Design

Design was formed as a vocal group in December 1968 by London-based songwriter Tony Smith and featured Gabrielle Field and Kathy Manuell, who were best friends from school; John Mulcahy-Morgan and Geoff Ramseyer, from the band Free Expression; and Barry Alexander, a songwriter with the Beatles' Apple company. Tony Smith had to leave the group due to ill health before their first album 'Design' was released in March 1971, and he was replaced by guitarist Jeff Matthews.
Over the next five years, Design appeared on more than 50 TV shows in the UK and Europe, with stars such as Morecambe and Wise, Benny Hill, Tommy Cooper and The Two Ronnies. They released three more albums, 'Tomorrow Is So Far Away', 'Day of the Fox' and 'In Flight', went on nationwide tours with Gilbert O'Sullivan and also the Hollies, and starred in cabaret and at the London Palladium. In October 1974, Geoff and Gabrielle left the group and the remaining four members released a fifth album, 'By Design', before finally disbanding at the end of 1976.
Following a revival of interest in the sunshine pop harmonies of Design in the UK and Japan, the album 'One Sunny Day: Singles and Rarities 1968-1978' was released in 2012, and the album 'Children of the Mist: The Best of Design' in 2019. To celebrate fifty years since the release of their first album in 1971, the new compilation album 'Design: 50th Anniversary Expanded Edition' was released in March 2021 with the original album plus 12 bonus tracks.