Eire Apaprent The Clown (1969)

Eire Apparent were a band that deserved more success than they enjoyed in their brief three-year existence, and more recognition than they’ve received in the decades since. Mostly they’re remembered for having had one album produced by Jimi Hendrix. The band had its roots in the Irish show band scene of the mid-’60s — guitarist Henry McCullough had put his time in, playing with outfits such as the Sky Rockets and Gene & the Gents, based on Portstewart, Northern Ireland.
Eire Apparent resumed their run at stardom with an album. What made the record special, beyond what the four members brought to the table, was the presence of Jimi Hendrix as producer. Hendrix had previously served in a similar capacity on behalf of Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys, but Eire Apparent attracted somewhat more attention, owing to the fact that their album received an American release through the Buddah label, which also issued their second single, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Band” b/w “Yes I Need Someone.” Hendrix also played on both sides of the single, as well as on the Chris Stewart-authored album track “The Clown,” but his involvement with their music was more complex than even these moments of direct participation. The guitarist apparently saw Eire Apparent as a vehicle for more pop-oriented sounds than he usually got to explore on his own recordings, freely mixing softer sounds with a strong psychedelic influence amid the harder sound that was the group’s forte. The harder sounds of songs such as “Morning Glory” were juxtaposed with more lyrical moments, vocally and instrumentally, without ever losing sight of their basic heavy electric sound.
The album, entitled Sunrise, was issued on the Buddah label in the United States, and thanks to Hendrix’s name on it and the time they put in touring, it did sell better than some Buddah releases of the era that didn’t have a hit single to drive sales or get AM radio play.