Mary Epworth and her band make a glorious concoction of music which is an intoxicating collision of pop, wyrd folk, psychedelia and country. Mary has a beguiling voice which can deliver on great bighollering sounds or delicate ballads like 'Two For Joy'. Her talents have previously been showcased at“The Lady: A Tribute to Sandy Denny” tribute performance at Queen Elizabeth Hall back in December 2008, where her performance was received with great acclaim. Followers of early Fairport Convention, Bellowhead and Espers will sure to be enchanted by her espousing of the traditions of English folk with a touch of freak rock mixed in.
Mary Epworth focuses her talents on vocals, an electric auto-harp, rhythm guitar and wooden spoons. She is backed up by Will Twynham, who concentrates on synths, vox and guitar, Horse (presumably a nickname rather than a talented equine but anything’s possible round those parts) is on guitar, banjo and vox, The Gord plays bass and vox: he's on loan fromtheoutdoortypes and Rich Norris completes the line up on drums. Together, they form the multifaceted elements of The Jubilee Band, who are named in honour of a silver band run by Mary’s great-great-grandfather and was based in the King’s Lynn area, way back in the 1880s.
The ghosts of the original Jubilee Band make a cameo appearance in the video to her debut single, rescuing Mary from the monsters of a folkloric forest. 'The Saddle Song' which is aptly described as a pub shanty, is a tune that lollops, wassails and rampages through the wild side of the woods, in the manner of a drunken jester on a night of medieval festivities.
The stand out track of her repertoire is ‘Black Doe’ nicely described as a "Spectral deer stomp your face". Mary lulls you in with the opening bars of breathy vocals dancing over some ethereal finger pickin' folk, then she suddenly slaps you around the lug holes with her booming voice, roaring over some rustic Black Sabbath riffs. From there on in, it all goes to hell in a handcart, as the song, worthy of a mad minstrel howling out a Hammer House of Hippie film soundtrack, cuts loose and demolishes all trembling mortals who dare get in the way of this prime cut of verberating venison.
The debut album is in the pipeline for a Spring 2010 release, with the backing of Arts Council funding, which is a fine use of tax payers’ money, for sure.It’s going to be a record that flirts with the traditions of English folk music, yet embraces the joys of pop and rock. In years gone by, such wanton worship of those musical Pagan Gods would have earned an appointment with Vincent Price and his fiendish ducking stool, but in these more enlightened times, Mary Epworth will be casting a spell on the audiences at
Upcoming Gigs
19/02/2010 The Local @ The Kings Head London U.K
26/02/2010 Southbank Foyer Bar London U.K
09/04/2010 Norwich Arts Centre Norwich U.K
(One of the finest venues in this fair land: A couple of pints at The Ribs Of Beef, then onto this gig, followed by a cheeky kebab on the way home,this sounds like the perfect night out to me)
Black Doe: Buy it here handofglory.bigcartel.comwas released on iTunes 10/08/09 and on 7” vinyl 14/09/09.
Here’s my homage to an often overlooked piece of vinyl history, let’s put a spotlight on a series of records that are a staple part of many a charity shop record pile. ‘The World of Your Hundred Best Tunes’ was a spin off from the long running BBC radio programme of the same name. . ‘Your Hundred Best Tunes’ was originally commissioned for a 13-week run with the intention of finding the "best 100 tunes in the world" and it ran for forty seven years, between 1959 and 2007. The show was devised and presented by Alan Keith and it (and he) became a great British institution. He went on to become the longest serving and oldest presenter on British radio. After Keith’s death in 2003, the responsibility of taking up the presenting helm fell to Richard Baker, however he couldn’t arrest the falling listening figures and eventually the programme was axed.
Alan Keith was the professional stage name of Alexander Kossoff. His brother was David Kossoff who as an actor and television presenter of some note, older readers may remember him as the hen-pecked husband Alf Larkins in the domestic sitcom The Larkins.He also appeared in numerous film roles, one of which A Kid For Two Farthings, directed by Carol Reed in 1955 is well worth tracking down. Kossoff plays an East End tailor called Kandinsky who is befriended by a boy called Joe, who has bought what he believes to be a unicorn, which he hopes will bring good luck to his friends in the austere rationed post war neighbourhood. It is actually a sickly little goat; with just one twisted horn in the middle of its forehead, but the community play along with this make believe. It’s a fascinating and unusual film, mixing magic realism with kitchen sink drama and highly recommended.
