A short essay on the TEB's music by 'folkorganic' musician Sedayne

Here's a short essay published on TEB's fan Facebook page (read it at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Third-Ear-Band/156660855584) written in March 2012 by folkorganic English musician (and old TEB fan) Sedayne.

Stone circles in Swinside, Cumbria (England)

"The Third Ear Band define the essense of Folk Music in an Indo-European sense; they seem to embody A L Loyd's notions of a Dreamtime of migrations of melismatic modal hunter-gatherers following the retreating ice-sheets across ancient continents before borders had ever been dreamed of.

These ancient cultures made Very Big Monuments like Thornborough, Avebury and Stonehenge that were Bigger than Themselves and, by implication and perspective, Bigger than Nature too. These monuments and stone circles sought order in the chaos of the natural world, they created perfect flat horizons, they looked for patterns in the sun, moon and stars; they perceived in the simplicity of arcs, circles, lines and elipses an order which was entirely Unnatural and therefore Good.

Scroll on 50,000 years and many of us feel that we've taken it too far; the ordered blandness of the human world is utterly artificial and entirely uninspiring, so we might seek after a more Natural music in which Organic Process is integral, be it from one rendering of a Folk Song to the next, or simply by Improvising without pre-conception. The music is still Traditional, just that the potentials are entirely unpredictable in terms of a Chaos which some of us now perceive as A Very Good Thing.

The music of the Third Ear Band is like this: organic, fluid, never the same thing twice, living and breathing in the liminal realm between Concept and Corporeality; each rendering 'as alike or as unalike as trees, grass or crickets' with the essence of the thing in the being there, the ceremonial excellence of pure experience".

 ©2012Sedayne/Facebook

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

At last a proper interview with CAROLYN LOOKER, Glen Sweeney missus and TEB former!!!

I know Carolyn from the half of the Eighties and I've tried to interview her many times but with scarce results.

She's a very kind woman and she cooperated very well to my book on the band in 1995-1996, writing a two-pages of memories for a projected but never realised tribute CD and helping me to clear some obscure  things (the original name of the band, the cultural sources...) for this archive... but I couldn't ever have a proper interview with her.

In the Summer 2010 at her home in London Hammersmith I recorded around one hour of questions & answers, but when I went back to Italy I discovered the tape couldn't work, thus no interview...

So, because she has no computers/e-mails, some months ago I've sent her some questions by letter and now we've got her answers through our common friend Steve Pank. 

Another chance to know some old facts on the Thirds...

Carolyn Looker, London 2010.

When/where you met Glen for the first time?

"Both Glen and I was working at Liberty's in Regent Street. Glen was doing modern furniture display. He had his drumkit in the storeroom where he would hide and practice his drumming (!) which at the time was modern jazz...".

Where Glen was from?

"Glen's family lived in Croydon, about ten miles south of the Thames".

Which was your interests at that time?

"Sartre, Kerouack and the Beat Generation, Zen Buddhism, Jazz, Occult".

Had you involved in the cultural scene of those days?

"Yes, I was reading beat poetry to avantgarde jazz to a very small audience in pub gigs".

Have you some memories of the beginning with the Giant Sun Trolley?

"Many happenings at UFO with Sun Trolley! A dog howling to Dave's sax. Total 15 minutes of silence from the two, then a spaced out kid tried to bang on Glen's drum. Glen hit him with D stick - said it was Zen - kid remained  far from that".

How Glen met Dave?

"Dave was advertising for drummer. Glen (auditioned) in Free School that was a cellar where Dave was squatting with a poet called Macavity. Glen was told to take the drum sound from here to there. Dave said making directions. Glen being good with fantasy managed to do so and got the gig!".

Which was the mood at UFO?

"Memories but not clear. It was all like a scene from a Fellini movie".

And what's about the music Sun Trolley played?

"Very avantgarde: used happenings on stage, i.e. electric scissors cutting clothes off a dancer (at the 14th Technicolor Dream)...".

