The Enid -

The Enid was an English symphonic-rock band from Tenterden, Kent, that released the 1976 album In the Region of the Summer Stars on Buk Records and the 1977 sophomore effort Aerie Faerie Nonsense on EMI International. Two 1979 titles appeared on Pye, after which The Enid issued numerous 1980s albums on their eponymous label and another round (1990s era) on self-press Mantella.

The Enid’s leader throughout its 42-year history was Robert John Godfrey, a composer, conductor, and keyboardist who arranged the first two albums by Barclay James Harvest (1970–71) and released a 1974 solo album, Fall of Hyperion, on Charisma.

Members: Robert John Godfrey (keyboards, vocals, 1974-2016), Stephen Stewart (guitar, vocals, 1974-88), Francis Lickerish (guitar, 1974-80), Dave Storey (drums, 1974-76, 1978-88, 1997), David Williams (bass, 1974), Dave Hancock (trumpet, 1974-77, 1984), Neil Kavanagh (bass, 1974-76), Glen Tollet (keyboards, 1974-76), Terry Pack (bass, 1975-79), Nick Magnus (keyboards, 1975-76), Charlie Elston (keyboards, 1976), Jeremy Tranter (bass, 1976), Willie Gilmour (keyboards, 1976-80), Robbie Dobson (drums, 1976, 1980), Martin Russell (bass, 1979-82), Chris North (drums, 1980-82), Nick May (guitar)

Background

Robert John Godfrey was born on July 30, 1947, at the Leeds Castle estate in Kent, England. He took up piano at age twelve and gained admission to the Royal College of Music, where he studied under concert pianist Malcolm Binns.

In 1969, Godfrey became the musical director for orchestral rockers Barclay James Harvest, the namesake act of EMI’s new Harvest division. He served as their conductor on their first two albums, the 1970–71 Harvest titles Barclay James Harvest and Once Again.

In 1973, Godfrey played Steinway grand piano in Siddhartha, a symphonic-rock band that gigged the university circuit and courted interest from Charisma Records founder Tony Stratton Smith. Siddhartha (not the contemporaneous Kraut band, also named after the 1922 Hermann Hesse novel) also featured singer Chris Lewis and a Hammond C3 organist named Colin Green. They demoed three tracks but disbanded album-less over personal differences.

Fall of Hyperion

Robert John Godfrey released his first album, Fall of Hyperion, in 1974 on Charisma. Side One consists of three long songs and Side Two features “The Daemon of the World,” a six-part suite at just under fifteen minutes.

Godfrey composed the music, which features lyrics and vocals by Siddhartha singer Chris Lewis and instrumental backing by bassist Neil Tetlow, Hammond organist Nigel Morton, future Pretenders guitarist James Honeymoon-Scott (credited here as Jim Scott), and percussionists Ronnie McCrea and Tristan Fry (a future Sky mainstay).

Godfrey shapes Fall of Hyperion as a sequence of slow-moving, orchestral rock tableaux driven by dense piano figures, late-romantic cadences, and broad dynamic sweeps. Pieces like “The Raven” and “Mountain” move with ceremonial pacing, built on tightly plotted keyboard passages that rise into full-ensemble peaks, while “Water Song” extends the same pianistic contouring with continuous, high-register runs. “Isault” is cast in heightened dramatic mode, its vocal line set against thick keyboard layering that resembles a staged narrative interlude.

The closing suite, “The Daemon of the World,” stretches across multiple episodes: brisk keyboard turns, abrupt tempo shifts, a real percussion break, and a sudden entry from a cathedral-grade organ that lifts the final section into its largest scale. Across the album, Godfrey’s piano and Mellotron remain dominant, rendering the rhythm section secondary and giving each piece the weight and pacing of a compact orchestral work.

