Just after the first TEB concert in Italy
(Bergamo, September 8th, 1988), musician and journalist (now filmaker)
Francesco Paladino (The Doubling Raiders’ founder) met Paul Minns and Glen
Sweeney for a brief interview.
This is a rare occasion to read some considerations
from Paul, hardly ever involved by the press.
This interview has been published by the Italian magazine "Hi, Folks!" (issue 48) at the beginning of 1989 with the title of "The return of the third ear's mistery".
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| TEB on stage in Bergamo, September 1988. |
FP: “Which
is the reason you’ve decided to reform the band?”
PM: “It’s
been the great interest of the fans: they carried on to contact us from Italy just to
get some news from us, so we seriously decided to make the reunion. In ’68
everyone was interested to the Rock culture. We tried to change our approach to
that kind of audience introducing the vocals in our compositions. But it turned
up to be difficult for the same nature
of our music, so then we played just instrumental tunes and the TEB was born.
We’re really surprised by the interest of people in our music. Our challenge is
to propose us with the same old feeling”.
FP: “I know
you’ve recorded a demo…”
PM: “The
band’s reunion has been very quick and experimental. Even now improvisation is
our basic element. The past has taught us
much.”
FP: “In your
old records there’s a great amount of esoteric references: is still this
element in your music?”
PM: “Glen
has always been involved in this kind of
area and he was him to give this musical and “visual” direction to the
band. He has titled all the band’s albums and tunes. He has studied really much
the esoteric science, as Zen and Buddhism, and Egyptian philosophy. People used to
understand that. In Woodstock and Hyde Park (with the Rolling Stones) we understood people
was “available to understand””.
 | |
| Original handmade flyer for the Bergamo concert. |
FP: “What do you think about contemporary esoteric groups as like Psychic TV?”
GS:
“There’s a new generation now that has learned to think about things and
doesn’t take drugs. I’ve to thank Luca Ferrari because he has resurrected “the
ancient word”…”.
FP: “Which
collaborations have you done in all these years?”.
GS: “Mainly
we’ve played just for ourself, deepening the approach to the music. Mick Carter
has got a recording studio where he played experimental music with guitars and
electronic machines. Samuel has done academic musical studies”.
PM: “… Glen
has studied Indian music and he has played with Dave Tomlin”.
HF: “Which
are the most important aspects of your music you’d like people understand?”
GS: “Freedom
of music, not the free jazz: the pragmatic approach, the self-discipline. The
inner adhesion that brings you to improvisation”.
 |
| The "Hi, Folks!" 1989 interview. |
HF: “Why
your second and third album have never been reissued?”
GS: “It’s
been an EMI’s fault, the men with tie decided it”.
HF: “But you
didn’t answer about your new demo…”.
GS: “It’s
fantastic. It talks about the spiritistic world, ghosts and witches. The title
is top secret because the power of this music is telepathic and I wouldn’t
others can steal our title”.
no©2010 Luca Ferrari
We have to thank Luca Ferrari because he has resurrected “the ancient word”... :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks about it, but it's been just the Fate, it was just an incredible coincidence of things... The sad aspect of this experience is that it's all done, it's just a brillant moment of our past... even if it's important for me to do this to remember the band and that's great gifted musicians...
ReplyDelete