The idea of journalism of "Mojo" magazine...

The same old story. A one-page long article dedicated to TEB's "Macbeth" on the last issue of Mojo magazine (# 331, June 2021) with useless Andrew King's memories on the band (one on Glen quite distasteful...) and  some vague considerations by overvalued 'rock star' Paul Weller. Author Ian Harrison doesn't spend a word to inform the readers that the CD reissue was edited by me, that a book on the band has been recently published, that since 2009 this free Web archive does exist...
 

This is their idea of journalism, based on evident acts of remotion of facts. The question here is not that to express a judgement about things, but the basic right for a reader to be informed about the facts that happened.

Just this.   

But at Mojo they are so pretentious and arrogant to rewrite the history of popular music... Very sad, indeed. 

 

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

Other reviews on the TEB on the Web...

Here's below some other reviews about TEB's remastered editions found in the Web:

The Reprobate: "Polanski’s Macbeth And The Third Ear Band’s Dark Folk Soundtrack" by Daz Lawrence at https://reprobatepress.com/2019/01/21/polanskis-macbeth-and-the-third-ear-bands-dark-folk-soundtrack/

 

Music Street Journal: a review about "Elements 1970-1971" by Gary Hill at http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/index_cdreviews_display.cfm?id=106634
 

Rythmes Croises Webzine: a review about "Elements" and "Macbeth" (in French) at https://www.rythmes-croises.org/remasterisations-esoteriques-pour-third-ear-band/



Please note another very interesting old article about Polanski's "Macbeth" and the Third Ear Band:

The Criterion Collection: "Third Ear Band's psychedelic alchemy in Macbeth" by Glen Kenny (2014) at https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/3387-third-ear-band-s-psychedelic-alchemy-in-macbeth 

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

Errata corrige, my apologies...

Dear Third Ear Band readers,

the recent wonderful 3 CDs remastered edition with the original "Elements" album shows a big, incredible misunderstanding: on side One, the track n. 6 is not "The Sea" ("Fire") as printed on the cover but actually "Water".

This rough error was due to the fact I couldn't listen to the unrealised tracks and Cherry Red told me just that title because it was printed on the original reel box.

For the future, I asked them to let me listen to all the unrealised tracks before to write the booklet. In fact, for "Macbeth" Cherry Red firstly told me the unrealised tracks was five: three from a studio session at Trident Studios recorded in December 1970 and two from a radio programme recorded in January 1972 by a 'strange' line-up including Buckmaster, Bridges, House and Pavli.

Just listening to the tracks I realized the radio programme was older because all the instruments were acoustic and I identified Ursula Smith's violin and probably a viola played by Richard Coff. Also, the tunes were three and not two as stated.

Thus I suggested to cut the tracks off for using them on the remastered edition of "Alchemy"...

So I'm sorry for this naff mistake but it's not my fault...

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

Roger Dean's original painting for TEB "Macbeth" cover auctioned at Ewbanks.

Roger Dean's original painting for TEB "Macbeth" cover has been auctioned at Ewbanks in September 2016 (read here).

These was the description of the item:

"Roger Dean (b. 1944) - Polanski's Macbeth, oil on board depicting the three witches scene from the film, this original artwork was used on the cover of the soundtrack in 1971 by Third Ear Band, signed lower left, framed & glazed under instructions from Roger Dean, 15 x 15 inches.

Provenance: Purchased directly from the artist. Roger Dean is best known for his work on posters & album covers for musicians, which he began painting in the late 1960s. The artists for whom he did the most art are English rock bands Yes & Asia. The covers often feature exotic, fantasy landscapes. his work has sold more than sixty million copies worldwide.".

Estimated £3,000 - £5,000, it seems the painting is still available for buying.

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

Audiobook of "Macbeth" with TEB's music realised soon?

Marc Adler wrote me saying he's recording an audiobook of "Macbeth", and he'd love to use music from Third Ear Band's score for 1972 Roman Polanski's film. 

He said it's his favorite shakespearean production and asked me some about copyrights questions...

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

"The Scene". Rab Wilkie's memories from the past (part two)...

