Shindig! Issue 102

NEIL INNES
|
SUPERSISTER
HOW SWEET TO BE A POP GENIUS PROG-JAZZ-ROCK, NETHERLANDS STYLE
FOLK, BAROQUE & ROLL WITH...
THE
MASSIVE
SHINDIG!
GIVEAWAY
BUNDLE!
BEAU BRUMMELS
SAN FRANCISCO’S POP PIONEERS
ROD McKUEN • THE HOLLIES • CAT STEVENS
GRAHAM DAY • THE RAIN PARADE • ESPERS
THE SONIC DAWN • MICHAEL RAULT • JACK SHARP
ISSUE 102•£5.50

Features
Barnabus
Warwickshire ’70s heavies unearthed
The Hollies
Bobby Elliott’s Californian memories
Neil Innes
The remarkable career of a singular talent
Rod McKuen
The many sides of a true musical maverick
Supersister
Brilliantly bonkers prog, Dutch style
32
34
44
50
56
The Beau Brummels
Reflections on then and now withThe San
Franciscan band’s journey from Anglophile
pop to psychedelia and country-rock 64
“That The Beau Brummels have
turned out, in the light of history,
to be better than they seemed at
the time, shows how advanced they
were and how the taste buds have
altered” – Ralph J Gleason
Regulars
Shindiggin’
What’s hot on the turntable
Thoughts & Words
Your letters, tweets and emails
ISSUE 102, APRIL 2020
It’s A Happening Thing
Espers, The Sonic Dawn, Michael Rault, A Girl Called Eddy,
Eyelids, elvinyl, Pink Floyd, Jack Sharp, Saba Lou, competition
Happening Right Now
Brand new music from The Small Breed, Extraa and
Magick Brother & Mystic Sister
Family Album
The Rain Parade’s influential 1983 LP Emergency Third Rail Power Trip
Deep Cuts
Sixties Cat Stevens
20 Questions
Graham Day’s modest recollections of The Prisoners and beyond
Reviews
The best in reissues, new releases, books and live shows
Vinyl Art
Astrud Gilberto’s I Haven’t Got Anything Better To Do
Prize Crossword
Bag yourself a copy of the expanded edition of The Idle Race’s
The Birthday Party
6
8
10
26
28
30
38
70
97

Howdy Shindiggers,
Seasons change. So to greet the warmer days, blossom, lambs and longer
evenings we thought it’d be nice to give one lucky reader the chance to win
a bounty of Shindig! goodies. See our Good News column on page 22 for
the full low down – but a subscription, a bookazine or annual of your
choice, tote bag, t-shirt and our new binder surely sounds like a wonderful
prize, right? Spring has sprung. Talking of the binder, details for ordering
can be found on page 98. We’ve been intending to manufacture these for
some time as many readers have requested branded storage to house their
precious Shindig! collection. I suspect many of you will be ordering a few.
If, like me, you find magazines hard to shelve, this is the solution, and with
our logo emblazoned on it in gold you’ll have no issue in finding your
trusty back issues. The binder holds 12 copies, so work out how many you
need and order now.
The Beau Brummels are a massively important band, so it’s a joy
to feature them on the cover. Band expert Alec Palao tells their whole
story from the Brit Invasion styled early smashes to the studio crafted
later albums. Whilst never quite as cool as The Byrds, the Brummels can
perhaps hold the trophy for being the first “folk-rock” band, considering
‘Laugh Laugh’ was released in 1964. Although they were not part of the
San Franciscan ballroom scene of the Dead, Airplane and Quicksilver the
stripped-down ’67 Brummels were an artful pop-psych creation and the
resulting Triangle album was a lush, romantic and dreamy record. The
following year’s Bradley’s Barn moved into country-rock, and it’s unique. An
awful lot was achieved over four years.
On the back of the sad loss of Neil Innes comes a reappraisal of his
contributions to the music world. We also offer the fantastic tale of the
hard to categorise Rod McKuen and Marco Rossi’s brilliant piece about
Dutch prog freaks Supersister. Andy Morten asks his long-time musical
hero Graham Day 20 Questions about every band he’s been in since The
Prisoners, and we venture from obscure midlands heavies Barnabus to The
Hollies, Cat Stevens’ early days, The Rain Parade, Michael Rault, Saba
Lou, Espers and The Sonic Dawn.
Our Facebook page has been really active recently, most likely down to
me posing all manner of questions about what
readers want to see, like and don’t like. The
responses have been very wide ranging and food
for thought. Remember to get in touch with
your views, ideas, complaints and praise. Our
social media activity is always fun and quite the
community. Come and join us.
See you all next month.
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
Editor-In-Chief
Shindig! listen to all music through the Teufel Kombo 62 and use Technics, Tidal
and Roon. For more information go to teufel.co.uk, tidal.com and roonlabs.com
Editor-in-Chief:
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
jon@shindig-magazine.com
64 North View Road, London N8 7LL
Managing Editor/Reviews Editor:
Andy Morten
andy@shindig-magazine.com
Assistant Editor:
Paul Osborne
paul@shindig-magazine.com
Contributing Editor:
Thomas Patterson
thomas@shindig-magazine.com
Editorial Assistant:
Phil Suggitt
phil@shindig-magazine.com
Online / Events
Ben Adlam
ben@shindig-magazine.com
Contributors:
Barry Alfonso, Camilla Aisa, Richard Allen, Joe Banks,
David Bash, Grahame Bent, Christopher Budd, Martyn
Coppack, Hugh Dellar, Charles Donovan, Stuart
Draper, Duncan Fletcher, Ben Graham, Greg Healey,
Lenny Helsing, Kate Hodges, Henry Hutton, Johnnie
Johnstone, Rachel Lichtman, Fiona McQuarrie, Matt
Mead, Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills, Alasdair C Mitchell, Andy Morten,
Gitte Morten, Michael Mulligan, Paul Osborne, Kris
Needs, Alec Palao, Thomas Patterson, Jeff Penczak,
Ben Phillipson, Mark Raison, Paul Ritchie, Marco Rossi,
Martin Ruddock, Louis Wiggett
Publisher:
Tom Saunders, Silverback Publishing
tom@silverbackpublishing.rocks
14 Victoria Road, Sutton, Surrey SM1 4RT
Tel: 07841 412199
Director: Andy Crispin
Commercial Manager: Alan Thomas
alan@shindig-magazine.com
Tel: 07830 168076
Subscriptions:
subs@silverbackpublishing.rocks
Tel: 07841 412199
Design: Andy Morten, Martin Cook
Printed by: Warners Group
If you have trouble finding Shindig! magazine in the UK please contact
Susan Stone, Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London
EC1 A 9PT on +44 (0) 207 429 4073, email: susan.stone@seymour.co.uk
While every effort is made in compiling Shindig! magazine the publishers
cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. Readers are advised
to pay by credit card when ordering goods off the page as they are
regulated under Consumer Act 1974, unlike debit or charge cards, which
are not. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording or any storage or retrieval system,
without the consent of the publisher. Registered at Stationers Hall
Copyright. Direct Input by Silverback Publishing Ltd.
4

6
The brand new releases, compilation standouts, old album tracks and dusty
45s rockin’ our world this month
T REX
Solid Baby
A largely unheralded banger from Marc’s wayward LA
period, ‘Solid Baby’ is a foot-tapping, infectious late glam
riot. Powered by a Son Of Jeepster riff, the twin drums that
Bolan employed on much of the Bolan’s Zip Gun album
and the hollering backing vocals of Gloria Jones – it’s
irresistibly catchy. It’s both throwaway and utterly vital, with
Bolan on imperious bleating form. If anybody ever tries to
tell you that the later T Rex albums are a spent force, play
them this. They’ll be stomping in time within seconds.
Available on: Bolan’s Zip Gun (DEMON LP)
THE ORIELLES
Sugar Tastes Like Salt (Andrew
Weatherall remix)
In all the warm tributes to the sad passing of influential
deejay and Producer Andrew Weatherall, few mentioned
this fairly recent remix of Halifax indie band The Orielles’
debut single for Heavenly Recordings. It’s only appeared
on a white label 12-inch, so that might explain the lack of
kudos. Mashing ESG disco-funk and dub-heavy bass to
the trio’s jangly ’80s indie ethic, it was a timely reminder of
the magic Weatherall sprinkled on the much more celebrated ‘Loaded’. Different times, same
dazzling impact.
Available on: HEAVENLY DOWNLOAD
PIERO PICCIONI
Puppet On A Chain OST
Italian soundtrack maestro Piero Piccioni built up an
enviable catalogue of incredible music over his long career,
but was arguably at his most dramatically funky on this
accompanying soundtrack to the 1971 movie version of
Alistair Maclean’s thriller set in Amsterdam’s narcotics
underworld (featuring a much-lauded eight-minute
speedboat chase through the city’s canals). Clipped bass,
heavy drums and tense brass and strings ratchet up the
groovy tension, and with track title like ‘Psychedelic Mood’, ‘Narcotics Bureau’ and ‘Drugs
Hypnosis’ you know you’re in for a treat.
Available on: SILVA SCREEN LP
FLEETWOOD MAC
The Purple Dancer (BBC session)
“I love the Purple Dancer, dancing in the depths of...
time,” croons Danny Kirwan on this obscure Mac cut.
Originally recorded in December 1970 and released on
the flip of ‘Dragonfly’, this little gem is frustratingly difficult
to find in its original version. Thankfully we have this rare
BBC performance from the post-Peter Green line-up. A
muscular bit of hippie whimsy with large doses of stoned,
greasy blues-rock, co-writers Kirwan and Jeremy Spencer
share the impassioned lead vocal. It’s Spencer’s show, with Kirwan and Christine McVie taking
a backseat to his needling slide guitar. Spencer would be off to join The Children Of God within
eight weeks. A very brief “purple” patch.
Available on: Hey Baby (SECRET CD)
RAINY DAY
I’ll Keep It With Mine
Nineteen-Eighy-Four was a cardinal year in the life of
the late David Roback. After leaving The Rain Parade he
started recording with Kendra Smith as Clay Allison, the
band that would later morph into the sublime Opal. He
also gathered some special friends for the most luminous
paisley feast – a brief collective adventure made of sweet
jangly covers. They released one self-titled album: it opens
with a Dylan-via-Nico treasure sung by Susanna Hoffs.
Rainy Day, the rain again. That’s when we take cover with our vinyl chums.
Available on: Rainy Day (LLAMA LP)
AU PAIRS
We’re So Cool
Sharp, contained and the then sound of the future, ‘We’re
So Cool’ is the opening track from brilliant Birmingham
band Au Pairs’ 1981 debut album Playing With A Different
Sex. Contemporaries of Gang Of Four and Young Marble
Giants, Au Pairs sported one of the coolest front women
in rock in Lesley Woods (now an immigration lawyer, fact
fans) and a sound that would become a key influence on
the noughties NYC scene. Play loud, play often, and marvel
at the fact it was released almost 40 years ago.
Available on: Stepping Out Of Line: The Anthology (CASTLE CD)
WISHBONE ASH
Lady Whiskey
Despite being a popular band throughout the ’70s,
Wishbone Ash tend to be overlooked during discussions
of this period. Which is a shame, because at its best,
their twin guitar attack and taut, twisting blues-rock
packed a hell of a punch. Originally inspired by the likes of
Fleetwood Mac, they pushed out further into heavier, more
progressive waters, with extended arrangements and a
crunching though still melodic sound. Their 1970 debut
could be Peter Green and co via the amplified wallop of Led Zeppelin, with ‘Lady Whiskey’ being
a prime example, its lithe, catchy verses coupled with a brutal, wailing switch-up in the middle.
Available on: Wishbone Ash (MCA CD)
PRICE & WALSH
The House Of Ilene Castle
A pair of Hollywood writer/musician hustlers who’d penned
lush sunshine-pop gems for the likes of The Garden Club,
The Collage and The Looking Glass – not to mention The
Electric Prunes – their own output was limited to a brace
of 45s, of which this was the first, appearing on Dot in
1967. Musically adventurous, immaculately produced (by
Gary Zekley of ‘Yellow Balloon’ fame) and possessed of a
deep melancholy not typical of the genre, it should have
paved the way for a full album that failed to materialise until its ad-hoc components formed the
backbone of a CD retrospective, now cherished by connoisseurs of the era, in 2006.
Available on: Temptation Eyes: The Price & Walsh Songbook (REVOLA CD)
THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
At Fillmore East
At their early ’70s height the original six-piece line-up of
the Allmans was a powerhouse live act which is why At
Fillmore East not only stands head and shoulders above
the band’s studio albums but survives as one of the key
live recordings of the era. Recorded over two nights
in March 1971, the show-stopping versions of T-Bone
Walker’s ‘Stormy Monday’, ‘In Memory Of Elizabeth
Reed’ and ‘Whipping Post’ exude an inescapable
poignancy, given that within a matter of months Duane Allman would meet his untimely end in
a motorcycle accident.
Available on: The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East: Deluxe Edition
(UMC 5-CD BOX SET)
ODESSEY & ORACLE
Chercher Maman
The opening track from the artful French act’s third
album Crocorama is an astoundingly sweet and
well-arranged classically-imbued dose from the
same Gallic cinematic well (think Michel Legrand,
Fancis Lai) that psych-pop refugees Nirvana were
guzzling down at the tail end of the ’60s. The
Zombies meet The Free Design with early ’70s
prog-pop inflections. Odessey & Orcale are always
very good, but this is perfect.
Available on: Crocorama (ANOTHER/DUR ET DOUX LP)
Visit shindig-magazine.com to check out Shindiggin’ playlists, podcasts and much more

shindig-magazine.com
jon@shindig-magazine.com
facebook.com/Shindig.Magazine
@shindigmagazine
shindig_magazine
UGLY CUSTARD
Hi Jon,
I’m a fairly new reader to Shindig!, only catching on
to what you’re doing in the last couple of years. While
I still read other music magazines I find that Shindig!
reaches bricks in the great wall of sound that other
magazines don’t. I really enjoy your mix of old and
new sounds from the well-known, such as
Supergrass and Elton, to more obscure artists,
including Graham Dee and Ariel Pink. My own
request for coverage of underappreciated artists
Herbie Flowers: the
bass man cometh
(because surely every letter must end this way) would
be for the wonderful The Leisure Society and
the thoroughly lovely Herbie Flowers.
Keep doing what you do.
Best,
John Innes
Thanks for the kind comments John. Like all of
our readers, you have great taste. Your interesting
suggestions prove it.
ANOTHER ONE LIKE ME
Hi Jon,
Thanks for a unique magazine. You mentioned you
like to hear feedback and requests; well I have been
a subscriber for some years now and have not seen
anything written about David Blue. There appears to
be very little about his life on the web other than he
died at 41 jogging in New York. He released seven
beautiful albums in the ’60s/70s with his high-water
mark being his fourth album Stories. He also appeared
in Dylan’s Renaldo And Clara movie. I would love to
see an article about him as I think he is one of the most
underrated artists from that era.
Elliott Murphy would be another good read,
although he still plies his craft in France, but his ’70s
and ’80s albums defy his lack of major success.
Thanks again,
Chris Wallace
Yes Chris, we do need to cover some singersongwriters
again. David Blue is a good choice.
FOR YOU (MY BLUED EYED SON)
Dear Jon,
Just wanted to say how much I enjoy Shindig! and
congratulations on achieving 100 issues. Amazing.
I use to buy the occasional printed copy but last
year took the plunge and signed up for a subscription
to the digital version. One of my better decisions!
One of my most memorable musical adventures
was to attend the Bath Festival in 1970 to see The
Jefferson Airplane. That was where I saw Fairport
Convention for the first time and they completely blew
me away. I still get to see them each year and they are
still great. Of course, that led on to Steeleye Span, The
Albion Bands, The Eighteenth Day Of May and so on.
Still love the Jefferson family; Paul Kantner will always
be a musical hero. And don’t get me started on The
Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Gene Clark, CSNY. Of
course, there was lots of other music ranging from
Help Yourself to Tangerine Dream.
For the future, I find that I prefer to investigate new
music rather than look at old music I missed at the
YOU’RE GONNA MISS ME
Hi Jon,
As a reader who has been with
you since Nov-Dec 2008 I want to
thank you for the enjoyment that
you have provided to me especially
by highlighting groovy stuff from
back in the day that I missed at
the time. I have been a collector of
primarily black music – soul, blues
and reggae – since my teens, so I
judge that I am not in your prime
Shindig! demographic. However, I
enjoy other forms of music and for
many years Shindig! with its coverage of psych/
garage was preferred to other more mainstream
magazines. Many purchases have resulted as a
consequence of a Shindig! recommendation.
I understand that Shindig! had to change
especially after your publishers tried to “merge”
you with another magazine but some of the
changes are not working for this old Shindig!
lag. I feel you are losing that Shindig! uniqueness
by too much emphasis on formerly successful,
mainstream artists. Many of these artists (Bowie,
Quo, John, Rolling Stones etc) have been
covered ad infinitum by journals
and publications over the years. I
suppose there may be some readers
who welcome the same faces rather
like an old blanket but I was drawn
to Shindig! because it featured
less familiar artists. It satisfied my
musical curiosity.
I don’t want this to be a
complete whinge but here
goes. I thought your Xmas
Compendium 2019 was very
disappointing. I looked through it
at the newsagent and it was the
same old, same old – far too safe in its choices
and lacking that individuality of Shindig!’s
previous compendiums. It isn’t too say that some
of the artists haven’t produced music that I enjoy
only that I have read all I need or want to know
about them. If they had been a few more left-field
choices in the journal I would have bought a copy.
As it was, I kept my money.
Until recently I contributed many articles to
a soul music magazine that was published 65
times before it folded, so I do appreciate that
running a magazine is a difficult balancing act, as
to who to feature. I’m not sure that the balance is
enough to keep this particular loyal reader. I may
be out of kilter but I hope you won’t dismiss my
concerns without consideration. The achievement
in reaching 100 editions is huge. I would like to
continue to be a loyal reader.
The first edition I bought which I still have
featured The 13th Floor Elevators on the
front cover with Jackie DeShannon and The
Psychedelic Sounds Of Texas. No Bowie or John
in sight!
Greg Burgess
This is a point that we regularly debate ourselves.
The Compendium was actually aimed at the
casual punter, hence the big names. It wasn’t
another annual. However, with the magazine it is
crucial for us to maintain a standard. We certainly
can’t repeat ourselves
but neither can we be the
other monthlies.
A copy of Ace
Records’ cool Brigitte
Bardot comp La Belle Et
Le Blues is en route.
Thanks for being honest.
8

time. So The Hanging Stars, Lake Ruth, Cobalt Chapel are favourites
and there are several CDs reviewed in the latest issue to investigate.
So, once again, congrats on the 100 issues. I’m hoping you might
be preparing to do an article on the Bath Festival? Fifty years ago! Who
would believe it.
Best regards,
Peter Anderson
That’s the pleasure of being a music fan in 2020. There are so many
new bands to discover and a bounty of rare vintage material to
rediscover.
Bath? We do love a 50th.
HANKY PANKY NOHOW
Hi Jon,
I first discovered Shindig! magazine in a book store in Toronto in 2016.
It was the June issue with American psych rock group, Love, on the
cover, which featured a wonderful article on the making of their seminal
masterpiece, Forever Changes. The following month, Brian Wilson
was pictured on the cover, and you ran a brilliant story on Pet Sounds. I
decided then you guys were the greatest music magazine on the planet.
I have recently subscribed for the first time, my local book stores
unreliably stock the magazine, and I’m sick of missing copies. I love
your approach to the art of music journalism, and your dedication
to, and focus on the kinds of artists not commonly found in other
publications.
I ask you to give some thought to doing a feature on John Cale (cofounding
member of the influential experimental rock band, The Velvet
Underground). His solo career, in my view, was better than Lou Reed’s,
and is often overlooked by the vast majority of critics. He also had a
greater impact on how The Velvet Underground sounded than Lou did
as well, with his background in avant-garde music.
Thanks for doing it just a little differently Jon.
Lachlan Hellyer
You’re not the first to ask for a Cale feature Lachlan. Watch this space.
SELECTIONS
Hello Jon,
In Shindig! #97, you wrote about how Shindig! looks on The Beatles
as being untouchable, but want ideas from readers on who else to
promote.
I’m one of the millions of people on the planet who considers
themselves to be The Beatles #1 fan, but even I have to admit that surely
everything about them has been said or written. I believe that Mark
Lewisohn has two more books on The Beatles planned – what on earth
is he going to find to write about?
Here are three subjects I would like to see Shindig! explore further –
1. The Funk Brothers, Motown’s brilliant house band from the mid-
60s. At the roots of all the best northern soul, I think they moonlighted
on other Detroit record labels until Berry Gordy found out. Would love to
know just what non-Motown tracks they are on.
2. Roots reggae from the ’70s – the heavy stuff by the likes of King
Tubby, Augustus Pablo, Yabby You etc. I must have discovered this
either on the first tour by The Clash or inevitably John Peel. Some of
the greatest music in the history of civilisation, but not much has been
written about the people concerned.
3. With the sad demise of fRoots magazine earlier this year, how about
increasing the trad folk percentage with some articles on Martin Carthy,
The Watersons and Shirley Collins?
Apologies if you have already done articles on these people, but
even if you have, I am sure there is scope for more!
Best Wishes,
Andy Wrobel
Interesting choices Andy. Always good to see your ideas, and there’ve
been quite a few this month. Thanks everyone.

Herbal
Remedies
Away from all the ongoing chaos, two new reissues take
us back to the visionary garden of ESPERS.
CAMILLA AISA gets lost in the musical flora and fauna
There are songs and records that
have an intricate relationship
with time. A sort of benevolent
conflict. They echo revelatory
visions of the past, yet most of
the time it’s a chimerical past, a
surreal hallucination rather than an actual
moment and age; ideas of a transcendent
time-out-of-time. This music is so deeply
psychedelic. It’s so futuristic, too, ironically.
So, when you hear songs like those of Espers
you’re both wandering and lost: they
conjure arcane images while intertwining
with dreamy traditions, yet they feel so
abruptly fresh. That’s what the word timeless
is for, in spite of all the overuse. The first
two Espers records are now being reissued
on both vinyl and CD, nearly 20 years after
their original release – although the sounds
they contain make counting years tricky
and beautifully pointless.
Meg Baird (vocals, guitars and acid leads)
recalls meeting the rest of the band’s core
trio in a tuneful Philadelphia haven: “At
the time Brooke [Sietinsons] had a creaky
old big flat with a nice loft space, which is
impossible to think about now that urban
spaces have changed so much. She'd put on
house shows, involving artists who didn’t
really have a suitable place to do this quieter,
more intimate music. She met Greg [Weeks]
through that and started playing music
herself. I think it was through her interest
in getting something going and connecting
Greg and me that the band started.”
Soon after, Espers found themselves
crammed into what critics rather lazily
liked to define as “folk revival”. Meg goes
looking for something positive in such
sloppy categorisation: “I guess the term was
vaguely useful at the time, somewhat helpful
to distinguish what we were doing, or what
people were doing it.” Still, she feels “the
connotations to it
were very limiting.
It almost made it
sound like we were
trying to reverse
engineer music
from the past,
which is absolutely
not what anyone
was doing.
Acknowledging
past influences
and building on some diverse
ideas – it’s just a very different
concept than trying to make
something artificially sound
like it’s from the past.”
Hearing Espers’ first and
second LP today, 17 and 15
years after their respective
creation, puts the revival
idea to rest once and for all.
“Having that much time away
from them made me realise
that they were a bit out of time,” Meg
reflects. “Our music was often characterised
as being so nostalgic for another time. We
were influenced by music from many times,
but when I listened to those records again I
found myself going, ‘Man, they really don’t
sound that nostalgic!’ It was just the music
that we were making.”
Filled with ethereal musings on green
beauty and death, the band’s self-titled debut
came out of straightforward collaboration;
“We just played music together in repetition
in the same space until the melodies came.
Probably the busier we got further along,
there was a little bit more of remote work,
but with that first album in particular
there was very little work happening that
wasn’t just the three of us together in the
room.” On The Weed Tree they gave new
life to beloved songs – Nico, folk classics
and Blue Öyster Cult suddenly sounding
unquestionably Espers-y. “It was part of
the fun, selecting songs we could picture
in a totally different light – done our way.
For better and worse I think there was just
this one way that we could do things,”
Meg jokes. She remembers suggesting
‘Tomorrow’, the Durutti Column song,
pointing out that each arrangement wasn’t
terribly studied. “We spent time on it,
10

“Bad timing made us go our separate ways.” Espers
circa 2005. L-R: Meg Baird, Helena Espvall, Greg
Weeks, Brooke Sietinsons; the first two albums
PHOTO OTTO HAUSER
“We were influenced by
music from many times,
but when I listened to
those records again
I found myself going,
‘man, they really don’t
sound that nostalgic!’ It
was just the music that
we were making”
but it wasn’t this really staged concept.
It came out pretty organically from the
sounds, the instruments and the way we
play; from that, we would then work on
the arrangement. The idea was, it would
sound pretty cool to take these songs far
out from the quintessential recording that
you’re used to hearing.” Both albums are
wrapped in elegant flowery sleeves – like
the music, they’re serene and inscrutable at
once. “Brooke was the graphic designer of
“Bad timing made us go our
separate ways.” Espers circa
2005. L-R: Meg Baird, Helena
Espvall, Greg Weeks, Brooke
Sietinsons; the first two albums
the crew,” says Meg. “She had a very specific
aesthetic that resonated with Greg and me.
She definitely liked the mystery. Not too
much text, no lyrics. She used some classic
techniques – but again it’s not meant to
look like it’s artificially from the past. It was
just influenced by really classic design and
silkscreen elements. In the Philadelphia art
scene the silkscreen presence was a big deal –
so it was a reflection of that crossover, too.”
Espers’ most recent album dates back to
2009. There was never a break-up. When
asked about the band’s current status, Meg
laughs. “I guess it’s mostly just a state of
extreme sleep! After we toured the third
record, everyone’s life was so busy changing.
We didn’t have a plan to stop, we just did.
Then one day I was talking to someone
about the reissues coming out. They were
putting on a festival out east and went,
‘Oh, if Espers want to do it…’ I’ll ask, I
said. Everyone was available. Bad timing
had made us go our separate ways, and now
timing made possible that everyone could
do it. Just three shows, not a tour, but I’m
so glad it happened. It was a little surreal
coming back to it. Really cool. It’s such a
listening band. The way you perform and
play those songs – you have to really listen to
all the moving parts. It was very easy to get
right back into that headspace and earspace.
That took over very quickly when we were
doing our first rehearsals.”
Playing these early records leaves you
wanting for more. They soothe, like
only the most ethereal folk does. They
also conjure revelations and synesthetic
intuitions, as by definition psychedelic music
always should. Who knows, perhaps new
flowers will blossom in the Espers garden. “I
guess our status is just anything could happen,”
Meg concludes. “I’m not sure that we can
make it happen, but if it works, we can do
something. We could do more.”
Espers and The Weed Tree are out
now on Drag City
11

Dawn Choruses
Danish psych-rockers THE SONIC DAWN have been blowing minds since 2015 debut
Perceptions with their brilliant take on late ’60s acid-fried rock and the Summer Of Love
vibes of The Haight Ashbury. The latest album by the trio, Enter The Mirage, is their
finest to date, building on their already impressive track record with an authenticity and
confidence that shines through on the likes of opening track ‘Young Love-Old Hate’ and
the warped groove of ‘Children Of The Night’.
Emil Bureau, Jonas Waaben and Neil Bird have picked 10 albums that have a special
meaning for them, or as they so tactfully explain, “We are talking about special
influences for a psychedelic band where being under the influence plays a certain role”
13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS
Bull Of The Woods
(International Artists, 1969)
From the very first
echo-drenched guitar tones
coming off this record, it
reveals itself as a unique
piece. It’s otherworldly but
still very intimate and
familiar to us. It is rocking and bad ass, but
laidback and groovy at the same time. We
could go on! A classic in terms of psychedelic
music, like the other Elevators albums, and a
cornerstone in our collections. A record we
cannot see ourselves growing tired of, ever.
All of us are heavily into The 13th Floor
Elevators, and their biography (Eye Mind by
Paul Drummond) has been passed around
between us. A real (third) eye opener, best
enjoyed with a healthy dose of enriched
water.
AMERICAN BLUES
Is Here
(Karma, 1968)
We don’t know what any of
the guys in this band
looked like. We don’t know
what the budget was for
this recording, or how long
it took to make it. We like
to make sure that all these questions remain
unanswered and let the imagination go wild:
A simple studio set-up, these guys cranking
their amps, tearing it out, all in the same
room with their smokes and drinks, finishing
the album in a few days, then getting back in
the van, to continue a never-ending tour.
Raw, fluent, energetic; these guys surely
know how to play it like there’s no
tomorrow, which is perhaps the main
inspiration to us.
THE SACRED MUSHROOM
The Sacred Mushroom
(Parallax, 1969)
With a band name like
that, what’s not to like?
Blues isn’t something we
dose ourselves with in
infinite amounts, but
every now and then we
listen to this album, (along with
Quicksilver Messenger Service and a few
others), to be reminded: “This is how it’s
done!” Confident musicianship, screaming
lead guitar and some straight up psychedelic
moments that are unusual for a blues
group. This is a record to make yourself
familiar with.
THE WEST COAST POP ART
EXPERIMENTAL BAND
Vol 3: A Child’s Guide To Good And Evil
(Reprise, 1968)
This record is as beautiful,
mind-boggling and
haunting as it gets, leaving
us clueless to how these
songs were written,
arranged and recorded to
produce no less than a masterpiece. It’s
motivated us to be more experimental in
terms of both song-writing and recording
techniques. It really proves that you can’t
really stretch it too far, so why not give it
“A Child’s Guide To Good And Evil really proves
that you can’t really stretch it too far, so why not
give it all you’ve got?”
all you’ve got? Furthermore, it is political
and satirical, delivering some powerful
statements that will stay in your mind
forever. A real killer, and the artwork –
nothing beats that either!
RELATIVELY CLEAN RIVERS
Relatively Clean Rivers
(Pacific Is, 1976)
Perhaps the world’s best
private press LP. Relatively
Clean Rivers is like an
untold a tale of what
would’ve happened if the
hippies had won. Beautiful
rural California vibe from a bunch of
dropouts that just did their thing, which is
about all anyone knows about this band, led
by the mysterious Phil Pearlman. We heard
this non-stop back when we recorded our
second album, isolated in a far-away Danish
country house for a month. To this day
Relatively Clean Rivers sparks images of
windblown landscapes and golden grass
for us.
LOVE
Forever Changes
(Elektra, 1967)
Famous, but somehow still
under-rated? The pop
sound and orchestral
arrangements make Forever
Changes very appealing,
but the very unusual
melodies and lyrics make it strange. Ahead
of its time, hard to compare to anything
else and difficult to really understand at
first, at least that was the case for us. In
2018 we toured with Brant Bjork (ex-
Kyuss) and he had the entire album played
between our sets all 15 nights. That was
when we got hooked. Jonas, our drummer,
listens to it every single day now, so be
careful!
12

Children of the night, The Sonic
Dawn. L-R: Jonas Waaben, Emil
Bureau and Neil Bird
THE FREEBORNE
Peak Impressions
(Monitor, 1968)
This is LSD on record.
Mysterious, deep and
joyfully experimental,
bordering to the insane, all
at the same time. The music
almost becomes visual at
times. If you can say ‘Land Of Diana’ feels
like peeking into a completely unfamiliar
world, ‘Peak Impressions & Thoughts’ takes
you there and you wonder if you’ll ever
come back again. The sole album by a group
of teenagers who may not have realised
themselves what they brought to life. Best
listened to very high.
COUNTRY JOE & THE FISH
Electric Music For The Body And Mind
(Vanguard, 1967)
This album reeks of weed!
From the razor-sharp
Farfisa organ to the
head-first fuzz-reverb
guitars, it still stands as a
high-water mark for the
acid wave. It encapsulates a lot of The San
Francisco sound, which has been a huge
influence on our own music and
productions. At the same time it’s entirely its
own unique thing. The musicians were
clearly not as “professional” as many other
groups of their time, but in trying so hard to
create something new that could inspire a
revolution, they created an album that still
feels fresh and relevant today.
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & HIS
MAGIC BAND
Safe As Milk
(Buddah, 1967)
This is an all-time tour bus
favourite. It was hard to
choose between this and the
later Trout Mask Replica,
when asked to pick our
favourites. But everything
on Safe As Milk is just perfection. A
completely unique combination of roots
blues, psychedelia, R&B and avant-garde. Ry
Cooder’s guitar playing is off the charts and
the album has an incredible flow. I read
somewhere that Captain Beefheart’s music
sounds like Jackson Pollock trying to play
John Lee Hooker. I thought that was pretty
funny and accurate.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
United States Of America
(Columbia, 1968)
We’ve been digging this
album obsessively for the
last year or so. The
arrangements and
production really stand out
as being ahead of their
time. At times the album sounds almost
sampled. The closing track in particular is
wild. It wraps up and sort of recaps the
content of the whole album in a life-passingby-you-before-you-die
moment. A pretty
psychedelic and at times almost surreal
album. Also, it doesn’t hurt that it was made
by a group of anti-imperialist avant-garde
musicians building their own synths. How
on earth did this come out on a major label?
Enter The Mirage is out now on
Heavy Psych Sounds
13

PHOTO SHELDON OMAR-ABBA
Michael Rault sprouts
up naturally, Daptone
Studio, NYC, 2019
PHOTO SHELDON OMAR-ABBA
“I’ve always been trying
to make records as good
as those made by my
idols. At the same time,
my list of idols is always
growing and changing,
so there’s always room
for improvement”
It’s A New Record
Louche guitar-pop hero MICHAEL RAULT is preparing his
follow up to Shindig!’s 2018 album of the year at Daptone’s
Brooklyn studio.
PAUL OSBORNE talks to him about his return
have a handful of songs
kicking around that seem to just
sprout up naturally between the
completion of one album and the
official start of writing the next
“Ialways
one,” explains Michael Rault, “So,
I had a few of those, but once I had started
writing this album in earnest I found myself
being drawn to a collection of instrumental
demos that I had made at home in the breaks
between recording sessions at Daptone for
the last album. As it would turn out, these
instrumental experiments that had lain out of
sight and mind for the better part of a couple
of years ended up forming the basis for the
core of the material on this new album.”
Although Rault had never written this
way before (“It only works if you have
an excess of good ideas lying in the vault,
which isn’t always the case”) this new creative
process for this record has clearly been an
enjoyable one for him. Did the positive
reaction to It’s A New Day Tonight give him
increased confidence when approaching this
new, as yet untitled collection? “I certainly
was happy that the record received positive
response from a wide range of listeners.
I’ve always been trying to make records as
good as those made by my idols, for as long
as I’ve been making records. At the same
time, my list of idols is always growing and
changing as well, so there’s always room for
improvement. It’s an ever-rising bar as far as
the measure I’m holding myself up against.”
With song titles such as ‘All Night
Long’, ‘Neither Love Nor Money’ and
‘Champagne’, we can expect more of the
harmony drenched pop nuggets and song
craft of its predecessor, along with a few new
influences, as Rault explains. “The most
obvious and enjoyable influence on the most
recent chapter has been that of my lovely
girlfriend, a talented musician in her own
right who goes by the beautiful name of Pearl
Charles. Her complementary tastes in music
and the new settings I find myself in have
put me onto a genre that Pearl has dubbed
“Coke Folk” – that for me includes the
yacht-rock adjacent sounds of people like Ian
Matthews, Ned Doheny and latter ’70s/early
’80s McCartney jams. These are probably the
most tangible new influences you will find on
this album that you might not have found on
It’s a New Day Tonight.”
With the talented Wayne Gordon at
the controls once again Rault has returned
to Daptone Records’ Brooklyn studio,
laying down the basic tracks with Brian
Wolfe and Benny Trokan (on drums and
bass respectively) and then adding to these
with the cream of Daptone’s community
of musicians. “Wayne is great,” effuses
Rault, “an incredibly talented producer
and engineer. Our talents are very
complimentary. I think through the process
of working on these two albums we’ve
managed to forge a close friendship that
came about as a by-product of the music we
intended to make. We’ve already talked a lot
about collaborating on subsequent projects
beyond just this one – and even beyond just
working on my solo albums.”
Michael Rault’s new album is out in
the autumn on Wick
14

Girl, Where You Been?
It’s been a while since A GIRL CALLED EDDY’s debut album, but the New Jersey-born singersongwriter
is back with Been Around, a stunning second outing that weaves the influences
of Bacharach, McCartney, Carole King and The Carpenters into luxurious pop beauty.
RACHEL LICHTMAN uncorks the wine and settles in with the melodic maven
Sometimes you don’t realise how
badly you needed something until
it arrives. The highly anticipated
and most appreciated sophomore
album from A Girl Called Eddy
is a blissfully soulful collection
of luxe arrangements and gorgeously
executed production, just when we needed
it. Starting with the eponymous title track
‘Been Around’, it feels like catching up
“Transformative.” Erin Moran
aka A Girl Called Eddy
PHOTO JULIAN SIMMONS
“If no one’s dying
on you, leaving
you, hurting you,
making you feel love,
longing, rejection,
or something, it’s
hard to get out of
the starting gate
creatively”
with an old friend, talking about respective
divorces over wine, with an authenticity
and emotional connection that more than
slightly lifts the veil on the last 16 years of
life lived since we first heard the ingénue’s
ground-breaking self-titled debut, an album
universally hailed by critics and colleagues
alike. Now she’s been around and back
again with a treasure trove of
transformative pop songs that
do what they do best: spin a little sadness
and suffering into gold.
“As a songwriter, that’s what you do I
guess, it’s what I do. If no one’s dying on
you, leaving you, hurting you, making you
feel love, longing, rejection, or something,
it’s hard to get out of the starting gate
creatively. For me, anyway. Unless of
course you’ve just
got a great title, then
you’re in! And I have
enough divorces for
the both of us! Pass the
bottle, madam,” laughs
A Girl Called Eddy, aka
A Woman Called Erin
Moran. “I did want to
open the record with
that song, with a tone of
celebration of what is for
me; it’s a statement of
intention for the album and
a statement of where I’m at in my life.
“I’ll never forget when the incredible
back-up singer Jenny Douglas (whose voice
opens the album with the words, ‘Girl,
where you been?’) walked out of the vocal
booth and started reading a lyric sheet of
‘Been Around’ that I had laying on the desk.
She looked up and said, ‘You know what?
You get it. What it’s like. Being a grown
woman. Being at this point in our lives.’
And I got a little misty hearing her say that,
because I wasn’t expecting it.”
Being a grown woman has not come
easily, but in the grand tradition of soulful
grande dames, that’s only refined her
approach, strengthened her resolve and
intention to not only her art form but
also the creative and practical aspects of
manifesting this new album. “I knocked on
a lot of doors before finally finding the right
person to work with and get this record out.
It’s a bit of a little miracle that it’s actually
here! I only ever want to do what is true
to me and feels genuine, not worrying so
much about the reaction you’re going to
get. On this record, I wanted to go full bore
into not giving a fuck. Beck said something
about how it’s hard to shut off the inner
critic, but once you do it’s pretty liberating.
You have to trust yourself. And maybe
growing up does that, I don’t know.”
Been Around is out now on Elefant
16

