Affinity (70's Jazz Pop)

[Soot and Stars]

Affinity on Wikipedia

I really felt like this band should be officially cataloged hear outside my 70's thread. I've heard them, I love them and they warrant the spotlight. I don't think I can sum up this band much more than my initial synopsis so here's the edited version of that. Affinity were a Jazz Pop band that broke up after one studio album. The album was a self titled album made up of their work up to that point starting in 1968.


Affinity (S/T)

Too bad because these guys even have a more unique sound than Jazz Rock bands that were trying to stay away from pop territory. This group has a very distinct sound IMO and it makes it so the music can carry over to the ears of one who's absorbed all eras new and old. I loved every single song on this album except Mr. Joy which I found was a the one lagging area amidst some perfect songs.



The singer, Linda Hoyle is simply awesome!!!




At times she reminds me of Grace Slick but at others she pulls off some vocals like nothing I've heard before. She has bite, she has whisper, she has a sultry sexiness, a jazzy swagger, a songbird quality and a haunting voice all in one album. The Jazz is perfectly fused into an accessible style and makes for a grooving sound. At times it even gets to a funky place like Bill Withers style ie "Don't Explain":

Three Sisters


Others it goes with a beautiful haunting vocal (which transitions to the Grace vocal) over some progressive Jazz:

Night Flight


My favorite track has to be the following:

I Wonder If I Care As Much


This track is awesome. This is orchestral pop at it's best with a little bit of Gospel quality in it as well. As crazy as it sounds I think this could be tweaked just a tad and still be a hit with a more modern audience. I could picture Annie Lennox doing this in her prime (nowhere near as good as the vocal though). It really doesn't sound dated to me. On fact my friend who really avoids classic rock thought that this really didn't sound dated and he liked it. The vocal here and the instrumentation is just amazing and enchanting. These guys really knew how to make a pop sound with depth. Even though I've heard only one album from them due to their short lived music legacy I love that album. The vocalist Linda Hoyle did have a solo album so I will be updated this thread with stuff like that and possible non-album tracks by the band. Hope you like these guys as well as I do.

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[Soot and Stars]

Been listening to Lindas solo album!

Pieces of Me


This joint vid of the first two songs is amazing! She works the blues perfectly with such rugged soul and then she follows up with a beautiful songbird vocal worthy of Karen Carpenter! And God, she is sexay!

Backlash Blues and Paper Tulips
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[Riff Raff]

You have a good way of describing the music to which to get people to check it out. I for one am always keen to expand my library or at very minimum just have a dabble at different stuff to my usual musical doses. I will have a listen to some of these Affinity tracks later tonight.

 

[Soot and Stars]

You have a good way of describing the music to which to get people to check it out. I for one am always keen to expand my library or at very minimum just have a dabble at different stuff to my usual musical doses. I will have a listen to some of these Affinity tracks later tonight.

Sweet Riff! The fact that you liked the "Songbird" song by Fleetwood Mac gives me great faith you'll love Lindas even sweeter, more colorful and expansive vocal. The music around it is heavier as well though accessible!

 

[METALPRIEST]

Oooohhh I like this kind of stuff! I only listened to Three Sisters as of now, but will tune into the rest.

This type of smooth jazzy psychedelic goodness appeals to me. Another band you may like is RHINOCEROS. I did a thread on them a long while ago.

http://www.classicrockforums.com/forum/f5/rhinoceros-7431/

 

[Soot and Stars]

Oooohhh I like this kind of stuff! I only listened to Three Sisters as of now, but will tune into the rest.

This type of smooth jazzy psychedelic goodness appeals to me. Another band you may like is RHINOCEROS. I did a thread on them a long while ago.

http://www.classicrockforums.com/forum/f5/rhinoceros-7431/

I'm on my way there man!

 

[Riff Raff]

Listened to Three Sisters, very jazzy indeed, nice relaxing sounding music.

 

[METALPRIEST]

I just got done listening to Night Flight!! Groovy stuff indeed! Can't wait to spin the rest! ***:

 

[Soot and Stars]

Listened to Three Sisters, very jazzy indeed, nice relaxing sounding music.

I just got done listening to Night Flight!! Groovy stuff indeed! Can't wait to spin the rest! ***:

Hey guys, thanks for listening and I think it's cool you seem to be taking your time and sinkin' into each track!

I can't guarantee my favorite track will be your favorite (I Don't Know If I care As Much) but when you get to it give me your personal opinion. Does it not sound ahead of it's time to you? Their are moments that sound like Enya may have heard this (the plucky type arrangement) and thought, "Hey, this could be a form of music!"

 

[METALPRIEST]

Night Flight seemed longer than 7 minutes, I think it was the overall changes, but very cool!!