1-2-3 (6)

Evolving from Edinburgh band The Premiers, 1-2-3 was formed in 1964 and consisted of former Premiers members Ian Ellis (vocals) and Harry Hughes(drums), with the addition of Billy Ritchie (organ.) 1-2-3 was one of the earliest bands to play music that became a blueprint for what would later be called progressive rock. The band's set consisted of standard pop and blues songs, but the arrangements were completely overhauled in accordance with Ritchie's vision. The set included early rewritten versions of songs by David Bowie (I Dig Everything) and Paul Simon (America, The Sounds of Silence), both completely unknown at that time. After moving to London, 1-2-3 was signed to The Ellis-Wright Agency, which would soon be called Chrysalis, under the new name of Clouds.