How TEB started to play at the Drury Lane's Arts Lab? 

"Jim Haynes loved TEB, said they gave him orgasms. They play Arts Lab on a regular basis. A room painted black, incense burning and audience on floor cushions".

What's about the legendary levitation of St. Pancras' station? Is it all true?

"Yes, us and John Peel sat outside ohming... Hard work but it lifted a few inches (we were on acid)...".

What kind of music the first electric TEB line-up played? Do you remember some particular tunes played?

"I remember Clive [Kingsley]'s "Ronson Riff", a marvelous thing he did sliding his ciggy lighter along his guitar".

Do you remember something about the instruments stolen after a concert that induced the new TEB acoustic line-up?

"Instruments were left in van overnight, gone in the morning. Never found out who took them. Of course they weren't insured!".

Carolyn with her cat Leonardo (London 2010).

How John Peel was involved at the "Alchemy"'s recording sessions?

"A friend of Glen's took us around to Peel's flat. I remember us all discussing the existence of fairies".

Can you tell me something about that wonderful album cover?

"Glen was very much into Alchemy, the illustration was in a book he had".

Any memories on the second album recording sessions?

"Sorry, we were all stoned. Glen would suggest a feel or a vision for each track and the guys played it".

Is it true EMI engineers left the studio during the sessions?

"I don't think the engineers liked or understood the music, so mixing they weren't into".

And what do you think about EMI? Why they gave up the band?

"EMI were fine. I think the contract ran out".

Do you remember the gig TEB played with Bernard Parmegiani in London? Can you tell me something about it?

"Parmegiani concert was at Festival Hall. It didn't work too well in my opinion. TEB's music was organic, the French were music concrete, it didn't got".

How did it go with Polanski?

"Lots of memories of Polanski. He and Glen were the same height, so got on really well. Recordings were made improvising the pieces of the film which were projected in the recording studio".

Which is your opinion about Blackhill? Do you think the agency was really involved into the TEB music?

"Blackhill never really understood the music, if they had been more supportive made more of film music. I.e. Polanski and Kubrick admiring TEB and involved them more in the arts as in Pink Floyd. Steered the right way the band could have been big".

One of the most obscure period of your (Glen and you) life is when you lived on a boat in a river during the Seventies...

"We had an idyllic Summer on the boat. Glen was writing poetry, I was painting. Hard work because the mooring wasn't residential we had to collect our water and calor gas about 1/2 mile away. We retired to a friend's flat in the Winter as the river flooded all the time. Infact one huge flood, the Ark, our boat, flooded over into the field and settled there when the floods ended. We lived that way chocked up in the middle of a field for an year. The council complained and at great expense we hired a crane to put us back in the water".

Which was the feelings of Glen about music just before I met him in your Sheperd's Bush flat? Why at the beginning he was so suspicious of me?

"Before meeting you I think Glen had decided to retire from the music scene.  I was envolved in managing a prop hire company and we figured it Glen's turn to take a rest. Glen suspicious of you? I think he was suspicious of most people's intentions till proved otherwise!".

Some TEB fans are interested to know if Glen was involved in black magic...

"Glen was very interested in esoteric, also in black magic, but did not practice it".

And what's about TEB's relation with Druids?

"Steve Pank can tell you more about the Druid meetings and the Glastonbury Tor concert. As he is now a fully fledged Druid and Dave Loxley the Head Druid who created the celtic border of "Alchemy"".

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

Denny Bridges updated.

Denny from his MySpace profile.

"Hello Luca, 
I still truly like the term 'fascinatingly old-fashioned' [note: I used this expression in one of my last e-mails to him to define his music...]. Next CD maybe. 

The days and then the years pass by so quickly. I have intended to do much and regretfully have achieved less than that intended. 

