The name of this band refers to its three members: Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, and Carl Palmer.
Emerson plays the organ and synth, in a rather jazzy and eclectic fashion, Lake played the bass and sang, and Palmer played drums. This particular song was written by Lake…
The song starts with delicately picked guitar, before resolving into a smooth and harmonious main section. The bass provides a feeling of warmth, over which the conga drum slaps and rings.
The singing is a classic prog rock style; in fact, the entire thing is vintage 70s!
The latter section of the song sees the addition of an eerie, twanging synth and a more space age beeping synth solo. The song doesn’t lose its feeling of warmness, however.
The lyrics tell a story of regret and lost love, in a reflective mood.
The song was released in 1972 on the album Trilogy, and was the band’s highest charting single in the U.S.A. (they were a British band).