If (band)

If
The band in 1970
Background information
Origin	England
Genres	Progressive rock, jazz rock
Years active	1969–1975
Labels	Island, Capitol, United Artists, Metromedia
Associated acts	Crawler, Procol Harum, Ted Nugent
Past members	Dick Morrissey J. W. Hodkinson Dave Quincy Terry Smith Lionel Grigson Daryl Runswick Spike Wells John Mealing Jim Richardson Dennis Elliott Cliff Davies Dave Greenslade Dave Wintour Pete Arnesen Kurt Palomacki Steve Rosenthal Fi Trench Gabriel Magno Walt Monaghan Mike Tomich Geoff Whitehorn

If was a progressive rock band formed in Britain in 1969. Referred to by Billboard as "unquestionably the best of the so-called jazz-rock bands", in the period spanning 1970–75, they produced eight studio-recorded albums and did some 17 tours of Europe, the US and Canada.

They toured extensively in Europe and the United States during the early 1970s, with two U.S. tours during their first year, performing at most of the major venues and festivals of the day including Newport, Reading, Fillmore East (10 November 1970.

If thus became one of the most highly acclaimed groups of the Seventies to never quite make the big time, despite good record sales and full venues. The band was managed and its albums produced by Lew Futterman, who had previously produced US jazz/soul stars Brother Jack McDuff and J.J. Jackson, among others. Signed on by Chris Blackwell, an enthusiastic early fan, to Island Records in the UK and to Capitol Records in the US, their debut album, If (1970), entered the charts in both the States (Billboard) and the UK, as well as winning a design award for its cover. It was followed that same year by If 2, also released on Island and Capitol. s. The albums If 3 (1971), If 4 [Titled "Waterfall" in U.S.] (1972) were accompanied by heavy touring schedules in the States and Europe, especially in Britain and Germany, where the band appeared on TV (BBC's Top of the Pops/Old Grey Whistle Test in the UK and one of their tracks was used as a signature tune for the news in Germany, as well as performing live (September 1971) on Bremen TV's Beat-Club, sharing the billing with Canned Heat and Deep Purple, among other acts).