A1. “The Raven” (8:46)
A2. “Mountains” (6:56)
A3. “Water Song” (5:57)
A4. “End of Side 1” (0:04)
B1. “Isault” (5:10)
B2. “The Daemon of the World” (14:44)
      i. “The Arrival of the Phoenix”
      ii. “Across the Abyss”
      iii. “‘The Daemon”
      iv. “The Wanderer”
      v. “IHS”
      vi. “Tuba Mirum”

Sessions took place in the autumn of 1973 at Sarm Studios, with Decca–Deram producer Neil Slaven (Egg, Khan, Keef Hartley, Chicken Shack, Pink Fairies, Savoy Brown) and engineer Gary Lyons, a soundman on subsequent albums by Be-Bop Deluxe (Futurama), David Essex (Out On the Street), Fox, Jet, Pilot, and Starry Eyed and Laughing.

The UK post-psych design firm Hipgnosis designed the cover to Fall of Hyperion, which sports a fantasy painting by “Face” (aka Keith Davis), whose artwork also graces covers by Mighty Baby and Skin Alley. Godfrey dedicates the album to “the life, work and memory of” George Aubrey Lynward OBE (1894–1973), an English psychotherapist and educator who founded the Finchden Manor, a boy’s therapeutic community in Tenterden once attended by young Robert.^>

Enid Forms

In 1973, amid the Siddhartha and Fall of Hyperion projects, Godfrey found musical camaraderie with fellow Finchden Manor alumni Francis Lickerish, Stephen Stewart (both guitarists), and David Williams. In 1974, they added bassist Glen Tollet and drummer Dave Storey. They rehearsed material for a debut album with singer Peter Roberts, who committed suicide on New Year’s Day 1975. Shaken by the loss, they proceeded as an instrumental act.

In the Region of the Summer Stars

The Enid released their debut album, In the Region of the Summer Stars, in February 1976 on Buk.

The album introduces The Enid’s unique concept of through-composed, symphonic instrumental music with a loosely programmatic arc based on the tarot. Unlike most contemporaries who incorporated orchestral flourishes into rock, The Enid invert the formula: they place classical idioms at the core and relegate electric instruments to supporting roles. This first version, later re-recorded for legal reasons, remains the canonical 1976 mix.

Keyboardist and composer Robert John Godfrey guides the suite with orchestrally voiced piano, synth, and choral timbres. Stephen Stewart and Francis Lickerish provide guitar parts that alternate between fanfare motifs and subtle harmonic shading. Glenn Tollett doubles on bass and tuba, anchoring Godfrey’s broad harmonic scope. Neil Kavanagh adds bass and flute; percussion is handled by David Storey and Robbie Dobson. A trumpet solo by Dave Hancock features on Side B.

Godfrey composed all pieces apart from “The Lovers,” his own solo piano movement. Track titles reference tarot archetypes, with musical content aligned to symbolic themes of fate, morality, passion, and destruction.

“The Fool” opens with a triumphant overture and transitions through “The Falling Tower” via staggered brass chords and phased rhythms. “Death, the Reaper” juxtaposes menacing staccato figures with a mid-tempo procession of layered winds and guitar. “The Devil” weaves a sinister march of low strings and glissandi into sudden, percussive climaxes. “The Last Judgement” shifts between serene interludes and thunderous crescendos before resolving in a cyclical reprise of earlier motifs. The eleven-minute title track layers piano, electric leads, and fanfare brass across a three-part structure with sharp dynamic pivots and final recapitulation.

A1. “The Fool / The Falling Tower” (6:16)
A2. “Death, The Reaper” (3:59)
A3. “The Lovers” (5:17) — piano solo by Godfrey in a romantic, Rachmaninoff-inspired idiom
A4. “The Devil” (4:14)

B1. “The Sun” (4:39) — features trumpet solo by Dave Hancock
B2. “The Last Judgement” (8:12)
B3. “In the Region of the Summer Stars” (6:19)

Sessions occurred in 1975 at Decca Studios in London with producer John Sinclair and engineers uncredited on release.

In the Region of the Summer Stars features cover art by Buk Records, with a medieval-styled illustration alluding to celestial myth and tarot iconography.

Aerie Faerie Nonsense

The Enid released their second album, Aerie Faerie Nonsense, in November 1977 on Honeybee.

