history of the band
Let that be a lesson to us all
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Andy Davis Playing Pocket Billiards |
Mike Evans in a Five Poster Bed |
OK it never was going to be a Short History........ Stackridge were and remain one of the most singular bands in the history |
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| After two singles were issued, the 1972 follow-up album, Friendliness, was released. This was perhaps as eclectic as the first, with instrumentals, more songs about peculiar animals, a 12 bar blues and much more. Many of the songs from this album, such as Syracuse The Elephant and Anyone For Tennis are still performed in concert today. Walter was by now firmly back in the fold – or ‘animal pen’ – having decided life as a musician was worth another go. The third album – named after a Magritte picture they liked – The Man In The Bowler Hat had no less a luminary than George Martin producing it. This came about because one of his sons had played Friendliness to his father. Other AIR Studio staff convinced Martin he could do something with the band. It was 1973 and although the album wasn’t released until 1974, it was another significant step forward, with Martin’s producing nous and light-handed orchestration underscoring the band’s development. |
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Mutter now felt reproducing the sound of the album onstage would prove well-nigh impossible and departed, to serve petrol to people at a Yeovil petrol station. ‘All change’ was the theme now. Billy Sparkle left to become George Martin’s PA and chaffeur; Warren and Walter were asked to leave and Keith Gemmell (saxes, flute, clarinet) and Rod Bowkett (keyboards) joined. Soon, Paul Karas (bass) and Roy Morgan (drums) completed the new-look band. This vastly-different band recorded Extravaganza, which came out on a new label – Elton John’s Rocket Records. Great things were expected and there was a special launch gig attended by Elton and others but nothing much came of what seemed to be a very un-Stackridgean album in places, although there were naturally many parts where the Stackridge spirit could easily be discerned. Mike Tobin had also moved on to other things by this point. Walter rejoined in 1975, replacing Karas and Peter Van Hooke replaced Roy Morgan. Bowkett went and Mutter Slater was again back in and it was this line-up that recorded the fifth album, that most fashionable of beasts, a ‘concept’ album about the adventures of an unwanted, unloved old man, called Mr Mick, The album was partly inspired by Steve Augarde’s childrens’ book of the same name but the final product wasn’t what the band had in mind. Deeming it uncommercial, Rocket Records chopped the material around and insisted a totally incongruous Beatles cover was added “to give the album a hit single”. It didn’t and shortly after a 1975/76 tour, which often saw the group augmented by Ray Russell on guitar, the band ceased to exist. |
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| In the 23 year gap between the end of the first phase and the beginning of the second, there were many other musical byways, such as Warren and Davis forming The Korgis and Mutter playing in Rave To The Grave but these and many other such projects are ventures outwith the scope of this necessarily brief historical overview. Windsong, out of the blue, issued Live in Concert and this was followed by the Strange Fruit Radio 1 Sessions release. Interest in the band revived but nothing more was heard, apart from a brief ‘Where Are They Now?’ article in Q music magazine in 1992, in which James Warren said he was hoping to rekindle Stackridge with Andy Davis “very soon”. And that seemed to be that. Late in 1998 however the reconstituted band began rehearsing and in Spring 1999 Stackridge again emerged. The new Stackridge full-length CD, entitled Something For The Weekend was released in June 1999 and the group embarked upon their ‘Come Back To Front’ UK tour. Some 29 years after their first and only other Glastonbury Festival appearance, Stackridge again appeared in Pilton, gracing the Croissant-Neuf Stage. A limited edition EP: More, featuring four alternative mixes of songs from the CD was only available by mail order from the then-official Stackridge site, managed by Jennie Evans. Stackridge ’99 comprised James Warren (guitar/vocals), Crun Walter (bass), Mike Evans (violin/vocals), Richard Stubbings (guitar/keyboards/accordian/vocals), John Miller (keyboards)and Tim Robinson (drums). The group continued touring into 2000, although by now keyboardist John Miller – a songwriting partner of Warren’s from the Rialto Records/Korgis days – had departed, to be replaced by Ian Towers. A deal with Demon/Edsel saw the back catalogue re-released, with new liner notes and the scattered B sides and other tracks previously gathered together on the Mike Tobin compiled Do The Stanley album now spread across the compact discs. A Warren cassette originally intended for circulation only amongst his family and friends, Jim’s Special Easy Listening Christmas Album, was also issued and some of the songs that later appeared on Something For The Weekend can also be heard here, either in embryonic or precisely the same form. The opportunity was also taken to issue the confusingly-titled The Original Mr Mick CD. This was the intended concept album before Rocket Records set to work, hacking pieces out and demanding wholesale changes. Now disowned by the band, the poorly-recorded Pick Of The Crop encapsulating part of the group’s set at The Cropredy Festival on August 12th 2000 and the CD-Romp, which amalgamated various pieces of music and photos into a less-than-satisfying whole, were also released in early 2001. |
