I knew he taught in Wycombe and Leeds, but no idea that he was a Chairboys fan. We can add him to the supergroup with that bloke from Gene and the euphonium player from Monkey Swallows the Universe.
@our_frank, @ReturnToSenda - you're right about the Stars of Heaven EPs (especially 'Before Holyhead'). But there are a couple of absolute classics on the 'Speak Slowly' LP (namely '2 o'clock Waltz' and 'Leave as you Came' - which has a fascinating time signature). I think they later re-formed and released other material, but I never got round to listening to it.
My 'most prolific' bands come in at 25 and 20 studio albums respectively...
@MindlessDrugHoover I remember going to a Shop Assistants gig in London in the late 80s - they thrashed through their entire output in about 25 minutes and just f*cked off. i can't imagine their 'album' being any longer than that...!
With you on 'band with two albums'. I was there at their last ever gig (Oct 1982) - they kind of split up during the show.... JC had to sing a few solo songs towards the end, and then the lights went out. They never performed, or recorded, together since (to my knowledge)
There is a live album recorded at Wycombe Town Hall. (Mine is signed by Bernard) Wednesday 20th Feb 1980. A day after Wycombe lost at home to Burnham 2-1 and 3 days before a 1-1 draw at Gander Green Lane. Anyone know why we played so many friendlies that season.
Donkeys years ago (in the late ‘fifties/early ‘sixties), I became obsessed with the idea of setting up a hi-fi system which would reproduce sound barely distinguishable from the original live performances.
Even in those days there were expensive systems which, in the demonstration rooms of hi-fi shops, came very close. Or I’d pop into a record shop and a beautiful piece of classical music would be quietly playing, sounding so much better than anything I was able to listen to at home.
I used to read the Melody Maker on a regular basis before jazz coverage became de minimis. @eddiemonsoon would probably say rightly so (though to be fair although frequently taking the pee, he did once admit to liking some kinds of jazz). The latest recordings by the Barber, Bilk and Ball bands were always reviewed and it was in that context that the truth dawned on me that, excellent as those recordings were, they were no substitute for live performances.
I’ve tried various deck, amplifier and speaker combinations over the years and most recently rescued a pair of compact BBC LS3 monitor speakers from the loft and paired them with a Riga CD player and amplifier. All topretty basic and I suspect I’d need to spend several thousand pounds to produce sound quality even vaguely approaching the sound of a live performance.
As for digitalising my recordings, I wouldn’t have a clue. Whoever eventually does a house clearance will have to dispose of 600 plus CDs scattered around the place in drawers, boxes and a rotating storage unit as well as a couple of hundred LPs in the loft (which I can no longer climb into).
A dedication for you @stevedore and a good early example of Chris Barber’s love of the music of Duke Ellington. Pat Halcox outstanding as usual on trumpet and Lonnie Donegan plink plank plunking away in the rhythm section.
We used to attend local gigs at the White Lion in Little Chalfont, the Stag in Chorleywood and more recently, until the pandemic, the Dumbbell in Chalfont St Peter. Colin Kingwell’s band (or rather a quartet of members of the full band, known as the Po Boys).
Pat Halcox was a lifelong friend of Colin’s and would occasionally sit in. Remarkably, considering he had been with Chris Barber for well over half a century playing all over the UK, Europe and elsewhere in front of audiences usually in excess of a thousand, he said he was more nervous playing alongside Colin in front of 40 or 50 of us (on a good night). That puzzled me initially until someone pointed out that, with Chris Barber, everything was carefully arranged and rehearsed, including solos I assume, whereas, with Colin, he had to think on his feet, as it were.
Pat was a lovely guy (welling up remembering him) and I have a wonderful image in my mind from around ten years ago of mrs micra holding his trumpet for him (steady, @Malone and/or @mooneyman !) in the foyer at the Wycombe Swan whilst he nipped across to the bar to greet a friend. Our last night ushering at the Swan, nearly five years ago was, fittingly, also the last appearance there of the Barber Big Band.
I'm still in touch with Amelia and Pete from Talulah Gosh; Pete goes to watch Oxford City occasionally. Heavenly played a one off reunion show last week and Stewart Lee did some guest vocals.
@MindlessDrugHoover I was a sucker for that particular musical style at the time - i think my TG album has aged much better, there are some great songs on it that still sound good today. Shop Assistants just seemed to me to have a bit of an attitude - a bunch of 'Dean Morgans', if you will - although that's just my unfortunate experience of them. Loved 'The Motorcycle Boy' though.
I suppose I should try and shoehorn my own material into this thread but I do find self-promotion toe-curlingly difficult. Anyway, here's a video for the opening track on the second LP, Lying Flat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msakQ5Y8jpk
Back catalogue available from the usual places and probably some unusual ones too.
I got to know Alex, the singer, quite well during the Motorcycle Boy period and confirm she was about as lovely as lovely comes. Sadly she died a few years ago. Incredible singer.
Comments
But back to topic: I'd say that doesn't count as it's not a studio album.
I knew he taught in Wycombe and Leeds, but no idea that he was a Chairboys fan. We can add him to the supergroup with that bloke from Gene and the euphonium player from Monkey Swallows the Universe.
There's the guy who plays trumpet for Bruno Mars and all sorts of others
@our_frank, @ReturnToSenda - you're right about the Stars of Heaven EPs (especially 'Before Holyhead'). But there are a couple of absolute classics on the 'Speak Slowly' LP (namely '2 o'clock Waltz' and 'Leave as you Came' - which has a fascinating time signature). I think they later re-formed and released other material, but I never got round to listening to it.
My 'most prolific' bands come in at 25 and 20 studio albums respectively...