The album expands The Enid’s orchestral aesthetic into extended movements inspired by mythic and literary sources. Side one adapts motifs from Robert Browning’s Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, while side two draws on Irish folklore, specifically the legend of Fand, queen of the fairies. The work shifts their approach from structured suites to fluid, symphonic storytelling in multi-part form.

Robert John Godfrey directs the arrangements with a wider instrumental palette that includes layered keyboards, chamber voicings, and rubato phrasing. Guitarists Francis Lickerish and Stephen Stewart weave electric and acoustic textures through dynamic orchestral swells. Terry Pack replaces Glenn Tollett on bass and adds foundational support, while David Storey’s percussion blends timpani and kit in expressive cadences. Charlie Elston contributes auxiliary keyboards.

Godfrey composed all but two tracks, co-writing “Ondine” and “Childe Roland” with Lickerish, who also co-composed the first movement of “Fand.” The record comprises one side-length tone poem and a three-movement opening suite, performed with no vocals.

“Prelude” opens with a subdued keyboard chorale and vibraphone before segueing into the brisk, contrapuntal “Mayday Galliard,” which alternates marching rhythms with sudden harmonic pivots. “Ondine” sustains a quiet pulse with interwoven lute-styled guitar and diatonic flute figures. “Childe Roland” builds on a brooding modal sequence with surging percussion and staggered melodic statements across guitar and keys. “Fand,” the 17-minute Side B epic, moves through multiple stages of orchestral tension and release: Part I gradually rises from ambient synth swells to lush brass-styled chords and soaring guitar lines; Part II closes with a sequence of melodic recapitulations, diminishing to an elegiac coda.

A1. “Prelude” (0:58)
A2. “Mayday Galliard” (6:44)
A3. “Ondine” (3:47) — features lute-like acoustic guitar and soft keyboard flute motifs
A4. “Childe Roland” (7:09)

B1. “Fand I” (11:46) — depicts the romance of Fand and Cuchulainn in sweeping orchestral waves
B2. “Fand II” (5:42) — portrays their parting through recurring melodic fragments and descending cadences

Sessions occurred between August and September 1977 at Morgan Studios in London with producer Martin Moss, who also engineered the album with assistance from Nick Cook.

Aerie Faerie Nonsense features cover art direction by Peter Shepherd with photography by Peter Lavery. The imagery depicts a stylized rendering of Fand, drawn from Celtic mythology and Arthurian allusion.

Touch Me

The Enid released their third album, Touch Me, in February 1979 on Pye.

The album presents two long-form suites that further refine The Enid’s orchestral rock concept. The four-movement Charades occupies side one with theatrical overtures and romantic interludes, while the sixteen-minute Albion Fair dominates side two with an arc that blends ambient tonal layering and climactic orchestration. The release followed a tense period of label instability, which delayed the band’s access to promised resources and forced a rapid production schedule.

Robert John Godfrey and William Gilmour perform dual keyboard arrangements across piano, organ, and synthesizers. Guitarists Francis Lickerish and Stephen Stewart supply melodic and harmonic roles, with Stewart also adding percussion textures. David Storey’s drumming underlines ceremonial passages with martial accents and rolling toms. Terry Pack provides bass grounding, while Tony Freer guests on oboe and cor anglais for select movements.

Godfrey composed both suites, co-writing Charades in parts with Gilmour, Lickerish, and Stewart. Albion Fair comprises two uninterrupted sections credited solely to Godfrey, making it the album’s sole solo-authored work.

“Humouresque” opens Charades with bright, cyclical themes over syncopated meters and layered keys. “Cortege” slows to a solemn march with wind voicings and tympanic accents, transitioning into the quiet, reflective “Elegy,” where solo piano and minimal accompaniment evoke a chamber setting. “Gallavant” resumes the full-ensemble bombast with compound time signatures, stacked cadences, and a galloping conclusion. Albion Fair begins with an extended ambient segment of suspended motifs, faint percussion, and harmonic vapor, followed by an intensifying series of orchestral surges, brass-styled synthesizers, and clustered guitar voicings that escalate to a rhapsodic apex.

