To The Power Of Three

1980s Spin-off band from Emerson, Lake & Palmer. 3 (sometimes referred to as Emerson, Berry & Palmer) were a short-lived progressive rock band formed by former Emerson, Lake & Palmer members Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer and American multi-instrumentalist Robert Berry in 1988.

Unsurprisingly, their music has elements of the characteristic ELP sound, but was criticised as less inventive and having a bland AOR flavour. After one album, To the Power of Three, 3 split up. Emerson & Palmer reunited with Greg Lake for 1992's Black Moon and Berry would form the supergroup Alliance.

They did perform live, as "Emerson and Palmer" (Berry was onstage but unnamed), at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert in 1988, broadcast on HBO, but only performed a long medley instrumental set based around Fanfare for the Common Man, Leonard Bernstein's America, and Dave Brubeck's Blue Rondo, which later became an ELP encore in their 90s concerts. They did not perform any original ELP material without Lake, nor did they perform any 3 songs since the band's actual label was Geffen Records.

3 performed at live venues to support their album, sometime in 1988. The three studio musicians were sometimes augmented by Paul Keller on guitar and Jennifer Steele on backing vocals. Their setlist mainly consisted of material from their album, including "Runaway" and an extended jam version of the cover song "Eight Miles High". The group did a different arrangement of "Desde La Vida". The band did long instrumental jams based on music ELP covered including "Hoedown" & "Fanfare for the Common Man", but did not do any original ELP compositions. A long, elaborate cover of The Four Tops' "Standing in the Shadows of Love" was also included in the set.

Band members

Keith Emerson - keyboards (1988–1989)
Robert Berry - lead vocals, guitars, bass (1988–1989)
Carl Palmer - drums, percussion (1988–1989)

Live members

Paul Keller – guitars (1988–1989)
Jennifer Steele – backing vocals (1988–1989)

Discography
1988 To the Power of Three Geffen Records

Artist page: 3