Eighth Day Magazine Issue Twenty-five

EIGHTH DAY “... when we would use the word ‘feminist’, we would get shit for it ...”

- Donita Sparks.

Deep Purple / Jim Bob / Supertramp / Go West / Odyssey / Jessie Wagner / Alan Wilson on Joe Meek / Gretchen Peters / Librarians with Hickeys / The Idle Race / Nick Frater

ISSUE TWENTY-FIVE. OCTOBER. £5.00

Not Bad for A Girl

www.eighthdaycommunications.co.uk/magazine / Facebook: eighthdaymagazine /

EDITORIAL

Top: Alice Jones-Rodgers Editor-in-Chief Scott Rodgers Photographer and Brick Weigher Bottom, from left to right: Kevin Burke Staff Writer Martin Hutchinson Staff Writer Paul Foden Staff Writer Peter Dennis Staff Writer

EIGHTH DAY Issue Twenty-five October 2020

Wayne Reid Staff Writer Eoghan Lyng Staff Writer Dan Webster Wasted World German Shepherd Records “Different Noises for Your Ears” Frenchy Rants

Could you be an Eighth Day writer?

Please feel free to email us samples of your work!

Twitter: @EighthDayMag / Instagram: @eighthdaymagazine / eighthdaymagazine@outlook.com

“A wee slice of rock ‘n’ roll history!”

CONTENTS

4. Jessie Wagner Interview by Kevin Burke.

62. L7 Interview by Kevin Burke.

94. Ocean Grove Interview by Peter Dennis.

10. Deep Purple Interview by Martin Hutchinson.

70. Alan Wilson on Joe Meek Interview by Alice Jones-Rodgers.

98. Odyssey Interview by Martin Hutchinson.

14. Go West Interview by Alice Jones-Rodgers.

24. Jim Bob Interview by Kevin Burke.

33 / 53 / 77.

Wasted World Another instalment of Dan Webster’s legendary comic strip.

34. Librarians with Hickeys Interview by Alice Jones-Rodgers 42. Supertramp Interview by Martin Hutchinson.

46. Gretchen Peters Interview by Kevin Burke.

54. Nick Frater Interview by Alice Jones-Rodgers.

78. The Idle Race Interview by Martin Hutchinson.

83. Black Sabbath Martin Hutchinson reviews ‘Sabotage: Black Sabbath in the Seventies’.

84. Hawkwind Joe Banks takes a look at one of the abiding mysteries of the band’s saga.

89. Cozy Powell Martin Hutchinson reviews ‘Dance with the Devil: The Cozy Powell Story’.

90. German Shepherd Records Presents: Adventures of Salvador “Different Noises for Your Ears.”

102. Frenchy’s Rants This month: What’s in A Name?

106. Ringo Starr Eoghan Lyng celebrates ‘Beaucoups of Blues’ at 50.

110. IDLES Alice Jones-Rodgers reviews ‘Ultra Mono’.

114. Tricky Alice Jones-Rodgers reviews ‘Fall to Pieces.

117. Tesla Review by Alice Jones-Rodgers.

118. Rocks Review by Alice Jones-Rodgers.

122. Ian Dury Alice Jones-Rodgers reviews ‘Hit Me!: The Best of Ian Dury.

Jessie Wagner

Soul Shoes & Droppin’ Blues Interview by Kevin Burke.

4

The backing singer to some of the biggest names in music releases a thrilling debut.

Bubbly and energetic. Those two words sum up my first impressions of Jessie Wagner. The lady’s positivity is infectious. In a world trying to eat itself alive, she provides a guiding light of hope. A singer-songwriter of extreme passion, on October 9th, she releases her debut solo album ‘Shoes Droppin’ courtesy of Wicked Cool Records. And although a debut, this is not Jessie’s first foray into the music world.

A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Jessie has brought a touch of background, vocal magic to tours by Lenny Kravitz, Duran Duran, Chic and even Kid Rock, contributing vocals to the latter’s last three albums. The now New York based Jessie has performed at the Grammys and the Montreux Jazz Festival with such legends as Robert Plant. In between all of this, she has fronted her own rock band, Army of the Underdog.

But now, across eleven self-penned tracks, Jessie Wagner stands on her own two feet and brings a plethora of sounds, and influences together in one startling album.

The question that kicks things off is - was this always her goal, to forge a solo career? “Oh definitely! I think that’s always the dream going into it.

Not that I regret having the opportunity of working with all these people, because without them, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am

now. When you get into it and you see what it’s like to be on those big stages and feel the responses from the audiences. In the back of your mind you’re thinking, ‘This would be great if it were my tour, my music’.

So yeah, I’ve always wanted to tour off Jessie Wagner’s name.”

Jessie then elaborated on her upbringing which influenced her style.

“Growing up, it was very diverse what we listened to, and I kinda got made fun of as a kid because not many black girls were running around singing The Carpenters [laughs]. But I was, and I loved it.

I’ve always embraced different sounds, and kind of taking it all in. I love all different types of music and it definitely comes out in this album.”

The eleven tracks showcase a strength in songwriting but also a versatility, as the lady tackles different styles and even genres. “If I’m writing a song, I’m not writing - this is going to be a pop song, this is going to be R&B blues - I just write what I’m feeling at that moment. When I’m singing it to my guitarist or whomever I’m working with, they get the feel of how I’m relaying it. I let the song become what it’s going to be. Because I worked with so many artists and grew up with so many influences, it’s reflected in the album. I don’t like to be in a box, I just want to be able to

5

Jessie with Lenny Kravitz

write whatever is in my heart.”

Working with such diverse artists and diverse sounds such as Lenny Kravitz and even Kid Rock, each artist contributed, in some respects, to Jessie’s own techniques. “If you look at Lenny Kravitz as an artist, yeah, he’s considered a ‘rock artist’ but if you listen to his catalogue, there’s all different kinds of sounds in there and I always gravitated towards that. I was a huge Lenny Kravitz fan before I got the opportunity to perform with him. Because his music is so diverse, yes they are great songs on top of all that.” Jessie continues and emphasises how important Steve Van Zandt (E Street Band) has been to her career: “Even with Little Steven [Steve Van Zandt] and my record deal, if you listen to his latest recording ‘Summer of Sorcery’, I mean, c’mon that’s everything [laughs]. But somehow it works, like rock and mambo and all kinds of things, but it fits and it works. And that’s him, it’s interesting and eclectic and he doesn’t allow himself

6

to fit in a box. That’s the kind of artist I want to be.”

The confidence of Jessie Wagner, both as a person and an artist ultimately comes from a very obvious place.

“I take from everyone, from Little Steven, Lenny Kravitz, Nile Rodgers.

I mean, Nile Rodgers has worked with everybody - David Bowie to Madonna, again that’s a wide range of sounds and influences. But you still feel Nile Rodgers in the songs even though they vary and have their own genre and style, you still feel him in the music. I feel even though my music is schizophrenic, you still feel me.” Which is true, her voice is instantly recognisable, and at times addictive.

As an album, ‘Shoes Droppin’ is quite the cinematic piece. It plays like a movie, a thriller perhaps, taking twists and turns through styles. It also displays a raw emotion, which was obviously difficult to conjure. “I guess what I want to say is, this is my most vulnerable album. Because I’ve put

out music before, I have a rock band - Army of the Underdog, it’s more specifically suited for a rock audience. Even though now I was starting this journey of exploring different sounds, in the last release from them, I did have a little bit of soul, and a little more ‘poppy’. I have been writing for years, I’d write a lot of dance music for different artists, so I’m constantly exploring different things.” The word vulnerable rings through, as the songs are very personal, with an obvious, autobiographical feel.

The listener can only imagine the feelings that these songs will summon once they are sung live. “I don’t know how it’s going to hit me performing it, it really depends on the mood I’m in. I can listen to my album back and it’s more of a reflection - ‘well I’m glad I’ve been able to take control of these emotions’, and then there’d be days, especially with the highs and lows of the pandemic, I’d listen back and I’m almost right back in that moment, on the verge of just crying again. I think when I’m on stage, it

will be more cathartic than anything - to sing the songs will be a release.

Like with ‘Caretaker’ and ‘Shoes Droppin”. I was at the darkest point of my life and full of frustration and I think that’s where those songs came from.”

‘Shoes Droppin’ however as an album, is not all doom and gloom, with an uplifting nuance of hope meshed within it’s framework. “There’s songs like ‘Lovers Lullaby’ where I was trying to remain hopeful, and even ‘End Of Time’, one of the older songs I’d written, but I needed something to balance all of this reflection,darkness and sadness and bring some light and levity into it. Because it’s not always bad, you have the highs and lows, that’s why I included certain songs on the album, to say ‘it’s not always this’. For that moment, when you can hope for the best, and there’s always a silver lining.”

Then there is that closing track, ‘What You Get’. It is a very relatable song.

The words themselves are a vehicle for

7

nostalgic feelings, and paternal respect. “It’s an emotional song for me, and again back to reflection, I was thinking about my relationship with my family and people I’ve loved. My spirituality has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up in the church but as you get older you go through experiences that break you down, you begin to question. There was a time when I almost lost my faith with God and you can almost hear that in the song, and somehow I made it through. I’m still figuring out how God fits in with this career but I’m holding onto that faith and allowing it to work through. That [‘What You Get’] was a difficult song to write that honestly, emotionally, especially when you grew up in a church community.” It is that spirituality and her faith which also forms a part of her overall make up, and perhaps fires her fearlessness.

Overall ‘Shoes Droppin’ is a journey of self discovery, for both the listener and the artist. Then there is the balancing act, continuing as a solo artist, and a

8

backing vocalist in such a world of uncertainty. “When this album was in the works, the goal was to focus on this. I had wrapped up the tour with Steve Van Zandt and I didn’t have anything on the horizon. So this was my last ditch, I’m just going to give it my all, see if I can tour, see if someone will allow me go out [on the road] with them. And then the pandemic happened. Which derailed a lot of my plans, so I don’t want to say I won’t work with other artists, but if the option came up I might have to take it because the pandemic has hit my community [music] particularly hard.” Something that is the overwhelming factor in 2020. “I will try and promote myself but it’s like a catch-22 - For all these years I have been putting other people first because I’m considering the monetary end of it. So maybe I can get a trickle down of fans who see me, and say -’oh, let’s check her out!’

So you do it for those reasons but it’s at the expense of your own career.”

Backing singers make artists sound better, they bring so much to a show.

Sometimes they are overlooked in the scheme of a concert, but the fact remains they are integral to the sound.

“It’s nice to be appreciated, and it’s nice to be recognized. I have to give it to Duran Duran, and a lot of the artists I’ve worked with, they gave me opportunities to come out front, to be seen. There are some artists who are like ‘Nope, your place is

in the back, stay in the back!’ But everyone I’ve worked with, there’s always been a moment or the placement of how they positioned us that we were recognized for what we were adding to the show. I’m very grateful for that element. You can get overlooked, there are a lot of memorable things that background singers do. You think of the Rolling Stones and ‘Gimme Shelter’, if you didn’t have that wailing of ‘gimme, gimme shelter’, that took that song to a whole other level.” Artists can sometimes be intimidated by the backing, the talent which may outreach their own.

On ‘Shoes Droppin’ there are very little synthesizers, it is organic. The songs could almost be played acoustically with ease, and still have the same effect. “Yeah, initially I was going to have it be an acoustic album. But once the guitar tracks were laid, I began to say ‘this would sound good with drums and a little bit of bass and horns, lots of horns’. Not that I’m against the synthesized music of today. Like a lot of the songs I listen to today, they sound so piecemeal, they kind of, threw it together. I don’t have the same connection to it. I want to feel the realness and the emotion, the real instrumentation of it. On ‘Caretaker’ there are some pads underneath to lift it up. But I’m personally drawn to more band oriented, who like to use real instrumentation. I hate singing to

instrumentation. I hate singing to tracks, if I can find a trusty guitarist I’m always like ‘please do this with me’. I am almost always inclined to have a piano player or a guitarist versus singing to a track, that simply doesn’t feel real.”

With that, the conversation wound down, but one thing remains clear: Jessie Wagner may have been in the music industry for a while now and stood on a stage in front of thousands of adoring fans and this album is the start of her journey and her solo career, but it is by no means a stretch to say that those adoring fans may one day be hers, and no one else’s.

‘Shoes Droppin’ is released on 9th October on Wicked Cool Records. www.jessiewagnerofficial.com www.facebook.com/ Jessie-Wagner-743332709122515

9

Whoosh ...

Deep Purple

Are on Song!

Review and Interview by Martin Hutchinson.

10

Veteran rockers Deep Purple have just released a brand-new studio album, and it’s an absolute belter.

More accessible than some of the earlier ‘classic’ albums, ‘Whoosh’ contains 12 (13 with the bonus track) new songs, full of the traditional Purple riffs, organ sounds and trademark Ian Gillan vocals.

There is an energy to the album which belies the band’s years and thought-provoking lyrics, especially on the environmentally-themed ‘Man Alive’, which also boasts an orchestral arrangement.

Of course, it can’t be Deep Purple without the Hammond Organ sound, and keyboardist Don Airey provides that a-plenty. The line-up is completed by guitarist Steve Morse, bassist Roger Glover and drummer Ian Paice (who is the sole surviving original member).

Three singles have been released from the album: ‘Man Alive’, ‘Nothing at All’ and ‘Throw My Bones’. All the tracks are group compositions with producer Bob Ezrin, except ‘And the Address’, which is an instrumental written by band founder members Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord and was the opening track on the band’s debut album from 1968, ‘Shades of Deep Purple’.

Bassist Roger Glover, a noted producer in his own right, having produced the likes of Nazareth and Status Quo, tells

me how the band actually set about writing a song: “We do it exactly the same as in 1969. We’re a jamming band and ideas come out of that”, Roger continues, “The vocals come after and Ian is usually in the studio when we’re putting the ideas together. The first session lasts around nine days and then we have a second process where we get all the best ideas, then Ian and I go and write the words. Ian likes to say that Deep Purple is an instrumental band with vocal accompaniment.”

Founder member and keyboard maestro Jon Lord passed away a few years ago.

Jon, and his Hammond Organ sound, was an important factor in the bands’ music and success and his passing left a massive hole. “That’s right”, agrees Roger. “I miss Jon as a friend more than anything. Don more than meets the standards required for the band.”

The new album was produced by the legendary Bob Ezrin, who has manned the desk for artists such as Alice Cooper and Pink Floyd in the past.

“This is our third album with Bob Ezrin,” Roger explains. “He’s a great producer and a dynamic force [he also mixed the album and supplied extra percussion and backing vocals on ‘Man Alive’] and because of this, we work very quickly. We took about two weeks to record the basic tracks and then another two weeks for the vocals. We like to ‘play live’ in the studio, it makes it more like playing

11

in a band than when you record your parts separately. And of course, there’s no round of applause in the studio and applause is very gratifying.”

Roger then relates a story about how Ezrin has a good ear for a sound.

“When we did the album ‘Now What?!’ in 2013, Bob came to me on the first day and said ‘I like your guitar but you should try mine’. It was a Precision guitar and to be honest, the strings were ‘dead’, but boy did it record beautifully.”

Roger had similar good vibes when he produced the 1996 Deep Purple album ‘Perpendicular’. “We went through ten years of turmoil which sucked the spirit out of the band and we were about to record ‘Perpendicular’ and George Harrison told me that The Traveling Wilburys [Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty] all stood in a circle around the microphone when recording, so we tried that. It was a pure joy and we couldn’t stop

12

writing. It’s one of the best feelings I’ve had as a producer. In fact, we reinvented ourselves and became a different band.”

The reception to the new album has been phenomenal and Roger is pleased.

“Yes, it’s been very good, but I never have expectations. In a long career such as ours, you’re gonna have some failures.”

Roger admits to a couple of favourite songs on ‘Whoosh’. “Yeah, first there’s ‘Nothing at All’. Steve [Morse] started playing this piece and we all joined in. There was a magic about it and I couldn’t get it out of my head. It’s very unusual and different and we like to explore music. Also, there’s ‘No Need to Shout’, it’s a great rockin’ track and has got pretty much everything.”

The band’s autumn tour with Blue Öyster Cult has been postponed into 2021 and I wondered how many tracks from ‘Whoosh’ would be in the set.

“It’s hard to tell”, Roger explains.

“We spend a day playing the songs to see how they sound live. Some sound better than others. For instance, I think that ‘No Need to Shout’ and ‘Throw My Bones’ will be in the set, but it’s all to be confirmed.”

Roger is appreciative when he looks back on his career. “I’ve never really been ambitious but I’m lucky to have been in a band that’s taken me around the world. I’m trying to write a book at the moment – it’s a history of me, so Deep Purple will feature greatly in that.”

And his future plans? “To stay alive”, he laughs. “I’m in my mid-seventies now and I have to think about what to do with the rest of my life, but I can’t imagine life without Deep Purple.”

‘Whoosh’ is out now on EarMUSIC. deeppurple.com www.facebook.com/ officialdeeppurple

13

Go West

Kings of Wishful Thinking Interview by Alice Jones-Rodgers.

14

This year, Go West rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Richard Drummie and his working partner, vocalist Peter Cox are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the band.

As Richard tells us in the following interview, when the duo set out on their journey in 1982, first working as a songwriting duo armed with a portastudio and a publishing deal, before signing to Chrysalis Records as Go West in 1985 on the strength of what would become their classic first two singles, ‘We Close Our Eyes’ and ‘Call Me’ (both featured on that year’s eponymous debut album, which sold a staggering 1.5million copies worldwide), he and Peter could scarcely have imagined that they would still be pulling massive crowds the world over all these years later. However, they could have imagined even less that plans to mark their 35th anniversary would be marred by the biggest crisis to ever hit not just the music industry, but the world in general, COVID-19.

Proving that it takes more than a mere pandemic to keep down a duo who throughout the remainder of ‘80s and early ‘90s went on to enjoy a string of further classic hits, including ‘Don’t Look Down’, ‘Goodbye Girl’, ‘Faithful’ and their cover of Smokey Robinson’s ‘Tracks of My Tears’, not to mention ‘One Way Street’, which found its way on to the ‘Rocky IV’ soundtrack in 1985

and ‘King of Wishful Thinking’ which featured in the 1990 blockbuster ‘Pretty Woman’ and saw them become one of the most played acts on US radio, they have big plans for 2021.

These plans include the four date ‘Celebrating 35 Years’ tour, taking in Birmingham, London, Southend and Manchester in May, where they will be accompanied by a full orchestra and be supported by fellow ‘80s multi-milion sellers Cutting Crew and a further tour in September, where they will share the stage with another ‘80s pop icon, Paul Young.

Firstly, hello Richard and thank you for agreeing to our interview, it is lovely to speak to you. Next year, you are heading out on a UK tour celebrating the 35th anniversary of Go West, where you will be accompanied by a full orchestra and supported by Cutting Crew. How are preparations for the tour going, what can we expect from it and what do you feel that working with a full orchestra has brought to your songs?

Well, working with a full orchestra, we haven’t worked with the full orchestra yet so we will see how it pans out ... not live anyway. We’ve been working with on our orchestral album, but as of yet, we haven’t managed to be in a room with an orchestra. But I am sure it will be fine, as long as we all make sure we do the same thing at the same

15

Richard (left) and Peter in 1985

time! Preparations, yeah, we’ve got maybe half of the arrangements done and so we’ve got another half to go through with somebody else, an orchestral arranger. And I expect there will be at least a hit, and more. That’s what really left to work out now, which are the last few songs that we’re going to bring in. That’s quite interesting, figuring out what songs will work with an orchestra.

Going back to the beginnings of Go West, how did you and Peter start playing and writing together and how did you come to sign to Chrysalis Records?

Right, so, I’ve known Peter since I was sixteen, when we were in school bands.

We were just friends and you know, it just kind of evolved. I started writing and I met Pete but we had no intentions of working together, but I’d written a couple of things and Peter was working in a different part of the country at that time and I just suggested that he sing on something and it kind of went from there and yeah, built up from there.

16

But that was very low-key stuff, like on a little four-track portastudio, but, you know, we went from there and we found our way. We got a publishing deal with ATV Music in ‘82 and basically, you know, that was for songwriting. Normally that would be a songwriting deal but we made it clear that we wanted to do our own thing.

They were very kind and kept us afloat for three years and we kept thinking each year that they would go ‘Sorry lads, can’t wait any longer for you to get a deal’, but in the end, a chap from America came in called Ron Fair, who was looking for songs and he was from Chrysalis Records and he heard it and completely fell for it. There’s a bit more to the story in that we used to be called Cox and Drummie. So, he’d been in and he heard Cox and Drummie several times because obviously he lives in America and he only came over now and then and one time, he came in and Sally at ATV played him ‘We Close Our Eyes’ and ‘Call Me’ and he said, ‘Oh, now, I think this is fantastic! Let me take it away and think about it. But before I go, what’s happening with Cox

and Drummie?’ And she said, ‘No, no, this is Cox and Drummie, they’re called Go West now’ and that instant, he said, ‘I want it, I want it then’. That burst the balloon or pushed the door down or, you know, whatever you want to say. Yeah, and it all went mad from there, all went mad. Ron is now one of the biggest people in the American music business, he’s gone from strength to strength and he didn’t mess about, so he said, ‘Right, come on boys, come to L.A. and see what America’s like’ and he had us in the studio in no time.

