Thanks to the Web I'm in contact with Clive Kingsley, the original eletric guitarist in the so-called first "Electric Third Ear Band" line-up (1968).
Here's a first preliminary letter written by him. It'll be follow soon by a long, articulate proper interview...
"Hi Luca,
I'd be be happy to fill you in with any information I can give. The Third Ear Band was originally created and conceived by myself and Glen Sweeney, with some assistance from Carolyn, Glen's partner.
The band was created following The Hydrogen Jukebox (1st edition!) which in turn was created at the '24 hour Technicolour Dream' Alexandra Palace on Spring 1967. Being personally very involved I have lots of info re the end of The Giant Sun Trolley (as it was orginally) creation and demise of the first Hydrogen Jukebox and creation and demise of the 1st 3rd Ear Band... which really changed in many respects when I left... as all the orginal (electronic raga) music had been composed by myself. The guitar (mine) and all amplifiction was stolen, and I was not to rejoin the group... so the band then for some time went 'acoustic' had a few new members and created new tunes etc. They retained what was 100% my idea alone which was to use scales and not chords as a basis as per the 'raga ' aspect... which I had devised/derived from my serious interest in Indian Classical music. For a time they used the 'alchemy' idea... while retaining the original hypnotic aspect.
I am still in touch with Barry Pilcher who along with myself played at Alexandra Palace and was in the 1st Hydrogen Jukebox... but only very briefly in the 3rd Ear Band... as Glen did not like his free jazz and long solo approach. As I tended to agree at the time... wishing to keep the more melodic side Barry left and the 3rd Ear Band was born. It was several years after I was no longer part of TTEB that Barry and I got together again musically... and also once more became involved in the People Band.
I have lots more I could talk about, mostly about the period 1967/8... but also a bit of 68/70 while not playing with the band (I formed one of my own by then) I was still in touch... went to a few of their concerts and recordings.
Please feel free to ask anything. I have read your blog... I didn't know that Roger Bunn had died. I did hear that Paul Minns had died via a rare communication from Glen. I spoke with Carolyn after Glen had a stroke... but was not contacted when he died. He did not want to see me after his stroke.
Please feel free to ask anything. I can't tell you much about the later versons of the bands... but about the early members and first year or so yes .
Best wishes,
Clive".
I'd be be happy to fill you in with any information I can give. The Third Ear Band was originally created and conceived by myself and Glen Sweeney, with some assistance from Carolyn, Glen's partner.
The band was created following The Hydrogen Jukebox (1st edition!) which in turn was created at the '24 hour Technicolour Dream' Alexandra Palace on Spring 1967. Being personally very involved I have lots of info re the end of The Giant Sun Trolley (as it was orginally) creation and demise of the first Hydrogen Jukebox and creation and demise of the 1st 3rd Ear Band... which really changed in many respects when I left... as all the orginal (electronic raga) music had been composed by myself. The guitar (mine) and all amplifiction was stolen, and I was not to rejoin the group... so the band then for some time went 'acoustic' had a few new members and created new tunes etc. They retained what was 100% my idea alone which was to use scales and not chords as a basis as per the 'raga ' aspect... which I had devised/derived from my serious interest in Indian Classical music. For a time they used the 'alchemy' idea... while retaining the original hypnotic aspect.
I am still in touch with Barry Pilcher who along with myself played at Alexandra Palace and was in the 1st Hydrogen Jukebox... but only very briefly in the 3rd Ear Band... as Glen did not like his free jazz and long solo approach. As I tended to agree at the time... wishing to keep the more melodic side Barry left and the 3rd Ear Band was born. It was several years after I was no longer part of TTEB that Barry and I got together again musically... and also once more became involved in the People Band.
I have lots more I could talk about, mostly about the period 1967/8... but also a bit of 68/70 while not playing with the band (I formed one of my own by then) I was still in touch... went to a few of their concerts and recordings.
Please feel free to ask anything. I have read your blog... I didn't know that Roger Bunn had died. I did hear that Paul Minns had died via a rare communication from Glen. I spoke with Carolyn after Glen had a stroke... but was not contacted when he died. He did not want to see me after his stroke.
Please feel free to ask anything. I can't tell you much about the later versons of the bands... but about the early members and first year or so yes .
Best wishes,
Clive".
no©2010 Luca Ferrari
The People Band -same Transatlantic 1971
ReplyDeleteHeard this quite nice free-form record record, more info could be found at http://www.emanemdisc.com/E4102.html
Was that period, big avantgarde/total music, such as Centipede, Mike Westbrook early ensembles, british jazz experiments, all ways were good at that moment. People band start to recording in 1968, same time that TEB. Hope to Clive will put his material in the net for easy finding...
regards vic
I'll post the interview when it'll be ready... There will be many important/interesting things on it... About his material, I know he's got some unrealised recordings made by himself 15-20 years old... Unfourtunately, he told me he hasn't anything about 'our' period...
ReplyDeletecheers.
Luca