Here is a rare interview with Ursula Smith and Richard Coff conducted by Steve Peacock and published by Sounds on October 17, 1970, just immediately following their departure from the Third Ear Band to form the duo COMIC OVERDOSE (according to other sources, COSMIC OVERDOSE).
It's an interesting and exclusive overview of the duo's artistic project, which nevertheless failed shortly afterwards due to its naive approach. In fact, as Ursula recalled in the interview she gave me in 2001 (read here),
"Richard
and I did some rehearsing and got some ideas together. Richard rang
the "Melody Maker" music paper and got an interview, but we had not
got equipment or management or agency.
We
were busking near Speaker's Corner Hyde Park when this South African
guy came up to chat to us, and said he knew a guy who ran an equipment
shop and he could get us some equipment there.
"We
went to the shop and Richard spoke to the manager who told us that
this person was an intelligence agent for the South African government
and that we should be very wary of him.
After that Richard rejoined the Third Ear Band and so did Paul Buckmaster. Soon after that the Third Ear Band got signed for doing the music for Polanski’s "Macbeth"...".
Thanks to Italian fan Gianpaolo Banelli for finding the article and to my friend Mirco Delfino (Third Ear Band Facebook page) for bringing it to my attention.
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