The Prisoners at The Royal Function Rooms Rochester Friday December 2nd 2022

Back in one of our earliest episodes of Retrosonic Podcast – myself, Rock photographer Paul Slattery and Adam from The Jetsonics all happened to choose a Graham Day related track for the playlist – in the end we decided on The Solarflares “Windsor Oval” and bemoaned the fact that Graham’s most recent outfit, The Gaolers had sadly called it a day after two blistering albums. There were rumours that Graham had packed in music all together and sold off all his guitars and we all mentioned how good it would be for him to play again. Well, not long afterwards we got our wish as Graham Day and The Forefathers emerged. This new band consisted of Graham, his former Prisoners colleague and bassist, Allan Crockford along with Wolf Howard on the drums and all three were bandmates in Graham’s other post-Prisoners bands, The Solarflares and The Prime Movers. Graham told me in a later Podcast that The Forefathers were “basically a tribute band to myself” – the band were to play the best tracks from The Solarflares, Prime Movers, The Gaolers and of course, The Prisoners too. I knew I just had to get involved and through my dealings with the Medway based band The Len Price 3, who we were championing at the time, managed to secure a show for The Forefathers at The Half Moon in Putney for one of our Retro Man Blog nights. So, despite warnings from more than one person that the band may be “difficult” to deal with I wasn’t to be deterred and the gig sold out pretty much immediately. In fact, I was to go on to promote more shows for The Forefathers along with The Solarflares reunion at the Water Rats in Kings Cross and The Senior Service album launch as well as various gigs with Allan’s own Galileo 7, so obviously I never got to experience their so-called difficult reputation. I must admit though, I was in awe to meet Graham, Allan and Wolf for the first time and it was a bit difficult to separate the fan from the promoter in me initially. Luckily, this is all just a hobby for me, I’m not a professional, so the fan easily won out and I made sure I was down the front among the “middle-aged mosh-pit” as Graham christened us from the stage – leaping about and singing along to all those classic songs. The Half Moon gigs seemed to go down a storm and thankfully the band enjoyed them too, so we did a few more shows together over the years. I’d told the band that the first time I ever became aware of The Prisoners was seeing them on CH4’s The Tube when they played “Reaching My Head” dressed in Star Trek outfits and then before one Forefathers show at The Half Moon, I went backstage to see Star Trek costumes hanging in the dressing room. I was almost moved to tears! It was great hearing The Forefathers play those Prisoners songs again even if they were stripped back and raw minus the Hammond organ. 

However, nothing quite beats the real thing and that’s what we got treated to courtesy of Lee Grimshaw and his team at the fabulous Spinout Nuggets, a Prisoners reunion to celebrate 40 years since the release of their classic debut album “A Taste of Pink” with the original line-up of Graham and Allan, James Taylor and Johnny Symons. The four of them had got together to play at a couple of benefit shows over the summer and I guess that’s where the idea for a full-scale reunion sprang from. So, some 37 years since I last saw The Prisoners, I was to get the dream opportunity to see them again at The Royal Function Rooms in Rochester, the jewel in their Medway home. The rush for tickets was phenomenal, the initial Friday night sold out in an instant and was soon followed by the announcement of further shows on the Saturday, then the Wednesday and Thursday were added too. Due to the demand, the Saturday was to be filmed for an on-line livestream which enabled even more eager fans around the world the chance to see their heroes in action. I must admit to being a bit concerned on how the shows would pan out and doubts were raised – would the band get along, Johnny doesn’t seem to have played drums regularly since The Prisoners, is James Taylor “too famous” nowadays? But as they took the stage to the strains of the theme from “The Sweeney” and Allan announced “track one, side one” and they powered into “Better In Black” and that crunching guitar riff hit everyone between the eyes, you could sense a huge tide of emotion spread through the crowd around me.

