Unless you’re a seasoned prog aficionado or a hardcore collector, the chances are you’ve probably never heard of 9.30 Fly. During their short time together, they issued just one album and split up not long after, a fate all too common for many a support band hoping to make the big time. That this Gloucester-based quintet failed to take off in no way reflects the quality of the material on their self-titled 1972 album, but more about the fledgling Ember Records, who didn’t quite know what to do with their new signing. 9.30 Fly founder and composer, Michael Wainwright, recalls that although several other more established record companies were interested in the band they opted opted to go with Ember precisely because the label had only recently started up: “We thought we would be top dog and they offered us all new equipment and some flashy togs.” However, Wainwright’s confidence in the deal was shaken when he met Ember Records’ boss, Jeff Kruger at their Denmark Street offices in London. “When he said, ‘I’m gonna make you as big as Elton James!’ I knew we were in trouble,” says Wainwright ruefully.
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