Well, that’s what the music business is like ... and acting. Quite a lot of the arts actually. You just sit around doing nothing and then all of a sudden, once the gate opens, you start running.

In those early days, could you have ever imagined the band would still be together and this popular so many years later?

No, not at all. We’ve never been that ambitious really, we’ve just always just wanted to have a go at it and even when we had the first single out, I

thought, ‘well, that’s great, at least I got to do that’, you know. So, the thought of it carrying on this long ... but that’s the lovely people who come to see our shows and buy the records, you know.

If they didn’t do that, then, you know ... We’re not privately funded [laughs], it’s the public that keeps us afloat, so thanks to them!

How much do you feel that nostalgia has played a part in your longevity and why do you feel that bands who emerged out of the ‘80s such as yourselves are stil such massive crowd pullers?

Well, I don’t know how much of it is nostalgia or not. I mean, I suppose if you like a band. I’ve been into ... same as you, I don’t know how old you are but you must have liked bands for more than ten years I’m sure. Is that nostalgia? I suppose, yes, if you look at it, yeah, we do have some people come along for the nostalgia. I mean, there’s one guy who’s been to over sixty concerts now over the years.

Yeah, Dan, fantastic bloke. It might

17

even be more than that but I’m trying not to exaggerate. I’m pretty sure it’s sixty-two [laughs]. But yeah, it’s people like that, you know ... Of course there is some nostalgia to our show.

Of course, when you became popular, the charts were filled with a large number of other successful pop duos, such as the Pet Shop Boys, The Communards, Wham!, Tears for Fears, Eurythmics and so on. Why do you feel that the duo format was so popular in that decade both for musicians and music fans?

Less people in the band. I mean, to be honest with you, both Peter and I have been in bands before and we just found that the more people there are in a band when you’re trying to get it going, the more difficult it is, you know, apart from playing live. There’s a band you didn’t mention, but they didn’t find that much success actually, but there was a band called The Quick and they were a duo, Colin Campsie and George MacFarlane. We really, really liked them. They were like our favourite

18

thing and we thought, well, if they can do it, so can we and we got to meet them and we worked with them as well and we thought, you know, this is good, it’s just me and Pete, we can make the decisions, we don’t need to ask what the drummer thinks, or the bass player, or the other people in the band and also, less people to share the money with [laughs], although that didn’t occur to us at the time.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of your debut self-titled album, which featured your biggest chart hit ‘We Close Our Eyes’, which sold an incredible 1.5million copies worldwide and remained on the UK album chart for 83 weeks. What are your favourite memories of recording the album and what are your thoughts on the nine songs that featured on it all these years later?

Well, lots of good memories on the album. I mean, he’s not with us anymore, unfortunately, he passed away a long time ago, but Alan Murphy playing guitar, that was amazing. I

Richard in the ‘We Close Our Eyes’ video, 1985

think people forget that these things don’t just happen. You know, you don’t just go in and do it and pick it up from somewhere, you know, we took a long time over that record. Yeah, so we watched it build up from nothing to what it eventually became. But the things that stick out I suppose are those magic moments really when ... for instance, ‘Missing Persons’, not a song that everyone knows that well by the band, but we were waiting for someone, I don’t know if it was me or Dave [West] or somebody else to go in and play piano, but we needed to get a sound and we said, ‘Oh well, who can get to do that?’ and there was a guy there called Spike, Mike Drake was his real name, and he was the assistant engineer, the tape op, he was the guy who would make the tea and get the tape ready and he started playing and I said, ‘Actually, this is good what he’s doing, just keep running it, don’t tell him we’re recording, whatever you do, don’t say anything’ and we’re just going, ‘That’s nice Mike, perfect Mike, play it a bit different this time, maybe go a bit louder’ and by the time he

Peter and Richard in the ‘Call Me’ video, 1985

came in, we went, ‘Do you mind?

We’re going to piece it together and use it as the actual solo on the record’.

And that’s what I love, stuff like that, you know, just the creation, where, you know, something appears out of nowhere one day. Happy accidents.

They’re the best bits. Yeah.

The video for ‘We Close Our Eyes’, directed by Godley & Creme became an early favourite on MTV. How important do you feel having a strong music video became in the ‘80s and do you have any particular favourite videos from your catalogue of singles?

Yeah, I mean, essential is the answer to your question. It really was the time when it was kicking off and you know, Godley and Creme, I’m a massive 10cc fan anyway. I saw 10cc six or seven times and I also love what Godley and Creme did on their own, like ‘Cry’ [‘The History Mix Volume 1’, 1985] and stuff like that, so when it was suggested that they might work with us that was just brilliant. Which videos?

19

I suppose that one ... I’m just going through them now. ‘Call Me’ ... Oh, ‘Call Me’ probably, because ‘Call Me’ was just a complete gas because we worked with Russell Mulcachy, who’s a quite famous American director. I mean, he went on to do ‘Highlander’ [1986] and stuff like that. Yeah, he’s a full-on film director now. But yeah, we’d loved a film called ‘Rumble Fish’ [1983], which is Francis Ford Coppola and we’d watched that film over and over and we when we met Russell, we walked in to the room ... he’s a lovely guy Russell, he’s just brilliant, funny guy ... and he said, ‘Okay guys, I don’t know, have you heard of a film called ‘Rumble Fish’? And I said, ‘Are you suggesting that we do the video based around ‘Rumble Fish’? And we went, ‘Well, Yeah!’ ‘Okay, job done!’ And that was all we did, we didn’t talk to him after that, we just said, ‘Okay, well, we’ll see you next Wednesday’ and when we turned up, we went to the studio and there was this whole street been built. You know, when you see it round the back and it’s like this pop-up card or something and we said, ‘Ooh,

20

this is good! Oh, blimey, what’s this and where’s our thing?’ and he went, ‘No, this is for you!’ They’d literally built a street for our video! Yeah, so, it cost rather a lot of money, I must admit, but I did like that video, it was fun to do.

You were also a very popular choice for film soundtracks during the ‘80s and early ‘90s. ‘One Way Street’ was featured on the ‘Rocky IV’ soundtrack in 1985 and later featured on your 1986 B-sides, remixes and live track album ‘Bangs and Crashes’. Most famously though, ‘King of Wishful Thinking’, was included in the massive 1990 film ‘Pretty Woman’, the soundtrack album to which sold ten million copies worldwide, a full two years before it was featured on your third album ‘Indian Summer’. How did the song’s inclusion on the ‘Pretty Woman’ soundtrack come about?

What happened was and I’m trying to make this answer as uncomplicated as possible but we were worried about

doing ‘Pretty Woman’ because we’d done films before and part of the deal is that they’d promote their film and we wanted to get on, or at least I wanted to get on with the record, but that’s by the by. It’s as well that we did get it, the ‘Pretty Woman’ album ended up selling over ten million. How did we get into it? That fabulous guy Ron Fair, who signed us in the first place. He’d moved away and we hadn’t been with him for a while. After the first album, he kind of moved on to other things and he kind of came back into our lived then and as soon as he heard ‘King of Wishful Thinking’, he said, ‘I’m putting together this movie soundtrack for EMI and I’d like to put it in there’ and so, yeah, Ron Fair yet again.

Your last album, ‘3D’ was released in the form of three EPs over the course of three years between 2010 and 2013. How much was releasing the album in this way a response to the ever growing trend towards downloading and streaming at that point in time and what are your general views on the way the music

industry has changed over the time Go West have been together?

Yeah, well, okay, it was slightly to do with that, to spread it out, but basically, Go West took a long time over records, so long that basically things can change and that’s a long time in music. I mean, we used to take a year, two years, or longer, so I said, ‘Let’s just do an EP’ and then my manager said ‘Well, why don’t you do three EPs’ and I was like ‘Whatever’. Yeah, we spread it out and there were some personal things that happened during that time,.

It wasn’t meant to be one a year, it was just supposed to be as we finished four songs, we’d release it and then again.

How’s it changed? It’s completely changed now. I mean, first off, you couldn’t make any money now out of songwriting because nobody pays for music anymore and now because of the pandemic, we can’t play live. I mean, I appreciate that everybody in the pandemic is having a problem, but self-employed musicians, they haven’t been given anything from the government and basically, they can’t

21

perform live and so, you know ... I’m not worrying, fortunately I’m ticking over, but I just got a phone call saying basically everything’s being moved back a year and I haven’t got any paid work, or new paid work, this year at all, so you’re having to sell the dog, you know.

Yes, it must have been so difficult.

We can’t imagine what musicians must be going through at the moment.

I think a few people are going to give up. I already know a few. It was pretty difficult and I’m not being flash but I’m at a reasonable level and it’s quite difficult for people at the level I’m at, you know, but we’re musicians, we live from month to month like everybody else and when you’ve got a year ahead, you can see ... I don’t know how many gigs we had, sixteen? Or maybe more?

And it’s all just gone. But we’ll look after ourselves for the next year and we’ll kick off again, you know. And that’s at least a year, I don’t know, let’s just see where we get to. You don’t

22

to be a brain surgeon ... you’ve got this situation, so either everybody just goes out and the people who get it, get it or everybody stays in whilst they’re trying to sort it out, but until they’ve got a vaccine, those are the three options: Vaccine, stay in, stay out and what they’re trying to do, which I totally understand, is stay in and stay out and I don’t think it’s going to work unfortunately. I don’t know. I appreciate why they’re doing this. otherwise the economy is going to collapse. It’s unbelievable. Sometimes I think I’m some sort of dream. It’s surreal. I mean, I really have stayed in.

I’ve just been in since January basically. I’ve forgotten what the sky looks like! Not really! I’ve got a nice garden I go out to [laughs].

Can we expect any new music from you and Peter in the near future and what else do you have planned for after the COVID-19 pandemic is finally all over?

There isn’t really an answer to either of those questions. Peter is writing, I’m

writing and we’re self-isolating, so I haven’t seen Peter since the last time we played. I don’t think I’ve seen Peter since before Christmas, you know, which is getting on for nearly a year. And what we’re going to do after? I should just be very grateful once it’s all finished, you know. My daughter is up in Glasgow at uni and all kinds of things. We’ll just see where we are really. To be honest, I don’t think anybody knows, it’s going to be quite a different world once all this is over. We’re not going to go back to how we were, I can tell you that much, unfortunately.

Tickets for Go West’s ‘Celebrating 35 Years’ Tour, with a full orchestra and support from Cutting Crew are available from all good agencies:

I’m sure we will make the most of it though.

For all other 2021 live dates, please see the band’s website.

Yeah, we’re British! Goddamnit! [laughs].

Thank you for a wonderful interview and we wish you all the best for the future.

01/05/21: Symphony Hall, Birmingham 02/05/21: Palladium, London 07/05/21: Cliffs Pavilion, Southend 08/05/21: Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

www.gowest.org.uk www.facebook.com/ officialgowest

23

Jim Bob Morrison in 2020 WTF!

Jim Bob of Carter USM returns with a career defining solo album.

24

Interview by Kevin Burke Photography by Paul Heneker.

“... but often, people would compare what I did to Pink Floyd. I don’t know what that means?”

In the early nineties, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine was the sound of the revolution. The duo, consisting of singer Jim “Jim Bob” Morrison and guitarist Les “Fruitbat” Carter, blazed a trail from the late-eighties until 1998 when they eventually parted ways.

However, not before leaving behind an undeniable dent in the music industry with classic albums including ‘30 Something’ (1991), ‘1992-The Love Album’ (1992) and ‘Post Historic Monsters’ (1993). At the dawn of the century, Jim Bob Morrison embarked on a solo career.

In between Carter USM reunion tours, writing novels and pushing out a steady collection of albums, Jim Bob has remained a constant, creative figure.

In March, Jim Bob released his exceptional novel, ‘A Godawful Small Affair’ (Cherry Red Books), so the scene was set for something triumphant. After a gap of seven years, Jim Bob returned with an album that is career defining, and an essential listen in this time of upheaval. Released in mid August via Cherry Red Records, ‘Pop Up Jim Bob’ successfully made

its way into the album charts. It is an album that relays both the fears and frustrations that haunt our existence in 2020, but it is in no way political.

Instead, it is a collection of observations on modern society.

To learn more about the album, and the motivations behind it, I spoke with a very rejuvenated Jim Bob on an overcast, September morning. It was both an uplifting, and weirdly heartwarming experience. The elder statesman of nineties indie music, exceeded my expectations with his charm and honesty.

After exchanging pleasantries with Jim Bob, we got down to the brass tacks and his stunning new album, starting by asking when the album become a project. “I started this time last year, I started writing the songs. Lyrically, I think a lot of it was inspired by Brexit, in particular the mood in the UK, and I suppose in the rest of the world with Trump and everything.

But there seems to be a connection between that and the virus, which is weird (laughs), maybe it captures the mood.” He nails it, capturing the mood, even on the 25-second track

25

‘2020 WTF’, Jim Bob’s writing is so relevant. “I think I was lucky. I mean luckily humanity didn’t let me down and have a change of heart, with everyone getting along.” But there is an optimism, the inclusion of a 2021 calendar with the vinyl, brings hope into the situation. “When we thought of the calendar, it was that long ago, that there would be nothing to put on a calendar, hadn’t crossed my mind.

As we proceed towards the end of this year we still might have an empty calendar next year.”

But the illustrations on the cover, and the panels of the CD, show Jim Bob dressed as a pirate, a cowboy, an astronaut and more. It feels nostalgic to a degree. “The bloke who did it, Mark Reynolds, he was essentially a Carter and Jim Bob fan. He did an illustration when we were doing a gig in London, a cartoon version of it, and he had this thing on Instagram doing that style of thing. At one point he had drawn about ten, nearly enough for a calendar, it sort of snowballed the more he did and he

26

did and he was enjoying himself.”

Jim Bob continues and it is obvious these illustrations are something he is proud of, as he is with everything involved in the album. “I think there’s 25 of them, if you include the Trump one and the ‘Jo’s Got Papercuts’ one”. That opening track, ‘Jo’s Got Paper Cuts’ is an example of the album’s observations, how Jim Bob’s songwriting and novel writing is beginning to merge. “I definitely think there’s a connection. There’s probably a lot more of me in there.

In my novels there’s a lot of me and my mum, stuff like that, but it won’t appear to be because it would be a ten year old boy and not me.” Then Jim Bob turns back to the album.

“That song, ‘Jo’s Got Papercuts’, is like me, me saying all those things, self-centered, turning it into more of a story. It’s me telling everyone how I feel in a disguised way.”

The album is personal and passionate, not so much political, and that is the point Jim Bob wants to get across.

“There’s a couple of people who

misunderstood it. Taking things literally as if it’s a Billy Bragg album.

It’s not ‘This is my opinion as a member of the labour party!’ Maybe it’s the way most people feel about things. Most people just want to get on with their lives, and they don’t understand why things are so awful, and they are angry with each other, maybe it’s that.” As one-half of Carter USM, Jim Bob always wrote with that honesty, a fact revisited with the classic Carter ‘1992 - The Love Album’ being reissued as part of this year’s Record Store Day. “Obviously it’s great, but I’m more excited about the new stuff. It’s like people on social media when they re-released ‘1992’, people talking about it, bringing up their memories [of] when they listened to it when they were sixteen, so that’s a nice positive thing.” And then he mentioned an apparent, unfortunate fact. “To a certain extent, Carter and me a lot of the time are written out of the history of music. It’s nice the people who liked it bought it.”

Not to dwell too much on Carter USM

at this point, things turned back to the present, and even future plans.

“Because this album was so well received, and because there’s a band on it, I’ve already started thinking about trying to write more songs to do another album at least. Whereas with my novels, I’m always thinking ‘What can I write a novel about?’

Even though it took me several years to make this album, I find writing a novel is such a big thing for me. It’s not in any way easy, a real struggle, so if I do it, it has to be a good idea and that I can imagine the whole thing.” Jim Bob then gives a slight insight into his methods. “I’ll think ‘that’s a great idea for a book’, and I’ll write the first line. Then I start to pick it apart in my head. I’m sure I’ll write a book again at some point, but then there’s trying to get someone to publish it. If it wasn’t for Cherry Red [Records], I don’t know what I’d do.”

At this point, and given the gap between releases, it is obvious Jim Bob ranks this album (rightly) among his

27

Jim Bob (right) with Les Carter in Carter USM

best work. “Well the way it happened, I did a handful of gigs with this band after playing a lot of solo, acoustic gigs playing Carter songs. Playing gigs with a band was so much fun, and so I wanted to make a record. So I tried to write songs, and once the album was made to a certain level, I knew the album was good, and that was important.” Always honest and aware of his past work, “I’ve made stuff in the past that wasn’t that great, maybe that’s why they are records that didn’t do well”, he continued. “I am quite competitive with myself, I would like the next one to go higher than number 26 in the charts. That’s a bad way to make records [laughs]. My own view that he will be working from a solid base for his next release, was truthfully quashed. Really, it doesn’t matter, it’s a very shallow thing, Pop Charts are so nonsensical.”

With my quip about Lou Reed and his lack of caring for chart positions on the back of creating masterworks, things turned back to the more recent events

28

and how peeling from Carter USM was difficult but at the same time was the right decision. “Around that sort of time, I found it quite easy. I was constantly writing songs, and there was a lot of songs I wrote ... half wrote, that I intended to play with Carter, and I knew they weren’t going to work. So, I already had a head start. I still have that enthusiasm. I don’t think I found it difficult writing songs until about 15 years ago. There was a point when I found it harder because I’d said all I wanted to say. That’s the good thing about this album, I poured out everything I wanted to say even about different things.” And then I found my initial idea of the album was in some ways correct as a conceptual type affair. “They are all very much like you said, a concept album.

Maybe it’s because I have standards, there are things I wrote in the past I don’t think are very good, and that’s because of the lyrics. I kind of did them because I had an album coming out. I sort of told myself I wouldn’t write any songs unless I wanted to or

needed to.”

The songs throughout ‘Pop Up Jim Bob’ have a humanity to them, a passion and Jim Bob explained why.

“Maybe it is that, taking seven years away from it [music], it’s all built up.

Maybe I needed those seven years to write those songs in that way.

Because I hadn’t been writing songs, I think it makes these more powerful.

Yeah! I think the passing of time has made those songs more powerful somehow.” Jim Bob continues, knowing full well the contribution made by that backing band. “I think the music too has got a helluva lot to do with it, the sound and everything.

I think ‘#thoughtsandprayers’ and maybe ‘Truce’, I don’t think they stand up well without the musical backing.” But listening back, it is obvious that although a solo album, it does have a band feel. “I did quite complex demos, I’ve always done that, and then go in the studio with a band and try to recreate better versions. They [the songs] are not written by a band, it’s five musicians

getting together to play on it, it’s a group of friends.” Those friends include the backing band of Lindsey Scott, Ben Murray, Jenny Marco and Jon Clayton.

With all this positivity about the new album, I wondered is this an album he is most content with? “Yeah, I think there are very few of those. I’d probably say the first three, maybe four Carter albums. I feel they are as good as they can be. The ‘In A Big Flash Car [on a Saturday Night’] mini-album [2002] I feel is my perfect [release]. Everything else I’ve done, there’s always been something wrong with it. It might be one or two of the songs I recorded at home and are probably not as good as they could have been. But this one I feel I like all the songs, the way it sounds, the artwork, all amazing. So probably it’s the most satisfied with any of the albums I have done.”

With that in mind, there are reasons as to why it is so good, certainly in Jim Bob’s mind. “I think the fact it’s short helps. There are lots of albums

29

I have and love that are fifty minutes long. There’s a point when you get bored before you reach the end.

Whereas a lot of classic albums are short and they do what they need to do, there’s no padding.”

The connection to Jim Bob’s punk roots and revolutionary mission comes to the fore in influence. “My favourite band of all time are [The] Jam. Two or three of their albums were halfan-hour long, but I never listened to them and feel cheated. I just want to play it again.” There is a consideration to consider, that perhaps this is modern folk although sprinkled with punk. “Yeah, I’ve had that in the past. I don’t really listen to any folk, I don’t know much about it, maybe it’s what folk should sound like.

Instead of staying the way it always sounded.” But my folk idea didn’t seem so off the mark when Jim Bob remembered back to the start of his career. “The other thing, in reviews and especially with Carter songs, people would mention Pink Floyd. I just don’t know Pink Floyd at all, I

30

know the hits, but often people would compare what I did to Pink Floyd. I don’t know what that means?”

I didn’t know either, nor did I understand the comparison of progressive rock and Carter USM. I felt Carter USM was an extension of punk and put life back into music. “Yeah!

I’m happy with that”, Jim Bob replied, and then reminisced about the past, the height of Carter USM success and 1991’s ‘After the Watershed (Early Learning the Hard Way)’. “Stuff like that, I mean, up until then we were on two indie labels, and then Chrysalis, who just let us do what we wanted. By the time of ‘After the Watershed’, they’d been bought by EMI, it came to a point where everything was more controlled.” Of course the subject of the combo of Jagger/Richards looking for their cut of ‘After the Watershed’ came up. “We always sampled things, things we shouldn’t have gotten away with, Elvis and stuff like that. We never asked permission, just always got away with it. I think the Rolling

Stones thing was the last thing we didn’t ask permission for and got caught out. I’m trying to think when the music press turned on us.” Sadly that was true. The press, as they had with the Pistols and so many other misunderstood outfits, turned on Carter USM. However, back to the present and the frustration of not heading out on tour straight away. “It is [frustrating], we would have just finished four gigs, and there was another three that didn’t go on sale, but were going to happen in November. I think all of those gigs got moved to next year, we still want to do them.” He continues with even more heartache, “It was frustrating, it was annoying, not to be able to go out and play the songs.