 

It was a real mixture of relief, disbelief and all those memories of being back at the Hammersmith Clarendon, the Star Trek outfits on The Tube flooded back. The band look great, sound great, turning back the clock – sounding as fresh, youthful and powerful as you could ever have wished for. For the first set, they play the whole of the debut album from the Garage Go-Go stompers like “Creepy Crawlies” and “Maybe I Was Wrong” to the emotional heartfelt numbers like “There Can’t  Be A Place” and my particular favourite “Til The Morning Light” which brings a lump to the throat – it’s a classic track that surely paved the way for The Charlatans and Inspiral Carpets to plunder and take to far more commercial success than the Prisoners ever achieved. It’s a travesty, but there you go – sadly, true originators often get overlooked. I mean, I can’t remember any other band on the scene at the time using a Hammond organ – The Fuzztones used a Farfisa to conjure up that authentic Nuggets sound but generally, keyboards and in particular the cumbersome Hammond, were a rarity. Of course, James Taylor has now become an internationally acclaimed Hammond maestro with his Quartet and it’s a truly wonderful experience to hear those swirling riffs again, in particular on “Say Your Prayers” which is a personal highlight.

There’s an interval and a chance to catch up with friends and exchange delighted chatter about just how bloody marvellous it all is and there was a real buzz of adrenaline coursing through the Royal Function Rooms. I bumped into a lot of people I’d got to know through our Retro Man Blog gigs over the years, many of whom are in their own bands including The Past Tense, Jetstream Pony, Thee Girl Fridays, The Beatpack, Of Arrowe Hill, The Len Price 3, The Dentists and everyone agreed we were experiencing something very special indeed. Thankfully, the band seemed to be enjoying themselves too – there’s lots of smiles and a nice chemistry between all four bandmates and in particular, between Johnny and James. One thing that hit me was to reminded just how good a drummer Johnny is, he’s lost none of the chops, powering away cheerfully through some quite complicated drum patterns and his performance gets a thumbs up from everyone I spoke to. “Hurricane” opens the second set and then follows most of the superb “The Last Fourfathers” album, although sadly no “I Am The Fisherman” which is saved for the very last number on the Saturday night Livestream. Of course, “Whenever I’m Gone” gets a huge cheer but for me it’s the “Thinking Of You (Broken Pieces)” that hits me right in the heart and I must admit to a tear in the eye as everyone sings along to the uplifting chorus. It would have been worth the entrance fee alone just to experience that one moment of magic. 

Retrosonic Podcast · Graham Day & The Forefathers

The set is punctuated by only two tracks from the “In From The Cold” album, luckily they are “Find And Seek” and the soulful strut of “Deceiving Eye” which has always been one of my favourite Prisoners songs. The band also play a fair selection of instrumentals including “Revenge of The Cybermen” and “Night of The Nazgul” – tracks that would lay the foundation for Graham’s current project The Senior Service and their Ennio Morricone, Barry Gray influenced tunes. The set closes with the classic “Melanie” which sparks off some frenetic dancing down the front and then sadly, it’s all over. But is it? Of course, there are encores, and the instrumental rarity “American Jingle” gets an airing along with “Reaching My Head” the very track that I first heard from The Prisoners and then finally it’s their cover of “Hush” and it really is all over. What can I say? Better than I could ever have hoped for – if it is to be The Prisoners last stand then I’m just thankful I was there to witness it. However, the reaction and demand was just too good to be ignored – and taking into account, the band seemed to be having fun too – I’m sincerely hoping that they will consider more gigs in the future. 

Sadly, just prior to the gigs the news filtered through that The Royal Function Rooms and worse still, the legendary Ranscombe Studios which is housed in the premises, are due to close soon. This is a nightmare and yet more damning evidence that cultural buildings have no protection in these relentless greed and profit driven times. How many great venues have we lost – not just the traditional down and dirty places such as the Marquee, The Fulham Greyhound, The Hammersmith Clarendon and the 12 Bar Club but historic buildings in their own right, like the Astoria and the Hammersmith Palais too. There is a fundraising concert at The St. George’s Hotel in Chatham on January 13th to help with the relocation of Ranscombe Studios that features a mouth-watering line-up of Medway talent including The Solarflares, The Len Price 3, The Galileo 7, The Masonics, Theatre Royal and more. Tickets and information can be found at this link. 

