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FLASHBACK34 Bassein Park RoadLondonW12 9RZUK

flashbackmag@gmail.com

Editor

Richard Morton Jack

ContributorsSimon Crisp

Daniel Davies

Pat Evans

Richard Falk

Tim Forster

Michael Garrick

Giles Hamilton

Alain Hertay

Stig Lundgren

Austin Matthews

Ian McFarlane

Aaron Milenski

Richard Morton Jack

Alain Pire

Domenic Priore

Allan Rinde

Richie Unterberger

Michael Vosse

Tom Watt

Harvey Williams

Layout & cover design

Tony Marks

(tony@creativemarks.co.uk)

www.flashbackmag.com

Issue #7 Summer 2015

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FlashbackRichard Morton Jack

London, September 2012

Cover image © Christopher Simon Sykes

A lot of young people talked about ‘dropping out’ in the late 60s,

but Vashti Bunyan was one of the few who actually did. It took

a lot of courage to abandon everything she knew and embrace

the uncertainties of life on the road, but – as she writes – ‘There

was no other way of living for me.’ Just Another Diamond Day

is hardly a ‘concept album’, but few records have such unity

of theme and spirit, and beneath its gentle exterior lie powerful

emotional layers. It’s one of my favourite albums, simultaneously of its time and outside

it, and I’m very grateful to Vashti for telling her remarkable story at such length here.

Elsewhere are the stories of early 70s British rockers Raw Material and Fuzzy Duck,

both unravelled by Austin Matthews, for whose tenacity and good humour I’m very

grateful. Also featured are the Norwegian trio Oriental Sunshine (whose sole album

is another personal favourite) and Belgian jazz-funk pioneers Placebo, as well as the

startling tale of Euphoria’s lone 1969 album, written by my old friend Tim Forster (who

gave me an original copy at our first ever meeting). On top of that, there’s a history of

Phonograph Record Magazine and its enigmatic editor Marty Cerf (who was at the

centre of the record business in the 1970s, before seemingly vanishing), and a moving

evocation of the brilliant Bill Evans and his brother Harry, written by the latter’s

widow, Pat.

As I rifle through my tottering stacks of vintage music papers, I often encounter

significant articles that are seemingly unknown, so I’ve reprinted three here – revealing

interviews with Van Morrison and Jimmy Page from 1969 and 1970 respectively, and

an incredible insight into the creation and abandonment of the Beach Boys’ Smile

album, written by Brian Wilson’s former assistant Michael Vosse in 1969. Rounding

off the issue are thorough music and book reviews, several of them by the indefatigable

Richie Unterberger. And did I mention our Top 50 LPs from Down Under?

One of the joys of putting Flashback together is getting to know the people behind

so much wonderful music. Their willingness to share their time, energy and archives

makes this the publication it is, alongside the unstinting efforts of the contributors, who

often do as much sleuthing as writing.

Flashback is a labour of love for everyone concerned, and on behalf of us all I’m

grateful for your support. Until next time!

Richard Morton Jack

London, June 2015

Welcome to our seventh issue!

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6 Album By AlbumDave Green and Trevor Tomkins were perhaps the leading rhythm section in 1960s / 70s British jazz. Here they talk us through several of their classic recordings

25 First Person Bill Evans’ late sister-in-law Pat describes the brilliant pianist’s unique relationship with her husband Harry

32 Placebo The fullest account yet put together of Marc Moulin’s pioneering early 70s Belgian jazz-funk outfit, by Alain Hertay & Alain Pire

39 Raw MaterialResponsible for two of the most sought-after LPs of the progressive era, this British quintet’s story is finally told by Austin Matthews

17 Phonograph Record Magazine The history of this groundbreaking newspaper – and its enigmatic founder-editor, the late Martin Robert Cerf

4 JukeboxWolf People’s Dan Davies and Tom Watt on 12 tracks that have inspired them

87 EuphoriaHaving met on the Sunset Strip in 1964, William D. Lincoln and Hamilton Wesley Watt Jr. forged conceived one of the more audacious and extravagant albums of the decade, as Tim Forster recounts

125 VASHTI BUNYANIn the summer of 1968, Vashti Bunyan set out for the Western Scottish Islands in a horse-drawn wagon. The album she made en route – and the journey itself – have become the stuff of legend. Here she tells her story in greater depth than ever before…

