Roxy Music 2001

Press Conference media reports


Roxy are dancing away again 18 years on
TIM COOPER, London Evening Standard

ROCK superstars Roxy Music are today announcing details of a reunion tour, including summer dates at Wembley, 18 years after they last played together. The legendary band, formed in the early Seventies and famed as much for their style as their music, are due to make the announcement at The Savoy this afternoon.

Three original members singer Bryan Ferry, guitarist Phil Manzanera and saxophonist Andy Mackay - will take part in a world tour, including summer dates at Wembley Arena. The trio, all in their fifties, have already begun rehearsals for the dates but are not expected to record a new album. Ever since they last played together in 1983, promoters have been trying to tempt them out of retirement with multi-million pound offers. Until now they have been resisted by 55-year-old Ferry, who preferred to continue his solo career, although he resurrected several of the group's old favourites on a tour last year. Founder member Brian Eno, who left the band in 1973 to become one of the world's top record producers, in between parallel music and art careers, will not be taking part.

Fans have given a cautious welcome to news of the reunion. Kicki Gustafsson, who runs a Roxy website called Avalon - the name of their final album in 1983 acknowledged that the nostalgic shows could be "great fun" for diehard fans, but warned that the event might turn out to be "uncomfortably pathetic". However, she added: "Roxy Music were always about style and hopefully they can pull this one off, too."

Roxy were formed in 1970 by art student Ferry and had their first hit the following year with Virginia Plain. Their early records contrasted Ferry's distinctive croon with Manzanera's heavilydistorted guitars and Eno's weird electronic experiments. Their image was initially outrageous, marked by extravagant glam-rock outfits and heavy make-up, but after Eno's departure, both the fashions and the music became increasingly mainstream. Their hits included Street Life and Love Is The Drug but it was only in their later days that they reached number one with John Lennon's song Jealous Guy, recorded as a tribute to the murdered Beatle.

Manzanera's website has recently been asking fans to vote for their favourite songs for a potential Roxy reunion. Topping the poll so far is Virginia Plain.

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The magic which turned others into jealous guys
PETE CLARK, London Evening Standard

EVERYBODY of a certain age remembers where they were when they first saw and heard Roxy Music. They looked like no pop group had ever done before, an amazing melange of quiffs, tuxedos, Bacofoil, leopard-skin, jump suits and platforms that would have graced any train station. They also sounded like no pop group ever had before, mixing up weird electronics noises, fat sax and big drums and guitar, all overlaid with the voice of the nightclub crooner from heaven. The combined effect was to make everything that had gone before seem curiously old-fashioned.

I went to see Roxy Music live at the very earliest opportunity, when they supported David Bowie at the now defunct Rainbow Theatre. Bowie was in his Ziggy Stardust phase, and his artful brew of science fiction and noisy guitars was regarded as the hottest thing in town. He was effortlessly upstaged by the coolest in town. From their emergence in 1972, Roxy Music lit up the Seventies. Each album was eagerly awaited, not least because it was guaranteed to feature a gorgeous babe in an artful pose. The wonderful point of Roxy was that beneath the sheen were dozens of tunes of enduring quality.

I greet their return with an enthusiasm which may well be the result of acute nostalgia, but I don't care. The thing is that love is the drug.

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Roxy Music replay glamour
Adam Sherwin, The Times

THE stack-heeled boots and face glitter had disappeared as a sober-suited Bryan Ferry announced the reformation of his group, Roxy Music, yesterday. Thirty years after their debut and 18 years after their last performance, the elder statesmen of glam pop said that they had "unfinished business" with a music scene devoid of glamour.

The Times, 13.2.2001 John Stilwell/PAThe group, lacking Brian Eno, the keyboard player who hates appearing on stage, will perform hits including Jealous Guy, Dance Away and Love Is The Drug, on a threemonth world tour. It begins in Dublin in June and covers Scotland and England with other dates to be announced. Ferry, 55, who was nearly killed with his family when a Kenyan student tried to take over the controls of their British Airways jet last year, will fly during the tour. He said: "Hopefully there will be no more dramas."

The singer decided to reform the group as a logical progression from playing their hits during his solo tour last year. Phil Manzanera, 50, the guitarist, said: "There was always unfinished business for my part." Andy Mackay, 54, is the saxophonist.

