En septiembre de 1976, el vocalista y bajista John Wetton y el batería Bill Bruford (ex miembros de King Crimson) comenzaron a trabajar en una nueva banda con el teclista Rick Wakeman, de Yes. Sin embargo, la compañía discográfica A&M Records vetó el proyecto, diciendo que no podían dejar escapar a Wakeman con la base rítmica de King Crimson, y éste tuvo que ser abortado.
Decididos a trabajar juntos, Bruford y Wetton solicitaron que Robert Fripp reformase King Crimson, que se había disuelto en 1974. Cuando Fripp se negó, ambos músicos decidieron traer un compañero de confianza cada uno para que entrasen en la banda. Wetton encontró al teclista y violinista Eddie Jobson, a quien conocía de su trabajo con Roxy Music, y Bruford reclutó al guitarrista Allan Holdsworth, antiguo miembro de Soft Machine y Gong. De esta manera, UK editó su primer álbum de estudio en 1978, titulado Feels Good to Me, y captó la atención de los fans del rock progresivo y del jazz fusión. Su siguiente trabajo, deliberadamente diferente al trabajo de King Crimson, fue grabado poco después de la edición de Feels Good to Me. De todas las canciones grabadas, la mitad irían a parar al disco de Bruford, One of a Kind, mientras que la otra mitad conformó Danger Money.
Después de diversas giras por el Reino Unido y los Estados Unidos, Bruford y Holdsworth dejaron la disciplina del grupo. Bruford formó la banda que lleva su nombre, Bruford, y Holdsworth se unió a ella poco después. Posteriormente a la marcha de ambos músicos, UK no reclutó a ningún guitarrista, adquiriendo como novedad al batería Terry Bozzio, ex integrante de la banda de Frank Zappa. Este trío publicó Danger Money, su segundo trabajo, en marzo de 1979, y dio una gira de teloneros de Jethro Tull en Norteamérica. De esta serie de conciertos salió el disco en directo Night After Night. Después de otra gira por Europa y los planes para grabar otro disco de estudio, UK se separó en 1980.
Posteriormente, Jobson colaboró en A, de Jethro Tull, para después comenzar su carrera en solitario. Wetton, después de una pequeña colaboración con Wishbone Ash y los franceses Atoll, grabó un álbum en solitario llamado Caught in the Crossfire, antes de formar Asia con Steve Howe, Carl Palmer y Geoffrey Downes. Por su parte, Bozzio formó Missing Persons con su entonces mujer Dale Bozzio, el guitarrista Warren Cuccurullo y el bajista Patrick O'Hearn.
Entre 1995 y 1998, Jobson y Wetton intentaron grabar un álbum de reunión de UK, aunque el proyecto no cuajó y tuvo que ser abandonado.
En octubre de 2007, Jobson anunció la creación de un nuevo grupo, UKZ, con el bajista Trey Gunn entre otros músicos. Su primer álbum saldrá a la venta a comienzos de 2008.
U.K. were a short-lived British progressive rock supergroup active from 1977 until 1980. The band was composed of singer/bassist John Wetton (formerly of King Crimson, Bryan Ferry's band and Uriah Heep), keyboardist/electric violinist Eddie Jobson (formerly of Curved Air, Roxy Music and Frank Zappa's band), guitarist Allan Holdsworth (formerly of Tempest, Soft Machine, The New Tony Williams Lifetime and Gong) and drummer Bill Bruford (formerly of Yes and King Crimson), later replaced by drummer Terry Bozzio (formerly of Frank Zappa's band).
Trio line-up
After the departure of Bruford and Holdsworth, U.K. did not bring in another guitarist, instead becoming a trio with drummer Terry Bozzio (another one-time Frank Zappa band member). They recorded the studio album Danger Money, released in March 1979, and spent much of that year touring North America as opening act for Jethro Tull. A live album, Night After Night, was recorded in Japan that Spring and released in September. Following a final European tour in December 1979, and in spite of plans to record a new studio album in America in March 1980, U.K. disbanded as Jobson and Wetton had different ideas on how the band should develop. Jobson wanted UK to go on with more long instrumental pieces, while Wetton thought that performing shorter songs was a better idea. Jobson stated that one song in particular was the reason of the band to disband: "When Will You Realize?", a non-LP B-side (to date still unavailable on CD) featured on the "Night After Night" single, which Wetton would re-record (with slightly different lyrics) in 1980 on his solo album Caught In The Crossfire.
Aftermath
Jobson worked with Jethro Tull on the album A and went on to a solo career. Wetton, following a brief stint with Wishbone Ash (October–December 1980), and the recording of his solo album Caught In The Crossfire (Summer 1980), eventually left E.G. Records to sign with Geffen Records and ex-Yes manager Brian Lane and started Asia with Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and Geoffrey Downes. Bozzio formed Missing Persons with his then-wife Dale Bozzio, guitarist Warren Cuccurullo and bassist Patrick O'Hearn – all four also from line-ups with Zappa. Holdsworth and Bozzio played together in HoBoLeMa.