Guided by Voices are constantly putting albums out. King Gizzard too, although they got a bit boring for my liking.
Daphne and Celeste were great! Embodied the punk spirit more than a lot of dull male guitar bands of the time.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dslUKjOnH3Y
Leatherface 🤤 The best thing to ever come out of Sunderland.
The La's only released one studio album. But what an album it is.
Johnny, music legend and a thoroughly decent bloke.
That's the one!
Haha, my brother... and he was the cellist!
Great shout
Jeff Buckley
Lauryn Hill
From many years ago, Blind Faith.
Little Polveir was a tune
@MindlessDrugHoover I remember going to a Shop Assistants gig in London in the late 80s - they thrashed through their entire output in about 25 minutes and just f*cked off. i can't imagine their 'album' being any longer than that...!
With you on 'band with two albums'. I was there at their last ever gig (Oct 1982) - they kind of split up during the show.... JC had to sing a few solo songs towards the end, and then the lights went out. They never performed, or recorded, together since (to my knowledge)
Forgot to say... imho, Talulah Gosh were infinitely better than The Shop Assistants.
Greatest one LP band ever. (That or Buena Vista Social Club, I suppose)
The story behind The Shaggs is quite something.
There is a live album recorded at Wycombe Town Hall. (Mine is signed by Bernard) Wednesday 20th Feb 1980. A day after Wycombe lost at home to Burnham 2-1 and 3 days before a 1-1 draw at Gander Green Lane. Anyone know why we played so many friendlies that season.
WWFC stats from the phenomenal WWFC wix site. https://wwarchive.wixsite.com/wwfcarchive6
And Lee Mavers was still not happy with it!
I think it's on the digital version of Still - I've definitely heard it - would love to track down a physical copy!
Sounds like a musical paradise, @Erroll_Sims.
Donkeys years ago (in the late ‘fifties/early ‘sixties), I became obsessed with the idea of setting up a hi-fi system which would reproduce sound barely distinguishable from the original live performances.
Even in those days there were expensive systems which, in the demonstration rooms of hi-fi shops, came very close. Or I’d pop into a record shop and a beautiful piece of classical music would be quietly playing, sounding so much better than anything I was able to listen to at home.
I used to read the Melody Maker on a regular basis before jazz coverage became de minimis. @eddiemonsoon would probably say rightly so (though to be fair although frequently taking the pee, he did once admit to liking some kinds of jazz). The latest recordings by the Barber, Bilk and Ball bands were always reviewed and it was in that context that the truth dawned on me that, excellent as those recordings were, they were no substitute for live performances.
I’ve tried various deck, amplifier and speaker combinations over the years and most recently rescued a pair of compact BBC LS3 monitor speakers from the loft and paired them with a Riga CD player and amplifier. All topretty basic and I suspect I’d need to spend several thousand pounds to produce sound quality even vaguely approaching the sound of a live performance.
As for digitalising my recordings, I wouldn’t have a clue. Whoever eventually does a house clearance will have to dispose of 600 plus CDs scattered around the place in drawers, boxes and a rotating storage unit as well as a couple of hundred LPs in the loft (which I can no longer climb into).
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Kboq5K0fwsk&feature=share
A dedication for you @stevedore and a good early example of Chris Barber’s love of the music of Duke Ellington. Pat Halcox outstanding as usual on trumpet and Lonnie Donegan plink plank plunking away in the rhythm section.
We used to attend local gigs at the White Lion in Little Chalfont, the Stag in Chorleywood and more recently, until the pandemic, the Dumbbell in Chalfont St Peter. Colin Kingwell’s band (or rather a quartet of members of the full band, known as the Po Boys).
Pat Halcox was a lifelong friend of Colin’s and would occasionally sit in. Remarkably, considering he had been with Chris Barber for well over half a century playing all over the UK, Europe and elsewhere in front of audiences usually in excess of a thousand, he said he was more nervous playing alongside Colin in front of 40 or 50 of us (on a good night). That puzzled me initially until someone pointed out that, with Chris Barber, everything was carefully arranged and rehearsed, including solos I assume, whereas, with Colin, he had to think on his feet, as it were.
Pat was a lovely guy (welling up remembering him) and I have a wonderful image in my mind from around ten years ago of mrs micra holding his trumpet for him (steady, @Malone and/or @mooneyman !) in the foyer at the Wycombe Swan whilst he nipped across to the bar to greet a friend. Our last night ushering at the Swan, nearly five years ago was, fittingly, also the last appearance there of the Barber Big Band.
Happy days.
POTD.
Hopefully mrs didn't blow it!
Both were great.
I'm still in touch with Amelia and Pete from Talulah Gosh; Pete goes to watch Oxford City occasionally. Heavenly played a one off reunion show last week and Stewart Lee did some guest vocals.
@MindlessDrugHoover I was a sucker for that particular musical style at the time - i think my TG album has aged much better, there are some great songs on it that still sound good today. Shop Assistants just seemed to me to have a bit of an attitude - a bunch of 'Dean Morgans', if you will - although that's just my unfortunate experience of them. Loved 'The Motorcycle Boy' though.
Thanks for the dedication @micra. The mention of dedicating a song reminded me of the lyrics in the excellent Jens Lekman track You Are the Light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXosbtarVNY
I suppose I should try and shoehorn my own material into this thread but I do find self-promotion toe-curlingly difficult. Anyway, here's a video for the opening track on the second LP, Lying Flat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msakQ5Y8jpk
Back catalogue available from the usual places and probably some unusual ones too.
I got to know Alex, the singer, quite well during the Motorcycle Boy period and confirm she was about as lovely as lovely comes. Sadly she died a few years ago. Incredible singer.