If that family name seems familiar it’s because David’s son was Paul Kossoff, lead guitarist of heavy blues rockers band Free. Sadly, he died at just 25 from a heart attack following years of drug addiction but during his time in Free he was responsible for some of the finest guitar solos of that period and made an immense contribution to classic tracks All Right Now, My Brother Jake and Wishing Well, all contenders in my list of hundred best tunes.
Volume 2
pressed in 1971, has Alan Keith gazing longingly at the cover of what I presume is a copy of Volume 1 “The Top Ten” featuring a semi comatose listener, zonked out in an armchair, with the radio set to Alan’s Sunday evening broadcast. It’s a lukewarm start to the series in terms of vinyl cover goodness.
Volume 3
is a particular favourite of mine, all the family are sitting around the monstrous fireplace with a proper fire roaring away, the radio on and there isn’t a television in sight. The daughter is dutifully spending time with the ‘olds’ and the family pooch completes the scene. I suspect though, that her minds on other things, perhaps how to get out of there and into her own groovy pad where she can hold swinging parties and is able to listen to some contemporary tunes instead of this fuddy duddy music.
Volume 4
Has a bit of a dull cover on it, truth be told. A boringly normal couple snuggle up on the sofa, next to the now ubiquitous radio, each with a glass of water perched on the rather tasteful coffee table! Only the oversized lamp hints of the interior design madness of the era. Surely, it’s a cover up! you can’t fool me, I’ve watched ‘Abigail’s Party’, we know what went on behind closed doors at these soirees: Demis Roussos on the 8track, papyrus grass knowingly grown outside on the front lawn, sets of keys in the ashtray, copious lines of Columbian Marching Powder glistening on the polished glass table. You can’t tell me that this cover actually shows how people really entertained themselves back in the early Seventies.
Volume 5
Goes all rustic and manages to come up with a classic cover. A young buck has taken his date for a punt down the river and has stopped by the riverside to listen to our favourite light entertainment show on his portable radio with the fragrant damsel in tow, she’s sporting a rather fetching gaudy floral dress and oversized floppy sun hat. Our suitor, posing in a classic catalogue man pose, begs many questions. Will he act like a gentleman? What are his real intentions? Will she put out? Why did he take her outside on such a cold and dank day? But most all we are asking... what the heck is the old nag doing in the photo? Hey Dobbin! You’re cramping his style, don’t you know, three’s a crowd!
Volume 6
Ssees us restored to the cosy warmth of residing beside the hearth, with a rather impressive inglenook on display and proper fire blazing away within it; this is a residence with a touch of quality. The owner of this nest is ‘dear ole grandma’ who’s got the radio on a bit too loudly because she’s a bit ‘mutt an jeff’ in her advanced years. I suspect the two young’ uns are her grandchildren, come to visit their Nana and build up some brownie points by humouring her for a few hours. After all, a bit of effort currying favour in this stage could lead to a big payoff down the line in her will. Let’s face it, she’s not long for this world and she’s sitting on a sizable asset, it’s got oak beams an all. The sense of competition between the two siblings is palatable as they play off versus each other. The floppy haired chap with the green suede jacket has always been the apple of Nana’s eye, even though his behaviour of late has been slightly concerning, dropping out of university and that unfortunate incident with the funny cigarette: Well, let’s best not go there. The granddaughter’s blossomed into a bonny lass and such a sensible head on her shoulders too, if only she would find a nice young man to settle down with a have some babies. All this talk of having a career though, tut! What’s the world coming to? The dogs not fooled though, he can sniff the fettered odour of ingratiation in the air as he makes his opinion known in the only way he can, with a long low threatening growl.
Volume 7
We go all stately and grandiose with a shot of a dapper young couple resting on the patio next to some serious pot plant ornament and statue action. The sun is out and our lass is looking very ‘Vogue 1973 cover star’ with the faux country servant girl chic apparel. However, something is wrong as the sexual chemistry between them is nowhere to be seen. The guy is grinning like a gormless loon, but isn’t sure what to say next, so he’s switched on the radio to fill the silence. The friend who set these two up, made a serious misjudgement, on this blind date. He thinks he’s lucked out and is on a roll thanks to his lucky checked shirt with the extra wide lapels, but she’s having none of it and is plotting how best to ditch the dopey lunk without causing too much of a scene. That guy who arrived earlier in the Triumph Stag has caught her eye and seemed to be available, even more importantly, he was free and easy with buying the G & T’s.
