CCMusic.com

• Track Listing

Six CD set. "This is the BBC Radio 1 Service. We proudly present one of the world's greatest bands... Colosseum!" Fans tuning into their wireless sets during the great age of progressive rock would have been thrilled to hear the announcer introduce one of their favourite bands about to hit the airwaves. They wouldn't be disappointed. Few bands played with such power, fire and intensity whether in a club, at a festival or even in the confines of a radio station studio. Led by drumming legend Jon Hiseman, Colosseum was guaranteed to give an exciting performance as soon as the red recording light went on and the engineer gave the thumbs up. Even so, it seemed like a fleeting moment, once the broadcasts were over, never to be heard again. But here is the exciting news. Many of the shows when Colosseum roared into epic arrangements like 'Walking In The Park,' 'Daughter Of Time', 'Tanglewood '63' and 'Rope Ladder To The Moon' were captured on tape for posterity, not only by the BBC but by listeners armed with their own home recorders. So now it is Repertoire's turn to proudly announce the release of an amazing 6CD set Transmissions Live At The BBC featuring shows like John Peel's 'Top Gear' and 'Sounds Of The 70s', and comprising some 60 tracks recorded between 1969 and 1971. We hear the earliest version of Colosseum with founder members Jon Hiseman, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Dave Greenslade and Tony Reeves joined by guitarist/vocalist James Litherland. Later classic lineups include Dave Clempson on guitar with Chris Farlowe (vocals) and Mark Clarke (bass) with guest appearances by Barbara Thompson (sax/flute) and the New Jazz Orchestra. This vast treasure trove of material has been rescued from the BBC and Colosseum archives, along with rare recordings by fans and enthusiasts. It has been painstaking collected, collated, restored and digitized by the combined forces of historian and archivist Colin Harper, Jon's daughter Ana Gracey and Repertoire's own audio genius the mighty Eroc.