"How I got the third ear". Memories from Finland.

TEB fan Mauri Kankaanpää gives us some memories closely related to the Third Ear Band...

"1st of December 1973 was a remarkable day for a 17 years young man. On that day, exactly 50 years ago,  the mailman gave me a ticket to pick a box of records from the local post office. I can’t remember the content of the box as wholly, or if there even was more than one LP, but that very one is still in my shelf, from the band I got into in previous summer. 

 

Easy to guess the name of the band. The LP I bought first was the one known as Elements. It really changed my musical world. At that time, I was also interested in esoteric things, theosophy etc. so the music fitted to my taste like glove in the hand. How did I find this world? First step was taken on a Fool’s day the previous year. I was able to visit our capital Helsinki and a large record shop there. I had saved lots of money to buy three records, one of them was Pink Floyd’s "Meddle" (I still have the copy). 

 

 

The record itself was extremely important to my music taste which was turning to progressive rock, but also the inner bag, ”the Harvest shopping list”. Following summer I bought Roy Harper’s "Flat Baroque and Berserk," starting my long lasting fandom to him and a week later my first Third Ear Band record, "Elements" - just by the name of the band, the cover of the LP and the typography on it. So it’s 51 years and 4 months now when I gave Glen & C. my other ear lobe, after which they took the whole ear, then the second on the other side of my head and finally they gave me a third one to start hearing.
Back to the date mentioned in the beginning. The album was "Alchemy". More of the magical music, thank you very much. 

One thing where vinyl beats cd is the cover size. Of course, vinyls need space if you have a lot of them, but the information and the emotional aspect of handling the cover, it’s almost like shaking hands with the artist. You get closer to them. 

 
So, I was 17, and I was living in Western Finland in the middle of an agrarian flat, known earlier as the bottom of the sea which now, after the ice age, is rising 5 mm in a year. Pop music was extremely rare on the radio. There were two channels, one for serious music and things like that, the other was for common people, almost funny ones. But please remember that people between 12-20 didn’t really exist for radio management, it was still in the ice age. And then there were minorities with their occult hobbies.

Again, I was handling the cover you know now. Turning it front and back, open and close, reading the text as much as my English did bend to it, more or less hypnotized from the music. Then there was the photo, with a monument where the players were hiding or just stepping out. Oh how far they are! Wish could visit that place! For a 17 years old person such a thing was like a flight to the moon. England is so far, three times around the world and only rich people here could afford to fly - and then they go to Mallorca... And if I ever get to England I surely will get lost. And where is that monument, if it is a grave there must be a graveyard, or thousands of them! Not for me! A desperate case.

But the years will roll. Inevitably. We are in 2019 in this story, now. Thanks to the internet and Wikipedia, sources and sites I found the name of the graveyard and got the name of the monument. I had found England earlier and the City of London in it, too.
London is an interesting town with all the layers the history had left there. I was travelling with my now ex-lady and had spent a couple of days in the town enjoying its arts and taps. After leaving the town, the metro rattled in a narrow gap through sleepy suburbs like in some Ghibli movies. Old dirty cables were hanging on the sides like lianas in the jungle. The car was almost empty. Now I was sure it will happen. 

 

Kensal Green cemetery is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries in London (I've seen two of them now). And what a relief, the grave was quite easy to find, thanks to the officer of the cemetery and the map she gave. The very moon of this story is the grave of Charles Spencer Ricketts (1788–1867). 

We landed at the cemetery on the 16th of September, at last. I felt excited when starting to walk the paths of the place. And finally, there it was!

 

 

The grave was smaller than I expected but it stood out of the area in its pale colour and strong decorations. Looked like it was ready to take a walk. Unfortunately I forgot to say something immortal like... “this is one small step for mankind but one giant leap for man”, but just something like “siälä se on!” (there it is! in Finnish) directed to my partner. 

However, it was unbelievable that it had been waiting for me all this time!"

