Refugee is the only studio album from the progressive rock band Refugee, released in March 1974 on Charisma Records. It was re-released under the TimeWave label on 27 June 2006, and as an expanded three-disc boxed set from Esoteric Recordings in 2019.

Background and recording

The opening song "Papillon" (French for "butterfly") had no title when it was written, or even when it was recorded. While listening to the finished mix, the band members decided that the opening Moog flurry sounded like butterfly wings, and named the song after the recently released film Papillon. "Someday" was written about the breakup of bassist/lead vocalist/guitarist Lee Jackson's marriage. Keyboardist Patrick Moraz came up with the idea of writing a song about the Grand Canyon and asked Jackson to write lyrics for it. Jackson took books and maps out of the library to research and get inspiration for the lyrics. The title of the track "Ritt Mickley" originated from Moraz's strong French Swiss accent, when he asked the other band members to play the song again but more "rhythmically".

Track listing

Esoteric Recordings expanded edition

Personnel

Production