Editing The Nice (section)

==History==

===Early career===
The Nice evolved from [[Gary Farr|Gary Farr and the T-Bones]], which keyboardist [[Keith Emerson]] and bassist [[Lee Jackson (bassist)|Keith "Lee" Jackson]] were both members of before the band dissolved in early 1967.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=22}} Emerson then briefly played with the VIPs, who toured the [[Star-Club]] in [[Hamburg]], and his playing style became influenced by the organist [[Don Shinn]], including standing up to play the instrument and rocking it on stage.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=24}} Meanwhile, [[P. P. Arnold]], a performer who reached a higher level of popularity in the UK than her native US,{{sfn|Strong|2000|p=695}} was unhappy with her backing band, the Blue Jays, and wanted a replacement. Her driver suggested Emerson would be able to put together such a group. Emerson agreed, but only on the condition the band could perform on their own as a warm-up act. Since it effectively meant getting two bands for the price of one, manager [[Andrew Loog Oldham]] readily agreed. Emerson recruited Jackson, drummer Ian Hague and ex-[[The Attack (band)|The Attack]] guitarist [[David O'List]], the latter by recommendation from journalist [[Chris Welch]].{{sfn|Hanson|2002|pp=22–6}} The name came from Arnold saying, "Here comes the Naz",{{efn|"The Naz" was [[African-American]] slang for [[Jesus]] and was the title of a monologue by comic [[Lord Buckley]].{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=30}}}} which the group misheard as "the Nice".{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=30}}

The band played its first gig in May 1967, and had its first major break at the 7th [[National Jazz and Blues Festival]] in [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]] on 13 August. Oldham had managed to secure a separate set for the group in a side tent away from also accompanying Arnold on the main stage, where they gained attention. The next week, Welch wrote in the ''[[Melody Maker]]'' that "it was the first time I had seen a group actually in the act of winning its first following in quite dramatic circumstances".{{sfn|Hanson|2002|pp=30–2}} When Arnold returned to the US shortly afterwards, Oldham offered the group a contract of their own. Hague was not interested in the "progressive" direction the group wanted to go in, so he was replaced by former Mark Leeman Five and Habits drummer [[Brian Davison (drummer)|Brian Davison]].<ref name= "Davison obit">{{cite news |last= Welch |first= Chris |author-link= Chris Welch |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/brian-davison-drummer-with-the-nice-813354.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/brian-davison-drummer-with-the-nice-813354.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Brian Davison: Drummer with The Nice |type= obituary |newspaper= [[The Independent]] |access-date= 22 November 2012 |location= London |date= 22 April 2008}}</ref>

Now a band in their own right, the Nice expanded their gear, recruiting roadies Bazz Ward and [[Lemmy]], the latter of whom provided Emerson with a Hitler Youth ceremonial dagger to stick into the keys on his Hammond organ. They spent the end of 1967 on a package tour with [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[Pink Floyd]], [[the Move]] and [[Amen Corner (band)|Amen Corner]]. Pink Floyd's then leader, [[Syd Barrett]], missed several gigs and O'List had to stand in for him. The group's first album was recorded throughout the autumn of 1967, and in October of that year they recorded their first session for [[John Peel]]'s radio show ''[[Top Gear (radio show)|Top Gear]]''.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|pp=46–7}} The album included classical and jazz influences including extracts from [[Leoš Janáček]]'s ''[[Sinfonietta (Janáček)|Sinfonietta]]'' and a rearrangement of [[Dave Brubeck]]'s "Blue Rondo a la Turk" renamed as "Rondo", changing the [[time signature]] from the original 9/8 to 4/4 in the process. The group clashed with producer Oldham in the studio over the length of the track, but eventually won the argument; the full eight-minute piece was included on the album.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=48}} After the album was released, the group realised that Oldham had a conflict of interest as manager and record company owner, so they recruited sports journalist [[Tony Stratton Smith]] to take over management duties.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=59}}

