Ambrosia

About

Few bands can claim they once played the Hollywood Bowl just to test a new sound system, but Ambrosia pulled it off early in their career, and that chance gig led to an introduction with conductor Zubin Mehta. The Los Angeles quartet built their sound by fusing symphonic art rock with polished pop, producing what fans call a melodic prog style, and their knack for vocal harmonies pushed them to the top of the charts by the late 1970s. "How Much I Feel" and "Biggest Part of Me" both hit number three on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Holdin' on to Yesterday" and "You're the Only Woman" rounded out an impressive run of top 40 hits. Their studio work attracted serious company: Alan Parsons engineered their debut album and produced the follow up, and all four original members played on the first Alan Parsons Project record. The band shifted toward a rawer jazz and R&B feel on Life Beyond L.A., then scored three Grammy nominations with One Eighty in 1980. After reforming in 1989, most of the original lineup kept the band going, and Ambrosia has continued to tour internationally ever since.