Here's the second part of Rab's memories about "The Scene", his meeting with Glen, Carolyn, Dave Tomlin, Barry Pilcher, the experience of "Albion" magazine and some little memories about the "MacBeth" recording sessions...
The part one is at http://ghettoraga.blogspot.it/2015/05/the-scene-rab-wilkies-memories-from.html.
Pictures of this second part are taken from the original issue # 1 of "Albion" magazine (May 1968). 

"'The scene' was all about - as it still is - where the most potent and transformative forces of Art come from; how these forces are accessed and let loose upon the world to work their magic.
This is a big subject: sources of inspiration. In the past (B.C., Before Computers & the Web), books and the printed word were key, but by the middle of the 20th century the media of vinyl records & radio had become more important - almost as important as discourse, conversation and banding together, e/g for alchemical experiments. And big cities are usually the magnet and social crucible for this.. especially during a crucial stage in history. When the vibrations are really intense and cover the whole spectrum, acoustically, visually, and mentally; when they easily become scalar or prophetic. A wish-path into the future is laid out for all to see and follow - if they have (third) ears to hear and (third) eyes to see.

What were the various sources of inspiration to the band back then, and how did they work for each of its members? For me it was a flood of influences, but some details stand out. 

Late summer 1967:
Glen had begun to use a tom-tom: for an AmerIndian beat.
Carolyn played cello: a touch of Western classical.
Clive had a sitar: India.
Barry, unbridled, was loud & chaotic on sax: "New Music".
Dave had played trumpet, but that was before I arrived; and the oboist had not shown up yet.
Some or all of them had played with Dave when his group
was known as the Sun Trolley. 

There were musicians everywhere, wandering the streets, dropping in, instruments in hand or tucked under-arm; ready for any jam or happening. (The poets made do with pad & pencil; artists preferred black india ink).

 
One day I dropped in on Steve and noticed a thick book lying by the window. Its author was Ramakrishna, written in India a few decades earlier. I opened it and read that the world would hit some kind of climactic enlightenment around Christmas 1967.
"Wow! That's only a few months from now," I remarked.
Steve had to turn the volume down on the latest Beatles record to hear me. ("Sergeant Pepper"). 

Steve's inspiration was William Blake, hence the name of his magazine: Albion. The cover art says it all, updating the vision and rolling it out into the future. Steve was exulted, David Loxley, an artist with Hapshash & the Coloured Coat, had completed his work for the cover. I'm not sure how much of it was Steve's own ideas, but Albion is shown in the throes of impending revelations &/or devastation. A leering Dragon bends toward a naked young female -- the White Goddess or every-maiden - lying supine and apparently asleep in a rose bush with two flying saucers hovering in the sky above them. And here and there, at the edges and within bushes, are sigils and symbols as clues for further study: Tolkien runes, the Glastonbury Zodiac, a magical seal, pentacle, and what seems to be a diagram of a human iris, used  diagnostically in iridology. The Holy Grail is central, above the main figures and below the banner title, ALBION.

The back cover is simpler: a Tarot card in the centre with one of four figures at each corner: the Four Living Beasts of Ezekiel's vision. Except that the traditonal Bull has become a rampant Unicorn. The central figure is the sky-dancer of The World, the last card in the Major Arcanum, signifying completion of the Work and cosmic conciousness.
The Angel, upper left, is the source of music. S/he is blowing a trumpet; a lyre nearby. Perhaps this is Gabriel, divine herald of realisations.
(Steve might have played a horn at one time (?) but philosophy, social action, and literature were his stronger suits, I suspect). 

These are timeless elements. The revelation and the music are still unfolding, evolving. Disclosure keeps happening, and every 'happening' is a revelation - in the 1960s sense of an unplanned, free, and spontaneous event. A jam. Beyond the Matrix. And at the best of times, Transcendental.
The way up, however, might begin with - or sometimes loop downward into - e/g "MacBeth". The movie in which a band of anonymous musicians in the balcony, a pair of legs dangling down into space, strums & drums forth a trance comment on skullduggery unfolding below.
I didn't see the movie until some years after I'd visited the band at the recording studio as they were recording the soundtrack for "MacBeth" (May 1971). I was en route to India via Spain and stopped in London for just a few days. They were busy and immersed in the process, so I didn't stay long, perhaps an hour or so. Scenes from the movie were shown on screen, and they were going through a couple of scenes, recording and re-recording each scene until they were satisfied with the take. It was a bit eery with an occasional chuckle. Dim inside and a bright day outside. Glen summoned up a Polanskyish version of Scottish ghosts. He had a darkly wry sense of humour.
 

