The ELP sound is dominated by the Hammond organ and Moog synthesizer of the flamboyant Emerson. The band's compositions are heavily influenced by classical music in addition to jazz and – at least in their early years – hard rock. Many of their pieces are arrangements of, or contain quotations from, classical music, and they can be said to fit into the sub-genre of symphonic rock. However, Lake ensured that their albums contained a regular stream of simple, accessible acoustic ballads, many of which received heavy radio airplay. Lake, besides providing vocals, bass guitar, electric guitar and lyrics, also produced the band's first five albums.
On two occasions in 1969, The Nice (with Keith Emerson on keyboards) and King Crimson (with Greg Lake on vocals and bass) shared the same venue, first on 10th August 1969 at the 9th Jazz and Blues Pop Festival in Plumpton, England, and on 17th October 1969 at Fairfield Hall in Croydon, England. After playing at a few of the same concerts, Emerson and Lake tried working together and found their styles to be not only compatible but complementary. Emerson wanted to make the "best damned three-piece band in the world", and thought the line-up of The Nice (keyboard, bass, drums) was the way to go.
Before settling on drummer Carl Palmer (formerly Atomic Rooster, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown), they approached Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience; Mitchell was uninterested but passed the idea to Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix, tired of his band and wanting to try something different, expressed an interest in playing with the group; the British press, after hearing about this, speculated that such a supergroup would have been called "Hendrix, Emerson, Lake & Palmer", or HELP. Due to scheduling conflicts such plans were not immediately realised, but the initial three planned on a jam session with Hendrix after their début at the Isle of Wight Festival, with the possibility of him joining. Hendrix died shortly thereafter, so the three pressed on as Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
Their first four years were a creatively fertile period. Lake produced their first six albums, starting with Emerson, Lake and Palmer (1970), which contained the hit "Lucky Man" featuring Emerson's first experiments with Moog. Tarkus (1971) was their first successful concept album, described as a story about "reverse evolution". The March 1971 live recording (Newcastle, U.K.) of the band's interpretation of Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition was issued as a low-priced record, the success of which contributed to the band's overall popularity. The 1972 album Trilogy contained ELP's best-selling single to date, the understated "From the Beginning".
In late 1973 Brain Salad Surgery, with an eye-catching sleeve designed by H.R. Giger, was released and became the band's best-known studio album. The lyrics were partly written by Peter Sinfield, who was the creator of the King Crimson concept and lyricist for their first four albums. The subsequent world tours were documented with a massive three-LP live recording, "Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends".
Their best known early performance had been a relatively modest show at the August 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, one of the last of the great Woodstock-era festivals. At the end of their set, Emerson and Lake lit two cannons either side of the stage. By April 1974, ELP were joint headliners of the California Jam Festival, and completed the concert when co-stars Deep Purple elected to go on stage first. ELP's California Jam performance was broadcast nationwide in the US and is often seen as the summit of the band's career.
After taking a break, the band began working with an orchestra and released Works Volume 1 in 1977 to mixed reviews. The album contained the band's signature tune, "Fanfare for the Common Man", reaching number two in the British charts. However, punk rock had began influencing the music scene, and the progressive rock giants of the time were suffering as a result. Rifts within the band were beginning to show, and the following albums, Works Volume 2 and Love Beach (one released in 1977,the other in 1978) were mainly made to finish their record contract. They released Works Live in 1979 with the orchestra, but touring was overly expensive and so the orchestra were dropped half way through the tour.
The band split in 1979, with each member doing his own thing. Carl Palmer joined Asia and had commercial success. In 1985 Emerson and Lake wanted to reform, but with Palmer in Asia, they tried out other drummers such as Simon Phillips, but settled on Cozy Powell. Emerson, Lake & Powell released one self-titled album in 1986.
Since then the original ELP have reformed in 1991 and released two studio albums: Black Moon (1992) and In the Hot Seat (1994). Neither albums were critically acclaimed, but the band still managed to sell out venues as they toured the world. The band split again in 1998.
On 25 July 2010, ELP reunited for a single show to commemorate their 40th anniversary. But this reunion was only to celebrate their anniversary and after that show they split again in 2010.
Emerson died on 11 March 2016 in Santa Monica, California, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His body was found at his Santa Monica home. Following an autopsy, the medical examiner ruled Emerson's death a suicide, and concluded that he had also suffered from heart disease and from depression associated with alcohol. According to Emerson's girlfriend Mari Kawaguchi, Emerson had become "depressed, nervous and anxious" because nerve damage had hampered his playing, and he was worried that he would perform poorly at upcoming concerts and disappoint his fans.