A1. “Humouresque” (6:17)
A2. “Cortege” (5:11) — features oboe and cor anglais in funereal counterpoint over Renaissance-styled drums
A3. “Elegy (Touch Me)” (3:17) — piano-centered lament in the manner of “The Lovers”
A4. “Gallavant” (7:14) — reprises opening themes with dense orchestration and triumphant cadences

B1. “Albion Fair, Part 1” (time merged below) — slow-building ambient section with atmospheric textures and minimal harmonic motion
B2. “Albion Fair, Part 2” (16:00) — climactic orchestral resolution with cyclical themes and contrapuntal peaks

Sessions occurred in November 1978 through January 1979 at The Enid’s 16-track home studio in Hertfordshire with the band self-producing and Alexander Harvey engineering.

Touch Me features artwork by Chess with a concept by Martin Cropper, depicting costumed Edwardian figures in a fairground setting suggestive of Albion mythology.

Six Pieces

The Enid released their fourth album, Six Pieces, in October 1979 on Pye.

The album presents six short-form works, each conceived as a musical portrait of a band member. Departing from the suite-based structure of prior releases, the band shifts to a discrete composition format while preserving its orchestral style. Though Pye exerted commercial pressure to simplify the material, the album retains the group’s classical vocabulary and harmonic density.

Robert John Godfrey and William Gilmour lead on keyboards, layering piano, brass-styled synths, and string textures. Francis Lickerish handles melodic guitar passages and doubling on bass, with Stephen Stewart also contributing guitars and overseeing technical engineering. Newcomer Robbie Dobson supplies dynamic percussion, while bassist–keyboardist Martin Russell contributes to both harmonic support and co-writing. The full band shares arranging credits.

Godfrey co-wrote all tracks; Lickerish, Stewart, Russell, Gilmour, and Dobson each contributed to one or more pieces. “Once She Was” adapts the English ballad “Scarborough Fair” into a through-composed variation suite with original interludes. Each track functions autonomously, yet recurring motifs and textural overlaps sustain continuity across the set.

“Punch and Judy Man” opens with a metric shift between 9/8 and 7/8, building tension before resolving into a gentle piano sequence and returning in spiraling polymeter. “Once She Was” contrasts quiet pastoral phrasing with a midsection surge of modal brass voicings and ends in a full ensemble swell. “The Ring Master” centers on rhythmic cycles and chromatic punctuations in a swirling, percussive framework. “Sanctus” unfolds as a solemn hymn with synth fanfares and choral block harmonies. “Hall of Mirrors” features lyrical guitar lines over a stately three-beat pulse, building gradually to a romantic climax. “The Dreamer” begins with ambient, percussive washes before progressing to broad melodic arcs and restating thematic material from “Sanctus.”

A1. “Punch and Judy Man” (7:10) — alternating 9/8–7/8 intro gives way to piano-led interlude and bombastic reprise
A2. “Once She Was” (6:43) — adaptation of “Scarborough Fair” with modal chord changes, brass synths, and triple-meter finale
A3. “The Ring Master” (5:44) — circus-themed percussive etude built on ostinati and chromatic organ swells

B1. “Sanctus” (6:19) — stately chorale with layered synth-brass and lyrical guitar solos
B2. “Hall of Mirrors” (4:42) — guitar-led slow movement with romantic phrasing and soft modulation
B3. “The Dreamer” (9:04) — atmospheric opening yields to melodic development and climax with recycled motifs

Sessions occurred in August and September 1979 at The Enid’s 16-track home studio. The band self-produced the album with engineering by Dai Reynolds, Mike Wilson, and Paul Libson; Stewart handled internal tracking.

Six Pieces features cover photography of the band posed as chess pieces, symbolizing individual musical roles within a fixed aesthetic design.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

The Enid released their fifth album, Something Wicked This Way Comes, in 1983 as ENID 3.