Because we haven’t celebrated it, or marked it with the people who played on it.” Nevertheless, that narrative of ‘Pop Up Jim Bob’ fits perfectly with the here and now. “In a weird way, it’s like the lockdown and coronavirus are almost a part of it”, pointing back to how relatable it is, “I

don’t know whether it would have done so well if we had just gone on tour and played it.” There is a slice of truth in all of that, as the album acts as a soundtrack to our present condition.

The album sounds as if it should be played from start to finish on the live set, almost like those rock operas from long ago. “I think we could, it’s possible, they’re all playable songs.

That’s one option, the other is to play most of it but not in that order. When I played gigs with the band, it was like something for everyone - Some Carter songs, some solo and a bit in the middle where I was playing just Carter songs on my own. It is a very long gig, but it’s probably the best way to do it, it keeps everyone happy.

There will always be people who will be disappointed if they don’t hear some Carter songs.” Truthfully, Jim Bob knows the importance of nostalgia, regardless of the quality of any new or recent material. “It’s almost not worth being pig headed about it, it’s better to play things. It’s like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, he’d play quite a

31

lot of things from his new album, then all the hits, then virtually nothing from his previous albums.”

As the conversation wound down, I was overall taken aback by Jim Bob Morrison. He understands the importance of his past, and balances it neatly with his present. That said, ‘Pop Up Jim Bob’ ranks with the best of releases from his three decade career.

The album has re-energized his creativity, and that is plain to see. But then again, he will never stop paying creativity, and that is plain to see. But then again, he will never stop paying

32

homage to what he created. “I don’t mind playing Carter songs at all, but I do prefer playing whatever songs they [the band] want to do. It’s personally more of a thrill to stand in front of some noise!”

‘Pop Up Jim Bob’ is out now on Cherry Red Records. jim-bob.co.uk www.facebook.com/ carterusmofficial

Librarians with Hickeys

Love in the Stacks

Interview by Alice Jones-Rodgers Photography by Grace Carmen (unless otherwise stated).

34

Akron, Ohio four-piece Librarians with Hickeys are a band who war their hearts on their sleeves. This is something not only evident in the lyrics of the eleven tales of love and lust that make up their appropriately titled debut LP, ‘Long Overdue’, but also in the wide array of influences that make up their musical adornments.

Upon first listen, with its wonderfully articulate wordplay and joyously jangling guitar work, ‘Long Overdue’ sounds like the sort of album that The Go-Betweens might have been making now, had Grant McLennan’s sad passing in 2006 not put a premature end to their creative output. However, also present are influences of bands such as The Beatles, The Byrds, Big Star and Teenage Fanclub, whilst genre-wise, the album manages to take in elements of power-pop, psychedelic rock, garage rock, synth-pop and even yacht rock, all in the space of an exhiliratingly melodic 41-minutes.

‘Long Overdue’ is not only a triumph for vocalist and guitarist Ray Carmen; guitarist and vocalist Mike Crooker; bassist Drew Wilco and drummer Rob Crossley, but also for Calfornia’s Big Stir Records, who’s keen ears for a great pop tune can be thanked for bringing the band to a wider audience. We recently caught up with Ray and Mike to get the lowdown on Librarians with

Hickeys and learn why music fans all over the world are taking ‘Long Overdue’ from the shelves and straight to their hearts.

Firstly, hello Librarians with Hickeys and thank you for agreeing to our interview. Could you start by telling us where, when and how Librarians with Hickeys came together and introducing us to your members?

Mike: We are Ray Carmen (vocals/ guitars), Mike Crooker (guitar/vocals), Drew Wilco (bass) and Rob Crossley (drums). The four of us have all known each other for years, and we’ve all played in bands together, just never all four of us at the same time. We started playing together in Akron, Ohio in mid-2016, playing only a few shows a year, slowly ramping up activity into mid-2018 when we started writing material that would turn into ‘Long Overdue.’

We have to ask, how did come by your name?

Mike: Ray works for the library here in Akron ... and well, what happens in the stacks, stays in the stacks. Whatever you’re imagining right now is waaay better than any story we could tell you!

Ray: [laughs] And that’s what’s going to go on the T-shirts!

You released your excellent debut album, the appropriately titled ‘Long

35

Overdue’ on Big Stir Records on 14th August. Before we talk about the album itself, how did you come to be involved with Big Stir Records and how have you found the experience of working with and releasing the album with them?

Mike: We had released our first single ‘Until There Was You’ b/w ‘And Then She’s Gone’ at the end of 2018 and then Christina Bulbenko from Big Stir Records heard it and she and Rex Broome contacted us, just as we were on the cusp of releasing ‘Black Velvet Dress’ b/w ‘Alex’. They ended up releasing that single in July 2019, then a few months later, they asked if we wanted to do a whole album ... and we couldn’t say YES fast enough!

Ray: I was at home on the couch, watching a Rolling Stones documentary and drinking a coke. Little did I know I was about to get signed to record label!

Mike: You were drinking a coke, right?

Not method acting to play the part of a band getting signed? [laughs]

36

Could you give us an insight into the writing and recording process of ‘Long Overdue’?

Mike: The entire process started with the recording of ‘And Then She’s Gone’ in the summer of 2018 and we’d continue to write and record in between shows throughout 2018 and 2019, but we were thinking more in terms of single releases. That trajectory changed in late 2019 when Rex and Christina suggested recording an album.

By that point, we had the basic material more or less recorded save for the odd backing vocals, percussion and string overdubs. We played our last show at the beginning of February 2020 and had planned on taking the rest of winter off to mix the record ... and then the pandemic hit.

After the initial shut-down, there were many, many days where it was hard to get off the couch, let alone thinking about mixing the record. The only silver lining was that we had recorded this at my home, so I could at least

continue to work on finishing it - and ultimately it made for a better record because of the extra time to get the mixes right.

The album presents a band with a healthy interest in the history of music. You can certainly detect the influence of bands such as The Beatles, The Byrds, Big Star and Teenage Fanclub, whilst genre-wise, despite having an overall power-pop sound, you can also hear elements of psychedelic rock on ‘Obsession’; post-punk on ‘Looking for Home’; garage rock on ‘Leave Me Alone’; snyth-pop on ‘Silent Stars’; yacht rock on ‘Next Time’ and so on. When going in to make ‘Long Overdue’, was there a conscious effort to represent all these different eras and genres of music, or was it just something that came naturally to you?

Mike: The diversity was baked in from the start, as the four of us have wildly different interests in music, which is sort of our secret recipe. I think if you

did a Venn Diagram of our influences you’d end up with most of the bands that we cover in concert – things like our B-side to ‘That Time is Now’, which is a cover of the Banana Splits’ ‘I Enjoy Being A Boy (In Love With You)’. But we also cover the Dukes of Stratosphear, The Kinks, The Monkees, Pylon, Syd-era Pink Floyd, Pere Ubu, Gutterball, Echo and The Bunnymen many different genres and pop styles, all with a great sense of melody.

We’ve been marinating in the music for years and years, and it does seep into our music obliquely. You can catch things like the pizzicato strings in the fade-out to ‘Poor Reception’ that could have been on a mid-period album by The Church, or the bass run in ‘And Then She’s Gone’ as a nod to Mike Mesaros of The Smithereens.

On ‘Long Overdue’, once the songs were written and we had played them live over a period of months, you started to see what direction they wanted to go. A bit like sculpture, where you start with a block of marble

37

Ray Carmen

and the shape slowly reveals itself as you go forward. It wasn’t a conscious decision where we said OK, ‘Leave Me Alone’, tick the ‘garage rock’ box!

Next!

We did however think in terms of treating all of the songs like a stack of singles. As much as ‘Until There Was You’ is the blueprint for our sound ... two guitars, bass and drums with harmony vocals ... we didn’t want to write eleven others that sounded just like that! So, on that level we’ve succeeded in presenting our music that’s true to us, our ‘sound’ in whatever form it takes.

Ray: Records ... as I still like to call them! ... are a completely different ball game than live shows, and, I think, should be approached accordingly. As much as I love and miss playing live, the records are the most important thing to me, because that’s what people go back to. The Beatles are my favorite band, but I will never get to see them play live. All I have are the records, which is what got me into them in the

38

Mike Crooker

first place. When we record songs, we try and make them the best listening experience that they can be, so we think nothing of adding strings, pianos, stacks of harmonies, and even more off-the-wall things like ukeleles, to make the songs jump out at the listener.

Live, we’re a four piece, so it’s going to sound a lot more stripped down, as well it should. We’re more of a pop band on record, and more of a rock band, and sometimes a noisy one at that, live.

‘Long Overdue’ features twelve very radio-friendly pop songs that could all easily be released as singles.

How important is it to Librarians with Hickeys to make commercially viable music, what makes you tick as songwriters and to you, what makes a great pop song?

Mike: We have one goal as songwriters: make it sound like us ... and it always does, even when we try not to sound like us!

Ray: Well, it’s not like we’re trying to get played on mainstream commercial

Andrew Wilco

pop stations.

Mike: Having said that, ‘That Time Is Now’ just got national airplay via legendary Los Angeles DJ Rodney Bingenheimer’s show on SiriusXM, so it could happen whether we were aiming for that or not.

Ray: As for what makes a great pop song, like most songwriters, I think what makes us tick are just things like a really great hook, or a chord sequence, or maybe a lyrical phrase, that we can build a song on. The songs themselves don’t always have to mean something, or be about anything. ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ [The Beatles, 1967] and ‘Papa Oom Mow Mow’ [The Rivingtons, 1962] are both great songs!

Mike: Well, yes, ‘Papa Oom Mow Mow’, obviously!

As we previously mentioned, ‘Long Overdue’ is out now on Big Stir Records. In a day and age where so many bands are self-releasing their music, what advantages do you feel

Rob Crossley

that releasing through a label still offers for musicians?

Mike: Living in Akron, Ohio is about as far away from Los Angeles as you can be, and still be in the same country.

So, the advantages they offer to a band like us goes well beyond the obvious promotional and distribution channels.

They can see the bigger picture. When we were ready to put out ‘Black Velvet Dress’, we really weren’t thinking beyond the next single. We’d be happy to sell a few copies at shows, try to get our local radio station, The Summit in Akron, to play it ... they did! ... and then do it all over again six months later.

Ray: It might sound like we’re playing kissy-face with Big Stir [laughs], but we really are genuinely thrilled that they asked us to be a part of the ‘family’, as it were. They’re all great artists, and Rex and Christina are good people. It’s kind of corny to say this, but part of the appeal of being on this label is also part of the appeal of being in a band. It’s the camaraderie.

39

Photograph by Mike Crooker

Mike: Indeed, previous to Christina and Rex approaching us, we had already seen the community they had built from the ground up, their digital single of the week, the compilations and their killer roster of artists ... to us, it was an obvious choice.

Over the last few months, the music industry and the world in general has obviously had the COVID-19 pandemic to contend with. How has this affected the band and how have you found the experience of releasing and promoting an album during it?

Mike: Normally, we’d be out playing shows to promote ‘Long Overdue.’

There is no playbook for releasing an album in the midst of ... this. We’re all sort of figuring how to do this as we go along – and as playing live is off the table for this year ... and perhaps next year. That ecosystem is how so many musicians earn a living through touring and merch sales. The Bandcamp Fridays has been helpful, unfortunately it doesn’t replace that road and merch income. Thankfully,

40

we’ve been able to keep our costs down by recording at home, so we can hold steady for a while.

With the pandemic, musicians and gig-goers alike have been greatly missing the live music experience.

For those who didn’t get to see you performing songs from the album live before the pandemic, how do you feel that the songs translate into a live setting and how would you describe a general Librarians with Hickeys gig?

Mike: Live shows are really the flip side of recording - there’s immediate feedback, pun intended, from an audience that tells you what’s working.

Our songs in a live setting can stretch out a little, like when the guitar solo in Obsession gets extended and can sometimes veer into shoegaze-land.

The covers we sprinkle in on some nights, such as our version of ‘The Mighty Quinn’, sounds like the Manfred Mann version channeled by the way of The Jesus and Mary Chain.

We try to have fun ... Ray has a fine

selection Librarian jokes ready to go at all times ... and keep the audience on their toes.

Ray: I actually only have one Librarian joke, and it’s ridiculous. I won’t repeat it. It’s stupid as hell.

Mike: There are two jokes! We’ll save the first joke so everyone else can laugh when we get back to playing live. A drunk guy walks into a library and comes up to the checkout desk and loudly says, ‘I’d like a hamburger please!’ The librarian says, ‘Sir, this is a library! Shh!’ The drunk whispers back, ‘I’m sorry! I’d like a hamburger please!’ And we laugh at it every time!

Have you made any plans as to what you would like to do once the world returns to some sort of normality?

Ray: Unfortunately, I think this is going to be ‘the new normal’ for the next couple of years, but ultimately, I would like to see us play live again ...

it’s fun and people seem to dig us! In the meantime, we’ll keep writing and recording, so by the time we can play live again, we’ll have a stack of new songs to play.

Thank you for a wonderful interview and we wish you all the best for the future.

Mike: Thanks for the questions! It’s been a long two years to get to the point of releasing ‘Long Overdue’ and we’re glad people have been digging it!

Ray: Thanks for having us!

‘Long Overdue’ is out now on Big Stir Records. bigstirrecords.com/ librarians-with-hickeys www.facebook.com/ librarianswithhickeys

Librarians with Hickeys performing live at Porchrockr Festival, Akron, Ohio

41

Supertramp It’s Logical, Captain!

Review and interview by Martin Hutchinson Photography by Laurens Van Houten / Frank White.

42

Written by music academic Laura Shenton, ‘The Logical Book – A Supertramp Compendium’ is, in my opinion, the definitive guide to this respected and popular band.

With chapters reflecting the studio album releases, Laura has trawled the music (and mainstream) press for articles and insights into the hit-making band. The band’s whole career, from it’s earliest incarnation in 1969 to the present day. Each album is included (although I would have liked more information on the albums) as well as the tours.

Thankfully, it doesn’t go too far into the personalities and private lives of the band members and Laura, as usual, tries to avoid speculation; after all she is just gathering information from various sources and putting it all ‘under one roof’.

Each snippet from the press is notarised and her links are informative however, I had severe misgivings when, in the very first chapter, she lists the bands’ equipment and admitted that some of the items were beyond her understanding. As Laura has a Masters Degree in ‘Music Since 1900’, I would have thought she would have known about the equipment. I don’t have such a qualification, but I had no trouble with that!

That aside, I found the book very informative and it covers the dynamics

within the band superbly. Laura has a ‘chatty’ style and she can tell a good story, so that helps the book become an ‘easy’ read. Even people who know of the band, but are not particularly big fans will also find it interesting, and it is always great to have all the various cuttings about the band in one place.

The illustrations are great throughout, with hardly a page without an image of some sort: photos of band / band members, tour posters, memorabilia etc.

I spoke with Supertramp’s sax player John Helliwell, who wrote a foreword for the book about his involvement in the project and his career.

“I found the book very interesting and I like how Laura has gathered all the various articles and snippets of press about Supertramp and put it all together in this easily accessible form”, he says. “I was happy to write a foreword to it.”

John, who was born in Todmorden (a mere four months before another musical native of the town, Keith Emerson), joined Supertramp in 1973, in time to record the band’s third album and the one which thrust them into the limelight, ‘Crime of the Century’ and it’s hit single ‘Dreamer’. With the band sporadically reuniting many times in recent years, he has, along with founder member Rick Davies and drummer Bob Siebenberg, been present ever since.

43

Supertramp in Holland, 1974.

John (right) with Roger Hodgson

“I’d been in the Alan Bown Band for some time and when it broke up in 1971 or so, I joined a band called Wizard, not Roy Wood’s band, which has two ‘Z’s, where I met future Supertramp bassist Dougie Thomson. I was playing in a ‘club’ called The Twilight Rooms in a piano, drums and sax trio. We were playing non-stop from 9pm till 3am.

Then I worked in a band which backed the likes of Jimmy Ruffin, Arthur Conley and Johnny Johnson.

After that I was in a band in Germany, in early ’73 playing the American Air Bases. I got fed up in the end and on one of my weekly calls home my wife told me that Dougie had rung and asked me if I wanted to join Supertramp. As well as Dougie, Rick and Roger [Hodgson], they already had Bob and were building a new band. I came back from Germany and on July 17th 1973, I joined them.”

mantle. “Yes, the music was all serious at the time and it seemed like a good idea to talk to the audience and introduce a little levity. Nobody else in the band wanted to do it and so it sort of fell into my lap.”

With the two main men, Davies and Hodgson, being reluctant to be a ‘showy’ frontman, John took on the

44

The bespectacled sax player was always on friendly terms with the rest of the band and his time in the band was a happy one. “I get on with everybody”, he says. “Supertramp was purely Rick and Roger, they wrote all the numbers. But the beauty in the songs was the particular five people who played them. We worked the numbers and everybody contributed to the arrangements.”

When asked for highlights about his time in Supertramp, John has to think for a while. “There was when we toured ‘Crime of the Century’ in North America. We decided that on that tour, we wouldn’t be playing an encore, which is something I always said during the show.” He continues, “But in Montreal, we were playing to

John in concert, May 2011

our biggest audience so far - about 4,000. I had already told them that we wouldn’t be doing an encore, but the crowd wouldn’t go - even though the lights were up! They pleaded with is and in the end we were forced to do an encore. To be honest, I personally think that an encore should be very special.” He adds, “Also, in 1997, I, along with the rest of the band, received a special Chevalier Award from the French Government - Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres [Chevalier Order of Arts and Letters], which I am very proud of.”

Supertramp hasn’t released a studio album since 2002’s ‘Slow Motion’ and their 2015 European Tour was cancelled due to Rick Davies’ health problems, but John is still busy, as he explains: “Yes, I have the Super Big Tramp Band which performs instrumental versions of Supertramp songs. Again I’m proud of it, but we weren’t trying to be a copy of Supertramp. We were due to record in June, but the pandemic put paid

to that. I have another band called Crème Anglaise and another project I have is a band consisting of a string quartet and Hammond Organ. I also have an album of ballads due out in October called ‘Ever Open Door’, which will contain a couple of Supertramp songs, ‘Ever Open Door’ and ‘If Everyone Was Listening’.”

Meanwhile, ‘The Logical Book - A Supertramp Compendium’ by Laura Shenton will whet the appetite for all things Supertramp.

Publisher: Wymer Publishing ISBN: 978-1-912782-36-9 Hardback - 235 x 191mm. 192 pages.

Illustrated throughout.

RRP: £24.99 supertramp.com

45

Gretchen Peters The Americana Songbook Interview by Kevin Burke Photography by Gina Binkley.

46

“I see myself as a storyteller who prefers a very small frame ...”

Few artists can claim to have accomplished what Gretchen Peters has. Born, and raised in New York, the aspiring artist moved to Nashville in the eighties. It was at that time, Gretchen began to hone her craft, getting work as a songwriter and penning hits for such musical giants as Etta James (‘Love’s Been Rough on Me’), Neil Diamond (‘Talking Optimist Blues’), Faith Hill (‘The Secret of Life’) and Trisha Yearwood (‘On a Bus to St. Cloud’).

In 1996, Gretchen Peters released her first studio album. Featuring guests such as Steve Earle, and Emmylou Harris, ‘The Secret Of Life’ proved how Gretchen is as capable a singer as she is a songwriter. Nominated for two Grammy Awards, and a Golden Globe in 2003, Gretchen was also inducted into the Nashville songwriters Hall Of Fame. Her 2016 album ‘Blackbirds’ won the UK Americana Association International Album of the Year.

Her journey over the past three decades is a story of talent, and perseverance.

Gretchen’s most recent, and number one on the UK Americana charts ‘The Night You Wrote That Song’, is something different. From a lady who is such a prolific writer, this album is a tribute to the late psychedelic troubadour Mickey Newbury.

In late August, as Gretchen was celebrating the success of ‘The Night You Wrote That Song’, I spoke with the lady about that release. Also however, Gretchen gave me a further insight into her creative process, and those influences, one of which has formed the basis for this latest successful release.

The songs you write have a great depth to them. Do you see yourself as a storyteller more than a songwriter?

I see myself as a storyteller who prefers a very small frame, which is what songwriting gives me. I like the brevity, the necessity for precision that the song form requires. The fact that songs are generally under five minutes long means that each word has to bear weight. There’s a kind of distillation that has to happen, lyrically. I don’t know how I would handle a long form, it’s almost overwhelming to think about something like a novel. Even when I’m writing prose, I like a short form like the essay.

When you write, do you put yourself into character, lose yourself a little, and write from someone else’s perspective?

I find that characters who draw me to them begin to speak, if I give them a chance. I wait for that, because that’s

47

the moment they become real and I begin to be able to write truthfully about them. If I’m impatient and not willing to sit with my character, the writing tends to be hollow. It’s very much like how I’ve heard actors talk about inhabiting a character they are going to play; you have to live with that person for awhile until their words become your words. And often, times once you do live with a character, they will surprise you. That’s another thing that’s important - to let the character shape your song, not vice versa.