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| By which time, the band had ceased to be, despite a string of live dates stretching as far ahead as the November. All was silence and myriad side-projects, barring a 6 song mini CD entitled Lemon, as a nod to their earliest days as Stackridge Lemon. Then, at the beginning of 2007, arising from the James Warren & Friends live aggregation came a re-born Stackridge. This time, four of the original six members were on board, with Mutter Slater (flute/vocals), Andy Davis (guitar/keyboards/vocals), James Warren (guitar/vocals) and Crun Walter (bass). They were augmented by Glenn Tommey – a longtime fellow habituee of the Bristol/Bath scene, producer of The Korgis, XTC and many others and also a member of other Warren groups such as The Blue Meanies and the aforementioned Friends. Glenn’s instruments include keyboards and trombone. Another Meanies/Friends refugee was drummer Andy ‘Codge’ Marsden, whose pedigree included playing in Graduate and Tears For Fears. A third Friends ‘transfer’ was lead guitarist Nigel Newton, with Sarah Mitchell from the Friends augmenting her Friends role of backing vocals by becoming the second violin within Stackridge. The role of lead violin was taken, for one gig only, by Katy Salvidge, who had guested with James Warren And Friends at a few gigs. Rachel Hall then took over as lead violinist. With the exception of Eddie John from The Harrisons deputising for an indisposed Marsden for one gig only, this remains the line-up to the present day. Angel Air Records began a major reissue campaign for all the Stackridge back catalogue in 2006 and the CDs were again reissued with new notes, photographs and memorabilia illustrated. The bonus tracks found on the earlier Demon/Edsel reissues were also included but grouped more appropriately, depending upon time period. The first Angel Air release was Sex And Flags. This had been intended as the title for the 1999 CD on Stackridge’s own Dap Records label but it was ultimately rejected in favour of Something For The Weekend. The Cd combined all of Lemon and much of Weekend but included two new songs – Andy Davis demos that had originally been submitted for consideration for inclusion in Weekend, before Davis’ departure. Angel Air also issued Warren and Davis solo material, such as the Burning Questions and Clevedon Pier compact discs respectively. These also boasted additional tracks and a revised, slightly retitled Jim’s Easy Listening Album was released with a couple of cover songs removed, the Goon-ish interludes also lacking but yet more previously unobtainable material added. Once again, all came with revised/new artwork and new liner notes, pictures and the like. April 2007 saw the first-ever Stackridge DVD – The Forbidden City. This was a record of their return gig at The Rondo Theatre, Larkhall, Bath on Sunday 1st April and as well as the full concert included rooftop interviews with the four main protagonists and a quiz, leading to a bonus clip (not from the show). Many of the shows garnered gratifyingly good reviews and Peter Paphides, Chris Evans, Stuart Maconie and Johnnie Walker have been just some of the few who either frequently mention the band on air or play their records. Although never released as a single, the Walter composition A Wonderful Day received many plays on national radio shows such as Walker’s in 2006. The 2007 gigs have all been rapturously received by very appreciative audiences and there are now ongoing plans to expand both the number of gigs and the geographical spread of same. A date for Glastonbury 2008 has already been tentatively pencilled in and there will be many more concerts and festival appearances, both in the UK and possibly abroad Ade Macrow, July 2007 (Note from website editor .... "Wow..Thanks Ade" |
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External links
- Official Stackridge Web Site
- BBC's John Peel tribute and Stackridge
- Zorgan's Daughter -The best Stackridge site for Rhubarb Thrashers old and new
- Zorgan's Other Daughter - The 'overflow' Stackridge site
- [The Rhubarbarian - the premier fanzine for Rhubarb Thrashers everywhere]
- Recent interview with Andy Cresswell-Davis
- http://www.rhubarbthrashers.co.uk Fan based site