Huge credit to Lee and Dave Grimshaw at Spinout Nuggets and their team for organising the shows so brilliantly. Don't forget to check out the Retro Man Blog archive for loads of previous features on Medway related bands and music including reviews, videos and photos of all our shows with The Forefathers, Solarflares, The Galileo 7, The Len Price 3 and more. Also, all episodes of Retrosonic Podcast are available at our archives at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iTunes or Soundcloud including interview specials with Graham, Allan & Wolf, The Len Price 3, Billy Childish, Ian Greensmith of The Dentists and much more besides. More videos from the Royal Function Rooms show can also be found at our Retromanblog65 YouTube channel, here's a taster...

"A Little More Time With…The Senior Service" with guest vocalist Rachel Lowrie. Ms Sheringham-Boom reviews the new 10" Vinyl E.P. out now on Damaged Goods Records

"Instrumentalists find their voice" by Ms Sheringham-Boom (January 2022)

Happy 2022 anyone, anyone? This year has gotten off to a shaky start, and like everyone else, I am totally over this pandemic. It is however shaping up in one respect due to the release of some much-anticipated new music. Hopefully more widespread live events going ahead will follow across the UK and further afield in the not-too-distant future. Hat’s off to the fortunate ones who have managed to continue with their music throughout this time. There is a very welcome return to one band who managed to do just that at Ranscombe Studios in June last year. They are of course our favourite instrumentalists, The Senior Service (who feature Medway musicians Graham Day, Wolf Howard, Darryl Hartley and Jon Barker) whose much anticipated mini-LP is due for release on the Damaged Goods label this Friday 14th January. The band cordially invite us to spend "A Little More Time With…" Don’t mind if I do. But wait, there are vocals you say? 

The story goes that around year ago, The Senior Service (on a drunken night out) decided that they wanted to add a ‘little more’ to their instrumental sound. Enter Rachel Lowrie a local singer/songwriter who has previously recorded with a fair few fellow Medway stalwarts. Cited as their best work to date, four of the tracks on "A Little More Time With…" were written with Rachel in mind, and in a recent interview with Glenn Prangnell for the Groovy Uncle Podcast she declared that it’s ‘probably the best recording I’ve ever done.’ Who are we, readers, to argue with that? So, I put the question to Rachel about the collaboration 

Q: How did you feel about being approached by the band to sing vocals for them? 

Rachel: We were at Mr Unswitchable’s Open Mic night at Rochester Social Club in 2019 and I sang "24 Hours from Tulsa" (me and my ukulele) with some level of intensity. Jon Barker approached me about singing on their album that evening. I wasn’t sure the recording would happen until it had. And it’s a thing because they have made instrumental music and now vocals. I wondered what the songs would be like. I felt like I got a sneak preview.

Q: Were you familiar with the band’s sound, the individual band members, and their musical heritage?
Rachel: Yes of course, but I’m lazy with the details. I have grown up and lived in Medway most of my life, so I knew their names and band names. I’ve been to various gigs over the years, Graham Day & The Forefathers, The Daggermen, The Buff Medways, and The Senior Service etc.

Q: What was it like to be part of the recording process?
Rachel: I got the tracks and lyrics and turned up and sang to be honest, and it was all quite nice. As a bunch they were kind and welcoming and they laughed a lot - they have been mates for years so it felt like a relaxed space to come into. I was excited-nervous of course. I really like the songs they wrote. And I enjoy being at Jim’s studio (Jim Riley, Ranscombe Studios).

Q: What can we expect from you at the launch at the end of January, are you excited about it?
Rachel: I’m just looking forward to singing the songs live, should be fun.

Then there’s Darryl Hartley. As well as playing bass he also designed the fabulously evocative artwork for the cover sleeve. I asked him about his inspiration for this… 

Darryl: The sleeve artwork follows the previous designs we’ve had. I really like the Saul Bass posters of the sixties, so we’ve adopted that look as we believe it suits the music. I think with this record we were going for a jazz/lounge type feel to the whole package, so it ties in nicely with that too. It’s important that the artwork compliments the music and the 10" format also helps with this.