As a musician, and the writer you’ve become, who do you feel has been the most influential figure in your life?

It’s impossible to answer that, because there have been so many people who’ve helped me, inspired me, and influenced me - but I will say that my mom was my earliest fan and enabler; she took me to see any musician I wanted to see when I was much too young to get into the clubs and bars where they were playing.

When I was 14, she took me to see a

48

band I liked on Christmas Eve during a snowstorm. She was interested in the music I liked, and we shared a love of sad songs, Mickey Newbury especially.

There was really nothing she wouldn’t do to foster my love of music, but she was never a stage mom; she just quietly made it possible for me to follow my nose and get what I needed to make music.

‘The Night You Wrote That Song’, your latest release is a remarkable tribute to Mickey Newbury. What was your motivation behind doing that album?

It really started with my mother, who planted the seed long ago by saying ‘I’d love to hear you sing Mickey Newbury’s songs’. I held that thought in the back of my mind for years, but I had songs of my own to write, and albums to make. There never seemed to be a right time. I had loved Mickey’s songs since I was a teenager, but the thought of making an album of someone else’s songs - honestly, I didn’t feel that I had earned the right to

make an album like this until recently.

He was such an influential figure in music, were you hesitant about doing an album of Mickey Newbury songs?

I have the utmost respect for Mickey and his songs, and I wanted the album to be respectful of who he was as not just a songwriter but an artist. It was only a few years ago, after the success of my last few albums, when I felt I had sort of said my piece, that I decided to go ahead and do it. I was unsure how his fans (and even more importantly to me, his family) would receive it, but I was so pleasantly surprised and overwhelmed by the love and gratitude that came my way. Mickey Newbury fans are fans for life - and they quite rightly feel that he’s continually overlooked in the pantheon of Nashville songwriters and artists. I agree - he doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves.

Mickey Newbury rebelled against the conventional style of Nashville. How important is his legacy in your view?

If you asked Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, Townes Van Zandt and Waylon Jennings who their influences were, Newbury’s name would be at the top of the list. That says it all.

As someone said, he was sort of the John the Baptist of the outlaw country movement, which ultimately brought countless young singer-songwriters like myself into the fold of country music, because suddenly country music included people who looked and thought like us. There’s a direct line from Mickey to Townes and on through to Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith and Steve Earle, who were the artists who drew me to Nashville. His legacy, to a great extent, was to bring thoughtful, literate, sophisticated and even quirky songs into the mainstream, which enriched country music immeasurably.

Coming from a fan of Gram Parsons, do you think Newbury is overlooked, as he already forged country and rock and did what Parsons was famed for at the close of the sixties?

Discovering Gram Parsons was a

49

turning point for me, because I was born and raised in New York and was a dyed in the wool folkie from age 7 to 14, and had never heard country music.

Gram showed all the hippie folkrockers how great country music was, he was an absolute champion of singers and songwriters like George Jones and Merle Haggard. I think that in a sense Gram and Mickey came at it from different places. What I think they had in common, though, was a wide ranging knowledge and appreciation of great songs, coupled with a refusal to be hemmed in by genre. They were both gifts to all of us who love heartbreak songs.

Are the songs on ‘The Night You Wrote That Song’ that you performed from a young age and have become very personal for you?

I had known and sung some of the songs on the album for a long time; others were new to me. I really approached the song choices with the same criteria I’d use choosing my own songs for a new album: Do I feel that I

50

can tell this story effectively and believably? Is there something in me itching to record this particular song?

Do I feel like I can bring some depth to it, some nuance that is maybe hidden in the lyric? Do I get this character, on a deep level? Those sorts of things, I think, are your best indicators as to whether your interpretation is going to be interesting to anyone else. No one needs another rote, paint by numbers recording of someone else’s song.

Your take on ‘Just Dropped In’ retains some of the original’s haunting qualities. A song that is known by most people from the movie ‘The Big Lebowski’, and Kenny Rogers and The First Edition’s version. Do you think that mirrors your own career as so many (Faith Hill, Neil Diamond) cover your songs and people may not know you as the writer?

In a lot of ways, my career and Mickey’s career are parallel. We both had substantial success as songwriters, and the versions of our songs that are

best known were recorded by other artists. But we both, I think, were guided by a North Star that had no particular regard for that kind of success for our own albums. Mickey’s records were 100% his vision (apart from one early album which he disavowed later), and he wasn’t going to be corralled into creating something for mainstream success if it went against that vision. And the result was what we have now; some of the most haunting and beautiful albums made in Nashville. Albums which Nashville would never have let him make, had he been a big star.

understand what goes into the process of committing to a song. It may turn out to be a song that your fans love so much that you will be expected to sing it every night. You’d better love it before you get into a relationship like that with it. I sing Tom Russell’s song ‘Guadalupe’ at almost every show, and I love it and never get tired of it and to this day, twelve years later, still find nuances in the lyric that are new to me.

That’s the kind of song you want to find and record, as an artist. So I think that honored is more the correct description of my feelings when my song is chosen by one of my musical heroes.

In terms of your own music, the aforementioned Diamond, and the late Etta James, is it overwhelming given the fact you may have admired such artists in your youth and they sung the words you wrote?

Overall, do you feel doing this album, along with focusing and arranging someone else’s songs, has in some part rejuvenated your own songwriting?

I’m always deeply honored when another artist chooses to sing one of my songs. I’ve been on both sides, as a songwriter and an artist who sometimes covers other people’s songs, and I

I hope so - I’m always looking for ways to refresh my approach to songwriting, and to light a fire inside. I know that doing this album, because I became very intimate with Mickey’s songs both their structure and their content -

51

strengthened my own songwriting muscles. I learned some things from him. I don’t think you can cover another writer’s songs without learning something new about songwriting. Until you dig in and try to arrange and record them, you don’t fully understand how they’re put together.

Can I ask what you hope to do next?

I have a live album in the can, which was recorded with my band and a string quartet on our UK tour in 2019. We are hoping to mix that and release it at some point, probably in 2021 - when

52

hopefully we can all get back on the road to tour again!

Thank you Gretchen, congratulations again on making a fine album and I wish you all best and future success.

‘The Night You Wrote That Song: The Songs of Mickey Newbury’ is out now on Proper Records. www.gretchenpeters.com www.facebook.com/ gretchenpetersmusic

Nick Frater Loosely Speaking Interview by Alice Jones-Rodgers.

54

We suspect that Nick Frater might be a name that not many of you are familiar with. However, the prolific singer-songwriter, who on 19th September released his fifth album, ‘Fast & Loose’, has been causing something of a stir on the underground scene. Not least in his hometown of Croydon, where with his music production company and occasional record label, Grand Sheiks, he has been busily beavering away producing and releasing music for all manner of other artists.

Last year, Nick also had the honour of joining Love featuring Johnny Echols on stage in London for the farewell performance of Love’s seminal 1967 album ‘Forever Changes’, where he provided orchestral arrangements and played harpsichord. He has previously worked with Darian Sahanaja of Brian Wilson’s band, Mike Randle of Baby Lemonade and has even been a guitar technician (albeit for one night only) for Ray Davies!

The exceptional ‘Fast & Loose’, Nick’s first release for Big Stir Records, follows last year’s critically acclaimed ‘Full Fathom Freight Train’, which ranked highly on many publications’ albums of the year lists. With its sun-soaked melodies, good time grooves, unabashed classic songwriting sensibilities and musical nods to everybody from The Beach Boys to The Flaming Lips, we are

sure that ‘Fast & Loose’ will be just as lauded.

Having just released the finest album of his career so far to brighten up a world that is still in the grips of the COVID-19 shit-storm, one might have forgiven Nick for wanting to take a well-earned rest. However, since the recording of ‘Fast & Loose’, he has brought us the highly unique and perhaps even trailblazing ‘59 Vignettes’ project, which consists of (you guessed it) 59 short songs, complete with tiny videos and was released over a period of 59 days on Instagram and is now readying himself to release his latest work, entitled ‘The Croydon Project’, a musical and visual exploration of his hometown’s mid-20th century re-development made in collaboration with artist Asa Taulbut.

With all this to ask him about and much more, we recently got fast and loose with Nick to conduct the following interview.

Firstly, hello Nick and thank you for agreeing to our interview. Could we start by asking you to introduce yourself to our readers?

Hi, I’m Nick Frater a songwriter, producer and musician from Croydon ... the spiritual home of power-pop! ... and the latest signing to Big Stir Records! If I had to describe my music in one sentence - ‘Richard Carpenter

55

meets R. Stevie Moore, and they cover the Beatles’.

You have just released your fifth album, ‘Fast & Loose’ with Big Stir Records. Before we talk about ‘Fast & Loose’, you have previously released an impressive catalogue of music, both by yourself and others, through your own label and music production company Great Sheiks.

Could you tell us a bit about Great Sheiks?

I’ve been interested in recording bands and being ‘behind the glass’ since before I picked up a guitar, and even in my earliest bands, I was making records using two cassette recorders and playing one recording, and something else live onto the second tape recorder. Just like Les Paul back in the 1950s. I still have some of those tapes … they sound terrible, but it sowed the seed! Jump forward to 2011, and the quality of recordings has progressed to match what we were doing in studios, so I decided to stop chasing major labels, and commit to

56

making and releasing music myself.

And to do what I can to help other songwriters and bands record their music too. Since the start we’ve worked closely with Triple A Films, who do a similar thing with film, and together we’ve made some pretty fun and interesting projects. Horror films, music videos, even an installation at the V&A museum in London.

How did you come to be involved with Big Stir Records, how the experience has been so far and how does releasing your music with them compare with releasing it yourself?

The last few records were not entirely self released, as I teamed up with Kool Kat to bring out the CDs, while I pressed up the vinyl. However, in a very weird twist of fate, Big Stir started putting on events at my favourite pub in Croydon, 10 minutes from my house.

Through that I met one of my favourite live bands Spygenius ... check out their latest double-LP! [‘Man on the Sea’, 2020] and was invited to write some articles for the magazine. Being a

sound engineer this led to doing some mastering. So it has been a very organic process, but very glad to have teamed up with Rex and Christina and the wider Big Stir team. We are all of the mindset of building a supportive musical community. I guess the biggest difference, is being a team and musical family. Being a one-man-band is often easier when it comes to making records, but promoting them and releasing them is much more difficult.

We have been really enjoying ‘Fast & Loose’ and were really struck by the exceptional level of songwriting craftmanship on display. We can certainly detect the influence of The Beach Boys and The Flaming Lips in there, but for those who are yet to hear the album, how would you describe it and could you tell us about a bit about the writing and recording process behind the eleven songs featured on it?

That’s very kind of you to say! There’s definitely some strong influences that I’m more than happy to wear on my

sleeve. Beatles, Beach Boys, Flaming Lips, Pilot, Cheap Trick. I was recently compared to Olivia Newton-John, which was a surprise! I promise not to try on those trousers!

Most of the songs on this album were written and recorded very ‘fast & loose’ in late summer last year. I became a dad for the first time, but my daughter arrived later than expected, so had some time and energy on my hands. I wrote a huge amount, and then started recording them in my home studio while she slept or fed. When you only have twenty minutes to do some recording, it seems to actually help play things right first time! Listening back to the album, I think that energy comes through. It feels quite fresh, as most of it was first or second take!

Talking of influences, you recently joined Love featuring Johnny Echols on stage in London for the 2019 farewell performance of their seminal 1967 album ‘Forever Changes’, playing the orchestral parts and harpsichord. How did this incredible honour come about and

57

how was the experience of being part of bringing such a musical masterpiece to life on stage?

The details are a bit fuzzy, but I remember going to a BBQ and somehow won Mike Randle staying at my house as a prize! We had a very late night, and halfway through a very hungover day at the day job I got a text ‘see you at soundcheck!’. I was reminded we’d learnt a song at 4am, and I’d agreed to join them on stage for Bummer in the Summer in Brighton!

One thing led to another, as they often do, and with less beer and more practice, I brought in some musical friends and we performed ‘Forever Changes’ last year. It was a fantastic gig to be involved with, not just to hear Johnny Echols and Love bringing the music to life, but also I’m a huge Baby Lemonade fan, so I was just as excited about playing with one of my other favourite bands!

Other musicians you have worked with include Darian Sahanaja of Brian Wilson’s band and Mike

58

Randle of Baby Lemonade, but we were fascinated to learn that you once spent a night working as Ray Davies’ guitar technician. Did you get to spend much time with Ray and if so, what did you take away from the meeting as well as working for him?

That night with Ray was another unexpected situation. I have a pretty varied CV which includes many years working in guitar repair shops. A friend was putting on an event where Mark Hamill, aka Luke Skywalker, interviewed Ray Davies and he played some songs. A weirder setup could not have been found, but sounded amazing so I offered to work as a steward. Early into the shift Ray’s manager asked if anyone knew how to fix guitars … well, hand up! I guess I must have done a good job as Ray wanted me to be on hand all evening; so I was. He’s definitely a character! It was a privilege to listen to him play some songs and be so close that you’re hearing him off the stage rather than through the PA. Turns out the internet also went wild about that event as Mark Hamill let slip a

detail he shouldn’t have during the interview!

there is a special magic when we hear it live and enjoy it together.

Live music is only just about starting to get back into action due to the COVID-19 pandemic and you will have had little chance to perform songs from ‘Fast & Loose’ and promote the album in a live setting.

What affect has the inability to play live had on you as a musician and have you made any plans to tour in support of ‘Fast & Loose’ yet?

I would like to briefly go back to songwriting. You are obviously somebody with pop songwriting sensibilities with an ear for a great hook and melody, so could we ask, to you, what makes a great song and what makes you tick as a songwriter and musician?

I was scheduled to play the Friday headline slot at The Cavern, Liverpool as part of the very wonderful International Pop Overthrow festival this year. Alas world events took over.

The outlook doesn’t look great for live music here in the UK, or indeed around the world. I’m a natural optimist, but I would be amazed if the tours being announced for 2021 go ahead.

However, as soon as things do start to pick up again, when and wherever that may be, we all need to go out to gigs and support our local venues! Music will always be made and enjoyed, but

There is nothing more exciting than the moment that inspiration hits and a song starts to emerge. It might be a melody while walking down the road, or messing about at the piano and hitting an interesting chord, but the excitement is always the same. I guess as a songwriter I can’t help by listen to a song and try and figure out how it’s put together, but that doesn’t lessen my love of a well written song. For me a great song does something surprising, maybe that’s creative chord changes, or a lyrical approach that catches you off-guard - as an example, ‘Johnsburg, Illinois’ by Tom Waits is such a great lyrical approach to a song, coupled

59

with a beautiful tune.

You recently undertook a project called ‘59 Vignettes’, the world’s first Instagram concept album. The 59-day project began on 15th May at @59vignettes. What inspired you to undertake ‘59 Vignettes’ and could you tell us a bit about the writing and construction of the 59 short songs and videos which make up the release?

It started when I wrote ‘Love Song For The 90s’, which I really liked, and felt fully-formed, but it was only 48 seconds long! I like to give songs the right context, and a tiny little song wouldn’t make sense on a regular album. The obvious solution was to make loads more songs that clocked in at under a minute. I decided that 59 made some kind of sense, as all the songs were 59 seconds or less. Once I’d started, they came thick and fast, and a chance to have fun with it. Some of the songs remind me of the sound-a-like Top of the Pops LPs from the ‘70s. An excuse to explore writing in particular

60

styles. There are moments of Donald Fagen, Elton John, all sorts, but also some beautiful/funny/sad/heavy songs.

It covers a lot of ground! I have been collecting 8mm home movies over the years from junk shops. These tiny songs felt like they would need a visual element in order to present them, and then lockdown happened, and the most obvious response was to release a 59 part psychedelic concept-album. Using Instagram as a release format was a bit of an experiment. Their video length fit, and making square videos worked well with the different aspect ratios of 8mm film. It definitely opened up my music to a different audience; my songs, sitting alongside all the pictures of brunch and pets!

We hear that you have another fascinating looking project coming soon, entitled ‘The Croydon Project’.

Could you tell us about this?

2020 is the year of the side project, but this one has been in production much longer! For those that might not be familiar, my home town of Croydon

has a dubious architectural reputation.

In the 1960s and 70s much of the historic town was bulldozed, and motorways and brutalist tower blocks sprang up in the very centre of the town. It is fair to say that this idea hasn’t aged well, and although I love the Ballardian bleakness of decaying concrete, I was inspired by the boldness and ambition that the architects and town planners must have had to create their vision of a futuristic city! The Croydon Project is an album of instrumentals, heavily inspired by early ‘70s library music, with accompanying illustrations by Asa Taulbut. The exact format for presenting this is still being fine tuned, but we’re currently exploring releasing the album as a walking tour app. Although if anyone does end up in Croydon following it, message me, we can go for a pint!

this one, some seriously catchy tunes, and have some amazing musicians involved so far. Feels like a step up in songwriting and production. Looking at a May release hopefully. I have also produced albums for a few different bands whose releases were delayed by COVID, hoping to share these in some way in 2021.

Finally, what else can we expect from you in the future?

bigstirrecords.com/nick-frater

The next album is written and currently in production. I’m really excited about

Thank you for a wonderful interview and we wish you all the best for the future.

‘Fast & Loose’ is out now on Big Stir Records. www.nickfrater.com www.facebook.com/ NickFraterMusic

www.greatsheiksmusic.com

61

Not Bad for A Girl Interview by Kevin Burke Photography (this page) by Marina Chevin.

62

“... when we would use the word ‘feminist’, we would get shit for it ...”

- Donita Sparks.

Before there was Grunge, and Riot Grrrl, there was L7. The attitude and alternative, guitar driven music that came to define the nineties had already been stylishly executed by the all-girl outfit. The revolution had begun in 1985, when Donita Sparks and Suzi Gardner combined punk with a brash rock sound and projected it all with a sneering delivery. Recruiting Jennifer Finch (bass), and finally Dee Plakas (drums), the classic line-up was forged. Staying together for six albums, including the modern classics ‘Bricks Are Heavy’ (1992) and ‘Hungry for Stink’ (1994). The all-female focused ‘95 documentary ‘Not Bad For A Girl’ (Lisa Rose Apramian) featured predominantly the movement which L7 were at the forefront of. Eventually the band called it a day at the turn of the century. They were gone, but not forgotten, and their influence vibrated through the music world.

Then in 2014 they re-emerged, announcing a tour, followed in 2016 by the documentary ‘L7: Pretend We’re Dead’ (Sarah Price) which reminded fans old and new of the

band’s importance. And in May last year came their seventh studio album, ‘Scatter the Rats’, which proved the passing of time had not eroded any of their original, incendiary style. In September this year, the 30th Anniversary edition of their second, long-playing cracker ‘Smell the Magic’ got a revamp and a vinyl release. After thirty years, this is an album that remains as relevant as ever, and now sounds just as well as it did when it influenced a generation. ‘Smell the Magic’ did not so much change attitudes, but created new ones, tearing down the boundaries, and the perspectives of female rock bands that we had become inclined to. This is not feel-good music, it is music to empower, to summon a revolution, and for that, L7 will be forever admired.

The co-founder of L7, Donita Sparks took time out of planning her next world assault to speak to yours truly, and she did not hold back. Then again, I would expect nothing less.

Donita did it all, survived it all, and even through controversy, remained unapologetic. But in the surreal

63

L7 in 1989

world of 2020, her views on the legacy of ‘Smell the Magic’ and that nineties-era of L7 are a breath of fresh air.

Do you think the establishment - the press, male orientated bands were intimidated by L7, and you scared the hell out of them?

Scaring the hell out of people is probably an asset, but in a way once people get over that, you still scare them but you’re paying your dues and you’re improving or you’re intriguing right out of the gate. Which I think we were, intriguing, and we did get better as we went on. At first we were kind of an anomaly, because Suzi and I were from the Art-Punk scene, we were punk rockers doing hard rock which was very unusual at the time.

New Wave was still big in the Art-Punk world, Cow Punk was big in LA, there was a lot of Americana roots and Punk going on. There was a lot of hardcore Punk going on also, and we were doing a deconstructed metal kind of thing.

That was our preference, we liked it a lot less cluttered than the heavy rock sound and we wouldn’t have the chops to play a wanker lead anyway [laughs].

It’s almost like our lack of skills helped us create our sound, kind of a stripped down metal with a punk rock attitude.

I think at first there was a healthy ‘scaring the hell outta them’ which is always a good thing for a punk rocker.

Did you feel the press found it hard to classify your sound at the time, and put you in a box?

When you formed L7 with Suzi Gardner, were you driven by activism or was it primarily about the music?

It was primarily about music and having a fun, cool, experience. We had a lot of friends in bands, some of them would tour, small tours you know? Get in a van and go up the coast. Doing a national tour was unheard of. It was an impossible dream but I think we just wanted to be cool, make some music.

But, we wanted to be a good rock band, we didn’t just want to be okay.

64

Photography (pages 64 and 65) by Charles Peterson

Yeah! Which is sometimes a drag and sometimes those are the coolest bands.

