England’s Roxy Music emerged in the 1970s, blending experimental rock with sleek, glittery pop to become one of the most quintessential and defiantly theatrical art-rock bands of their era. They had a fascination with fashion, glamor, cinema, pop art, and the avant-garde, which separated the band from their contemporaries. During the early ’70s, the group was driven by the creative tension between Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno, who each pulled the band in separate directions: singer Ferry had a fondness for American soul and Beatlesque art-pop, while instrumentalist Eno was intrigued by deconstructing rock with amateurish experimentalism inspired by the Velvet Underground. This incarnation of Roxy Music may have only recorded two albums, 1972’s Roxy Music and 1973’s For Your Pleasure, but it inspired a legion of imitators — not only the glam rockers of the early ’70s, but art-rockers and new wave pop groups of the late ’70s. Following Eno’s departure, Roxy Music continued with its arty inclinations, releasing equally classic albums like 1974’s Country Life and 1979’s Siren, before gradually working in elements of disco and soul as on 1979’s Manifesto. By the early ’80s, the group had developed a sophisticated, seductive soul-pop that relied on Ferry’s stylish crooning, so it was no surprise that he disbanded Roxy Music at the height of its commercial success to pursue a solo career. While Eno has remained largely absent, Ferry and Roxy Music have reunited for live performances, including for their 2019 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a 2022 tour marking their 50th Anniversary.
The son of a coal miner, Bryan Ferry (vocals, keyboards) had studied art with Richard Hamilton at the University of Newcastle before forming Roxy Music in 1970. While at university, he sang in rock bands, joining the R&B group the Gas Board, which also featured bassist Graham Simpson. Ferry and Simpson decided to form their own band toward the end of 1970, eventually recruiting Andy Mackay (saxophone), who had previously played oboe with the London Symphony Orchestra. Through Mackay, Brian Eno joined the band. By the summer of 1971, the group — had originally been called ‘Roxy’ but a name change was necessary after the discovery of an American band called Roxy — had recruited classical percussionist Dexter Lloyd and guitarist Roger Bunn through an ad in Melody Maker; both musicians left within a month, but they did record the group’s initial demos. Another ad was placed in Melody Maker, and this time the group landed drummer Paul Thompson and guitarist Davy O’List, who had previously played with the Nice. O’List had left by the beginning of 1972 and was replaced by Phil Manzanera, a former member of Quiet Sun. Prior to recording their first album, Simpson left the band. Roxy Music never replaced him permanently; instead, they hired new bassists for each record and tour, beginning with Rik Kenton, who appeared on their eponymous debut for Island Records.
Produced by Peter Sinfield of King Crimson, Roxy’s self-titled debut climbed into the British Top Ten in the summer of 1972; shortly afterward, the non-LP single ‘Virginia Plain’ rocketed into the British Top Ten, followed by the non-LP ‘Pyjamarama’ in early 1973. While Roxy Music had become a sensation in England and Europe due to their clever amalgamation of high and kitsch culture, they had trouble getting a foothold in the United States. Both the first album and the follow-up, 1973’s For Your Pleasure (recorded with bassist John Porter), were greeted with enthusiasm in the U.K., but were virtually ignored in the U.S. Frustrated with Ferry’s refusal to record his compositions, Eno left the band after the completion of For Your Pleasure. Before recording the third Roxy Music album, Ferry released a solo album, These Foolish Things, which comprised pop/rock covers.