Elective Affinities
Schizo Fun Addict
in two minds
A supergroup featuring former members of Guided By Voices and Elliott Smith’s band,
Portland’s EYELIDS mix classic songwriting with cool psych-pop moves.
CAMILLA AISA sat down with the band, plus poet Larry Beckett and REM’s Peter Buck, to
tell how an accidental meeting of minds shaped new album The Accidental Falls
This story starts in school, with
two friends talking about their
dads. “My son Liam found out
that Riley’s father was in a band,”
sums up Larry Beckett; and that’s
how the poet you may know as
Tim Buckley’s lyricist discovered the sweet
powerpop of Eyelids.
“I got their first two LPs, 854 and Or,”
says Larry. “I moved to Portland from LA
in 1969, and this was the best rock band I’d
heard in that entire time.” So he reached out
to Chris Slusarenko, who fronts the quintet
with John Moen.
“He just got where we were coming
from,” Chris explains. “It was really
touching and surprising. And he was just
like, if you ever want to do something, that’d
be cool.”
“I got excited talking to Larry,” John recalls.
“He had a guitar and I showed him
this little thing I’d been playing and didn’t
have a home for. I sent Larry a quick phone
recording, but first he wanted to know what
I was thinking about. Not sleeping well, I
told him. Two or three days later, he threw
some words at me. That was ‘Insomnia’. I
realised it was going to be a lot of fun.”
John and Chris then dug through Larry’s
impressive book of lyrics. “I wanted to
make sure it was something that hadn’t
been prominent in Buckley’s lexicon,” John
says, “stuff that was not as well represented
and recorded already.”
They headed into the studio with Peter
Buck of REM in the producer’s seat.
“Having Peter there always makes us focus
better,” Chris enthuses. “It’s Peter Buck!
He’s here on his birthday! We really work
hard for him.”
A favourite track of Buck’s is ‘Found At
The Scene Of A Rendezvous That Failed’.
“Having Peter there always makes us focus
better. It’s Peter Buck! He’s here on his
birthday!”
“It was very special,” says Peter Buck.
“Larry wrote it with Tim in ’66. They never
recorded it, and no one can find the tape
they made. I was brought in with some sheet
music, and the lyrics are written by Tim
Buckley. Not copied – his handwriting. You
just look at that, it’s been in an office for 50
years. And I got to play bass on it!”
“Larry has that great ability to write
lyrics that are fascinating and not run-ofthe-mill,
but they will fit in someone else’s
mouth,” John adds. “He knows what every
word means, he’s worked on it all. And once
he gives it to you, he really does give it to
you. He doesn’t nitpick away.”
The Accidental Falls feels like the exciting
and often moving chronicle of a multiheaded
sparkle. The band, the poet, the
visionary producer, each falling in love with
each other’s work. “Every single song was
an adventure, away from anything I could
have expected,” Larry enthuses. “There’s
nothing like the electricity of working with
real musicians.”
The Accidental Falls is out now on Decor
Adventurers. Eyelids with
Larry Beckett (front)
18

A New Way To Buy
And Sell Records
ELVINYL was founded by Jules Elvins and Richard Morton
Jack – two old vinyl-loving friends. As they often found
themselves discussing the shortcomings of existing music
marketplace sites, it was eventually decided to stop talking
and start a new one! JON ‘MOJO’ MILLS cleans his needle
What can elvinyl offer that
Discogs and their like
can’t? poses Shindig!
“Discogs has
spent the last 20
years building a
discographical site that attempts to catalogue
every record that has ever been released,”
begins Richard Morton Jack. “This is
not our goal. We are striving to build a
marketplace that addresses the needs of the
buyer and seller in equal measure. We charge
lower commission than eBay and Discogs,
and unlike Discogs we’re underpinned by
high-res photo hosting, and our buyers can
see detailed pictures of every record in our
marketplace. Our sellers get instant payment
– no invoicing, no time-wasters! Our users
get instant alerts when items in their ‘want
lists’ come up for sale, and have free access
to our growing archive of rare music-related
materials (from Velvet Underground posters
and Skip Spence ads to 13th Floor Elevators
articles and Comus press kits) – the only
resource of its sort anywhere.”
Richard then goes on to describe why
elvinyl will undoubtedly be of interest to
Shindig! readers hungry to buy vinyl. “There’s
plenty on sale, much of it reasonably priced,
and they can see photos of any record they are
interested in buying, reducing the chances of
disappointment when the postman comes. In
addition, our archive is packed with vintage
items that simply can’t be seen elsewhere. I
have a large collection of this stuff that I have
always wanted to preserve and share, and
several likeminded collectors clearly feel the
same way, as we’ve already received a number
of cool contributions from our users. It’s
surprising how little of this stuff has made
it online, especially in decent quality, and
we want to offer a huge amount of it all in
one place, and for it to be available for free,
forever.”
The most impressive sale to date could
well be a clean original UK pressing of the
1971 heavy-prog gem Den Of Iniquity by The
Norman Haines Band, which sold for £1100
last week; it had been producer Tony Hall’s
personal copy. A few examples of rarities on
sale presently include a remarkable run of
Tempo jazz EPs that are about to be listed,
including one that has never appeared online
before, as far as they know. A top copy of The
Velvet Underground’s ‘Sunday Morning’ 45,
a nice copy of The Human Instinct’s Burning
Up Years LP, a promo copy of the Roger
Nichols & The Small Circle Of Friends LP,
and so much more.
“There are several other areas we want to
explore,” says Richard of the future, “but
for the time being we’re 100% focused on
building the best possible music marketplace,
and welcome all feedback from our users.”
Sign up today at elvinyl.com
ANDY MORTEN sets the controls
for the point where the post-Syd
Pink Floyd was reborn, bashing
out avant-psychedelic rock for
European festival-goers and
rapt, yet presumably befuddled,
TV viewers
The MK II Pink Floyd line-up, while sometimes
considered rudderless and over-zealous in the
wake of Syd Barrett’s departure in early 1968,
re-discovered their Mojo and re-invented themselves on
stage, their live shows transformed into experimental
feats of musical derring-do that almost entirely
eschewed the compact, record-friendly studio origins of
much of their repertoire.
This three-minute extract of Piper opener
‘Astronomy Domine’, captured live by BRT TV at Kastival
’68 Open Air Festival in Belgium on 31st August and
broadcast on Belgian pop TV show Tienerklanken on
8th October, finds the Gilmour/Waters/Wright/Mason
line-up in full interstellar flight.
Sporting their finest floppy hats and chiffon scarves,
and blessed with a sound system that for once could
handle their sonic onslaught, the Floyd are on fire. Rick
Wright taps out the song’s morse code intro on his
organ before a particularly expressive, Octopus-like
Nick Mason attempts to dislodge his drumkit from its
moorings. The usually taciturn Dave Gilmour is clearly
having the time of his life conjuring fantastical feedbackstrewn
sounds from his white Strat. But it’s Roger
Waters’ simmering rage and dramatic stage presence
that dominates – he wields his Rickenbacker bass as if it
were a flaming scythe.
The clip’s been around for a while but this freshlyuploaded
version ups the quality slightly. The thrills
remain intact.
Search YouTube for “Pink Floyd Astronomy
Domine Belgian TV Mental!”
“We are striving to
build a marketplace
that addresses the
needs of the buyer
and seller in equal
measure”
20

A Gentle Howl
For his solo debut, Wolf People’s JACK SHARP has traded
in his heavy riffs for a gorgeous English folk sound
inspired by his county.
THOMAS PATTERSON picks up the pastoral vibes
into folk songs through
Pentangle back when I was sampling
records to make hip-hop,” explains
Jack Sharp of his debut solo album
Good Times Older. “I suddenly
“Igot
realised that I recognised all the
tunes because my mum used to sing them to
me. I’ve been singing folk songs casually for
years, because it fitted neatly alongside what I
was doing with Wolf People, helped me find
my voice, and inspired my writing a lot.”
Sharp has certainly been on a musical voyage
from teenage hip-hop head to the wild
psychedelic sounds of Wolf People and onto
a beautiful, bucolic and very English form of
folk.
“I definitely saw it as a challenge going
from Wolf People to solo stuff : Can I create
something worth listening to with just my
voice and a guitar? There’s an awful lot of
space left when you take drums, bass and
electric guitar away. The load-ins are a lot
easier though.”
Recorded in a single day at an old Moot
Hall outside of Bedford, with the assistance
“I tend to lean towards
songs about the natural
world, and songs that
favour animals over
humans”
of Ian Carter and Nicola Kearey from Stick
In The Wheel, Good Times Older is a simple
and affecting set with roots that stretch
through the ages.
“The album is a collection of things I’ve
enjoyed singing over the years with some
original songs that sort of fell into my lap
when I wasn’t writing for Wolf People,”
Jack says. “I love Martin Carthy, Nic Jones,
Shirley Collins, Pentangle, Fairport, Young
Tradition, ISB and all of that ’60s and ’70s
revival stuff , so I just ended up singing and
adapting some of those into my style of
playing, then looking further into archives
and folk song books.
“I tend to lean towards songs about
the natural world, and songs that favour
animals over humans, I guess due to a
growing disillusionment with the human
race. Another factor is trying to find songs
from the area I grew up (and now live),
Bedfordshire, of which there’s not many.
“I love Bedfordshire and it’s been the focus
of a lot of my song-writing in the past, so
it seemed like a natural progression to find
some locally associated songs. There’s a lot of
history and material here, but I’ve always felt
like that’s going to be true wherever you are,
it’s just a case of digging under the surface a
little bit, and asking around.”
Consider the dig into Good Times Older
one well worth taking.
Good Times Older is out on
24th April on From Here
Records
Sharp edges. Jack goes it alone
PHOTO CHRISTIAN WEBB
Win!
One lucky reader can win a
subscription to the value of £100, our
brand new storage binder, tote bag,
Shindig! annual and t-shirt. Just email
win@shindig-magazine with “Spring
Giveaway” in the subject line and
state your preferred shirt size. The
winner will be drawn on 1st
June
Prepare to have your mind and wallets blown on 17th
July when Rhino release the ultimate box set of THE
STOOGES’ 1970 classic Fun House. This 15-disc vinyl
set consists of a 45 RPM 2-LP version of the original
album, the complete Fun House sessions, and a live
album Have Some Fun. There are also two replica
seven-inch singles, a 28-page book with rare photos
and an extensive essay by Henry Rollins, as well as
ephemera including posters, prints, slip-mat and 45
adaptor. Limited to 1970 copies, each copy will have
gold foil stamped numbering. As you can imagine a
package of this magnitude doesn’t come cheap, with
copies now available for pre-order at the hefty price tag
of $399.98. It’s expected to sell out, so start saving and
head on over to Rhino’s site now.
Rhino.com
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Isle Of Wight
Festival this year, the weekend of 4th-6th September
will see the EXPERIENCE 70 FESTIVAL take place
on the site of the original festival at East Afton Farm,
near Freshwater. Compered by veteran deejay Bob
Harris, the Shindig!-friendly line-up includes Pentangle,
The Groundhogs, Arthur Brown, The Pretty Things’
Dick Taylor as well as John Lodge from The Moody
Blues. There’s also a host of tribute acts standing in for
Jimi Hendrix (Are You Experienced), The Who (Total
Who), The Doors (The Doors Alive) and Free (Free At
Last). There will also be an exhibition tent containing a
collection of photos from the ’70 event and the original
’69/70 WEM Festival Sound System will also be on site.
Tickets cost £180 for three days and can be purchased
along with more info regarding travel and line-up from
the festival site.
Experience1970.com
Ship To Shore Phono Co continues to elevate the
legacy of maverick ’60s troubadour TINY TIM with
two reissues; a double-LP of 1980 album Chameleon,
featuring a definitive mix of the original with deluxe
photos and artwork, plus an LP of rare bonus tracks
and out-takes, alongside three accompanying CDs
containing a further expanded version of the release,
plus the first ever vinyl release of critically acclaimed
final album Girl featuring alternate mixes, out-takes
and previously unreleased covers of ‘Across
The Universe’ and ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’.
Both releases are coordinated by Justin
Martell, author of 2016 biography
Eternal Troubadour: The Improbable
Life Of Tiny Tim. Additionally, hitting
festivals this summer is documentary
Tiny Tim: King For A Day, narrated by
Weird Al Yankovic, directed by Johan
Von Sydow, and produced by Momento
Film in connection with Martell.
momentofilm.se/films/tiny-tim
22

Open Source
On the release of her second album, SABA LOU talks to
GREG HEALEY about family, friends and diverse influences
important thing is not to
look at it as throwing one
style away and adopting
another. I like having all
options,” states Saba Lou
“The
Khan of the stylistic shift
between her new album, Novum Ovum, and
her 2017 debut Planet Enigma.
The solo performances on that debut were
recorded when this daughter of King Khan,
the legendary front man of The Shrines and
The Spaceshits, was only 15 years old. Now,
with several lifetimes of musical experiences
under her belt, accrued during a precocious
childhood in what is lovingly referred to
as The Khan Vortex, this talented young
woman has transposed her incisive, poetic
songwriting onto the broader canvas of a
band. “I still play solo some of the time and
as a duo most of the time, with my guitarist
Oska, but the band is another option that
makes it possible to appeal to larger audiences,
venues and offers,” she explains. “But I like
the idea of variations and intend to make
acoustic versions of this second album.”
“Our home was this
black hole and our
upbringing was the
most colourful, loud –
sometimes exasperating,
sometimes exhilarating”
Saba Lou. Paradoxical
“I have very random influences. I grew
up in this strange paradoxical household in
Neukölln. Neukölln is called Little Istanbul
and has a very large Turkish and Arab
population,” says Saba Lou of the area in
Berlin where she still lives with her father,
mother and sister. “Our home was this
black hole and our upbringing was the most
colourful, loud – sometimes exasperating,
sometimes exhilarating. In general, music
always came from the home and it was a very
different kind of music.”
Those diverse, formative influences can
be heard throughout Novum Ovum. Jazz,
garage-rock, soul, country and blues all rub
shoulders with an effortlessness that springs
from Saba Lou’s talents as a songwriter, as well
as the musicians she has chosen to work with.
“The band gives a whole lot to the music. It’s
a combination of them knowing me well and
the jumble of stuff I want to make. Amit and
Omri are from the Tel Aviv jazz stoner scene
and Oska, who I’ve known since he was 14
and I was five, brings the whole punk thing
in. Oska was a kid who discovered The Black
Lips and my father’s music.”
Dealing with everything, from the
personal pain of her experiences with
endometriosis (hence the title), to the
observed “weirdness and discomfort” of
everyday life, all of Saba Lou’s songs are
surprising “odes” that transmogrify the
ordinary.
Novum Ovum is out now on Ernest
Jenning Record Co/Khannibalism/
Burger
ERIC BURDON &
THE ANIMALS
From brown ale to brown acid. The
Geordie bluesman’s conversion
to psychedelic trailblazer and
proselytizer
CAROLE KING
The pre-eminent ’60s pop
craftswoman’s overlooked solo
debut Writer at 50
KAREN DALTON
The influential folk/blues Zelig’s
journey from Greenwich Village to
belated acclaim
MIKE HURST
Dusty’s sidekick in The Springfields,
hit record producer, cult solo
albums and beyond
PLUS…
PAUL WELLER, THE LEMON TWIGS,
THE EIGHTEENTH DAY OF MAY,
IAIN MATTHEWS, WOODS,
MARIE LAFORET
NEW ALBUMS FROM
SONIC BOOM, DAMIEN JURADO,
LAVINIA BLACKWALL,
ONCE & FUTURE BAND,
GUIDED BY VOICES,
THE JACK CADES, VIBRAVOID
REISSUES FROM
ENNIO MORRICONE,
FRANCE GALL,
SIR DOUGLAS QUINTET,
THE BOX TOPS,
PENTANGLE,
MARTHA VELEZ,
THE GROUPIES
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE
PUBLISHED 7th MAY
24

The Small Breed
The Small Breed are leading South Holland’s psych-pop
renaissance.
DUNCAN FLETCHER investigates this new flowering
Not only is the southern Dutch
countryside a good place to
grow flowers, it’s also where a
renaissance in psychedelic pop is
beginning to take shape. At the
forefront is Tilburg-based quintet The Small
Breed. Three of the band started out playing
garage rhythm ’n’ blues in The Black Marble
Selection before opting for a change of name
and direction. The recent self-titled 12-inch
EP on Bickerton Records and a newly
released seven on Hypnotic Bridge both
showcase their ability to enthral, whether
via bombastic arrangements or quieter, more
sweetly melodic songs.
With a newly settled line-up – Erik
Bus (vocals, guitar), Guus van den Heuvel
(vocals, keys), Jan Kappé (vocals, guitar,
keys), Malenzie Mac Donald (bass) and Gijs
van der Heijden (vocals, drums), the band’s
recent single ‘An Elderflower Parliament’
highlights their musicality along with an
enduring love of nature. “It’s about how
the whispers of the leaves of a tree tell
you all the tales that happened around it,”
explains Erik. “Every animal that crossed or
stopped by. It’s about appreciating nature,
speculating about how it took shape, being
amazed by the form it embodies. In terms of
musical composition, it needed something
mysterious and dark, and that, alternating
with the floating chorus worked very well
for us. Thijs (Erik’s brother and original
keyboardist) wrote the lyrics for both sides
of the single.”
The roots of any psychedelic music can
be traced back to the fertile sounds of 1967,
and this is no different for The Small Breed.
“I’m fascinated by the sound of Abbey Road
Studios from that time,” says Erik. “A lot
“It’s about appreciating nature, speculating about
how it took shape, being amazed by the form it
embodies”
of thought has gone into the music, it’s not
simply a series of songs that are placed one
after the other on such records. The artistic
freedom, experimentation and inspiration
were great, almost everything was possible. I
think that if you light each other up as bands,
there will be some sort of competition. At
that time there were so many high-level
bands ... they just fired each other up.”
This idea of friendly competition is
mirrored in the Dutch music scene today,
with acts such as MOOON and Fleur.
Malenzie explains, “Erik and myself started
playing around six or seven years ago in
The Black Marble Selection. When we
played our first shows they were at festivals
and parties where MOOON were also just
getting started. We couldn’t believe there
was this other band of young guys on the
same road as us. We hit it off immediately
and became good friends. Now after all
these years we like to play shows together
whenever we can, it keeps both bands
pushing their own boundaries. Because we
express ourselves as bands differently but are
both in the same headspace, we hear things
in each other’s music that shows the growth
we are going through. It’s like a goal to
impress and surprise each other with every
new song we make.”
The band plan to start recording a debut
album in the summer. It will no doubt prove
a must-listen for Shindiggers everywhere.
‘An Elderflower Parliament’ / ‘Figures
Made Of Sound’ is out now on
Hypnotic Bridge
26

Extraa
The French pop revolution continues with
the debut long-player by the Parisian
quartet. PAUL OSBORNE gets inside
the album’s soul with Alix Lachiver
and Antoine Robinault
“It kinda seems obvious
but we must say
everyone in the band is a
big fan of The Beatles,”
says Extraa drummer
Antoine Robinault when asked
about influences. “We tried I
think, at our own level, to create
an album with The Beatles’
DNA, at least what we think that
is. Alix (Lachiver, vocals) and I
are also big fans of The Lemon
Twigs – we think these guys
have set the bar very, very high.”
Recorded along with Pedro
Witzel (bass) and Thomas
Schweitzer (guitar), Extraa’s
debut long-player Baked takes
that Fab’s DNA and mixes it
with the an alt-pop jangle and
a healthy dose of Parisian cool
to create a brilliant
introduction to the
band, with the likes
of ‘A Flower And
A Man’ and ‘Rainy
Rainbow’ delivering
wonderfully dreamy
and melodic pop that’s rooted
in the late ’60s but sounds very
much like it exists in the here
and now. Shindig! asks how the
creative process works for them.
“Alix writes all the songs,”
explains Antoine. “Sometimes
even our parts. She’s the brain of
the band and there’s absolutely
no doubt about that. Maybe
sometimes the guys and I are
gonna give some directions that
she’ll follow but this doesn’t
happen much.”
“Sounds like hell!” laughs
Alix. “Yes, I usually write a lot at
home, then record demos. Then
I send it to the guys, we work
on it together, they would add
arrangement ideas, sometimes
new small parts. Antoine does
write all the drums though, I
just give him boom-chack-boom
ideas during rehearsals.”
This sense of camaraderie in
the band was clearly something
which made the recording of the
album a fun process. “We spent
a wonderful time in (producer)
Alexi Fugain’s studio in Les
Yvelines outside Paris. At that
time spring was coming. He has
great gear, good amplifiers, an
amazing old drum kit (which
cost nothing), good mics, and he
had the right head and the good
heart we needed. Recording
only took us five days. We really
enjoyed it, it was too quick!
Baked is out now on
Requiem Pour Un Twister
Magick Brother&Mystic Sister
LOUIS WIGGETT wraps himself up in the free-spirited
vibrations of the genre-straddling Catalan quartet
Nestled in the shadow of the
Tibidabo (the tallest hill, at
512 metres, in the Collserola
range rising sharply to the
north west of Barcelona) is
where Magick Brother & Mystic Sister
dwells, and is also home for mainstay
coupling of Eva Muntada (keyboards/
vocals) and Xavi Sandoval (guitar/bass), a
home lovingly adorned with an assortment
of the neo-medieval and psychedelic pop
artworks of Kay Nielsen and Peter Max
respectively. Volumes by The Beats and
Carlos Castaneda, and the music of Popol
Vuh, Caravan and Brainticket. The homemade
yet luxurious recording studio where
their
self-titled debut was
created is down a short
flight of stairs.
Xavi expands on
the album’s ideology.
“All the songs have
some reference to
magic and mysticism
of different sites, various philosophies and
ways of understanding the mysteries
between humanity and the universe.”
The band’s debut takes an ethereal mix of
flute-heavy hippy-rock with a nod to the
kraut and space varieties, yet combines
the drama, funk and mystery of vintage
soundtracks from Jean Rollin to Lalo
Schifrin, touching on almost every point
between. Xavi continues, “Like the
soundtracks of martial arts movies from
the ’70s that had suspense, movement,
fight and action.” Comprising every
aspect of a Hammer costume production,
‘The Vampires’ features a virgin, a castle,
plus a horde of vengeful villagers, but for
Xavi “it speaks of many things: paganism,
eroticism, the transformation of the
initial journey – death and rebirth”.
Completed by another couple
Maya Fernández (flute) and Marc Tena
(drums/vocals), Magick Brother
& Mystic Sister has existed since 2013,
yet the members’ other projects have
taken time away from the script. But as
Eva concludes, “We live in our world and
we believe that the time has come to share
it; after all, art is about this. We make music
for the utopian lifestyle in which we would
like to live.”
Magick Brother & Mystic Sister
is out now on Sound-Effect/
John Colby Sect
27

Nobody’s on a power trip.
The Rain Parade in 1983.
L-R: Eddie Kalwa, Steven
Roback, Will Glenn, David
Roback, Matt Piucci
This Can’t
Be Yesterday
Out of the musical wasteland of early ’80s LA came
THE RAIN PARADE, wielding a lo-fi debut that, while
soaked in the sounds of the past, was at the vanguard
of a new wave of glittering, wide-eyed guitar bands.
JOHNNIE JOHNSTONE joins founder member Matt Piucci
on the third rail
It is almost impossible to exaggerate just
how bland, stagnant and superficial
mainstream music had become by 1982.
This resulted in UK chart rundowns
awash with synth-pop, Dollar and Bucks
Fizz, while across the pond we had Fame,
The J Geils Band and Survivor’s ‘Eye Of
The Tiger’. Then, seemingly out of the
blue, came a sound as fresh as a clear spring
morning. Rickenbackers! Proper songs!
Crazy backwards psychedelic guitars! Sitars
and flutes! – a reassuringly familiar antidote
to the prevailing artificiality. Welcome to
The Paisley Underground, among whose
finest exponents, LA-based The Rain Parade,
were busy writing songs for their ’83 debut
album Emergency Third Rail Power Trip.
The Paisley Underground scene
itself seemed from afar to be an
authentic “movement”, but on closer
inspection revealed itself, at least initially,
to be a loose conglomeration of disparate
individuals and groups. However, as far as
their musical sensibilities were concerned, the
bands were like-minded in the only way that
really mattered. Rain Parade guitarist and
singer Matt Piucci recalls that the moniker
for the “scene” was the brainchild of Michael
Quercio of The Three O’Clock, who came
up with it as a joke. “I mean, there was no
committee. There was a lot of great music
then, and I loved discovering all of it. There
was a common musical background, as most
of the songwriters in all of these bands were
about the same age, and some (like me) had
older brothers and/or sisters with deep record
collections. We were all students of the
previous eras. It was a surprise to see each of
these other bands that did not fit the current
mould who were looking backwards and
forwards as well: The Last, The Bangles, The
Long Ryders, Green On Red, The Three
O’Clock/Salvation Army, The Dream
Syndicate, The Leaving Trains and many
others.”
The Rain Parade was to come together
through a burgeoning friendship between
Piucci and David Roback. “We went to a
tiny college in the middle of nowhere and
both of us had different original room-mates
who did not share our life views. The school
put us together. We became friends quickly
as we bonded over our love of music, surreal
art, Beat writers and Star Trek,” recalls Piucci.
“Fairly soon after that, we agreed we should
start a band. Took a try or two, but we did
it.”
Matt and David were both guitarists.
David’s brother Steven (bass, vocals) who had
previously been in a band with David and
future Bangles singer Susanna Hoffs, called
The Unconscious, joined the band soon after
and those three would share out songwriting
duties on the first album. The line-up was
completed by the recruitment firstly of Will
Glenn (keyboard, violin) and later drummer
Eddie Kalwa. They released an early 45,
‘What She’s Done To Your Mind’ on the
Llama label, but by the end of ’82, a number
of bands with a similar musical ethos were
developing alongside them. Two (The
Dream Syndicate and The Salvation Army)
had already released their debut albums. “It
was a pleasant surprise to see the return of
real guitar playing and friendships naturally
developed from there. We were all record
geeks and as things started coming out, we
heard each other’s vinyl. Some people dated
one another. We played music at barbecues at
Green On Red’s place, I think Vicki Petersen,
Sid Griffin and Steve Wynn were housemates
and we jammed there too.” There was
the unlikeliest and least rock ’n’ roll bonding
experience for some of the bands: par three
golf! As Piucci recalls, “John Thoman,
Will Glenn and I from Rain Parade, Jack
Waterson and Dan Stuart of Green On Red
and Sid Griffin and Steve McCarthy of The
Long Ryders all played often at Los Feliz near
Griffith Park. Dream Syndicate’s Steve Wynn
28

and Mark Walton joined us a few times.
Steve McCarthy got the only hole in one!”
As self-confessed music nuts, The
Rain Parade demonstrated an uncanny
flair for working through the rapidly
changing musical styles of ’63-67, and
were somewhere on that spectrum when
they went into Contour Studios in LA to
record Emergency Third Rail Power Trip.
“That is hard to pin down exactly, the
time frame corresponds to increased
musical sophistication. But we weren’t only
’60s-influenced. We were deeply affected by
the mid-70s New York scene and bands like
Big Star and Roxy Music as well, although
that may be have been harder for some to
see.”
The Big Star influence would surface
most clearly on David’s delightful ‘Carolyn’s
Song’, but there was an authentic variety of
influences on the record where the Byrdsian
jangle of ‘What’s She Done To Your
Mind’ mingled with jagged psych guitars
over oriental rhythms (‘Saturday’s Asylum’)
and brutish mod/freakbeat with penetrating
Michael Karoli-inspired guitar dispersing into
the ether (‘1 Hour ½ Ago’). ‘I Look Around’
meanwhile, is pitched somewhere between
the Velvets’ ‘Lady Godiva’s Operation’ and
The Beatles’ ‘If I Needed Someone’, but is
gentler, more dreamlike than either.
Kendra Smith – who would later join
David as singer with Opal – contributed
vocals on the trippy ‘This Can’t Be
Today’. “That was a song-writing
collaboration between Steven and I, starting
with his bizarre and super-cool bass line and
then, after a long walk on a beach in Santa
Monica, we came up with lyrics. As for the
instrumentation, like all early Rain Parade,
David and I were very involved with writing
the instrumental parts. For that particular
song, it took a while for us to find an
instrument that could make that backwards
sounding whistle/flute from ‘Baby You’re
A Rich Man’, and we found it with Will – a
Korg Poly 6 synthesiser. I sang lead and for
the harmonies, I’m pretty sure that is some
combination of Kendra, Steven and I.” Matt
himself guested on sitar during the album’s
making. “I had a friend in college who had
a sitar and she let me play it, I was always
fascinated by it. We were pretty determined
that we were going to use one, and we felt
strongly that instrumentation was important.
Textures are critical to psychedelic music.”
The studio sessions went extremely
smoothly. “We were very well rehearsed and
at least half of the songs had been recorded
once already. ‘Talking in My Sleep’, ‘1 Hour
½ Ago’, ‘Carolyn’s Song’ and ‘Saturday’s
Asylum’ are the ones that were new.
Everything else had been recorded as a fourtrack
or on the single. It went really well, we
truly enjoyed recording, and felt we were
pretty good at it.”
But despite the band’s confidence
– or possibly because of it – tensions
were beginning to creep in. As Matt
1982’s ‘What She’s Done To
Your Mind’ 45; UK press ad;
2018’s 3x4 compilation
“We were all students
of the previous eras. It
was a surprise to see
these other bands that
did not fit the current
mould who were
looking backwards and
forwards as well”
explains, “Keeping three song-writers in
the same band is quite difficult. Ask Buffalo
Springfield and The Beatles! Steven and I
were writing more, David and I less, Steven
and David less. Steven and I had hit a groove
and were cooking, David had his own thing
in mind already. But I think he just assumed
we would all go away if he left, and then
realised we would not and the situation
became hard to deal with. Of course it’s
nobody’s fault, collaborative art is difficult,
and when you put eight 20-somethings
in a van and go out for two months on a
shoestring budget, something is going to
blow.” Fortunately however, the players had
already come to a sensible agreement over
song-writing credits “We decided early that
we would split any royalties between the
song-writers and the band so that everyone’s
contributions were recognised.”
The Rain Parade would continue
without David who would go on to form
Opal with Kendra Smith, but there was a
lot more really good music to come from
all of them, as Matt explains. “Opal’s Happy
Nightmare, Baby is amazing. Our post-David
EP Explosions In The Glass Palace came out at
the same time. It’s my favourite project I’ve
ever recorded. The Long Ryders’ Sid Griffin
said that is the best Paisley record of all, so
I think it turned out okay for everyone.”
The band’s album follow-up,
the prophetically titled Crashing
Dream, received less enthusiastic
reviews. “Some of us weren’t
prepared for the sessions,
and the record label forced
an inexperienced
producer [Steve
Gronback] on us.
Decent guy, but
totally wrong for the
band. I think it had
run its course and the
end [for the band]
came naturally.”
After a lengthy
hiatus, The Rain
Parade re-emerged
in the early 2010s,
co-conspirators of a Paisley revival alongside
The Bangles, The Dream Syndicate and
The Three O’Clock. But it was an accident
(literally) that brought them together again,
as Matt explains. “Rain Parade’s reunion was
caused by a terrible event – Bobby Sutliff,
our former collaborator from the Jackson MS
band The Windbreakers, had been seriously
injured in a car a crash. Thank goodness he
is okay now. His bandmate Tim Lee got
a benefit together with Chris Chandler in
Atlanta. Chris had gotten Dream Syndicate
to play there and had been bugging me about
coming South for a while. This was the
perfect opportunity. Since we did not have a
drummer at the time, Tim turned us onto to
the fabulous Gil Ray, a wonderful musician
and one of the nicest guys in the Universe.
Unfortunately, he succumbed to cancer in
January 2017.”
Despite this tragic setback, the seed was
sown for a revival. “The 3 x 4 Project, which
the four bands had been discussing in one
form or another since our mutual shows in
December of 2013, seemed like a perfect way
to get the machine up and running, to get
those juices flowing without the extra burden
of writing.” But before long, the temptation
to write and record together again would
become too strong and a new Rain Parade
album (featuring ex-Explosions producer Jim
Hill) is now in the pipeline and should be
released sometime during 2020. Matt and
Steven recently worked together on the 2018
Hellenes LP I Love You All The Animals. So
what should we expect when the new album
comes along? “Jeez, if I knew in advance I
would say. Everyone is working slowly on it,
we have about a dozen tunes in various stages
of completion. But, we recorded three songs
for the 3 x 4 record – if you listen to that,
that’s what we are sounding like these days,
so that’s a decent approximation of what is to
come.”
Emergency Third Rail Power Trip is
out now on Real Gone
This article is dedicated to the memory of David
Roback, who passed away on 25th February
29

PAUL & BARRY RYAN
Keep It Out Of Sight
(Decca, February 1967)
Leeds-bred identical
twins “The Ryans”
continued their
sturdy assault on the
charts with this, their
ninth single for
Decca. Produced by
the steady hand of
Mike Hurst and sounding not dissimilar to
Walkin’ my Cat
named Dog.
Stevens wrangles
his newfound
fame in 1967
The Deepest Cuts
When the former Steven Demetre Georgiou changed his
name to CAT STEVENS and struck gold with a song about a
dog in 1966, he quickly became one of the most-covered
British pop artists of the day. ‘Matthew And Son’, ‘I’m
Gonna Get Me A Gun’ and the evergreen ‘The First Cut Is
The Deepest’ cemented his popularity before he chose to
step out of the public eye, a decision cruelly enforced by
his contracting tuberculosis prior to re-emerging as the
sensitive, spiritual singer-songwriter of the ’70s.
Here, Shindig! gets its head screwed on with a selection
of covers, productions and performances that confirm
Stevens’ place in the pantheon of ’60s pop greats
Mr Stevens’ Deram LPs with signature
sweeping strings and what seems to have been
the entire percussion box (including the
seldom-used castanets), it would appear every
card-carrying member of The Musicians’
Union had a pay out that day?
An astonishingly uptight and
danceable A-side, ‘Keep It Out Of Sight’
embodies the missing link between bigproduction
Decca pop and the toughest
blue-eyed soul Messrs Marriot and Lane
could muster.
DOUBLE FEATURE
Baby Get Your Head Screwed On
(Deram, March 1967)
A carpet-jacketed duo
in the prevailing style
of Paul & Barry Ryan
and Twice As Much,
Brummies Bill Hall
and Brian Lake cut
two 45s for the
Deram label in 1967,
this being the first. Overseen by Cat Stevens’
own producer Mike Hurst, ‘Baby Get Your
Head Screwed On’ pokes fun at the rising
trend of psychotherapy, with lines like “Since
you kissed your psychiatrist, you’ve never
been the same” belted out in a Steve
Winwood/Graham Bell blue-eyed soul style,
replete with Hurst and Musical Director Alan
Tew’s typically OTT production flourishes,
which includes blasts of cello, brass and fuzz
bass. A bona fide “mod dancer”!
PETER & GORDON
London At Night
(from In London For Tea LP, Capitol, March
1967)
By 1967 Messrs
Asher and Waller’s
popularity was so
much higher in the
US than it was at
home that their last
three water-treading
albums – In London
For Tea, Knight In Rusty Armour and Hot, Cold
& Custard – only appeared Stateside. The first
of these opened with this otherwise
unrecorded Stevens song that, while hardly
up to the exacting standard of Cat’s
contemporary Matthew & Son collection, is a
worthy addition to his Swinging London
canon. Sample lyric: “Oh to see old Big Ben,
waiting there like a friend.”
ELLIE JANOV
Portobello Road
(Capitol, November 1967)
Demoed in 1966 by
its co-writers Cat
Stevens and Kim
Fowley (then visiting
the UK and
producing sessions for
Soft Machine and The
’N Betweens among
others) this acoustic Swinging London
vignette became the B-side of Cat’s debut ‘I
Love My Dog’ that September. A year later,
Fowley touted it to Capitol Records
producer Nick Venet who needed a song for
his latest signing, the 14-year-old Ellie Janov,
daughter of primal scream therapist Arthur.
Despite the alien subject matter (“Cuckoo
clocks, and plastic socks, Lampshades of old
antique leather”) and the singer’s tender years,
Ellie turned in an assured vocal, while
trumpets parp, bells chime and harpsichords
tinkle around her.
30

CAT STEVENS
Shiny Golden Hair
(BBC session, 1967)
A genuine obscurity,
no other version of
‘Shiny Golden Hair’
has ever surfaced bar
this late 1967
recording from the
BBC’s Saturday Club.
As with most
otherwise unavailable tunes from Aunty
Beeb broadcasts, it comes with the
unmistakable watermark of a cheery Brian
Matthew intro but could otherwise pass as
a Deram-era studio out-take. It finds
Cat in a chipper mood. It’s a breezy,
slight love song with a bouncy
chamber-pop arrangement, in which
our hero finds “red roses when it’s
wintertime” and “brings snow from
Mount Everest when it’s spring” for a
lady with no doubt pretty impressive
hair.
CAT STEVENS
Lovely City (When Do You Laugh?)
(Deram, February 1968)
This orphaned
45, released in
the down period
before Cat’s
TB-enforced hiatus,
is a deceptively jaunty
bit of late psych-pop
and Cat’s first
non-charting single. A Buddy Holly groove
with growling guitars, a sing-song melody
and a typically OTT Mike Hurst
arrangement, it’s a grinning skull of a tune.
Taking withering aim at Swinging London’s
“stoney people” it positions our hero firmly
as an outsider (“I’m an unexpected visitor
who’s dropped in for tea”). Released in April
1968, it quite possibly also played a part in
the rejection of Deram label-mate David
Bowie’s ‘London Bye Ta-Ta’, which was cut
around the same time and to which it bears
more than a passing resemblance.
PETER JANES
Do You Believe (Love Is Built On A
Dream)
(CBS, February 1968)
Peter James Horgan
was Stevens’ singing
partner during their
mid-60s folk club
days, and when
Stevens publicly
declared “Cat is dead”
in late 1967 in an
ill-fated attempt to step out of the limelight
and into record production, James/Janes was
a natural choice. Both sides of his two
self-penned CBS singles were produced by
Cat and mine similarly melancholy,
orchestrated pop territory. Nineteen
Sixty-Seven’s ‘Emperors & Armies’ / ‘Go
“Some have suggested
that PP Arnold having
already had a hit with
the song killed any
opportunity for The
Koobas’ version to
rocket up the charts
but comparing the two
is an apples-to-oranges
affair”
Home Ulla’ is a Stevens soundalike, but
pop-psych connoisseurs gravitate towards
‘Do You Believe (Love Is Built On A Dream)’
/ ‘For The Sake Of Time’, which boasts
dense layers of Mellotron inspired by Days Of
Future Passed and played by Stevens himself.
THE KOOBAS
The First Cut Is The Deepest
(Columbia, May 1968)
Stevens wrote ‘First
Cut’ at the request of
his producer Mike
Hurst, who needed a
song for PP Arnold.
Arnold’s version
made the UK Top 20
in mid-1967, and
Stevens recorded his own version for New
Ellie Janov
wonders where
Portobello
Road is
Masters
later that year. Some have
suggested that Arnold having
already had a hit with the song
killed any opportunity for The
Koobas’ version to rocket up the
charts but comparing the two is an
apples-to-oranges affair – this version
is decidedly heavier than Arnold’s,
with distorted, slashing guitars
enlivening a grandiose pop ballad
arrangement. Although ‘First Cut’
turned out to be The Koobas’ second
to last single, the record is still notable
for being among the first of the
60-plus cover versions of the song.
THE THYME
I Found A Love
(A-Square, September 1968)
Hailing from the
south Michigan city
of Kalamazoo, The
Thyme were, like
many of their fellow
statesmen, enamoured
of the British sound,
resulting in their final
single being an opportunistic reading of The
Zombies’ ‘Time Of The Season’ that
achieved local sales and airplay but was
undone by the posthumous success of the
original. Flip the single over and you’ll find
this curious but immensely enjoyable,
slightly re-titled take in the Matthew & Son
highlight, on which the grandiose strings of
Cat’s version are replaced by chiming guitars,
ragtime piano and multi-layered harmonies.
LYNNE RANDELL
I Love My Dog
(Capitol, November 1969)
Stevens’ first hit came
about because, as he
explained it, “I had
this melody, and I had
my name Cat Stevens,
and I thought, well,
that would be cute
because I love dogs
but I never had one”. (He later admitted that
the melody was “inspired” by Yusef Lateef ’s
‘The Plum Blossom’.) Stevens’ first hit
became Randell’s last single. “Miss Mod” had
multiple Top 40 hits in Australia in the
mid-60s and toured the US with The
Monkees and Jimi Hendrix. Sadly, she never
really broke through internationally even
with sassy singles such as ‘Ciao Baby’.
Randell’s version of ‘Dog’ has that same
cheeky attitude, but, as the song was nearly
three years old at that point, and she was also
struggling with diet pill addiction, it had little
chance of revitalising her musical career.
Contributors: Fiona McQuarrie, Andy Morten,
Martin Ruddock, Louis Wiggett
Matthew & Son and New Masters are
out now on UMC
31