I look at the Archive from time to time. I saw (how would you describe what I saw?) references to "Fleance"'s Song. I' m not sure that these new folks have recorded a version but I wish I could hear it if they did. I did hear what the band from Bristol did some time ago. I tried to contact them through Reverbnation (I think) but no response. You may be interested to know that last night Paul Buckmaster and I spoke, by telephone, for 3 hours catching up on all things. Who knows what may develop. 

I am still working on locating enough material for a decent length CD. It must be somewhere. 

I regret that the 2011 Renaissance tour was limited to USA which seems to be what will happen this year. We can live in hope for Europe - one day. 

So, just to keep you a little informed but it is, regretfully, it is very little - for now. Finally, it's Denny not Danny (bottom if "Fleance" page). That is the scourge of my life. In America they always get it wrong. 

Denny Bridges".

Follow Denny Bridges at:

Thebevans.weebly.com 

Reverbnation.com/thebevans
MySpacemusic.com/bevansband 
MySpace.com/dxbden

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

Soon an interview with Carolyn Looker, Glen Sweeney's missus and TEB founder...

Some months ago I sent some questions to Carolyn because she hasn't got computers and e-mail. She has written down all the answers and given them to Steve Pank (TEB former driver and manager) when Steve went London from Norfolk for the Druidic Spring equinox meeting.

Just few days ago I've received a postcard from her where she tells me Steve will send me all the answers by e-mail.

So at last well have soon Carolyn's point of view about many old and obscure things related to the Third Ear Band...

Apart this interview (another important piece for the reconstruction of the TEB's e(pic)soteric story), you have to admit it's difficult to hold the interest for this archive because, you know, it’s about a band (apparently) dead and buried.

We need rare stuffs, photos, stories, memories, essays - all can be of interest for who was/is involved in this extraordinary story.

Otherwise this archive risks to be closed soon.

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

Italian edition of Barry Miles' "London Calling" out now with some quotes of Dave Tomlin, Glen Sweeney and the Giant Sun Trolley...

As reported in July 2010 (read  at http://ghettoraga.blogspot.it/2010/07/some-quotations-on-third-ear-band-and.html), on the last wonderful Barry Miles' book dedicated to the London underground ("London Calling", published by Atlantic Books), also some quotations about UFO epic era and some characters as Dave Tomlin (excerpts from his books inspired by the Embassy experiences...), The Giant Sun Trolley and Glen Sweeney (excerpts from the famous Muz Murray "Gandalf's Gardens"' interview).

Now is available an Italian translation by A. Lovisolo of the book published by EDT (pages 544, euros 23,00). Info at http://www.edt.it/viaggi/london_calling/
An excerpt from a chapter on the Punk scene at http://www.edt.it/viaggi/london_calling/lettura.php

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

"A voice from the past"... A letter from ALLEN SAMUEL, TEB (80's) violin player.

"Dear Luca,

here's a voice from the past. I played violin with the Third Ear Band on a couple of visits to Italy in the 80's. Dave Tomlin has given me your address, saying you would like to get in touch. I'm a bit old fashioned, without computer or e-mail.

I'm living in Cornwall, still playing violin and exploring the magic world of music with various people here. Thank you for all the support you have given to the 3rd Ear Band, even now in  its memory.

I was something of a novice to such a musical environment, but I have a great love of free improvisation and all the challenges it brings.

The Third Ear Band was an experiment  in breaking the rules of decorum in music and in life, and produced some interesting music and some bad behaviour, as you probably noticed.

I'm still experimenting with all kind of music, some of it very mad, some  of it more enjoyable. You have to be in the right mood  for the mad stuff.

Anyway, I hope all is well with you. I shall be away for a few days, but  back before the end of the month.

Best wishes,

Allen Samuel."

(Written on 18-03-2012, this letter  could prelude to a proper interview with Samuel. So, if you've some questions to ask him, please contact me through my personal e-mail...)

TEB at the Vinci Museum: Allen Samuel is the first on left (photo by Lucia Baldini).