The most striking cover of the series has to be this one featuring a lady sitting in the now ubiquitous armchair, (obviously, 100 Best Tunes was meant to be listened to at leisure with due consideration, rather than as background noise whilst ironing, cooking etc) next to her is a girl, who looks spellbound, it’s as if she’s completely been hypnotised by the wonderful music emanating from the nearby record player. Not only that! We have an appearance of a proper good old fashioned deck, there’s a good selection of platters scattered around the room, from the ‘Hundred Best Tunes’ series. Whether the lady is her mother is unclear, but she’s smiling benevolently at the girl. In fact, it’s more than a maternal gaze; there’s an ever so slightly sinister vibe in the woman’s body language, a controlling nuance with an undercurrent of a silent but implicit threat. This ‘Miss Havisham’ won’t countenance any new fangled Beatles type pop music being played under her roof from ‘Estella’ and woe betide the little madam if she’s tries to go against her express wishes. However, our supplicant is already an empty vessel, with the type of vacant stare, more often associated with newly indoctrinated religious cult members. Next stop for her retraining schedule, is the specially constructed ‘Hundred Best Tunes compound’ fully kitted out with ultra loud floral curtains and mock log fire electric heaters, cocooned from the pernicious influences of teenage rebellion, cut off from all this devil’s music and the immoral behaviour that it inspires.
Volume 10
The series culminates with an image to appeal to the youth market; a groovy couple chill out at home, accompanied by the now (over)familiar props: fake log fireplace, check! Grandpa’s favourite armchair check! Chunky oak effect radio check! Antique furniture check! Pot plants check! Garish curtains check! However, our hip cats are posing in a distinctly relaxed style, in fact, they look remarkably similar to Peter Bowles and Penelope Keith in the classic ITV Eighties sitcom ‘To The Manor Born’ The scene is completed with a cheeky glass of wine on the table! It might seem to be just one civilised glass of chardonnay for now, but mark my words it’ll lead to necking copious quantities of booze at home, slumped in front of the radio and inevitably leading to dereliction and degradation down the line. Passed out in the armchair on a Sunday night, a bottle of supermarket own brand vodka nestled in the lap, not even the white noise from the radio can wake them from their slumbers. Alan Keith’s soothing voice has long since departed from the airwaves on that evening’s edition of ‘Your Hundred Best Tunes’.
It's not often that I champion a band on behalf of somebody else, but this one's being done for our resident folk expert Morris Chancer. He let it be known that when he saw The Imagined Village play at the Cambridge Folk Festival, he was moved to tears by their performance. Now, the only thing that usually moves me to tears at a festival is the stench emanating from the portaloos, but I shall concede to his love and knowledge of all musical things rustic and beardy. We will also cast aside any notions that his judgment might have been impaired by drinking too many flagons of happy worzel juice in the midday sun and trust in his opinion that this folk super group are indeed something special.
The project began in 2004 but was very publicly launched at the WOMAD world music festival in 2007 by Simon Emmerson of the Afro Celt Sound System. The group, made up of notable luminaries of the British folk scene like Eliza Carthy (Fiddles, Viola, Voice) Martin Carthy (Guitar, Voice) and Billy Bragg, walked on stage having only met at rehearsals and gave a rough and ready performance which was deemed a resounding success. The concept of the project was to explore the roots of English roots music from a fresh multicultural perspective and involve artists not traditionally associated with this genre, like Paul Weller, Benjamin Zephaniah, Tuung and Transglobal Underground. A self titled album was released in 2007 followed by an E.P containing remixed versions of four songs from the earlier album.
