SYMPATHY/DEVIL'S HIGH CONCERN

RARE BIRD maybe was a "One Hit Wonder" band in some places like in my country, "Sympathy" was played a lot in some of the radio stations in my city. One of my brothers had it in an EP released here in the Philips Records label (not in the Charisma Records label) with other three songs which I can`t remember now. The EP was lost a long time ago, and curiously, my brother can`t remember the song now, even when I played it on youtube to him once sometime ago!

RARE BIRD maybe was a somewhat "atypical" band for the Pop Rock record market, because (like PROCOL HARUM) they had two keyboard players, But "Sympathy" is a slow song, with a good melody sung by the singers and played at the same time with the organ. It really is a "serious" and "sad" song that was successful maybe more due to the content of the lyrics. Another very characteristic thing from this band was that they had two very good lead singers (drummer Mike Ashton and bassist-guitarist Steve Gould). This song is more Prog Rock influenced than the song which was destined for the "B" side, titled "Devil's High Concern", which is more a fast Rock song with a distorted electric piano playing a very good solo similar in sound to the one used by Jon Lord with DEEP PURPLE. It seems that this song was only originally released in the "B" side of this single and was not released in their first album.

Historical fact: RARE BIRD was the band which recommended GENESIS to Charisma Records`s boss, the late Tony Stratton-Smith, in 1970. RARE BIRD sometimes played at some of the same gigs with GENESIS in the same bill.