Lake died in London on 7 December 2016, at the age of 69, after suffering from cancer. His manager announced the news on Twitter, describing Lake's battle with the illness as "long and stubborn". Numerous fellow musicians paid tribute, including Rick Wakeman, Steve Hackett, Ringo Starr, John Wetton, and ELP drummer Carl Palmer. With Lake's death and that of Keith Emerson earlier in 2016, Palmer is the last surviving member of the group.
A Time And A Place
Emerson Lake & Palmer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A time and a space
No one can trace
That no one can trace
Somewhere a hill
Where things are still
Just rain water spill
Sleep in a dream
Of butter milk cream
You dance on a beam
Dancing on a beam
Save me from this shallow land
Take me out of temper's hand
Drag me from the burning sand
Show me those that understand
Save me from this shallow land
Take me out of temper's hand
Drag me from this burning sand
Show me those that understand
Rest in a shade
No sound is made
Where silence is played
Sound of silence played
The lyrics of Emerson Lake & Palmer's song A Time And A Place are about a mysterious and unknown location that exists beyond the realm of our everyday reality. The first verse, "There is a place, a time and a space, no one can trace, that no one can trace," expresses the idea of a hidden and untraceable world. The place described in the song is a hill where nothing moves, and only rainwater spills, emphasizing the sense of stillness and quiet. The second verse talks about sleeping and dreaming in a peaceful state of mind, where everything seems possible, and dancing on a beam represents the feeling of freedom.
The chorus is a plea to be saved from the shallow land of ordinary life, to be taken away from the grip of one's negative emotions and the burning sand of suffering. The song calls out for those who understand this otherworldly place to reveal themselves and take the singer there. The final verse speaks to the beauty of silence and how it can be restful and calming, where no sound is made and the sound of silence is played.
Overall, the lyrics of A Time And A Place describe a yearning for escape from the mundane and to enter a world of stillness, peacefulness, and freedom. It speaks to our desire to find meaning and purpose beyond what we experience in everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a place
There exists a specific location or area
A time and a space
This place exists within a certain timeframe and physical area
No one can trace
It is impossible for anyone to determine the exact location or timeframe
Somewhere a hill
In this undefined location, there is a hill
Where things are still
This hill is a place of tranquility, where nothing moves or changes
Just rain water spill
All that happens on the hill is the spilling of rainwater
Sleep in a dream
There is the opportunity to dream peacefully in this location
Of butter milk cream
These dreams are sweet and comforting
You dance on a beam
In these dreams, it is possible to freely and joyfully dance
Save me from this shallow land
I request assistance in escaping a superficial and unfulfilling existence
Take me out of temper's hand
I desire relief from the grip of my emotions and impulses
Drag me from the burning sand
I seek rescue from a difficult and painful situation
Show me those that understand
I request the presence of individuals who can empathize and support me
Rest in a shade
In another location, there is the opportunity to relax in comfort
No sound is made
This location is quiet and peaceful
Where silence is played
The tranquility of this location is emphasized
Sound of silence played
The peaceful atmosphere is further accentuated by the absence of sound
Contributed by Elijah N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@JojoJack
Tarkus is a masterpiece...
@kleberveridianogoncalvesde6293
Wonderful track from a masterpiece !!! We love ELP !!! 🙏
@Games_and_Music
I've always felt that this track felt more at home within the Tarkus main track, maybe between Iconoclast and Mass.
Like a sort of mental moment for 'Tarkus', finding purpose/meaning in the past and future.
And maybe the 'chorus' part and last verse also are premonitions to the retreat that it makes in the end.
@santiagosanchezblanco9430
Track very underrated of ELP.It's fantastic.
@Tom-ok2rh
Not that the band really cared about hit singles,I always thought that this one could have been promoted as one. I think it easily could have been a hit single had they put it out there. Overlooked song many have probably never heard.
@KalmAM
Tarkus b side is amazing. From bitches crystal to this song it is perfect. If they had one more song of this caliber and removed bender and eddy it would be much more loved.
@D...M...A...
Trippy good gentlemen , masterwork...
@eduardoalmeida61
Forever Prog 🎹🎸🥁🎤🎼
@zacky1129
👍
@MrDino1953
I don’t remember this being on Tarkus. Is it another one of those tracks that didn’t make the grade?