It’s interesting when we play Metal festivals they think we’re a metal band, and when we play Punk Rock Festivals they think we’re a punk rock band [laughs]. But we rarely play festivals with kind of Alternative bands, eclectic festivals, we rarely play those, and that’s where we think we sit with most of our kind. It’s kinda interesting.

My first feeling when I heard ‘Smell the Magic’ was, it was some kind of cross between Alice Cooper and the Sex Pistols, it’s a very hard record to describe. Do you get that a lot?

That’s wonderful, I never heard that particular combo, but it’s usually something like ‘Blue Cheer meets the B52’s’, you know. It’s usually a combo of two bands we actually really dig, so the ones that you just mentioned are two great ones, so we will just take it.

Phew! What’s your view now of ‘Smell the Magic’ three decades later?

I think we all liked the album, it still rocks us. We hadn’t listened to it in years until we got the remaster, we took another listen, and we were all like ‘yeah, this is good’, it holds up you know. There’s attitude, there’s melody, there’s darkness, there’s smart-assery [laughs], there’s always some smart ass aspect to our lyrics at times. So it covers all the bases. I think we had a unique recipe within even the Grunge scene, even after we were labelled Grunge per-se, we had our own unique recipe.

Yeah, you guys were active before Grunge existed, same as Riot Grrrl.

Do you feel you guys helped kick those sub-genres into play?

Yeah, thank you for saying that. I totally agree [laughs]. We had been with that sound for quite a while. On ‘Smell the Magic’, we stretched out more, maybe getting a little bit braver, doing different styles, like most bands do, they evolve. ‘Smell the Magic’, I think really captured when our lyrics started meaning something, as opposed

65

to our first album, and a little bit more melody started creeping into our tunes.

I like the album; even though we had an album before it, I feel this was when we really took form, our marching orders.

From the first album (self-titled, 1988), do you think your sound became more structured?

Yeah, I think we got more confident as a band, we got more confident at what we were doing. I consider our first album sort of our kindergarten record because we weren’t all that great at writing yet, because they were the first songs we ever wrote. But I think there are definite moments on that record you can see what we were kind of about, soundwise. I think the songs are a vast improvement on ‘Smell the Magic’ and we were talking about our lives, and we weren’t making rocks songs that we were supposed to make. ‘Smell the Magic’ were songs from our lives, and that’s what struck a chord with what was authentic, the child-brain is forming on ‘Smell the Magic’.

66

How mentally exhausting was it, or even is it, to be part of a band that reached the heights L7 has?

Well it was quite a fun ride, and it would get exhausting. Listen, having a hangover didn’t help either [laughs], for me personally. I probably could have made my life a little easier on the road if I hadn’t had a hangover most of the time. I’m just speaking for myself.

It was grueling, it was a heck of a ride, it was really fun, we had a blast. But we also had some inner fighting like most bands do, because we really formed over the music, it wasn’t like we were the best of pals. When Suzi and I got together we weren’t tight friends, we barely even knew each other, we just wanted to go in the direction of an L7 sound. We really became tight over the music.

In the years when L7 were in hiatus, was it difficult to talk about the band, in an emotional sense?

First of all, it ended badly, which is never a good thing, that really tears

at you that it did not end well. I went through my bitter faze towards the music industry. I’d be cursing at the awards shows, and yelling at the people winning awards, letting that kind of silliness get to me. I felt all of a sudden there was websites and we were never mentioned because we didn’t have a very big digital footprint on the web and there were other people becoming the spokespeople of that era, even women in rock of that era. It got to me a bit because I felt it was not right, so ... it makes me feel great to do a victory lap, and remind people. I think our biggest strengths were our live shows.

The recordings are great but nothing in comparison to our live shit. Because that’s when things really got crazy. It felt really good to play live together, feel that power. I never thought we would reunite, I wasn’t hoping for a reunion, I was kind of like ‘next!’ It just happened to work out that way.

I’m really glad it did, and now we are friendly again too. That resentment shit pops up once in a while but we are in contact, we hangout and we have a lot of laughs.

Were you nervous at how ‘Scatter the Rats’ would be received after all this time?

I was not nervous. We had put out a couple of singles before that to test our own waters. We put out ‘Dispatch from Mar-a-Lago’, and we put a song called ‘I came back to Bitch’. They were well received and we were happy with them.

We were planning on doing an EP, and we decided ‘let’s just go for an LP’ and that’s what we did. I was pretty confident, I was not going to let it be a shitty record, that was just out of the question. We all stepped up, contributed songs and collaborated. We had a wonderful producer in Norm Block, and Nick Launay, so it pretty much turned out the way we wanted it to.

You had a song out earlier this year with Joan Jett, a version of ‘Fake Friends’. How amazing is it to be on Joan Jett’s Blackheart Records?

Joan is wonderful, her manager Kenny is wonderful, and the person that heads

67

the label, Carrie-Anne is wonderful.

We feel really taken care of and Joan is a super great supporter, and has been pals with us since we met her. It’s super cool you know, we are happy to be a part of her empire [laughs].

You guys helped kick start that Riot Grrrl movement, do those bands ever mention how much they owe you in terms of influence?

They told me that they owe us in a very nice way. Here’s the thing about Riot Grrrl - they started on college campuses, they were using rock and roll as a political platform, that was their agenda. They were really great because when we would use the word ‘feminist’, we would get shit for it, you know what I mean? We were either not feminist enough or too feminist. But Riot Grrrl were very much like ‘We are feminists, we are feminist rock!’, they really were serious about their political agenda. Our agenda was to be a really good band, and after that happened, we wanted to infiltrate the masses. We always wanted to lead by example, and

68

that’s what we did. I didn’t even want a gender-based name, a very androgynous name for the band. I wanted our sound to be not that particular, that you couldn’t tell which sex we were. Sometimes the mystery of not knowing if it’s a guy or chick singing is a really cool thing, but that’s how we sing, we just wanted to make good music without a political agenda, but just being who we were, was a political agenda.

The sound of L7 is genderless, it doesn’t speak to any one gender, which is very much a punk rock ideal.

It is. You know, ‘Fast and Frightening’ [‘Smell the Magic’] is a homage to an out of control gal, but people sing about out of control guys all the time.

Do you think modern artists are shy about speaking out on issues, like you and the artists around you did? For example with Rock for Choice?

I think they are probably donating a

gown. Well, that’s the only thing that I pray that they’re doing. I’ve been blown away by some of these pop stars who have come out for particular candidates in the United States. So that’s like ‘okay cool, she stuck her neck out for Obama, or a certain Senator’. I do see some people doing that, and that’s really great, as far as I’ve always had a thing about endorsing candidates, because candidates can fail because they’re human beings, and they can have secrets you don’t even know about, and end up really embarrassing you down the line. But if you endorse causes, that is where we are at. But hey, I’m all for people endorsing Biden at this point. But I don’t know any large benefits like Rock for Choice going on.

We founded Rock for Choice Festival and there was even franchises in other cities. People were so involved it was like, ‘Hey, do you mind if we do a Rock for Choice show in Philadelphia?’

And we’re like, ‘Yes, go, franchise it, send the money into the Feminist Majority Foundation’. People were really fired up and wanting to be involved. Pre-pandemic, I wasn’t getting the scent people were out there forming benefits in their own cities for various causes. I would encourage people to do it. A lot of bands who did that shit in the nineties are getting older and probably aren’t in the financial position to do it.

fearlessness to be your own person.

I want to thank you for that, and I think we worked hard at it, and there was some magic, mojo going on there.

Hopefully you mojo continues and we get to hear some new music from you soon?

We will, I’m sure we are going to be making some music before the touring season starts next year, just to rev up the troops as it were. Hopefully we will be out there next year, we’re supposed to be.

Donita Sparks is unpretentious, and exists in the reality we all live in. A very humble person who appreciates the recognition for what she has achieved as part of L7. l7theband.com www.facebook.com/L7theband

Finally, I want to thank you for today, I’ve always admired your work, your music and I guess your

69

Alan Wilson on Joe Meek Storm in a Tea Chest Interview by Alice Jones-Rodgers.

70

Back in 1967, after legendary producer Joe Meek had shot dead his landlady, Violet Shenton at 304 Holloway Road, the building housing his studio within a three-floor flat above a leather goods store, before turning the gun that he had confiscated from one of his protégés, bassist Heinz Burt of The Tornados (most famous for the Meek-produced 1962 trans-Atlantic number one hit ‘Telstar’) on himself, the official receiver was called in to sort out his business affairs. The legal nightmare that Meek had left behind was just as chaotic as his life, with many debtors to be paid.

The flat was cleared and Meek’s recording equipment was stored in a warehouse in Balham before being auctioned off for £3,129 (equivalent to £46,712 in today’s money) in April 1968. Meanwhile, almost all of the huge collection of master tapes amassed over a six year period of working from the flat were packed in 67 tea chests and taken away by Cliff Cooper, the former bassist with The Millionaires, who is said to have purchased all of the recordings for £300 (equivalent to £5,485 in today’s money) shortly before Meek’s death, for preservation. And so began the legend of the near mythical ‘Tea Chest Tapes’.

Fast forward 53-years and Alan Wilson, owner and producer at Bristol’s Western Star Recording

Company, guitarist in neo-rockabilly band The Sharks, one-fifth of The Holloway Echoes and lifelong Meek enthusiast, beaming with joy and enthusiasm, tells us before the following interview, “I’ve been involved in something exciting for the last few months, but until today was unable to share the news as the deal was subject to a non-disclosure agreement”.

In a process that will keep Alan busy for the next eighteen months, it is his task to digitalise and master the some 1,850 reels that make up the ‘Tea Chest Tapes’ for eventual release by Cherry Red Records and consumption by eager Meek fans worldwide. For, after a full six years of business wranglings with their previous one careful owner, Cooper, the record company finally acquired the rights to the tapes last month.

Amongst the 4,000-plus hours’ worth of music in this incredible treasure trove are early previously unheard recordings made by a young David Bowie as the vocalist and saxophonist with his very first band The Konrads, Gene Vincent, soon to be Moody Blues member and Wing in waiting Denny Laine, Billy Fury, Tom Jones, future Led Zepellin guitar god Jimmy Page, Mike Berry, John Leyton, pre-Deep Purple axe legend Ritchie Blackmore, Jess Conrad, future Jimi Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell, Screaming

71

Meek at work in his studio at 304 Holloway Road

Lord Sutch and others. Elsewhere, Meek can be heard honing the unique compositional skills and revolutionary sound techniques which, to this day, continue to make him such an influential figure in the music world.

Firstly, hello Alan and thank you for agreeing to our interview and congratulations on becoming involved in the Joe Meek ‘Tea Chest Tapes’ venture. Before we talk about this exciting event, could we start by asking how you first became aware of Joe Meek, what interested you about him and what influence his music and life have had on your own work over the years?

As a young teenager, I was a fanatical record collector. This would have been early to mid-‘70s. I would trawl junk shops every day searching for ‘50s and ‘60s records. In those days, you could get them for pennies. Singles, EPs, LPs, 78s etc. Even as a kid, I was always interested in sound. At some point, I realised that some records had a sense

72

304 Holloway Road (centre building)

of excitement about them. I couldn’t really figure out why, but it was evident. So, for example, ‘Johnny Remember Me’ by John Leyton [1961] definitely had it ... so did ‘Telstar’ by The Tornados [1962], yet these were different groups on different labels. In those pre-internet days it would take me many years to realise the same man was responsible for the production on these records. But, as the years went by, the dots began to join. Then at some point, I bought a second hand LP with a selection of Joe Meek hits on it and that was it, BANG! From there on, I was a Joe Meek fan. Not only his work, but I was fascinated by his life story.

Why do you feel that people, music fans and musicians alike, are still fascinated by Meek fifty-three years after his death?

Many reasons. I think his recordings have a unique sound. You can tell a Joe Meek production a mile off. But also the fact that he was so innovative, not only in his recording techniques, but in every aspect of his life. He was an

Alan (left) takes delivery of the ‘Tea Chest Tapes’.

With Cliff Cooper (centre) and Iain McNay

‘independent record producer’ when that didn’t exist. He started his own label, again before independent labels existed. His story is mesmerising.

Almost too far-fetched to be true! Of course it all went wrong in the end, so the struggle, the success then the tragedies ... so there’s the allure of the mystery of his death and sadly his landlady’s death too.

The ‘Tea Chest Tapes’ are a near mythical collection of almost 2,000 reels containing a vast amount of the producer’s work. How did you first become aware of their existence and could you give us an insight into their history?

I don’t remember exactly when I became aware of them, but it was several decades ago. When Joe died, he was in the middle of a court case.

A French composer had claimed Joe had stolen the tune of ‘Telstar’, Joe’s massive 1962 hit that was number one all over the world, and was the first number one in the USA by a British band. So royalties had been frozen, and

The ultimate unboxing experience!

Joe’s money all ploughed into fighting the case. He should have been a rich man but died insolvent. This being the case a liquidator was appointed and all his equipment etc was seized and sold off. Joe had been recording a band called The Millionaires and one band member, a young Cliff Cooper, was himself an aspiring studio engineer.

Cliff tried to buy Joe’s equipment but got there too late. All that was left were 60 plus tea chests full of quarter inch tapes. Cliff bought these tapes for £300 to ‘study’ them to try to figure out Joe’s methods ... I guess he was hoping this would help him later in his career as he went on to start a studio himself in Soho, before opening music shops in Denmark Street and then founding and still running Orange Amplification which is, of course. world famous.

Thankfully Cliff didn’t erase or re-use these tapes. He actually went to a lot of effort and expense to preserve them, storing them in a dry, temperature controlled environment. Cliff has resisted offers over the years to part with or to split up this collection. Until

73

now. Cliff actually cared about the music on these tapes and its now 53 years later that he feels that Cherry Red Records are the company that will do the right thing and treat this music with care and respect.

I’m lucky to have had a 28 year relationship with Cherry Red. I was signed to them in the early ‘90s and then continued to work with them on various projects over the years. I have at times help manage parts of their catalogue. I’ve project managed dozens of releases for them and for many years have been mastering releases as well as baking tapes and restoring old analogue masters for them. They knew I was a Meek fanatic and coupled with my analogue tape background, they thought I was ideal to be brought in to deal with this job. And wow! For me, this is the dream job.

Your role, as head and producer at Western Star Records, will be to digitalise and master the tapes. When and how did you become involved in the project?

74

Cherry Red were negotiating with Cliff for six years on this deal. But I was brought in about three months ago. It was all very hush-hush at the time and subject to a non disclosure agreement, as are most big deals. My role was initially to go to Cliff’s warehouse and inspect the 2.5 tons of tape and report on it’s condition. Cliff actually permitted me to take some tapes away to test. Cliff has been a fantastic custodian of this huge chunk of music history and I was pleased to report that the tapes were well looked after. The deal finally went through in August.

Could you tell us about what your role in the project will entail and the equipment you will be using to undertake the task?

We have two specialist kilns that we bake tapes with. This is a process needed to stabilise old tape as it can often deteriorate over time. Once cleaned, baked and cooled the tape will then be played on one of our tape machines. Some of this tape is mono, some stereo. We have pretty much

every format known to man here! It will take around eighteen months to transfer all the tapes to digital. Once they are all digitalized, then we start the process of restoring the tracks and mastering the tracks. So this is several years work and will yield thousands of tracks.

What condition were the ‘Tea Chest Tapes’ in when you received them and having now heard them, what was your first impression of the music that they contain?

My fear over the years has always been that these tapes will have deteriorated.

However, They have been cared for very well and the samples I took away were all very good. If that’s representative of the whole pile then this will result in some great finds. It was so exciting to handle these tapes and as of last Friday they are now all stored here, securely and in ideal conditions. Hearing this stuff is amazing. Even now half a century on, the quality of Joe’s work knocks me out.

This, of course, isn’t the first time you have undertaken a project celebrating Meek’s songs. In 2004 and 2006, you put together and released two volumes of Meek tributes on CD. Did that project teach you anything about Meek’s music that you will carry forward into working on the ‘Tea Chest Tapes’?

I actually did a third volume last year too. Plus I have produced albums and sessions for as many surviving Joe Meek artists as possible over the years.

So I have worked a lot with John Leyton, Mike Berry, Clem Cattini, Robb Shenton, and many others. I’ve learned a lot about how Joe worked from these guys and all those insights and bits of knowledge help.

Incidentally, I am such a Meek freak, this week I bought the actual Selmer Clavioline keyboard that was used on Telstar. My life is immersed in all things Meek!

The ‘Tea Chest Tapes’ obviously contain many tracks that have never

75

been heard before by many people.

What largely unheard gems were you most surprised by and which do you think will surprise others the most?

A lot of people went through Joe Meek’s studio. Some went on to be very famous. So contained in this pile are a lot of Tom Jones recordings from before he made it big. Mark Feld (Marc Bolan), Status Quo (as The Palaminos), Jonathan King, Ray Davies (later of The Kinks), and The Konrads which was David Bowie’s first ever recording session! It’s going to be an exciting time!

There will also be a lot of undocumented material which we may or may not be able to identify so I’ve recruited two experts and long-time fellow Joe Meek Society members to help me. Rob Bradford and Pete Rochford will be invaluable when it comes to this detective work.

You are obviously very excited about working on the project but are there any particular pieces of music that you are most looking forward to getting to grips with and why?

Oddly nothing in particular because whilst the Bowie or Ray Davies stuff is all very exciting, I am also a fan of the no-hit wonder. The nuggets are equally as important to me as the big stuff, and I know Cherry Red are also very keen on the lesser known acts too. So I’m just happy to hear it all!

76

When can we expect to see the end result released and at this point in time, can you reveal anything about how the ‘Tea Chest Tapes’ will be presented to record buyers?

Cherry Red are doing this the right way. They will wait until EVERYTHING is transferred before deciding what collections to release.

So I guess we are looking at eighteen months down the line. That seems a long way off but time has a habit of flying by and I’m sure they will be posting news and updates and any milestone finds along the way ... We’ve waited decades for this stuff and now it’s finally happening, so we are on the home straight!

Thank you for a wonderful interview and we wish you all the best for the future. www.western-star.co.uk www.cherryred.co.uk

The Idle Race Gerald Was Anything But Idle Interview by Martin Hutchinson Photography courtesy of the Gerald Chevin Archive.

78

Fans of Birmingham’s sixties’ music scene are in for a treat. The first album by The Idle Race has been reissued for a whole new generation to enjoy. But, I can already hear some of you saying, ‘The Idle Race?

Who’s The Idle Race?’

Time for a history lesson. In Birmingham, back in 1965, there was a popular band called Mike Sheridan and The Nightriders. In a surprise move, both Mike and the lead guitarist left.

Mike formed a new band and the lead guitarist co-founded a new band from members of other Brumbeat bands.

This new band was called The Move – you may have heard of them, as the lead guitarist was one Roy Wood.

This left The Nightriders as a trio: Dave Pritchard (guitar and vocals), Greg Masters (bass) and Roger Spencer (drums and vocals). In came Johnny Mann as a new guitarist but proved unsuitable. The band advertised and an 18-year-old guitarist from Shard End ended up as the successful applicant.

This young man was called Jeff Lynne and the rest, as they say, is history.

The band cut a disc for Polydor, ‘It’s Only the Dog’ c/w ‘Your Friend’ which sank without trace. The band paused to reconsider their future. Firstly, they decided on a change of name, firstly to Idyll Race and then The Idle Race.

Next, they decided on pushing their new guitarist forward as singer and then to write their own material.

They signed with the Liberty subsidiary of EMI and recorded their first single, a Roy Wood composition called ‘(Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree’.Sadly, Wood’s band had recorded the track and it was the B-side of the top five hit ‘Flowers in the Rain’, so The Idle Race version was pulled. Instead, the label put out a single featuring a brace of Lynne compositions, ‘Imposters of Life’s Magazine’ and ‘Sitting in My Tree’.

The Move’s Roy Wood was still great mates with his former colleagues and wanted to help them. He contacted the production team of Eddie Offord and Gerald Chevin. Eddie was proving to be an innovative engineer and producer.

He went on to produce YES, whilst Gerald had cut his teeth with The Moody Blues and Procol Harum.

“Roy Wood got in touch with us and told us that we had to go up to The Cedar Club in Birmingham to see this band called The Idle Race”, Gerald tells me. “We’d known Roy through working on The Move’s first album, so we went up and were knocked out by the band. I was working at Advision Studios in London. I’d decided to write to all the studios in London for a job and they were the first in the book. I had a degree and doctorate in electronics and they took me on. I designed their mixing consoles and repaired them when they went wrong. The upshot is that being employed by the studio,

79

L/R: Gerald Chevin, Jeff Lynne and Eddie Offord

they said that we could spend as long as we liked in the studio at the weekend for nothing, as long as a small percentage of any royalties went to the studio. Well, the band would make their way down to the studio and turn up on Saturday afternoon, The band had their instruments but all the studio had was a Steinway grand piano.”

But luck was with them. “That’s right.

If we had a big recording session on Monday morning we would have loads of instruments. We hired stuff from Boosey & Hawkes and they would deliver it on Friday. We used whatever was in the studio, sometimes we even had a mellotron.

It was a good thing for them, they could experiment with different sounds without the cost of hiring stuff. It was a very sweet deal.”

Everyone loved the band, Kenny Everett was a big fan and he became the honorary President of the band’s fan club. “John Peel loved them too, he used to come to the studio and listen

80

to them.”