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Roxy Music back on road again
VALERIE HANNAH, Glasgow Herald

THEY'VE been away from the charts for almost 18 years, but Roxy Music, the successful 70s band fronted by Brian Ferry, are to reform this summer for a world tour that could lead them back to the recording studio. The band, who will play the SECC in Glasgow on June 11, credited "unfinished business" for the move, which was revealed at a press conference in London yesterday. But they will not be joined by Brian Eno, a member of the original line-up, who quit the band in 1974 and is now said to have stage fright. Ferry, the lead singer, said: "We've got no plans with regard to recording, but who knows? Ask us again in September when we finish the tour."

The 70s pioneers, who topped the charts just once with a cover of John Lennon's Jealous Guy, will play arena dates in Britain and Ireland in June. They plan to pick up to four songs from each of their eight studio albums, but have not decided exactly which of the 100-plus tracks will make it into the live show. Phil Manzanera, the guitarist, said: "We only decided to do this definitely about two and a half weeks ago, so it's early days." Of their wish to reform, Manzanera said: "There was always the sense of unfinished business from my point of view. We always had a lot more to give and these songs don't get an airing a lot. I have looked in the back of magazines and there are no Roxy tribute bands, so I realised you couldn't cover these songs very well."

Ferry said: "The tour was proposed and we are all in a position where we have time to do it. I've been on tour myself a lot in the last year so I have got into the habit of being on stage again. "I've been doing quite a few songs from the Roxy years in my show and so I thought the logical extension of that was to put the band together." He said both Manzanera and Andy Mackay, the band's saxophonist, were keen to do it. Brian Eno had been asked to join the tour but said he did not feel comfortable on stage. Ferry said: "Brian was the first to say that he is a studio animal and so not really for the touring game."

The band last played together in May 1983 as they toured the hit album, Avalon. Since then they have pursued their own paths with Ferry releasing a string of solo albums and Manzanera and Mackay briefly collaborating as The Explorers. Manzanera said: "We had a play together a few weeks ago and it sounded as if we had been playing together constantly for the last 20 years." Ferry joked about his experience when a passenger burst into the cockpit of a plane on which he was travelling and caused the aircraft to lose height last year. "I don't believe in flying myself but I think we are going to have a lot more flights in the next few months - hopefully there will be no dramas like that again."

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Ferry and Roxy Music reunited
Hugh Davies, Daily Telegraph

ROXY Music have reunited after 18 years of silence in a multi-million pound deal to tour the world and complete some "unfinished business". Brian Ferry: has been touring solo with songs from the Roxy years The band, formed by Brian Ferry in 1970 when he was an art student, first caught the eye of the disc jockey John Peel at its debut gig, supporting Genesis, at the Hobbit's Garden in Wimbledon. A Radio 1 session and global fame ensued with hits such as Virginia Plain and Love Is The Drug, although the band's only No 1 was John Lennon's Jealous Guy, recorded as a tribute to the former Beatle after his murder.

This time around, the line-up will be Ferry, Phil Manzanera, 50, the guitarist, and Andy Mackay, 54, the saxophonist. The band will missing the characteristic electronic playing of its second best-known member, Brian Eno, 52, who quit the band in 1974 but was asked to join this tour. Ferry, now 55, said: "Brian was the first to say that he is a studio animal and so not really for the touring game. I did ask him about three years ago if he would do a show we were asked to do together and he said, 'No, I don't like going on stage, I don't want to do that'."

Manzanera said: "We only decided to do this definitely about two and a half weeks ago, so it's early days." But he added: "There was always the sense of unfinished business from my point of view. We always had a lot more to give and these songs don't get an airing a lot. I have looked in the back of magazines and there are no Roxy tribute bands, so I realised you couldn't cover these songs very well."

Ferry said: "I've been on tour myself a lot in the last year so I have got into the habit of being on stage again. I've been doing quite a few songs from the Roxy years in my show and so I thought the logical extension of that was to put the band together." Manzanera said: "We had a play together a few weeks ago and it sounded as if we had been playing together for the last 20 years."

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Touring is the drug as Roxy Music reunites
Sun-Sentinel Florida

Seventies rock supergroup Roxy Music have reformed for a world tour 18 years after they split up. Three of the band's original members -- lead singer Bryan Ferry, guitarist Phil Manzanera and saxophonist Andy Mackay who are all in their 50s -- have signed a deal to perform in 12 countries this summer, their publicist said Monday. Founding member Brian Eno, now a successful music producer for groups such as U2, is not taking part in the reunion tour, which will arrive at Wembley Arena in London at the end of June. Other confirmed stops include Dublin, Glasgow, Toronto, Montreal, Washington, New York and Los Angeles.