Mortal Flight
Heavy duty underground rockers BARNABUS took to the
sulphuric Midlands skies on thunderous wings, ignited
by the turbulent landscape of the early ’70s.
ALASDAIR C MITCHELL charts their flight path and
subsequent renaissance as their music enjoys a new lease
of life half a century later
Minimal and authentic.
Tony Cox, Keith Hancock
and John Storer in 1971
In her Visitor’s Descriptive Guide To
Leamington Spa, Warwick And The
Adjacent Towns And Villages, Sarah
Medley wrote of a town “where we find
the friends of intellect and liberal mind”.
Fifty years ago, beyond its celebrated
Regency architecture and immaculate
gardens, Royal Leamington Spa was also
home to the Ford Imperial Foundry, casting
agricultural and automotive parts whilst its
melting furnace emitted abundant sulphur
dioxide fumes, colouring the sky an ominous
brown. In this dichotomous meeting of the
genteel and the industrial, and with metal
literally in the air, the sound of Barnabus was
forged.
Guitarist/vocalist John Storer and bassist/
vocalist Keith Hancock founded industrious
covers combo The Jay Bee Kay Peys whilst
still at school, on occasion having to juggle
playing six nights a week with their studies.
When this popular outfit folded, they united
with drummer Tony Cox, late of The
Rockin’ Chair Blues Band, with whom they
were acquainted from the local gig circuit.
Each was enamoured of the hard-rock
sounds of the day, and desired to advance in
such a direction.
The fledgling ensemble began life as
Barnabus Legge after an obscure historical
murderer hanged at Coventry assizes, until
a booking agent by the amusingly apt name
of Carol Knee persuaded them to “cut
off the Legge”. The newly nominatively
unipedal trio made their debut in June 1970
at Chipping Norton Town Hall, gradually
establishing a sizeable and loyal following in
Warwickshire and its surrounding areas as
the year unfolded. There was often an air of
aggression present at their shows, having
attracted what some regarded as an
undesirable element, including bikers and
disenfranchised young working-class men,
earning them a reputation for “rowdiness”.
Early performances featured renditions
of songs by Black Sabbath, Free, Ten Years
After and Deep Purple, but they soon
graduated to crafting original compositions,
with fruitful results. Keith Hancock, resident
doom-monger, and architect of the lion’s
share of the muscular riffs which power
much of their music, provided the most
aggressive and uncompromising material,
angrily and bluntly railing against war,
racism and environmental degradation,
issues which are alarmingly more pertinent
than ever half a century later. By contrast,
John Storer’s songs, mostly written in
collaboration with friend and occasional
roadie, poet Les Bates, are more melodic and
reflective. Their lyrics similarly convey a
compelling social message, most apparent in
the crepuscular ‘Gas Rise’ whilst ‘Beginning
To Unwind’ has a personally emotional
subject at its heart.
Bird Sound Studio in Snitterfield was
the setting for Barnabus’ initial foray
into the dimension of recorded sound in
November ’71. The trio performed an
album’s worth of material “as live” with
minimal overdubbing, an authentic snapshot
of who and what they were at that time
immortalised on 4-track tape by studio
manager Monty Bird, heir to the Bird’s
powdered custard dynasty. ‘America’ gets
underway as a more guitar-oriented take on
The Nice’s radical rearrangement of Leonard
Bernstein’s West Side Story number, before
evolving into an entirely different beast,
with spacious bass-heavy riffing and tribal
drums, upon which Keith expels a savage
32

Saved by grannies!
Barnabus with the 85-yearolds
who allowed the July
1971 Campton Hill pop
festival to be run from
their home electricity
supply; the home-made
album; a fiver to you
“An estimated 12 to 24 acetates were
pressed and sold for the princely sum
of £5 to family and friends, with the
album garnering favourable feedback
in the local press”
indictment of that nation’s colonial past and
the transportation of African people by slave
traders, informed by witnessing experiences
had by friends of colour in his school days.
Highlights include the aforementioned ‘Gas
Rise’, with its attractive 12-string guitar and
hand percussion, reminiscent of Shazam-era
Move; the brutal, no punches pulled Edgar
Broughton-esque ‘The War Drags On’;
John’s arsenal of ’69 Gibson SG Custom,
WEM fuzzbox, Schraler Wah-Wah pedal
and double Park stack set-up in full flight
on the Cream-coloured ‘Resolute’; and the
appropriately-titled finale, ‘Apocalypse’,
wherein the dark shadow of Black Sabbath
is at its most evident with moves and
modes pleasingly redolent of that group’s
early work. Elsewhere, ‘Drifter’s Lament’
exhibits their unique contrast of light and
shade, commencing with a rustic, almost
Gregorian melody, and vocal assistance from
Tony’s bride-to-be, Cathy. In a dynamic
master-stroke, John abruptly cuts the WEM
Copycat saturation on his Eko 12-string
before the band swing into a hard-hitting
shuffle. An estimated 12 to 24 acetates were
pressed and sold for the princely sum of
£5 to family and friends, with the album
garnering favourable feedback in the local
press.
A career zenith occurred in March ’72
when the group entered the first Midlands
heat of the annual Musical Instrument
Promotion Association Rock And Folk
contest held at The Crown & Cushion, in
Birmingham’s Perry Barr district. The judges
included none other than one John Michael
Osbourne and another Anthony Frank
Iommi, whose enthusiastic approval won
Barnabus that evening’s crown. Although
they were to progress no further in the
competition, this victory secured them
column inches in the prestigious Melody
Maker, sponsors of the event, providing
valuable exposure which earned them
high profile supports with the likes of
Hawkwind, Man, Trapeze and Van Der
Graaf Generator.
Later in the year, they returned to
Bird Sound to cut ‘Mortal Flight’ and live
favourite ‘Winter Lady’, a sophisticated
offering which provides a tantalising glimpse
of their potential given a producer and a
more substantial recording budget. Alas,
efforts to interest the London-based record
industry in their wares proved unsuccessful,
and after briefly adding second guitarist Phil
McWalters, they took their final bow at The
Walsgrave in Coventry in February ’73.
Tony retired from music, whilst Keith
and John continued to work together in
Wishbone Ash-inspired quartet Profusion,
parting company in the summer of ’73
when the latter defected to Quill. However,
their dormant previous incarnation would
undergo a resurrection in 2009 when John
uploaded some recordings online, selections
later appearing on the I’m A Freak Baby and
Casting The Runes compilations. And now, a
mere 49 years since its creation, Beginning To
Unwind has at last gained an official release
via Rise Above Relics. Having regrouped
on occasion over the past decade for charity
performances in the Midlands, rapturously
received by the faithful of old, the members
of Barnabus remain fiercely proud of their
legacy, overjoyed that “three retired old
rockers have finally got a record deal”.
Beginning To Unwind is out now on
Rise Above Relics
33

What a state they’re
in. The Hollies in early
1966. L-R: Bobby
Elliott, Eric Haydock,
Allan Clarke, Graham
Nash and Tony Hicks
From Manchester
To Hollywood
In this exclusive extract from Hollies drummer
BOBBY ELLIOTT’s newly-published memoir, the human diary
and keeper of the band’s flame recalls a roller-coaster few
weeks in 1966 during which he almost scuppered the
group’s US tour, narrowly avoided an encounter with The
Plaster Casters, threw up in The Beverly Hillbillies’ rose
bed and witnessed the sad departure of original bass Hollie
Eric Haydock
Burt Bacharach invited us over to his
house for a meeting, and we jumped
at the chance. Then in his late 30s,
he was a brilliant composer. Already
hugely successful when we met him
– he had discovered Dionne Warwick
and written several huge hits, including
‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’, which gave
Cilla Black a #1 in 1964 – he would go on
to win six Grammies and three Oscars, and
his songs were recorded by over a thousand
artists. We were interested to know why he
wanted to meet us. Graham, Allan, Tony
and I arrived at his mews house in London
without Eric, who didn’t show up. This was
happening increasingly frequently, and we
weren’t happy. Burt surprised us with his
friendliness, his good manners and what he
knew about The Hollies. It turned out that
he wanted us to sing the title song for the
next Peter Sellers film, After The Fox, which
would also be starring Victor Mature (lured
out of retirement to parody himself ) and
Sellers’ wife, Britt Ekland. We said we’d be
delighted to do it, and Burt was knocked out
and told us we were his first choice. Our only
disappointment was that Burt’s wife, film
actress Angie Dickinson, who we all fancied,
didn’t make an appearance while we were
there.
The day after we met Burt, we headed for
the States again. It was the end of March, and
we were due to stay until mid-May, touring
for a series of appearances and concerts. We
started at Murray The K’s World, a former
aircraft hangar at Roosevelt Field on Long
Island. Aviator Charles Lindbergh had made
the first transatlantic solo flight from there in
’27. The Hollies played three nights there after
it had been transformed into the world’s first
multimedia discotheque. After that we had a
couple of days off, which gave me a chance
to hang out back at The Village Vanguard,
where I sat drinking beer within touching
distance of legendary jazz trumpeter Miles
Davis as he performed with Tony Williams on
drums. I also saw Chuck Berry and The Four
Tops on the same bill at Carnegie Hall.
By mid-April we arrived in Chicago and
checked into The Sheraton hotel. As we had
the rest of the day off, Eric and I ventured out
to explore The Windy City. We soon realised
that we were not alone; two girls were tailing
us. We would stop to look in a shop window
and so would our followers, who quietly
emitted strange phrases like “Barclays Bank”
and other suggestive equivalents of English
rhyming slang. At the time I had no idea
what they wanted, but later, when we met
again, I realised that it was Cynthia Albritton
and her sidekick Pest, who were soon to be
internationally known as ‘The Plaster Casters
Of Chicago’. Young Cynthia discovered her
34

vocation when
she was given
an assignment
to make a
plaster cast of
“something hard”
by her art teacher.
Later Cynthia
and Pest turned
up at our hotel carrying
a doctor’s bag containing
moulds, a cocktail shaker
and casting paraphernalia.
Hollies tour manager Rod
Shields had the pair thrown
out. That was a close shave.
But for dear Rod, a casting
of my tackle could now
be standing to attention in
some seedy American rock
’n’ roll, British Invasion
peep show. Over the
ensuing years, Cynthia mastered the art of
stand-up, amassing 36 castings of celebrity
penises, Jimi Hendrix’s being paramount
in her legendary collection of rock-world
pricks. Cynthia, whose path has crossed mine
a few times and who describes herself as “a
recovering groupie”, recently told me, “You
and Eric were the first musicians my friend
and I talked with about plaster casting. At
that point I didn’t quite know how to do it.”
Quite.
WLS was one of the most listened to
radio stations in the Chicago area, and we
were invited on for an interview with DJ
Ron Riley. We liked Ron and he seemed to
like us. He asked us to take turns manning
the phones so that kids could call in and ask
questions or chat to us. Good fun and a first
for us. A couple of days later we performed
at McCormick Place, the largest convention
centre in the US. As our Lincoln sedan
approached, the security gates opened and
our limo glided underground to the backstage
area. The perfect way to arrive. After a good
show we went to a club where I made the
innocent mistake of getting up on the drums
and jamming with the resident band.
The following day I had a phone call from
the head of Premier Talent in New York. I
don’t know how he knew, but he was angry.
He told me in no uncertain terms that if the
authorities found out what I had done, they
would “pull the whole Hollies tour”. British
musicians could not perform with US artists,
not even for an informal jam session in a club,
without a special permit. It took a day on the
phone to various immigration departments
before we were cleared to go to LA. Not
because of my sitting in with local musicians,
which no one dared breathe a word about,
but because each different state had to give
approval for artists to perform.
When we finally got the OK, we flew
from O’Hare to LA and had our first
sighting of The Grand Canyon. It was a
jaw-dropping sight. Geography on a scale
Bobby behind his kit; (insets from left) Rodney
Bingenheimer steps out with actor David McCallum;
Burt Bacharach calls for another take; Jack Bruce fills
the vacant bass spot; Peter Sellers and Britt Ekland
fail to light up the session for ‘After The Fox’ (top)
“Up and down the Hollywood
hills, round Bel Air, followed
by some hot passion in the
Stingray. I thought I had found
The Promised Land until the
cops shone a torch through the rear window”
that none of us had ever seen before. We
booked into the old Knickerbocker Hotel
where Elvis had stayed in the ’50s. Stars
had actually lived at The Knickerbocker:
Sinatra, Lana Turner, Mae West, Laurel and
Hardy, Cecil B DeMille, the list goes on. We
loved it there. One morning I pressed the
elevator button and when the doors opened
out walked veterans of movie slapstick,
Larry, Moe and Curly: The Three Stooges! I
couldn’t believe it.
Our label, Imperial Records, threw a
welcome reception for us. Burt Bacharach
was back in the States and he and singer/
songwriter Jackie DeShannon came along.
The following day we did interviews for the
West Coast media and photographer Henry
Diltz took pictures of us by the hotel pool,
and then we went to a Mamas & The Papas
recording session, where I met legendary
session drummer Hal Blaine. This was around
the time when Graham met Mama Cass
Elliot, who later introduced him to David
Crosby and Stephen Stills. I spent a couple
of nights hanging out with a young Rodney
“What’s Happening” Bingenheimer, who
went on to be a hugely successful DJ. He
knew everyone in Hollywood and, after some
heavy carousing in The Whisky A Go Go,
he drove me on a personal sightseeing tour
up Laurel Canyon and on to Bel Air, while
pointing out film stars’ mansions. The one
that I recognised instantly was The Beverly
Hillbillies’ house. Those imposing gates were
used for the external shots in the TV series.
I was impressed, but feeling queasy after the
wallowing car travel, I got out and was sick
on the flowering shrubs by Jed Clampett’s
iron gates in true boozy-Brit-abroad-style.
Buffalo Springfield were appearing at The
Whisky. We met the band between sets, and
drummer Dewey Martin’s girlfriend invited
me to sit by her when the band took to the
stage. We got on well, and she offered to
drive me along Sunset. As our sightseeing
progressed, she stopped the car, gave me the
keys and I took the wheel of her brand new
Chevy Corvette. That was some drive. Up
and down the Hollywood hills, round Bel
Air, followed by some hot passion in the
Stingray (not an easy manoeuvre, I can assure
you). I thought I had found The Promised
Land until the cops shone a torch through the
rear window. I quickly regained my English
stiff upper lip, rolled back into the driver’s
seat, kicked the big V8 motor into life and
cruised off into the hills of paradise.
Back in London in mid-May we joined
Burt Bacharach in Studio Two at Abbey Road
to record the title track for After The Fox.
35

Once again Eric didn’t turn up. Fortunately,
Ron had bass player Jack Bruce’s phone
number. He arrived and the session was saved.
Jack was a fine musician, and I found him
a joy to work with. A few months later he
joined up with Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton
and the band Cream was born. Burt played a
harpsichord that had been hired especially for
the session, but something was lacking. An
upright Challen piano that lived in the studio
supplied the perfect sound for the track.
This particular model is known as a “jangle
box” or “tack” piano, due to the optional
tone controlled by a third foot pedal. The
piano was fitted with brass-tipped felt strips,
which could be moved between the hammers
and strings, and when the key-operated
hammer hit the brass against the string, a hard
percussive edge to the note resulted.
After the third take, Tony, Jack and I
thought we had the track nailed. So did Ron
who was up in the control room. But we soon
realised that Burt was not easily satisfied, as
he always wanted to go again. After several
more performances, Ron had to lay down
the law and insist that we move on to record
The Hollies’ vocal tracks. Allan, Graham and
Tony sang and the Hollies’ work was done.
Next, ex-Goon Peter Sellers arrived, escorted
by his producer George Martin. Now it
was Peter’s job to overdub his “humorous”
scripted asides. “I am zee fox” etc. As we were
all huge Sellers fans, we eagerly hung around,
hoping to hear some humorous banter.
Sadly, the only sign of his comic genius
was a pretend animated karate-chop aimed at
the Steinway piano. It was now George
Martin’s turn to climb the wooden staircase
to the control room. Peter and George had
worked together some years earlier and the
album, Songs For Swingin’ Sellers, and single,
‘Goodness Gracious Me’ with Sophia Loren,
were both hits.
Peter recorded his comic comments and
the finished track then had to be mixed.
George had The Hollies’ three-way harmony
too low in relation to Sellers’ voice. Credit to
our Ron, he fought our corner and eventually
a mix was created that was acceptable to both
parties. The single was released under the
United Artists banner and not
our trademark Parlophone
label, so legally we weren’t
allowed to promote it.
We were getting
increasingly fed up with Eric
who, as the ‘After The Fox’
recording demonstrated,
would simply not turn up
if he didn’t feel like it. He
missed a few major dates,
including an appearance
at The London Palladium.
He had recently married
his girlfriend, Pamela, and he just did what
he wanted. Interestingly, Pam later divorced
him and married Peter Clowes, a man who
became the symbol of eighties greed, with
his and hers Lear jets and a chateau in France.
He was later jailed for stealing from investors
in his company. Eric was a fine bass player,
but that was no use to us if he wasn’t there.
He wasn’t exactly fired, he more or less
just fizzled out. He emerged a few weeks
later fronting his own band, Haydock’s
Rockhouse.
I was sorry to see him go. He and I
had been one of the best rhythm sections
in the land. How would we find a player
of Haydock’s quality? Our ex-bandmate,
Dolphin Bernie Calvert, was the obvious
choice. He was still working at Burco in
Burnley and playing piano in a
blues band by night. Maureen
rang his workplace, and he was
brought to the factory phone.
“Hi Bernie, it’s Maureen. Tony
says would you like to join The
Hollies?’
With thanks to Debra Geddes
It Ain’t Heavy, It’s My Story:
My Life In The Hollies
by Bobby Elliot is published on
2nd April by Omnibus Press
Confessions Of A Beat Group
ANDY MORTEN untangles The Hollies’ US album releases of 1965-67
As was commonplace for most UK artists in the
mid-60s, The Hollies’ albums were licensed to
international territories, whereupon they were
routinely reconfigured, remixed and generally
mangled by often misguided, market-driven forces. By
removing and re-arranging tracks and contriving new
collections from the leftovers and single sides that didn’t
appear on their UK albums, The Beatles’ US label Capitol
wrung 11 albums out of the six released at home prior to
1966’s Revolver.
The Stones saw their first three UK albums become
five Stateside. Likewise, as The Hollies’ star rose
following the Top 40 Billboard success of ‘Look Through
Any Window’ in late ’65, their discography became a
cluttered, puzzling reflection of its UK counterpart.
First, the Imperial Records album
Hear! Here! bolted the hits ‘I’m
Alive’ and ‘Look Through Any
Window’ onto 10 selections from
the UK Hollies, which at least
retained some sense of coherence.
Imperial’s May ’66 set Beat Group!
largely mirrored the UK Would You
Believe? but juggled the running
order, added the UK non-LP B-side
‘Running Through The Night’ and a
unique recording of ‘A Taste Of
Honey’ not released at home, and
threw in the ’63 recording of ‘Mr
Moonlight’ for no good reason. The
four Would You Believe? off-cuts
then found themselves on
October’s Bus Stop, a purely
US-centric contrivance named after the group’s
breakthrough US hit. Joining them was an ad-hoc mixed
bag of odds and sods new to the US that reached all the
way back to ’63 (the pre-Bobby Elliott ‘Little Lover’) and
took in B-sides from ’64 and ’65 and further off-cuts from
the previous two albums. The overall effect was solely to
dilute the group’s musical progress at this vital point in
their career. Let’s not forget that their first entirely
self-penned set, the sophisticated, mature For Certain
Because, was just weeks away from release.
To Imperial’s credit, For Certain
Because remained unmolested
when it appeared – boasting the
title Stop! Stop! Stop! and an
alternate cover – in December.
Not surprisingly, The Hollies and
their UK label EMI were keen to re-negotiate their US
dealings as their profile became larger there, and the
group’s Stateside albums would appear on Epic
thereafter, though not before Imperial issued the
rag-tag The Hollies’ Greatest Hits set in May ’67, just
one month before new album Evolution. Spoiler alert!
When Evolution appeared in June,
the US edition was not only shorn
of three songs, but opened with
Transatlantic Top 10 smash ‘Carrie
Anne’ (a standalone single here)
and saw its cover art corrupted
once more. To add further
ignominy, it was bathed in reverb in
a bid to align it with the USA’s
fondness for such things. By the
time Butterfly, the final instalment
in the Clarke/Hicks/Nash triptych,
appeared in November (yep, three albums of original
material in 12 months, plus four non-album singles and
four further songs intended purely for the Italian market –
oh, and a couple more titles that went unreleased), the
12-track UK edition, which contained no single sides, saw
three cuts dumped in favour of the preceding ‘King Midas
In Reverse’ 45 and Evolution refugee ‘Leave Me’, and was
re-titled Dear Eloise / King Midas In Reverse and housed
in a completely different cover design.
As a cruel postscript, Bobby Elliott later recalled that
upon presenting Butterfly to Epic Records, the group was
told, with no hint of irony, that “We need you to be a little
more like The Association”. Maybe the Yanks just didn’t
get it after all.
36

“ Those were great times,
although pretty dangerous
for young lads dressed in
charity shop mod clothes.”
Graham Day on stage with
The Prisoners, 1984
The Shadows Of The Past
GRAHAM DAY has spent 40 years at the vanguard of grass roots UK garage-rock.
An unwitting, reluctant poster boy for “The Medway Scene”, he’s led The Prisoners,
Prime Movers, Planet, Solarflares and Graham Day & The Gaolers, while lending his
redoubtable musical talents to the work of artists including long-time sparring partner
Billy Childish, Acid Jazz mavens Mother Earth and instrumental combo The Senior
Service. Along the way he’s amassed a dizzying catalogue of recorded work, explosive
live shows and – crucially – songs that now form the backbone of must-see “self-tribute”
act Graham Day & The Forefathers.
ANDY MORTEN dons his fanboy badge, flashes back to his first Prisoners gig in 1985
and embarks on in-depth overview, despite Graham’s protestations that “I’m not a
charismatic person and prefer the music to do the talking”
38

Shindig!: By all accounts you were something
of a sports star at school. What convinced
you that throwing a guitar around,
spending your evenings in pubs and clubs,
and driving around Europe in an old van was
the better option?
Graham Day: My dad was a sports fanatic,
and I was very influenced by him growing
up. I was never much of an athlete; not
particularly quick or skilful at anything but
I made up for that in effort and enthusiasm.
I grew a lot in my early teens and rugby
seemed the ideal sport, I loved it, until the
other lads grew bigger and bigger around
me and I no longer had a size advantage or
the ability to hold my own any more. I was
supposed to trial for the Kent team but got
an injury. It was during this lay-off I started
listening to John Peel and was sometimes
allowed to stay up late to watch So It Goes on
TV. Hearing The Stranglers, Jam, Buzzcocks
and Sex Pistols changed everything and I
never really had the enthusiasm to play rugby
again after that.
SD!: Like many provincial kids of your age
you were born just a little too late for punk
but became enamoured of the new-wave
sounds that sprang up in its wake. Do you
remember the 16-year-old you that idolised
The Jam, Vapors and Revillos?
GD: I was a bit too young to go to any
real punk gigs, but I listened eagerly to
whatever I could find on the radio and
was captivated by the energy of it. The
first gig I went to was an R&B band
called Wipeout at the Pentagon shopping
centre in Chatham. I found myself
standing next to a boy I recognised from
school, Allan Crockford, and we got
chatting and decided that very moment
we would be in a band. Later that year
his dad took us to see The Jam
and The Cure in Canterbury.
It blew me away, Weller had
such style and energy. I think
that’s the only moment in my
life I’ve ever been close to
idolising anyone. It’s never
happened since. Me and
Allan started going to loads
of gigs after that, jumping over the barriers
at the train station and skipping the fares by
flashing an old ticket at the guard at Victoria
Station. We used to go to The Marquee a
lot to see The Revillos, Boys, Vapors. Those
were great times, although pretty dangerous
for young lads dressed in charity shop
mod clothes; I was always getting chased or
attacked by gangs of punks, skinheads and
mods. I think kids loved to fight in those
days.
SD!: Had The Prisoners’ “farewell album” A
Taste Of Pink not sold out and been repressed,
leading to further gigs and ultimately
another four years of the band, would you
have carried on playing or jacked it in at that
point and gone back to work or into further
education?
GD: I detested school, couldn’t wait to get
out of there, so I was pleased when the headmaster
told my parents he didn’t want me to
return for the second year of A-Levels. Life
at home was a bit tricky for a while after that,
but The Prisoners were gaining momentum
and that’s all I wanted to do. So yes, we
would have carried on, definitely.
SD!: In From The Cold saw The Prisoners
signed to Eddie Piller’s Countdown with
the heft of Stiff behind it. It’s an often-
maligned album
that ultimately
fractured the
band. At this point
you had a heavy
mod following,
and were on a
label marketed
as mod, yet the
mod audience
The Prisoners, Rochester, 1983. L-R:
Johnny Symons, Jamie Taylor, Allan
Crockford, Graham Day; Day during
the Electric Fit EP cover shoot (above);
The Prisoners’ debut; Thee Mighty
Caesars’ first with Graham, aka Del
PHOTOS EUGENE DOYEN
and branding compromised your chances of
success. Did the mod tag frustrate you?
GD: When we were on Big Beat we played
with a lot of psychobilly bands; we never
had quiffs or enough tattoos to fit into that
scene, but musically we had a shared sense of
rawness and excitement which worked well.
After that we had a good mixed crowd of
“normal” people who just wanted to hear a
gutsy band playing real instruments. Some
mod-looking types used to come to our gigs
but we were never a “mod band”. When
we signed to Countdown all that changed.
Labelled as a “mod band” by association
meant a lot of mods started coming to the
gigs. Sadly a lot of them weren’t interested in
our music, they were just into the scene and
gigs became sterile and awkward. A lot of
our old crowd felt out of place and stopped
coming. As was The Prisoners’ way, we rebelled
against that and started wearing leather
coats and playing Deep Purple songs. I don’t
think anyone noticed or took the hint….
Scenes are great for like-minded people to get
together, but they’re too exclusive and prohibitive
for a band to survive, unless you’re
a cover band. So ultimately it was the kiss of
death for us.
SD!: Allan Crockford (long-time friend, ally
and bass man) asks, why did The Prisoners
split up? (He tells us it’s an in-joke but please
feel free to run with this!)
GD: Ha ha! Yes, the joke is that we’ve been
asked that question in nearly every interview
we’ve ever done. The truth is complicated,
and you might get a different answer from
“There were
budgets and deadlines:
‘We need a new album,
get writing new songs.’
I’ve never been able to
pick up a guitar and just
write a song. Everything
conspired to be just like
the meaningless jobs I’d
done and hated before”

every member of the band. I always saw the
band as mainly a social thing. It didn’t feel
like a special gift or talent, but a normal thing
everyone we knew did for a laugh. Rather
than going to work every day and spending
all your money at the local pub, why not
travel and play really cool places across Europe,
have a great time and get paid a bit for
it? We loved the feeling of being “unique”,
ridiculed by the press for being retro and
pointless. We didn’t care. It may not have
been totally original, but no-one was playing
our kind of music at the time.
When we signed to a label they started
putting money into us and, understandably,
wanted to make it back. They knew the
market better than us and wanted us to be
more like the other bands who were making
money. We had managers making decisions
for us which we didn’t agree with. We had
an agent who would get us a lot of gigs but
seemingly never looked at a map to see how
far we’d have to travel. I remember one gig in
Rimini on the east coast of Italy, and having
to drive straight after the gig to get to the
next one in London the following night,
blowing the van up en route. Then there were
budgets and deadlines: “We need a new
album, get writing new songs.” I’ve never
worked like that. I’ve never been able to pick
up a guitar and just write a song.
Everything conspired to be just like the
meaningless jobs I’d done and hated before.
Add to that a record label which went bust
just as our new album came out and the fact
that we were now playing in front of people
who just wanted us to get off stage so they
could dance to the disco. And I suppose, in
The Prime Movers, 1989.
L-R: Crockford, Day, Fay
Hallam, Wolf Howard;
The Solarflares, 2002.
L-R: Day, Crockford,
Howard, Andrew ‘Parsley’
Godleman
summary, all of that meant
that we were falling out of
friendship with each other,
and if there’s no bond there’s
no resilience. Time to give
up. For me, that’s why The
Prisoners split up.
SD!: Was your time spent bashing the
traps in Thee Mighty Caesars a conscious
move away from being a singer and guitarist
or did it simply look like more of a
laugh at the time?
GD: I’d never played drums before, and
I don’t know why Billy asked me other
than because we were mates, or because he
has a tendency to think “crap”
is good, but it was a welcome
change for me to be in a band
where I didn’t have to sing or
write the songs. Or speak to
the audience!
I’ve never relished the
frontman role. I’m not a
charismatic person and prefer
the music to do the talking. I
surprised myself by actually
being able to play a bit, I
loved playing the drums
and being in that band, it also meant I got
to play in the USA for the first time, and
wear a toga… I got a lot of stick from some
Prisoners “fans” about that though. They
told me I was wasted playing drums and
some people got pretty aggressive about it
when The Prisoners split up. Pardon me for
enjoying myself.
SD!: Tell us about the “blink and you’ll miss
it” existence of The Gift Horses, which numbered
you, your then-wife Fay Hallam, and
Martin Blunt and Jon Brookes, subsequently
of The Charlatans.
GD: A strange one this. Just after The
Prisoners and Makin’ Time split we thought
it might be a good idea to
join forces. It was more
Fay’s thing than mine. We
did the one single and four
gigs in Germany and that
was enough to
realise it wasn’t
for me. I think
they carried on
for a while with
another guitarist
but then Jon and
Martin formed
The Charlatans
and that was the
end of it. I just
want to add
what a lovely
bloke Jon was and what a
tragedy it is that he’s gone.
SD!: Your next life, in
which music became a
hobby, saw you climb the
ranks of the fire service; a
demanding and at times harrowing
vocation. Do
you view rock ’n’ roll differently
as a result? Did
performing become a release
from the day job?
GD: Being in The Fire Service for 30 years
was an absolute honour. It certainly had a
way of putting everything into perspective,
and made me cherish what’s truly important
in life. I never saw music as a release from the
job, but the job kept me very grounded. I had
just enough time off to enjoy it as a hobby,
whilst preventing me from overdoing it to
the point that I got bored or felt enslaved by
it again.
SD!: The Prime Movers was a stripped-back
return to the garage power trio model, this
time with added Hendrix. What was it that
made you decide you wanted to write and
perform again after that post-Prisoners sabbatical?
GD: I’d written a few of those Prime Movers
songs towards the end of The Prisoners, but
they were too basic to fit in with what the
band had grown into. I thought I’d retired
from music and had blagged my way into a
job as a sous chef in a local restaurant. It was
only when Allan and Wolf got kicked out of
The JTQ that Allan came over to my flat and
said we should get another band together.
Who am I to argue with The Crockers?
SD!: Fairly quickly, you added an organist
to The Prime Movers (Fay). Later, The
Solarflares, initially a three-piece, added an
organist (Andrew ‘Parsley’ Godleman). What
is it with you and organs?
GD: If I’m honest I prefer the rawness and
dynamics of a three-piece. An organ tends
to smother the whole thing in a blanket, and
whilst it adds a lot, it also takes something
away. But my favourite sounding instrument

is the Hammond.
It’s a beautiful
thing, except
when you have
to lug it up and
down stairs.
It gives a band
so much more scope, and
seems a natural progression
to me. I love instrumentals,
and unless you’re into surf
music you can’t play instrumentals
without an organ.
What can you do? Playing in
The Prisoners circa 1985/86
James had got so good on the
organ it was breath-taking,
he really made the difference,
yet at heart I’m still
in
love with simple riffs and catchy melodies.
SD!: Planet came next. A concerted effort
to take the Graham Day “brand” into slightly
more mainstream territory or the next logical
step in your musical development following
the wild rock ’n’ roll of The Prime Movers’
final moments?
GD: I wouldn’t say mainstream territory,
God forbid! I think I just fancied a change.
The Prisoners had been playing a few reunion
shows in the ’90s and we had a support band
called Mondo Poplus, the bass player and
drummer were Cornish lads and had a really
good funky rhythm. When The Prisoners
finally gave up I’d stayed mates with Rob and
Quillon and Eddie Piller asked me If I wanted
to do something on his new Focus label. really
enjoyed the change. Looking back on it I was
probably being a bit self-indulgent at the time
– I didn’t really write any songs, I just played
guitar riffs, but it was great fun.
SD!: It was kind of inevitable that, as the
legend grew, The Prisoners would reunite,
either for shows or recordings. You ended
up doing both but couldn’t see it through to
the bitter end by completing a full album.
You’ve been pretty scathing about that whole
episode in the past. How do you view it now
and do you think it did anything to affect
The Prisoners’ credibility for better or worse?
GD: Strange times. The first gig we did, at
The Subterranea, was an incredible mix of
euphoria, trepidation and nostalgia. It sort
of went by in a flash and a blur, and we had
absolutely no idea it was going to be that
popular. You have to remember that The
Prisoners were not really that popular outside
of London or a few big cities in Europe we’d
played over the years, so to have that amount
of interest after a decade was a bit bewildering.
We’d only intended to do that one-off
gig, but decided to carry on for a bit.
The problem for me was it wasn’t The
Prisoners of old. Johnny hadn’t played at
all since we split up in 1986 and James had
been getting more and more proficient but
in a jazz style. The Prisoners was all about a
bunch of mates having a laugh and we’d all
gone our separate ways over the years (Apart
from me and Al of course). It just couldn’t
have ever been the same.
The other problem was we were playing
bigger venues. I hate big venues. There’s no
connection with the audience, all I can hear
on stage is my guitar and what tinny mess
comes out of the monitors. I need to feel the
band and see the audience otherwise I feel
like I’m playing by myself, and I just can’t get
into it. If I’m honest I enjoyed getting decent
money for a gig for the first time ever, and
in some ways we felt like it was some kind
of payback. I don’t know why now – no one
owed us anything.
It still really winds me up when people
ask us to reform AGAIN, because I just don’t
understand why they can’t tell the difference.
SD!: For those fans left somewhat disillusioned
by the latter Prime Movers and Planet
periods, The Solarflares’ debut Psychedelic
Tantrum in 1999 felt like a much-needed shot
in the arm and a return to simple songcraft,
no-frills recording and garage band aesthetics.
Yet the group was effectively a conduit
for the songs you’d amassed for the ill-fated
Prisoners reunion album and a second Planet
record, right?
GD: I’d started writing a new Planet album
and I’d decided to go back to my usual style.
The plan was to get Chris White and Bryn
Barklam from Mother Earth (who’d recently
split up) in the band. As it turned out the
label didn’t want another Planet album, so
those songs are on the first Solarflares album
instead.
SD!: Both you and Allan have said that
The Solarflares is the favourite of your own
Graham Day & The Gaolers
(Dan Elektro, left, and Jon
Barker, right)
“For years after The Prisoners finished we’d be
playing a gig with The Solarflares, a new album
just out, and people would spend all night shouting
for Prisoners songs. I hated it. It made me angry”
bands, and plenty of us would agree. That
Was Then… And So Is This is certainly this
writer’s favourite “Graham Day record”. Did
you find it frustrating that The Prisoners cast
such a long shadow as to obscure the bands
that came after and were their equal?
GD: For years after The Prisoners finished
we’d be playing a gig with The Solarflares, a
new album just out, and people would spend
all night shouting for Prisoners songs. I hated
it. It made me angry. I resented the thought
that people would always think the stuff I did
aged 15-22 was the best and everything that
came after was somehow rubbish. I thought
it was disrespectful, and I would mostly
refuse to play any Prisoners songs at a gig. It’s
only since we started The Forefathers that
I’ve laid the demons to rest and am happy to
embrace the past as something to be proud
of, not resentful of.
SD!: Two Thousand And Five found you
wielding the bass guitar with your old friend
and sparring partner Billy Childish in The
Buff Medways. One gets the impression you
enjoyed being the sideman for a while. What
do you remember about this experience and
how did it differ to being in the Caesars 20
years earlier?
GD: Another fun chapter! Great to play with
Billy again, this time on bass where I was a
little more comfortable than on the drums.
It was hilarious to be on stage and see every
person in the audience transfixed by Billy. I
could’ve walked on stage naked and no one
would’ve noticed. I think I was only there to
tune his guitar up for him… But again, more
opportunities to play in the USA, where incidentally
I have still never been with a band
playing my own songs.
41

“I hate big venues. There’s no connection with
the audience, all I can hear on stage is my
guitar and what tinny mess comes out
of the monitors. I need to feel the band
and see the audience otherwise I feel
like I’m playing by myself”
“ I feel a bit awkward
being on stage and
not being able to hide
behind a mic stand.”
The mysterious masked
guitarist of The Senior
Service in 2018. The
Forefathers (below)
– Graham, Wolf and
Allan – still crazy after
all these years
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
SD!: After another period away from the
stage you hooked up with Dan Elektro and
Buzz Hagstrom of US garage-rockers The
Woggles and made two explosive albums
as Graham Day & The Gaolers (the second
with Jon Barker replacing Hagstrom). This
writer interviewed you when Triple Distilled
came out in 2008 and you claimed it was the
favourite album you’d ever made. What was
it about it that clicked so perfectly for you?
GD: We first met The Woggles when they
supported The Solarflares for a couple of
gigs in Germany in the early 2000s. They
were so explosive on stage I refused to go on
after them the second night so we supported
them, and stayed great friends ever since.
Drummer Dan was over in London
around 2006 so we met up for a few beers.
He asked me what I was doing since The Buff
Medways had just finished, and as my answer
was “Nothing”, he told me him and Buzz
were going to be the new rhythm section in
my new band. So here I am, coming back out
of retirement, again, faced with writing a
new album for a new band which surely can’t
really exist because 2/3 of them live in the
USA. How could I refuse?
The first album was pretty good but the
songs weren’t really up to it, but the great
sound we got in the studio and Dan and
Buzz really brought it to life with the energy
they packed into it. I don’t know how we
managed it but we did quite a few European
tours. It was too much
of a commitment for
Buzz so he made way
for Jon [Barker].
That second album
really feels like a band
at its peak. It’s something of a luxury for
me, not having to worry about losing your
voice because you haven’t sung for ages, or
your fingers hurting when you play
guitar because they’ve gone soft, not
having to think too much about what
you’re playing because you know the
songs – just going for it. That’s what I
loved about that Gaolers period.
What really makes it click? Having
a musical drummer of course!
SD!: You were finally able to indulge
your instrumental/soundtrack fantasies
Xxxxx
and homage your beloved Barry Gray,
Ennio Morricone and John Barry across
two albums with The Senior Service in
2016 and 2018. How did that combo
come about and will we be hearing from
you again?
GD: The Senior Service came about because
Jon [Barker] suddenly decided he was going
to buy a Hammond, and asked if we wanted
to just muck about playing Booker T covers
for a laugh. We soon realised that with three
songwriters in the band we were capable of
much more. There was never any intention
to play live or record an album, but the songs
were so good, and recording was easy. We’d
all meet up and bash out a backing track
in Jon’s basement, then add overdubs on a
Wednesday night or Friday night before going
to the pub.
Some of the tunes I came up with early
on sound like songs without any singing;
I’m a bit of a dinosaur and set in my songwriting
ways, but I did learn how to write
in a different way, particularly on the second
album. I’m really proud of that stuff. I did
think it was a shame no one wanted to book
the band to play gigs, but I understand we
don’t fit in, and I do feel a bit awkward being
on stage and not being able to hide behind
a mic stand. I don’t know what to do with
myself. We’re currently planning to do a new
four-track EP in the summer. This will have
singing on it though!
SD!: For all your attempts to retire, or at
least step away from writing and performance,
over the years, you’ve consistently
returned to doing what you do. Do you ever
see that changing? What’s different about
playing a show or making a record now, as a
50-something man?
GD: I don’t jump about on stage like I used
to, and the effort required to sing energetic
songs for an hour under hot lights is a killer
these days. But I’ll keep doing it as long as
I feel that my songs are getting better, or at
least not worse! I’ve just finished writing a
new Gaolers album which we’ll record in
April, and we’re playing a few gigs whilst
Dan’s over. The hardest thing is what to write
about. It’s easy when you’re a teenager full of
angst, challenge and the pain of failed relationships
and growing up. But when you’re
mid-50s, happy, settled and enjoying life,
what do you sing about? “I walked the dog,
the weather was nice, I wonder what to cook
for dinner.” Not very rock ’n’ roll…
SD!: This writer remembers reading your
Top 10 records in a fanzine sometime in
the early ’80s. It contained entries for The
Damned, Small Faces, The Nice, The
Rezillos, The Pretty Things and at #1 was
‘Captain Scarlet’ by Barry Gray. In retrospect,
and with respect, you still appear to
be spellbound by those very same records
35 years later. Do you think we ever shake
off or grow out of those formative, teenage
touchstones?
GD: Er, no. What else could be better than
that?
SD!: Looking back on 40 years of making
music, what do you consider your greatest
triumphs, proudest moments and, conversely,
your worst decisions and least satisfying
endeavours?
GD: Favourite albums: That Was Then..
Triple Distilled and King Cobra. My favourite
gigging bands: The Prisoners circa 1985, The
Gaolers and The Forefathers. Favourite gig:
The Gaolers and The Woggles at The Primitive
festival, Rotterdam. Least favourite band
I’ve been in (albeit briefly): The Gift Horses.
Least favourite albums: In From The Cold,
TheWiserMiserDemelza, Arc . Least favourite
song I’ve written: ‘Nations Of Hostility.’
WTF? Favourite song I’ve written: Is on the
new Gaolers album…
With thanks to Allan Crockford and Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
In From The Cold is out now on
Acid Jazz.
Graham Day & The Gaolers play The
Lexington, London on 17th April
42

The Importance
of Being Innes
The world lost a true one-off when NEIL INNES passed away in December.
A supremely talented individual whose songwriting genius was matched only by his gift
for comedy and personal humility, he leaves behind a canon of work that stretches from
the Dadaist experimentation of The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and the jobbing
tunesmith of the ’70s to dreaming up the greatest parody band of all time, becoming “the
seventh Python” and notching up more guest appearances, production gigs and accidental
pop classics than you can shake a stick at. If shaking sticks is your bag.
MICHAEL MULLIGAN pays a brief and heartfelt tribute
Late in 1972, with a bank balance boosted by the recent success of Don
McLean’s ‘American Pie’, United Artists was geared up to make a
success of Neil Innes as a solo artist. Already a chart-topping, awardwinning
songwriter, Innes was in the studio to record ‘How Sweet To
Be An Idiot’, the lead single for his forthcoming debut album.
Production duties were given to John Anthony, fresh from his work
with Genesis and Queen. Anthony enlisted arranger Richard Hewson, the man
responsible for the infamous orchestral score for The Beatles’ ‘The Long And Winding
Road’. Released in February ’73, the single disappeared without trace.

