandstand also provided useful dates:www.familybandstand.com/music_live.htm

Copyright © Nick Warburton, 2009. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author