 

Mauri Kankaanpää

 

Other stuff in this archive about the Kensal Green cemetery:

https://ghettoraga.blogspot.com/2017/06/ray-stevensons-memories-on-kensal-green.html

https://ghettoraga.blogspot.com/2010/01/teb-first-photo-session-by-ray_30.html

https://ghettoraga.blogspot.com/2017/08/original-contacts-from-first-1969-teb.html
 

no©2023 LucaChinoFerrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)

To err is human, but to persevere diabolical...

About the new Esoteric Recordings/Cherry Red release "Mosaics", nothing can be said about the wonderful 3CDs clamshell box packaging (with the brilliant idea of a box containing the three original Harvest albums reproduced in their splendid replica sleeves)... maybe much about the quality of my writing (a cut & paste taken from the previous enhanced CD booklets) but... hold on...

what about the big mistake to invert again the titles of "Fire" and "Water" on the second album track-list?

I warned Mark Powell with a mail in May to remember him to correct that oversight on the 3CDs enhanced edition of "Third Ear Band", released in 2018...

Dammit! Another missed opportunity to do a perfect  (at least philologically) job!

 

no©2021 LucaChinoFerrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first).

Good article on the Harvest years...

Clock Carousel's musician BEN FINLAY remembers one of the hipper record labels from the end of the 1960s at https://thelionandunicorn.wordpress.com/2019/03/07/shine-on-harvest-moon/

Here's the full text:

Shine on, Harvest moon

 

You always knew it was going to be something interesting when we were working with Harvest. Out of the mainstream, sometimes wacky, and you would be working until the early hours – not for the faint-hearted. 

Peter Mew, Abbey Road engineer

It’s faintly ridiculous, the sense of nostalgia that the sight of certain record labels can evoke in music fans of a certain age. After all, who bought an album for the label it was released on? However, a handful of those logos stood out, representing companies that have now garnered cult status and are considered to represent the importance of artistry over ribald commerciality. And in the front rank was Roger Dean’s ‘harvest moon over a valley’ design set on a light green background that signified a Harvest Records release.

As rock music became the dominant artform of the late 1960s, and the underground became a recognisable ‘scene’, major British record companies sat up and took notice. Whilst Island had been increasingly thriving in the UK since 1962 – founder Chris Blackwell signed underground groups such as Traffic, King Crimson and Fairport Convention – other longer-established labels were keen to get involved with the new wave of creativity. In 1969, Philips Records introduced its new Vertigo label – with its Op Art black-and-white spiral – specifically launched to specialise in the burgeoning progressive rock movement. And in the same year, EMI did the same, starting their underground subsidiary, Harvest.

This was the era of the record label as brand, and of course America led the way. By mid-1969, underground papers in Britain such as International Times were featuring half- and full-page advertisements from US companies, including Elektra and CBS, the latter notable for their timely adoption of the radical fervour of the era, assuring the prospective record buyer that ‘the revolutionaries are on CBS’.

 
The new British labels were less declamatory – Decca’s subsidiary Deram never resorted to invoking left-wing radicalism in their sales pitch – but they did reflect the plurality of music stemming from the counterculture. This was the dawning of ‘progressive’ rock (then more a statement of intent than the recognisable genre it became), and EMI’s Harvest label had Pink Floyd, the darlings of the UK underground and prog pioneers.

Harvest was set up by former Manchester University economics graduate Malcolm Jones, who joined EMI in 1967 as a trainee manager. Jones managed to persuade the powers-that-be to launch Harvest in June 1969, bringing together a number of dispirate acts that were signed to older, established labels. New recruits Barclay James Harvest (who apparently gave the new company its name) and Deep Purple were originally on the roster of Parlophone, and Pink Floyd were recording for Colombia. In the spirit of the times, Jones deviated from the more established companies’ A&R policy, employing Andrew King and Pete Jenner of Blackhill Enterprises, organisers of the huge free concerts seen in Hyde Park. King and Jenner were also the original managers of Pink Floyd, and came with the prerequisite underground cachet. Jenner certainly thought so himself, telling the NME in 1989 that ‘I thought I had golden ears, I thought everything I heard and quite liked would be a hit.’