The only on-stage moment I recall with the band, when I was present, was at the Covent Garden market. Other sessions were jams at somebody's flat, usually Glen's & Carolyn's. And just before meeting Glen, at Clive's place in Earl's Court. He had recently acquired a sitar. But earlier still, in Toronto, I'd played a bit of sax with Barry and listened to his jams with local musicians.

I haven't been in touch with anyone for a long time. Clive and I exchanged some emails about 15 years ago. But if anyone's interested, here I am - in Ontario. It'd be great to hear from them. The only stuff I have from that period can be found on the internet, like "Albion" (an original copy was for sale on E-Bay recently, for something like $350!)".

no©2015 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)    

Denim Bridges talks about the unknown 1971 German TV video...

I've asked Paul Buckmaster and Denim Bridges to help us to rebuild the origin of the video excerpt recently emerged from the Web. If Paul admits: "I have no idea what this session was; don't recognize the studio, and don't remember the piece, and it certainly is not from the Macbeth movie score", Denny's memory is precise and he explains this:

"The video was filmed at Studio 3 at EMI Abbey Road. The date of February 1971 is close if not correct. The session definitely had nothing to do with the Macbeth project.
For future reference it is definite that all the performances (all work on 'composition', and in rehearsal) at the Balham location was never filmed".

"I don't know why the session was held although I do remember it. I was never included in those matters. I hope the purpose will be discovered now the video is on the Internet. Because of the faux wind sound (from Simon's VCS3 I think) and the fact the Paul Minns played something reminiscent of the opening to 'Air' off the 2nd LP I'm assuming the track is supposed to be 'Air'. The performance soon departs from the above mentioned version but with cello being replaced by both bass guitar and guitar that might be expected. That is also (probably) to be expected as TEB was primarily an improvisational band". 

Denim Bridges on stage in 1970.

no©2014 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)  

Rare Harvest anthology with TEB track available for free download.

"Picnic. A breath of fresh air", a double LP anthology published by Harvest Records in England on June 1970 to celebrate the first year of the label, is available for free downloading at http://musictrackz.com/22767-various-picnica-breath-of-fresh-air.html

The  anthology, among tracks by Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Syd Barrett, Edgar Broughton Band, Roy Harper..., includes "Water" played by the Third Ear Band taken from the "Elements" album.

 

I'm particularly close to this record because when in 1976 I bought it  in a little record shop of the smalltown where I lived I could listen for the first time to the Third Ear Band. Just then I decided to find all the records the band had produced. So in some ways "Picnic" was the beginning of all: the     researches on the TEB, the first attempts to contact Glen to convince him to reform the band, the following management of the group for the Italian tours/records, finally this Archive with many unexpected contacts and discoveries...

In these last years the vinyl edition (Harvest SHSS 1/2), not too hard to find, is a collector's item valued around 15-20 euros.
In 2007 E.M.I. edited also a 3CDs with similar title ("A Breath of Fresh Air") but a different (enhanced) tracks selection: Third Ear Band is included here with two tunes - "Druid One" (from "Alchemy") and "Overture", from the 1972 "Macbeth" film soundtrack.

The inside LP cover

 no©2013 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)    

The core of it. Some personal autosuggestions of postfolk-shaman Sedayne about the Third Ear Band.

An artist is an artist - an artist, an artist, an artist - as George Sand would tell today about Sedayne (Sean Breadin), the English postfolk shaman devoted to strong fieldworks on traditional soundscapes.

These are some inspired suggestions by him to get us ready for the Autumn-Winter season...

"A visitor to my house recently looked through my CD shelf and was surprised to see more than the three old Third Ear Band albums they were aware of. They hadn't known of the Hydrogen Jukebox, nor yet the re-union era Italian albums, much less Abelard and Heloise and The Magus; they hadn't known of all the rarities that have emerged in recent years from The National Balkan Ensemble to the session material (ancient & modern) or the German DVD and the French TV footage.

