Everfriend – Tropicsphere (1980, LP, Usa)

The American progressive rock band Everfriend were the project of keyboardist Bill RHODES (real last name Rupprecht), who was active in the 1970s-80s. The music generated was an eclectic mixture of styles, from space rock to classically influenced keyboard works. The Mellotron dominated the sound as well as a blend of symphonic prog with synth-fronted jazz-fusion. The band consisted of three artists: Bill Rhodes on keyboards, Mike Jacoby on drums, and Paul Kozub on bass. They produced some underground very obscure albums including "Tropicsphere" in 1980, "Sphere of Influence" in 1981, and "Snake With a Hat". Bill Rhodes and Mike Jacoby used to play together in the All Night Flyers band and worked on the Everfriend project which was their focus while they lived in the Metuchen New Jersey area. They picked up bassist Paul Kozub for the albums who also played in the All Night Flyers. The band underwent personnel changes over its short career spanning 1978-1981, and the album "Sphere of Influence" is hailed as a prog classic, albeit one of the most obscure acts in the United States. (Progarchives)