The album marks a stylistic shift as the first Enid studio release to feature vocals and pop-adjacent song structures. Written and recorded after the dissolution of the band’s original lineup, it reflects Robert John Godfrey and Stephen Stewart’s decision to relaunch The Enid as a self-managed, studio-based entity. The album’s thematic arc centers on nuclear catastrophe and spiritual rebirth, framed in impressionistic lyrics and symphonic textures.

Godfrey plays piano and keyboards while contributing lead vocals for the first time. Stewart handles electric guitar, bass, and co-leads on vocal passages. Guest contributors include drummers Chris North, Wayne Cox, and Dave Storey, with additional bass by Gary Mendel and Terry Pack. Keyboards are augmented by Willie Gilmour, Tony Freer, and Martin Wallis. The group recorded at The Lodge in Clare, Suffolk, using The Enid’s newly established Egg Room setup.

Godfrey, Stewart, and North co-wrote the majority of tracks. The lyrical content, penned by Robert Perry, oscillates between existential dread and mystical reflection. The album’s choral-style arrangements and brass-like synth voicings retain core Enid elements while incorporating shorter, linear compositions.

“Acid Raindown” opens with ambient dissonance and builds into a dirge with tribal percussion and apocalyptic vocals. “Jessica’s Song” shifts to pastoral mood, centered on sustained guitar phrases and orchestral synths. “Then There Were None” alternates between theatrical vocal verses and staccato instrumental bursts. “Evensong” introduces the title track’s motif in a slow elegy. “Bright Star” layers synth arpeggios and radiant guitar into a pulsing instrumental. “Song for Europe” overlays martial rhythms with brassy fanfare before descending into somber ambience. “Something Wicked This Way Comes” concludes with a vocal–instrumental cycle that moves from subdued lament to a layered climax of piano, strings, and sampled effects.

A1. “Acid Raindown” (6:31) — ominous vocal narrative over martial drums and dense orchestral keys
A2. “Jessica’s Song” (4:20) — Stewart’s guitar leads a lyrical instrumental in celebratory tone
A3. “Then There Were None” (5:28) — vocal-driven sections alternate with staccato orchestral blasts
A4. “Evensong” (3:31) — brief interlude with solo piano and ambient wind textures

B1. “Bright Star” (3:57) — arpeggiated synth motifs over modal guitar lead
B2. “Song for Europe” (5:43) — militaristic synth-brass sequence with climactic drum passages
B3. “Something Wicked This Way Comes” (9:53) — extended finale with cyclical vocal refrains and dynamic crest

Sessions occurred in 1982 at The Lodge and the Egg Room in Clare, Suffolk, with mobile tracking at Hammersmith Odeon. Godfrey and Stewart co-produced with engineers Max Read and Michael Poole.

Something Wicked This Way Comes features cover art by Mat Tootill, depicting a ghostly child in flames amid a landscape of war and ruin, reinforcing the album’s post-apocalyptic theme.

The Stand

In March 1984, The Enid released The Stand, a limited-edition live album.

The album documents the band’s October 1983 residency at The Band on the Wall in Manchester during the Something Wicked This Way Comes tour. Limited to 5,000 copies, The Stand captures a transitional trio lineup—Robert John Godfrey, Stephen Stewart, and returning drummer Chris North—performing a compact, theatrical set that blends older orchestral instrumentals with new vocal material. While presented as a live record, most arrangements employed sequenced backing tapes, resulting in performances sonically close to studio versions.

Godfrey leads on piano, organ, and orchestral synths, handling vocal duties where applicable. Stewart plays electric guitar and sings backing parts while engineering the original Spaceward Studio mix. North anchors the arrangements with percussion and timpani textures. The performance includes key selections from In the Region of the Summer Stars, Aerie Faerie Nonsense, and Something Wicked, alongside two unique items: an Elgar transcription and a rock cover.