There is no need to add anymore to the story of the Floyd, of course, except to say there was plenty of talent on Harvest that made for far more interesting listening than the studio LP of Ummagumma. We can also pass over the debut album by Deep Purple (The Book of Taliesyn), and disregard the label’s two future rock monoliths for the more interesting stuff.

And what an eclectic, interesting bunch of records was released in Harvest’s 1969–73 period. In the second half of 1969 alone, the label engaged with traditional English folk (Shirley and Dolly Collins’ Anthems in Eden), free form folk/jazz/classical esoterica (the Third Ear Band’s Alchemy), original and diverse singer-songwriters (Michael Chapman’s Rainmaker and Kevin Ayres’ Joy of a Toy), and Wasa-Wasa, the debut by psych-festival freak favourites the Edgar Broughton Band.

The creativity of the music was matched by the attention paid to the artwork. The renowned SHVL* series (the catalogue name and number seen on the vinyl’s distinctive label) produced glossy artwork from the likes of designers Hipgnosis in a gatefold sleeve – perfect for skinning-up whilst enjoying the sounds of Flat Baroque and Berserk (1970) by Roy Harper.
And it was 1970 when the label had its golden age. No less than twenty-six records were released that year, including the label’s double-set sampler, Picnic – A Breath of Fresh Air. EMI also ensured that the label was distinct from the mother-company, as future label head Mark Rye described in 2014: ‘The Harvest office was just this dark corner, as far away from everyone else as you could get. It had cushions on the floor rather than desks and chairs…’
1971 would see the last album by the Move (Message from the Country) before they mutated into the Electric Light Orchestra, their debut album released on the label towards the end of the year. Roy Wood went on to form Wizzard, who would have Harvest’s strongest single success with ‘I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday’, reaching #4 in the UK singles chart in December 1973. Artistically, however, the label had peaked by this point. 

Whilst The Dark Side of the Moon enjoyed huge sales, many of Harvest’s original signings had moved to other labels, or fallen by the wayside as the underground ebbed away. Aside from the Floyd’s subsequent releases, the mid-1970s were an uncertain time for the label; when EMI signed the Sex Pistols in 1976, the band declined to be on Harvest, considering its artists to be ‘hippie shit’. The label would continue through into the 1980s, but by the middle of the decade Harvest lay dormant. It was revived in 2006 by EMI A&R man Nigel Reeve and has relocated to the US as part of Capitol.

That is of course, a long way from the label’s origins. The formation of Harvest reminds one of a brief time when the majors relinquished control to the hip, therefore creating a space for freedom and progression. Although it was bound to pass, the four-year period from 1969-1973 saw Harvest release music that was original and progressive in the best sense of the term. How often does one genuinely see that these days?

* SHVL stood for ‘Stereo Harvest Very Luxurious’.


             Notable Harvest Releases 1969–1973

1969
Shirley and Dolly Collins – Anthems in Eden
Michael Chapman – Rainmaker
Third Ear Band – Alchemy
Kevin Ayers – Joy of a Toy

1970
Syd Barrett – The Madcap Laughs
Roy Harper – Flat Baroque and Berserk
Shirley and Dolly Collins – Love, Death and the Lady
Edgar Broughton Band – Sing Brother Sing
Pete Brown & Piblokto! – Things May Come and Things May Go but the Art School Dance Goes on Forever
Barclay James Harvest – Barclay James Harvest
Shirley and Dolly Collins – Love, Death and the Lady
Third Ear Band – Third Ear Band
The Pretty Things – Parachute
Syd Barrett – Barrett
Various Artists – Picnic: A Breath of Fresh Air (sampler)
Michael Chapman – Fully Qualified Survivor

1971
The Move – Message From the Country
Pink Floyd – Meddle
Kevin Ayers – Whatevershebringswesing

1973
Roy Wood – Boulders
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon
Electric Light Orchestra – ELO 2
Kevin Ayers – Bananamour
Roy Harper – Lifemask

no©2019 Luca Chino Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)

"ALCHEMY" ON VINYL!!!