It was clear to Gerald that in Jeff Lynne, the band had someone special.

“You can always tell when you meet them, people who are talented. Not taking anything away from the others in the band, who were all talented musicians, Jeff was in a different league. There is always one person in a band who stands out. Jeff in The Idle Race, Roy Wood was the same in The Move, and in The Beatles it was Paul McCartney. Jeff also had an ear for good songs.

That’s how he became such a good writer and producer.”

Speaking of Paul McCartney, Jeff was a massive Beatles’ fan. “Yes, that’s right. My friend Geoff Emerick, who was working with The Beatles, invited me to go and see them work.

Jeff practically got on his knees begging me to take him as well. I must say that it was an interesting session, but Jeff was blown away and it was a catalyst for him.”

The end result, ‘The Birthday Party’ was released in October 1968 with the majority of the tracks coming from the pen of Jeff Lynne. One track, ‘Pie in the Sky’ was composed by rhythm guitarist Dave Pritchard, and there was a string arrangement on ‘Happy Birthday’. The tracks stand up well today as a great example of late-sixties pop. There’s whimsy, emotion and thoughtful lyrics.

The lead-off track, and a single, ‘Skeleton and the Roundabout’ tells of a roundabout owner who has fallen on hard times and is offered a job as a skeleton on the ghost train. Things improve and the good living makes him “much too fat to be a ghost”. This is followed by ‘The Birthday’, a sad song about a girl who lives alone and invites all the people at work to her birthday party, but no one came. ‘I Like My Toys’ tells the story of a 31-yearold man who doesn’t want to grow up, whilst other great numbers include ‘On With the Show’, ‘Lucky Man’ and ‘End of the Road’.

This reissue has the album in both

mono and stereo with single tracks and alternative versions. The final track of the two-CD set is a version of ‘Sitting in My Tree’, which is taken from the 1976 reissue on the budget Sunset label, which had that special phrase that you would only know if you bought records in the first half of the seventies – ‘electronically processed stereo’.

Sadly, ‘The Birthday Party’ didn’t sell and it is one of music’s great mysteries why it didn’t. “We did something fantastic”, says Gerald. “They should have been more successful. Dave and Jeff really knew what they were doing. The tracks were all ready by the time they got to recording them, all we had to do was lay the tracks down. It was all good fun. We all enjoyed it and none of us made any money. Jeff’s drive and quality of musicianship have made him what he is today.”

Undaunted, the band made another album in 1969 (‘Idle Race’), this time solely produced by Jeff Lynne (which hopefully will also see a reissue), but

81

when that too failed, in March 1970, he took up Roy Wood’s second invitation to join The Move. The Idle Race made one last album, ‘Time Is’ in 1971, then eventually morphed into The Steve Gibbons Band.

Gerald is very complimentary about ‘The Birthday Party’. “I thought it was a fantastic album”, he says.

“Every single track had it’s own merits, I can’t understand why it didn’t sell. The band was very unlucky. We all worked very hard

82

on it and it evokes all the memories when I listen to it. It was one of the best things I was ever involved with and it proved to me how talented Jeff Lynne was.”

‘The Birthday Party’ 2CD Expanded Digipak Edition by The Idle Race is out now on Grapefruit Records, a division of Cherry Red Records. www.facebook.com/ The-Idle-Race-65632315776

recording of each, looking at every track in detail and any promitional tour.

Sabotage: Black Sabbath in the Seventies

by Martin Popoff

Review by Martin Hutchinson.

Canadian author and music reviewer Martin Popoff has produced just about the most comprehensive look at Heavy Metal pioneers Black Sabbath ever.

Culled from cuttings and many inter views undertaken by the author with members of the band and their friends and colleagues (almost 50 of them), this 129,000-word essay lifts the lid on all aspects of the band.

Popoff has kept to his tried and trusted method of keeping everything in order chronologically, which is refreshing as he doesn’t go off at tangents and keeps to the point. Each chapter (apart from that dealing with the formation of the band) is titled after Black Sabbath’s albums and within the chapters, Popoff offers an insight into the writing and offers an insight into the writing and

I would have liked the section dealing with the tracks to be set out separately because with this information being part of the main chapter it makes it a bit unwieldy. The only other (slight) criticisms I have are the fact that the whole thing is a little wordy and it could be condensed a bit. For instance, we have different members of the band saying more or less the same thing when, if all the band were in agreement, just one quote would do.

Also, Popoff tends to let his own opinions creep in. Now this is fine when reviewing the albums, but not when you are writing a history of a band. Personal opinions have to be kept out of such works. Also, and finally, the photo sections are inadequate. Better images of the albums would be good.

Having liked Sabbath for many years, I have been waiting for a book like this since I became interested in the band. Popoff has left nothing out and the band openly admit their drink and drug problems. It can (in my opinion) be said to be the ‘definitive’ history of Black Sabbath during the most dynamic and important part of their career. I await with anticipation the follow-up which will deal with the eighties and nineties.

292 pages, Wymer Publishing. www.martinpopoff.com

83

Hawkwind

“We Saw Them on TV, They’d Blown Their Cover”: An (In)Complete History of Hawkwind on Film in the 1970s Joe Banks, author of ‘Hawkwind: Days of the Underground - Radical Escapism in the Age of Paranoia’, takes a look at one of the abiding mysteries of the band’s saga ...

84

Hawkwind were a one band revolution in the 1970s, countercultural avatars who took the spirit of the underground to every town and city in Britain. In an age of prog rock puffery and plastic pop, Hawkwind performed their unique brand of deep space psychedelia to crowds of thousands wherever they went. After ‘Silver Machine’ became a million-selling hit in 1972, their profile was raised even further, culminating in a headline show at Wembley Empire Pool (now Wembley Arena) in May 1973. By any estimation, Hawkwind were one of Britain’s biggest bands during this period, and continued to be a major live attraction throughout the ‘70s ...

Which makes it all the more mysterious that there’s practically no film or video footage of the band from this decade.

Go to YouTube and search any number of second division bands from the ‘70s, and you’ll be rewarded with, for example, an appearance on ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’, a concert from Belgian TV or a collection of primitive promos. But for Hawkwind, there were just two pieces of footage (and two songs) that appeared on British TV in the ‘70s.

The first is the promo film for the aforementioned ‘Silver Machine’ made for’ Top of the Pops’ after the band made it clear they wouldn’t mime in the studio. As just about the only legitimate ‘live’ footage of Hawkwind from this

period, it’s something of a holy relic.

Shot for the BBC by Caravel Films, it does a pretty good job of replicating the intense multimedia assault of a Hawkwind live show on celluloid. Its opening shot is of a crowd already in the grip of what looks like religious ecstasy, hands aloft flicking peace signs in the air, the provincial underground in all its scuzzy glory. Stacia is implacable and mesmerising, her face painted silver and white; Simon King’s pale, almost emaciated body buzzes with kinetic energy; Lemmy is the very essence of grimy biker chic; Nik Turner furiously shakes his flute above his head like a space-age sceptre …

This promo was shown three times on ‘TOTP’, and not only played a major part in propelling ‘Silver Machine’ to number three in the charts, but also established Hawkwind’s reputation as the kings of the underground. It was a clarion call to nascent heads and freaks everywhere, a bold assertion of a music scene and lifestyle that rejected mainstream society.

The second piece of footage couldn’t be more different. In July 1977, the title track of ‘Quark, Strangeness and Charm’ was released as a single. It didn’t chart, but it did lead to an incongruous slot on Marc Bolan’s teatime pop show ‘Marc’, its foil discs and flashing lights the epitome of the sterile, artificial pop world that Hawkwind had previously shunned.

Now fronted by the flamboyant Robert

85

Stacia, ‘Silver Machine’ promo video, 1972

Lemmy, ‘Silver Machine’ promo video, 1972

Calvert, it’s quite a performance. While the rest of the band give a good impression of wishing they were somewhere else (and band leader Dave Brock actually is), a heavily made-up Calvert - who looks like he’s leapfrogged the punk years into the New Romantic era - pretends to play guitar and gesticulates meaningfully with a stuffed hawk on his arm, a man in his element.

but Hawkwind’s ex-manager Doug Smith has speculated that it was actually made by United Artists (their label at the time) as a way of promoting the band internally to the company’s US headquarters ahead of Hawkwind’s first American tour.

However, that’s not the full story of Hawkwind on film in the 1970s. In 2007, the ‘Collector’s Edition’ reissue of the band’s legendary ‘Space Ritual’ live album came with a DVD which featured not only the ‘Silver Machine’ film, but also a promo for ‘Urban Guerilla’, their controversial 1973 single which had been redrawn from sale after three weeks due to an IRA bombing campaign. This film was an exciting discovery for fans, as it’s based on another live performance, this time featuring a sword-wielding Calvert and a writhing, naked Stacia.

The latter detail may account for why it was never shown on TV at the time,

86

Intrigued by a reference to an unknown Hawkwind film on the BFI website, I managed to track down a further 22-minutes of footage from the ‘Urban Guerilla’ shoot during the writing of ‘Days of the Underground’.

Astonishingly, it was still in the possession of the original filmmaker, Cynthia Beatt. Now based in Berlin, where she continues to make films, Beatt had lived in the same Paddington flat as Robert Calvert in the early ‘70s, and had thus got the job of filming the band. The exact details of the performance are lost in the mists of time, but Beatt thinks it was a real gig, and it seems likely that it’s from the Wembley Empire Pool show. The film is currently being restored and synched, and hopefully the finished product might reveal more about its origins.

Dave Brock, ‘Urban Guerilla’ video shoot, 1973

Robert Calvert, Hawklords, Brunel University, 1978

The other ‘official’ footage from the ‘70s that’s known to exist, but still remains tantalisingly out of reach to fans, was filmed at Brunel University, Uxbridge on 24th November 1978 (during the band’s incarnation as the Hawklords) and was the product of a professional, multi-camera shoot. It’s unknown whether the entire concert was filmed, but a promo for ’25 Years’ that used this footage was shown on Australian (and possibly Italian) TV. And in 2001, ten seconds of the band’s performance of ‘Psi Power’ featured in Channel 4’s ‘Top Ten: Prog Rock’ programme. In 2017, Cherry Red, Hawkwind’s current label, announced that this film was finally going to be released - but since then, there’s been no further announcements about it.

including a young Huw Lloyd-Langton and original bassist John Harrison – is available to view online. Adrian Everett, who owns the raw footage, has been trying to produce a film based around this priceless celluloid for years – we can only hope that one day it emerges.

And yet, that’s still not all. Similarly tantalising is the film taken at London’s Roundhouse during the Atomic Sunrise festival, which ran for seven nights in March in 1970, and featured the likes of David Bowie, Arthur Brown, Genesis - and Hawkwind. A minute of the early band playing the festival -

Other fleeting glimpses of the ‘70s band on film include five seconds of their headline slot at the Watchfield Festival (1975) featured in a travellers documentary from ten years ago, and a very brief appearance in the faux-groovy 1973 movie adaptation of Michael Moorcock’s ‘The Final Programme’ (Moorcock had wanted Hawkwind to soundtrack the film - the director said no). There’s also some wonderful (if murky) 8mm fan footage from the band’s shows at Newcastle City Hall in 1976 and 1977, which has been on YouTube in various forms. Oh, and uncut footage of their performance at the Futurama Science Fiction Music Festival from 1979 apparently resides in Doug Smith’s garage ...

87

Of course, the question still remains - just why is there so little footage of Hawkwind from this period, given not only their popularity, but also the fact that their concerts were visually impressive, multimedia extravaganzas compared to just about every other bands’ shows? One reason might be that Hawkwind were extremely wary of the traditional music business and anything that smacked of the ‘star trip’ - Dave Brock in particular seemed particularly militant about not performing in front of studio cameras.

And in an interview from the ‘70s, keyboardist Simon House suggests that Hawkwind’s light show and projections simply wouldn’t translate to being filmed. As for the ‘Whistle Test’, House simply states, “We’ve heard that Bob Harris isn’t that keen on Hawkwind.”

Ah well. Perhaps we just have to put ‘Space Ritual’ on the stereo, shut our eyes, and imagine what might have been – until that is the mythical film of that tour turns up in some dusty archive ...

All the films and footage mentioned in this article can be viewed at the Days of the Underground website: www.daysoftheunderground.com/ videos ‘Hawkwind: Days of the Underground Radical Escapism in the Age of Paranoia’ is published by Strange Attractor Press.

Page 84: Hawkwind appear on Marc Bolan’s ITV show ‘Marc’, July 1977.

Stacia and Michael Moorcock in a promo still from ‘The Final Programme’ (1973)

88

I worried just nine pages in as Laura makes an absolutely massive error in stating that Denny Ball, from Cozy’s band Big Bertha was from The Move.

He wasn’t. However. apart from that, the facts appear to be correct.

Dance with the Devil: The Cozy Powell Story

By Laura Shenton

Review by Martin Hutchinson.

Self-confessed Powell fan Laura Shenton has written this book because she cannot believe that no-one has written a book about him before. This is mainly because Cozy was a private individual who did his speaking through his drumming (and motor racing). Therefore, Laura has researched into the legendary musician (who, alongside solo projects, drummed with Jeff Beck, Rainbow, Michael Schenker, Whitesnake, Emerson Lake and Powell and Black Sabbath) using newspaper cuttings of reviews and interviews.

There are only the scarcest bits of information about Cozy’s (born Colin Powell, Cirencester in 1947; died aged 50 in 1998) private life, so that part of his life isn’t gone into in much details, but his professional life has been gone over with a fine tooth-comb.

Laura has split Cozy’s life into sections, but these sections are the various bands he was in, which more or less corresponds with the correct timeline. As such, this takes us though Cozy’s life in the right order. As an overview of Cozy’s career, this is a good read and very informative about a true music legend.

Having said that, it is the format that lets the narrative down. As Laura is using newspaper articles, there is a lot of repetition. For instance, at the end of each chapter we get a cutting about why Cozy left this particular band; and when we start the new chapter, we get another cutting about why Cozy left his previous band. We actually get the reasons why Cozy left the Jeff Beck Group no fewer than FOUR times.

The whole book reads a little like a dissertation. This is not meant as a criticism as there is so little information to be had and Laura has gathered together everything she could and her research is to be admired, given the paucity of info about the man himself.

224 pages, Wymer Publishing. www.wymeruk.co.uk

89

German Shepherd Records Presents:

90

Adventures of Salvador

Imagine Johnny Rotten fronting The Cramps with a touch of Mark E. Smith attitude and Jeffrey Lee Pierce swagger, add a theremin and a mellotron and you are very close to the melting pot of styles and delivery that is a unique band from Bury, Greater Manchester, called Adventures of Salvador.

The group was formed in 2011 by guitarist Mark Berry and bassist Nigel Beck. They soon got to grips with turning influences into something new.

Joined by itinerant Irishman Joe Clarke and drum loops (aka Johnny Zoom), they started doing the odd gig and local tours, releasing the first single ‘Happidaze’ b/w ‘Silent Sky’ in 2013.

Described as a modest indie club floor filler, the initial single perhaps did not accurately portray what was to follow.

Gigs continued and a short tour ensued with one man show Loop-Aznavour and poet Chris Bainbridge, culminating in a Burlesque show where an impromptu jam sowed the seeds for what was to follow.

So Loop joined the band, Joe went off to chase his solo dream as “backinhumanform’ and the trio recorded ‘The Ping Pong Head EP’ in 2014, which displayed a new freer and more ambitious sound and was well received. More doors opened, including some prestigious festival shows.

Shortly after, Ollie Nicholson joined.

The son of a local radio DJ who had been playing the single, he was

recruited to fill the much needed drum position. A revamp of material to accommodate live drums led to a raft of gigs and festival shows and the release of the ‘Pop Song EP’, a studio demo and more live shows.

Many shows followed and stages were shared with some great acts. British Sea Power, The Nightingales, Paul Heaton, Julian Cope, Public Service Broadcasting, Doctor and The Medics , and The Stranglers amongst others. In 2016 the debut album ‘Chocolates and Drugs’, recorded by Phil Bulleyment (Dutch Uncles, Slow Readers Club), was released. It was a critical success and kept the gigging momentum up while the band’s reputation increased.

Sadly, Ollie was lured away with the promise of pop stardom and a new drummer was needed, up stepped Mike Smith, the missing link and a drummer of great prowess. After getting up to speed, the group were back out with a new improved sound and bigger and better shows with Head to the Hills, Sylvain Sylvain UK tour and appearances at Strummercamp amongst others.

In 2018, the band went back to the studio and in 2019, German Shepherd Records released the single ‘Retroman’. Produced by Tony Long at Big City Jacks in Bury and mastered in Los Angeles by Mike Tucci with stunning artwork by New York City’s Jack Jerz, it represented a leap forward

91

Loop

Mark

and picked up a lot of radio play around the world.

Our Village’, the band set about the live circuit and appeared all over the place, including a foray to Cambridge as part of a German Shepherd Showcase and London’s Dublin Castle. The album, meanwhile gained traction with several stores electing to stock both the vinyl and CD. Never able to stand still, the band got to writing the next batch of songs, which Nigel Beck describes as “a more torturous process”. In February 2020, they recorded a couple of songs. However, the apocalypse got in the way of rehearsal gigs and releases. As soon as is feasible, they will be back out there, with plans to put album number three out in 2021 and, all being well, a single before Christmas 2020.

The single was the precursor to the second album, ‘Welcome to Our Village’, which was released in June 2019 gaining huge critical acclaim.

With digital, CD and vinyl versions of the album, the latter being cut at Abbey Road studios, the band had a product with which to showcase their remarkable skills.

With ‘Welcome to Our Village’, you have the perfect marriage of Salvador’s urban surf meets punk sound but with the added what might be described as “progressive” elements of Loop’s theremin and mellotron. With songs covering disparate subjects like The Moody Blues, Walt Disney, King Kong and Royston Vasey like elders of isolated villages in the hills, you have a distinctive and idiosyncratic collection of songs. Anchored by Beck’s growling bass, the band explore areas of blues rock hitherto unseen.

Following the release of ‘Welcome to

92

Live, Adventures of Salvador are a remarkable experience. A real force to be reckoned with, as anyone who has seen them will testify. They are loud but they are tuneful as well and there is an element of wit in play with a self effacing bonhomie which makes the performance more enjoyable. At the centre is the beret clad Loop, who

Mike

Nigel

embodies the spirit of punk but also shows the same stagecraft and presence of for example Peter Gabriel or Alex Harvey at their most theatrical. Add to the mix a remarkably tight band holding a pungent groove and you have a perfect live show.

‘Retroman’ (digital only single, 2019) Welcome to Our Village (album, 2019)

Discography: ‘Happidaze’ (single, 2013) ‘Ping Pong Head EP’ (2014) ‘Pop Song EP’ (2014) ‘Chocolates and Drugs’ (album, 2016)

The first three releases are collated as a special release for German Shepherd Records and Bandcamp Subscribers.

The package is also available from the band at gigs. www.adventuresofsalvador.com www.facebook.com/ adventuresofsalvador

93

Delving Deep with ...

Ocean Grove Interview by Peter Dennis Photography by Ed Mason (this page) and Sam Wong.

94

Having released their second full length album earlier this year in the shape of ‘Flip Phone Fantasy’, Australia’s Ocean Groove have been ringing in the changes for this record. Dale Tanner swapped the bass for the mic stand, while new guy Twiggy Hunter now thumps the four string and adds his deft tones to the vocal department.

Touring the UK earlier this year supporting Japanese band Crossfaith, Ocean Grove wooed audiences with their unique sound, so I decided it was high time to catch up with Dale and Twiggy.

Can you give me a brief history of the band?

Dale: The band has been together for almost 10 years now. We started back in high school in Victoria, Australia, we were all friends and for the first few years we were mucking around and sharing a passion for music. We only started getting serious from 2013 onwards, we put out a couple of EPs, started to tour Australia and once we got a bit of momentum behind us we put out our first album called ‘The Rhapsody Tapes’ [2017]. After that, we did some international touring: America, Japan and Europe twice. We had a line up change in 2018 when our vocalist and our guitarist departed, so we brought Twiggy in on bass and I stepped up as singer.

How was it swapping bass for the mic stand?

Dale: I found it quite natural to be honest. I feel deep down I was meant to do it rather than being a bassist or guitarist. Any time at home and in any scenario, I’d be singing and from the age I could talk I’d be singing along with the radio, so it was engrossed within me and from the very first gig we did as the new line-up, I felt like a tiger let out of a cage. It felt right.

Twiggy, do you feel your joining the band has altered the chemistry?

Twiggy: When I came into the band, we discussed a shared vocal method, the same way Alice in Chains kind of do their thing. A few songs on the album, Dale and I share vocals and in the live environment Dale will step back and I’ll grab the mic which is good. There’s a great vocal dynamic between us, which is really good.

Dale’s got a very deep, cavernous voice while I’ve got a higher, more of a whining vocal, so they go hand in hand and the harmonies on the album sound very slick.

Although the world is getting smaller, Australia is still isolated, with the music industry based in the Northern hemisphere. Did this help you create a unique sound?

Dale: Yes, in a way. We have a pretty unique music scene in Australia and

95

I think there is some magic in being isolated and not having that external noise influencing what you’re doing.