Founded in 1970, the group enjoyed a string of hits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s with songs such as "Virginia Plain" and "Love is the Drug." The group's only number one hit was a cover version of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy," recorded as a tribute to the murdered former Beatle. Ferry was in the news in December when he was a passenger on a Nairobi-bound British Airways flight that nearly crashed when a man broke into the cockpit and tried to grab the controls.

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Roxy Music Reuniting For World Tour
Paul Sexton, Billboard

Long-dormant U.K. modern rock act Roxy Music will kick off a reunion world tour in June. Featuring core members Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera, and Andy Mackay but not Brian Eno, the tour, promoted by SFX and Solo Concerts, will be the group's first since 1983, and will find them playing a selection of hits and favorite tracks from their eight original studio albums released between 1972 and 1982.

The run will begin June 9 in Dublin, the first of eight U.K. dates that culminate at London's Wembley Arena on June 22. It is understood that two further Wembley dates have been optioned. Shows in 10 further European countries will follow, although details of these have yet to be announced. The North American segment of the tour (dates to be confirmed) will touch down in Toronto, Montreal, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Boston, New York, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Vancouver, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Roxy Music has no plans to record a new album, although its members expressed the hope that the tour might produce a live record. Ferry, meanwhile, will release his next solo album, the follow-up to 1999's Virgin set "As Time Goes By," in October. That set is up for the Grammy for best traditional pop vocal album.

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Roxy Music reunites for tour
Bryan Ferry says the group could record new songs
CNN

Seventies rock group Roxy Music have reformed for a world tour -- 18 years after they split up. Singer Bryan Ferry will reunite with guitarist Phil Manzanera and saxophonist Andy Mackay to perform in 12 countries this summer, their publicist said. The three, all aged in their 50s, are original members of the band, which first formed in 1970 and scored with hits such as Love is A Drug and Virginia Plain. The group's only number one hit was a cover version of John Lennon's Jealous Guy, recorded as a tribute to the murdered former Beatle.

The tour kicks off in Dublin on June 9. Other confirmed stops include London, Glasgow, Toronto, Montreal, Washington, New York and Los Angeles. The band also held out the possibility of recording new songs when the world tour is over. Ferry said: "We've got no plans with regard to recording. Who knows?. Ask us again in September when we finish the tour."

Founding member Brian Eno, now a successful music producer for groups such as U2, is not taking part in the reunion tour. Eno, who quit the line-up in 1974, had been asked to join the tour but did not feel comfortable on stage. Ferry said: "Brian was the first to say that he is a studio animal and so not really for the touring game. "I did ask him about three years ago if he would do a show we were asked to do together, and he said `No, I don't like going on stage, I don't want to do that'. I do hope that if we did any new stuff he would be there," Ferry added.

Guitarist Phil Manzanera says group has unfinished business. The band last played together in May 1983 as they toured the hit album, Avalon. Since then they have pursued their own paths with Ferry releasing a string of solo albums and Manzanera and Mackay briefly collaborating as The Explorers. Manzanera said: "We had a play together a few weeks ago and it sounded as if we had been playing together constantly for the last 20 years."

They plan to pick up to four songs from each of their eight studio albums, but have not decided exactly which of the hundred-plus tracks will make it into the live show. Manzanera added: "We only decided to do this definitely about two and a half weeks ago, so it's early days." Of their wish to reform, Manzanera said: "There was always the sense of unfinished business from my point of view. "We always had a lot more to give and these songs don't get an airing a lot. I have looked in the back of magazines and there are no Roxy tribute bands, so I realised you couldn't cover these songs very well."

Ferry said: "The tour was proposed and we are all in a position where we have time to do it. I've been on tour myself a lot in the last year so I have got into the habit of being on stage again. "I've been doing quite a few songs from the Roxy years in my show and so I thought the logical extension of that was to put the band together."

Ferry was in the news in December when he was a passenger on a Nairobi-bound British Airways flight that nearly crashed when a man broke into the cockpit and tried to grab the controls. Ferry joked about his terrifying experience. "I don't believe in flying myself, but I think we are going to have a lot more flights in the next few months - hopefully there will be no dramas like that again."