On the new album 'Empire and Love' the old classics of 'Scarborough Fair' and 'Byker Hill' are covered, as well as less traditional songs, with Slade's 'Cum On Feel The Noize' standing out as a particularly novel track to include. Artists appearing on the current album includeAndy Gangadeen (Drums), Simon Emmerson (Cittern, Guitars), Simon Richmond (Keyboards, Electronica), Ali Friend (Bass), Sheema Mukherjee (Sitar, Voice), Chris Wood (Fiddles, Viola, Voice), Barney Morse Brown (Cello) & Johnny Kalsi (Percussion, Dhol, Tabla).
The Imagined Village release their second album 'Empire and Love' on Monday 11th January 2010, it has been a whistle stop six months in the making, compared to the five years for the debut album. Of this hectic schedule, Simon Emmerson recounted that "including starting the label, playing the summer festivals, doing the garage conversion and keeping the village pub in business. By the end of it we no longer felt like a band but a local parish council.” Read more about the Parish Council here For those of you who like to pick up promotional merchandising trinkets that the music industry routinely like to knock out to help shift their products, ECC Records have used a bit more imagination than coming up with the usual poster or key ring by producing a limited edition bath bomb. As the company is run by Simon Emmerson (Afro Celt Sound System) and Mark Constantine of Lush the handmade cosmetics chain,they decided to make a product inspired by the lead track off the album Space Girl . It's shaped like Saturn and it's rings, or a spaceship, and it is purple, sparkly and has extra added Space Dust, how the punters are going to store it in the collection is another matter, but a cute idea never the less and anything to encourage the more soap dodging elements of the village fanbase into the bath has got to be a good thing.
The Imagined Village - Space Girl (original by Ewan McColl) taken from 'Empire and Love' buy it here atECC Records or through Amazon via here.
Time to put the spotlight on a band that got my foot a tapping back in October 2009, which seems an awful long time ago now. Kill It Kid sauntered into town with a James Dean swagger, attired with a moniker from a Blind Willie McTell tune and a confidence that belied their youth. It was the night England were playing Belarus and mostly because it was a dead rubber of a game, it wasn't too difficult persuading Platterhorn to vacate his usual position, slobbed out in front of the T.V and catch this hotly tipped band instead of a watching a meaningless game of football.
It proved to be a wise choice as we got to hear some exhilarating songs played with gusto to the small but appreciative crowd. This young five piece from Bath have only been in existence since early 2008, yet they pack a punch with a sound that combines a traditional earthy bluesy rock with a twist of zingy indie folky lemony freshness. Kill It Kid have quickly established themselves as a dynamic live act and are being fast tracked up the greasy pole of music fervor (tipped via the likes of Q Magazine, Jonathan Ross and BBC 6 spotlights).
The real ace in the pack for KIK's delta blues stomp of a sound is the interplay of the singing between Chris Turpin's incredible lead vocals and Stephanie Ward's smoother vocals. The former's belting husky voice has often drawn comparisons with Antony (and the Johnsons) Hegarty, albeit with a rougher edge; imagine if he'd been up all night drinking Jack Daniels in a saloon bar. Steph's serene singing adds an extra dimension in that she is able to carry a tune flying solo or as a part of a duet. The rest of the band are Richard Jones on fiddle and backing vocals, Marc Jones on drums and percussion and Adam Timmins on bass and banjo/guitars make up a terrifically tight outfit.
Their progress was given an almighty leg up when they came to the attention of John Parish (sometime P J Harvey collaborator and Eels producer) who was asked to showcase some of his studio mixing abilities to some students at Bath Spa University. Kill It Kid were used as the band in residence and their obvious talents shone out during the hard graft of these sessions. Out of this experience came their debut E.P and less than a year later, the band were recording their first album for One Little Indian Records, in Seattle at the world famous Bear Creek Studio with RyanHadlock on producing duties (he has most notably worked with The Gossip, Foo Fighters, The Strokes and Regina Spektor)
The result of their hard endeavor was released in October 2009 as the debut album picked up warm reviews and I'm sure the plaudits will keep rolling in for the coming year as their star continues to rise. The highlights are the boisterous 'Burst Its Banks' which is a good time bluesy wailer of a tune with some fuzzed out slide guitar waltzing with a fearless fiddle and some harmonica tootling thrown in for good measure. It all comes together to create a dramatic hoedown of a track that kicks some serious posterior.The slower paced lament of 'Send Me An Angel Down' which has the guitar pickin' flavour of 'Wish You Were Here' era Pink Floyd underpinning the soaring vocals, shows the band functioning on a more low key level to equally dazzling effect. In fact, all the tunes hold their own and merit repeated listening and flow as a cohesive introduction to a group that have earned their spurs and are now ready to roll into the dusty saloon of our hearts.