For us, I think we’ve taken it one step further by not paying attention to what’s happening within Australia. We shut the curtains and locked ourselves away, we knew what we wanted to do with this album, regardless with what was happening in the outside world. We were talking about a band called The Chaps who’ve got a really Australian sound yet it’s transferred so well to the other side of the globe.

It seems that Australia has a thriving musical scene.

Dale: For sure, especially in the last five years I’d say there’s been a real spike in great bands. You often read online people saying their favourite bands come from Australia. It seems the world is starting to plug in now and it feels great to be part of that.

Did You immediate environment shape your sound at all?

96

Twiggy: I think a lot of our sound is based on life experiences. We’ve got four big personalities in the band, so I’d say our most natural state is when we’re in the studio. I think creating something new is just ingrained with us, so we just like to write good songs.

Dale: I would say that we all grew up in areas that were a bit rough and when you combine that with an Australia that’s either stereotyped as being laid back or having a lot of energy, I think we’ve taken that energy and infused that into our music and the punk and rough element we inject into it comes from growing up in a community where you have to look after yourself and you have to be street smart.

Twiggy: We got beaten and bruised and our world was shaped for us, until we could shape it ourselves.

Growing up and belonging to any subculture can be a rough ride.

Twiggy: Music was always there and it was the one fall back for whatever I

was going through. It was like a safety net and it’s the reason we’re here right now, we haven’t given up on that and it makes sense to pursue it.

Who are your musical influences?

Twiggy: We definitely listen to a huge and varied range. Kate Bush, Kid Rock, a lot of new metal bands like Behemoth, while Sam [Bassal, drums] is into stuff like Gorillaz. It’s a mixed bag and we try to emulate that in our sound. We’re trying to shove down people’s throats that that’s where the future is.

Dale: We had a discussion a few years ago as to whether the term ‘genre’ was dead with the mixing and matching of sounds. It’s kind of interesting that things are moving that way so we’re trying to ride that wave and see what happens.

How do you find touring the UK? Dale: We’ve toured the UK twice before. Both times were quite short, but I think there’s a definite connection.

Both times we headlined small clubs and they were all sold out and that’s sent us home itching to reconnect. Now the albums come out we can’t wait to come back again. There’s loads of great bands that come from the UK, so it only seems natural that it should feed back into our music.

angry bands around. Do you think it’s a case of art imitating life?

Twiggy: Music is definitely cathartic and a lot of our life experiences bleed through into our lyrics and melodies and the angst that comes through in our music, it breaks through the wall to expose what’s on the other side. I’m just a big ball of anger. As John Lydon said, ‘Anger is an Energy’ and it’s best to embrace it and when it comes, just run with it.

Dale: Which is cool because a two minute song where there’s no pause or respite, it’s just start and finish: that’s the best way to represent what we feel.

What can fans expect from you in the coming year.

Dale: We’d love to get over to the UK for a headline run to play the new album live and showcase our new sound. They can expect a lot of energy and a lot of fun with a few surprises here and there. oddworldwide.com www.facebook.com/ oceangrovemelbourne

There seems to be a plethora of

97

Steve’s on an

Odyssey Interview by Martin Hutchinson.

98

Following this year’s gigs having been rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, disco legends Odyssey are gearing up to take their party night around the country in 2021, in what promises to be an energetic and boogie-licious experience.

Odyssey was one of the most successful soul/disco acts from the late ‘70s through to the ‘80s. The hit run started in 1977 with ‘Native New Yorker’ and continued with such anthems as ‘If You’re Looking For a Way Out’ (1980); ‘Going Back to My Roots’ (1981) and ‘Inside Out’ (1982) and the chart-topping ‘Use It Up and Wear It Out’ (1980).

Originally billed as The Lopez Sisters, the group was in fact three sisters Lillian, Louise and Carmen. Carmen left and was replaced by Tony Reynolds (who was in turn replaced by Bill McEachern after just one album) and the band was renamed Odyssey.

Whilst the band was enjoying their greatest hits, behind the scenes there was a young man who was acting as a backing musician and musical director.

Steve Collazo was Lillian’s eldest son and today he co-fronts the band with the current line-up of himself, Kate ‘Kay Jay’ Sutherland and Michelle John.

Now permanently based in the UK, Steve tells me that he never really

joined the band: “No, I can’t really say if I ever actually joined the band.

I’ve been there since its’ inception, my brothers and I were in the background all the time. The record company was mainly interested in my mom’s voice and I was happy to be on the periphery, as long as the record company didn’t know that I was helping out behind the scenes.”

All the time though, Steve was soaking up music from everywhere.

“My mom and auntie [Louise Lopez] were both classically trained and my dad had a diverse taste in music. We had a lot of Latin influences like Salsa and Merengue, and Calypso from my mothers’ side.” He continues, “I grew up in the Motown era, particularly seventies Motown – The Jackson Five, Stevie Wonder when he got his synthesiser, Marvin Gaye when he wasn’t producing other acts. Then there were the Brooklyn bands such as Brass Construction and Crown Heights Affair, then The Ohio Players, Blood Sweat and Tears and Chicago.”

When Odyssey made it big, Steve was proud. “Yeah, I was so proud. I’d seen my mom and aunt struggle to be taken seriously, not just in the music industry, but in life in general. Then I saw them plastered all over the New York subway, it was amazing.”

As time went on, Steve stepped to the front of the band. “I was really a

99

Odyssey in 1980

victim of circumstance, but in a nice way. I’d always wanted to come up front, but the Record Company didn’t want it, they wanted the public to see a certain line-up. But mom was getting older, the trips were long and there was the record company politics. Eventually I had to step in to keep the legacy going and make a future for the band.”

Steve admits to enjoying the touring.

“Yes, I absolutely do. The thing I enjoy most is after I finish what I call my work, the show. I like to mingle with the audience afterwards and get feedback. The people will tell you their stories of how a particular Odyssey song was the soundtrack of their life. I never get tired of hearing those stories.”

The band relocated to the UK many years ago. “Yeah”, Steve says. “I’ve been here 26 years now. It made sense really. The Visa restrictions made things difficult and the taxation was hard. Also, we had more hits in the UK than in the US. And it’s

100

quicker to get to Europe and less expensive. I think I’ve probably been to more places in Britain than most Brits.”

And the highlights? “There’s been so many”, he smiles. “To have ownership of the legacy is great, and it’s all about the songs and performances. Back in the day, the live show was about 60% devised by me and I’ve grown into it, putting my own stamp on it and I haven’t corrupted it in any way. And to have my own work and songs being performed is fantastic.”

Steve promises a great show. “Firstly, I have to say that the band is great. We have two keyboards, drums, bass and guitar. They’re relatively, to you and me, young guys, but hiring them was the best move I’ve made. They’re hungry for it and always wanna raise the bar. We’re a party band and the audience is usually on it’s feet from the get go. You’re going to hear all the classic hits, at least one or two ‘rare grooves’ [songs that were not

necessarily hits, but are very popular] and some covers from the disco era.”

Steve admits to having a favourite Odyssey song. “Yes, it may sound vain or conceited, but my favourite is ‘Sooner or Later’. I co-wrote it with Romena Johnson in the nineties and what I like most about it is that it captures the Odyssey spirit. Old School meets New School meets Old School. I feel warm and fuzzy when I hear and sing it. Of the classic Odyssey songs I’d say, reservedly, ‘Inside Out’. What’s really great about the shows these days is that the youngsters come to the shows. It amazes me to see so many young people, they absolutely love it. Of course, today will be the ‘good old days’ for this generation, so to be a part of that is amazing.”

For the future, Steve tells me that he is going to carry on. “Yeah, I want to take it higher and keep doing what I’m doing. Of course, I’ll have to look after myself as I get a bit older.

This year is the 40th anniversary of our big hits and it’s great to be able to mix new music with the classics.”

Odyssey will be appearing at venues around the country throughout 2021.

See below for shows announced so far.

Tickets are available from the Box Offices and all the usual agencies.

17/04/21: Jazz Cafe, Camden 12/06/21: Maldon Promenade Park, Maldon 09/10/21: Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham (supporting The Four Tops and The Temptations) 11/10/21: Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth (supporting The Four Tops and The Temptations) www.facebook.com/the80sgroup

101

Frenchy’s Rants This Month: What’s in A Name?

The nineteenth part in an exclusive series by Flicknife Records co-founder Marco ‘Frenchy’ Gloder.

102

How time flies! Another month gone by, the pandemic showing no signs of slowing down, the gov bringing in policies that seem more and more desperate and less and less credible, people finding it harder to cope financially and psychologically and arguing about wearing a mask … or not. That’ s what the UK has come to: Desperation. But fear not, coz we have the best of what some bright spark once described as ‘food for the soul’, but that you and I know as music: Oh yeah, baby, we’re still rocking … Zoom rocking!

Now, when I first heard of the Rule of Six, I thought it was a band! I thought I bet there are 6 of them in that band: how wrong can you be? Rule of frigging 6, why 6? Why not 5 or 7?

Who came up with 6? Like most new rules brought in by the gov to fight the pandemic, this one was the most confusing yet coz it’ s really open to interpretation: do kids count? In England, yes but not in Wales. What about twins? Do they count as one or two … hahaha! … Only kidding! What if Rule of Six had been a band? They would have released a few singles, probably one album and then, dragged down by the lack of success, they would have split up on the 1st of April 2021 with the lead singer citing the usual musical differences. Then they’d have changed their name to the Articulated Monkeys and boom, you’ve got yourself a cash cow! You think that’ s far-fetched? Well, get a load of

this: In the 60’s, there was a singer called Billy Kramer who had released singles without success. After being signed to Parlophone under the guidance of George Martin, John Lennon told Kramer to change his name to Billy J Kramer. Result? Instant success! Although you might argue that having Martin and Lennon-McCartney in his corner didn’t harm him. But still, Billy Kramer with the Dakotas doesn’t sound right whereas Billy J Kramer ... see what I mean?

Fame is a fickle mistress: Just ask Shane Fenton. Shane Fenton doing ‘Jealous Mind’? Nah, it’s not right but Alvin Stardust’s ‘Jealous Mind’ (1974) is a dead cert. Alvin Stardust wasn’t even created by Bernard Jewry (aka Shane Fenton/Alvin Stardust) but by a record company exec called Peter Shelley: It’s obviously a rip-off of Ziggy Stardust, a character created by David Bowie based on Vince Taylor, a leather clad ‘60s rocker who had moderate success in the UK but was big in Europe, particularly in France.

After his fall from grace, I worked with Vince in a hotel in a French ski resort: He was the dish washer, I was the bog cleaner, so we had a mutual respect for each other’s vocation! Mad as a hatter, Vince was (although we called him Brian, his real name), and at first, I didn’t think he was Vince Taylor. I used to love ‘Brand New Cadillac’ (1959) as a kid and couldn’t believe this nutter had written such a classic. But write it, he did! He was another who had

103

numerous names before Vince Taylor worked out for him. People in the music industry often say that, in the end, the cream will rise to the top regardless of names and fashion. It’s only partly right because the cream tends to rise to the top but with the wrong name, the cream turns sour.

There are dozens such cases in the industry: from the ‘50s up to today, artists have always changed their names. From Gene Vincent to Johnny Rotten, from Sid Vicious to Lady Gaga, a name can make all the difference.

Are we so shallow that a name should be so important? Well, no, but if the name of an artist or a band doesn’t grab your imagination, you’re not likely to check out their music. It’s all part of the dream, of the fandom, of the adulation.

Take The Idle Race, a band packed with talent that went nowhere … until you realise that the various members became the Move and ELO: The cream did eventually rise to the top, but not under the name The Idle Race.

In the end, it’s probably a mixture of everything: the right name gets the initial attention, the music gets the fans and the talent keeps the music going.

And then, once you got these internationally recognised names, you can change band members and those leaving might (or might not and retire to enjoy their money) create more idolised names. Deep Purple is one of the best-known rock bands in the world and yet they have had numerous line-up changes. In fact, there is only

104

one original member left today and that is Ian Paice: I know Gillan is still in the band and so is Roger Glover but they are not founder members. Look at the bands that came from Deep Purple: Rainbow, Whitesnake, Gillan …. Is it because they were known rock stars that their new bands became successful or because they are genuinely good at what they do? The amount of hits all these bands had would suggest that Blackmore, Gillan, Coverdale et al were genuinely talented: hard rock is the most difficult genre to have a hit with, especially a singles chart hit.

By now, you might be wondering where I am going with this: Importance of names in music to become successful? Except that it’s not only in music: getting the name right, the title right, getting your CV and what you’re about right or the description of a new law right, is paramount and Rule of Six doesn’t cut it. Like Shane Fenton or The Idle Race, the wrong moniker will lead to failure even if the content has some validity or some value which, in this case, I doubt very much. To me, it looks like a desperate measure, a shot in the dark: let’s bring in a Rule of Six and let’s see how it goes. Why 6, Boris? Why not, Priti?! Rule of Two would have grabbed a lot more people, knowotamean?!

And hence, it won’t work because nobody has really thought about it, nobody has looked at the facts, nobody has thought of Shane Fenton and The

Idle Race. They just throw it in the public domain like an old pair of socks ... probably laughing all the while. Rule of Six? What label are they on?

‘Sharp! Flicknife Records and Other Adventures’ is an unflinching and honest portrait of Marco ‘Frenchy’ Gloder’s journey from Grenoble ghetto to independent record label success at the heart of London’s music scene.

Published by New Haven, Frenchy’s memoirs were co-written by Greg Healey and are the result of over two years of extensive interviews.

A fascinating and in depth insight into the world of counter culture and alternative music from the mid 1960s to the early 1990s, it touches on Soul boys, freaks, punks, goth and beyond.

A tale of tragedy, excess, adventure and close calls, it describes Europe’s exploding post war youth movements at first hand. Frenchy gives a unique insight into the festivals, communes and student strikes of the late 1960s, life in the squats of early Punk and the rise of independent music in the ‘80s.

Be it the street gangs of his youth, who settled their differences with knife fights, or his doomed attempt to smuggle heroin from Iran that ended in imprisonment in an Iranian jail, Frenchy’s story has the kind of drama that comes from living life on the edge.

As he found his place in the music business with the launch of Flicknife, Frenchy worked with some of the most important names in alternative music.

Hawkwind, Alien Sex Fiend, Charlie Harper, Glen Matlock, The Saints, The Barracudas and many more found a home on his label and he hung out with a host of others, including Lemmy, Jimmy Page and Nico. ‘Sharp!

Flicknife Records and Other Adventures’ is a truly extraordinary memoir of truly extraordinary times.

‘Sharp! Flicknife Records and Other Adventures’ by Marco Gloder and Greg Healey is available now from: www.flickniferecords.co.uk/ store/books

Vince Taylor was just one music star who knew the importance of having the right name.

105

Country Starr:

Ringo Goes to Nashville

Eoghan Lyng celebrates ‘Beaucoups of Blues’ at 50.

106

Although it in no way endangers the dazzling Ringo as the Beatle drummer’s finest work, ‘Beaucoups of Blues’ offers a rawer, more honest snapshot of an artist delving through his own journey to self realisation.

Plastering his vocals over a tapestry of jaunty, judicial country pieces, Ringo Starr’s angular, agitated voice projects a richly textured showcase The Fabs’ output could only hint at.

‘Beaucoups of Blues’ is an astonishing exhibition of performances that best demonstrate Starr’s rough and rowdy vocal abilities. Acting, the role he alone carried on The Beatles’ probing ‘Help!’ (1965) had given him credibility to speak his performances, much as Richard Harris, raconteur and doyen of Limerick, had done on the excellent ‘MacArthur Park’ (1968).

maudlin ‘Sentimental Journey’ (1970), Starr’s first effort - the first bona fide solo album yet released by a Beatle committed to a solo career - showcased his penchant for lullaby, leisure and liveliness to an audience more committed to the fulfilment of the rock idiom. A stunning synthesis of Starr’s by now familiar musical abilities, the album’s pictorial qualities failed to master an impression among the public, let alone his fellow Beatles. John Lennon thought it embarrassing, but where ‘Sentimental Journey’ suffered from pandering to an audience unbeknownst to the world of rock, ‘Beaucoups of Blues’, fashioned as a Country album for British rockers, was a more pleasing proposition. Lennon was suitably impressed with the album’s emotional subtext: “[I] didn’t feel as embarrassed as I did about [Starr’s] first record”.

Granted one vocal performance per Beatle record, Starr’s pensive tone had qualities to them, not all of them musical. Rather, his was a voice of buoyant bravado, bringing listeners on their journeys into the watery fortresses that sat far beneath them (‘Yellow Submarine’ (‘Revolver’, 1996); ‘Octopus’s Garden’ (‘Abbey Road’, 1969)), or wishing them fortitude on the pathways that belonged to every private subject (‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ (‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’, 1967); ‘Goodnight’ (‘The White Album’, 1968)). Stretching his talents over the

Timing, the tool that distinguishes the enthusiastic drummers from the talented, was at the forefront of the sparkling work. The process, channeling the legitimacy of the recordings, reflected the craft. “We did the album in two nights”, Starr recalled.

“I was only there three days recording.

I’d learn five songs in the morning and I’d go and record five songs that night. It was really good.“ Positioned as a type of monograph, the collection offered Starr the chance to express himself with a unit even more exploratory than the three piece that had played the Hamburg halls. The

107

album - even more rustic in sound than the crisp, clear photo might initially demonstrate - doubles as both a tribute to the genre, and the vocalist who presided over the recordings.

Nominally a percussionist in style, status and nature, Starr nonetheless relished the chance to play rhythm guitar beside Nashville maestros Ben Keith and Peter Drake. Trusted session players D. J. Fontana and Buddy Harman delegated the remaining drum patterns between themselves and the famed singer whose indelible performances had led credence to rock drumming as an art form. Everywhere, the album essays a morbid nature that emanated in keeping with the tapes that mapped out Starr’s domestic collection.

‘Beaucoups of Blues’, arguably Starr’s darkest effort, stood in a completely different arena to the chirpier pop tunes that made him the most successful of the solo Beatles in the early seventies.

Elsewhere, Starr’s feisty vocal style merged with the haunting pathos folk ballads ‘Woman of the Night’ and ‘I’d Be Talking All the Time’ echoed in

108

their soulful, searching runtime; ‘Fastest Growing Heartache in the West’ details an outlaw, admonishing the world he created to mirror his own image; ‘Loser’s Lounge’ created a louche, lifeless corridor where broken dreams and bitterness cloak the listener’s attention so whole-heartedly, while ‘Wine, Women and Loud Happy Songs’ opened the singing drummer to a lifestyle that would become his weekly norm by the end of the seventies. The kaleidoscopic frisson that spoke so deeply to the millions of Beatle audiences had now made way for a murkier form of expression, closing any desires Starr held out for a reunion with the band that once supported his efforts.

Drake, who’d worked with Starr on Harrison’s superlative triple epic ‘All Things Must Pass’ (1970), recognised the vitality country music held for the Beatle, and encouraged the drummer to complete the work out in the American plains. Through the American landscapes, Starr conveyed an Englishness even more stately than

anything heard on the changeable ‘Love Don’t Last Long’. Concentrating on the ferocity, fever and feeling, Starr shifted any ill feeling he might have felt from the aftermath of The Beatles breakup for one of his accomplished and detailed vocals. Excited at the opportunity presented to him, Drake decorated Starr’s voice as wholesomely as he did Harrison’s pastoral ‘Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)’ in London’s secular Abbey Road.

Eager to create his own vocal style, Starr emerged from the pristine, practiced polish of sixties British pop, for a harder emblem based on character, candour and truth. The singing, triggered as it is from the poetry that emanated from the genre’s haggard outlet, is staggering, coming from a place of genuine, guttural honesty. Midway, Starr turns his head back to the English climes that birthed him, angling himself to the country that would soon welcome the mercurial musician with all of its glamour, grandeur and generosity. Starr turns to ‘Silent Homecoming’, committing

himself to one of the most astonishing vocals he has yet put to tape. Between him and the listener comes a portrait of a veteran, carrying the guilt that once brought him glory in a world that now finds little of it. Before Starr, a guitar tapestry shifts the focus from stoic to story, while the drums - direct as they appear in the right and left speaker revolve like the bombs that blow up in the lyric.

Everything Starr sang was shaped by the uncertainty that awaited him in the coming months. Posing silently on the album’s forlorn cover, Starr showed himself even more detached from the industry that had broken from him. But, in its own fractured way, it showed the actor / singer / drummer in a role he had never had the chance to play in The Beatles: he was human. www.ringostarr.com www.facebook.com/ ringostarrmusic

109

IDLES

The Detractor Makes Work for Idle Bands to Do Alice Jones-Rodgers reviews ‘Ultra Mono’.

110

A painting of a man being hit in the face by a giant pink rubber ball with some feature-changing considerable force was the first form of visual information that we received about IDLES’ third album and follow up to 2018’s critically and commercially acclaimed summation of the state of society and politics at that point in time, ‘Joy as an Act of Resistance’.

Since the release of that modern classic, we think some of Brexit deal went through, but due to COVID-19 seemingly having been the only newsworthy item for the best (or worst) part of this year, nobody is entirely sure what it entailed. With the world now starting to emerge out of pandemic hell to face the ‘new normal’ a bit flabbier around the midriff, are IDLES telling us to get physical and shed those pounds?