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Newcastle Evening Chronicle

Roxy Music's reunion gig in Newcastle this summer will be tinged with sadness for lead singer Bryan Ferry. The superstar was a close friend of the venue's co-founder Nigel Stanger, who died in 1999, four years after the Arena opened. "I would have loved for Nigel to have seen me play there," said Ferry, in an exclusive interview with the Chronicle after announcing Roxy Music were reforming for their first tour in 18 years. "But sadly that isn't to be. Still, it will be a great honour to play there. It will be interesting doing a different venue, it's always been the City Hall in the past. We've had great audiences there. I hope they make a decent noise at the Arena and really let their hair down."

Ferry, a former Chronicle delivery boy, will hit the road with Roxy originals Phil Manzanera and Andy MacKay for a world tour, playing Newcastle's Telewest Arena on June 12. Tickets went on sale today for the gig, which will feature Roxy's greatest hits, as well as more obscure tracks, but no solo material from Ferry.

"I'll be bringing family and friends along to the gig," Ferry, 55, originally from Washington, added. "I don't have any immediate family up there any more, but I do have aunts and uncles and I'll be asking them along."

Still sporting a slight, lilting North East accent, the former fine arts student at Newcastle University is wearing well. His youthful looks belie his 55 years, although these days he's letting the grey hairs seep through his dark locks. He dismissed reports that money played a big part in reforming the group. Rumours persist the tour, which moves to America in July before further dates in Europe, could be worth millions to the group, whose hits included In Every Dream Home A Heartache, Virginia Plain, Bitter Sweet and Love Is The Drug.

"The reason for getting together now is that we'd never found dates that worked for all of us before, when we were all available, simple as that," said Ferry. "It just felt like the right time, suddenly, to do this. Any time I did an interview, people would ask me if we were getting back together. Andy and Phil were very keen too."

Ferry also talked about his recent experiences on a plane to Kenya when a madman tried to attack the pilot. The plane nosedived 10,000ft and the crew managed to wrestle the attacker to the ground, with the rock star just standing a few yards away. "It was pretty deadly. Not the sort of thing you'd like to do every week. I hope that won't happen again in a hurry."

All three in the band are keen to play the North East again. "We're honorary Geordies," laughed sax player Andy MacKay, whose late wife's mother was from South Shields. The last time Ferry visited the area was in August. "I still love coming back, though," he stressed. "It's still a great city. It's great to see it has had such a renaissance over the last few years. There is a great spirit to the whole region. I'm very proud of it. I still have a sense of belonging."

The only original missing link in the reformed Roxy Music line-up is Brian Eno. "He prefers to work in the studio," revealed Ferry. "I did ask him a few years ago if he would consider doing a concert show with me, but he doesn't like going on stage. "If Roxy do a new album, then I would hope he would help us."

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Roxy's revival is all set to start in Scotland
JOHN DINGWALL, Daily Record

SEVENTIES glam rock stars Roxy Music are to make a comeback with a world tour - kicking off in Scotland. The group, which had hits with Virginia Plain and Love is the Drug, revealed yesterday they have reformed and will play at Glasgow's SECC in June. The reunion will see singer Bryan Ferry, who formed the group in Newcastle in 1970, team up with guitarist Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay on saxophone. Only Brian Eno, who quit the group in 1974, has refused join the rest of the band again because he doesn't feel comfortable on stage.

The band last played together in 1983 while touring hit album Avaloti Since then have pursued their own projects with Ferry releasing a string of solo albums and Manzanera and Mackay briefly collaborating as The Explorers. Yesterday, Manzanera said: "We had a play together a few weeks ago and it sounded as if we'd been playing together constantly for the last 20 years. But we only decided to do this definitely about two and a half weeks ago, so it's early days." He said they decided to reform because "there was always the sense of unfinished business." The guitarist added: "We always had a lot more to give and our songs don't get an airing a lot. I have looked in the back of magazines and there are no Roxy tribute bands, so I realised that you can't cover our songs very well."

Ferry, who also had solo hits including Let's Stick Together, said: "The tour was proposed and we are all in a position where we have time to do it. I've been doing quite a few songs from the Roxy years in my show in the last year, so I thought the logical extension of that was to put the band together."