Kill It Kid have shown exquisite taste by releasing a cover of the Low track 'Just Like Christmas' and have made the mp3 available here for free because you've all been so good this year, the generous scamps. Kill It Kid - Burst Its Banks - Taken from self titled album released on 5th October 2009 via One Little Indian Records buy it here
Happy Birthday to us here at Scratchy Towers! Yes somehow we've managed to keep going for two whole years and as we stumble past that all important date (stumble being the operative word recently) I thought it would be nice to mark this inauspicious occasion with a bit of a classic tune with a tenuous song name link.. Birthday by The Sugarcubes, I remember seeing them play at Reading Festival and they were brilliantly captivating, beguiling, confusing and irritating all at the same time, but never boring, the mark of a truly original band.
This is a good opportunity inform Scratchy followers of our plans here.. as you might have noticed 2009 wasn't a particularly productive year in terms of postings for a variety of reasons which I won't bore you with. I was just as frustrated about these issues but the operation is going to go up a gear in the new year and the backlog of half written posts will be addressed. I have a long list of exciting new acts to be championed, as well as getting back to the core idea of focusing on talking about some of the more left field finds from the wonderful world of vinyl.
If that wasn't enough to be getting on with, Scratchy Buckles will shortly be joined by a brother blogsite with the emphasis on movies. Rest assured though, that this won't be about knocking out dry thousand word articles on Hollywood blockbusters or pontificating on dreary arthousebrainbusters. The content will be strictly lowbrow, with a cast iron guarantee on entertainment delivered with the same lightness of touch and scant regard for the rules of punctuation that you've come to expect. So when the launch is ready, you will be the first to know, but in the meantime Happy New Year and raise a glass to another vintage year of musical meanderings in 2010.
The Sugarcubes - Birthday (Also known under the title 'Ammæli') Released way back in October 1987. Directed by FriðrikÞórFriðriksson and The Sugarcubes.
There's mumblings in the media about the some sections of youth of today rejecting the cruddy sound of CD's and even worse noise of an mp3 and instead taking up the more decadent aural delights of vinyl records. Some of it is hipster bandwagoning, I'm sure, but it warms the cockles of my heart to know that the next generation of music lovers are ready to take on the mantle of being vinyl bores.
However this revolution isn't happening quick enough for my liking. For unless there's a tipping point of teenagers demanding to be able to buy the sounds of their latest favourite, fly by night indie band, pressed in that glorious black plastic, the likelihood of top quality record shops reappearing on the high street is going to remain a wistful pipe dream.
I yearn for the return of those dusty shabby overpriced music stores haphazardly stacked full of platters in no discernible order, run by insolent staff barely able to suppress their contempt for the customers. It's part of my cultural heritage visiting such establishments. The well worn ritual of tramping along to some inauspicious part of town, foregoing the convenience and comfort of being able to sit in front of my computer and ordering the latest 'must have' tracks in a jiffy for my music fix. This is an essential part of my cultural fibre and I demand to have the right to cross the threshold of a premise, as described above, to have my hard earned wonga relieved of me by some callow oik, who has correctly surmised that here comes another £50 man, recommend me the usual Snow Patrol and Fleetwood Mac remastered albums from the Dad rock section, before sending me merrily on my way clutching the bounty in a crisp plastic bag which will break five minutes down the road.
The only thing that's going to properly redress the balance and return music commerce to it's former glory, is to speed up the process of enlightenment for our poor misguided weens in a mass program of indoctrination, starting from the moment they can recognise sounds and visualise circles. I'm proposing blanket exposure to top quality nursery rhymes delivered via the magic of a child proof record player, preferably one that looks like a suitcase, a concession to quell any quibbles of lack of portability, i - phones eat your heat out, take a look at this little beauty shown here! the evidence is irrefutable.. the kid is captivated by the wonder of watching that single spin round and round, delivering three minutes of musical fun and it's so easy to flip that golden number over with none of the hassle of having to choose between the thousands of tunes stored in the library of a conventional mp3 player. The kids will thank us for it when they grow up and remember: children are our future! The Kiddieland Chorus directed by actor Lee Gotch
A High Fidelity Programme of Nursery Rhymes: Activity Songs: Counting and Alphabet: Sleep Songs. Recorded at Capital Tower, Hollywood on the Pye Golden Guinea label.
