Affinity (Knights In Blue Denim)

Affinity:

My Marquee '70 memories are of an attractive young lady (Linda Hoyle), surprisingly doing a great version of "Coconut Grove". Very bluesy & jazzy atmosphere - a bit sophisticated.

Her companions on the group album "Affinity", VERTIGO 6360004 (1970) were:
Mike Jopp (guitar), Lynton Naiff (keyboard), Mo Foster (bass) and Grant Serpell (drums).

Linda Hoyle later issued a solo album "Pieces Of Me" on VERTIGO 6360060 (1971) with busy Mr. Chris Spedding on guitar. And then got married and dropped out of sight. A pity.

Affinity: "I Wonder If I Care As Much" (D. & P. Everly)/"Sisters Three" (Linda Hoyle/Lynton Naiff) VERTIGO 6059 007 (1970)
A-Side: A reverby droning atmosphere. Tragic singing and a messy production. Not entirely convincing.
B-Side: Much much better. Driving & jazzy. Great organ, sax riffs and l-o-n-g guitarsolo that spiritually originated on the U.S. west coast. Linda seems to be much more at ease. Good!

Linda Hoyle with Affinity: "Eli's Comin'" (Nyro)/"United States of Mind" (Hull) VERTIGO 6059 018 (1970).
A-Side: BIG and busy production with great dynamics. Great song, good version.

B-Side: Folksy feeling. Mainly vocals, banging percussion and some acoustic guitar. A bit U.S. west coast once again. A shade of Grace Slick when she wails.

Easy to write down those record numbers. I didn't have to turn the single to read the label on the flip side! Remember the Vertigo labels?

Beat Instrumental reviewed the "Affinity" album in the August '70 issue:

"An interesting new band from the Ronnie Scott stable, Affinity play a tight and together music that has more in common with the grooves of jazz players like John Patton and Jimmy Smith than with the heavy rock of bands usually associated with the 'progressive' music scene. Particularly impressive is the organ and keyboard of one Lynton Naiff, but the rest of the band back up well. Out front is the voice of Linda Hoyle, a young lady being tipped for great things. She does have a fine voice, but her penchant for the traditional finger-snapping jazz vocal style is a matter of taste."