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

Mmmm… Another band quoting “Fleance” as its influence…

This time is an English pop band called HYDE & BEAST (http://www.hydeandbeast.co.uk/) to quote TEB's "Fleance" as its influence, even if their first album (“Slow Down”, published in 2011) sounds as a plagiarized Beatles (1965-1969) artifact (read the witty review written by Josh Hall  at http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2011/08/hyde-beast-slow-down/).

Anyway during an interview about the TEB's track the band says:

“It’s like a medieval Velvet Underground song!

I first came across this song on a psychedelic compilation album put together by Amorphous Androgynous and was instantly smitten! The open line “oh your two eyes will slay me suddenly” had me hooked. Anyone that has been besotted by someone before will know the power of this line. I must have listened to the song about 50 times on repeat when I first got it."

"Its very simple, only about 4 chords with an acoustic guitar, violin, hand drum and a meandering seemingly improvised flute line. It really, really reminds me of The Velvet Underground. It’s a drone, almost a dirge and I can totally imagine Moe Tucker singing it. 

Hyde & Beast by Ian West

The lyrics are actually taken from a Chaucer poem: “Merciless beauty” and “Oh your two eyes will slay me suddenly, I may the beauty of them not sustain, so pierceth it throughout my heart keen” – just amazing! One night after a few too many gins I attempted to write a song using medieval language. I failed. Perhaps if I had been drinking mead I may have had a greater success."

A couple of very strange facts about this song: it’s actually sung by a very young Keith Chegwin! WHAT? Yup, it’s true, this fact put me off the song for about a day but then I crumbled and started listening again. The song was written for the soundtrack for Roman Polanski’s film version of Macbeth and the character who plays Fleance in the film was a young Cheggers who also sang this song. 

Also strangely Johnny Rotten picked this song as a favourite of his when he appeared on a Capitol radio show in 1977.
Its a funny old world isn’t it?".
(the quotation is taken from “The line of best it” at http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2011/08/reference-points-hyde-beast/) 

I think Denny Bridges will be proud of it!
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)  

No TEB "Transcription Discs" in the BBC vaults!

"Hello Luca, 

congratulations to your TEB web archive! I have a comment/suggestion with regard to the BBC recordings: since here http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/sessions/1970s/1972/Feb11thirdearband/ they say "Transcription Services" - has it been ever checked whether anything has been released on a BBC Transcription disc? 

Also, usually recordings for the Transcription Services were kept in a different archive by the BBC - and those things were not erased!!! 

Best regards,

Johann Haidenbauer"

So I've asked my friend Nigel Reeves from E.M.I. to have a contact with the BBC Transcription Service.

Very kindly he suggested me to contact Mr.  Simon Gurney there. On February 29th he has answered me:

"Hi Luca.
The man in charge of the Transcription discs here has checked and can confirm that none exist with the Third Ear Band on. You can safely say you have exhausted your search in this regard.
Best wishes,
Simon".

So alas no TEB Transcription discs in the BBC vaults...

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

Dave Tomlin's new book out!

A new book written by Dave Tomlin is out just in those days.  

"Dave Tomlin’s comic parables encompass the grand and the petty, the mundane and the absurd", says Tim Arnett.
And Julia Gurney: "Dave Tomlin shines the spotlight on structures of power that often, ironically, turn out to be spectres of power. Seriously funny: a thoughtful, provocative work".

While the laconic comment by Su Rose is:"Should be required reading for all kids". 

Read an excerpt of the book at the glorious "International Times" Web site:
http://internationaltimes.it/power-lines/ 

To obtain a copy of the book (price £7), send a cheque to: 

Dave Tomlin - 1a, Princes Court, 68, Pilgrim’s Lane. NW3 1SP 

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

Glen Sweeney's compass found out...

Do you remember the Glen Sweeney's compass quoted by Dave Tomlin in a recent file of this archive about alchemy?

