Editing Marillion (section)

====Formation and early years (1978–1982)====
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| quote = "I thought they were a lot like [[Camel (band)|Camel]]. It was also very clear to me that Steve Rothery was a brilliant guitarist."
| source = —Fish on his first impression of the band<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.loudersound.com/features/i-was-an-arsehole-fish-opens-up-about-the-past-and-where-he-s-headed-next | title= "I was an arsehole": Fish looks back on his career and reveals what's next | work=Louder | first=Paul | last=Elliott | date=17 July 2016 | access-date=31 October 2018}}</ref>
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In 1977, drummer [[Mick Pointer]] joined Electric Gypsy, which also included Doug Irvine on bass, Alan King on vocals and Andy Glass (later of [[Solstice (British rock band)|Solstice]]) on guitar. Pointer and Irvine left to form their own band, Silmarillion, named after [[J. R. R. Tolkien|J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s book ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', in late 1978. They played one London show as an instrumental band with Neil Cockle (keys) and Martin Jenner (guitar). 1979 saw a new line-up of Mick Pointer, [[Steve Rothery]] (guitar), Doug Irvine (bass/vocals) and Brian Jelliman (keys). They played their first concert at [[Berkhamsted Civic Centre]], [[Hertfordshire]], on 1 March 1980.<ref>{{cite book|title=Market Square Heroes – The Authorised Story of Marillion|author=Mick Wall|publisher=Sidgwick & Jackson Ltd|year=1987|isbn=978-0-283-99426-5|page=28|author-link=Mick Wall}}</ref> According to Pointer, it was at this stage that the name was shortened to Marillion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.morain.de/Marillion/02Setlists-1980.html|title=Marillion Setlists - 1980|last=Kreutzmann Andre|date=1 June 2002|website=Morain.de|access-date=22 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aylesburyfriars.co.uk/interviewsmickpointer.html|title=Welcome to the Friars Aylesbury website|website=Aylesburyfriars.co.uk|access-date=22 April 2019}}</ref><ref>Carol Clarke, "Marillion In Words & Pictures" (1985)</ref>

Other sources have that the band name was shortened to Marillion in 1981 to avoid potential copyright conflicts,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.progfreaks.com/Marillion/Biography/Chapter1.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20080604002321/http://www.progfreaks.com/Marillion/Biography/Chapter1.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-06-04 |title=Chapter 1 – Writing Down The Script| author=Marcelo Silveyra| website=Progfreaks.com| year=2002}}</ref> at the same time as singer [[Fish (singer)|Fish]] and bassist William 'Diz' Minnitt<ref>{{cite web |url=http://siba.co.uk/2013/02/a-trip-down-memory-lane/ |title=A trip down memory lane « |website=Siba.co.uk |date=2013-02-26 |access-date=2014-04-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130718042442/http://siba.co.uk/2013/02/a-trip-down-memory-lane/ |archive-date=18 July 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> replaced original bassist/vocalist Doug Irvine following an audition at Leyland Farm Studios in Buckinghamshire on 2 January 1981. The line-up of Rothery, Pointer, Jelliman, Fish, and Minnitt performed their first gig at the Red Lion Pub<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/venue/the-red-lion-bicester-england-5bd643d0.html|title=The Red Lion, Bicester, England Concert Setlists|website=Setlist.fm|access-date=28 September 2021}}</ref> at 35 Market Square in [[Bicester]] on 14 March 1981. Many years after his departure from Marillion, Irvine eventually joined the band Steam Shed.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dyer |first=Jamie |date=26 June 2018 |title=Interview: Heather from Steam Shed |url=https://www.oldtimereview.co.uk/interview-heather-from-steam-shed/ |access-date=22 April 2019 |website=OldTimeReview.co,uk}}</ref>

By the end of 1981, [[Mark Kelly (keyboardist)|Mark Kelly]] had replaced Jelliman on keyboards, with [[Pete Trewavas]] replacing Minnitt on bass in 1982.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.themarqueeclub.net/interview-diz-minnitt-of-marillion |title=Interview - Diz Minnitt of Marillion |publisher=The Marquee Club |access-date=2014-04-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061224175221/http://www.themarqueeclub.net/interview-diz-minnitt-of-marillion |archive-date=24 December 2006 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Minnitt later formed Pride of Passion<ref>"Record News", ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'', 14 December 1985, p. 6</ref> and went on to perform with Zealey and Moore.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zealeyandmoore.co.uk/|title=Zealey And Moore|website=Zealeyandmoore.co.uk|access-date=22 April 2019}}</ref>

Marillion's first recordings were two demos recorded in March and the summer of 1980, before Fish and Minnitt joined the band. Two versions of the Spring demo circulate amongst collectors; the first has four tracks; "The Haunting of Gill House", "Herne the Hunter", an untitled track known as "Scott's Porridge", and "Alice". The second version has an instrumental version of "Alice" in place of "Scott's Porridge". All tracks are instrumental apart from "Alice", with vocals by Doug Irvine. The summer demo has three tracks; "Close" (parts of which were later rewritten into "The Web", "He Knows You Know" and "Chelsea Monday"), "Lady Fantasy" (an original based on an earlier Electric Gypsy song), and another version of "Alice". Both were recorded at [[The Enid]]'s studio in Hertfordshire. Following Irvine's departure and replacement by Fish and Minnitt, the band recorded another demo tape, produced by Les Payne, in July 1981 that included early versions of "He Knows You Know", "Garden Party", and "Charting the Single".{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}

The group attracted attention with a radio session for the ''[[Friday Rock Show]]''. They were subsequently signed by [[EMI Records]]. They released their first single, "[[Market Square Heroes]]", in 1982, with the 17-minute epic "Grendel" on the B-side of the 12" version. Following the single, the band released their first full-length album in 1983.