Biography
-
Years Active
1967 – 1969 (2 years)
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Members
- Dorris Henderson
- George Hultgreen
- Gerry Conway
- Kerrilee Male
- Michael Rosen
Eclection was a British-based folk-rock band formed in London in 1967 by Norwegian-born Canadian Georg Kajanus (then known as Georg Hultgreen), Canadian Michael Rosen, Australians Trevor Lucas (died 1989) and Kerrilee Male, and Briton Gerry Conway (died 2024). They released one album on Elektra Records in 1968 before singer Kerrilee Male left to be replaced by American folk singer Dorris Henderson (died 2005), but the group broke up in December 1969.
One of the few British-based acts on the Elektra roster during that era, their sole album sounded unusually Californian for a British-based group of the period. Although based in England, Eclection were actually formed by one Englishman, one Canadian, one Norwegian and two Australians. Creatively, the group were dominated by guitarist/singer George Hultgreen (who wrote most of their songs) and guitarist/singer Michael Rosen (who wrote the remainder of the songs and usually took the male vocal leads).
Their eponymous album, like several Elektra albums of the period, matched some pretty folk-rock melodicism with slightly arty orchestrated production and a psychedelic tinge. The lyrics and harmonies often evoked blissful, drifting romps through the clouds, with a youthful naivete and exuberance.
Kerrilee Male, one of the group's strongest assets, left the band in late 1968, a few months after the release of Eclection. The group replaced her with American folk singer Dorris Henderson and did put out a subsequent single, a cover of Kaleidoscope's "Please (Mark II)". The group disbanded in October 1969, after keyboardist Poli Palmer (who had just come in to replace Michael Rosen) left to join Family.
MEMBERS:
KERRILEE MALE: vocals
MICHAEL ROSEN: vocals, 6-string electric & acoustic guitars, trumpet
GEORGE HULTGREEN: vocals, 12-string electric & acoustic guitars
TREVOR LUCAS: vocals & bass
GERRY CONWAY: drums, occasional backing vocals
After Eclection split up, Lucas and Conway formed Fotheringay with Lucas' girlfriend (and later wife) Sandy Denny (formerly of Fairport Convention). Georg Hultgreen, later known as Georg Kajanus, had commercial success in the mid-1970s with the band Sailor, later recording as DATA and Noir with Tim Dry (Tik from Tik and Tok), and writing musicals and soundtracks. Mike Rosen managed the progressive rock band Cressida, and was later a member of Mogul Thrash, before returning to live in Canada. Dorris Henderson headed a new version of the band, Dorris Henderson's Eclection, in the 1970s with her son Eric Johns.
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