Originating from Acton, London, the original line-up of Clear Blue Sky was a trio consisting of John Simms, Ken White and Mark Sheather. The three were childhood friends, even attending the same school (The Duhig brothers who would go on to form Jade Warrior also attended the same school). Their musical roots lay in the blues infused rock that had popularised in the United Kingdom by veteran bluesmen such as Alexis Korner.
The first band that they formed was called Jug Blues and they started to tour the college and club circuit. Band names changed from Jug Blues to Matuse and then X and the group even toured Germany thus gaining a considerable amount of experience. Apart from the usual chore of cover version the group also started writing its own material which started to be introduced into the live sets, and was well received.
The band's breakthrough came when they won the marquee Club talent contest and were immediately snapped up by Donovan's manager Ashley Kozak. The fact that they had such a high-profile manager enabled the band to be increase their profile, thus obtaining better gigs as well as securing a record contract. With everything falling in place the band hooked up with the Vertigo label, a label known for its recruitment of new bands that were creating (still) experimental sounds ranging from heavy blues to progressive rock. A record contract also meant a change of name and Clear Blue Sky was born.
Thus in spring 1970, the band entered Island studios, next door to Led Zeppelin who were busy recording Led Zeppelin II. Production was entrusted to one of the hottest producers at that time, Patrick Campbell-Lyons, who had played with Nirvana (the UK band) a few years previously. The band were still barely eighteen, but the music they created was innovative in that it combined that heavy blues edge with the free flowing forms of psychedelia and the complexity of progressive rock. The album artwork was done by Roger Dean, one of the earliest pieces of work to be done by the now legendary artist. Thus Clear Blue Sky (Vertigo 6360 013, gatefold sleeve, spiral label, value BS 35.00) was released in January 1971, alongside releases by bands such as Black Sabbath and Juicy Lucy. The album would be issued in Europe under a different name, Play It Loud as well as with different artwork.
The group toured extensively and made a name for themselves with their style that was harder and heavier than many of the bands in circulation, yet they were continuously open to experimentation and improvisation. In fact their recordings were made live in the studio with a minimal amount of takes. The band were also featured on a Vertigo compilation Heads Together/Round One (Vertigo 6360 045, 2-LP, gatefold sleeve, spiral label, Value BS20.00) as well as on the compilation The Vertigo Trip with the track Birdcatcher included.
However the continuous touring had its toll on the band, whose members were still teenagers when the album was released and in 1975, John Simms decided to disband the group and join Tangerine Peel. Mark Sheather got married and disappeared from the musical scene, but Simms would later team up with Ken White and Smith Campbell (Hokus Poke) to form The Needle, backed by the Who's John Entwhistle. The Needle would also be disbanded with Simms going on to join fusion group Separate Energy, then as lead vocalist and guitarist forThe Ginger Baker Band and then formKarizma (with Ginger Baker's son Kofi, Kraznet Montpelier on bass, and Maxine Marten on lead vocals).
Thus the mid-seventies and the whole of the eighties came and went by without any news from Clear Blue Sky. However the nineties brought about renewed interest in the band, whose debut (and only) album was still selling healthily via independent record labels such as Repertoire,Universal, Akarma & Si-Wan. Furthermore, there had long been a rumour circulating amongst the band's fans that there lay within the vaults two unreleased albums by the band. 1990 was the year that Clear Blue Sky fans were waiting for as a new album was released. No new material was recorded, but instead material recorded in the seventies was given a brush up and an album released. The album was called Destiny (Saturn SRLP 101, Value BS 10.00) and was released in limited quantities on vinyl and cassette on the Saturn label.
That same year the band were invited to play at the 20th Anniversary of the Isle Of Wight Festival. This was the perfect excuse for the band to reform and play material that had not been heard live in close to twenty years. Furthermore in October of that year, Vertigo released the compilation album Vertigo Classics And Rarities which also featured Rocket Ride, taken from the band's debut album.
Following further touring, the band began to attract interest from record companies and they were signed to the Aftermath label, which immediately released the Destiny album on CD (AFT 1005) with new artwork by Phil Schmee. Not only was the interest in the band coming from record companies, but fans from all around the world were clamouring for new releases from the band.
However before this was done, the group had to change radically. The power trio, that was so popular in the late sixties/early seventies, was expanded to a quintet to include a keyboardist (Adam Lewis) and a female backing vocalist, lyricist and percusiionist, Maxine Marten from Karizma. This move allowed the band to explore further the dimensions of rock music and move into the realms of space rock as well as maintain their heavy blues style. The new album was also a concept album and was titled Cosmic Crusader, based on a science fiction theme and was released in 1996. The Ginger Baker link was also revived with the artwork entrusted to his ex-wife Elizabeth Finch.
In 1998, the new album also received a mention by Barry "Mr Vertigo" Winton in the liner notes to the new Polygram 2-CD compilation Still Dizzy After All These Years that included My Heaven. The new millennium also saw the band celebrating their thirtieth anniversary and this was done with the band going into the studio to record a new album as well as release an album of live and unreleased tracks.
Thus Out Of Blue (AFT 1009) was released in 2000 featuring unreleased tracks from the pre-vertigo years (1968-69) as well as four live tracks.A couple of these tracks were also featured on a compilation from Audio Archives entitled, 'Downer-Rock Genocide'.2001 saw the band releasing Mirror Of The Stars, a new album with new material which delighted the band's numerous fans.
Another compilation featured Clear Blue Sky's version of 'The Moon' which got much airplay. This album was released to commemorate 10 years of music from Stone Premonitions. Lots of unreleased recorded and live material in the archives!
