Rare Bird: organ-driven prog, Sympathy and beyond

Rare Bird

Musical Group

Forfans of progressive rock, keyboard-heavy 70s sounds, and listeners into genesis, king crimson, or aphrodite’s child comparisons.
4 Reviews 1 Definitions 2 Charts

The Profile

Rare Bird were a British progressive rock band formed in 1969, noted for an organ/electric‑piano driven sound without lead guitar. Best known for the 1969 single “Sympathy,” they issued albums including Rare Bird (1969), As Your Mind Flies By (1970), Epic Forest (1972), Somebody’s Watching (1973), and Born Again (1974) before disbanding in the mid‑1970s.

Key members included Steve Gould (vocals/bass), Graham Field (organ), Dave/David Kaffinetti (piano/keys), and Mark Ashton (drums). Reviews highlight the Hammond organ, distorted electric piano, the vocal contrast between Ashton and Gould, the single “What You Want To Know,” and the 28‑minute suite on As Your Mind Flies By.

The reviews revisit Rare Bird’s keyboard-centric progressive rock, spotlighting the 1969 single “Sympathy” and the 1970 album As Your Mind Flies By. They underline the unusual no-guitar setup, Hammond/electric piano textures, and the contrast between Steve Gould’s bluesy voice and Mark Ashton’s gentler tone. Highlights include the single “What You Want To Know” and the 28-minute title suite from As Your Mind Flies By. Context touches on the 1970 Italian Hit Parade and the group’s early prog stature.

Notable Quotes

❝ Rare Bird is a progressive band (what times, progressive bands in the "singles" chart in Italy...) in an unusual four-piece formation: bass/drums/organ/... piano! No guitars, then, but there's a trick, the pianist David Kaffinetti almost always plays a distorted electric piano, which ultimately simulates the electric guitar.