(c’77-’78) Steve Bayfield (sitar, guitar & vocals), Alan Shipgood (bass & tabla), James Gleave (electric piano & synthesizer), Tony Pettitt (harmonium, synthesizer, acoustic guitar, & percussion), and Mick Marsh (drums & percussion).

Earthforce’s Steve Byfield on Sitar

During the Summer of ’76 Bayfield bought a sitar and a 12-string guitar and pursued a non-electric, acid folk rock style of music. In March/April ’77 Bayfield started jamming with Shipgood and Gleave – from Ken Hyder’s Celtic-roots band, Talisker – Pettitt and Marsh. Jenie Critchell (guitar & vocals), Raymond Critchell (guitar & vocals) John Bland (percussion) and John Lathey (guitar) also joined.

28 May 1977: Advert for Music for Socialism Festival featuring Earthforce

The group played at a Music for Socialism indoor festival held at Battersea Arts Centre, London on 28 May ’77 along with Henry Cow – who co-founded Music for Socialism – Red Balune, Talisker, 0dB and many other performers and groups. But, by mid-’77 the collective was beginning to crack as the Critchells planned a move abroad, Pettitt to South Wales and Gleave would later depart for Europe. Before this, Norman Jon Kissoon and Bayfield set up a recording session in Farnborough on 30 and 31 July. Unable to get it all down on tape that weekend, a second session in Merrow completed the recordings on 20 August. A limited 60 copies of the “Eathforce” cassette LP, featuring an image of three trees near Glastonbury Tor on the cover, were ready for distribution in October ’77.

On 13 September ’78, Earthforce joined Hot Vultures and John Lathey Crofter’s Folk Club, The Wheatsheaf, Alton. The Bellerby Theatre, Guildford hosted the collective for their final gig in November ’78; with the addition of members of the Oa Band, and supported by John Lathey.

In 2002/03 the groups original recordings were remastered and an 11 track CD released on ShroomAngel Productions [SAP 002] in May 2004 and described as a cross between Popul Vuh and Gong by one reviewer. Then in April 2021 a selection of those tracks was released on Vinyl by US based Lion Productions [LP 181]

Jenie Critchell left us in 1995.

Gallery:

The 2021 vinyl version of Earthforce’s “Earthforce” LP
Cover of Earthforce’s 2004’s CD re-release of “Earthforce”.