The album 'Gateway to the Seventh Dimension' was released as a special collectors' item and features a lavish 32 page booklet with great artwork by world renowned artist John Pitre. The band are currently working on a new album which features Tom Space from the band 'Psychedelic Shag' and also features Lee Limerick on vocals.
Bandleader John Simms says this is a departure from their last studio album and hails a return to the raw rock format of their early sound.
You Mystify
Clear Blue Sky Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You think you’ll find a way around
Of watching me day by day
I’m thinking now, who is that dame?
Creeping round my old shack
Your mystic look all dressed in black
You have no spell you always cower
You mystify
You mystify
The power of love is what you want
You have a secret, a magic wand
But love is yours from now on
Please go away you do me wrong
It’s a way into my life
You’ve got to have a sacrifice
I’ll live alone in my old shack
I beg you woman don’t come back
You mystify
You mystify
Mystify
Mystify
I guess I’ll hit the road of no return
I’ve got to get away to live and learn
About the facts of life they’re on my mind
I’ve got a feeling I’m very blind
Look into my eyes
Look into my eyes
Look into my eyes
Look into my eyes
I’ve never been alone in this big world
I’ve never seen things, I’ve only heard
But now things have changed, I’m on my way
I’ve got a feeling I’ll thank this day
The lyrics to "You Mystify" by Clear Blue Sky are about a woman who attempts to sway the singer's emotions through her mysterious, alluring gestures. With love as her ultimate goal, this woman creeps around the singer's "old shack" and attempts to put him under her spell. Despite her charms, the singer sees through her façade and questions who she truly is. He ultimately decides that the love she offers is not worth the sacrifice she demands and begs her to leave him be. The chorus emphasizes the idea of being mystified by this woman's powers, both good and bad.
The verses highlight the singer's struggle with this woman and her seductive ways. He describes her as "dressed in black" and possessing a "mystic look," indicating that there is something otherworldly about her. However, he also mentions that she is constantly cowering when he is around, revealing that she may not have a true hold on him after all. The bridge, where the singer speaks about hitting the "road of no return," shows his decision to leave behind the woman and all that she represents. He emphasizes that he has never truly seen anything in the world, only heard about it, but that he is ready to take the plunge and experience the unknown.
Overall, "You Mystify" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of allowing oneself to be controlled by another person's mysterious powers.
Line by Line Meaning
With your love swarming around
You think you can feel the love around you, but you're actually ignoring the truth.
You think you’ll find a way around
You hope to find ways to ignore what's really happening and carry on with the situation.
Of watching me day by day
You observe me every day, but it doesn't mean you understand or know me.
I’m thinking now, who is that dame?
You're wondering who this woman is, and why she is interested in you.
Creeping round my old shack
You're sneaking around my place without my knowledge.
Your mystic look all dressed in black
You have a mysterious and intriguing aura about you, but it's not enough to intimidate me.
You have no spell you always cower
You try to use your feminine charm, but it doesn't work on me and you resort to hiding away.
As soon as I look you possess the power
Whenever I look at you, it seems like you have power over me, but it's just an illusion.
The power of love is what you want
You crave the power of love and will do whatever it takes to get it.
You have a secret, a magic wand
You possess something that gives you a mysterious advantage, but it's not enough to sway me to your side.
But love is yours from now on
You believe you've won my love, but you're mistaken.
Please go away you do me wrong
You're causing me pain and discomfort with your actions, and it's best if you leave me alone.
It’s a way into my life
You see me as a way to enter into a new life or situation.
You’ve got to have a sacrifice
You believe that in order to gain something, you must lose something else, and you're willing to make that sacrifice.
I’ll live alone in my old shack
I'll choose to live alone in my humble dwelling rather than be with you and your manipulations.
I beg you woman don’t come back
I plead with you to leave me alone and not come back to bother me again.
I guess I’ll hit the road of no return
I've decided to leave and not look back, and I know there's no going back once I make my decision.
I’ve got to get away to live and learn
I need to leave this situation to experience new things and grow as a person.
About the facts of life they’re on my mind
I'm thinking about the realities of life and what I need to do to move forward.
I’ve got a feeling I’m very blind
I have a gut feeling that I'm not seeing the whole picture and I need to be more aware.
Look into my eyes
I'm asking you to truly see me and understand my perspective.
I’ve never been alone in this big world
I've always had someone with me, and this is the first time I'll be truly on my own.
I’ve never seen things, I’ve only heard
I've never truly experienced things for myself, and have only been told or heard about them from others.
But now things have changed, I’m on my way
Now, I've decided to take control of my life and do things my way.
I’ve got a feeling I’ll thank this day
I have confidence that I'll look back on this day and be grateful for the change and growth that came from it.
Contributed by Kaylee I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@nikolaosmosxakis3395
very very good...........................................................................................................
@dougmphilly
I hear quite a bit of The Who here.
@hofla7777
doug marcus
I hear quite a bit of The Small Faces here.
@modeljetjuggernaut4864
@@hofla7777 ? Clear Blue Sky were a heavy rock group a la' Sabbath and Cactus. Endless solos.. heavy riffs, time signature changes galore on the drums, hard thumping bass, wailing vocals - in a 3 piece. Small Faces and the Who had a fuller, more produced commercial rock sound.. I'm just not seeing it.
@modeljetjuggernaut4864
This song is purrrre genius!! And the whole album is so majestically recorded, playing is tight and the songs well written. LPs are an arm and a leg on eBay ..but the CDs are more attainable. ....and no, I don't hear a Who influence here at all. The Who reeks of boredom compared to this group.