"Alchemy" is being released on vinyl on 27th September for Esoteric Records in a limited edition to 1000 copies. The album is an exact facsimile of the original 1969 Harvest LP release. Also, this new edition is in a gatefold sleeve and on 180-gram vinyl.

It was cut at Abbey Road Studios.
  
no©2019 Luca Chino Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)

Others reviews about TEB's Esoteric reissues.

A review about "Macbeth" reissue by Kevin Bryan is published on "Messenger" at https://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/leisure/music_reviews/17446560.music-reviews/

Here's the text:
"Third Ear Band, "Music From Macbeth" (Esoteric/Cherry Red) - This challenging outfit were one of the more cerebral signings to EMI's prog-rock imprint, Harvest Records, when it began operations in 1969, and this absorbing package focusses attention on the music that they created for the soundtrack of Roman Polanski's typically controversial adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy "Macbeth" three years later. The evocative and eerie contents draw on elements of Indian music, early electronic fare and jazz, expanded here with the welcome addition of four hitherto unreleased tracks recorded by the band during the early seventies." 
 

On December 17th, 2018, not-profit webzine "Musique Machine" published a very long review on "Third Ear Band 1970-1971" at https://www.musiquemachine.com/reviews/reviews_template.php?id=7047

On the "musical exploration guide" "Popgruppen" (actually a blog) Michael Bjorn writes a very good review about "Elements 1970-1971" titled "Vastly expanded 'Third Ear Band' fries your mind" at   https://popgruppen.com/2019/02/25/vastly-expanded-third-ear-band-fries-your-mind/

 no©2019 Luca Chino Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)

The remastered "Elements" album out now!

Thanks, Cherry Red Records-Esoteric Recordings here's the wonderful remastered album every TEB fans was waiting...

The "Elements" album is now out in a brilliant 3CDs edition with:

- the original legendary four tracks about elements (1970 Harvest album) 

- the complete "Abelard & Heloise" TV soundtrack (remastered from the original German masters);

- twenty unrealized tracks from the vaults and BBC radio sessions (1970-1971): actually the real unrealized tracks are eight, because the other tracks included are "Abelard & Heloise" soundtrack (6 tracks) and two radio programmes already realised by Gonzo Multimedia  (6 tracks);

- a long historical essay by your devote LCF...

                                                (photos by  Elena Blasi)

Copies can be obtained at Esoteric Records: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/third-ear-band-third-ear-band-elements-1970-71-3cd-remastered-expanded-digipak-edition/

 






  









no©2018 Luca Chino Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)

The Harvest inner sleeve poster on sale...

An oddness of the Web market, now we have also a Harvest inner sleeve poster on sale at the Redbubble site (go here).

Printed on 185 gsm semi gloss poster paper in three different sizes, it can be hanged, they say, "in dorms, bedrooms, offices, studios, or anywhere blank walls aren't welcome"...

Do you think Malcolm Jones when he started to manage the label could imagine it would become an home furnishing?

 no©2018 Luca Chino Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)

And old picture with Ursula Smith published on the Web.

This old b/w picture with Ursula Smith emerged from Blackhill Enterprises/Harvest Records artist Michael Chapman's official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/michael.chapman.9085).

Taken in 1970, the photo shows Michael Chapman with some folk musicians as Bridget St. John (on his right) and 'our' Ursula (seated just beyond her)... On her right Lyn (Blackhill's secretary) and on left Sumi Jenner, Peter Jenner's wife and Linda Kattan (Blackhill Enterprises' secretary), friend of Glen Sweeney and Carolyn Looker who gave me some memories for the forthcoming book on the TEB.

