Gracious was a British progressive rock band and initially included Paul "Sandy" Davis on drums and vocals, Alan Cowderoy on lead guitar, and Keith Ireland on bass and rhythm guitar. In 1968, Martin Kitcat joined on Hohner electric piano and Mark Laird on bass. Robert Lipson later replaced Davis on drums, allowing Davis to focus on vocals. The band's early sound was influenced by Cream and the British blues movement. They supported The Who on tour in 1968 and changed their name to Gracious in 1969. Their debut single "Beautiful" was released that year. They signed with Vertigo Records and released their debut album Gracious! in 1970. The band's second album, This Is...Gracious!!, was released the following year. Tim Wheatley and Robert Lipson began working on a new Gracious album in 1995, releasing Echo in 1996.