Time was, I was well content with my three Third Ear Band albums - old habits die hard: on cold Autumn mornings I always play Macbeth. Alchemy is special beyond measure - I only play it when it snows! Elements I play on stormy elemental evenings remembering the friends I never saw again after I first played it to them - Gong they could cope with, but the Third Ear Band was going too far.

These days - God knows. I often find myself playing Brainwaves when I'm cooking. It's nothing special in the way the other albums are, but it is Glen - the heart and soul of the Tertius Auris; Shaman, Trickster and catalyst for some of the finest music I've ever heard. Hell, even The Magus has its moments of utter transcendence, and Druid Grocking on the German footage is one of the most astonishing things I've heard in my entire life. 

The core remains the pure Alchemy of the four elementals though, as revealed on the French film: Richard is Fire - he burns & blazes, relentless, hungrily consuming the silences whilst lighting the very dark & warming the bitter cold; Paul is Air - he blows as the rushing wind that moves the waves & sets the very trees a dancing; Glen is the Earth - the stone circle dragon-alignments that set pulse and pattern to both enrich and 

 reveal the very chaos of nature; and Ursula is Water - she flows, she sparkles and she thunders in the depths of the unfathomable abyss. At least that's how I see it anyway.

Oh, and I forgot to mention New Forecasts, featuring Ursula on Sybilic Violin by way of pure Revelation, as the best of it remains, eternally...".

Follow Sedayne at:

http://ploughmyth.blogspot.com/ 
http://soundcloud.com/rapunzel-and-sedayne
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rapunzel-and-Sedayne/217002238319466

                                                        Sedayne - "Mr. Fox's Equinox" (March 2012)
no©2012 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first) 

"Italians like weird stuff...". An old interview with Simon House from the Web.

Hi, Third Ear's addicts. Here's another old interesting stuff from the Net related to the TEB where the great violinist Simon House talks about his career. 

It's from "Starfarer's Hawkwind Page" (http://www.starfarer.net/shintv97.html) and it was done by Dane Carlson to be published on "Expose" magazine in the Summer of 1997.

"Simon House was born in Nottingham. His father was a musician, playing sax, clarinet, banjo and cello. So Simon got into music at a very early age. He was raised on the Big Band sound; Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Johnny Hodges, people like that. At the age of 11 Simon entered secondary school and it was here he took up the violin. With the violin Simon was introduced to Classical music and until four mop top lads from Liverpool arrived it was his sole interest.

Any reason why you picked the violin?

"No, I really can't remember. At the time I just seemed to get on with it okay."

Simon studied the violin for 7 years. He played in several orchestras, including one with his father, The Mansfield and District Light Orchestra. Simon continued onto a University, but got caught up in the essence of the 60's and dropped out. The result of this was a few crappy jobs and very little money. Simon lived in a flat with Wayne Bardell and Tony Hill. In 1968 Simon and Hill, together with Pete Pavli and Roger Hadden formed High Tide. Simon actually started out on bass, but soon got back to playing the violin. Wayne Bardell was their manager, and they soon signed up with Doug Smith's Clearwater Productions.

What was your first band?

"High Tide, I was 20."

High Tide seemed like a pretty high energy rock band. You got to really cut loose, a fair amount of solo time?

"Yeah, quite complicated structures but there was a lot of jamming going on. We put out a couple albums and then just sort of burned out."

High Tide released "Sea Shanties" in 1969, and "High Tide" in 1970. They also toured with other Clearwater artists, like Hawkwind. In 1971 High Tide ended. Simon heard that the Third Ear Band was looking for a Violinist, he got the job on his reputation alone, no auditions.

"I joined the Third Ear Band for a time. About a year. We did quite a lot of stuff, the Polanski Macbeth soundtrack, a lot of concerts. They're still around. They did well, especially in Italy. As far I know, they played there a lot, they [the Italians] like weird stuff".

After a brief but productive time with Third Ear Band, Simon played with Magic Muscle in 1972 and Barclay James Harvest in 1973. After brief stints nothing quite worked so Simon took a break from bands and got a day job. In 1974 Simon went to see Hawkwind at the Edmonton Sundown. He joined the band soon after.