 

                           Ursula Smith is the 2nd seated from left.

no©2017 Luca Chino Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)     

Rare EMI-Blackhill's invitation card found!

This is a rare invitation card printed by E.M.I. Records in conjunction with Blackhill Enterprises to launch Harvest artists at the Mothers club in Birmingham on June 4th, 1969.

 

The interesting thing about it is that Harvest selected the Edgar Broughton Band, Michael Chapman, Pete Brown & the Battered Ornaments and 'our' Third Ear Band to represent its music just few days later (May 30th) the first showcase at the London Roundhouse.

That was a very intense period for the TEB because just after "Alchemy" released few days later (June 7th) the band played the Hyde Park free concert  supporting Blind Faith.

 

                        Mothers club membership card
no©2017 Luca Chino Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)

Inner sleeves as visual artifacts.

A very interesting and fascinating dimension of the vinyl album culture is the inner sleeve as a form of visual art.
Here below you can see Harvest Records inner sleeves in b/w and colour versions of TEB's albums.

A back cover of "Harvest Sweeties" anthology (German edition Harvest 1 C - 048-29 0772) shows some albums published at the time by Harvest, with "Alchemy" among them:

Here below you can see two promo posters from Folk & Progressive music Web sites:

no©2017 Luca Chino Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)   

TEB at the London Roundhouse, May 30th, 1969

"Hi Ghettoraga,

I'm making a film about Eel Pie Island and would like to include a photo of TEB outside Roundhouse. Any idea who took it? It looks like a publicity shot so perhaps their record company? See more at www.eelpieislandmusic.com/film 

Regards, 

Cheryl Robson"

 

"Hi Cheryl,
nice to hear you're involved with this great project...
The old photo with the band beyond the Roundhouse was probably taken by someone in Blackhill Enterprises agency staff, because it was taken just after the first Harvest artists showcase on May 30th, 1969 (two shots of the band on stage are on sale at Repfoto site - https://www.repfoto.com/index.php6).
The original photo was published officially for the first time on EMI-Harvest 5CDs-Book anthology "Harvest Festival" published in 1999, so you could ask them.
On the same book you can find also photos of Michael Chapman and the Edgar Broughton Band taken in the same occasion.
That's all I can tell you.
Please, let me know if you will use the TEB photo for your project because I will promote it through Ghettoraga Archive.
Best wishes,
Luca Chino Ferrari".

no©2017 Luca Chino Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)   

"Movements" on the Net around the Third Ear Band...

It's clear to me the Third Ear Band is an evergreen band! The evidence of it is that the Net is still interested into TEB's music and often bloggers/fans/ journalists dedicate pages to Our Alchemical Esoteric Band.

From the beginning of this year I like to advise some interesting stuff:

in Februry 2016 French Web site "Rythmes Croisés" wrote a review on "Exorcisms" at http://www.rythmes-croises.org/quand-third-ear-band-pratiquait-lexorcisme/; then, Web site "Pound for Pound" published two inspired pieces in March 2016 on "Alchemy" and "Third Ear Band" at http://www.poundforpound.us/music/2016/6/1/third-ear-band-alchemy and at http://www.poundforpound.us/music/2016/6/5/third-ear-band-third-ear-band

showing is still possible to write personal ideas about the music,   despite the discouraging social networks' attitude just to post music, pictures and video without a word, ideas, opinions, analysis... (but, yes, "I like it"...).

Again in last March, on the strange "Mouser" site such "Isidis" wrote a very inspired thing about "Abelard & Heloise" soundtrack, a short personal speculation about love... (http://www.wearemouser.org/third-ear-band-abelard-and-heloise/ ).

And what about the sale of  a "Third Ear Band - Collection of 4 x original issue LPs on EMI Harvest from this experimental rock" on the site "The Saleroom" of Warrington (Cheshire, UK) for an estimate price of 60-80 GPB (read here)?

no©2016 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)