Emerson Lake And Palmer (formed in 1970)

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Emerson Lake And Palmer

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Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) were the definitive progressive rock supergroup of the 1970s, a power trio that fused classical music, jazz, and rock into a bombastic and technically virtuosic sound. Formed in London in 1970, the band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitar, producer), and Carl Palmer (drums, percussion). With nine RIAA-certified gold records and an estimated 48 million albums sold worldwide, they remain one of the most popular and influential acts in the genre’s history.

The Formation of a Supergroup (1969-1970)

The seeds of ELP were planted in late 1969 when Keith Emerson and Greg Lake first met and played together. The occasion was a series of shared concerts between their respective bands, The Nice and King Crimson, at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. During a soundcheck, the two discovered an instant musical chemistry . Both were looking to leave their existing groups, and by early 1970, they had officially decided to form a new band.

Finding the right drummer proved to be a challenge. They initially approached Mitch Mitchell of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, which sparked press rumors of a supergroup called HELP (Hendrix, Emerson, Lake, Palmer). Although a jam session was discussed, it never took place, and Hendrix’s death shortly after ended any possibility . The search continued until Emerson’s manager suggested Carl Palmer, a powerful young drummer from Atomic Rooster. After a successful jam session and some persistence from Emerson and Lake, Palmer agreed to join, and the trio was complete .

The band chose to name themselves Emerson, Lake & Palmer to emphasize their collective identity, moving away from the idea of being a “new” version of Emerson’s previous band, The Nice . They began rehearsing at Island Studios, building a live set that mixed classical adaptations with original material. Their first, low-key gig was at the Plymouth Guildhall on August 23, 1970. Just six days later, they played before an estimated 600,000 people at the Isle of Wight Festival, a performance that launched them to international fame and featured the theatrical firing of two cannons at the end of their set .

Musical Peak and Commercial Success (1970-1974)

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The band’s first four years were a period of remarkable creativity and success. Their sound was dominated by Emerson’s flamboyant keyboard work, which included pioneering use of the Moog modular synthesizer, alongside Lake’s powerful, melodic vocals and Palmer’s intricate, powerful drumming .

• Debut Album (1970): Their self-titled debut, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, was a major hit in the UK and US. It featured the last-minute addition “Lucky Man,” a ballad Lake had written as a teenager, which became their signature song and featured one of the first Moog synthesizer solos on a rock record .
• Tarkus (1971): The follow-up, Tarkus, reached No. 1 in the UK. The entire first side was occupied by the ambitious, 20-minute title track, a conceptual piece about “reverse evolution” .
• Pictures at an Exhibition (1971): This live album captured their rock interpretation of Modest Mussorgsky’s classical suite. Initially rejected by their US label, it became a huge success after imported copies sold out, proving the commercial appeal of their classical-rock fusion .
• Trilogy (1972): The album Trilogy continued their success, featuring the popular singles “From the Beginning” and their energetic adaptation of Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown” .
• Brain Salad Surgery (1973): Released on their own Manticore label, Brain Salad Surgery is often considered their definitive masterpiece. It featured the epic, multi-part “Karn Evil 9” (with its famous lyric “Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends”) and striking cover art by H.R. Giger . The subsequent tour was documented on the triple-live album Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends (1974), which captured the band at its peak .

Decline, Breakup, and Reunions (1975-2010)

After a three-year hiatus, the band returned in 1977 with Works Volume 1, a double album that essentially functioned as three solo records and one group side. While it contained the hit “Fanfare for the Common Man,” the project highlighted growing creative divisions within the band . The follow-up, Works Volume 2 (1977), was a collection of outtakes and B-sides. By 1978, with the rise of punk rock making their grandiose style seem outdated, the band released Love Beach, an album they themselves admitted was made largely to fulfill their record contract . The group disbanded in 1979.

The original trio would not play together again for over a decade. During the 1980s, Emerson and Lake formed Emerson, Lake & Powell with drummer Cozy Powell, while Palmer found major commercial success with the supergroup Asia .

In 1991, the classic ELP lineup reunited. They released two new studio albums, Black Moon (1992) and In the Hot Seat (1994), and toured extensively throughout the decade . The band’s final performance was a one-off show in 2010 at the High Voltage Festival in London, commemorating their 40th anniversary .

Legacy and Final Years

Tragically, both Keith Emerson and Greg Lake died in 2016. Emerson died in March from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, struggling with depression and nerve damage that hampered his ability to play . Lake died in December after a battle with cancer . Their deaths left Carl Palmer as the sole surviving member of the classic trio.

Palmer has since become the dedicated custodian of the band’s legacy. He continues to tour with his band, ELP Legacy, performing the group’s music. In a unique and acclaimed tribute, he launched “An Evening with Emerson, Lake & Palmer,” a show where he and his band perform live in sync with archival video footage of Emerson and Lake from a 1992 Royal Albert Hall concert, allowing audiences to experience the magic of ELP once more .

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Emerson, Lake & Palmer – From The Beginning (Official Audio)