So you knew Hawkwind, High Tide had gigged with them before?

"Hawkwind's very first gig, they were called Group X at the time. High Tide played there as well. At All Saint's hall in [Ladbroke Grove] in London. They were a pretty far out band. We all had the same management then, High Tide and Hawkwind. So we all knew each other. That was a long, long time ago, about 30 years ago. I played Violin, Mellotron, the VCS3 synthesizer. Which was one of the first synthesizers to come out in England. They were wonderful machines, there were things you could do with them that you just can't do nowadays."

Simon joined Hawkwind on the eve of their US Tour. There was no time to obtain a work permit for him, but he went along anyway, and did manage to play with them a few times. Upon returning to the UK, Hawkwind went to Clearwell Castle, near Wales and began recording "Warrior on the Edge of Time."

Were you involved with the production of the albums? Was Hawkwind a more advanced band in the studio than any you had previously worked in? There is lots of stereo crossovers, interesting effects and such.

"No. Not really. It was pretty basic in those days, but, then I haven't heard any of those albums for a long time. It would be interesting to sit down and listen to them one day."

Simon also did some side jobs. He worked with Michael Moorcock on the "New World's Fair" LP where he was reunited with another ex-High Tide player, Pete Pavli. He appeared on Bob Calvert's "Lucky Leif and the Longships."

You worked with the late Bob Calvert; to me he seems like someone who was very interesting to be around. What was he like?

"He was a very creative guy and very funny as well. I guess he did go over the edge a few times, but he would always come back. I think his lyrics are really wonderful. He was very underrated."

Simon survived the 1976 house cleaning. Nik Turner, Alan Powell and Paul Rudolph all got sacked as Dave Brock reclaimed his band.

So how did you get on with Dave Brock? With all the people coming and going, you get the Impression he's hard to work with.

"We got on really well, I've never had any arguments with Dave. Um, and all the times I've been with the band he's been very easy to work with."

1977 saw the release of "Quark, Strangeness and Charm." Ex-Magic Muscle bassist Adrian Shaw was playing. Hawkwind toured a lot, and were at the top of the form. The UK and European tours were all well received. A small US tour followed.

On the 1978 American Quark, Strangeness and Charm tour, you left in the middle of it?

"Yeah, that when I joined Bowie."

Rumors have that tour not working out too well, were you relieved to leave?

"Well, it's hard to say. I had planned to leave Hawkwind already and going to Bowie was such a change anyway."

With Hawkwind you're playing these very small clubs and then you instantly moved to Bowie's 'Stage' tour, where you're playing in large arenas. How did that go? Did if take long to adjust to?

"Well the first concert was a bit scary, that was in San Diego. But once you start playing, and everything's going okay, then you can start to relax. But yes, it was a big change. We first went to Dallas for two weeks of rehearsals."

Two weeks? You had a pretty wide range of Bowie songs to learn.

"That's right. It was a great tour to do, great set, playing all those good Bowie songs and lot of instrumental things as well. It was really enjoyable to play. It was a great band as well. An excellent band."

How did you get involved with David Bowie?

"Well that was through High Tide originally, the very first time I met David was when I was rehearsing for High Tide. High Tide's guitarist, Tony Hill, used to play with David. And I met him a couple of times. And High Tide did a couple of gigs with David Bowie, before he was famous. And that's where it started really. He phoned up one night and asked if I wanted to do a tour. I just couldn't believe it. He phoned back a couple of days later, I had a couple of days to think about it. And yeah, I jumped at it."

Simon had intended to return to Hawkwind after the Stage tour, but after the US tour, Hawkwind was in shambles. So he stayed with Bowie and went to the studio to work on "Lodger".

"We had a few weeks in Montreux, Switzerland . Working in the studio with Eno and Bowie, and the rest of the guys. That was great. It was great fun to work with Eno, he was always coming up with weird ideas. Trying the thing out, just a lot of fun, very interesting to work with the guy."

Did you learn anything from them? To me, It seemed Eno/Bowie were writing very good music at the time for pop songs. Really stretching it out.