…and whilst he was there, I asked him about his song, the cool and collected "Just A Little Time".

Darryl: "Just A Little Time’ was written some years ago when I was going through a bit of a Bacharach phase or at least trying to go a bit Bacharach (I’d never claim that I’d ever reach those lofty heights). Years later when we decided we were going to do this record I remembered the song and thought it would work well with a female vocal. I had in my head a Dusty Springfield big ballad type of thing, a bit of brass, a dramatic chorus. It has come out pretty successfully. There are some unintentionally Carole King elements to it, which I’m not going to complain about!

Indeed. In fact, each band member has contributed to the writing of the songs on this EP, and it is difficult to choose a favourite, so I won’t. As well as the originals the band have included two covers of more obscure instrumentals: John Schroeder’s "Lovin' You Girl" and "Mysterious Land" by The Chris Lamb Orchestra. With this mini-LP you can expect the sublime, the nonchalant, and music of cinematic proportions; Hammond draped around brass, a sometimes-explosive guitar complimented by a driving rhythm section, and the stirring voice of a cool chanteuse.

You can hear a song from the new E.P. in our latest episode of Retrosonic Podcast.

Retrosonic Podcast · Episode 45 "Waking Up The Band"

"A Little More Time With…The Senior Service" the new 10" Vinyl E.P. with guest vocalist Rachel Lowrie is available to order from Damaged Goods Records here. For more info on The Senior Service please check out their Facebook page here. With thanks to Ms Sheringham-Boom. Ms Sheringham-Boom is the bassist in Edinburgh's premier purveyors of Garage Rock, Thee Girl Fridays.

Groovy Uncle "The Man Who Calls The Shots" - Amy K-B on the 8th Album from Glenn Prangnell's Musical Collective

Groovy Uncle "The Man Who Calls The Shots"

The 8th album from Glenn Prangnell's musical collective Groovy Uncle takes its title from the opening track, which, much like 2014's "Persuaded" could be the opening to an alternate universe James Bond film. It's all here, the John Barry-esque strings, the creeping bassline and the majestic purr of Miss Modus' vocals. There's a recurring filmic theme to this album; "Magic Happens" brings to mind Audrey Hepburn swooshing through Central Park in a pastel coloured suit to a Burt Bacharach soundtrack and instrumentals "Guitardis" and "Return to Guitardis" reimagine the same melody though the filter of 60's sci-fi soundtrack and gypsy jazz respectively. As always on a Groovy Uncle album there's a real mix of styles; if you don't like one song (unlikely) there'll be another one along in couple of minutes and it'll sound totally different to the last. Glenn told me that this comes from his appreciation of Beatles albums, and when you think that on Abbey Road "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" nestled snugly in between "Something" and "Oh! Darling" it makes perfect sense. For all that Groovy Uncle isn't limited by genre or style, there is very much a quality control process at work and if it's not right, it doesn't make the album. I asked Glenn if he writes with a specific singer in mind, and he told me that generally the song comes first and he rarely sits down with the intention of writing a particular style for a particular performer. Scottish songstress Miss Modus has appeared on both "Persuaded" and "Meanwhile Back in Medieval Britain" and her songs on this album showcase her voice perfectly, from the theatricals of the title track, to the chirpy, sunny pop song "Hedging my Bets'" and the wistful sweetness of "Heathen Child". She's a fabulously versatile singer and it's great to hear her take on so many different styles. 