Side One
Old King Cole
Mary Had Little Lamb
Peas Pudding Hot
Simple Simon
Sing A Song Of Sixpence
To Market, To Market Ding Dong Bell
Little Jack Horner
Three Blind Mice
A Frog He Would A Wooing Go
Hickory Dickory Dock
Hey Diddle Diddle
Side Two
Old MacDonald Had A Farm
London Bridge Mulberry Bush
Alphabet Song
Calendar Song Ten Little Indians Rock A Bye Baby
Sweet And Low A couple of alternative covers are shown as well, including one featuring a rather dull woodland scene, via Jacob Whittaker (please contact me if you want this removed) apparently there's also a version featuring the legendary British actress Wendy Craig around but no images found so far.
Lee Gotch was behind The Ivy Barflies record which was full of drinking songs sung presumably aimed at college going party guys. Was this really a suitable role model to be involved in an album aimed at our impressionable youth!
Acts: Official Secrets Act, The Antlers and Graffiti 6 Location: Southampton U.K Venue: Lennons Date: 28/11/09
We were determined to catch a much anticipated performance by the Brooklyn based band The Antlers, whose Hospice album has been a slow burning success story of 2009 via the patronage of Pitchfork and it's ilk. It was self-released back in March 2009 and went on general release via French Kiss Records in August 2009. This short visit to the U.K has now catapulted the band's presence into the national arena with the national journos from The Times and The Guardian clambering on board to give it the horn.
Those journos have covered the London and Brighton legs of the tour, but it's up to the intrepid team here at Scratchy Buckles (myself and Platterhorn) to battle through the lashing rain in order to cover what must be the least prepossessing stop off on their jaunt around Europe. Yes, we're talking about being second on the bill in sodden Southampton's favourite student cheap 'n' cheerful nightclub Lennons; thankfully nothings changed in the years since I was last here frugging to the sounds of Britpop back in the 199o's (stop me now! before I turn into a voxpop for one of those cheapo 'I remember the Nineties' type of late night T.V fillers) and it promises to be a good honest intimate gig at this venue which is putting on some interesting gigs of late.
First up though, with their chance to make a mark on the wall of sound, was Graffiti 6 who put in a credible performance for the early birds. They're buoyed up with the gift of delivering a catchy tune in that genre that's tricky to master, i.e the soul/rock/pop crossover. Their breezy number Stare Into The Sun was used as part of a promo for a television ad promotion for The Sun newspaper back in Summer 2009. This must have been a useful boost to their fledgling career and it came as a surprise to us, when they mentioned at the end of delivering a polished and engaging set, that this was their first live gig.. The first of many successful performances I'm sure! and a band to keep an eye on.. a tip though, if I were you guys, I'd leave Liverpool off the tour list for the time being..
Graffiti 6 - Stare Into The Sun
The Antlers are a young trio from Brooklyn New York, who spent 2007/8 putting together a concept album of epic and haunting music. Lead singer Peter Silberman delivers aching soft vocals, interwoven with emotionally wrought crescendos, that turns the emotional screws to devastating effect. Michael Lerner’s sparse drumming plays off Darby Cicci’s downbeat keyboards to produce a taut post rock sound straddling between fragility and intense sonic outbursts. Their debut album ‘Hospice’ is a concept album about a carer looking after a girl who is terminally ill with cancer. What could have ended up a maudlin self indulgent mess is actually brooding and beautiful triumph, which is destined to be on many of the pundits 'Best of 2009' album lists.
It's clear from the opening chords that the band are going to pretty much play the songs through in the order of the album and so unfortunately the spine tingling opener the epic Kettering gets lost in the general hullabaloo of the crowd settling down. These guys obviously get swept into the intensity of delivering the songs with all their heart and soul and this means that the stage craft of commanding of the audience is slightly overlooked and so it takes a few numbers for them to capture the undivided attention the the crowd. This may be down to their inexperience or having to play to punters who haven't necessarily come to check out this band but slowly and surely the waverers are won over, as each song ramps up intensity of the atmosphere in the room. The more accessible uptempo numbers of Sylvia, Bear and Two in particular resonate with the crowd and as The Antlers' set draws to a close, it's clear that we've witnessed a very special show by a mesmerising and very talented band who are destined to make a considerable impact with their majestic music.