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135 Jimmy PageA long-lost interview from September 1970, just before the release of Led Zeppelin III, exhumed from the pages of Rock magazine

117 Fuzzy Duck They were together for less than a year, but Fuzzy Duck made one of the most enduring hard rock albums of their era. Austin Matthews relates their highs and lows

143 Van Morrison Two illuminating articles that appeared shortly after the release of Astral Weeks, and have barely been seen since

153 Down UndergroundFifty antipodean classics from the heyday of underground rock

167 Music reviews

189 Book reviews

208 Crying To Be HeardThe sole release by Davey & Morris, unheard since 1973

127 Oriental Sunshine Late 60s Norway was far from pop’s cutting edge, but this sitar-toting trio’s sole album is a lost classic, writes Richard Morton Jack

99 The Beach Boys A long-overdue reprint of Michael Vosse’s eyewitness account of the genius and chaos of Brian Wilson as he toiled on the doomed Smile album

Bassist Dan Davies and drummer Tom Watt form the rhythm section of the mighty Wolf People (whose guitarists Jack Sharp and Joe Hollick provided their own Jukebox selection in Flashback #1). They kindly took time out from preparing their next album to present 12 of their favourite tracks here…

JUKEBOX

GLÄNS ÖVER SJÖ & STRAND Olja (Här Schaktas Utan Pardon LP, Sweden, 1971)Talking about mean riffs, this song has it all: extreme fuzz guitar, heavy beats, a good old Swedish Progg protest chorus (apparently it’s about the downside of drilling for oil in Alaska), and a nice hypnotic jam at the end. This is the band demonstrating the heavier side of their material; the rest of their work is good, but comes from more of a folk angle. (Tom)

TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTIYou’ll Be Back for More (Tasavallan Presidentii LP, Finland, 1969)This band are one of the best starting points for students of Finnish prog. We’ve been listening to this album a lot on tour recently, and agreed that this track has one of the best riffs ever written. Expect to hear us ripping it off on our new album! Jukka Tolonen’s guitar playing gets a bit too noodly for me on later stuff, but hearing it with such a mean riff works beautifully here. (Tom)

ALGIA MAE HINTONCareless Love (Honey Babe CD, US, 1999)Algia Mae is from the Piedmont area of North Carolina, which is renowned for its fingerpicking blues guitarists. I was introduced to her groove-heavy country-blues by my friend Noah, who’s a big folk / ethnographic record collector (and also from the Piedmont, as it happens). I love how joyous this style of playing sounds – blue, but happy to be alive. There’s a brilliant video of her playing at a party in the 1980s, where she plays the guitar behind her head and does a shuffle tap-dance that has about the best rhythm I’ve ever heard. A true rock’n’roller. (Dan)

WIZZ JONESWhen I Leave Berlin (When I Leave Berlin LP, UK, 1974)Wizz is one of the greats of British folk and blues guitar, yet he hasn’t always been as well-known or lauded as he deserves. A couple of years ago Bruce Springsteen opened his Berlin concert with this wonderful song about a time when the Berlin Wall was briefly open and relatives from the segregated East and West could meet. The Boss’s cover hopefully helped shine a bit more limelight in his direction. Wizz is a great guitar teacher too; I’ve been fortunate enough to have some inspiring lessons from him. (Dan)

BERT JANSCHFresh As A Sweet Summer Morning (L.A. Turnaround LP, UK, 1974)Wizz Jones and John Renbourn used to play this in tribute to their departed old mate Bert Jansch, and now sadly John is also gone. I like the idea of these two guitar legends having a celestial jam somewhere in the ether. Jack from Wolf People also does a lovely version of this song – he’s been doing a few solo shows recently, and after so many years playing together it’s been great to sit back at his gigs and hear what a great voice he has, without him having to cut through our fuzzy racket. (Dan)

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KAREN DALTONSomething On Your Mind (In My Own Time LP, US, 1971)What never ceases to amaze me about this song is the incredible lazy swing on her phrasing of the words. Try singing along – it’s nearly impossible to follow! This is laconic to the point of hardly arriving at all, but also diamond-sharp, cutting into the heart of things. I don’t know another song quite like it – compassionate and understanding, yet not standing for any rubbish either. (Dan)

