Alan Parsons Project : Ammonia Avenue

First released in February 1984, AMMONIA AVENUE was the seventh album by THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, the brainchild of composer, musician and manger ERIC WOOLFSON and celebrated producer and engineer ALAN PARSONS. The inspiration for the album title came from a visit Woolfson had made to the ICI Chemical plant in Billingham, England after meeting ICI chairman Sir John Harvey-Jones on a flight from New York. Upon visiting the plant, Eric Woolfson noticed a long street called Ammonia Avenue, devoid of people and trees and dominated by miles of pipes.

The album sessions featured the contribution of musicians such as Ian Bairnson (guitars), David Paton (bass), Stuart Elliott (drums) with Eric Woolfson playing keyboards and lead vocals on four of the albums nine songs. Colin Blunstone, Chris Rainbow and Lenny Zakatek also provided lead vocals on the remaining songs. AMMONIA AVENUE would become one of the biggest selling albums for THE ALAN PAR