“I’m really working
towards a situation where
I don’t have to be funny.”
Neil Innes in the early ’70s

track album Lucky Planet was almost
entirely written by Innes. It failed to
chart, as did standalone single ‘Angelina’,
although Slade later covered it on their
album Play It Loud. The year also marked
the beginning of Innes’s relationship with
Monty Python, when Eric Idle, who’d
worked with Innes on Do Not Adjust Your
Set alongside fellow future Pythons
Michael Palin and Terry Jones invited
Neil to play warm up sets for the studio
audience on recording of the Flying Circus
TV shows.
Innes also began playing live dates with
GRIMMS – a Bonzos/Scaffold hybrid
featuring Innes, John Gorman, Andy
Roberts, Michael McGear and Roger
McGough, and featuring Liverpool poets
Adrian Henri and Brian Patten.
Dantalian’s Chariot and New Animals
man Zoot Money provided additional
piano and guitar, with drums from
Michael Giles, a founding member of
King Crimson.
The same year, United Artists Records
(which had absorbed the Liberty label the
“I don’t think any of
the songs are
particularly doomy
or anything; they’re
more in pastel areas
than red-nosed
comedy”
previous year) informed the Bonzos that
they were contractually obliged to deliver
one more album. The reconstituted
Bonzos saw Innes, Viv Stanshall and
Dennis Cowan augmented by Liverpool
Scene man Andy Roberts, bass player
Dave Richards, and former John Mayall’s
Bluesbreakers/McGuinness Flint drummer
Hughie Flint.
One of the earliest albums recorded at
The Manor studio in Oxfordshire, Let’s
Make Up And Be Friendly didn’t trouble the
charts, but almost resulted in Innes’s first
solo single. The sombre, surreal
instrumental ‘Slush’, coupled with ‘Music
From Rawlinson’s End’, was scheduled as
a Neil Innes release in March ’72 but was
then withdrawn. Curiously it was later
issued as a Bonzos single by United Artists
in the US, coupled with another Let’s
Make Up... track, ‘King Of Scurf ’.
In ’72 the increasingly busy Innes also
found time for a variety of other projects
– writing all the music for the comedy
album Funny Game, Football by The
Group, a collective including Arthur
Mullard, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and
Born in 1944, Innes’s family had moved
when he was six to Germany, where his
father was stationed as a Warrant Officer
in The Royal Artillery. It was here he
began piano lessons, eventually rebelling
against formal tuition as “every time I
learned a piano piece, they gave me a
harder one”. Aged 18 he attended
Goldsmiths College, London to study fine
art and rented a room from Goldsmiths
lecturer Vernon Dudley Bohay-Nowell.
When Bohay-Nowell was invited to join
the nascent Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band he
took young Neil along.
Innes described the Bonzos early efforts
as “awful” and “a dreadful row”.
However, their live performances were
memorable enough for Parlophone to sign
them in ’66. The first two Bonzos singles
(both cover versions) flopped, but they
attracted the attention of label-mate Paul
McCartney, who later invited them to
appear in Magical Mystery Tour. With
accompanying stripper the band
performed the Neil Innes and Viv
Stanshall-penned ‘Death Cab For Cutie’.
During ’67 the band had switched to
Liberty Records after the US label set up
shop in London, signing the Bonzos, The
Idle Race and The Aynsley Dunbar
Retaliation. The move saw the Bonzos
move from straight vaudeville and begin
to write their own material. Ten out of 15
tracks on debut album Gorilla (October
’67) were self-penned, with six written or
co-written by Innes.
The follow-up, The Doughnut In
Granny’s Greenhouse (November ’68)
included Innes’s catchy ‘I’m The Urban
Spaceman’, on which he took the lead
vocal. Produced by Paul McCartney
under the pseudonym Apollo C
Vermouth, and released as a single – it
peaked at #5 in December and won the
1969 Ivor Novello Award for ‘Novelty
Song Of The Year’. Though according to
Innes, “The only difference it made to my
way of life was that I could cash cheques
at the off-licence.”
Nineteen-Sixty-Nine saw the band
record two further albums, Tadpoles
(largely a compilation of their work as
house band for children’s TV show Do Not
Adjust Your Set) and Keynsham, a collection
of 14 original songs, eight of them
written or co-written by Neil. A US tour
with The Who followed, with slots
supporting The Kinks and Spirit at The
Fillmore East, and The Grateful Dead in
Boston. However, the Bonzos declined
the opportunity to appear on US national
TV whilst stateside. “We were always
really a dada band. We weren’t going to
play the show-biz game, and be
obsequious,” Innes said. The band split up
in early ’70, after fulfilling some prebooked
gigs, at least one of which
featured guest drummer Keith Moon.
Neil then collaborated with Bonzos
bassist Dennis Cowan, drummer Ian
Wallace (who would join King Crimson
later that year) and guitarist Roger
McKew as The World. Their sole sevencartoonist
Bill Tidy. He also provided the
music for 10 episodes of the BBC Radio
comedy The Betty Witherspoon Show, a
short-lived vehicle for Kenneth Williams
and Ted Ray. He also became an
unofficial in-house producer for United
Artists, co-writing and producing the
single ‘Mommy Won’t Be Home For
Christmas’ for pub-rock outfit Help
Yourself with Roger McGough.
Other productions during ’72 included
Under The Ragtime Moon, the fourth album
by another eccentric Englishman, Ian
Whitcomb – and ‘Be On Your Best
Behaviour’, the debut single by Sandy
Davis, formerly of prog outfit Gracious!
and also (as Paul Davis) the voice of Saint
Peter on the original cast recording of
Jesus Christ Superstar. Meanwhile, Innes
and Andy Roberts contributed keyboards
and guitar to English folk singer Jeremy
Taylor’s album Piece Of Ground. None of
these records charted.
In August ’72, now a fully-fledged solo
artist, Innes recorded a session for John
Peel’s Radio 1 programme. Joined again
by drummer Hughie Flint, with Tom
McGuiness on lead guitar and Dixie Dean
on bass, he recorded five tracks including
‘How Sweet To Be An Idiot’ and
‘Momma B’. The latter song appeared on
the compilation album From The Bayou
(Authentic Cajun Music Of Louisiana), a gift
to Neil from United Artists MD Andrew
Lauder.
Work began on the Idiot album in
March ’73. Although the original LP
states it was recorded at Chipping Norton
Studios between March and July, Neil
told Sounds that in reality it only took
eight days, noting “If a track didn’t
happen after four or five run-throughs we
dropped it and went on to another one.”
That Spring he joined his new friends the
Pythons for a 30-date UK tour, as well as
a “Monty Python’s Flying Circus versus
GRIMMS” charity football match in aid
of Shelter alongside John Peel and Keith
Moon. In June Neil also joined the
Pythons’ First Farewell Tour for two weeks
in Canada.
The Idiot line-up included Andy
Roberts on rhythm guitar and Dave
Roberts on bass, both veterans of the ’72
GRIMMS tour – joined by multiinstrumentalist
Peter ‘Ollie’ Halsall, late
of Timebox and Patto. Drum duties were
split between former Spooky Tooth
drummer Mike Kellie and Fairport
Convention’s Gerry Conway.
After what he referred to as “the
albatross of comedy”, Innes felt Idiot was
an outlet for his “proper songs”. He said
at the time, “I’m really working towards a
situation where I don’t have to be funny. I
just want to get through, that’s all that
matters to me.” Despite the more serious
intent, the single’s non-album B-Side was
a country-style spoken word piece
entitled ‘The Age Of Desperation’. Even
as Innes sought to distance himself from
his Bonzo-era “comedy” recordings, he
couldn’t fully let go of comedy, injecting
46

“Awful, a dreadful row”. Neil with Bonzo Dog
Band foil Vivian Stanshall; the Mk I Bonzos lineup
with Neil, right (below); Bonzos 1968 sellers;
Neil pipes up on stage, early ’70s; Fatso with
Neil, second left (below right); The World 45;
Neil’s solo debut and the Bonzos’ farewell outing

his customary humour and pathos into
these songs. Conversely, his “comedy”
songs couldn’t disguise the songwriting
craft and musicianship that he brought to
most of his work.
Although Innes had been able to
include “straight” songs here and there on
Bonzos albums like beautiful ‘Quiet Talks
And Summer Walks’ or ‘I Want To Be
With You’ on Keynsham, he now felt that
comedy was best reserved for “live
things”, adding that he was “not sure
about what you might call comedy
albums.” Of his first solo album he
reflected, “I don’t think any of the songs
are particularly doomy or anything;
they’re more in pastel areas than red-nosed
comedy. I can pick out plenty of bum
notes and bits of weirdness but the feel’s
good.”
On release in October ’73 the album
How Sweet To Be An
Idiot suffered the same
chart fate as the
single. In reality it
got a little lost
amongst a flurry of
other Innes activity.
Idiot… was
sandwiched between
higher profile titles
from Monty Python
(Monty Python’s
Previous Record and
Matching Tie And
Handkerchief), two
albums from
GRIMMS (the selftitled
GRIMMS and
Rockin’ Duck), and
“I like to share
observations and
feelings and things
like that, but I can’t
stand the idea of
being popular”
The Scaffold’s reunion album Fresh Liver –
all featuring new material written by
Innes. The album was promoted by a few
low-key ads, but the music press by and
large ignored it. There was no tour to
support the album, but Innes managed to
squeeze one or two songs into the
GRIMMS live set. Promotion included
one more session for John Peel in
February ’74, after which Neil joined the
Innes hits the road, early ’70s;
The Rutles with Neil as Ron
Nasty, right (below)
cast of Monty Python & The Holy Grail on
location in drizzly, freezing Scotland. The
film shoot was character-building for all
concerned – co-directors Terry Jones and
Terry Gilliam couldn’t agree on one shot
to the next, and Graham Chapman was
struggling with acute alcoholism. Innes
found himself mucking in as a bit-part
actor, taking on multiple roles including
Sir Gawain, and the annoying lead
minstrel to Eric Idle’s “brave, brave Sir
Robin”.
By April ’74 Innes and the label had
moved on, releasing the non-album single
‘Re-Cycled Vinyl Blues’. A return to
novelty records, it opens with a nod to the
Monty Python ‘Cheese Shop’ sketch, and
incorporates elements of ‘Take Good Care
Of My Baby’, ‘White Christmas’,
‘Carolina Moon’, ‘She Wears Red Feathers
(And A Hula Hula Skirt)’, ‘In The Mood’,
‘Halfway To Paradise’
and ‘Who Wants To
Be A Millionaire’. B-
side ‘Fluff On The
Needle’ – a song that
Innes himself
described as
“extraordinary” again
featured Ollie Halsall,
along with his ex-
Patto bandmate John
Halsey on drums.
The Idiot title
track received
welcome exposure to
a wider audience
courtesy of a solo
version included on
the ’74 Monty Python
48

The troubadour of later years,
trademark beret in place; relaxing
with John Cleese, Michael Palin and
Eric Idle on the set of Monty Python &
The Holy Grail, 1975; with dear friend
Terry Jones in 2012; a selection of
Neil’s ’70s recorded works
Live At Drury Lane
LP. A staple of many
a sixth form common room, the album
spent six weeks in the Top 40 album chart
– peaking at #19.
In ’75 the album track ‘L’Amour Perdu’
became the theme to the BBC2 series
Rutland Weekend Television (“Britain’s
smallest television network”), created by
Eric Idle. Innes would be heavily involved
– performing and occasionally acting in
all 14 episodes. The theme song also
appeared on the ’76 spin-off Rutland
Weekend Songbook LP, along with
‘L’Amour Perdu Cha Cha Cha’, and two
songs attributed to The Rutles. Originally
called The Rutland Stones, ‘the Pre-fab
four’ was jointly conceived with Idle as a
Beatles spoof. Innes was cast as Ron
Nasty, the John Lennon figure of the
group, and wrote all the songs, choosing
not to revisit The Beatles’ music but
composing from memory. The Rutles
album followed in ’77, featuring Innes,
John Halsey, Ollie Halsall and former
Beach Boy Ricky Fataar. While Halsall
provided the “Paul” vocals for Dirk
McQuickly, he didn’t get to portray the
character in the film All You Need Is Cash.
Replaced by Eric Idle (who didn’t perform
the music but mimed Halsall’s parts),
Halsall had a cameo as Leppo, the fifth
Rutle from their Hamburg days. “That
was a great shame,” said Innes. “It was
like, ‘Who’s he?’ The answer is, only the
best guitarist in the fucking world.”
A second Innes solo album, Taking Off,
arrived in ’77 – recorded with Innes’s
current live combo Fatso. The Idiot album
was reissued by United Artists as part of
The Rock File series in ’80. It was re-titled
Neil Innes A-Go-Go, and given a new
cover with a shot of Neil in green
dungarees, a tartan scarf around his wrist
and Roy Wood-style face paint. That
same year Innes, with Ollie Halsall and
John Halsey in tow, produced the
childrens’ TV spin-off album Tiswas
Presents The Four Bucketeers.
In late ’94 Radio 1 DJ Nicky Campbell,
noticing certain similarities, played ‘How
Sweet To Be An Idiot’ back to back with
Oasis’s latest single ‘Whatever’. Hearing
the broadcast, Mike McGear rang Neil.
Innes initially shrugged his unexpected
appearance on primetime radio off, then
rang his publisher EMI who told him,
“We’re already on it!” The parties settled
out of court and Neil received a writing
credit and a percentage of the publishing
thereafter. There were no hard feelings
with the Gallagher brothers. In ’96 Oasis
were actually due to cameo in the video
for The Rutles’ ‘Whatever’-referencing
comeback single ‘Shangri-La’ but a row
between the fractious Mancunians put
paid to that.
Despite a work rate that would put
many musicians to shame, none of Neil
Innes’ solo work troubled the album or
singles chart but that never detracted from
his obvious talent. Not everything he
recorded is indispensable (Shindig! readers
are likely to wince at footage of Innes’
June ’77 appearance on Top Of The Pops,
performing opportunistic cod-reggae
single ‘Silver Jubilee’ to a Union Jack
waving audience) but there are gems to be
discovered, particularly the newly
expanded and reissued How Sweet To Be
An Idiot album. Reflecting on it in 2013
Neil told the blog Transatlantic Modern, “I
am one of the shrinking violets in this
business because I’ve never been that keen
on being famous. I like to share
observations and feelings and things like
that, but I can’t stand the idea of being
popular.”
Mission accomplished.
With thanks to Andy Roberts and Martin
Ruddock
How Sweet To Be An Idiot is out
now on Grapefruit
49

Golden Rod. McKuen
contemplates his next
move, mid-70s

doesn’t
FIFTY YEARS AGO,
ROD MCKUEN
WAS RIDING HIGH
AS A HUGELY
SUCCESSFUL
anybody
SINGER,
SONGWRITER AND
POET. LOVED BY
FANS AROUND THE
know
WORLD BUT
HATED BY THE
CRITICAL ELITE,
HE WAS BOTH
my name
COMMERCIALLY
SAVVY AND
WILLING TO
CHALLENGE THE
MAINSTREAM IN
HIS WORK.
FROM ‘IF YOU GO AWAY’ TO ‘SEASONS IN THE SUN’ AND ‘LOVE’S BEEN GOOD
TO ME’, HIS SONGS LINGER ON IN POP CULTURE.
BARRY ALFONSO EXPLORES MCKUEN’S UNLIKELY RISE TO FAME AND
THE ASTOUNDING RANGE OF HIS WORK
H
e was beloved by the masses and reviled by the critics. He sold over 250 million records,
won a Grammy and was nominated for two Oscars. He wrote songs for Frank Sinatra,
released novelty 45s and neo-classical LPs and was covered by everyone from Johnny
Cash and Nina Simone to Scott Walker and Nirvana. By some estimates, he was the
best-selling published poet in history. Though a self-proclaimed loner and born misfit,
singer-songwriter-poet Rod McKuen was embraced by fans around the world and
became one of the most recognised celebrities of his time.
At the height of his fame during the late
’60s and early ’70s, McKuen was an
unavoidable presence on the airwaves and
in print in America and Europe. His raspy,
scarred-yet-sexy voice and penchant for
self-revealing expression as a writer
bridged the generation gap in appeal. The
plain language and often sentimental
content of his work didn’t please the hip
arbiters of taste – as TV host Dick Cavett
put it, McKuen was “the world’s most
understood poet”. To his legion of fans,
though, Rod was a voice of compassion
and healing, as much a prophet as an
entertainer. Try to imagine a fusion of
Sinatra, Fred Rogers and Oprah Winfrey
and you have some idea of what he meant
to his millions of devotees.
In researching my 2019 biography A
Voice Of The Warm: The Life Of Rod
McKuen, I grappled with the full scope of
this paradoxical artist’s sprawling body of
work. Over his 60-plus years as a
writer/performer, he veered from folk
music to French-style balladry, from teen
dance tunes to goofball comedy, from
New Age-y environmental records to
salacious disco albums. This supposedly
bland “King Of Kitsch” was a risk-taker
who tested the sexual taboos of his time
and released oddball recordings seemingly
for the hell of it. Like Walt Whitman,
Rod McKuen contained multitudes – and
many of the people inside him were
downright weird.
Rod McKuen was born in an Oakland,
California charity hospital for unwed
mothers in 1933. Raised in a series of
Western towns during The Great
Depression, he became a pre-teen runaway
to escape physical and sexual abuse from
various family members. After a stint in
reform school and time spent working in
rodeos and lumber camps, he talked an
Oakland radio station into giving him a
Saturday night program in ’50. As the
teenaged host of Rendezvous With Rod,
McKuen played records and whispered
seductively into the ears of listeners,
creating a template for his phenomenal
success 20 years later. Meanwhile, he was
developing his craft as a songwriter and
poet and launching himself as a live
performer.
Drafted in ’53, Rod was assigned to
write psychological warfare scripts for the
UN Central Command – when not trying
to convince North Korean troops to
defect, he was singing for soldiers and
tourists in Tokyo bars. Back in the San
Francisco Bay Area, he belted out folk and
calypso tunes in North Beach clubs before
being enticed to look for acting work in
LA. McKuen managed to wrangle a
contract with Universal Pictures and made
a series of B-movies before becoming
disillusioned with the Hollywood grind.
Around this time, he made his debut as a
recording artist, releasing albums both as a

singer and spoken word artist. The most
notable example of the latter was ’59’s
Beatsville, a series of wry vignettes about
the poets, poseurs and assorted lost souls
Rod had encountered around The Bay
Area. That same year, Songs Our Mummy
Taught Us (a comedy collaboration with
voiceover artist Bob McFadden) found
him ribbing the hipsters further with ‘The
Beat Generation’ (later used as the
template for Richard Hell’s punk anthem
‘Blank Generation’).
By ’60, McKuen was trying his luck in
New York, where he plunged into a
dizzying array of career directions while
fighting off dire poverty. “I did anything
for money,” he told interviewer Ben
Vaughn in 2008. “I was a male hustler for
men and women. I sold blood – I got
about 10 bucks a pint, which isn’t very
much. I passed out in Central Park
because I’d sold too much blood.” He
continued to snag record deals (sometimes
with several labels simultaneously),
though nothing seemed to click with the
public. On Epic, he released ’61’s In Search
Of Eros, a spoken word (with music)
exploration of desire and loneliness.
Steamy lines like “Dig your nails in, it
only brings us closer” and “I want kisses
that know your whole body geography”
proved a bit too salacious for radio play.
Taking a radically different tack, Rod
recorded ‘Oliver Twist’, a parody of the
twist craze boasting such snappy lines as
“He raises Dickens with them chickens”.
Backed by The Keytones, McKuen belted
out the tune and similar high-energy
numbers both at Manhattan discotheques
like The Versailles Club and Greenwich
Village folk clubs like The Bitter End. Rod
and his group were experimenting with
rocked-up versions of folk songs even as
they were chasing the teenybopper
market. He took the band on the
road for a grueling cross-country
tour that landed him in LA with
shredded vocal cords and a stalled
career. It took him months to regain
his voice. For some artists, that might
have been the end of the road.
Instead, McKuen’s fortunes
bounced back as he concentrated on
songwriting and hit the LA folk
music scene, performing at local
clubs like The Troubadour and The
Ice House. In contrast with the
burly sounds of Barry McGuire,
Hoyt Axton and the like, Rod
developed a softer approach as a
singer and poet that won him a loyal
following. Singer-songwriter Art
Podell recalled that his crowds didn’t
look or dress like a typical folk
audience. “All of a sudden, the
people from the suburbs came out to
see Rod… He was enormously
attractive to women. The women
came to weep and moan over his
poems.” Though he shared the stage
with acoustic-strumming folkies,
McKuen was developing a different
sort of persona inspired by French
chansonniers like Jacques Brel. By that time,
he had visited France and collaborated
with Brel as a lyricist/translator, resulting
in the soon-to-be-famous ‘If You Go
Away’ and ‘Seasons In The Sun’. After
more than a decade of near-misses and
outright failures, McKuen’s career was
coming together at last.
In ’66, folk-pop singer Glenn
Yarbrough recorded The Lonely Things, an
album devoted to McKuen material. Its
success led Rod to self-publish his poetry
collection Stanyan Street & Other Sorrows,
which sold over 40,000 copies and
revitalised his recording career as well.
Released in book and record formats,
Listen To The Warm (’67) contained ‘A Cat
Named Sloopy’, a bittersweet
remembrance of a beloved feline friend
that became one of McKuen’s signature
works. That same year, he put out The
Love Movement, an odd mish-mash of
thoughtful ballads, hippie-themed ditties
and off-kilter instrumental pieces.
Straddling the counterculture and the
mainstream, Rod’s work found a place in
both college dorm rooms and suburban
ranch houses thanks to his ability to touch
people emotionally. “It just so happens
I’ve said something at a time when people
need to be talked to,” he told Life
magazine in ’68. “My stuff is
conversational, one man saying as simply
and honestly as he can how he feels about
people and about himself. It’s a
tremendous outlet for people.”
As he grew famous, McKuen was
accused of being a phony who cranked
out his sentimental songs and poems for
the money. This wasn’t fair – there was
too much genuine confession in his work
to write it off as mere product. Still, as he
entered the most productive phase of his
“I DID ANYTHING FOR MONEY.
I WAS A MALE HUSTLER FOR
MEN AND WOMEN. I SOLD
BLOOD – I GOT ABOUT 10 BUCKS
A PINT, WHICH ISN’T VERY
MUCH. I PASSED OUT IN
CENTRAL PARK BECAUSE I’D
SOLD TOO MUCH BLOOD”
career, his talent for marketing undeniably
asserted itself. Rod built a personal brand
decades before it was acceptable for a
creative artist to do so. Always a
workaholic, he went into overdrive at the
end of the ’60s, releasing his own albums,
churning out books of poetry, touring
constantly and appearing frequently on
TV. Artists turned to him for material,
most notably Frank Sinatra, who devoted
his ’69 LP A Man Alone to McKuen
material. ‘Jean’ (written for the
soundtrack to The Prime Of Miss Jean
Brodie) reached #2 on the US singles
charts. His songs for the animated film A
Boy Named Charlie Brown raised his profile
still further. Rod McKuen’s words, music
and physical presence were seemingly
everywhere at the dawn of the ’70s.
Especially notable was his series of
thematic albums created with arranger
Anita Kerr and credited to the San
Sebastian Strings. The Sea (’67) was the
first of these atmospheric productions,
matching softly intoned poems with
evocative music interspersed with the
sounds of rainstorms and ocean waves.
Slinky jazz riffs and bursts of Latin brass
added vigour to the foggy backdrops as
narrator Jesse Pearson murmured Rod’s
words of love and longing. Follow-ups
like The Earth, The Sky and For Lovers kept
the San Sebastian Strings humming for
years to come. Occasionally, bits of black
comedy would burst through on these
typically placid albums, as on the track
‘Bathtub Surfing’: “I keep a loaded pistol
just below my bed / It’s nice to have a gun
that works in case I lose my head…”
For his own recordings as a singer,
McKuen relied heavily on the services of
arrangers like Arthur Greenslade, a British
musician who decked out the tracks in
sumptuous string and horn charts.
For New Ballads (’70), Rod enlisted
the services of Sinatra’s arranger
Don Costa, who tastefully
embellished tunes like ‘I’m Not
Afraid’ (a romantic ballad written
with Brel) and ‘Hit ’em In The Head
With Love’ (a sassy answer to all
those critics who mocked his work.)
On the double-disc ’71 LP Pastorale
McKuen ambled through a brace of
original tunes, covers like Jade’s
exquisitely melancholy ‘Fly Me To
The North’ and an oddly lounge-y
arrangement of the folk chestnut
‘I’ve Been Working On The
Railroad’. His gentle charisma as a
live performer was captured on Sold
Out At Carnegie Hall, a set that
included tunes from nearly every
phase of his musical career.
By the early ’70s, McKuen’s place
in popular culture appeared to be
secure. The content of his songs and
poems were in step with the selfliberating
values of the emerging
New Age movement. He compared
his goals to those of Brel and other
French chansonniers, who spoke for
the common man and women in
52

A hustler of words. Clockwise from top left: Rod finishes another book of
poetry in the bath; gold discs for 1967’s The Sea. L-R: Warner Bros head
Joe Smith, McKuen, composer Anita Kerr and Warner Bros’ Jesse
Pearson; McKuen with interpreters Frank Sinatra, Petula Clark and
Johnny Cash; channeling his inner Brel; various singles and albums

Two against the morning. With Dutch
collaborator Liesbeth List in 1972;
reflecting on a life well-lived (opposite)
the warm zone
BEATSVILLE
(HiFi, 1959)
McKuen offers a droll
gallery of hipsters, lovers
and scammers on this
spoken word outing.
Backed by a jazz combo,
he draws upon his
familiarity with the ’50s
San Francisco poetry scene to give his vignettes
an authentic ring. Whether he is satirising or
commiserating with his fellow outsiders, the album
is an engaging listen.
LISTEN TO THE WARM
(RCA, 1967)
A mix of songs and
poems, this LP is
probably the essential
McKuen studio album.
Rod’s sandpapery vocals
lend a wistful tone to
word-sketches that are
both comforting and seductive. Key tracks include
the poignant ‘A Cat Named Sloopy’, the dreamy
‘Round, Round, Round’ and the bossa novainflected
title tune.
THE SEA-THE EARTH-THE SKY
(Warner Bros, 1967-68)
Credited to The San
Sebastian Strings, these
McKuen/Anita Kerr
collaborations fuse
introspective poetry with
atmospheric soundscapes.
The Sea and The
Sky are more lulling and sensuous, while The
Earth (narrated by Rod himself) features wry
commentaries on hippies and other then-trendy
topics. (All three albums were re-released as a box
set by él in 2016.)
SOLD OUT AT CARNEGIE HALL
(Warner Bros, 1969)
This double live album is the perfect introduction
“MY STUFF IS
CONVERSATIONAL, ONE
MAN SAYING AS SIMPLY
AND HONESTLY AS HE
CAN HOW HE FEELS
ABOUT PEOPLE AND
ABOUT HIMSELF. IT’S A
TREMENDOUS OUTLET
FOR PEOPLE”
direct, self-revelatory terms. “We don’t
have the chansonniers in America, the
people who write songs about what’s
happening every day and then go on stage
and live them,” he told TV journalist
Edwin Newman in ’69. “It’s as though
there is something inside of the American
male that makes him afraid to cry or afraid
to get emotionally involved in his songs...”
Rod’s popularity stimulated a counterreaction
of disdain and horror among
many journalists and literary gate-keepers.
The fact that a mere entertainer dared to
invade the sacred realm of poetry was
particularly offensive to the highbrow
class. “It is irrelevant to speak of McKuen
as a poet,” wrote Professor Karl Shapiro.
“His poetry is not even trash.” Fellow
poet/academic Louis Coxe opined that
“What McKuen guarantees is that a
certain California sexual daydreaming can
be yours for the asking, even if you do
move your lips rapidly as you read.” Some
critics (including Shapiro) lumped The
Beatles, Bob Dylan and The Beat Poets in
with McKuen as destructive forces
undermining the artistic standards of the
times. Their collective works were too
easy to grasp and enjoy to be worthy of
serious attention.
BARRY ALFONSO OFFERS FIVE MCKUEN TOUCHSTONES FOR NOVICES
to McKuen as a singer,
songwriter and poet.
Recorded on his 36th
birthday, Rod touches
upon nearly every aspect
of his career in this set,
including his folk phase,
soundtrack tunes and his collaborations with
Jacques Brel. Carnegie Hall became McKuen’s
highest-charting US album, earning gold status.
THE BLACK EAGLE
(Stanyan, 1978)
Subtitled “a gothic
musical”, this unusual
foray into McKuen’s dark
side is out of print but
worth seeking out. Rod
spins a tale of witches,
scary clowns and
persecuted peasants with sadomasochistic
undertones on this double set. A strange ride
beyond The Warm Zone.

Writer Nora Ephron took a high-profile
swipe at McKuen in Esquire. She
considered his work “pure escapism” that
reassured the aesthetically stunted that
“the world has not changed, the old
values prevail…” In fact, Rod was far
from traditional in his presentation of
sexual morality. Casual hookups and
overnight affairs rather than marital bliss
were the norm in his lyrics and poems. As
an occasional sex worker and early
advocate of gay rights, McKuen was
hardly a spokesman for old-fashioned
monogamy. Over time, he acknowledged
his sexually fluid identity, though he
never chose to label himself gay or
straight. Rod flirted with homoerotic
themes in his writings and featured the
arm of a gay porn star digging into a can
of Crisco on the cover of his notorious
’77 LP Slide… Easy In. His maxim “It isn’t
who you love or how you love, but that
you love” clearly stated his values – and
sounds strikingly contemporary today.
The sales of McKuen’s records and
books declined as the ’70s wore on.
Seeking new outlets, he branched out by
releasing a series of classically slanted
instrumental albums and launched his
own McKuen Casuals clothing line. His
songwriting royalties spiked when Terry
Jacks’ version of ‘Seasons In The Sun’
reached the top of the charts in the US,
the UK and 11 other countries in ’74,
selling over six million copies. Jacks took
Rod’s translation of Jacques Brel’s lyrics
and sweetened it further, creating an
enduring ear-worm that still induces
cringes in the musically sensitive. (Among
the song’s admirers was Kurt Cobain,
whose version of ‘Seasons In The Sun’
with Nirvana can be found on the 2004
box set With The Lights Out.)
McKuen regained the spotlight with his
’76 memoir Finding My Father and his
campaign to support laws protecting gay
rights in Miami a year later. The ’80s
found him cutting back on his workload
while battling clinical depression. It took
the advent of the internet to bring him
out of the shadows and reconnect with his
fans online. Rod resumed touring and
oversaw the 2007 release of If You Go
Away: The RCA Years 1965-1968, a sevendisc
retrospective from Bear Family.
Younger admirers like Ween’s Aaron
Freeman (who recorded an entire album
of McKuen tunes in 2012) brought his
music to a new generation.
As he approached 80, McKuen looked
back on his career with a sense of
wonderment. “Rod was struck by all that
he’d seen and done over the years,”
recalled his friend Robyn Whitney. “He
said to me, ‘I’ve had the most astounding
life. I’ve been everywhere and known
everybody, and it’s just amazing.’ He was
grateful.” After several years of declining
health, McKuen died on 29th January
2015. Obituaries mostly recalled him as a
benign mass-appeal artist with links to the
counterculture of the ’60s and the New
Age movements of the ’70s.
What is the legacy of this elusive figure
who was both a marketing genius and a
stubborn eccentric? Rod McKuen’s work as
a singer and recording artist defies an easy
summation – how do you reconcile the
zany comedy skits and the erotic poetry
excursions with the sentimental ballads and
the expansive, sometimes jarring
instrumental works? McKuen didn’t seem
to care by what means he reached people –
the message wasn’t in the records so much
as embodied in the man who made them.
Rod’s goal was to pluck heartstrings (and
maybe induce a few laughs) by any means
necessary. By turns comforting, surprising,
soul-bearing and calculating, McKuen was
a shapeshifter who ultimately remained a
mystery even to himself. The vast and
wildly eclectic depths of his catalog deserve
a wider discovery.
A Voice Of The Warm: The Life
Of Rod McKuen by Barry Alfonso is
published by Backbeat.
Beatsville is out now on Modern
Harmonic
55

Nancy regrets asking for a
present. Supersister in 1970.
L-R: Marco Vrolijk, Sacha van
Geest, Ron van Eck, Robert
Jan Stips

More closely aligned with The
Canterbury Sound than their
native prog scene, Dutch
underground darlings
SUPERSISTER blazed a uniquely
thrilling trail across five albums
in the early ’70s.
MARCO ROSSI talks to Robert
Jan Stips – keyboardist, vocalist
and chief composer – about
provocation, anti-war
demonstrations and
deliberately dropping award
statuettes

58
When the first issue of Provo magazine hit the streets of Amsterdam in July 1965, it
became a galvanic touchstone for various subsets of eagerly seditious Netherlands
youth. Provocateurs, revolutionaries, anarchists and idealists alike began rallying in
support of Holland’s burgeoning, socially-conscious counter-culture; and as the ’60s
hardened into the ’70s, Supersister were the go-to band for providing demonstrations,
benefits and free festivals with a suitably stirring soundtrack.
An unusually gifted collective based in
The Hague, Supersister were fearless,
restless and heady players – aptly, for
those insurrectionary times – but also
harboured a telling streak of radiant
mirthfulness. Their playful, cartwheeling
melodies and lightness of touch reflected a
collective spirit that naturally gravitated
towards skewed humour and a delight in
wrong-footing the unenlightened and
unwary. For all their counter-culture cool,
Supersister were sweethearts; bringers of
light, an exhilarating antidote to the
suffocating strictures of straight society.
Robert Jan Stips, Supersister
keyboardist, vocalist, chief composer and
latter-day flame-keeper, has just turned
70. A friendly, sparkling and engaging
raconteur, he laughs frequently as he
recounts Supersister’s long, strange trip,
which began in the grounds of Grotius
College in Delft in 1963/4. Therein,
drummer Marco Vrolijk had already cofounded
a typically daydreaming school
band, The Blubs, with
guitarist/clarinettist Gerhard Smit and
tea-chest bass player Arnold Slagter. Stips,
whose precocious musical talent had
developed from infancy thanks to the
classical grounding he received literally at
his father’s heel while sitting beneath the
grand piano in his house, started at the
school as a cultural contest-winning
new pupil and rapidly came to
Vrolijk’s attention.
Impressed, Vrolijk asked Stips to join
The Blubs. Rehearsals took place in the
attic of Vrolijk’s family home; but
when gigs started rolling in, the young
band routinely neglected to check
whether or not there would be a piano
on the premises. “How naïve can you
be?” Stips chuckles. “We forgot to
mention that a piano could be handy!
So we had a choice, like, shall we cancel
the gigs or… shall I just take a
tambourine and a mouth organ? Let’s
do it! We were playing songs by The
Animals, a lot of Stones songs, but also,
if there was a piano [laughs], we did
Dave Brubeck; ‘Take Five’ and
‘Unsquare Dance’, so very soon we
were into strange time signatures, 5/4
and that kind of thing.”
By the tail-end of ’65, they had
scented the change in the air and were
duly intoxicated. Out went The Blubs
and in came their modish new band
moniker – Provocation. “Provo was
coming up, so that was the right name in
the spirit of the era,” Stips reflects. They
momentarily considered calling
themselves Q-Provocation. “We added the
‘Q’ because there was a Dutch band called
Q65, and I found the ‘Q’ very intriguing.
‘What the hell is Q? Let’s use that as
well.’”
Reverting to Provocation, the band
underwent inevitable line-up reshuffles.
Second guitarist Theo Nijenhuis entered
the frame, but was gone again by the
middle of ’67. More significantly, bassist
Arnold Slagter was superseded by Ron
van Eck, while Nijenhuis’ replacement
was flautist Sacha van Geest. When the
dust eventually settled, these two new
conscripts, alongside Stips and drummer
Marco Vrolijk, would comprise the fourman
line-up that became the Supersister
all sentient beings should know and love:
but in the meantime, another new arrival
bowled along whose influence would
directly inform the stylistic trajectory of
the evolving unit.
“I met Rob Douw at summer camp,”
Stips remembers. “We started to speak
about music, and he had completely
different ideas to anyone I’d ever come
“Sacrale manifestatie” with silver
paper. Provocation in 1967: Theo
Nijenhuis (guitar), Ron van Eck (bass),
Marco Vrolijk (drums); Supersister, 19th
July 1969: L-R: Rob Douw, Robert Jan
Stips, Gerhard Smid (seated), Ron van
Eck, Marco Vrolijk, Sacha van Geest
across. So I introduced him to the band,
and he said something like, ‘It’s okay, all
those covers you do, but why don’t you
dig a bit deeper into yourselves and find
out what you can do by using your own
imagination? If I say, for example, play
some underwater-ground music, what
will you do?’ So we started playing
underwater-ground music, and things like
that, and that was a complete change he
made in us.”
Credited with “trumpet, vocals and
toys”, Rob Douw encouraged Provocation
to think outside the box in the fecund
ambience of ’67. “For me, that was allenveloping,”
Stips fondly observes. “The
whole atmosphere in The Hague,
especially in summertime, when the
windows were open, when you walked
through the streets you’d first hear a
guitar on your left, then a drummer on
the right, and then a whole band at the
end of the street. The psychedelic thing
went fast, inspired by American
underground groups like The Fugs,
Vanilla Fudge… and of course Zappa. He
was a very clear point in my life.”
Inspired by their informal appearance at
the Flight To Lowlands Paradise festival in
Utrecht in November ’67 – “We didn’t
play onstage, but somewhere on the
floor” – Douw felt compelled to
arrange a similar happening in The
Hague, but the city authorities nipped
that idea in the bud. Nevertheless, the
notion wasn’t entirely wasted, as
Douw’s name for the projected festival
– (Sweet Okay) Supersister – was
seized upon by Stips as an ideal
appellation for the band.
By now well down an immersive
path of open-ended, collective
creativity in which every concert
became a multimedia underground
event, the newly re-christened
Supersister were a riveting live
spectacle, often accompanied by
“actors, dancers, body painters, action
painters and poets,” as Stips told Ugly
Things editor Mike Stax. “They for
instance climbed onto big ladders with
very long dresses to the ground and
performed their poetry while
throwing bananas or smoke bombs.
We also had so-called ‘sacred
manifestations’, all kinds of wild
things.”
Supersister eventually succeeded in
“The whole atmosphere in The Hague, especially in summertime,
when the windows were open, when you walked through the
streets you’d first hear a guitar on your left, then a drummer on the
right, and then a whole band at the end of the street”

