Rock Trezor: GREG LAKE

GREG LAKE – STORY

Greg Lake was born 10 November 1948, Poole, Dorset, England. Greg Lake is a vocalist and bass guitarist of great ability. He started to play the guitar at the age of 12, earning small amounts of money by entertaining customers at his local bingo hall. At 15, he left school to pursue a career as a draughtsman, but by the age of 17 had played as a full-time musician with both Shame and the Gods. In 1968, he was contacted by Robert Fripp and Michael Giles (b. 1942, Bournemouth, England), who had heard of his musical abilities and of the peculiar choir-like tone of his voice, and was invited to form King Crimson with them.

With King Crimson, Lake played at the The Rolling Stones’ Hyde Park, free concert on 5 July 1969, and the high profile of this occasion guaranteed the band almost overnight fame.

However, during the recording of IN THE WAKE OF POSEIDON, he left to join Emerson, Lake And Palmer. This trio quickly gained a reputation for being one of the most technically skilled bands of the '70s. Keith Emerson (b. 1 November 1944, Todmorden, England; keyboards) and Carl Palmer (b. 20 March 1951, Birmingham, England; drums/percussion) made up the outfit which first played at the Isle of Wight festival in 1970.

The band set up their own record label, Manticore, but despite considerable commercial success, they temporarily disbanded in 1974. Lake resurfaced around Christmas time 1975 when he released what was to become one of the most perennially-popular Christmas singles with "I Believe In Father Christmas" (co-written with King Crimson/ELP lyricist Pete Sinfield)—the song carried on the ELP tradition of including a passage of popular classical music with Prokofiev's "Sleigh Bell Ride." This single, which reached number 2 in the UK, was so successful that it was re-released in both 1982 and 1983. 1977 saw Lake collaborating with Sinfield again to write blues-oriented songs such as "Closer To Believing" on WORKS, VOLUMES 1 AND 2 by the reformed Emerson, Lake And Palmer.

A huge tour followed this project, during the course of which the trio were accompanied by a full symphony orchestra. They disbanded for a second time in 1980, and Lake released the solo GREG LAKE the following year. The album peaked at number 62 in both UK and US charts. The Greg Lake Band, which lasted from June 1981 to April 1982 included Gary Moore (guitar), Tommy Eyre (keyboards), Tristram Margetts (bass) and Ted McKenna (drums, former Rory Gallagher group and later MSG).

Another solo album was released in 1983 for Chrysalis, but this time failed completely. In September 1983, Lake replaced John Wetton in Asia, but he left shortly afterwards. In 1984, he renewed his relationship with Emerson, and in 1985 EMERSON, LAKE AND POWELL was released, the latter name belonging to Cozy Powell who had played drums for tbands such as Rainbow and Whitesnake.

This combination lasted until 1987 when Powell departed. A new drummer, Richard Berry, was recruited for the release of the unsuccessful 1988 TO THE POWER OF THREE. By 1992, the original trio were back together, recording and performing again.