 

Poster Artwork by Jonathan Ash

There are as usual lots of other Groovy Uncle regulars involved in "The Man Who Calls The Shots", including Wolf Howard and Mole Lambert on drums, Nick Rice on bass, Bruce Brand sharing guitar duties with Glenn and a host of other musical guests. There's even an appearance from gypsy jazz quartet Lost Revellers whom Glenn invited to play on "Sounds a Lot Like Me" and "Return to Guitardis". Lyrically, "The Man Who Calls The Shots" provides the happy blend of whimsy and acerbic humour that we've come to expect from Groovy Uncle; songs like "Soup" and 'God on a Bike" provide some giggles and balance the bittersweet of "Not a Single Word" and "Sounds A Lot Like Me". Whilst chatting to Glenn about the album I took the opportunity to ask just how the recording process works on a Groovy Uncle song and whilst the personnel may change one thing is always the same; they record together, the old fashioned way. "The Man Who Calls The Shots" was recorded at Ranscombe Studios and Glenn tells me that for him the camaraderie of working together in a studio is all part of the fun. Purchasers of "The Man Who Calls The Shots" also get treated to four bonus tracks on CD and download, three of which are reworkings of Groovy Uncle songs from "Play Something We Know" and "Persuaded", and a new version of "Days I Care To Remember" by The Offbeats, all sung by Miss Modus. 'The beauty of Groovy Uncle, really,' says Glenn, 'is that I can do whatever the fuck I like'. There probably aren't many musicians who can honestly say that; he's not limited by genre, style, choice of vocalist or musicians, and as if that wasn't enough Groovy Uncle records are released on his own label, Trouserphonic. Glenn really does get to call the shots, and with music of this quality long may that continue. Amy K-B, April 2020 

"The Man Who Calls The Shots" is out on vinyl, CD and download via Trouserphonic 11th May. For details on how to order please check out the excellent Groovy Uncle official web-site here. 

Poster Artwork by Jonathan Ash Art - to see more examples of Jonathan's artwork please visit the web-site here.

Groovy Uncle "Meanwhile Back In Medieval Britain" - Amy K-B reviews Glenn Prangnell's Collective's latest Album

"Meanwhile Back in Medieval Britain" is the 7th studio album from singer and songwriter Glenn Prangnell's musical collective Groovy Uncle. Recorded at Ranscombe Studios and released on Glenn's own label Trouserphonic Records, MBIMB (bit of a mouthful but there you go) is unique in Groovy Uncle releases in that it includes tracks written by people other than Glenn, and as well as featuring GU favourites Suzi Chunk and Miss Modus it also showcases the vocal talents of Ani Graves and Rachel Lowrie. Arriving scarcely a year after "A Clip Round the Ear", the cartoon cover (artwork by Darryl Hartley) hints of the whimsical humour we've come to expect from Groovy Uncle, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. "A Clip Round The Ear" was very much a nostalgic album, but MBIMB is firmly in the present and full of current references; Brexit, #metoo and the rather Donald Trump-esque Howard Eno ('got the greatest, biggest button in his tiny hands') and whilst a lot of the songs have a very sixties flavour to them there is a striking originality and freshness to the album; clearly there is no danger of Groovy Uncle running out of material any time soon. There is little continuity of style between tracks, but who wants that? If you don't like one song (and I can't imagine that you wouldn't) there's another one along in a minute to grab you by the collar and ensure your full attention. I asked Glenn how the idea of a more collaborative album came about, and he told me that it was something he'd already been considering when he was approached separately by Jon Barker (The Senior Service), Darryl Hartley (The Senior Service) and Andy Morten (Bronco Bullfrog) with the idea of using songs they'd written. Although the five non-Glenn penned tracks do stand out as being different (as indeed they should), they fit beautifully into the overall feel of the album, particularly the title track (by Darryl Hartley) with its mixture of snippy political commentary and sunny optimism. "Astronauts" (also by Darryl) is a Divine Comedy-esque epic, laden with strings and unapologetically theatrical. I was unfamiliar with Bronco Bullfrog until I started doing the research for this review (yes, I do research) and it's a band I'm delighted to have found; "She'll Never Be Mine" by Andy Morten puts a Groovy Uncle spin on the Bronco Bullfrog brand of 'sunshine pop'. Witty, wistful and 'poptimistic' (apologies to Andy for stealing that), its a great track.