Sisters are doing it for themselves.
Marco Vrolijk, Sacha van Geest,
Ron van Eck and Robert Jan Stips
in 1972; ‘She Was Naked’ 45; the
first two albums; posters
setting up their
own
underground
club in The
Hague, by
which time the four core musicians had
parted ways with Rob Douw and Gerhard
Smit and were building an increasingly
dedicated following; so the logical next
step was to cut a record. A September ’69
tape of a live rehearsal featuring early
compositions such as ‘Woods Of
Frustrated Men’ and ‘Seven Ways To Die’
reportedly found its way to a Netherlands
representative of Elektra; but a more
propitious development occurred when
Group 1850 keyboardist Peter Sjardin
ventured down to one of Supersister’s
Sunday-night club appearances with
manager Hugo Gordijn and producer
Hans van Oosterhout in tow.
“Group 1850 had a hit in Holland
called ‘Mother No-Head’,” Stips
comments – there’s an oblique reference
to it in the Supersister non-album B-side
‘The Groupies Of The Band’ – “and
because of that they had an entrance into
the music business, so Hugo founded a
label called Blossom and invited us to
record a single for it. One of our pieces
was a slow one, a bit Lovin’ Spoonful-like,
and they wanted us to record that for the
single. We were not quite happy with
that: we said, okay, it’s a nice piece, but
we want to show more of ourselves,
something… faster. So, as good Dutch
politicians, we came to a solution, which
was to use the slow part at the beginning
and switch over to the fast part; and that’s
how ‘She Was Naked’ was born.”
An elegant, jazzy and swaying
confection which abruptly breaks into a
sprint cued by Ron van Eck’s urgent fuzz
bass, ‘She Was Naked’ made for a cool,
knowing and compellingly dissident debut
single, lent sonic heft with its guttural
Gregorian chants of “dona nobis pacem” –
grant us peace. Its B-side, meanwhile,
‘Spiral Staircase’, was a waltz-time prowl
with a mordant, hallucinatory voiceover
wherein Sacha van Geest takes several
cups of tea with “the schizophrenic spiral
staircase gnome”.
Somehow, these wilfully idiosyncratic
blasts from the underground surprisingly
climbed to #11 in the Dutch singles
charts. When asked if Supersister filmed
any TV appearances in support of ‘She
Was Naked’, Stips is philosophical. “Yes,
we did; but none of that has been kept.
They always used the same reason, that
the tapes were so expensive! There are
almost no moving pictures of Supersister.
Stupidly enough, we never thought that it
could be important. We were already so
glad that we could just record our music.”
The success of ‘She Was Naked’ did
however result in Supersister landing a
recording contract with Polydor. Urged
to produce a follow-up hit, the band did
what they did so well whenever big
business intruded, which was to take the
piss. ‘Fancy Nancy’ was a charmingly
sleazy ’50s pastiche that bewildered as
many people as it seduced. If Mud had
released it in ’74, it would have topped
the charts, no problem. “‘Fancy Nancy’
was typical for the band that we were, the
mentality!” Stips laughs. “Everyone was
very curious as to what this serious
underground
group would
release as a
second single, and we decided to make an
Elvis-style joke out of it! I wouldn’t dare
to do it nowadays, but we were so far
outside the real music business that we
didn’t want to take it seriously until we
recorded the LPs. That was what we were
really into, of course.”
With producer Hans van Oosterhout
fighting their corner, Supersister got
down to the recording of autumn ’70’s
Present From Nancy over the space of four
intensive nights in Phonogram Studios,
Hilversum. “We would start at midnight
and go through until six in the morning,”
Stips points out. “It was the studio’s rest
time, so we were breathing the sweat of
the real artists who were there in the
daytime!”
A staggering piece of work, Present
From Nancy beggars belief in its sheer
conviction and strong sense of self, in the
fuzz-flecked boldness and accomplishment
of its compositions and musicianship; not
least because the band members had all
just turned 20. Only a quirk of geography
prevents it from being bracketed as a
stone-cold Canterbury classic. Stips
acknowledges the influence of Soft
Machine on compositions such as the
two-part title track, but only up to a
point.
“The first time I heard their music was
at a party in The Hague. I was standing
still, listening, and I heard within about
10 minutes the sort of keys you could use
to make music like that, with the strange
bar lengths and the organ with the fuzz,
59

Phonogram Studio, 1971. Producer Hans van
Oosterhout and Sacha van Geest (standing),
engineer Pieter Nieboer, Robert Jan Stips, Ron
van Eck and Marco Vrolijk (seated); van Eck
(right); Stips (below); the next three albums
which I already had, but not used that
way. And then the vocal being like a fifth
instrument… I loved it right away, but I
found it too dangerous to take it home. I
only bought my first Soft Machine record
about five years ago!” Another of Stips’
primary sources, The Mothers Of
Invention, are saluted on the deadpan
‘Corporation Combo Boys’, with slashing
offbeat chords by guesting former
guitarist Gerhard Smit, while ‘Memories
Are New’ and ‘Metamorphosis’ are
rampantly inventive, tumbling and
exploratory suites.
The pithy music on Present From Nancy
was matched with an equally memorable
cover, as Stips explains. “There was a
forest in Holland which the Dutch Army
burned down by mistake. So we said, that
would make nice décor! We had the black
trees, and we were also dressed in black,
and made our faces a bit white, and we
thanked the Dutch Army on the sleeve for
burning down this place for us. The
statement we were making was also about
the humour in it, but there was always a
message in the things we did.”
Present From Nancy consequently made a
real impression on listeners, consolidating
their underground status as freak-flag
standard-bearers for anti-establishment
causes. “We were one of the most invited
groups for anti-Vietnam War
demonstrations,” Stips confirms, “but
after a while we started to think it was
becoming a bit suspicious. Like, there
were more and more anti-Vietnam
festivals, at which we were expected to
play for free! We said, when we get
invited to the next one we will
specifically play ‘war’ music, with the
sounds of bombers. No ‘fun’ music. And
then, suddenly, the invitations became
fewer!”
Supersister’s obvious brilliance also
couldn’t help but win them wider
respectability, as evidenced by a
commission from the German TV channel
NDR in October ’71 to perform new
pieces accompanied by the Tanz und
Unterhaltungsorchester. (Music from this
concert can be found on the Long Live
Supersister! double LP, released on
Pseudonym in 2013.) The same year saw
the recording and release of their second
album, To The Highest Bidder. Its extended
set-pieces ‘A Girl Named You’ and
‘Energy (Out Of Future)’ contain some of
Supersister’s sunniest and most airborne
musical motifs, albeit married to notably
downbeat lyrics. “You think you’re living,
but life’s living you,” Stips gently remarks
in ‘A Girl Named You’, while ‘Energy
(Out Of Future)’ observes: “You’ve
broken with the past… your clothes won’t
suit you, and lonely nights never seem to
pass.” Elsewhere, the uncharacteristically
brooding ‘No Tree Will Grow (On Too
High A Mountain)’ warns against the
perils of unscrupulous social climbing,
over a monastical drone in E which
concludes with Zappa-esque peals of
paranoia-inducing laughter.
One of the album’s most high-profile
fans was John Peel, who arranged to have
it released in the UK (with ‘She Was
Naked’ appended to the track listing) on
his own Dandelion label. “I was very
touched when I heard, after he died, that
‘She Was Naked’ was in his box of
favourite singles,” Stips reflects. “I really
regret never meeting him. It would have
been so nice.” Peel’s benign intervention
gave Supersister a welcome profile in
Britain, which resulted in the band
undertaking two well-received UK tours
in October ’72 and March ’73.
Supersister’s soundman, Aad Link, has
good reason to recall the band’s
appearance at The Cavern in Liverpool on
22nd March ’73. “A somewhat tipsy man
poured a whole pint of beer over my
mixing desk, with the wise words, ‘The
Beatles could do it without this.’” Link
stoically dried off the potentiometers, and
the performance continued.
Before all this, the band’s third album,
Pudding En Gisteren, had hit the shops in
June ’72. “With many groups, the third
album is the hour of truth,” Stips
comments. “We really had to work to get
this album together, but happily we were
invited by The Nederlands Danstheater to
write music for a ballet choreographed by
the dancer Frans Vervenne. He had the
whole choreography in his head, from
minute to minute, so that gave us a good
reason for making music that we
otherwise would never have made. We
really liked the result, so we put it on the
record: and the whole combination, with
the other songs we wrote, resulted in, I
think, a very interesting album.”
He’s right. Pudding En Gisteren, named
after two boys in a popular Dutch joke, is
a witty, nimble and melodically vivid
prog peach. It’s tempting to think of it as
the high watermark in the Supersister
canon; but in all honesty, you could say
that about each one of their albums. With
the title track’s sprightly ballet music
occupying the whole of Side Two, Side
One is given over to some of the band’s
best-loved material. The sweetly-sung
‘Psychopath’ acknowledges the slender
60

“There were more and more anti-Vietnam festivals, at which we
were expected to play for free! We said, when we get invited to
the next one we will specifically play ‘war’ music, with the sounds
of bombers. And then, suddenly, the invitations became fewer!”
tipping point between sanity and madness
– “You better not fly too high in your
selfish mood, as you know you have been
born without a parachute” – while the
subversive smoothness of ‘Radio’ even
provided the band with another hit single
despite an emblematic Supersister lurch
into strident unease: “Right from the
start, she disliked the music… in fact, it
frightened her”. Moreover, ‘Judy Goes On
Holiday’ culminates in a deliberately
wayward doo-wop parody with ascending
key changes that eventually become
unsustainable.
Cheeringly, Pudding En Gisteren won the
“best new album” category in the Edison
awards, the Netherlands equivalent of The
Grammys; and this gave Supersister an
opportunity to express their counterculture
discomfiture. Stips breaks into
mock-sinister laughter. “Yeah! ‘Heh-hehheh.’
The guy at the centre of the Dutch
music business, Willem Duys, had a good
heart for music, but the business side sort
of overwhelmed it. He ended up having
his own record company and his own very
important spot on Dutch television. He
was presenting the Edison evening and
played a big part in it, so you could feel
that it was not always so honest, what was
happening.
“So I felt an obligation to myself to do
something against the normal thank-you,
thank-you, thank-you. I planned to drop
the award statuette on his feet! That didn’t
really work out: I did drop it, but he moved
away. It was a typical Supersister action:
such a moment, we were always against.”
The band also acted up magnificently at
the Popgala ’73 concert for Edison award
winners, where they registered their
disgust at not being allowed a soundcheck
by opting to play the berserk doo-wop
coda of ‘Judy…’ instead of the anticipated
rendition of ‘Radio’. But despite this
seeming esprit de corps, a schism was
emerging that would lead to Marco
Vrolijk and Sacha van Geest leaving the
picture. “It was the time of Billy
Cobham, John McLaughlin, all those
2019 model Supersister
with Stips (front)
thousand-notes-a-minute musicians,”
Stips remembers, “and jazz-rock took
over. Ron and I wanted to explore those
routes and see what happened. Marco and
Sacha didn’t seem to fit in there: Marco
was having a hard time with the new
things we were doing, and Sacha was a
very personal player, very much an
autodidact: he wasn’t the world’s best
flute player, but his role in Supersister was
really good. Replacing him with another
flute player would never work.”
This upheaval resulted in jazz
saxophonist Charlie Mariano and drummer
Herman van Boeyen joining the band in
summer ’73, just in time to routine the
material which Supersister would record in
October of that year at The Manor in
Oxfordshire for fourth album Iskander. A
concept work about Alexander The Great,
recorded with Giorgio Gomelsky
occupying the producer’s chair, Iskander
boasts some Herculean playing and, for
prog purists, is probably the most
satisfyingly sober work in the band’s
catalogue. However, Stips was starting to
harbour some profound doubts.
“I discovered quite quickly that the
whole idea of only going for good
musicians and serious jazz-rock was not
something I enjoyed very much, so I
really became unhappy while recording
Iskander. It became clear how nice it had
been to play music with a club of friends,
and also Hans van Oosterhout was a
friend. As a producer, he was not so
musically educated, but he had guts! As
soon as a joke was shared in the studio, he
was the one who would say, ‘That should
be on the album, because this is what
you’re really like,’ and that’s how the
Supersister picture became clear on our
records. While you’re doing that, you’re
never aware that those things are so
important. I came to that conclusion
when it was too late.”
The band soldiered on for a spell as
players came and went, encompassing an
interlude during which Soft Machine
saxophonist Elton Dean was drafted into
the line-up; but the heart had gone out of
it. Stips accepted an offer to join Golden
Earring in ’74, and that appeared to be
that. However, there was to be a curiously
satisfying postscript when the Gong-grade
craziness of the delightful Spiral Staircase
album, credited to Sweet Okay
Supersister, emerged in late ’74.
“Sacha came up to me,” Stips recalls,
“and said, ‘Hey, I’ve got all these lyrics
and strange stories: why don’t you read
them, and if you like we could maybe
make some music with them?’ He was
always very modest. I liked him very
much as a person, and felt sort of guilty
for making the Iskander move with
Supersister; it wasn’t a very friendly
move. So I wrote most of the music, and
Hans van Oosterhout got involved, and
Ron got involved, and we invited more
musicians, to make a real Sacha album. I
had to leave to tour the States with the
Earring, so Hans and Sacha finished it.
And when I got the tapes of the mixed
music, I laughed my head off! It was so
full of fantasy, and so funny, and so
typical Sacha. I’m glad it exists, it really
adds to the whole Supersister thing.”
A resoundingly successful band reunion
in 2000 was, sadly, prematurely derailed
by the death of Sacha van Geest in 2001,
while Ron van Eck unfortunately
succumbed to cancer 10 years later. Stips
and Vrolijk, however, were recently
involved in a remarkable undertaking;
Supersister Projekt 2019. “Last year,
Dutch television made a documentary
about me after 50 years of music,” Stips
explains, “and we were wondering, how
can we make it interesting? So I made a
plan: after playing with so many different
bands, would it still be possible for me to
write Supersister music; not exactly as it
used to be, but with the same mindset?
That’s what I suggested I should do.”
You can hear the (excellent) results on
the Retsis Repus album, while footage of
the 2019 performances reveals top-end
musicians having an absolute ball,
interspersing Stips’ thought-provoking
new material with lusty renderings of
Supersister classics… and everyone is clad
all in black, in a subtle nod to the Present
From Nancy sleeve photo. Hearing those
motifs highlighted with violins and
trombones simply underscores how robust
and potent Stips’ melodies always were,
and remain. To paraphrase the title of
Supersister’s habitual, defiantly antiintellectual
set-closer… Wow.
With very grateful thanks to Robert Jan Stips,
Fred Baggen, Aad Link, Mike Stax and Mark
Powell
All five Supersister albums are
out now on Music On Vinyl
61

Viewed at first as British Invasion
imitators, THE BEAU BRUMMELS
scored two smash singles in early
1965 that would later ostracise them
from the burgeoning San Francisco
scene, leaving the band to follow their
own path. But behind the Prince
Valiant haircuts and folk-rock
formatting, the group were innovators
from the off, pre-empting nascent
themes of baroque-pop, Americana
and country-rock.
ALEC PALAO considers the
Brummels’ growth as they slipped out
of the public eye, only to embark on a
fascinating period of experimentation
Revisionism is a strange beast. When
applied to rock ’n’ roll’s six or so
decades, the theorem tends to favour
the underappreciated or
commercially invisible. Even a modicum of success
can add years to the realisation and eventual
appreciation of an artist’s true qualities. The lauding
of the relatively obscure Velvets or Big Star, for
example, commenced not too long after those groups’
passing. Whereas a blatantly marketed enterprise such
as The Monkees had to take decades to win the
approval of the cognoscenti. Even today, there are
those who sniff at the pre-Fab Four’s noble efforts.

The core Brummels line-up in
Griffith Park, LA, summer 1965.
L-R Ron Meagher, Ron Elliott, John
Petersen, Sal Valentino

64
The Beau Brummels might fall
somewhere in between. They enjoyed
major hits with their first two singles, and
made a strong impression on the post-
Beatles teenaged audience in the United
States, with light pockets of interest
elsewhere. When the chart positions
waned, the act decamped to the studio to
create a pair of bewitching and enchanting
albums, both adroitly unique in its own
way, and both the result of admirable
sponsorship by a record company that
seemed incapable of actually selling these
very same masterworks. As the
identification of the late ’60s pop
pantheon expands, both Triangle and
Bradley’s Barn have grown more attractive,
and most pundits who encounter them
agree that, based upon these exceptional
discs at least, The Beau Brummels were a
major force.
That’s not to suggest of course that
their early hit-making period is of any
lesser quality. Far from it. Right out of
the gate, the original Brummels quintet
displayed an invention and distinction that
is quite remarkable in retrospect, in
comparison to their American peers.
Instead, the handicap that the Brummels
have invariably been saddled with, in the
eyes of a future taste-making rock literati
at least, is simply that they followed the
path of a successful Top 40 act in that era:
hit records, screaming fans, endless
touring and TV work, and a populist,
slightly disingenuous image. In the
Brummels’ case, they were initially
marketed by Autumn Records as an
implied British knock-off, with the faint
whiff of novelty that conceit conveyed.
Additionally, as hip as they were, because
the Brummels didn’t participate in the
early Avalon/Fillmore scene or drop acid
with the right scenesters, the group was
disavowed membership within the selfappointed
San Francisco rock elite.
Unlike many within that elite, however,
the members of The Beau Brummels were
nearly all San Francisco Bay Area natives.
Guitarist Ron Elliott and vocalist Sal
Valentino had been making music
together in the city’s North
Beach neighbourhood since the
late ’50s. The good-looking
singer had dabbled with a solo
career at one point (resulting in
topically terpischorean 1962
single ‘I Wanna Twist’) but it
wasn’t until Valentino
reconnected with Elliott,
lanky drummer John
Petersen, and second
guitarist Dec Mulligan that
the formative Brummels
coalesced. Their ad-hoc
showband played casuals in
the San Francisco avenues
under the unlikely banner
of the Irish Californians, as
a nod to the imported
Mulligan. By the late spring
of ’64 the group had begun
rehearsals in Elliott’s 19th
Avenue den, adding Beatles songs to the
repertoire along with a few tentative jabs
at Ron’s originals. Now officially The
Beau Brummels, the bass player problem
was solved with the addition of Ron
Meagher, long-haired and rock-savvy,
having graduated from surf and
instrumental groups across the Bay in
Oakland.
Local hustler Rich Romanello spotted
the band playing to the tables and chairs
in a North Beach club, saw the potential,
and booked them at his happening SF
Peninsula niterie The Morocco Room,
where they quickly became a sensation.
Romanello was soon usurped by
omnipotent deejay Tom ‘Big Daddy’
Donahue, who took over their
management, signed the band to his local
indie Autumn Records, and installed a
nervy 21-year old named Sly Stewart to
produce them. The result was ‘Laugh,
Laugh’, quirky yet catchy, and a national
smash in January ’65. Its dramatic sequel
‘Just A Little’ proved an even bigger hit,
entering the Top 10 in April. Both records
made The Beau Brummels household
names and resonated strongly within the
contemporary American pop scene.
Sly lost interest in producing the
Brummels after their appealing
debut album Introducing, so the
band themselves and engineer John
Haeny completed the ensuing
Volume Two, one of the earliest –
and best – fully self-composed
long-players of that era. It
featured the singles ‘You
Tell Me Why’ and
‘Don’t Talk To
Strangers’, both only
moderately successful
chart-wise, but as
distinctive and
consistent as their
predecessors. With Dec
having quit in a fit of
pique that May,
and Ron
Early Brummels promo shot, late 1964.
Clockwise from bottom left: Ron Elliott,
Dec Mulligan, John Petersen, Sal
Valentino, Ron Meagher; key early
singles; first two albums; sheet music
Elliott’s diabetes proving a strain to his
participation on the road, the touring
quartet was forced to reorganise, with the
youthful Don Irving, late of The
Opposite Six, now featured on guitar.
Elliott himself moved into a Brian
Wilson-like role with the Brummels, as he
continued to compose feverishly, with
longtime friend Bob Durand often
supplying lyrics. “Music wrote me,” Ron
was to later say. “It was in my head all the
time – I was obsessed.”
Despite the excellence of the group’s
original output, Tom Donahue and his
partner Bob Mitchell felt that something
else was needed, and so the Brummels’
Autumn swansong became an off-kilter
treatment of The Lovin’ Spoonful’s ‘Good
Time Music.’ This ill-conceived flop
would more or less coincide with the
demise of Autumn in early ’66, but
Donahue had made sure to pass the
group’s contract on to Warner Brothers
before his imprint went bankrupt. It’s a
well-thumbed conceit amongst fans that it
was the
Brummels’

Brummelmania begins: Sacramento
Memorial Auditorium, January 1965
new label that forced them to
record outside material, but
the evidence indicates that the
group had been considering
covers for a while, and in fact
their debut single for
Warners, Dylan’s ‘One Too
Many Mornings’, as well as
several tracks from their next
LP, were cut while Autumn
was still extant. But the real reason as to
why Warners insisted their third album
Beau Brummels ‘66 be bizarrely filled with
versions of recent hits by others, as wellappointed
as they may be, was because the
canny Donahue had sold the company the
act but not the publishing rights to Ron
Elliott’s songs.
One more single would emerge in ’66,
with Sal’s charming travelogue ‘Here We
Are Again’ its anointed topside. Indeed,
the Brummels had remained popular as a
live act, but they were to be swiftly rent
asunder by the draft that autumn,
necessitating the departure of Ron
Meagher and Don Irving. Sal and John
Petersen considered hiring others in order
to continue touring, but ultimately
Valentino decided to join Ron Elliott in
LA, the guitarist having already moved
south in order to proffer his considerable
talents as a session player.
This was when The Beau Brummels
became strictly a recording act and, as
mentioned earlier, they entered a purple
period that would lead to many striking
“Lenny Waronker really
thought that Sal and Ron were
beyond brilliant. And at that
point Lenny, as the head of
A&R, was a genius in the future
stuff”
Carl Scott, Brummels road manager
moments in the studio. Their new mentor
was now Lenny Waronker, wunderkind
of Warners Brothers’ late ’60s renaissance,
who was just getting into his stride as a
producer. The Brummels work of ’67 and
’68 was to provide not only a crucial
proving ground for his future
achievements with the likes of Randy
Newman, Arlo Guthrie and Ry Cooder,
but also a significant achievement in itself.
Petersen and Meagher took part in the
very earliest sessions, before the latter
headed draftward and the former took the
drum seat in Harpers Bizarre. From then
on, it was just Sal and Ron, with
Waronker behind the board, and the
cream of the LA session milieu out in the
studio to bring their evocative
compositions to life.
Waronker’s belief in Sal and Ron was
absolute. As Carl Scott, Brummels road
manager from the very earliest Autumn
days, commented, “Lenny really thought
that Sal and Ron were beyond brilliant.
And at that point Lenny, as the head of
A&R, was a genius in the future stuff.”
The first fruit of their labours
was the majestic, but fatally
doomed, single ‘Two Days Til
Tomorrow’ swiftly followed
by the baroque splendour of
the Triangle album. Despite
good notices, this delicate
masterwork failed to connect
with the record buying
public. Nevertheless, Elliott
and Valentino undertook an inordinate
amount of sessions in ’67 and ’68, with
often spectacular results, even if only a
couple of tunes emerged on predictably
unsuccessful singles like ‘Lift Me’ and
‘Lower Level’.
It seemed a change of venue was in
order, and so Waronker made the
prescient decision to record the next
album in Nashville. The seasoned session
cats there took to the material with gusto,
and were equally impressed by the
technical ability of Elliott and the
effortlessness of Sal, whose spontaneous
“scratch” vocals frequently became the
master take. The result was Bradley’s Barn,
a veritable folk-country symphony,
couched in a soundscape that the producer
had envisioned as a “guitar orchestra”.
The record was more or less completed by
the end of February ’68, but it took
almost six months to reach the shops, by
which time The Byrds, The Band et al
were already resolutely in the “roots”
vanguard. The delay might have given the
impression that The Beau Brummels were
65

following the trend, but to be frank, the
sheer sophistication of Bradley’s proved
somewhat beyond its intended audience.
Either way, it didn’t sell.
Elliott had been developing his career as
a hired gun, and thus was less concerned,
but Sal felt only frustration at the inability
of Warner Brothers to sell the Brummels’
music. “It seemed that we were beating it
to death,” he recalls. “I remember going
into Lenny and saying, Let’s stop doing
this.” He thus began to actively record as
a solo, albeit using the same pool of
players, including Elliott; in fact, the lines
are somewhat blurred as to when
The Beau Brummels technically
expired as a record act. As he would
for the rest of his recording career,
Valentino looked to personal
inclinations for material, including
Dylan and country greats like
Johnny Cash and Jimmy C Newman.
Of the two singles he released in this
period, ‘Friends And Lovers’ is
notable for its haunting melancholy.
But shortly thereafter, the
singer was dragooned into
another Tom Donahue
enterprise, the sprawling Bay
Area supergroup
Stoneground, where he
would remain for the next
three years. Elliott too had
made time to step out on his
own, crafting the dour songsuite
The Candlestickmaker, a
’70 curio that utilised ideas
that harked back almost to
the beginning of the
Brummels.
“That The [Beau
Brummels] have turned out, in
the light of history, to be
better than they seemed at the
time, shows how advanced
they were and how the taste
buds have altered.” Thus
spake Ralph J Gleason, grand
old man of the San Francisco
scene and co-founder of
Rolling Stone magazine, in the
liners to a ’68 retrospective of
Autumn sides. The Brummels would
continue to be damned with such faint
praise in the coming years, yet affection
for the band remained potent amongst the
generation that had given them those
early hits. It would lead to the brief
reunion of Elliott, Valentino, Mulligan
and Petersen in ’75 for a one-off album,
instigated by Petersen’s brother-in-law
and one-time Harpers band-mate Ted
Templeman, who was now a honcho at
Warners. The eponymous Beau Brummels
should have featured Meagher, who left
early on in the process, but it remains an
enjoyable record that bears repeated
listens, which more than one can say
about the lamentable ’73 effort by the
original Byrds, for example. The album
also includes one of Elliott’s finest
compositions in ‘Tennessee Walker’,
which comes as close in calibre to the
standards of The Great American
Songbook that he admired in his youth as
Ron has ever gotten.
Since then, The Beau Brummels have
existed principally as a live act,
either in West Coast clubs or upon
the nostalgia circuit, in line-ups usually
helmed by Valentino or Mulligan. A small
amount of new but essentially vanity
recordings have emerged under the band’s
name, although Sal has a full complement
of enjoyable solo albums to his credit over
the past two decades. More importantly,
“That The Beau Brummels
have turned out, in the light of
history, to be better than they
seemed at the time, shows how
advanced they were and how
the taste buds have altered”
Ralph J Gleason
the original Beau
Brummels catalogue has
been fully restored in the
digital era, with copious
archival packages
commencing with Rhino’s
From The Vaults in ’82. Virtually every
performance of significance from both the
Autumn and Warner Brothers eras has
now been disinterred, and as a sort of last
word, later this year will see an exhaustive
and all-encompassing multi-disc box set.
This writer is happy to have had a hand
enabling this bounty of musical riches,
but personal taste and, it must be
mentioned, long-time friendship with the
participants, aside, there are several signal
reasons why The Beau Brummels should
be considered one of the finest aggregates
of their age.
Certainly, the quality of the material is
Elliott and Meagher recording Triangle
in early 1967 with Lenny Waronker
(far left); albums #3 and 4
uniformly outstanding. This has much to
do with Ron Elliott’s path into music,
which was not the traditional one. For all
the accolades he would draw as a fretboard
maestro in later years, as a youth Ron was
drawn most to show tunes, and indeed by
his early teens had already written a full
musical, populated with such intriguing
titles as ‘You Can’t Be Too Careful (’Bout
A Dame)’. His fascination with the genre
provided an in-built sense of songwriting
form, of the constituents necessary to
raise a song from the mundane to the
inspirational. Generationally programmed
with early rock ’n’ roll, Elliott
applied the techniques he had
learned both from musicals and
studying composition at college to
the songs he wrote for the
Brummels, and it showed. They
were filled with quirky chord
patterns upon which a shapeshifting
melody would dance until
it resolved in firm and undeniable
hooks. Lyrically, he also had a keen
wit that for example, helped
make the withering put-down
that was ‘Laugh, Laugh’ seem
almost innocuous. Bob
Durand’s lyric contributions
frequently lent an epic
grandeur to the proceedings,
especially as their
collaboration developed into
the Triangle era. Sal also got
involved with the
compositional process at that
point, revealing a hitherto
submerged poetic sensibility.
Elliott’s songs also
helped to synthesise the key
elements of Brummel music.
Unlike their contemporaries
in the San Francisco
alternative rock scene, none
of the band had been
folkies, yet there is a very
real sense of folk style in
their approach. A more
powerful force may well
have been country music, a
genre integral to their
collective youth, even in
the urbane surroundings of
San Francisco. If The Beau
Brummels responded
positively to The British
Invasion at the beginning, it was only
because they recognised in the Brits the
same building blocks of their own roots.
They certainly rose to The Beatles
challenge, and only a handful of the bands
very earliest cuts could be called imitative.
Rather, in most Beau Brummels records,
one can clearly hear a glorious blend of
electric and acoustic, country and
Broadway, folk and roll: Americana
supercharged in an organic and original
manner.
It helped that this band could play, too.
The dense, guitar-based arrangements on
most Brummels songs, criss-crossed with
riffery, demanded the dexterity that the
66

Clockwise from top left: Brummels and friend
at Dee Jays in San Francisco’s North Beach,
early 1965; Flintstones guest spot; the
incomparably talented Ron Elliott, late ’65;
Sal Valentino ponders life as a solo, 1970;
out-take from the shoot for Volume Two,
summer ’65; Sal and Ron with Autumn
Records honcho Tom “Big Daddy” Donahue

self-taught, self-effacing Elliott had in
spades. The rhythm section had a definite
impact too. Ron Meagher’s counterpoint
technique pointed the way toward Chris
Hillman and other rock bass players who
would play around the melody rather than
follow the root. And no other drummer
sounded like John Petersen, a rim-shot
happy muppet whose tonal colourings
added much to the sound. Early on, Dec’s
plaintive harmonica was a featured
ingredient in the mix, and a little later
Don Irving ably rose to the challenge of
both playing Elliott’s parts in person and
sharing guitar duties in the studio. When
the Brummels eventually devolved to a
duo, Elliott saw to the arrangements and
instructed the studio personnel with a
thoroughness that prompted Nashville hot
picker Wayne Moss to exclaim, “Well
whaddaya need us for!”
In the studio-only era, the musical
impulses that had been in The Beau
Brummels from the very start came to
fruition and peaked in glorious fashion.
Triangle imbued the folk-country
framework with the delicate filigree of
texture, enhancing the storytelling aspect
of the material with strings, harp,
harpsichord, accordion and percussion.
The baroque influence actually went as far
back as Beau Brummels ’66, which included
several melodic shifts and vocal rounds
that one might associate with “early”
music. By the time of Bradley’s Barn, the
country roots had of course risen firmly
to the surface, but the songs were, in the
main, poised and knowing, and the
arrangements at once both sophisticated
and completely natural. As to the non-LP
They’ll Make You Cry (1964)
Ron Meagher’s trademark adenoidal delivery on this
excellent piece was at one time considered for the
Brummels’ debut. Precise counterpoint rhythms,
tight-mic’ed music box guitar, and a worldy lyrical
perspective: no Merseybeat ever sounded like this.
Gentle Wand’rin’ Ways (1965)
Originally planned as a single, ‘Gentle Wand’rin’
Ways’ is the first overt glimpse of the mystic within
Ron Elliott’s writing. Pure raw-nerved folk-rock, with
a prescient fuzz guitar helping punctuate his
portentous, psychedelic Johnny Cash delivery.
Let Me In (second version) (1966)
First recorded for an aborted third Autumn album,
this minor key gem was revisited later that year in
superior fashion. A textbook example of Sal
Valentino’s expert skills at the microphone.
Galadriel (1966)
Lord Of The Rings was
required reading for the
Brummels when on the
road in 1966 and the
influence rubbed off. No
more so than in their paean to
and originally unissued sides that Sal and
Ron recorded around these albums, all
bore the same hallmarks, and in turn some
actually amplified Elliott’s foundational
influence. Nilsson and Randy Newman
may have been credited with pioneering
“Broadway rock” but the Brummels’ own
nominal take – as heard on songs like
‘Bittersweet’ and ‘I Love You Mama’ –
was very much their own.
There are singers and there are stylists,
and then there are those who can both
communicate a lyric effectively and lend
an unprecedented interpretive quality to
that same lyric. Sal Valentino is one of
these rare individuals, and without his
captivating lead vocal, The Beau
Brummels would have been unlikely to
convey their material in such a convincing
fashion. “Sal’s voice has a uniqueness to
it,” says Ron Meagher. “It could be dark,
it could be subtle, it could be moody.” In
the Autumn era, the group democratically
shared the lead vocal chores amongst its
members. The backing vocal
arrangements were rousing, if occasionally
imprecise, and often notable, such as the
squawking calliope chorale heard on ‘Fine
With Me’. But to be certain, along with
Elliott’s songs, the expressive pipes of Sal
Valentino are the principal identifying
characteristic of The Beau Brummels’
recorded legacy.
All of these aspects make that legacy
one worth championing. For their
innovation alone, The Beau Brummels
reside in the same category as The Byrds
and Lovin’ Spoonful – those pathfinding
mid-60s acts that were the legitimate
response to the gauntlet of the Beatles
MAGIC HOLLOW
ALEC PALAO details 10 under-appreciated Beau Brummels nuggets
Tolkein’s elf princess, an early contender for
Triangle’s playlist.
Two Days Til Tomorrow (1967)
The failure of this exquisite production – all because
of radio’s objection to its rousing chorale of “she’s
coming” – remains a true pop tragedy. “I couldn’t
believe how beautifully it turned out,” asserts coauthor
Bob Durand. “Absolutely Sal’s best vocal
ever, and a stunning arrangement: upbeat,
transcendent.”
Lower Level (1967)
Originally known as ‘Elevators,’ and an excellent
piece inspired by Elliott’s mother’s job in a
department store. “It’s societal,” he explains.
“You’re on the entry level, hey man, come on in, and
you’re going up. And when you get
to the top: Okay, jump!”
and their ilk. In other words, the first
great American bands of their generation.
It also worth noting that the Brummels
were incredibly influential in their
heyday. Any survey of America’s vast
vintage garage band discography will
eventually reveal numerous Brummels
covers, particularly of the relatively
simple yet effective ‘Just A Little’. Like
The Zombies, the group made the minor
key approach attractive to the legions of
amateur, aspirational musicians that heard
them on the radio or caught them on
Shindig! or Hullabaloo (or The Flintstones,
for that matter).
As to that revisionism that we spoke of
earlier: well, if it allows The Beau
Brummels’ later work – not just the
masterpieces that are Triangle and Bradley’s
Barn, but the tremendous recordings that
surround them, to receive the kudos they
did not at the time, then justice is fully
served. Lenny Waronker recalls that
another of his charges, Randy Newman
(who had a song apiece on those later
Brummels albums) used to joke that he,
Waronker, Sal and Ron were the “arts and
crafts division” at Warner Brothers in the
late ’60s. Elliott’s own pithy comment is
that Warners were “tone deaf shoe
salesmen”. But with their support,
unwitting or otherwise, of the Brummels
own craft, one might now actually
consider the industry monolith a true
patron of the arts.
The 8-CD Beau Brummels
anthology Turn Around: The
Complete 1960s Recordings is out on
Cherry Red later this year
The Dreamer
(1968)
Discovered in Ron’s
personal tape stash, this
jewel that got away proves
that a Valentino-Elliott
home demo can be more
powerful than many others
act’s finished master.
Lift Me (1968)
Somewhat of a rocking respite after the intricacies
of Triangle. Dueling guitars and strings, a supple
rhythm section and the coos of The Blossoms in the
background ably support a wonderfully agitated Sal
Valentino vocal.
Black Crow (1968)
Written in the under-represented but artistically ripe
period between Triangle and Bradley’s Barn, this
spooky, spellbinding piece – literally a demo, but
nevertheless a clear-eyed, purposeful performance.
Cherokee Girl (1968)
From Bradley’s Barn and the apotheosis
of The Beau Brummels’ recorded
oeuvre. Inspired by the young Native
American woman on the cover of
Dylan’s John Wesley Harding, this is
as elegant and stirring as late ’60s
Americana ever got.
68