Dave had revealed that "Glen was very much drawn to the Alchemical myth. In fact a few years before he died he kept an ex-WWII torpedo-boat on a north London canal. Its name was 'ALCHEMY', he and Carolyn used to roar around the canals in it and everyone had to get out of the way; they were the terror of the waterways. I sometimes visited them on the boat and when Glen died she took the compass from the boat and gave it to me (this compass came from Glen Sweeney's boat Alchemy)...".

Today he has been so kind to send me two pictures of it, writing:  

"Spoked to the person who now has Glen's compass. The person who has it values it so much that he won't give it up but has sent me two photos of it (attached) you can magnify them. You might like to put it up on 3rd Ear site. This compass came from Glen Sweeney's powerboat 'Alchemy.' Kind regards. Dave"

So here they are for the curiosity & the pleasure of everyone:

 

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

"Alchemy": an esoteric record for initiates.

As a powerful musical/visual/conceptual device, “Alchemy” stands as a really unique work in the Popular Music history.

"Alchemy" CD booklet cover (Drop Out Records 1999)

As on a recent essay Italian writer, Antonello Cresti writes, “this album is full as ever of musical invitations (all the tracks are instrumental) to take a more deep and conscious form of spirituality up” (read at http://ghettoraga.blogspot.com/2012/01/tebs-cultural-sources-on-italian-book.html).

Absolutely right, but probably it’s much more.

Because if it’s quite easy to discover some elements of cultural suggestions just based on the tracks’ titles, linked to the feelings of its time (the epic Sixties…), in my opinion, “Alchemy” was thought as a strong summa for an alternative life. A philosophic (music) treatise for a New Age.

Also for this, this album seems to transcend its time…

I’ve already written about the “Egyptian Book of the Dead” in this archive (read at http://ghettoraga.blogspot.com/2011/08/tebs-egyptian-book-of-dead.html) as a piece of incredibly scary sounds intended for going with the dead through his death. Music composed to remember us our ephemeral life and the responsibility to live with an ethical approach to human things.

But what about the album's other tracks?

Druids painted by Charles Knight (1845)

It's easy to state that “Alchemy” (1969) is conceptually more complex than “Third Ear Band” (1970), even if for music critics the second is generally considered better than the first. Anyway, here we have a stone circle and a druid, surely alluding to the pagan druidic ancient tradition; the direct quotation of the ancient Book of the dead (Egyptian history related); the dragon lines, as Cresti explains in his book, “a clear musical transposition of pioneer theories of John Michell, who had transposed Chinese tradition of "Lung Mei" on English culture and told about "Dragon Paths". These "Lung Mei" (an expression we can in fact translate as "Dragon Paths") are energetic lines discovered by ancient Chinese; from the heart of a dragon, usually laid in a valley among the hills, springs of energy have radiated, as it occurs with the "Ley Lines"".

In "Alchemy" we have also Dave Tomlin's “Lark Rise” (based on Flora Thompson’s book “Lark Rise to Candleford”) that celebrates a vanished bucolic utopia as documented elsewhere here (read at http://ghettoraga.blogspot.com/2012/01/dave-tomlins-lark-rise-origins-cultural.html).

Swinside stone circle (West of Broughton in Furness)

And we can listen also to three apparently more obscure tracks - “Ghetto Raga”, “Mosaic” and “Area Three” - all related to the idea of space: a space to protect (thanks to the snakes on the cover...), a ghetto, a place for Hermetics where to practice alchemy (the cover concept) and turn the poor metals in gold (Prima Materia).

 Asking Dave Tomlin about this idea of space (January 24th, 2012), he writes to me: "I could speculate a little. "Area three" comes I think from the film world. It is a forbidden place; maybe dedicated to government secret experiments on... humans? There is a place like that in the Russian film 'Stalker' - Tarkowski, I think -, which would tell you all.
I think they used "Ghetto Raga" just because it sounds good. Ghettos are run down areas where poor people, usually of the same race live (Jews etc.). So Ghetto gives a rough type image, and raga is another racy word, although it's doubtful if any of the band studied Indian music. So together the two words create an interesting effect. No more than that...".