Legacy project
From 1995 to 1998, Jobson and Wetton worked together on a proposed U.K. reunion album, also recording contributions by Bruford, Tony Levin, Steve Hackett and Francis Dunnery. However, when Wetton departed, "Legacy" became an Eddie Jobson solo project, with Wetton replaced on lead vocals by Aaron Lippert. However, Jobson eventually abandoned the project. Three tracks intended for it found their way onto Voices of Life, a compilation by Bulgarian Women's Choir organised by Jobson.
UKZ and reunion
In October 2007, Jobson announced a new band, UKZ, with Lippert and former King Crimson bassist/guitarist Trey Gunn among others, which released an EP called "Radiation" in March 2009. In late 2009, Jobson and Wetton both talked about a possible reunion of U.K. A U.K. reunion tour in February/March 2010 with Jobson, Wetton, Marco Minnemann on drums (from UKZ) and Greg Howe (Victor Wooten, Vitalij Kuprij, Michael Jackson) on guitar was described to promoters, but not confirmed by Wetton.
Wetton and Jobson performed three concerts in Poland in November 2009 as part of Jobson's Ultimate Zero (U-Z) project. The line-up also featured Marco Minnemann (drums), Greg Howe (guitar) and Tony Levin (stick). They performed music from UK and King Crimson. A CD compiled from various U-Z performances from 2009, including multiple tracks from the Polish shows, has been released.
It was announced on February 11, 2011 and later confirmed by John Wetton on his website that UK were to play 2 shows in Japan on April 15 and 16, 2011. The lineup will be Jobson, Wetton, Alex Machacek, and Marco Minnemann. Wetton's comment was "I think you can drop the 'Z', now." US dates, including a show in San Francisco, were also announced and performed in April 2011.
UK have recently reformed with John Wetton, Eddie Jobson and Terry Bozzio for a world tour in 2012.
Musical style
Throughout their brief existence, U.K.'s music was characterised by skilled musicianship, jazzy harmonies, close harmony vocals, odd-numbered time signatures, mixed meters, electric violin solos, and unusually varied synthesiser (Yamaha CS-80) sonorities.
¡¡¡¡Aguelita mi chocolate!!!!, me cae que si no me llevo un disco (sobre todo el UK) a mi Isla, me muero o me regreso por el, estos gueyes son los máximos exponentes en lo que a Jazz-Rock Progresivo se refiere, tienen todos una calidad impresionante, solo hay que ver a los integrantes y donde han tocado para entender por que los discos de UK son tan buenos, super recomendable, a rockanrolear.
TRACKS
Recorded Live at Club Citta' Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan, April 15th 2011
01.In The Dead Of Night
02.By The Light Of Day
03.Presto Vivace And Reprise
04.Danger Money
05.Thirty Years
06.Alaska
07.Time To Kill
08.Starless
09.Carrying No Cross
02.By The Light Of Day
03.Presto Vivace And Reprise
04.Danger Money
05.Thirty Years
06.Alaska
07.Time To Kill
08.Starless
09.Carrying No Cross
01.Marco Minnemann solo
02.Eddie Jobson solo
03.Book Of Saturday
04.Nevermore
05.One More Red Nightmare
06.Caesar's Palace Blues
07.Sahara Of Snow Pt. II
08.Nothing To Lose
09.The Only thing She Needs
10.Rendezvous 6:02
02.Eddie Jobson solo
03.Book Of Saturday
04.Nevermore
05.One More Red Nightmare
06.Caesar's Palace Blues
07.Sahara Of Snow Pt. II
08.Nothing To Lose
09.The Only thing She Needs
10.Rendezvous 6:02
Recorded Live at Club Citta' Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan, April 16th 2011
01.In The Dead Of Night
02.By The Light Of Day
03.Presto Vivace And Reprise
04.Danger Money
05.Thirty Years
06.Alaska
07.Time To Kill
08.Starless
09.Carrying No Cross
10.Marco Minnemann solo
02.By The Light Of Day
03.Presto Vivace And Reprise
04.Danger Money
05.Thirty Years
06.Alaska
07.Time To Kill
08.Starless
09.Carrying No Cross
10.Marco Minnemann solo
01.Eddie Jobson solo
02.Nevermore
03.Band Intro
04.One More Red Nightmare
05.Caesar's Palace Blues
06.The Only Thing She Needs
07.Rendezvous 6:02
08.Night After Night
09.Nothing To Lose
Eddie Jobson (keyboards,violin)
John Wetton (voice,.bass)
Alex Machacek (guitars)
Marco Minnemann (drums)
02.Nevermore
03.Band Intro
04.One More Red Nightmare
05.Caesar's Palace Blues
06.The Only Thing She Needs
07.Rendezvous 6:02
08.Night After Night
09.Nothing To Lose
Eddie Jobson (keyboards,violin)
John Wetton (voice,.bass)
Alex Machacek (guitars)
Marco Minnemann (drums)
UK 2011
Fortune (Japan Tour 2011)
Discografía
Night After Night 1979 - Directo
Concert Classics, Vol. 4 1999 - Directo
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