"They were both just very gifted guys, very intelligent and willing to try anything and not being afraid to make mistakes. Coming out with some really good ideas at the same time."

After his 4 years in Hawkwind, Simon became more of a free-agent. He appeared on David Bowie's 1978 "Stage" and 1980 "Lodger" albums. He also contributed to the Hawklords sessions and rejoined with Robert Calvert on his 1980 album, "Hype." Session man Simon then played on Japan's 1980 release "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" and their 1981 release "Tin Drum". He played on Bruce Wolley & the Camera Club's 2nd (not the Video Killed the Radio Stars) album and then on ex-Camera Club member Thomas Dolby's "The Golden Age of Wireless". In 1981 Simon formed Turbo with Simon King, Andy Colqhuon, Ian Henderson and Tom Jackson. Turbo recorded a demo and when nothing came of it, broke up. So in 1982 he began work on his solo album, "House of Dreams." He completed the album but it never was released.

Do you listen any other music, other artists?

"Not really. I listen to classical music a lot. I guess I am a bit out of touch, there seems to be so many different kinds of music around, it's hard to keep up with it all."

In 1983 you toured with Mike Oldfield?

"Yes, the tenth anniversary of Tubular Bells. And he got a band together to do a European tour. Playing Tubular Bells and a lot of other things as well. Apart from playing violin I played keyboards and mandolin. And a bit of percussion as well."

I guess Mike likes having people do different things, his music has so many sounds going on.

"Yes, it's very technical. But very good, I really love his music."

How was he to work with, was he very precise or...?

"Yeah, he's very demanding. Not particularly pleasant to work with on a personal level. But I have great respect for him, he's obviously extremely talented, but he's not a genius. The music was enjoyable to play and that's the main thing. The music."

So that was 83, what next?

"After the Oldfield thing I tried to get a band together called the Famous Scientists. Which never actually got anywhere but we did some gigs and did some recording but nothing really happened."

The Famous Scientists were House, Andy Colqhuon, Ian Henderson and drummer Chris North. TFS gigged about London quite a bit but never released any material.

During that period you tried a few things but nothing quite worked out?

"Yeah. Then I started getting into computers. Midi. And I just kinda pursued that really."'

Simon appeared on releases by The Associates and Vitamin Z in 1985. However the House's daughter Holly was born and Simon once again went to work. In 1986 he and Tony Hill reunited for what was called a High Tide album, "Interesting Times". Later on Simon can be found on albums by The Tryp, The Jellymonsters and in 1987 he was back in Magic Muscle. Simon attended the Benefit concert for Robert Calvert, who had just passed away; there he played with Nik Turner's All Stars and Hawkwind, and before long Simon House was once again a member of Hawkwind. He played on their 1991 release "Space Bandits" and toured the UK with them. Sadly medical problems with his daughter force him to say no to the US tour.

For the Space Bandits album, you got back together with Dave and joined Hawkwind again?

"Yes, we did a couple of tours and the album, Space Bandits. That was a good album.'

I was really hoping to finally see you perform on the US Space bandits tour, but you didn't make it, what happened?

"Well I couldn't. My daughter had taken ill. With Leukemia. So I stayed home and did my own stuff, my own albums. Which is what I've been doing ever since really."

Somewhere along the way Simon has hooked up with Nik Turner and in 1993 plays on the "Prophets of Time" album. It is here he meets up with Len Del Rio of Pressurehed. Simon returns to London and records the first Spiral Realms, "Trip to G9". In 1994 Simon joins Nik Turner's Space Ritual, with old Hawks Alan Powell and Del Dettmar. The San Francisco show was recorded and released as "Past or Future."

"We toured the States and Japan. Nik rang me up and asked if I wanted to go to the states and play some gigs, make some money, which we didn't, anyway. It was during that heatwave a year and a half ago. It was just incredibly hot. I don't think people could move."

Was there any difference in performing for Nikwind or Hawkwind?

"Sure, different band, different people, playing in slightly different ways. It did feel a bit, different. I was a lot of fun, hard to say what it was. More people on stage, a bit more intense."

What about the Spiral Realms part of the show?

