Trees (band)

Trees

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1969
Defunct	1972
Headquarters	London , England
Products	Music albums, live performances

Trees was a British folk rock ensemble primarily active between 1969 and 1971, with a brief resurgence in 1972. Although their initial commercial impact was modest, the band’s recognition increased considerably, particularly after 2007 when Gnarls Barkley incorporated a sample of their song "Geordie" from the second album On The Shore into the multi-platinum record St. Elsewhere.

Formation

The founding members comprised bassist and keyboardist Bias Boshell, lead guitarist Barry Clarke, acoustic guitarist David Costa, drummer Unwin Brown, and vocalist Celia Humphris.

David Costa, whose father was British singer and broadcaster Sam Costa, was pursuing Fine Arts studies at University of East Anglia when he encountered Barry Clarke, then employed at a London advertising firm. Following their initial meeting, both decided to leave their prior engagements to establish the band. At that time, Clarke shared a residence in Barnes with Bias Boshell.

Boshell and Brown were former students of Bedales School in Hampshire. The quartet brought together varied musical influences and preferences, later recruiting Celia Humphris as their singer through Costa’s introduction. Humphris had trained in dance, drama, and vocal performance at Arts Educational Schools, London and was the daughter of illustrator Frank Humphris.

Rehearsals commenced in early 1969, leading swiftly to live performances and demo sessions by mid-year.

Career

In August 1969, Trees secured a contract with CBS and promptly released two studio albums: The Garden of Jane Delawney in April 1970 and On The Shore in January 1971. Both albums were produced by Tony Cox at Chelsea’s Sound Techniques studios. The cover for On The Shore was designed by Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis. Compared to peers like Fairport Convention, Trees exhibited a more psychedelic sound. Their material blended traditional folk adaptations with original compositions predominantly by Bias Boshell. In a 2020 interview, Costa remarked: "We were categorized simply as a folk-rock band, but our inspirations were largely American rather than British."

The initial lineup dissolved in 1971 following the release of two albums. A subsequent version emerged in 1972 and remained active until 1973, featuring Celia Humphris, Barry Clarke, Barry Lyons (formerly of Mr Fox), Alun Eden (also ex-Mr Fox), and Chuck Fleming (formerly with JSD Band). Recordings from this formation are found on bootleg releases and contributed to Phil Trainer’s solo album Trainer (BASF, 1972).

Performance

Trees maintained an extensive touring schedule, focusing mainly on university venues, with significant shows at London's Fairfield Halls and Queen Elizabeth Hall, garnering positive critical reviews. They supported prominent groups such as Fotheringay, Fairport Convention, Matthew's Southern Comfort, Fleetwood Mac, Free, Faces, Genesis, Family, and Yes. In 1970, they performed at the Evolution Music Festival in Le Bourget, Paris alongside acts including Ginger Baker's Air Force, Pink Floyd, and Procol Harum. Early London appearances featured performances with a then-unknown David Bowie. Singer-songwriter Marc Ellington frequently joined them on tour.

Initially managed by Douglas Smith and Clearwater Productions—who also represented bands like High Tide, Cochise, and Skin Alley—the company later took on management duties for well-known acts such as Hawkwind and Thunderclap Newman.

Trees benefited from early and ongoing support from radio personalities including John Peel, Bob Harris—appearing twice on his Sounds of the Seventies television program—and Pete Drummond, who subsequently married vocalist Celia Humphris.

Post-Trees

Following the dissolution of the original lineup, Bias Boshell advanced his career as a keyboardist and songwriter with The Kiki Dee Band, where he authored the well-known track "I've Got the Music in Me". Subsequently, he became a member of Barclay James Harvest and The Moody Blues, stepping in for keyboardist Patrick Moraz. Boshell currently lives in North Wales. Barry Clarke initially joined the Vigrass and Osborne ensemble before collaborating again with David Costa in 1973 as part of Casablanca under Rocket Records. David Costa shifted his focus to art direction and design, working with prominent musicians such as Elton John, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, and the Beatles. In 2018, Costa and Boshell reunited musically as the On The Shore Band. Barry Clarke transitioned into the jewellery industry and divides his time living partly in France. Unwin Brown had a brief stint as drummer with the pop group Capricorn before embarking on a lengthy teaching role at Thomas's School in Kensington until his passing in 2008.

Celia Humphris remained part of Trees' second formation and lent her vocals to various projects including Judy Dyble's Talking With Strangers (2009), Dodson and Fogg’s folk-rock album (2012), and Galley Beggar's Heathen Hymns (2017) released by Rise Above Records. She also became a distinguished voice-over artist, particularly recognized for British railway announcements, eventually settling in Provence, France. Humphris died on 11 January 2021.

Personnel

• Celia Humphris – lead vocals
• Barry Clarke – lead guitar
• David Costa – acoustic guitar, mandolin
• Bias Boshell – bass guitar, guitar, vocals, piano
• Unwin Brown – drums, vocals
• Barry Lyons – bass guitar
• Alun Eden – drums
• Chuck Fleming – fiddle

Discography

Year	Album	Label
1970	The Garden of Jane Delawney	CBS Records, 2007 Sony Rewind, Sunbeam Records
1971	On the Shore	CBS Records, 2007 Sony Rewind, Sunbeam Records
1989	Trees LIVE! (Italian)	Habla (bootleg)
2020	Trees (50th Anniversary Edition)	Fire Records

Since their initial release, both The Garden of Jane Delawney and On the Shore have been continuously accessible across vinyl, cassette, and CD formats. Expanded two-disc editions were issued in 2007 and 2008 respectively, incorporating previously unreleased material and fresh recordings, each supplemented by an extensive essay written by comedian and author Stewart Lee.

To commemorate Trees’ fiftieth anniversary in 2020, a detailed four-album box set was launched, featuring demos, remixed tracks, and live performances from the 1998 On The Shore Band reunion.