The Alan Parsons Project - Ammonia Avenue

Written By: Moti Kupfer

Release date - 07.02.1984

They knew each other well. Both were members of the SDP, the Social Democratic Party. “I found myself sitting next to him on a Concorde flight once, and he had this idea that his industrial plant in Billingham (in the north of England) might actually provide musical inspiration for somebody”, recalled Eric Woolfson, co-founder and member of "The Alan Parsons Project".

“He flew me up there, we went in and the first thing that struck me was there was this avenue, but with no trees or people, just pipes where they made ammonia.”

The image he saw during that visit stayed with him. Woolfson felt he had reached an insight few people arrive at. “I thought it was inspirational, particularly in relation to our lack of understanding of science and technology and the scientists’ lack of understanding of the world outside of science, particularly the arts.”

Inspired by the visit, Woolfson wrote the song "Ammonia Avenue", which became the title track of the seventh album by "The Alan Parsons Project", released on February 7, 1984.

Woolfson and Alan Parsons first met in 1974 at Abbey Road Studios. Parsons already had an impressive résumé as a recording engineer and assistant producer on albums by "The Beatles", "Wings", and the landmark "The Dark Side Of The Moon" by "Pink Floyd".

Woolfson worked as a songwriter and composer. He wrote songs for artists such as Marianne Faithfull, Frank Ifield, Joe Dassin, "The Tremeloes", "Marmalade", Dave Berry, Peter Noone, and "The Poets".

At the same time, Woolfson worked as a session pianist while composing material for a concept album based on the work of Edgar Allan Poe. His idea was to manage Alan Parsons and support his already successful production career.

This marked the beginning of their long-standing business partnership and friendship. Woolfson managed Parsons’ career as a producer and engineer through a series of successes, including work with "Pilot" with their hit “January”, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, John Miles, Al Stewart, "Ambrosia", and "The Hollies".

Woolfson then conceived the idea of creating an album based on developments in the film industry. The focus of film promotion had shifted from movie stars to directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick. Cinema had become a director’s medium, and Woolfson felt that the music business could adopt a similar model, positioning the producer as the central creative force.

He revisited his earlier Edgar Allan Poe material and found a way to combine his talents with those of Parsons. Parsons produced and engineered songs written and composed by the two of them, and the first Alan Parsons Project began to take shape.

Parsons valued and appreciated when several people play together and create real interaction, rather than relying on automatic correction and auto-tuning. This mantra was always part of his essence and approach.

The same applied to the band itself, led by two musicians and producers who were equal partners in songwriting, supported by a rotating group of regular collaborators including Ian Bairnson, Colin Blunstone, Lenny Zakatek, John Miles, Chris Rainbow, Andrew Powell, and others.

"Ammonia Avenue" is an album that embodies the connection Woolfson and Parsons created between the scientific world and the spiritual or belief-driven world. These realms, usually seen as parallel lines, unexpectedly intersect here, forming a musical concept that offers a refreshing perspective.

The album opens with "Prime Time", one of the group’s more optimistic songs, portraying a person who sees better days ahead.

The album includes several tracks that respond to the gap between the public and the technology that has made life easier. Yet when looking closely at the lyrics of this song in particular, they seem influenced by a sense of exaggerated euphoria driven by astrological predictions.

Much of the album deals with spiritualist ideas, the ego versus the higher self, creation, and the conflict between creator and humanity. It reflects a scientific, material reality that increasingly presents itself as the only reality, the one in which humanity lives and creates on Earth.

This is evident in "Dancing on a Highwire", which carries a spiritual message that “we are all connected to everything and everyone.” It suggests a form of human surrender to progress. In many ways, Alan Parsons anticipated by forty years what we see today through social networks. From there, the individual reaches a stage of acceptance, looking inward and confronting the past and the self. It speaks to duality and the opposing forces that exist within each of us.

Magic is a recurring theme in the songs of The Alan Parsons Project, and it appears again in "Don't Answer Me" with the key line: “If you believe in the power of magic, I can change your mind.”The song deals with the fragility of relationships, and how, in a moment of madness, it is possible to leave someone without a good reason and regret it forever.

Parsons shaped “Don’t Answer Me” in the style of Phil Spector and his famous "Wall of Sound" technique. Eric Woolfson, the songwriter and creative partner, handled the lead vocals on the single, while Mel Collins contributed the saxophone solo.

"The Alan Parsons Project" famously avoided live performances and public appearances, leaving fans unaware of what the band actually looked like. The animated video solved this problem for the lead single, briefly featuring avatars of Eric Woolfson and Alan Parsons during a bar scene.

The clip was nominated for an award on MTV in the category of "Most Experimental Video", but lost to "Rockit" by Herbie Hancock. The video was filmed over 23 days, using a team of 40 animators. It combined traditional shadow animation for character design, stop-motion animation for most of the movement, and even clay animation. The final cost reached $50,000.

For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music

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