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You want pop stars? Watch us strut our stuff say Roxy Music
SHEKHAR BHATIA Daily Express

The Express, 13.2.2001 Rosie HallamROXY Music relaunched themselves on to the rock scene yesterday with a swift judgment on the "made-for-TV" Popstars. Three of the original line-up, in smartly-cut suits, sipped champagne as they revealed details of their first tour in 18 years and their rock 'n' roll look for 2001. With multi-million album sales and a combined age of 158 years, they were quick to put the young pretenders in their place. Lead guitarist Phil Manzanera said he felt sympathy for the youngsters who had to rely on TV executives for a chance at stardom. He said: "I always thought that if you wanted to form a band you just got together with your mates. But good luck to them, I know my 11- and 12-year old daughters love it."

Speaking at The Savoy Hotel - chosen because it is on London's Strand, after the title of a Roxy track - lead singer Bryan Ferry, 55, said the tour, starting in Dublin on June 9, would take in Britain, the Continent and North America. "I've been doing quite a few songs from the Roxy years in my show and I thought the logical extension was to put the band together," he said. He will be joined by saxophonist Andy Mackay but not Brian Eno.

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Roxy dance away again
Metro

ROXY MUSIC, the epitome of 1980s lounge rock, are going back on the road after 18 years in the musical graveyard. The band yesterday announced their reunion tour which will include summer dates at Wembley. Millionaire singer Bryan Ferry, together with guitarist Phil Manzanera and sax player Andy Mackay, said they had already begun rehearsals. Ever since Roxy Music last played together in 1983 after the Avalon album, promoters have been trying to tempt them out of retirement.

Until now, the multimillion-pound offers have been resisted by Ferry, 55, who preferred to continue his solo career, although he resurrected several of the group's old favourites on a tour last year. He said: `I've been doing a few songs from the Roxy years in my show and so I thought the logical extension of that was to put the band together. We've got no plans with regard to recording. Who knows? Ask us again in September.' Roxy's hits included Love Is The Drug and Dance Away but it was only in their later days they reached No. 1 with Jealous Guy, recorded as a tribute to John Lennon.

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Roxy Music Re-make/Re-model
CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS AT THE SAVOY WITH REFORMED SEVENTIES STYLE GODS
Uncut

Roxy Music are to reform for the band's first tour since 1983. At a press conference at London's Savoy Hotel in The Strand on February 12, original members Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay announced eight UK dates in June to be followed by a world tour taking in Canada, the US and Europe, which will keep them on the road until late September. They also held out the prospect of entering the studio to record the first new Roxy Music album since 1982's Avalon.

Uncut, April 2001With not a feather boa or ostrich feather in sight, the trio looked like louche bankers in their Savile Row suits and silver cuff-links. Upstairs in the Savoy's exclusive American Bar (strictly jacket and tie, no jeans), barman Peter Dorelli had even created a new cocktail named "The Roxy" in their honour, served in a tall champagne flute with a sugared edge and combining "a fragrant blend of apricot juice and apricot brandy with a dash of creme de cassis topped up with champagne".

Before the momentous announcement, a brief film recalled the highlights of their career and lingered lovingly over the results of the 1973 Melody Maker readers' poll. Roxy Music were voted best new act -followed, for heaven's sake, by Peter Skellern and Lynsey de Paul. It served as a timely reminder that the Seventies were not all good and reinforced just how far ahead of their time Roxy were.

Downstairs amid the gilt and chandeliers, the press conference got off to a bad start. Why, after 18 years, had they finally agreed to reform? "We were made an offer to do the tour and we all had time to do it," Ferry replied. It was a dismal accountant's answer, but fortunately Manzanera was on hand to dispel any suspicion they were merely getting back together for the filthy lucre.

"There's a sense of unfinished business," the guitarist interjected. "I always felt we had a lot more to give." And, he joked, when you look at the listings of tribute bands you never find a surrogate Roxy Music. "You can't cover our songs very easily, so we thought we'd better do them ourselves."

The live show will feature songs from all their eight studio albums, but no new material. "The arguments haven't started yet, but there'll be three or four from each record. People want the hit singles, but it would be good to dust down some of the more obscure things as well," Ferry said.

Mackay promised "a new approach to some of the old songs", but felt it was "a bit of a cheek to force new material on the public when what they want to hear are the ones they know."

"We've got to get used to working with each other again," Manzanera added diplomatically.

But Ferry dangled the tantalising prospect of them going back into the studio together later in the year and even expressed the hope that Brian Eno would join them. "First things first. But who knows? Ask us again in late September when we've finished the tour." He also revealed that Eno will feature on at least one track on his new solo album, due for release in October. "I asked him two years ago to do some shows, which would have been just the two of us. But he said he didn't like playing live. He'd be the first to admit he's a studio animal and not for the touring game. But we hope he will be involved if we go into the studio."