"Well it was Brian Perrara's (sp?) idea, and I really wanted to play with Del again, and Len Del Rio makes some interesting space effects, and the first album was out, the second was just coming out, so it seemed like a good way to plug it a bit. I recorded the backing tape, which just left the violin and Len and Del to play over the top. With a bit of a light show as well, it was good."

I missed your show here [in San Francisco].

"Well the Spiral Realms part was recorded" [and released as "Solar Winds")

Tell me about your solo album Yassassim. Is It like Spiral Realms?

"Well, it's more varied. It's more complex in structure than Spiral Realms. More music and less space. Space sounds. Less "ambient" I guess, it's hard to define what "ambient" is. I think it just means a lot of reverb. Slow. Which I am into, laid back spacey stuff. I got another album coming out as well, which is, well most of it is, old instrumental tracks I did with Hawkwind. Hall of the Mountain Grill, Spiral Galaxy, Forge of Vulcan, stuff like that. Which I have redone."

Is Spiral Realms going to continue?

"Yes, I enjoy doing that kind of music. As well as Yassassim, which is more of what I really want to do."

Any other projects in the works?

"The next thing that might be happening is trying to reform Hawkwind as it was in 1974. As near as possible. Maybe even Lemmy. There is an album coming out of one of the gigs, I believe it was Chicago. Recorded live in 1974. Someone has found the tape and it sounds pretty good apparently."

Well I can't wait to hear that.

"Well me too actually. I can't remember what that might sound like."

Well Simon, How do you feel you career has gone?

"Gone? Hmm. Well there has been some interesting moments, a lot of up and down, but I guess that's the way life is really. The music is the most important thing really, I can't see myself ever not playing or writing."

Okay, Simon thanks a lot for taking the time to talk, and I hope to see you play sometime.

no©2012 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)  

A PhD thesis about medievalism with some parts on TEB's "Abelard and Heloise"

Englishman Eamon Kevin Byers is working on a PhD thesis about the relationship between folk music and medievalism. In the past months, he has contacted me in order to get some infos about the TEB involvement with the "Abelard and Heloise" and "Macbeth" scores.

Abelard and Heloise in a manuscript of the "Roman de la Rose" (14th century)

Here are the e-mails:

"Dear Luca,

Firstly can I express my admiration for the fantastic work you are doing on 'Ghetto Raga'? I am currently researching the Third Ear Band's music for 'Macbeth' and 'Abelard& Eloise' as part of the much wider topic of my PhD thesis and have found your site incredibly useful and informative. I am writing to ask if you could help me with a couple of things. Firstly, your chronology appears to miss out some text on the right hand side of the screen. Is this a problem on my end? If not, could I possibly ask you to email me the text pertaining to the recording of 'Macbeth'? Secondly, do you have any further information on the film 'Abelard and Heloise'? It has been suggested to me that the director, Fuchs, is Herbert Fuchs, an Austrian director who died in 2006. Is this correct?

Thank you very much, keep up the good work with the archive.

Yours sincerely,

Eamon Byers"

(October 12th, 2010)

 "Hi.
These are all the stuffs in the Archive about Macbeth and A&H.
Good work.
Luca "

(October 12th, 2010)

"Hi Luca,

a million thanks for your help, the information on the two films is fantastic. I'm determined to find out more about 'Abelard& Heloise' and will pass on anything I find out. As for my thesis, it's on the relationship between folk music and medievalism, so my work on the Third Ear Band is only a very small part of it, but if I come up with anything that might be useful for the site I'll pass that on too.

Thanks again,

Eamon".

Abelard & Heloise

"Hi Eamon.
What's about that very interesting research? Do you like to write something about it for the archive?
Luca" 

(December 31th, 2011)

"Hi Luca,
Sorry for the terrible delay in replying. Your email seemed to get lost over Christmas! Thank you very much for your email, I would certainly be interested in writing something for the archive if I come up with something worthwhile. I shall keep in touch.
Best wishes,
Eamon"
(January 31th, 2012)

So if someone knows something more about "Abelard and Heloise" (does it exist the original score somewhere?) or filmmaker Herbert Fuchs, please  contact me through my personal e-mail.

no©2012 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)