Glenn with Suzi Chunk

I'm more familiar with Jon Barker's instrumental writings with The Senior Service but his contributions "Days Like This" and "You Think Too Much of Me" prove that he's an incredibly versatile songwriter. "Days Like This" (featuring Graham Day on guitar) is an immediate stand out track, and the Hammond led "You Think Too Much of Me" is unbelievably catchy. Glenn told me that he prefers writing for other singers than for himself, and MBIMB showcases some great examples of his long term collaboration with Suzi Chunk; "20/20 Hindsight" and "Reading Between the Lines" are classic Suzi songs, showing off her amazingly powerful and passionate voice, and "Lie to You" is drowsily gorgeous and proves that the inimitable Ms Chunk can indeed do both. Many Groovy Uncle fans will have been eagerly awaiting the return of Miss Modus, and her blistering rendition of "Good Child" is a definite high point. GU newcomers Ani Graves and Rachel Lowrie are sweetly haunting on the folky "It Wasn't Me It Was Yesterday", and their voices are a beautiful compliment to each other despite them not having met until the day of recording. As always Glenn is accompanied by a supporting cast of amazing musicians, this time including Mole, Wolf Howard, Nick Rice and Anna and Paul Jordanous. Most Groovy Uncle articles and interviews tend to touch on the subject of whether these are songs we will ever heard played live, something that Glenn has always said is very unlikely, due to the numbers of people involved, and the geographical difficulties, but wonderful though I'm sure a live Groovy Uncle gig would be, there is something special about the little bubble of perfection that this recording project has become. MBIMB is a perfectly polished wall of sound; in short, flipping excellent.

- AKB, September 2018

Thanks to Amy for the great review. MBIMB will be released on October 1st and is available on 180g Vinyl with download code, numbered lyric sheet and sticker and it will also be released as a Digipack CD. You can order from the band's web-site here and also hear a track from the album in our latest episode of Retrosonic Podcast which can streamed/downloaded for free below:

DJ Lee Grimshaw Talks to Amy KB about the New Sergeants Mess 7" Single, his Debut Release on Spinout Nuggets Label

DJ Lee Grimshaw

Amy KB: Tell me about Spinout Nuggets, what inspired you to start your own label?

Lee Grimshaw: From a very young age, I dreamed of running a record label, owning a record shop and managing a music venue. Like many, I spent hours hunting for and buying records and I was lucky to have two older brothers who also shared the same love. We were regularly taking the train up to London together on Saturdays for record shopping or attending gigs and club nights all over the South East. The old TVS studios in Gillingham (which sat on our route to the train station) was always the place that my brothers and I pictured to be the venue that we would one day conquer and convert into a hub for all the above. Unfortunately, that plan never came to be, and it eventually became the site for yet another Lidl outlet. We had by then already relocated to Newquay, but the dream was still vibrant! Supporting record labels such as Detour, Damaged Goods, State, Crocodile, Heavy Soul, Vacilando ‘68 and many others over the years opened my eyes a little to how a passion and a dream could be combined and maybe become a reality.

I remember listening to the Retro Man Blog Podcast interview with Ian at Damaged Goods a few years back and felt inspired by Ian’s passion for pressing up the Slaughter and the Dogs reissue back in ’88. He even went along to actually witness the manufacturing at the pressing plant. At this time, my dream was still just that, a dream. Years later in 2017, I was lucky enough to be accepted for voluntary redundancy, following twenty-three years’ service, allowing me to have some investment cash for a few ongoing projects, including the label. I also experienced a life changing moment (losing a cherished family member too early in life), which gave me a little boot up the bum! So, the dream started to look a little more likely. The label was actually set up due to some unreleased tracks that were put my way (more on this later), and I’m really pleased with the whole thing. There was already a ‘Spinout Records’ in operation, so I needed to tag something different to the ‘Spinout’ name, and after many hours deep in thought, Nuggets felt good. I asked Darryl Hartley to help out with the logo, based on his mighty fine long line of sterling artwork.

AKB: What drew you to Sergeants Mess for the first release?