"It sounds as if we've been playing together for the past 20 years," Manzanera insisted on the basis of early rehearsals.

"Listening to the early albums again it's strange how detached you feel from it. But when you start playing the songs they come back without thinking," Mackay added.

Ferry predicted a live LP from the tour - "unless we play too many bum notes" - while Manzanera said the group now plans to investigate the prospect of releasing the BBC sessions from the early Seventies, which have only ever been available on bootleg. "I hope we can put out something interesting with some new material," he said.

And how will a reformed Roxy Music go down in the current musical climate? The band's continued influence can be heard everywhere from Pulp and Suede to Radiohead and Moby. But Manzanera felt glad they are not starting out today. "I feel sorry for people who are. It all seems so contrived now. I thought you just got together and played with your mates because that's what you wanted to do." And 30 years later, you get a champagne cocktail at The Savoy named after you. Viva rock'n'roll.

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Virgin's Roxy Music returns for tour
Paul Sexton, Billboard

After ten years as a recording entity and nearly 20 more as a seminal influence on rock's cutting edge, Roxy Music will enliven arenas this summer with a reunion tour of Europe, North America, and perhaps beyond. The English art-rock band recently announced details here of a Roxy Music tour that revolves around core members Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay. Dates begin June 9th in Dublin, the first of eight UK and Irish shows confirmed so far. The Roxy reunion then progresses to ten other European countries and on to 12 North American cities, with the possibility of more destinations being added, including Australia and European festivals. Solo Concerts and US partners SFX will promote the shows, the first under the Roxy Music banner since a 1983 North American tour.

"We've talked about it for quite some time, but the dates didn't come into focus until the last couple of weeks," says Ferry, talking to Billboard with his fellow bandmates after the announcement at London's Savoy Hotel. "I was doing a lot of Roxy material on my last tour, so it's not as if I haven't done it for 18 years. But it'll only sound better with Andy and Phil their." Ferry adds that original Roxy member Brian Eno, who left in 1973, is no longer interested in such large-scale touring. But the core trio is assembling the remainder of its road band, with rehearsals due to start in earnest in late April.

Roxy's rebirth does not extend to any new recordings, although the group expresses the hope that it will, at least, lead to a live album. Ferry plans to release his next solo set in October as a follow-up to 1999's 'As time goes by', a Virgin set of vintage pop standards nominated for a Grammy award in this year's best traditional pop album category. Roxy members agree that not to be obliged to promote a new outcome on the tour will be liberating.

"It's quite nice," Ferry says, "because the tour is a celebration of what we've done together in the past." Manzanera adds, "the audience knows they're paying good money to see the songs they know they enjoyed. And we know they enjoyed them, so automatically it's not them versus us -- it's all of us together."

John Giddings, managing director of Solo Concerts, notes, "I think with the way the market is at the moment, a new record could be harmful. You try getting an old artist on Radio 1 or Capital Radio -- they judge something on the name of the artist, not on the actual record. So, not have any new record is actually a plus, because the band will be judged by their catalogue and the history."

Since Roxy last convened, Ferry has maintained his profile as an esteemed art/pop auteur. Manzanera has developed a reputation as an in-demand producer of Spanish-language acts (Heroes del Silencio, Monica Naranjo) as well as continuing to record such solo albums as 1999's Vozero. Mackay, who worked with Manzanera in the Eighties in the Virgin-signed band Explorers, has since focused on scoring film and TV projects.

From the Glam-rock experimentalism of the original line up to the super-refined romanticism of the later albums, the Roxy music sound and vision of Echo in such disparate pop movements as Krautrock, the Eighties new romantics, electronica, and such contemporary British bands as Pulp, Suede and Radiohead. Roxy Music's recorded legacy includes a trio of UK No 1 albums - Stranded (1973), Flesh and Blood (1980), and Avalon (1982) - plus ten top 10 UK singles, including the chart-topping 1981 tribute cover of John Lennon's Jealous Guy.

"There's been so much interest that's filtered through over the years," Ferry notes, "and it's never diminished - if anything, it's got on bigger." As he points out, Roxy's only platinum selling album in the US was its last, Avalon. Yet, Mackay adds, "people in America may be more familiar with Roxy's influence - 'Hey, those guys sound like Radiohead' -- than with the originals. So that might be quite interesting."

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