Peter John Sinfield (born on December
27, 1943 in
Fulham Palace Road, Fulham, South-west London, England) is most famously known as the
lyricist for early incarnations of King
Crimson. He contributed to In the Court of the
Crimson King, In the Wake of Poseidon,
Lizard and Islands,
which he also produced.
After being asked to leave the band by Robert
Fripp after four albums, Sinfield continued to be active in the
progressive rock scene. He produced Roxy
Music's self-titled first album, and
later recorded a solo album, Still,
in 1973. The
album was later reissued on CD with additional tracks as Stillusion.
He then turned up providing lyrics for fellow Crimson alumnus Greg
Lake in Emerson, Lake & Palmer,
as well as others like European rock group Esperanto, Italian
progressive
rock group PFM and former Procol
Harum singer/pianist Gary Brooker.
Latterly, he has worked in the pop music field. For example,
he wrote the lyrics to "The Land of Make Believe" by Bucks
Fizz and "Think Twice" for Céline Dion. He has also written lyrics
for another Crimson alumnus, David Cross.
Sinfield is best known for his lyrics on Greg
Lake's "atheist"
Christmas
song "I Believe in Father
Christmas." Released as a single in 1975, and then again on ELP's "Works
Volume II" in 1977,
it has now become a Christmas standard. Sinfield's visionary poetry is
deeply influenced by William Shakespeare, Percy
Bysshe Shelley, William Blake, and Rainer
Maria Rilke.
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