A rare interview with Ursula Smith and Richard Coff in 1970 after their departure from the TEB.

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.

no©2026LucaChinoFerrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first). 

An old "Zigzag" article on the TEB discovered!

Thanks the rare kindness of one of my favourite English Web music shop - the brilliant BEATCHAPTER (www.beatchapter.com) - I've got another old precious article about the Third Ear Band published on "Zigzag" (issue 10) on March 1970.

"Zigzag" magazine was a well respected rock folk blues publication started by Pete Frame in April 1969 and lasted until January 1986. On this issue with the Third Ear Band also articles/reviews about Arthur Lee (on the cover), Canned Heat, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Zombies, Hawkwind, Leonard Cohen and the great less-known David Ackles.

Written by Steve Peacock, this is a very interesting analysis of TEB music, its nature of avant-garde music, brave and free  - not simple improvisation...
A pop(ular) attitude, as the Band used to state at that time, even if Glen Sweeney was so conscious about the risk to be misconceived to say: "The worst thing is to take the pop scene seriously"...

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ph.: 020 85194590     e-mail: sales@beatchapter.com 

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