Reissues, anthologies and compilations
Teen Riot Structure
BEN GRAHAM revisits the supposed career nose-dive of a major talent and discovers there’s
still much there to adore
T REX
The Slider
★★★★★
Tanx
★★★★
Zinc Alloy & The Hidden
Riders Of Tomorrow
★★★★
Bolan’s Zip Gun
★★★★
Futuristic Dragon
★★★
Dandy In The Underworld
★★★★
ALL DEMON LPS
Conventional wisdom says that T Rex’s
star shone brightly but briefly. The legend
goes that after Electric Warrior and that
first era-defining run of chart-topping
singles, Marc Bolan burnt out creatively.
It’s a neat, pat fable but, like many legends,
unsupported by facts. T Rex’s commercial
appeal may have tapered off dramatically,
but revisiting their final half dozen LPs,
handsomely reissued by Demon on
180gram clear vinyl, any drop-off in
musical quality is far less evident than
orthodoxy would have you believe.
The Slider of course is unassailable.
From 1972, it belongs to T Rex’s golden
phase, featuring the mega-hit singles
‘Metal Guru’ and ‘Telegram Sam’ – the very
definition of superpop. Bolan connected
intimately with his audience, telling them
that he understood: life is strange, it’s okay
to have confusing sexual urges, to feel sad
and lonely, but it’s more fun to paint your
face, don sparkle and glitter and celebrate
your weird. He opened a portal to a world
of bizarre characters who somehow were
just like you, promising that somewhere
– in Notting Hill, New York City or even
a darkened nightclub in your own town
– there was a place for you as well. You
may be hurt and damaged, but you’re a
beautiful superstar, and you’re not alone.
Nineteen Seventy-Three’s Tanx
arguably lost some of that intimacy, even
as the music became more sophisticated
and the storytelling surreal and oblique.
The cover photo, showing a slightly
overweight Bolan, prejudiced many
unfairly at the time, and the album sounds
sleek, replete and well-upholstered
compared to the raw ramp of before.
Nevertheless it’s still great: from the
penthouse shuffle of ‘Mister Mister’ to the
insistent, slinky groove of ‘The Street And
Babe Shadow’ and epic gospel-rock closer
‘Left Hand Luke & The Beggar Boys’. This
“Knowingly self-referential, the fusion of glam slam, soul
and psychedelic science fiction is jaw-droppingly brilliant
and ridiculous, but the madness becomes exhausting before
the end”
is Bolan in late-night seduction mode,
slathered in strings and oozing saxophone:
more reflective and less immediate, it’s
improved with age.
If The Slider was a damaged child
dreaming its place in the world, then Zinc
Alloy (’74) is its grown-up twin two years
down the line: songs of experience, where
you’ve got to jive to stay alive. Running
with The Liquid Gang, The Avengers
and The Leopards, it’s like West Side
Story on PCP: the characters are more
outlandish and grotesque, the situations
more fractured and manic. Knowingly selfreferential,
the fusion of glam slam, soul
and psychedelic science fiction is jawdroppingly
brilliant and ridiculous, but the
madness becomes exhausting before the
end. Little wonder that Bolan pared things
back for Bolan’s Zip Gun (’75), perhaps his
most under-rated record. Led by the
irresistible pop chant of ‘Light Of Love,’ it’s
an album of straightforward love songs,
inspired by US soul and new paramour
Gloria Jones, whose vocals and clavinet
make an essential contribution. Focussed
where its predecessor was sprawling,
Zip Gun is all monochrome colours, hardfunk
and space-age imagery, while ‘Think
Zinc’ is a proto-new wave dancer that
anticipates Devo.
Released in February ’76, with T Rex
at their commercial nadir, Futuristic
Dragon never really gels. The fantasy
imagery looks back to Bolan’s hippy roots,
there are lyrical nods to the nascent punk
movement (‘Calling All Destroyers’) but the
music leans towards disco, as in stand-out
tracks ‘New York City’ and ‘Ride My
Wheels’. Happily, Bolan got his Mojo back
for ’77’s Dandy In The Underworld, putting
together a new band dominated by Dino
Dines’ synthesiser and ditching the
pastoral whimsy for a tougher, more urban
poetry. The kinky ‘Crimson Moon’ points
the way to Prince; ‘Teen Riot Structure’ is
glam’s last great flourish, passing the
baton to the young punks who’d grown up
on his music.
These six albums came out over the
course of five years, when Bolan was still
under 30, and were accompanied by a
half-dozen non-LP singles that helped
define pop. Taken together, they’re an
awesome achievement by any standards.
70

THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
Trouble No More: 50th
Anniversary Collection
★★★★
ISLAND MERCURY/UMC 5-CD/10-LP BOX SET
Spread across the
space of 10 albums or
five CDs and released
to commemorate the
50th anniversary of the
formation of The Allman
Brothers Band, Trouble No More offers an
unprecedented overview of the band’s 45
year recording and performing career.
Sub-divided into The Capricorn Years
Parts I, II and III (1969-1979), The Arista Years
(1980-1981), The Epic Years (1990-2000)
and finally The Peach Years (2000-2014),
the collection is neatly bookended with
the original demo and live versions of the
Allmans’ signature cover of Muddy Waters’
‘Trouble No More’ – coincidentally the first
and last song the band played. In between
times the collection takes the form of a varied
menu of studio, the occasional out-take and
live recordings (including some previously
unreleased) from venues including Ludlow
Garage, The Fillmore East, A&R Studios, The
Mar Y Sol Festival, Watkins Glen and The
Allmans’ latter-day home from home, New
York’s Beacon Theatre, where they played
their farewell show in October 2014.
Grahame Bent
THE BONZO DOG
DOO-DAH BAND
Radio Bonzo Vol 2
★★★
VOGON CD
Culled from radio
sessions for Top Gear,
Symonds On Sunday
and The Tony Brandon
Show and also
including tracks from a
show performed at The Bellevue Theatre,
Amsterdam, here is a second volume of the
Bonzos’ ’60s radio broadcasts.
The first three tracks on the CD, especially
‘Quiet Talks And Summer Walks’, highlight
the fluidity of the Bonzos’ approach to making
music by leaning towards commercial pop,
albeit suffused by some swirling organ,
meandering funky flute and 12-bar slide guitar.
These recordings also underline what a fine
musician and asset to the group the recently
departed Neil Innes was. However, it doesn’t
take long before the uniquely syrupy, dulcet
tones of Viv Stanshall cut in to furnish the
music hall humour of ‘Mr Slater’s Parrot’ and
provide the crooning doo-wop pastiches of
‘We Were Wrong’ and ‘Trouser Press’. The
sound quality of the theatre performances
doesn’t match that of the radio shows but
when one is being invited to dance the Rhino
or jitterbug to the trouser press that should,
perhaps, fall by the wayside.
Henry Hutton
BRETT MARVIN & THE
THUNDERBOLTS
The Sonet Anthology
★★★
GRAPEFRUIT 6-CD BOX SET
A popular attraction on
the live circuit, Brett
Marvin & The
Thunderbolts sounded
like they should have
been a ’60s R&B outfit
or rock ’n’ roll revivalists but were in effect a
mutant skiffle, country and jugband combo.
Spotted by Sonet Records performing their
repertoire of upbeat Americana and
boogie-woogie, they were an early British
signing to the label.
This compilation gathers together the
complete album output of the band, both
with and without best-known member
Jona Lewie. The music is fine with the band
performing on a mixture of standard and
home-made instruments, notably the Zobstick,
a contraption made from a broomstick covered
in bottle caps, which was thumped on the floor.
‘Sea Side Shuffle’, a hit single recorded
under the pseudonym Terry Dactyl & The
Dinosaurs, led to Lewie leaving the band
in 1975 and a disc of his subsequent solo
excursions is included. Competent without
being defining, the band rocked many a
sweaty venue but, on disc, the squeeze box
boogie and swanee whistle zydeco grate
slightly after a while.
Henry Hutton
BRINSLEY SCHWARZ
Live Archive Vol 3: The
Vera Club, Groningen
★★★
VOGON CD
Following last year’s
initial pair of releases in
this series, featuring
Suffolk’s finest
pub-rockers live in
Tilberg and Sheffield,
we’re off to The Netherlands for a similar 1975
set captured in Groningen.
With their mix of spiky energy and soulful
organ grooving, Brinsley Schwarz were clearly
a fantastic professional live act, although
repeated exhortations to dance coming from
the stage apparently fall on a reluctant crowd
tonight. The band gamely takes on a variety
of covers including Marvin Gaye and Tammi
Terrell’s ‘You Ain’t Livin’ Till You’re Lovin’’ and
Judy Clay and William Bell’s ‘Private Number’.
Elsewhere there’s the silly ‘Down In Mexico’,
the poppy ‘Country Girl’ and, fascinatingly, a
very early rendition of Nick Lowe’s late ’70s
pop monster ‘Cruel To Be Kind’.
Sound quality isn’t exactly pristine. No
matter. These recordings are straight from
the soundboard on the night and come to us
courtesy of guitarist Ian Gomm’s personal
archive.
Christopher Budd
Workshop lynchpin
John Baker at
work in the ’70s
Veils And Mirrors
THE BBC RADIOPHONIC
WORKSHOP
BBC Radiophonic Music
★★★★
Fourth Dimension
★★★★
The Radiophonic Workshop
★★★
Through A Glass Darkly
★★
ALL SILVA SCREEN LPS
That team of electronics boffins,
sequestered away in their own cuttingedge
department with the express
purpose of providing original music – or,
more often than not, sounds – with
which to enliven the corporation’s radio
output have become the standardbearers
for subsequent generations
of curious practitioners is almost as
unbelievable as some of the sounds
the Workshop conjured seemingly
out of thin air, bits of wire, soldering
irons and their own uniquely fevered
imaginations.
This quartet of albums, originally
released on The BBC’s own record
imprint between 1968 and ’78, chart
the changing times – not to mention
technology – between the Workshop’s
formative assignments (mostly idents
for the local radio stations that sprang
up in the ’60s) to more progressive
pieces that tend to dominate once
the DIY experiments that had birthed
seminal TV themes like Doctor Who,
Quatermass And The Pit and War Of
The Worlds ceded to a reliance on the
newly-emerging synthesiser culture.
BBC Radiophonic Music (’68) is
the one with Delia Derbyshire’s ‘The
Delian Mode’, five and a half minutes
of menacing, otherworldly “wind
sound”, and 30 other dispatches from
the Derbyshire/John Baker/David Cain
axis. It’s like The Clangers introducing
the news bulletin from deep in an
underground bunker. Fourth Dimension
(’73) is entirely the work of Paddy
Kingsland, one of the new breed of
shoppers that freely embraced synths,
resulting in a more tangible, accessible
sound framed in something akin to a
“traditional” rock band format. It’s even
pretty funky in places.
By ’75’s The Radiophonic
Workshop (the one with the iconic
“let’s dump the EMS Synthi 100 in an
actual workshop” cover), John Baker
is the only one of the original crew
featured, with Dick Mills, Malcolm
Clark and Glynis Jones dominating an
anthology that returns to the radio and
TV themes model; Jones’s ‘Veils And
Mirrors’ is the (un)natural successor
to Derbyshire’s atonal dreamscapes
while Kingsland’s ‘The Panel Beaters’
pre-empts spoof TV 'schools and
colleges' show Look Around You by 30
years. Finally, Through A Glass Darkly
(’78, credited to Peter Howell & The
Radiophonic Workshop) sees Howell
– producer and musician on numerous
pastoral DIY pop-psych fancies –
flooding the circuit boards with organic,
new age tones and (gasp) analogue
instrumentation.
Still incalculably far out.
Andy Morten
71

THE COLLECTORS
The Collectors
★★★
MUSIC ON VINYL LP
Vancouver’s Collectors
had been in existence
a good half dozen
years (in a previous life
as The Classics, a
white-hot house band
in the Canadian tradition) by the time this
Talking About The Good Times
ERIC BURDON &
THE ANIMALS
When I Was Young: The MGM
Recordings 1967-1968
★★★★
ESOTERIC 5-CD BOX SET
This set rounds up most of the second
generation Animals recordings. The
anomalous (and in reality, solo) Eric
Is Here LP is missing in action – but
the four albums cut for MGM are
presented in cute replica CD sleeves,
with bonus tracks.
overtly psychedelic debut hit the shelves.
With two distinctly disparate sides The
Collectors is in places underweight and
often overlooked, overshadowed by the
out of print Edsel compilation Seventeenth
Summer, on which you’ll find the singles
‘Looking At A Baby’ and ‘Fisherwoman’,
both stunners, the “commercial” end of
this release plus the lion’s share of second
long-player Grass And Wild Strawberries.
That said, ‘Lydia Purple’ could be The
Winds Of Change (1967) is arguably
the Mark 3 band’s highpoint. Vic Briggs
is a thoughtful arranger, while John
Weider’s spooked violin assault on
‘Paint It, Black’ is thrilling. With Eric in
full Acid Evangelist mode, it’s his most
varied work. The mellow 45s ‘San
Franciscan Nights’ and ‘Good Times’
are one side of the coin but elsewhere
largely spoken mood pieces dominate
– like ‘The Black Plague’, the proto
hip-hop ‘Man-Woman’ and trippy recital
of ‘Poem By The Sea’, with its rumbling,
slowed-down drums. Add the orphaned
singles and flips of the era and CD One
is hard to beat. The mono mix of Winds
is also included as a bonus.
The Twain Shall Meet (’68) sees
things get more democratic as Eric
delegates lead vocals on two tracks
to bassist Danny McCullough and lets
the band noodle on long instrumentals.
The infectious thrust of ‘Monterey’ is
still irresistible though, and of course
there’s the towering ‘Sky Pilot’, this
line-up’s greatest moment.
Collectors’ greatest moment, a winsome
baroque-pop tune with gorgeous layered
vocals and a ‘Happy Together’ air whilst,
taking up the entire second side at 19-plus
minutes, ‘What Love (Suite)’ dazzles with
raga riffs and feedback aplenty courtesy of
guitarist Bill Henderson – overtly free-form
and hallucinatory, a la The Strawberry
Alarm Clock at their darkest.
Louis Wiggett
There’s a little fatigue evident on
Every One Of Us (also ’68), despite
the addition of Zoot Money to the
line-up. The pointed snark of ‘White
Houses’ and ‘Year Of The Guru’ hits
home, but Eric’s new bag is long,
spoken-word passages and ‘New York
1963-America 1968’ is interminably
overlong.
Final album Love Is (astonishingly,
their fourth in 14 months) adds ex-
Dantalian’s Chariot and future Police
man Andy Summers – and is almost
entirely lengthy covers essayed in
heavy psych style. ‘To Love Somebody’
is a dud, and Summers plays an
endless solo on Traffic’s ‘Coloured
Rain’ but Eric’s lusty take on ‘River
Deep Mountain High’ and committed
attacks on Dantalians tunes ‘Gemini’
and ‘Madman Running Through The
Fields’ are worth admission alone. This
fiery, wiggy swansong is an interesting
footnote to an almost forgotten version
of a much-loved band.
Martin Ruddock
DENGUE FEVER
Dengue Fever 2003-2015
★★★★
GREEN COOKIE LP
On his now legendary
six-month trip around
Asia back in the late
’90s, Ethan Holtzman
hopped on board one
of the ubiquitous
Cambodian Tuk Tuks and was treated to the
driver’s choice of music: the scuzzy
psychedelic surf-rock of pre Khmer Rouge
Cambodia. He returned home with a case full
of cassettes. The rest, as they say, is history,
including the hard-fought recruitment of the
Khmer chanteuse Chhom Nimol, who
completed the Dengue Fever line-up, and the
move from covers of classic Cambodian pop
to the development of new material, both
authentically Khmer, and classically
Californian.
This album is a pick of some of the best
loved tracks by the outstanding six-piece
ensemble, documenting their first 12 years
and released on limited edition vinyl and
available for download. If you love hypnotic
global grooves and don’t already have
Dengue Fever’s back catalogue, then this is a
timely and perfect way in.
Simon Cross
ESPERS
Espers
The Weed Tree
BOTH ★★★★
BOTH DRAG CITY CDS
Acid-folk revivalists
Espers may no longer
be with us, but their
talented members,
most notably Meg
Baird, continue to
make music. These remastered,
paper-sleeve CD reissues of their first two
albums are a welcome reminder of the
group’s mystical, sometimes eerie signature
style.
It’s particularly good to see the return of
The Weed Tree, a covers-and-trad collection
which, because it was followed by an album
Continues over
ARE YOU READY
FOR SOMETHING
NEW?
SHINDIG! NOW HOSTS REGULAR
BAND AND DEEJAY NIGHTS AT:
Wild Animals.
Eric (right) and
the reconstituted
band in 1967
72

a cellarful of soul
MARK RAISON gets down to the latest soul and funk reissues
The beat ballad doesn’t receive the
attention other soul sub-genres do,
which, when confronted with Soul
Voices: 60s Big Ballads
(★★★★★, KENT CD), begs the
question why. No expense was
spared when two dozen gentlemen stepped into the
spotlight backed by lavishly arranged orchestras to pour
their emotions onto record. Men with rich, powerful
voices either not afraid to cry or refusing to shed a tear
despite the pain in their heart. Walter Jackson, Jimmy
Beaumont, Roy Hamilton and more front sophisticated
symphonies of soul, the sound of yearning America.
Kent have yet again unearthed incredible previously
unheard material including a gem from an unearthed
chest of treasures by Kenny Carter (no stranger to deep
soul fans). Look out for a dedicated Carter release later
this year – in the meantime, bask in this majestic
collection.
BEN E KING finds his ‘There’s
No Place To Hide’ on Soul Voices
and it also crops up again on his
reissued ’67 album What Is
Soul? (★★★, MUSIC ON VINYL LP).
Featuring two previous years’
worth of chart-dodging US singles, its UK audience
turned them into evergreen club favourites. You can bet
your last throw of talc a soul night this weekend will be
filled with dancers pirouetting to ‘I Can’t Break The
News To Myself’ and a mod will scuff his Weejuns to
‘Cry No More’. King came out fighting on the title track,
determined to get hip: huge thumping drums, a
contemporary production with cello and electric piano
and belted out his vocals as never before. Knockout.
Screaming out of Philadelphian
streets, sliding on its knees across
the dirt in a cold sweat, comes Gut
Funky: The Best Of CRS
Records (★★★★★, TRAMP CD/LP).
Unlike more flamboyant label
bosses, and despite admirable investigation by the
compilers, little is known about Curtis R Staten but from
an unassuming store front property his CRS Records
unleased a string of firecrackers starting in the late
’60s. The sparse, slightly echoey studio sound adds to
the raw power of Mitzi Ross’s ‘Man Hunt’, George E
Johnson’s ‘Wake Me Up’ and The Zodiacs’ ‘Don’t
Change On Me’, just three highlights from an
outstanding comp. Initial copies of the LP come with a
bonus 45 of Bonnie Blanchard’s shuffler ‘You’re The
Only One’.
In ’69 Brazilian funk pioneers CRY
BABIES released their sole album
Cry Babies (★★★, FAR OUT LP).
Saxophonist Oberdan Magalhães
later formed groove-laden Banda
Black Rio but this collectors’ item
now receives its first vinyl reissue. His ensemble takes a
heavy dose of American R&B and fuses it with a
sprinkling of samba: fat horns, scratchy guitars,
breakbeats, woozy rhythms. Except for a howling vocal
version of the Isleys’ ‘It’s My Thing’ the rest are
instrumentals, mostly covers, ranging from ‘Kool And
The Gang’ to a wicked reworking of ‘Good Golly Miss
Molly’. Original title ‘Blás, Blás, Blás Soul’ owes much to
James Brown’s organ excursions and Magalhães’s horn
arrangements map out his path.
The Invictus/Hot Wax reissue
campaign continues apace with
8th Day (★★★, DEMON LP) by 8TH
DAY. Initially a Holland-Dozier-
Holland concept, ‘She’s Not Just
Another Woman’ was another of
their acts, 100 Proof Aged In Soul, recording under alias
so when the record hit big a group was swiftly
constructed around the lead vocals of Melvin Davis,
who’d sung the flip. Side One of their debut LP joyfully
bounces along – Mick Jagger did a fine Mick Jagger
impression when he recorded a John Lennon-produced
version of ‘Too Many Cooks’ in ’73 – yet sadly such
ebullience can’t be sustained on Side Two which
includes a couple of long slowies.
Ben E King knows
what soul is
Born Willie Hale, guitarist LITTLE
BEAVER cut his teeth across a raft
of early ’70s recordings for Henry
Stone and his TK Productions out of
Miami, featuring on sides by, among
others, Betty Wright and Clarence
Reid. He also managed five albums of his own, of which
Party Down (★★★★, REAL GONE LP) gave him his
greatest success; the title track hitting #2 on the R&B
singles chart in ’74. Its mellow laid-back vibe sets the
mood as Beaver cruises through half an hour of unhurried
tasteful funk. Expressions of financial frustrations on the
Sly-like ‘Money Vibrations’ aside, the main concern is to
party, albeit gently – we’ll have no spilling anything on the
shag here – and let the good times languidly roll. On
suitably expensive looking gold vinyl.
It’s little surprise seeing three
people listed as providing spiritual
assistance on the credits of Turn
You To Love (★★★, SPEAKERS
CORNER LP) as TERRY CALLIER’s
voice is the closest thing to a direct
line to heaven. His final album before his recording
resurrection nearly 20 years later is, depending on your
viewpoint, a mixed uneven bag or demonstrative of
Callier’s comfort in a range of styles. Being ’79 there’s
some squidgy synth here and some squinty-eyed axe
there but there are also moments of tenderness such as
the title track and ‘Pyramids Of Love’. Updating of a
couple of earlier masterpieces brings varying results:
‘Ordinary Joe’ could’ve been left alone but ‘Occasional
Rain’ still makes the skin tingle.
To New York for P&P Soul &
Funk (★★★, DEMON CD/LP).
Founded by Peter and Patricia
Brown and fancifully said to have
stood for Poor People With
Potential, the story of Harlem based
P&P is a murky and fascinating one yet this double
album contains no liner notes; not one single word about
the artists or the DIY indie label so haphazard even now
it’s impossible to accurately date all releases. What is
clear is the quality it put out through the ’70s, locking into
a serious pre-disco groove from the relentless wah-wah
workouts by The Sons Of Darkness; to Dennis Mobley’s
stretched-out, chuck in the kitchen sink, jazz-funk cover
of ‘Superstition’; to the label’s jewel, the euphoric Patrick
Adams-produced modern soul anthem ‘ESP’.
Finally, we take a slight left-turn out
of the cellar to go on a jazzier detour
with Movements 10 (★★★★,
TRAMP CD/LP). Thoughtfully compiled
in roughly chronological order from
’58 to ’79, it passes seamlessly
through cool late ’50s vocal jazz, smoky big band rhythm
and blues, heavy Hammond combos, righteous ’60s
R&B, Latin shakers before ending with soulful ’70s funk.
Studious digging has gone on with nothing previously
available on CD or digitally. The gatefold vinyl comes
with added seven-inch of the super-rare (no copies ever
sold on Discogs – trust me, I looked) ’Come On’ /
‘Monkey Time’ by Johnny Spinosa & The Music Makers.
A riveting trip.
73

Shaking the room.
The Sonics
Cinderella Sunshine
THE SONICS
Here Are The Sonics
★★★★★
Boom
★★★★
BOTH BIG BEAT LPS
Need something to enliven what feels
like an endless, grinding winter – or
maybe just shift a little earwax? Well,
here’s Gerry Roslie with the news.
You’ll find no argument in these
pages as to just how seminal the early
Sonics LPs are. These lovinglyrecreated
reissues of their roomshaking
first two albums are presented
in glorious mono with replica Etiquette
labels and even the correct sleeve art
(there are umpteen variants on debut
Here Are The Sonics out there alone,
and you could go mad just trying to
catalogue them).
Here Are The Sonics (1965) might
be the ultimate garage album – five
guys from Tacoma making a joyous,
brutal racket. It’s lo-fi bottled lightning
from the monster movie intro of ‘The
Witch’ onwards. A taut and raucous
mix of eccentric originals and hot-wired
rock n’ roll covers plucked from their
live repertoire, it’s like Please Please
Me plugged direct into the mains. The
’60s are littered with limp covers of
‘Roll Over Beethoven’. The Sonics
bulldoze every single one into a very
deep hole with their full-pelt version.
Follow-up Boom (’66) is a close
second. In places it’s even more
uncompromising, due to the band
tearing the soundproofing from the
studio walls. There’s more hollering,
more screaming – just more.
Opener ‘Cinderella’ is pure, dumb
vicious punk, while their monolithic
proto-metal take on ‘Louie Louie’
changes the chords and would
probably quite impress John Cale.
Roslie also continues a run of dark and
spooked self-penned tunes with the
menacing ‘He’s Waitin’’, howled with
veiny intensity like a horny werewolf.
In other places they startlingly take the
volume down – embracing The British
Invasion (Roslie’s ‘Don’t Be Afraid Of
The Dark’ is like The Searchers with
flick-knives) or even dissolute Teen
Prom Balladeering (‘Since I Fell For
You’).
For the uninitiated, plug in for a
breakneck dose of the real stuff. For die
hards, this is as good an approximation
of the originals as you’re going to get,
short of doing your wallet a mischief on
splashing out on an original.
Martin Ruddock
called II, is sometimes considered to exist
outside the group’s official canon. Both
albums exude a dark, delicate whimsy,
whether that’s on the cover of Nico’s ‘Afraid’
(the warmest, most conventional song
the ex-Velvets star ever wrote, made even
prettier by Espers) or their own ‘Daughter’,
which recalls the glistening, translucent
air of early Vashti Bunyan song ‘Rose Hip
November’. ‘Flaming Telepaths’, with its
crunchy, wailing guitar coda, shows an
earthier, less dainty side of the late, lamented
group.
Charles Donovan
THE EVENT
San Diego Underground
Files Volume Two
★★★★
BICKERTON
Loved and now
unforgotten, these
young stylish
Californian mod types
were first heard, via
Greg Shaw’s Voxx
imprint, on the excellent This Is The Event LP
in 1989, which featured such iconic
then-modern recordings as ‘Tom The
Imagemaker’ and the art-pop crunch of ‘Pop
Think In’.
Now, through the unearthing of these
first-time studio demos, we can also dig their
readings of such English mod/freakbeat
romps as John’s Children’s ‘Jagged Time
Lapse’ and The Game’s ‘It’s Shocking What
They Call Me’. Best of all, however, are the
two takes – each one radically different – of
their own, already mentioned, top-drawer
creation ‘Pop Think In’. All who dug and
re-dug this Chocolate Soup/Perfumed
Garden-style freakbeat wonder, and those
for whom this type of scene is the bees
knees, will surely lose themselves in the
sheer Anglophile whirl of this delightfully
magnificent, yet simple song – titled in
honour of Melody Maker magazine’s ’60s
weekly pop personality interview.
Lenny Helsing
FEDERAL DUCK
Federal Duck
★★★
MUNSTER LP
Let’s start with the
elephant (pardon,
duck) in the room, the
band name. The origin
is easily explained: a
band of college
students from the Philadelphia area hanging
LISTEN TO THE
BROADCAST
ON MIXCLOUD
out on campus one night and bumping into
some ducks – they immediately thought the
little aquatic birds were working for the
government. Aw, the ’60s.
In fact, there’s sweet ’60s spirit all
over this, the band’s first and only album,
recorded in 1968 and reissued now for the
first time. If you have a penchant for mellow
psych-pop, look no further – Federal Duck
throw in generous jazzy undertones and
provide a lovely addition to the genre’s
tradition of charming obscurities. On ‘Bird’
they try for a harder sound, with flimsy
results; otherwise, there’s plenty to enjoy:
highlight ‘Tomorrow Waits For You’ and the
early Airplane nod of ‘Circus In The Sea’, as
well as the Byrds-ian grace of ‘While You’re
Away’.
Camilla Aisa
GAME THEORY
Across The Barrier Of Sound
★★★★★
OMNIVORE CD/LP
Game Theory, one of
the most beloved US
indie-rock bands, is
given royal treatment
with this collection of
mostly unreleased
demos, home recordings and early versions
of songs that would ultimately be on the first
album of main man Scott Miller’s next band,
The Loud Family.
Miller’s song-writing is marked by
some of the most neuron-bending chord
changes heard in pop music, and they’re at
the forefront of several of the songs herein,
including early takes on ‘Aerodeleria’, ‘Take
Me Down (Too Halloo)’ and ‘Inverness’ (two
versions of this!), as well as Game Theory
rarities like ‘Rose Of Sharon’ and ‘Treat It Like
My Own’. There are also covers of Nazz’s
‘Forget All About It’, with Michael Quercio of
The Three O’Clock, who was in Game Theory
at the time, and a live take of The Monkees’
‘The Door Into Summer’ (which Quercio
jokes was originally by Naked Eyes!). Did I
mention those chord changes?
David Bash
GOLDEN EARRINGS
On The Double
★★★★★
MUSIC ON VINYL 2-LP
Shortly before
dropping the “s” from
their moniker and
paving a path that
would take the group
from mainstays of
Dutchbeat folklore to a household name,
Golden Earrings found time to knock out this
sturdy double.
Shifting through the gears since their
psyched predecessor Miracle Mirror, On
The Double has a looser, earthier and more
Stones-y vibe, with Red Bullet producer
extraordinaire Fred Haayen (Earth & Fire,
Shoes, Nicols) nailing their songs to a tee (in
the main, those of prolific guitarist George
Kooymans, with a smattering from bassist
Rinus Gerritsen – the lush downer-pop of
‘Remember My Friend’ a highpoint) and
74

Hammersmith
Gorillas go ape.
L-R: Alan Butler,
Jesse Hector and
Gary Anderson
capturing the strengths of this lowlands
outfit. Presented on blood red vinyl with full
artwork and inserts intact, OTD features a
hefty clutch of tough pop ballads, the chartbothering
‘A Little Bit Of Peace In My Heart’
and ‘Time Is A Book’ both underpinning this
transitional and very 1969 set.
Louis Wiggett
HAMMERSMITH GORILLAS
Why Wait ‘Til Tomorrow:
1974-1981
★★★★
JUST ADD WATER 2-LP
On which you will find
everything ever
recorded by cult
proto-punks
Hammersmith (later
just The) Gorillas other
than their sole album Message To The World.
So that’s all the single As and Bs, seven
out-takes previously unavailable on vinyl, and
an unreleased live set from 1977. It’s a great
overview of their lean and mean take on
psych-tinged garage-rock – a refreshing
corrective to the bloated prog and blues still
clogging up the gig circuit and airwaves in
the mid-70s.
While lumped in with the pub-rock
scene, there’s a spikiness and attack
to these tracks that anticipates punk’s
insurrectionary spirit: listen to their gritty,
rasping version of ‘You Really Got Me’ or the
raucous, rabble-rousing ‘Gatecrasher’. But
they also mixed the growling power chords
with song-writing nous: for instance, there
are traces of The Who and The Small Faces
on ‘Eleanor Soapdodge’, while the title track
is a Bolan-esque ballad.
Joe Banks
THE IDLE RACE
The Birthday Party
★★★★★
GRAPEFRUIT 2-CD
By the time Liberty first
issued the debut LP by
Birmingham’s Idle
Race – October 1968
– the musical tide had
turned very much
towards heavy guitar licks, extended solos
and flamboyant displays of macho virtuosity.
That a collection which so perfectly
encapsulated the fading toytown dream of
short yet ornate, highly-crafted bendy pop
songs should fail to capture the zeitgeist at
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SHINDIGMAGAZINE
such a moment is no surprise, particularly
when you factor in the highly noticeable
music hall/Vaudeville influences and the
teenage Jeff Lynne’s warped melodicism.
Finally given the deluxe reissue it
deserves – you get both mono and stereo
mixes here along with a slew of 45-only
sides and a couple of alternate versions – the
album can be enjoyed for what it surely is: a
high-water mark of Technicolor super-pop
that contains both the last of the fuzzy postacid
comedown warmth as well as the seeds
of where one strand of the ’70s would be
heading. Out and out genius.
Hugh Dellar
NEIL INNES
How Sweet To Be An Idiot
★★★★★
GRAPEFRUIT CD
Generally perceived as
a musical "comedian"
through membership
of the Bonzos, Rutles
and Pythons, Neil was
in truth, a songwriter of
the highest calibre, as evidenced by the
exquisitely beautiful Bonzos recordings ‘I
Want To Be With You’ and ‘Quiet Talks And
Summer Walks’.
It’s no surprise to learn then, that his
1973 solo debut is a rich work occupying
a place somewhere between Elton John
and Peter Skellern. A melodically upbeat
collection dominated by the orchestrated
title track – which lacks the daftness of its
Monty Python incarnation– it also features
the country-funk of ‘Topless-A-Go-Go’ and
Band-like groove of ‘Immortal Invisible’. With
musicians of the calibre of guitarists Ollie
Halsall (Patto/Timebox) and Andy Roberts
(Scaffold/Plainsong), the quality is high and
the numerous extras include the delightful
‘Lie Down And Be Counted’ and glam-rocker
‘Bandwagon’.
Neil’s sudden exit may have denied the
world a charming presence, but his talent
lives on.
Richard Allen
LEVEE CAMP MOAN
Levee Camp Moan
★★★★
SOMMOR LP
Bracknell-based Levee
Camp Moan may be
just a footnote in the
British blues boom, but
as this reissue of their
ridiculously rare private
press album from 1969 shows, they had the
chops to be a bigger band if fate had decreed
it. Yet despite regular appearances on the
college circuit supporting the likes of Chicken
Shack, Canned Heat and Muddy Waters, this
was to be their only release.
The playing is strong and fluent
throughout, and the basic production is
nicely uncluttered, but the stand-out aspect
of these recordings are Sal Bristow’s clear,
unaffected vocals, especially on their cover
of Nina Simone’s civil rights protest ‘Mr
Continues over
75

recordings to their original intended sound
(adding several out-takes en route), making
this a swingingly intimate and groovy set –
only a singer like Monro could turn ‘Hello,
Dolly!’ into a laidback song of seduction.
As a bonus, this release comes with a
second disc featuring the best of Monro,
a treasure trove filled with big hitters like
‘From Russia With Love’, ‘Born Free’ and
The Italian Job’s ‘On Days Like These’,
alongside deeper cuts such as cherished
womens lib anthem ‘We’re Gonna Change
The World’ and ‘Two People’ from lesserspotted
South African action flick Satan’s
Harvest. Cool crooning abounds.
Thomas Patterson
It's cold outside.
The Prisoners in 1985
PHOTO EUGENE DOYEN
Backlash’. Co-singer Frank Wood is no
slouch either, turning ‘Flood In Houston’ into
a lonely distress call. Most of the songs here
are standards, but the originals hold their
own, with ‘I Just Can’t Keep From Crying’ in
particular featuring a great driving riff.
Joe Banks
MANUAL SCAN
San Diego Underground
Files Volume One
★★★
BICKERTON
First of Spanish label
Bickerton’s excavation
into Southern
California vintage
beat-pop action has
unearthed these 1982
demo recordings from the Bart Mendoza-led
mod-style gang Manual Scan, and the
findings are confident and assured, assertive
and fully-fledged song ideas which, to these
ears, actually sound much better, or perhaps
it’s that they come across more easily as
sounding more authentic and soulful than the
LISTEN TO
ON SOHO RADIO
commercially released records the group
would cut during their time.
Almost at once can be heard, in the
choppy electric guitar sparks and situation
/ observation-style subject matter of the
songs, that connection with groups like The
Jam, but deeper in, on such as ‘The Bird’,
‘Anymore’ and the particularly excellent,
slow-burning closer ‘Don’t Know Where To
Start’, there’s less of the formulaic-sounding
exercises much of the mod/powerpop of that
era offered, and a little more of the openness
and vulnerability at which, for instance, Dan
Treacy of Television Personalities would
become particularly adept and thoroughly
expert at conveying in song.
Lenny Helsing
THE MOE GREENE SPECIALS
The Moe Greene Specials
★★★
GREEN COOKIE LP
The Moe Greene
Specials history goes
back over a decade,
when this Belgian
combo formed as an
instrumental outfit to
play surf and spaghetti western music. This
limited vinyl reissue of their 2004 self-titled
record showcases their ability to create
moody and magnificent cinematic nuggets,
from the opening, dramatic twang and dust
covered mariachi-march of ‘The Vast Land’
through to the mellow groove and hazy
tremeloe guitars of the closing ‘Esperos De
Oro’.
It’s not all cowboys and sweeping
vistas however, the fantastic wild west
exotica of ‘Malibu Rendezvous’ will have
you reaching for the cocktail shaker and the
Calexico-go-garage-rock of ‘A $1000 Ride
Pt 1’ has enough attitude in its delivery to
make you sit up before it’s follow-up track,
unsurprisingly named ‘Pt 2’, delivers an
atmospheric, rockin’ hoedown to die for. An
accomplished collection delivered with style.
Paul Osborne
MATT MONRO
Stranger In Paradise: The
Lost New York Sessions
★★★★
UMC 2-CD
In 1967, Matt Monro
released his third
album for Capitol,
Invitation To
Broadway, a selection
of now-standards like
‘The Impossible Dream’, ‘Put On A Happy
Face’ and ‘Stranger In Paradise’, recorded
with a quintet but subsequently slathered in
syrupy dubbed-on strings.
Rescued from the archives, this release
strips out the strings and restores the
MIGUEL NOYA
Canciones Intactas
★★★★
PHANTOM LIMB LP
Opening your senses
up to the mesmeric
and deeply meditative
creations of
Venezuelan electronicambient
composer
Miguel Noya as showcased on Canciones
Intactas, the first ever career retrospective
of his work to make it into print, is akin to
stepping inside an unknown and all
immersing dreamscape.
As you take in the seductively warm
layers of sound, it’s worth remembering
these transcendental journeys in audio
aren’t the product of established bastions
of electronic music such as the Berlin
and Cologne schools, but of Caracas,
Venezuela.
Drawn from a series of rare and highly
collectable private pressings including
Esferas Vivientes (1986) and the installation
soundtrack Psycho-Music (’89), echoes of
Tangerine Dream, Roedelius, Steve Reich,
Eno, Jon Hassell and Popol Vuh can be
detected throughout the nine compositions
showcased, with the epic dimensions
of ‘Mega Brain Focos Pt 1 & 2’ providing
a suitably monumental finale to what is
nothing short of a revelatory journey in
sound.
Grahame Bent
THE PRISONERS
In From The Cold
★★★★
ACID JAZZ LP
Band members may
have since disowned
the album, and they
split soon after
catalogue of failures
surrounded In From
Cold preventing The Prisoners from seeing
the true success they deserved – but 34
years on it still sounds bloody good; the
glossier production values only slightly
marring the overall experience.
The title track is as worthy as any
1967/68 UK mod/psych classic, ‘The More
That I Teach You’, ‘Deceiving Eye’, ‘Be On
Your Way’ and ‘Find And Seek’ are as good
Continues over
76

tune up
Take a dive into the newest and grooviest jazz releases
with THOMAS PATTERSON
It’s been a bumper couple of
months for jazz reissues from an
array of jazz stars, and not many
stars come bigger than be-bop
master CHARLIE PARKER,
whose four Savoy 10-inches from
1950/51, New Sounds In Modern Music
Volumes 1-4, have been reissued as a handsome
vinyl box set by Craft Recordings under the
no-nonsense title The Savoy 10-Inch LP
Collection (★★★★). The originals themselves
were compilations of tracks Parker released on 78 in
the mid to late ’40s, making this box set essentially a
repackage of a repackage; but what a package it was
to begin with, the 28 tracks documents in the
development of jazz, beautifully re-mastered by the
good folks at Craft. Essential for anyone who wants to
know the hows, whys, wheres and whens of jazz
history. And even better, it really swings.
Other jazz pioneers getting their
dues this month include ART
BLAKEY & THE JAZZ
MESSENGERS, whose The
Best Of The Columbia &
RCA/Vik Years (1956-1959)
(★★★★, REAL GONE 2-CD) is a 17-track collection
featuring various iterations of The Jazz Messengers
(with key members including Lee Morgan and Ray
Bryant), culled from assorted albums like The Jazz
Messenger and little-heard live performances
recorded at Club St Germain in Paris. Highlights
include an insanely hopping take of ‘A Night In
Tunisia’ and the hip-swaying Latin jazz of ‘Cubano
Chant’, a track that truly accentuates the artistry in
Art.
The artistry of
Art Blakey & The
Jazz Messengers
Two labels that continue to impress
with their lavish jazz reissues are
the Twickenham-based Pure
Pleasure and Germany’s Speakers
Corner. Both are dab hands at
gorgeous represses and
re-masters, and both have a slew of releases for your
(pure) pleasure. We’ll kick things off here with a trio of
late ’50s and early ’60s albums from Speakers Corner.
First up is the Tenessee-born, NYC-based jazz pianist
PHINEAS NEWBORN JR’s 1956 debut Here Is
Phineas (★★★★), an LP of virtuoso skill, influenced
by Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson, and which surely
must have in turn influenced Ramsey Lewis; alas, unlike
Mr Lewis, Phineas Newborn Jr never cracked the
mainstream (perhaps because he never headed into
pop territory), but his reputation still shines.
Fathead by tenor saxophonist
DAVID NEWMAN (★★★) is a
set recorded for Atlantic in 1958 but
not released for two years.
Sometimes subtitled ‘Ray Charles
Presents David Newman’, Newman
was an acolyte of the great Brother
Ray, and Charles’s band provide able
packing here, opening track ‘Hard
Times’ a corker that clearly presaged
Billy Taylor and Dick Dallas’s ’63
classic ‘I Wish I Knew How It Would
Feel To Be Free’ (aka the Barry Norman Film… theme
tune). Finally in this triptych, we have Live At The
Half-Note by THE ART FARMER QUARTET
(★★★), a sweet set from a short-lived band led by Art
Farmer, master of the flugelhorn (and you don’t get many
of them to the pound). Recorded in December ’63, the five
tracks on here, including versions of ‘Stompin’ At The
Savoy’ and ‘I’m Getting Sentimental Over You’, are the
only survivors after a fire destroyed a further 17. Alas,
unlike the fire that burnt their brethren to a crisp, these five
cuts won’t set anything on fire but they’re nice enough.
Jumping over to Pure Pleasure, up
next are two 1965 albums from two
tenor saxophonists, The In
Sound by EDDIE HARRIS
(★★★★) and These Are My
Roots: Clifford Jordan Plays
Leadbelly by CLIFFORD
JORDAN (★★★★). A
benchmark recording for Harris,
The In-Sound features six
mod-inflected jazz tracks, including
Harris’s own ‘Freedom Jazz Dance’,
which would soon become staple of Miles Davis’
repertoire. Played by an ace quintet, including the
ubiquitous Ron Carter on bass, this is the perfect place
for beginners to enter Harris’ back catalogue (better than
’75’s bizarre comedy album The Reason Why I’m Talking
S__t anyway). Clifford Jordan’s tribute to blues legend
Leadbelly meanwhile is the sort of record that shouldn’t
work on paper, yet weirdly does, former Mingus alumnus
Jordan re-imagining tracks like ‘Silver City Bound’ and
‘Goodnight Irene’ in a fabulously inventive fashion.
Onwards to the promised land, and a
quartet of spiritual jazz cuts. First up
another Speakers Corner release,
The Blue Yusef Lateef by
YUSEF LATEEF (★★★★). A wild
and way-out collection from
1968, The Blue Yusef Lateef mixes
up eastern melodies, snake-like
rhythms, slithering strings and
gospel choirs in service of a sound
that could only have come out of the
late ’60s. A cornerstone of exotic,
conscious-expanding jazz. Released a year later in ’69,
and similarly attuned the changing times, The Giant Is
Awakened by THE HORACE TAPSCOTT QUINTET
(REAL GONE, ★★★) is another classic of spiritual jazz.
Originally released on the Flying Dutchman label, The
Giant saw pianist Tapscott and his crew tackle four cuts of
what then would have been startling modernity, the
eponymous opening track a 17-minute epic that pushes
jazz into intriguing places (and has featured on assorted
spiritual jazz comps over the years). Snap up this repress
now, as original copies change hands for silly money.
Last but not least, the final two from
Pure Pleasure. Nineteen-Sixty-
Nine’s Spirits Known And
Unknown was the debut solo LP
from jazz singer LEON THOMAS
(★★★★) and its subtitle ‘New Vocal
Frontiers’ is apt, Thomas singing,
scatting and even yodelling over a
groovy, politically charged set,
‘Damn Nam (Ain’t Goin’ To Vietnam)’
and ‘Malcolm’s Gone’ fiery cuts that
act as an righteous mirror to more
esoteric numbers like ‘Echoes’. Time Capsule by
WELDON IRVINE (★★★★), from ’73, similarly
marries righteous political anger (check out the supremely
funky ‘Watergate – Don’t Bug Me!’) to transcendental
insights and an easy groove. With a thrillingly scattergun
approach, and proto-hip hop rhyming vocals, Time
Capsule is the sound of jazz to come, as forward thinking
as Charlie Parker’s Savoy recordings almost 30 years
before.
77