The set opens with “The Sun,” presented in its original fanfare form. “Childe Roland” follows in abridged format with crisp transitions. “Nimrod,” adapted from Elgar’s Enigma Variations, unfolds with reverent orchestral synth layers and rubato phrasing. “Raindown” preserves its stark dynamic shifts and theatrical vocals. “Jessica” and “Evensong” showcase lyrical guitar and ambient synths, respectively. “Then There Were None” is stripped of percussion overdubs, highlighting the vocal lines. “Letter from America,” otherwise unreleased, features an art-pop vocal over minimal backing. The album closes with “Wild Thing,” a rendition of the 1966 Troggs hit, delivered with sardonic flair.

A1. “The Sun”
A2. “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”
A3. “Nimrod” — adaptation of Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Op. 36: Variation IX
A4. “Raindown”

B1. “Jessica”
B2. “Evensong”
B3. “Then There Were None”
B4. “Letter from America” — unreleased studio-era vocal piece in minimal synth-pop style
B5. “Wild Thing” — 1965 Chip Taylor song, popularized by The Troggs in 1966

Sessions occurred live on October 24–26, 1983, at The Band on the Wall in Manchester, with post-production and engineering by Stephen Stewart at Spaceward Studios, Cambridge.

The Stand was designed exclusively for fan club members and not issued commercially. All tracks were later compiled on CD via The Enid’s Bespoke archival series, along with “Dambusters March / Land of Hope and Glory,” which does not appear on the original LP.

In 1985, The Enid repurposed the title for The Stand: Members One of Another, a compilation of remixes and outtakes.

1. 665
2. Fool
3. Golden Earrings
4. Tallest Dwarf in the World
5. Skye Boat Song
6. Fanfare and March
7. Cathedralaise
8. Jig Fugue
9. Jingle
10. Hyperion

The Spell

The Enid released their sixth album, The Spell, in October 1984 as ENID8.

The album presents a four-part suite structured around the seasons, framed as a cyclical allegory on life and death. The Spell also reintroduces vocals across multiple movements, expanding the narrative dimension first explored on Something Wicked This Way Comes. The suite blends theatrical art song with synthesized orchestration, and concludes with two standalone tracks in a lighter, lyrical tone.

Robert John Godfrey and Stephen Stewart composed and arranged all material and share vocal duties. Godfrey performs all keyboard orchestrations, including layered piano, string textures, and organ chorales. Stewart contributes guitar, synth, and lead vocals. Drummer Dave Storey returns to handle all percussion. Glynn Evans plays bass throughout the album. The CD bonus track includes a 1979 live performance by the earlier Enid lineup with Francis Lickerish (guitar), Martin Wallis and Tony Freer (keyboards), and Terry Pack (bass).

The first four tracks form a continuous suite. “Winter (The Key)” opens with brass-styled synth fanfares resolving in the Dresden Amen cadence, followed by a sweeping romantic theme. “Spring” adopts triple meter and transitions into a sardonic waltz. “Summer” introduces close-part vocal harmonies, climactic crescendos, and a central guitar solo over a Floydian harmonic sequence. “Autumn (Veni Creator Spiritus)” opens with slow military drumming and concludes in somber modal voicings. The final two tracks shift tone: “Elephants Never Die” quotes the Dies Irae in 7/8 with dark whimsy, and “The Sentimental Side of Mrs. James” offers a quiet, consoling vocal tribute.

A1. “Winter (The Key)” (8:31)
A2. “Spring” (6:50)
B1. “Summer” (13:43)
C1. “Autumn (Veni Creator Spiritus)” (9:48)
D1. “Elephants Never Die” (5:13)
D2. “The Sentimental Side of Mrs. James” (3:13)

CD bonus:
7. “The Song of Fand” (live, 1979) (19:03)

Sessions occurred at The Lodge in Suffolk with Godfrey and Stewart co-producing. Stewart also served as engineer.

The Spell features cover art by Keith Noble, a stylized image depicting cyclical natural decay in harmony with the album’s seasonal allegory.

Fand

The Enid released their seventh album, Fand, in 1985 as ENID9.