EMBRYOSidetrack (Surfin LP, Germany, 1975)Surfin seems to be considered one of Embryo’s weaker efforts, but it’s probably my favourite of their many excellent albums. This has a perfect blend of boom-bap funk beats, out-there jazz vibes and wild multi-instrumental jamming. Heavily influenced by soul and funk, a lot of music like this runs a fine line between being groovy and cheesy. This gets it just right. (Tom)

BATTERED ORNAMENTS Staggered (Mantle-Piece LP, UK, 1969)I love the whole Mantle-Piece album, but this is one of my favourite songs ever, and a Wolf People anthem (thanks to our tour DJ, Rich Gibbons). It’s a 4-minute jam with serious head-nodding beats; an instrumental journey through some strange lands indeed. At least they didn’t need to rerecord any of the vocals on it when Pete Brown was thrown out of the band and Chris Spedding took over! (Tom)

RAINCamp (Janet Hay’s Greatest Hits LP, Norway, 1977)This album is a bit of an anomaly – it’s the soundtrack to a short-lived musical play staged in Oslo about the rock’n’roll excesses of the late 60s (Janet Hay is a fictional character, but the LP sleeve does offer a brief biography in Norwegian). Produced by the excellent Terje Rypdal, it sounds like they were having fun in the studio. (Tom)

CHARLIE OCH ESDOR Grönt är Skönt (Grönt är Skönt EP, Sweden, 1972)Probably the rarest 7” in my collection; its title means ‘green is good’, and it’s more Swedish hippy-fuzz-protest action. Apparently this 4-track EP was sold at a kind of holiday camp-out / festival. They dropped the sitar on this track and rock a bit harder. Man, I love record shopping in Stockholm! (Tom)

JOHN LEE ZEIGLERWho’s Gonna Be Your Man? (Georgia Blues Today LP, US, 1981)This is from a collection of field recordings made by the archivist George Mitchell in the late 70s. It almost never fails to make me feel good –everything about it is so right. It’s a porch-jam and you can hear children in the background, which – together with the irresistible bounce of the accompanying spoons – creates a magical, very private atmosphere that’s a privilege to drop in on. It’s great to hear rural blues recorded so sharp and clearly, and with the sweet bloom of being played through a small, cranked-up tube guitar amp. (Dan)

F.J. McMAHONEarly Blue (Spirit Of The Golden Juice LP, US, 1969)Spirit Of The Golden Juice is a great small-hours record, and one of my all-time favourites. (I guess the golden juice is whiskey!) F.J. McMahon is a Vietnam veteran, and he made this album after returning to America from his time serving in the Air Force. It’s contemplative and downbeat, but there’s something kind of ecstatic and steadfast too in the lyrics and vocals, like he’s seen and lived through a lot, but somehow knows things will be all right. (Dan)

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Both were born in London during the War (Dave in Edgware, Trevor in Catford), and were encouraged to play music as they grew up. “My dad played accordion and dodgy piano, my uncle was an orchestra leader in a Brighton hotel, and my cousin was Roy Budd, whose brother Pete was a guitarist, so I grew up around music,” says Trevor. Dave, meanwhile, had the advantage of living next door to another young jazz nut: “After the war we moved to a prefab bungalow in Pilgrims Way, Wembley Park. Next door were Mr. and Mrs. Watts and their young son Charlie. As we grew up we nurtured our love of jazz together – he had a collection of 78 rpm records, and I had a few, and aged 11 or so we would listen to them in his bedroom.” Dave played tea-chest bass in a school skiffle group, before he and Charlie joined Joe Jones’s sextet at the age of 16. “We played with him for about a year,” says Dave. “When that broke up I started doing regular gigs here and there, as did Charlie, who got more involved with the R&B scene, playing with Alexis Korner, while I stayed closer to jazz.”