A Master At Work
CAT STEVENS
Matthew & Son
New Masters
BOTH ★★★★
BOTH UMC LPS
The Cat Stevens catalogue seems to
be entering a cycle of renewed activity,
with the delayed super-deluxe of Back
To Earth preceded by this pair of vinyl
reissues, whose main lure is Abbey
Road’s "de-mixing" process. If you’re
in the market for them, you probably
already know that, far from being
tentative first steps, these albums are
among the most melodic, confident
and effervescent of the artist’s career,
performed with a precocious brio
reminiscent of Laura Nyro, who’d made
her own first album as a teenager one
year before. Like Nyro’s, Stevens’ work
was immediately popular with other
artists (see this issue’s Deep Cuts
feature) and displayed a commitment to
melody that suggested musical theatre
was as much an inspiration as folk and
pop. Although New Masters continued
in much the same vein as the debut,
neither it nor its amusing single ‘Kitty’
matched the success of the previous
year’s hits ‘Matthew And Son’ and ‘I
Love My Dog’.
On to the "de-mixing" process;
both albums sound fresh, crisp and
lively. One is loathe to make any
conclusive judgments based on hearing
a streaming link rather than the vinyl
itself but, if pushed, then yes – vocals
are more up-front, though not in a
strident or artificial-sounding manner.
Take these comments with a whole cup
of salt; the only true test will be hearing
the music via the actual format of its
release. Still, you could swear a cottonwool
veil had been lifted. In fact, if it
weren’t for the "variety hour" orchestral
arrangements (very pretty and great
fun in their own way, but a far cry from
the subtler, more profound approach
of Del Newman the following decade),
you might think both albums had been
recorded yesterday.
These are cheerful, inventive,
frisky songs, written long before a dour
moralising tone crept in Stevens’s
work, reaching its most pronounced
on Back To Earth’s ‘New York’, with its
sour condemnation of the immorality
and permissiveness of The Big Apple.
Here’s Stevens, if not as his most
profound, then certainly at his most
charismatic, affable and down to earth.
Charles Donovan
Cat Stevens considers
his next move, 1968
Inspiration’ see Roedelius puckishly playing
with synthetic repetition, his influence on
everyone from Stereolab to Boards Of
Canada clear.
Thomas Patterson
TINY TIM
Spirits Of The Past: Lost
& Found Volume 4
★★★
SHIP TO SHORE CD
The cult of Tiny Tim
remains strong. Either
you fall for the charms
of his early 20th
Century repertoire or
you are unable to go
beyond the shrill novelty hits of the ’60s.
With the documentary film King For A Day
due soon, Tiny Tim biographer Justin
Martell and US label Ship To Shore have
made available the historic recordings on
this disc.
On the 25th May 1969 Rita
McConnachie – then president of Tim’s
fan club –recorded an hour-long private
performance in a hotel room in Chicago.
A collection of songs by Al Jolson, Byron
G Harlan, Irving Kaufman and a host of
other Vaudeville/music hall acts this could
have been recorded either side of The First
World War and is the very essence of Tim’s
creative soul. As such, it will appeal to the
hardcore, rather than casual, listener and
in that respect may prove something of a
Marmite experience.
Richard Allen
as anything from the group’s past, with
Jamie Taylor’s impressive array of vintage
keyboards adding more to their arsenal.
‘Mourn My Health’ is a lyrically bare, late in
the day gem, ‘Come Closer’ both sensuous
and groovy whilst ‘The Lesser Evil’ a brilliant
filmic noir piece, the equal of anything
Taylor would go on to record. If the moddy
pop of ‘Wish The Rain’ and ‘All You Gotta
Do Is Say’ haven’t dated well, that’s only
to be expected – little of that stuff has. It’s
great to have this back in circulation on
vinyl.
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
ROEDELIUS
Tape Archive Essence
1973-1978
★★★★
BUREAU B CD/LP
Released in 2014 to
celebrate the 80th
birthday of the
erstwhile Cluster and
Harmonia man
Hans-Joachim
Roedelius, Roedelius Tape Archive
1973-1978 was a three-LP box set that
gathered personal studio sketches and
experimentations of the electronic music
pioneer. Long out of print, label bureau b
have now distilled that 26-track collection
to a more manageable 10, giving a snapshot
of the creative processes of arguably one of
the most important German musicians of
the 20th Century.
And make no mistake, although
beautifully recorded, these are sketches,
never intended for release, a peek behind
the curtain as the magician reveals his
methodology. Opener ‘Nächtens in Forst
(Bordun mit Tongeneratoren)’ is a drone
that slowly builds, the sound of a boffin
pushing the parameters of his studio, whilst
pieces like ‘Am Röckchen’ and ‘Springende
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Don’t Blow Your Cool! More
60s Girls From UK Decca
★★★★
ACE CD
Over 30 years ago,
Ace started the ’60s
UK girl group
compilation craze with
their Girl Zone
collection. Several
dozen variations later (US, French, Girls
With Guitars etc), they return with two
dozen chestnuts from the Decca vaults and
fans and collectors alike will not be
disappointed.
Thrill once again to Dana Gillespie’s
self-penned flip of ‘You Just Gotta Know
My Mind, ‘He Loves Me, He Loves Me
Not’ (a rare French version of the former
is also included) and rarities from label
champions Lulu (‘Take Me As I Am’) and
Marianne Faithfull (‘With You In Mind’,
featuring Jimmy Page and a selection from
her French catalogue). Decca also found
incredibly talented teenagers (13-year
old Antoinette, 16-year old Lorraine Child,
and 14-year old schoolgirls The Orchids)
and released surprisingly effective tunes
from actresses Kathe Green and Adrienne
Poster, as well as soulful belters from Barry
St John, Joy Marshall and Clare Torry. The
informative liners are also full of incredible
trivia!
Jeff Penczak
78

A multitude of new music
A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing
JACK SHARP
Good Times Older
★★★★★
FROM HERE RECORDS CD/LP
Wolf People were one our finest
contemporary bands, and their recent split
hurt because they still had much to offer.
Nominally a psych-rock outfit, their sound
was multi-faceted and included a strong
influence of British folk music. It’s that
element that singer-guitarist Jack Sharp
develops on his debut solo album.
Encouraged by his pals in East
London’s radical folk group Stick In The
Wheel (whose label the album is released
on), Sharp delivers sparsely-arranged
renditions of eight traditional songs, plus
two of his own compositions and a cover
of Robin Williamson’s ‘God Dog’ (also
recorded by Shirley Collins). Admittedly,
when first hearing Sharp’s plaintive vocals
and tumbling acoustic guitar on the title
track, you still half-expect Wolf People
to come crashing in at any moment. But
after a few listens such comparisons are
forgotten, and this record emerges as an
unassuming masterpiece in its own right.
While Sharp’s guitar playing is
exemplary throughout, what carries these
songs is the melancholy ache in his voice:
something ancient and haunted, but
never portentous or melodramatic. With
his Bedfordshire accent coming through
on the likes of ‘Gamekeeper,’ Sharp is an
English everyman, singing about workingclass
life and capturing both its tedium and
pride, its struggle and joy. There are also
glimpses of freedom, whether symbolised
by the ‘White Hare’ that always evades
capture, the unaccompanied celebration of
ale in ‘Jug Of This’ or the outlaw boasts of
‘Northamptonshire Poacher.’
The gorgeous ‘Lacemaker’ stands
out for its sheer soulfulness, but Sharp’s
own ‘Soldier Song’ must be mentioned,
for the ambiguous gender of the narrator
(suffering from PTSD, returning from war
to a husband who can’t understand) and
the timeless tragedy of the story. ‘May
Morning Dew’ meanwhile must be the
saddest ‘summer song’ ever.
To focus on this record as Sharp’s first
Jack Sharp, chronicler
of struggle and joy
solo LP after leaving Wolf People feels
unfair. Recorded in a single day, it’s no
grand statement, no blueprint for a new
career. It’s simply a collection of songs,
and the better for it. That it also spotlights
Sharp as one of our finest traditional
singers, writers and interpreters is an
incredibly welcome bonus.
Ben Graham
ROMAN ANGELOS
Spacetronic Lunchbox
★★★★
HAPPY ROBOTS LP
The British contingent of
post-futurism ranges
from the dark satire of
the Scarfolk blog and
Ghost Box’s often
uneasy explorations into
“hauntology”, to the forever ’80s world of
the Look Around You TV parody and Matt
Berry’s British TV staples. Like the latter,
Brooklyn’s Roman Angelos (aka Rich Bennet)
is shrouded in the squelchy synth framework
of Ronnie Hazlehurst’s theme for Sorry, and
the music played between the counting clock
for ITV’s ‘For School And Colleges’ shows.
The 11 tracks are less than a minute each
and are divided between Side One’s ‘Themes’
and the fl ip’s ‘Games’, with the latter
capturing the annoyingly catchy soundtrack to
the mid-80s Sega and Nintendo 8-bit
revolution. With titles ranging from ‘Himalayan
Cats With AK-47’s’ to ‘Highway Chase’ you
know what’s in store, and you’ll fi nd no better
way to kill 10 minutes. The closer ‘Why Am I
Old’ is guaranteed to stick In your memory,
even if you don’t want it to. Now, where’s
Synthesizer Patel when you need him?
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
BC CAMPLIGHT
Shortly After Takeoff
★★★★★
BELLA UNION CD/LP
BC Camplight is Brian
Christinzio, a native
Philadelphian, who, in
the mid-20-teens,
transplanted to
Manchester, fell in love,
got deported, returned, and released two
grand, glorious albums that explored his
mental health issues.
This is the third of his ‘Manchester Trilogy’, a
deep dive into the swirling emotion following his
father’s death that manages to be funny, selfaware,
grandiose and satirical. Pavarotti and
Rachel Riley get a mention on ‘Ghosthunting’, a
song about his dead father’s ghost . Highlights
are the soaring, choral title track and the rolling
‘Cemetery Lifestyle’. This is sophisticated but
wonky stuff; Christinzio’s croon sits over strings
and electronic beats in a way reminiscent
of Brian Wilson or Harry Nilsson, but these
exercises in perfect pop rarely resolve in a
conventional way, and are cut with strange,
aggressive bridges and atonal shifts. ‘I Want
To Be In The Mafia’ is almost yacht-rock, albeit
a yacht steered onto barnacled rocks while its
captain is sick overboard.
Kate Hodges
BRANT BJORK
Brant Bjork
★★★
HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS CD/LP
With a career that
stretches back to the
first incarnation of
Kyuss, Brant Bjork’s
desert-rock credentials
are certainly
impeccable, and it’s not hard to see the whole
musical lineage of that sound on this, the
Californian’s lucky 13th solo release. Making
comparisons to QOTSA might be too on the
nose, but there’s an early Soundgardenish
vibe particularly on ‘Mary…’ that’s pleasingly
nostalgic. However, without a great deal of
tone or tempo variation in its short 38-minute
running time – six of the eight tracks are in G
minor – the album feels somewhat like a long
suite.
Bjork impressively plays everything
here himself, perhaps somewhat unusually
for this genre, and it’s to his credit that the
unpretentious (if perhaps a trifle bottomheavy)
production doesn’t suffer from
all that multitracking at all. And his more
experimental guitar tones, finally getting a bit
of breathing room on ‘Duke Of Dynamite’, are
rather nice.
Christopher Budd
CORNERSHOP
England Is A Garden
★★★★
AMPLE PLAY CD/LP/CASS
It’s been five years
since we last heard
from Cornershop, and
even longer since they
were on the radar of
anyone but their most
devoted fans. Their ninth album should
rectify this however: a blast from start to
finish, it’s packed with should-be hits every
bit as catchy as their 1998 chart-topper
‘Brimful Of Asha’ and, as always, highly
pertinent to our times.
From the tin-plate percussion and
vamping soul organ of ‘St Marie Under
Canon’ to the Country & Indian of ‘One
Uncareful Lady Owner’, England… is
diverse, playful but serious in intent. The
junkshop glam and bubblegum stomp
of ‘No Rock: Save In Roll’, ‘The Cash
Money’ and ‘I’m A Wooden Soldier’ mix the
Velvets with T Rex, political protest with
sweet sentiment and unbowed optimism.
Refreshingly analogue-sounding, in a
production lineage of Joe Meek and Sir
Coxsone Dodd, Cornershop still trade in the
real goods of the heart.
Ben Graham
80

DATURA4
West Coast Highway Cosmic
★★★
ALIVE NATURALSOUND CD/LP
The album cover
suggests dreamy
escapism, but the
fourth album from
Western Australia
rockers Datura4 is a
much earthier affair. Veterans of
underground faves (The Stems, DM3, The
Drones), on their current adventure Dom
Mariani and co have firmly set their eyes on
unrepentant classic-rock, straightforward
and street-smart to the core.
On West Coast Highway Cosmic
they’re unleashing a set of keyboard-heavy
hard-rockers they describe as “no-frills
rock’n’roll”. There couldn’t be a more apt
definition – although one wouldn’t mind the
casual frill every now and then.
When it comes to lyrics, especially,
things can be a tad too plain. But whether
it’s the ’70s stomp of ‘A Darker Shade
Of Brown’ or the nostalgic blues of ‘You
Be The Fool’, these songs – all muscle,
denim and greasy riffage – are meant
to be experienced live. ‘You’re The Only
One’, with its pacific Western tinges, is a
welcome standout.
Camilla Aisa
JAMES ELKINGTON
Ever-Roving Eye
★★★★
PARADISE OF BACHELORS CD/LP
British-born Chicago
songwriter and guitarist
James Elkington has
collaborated with the
likes of Richard
Thompson, Jeff Tweedy,
Tortoise and Michael Chapman. On his second
solo album he steps out front to reveal a rich
tapestry of acoustic guitar-wrangling.
Clearly indebted to the British folk
traditions of the more avant-garde persuasion,
Elkington expertly captures the spirit of Bert
Jansch and Davy Graham, with a tapestry of
intricately woven acoustic picking patterns
and cosmic meanderings. The trippy
circular groove of ‘Nowhere Time’ recalls
contemporaries such as Ryley Walker, but
elsewhere Elkington’s downbeat baritone
evokes a detached Nick Drake. The addition
of subtle strings and woodwind are a poignant
nod to Joe Boyd’s productions. Elkington
himself comes across as the mysterious
troubadour cutting a ghostly figure on the LP
cover, clutching onto his guitar, head bowed,
possessed by deep thought. Introspective
for sure but a beguiling treat for folkies
nonetheless.
Paul Ritchie
EMILE
The Black Spider/Det
Kollektive Selvmord
★★★
HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS CD/LP
Emile Bureau, guitarist/
vocalist with Denmark’s
The Sonic Dawn is
certainly a prolific writer.
Set for release just a
week after his band’s
fourth LP (see elsewhere this issue), is this
solo effort featuring 11 understated tracks that
didn’t easily lend themselves to a three-piece
band format. A bonus for fans, and one that
shows another side to his talents, with
existential musings on spirituality, ageing, loss
and death, set against a free-flowing hybrid of
folk, jazz and blues. Guitars weave behind
Emile’s distinctive, often double-tracked voice,
drawing comparisons to Tim Buckley’s more
esoteric moments.
Side One, sung in English, features the
more personal songs, while Side Two, sung in
his native Danish, addresses more dystopian
themes (‘Det Kollektive Selvmord’ translates
as ‘The Collective Suicide’). It’s also where the
album’s more loosely-tethered experimental
sounds are found. A record best listened to
on solitary Sunday mornings, all the better to
wallow in its strange intoxicating melancholia.
Duncan Fletcher
HOLLOW SHIP
Future Remains
★★★
PUNK SLIME RECORDINGS LP
The debut album from
Gothenburg quintet
Hollow Ship is very
much in the welcome
recent tradition of the
"short" album. Clocking
in at a lean 36 minutes, it’s a bracing mix of
horsepower and grey matter. Often recalling
the nimble prog-boogie of White Denim, it’s
funky but brainy stuff from the itchy intro of
‘Take Off’ onwards. Based largely around
interweaving guitar hooks and heroics,
groovy percussion and slightly Math-Rock
breakdowns – there’s a lot going on but plenty
of space for it to float around in.
Picks of the bunch are the three track
run of ‘In The End’, which channels polished
’70s FM road-rock to great effect, the delicate
‘Built To Last’ and brooding electrical storm of
‘Stay Sane’. It’s not perfect. Considering the
short duration there’s a lot of instrumentals,
but there’s still much here to admire. This is
both big sounding and clever.
Martin Ruddock
THE LAVENDER FLU
Barbarian Dust
★★★
IN THE RED LP
The Lavender Flu’s
third LP, Barbarian
Dust is the first album
the band has created in
a proper studio
environment – if that
sounds like the premise for a polished new
direction, the result is quite surprising.
Album opener ‘Purrrrrr’ – which is exactly
what it says, the ever lovable sound of a cat
purring – quickly melts into the wild strumming
of ‘Hair Lord (Messenger of Beauty)’. The
Lavender Flu like to call it “cosmic biker rock”;
here, they’re more forceful and brazen than
before. With the exception of the airy ‘No One
Remembers Your Name’, they leave the jangle
of 2018’s Mow The Glass behind, opting for a
more in-your-face, proudly gnarled approach
that’s at its best on the final three tracks,
opening with the buzzing ’80s instrumental
trip of ‘Keyboard Christ’ and revealing the
group’s wide-ranging talent through the
fierce ‘In A League With Satan’ and its sunlit
reverse, ‘James Bay’.
Camilla Aisa
Loose Koozies explore
their freedom
LOOSE KOOZIES
Feel A Bit Free
★★★
OUTER LIMITS LOUNGE LP
As befits a group
named after a beer can
holder, Loose Koozies
find romance,
satisfaction and much
of their subject matter
in the grittier side of life. The Detroit band’s
debut is a country-rock record that captures
American life in all its complicated, scuffed
Continues over
81

could belong to an unplugged Khruangbin.
How much of this translates into
unbridled affection though, will depend
squarely on the listener’s appetite for
ambient, experimental music of the
transcendental kind.
Paul Ritchie
THE MONOCHROME SET
Strange Boutique
Love Zombies
BOTH ★★★★
It's only Monophonics
round the edges glory. Whether it’s boozy
Friday nights in small towns, watching
wrestling while high on marijuana, or the joys
of getting out on the open road, by the end of
the 11 cuts you’re immersed in their world.
Running through this down-but-not-out
celebration of life is a thread of tenderness,
as the songs also contain lyrics with real
poignancy. Production help comes from His
Name Is Alive’s Warren Defever, resulting in
an album that’s in the tradition of The Flying
Burrito Brothers but not in thrall to them,
despite the neatly played pedal steel. Neither
indulgent or retro but full of conviction, a
gloriously ragged time is guaranteed.
Duncan Fletcher
THE LOUNGE BAR ORCHESTRA
Pilot Episodes
★★★★
FRUITS DE MER LP
Those in the know will
be aware that Reg
Omeroyd, Lounge Bar
Orchestra leader and
legendary composer of
Ousewater Television’s
most memorable theme tunes, is none other
than writer and regular Shindig! scribe Greg
Healey. Needless to say, the back story of
Omeroyd and how this collection of music
JOIN US ON INSTAGRAM
@SHINDIG_MAGAZINE
came to fruition in an alternate 1974 is one
that’s been so perfectly formulated in
Healey’s vivid imagination, that there’s an
unbridled joy to suspending reality and diving
right in.
For proof, take the fantastic ‘Inspector
Yoohoo Calls’, the theme tune to a long
lost UK detective series that can’t fail to
conjure up images of brown Triumph 1500s
and Fairisle tank tops, ‘Operation 222’, the
soundtrack to a cold war spy thriller, which
gives Roy Budd a run for his money with its
brilliantly dynamic shifts in mood, and the
playful and utterly English ‘Miriam & Roger’.
File proudly between your Scarfolk annual
and favourite KPM library sounds.
Paul Osborne
THE LOVELY EGGS
I Am Moron
★★★★
EGG CD/LP
For 13 years, The
Lovely Eggs have
eggsisted in a gritty,
4-real world of DIY
pop, staying
determinedly put in
their hometown of Lancaster. And it’s this
grassroots independence that continues to
guide their lyrical hand, raging at Brexit
Britain, calling out the unequal nature of
modern society in a direct, angry manner that
should embarrass younger, fence-sitting
bands and musicians.
Co-produced and mixed by Dave
Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Tame Impala),
Holly’s vocals veer from spiky, coruscating
and Mark E Smith-like on tracks such as the
chanting monster ‘You’ve Got The Ball’, to
blissfully dreamy on ‘New Dawn’. Lyrically,
the band are as hilarious and skewering as
ever. On ‘You Can Go Now’ Holly lists Anthea
Turner, entertainment, microwave meals,
salted popcorn and "A little bit of witchcraft"
as things that "can go now". ‘This Decision’
stands out as the first single taken from the
album, a song that sprayed piss vinegar over
the 6 Music playlist, fuzzy, phased, angry and
punk as hell.
Kate Hodges
JASON McMAHON
Odd West
★★★
SHINKOYO LP
There’s no denying the
talents of Jason
McMahon, whose
debut solo album
follows on from a
decade of touring with
Brooklyn-based bands Skeletons, Fashe
Mello, Glasser, Janka Nabay and The Bubu
Gang.
Odd West is an intriguing instrumental
album featuring reflective finger-picking
acoustic flourishes and pretty ambient
soundscapes, as fully realised on the
meditative ‘Sunshine For Locksmith’. One
is reminded of Gimmer Nicholson’s rare
Christopher Idylls album especially in the
chiming, autumnal acoustic musings, but
the celestial atmospheric instrumentation
and heavenly female choral interludes
mark Odd West as something quite
unique. Most of the tracks recall a hypnotic
dream sequence or the soundtrack to a
foreboding scene from a spaghetti western.
Meanwhile, ‘Oh, Moon!’ and ‘Big Earth’
BOTH TAPETE CD/LP
Reissues of London
post-punks The
Monochrome Set’s
1980 debut LP Strange
Boutique and follow-up
Love Zombies, from
the same year, reveal the band as the ne plus
ultra of cult artists, the kind of group that
made forward-thinking records, influenced
the important, and yet never quite reached
the heady heights they themselves deserved
– a simply unjust state of affairs, as these two
albums are simply smashing.
Perhaps it’s somewhat understandable;
The Monochrome Set are the masters of the
kind of catchy yet complex music that only
truly makes sense once its constituent parts
have been absorbed into the mainstream –
check out the proto-‘Ant Music’ drumming
on ‘The Monochrome Set (I Presume)’ (it’s
unsurprising to learn that Adam Ant himself
was a former member) or Monochrome
singer Bid’s Smiths-like croon on ‘The
Lighter Side Of Dating’, several years before
the rise of Morrissey and Marr. Wise, witty
and irresistibly fun.
Thomas Patterson
MONOPHONICS
It’s Only Us
★★★★
COLEMINE CD/LP
This well-executed
phat funk/soul
explosion should have
a warning stamp
suggesting listeners
tighten their flared
trouser belts, loosen their ties and double
knot their platform shoe laces before a
needle is placed on the vinyl.
Opening number ‘Chances’ has
a Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
feel, beamed direct from Four In Blue,
‘Suffocating’ delves deep into the emotions
Otis Redding sung so passionately about,
whilst ‘Last One Standing’ dons an afro
and knee-length black leather jacket
with a ‘KPM 1000 Series’ beat sounding
like it walked straight out of a ’70s crime
thriller. Further treats include ‘All In The
Family’, boasting a bubbling psychedelic
underwater vocal that floats innocently
below the surface before emerging to stun
you into submission. Additional mesmeric
grooves and emotive tear-jerkers aplenty
fill this carefully crafted release full to the
brim. A stunning effort from The Bay Area’s
coolest kids.
Matt Mead
82

Returning Legends
MICHAEL CHAPMAN
Plaindealer / The Twisted Road
★★★
MOONCREST CD
Thirty years into his
recording career
came these two
albums of amiable
blues-folk Americana
from one of the most
interesting UK singer/songwriters to
emerge at the end of the ’60s.
As with Chapman’s earlier
releases, there’s a sprinkling of guitar
instrumentals among the consistently
strong songs. Mooncrest have broken
with twofer convention by presenting
the albums in reverse order, with 2005’s
Plaindealer preceding 1999’s The
Twisted Road. While the albums aren’t
perhaps as essential as Rainmaker and
Fully Qualified Survivor (those works
have been reissued with great style by
Light In The Attic), they find Chapman at
a refreshed juncture of a career that had
been threatened with obsolescence in the
’80s. His voice is raspy and weathered,
which suits beautifully understated songs
such as ‘Another Crossroads’, ‘Memphis
In Winter’, ‘Streamline Train’ and the
haunting ‘A Girl On A Train’. A welcome
return for these fine albums.
Charles Donovan
ROBBY KRIEGER
The Ritual Begins At Sundown
★★★★
THE PLAYERS CLUB/MASCOT GROUP CD/LP
It’s funny how time
or to be more precise
the passing of time
changes everything.
In a previous life the
distinctive guitar
playing and song-writing presence who
did much to define the classic Doors
sound, the arrival of Robby Krieger’s ninth
solo album – his first in a decade – finds
him deep in territory far removed from
that mapped out by Messrs Morrison,
Manzarek, Densmore and Krieger.
While the title might read like a
line from one of Jim Morrison’s lyrics,
Krieger is heard positively ablaze in
high end instrumental jazz-rock fusion
mode with a distinctive latterday
Zappa-esque twist to the sound in the
spirit of albums like Make A Jazz Noise
Here. And the Zappa comparisons run
considerably deeper than the highly
intricate and serpentine arrangements
with Krieger’s band featuring long
standing collaborator and co-producer
Arthur Barrow and a fistful of fellow
Zappa alumni including Sal Marquez
and Tommy Mars, while the track listing
includes a take on ‘Chunga’s Revenge’.
Grahame Bent
MATTHEWS SOUTHERN
COMFORT
The New Mine
★★★★
MIG CD
Former Fairport
Convention vocalist
Iain Matthews
returns with the
reboot of his 1970
hit vehicle,
Matthews Southern Comfort. Back then
his band achieved chart success with
their version of Joni Mitchell’s classic
‘Woodstock’, and there is a fitting
symmetry that, 50 years later, this
release opens with a tasty rendition of
another Mitchell track, the politicallycharged
‘Ethiopia’.
This tip of the hat, bathed as it is in
the smooth vibe that Mitchell pioneered,
flags one aspect of this socially
conscious offering. In contrast to this
mood, with its sprinkling of Steely Danesque
vocal harmonies, The New Mine
also incorporates rootsy Americana and
British folk-rock energy. However, as this
is an MSC album, the Stateside country
vibe is most to the fore. Matthews
has moved effortlessly between the
country, soft-rock and folk-rock camps
throughout his career and this rather
lovely album continues that journey with
aplomb.
Greg Healey
Iain Matthews,
comfortable after
half a century
NICK MASON’S SAUCERFUL
OF SECRETS
Live At The Roundhouse
★★
LEGACY 2-CD/2-LP/DVD/BLU-RAY
That oft-mentioned
phrase “don’t mess
with the classics”
springs to mind
when listening to
this live release from
the Pink Floyd sticksman and his band,
which comprises an impressive line-up
of session musicians, notably Gary Kemp
of Spandau Ballet. Nick’s drumming is
the highlight throughout – he continues
to display that uniquely clattering sound
that drove these formative Floyd outings
to dizzying heights of psychedelic
wonderment.
Hallowed gems constructed by
Syd Barrett including ‘See Emily Play’
and ‘Interstellar Overdrive’ get a welldeserved
outing; other early touchstones
like ‘Apples And Oranges’ and ‘Paintbox’
aren’t tackled, leaving some of the
original magic intact. Whilst it’s pleasant
listening material – some of these tracks
getting a live airing for the first time since
the ’60s – the musical delivery doesn’t
match the dynamics of the originals, the
raw originality that highlights the studio
material is lost in this fresh live setting.
Fans will lap it up, of course.
Matt Mead
TANGERINE DREAM
Recurring Dreams
★★★★
KSCOPE CD/LP
The impact that
Tangerine Dream
have had on music
is incalculable. Just
as they drew early
inspiration from
classical and primitive as well as rock
and pop music sources, they in turn
inspired legions of musicians to
experiment and transcend, even defy or
transgress against the “rules” of their
genres.
On Recurring Dreams the current
line-up sets about rewriting or
perhaps reinterpreting history. The
idea of re-recording old material with
contemporary tech is classic Tangerine
Dream, Froese did it with Phaedra in
2005 (and before that too – although
it’s not always acknowledged). Various
Tangerine Dream tracks have also been,
effectively, solo efforts, and as such it’s
fitting that five years after Froese’s death
the band have individually produced a
set of classic Tangerine Dream tracks
with characteristic freshness. The
inclusion of one of Froese’s own final
recordings, a version of ‘Phaedra’
made shortly before he died, proves a
surprisingly emotive touch.
Simon Cross
84

ODESSEY & ORACLE
Crocorama
★★★★★
ANOTHER / DUR ET DOUX CD/LP
Lyon’s fantastic
Odessey & Oracle
(now expanded to a
four-piece with
drummer Roméo
joining Fanny, Alice
and Guillaume) go from strength to strength
with each release. The French-sung
Crocorama is the perfect blend of the
baroque, electronic, psychedelic, progressive
and tropical that saturate the group’s own
musical influences, yet it’s all done in such a
wide-eyed, dreamy manner that it comes off
entirely new.
Delightful opener ‘Chercher Maman’
has elements of their namesake but also
veers into ’70s brainy pop territory, sounding
like the theme to a period movie. And O&O
are so very filmic, the synthesised textures,
sweet classically phrased vocals and sweeps
of playfulness could soundtrack any number
of French or Japanese animated films.
Eleven incredible compositions that traverse
the ’60s to the ’80s with a colourful flow
distinctly their own. “The album The Free
Design made after having moved to France”,
wouldn’t come close to doing this melodic
and intelligent album justice.
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
Odessey & Oracle get snappy
THE OVERTURES
Onceinaworld
★★★
SELF-RELEASED CD
Having long
established themselves
as the premier UK ’60s
covers band (their list
of engagements
includes the wedding
bashes of Elton John, Elvis Costello and, less
excitingly, your correspondent) Hertfordshire
journeymen The Overtures finally return to
what they did originally, writing their own
gear.
Not surprisingly, the shadows of
everyone from Revolver-era Beatles
and the Gene Clark-led Byrds to Roy
Wood-flavoured flower-pop and Simon &
Garfunkel’s folky harmonies run deep, but
in actual fact the overall effect is closer in
terms of composition and performance to
the aforementioned Costello’s seminal late
’70s outings, not least in main man Den
Pugsley’s vocal delivery and deft, Bruce
Thomas-indebted bouncing bass lines. While
the influences are worn proudly on their
boating blazer sleeves, The Overtures inject
enough energy and personality into these
dozen hits-in-waiting to lift them safely out of
parody territory.
Andy Morten
EAMON RA
Meat Bones Chemicals Electricity
★★★★
SELF-RELEASED LP
Seattle music scene
stalwart Eamon
Nordquist (Sterling
Loons, Truly) spells out
a mission statement for
guitarists on the back
sleeve of this debut solo LP, imploring them
to never be boring. He practises as he
preaches, with nifty guitar lines throughout.
The album’s true strength, however, is its
songcraft.
There are strong nods to mid-60s British
Invasion bands and gentle psych-pop, along
with a glass-half-full positivity. Opening
track ‘Future History’ could be mistaken for
a purple patch Kinks off-cut – descending
chord sequences, woozy Mellotron and
Anglophilic music-hall feel. The acidfolk
of ‘Nightingale’ and ‘Simple But So
Complicated’, and rockier pieces such as
‘Waiting For The Morning’, ensure there’s
variation, but it’s somehow all held together
by Eamon’s bemused fascination with the
human condition. Friendships, family, and
life’s rich tapestry all come in for shrewd
commentary. The accompanying comic
book featuring lyrics and artwork for each
track is a welcome bonus.
Duncan Fletcher
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SHINDIGMAGAZINE
JAMES RIGHTON
The Performer
★★★
DEEWEE CD/LP
The solo debut from
James Righton sees
the former Klaxon ditch
the pervy swagger of
the indie trio in favour
of some ’70s-inspired
moves all his own, recorded with the
assistance of the Dewaele brothers of
Belgian genre-hoppers Soulwax (it can be no
coincidence that the cover sees Righton
dolled up in a sharp white suit, as similarly
sported by the Soulwax boys).
Opener ‘The Performer’ kicks off with a
keyboard groove lifted from Foreigner’s ‘Cold
As Ice’ before settling into a slinky groove
that’s part Bryan Ferry, part Simian (again, it’s
no accident the album was partly recorded at
Ferry’s Studio One with Simian’s James Ford
on drums). Elsewhere, Righton aims for late
night disco grooves on ‘Edie’, dream-pop on
‘Heavy Heart’ and chart-friendly sing-a-long
on ‘Start’. At times a tad too polite (one
occasionally yearns for the saucy bite of
his previous band), this is still a promising
opening shot.
Thomas Patterson
SAIRIE
Scarlet & Blue EP
★★★★
MULSO PRIMARY CD
Five original tracks of
pagan pastoralism
from East Sussex’s
Emma Morton, Jon
Griffin and Andy
Thomas. Sairie have a
fresh, crisp sound centred around Emma’s
and Jon’s voices with minimal
accompaniment.
‘Winds Of Sirocco’ is electric guitar-led
and the most upbeat of the five songs,
sounding like Judy Dyble-era Fairports,
‘Scarlet And Blue’ has Emma’s sweet voice
backed by autoharp, guitars and flute,
bringing forth the autumnal hue of Magna
Carta and Trees, while ‘Rich For All My
Sorrows’’ unaccompanied voices display
their grasp of the traditional. ‘Flowers Of
The Spring’ mixes plaintive acoustic and
overdriven guitar in true acid/progressivefolk
style and ‘Wight Hill’’s melody weaves
around the mind spookily.
As Wolf People’s Jack Sharp continues
his journey with Marisa, Jack & Davy and
his own excellent solo album, and The
Unthanks’ recent score for Mackenzie
Crook’s heart-warming adaptation of
Worzel Gummidge was a delight to hear on
prime time TV, it’s nice to be witnessing a
renaissance in such delicate music.
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
THE SONIC DAWN
Enter The Mirage
★★★★★
HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS CD/LP
With Scandinavian
psych-rock often
favouring the stoned,
wall of guitar, “Where
did Tuesday go?”
time-lapse approach,
it’s genuinely refreshing to hear that for their
fourth album not only have Copenhagen trio
The Sonic Dawn continued to mine the
Continues over
85