The video is unofficial and created by a fan using various photographs Original photographers listed here but has been compiled with such T.L.C that for me it's the definitive version and as good as anything the record company could put together.
All over the news today, nestling between the usual reports of misery and despair, is the 'light' item about the landmark that is it's the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the U.K's first motorway, imaginatively called the M1 read more here and here on the BBC.
The majority of driving residents of England have, at some time or other, experienced the dubious pleasures of travelling up or down this iconic motorway. For many commuters, it's part of their daily grind, driving some way along the 193 miles from Brent Cross in north-west London to Garforth near Leeds. Back in 1959, the Minister of Transport, Ernest Marples officially opened the original section, that paved (tarmac) the way for a brave new era of British motoring. To commemorate this milestone, the Roads Minister Chris Mole, is unveiling a plaque (nope, I've never heard of him either and surely he should be the Minister for Gardens instead).
Even though the original stretch of road was only 72 miles long, it was decided that drivers might need to stop for a rest, powder their nose and grab a bite to eat, thus the first service station was born. 'Watford Gap' (originally called the Blue Boar) opened in on the 2nd November 1959 and the rest is history so they say... of course most of us Brits are very familiar with this Great British Institution that is a Motorway Service Station but here's a here's a peek at what all the glories Watford Gap hold for the benefit of our international readers.
Of course the great misunderstanding about this service station is it's location, being situation no where near Watford (a fair to middling town close to London) but actually fifty miles or so miles up the country in the county of Northamptonshire. This place has actually come to symbolise the dividing line between North and South England and now some amateur actors have come up with their own affectionate tribute to this 'legend in it's own lunchtime'Watford Gap: The Musical
I have been pondering what to offer up as a Scratchy tribute to this anniversary and though it's hard to top St Etienne's'Like A Motorway' for a pure pop pleasure, I feel the ultimate musical tribute to this tired travellers comfort stop has already been written back in 1977 and nothing will top it for capturing the pertinent atmosphere of the place and as a celebration of all things motorway like. Roy Harper's'Watford Gap' taken from his 1977 album Bullinamingvase buy it here has the horse power to be the ultimate motorway anthem with just the right ingredients in the lyric department.
Just about a mile from where the motorways all merge You can view the national edifice, a monumental splurge It's the lonesome traveler's rotgut or bacterias' revenge The great plastic spectacular descendant of Stonehenge And the people come to worship on their death-defying wheels Fancy-dressed as shovels for their death-defying meals
It's the Watford Gap, Watford Gap A plate of grease and a load of crap
At one a.m. on Sunday you can hear the boys declare That the other team were fairies and the ref was Fred Astaire It's Chopper Ronnie's fan club on their weekly pilgrimage To stick the hero's boot in all the way from Stamford Bridge And without a solid concrete-burger no night is complete Plastic cups of used bathwater wash away defeat
It's the Watford Gap, Watford Gap A plate of grease and a load of crap
The traffic jam is rattling like a five-mile cornered snake With fuming pieces falling off and steaming in its wake The city's like a goolie in a groupie's stagnant womb Spaghetti Junction's target in the vinegar strokes of doom The countryside is ravaged like a syphilitic whore Yodeling up the canyon is the dirty old Blue Boar
It's the Watford Gap, Watford Gap A plate of grease and a load of crap
Unsurprisingly the Service Station owners weren't too chuffed about this depiction of their pride and joy and Harper was forced to drop it from future U.K copies of the album, allegedly a member of the EMI board was also a member of the Watford Gap's Company board of directors. It reappeared on a later CD reissue and remained on the U.S LP.
Unfortunately, there isn't a decent video version of this classic but Watford Gap was the flip side of the song "One of Those Days in England", which featured backing vocals by Paul and Linda McCartney, this became became a Top 40 hit.
Roy Harper - One of Those Days in England - Live on Old Grey Whistle Test