Byzantine mosaic (Galla Placidia Mausoleum - Ravenna, Italy)

But a ghetto of raga, where religious musicians play ragas besieged by the (post) modern world, could be the same area three (three as the TEB musicians?), a place for (musical) alchemic experiments...

Thus a record as a clear powerful metaphor alluding to turn bad music in good music, a superficial/commercial listening to a deep one, a materialistic life to a spiritual one…

I think “Alchemy” is a coherent, integrated device of ideas related to a definite conception of life - very distant from the usual Sixties Egyptian ephemera of fashion.

The best work ever produced by the band and one of the best albums of its time (no Egyptian junk, please!).

Maybe an alchemic product itself!?

A detail of the egg (the Great alchemic Opera) from "Alchemy" front cover

As Glen Sweeney said about the TEB music, "the music is the music of the Druids, released from the unconscious by the alchemical process, orgasmic in its otherness, religious in its oneness communicating beauty and magic via abstract sounds whilst playing without ego enables the musicians to reach a trance-like stage, a "high" in which the music produces itself. Each piece is as alike or unlike as blades of grass or clouds" (from the original 1969 Isle of Wight concert programme).

And again, just around the period when "Alchemy" was recorded: "We are beginning to move into some strange musical areas, doing a piece we call Druid. Once or twice when we've played this thing, we've gone into a weird sort of experience we call a 'Time-shift'. Nobody really knows what it is. The whole Druid piece is repetitive and extremely hypnotic and yet you have some of the instruments doing far out things so that a fantastic tension is built up. It's like alchemy. The alchemical emphasis is on the endless repetition of experiments, doing the same thing over and over again, and waiting for some sort of X-factor to appear. This is more or less what we do when we play. And our X-factor is this time-shift thing".

"It happened once at the London Arts Lab, and as we played, it seemed as if time had slowed down and we had drifted into a completely different dimension. And when we finished, nobody moved at all. They were kind of stuck there. So I felt that perhaps it had happened to them too. So that's the thing we are trying to get into. Although it can be quite a strain during a public performance, like living on the edge of a cliff, since nobody knows what might happen. To be on stage and feel it happening can be quite frightening. You go out of yourself, and when you come to, you discover yourself on stage with hundreds of people staring at you. You get this split-second thought: 'Have I been playing? Have I ruined the whole thing?' In a way, it's very similar to meditation and mantra chanting, which is why I feel what we are doing has a very religious depth" (from "Gandalf's Garden" #4, 1969, interviewed by Muz Murray).

Tomlin clarifies me (January 30th, 2012) that "in the mid-Sixties, there were many different influences. One was the legend of King Arthur's Court. Another was the Aliens - flying-saucers - messages from the stars. Also Blake's "Jerusalem", the Ley-Lines, Ramana Maharishi. And the mysterious arts of Alchemy.
There was an Alchemical saying of the time: 'When the sound of the music changes the walls of the city shake', which the Third Ear used at one time. Glen was very much drawn to the Alchemical myth. In fact a few years before he died he kept an ex-WWII torpedo-boat on a north London canal. Its name was 'ALCHEMY', he and Carolyn used to roar around the canals in it and everyone had to get out of the way; they were the terror of the waterways. I sometimes visited them on the boat and when Glen died she took the compass from the boat and gave it to me (this compass came from Glen Sweeney's boat Alchemy)...".

As in the past, people used to write books for initiates, in modern times, musicians play records to open the mind and soul of people ("Happy new ears!" John Cage wrote): Third Ear Band has left us a beautiful, scary record of magic/esoteric/philosophic music for the everyday life & death... 
Also for this reason sometimes we return to it as a sort of breviary, listening to little drops of it as a thaumaturgical magic potion!

"Alchemy" CD back cover (Drop Out Records 1999)

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