Trevor, meanwhile, had discovered jazz purely by accident. “One night when I was 12 or so, I turned on the radio and heard this fantastic music. I had no idea what it was, so I marked it on the dial. The next night it was German oompah music, but the next week it was the same thing. I mentioned it to an older guy in our street, and he said, ‘Oh, that’s jazz!’ He then started taking me to see Lightnin’ Hopkins, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee and others. When Elvis came along, I got into trouble at school for saying he was a poor copy of these guys – the other kids thought I was making their names up!” Bizarrely, in the years above and below Trevor at school were fellow jazz drummers Eddie Prévost and Jon Hiseman, and though he initially started playing trombone, he was soon behind a kit too: “I

always enjoyed messing about banging things, and bought a drum kit from a junk shop when I was 16. Originally I was self-taught, then a pianist called Sammy Prager in the West End showed me how to read music.”

Like many musicians of his generation, Dave left school at 15, finding work in a shop. Jazz,

however, remained his ambition: “Eventually I acquired a bass and got quite a good semi-pro career going, playing with a drummer called Peter Prince. I first met Don Rendell in Guildford when he was a guest artist in one of the pubs we played in. I knew exactly who he was, but I don’t think

I made any particular impression on him!” Trevor had also been playing on the jazz

circuit, in an amateur capacity, but it wasn’t enough: “Aged 18 I decided I wanted to learn

more, so I went to the Blackheath Conservatory to study theory and harmony. I was training to be an accountant, but gave it up aged 20 and formed a band with Clive Burrows on sax, John Mealing on piano and Tony Reeves on bass. We used to run a club in Blackheath on Sundays, and invited guests including Joe Harriott and Don Rendell down. Don had a band with Graham Bond at the time, and I did a few deps for them.”

Towards the end of 1963, Rendell – a hugely respected figure on the British jazz scene

since the mid-40s – decided to form a new band with the Newcastle-born trumpeter and composer Ian Carr. “I turned pro in 1963, and soon afterwards did a gig with Ian at the Hanborough Tavern in Hanborough,” continues Dave. “He was already playing with Don, and

had a fiery sound that I liked a lot. Ian recommended me to Don, so I got the

offer to join the new quintet in December 1963, which is when I met Trevor. He and I

hit it off straight away – we were listening to a lot of Miles Davis at the time, and were very impressed by Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb.” Trevor, meanwhile,

ALBUM BY ALBUM DAVE GREEN &

TREVOR TOMKINSThough neither of them released albums under their own names, double bassist Dave Green

and drummer Trevor Tomkins were among the busiest and most respected musicians on London’s teeming 1960s jazz scene, writes RICHARD MORTON JACK.

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says “I couldn’t believe it when Don asked me to join the quintet he and Ian were forming! Dave and I were 10 or 15 years younger than them, but there was much more mixing of the ages in those days, and the mixture was very fruitful – the new blood brought energy, which combined well with the experience of the older guys. I remember Don doing the introductions from the stage just after the band formed, and announcing that his rhythm section was younger than the Beatles, but could actually play! I saw the Beatles live, both in the States and over here, and I thought they were bloody awful! I remember seeing Paul McCartney at our gigs…”

For Dave, “Don was a tremendously individual player, and gave us great encouragement, as we were far younger than him.” Trevor concurs: “Although it was Don and Ian’s band, Don gave us loads of leeway. He was totally open right from the start. It was very much a co-operative – we were paid the same, we all worked on the arrangements, and we all had an equal voice about what we played. Our rehearsals were a question of improvising – creative, but unforced. It was all about

self-discovery, if that doesn’t sound too pretentious – like going to the best jazz school in the world.”

Together with pianist John Mealing, the Rendell-Carr Quintet played their first gig in Hatfield at the end of 1963, before going into London’s IBC Studios with the American producer Hank Russell in January 1964. Those sessions were not released at the time (though they’ve subsequently come out on CD). Following that disappointment, the band took a vital decision, as Trevor relates: “From then on we insisted on playing our own compositions, instead of standards, and became the first band to do all-original material on the BBC. I remember Graham Collier telling me how grateful he was that we’d stood up for doing our own stuff, as it had it opened the door for other people to do the same.” Soon afterwards Mealing decided to take a more commercial gig in Spain, so Colin Purbrook was added in his place, at Dave and Trevor’s suggestion. Within a few months, the Rendell-Carr Quintet was widely regarded as Britain’s leading small modern jazz group…

Ian Carr, Don Rendell, Michael Garrick, Trevor Tomkins & Dave Green, 1965

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Melody Maker, September 22nd 1973