The album consists of a single symphonic work in multiple movements centered around the Arthurian water-spirit of the same name. Built on themes originally composed in the 1970s, Fand emphasizes slow orchestral development across a 30-minute arc, arranged entirely for synthesizers, guitar, and layered percussion without vocals.

Robert John Godfrey composed the bulk of the suite with contributions on the first three movements by guitarist Francis Lickerish and co-producer Stephen Stewart. Godfrey performs all keyboard parts, rendering full orchestral voicings and choral textures. Stewart handles electric guitar and engineering. Bassist Terry Pack and drummers Chris North and Dave Storey complete the four-piece ensemble.

A1. “Introduction” (17:22, pt.1) — swelling overture of slow keyboard surges and lyrical guitar lines
A2. “First Movement” — thematic exposition in minor-key harmonies with marching percussion
A3. “Second Movement” — contrasts between luminous synth lines and ambient interludes

B. “Fourth Movement” (12:03) — climactic section with fanfare-like cadences and harp-like arpeggios
(Uncredited “Third Movement” likely bridges the LP sides)

Sessions took place at The Lodge with production and mixing by Godfrey and Stewart for The Stand. Mal Tootill and Stewart designed the sleeve; Garry Hunter handled photography.

Fand marked a return to instrumental symphonic structure after the vocal-led albums Something Wicked This Way Comes and The Spell.

Salome

The Enid released their eighth album, Salome, in 1986 as ENID10.

The album presents a five-part sequence based on the biblical tale of Salome and John the Baptist. Structured as a narrative arc rather than a continuous suite, Salome merges themes of lust, despair, spiritual surrender, and sacrificial death through impressionistic lyrics and synthesized symphonic textures.

Robert John Godfrey composed all music and co-produced the album with Stephen Stewart. Godfrey performs all keyboard orchestrations and vocalese passages. Stewart provides guitars and lead vocals on multiple tracks. Dave Storey plays percussion on two tracks; Chris North appears on one. The album was recorded and mixed at The Lodge and mastered at The Sound Clinic. Assistant engineers included Martin Stansfield and Simon Osborne. Mark Jessett designed the cover art.

“O Salome” unfolds as a slow-moving lament voiced by Stewart over sparse drum patterns and airy synth pads. The lyrics depict the temptress as a destructive muse whose allure leads the narrator toward suffering. “Sheets of Blue” builds from Satie-like impressionism to Elgarian grandeur, mixing lilting arpeggios with stately melodic phrases. Its final minutes quote “Something Wicked This Way Comes.” The three-part “Dance Music” closes the album: “The Change” recycles drum figures from “O Salome” stripped of orchestration; “The Jack” adds percussive motifs and dramatic swells; “Flames of Power” concludes with a Mahler-derived theme voiced by Godfrey in falsetto over slow, luminous chords.

A1. “O Salome” (10:41) — Stewart vocal over sparse percussion and mournful synth textures
A2. “Sheets of Blue” (11:23) — flowing piano figures build toward orchestral grandeur with literary allusions

B1. “The Change” (9:21) — bare rhythmic pulse expands into angular pattern variations
B2. “The Jack” (4:51) — transitional segment with martial drums and synthesized climax
B3. “Flames of Power” (3:50) — Mahler-inspired valediction with falsetto vocal and slow-dying cadence

1990 & 2010 CD bonus:
6. “Sheets of Blue (Revised Version)” (11:31) — alternate mix with added synth detail
2010 bonus tracks:
7. “Salome 1990” (8:36) — remade version with updated instrumentation
8. “Nimrod” (live) — concert rendition of the Elgar theme arranged for synths

Sessions took place at The Lodge in 1986 with Robert John Godfrey and Stephen Stewart as producers and Stewart as lead engineer. The LP was pressed by SNA and distributed by Pinnacle. The CD editions were issued with revised artwork and bonus tracks in 1990 and 2010.

Salome generated controversy on release for its oblique erotic themes and reinterpretation of biblical material. The band staged a ballet adaptation at Hammersmith later that year. The album became a cult favorite among late-period Enid fans for its moody synthesis and romantic fatalism.

Discography: