Effective period / Period of releases: 1968 - 1969

Members: Mark Griffiths, Roger Swallow, Dave Jenkins (2), Alan Greed, Carl Barnwell, Steve Miller (14)

Prog psych rock band from Stevenage, England, late 1960s.
Harsh Reality are a little-known proto-prog band formed in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, UK, in 1968 out of the remnants of the Freightliner Blues Band (formerly the Revolution). The band consisted of Mark Griffiths and Dave Jenkins on guitars, Alan Greed on lead vocals and organ, Roger Swallow on drums, and Steve Miller on bass and backing vocals. They released a single for Philips Records in 1968 (“Tobacco Ash Sunday” / “How Do You Feel”) before releasing their only album, "Heaven and Hell" (recorded over a weekend), also on Philips in 1969. A final single followed soon after, before the band split in 1969. Their "Heaven and Hell" LP is now a highly sought-after rarity, selling for hundreds of pounds between collectors. For this reason, Harsh Reality is somewhat famous/infamous in collecting circle. Though seen as part of the proto-progressive rock era, their work represented a marriage between the sounds of Procol Harum, early Traffic and early Deep Purple.

Lineup on recordings:
Alan Greed (vocals, keyboards), Dave Jenkins (guitar), Steve Miller (bass), Mark Griffiths (guitar), Roger Swallow (drums).