‘Voron’ with its unbridled and roughly handled
southern rock riff, which morphs surprisingly
to encompass a Joy Division vibe before
changing back again; and the lightly phased
squelchy pleasures of ‘Gravity And Heartbeat
(Last 7 Minutes In Space)’, with its taut,
interchanging passages of light and shade.
Greg Healey
The Sonic Dawn offer "a
modern psych classic"
sound and spirit of their own ’60s
forefathers, and the Stateside garage/acid
crossover of The Original Psychedelia Era,
but that they’ve injected such backwards
glances with several micrograms of their own
rich personality.
The result is a 10-track set that positively
fizzes with Avalon Ballroom energy, weaving
the shadow of Jerry Garcia (in both the guitar
and vocal delivery) around an immensely
pleasing sonic palette of electric ragas, jazzy
drums, compact garage band organ and an
economic production that allows the wideeyed
sentiment of the titilatingly-titled ‘Hits Of
Acid’, ‘Children Of The Night’ and revelatory
‘Sun Drifter’ to ooze wisdom, warmth and
accessibility.
A modern psych classic and early
contender for album of the year.
Andy Morten
SUNSET CANYONEERS
Sunset Canyoneers
★★★
YOU ARE THE COSMOS LP
Whilst it’d be easy to
come up with some
kind of trite umbrella
term under which you
could lump the many
new (mainly)
Californian acts flirting with the more cosmic
ends of Americana (The Buckskin
Underground anyone? No, thought not), it’d
also be lazy as there’s a whole wide sky’s
worth of clear blue between, say, Mapache,
GospelbeacH and Sunset Canyoneers.
This is the latter’s debut LP and it
comes coated in a chipper innocence and
wholesomeness that’s rare in this cynical age.
Marrying the crisp twang, steady backbeat
and swooning pedal steel of the early So-Cal
Bakersfield sound with the more extended,
high-flyin’, harmony-drippin’ outlaw vibe
popularised by early ’70s Dead and The
Band, the record rolls along like a Californian
freeway: sun-soaked, loose and easy. This
Oakland four-piece make for perfect road
trip companions, though I was left longing
for slightly more variety in the scenery we
passed.
Hugh Dellar
SUNWATCHERS
Oh Yeah?
★★★★
TROUBLE IN MIND CD/LP
Since their self-titled
debut LP was released
in 2016, Sunwatchers
have been
unstoppable: now, four
years later, they’re
releasing their fourth studio album.
On Oh Yeah? they add new trippy layers
of intensity to their springy sonic palette:
it’s cosmic jazz-rock at its most exuberant,
guitar-sax intersections to freak out to. As the
tracks scorchingly follow one another, you
wanna call it free-punk. Jim McHugh leads
the band through a riff-heavy sprawl that’s
grippingly frantic – his fiery guitar outbursts
are particularly enthralling on highlight
‘Brown Ice’ and the hypnotically droney
‘Thee Worm Store’. At nearly 20 minutes
long, album closer ‘The Earthsized Thumb’
draws the line between The Art Ensemble
Of Chicago and ZZ Top (turns out such a
thing exists; it’s a lot of fun, too). As always
with Sunwatchers, song titles and evocative
soundscapes address an imaginative
discourse that’s politically urgent and riveting
throughout.
Camilla Aisa
TEMNEE
Dialetics
★★★
SOUND-EFFECT LP
Ostensibly
instrumental, heavy
psych-rock with a dark,
portentous edge,
Russian band Temnee
quickly out themselves
as being more about the Sabbath than the
Hawkwind or the motorik.
Dispensing with the evolving ambience
of the opener, ‘Steps To Infinity’, the mood
is soon gripped and roundly shaken by the
cold hand of metal on ‘Doom. To Do Doom’.
There’s a feeling that some elements are
lost in the mix, as the occasionally untidy
although not unappealing guitars dominate
both drums and bass. However, this all adds
to the atmosphere on this limited edition vinyl
reissue of the band’s 2016 debut. Look out for
LISTEN TO
ON SOHO RADIO
WILD BILLY CHILDISH &
THE CHATHAM SINGERS
Kings Of The Medway Delta
★★★★
DAMAGED GOODS CD/LP
Here’s the third release
by The Chatham
Singers with Billy
declaring his aim to
record a Chess
Records-style blues
album. The sound and the feel are there but
also the patented Childish attitude and
approach.
The recordings are almost hi-fi in
comparison with some of Billy’s previous
releases but with a huge doomy echo that
not only captures the flavour of the Chess
releases he seeks to emulate but also the
Sam Phillips recordings leased to that label.
There are skiffled-up shuffles and cowboy
tales all underscored with the relentless,
throbbing, driving beat of the blues. The fine,
unfettered harmonica work from Jim Riley,
which is scattered throughout the sessions,
deserves special mention, with Billy being
ably backed up by long-time cohorts Nurse
Julie on bass and drummer Wolf Howard.
Billy also finds time to revisit and slow down
R&B belter ‘Wiley Coyote’ in the blues
style with Mr Childish again succeeding in
conjuring relevance from history.
Henry Hutton
WILLIAM K.Z.
After A Long Time
★★★★
BANDCAMP DL
After A Long Time is our
fi rst introduction to the
music of William k.z.,
and right from the
beginning the album is
full of serene twists and
turns: when a song or two lead you to believe
you have it all figured out and that some sort
of immediate classification is at hand, the
following sounds come at you from a
completely different place.
Eclectic and adventurous at heart,
William k.z.’s take on spacey folk makes for
revelatory repeated listens. Moody lullabies
and spoken word (‘Distoblarone’), low-key
intimacy and freakier experimentations (the
haunting, accordion-led ‘When I’m Awake’)
– these songs are instantly charming, but
also interestingly angular. The first sound you
hear – a fingerpicked guitar on ‘Etochama’ –
immediately evokes the gorgeous melancholy
of Sufjan Stevens; elsewhere, there are hints
of Devendra Banhart and Bon Iver’s self-titled
(on ‘Leaky Blind’, in particular). A most
promising debut.
Camilla Aisa
86

Glenda Collins channels
Joe Meek from
beyond the grave
THE ASTEROID NO 4
Underneath My Umbrella /
House Of The Seventh Moon
★★★★
HYPNOTIC BRIDGE
Especially crafted for
the bespoke Hypnotic
Bridge label, The
Asteroid No 4 go into
full-on vintage
production mode for
these two hits of classic UK psychedelia.
‘Under My Umbrella’ inhabits the
same place as early Tyrnaround and The
Dukes Of Stratosphear, with its influential
acid-era Beatles feel – ADT vocals, Mellotron,
harpsichord, backward guitars – that
informed everyone in 1967. ‘House Of
The Seventh Moon’ is as equally good,
informed by the heady freewheeling vibe of
the Timothy Leary-dosed Californians that
inspired so many British acts – a more ’68
going into ’69 sound if you like, not unlike
The Moody Blues and early Mighty Baby.
And again, it could easily pass as lost gem
from the era. We definitely need a full album
in this mode.
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
CHERRY PARKE
Captain Bullseye / All
Around The Moon
★★★
ROYAL ANNE
Into the current
resurgence of youthful
American acts doffing
their floppy hats to the
’60s Swinging London
psych archetype (see
also Electric Looking Glass, Gentle Cycle,
Small Breed) we welcome New Jersey trio
Cherry Parke, whose first outing, produced by
Kevin Basko (Rubber Band Gun, Foxygen,
The Lemon Twigs), offers a distinct toytown
twist on the sound, inspired by “’60s
baroque- pop, Jeff Lynne and Van Dyke
Parks”.
‘Captain Bullseye’ is a kissing cousin
of The Dukes Of Stratosphear’s ‘Brainiac’s
PSYCH-A-RELLA & SHINDIG! PRESENT
Daughter’, even down to the wobbly piano
and Swindon accent, which renders lines like
“Set sail on the Pinafore, he left the missus by
the door, her countenance sublime” slightly
more incredible than if they’d been delivered
in a rhotic accent. ‘All Around The Moon’
meanwhile, occupies a place in which Smileera
Beach Boys kidnap Mark Wirtz and force
him to write them a new single at an English
village fete.
Andy Morten
THE CLAIM / JIM RILEY
BLUES FOUNDATION
Spring Turns To Water /
Love’s Got A Hold Of Me
★★★
SPINOUT NUGGETS
This upbeat AA side
announces two exciting
bands, displaying a
clear knack for being
able to knock out
rousing traditional R&B
numbers. The Claim introduce themselves
with a zippy blues riff, pulsating middle section
straight out of The Prisoners’ back catalogue
before diving back into an infectious charging
beat. Lyrically, it’s great, with images of
seasonal changes, the English mannerisms
recollect ’60s Godheads like The Zombies and
The Kinks, perfectly telling tales of wistful
splendour.
The experience and showmanship of Jim
Riley and his crew shows. Plentiful of Paul
Butterfield’s raw harmonica coupled with
a mean rhythm section including glittering
guitar chords, this buoyant track reeks of
past generations of Medway garage and beat
merchants. It’s the sort of number the crowd
on Ready Steady Go! would have gone wild
for. A spring chicken of a single from some of
the scene’s old hands.
Matt Mead
GLENDA COLLINS
The Long Drop / Numbers
★★★★
FUTURE LEGEND
It’s not every day that
the words “Joe Meek
producing from beyond
the grave” appear in a
press release, but this
new single, released to
coincide with the 53rd anniversary of the
legendary producer’s suicide on Holloway
Road, comes with that exact promise.
Collins was once Meek’s primary female
singer, and released a string of 45s she
recorded with him between 1963 and ’66,
before his untimely death put paid to her
burgeoning career. She recently came out of
retirement to add vocals to a backing track
Tony Kaye cut with Meek back in the day,
but never released. Doused in a truly insane
degree of echoing reverb and driven along by
trademark deranged drums, ‘The Long Drop’
is an eerie, haunting tale of a double death – a
murder and a state execution. The flip, written
and produced by Russell C Brennan, is more
of the same: dark, dense and doom-laden.
Hugh Dellar
THE CYRCLES
It’s All Gonna Work Out
Fine / Open Your Eyes
★★★★
CYRCULAR MUSIC
Many bands make a
great noise but have no
memorable songs, or
an understanding of
craft. So when a group
comes along and
effortlessly ticks all three boxes, a treat for the
ears is ensured. The Cyrcles hail from Salford,
are centred around the songwriting and
blended tenor vocals of Jon Breward and Neil
Coulborn (both ex-Heywire) and
unashamedly continue the North-West’s
linage of melodic guitar bands, most notably
with echoes of The Hollies.
‘It’s All Gonna Work Out Fine’ is the sort
of song you’ll hear once and like. Hear it
twice and you’ll be humming it for a month.
Most pleasing of all are the close harmony
vocals sung in a northern brogue – a sound
that fellow Salfordian Graham Nash would no
doubt approve. ‘Open Your Eyes’ is an equally
enjoyable number, a jaunty psych-pop delight
with Rickenbacker guitar lines doing their
best to imitate sitars. Top work.
Duncan Fletcher
THE DEALERS
You Better Run / The
Evil’s Spreading
★★★★
BICKERTON
On this, the latest
two-sided thumper
from this always
highly-engaging
Spanish freak/
garage-style combo,
they go straight for the jugular, and it doesn’t
let up right from the get go.
A fierce onslaught of breakneck speed
garage-punk takes place, breaking out all
across the grooves of topside ‘You Better
Run’ (not the Rascals / ’N Betweens nugget
but an original creation) yet coming on like
a more up-to-the-minute interpretation of
The Zakary Thaks’ ‘Bad Girl’ template – it
has that attitude and strut about it for sure.
Upon turning the record over, the listener
discovers that The Dealers have only gone
and metamorphosed into The Deviants for an
atonal, spoken-word psych-out that sounds
like it should be soundtracking a late ’60s
riot. As the saying goes, kids, be afraid, be
very afraid.
Lenny Helsing
BOB DESTINY
Wang Dang / Manha (Troubles)
★★★★★
PHARAWAY SOUNDS
There can’t be many
scorching R&B/soul
artists whose best
recordings only
appeared on obscure
Algerian labels, and if
there are, then the splendidly-named Bob
Continues over
87

Destiny must surely be prime among this
rather elite club. Born in Puerto Rico to a
black American father and local mother,
Rafael Felipe Moreno, as he was christened,
grew up in Harlem, where he taught himself
piano, whilst also studying dance and
theatre. He played with Billie Holliday,
appeared in several Broadway shows and
Hollywood flicks and eventually wound up
working for The Algerian National Theater,
during which time he cut two 45s – one side
from each of which can be found here.
‘Wang Dang’ is a furiously funky, organdriven
low-fi monster complete with howled
gibberish lyrics and deadly break-downs.
Flip it over and ‘Mahna’ is an extended raw
soul-jazz jam that’s looser, longer and more
steeped in both Latin and local styles.
Hugh Dellar
LES GRYS-GRYS
Milkcow Blues / So Long
★★★★★
STATE
With their monstrous
second LP in the bag
waiting to be
unleashed on an
undeserving world,
Les Grys-Grys. the
best thing to come out of France since the
ménage à trois (or, at the very least, since
Soggy) have dropped this little teaser as a
stop-gap.
From their very earliest days, their
incendiary version of Kokomo Arnold’s
‘Milkcow Blues’ was a set opener that
could expand to fit as required. Whilst
clearly owing a hefty debt to The Kinks’
blistering version, there’s an added
air of taut tension that threatens to
spontaneously combust at any second.
Imagine late 1965 Sons Of Fred cranked
up on purple hearts and with guitars set
to stun and you’re getting close. Flipside
‘So Long’ is an original that clocks in at
around half the length and marries the
bruiser bovver and barbed hooks of early
’70s Flamin’ Groovies to fluid West Coast
guitar lines.
Hugh Dellar
MAMMALS
Look Around You EP
★★★
LAMONT
This is the third 45
from Chicago-based
three-piece Mammals
and, fittingly, it
features three chunks
of powerpop punk
delivered in short, sweet bursts. Drawing on
the energy and urgency of many of the
usual suspects (The Nerves, The Jam, The
Plimsouls, Buzzcocks), these songs come
hard, fast and harmony-laden, but are not
without unusual textures, twists and turns.
‘Look Around You’, the only track here
to top the three-minute mark, has a slowburn
intro built around a tinny snare drum
and descending chiming guitar that then
bursts into life about minute in.
An impressionistic, slightly abstract,
softly psychedelic lyric unfurls round a
strangely melancholic chord sequence
without anything as vulgar as a guitar solo
to sully the mood. ‘In The Darkness’ is early
Johnny Cash meets Blondie, all loping bass
and the sudden bloom of a chorus, and
‘Expanding Heart’ is a raw throb of young
lust/love made musical.
Hugh Dellar
JOIN US ON INSTAGRAM
@SHINDIG_MAGAZINE
THE OUTLAWS
I Go Ape / Brand New Cadillac
★★★★
SOCK-IT
Unreleased 1963 demo
of this well-known beat
rocker by the group
which was at least
partly responsible for
teaching the young
Ritchie Blackmore and Chas Hodges all
about the whys and wherefores of the music
industry.
Already established leading lights in
British instrumental combo realms with
a string of 45s to their name, this was
apparently the group’s first exposure to fourtrack
recording; moonlighting from their usual
production gaffer the legendary Joe Meek
in the process. Guitars, drums and vocals
kick up a storm before Ritchie lets loose with
one of his suitably wild lead guitar breaks.
If not as "ape" as the soon to come Rockin’
Vickers’ own Decca version this still holds up
very nicely indeed. A rockingly cool version of
what is arguably the now even better-known
‘Brand New Cadillac’ – thanks to The Clash
covering it on ’79’s London Calling – proves
an adequate gracing on the flipside.
Lenny Helsing
SACRED ORANGE
Mister Opel / Away My
Love / Crystal Sunlight
★★★★
HYPNOTIC BRIDGE 45
A fab 45 featuring
members of LA psych
bands The Electric
Looking Glass,
Triptides, Dream
Phases, Frankie & The
Witch Fingers and The Creation Factory,
whose guitarist Neil Soiland formulated the
idea of this UK psych-pop-loving, studio-only
supergroup.
‘Mister Opel’ is all fluid bass-lines,
wah-wah guitar and lost vocals, echoing, as
the press states, One In Million’s ‘Fredereek
Hernando’, Morgan’s ‘Of Dreams’ and The
Pretty Things’ ‘Talking About The Good
Times’. ‘Away My Love’, penned by Glenn
Brigman, is a joyous sunshine-pop sun ditty,
swathed in Wilson, Boettcher and Bacharach;
it makes quite a contrast to the strident
topside. The forlorn ‘Crystal Sunlight’ closes
the EP in the tradition of 1966 monastic UK
psych-pop (‘Paint It, Black’, ‘Still I’m Sad’
et al).
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
WICKED LADY
Run The Night / I’m A Freak
★★★★
GUERSSEN
Guitarist Martin Weaver
once said of Wicked
Lady, “We prided
ourselves on being
loud, hard and not
giving a shit.” So, with a
drummer called ‘Mad’ Dick Smith, the fervent
respect of resident biker contingents, plus a
predilection for booze-fuelled mishaps (the
band’s name is taken from a popular
“cocktail” of the time), giving a shit was
defiantly off the cards.
This limited 45 features the sturdier
tracks from the sheer volume of basement
rehearsal tapes (available on Guerssen’s
2-LP set), which given Weaver’s links to
other Northamptonshire legends Dark, has
seen a rise in popularity for those seeking
all things proto-metal. ‘Run The Night’ has
traces of Taste and Stray, a reliably solid riff
and Weaver’s extended solos (it’s the more
“relaxed” of the sides), while ‘I’m A Freak’,
with its super-distorted guitar and speeddriven
pace, feels closer to squat-rockers
Pink Fairies or Crushed Butler in stature.
Louis Wiggett
Les Grys Grys: grey matter
88

ALONG COMES THE
ASSOCIATION
Russ Giguere & Ashley
Wren Collins
★★★★
RARE BIRD
“Every time I think
that I’m the only one
who wants a book on
The Association,
someone calls on me
/ And then along
comes Russell / And
does he want to give
me kicks and give me
pick of memories…”
Good news, folks. This memoir from
founder member, rhythm guitarist and singer
of The Association is way better than my
adaptation of the lyric. This second major
history of the band in two years (following
Malcolm C Searles’ Cherish) gives the
reader a privileged ride in the Association
tour bus. Early chapters, however, prove a
dizzying ride; Russ’s anecdotes a cascade of
non-chronological memories. As someone
who considers this shamefully underrated
band among his all-time favourites I’m all
ears, but wondering how much of the “Hey,
it was the ’60s, it was different back then
(by the way did I mention I like to smoke a
little pot?)” patter I can take over the course
of 300 pages. Then, after 70 pages, the
highway smooths, and Mr Giguere proves a
very amiable and entertaining companion for
the remainder of the journey.
I had hoped for more insight into
recording and song-writing methods, how
the six/seven man band constructed such
beautiful music, but, among his wealth of
tales, my jaw genuinely dropped at mention
of one of his former girlfriends. No, I’m not
spoiling the surprise.
Sincerely, thanks for the music, Russ,
and for taking the trouble to pen these
words. “Now my empty cup tastes as sweet
as the punch.”
Vic Templar
33 1/3: DAVID BOWIE’S
DIAMOND DOGS
Glenn Hendler
★★★★
BLOOMSBURY
Trying to get your
head round the
origins of some of
David Bowie’s work
isn’t a job for the
faint-hearted.
Decoding some of his
famously oblique
lyrics (some created
via a Bill Burroughs cut-up) is only made
harder by the man’s magpie tendencies and
cheerful refusal to let the truth get in the way
of a good story. This latest volume of
Bloomsbury’s 33 1/3 series sees US
academic Glenn Hendler manfully take a
crack at forensically unpacking the disparate
ingredients of Bowie’s greatest future
dystopia Diamond Dogs and passing with
flying colours. Sure, Dogs is a hot mess of a
concept but Hendler’s book makes sense of
it by raking through Bowie’s lyrics and the
massed backing vocals and concluding that
each song has a different narrator – each
addressing a different person.
Originally intended by Bowie to be a
musical adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984
before Orwell’s estate vetoed it, the Dame
stirred in a host of other ideas. Amongst
the flavours Hendler identifies are death,
disease, mutation, the theme from Shaft,
Neu!, Tod Browning’s Freaks and the Stones.
The obsessive production – made in the early
days of Bowie’s coke mania conceals all
sorts of thematic touches, with Orwell’s novel
linking in with ‘We Are The Dead’ in ways we
might have missed, argues the author. We
don’t get a lot closer to the man himself, but
Hendler’s book does a better job of getting
to the bottom of Bowie’s mindset at the time
than most.
Martin Ruddock
ALL MY YESTERDAYS
Steve Howe
★★★
OMNIBUS PRESS
While Steve Howe’s
name is inextricably
linked with the
convoluted history of
Yes, it’s tempting to
reflect how differently
things might have
worked out had
Tomorrow met with
major league success and his subsequent try
outs with Deep Purple, The Nice and Atomic
Rooster had landed him a gig and with it a
different career path.
Howe is at his best when writing about
guitars, his appreciation of the history of
guitars, his favourite players and when
fondly recollecting his forays into the
emerging ’60s rock biz with The Syndicats,
The In Crowd, Tomorrow and Bodast,
with encounters with Joe Meek, jams with
Hendrix and touring Europe with PP Arnold
and Delaney & Bonnie en route before
answering the call from Yes and joining the
band in 1970.
By way of comparison the
chronological detailing of his time as a
member of the classic Yes line-up, Asia and
the many and varied "post classic" editions
of Yes makes for relatively mundane
reading with its repeated emphasis on
punishing tour schedules, endless travel
and the inevitable personality clashes with
fellow band members.
Nevertheless, clearly a perfectionist, a
lifetime workaholic and a man who loves to
be continually on the move the book also
covers the formation of the Steve Howe Trio
and his parallel career as a solo performer.
Along the way Howe reveals himself to be
a something of a car buff, a snooker fan
and perhaps less surprisingly a confirmed
advocate of macrobiotics, vegetarianism,
meditation and hypnotherapy, which is
probably why he’s still going strong at 73.
Grahame Bent
The Association. Not
the squeaky clean
pop troupe you
expected after all
90

THE BLANK TAPES,
HEIRLOOM, HOLY MAGICK
The Hope & Ruin, Brighton
WEDNESDAY 11TH DECEMBER
Happy birthday to Acid Box, stalwart
DIY promoters who’ve brought the best
contemporary psychedelic acts from
around the world to Brighton since 2013,
as well as helping to nurture a healthy local
psych underground. Tonight’s show is
typically great, just with added balloons and
cupcakes.
Holy Magick’s dark, leftfield pop,
slow-gaze and garage-rock is fiercer live
than on record, and is engagingly performed
by singer Siobhan Lynch. They’re ones to
watch, as are fellow locals Heirloom
with their early PJ Harvey, gothic swamp
blues. Bassist Jade Tooffe opens her mouth
wide in a sensuous howl, while guitarist
Jane Rivers growls like Nick Cave through
gritted teeth. Elegant and intense, poised yet
feverish, Heirloom will definitely be headline
performers in 2020.
Finally it’s a welcome return for LA
renaissance man Matt Adams and his latest
incarnation of The Blank Tapes, who
get the whole room dancing and grinning
with their laidback yet crunchy rock ’n’ roll.
For the uninitiated, think Loaded-era Velvets
with a touch of Creedence and Quicksilver
Messenger Service: simple three-chord
songs played tight in the pocket with virtuoso
chops. Tonight they lean heavily on latest
album Look Into The Light, opening with
the minimal stomp of ‘I Think I Took Too
Much’ and building to the title track, with an
extended instrumental break that borrows its
dynamics from ‘Light My Fire’ for a definite
peak moment. They close with a verse of
‘Happy Birthday’ for our hosts, and the hope
of many more fine shows to come.
Ben Graham
THE HELIOCENTRICS
Red Lion Ballroom,
Leytonstone, London
FRIDAY 31ST JANUARY
When bands eschew the need for a support
band, it’s generally so that they can rubber
stamp the evening as their very own
"happening", and that’s exactly what we
get tonight, with the legendary psych-jazz
collective giving themselves the time they
need to let their expansive, mind-altering
music to take flight following co-founder
Malcolm Catto’s pre-gig deejay set of
kaleidoscopic sounds and speaker-rattling
beats.
Framed in silhouette in front of a back
drop of frazzled visuals, the band start subtly
with a slow building drone that hypnotises
the audience, before they explode into
‘99% Revolution’ the opening track from
wonderful new long-player Infinity Of Now.
As the set progresses it brings to mind a
plethora of influences, as if someone has
fused the best parts of your record collection
into one continuous strand of acid-soaked
music, with Catto’s extraordinary drum skills
(think the hip-hop loving child of Ginger
Baker and Jaki Leibezeit) and bassist Jake
Ferguson the beating heart. Singer Barbora
Patkova provides a riveting focal point, with
new songs like ‘Burning Wooden Ship’ and
‘Light In The Dark’ showing that the bands
new, focused creative process is reaping
rich rewards.
The highlights come thick and fast and
include their take on James Browns ‘Give It
Up Turn It Loose’, which suddenly presents
an alternate reality where The Godfather
Of Soul got heavily into psychedelic drugs
and gave his band free rein to wave their
freak flags. An immersive and brilliant live
experience.
Paul Osborne
“Think Loaded-era Velvets with a touch of
Creedence and Quicksilver Messenger Service:
simple three-chord songs played tight in the pocket
with virtuoso chops”
DEVENDRA BANHART
Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
TUESDAY 4TH FEBRUARY
Devendra Banhart’s return to these shores
confirmed him as a born entertainer, with his
subtle pop confections and quietly spoken
interludes holding a packed Shepherd’s Bush
Empire to rapt attention. Coming a long way
92

The Blank Tapes.
"Laidback yet crunchy
rock ’n' roll"
Isobel Campbell,
northern belle
since his debut in 2002, Banhart’s work has
become, over time, intricate and distinctive.
Last year’s Ma album was something of
a gold-standard, contemporary singersongwriter
record; its dreamy musicality
suggesting nothing less than Harry Nilsson’s
The Point, a record with which it shares much,
in terms of feel. It was the Ma songs which
formed the opening brace of tonight’s set,
effortlessly reaching the heights of their studio
counterparts thanks to the impressive skills of
the players accompanying him.
A Devendra show seems welcoming
and inclusive, something that wasn’t wasted
on the audience. Singing at various parts of
the evening in Spanish and Portuguese, he
also invited audience requests which enabled
the show to reach further into his past;
‘Heard Somebody Say’ from 2005’s Cripple
Crow album proving a particularly welcome
addition. Another older song ‘Sea Horse’
showcased further the blazing improvisational
skills of the musicians at hand, guitarist Nicole
Lawrence’s playing bringing late ’60s San
Francisco to mind during one exploratory,
‘Dark Star’-style introduction.
It wasn’t a perfect evening; the “four-tothe-floor”
dancefloor attempts from 2016’s
Ape In Pink Marble felt forced, to this writer at
least. Ultimately though, Banhart is an artist
and an individual whose work will take him
wherever he sees fit. On this evidence, he is
in fine form right now.
Ben Phillipson
ISOBEL CAMPBELL
St Pancras Old Church, London
FRIDAY 7TH FEBRUARY
Even in her Belle & Sebastian days, Isobel
Campbell never seemed to relish being
centre stage. True to form, she emerges
almost apologetically into the spotlight
at St Pancras Old Church for the second
of two performances tonight. But whilst
introductions were kept to a minimum, when
the time came to sing, the music stood proud.
Flanked by a versatile three-piece group,
with whom she appeared to share genuine
camaraderie, the set opened with a wondrous
‘Willow’s Song’ from The Wicker Man, it’s
extended, string-driven coda being both
hypnotic and faithful to the source.
Though not exactly prolific (recently
issued There Is No Other... is actually
only her second full-length solo album),
Campbell has steadily made a case for
herself as a songwriter. For one, there were
the well-received collaborations with Mark
Lanegan, for which she was the driving
force. Highlights of those albums peppered
the set, providing something near-classic, in
the case of ‘Saturday’s Gone’ from Ballad Of
The Broken Seas.
It’s the excellent new material though,
which made the evening memorable.
‘National Bird Of India’ is beautiful, modal
folk-pop, all open-tuned guitars, whilst ‘City
Of Angels’ recalls the delicacy of early ’70s
Robert Kirby arrangements. Vocally subdued
they may be, but that itself is a style which
Isobel Campbell has long made her own.
By the time the set finished with a deeply
evocative ‘Is It Wicked Not To Care’ (“the first
song I wrote for Belle & Sebastian”), one was
left hoping that her re-emergence becomes
something more permanent.
Ben Phillipson
GOSPELBEACH, THE
HANGING STARS, PERALTA
The Moth Club,
Hackney, London
WEDNESDAY 26TH FEBRUARY
Asturian lads Peralta extol that innate Spanish
love of powerpop and garage-punk (no
surprise, considering they feature members
of Doctor Explosion, The Mockin’byrds, The
Cynics and Fogbound) into their joyous highenergy
blend of folk and country-rock and
psychedelia. When cooking they were on fire
with three-part harmonies, dual guitar interplay
and a powerful rhythm section to the fore.
If one band owned the night it was The
Hanging Stars, who were armed with a
new album’s worth of material to celebrate.
Richard Olson confidently took it in his stride
as the prestigious Joe Harvey-Whyte created
shimmering textures with his pedal steel,
Patrick Ralla excelled on guitar, slide and
keyboards and Sam Ferman and Paulie Cobra
provided a subtle backbeat for the openness
of the music. New songs, the garage/folk/
psych ‘(I’ve Seen) The Summer In Her Eyes’,
the Dylanesque ‘Heavy Blue’ and the wasted
NYC ’70s groove of ‘I Will Please You’ were
stand-outs. An assured set, proving the Stars
are still rising.
It wasn’t as easy for headliners
GospelbeacH, whose legendary frontman
Brent Rademaker suffered not only a
nosebleed (“It’s not the cocaine, I gave up
that shit years ago. It’s old man problems”)
but also sound issues and an apparent lack
of Mojo. As the set ambled uneasily towards
the last four or five songs, a spark ignited and
the band stunned. Yet, even on a bad night
Rademaker’s easy-going humour and chatter
were not only a saving grace, but a real joy.
The minute’s silence for Neal Casal struck the
deepest chord of the night.
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
93

vinyl art
“Brodsky’s work was
– according to gallery
owner Chris Murray
– ‘a precursor to the
illustrated concept
album’ and as such he
was well-versed in the
art of matching mood
to music”
#88 Astrud Gilberto
I Haven’t Got Anything Better To Do
VERVE, US, 1969
ART DIRECTION: DAVID E KRIEGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JOEL BRODSKY
GITTE MORTEN finds out why, when she had the world at her
feet in 1969, Astrud looked this sad
will never be out of
style,” Astrud Gilberto
is quoted as saying in the
liner notes for I Haven’t Got
Anything Better To Do, the
“Love
first of her two albums in
1969. Her years with Verve came to an end
with this record, the epitome of sophisticated
late ’60s easy listening Bossa Nova, imbued
with late night melancholia so thick you can
cut it with a faca.
Plucked from relative obscurity from
among the musical circle surrounding
João Gilberto – at least in part due to her
command of the language – Astrud Gilberto
was rocketed right into the international
limelight with her English language version
of ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ and promptly
secured a US recording deal with Verve, for
whom she recorded a steady stream of jazzy,
Bossa-tinged pop albums.
Described by Astrud herself as her
“fireside” album, I Haven’t Got Anything Better
To Do is a fairly brief affair, full of charming
covers of songs by contemporary mainstays:
Bacharach & David, Nilsson, Webb,
Legrand et al. Pensively wistful renditions of
songs of longing and heartache, a particularly
fine example being her gossamer-light
reading of ‘Trains And Boats And Planes’.
This melancholy atmosphere is beautifully
reflected on the album cover, which features a
softly lit close-up of the singer’s face, framed
by her long hair, her dark brown eyes spilling
over with emotion. Describing the cover as
“bewitching”, Johnny Morgan includes the
album in his and Barry Miles’ The Greatest
Album Covers Of All Time, somewhere
between Aladdin Sane and The Psychedelic
Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators.
The captivating cover image is by rock
photographer Joel Brodsky; yes, he of pretty
much any album cover you can think of.
Well, about 400 of them, anyway, including
gems such as Astral Weeks, Kick Out The Jams,
Nazz, The Stooges, Black Moses and three of
the early Doors albums, as well as the famous
“Young Lion” portraits of Jim Morrison. He
was also the house photographer for Stax
Records for several years. Brodsky fell into
music photography by chance and worked
meticulously and precisely to set up the
perfect shot. His work was – according to
gallery owner Chris Murray – “a precursor to
the illustrated concept album” and as such he
was well-versed in the art of matching mood
to music.
The back cover continues the somewhat
sombre mood with another of Brodsky’s
photographs; this one a monochrome image
depicting a lonely and urban Astrud on a park
bench, presumably in New York, where the
album was recorded. Century Sound Studios
was the venue for this, a studio belonging
to Brooks Arthur, who also produced and
engineered the album, as was his wont in
these situations. An interesting chap – real
name coincidentally Arnold Brodsky – who
began his career while still in short trousers
as a Decca mailroom boy, then as a Brill
Building songwriter, before becoming an
engineer on records such as ‘The Leader Of
The Pack’, ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ and ‘Darling
Be Home Soon’.
The album was graced with a wealth of
experience in terms of personnel; this was
also the case for the overall art direction,
which was by another old hand, namely
David E Krieger from Davis-Fried-Krieger,
a very successful New York ad agency.
Speaking in ’73 in Billboard, Krieger described
their all-encompassing method: “It’s not
a matter of putting a picture on the cover,
slapping some type above it and out comes
the cover. When we start a cover we’re
also thinking of ways for [sic] selling the
product.”
A finely thought-out, performed,
recorded and promoted album then, I
Haven’t Got Anything Better To Do was
released to a four-star review in Billboard but
alas doesn’t seem to have troubled the charts.
Graced with an irresistible cover, howeverm
it perfectly reflected the tone of the music
it represented and still stands as a beautiful
reminder of the time and place in which it
was recorded.
96

Prize Crossword
by Stuart Draper
Forever the bridesmaid, never the bride, late ’60s pop royalty THE IDLE RACE came
close to mainstream success with a string of witty, intelligent pop 45s and a pair of killer
albums, of which the first, The Birthday Party, has just been remastered and expanded by
the ever-dependable folk over at Grapefruit Records. Sourced from the master tapes and
offering the mono and stereo mixes plus singles and
alternate versions, it’s the definitive edition. And we
have a copy to give away.
To enter, simply send your completed crossword to
Shindig! #102 Crossword, 40 Windsor Crescent,
Frome, Somerset BA11 2EA or email a legible scan of
it to win@shindig-magazine.com with the words
“SD101 crossword competition” in the subject line, no
later than 7th May.
And don’t forget to include your name and address!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10
11 12
13 14
15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23
24 25
26
Across
1 Subsequent band of The Animals'
keyboardist (3,4,5,3)
9 Divine or supernatural like Gerry Mohr's
workers (7)
10 Obviously, how invisible were Oh Sees?
(7)
11 Found in the middle of Dennis Wilson's
solo LP (5)
12 Almost eponymous recent album from
Daltrey and Townshend (3)
13 Early 2000s Isle Of Wight band, who
joined The Monkees and almost The Byrds
(3,4)
14 Type of work Jimmy Page and Elton
John did in the ’60s (7)
15 Eat's second and last was devoted to
pleasure (7)
18 A shared experience from Goat in 2014
(7)
20 Jack, singer of The Kingsmen's version
of ‘Louie Louie’ (3)
22 Comes after thunder for a Philadelphia
trio (5)
24 Demonstration time for these with The
Beach Boys (7)
25 Fifties revivalists found at Woodstock
(3,2,2)
26 The Brain provides bad crimson dreams
(10,2,3)
Down
1 The Zombies know the right occasion to
add salt (4,2,3,6)
2 Marina Tadic's spooky Wanda (5)
3 "I can't get a _____ to drive in my car /
But I don't really need it if I'm a big star" –
'O My Soul’, Big Star (7)
4 The Beta Band had these styii in their
eyes (7)
5 Follows love for a post-Bauhaus band
(7)
6 Brian, main screenwriter for (and some
say creator of) The Avengers (7)
7 Curved Air's fixing (5)
8 Attempt comprehension with The Seeds
(3,2,10)
16 Adjective that The Mothers Of Invention
might apply to your mind (7)
17 Early ’70s East German combo (7)
18 Second LP from The Soundcarriers (7)
19 Eric Johnson's first group couldn't shift
their Perpetuum Mobile (7)
21 The difference between CSN and CSNY
(5)
23 Starkey formerly and formally (5)
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Name
Address ________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone ________________________________________________________________________________________________
Email
IF YOU'RE READING THIS
then advertising in Shindig! works.
To find out how we can help you reach thousands of Shindig! readers call
ALAN THOMAS on 07830 168076
or email alan@shindig-magazine.com
1
S
8
10
12
P
2
G
3
L
4
D
5
I
6
S
7
O
R O P E R O R N A M E N T S
I N A I D I L T
C
I G A R E T T E L
11
9
A Y E R
K N T P E G A
S O
13 P W I T H 14 E A S T E R N
15
W
18
22
25
R N E N O G
R O N G 16 R O D 17 S E R G E
H P I E Y G
I C E B 19 E R G 20 N U M B E R 21
S
T R U H C P V
E
23
N T E R T
24
H E C A S T
S I O W D T R N
T
Issue 101 crossword solution
H E A P P A L A C H I A N S
S E Y Y Y P K
L
E
97

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE
Subscription deals,
from only £26.00!
Print edition
SUBSCRIBE
TODAY
and receive a copy of Bob Stanley & Pete
Wiggs’ sequel to the amazing English Weather
compilation on Ace Records. Occasional
Rain continues the dour early ’70s prog-pop
of its predecessor with inclusions from
Traffic, Yes, Christine Harwood, Tonton
Macoute, The Shape Of Rain
and much more.
*Whilst stock lasts
Our striking
binders are the perfect
way to house your
Shindig! collection and keep the
magazines in pristine condition.
They’re £16.99 each and available here:
www.silverbackpublishing.rocks/
product/shindig-magazine-binder/
Digital edition
DOWNLOAD
NOW
Subscribe digitally for one year*
from £29.99
Latest issue and Back Issues
just £3.99
Download to your iPad,
iPhone, Android device,
Mac, PC or Kindle Fire!
(*eight issues a year)
ALSO AVAILABLE VIA…
ORDER YOUR
SUBSCRIPTION NOW
Call: 07841 412199 Visit: shindig-magazine.com
E-mail: subs@silverbackpublishing.rocks
Or return the form below to:
Shindig! Subscriptions, 14 Victoria Road,
Sutton, Surrey, SM1 4RT
BACK ISSUES:
Curate your collection of
Shindig! Issues and books
today. All back issues are now
available from 1 to 87, plus
annuals, specials and more.
GO ON LINE TO ORDER AT:
mymagazinesub.co.uk/
shindig/back-issues/shindigmagazine.com
UNITED KINGDOM:
Six months of Shindig! £26.00
(A saving of nearly 17% per issue!)
12 months of Shindig! £50.00
(A saving of over 20% per issue!)
INTERNATIONAL EUROPE:
Six months of Shindig! £45.00
12 months of Shindig! £86.00
REST OF WORLD:
Six months of Shindig! £59.00
12 months of Shindig! £110.00
YOUR DETAILS:
TITLE
SURNAME
ADDRESS
POSTCODE
INITIALS
DAYTIME TEL. NO.
E-MAIL
COUNTRY
PAYMENT METHOD:
CHEQUE (PAYABLE TO SILVERBACK PUBLISHING LTD)
VISA/MASTERCARD/SWITCH CARD NO.
START DATE
SWITCH ISSUE NUMBER
EXPIRY DATE
THE LAST THREE NUMBERS FROM THE
SIGNATURE STRIP ON THE BACK OF YOUR CARD
DATE
The information supplied on the form will be retained by Silverback Publishing Ltd on a
database. The information may also be used for marketing purposes and you could be
contacted by letter, telephone or e-mail with details of products or services which we
believe may be of interest to you. You will only receive such contact from carefully selected
companies, approved by the team at Silverback.
IF YOU DON’T WANT THIS STUFF PLEASE TICK THIS BOX
The mag will be delivered to your door and you should get it before it
arrives in the shops. Overseas subscriptions are sent by airmail.