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.
Affairs Of The Heart
Emerson Lake & Palmer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Emerging from a silk cocoon
Along beneath venetian chandeliers
Against the moon her body rocks
Her eyes were cunning like a fox
The wings of passion fly on all frontiers
From this fire there's no returning
Love becomes a lethal weapon
No one is to smart
In affairs of the heart
Now upon the bridge she waits
Dreaming of our tangled fates
Her face was like a ghost with eyes of jade
I fell just like a falling star
A victim of this coup d'etat
I could not see behind this masquerade
From this fire there's no returning
No escape your heart is burning
Love becomes a lethal weapon
Be careful where you start
In affairs of the heart
Sometimes I think I'll never learn
Were all those promises in vain
Do the wings of fire still remain
All is fair in love and war
The tender draw the shortest straw
Like autumn leaves they vanish in the air
Is this the time we say good-bye
I call her room there's no reply
Tonight we end this fleeting love affair
From this fire there's no returning
No escape your heart is burning
Love becomes a lethal weapon
Sharper than a dart
In affairs of the heart
The lyrics to Emerson Lake & Palmer's song Affairs Of The Heart are about a passion-filled encounter with a woman. The singer meets this woman at a party and is immediately drawn to her. The woman is described as emerging from a silk cocoon and rocking her body against the moon. Her eyes are described as cunning and the wings of passion are said to fly on all frontiers. The singer feels like he is falling like a star and is describing a love that is explosive, dangerous and lethal. Despite knowing the danger, the singer cannot resist the temptation and falls victim to this coup d'etat.
The lyrics of Affairs Of The Heart explore the idea that love and passion can be both beautiful and deadly. Love becomes a lethal weapon where no one is too smart. The singer is aware of the risk, but he still cannot resist the temptation. He is aware that he has fallen for this woman, but he questions whether all the promises made are in vain. He also questions whether the wings of fire still remain. Ultimately, the singer is aware that all is fair in love and war, but someone always seems to draw the shortest straw.
Line by Line Meaning
She looked at me across the room
The singer is caught by the attention of a woman looking at him from across the room.
Emerging from a silk cocoon
The woman appears to be glamorous and luxurious.
Along beneath venetian chandeliers
The woman is walking beneath or among fancy light fixtures.
Against the moon her body rocks
The woman dances with her body poised against the backdrop of the moon.
Her eyes were cunning like a fox
The woman looks at the artist in a way that suggests trickery or sly intent.
The wings of passion fly on all frontiers
The passion that is felt between the singer and the woman exists without boundaries or limits.
From this fire there's no returning
Once the singer has fallen in love with this woman, there is no going back.
No escape your heart is burning
The artist's love for the woman feels all-consuming and overwhelming.
Love becomes a lethal weapon
Love can be dangerous and have devastating consequences.
No one is to smart
No one is immune to the dangers of love.
In affairs of the heart
When it comes to love, our emotions can override our reason.
Now upon the bridge she waits
The woman is waiting on a bridge for the artist.
Dreaming of our tangled fates
The woman is imagining the potential for a complex and intertwined future with the singer.
Her face was like a ghost with eyes of jade
The woman's expression is inscrutable or haunting.
I fell just like a falling star
The singer quickly and deeply fell in love with the woman.
A victim of this coup d'etat
The artist feels as though he has been overthrown by his own heart.
I could not see behind this masquerade
The artist is unable to see the true nature or intentions of the woman.
Be careful where you start
The singer advises others to be cautious before getting involved in a romantic relationship.
Sometimes I think I'll never learn
The singer acknowledges that he makes the same mistakes in love repeatedly.
Were all those promises in vain
The artist wonders if the promises made in the relationship were empty or meaningless.
Do the wings of fire still remain
The artist questions if the passion in the relationship is still present.
All is fair in love and war
In the quest for love, people may behave ruthlessly or unscrupulously.
The tender draw the shortest straw
Vulnerable or sensitive people may be more likely to get hurt in a romantic relationship.
Like autumn leaves they vanish in the air
Relationships, like the fall leaves, can disappear without a trace.
Is this the time we say good-bye
The singer is questioning if it is time to end the relationship.
I call her room there's no reply
The singer tries to contact the woman but receives no answer.
Tonight we end this fleeting love affair
The relationship between the singer and the woman ends tonight, but it may not have been meaningful or lasting.
Sharper than a dart
The pain of love can be sharp and piercing.
In affairs of the heart
Once again, the artist laments the unpredictable and complicated nature of love.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: GEOFF DOWNES, GREG LAKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind