Paladin - "Charge!" 1972

Formed in 1970 by drummer Keith Webb and keyboard player Pete Soley. Having toured with the Rolling Stones as backing musicians, they decided the time was right to unleash their own creativity. Ex "World of Oz" bassist Peter Beckett, Glass Menagerie/Grisby Dyke keyboard player Lou Stonebridge, and Grisby Dyke guitarist Derek Foley were brought in to complete the lineup.
Initially the bands influences were jazz, latin, soul, blues, afro-Cuban. The dual keyboards creating a unique sound. They list their early fans including John Anderson (of Yes). After building a credible live reputation, the band sighned to Gerry Bron's Bronze Records, and recorded their first album "Live" in the studio.The The album includes early examples of World and Rap (!) but failed to make much of an impression. Consequently, it is now rare and collectable in vinyl format.
The follow up album, "Charge!" was released a year later. It had an excellent Roger Dean sleeve, and represented a drastic improvement on the rather lackluster debut album. "Charge!" explored interesting progressive rock areas, combining folk influences ("Watching The World Pass
by") with rock and roll ("Well We Might"), and psychedelic rock ("Mix Your Mind with the Moonbeams"). The diverse style of the album made it difficult to pinpoint influences, but there is a touch of GENISES, BJH, URIAH HEEP, and possibly JETHRO TULL.
The band only released the two albums before their lack of success led to frustration, and they disbanded in 1972. (Bob McBeath, for Prog Archives)