For their second single, the Nice created an arrangement of [[Leonard Bernstein]]'s "[[America (West Side Story song)|America]]" which Emerson described as the first ever [[instrumental]] [[protest song]]. The track used the main theme of the Bernstein piece (from ''[[West Side Story]]'') but also included fragments of [[Antonín Dvořák|Dvořák]]'s ''[[Symphony No.&nbsp;9 (Dvořák)|New World Symphony]]''. The single concludes with Arnold's three-year-old son speaking the lines "America is pregnant with promise and anticipation, but is murdered by the hand of the inevitable." The new arrangement was released under the title "America (Second Amendment)" as a pointed reference to the [[United States Bill of Rights|US Bill of Rights]] provision for the [[right to bear arms]].{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=60}} In July 1968, [[Immediate Records]] publicised the single with a controversial poster picturing the group members with small boys on their knees, with superimposed images of the faces of [[John F. Kennedy]], [[Robert F. Kennedy]] and [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] on the children's heads.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=61}} A spokesman for the band said: "Several record stores have refused to stock our current single .... the Nice feel if the posters are issued in United States they will do considerable harm".{{sfn|Tobler|1992|p=186}} During the tour that followed the release of their second album in July, the group spawned controversy when Emerson [[flag burning|burned]] an [[Flag of the United States|American flag]] onstage during a performance of "America" at a charity event, ''Come Back Africa'' in London's [[Royal Albert Hall]]. The group were subsequently banned from ever playing the venue again.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=65}}

By summer 1968, the group had become concerned about O'List's reliability{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=71}} and matters came to a head following a gig in [[Croydon]]'s [[Fairfield Hall]] in September. According to roadie Ward, O'List had an altercation with him mid-performance. Emerson subsequently called a band meeting with Jackson and Davison and stated flatly that O'List should be sacked. They agreed, and immediately after their performance at The Ritz, Bournemouth in October, he was fired by Stratton Smith with the rest of the band present.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|pp=72–3}} O'List, however, claims that he left the band voluntarily because he was upset at Smith's decision to make Emerson the front man, saying: "I left the band and waited for Keith to get in contact... I should have gone straight to Keith, but I didn't."{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=74}}

===Reduction to a three-piece===
[[File:Tyne Bridges - geograph.org.uk - 836585.jpg|thumb|left|The title suite of the ''[[Five Bridges]]'' album was inspired by five bridges that span the [[River Tyne]] between [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] and [[Gateshead]].]]
The Nice briefly considered looking for a replacement, with [[Steve Howe (guitarist)|Steve Howe]] auditioning. Howe got on well with the rest of the band, but a week later had second thoughts and decided not to join.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=75}} Emerson tried to learn guitar so he could cover some of O'List's old parts, but gave up after one gig.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=77}}

The band's second LP, ''[[Ars Longa Vita Brevis (album)|Ars Longa Vita Brevis]]'', featured an arrangement of the Intermezzo from the ''Karelia Suite'' by [[Jean Sibelius]], which the band's friend [[Roy Harper (singer)|Roy Harper]] had recommended they cover,{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=78}} and the album's second side was a suite which included an arrangement of a movement from [[Johann Sebastian Bach|J.S. Bach]]'s [[Brandenburg Concerto]] No.&nbsp;3. The group used an orchestra for the first time on some parts of the suite.{{sfn|Hatch|Millward|1987|p=151}} The band were on the bill at the [[Isle of Wight Festival 1969|1969 Isle of Wight Festival]]{{sfn|Tobler|1992|p=202}} and briefly toured Ireland with [[Yes (band)|Yes]] and [[Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band]] which, by all accounts, was fraught with logistical problems.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=92}}

The third album, titled ''[[Nice (The Nice album)|Nice]]'' in the UK and ''Everything As Nice As Mother Makes It'' in the US, featured one side recorded live on their American tour and one side of studio material. As with previous albums, it included arrangements of classical material, in this case Lalo's ''[[Symphonie espagnole]]'' which was rewritten as "Diary of an Empty Day" plus rearrangements of [[Bob Dylan]]'s "[[She Belongs to Me]]" and [[Tim Hardin]]'s "[[How Can We Hang On to a Dream|Hang On to a Dream]]".{{sfn|Hanson|2002|pp=96–97}}

