Prelude is a vocal harmony group from England. Their best-known group included Brian Hume, who played guitar and sang; his wife, Irene Hume, who sang; and Ian Vardy, who played guitar and sang. The group was formed in Gateshead, England, in 1970. Before this, they first released a single in 1967 under the name The Carnival.

Career

Prelude started creating their own music and gained fans through folk music events. In 1973, they recorded their first album, How Long Is Forever?, with Dawn Records at Rockfield Studios in Wales. The album included their most famous song, an a cappella version of Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush." In the UK, this song reached the Top 50 on January 26, 1974, and stayed on the chart for nine weeks, peaking at Number 21. In the United States, it entered the Billboard Hot 100 on October 5, 1974, and remained on the chart for 13 weeks, reaching Number 22.

In 1974, Hume explained how the song came to be.

Later, the group toured the United States but had only one additional hit, "For a Dancer," which reached Number 63. They then toured the UK, supporting Ralph McTell and Joan Armatrading. Also in 1974, they provided backing vocals for Ralph McTell's hit single, "Streets of London."

Prelude signed with EMI and achieved their second UK hit in 1980 with "Platinum Blonde." They appeared on Top of the Pops to promote the single. Their next release, "Trick of the Light," did not chart. In 1981, they toured the UK with Don McLean. In 1982, a re-recorded version of "After the Gold Rush" reached the UK Top 30. That year, they released three singles: "Only the Lonely" (a cover of Roy Orbison's song), "City Tonight," and "Silent Night." They also released an album titled Prelude.

In 1985, Vardy left the band. Irene and Brian Hume continued as a duo until 1987, when Jim Hornsby (guitar, dobro, vocals), Tony Hornsby (bass, vocals), and Ian Tait (drums, percussion) joined. By 1993, the Hornsbys and Tait left, and Prelude returned to being a duo. They continued writing and performing, often with Chris Ringer (bass, vocals). In 2008, original member Ian Vardy rejoined, and the group performed as a four-piece. In 2010, Chris Ringer left, and Paul Hooper (drums, percussion, formerly of The Fortunes) and Steve Cunningham (bass guitar, formerly of Lindisfarne) joined. A CD titled The Belle Vue Sessions, featuring mostly new songs by Hume and Vardy, was released in February 2011.

In 2012, Steve Cunningham was replaced by Keith Tulip on bass. As of 2019, the current lineup continues to tour.