With this being IDLES, purveyors of a sort of art on their sleeves similar to that created by Young British Artists such as Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and Sarah Lucas in the late ‘80s and ‘90s somehow relevent to the multilayered lyrical meanings found upon the album, we are sure there is some more mind-vexing reason than that.

So, with those YBAs in mind, does that giant pink rubber ball actually represent an oversized testicle and we are in for an album that, like its predecessor, attacks the subject of toxic masculinity head on? Surely that is a

bit far-fetched, although ‘Mr. Motivator’, the lead single from ‘Ultra Mono’, released back in May, does reference the aforementioned “enfant terrible” of the Young British Artist movement, Emin and her 1999 Turner Prize nominated piece ‘My Bed’ (“Like Tracey Emin in her unmade bed, Listening to The Fall”).

But enough of the bollocks because whatever it all means, ‘Mr. Motivator’, despite not offering much in the way of subject matter that we haven’t seen IDLES tackle in previous works (its main themes being self-belief, strength and unity), was a brash and unabashed, promising first taste of what was to come on album three. A hefty and solid slab of the discordant twin guitar noise courtesy of Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan anchored by bassist Adam Devonshire and drummer Jon Beavis’ perfectly attuned rhythm section, it didn’t really offer much new sonically either. However, particularly when combined with its workout video, at least it was good fun.

As we had already gathered in the run up to ‘Ultra Mono’, not much has changed in IDLES-land. Despite the album coming with a whole manifesto as to what the album is all about in its liner notes, the greatest change to occur between ‘Ultra Mono’ and its predecessor is in fact the band seemingly now embracing the celebrity culture that they once rallied against and inviting some friends in high places

111

along to guest.

Savages vocalist Jehnny Beth features on the ‘Ne Touche Pas Moi’, a condemnation of improper sexual behaviour in music venues (“Ne touche pas moi, This is my dance space”); Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis adds an “Oi!” here and there to album highlight and second single, ‘Grounds’, on which IDLES unexpectedly take a foray into electronic music with some bleeping and screeching, the most noticeable result of the album’s collaboration with American hip-hop producer and long-time fan of the band, Kenny Beats and The Jesus Lizard’s David Yow has apparently added backing vocals to five of the twelve tracks. However, the greatest surprise amongst the list of guests is every mother’s favourite bore-fest, pianist Jamie Cullum, who contributes a short, soothing piano intro to the otherwise post-punk by numbers, all too business as usual but without the excitement ‘Kill Them with Kindness’.

A few special guests do not a great (or to coin a phrase, ‘G.R.E.A.T’) album make and ‘Ultra Mono’ isn’t a particularly great album. It isn’t a bad album either, it is just one that is annoyingly average. Saving graces include the actually quite wonderful, barn-storming PiL meets Sleaford Mods style fourth single, ‘Model Village’, which finds Talbot mocking his hometown with hilarious results

112

(“A lot of nine fingered boys in the village”, “I see a lot of gammon in the village”, etc) and referencing Lynn Anderson’s 1971 country classic ‘Rose Garden’ (“I beg your pardon, I don’t care about your rose garden”); ‘Reigns’, a damning indictment of a full decade of Conservative power (““How does it feel to have shanked the working classes into dust? How does it feel to have won the war that nobody wants?”) with a wonderfully ominous bassline from Devonshire and ‘The Lover’, which despite containing a vocal melody far too similar to ‘G.R.E.A.T’, is notable for some impressive militaristic drumming from Beavis and Talbot issuing an almighty “fuck you” to his and the band’s detractors.

Unfortunately, Talbot may have a few more detractors once they hear ‘Ultra Mono’, not least because it suffers, almost unbearably so at times, from having to follow a massive album that did and said all the right things at the right time and was rightly lauded for it (we even made it our 2018 Album of the Year). Not that a new album should particularly be compared to the one before (usually we would largely review an album on its own merits), but in this case, it was inevitable because it is such an obvious example of a band who, having achieved such success, have indeed become ‘idle’. Both lyrically and musically, ‘Ultra Mono’ is, for the best part, a stagnant mess that no amount of trying to shake things up

with electronic beats and nice piano interludes will solve.

In 2000, we saw the exactly the same happen to another once promising band, Placebo, with their half-baked third album ‘Black Market Music’.

Just like Idles, Placebo had hit on a musical and lyrical formula with 1996’s self-titled debut and 1998’s ‘Without You, I’m Nothing’, but when it came to following them up, struggled to build a collection of sufficently different sounding songs, even resulting in inviting Justin Warfield to add a rap to one song (‘Spite and Malice’) that was otherwise a very pedestrian piece of music with school kids in their first band ‘we’re going to stick two fingers up to the world and all it’s wrongs’, very empty-gestured lyrics. Sound familar? Despite the odd glimmer of hope here and there, Placebo sadly never really regained that early magic.

This isn’t to say that IDLES won’t, but they will have to work incredibly hard to when it comes to album four.

For ‘Ultra Mono’, Talbot apparently wrote a vast majority of the lyrics in the vocal booth, as opposed to methodically poring over them as he had done on ‘Joy as an Act of Resistance’. And we are afraid, it shows. The worst culprits of this on the spot writing are opening track ‘War’, which despite all it’s best intentions to bring the album to life with something very direct musically is let down by it’s tired and lazy anti-war

sentiment (“Wa-ching! Ha! That’s the sound of the sword going in, Clack clack, clack-a-clang clang! That’s the sound of the gun going bang-bang ...

This means war!”) that doesn’t invoke any feeling that one should get up and fight at all and closing track ‘Danke’, which contains barely any lyrics at all, aside from Talbot liberally borrowing from Daniel Johnston’s ‘True Love Will Find You in the End” (“True love will find you in the end, You’ll find out just who was your friend”) and banging on about hammers and nails ... which only makes us wonder whether IDLES have in fact just put the final nail in their own coffin. In between these tracks, there are some enjoyable moments, but back to the album’s artwork and we would suggest that the big pink rubber ball does indeed represent a bollock: one dropped from a very great height. www.idlesband.com www.facebook.com/idlesband

113

Tricky Shattered Lives Alice Jones-Rodgers reviews ‘Fall to Pieces’.

114

Adrian ‘Tricky’ Thaws is no stranger to loss. His pioneering, Mercury Music Prize nominated 1995 debut album ‘Maxinquaye’ found the rapper and producer, raised in Knowle West, a particularly economically deprived and predominantly white area in the south of Bristol in a world of crime and high unemployment, dealing with the suicide of his mother, Maxine Quaye, when he was just four years old through a unique blend of raw, emotionally powerful poetry and genre-blending beats that would leave a lasting impression on many different musical forms, not to mention electronica, underground hip hop, British hip hop and even pop and indie. Now, in the year that ‘Maxinquaye’ turns twenty-five, Tricky’s fourteenth studio album ‘Fall to Pieces’ finds him struggling through another loss, one also by suicide: that of his and co-vocalist on ‘Maxinquaye’ and follow-ups ‘Pre-Millennium Tension’ and ‘Nearly God’ (both 1996), Martina Topley-Bird’s 24-year-old daughter Mina Mazy on 8th May 2019.

“I thought I knew what loss was, but now my daughter is gone I realise I had no idea what it was after all. It feels like I’m in a world that doesn’t exist, knowing nothing will ever be the same again. No words or text can really explain - my soul feels empty”, Tricky told the press following Mazy’s death.

It is this feeling of emptiness that

informs ‘Fall to Pieces’ both in terms of its sparse, often to the point of being barren, musical landscape and fragmented lyrical content.

‘Fall to Pieces’ lasts for just twenty-eight minutes. Its longest song, the endlessly bleak, electronicallyderived deep and resonating bass and string-led ode to the hopelessness of the situation and the self-pity that comes with it (“When drugs do nothing ...

“My daddy call you blood clot, He’ll lick you with a gun shot”), ‘Like a Stone’ is a shade under three-and-ahalf, whilst most others are under or around the two minute mark, often with abrupt endings, giving the impression of being tiny snapshots into the shattered life of their creator, but ultimately giving very little away and never letting the listener too close to his very private grief.

In its construction, ‘Fall to Pieces’ is very much the hip-hop equivalent of the first side of David Bowie’s ‘Low’ (1977), with the power of the songs being derived from their relative lack of any sort of conventional structure and conclusion,leaving gaping holes in the plot in which the listener can implant their own interpretation. We are not sure if ‘Low’ had any bearing on the presentation of ‘Fall to Pieces’, but just like ‘Low’, it was recorded in Berlin.

Tricky may have put the insurmountable level of pain and despair he is feeling into some sort of

115

poetic context, but his instantly recognisable gravel gargling vocals are largely absent from ‘Fall to Pieces’, mostly choosing to offset this task to Polish singer Marta (Zlakowska), who appears on nine of the album’s eleven tracks and Danish singer Oh Land on the remaining two. In fact, Tricky’s thoughts aren’t expressed through his own voice until half way through the proceedings, on arguably the album’s most harrowing moment of all, ‘Hate This Pain’, which, if it wasn’t so apparent that it is Tricky in conversation with himself, attempting to work through his anguish deep within his tortured mind, would almost sound like his Frank Sinatra ‘One More for My Baby (and One More for the Road)’ moment: a late-night confessional across a bar in a down-at-heel drinking den. “What a fucking game, I hate this fucking pain”, he gruffly intones, his voice sounding more disturbed than it ever has on previous recordings amidst a simple, repetitive piano motif, low, mournful strings, blasts of jazzy horns and Marta repeating his words back to him. The result is something akin to ‘She Makes Me Wanna Die’ from ‘Pre-Millennium Tension’, but, incredibly for a song so minimal in its approach, with even denser layers of darkness.

On the subject of those early Tricky albums, ‘Fall to Pieces’, other than a slight suggestion of past glories here and there (not least with Marta doing her best Martina impression

116

throughout, perhaps intentionally to represent the mother’s voice on the album), does little to match up to them.

However, with much water (and unfortunately blood) having passed under the bridge since then, nor should it. It is an encapsulation of a moment in time far different from those that informed say ‘Maxinquaye’ or ‘Pre-Millennium Tension’.

Unlike those stunning pieces of work, ‘Fall to Pieces’ is not an immediately loveable album. Those twenty-eight short minutes seem to creep by surprisingly slowly and, despite its heartbreaking subject matter, it takes far more than one listen for it to have any sort of lasting impact. But, then why should it have a lasting impact on us? This is not our hell. It is its creator’s own very private hell. Where once Tricky warned that “Hell is round the corner”, it has now arrived, manifesting itself in the most brutal and agonising of forms. www.trickysite.com www.facebook.com/ TrickyOfficial

Tesla Past and Current

Review by Alice Jones-Rodgers.

In reality, our knowledge and understanding of historical events is muddled and murky and therefore, each and every non-fictional period drama will rely on at least some degree of pure invention. It was with this thought in mind that director Michael Almereyda began work on his latest film, ‘Tesla’, a wild and fanciful re-telling of the life of Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), inventor of the alternating current.

The actor who Almereyda has charged with portraying the Serbian-American visionary, Ethan Hawke, an everreliable and oddly underrated presence on the big screen for three-and-a-half decades, was already well-versed in the director’s risk-taking methods, having played the lead role in his 2000 New York set modernisation of ‘Hamlet’.

In recent years, Tesla, who bemused and alienated his investors, failing to obtain the funding with which to bring his inventions to life and ultimately died in poverty, has been portrayed on screen by both David Bowie in ‘The Prestige’ (2006) and Nicholas Hoult in ‘The Current War’ (2017). Hawke has openly admitted having looked to Bowie’s approximation of Tesla rather than Hoult’s for inspiration and it shows in the maudlin and fear-ridden presence that he gives the character.

Whilst his co-stars Kyle MacLachlan as arch-rival Thomas Edison and Eve Hewson (daughter of Bono) as narrator Anne Morgan both give robust performances, it is Hawke who carries the film, even through the most absurd fictionalised moments, not least those where past and current converge in order to show Tesla’s lasting impact on the world, with characters unexpectedly opening laptops or taking iPhones from their pockets. Occasionally, these flights of fancy can become almost too much, resulting in a film that is only a song and dance away from being this decade’s equivalent of ‘Moulin Rouge’ (2001), leaving the viewer not quite sure whether to switch off or revel in the madness. Did we mention that Hawke even breaks into a karaoke rendition of Tears for Fears’ 1985 hit ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’?

Barmy, utterly barmy. But credit where it’s due, ‘Tesla’ puts some much needed spark back into the biopic genre.

117

Rocks

Grit, Determination and Girl Power!

Review by Alice Jones-Rodgers.

118

When talking about a film, it is almost always attribute it to its director. In this case, that person would be Sarah Gavron, previously best known for 2007’s ‘Brick Lane’, based on Monica Ali’s novel of the same name and telling the story of a Bangladeshi immigrant living in East London and 2012’s historical drama about women’s suffrage, ‘Suffragette’. However, ‘Rocks’ is far from a film made by just one person, it is a true collaborative project in which the writers, Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson; producers, Ameenah Ayub Allen and Faye Ward, and even the ensemble cast all had an equal say. It is a film constructed by a community, about a community.

The cast of ‘Rocks’, which is uniquely 75% female and largely black, are all newcomers to not only film, but also acting, giving ‘Rocks’ an incredible sense of realism. So much realism, in fact, that the viewer often has to remind oneself that they are watching a scripted film rather than a documentary.

It tells the story of 15-year old black (half-Nigerian, half-Jamaican) British teenager Olushula, nicknamed “Rocks” (played by Bukky Bakray), who returns home from school one day to discover that her deeply depressed single mother has abandoned her and her young brother, Emmanuel (D’angelou Osei Kissiedu). Determined for her and Emmanuel not to be taken into care, Rocks decides that they will fend for

themselves, giving the impression that nothing has happened, too proud to ask for help from her friends.

Inevitably, this pretence cannot last forever and with money running out, the pair are forced to crash at various friends’ houses and hotels, until the pressure becomes unbearable. Rocks begins distancing herself from those closest to her, such as loyal friend Sumaya (Kosar Ali) and she becomes increasingly isolated as the situation worsens. This may sound like a dark and disturbing premise for a film, and in many respects, ‘Rocks’ presents itself with the grit and authenticity that you might expect. It is in effect, the modern-day equivalent to Ken Loach’s 1966 BBC television play ‘Cathy Come Home’, tackling, as it does, many similar issues. However, in contrast to ‘Cathy Come Home’, you will be surprised to find the enormous amount of joy that ‘Rocks’ exhibits.

The most joyous moments of all in ‘Rocks’ are when we see just how much school life and the friendships that exist between the characters are a paramount source of happiness. It is in this classroom environment that the gloom and despair that surrounds Rocks is momentarily lifted and we catch glimpses of hope for her future.

For example, in a career guidance class, her classmates tell the teacher that she is a talented make-up artist whom the other girls pay to do their make-up.

There is of course, a certain amount of

119

tragedy to this scene as well in the fact that after the friends leave school, they will most likely go their separate ways and many of the aspirations they talk of will probably never come to fruition, but at least for that fleeting moment, there was that hope.

There is also a strong element of humour in ‘Rocks’, sometimes derived from what should by rights be some very bleak moments, such as the wonderful scene setting device at the start of the film when Emmanuel asks if he can say grace before dinner, before offering up his own version of the Lord’s Prayer: “Our father - he’s up in heaven”. Rocks, in a remark which first suggests one of the overriding themes of the film, that of the resilience of teenage girls, just says cheerfully, “That’s his remix”.

With Rocks’ family having such a story

120

to tell, it would have been easy to just stop there, but the beauty of ‘Rocks’ is that the back stories of all its other characters, who come from all manner of very different backgrounds, are also suitably well catered for. Take, for example, Sumaya’s Somali family, who are seen celebrating an engagement, their living room decorated with beautiful silks and filled with a huge array of appetising looking food.

When work began on ‘Rocks’, nobody could have foreseen that by the time it saw its worldwide release, the world would be a very different place. Not only are we only just emerging, somewhat shattered, from a global pandemic, but, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on 25th May this year, we have also seen the global rise to prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement.

With its largely black cast and crew in mind, ‘Rocks’ will almost certainly be seen as a film of black empowerment.

However, it is one that puts very little emphasis upon division caused by race.

In fact, the only time that the script meanders into this territory, it is coupled with the divisions relating to class, with middle class white girl Agnes (Ruby Stokes), understandably and not nastily, being unsure how she can solve the problems of a working class black girl. Instead, this is a film about togetherness and overcoming problems with the power of unity.

Gavron’s work on ‘Brick Lane’ and ‘Suffragette’ has put her in good stead for making ‘Rocks’, with both very different pieces of cinema converging into a film that displays her obvious love for every one of the multi-ethnic group of young actresses and the

characters they play, as well as her empathy for anybody having to fight tooth and nail for what they believe in.

However, it is the collaborative nature of ‘Rocks’ that should be most applauded. From Ikoko and Wilson’s thoughtful and thought-provoking script to every single member of the fantastic cast, even down to the minutest of details, ‘Rocks’ is an incredible cinematic achievement and almost undoubtedly a classic in the making. One can only hope that there we see more collaborative projects like ‘Rocks’ in the future, not just from all involved in the film, but from the world of cinema in general.

‘Rocks’ is out now in selected UK cinemas. www.facebook.com/ RocksTheFilm

121

Ian D He Wasn’t Half a

Alice Jones-Rodgers reviews ‘H

Ian Dury was the most unlikely of pop stars. Crippled by the polio he had contracted from contaminated water in a swimming pool whilst on a family holiday to Southend-on-Sea at the age of seven in 1949, he honed his penchant for setting poetry inspired by his upbringing in East London to music hall and jazz as a member of pub rock outfit Kilburn and the High Roads between 1970 and 1975 before signing with Stiff Records and finally gaining chart recognition with the advent of punk in 1977. He celebrated his first number one with one of his and backing band, the Blockheads’ many anthems, ‘Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick’ in January 1979 at the ripe old age of 37.

This March marked the twentieth anniversary of Dury’s death from colorectal cancer. Whilst we celebrated his life by interviewing Blockhead Chas Jankel and one time collaborator Wilko Johnson, BMG, who have in recent years acquired the rights to most of Dury’s back catalogue, were gearing up to release ‘Hit Me! The Best of Ian

122

Dury’. Put together in conjunction with the Ian Dury Estate, this exquisitely presented three disc collection, complete with liner notes by super-fan Phill Jupitus, features all of Dury’s best known hits and takes in work with both the Blockheads and Kilburn and the High Roads.

‘Hit Me! The Best of Ian Dury’ won’t reveal much new to Dury fans of old, but it would make a wonderful introduction for those only just discovering how utterly brilliant he was with a turn of phrase and what an incredible set of musicians, including the aforementioned messers Jankel and Johnson, John Turnball, Mick Gallagher, Davey Payne, Norman Watt-Roy, Rod Melvin and others, made up the various band line-ups who brought his work to life. Having said that, there is one little surprise for die-hard fans: Should you choose to stream or download ‘Hit Me! ...’, the 12” version of the timeless ‘Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3’ is available digitally for the very first time.

The backbone of the first two discs is largely built from Dury’s two biggest selling albums, the bonafide classic 1977 debut ‘New Boots and Panties!!!’,

Dury a Clever Bastard!

Hit Me! The Best of Ian Dury’. which is featured in its entirety, and 1979’s ‘Do It Yourself’, which offers up eight of its ten tracks. Interspersed between these selections are a number of very welcome Kilburn and the High Roads tracks, including ‘Upminster Kid’ and ‘Crippled with Nerves’, some of those other Dury / Blockheads best known single-only releases, which not even the biggest fan could get tired of hearing, such as ‘Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll’ and ‘What a Waste’ and equally inspired pieces of writing like the rockney-tastic lyrical goldmines ‘There Ain’t Half Been Some Clever Bastards’ and ‘Common as Muck’, which were consigned to being mere B-sides of ‘Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick’ and ‘Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3’, respectively.

Whereas even those who are only just starting to call themselves a true Dury fan will at least be familiar with some of the songs on the first two discs, they will find the third disc to be a veritable smorgasbord of lesser-known treats, such as the five tracks from his final album, the first with the Blockheads for seventeen years and actually one of his absolute finest, ‘Mr. Love Pants’, released in 1997 (‘Mash It Up Harry’; ‘Jack Sh*t George’; ‘Itinerant Child’;

‘Bed of Roses No.9’ and ‘Geraldine’).

Presumably due to BMG not owning the rights to a majority of Dury’s ‘80s output without the Blockheads, a large swathe of his work isn’t featured on ‘Hit Me! ...’ However, a live recording of his most provocative moment, ‘Spasticus Autisticus’ from 1981’s ‘Lord Upminster’ is included and the ever-stunning ‘England’s Glory’, from 1989’s ‘Apples’, written whilst he was a member of Kilburn and the High Roads about fourteen years earlier, is featured in demo form.

Despite running at three discs, ‘Hit Me ...’ may not be a 100% comprehensive overview of Dury’s work, but as ‘best of’ albums go, it was pre-determined that it would still be one of the very best you could buy. In this, the twentieth anniversary of his death, it is a timely reminder of just how the ‘Upminster Kid’ became a jewel in the crown of ‘England’s Glory’. www.facebook.com/ IanDuryandtheBlockheads

123

www.eighthdaycommunications.co.uk