In 1969, the band found time to contribute to other projects. Emerson performed as a session player for [[Rod Stewart]] and the [[Faces (band)|Faces]],{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=103}} while the whole group provided instrumental backing for the track "Hell's Angels" on Roy Harper's 1970 album ''[[Flat Baroque and Berserk]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/flat-baroque-and-berserk-mw0000046680/credits|title=Flat Baroque and Berserk – Credits|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=31 May 2015}}</ref> Mid-year, tour promoter Michael Emmerson asked the Nice to write some music for the [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] Arts Festival. The result was the ''Five Bridges'' suite. The group premièred the piece on 10 October 1969 at [[Newcastle City Hall]]. A complete version with an orchestra was performed at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon on 17 October, which was recorded for the album of the same name. The title refers to the city's five bridges spanning the [[River Tyne, England|River Tyne]], and Jackson's lyrics refer to his Newcastle childhood and the [[St James' Park]] football ground.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|pp=106–107}}

By late 1969, Emerson thought the Nice had progressed as far as it could musically, and was particularly dissatisfied with Jackson's limited vocal style. He asked [[Jack Bruce]] and Yes' [[Chris Squire]] about forming a new band, but both turned Emerson down.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=111}} While on tour in the US with [[King Crimson]], Emerson held a meeting with Stratton Smith and declared "the Nice had outlived its usefulness". By the end of the year, Emerson and Crimson's [[Greg Lake]] had decided to form a band together.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=112}} The group carried on touring into 1970, but sometime early in the year, Emerson told Jackson that he would be leaving the band. Matters were not helped by Immediate Records filing for bankruptcy; the band later said they received no royalties from the label while an active group.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=123}}

In February 1970, the group collaborated with the [[Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra]] led by [[Zubin Mehta]]. This was broadcast in the following month as part of the "Switched-On Symphony" program. Following standard television procedure of the day, the Nice's contribution (a version of "America") was recorded ahead of time and the band mimed for the cameras.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=122}}

By March, the group had confirmed they would split, and a report on the band's decision was printed in ''Melody Maker''. The group played their last British concert on 22 March at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon,{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=125}} and after a short German tour the band broke up, playing their last gig on 30 March at the [[Berlin Sportpalast]].{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=126}}

===Post-Nice and reunion===
[[File:Leejackson.jpg|thumb|[[Lee Jackson (bassist)|Lee Jackson]] performing at the 2002 reunion of the Nice.]]
Emerson and Lake recruited [[Carl Palmer]] from [[Atomic Rooster]] and formed [[Emerson, Lake & Palmer]] (ELP).{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=130-31}}{{sfn|Tobler|1992|p=213}} In 1971, the posthumous Nice album ''[[Elegy (The Nice album)|Elegy]]'' was released. It included different versions of previously released tracks, two being studio versions and two live from the 1969 US tour. Emerson had no involvement with compiling the album, which was done by Jackson, Davison and [[Charisma Records]].{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=137}} The album reached No.&nbsp;5 in the UK.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=138}}

Jackson formed [[Jackson Heights (band)|Jackson Heights]] which released five albums between 1970 and 1973. Emerson supported the band and became a fan.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=143}} Davison formed "Every Which Way" which released an album in 1970.{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=144}} Both Jackson and Davison formed [[Refugee (band)|Refugee]] with keyboardist [[Patrick Moraz]] in 1974, but Moraz left the group after one album to replace [[Rick Wakeman]] in [[Yes (band)|Yes]].{{sfn|Hanson|2002|pp=158,162}}

After over three decades of inactivity, the Nice reformed in 2002 for a series of concerts. A three-CD set ''[[Vivacitas]]'' was released, with the third CD being an interview with Emerson, Jackson and Davison. O'List did not attend the reunion and was replaced by guitarist [[Dave Kilminster]].{{sfn|Hanson|2002|p=177}} Davison died on 15 April 2008 aged 65 in Horns Cross, [[Devon]], from a brain tumour.<ref name= "Davison obit"/> Emerson died on 11 March 2016 in [[Santa Monica, California]], of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.<ref name="nytobit">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/12/arts/music/keith-emerson-70s-rock-showman-with-a-taste-for-spectacle-dies-at-71.html?_r=0 |title=Keith Emerson, '70s Rock Showman With a Taste for Spectacle, Dies at 71 |first=Ben |last=Ratliff |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=B7 |date=11 March 2016}}</ref>