LG: While all the dreaming and redundancy affair was going on, Johnny Barker from the band kindly sent me a copy of the first Sergeants Mess EP, which was produced by Billy Childish back in 2002, to play on the Spinout Show. He’d hinted that they had further unreleased tracks available, recorded with the mighty Mole at Sandgate Studios in 2013, and he asked if I knew anyone who’d be up for getting it out. Well, I originally thought my time had come, but just didn’t know how to get the ball rolling. Jon sent the tracks through, and I got a one-off carved up in order to play during my DJ set down at the colossal Beatwave Weekender 2017. I played it on the show too, and there was some great interest in it. I made a few enquiries but it wasn’t the right time for other labels to get it out, due to other planned releases.

So, following an ad-hoc meeting with Jon in a Rochester boozer, I felt it was the right time, and what better release to start with than the Mess quartet. With the help and guidance from Mole at State Records (did someone say ‘State Records?!’) and Russell at Crocodile Records, I managed to get the ball rolling. Big thanks to those fellas for their time and support. Jon had already put the sleeve artwork together, and I added a few bits on, including the numbering, which I’ve always loved (it took me a whole evening to hand number these) and Jon printed them up too. It’s a real buzz to have such a collection of respected musicians for the first label release, just check out their collective musical journeys – Senior Service, CTMF, Buff Medways, Goodchilde, Daggermen, Phaze etc - their names appear on a fair few records in my collection, and I’m most certainly happy that it's a Medway band too! Plus the fact that the band share their name with the much remembered army surplus outlet in Chatham (don’t know if it’s still there or not, but I’m going back to the late 80’s on this one). Also, using Graham at Cyclone Music in Rochester for the whole pressing operation felt just right too, and the service was perfect.

"Sergeants Mess "Well That's Another Fine Mess" - On this hand-numbered limited edition 7” vinyl release of 300 copies, the Mess provide two stormers, each in it’s own parallel universe. "Couldn’t I Be Yours" gives a respectful nod to the Garage output of the 60s, and "Back In The Bag" is an experi-mental, yet very well constructed and funked up Kinks vs Gorillaz-esque wonder".

AKB: What can we expect to hear next on Spinout Nuggets?

LG: The label is no way intended to be something major or competition to anyone else but there are a few potential ideas for future releases. I would love to continue with it and roll out some real gems, and a few bands have already showed an interest in working on it. Hopefully, we may put one of our very own recordings out soon, either as Little Miss Mojo, or in a band offering, but I’m also up for any good offers. There’s also stuff I like that hasn’t been available on vinyl format up until now and I may work on trying to help arrange a release. Who knows, let’s see how it goes.

The Spinout Gang by Darryl Hartley

AKB: The Spinout Empire seems to be growing all the time! As we’ve discussed, you have the label, and the radio show but what else do you have planned for the future?

LG: Spinout Productions is the overall tag and it allows integration into other affairs, whether it’s flyer/graphic/design, entertainment assistance, whatever really. As a collective, we are really pleased with how things are going, and spending less time at a day job has allowed me to spend more time in all musical things (including the continued search for records). I’ve also managed recently to set up the new Spinout Productions website with the guidance of my brother Darren (thanks!), and I quite enjoyed the whole process, including the ecommerce shop side too. I’m hoping this may grow into a community-based hub for all our fave friends too. We totally appreciate all the support to date. For the Spinout Show, we’ll continue to run a live weekly one as much as we can (Wednesdays, 6-8pm, at ncbradio, with various guests. We’ve had some great additions, including some very special guests, our good friends Rick and Amy, the State Records take-over and our regular guests, brother Dave Grimshaw and Stevie Junk Wax. We’re always on the lookout for new music too, so send it to us!

The Spinout Revue continues to flourish, and we are lucky to be able to take this to various weekenders, festivals and venues throughout the year, in addition to our own organised affairs. We have only just returned from performing at the High Rollers Weekender in Las Vegas, under The Spinout Revue outlet, with live vocals from Little Miss Mojo, and we are pleased to have been part of it. What a weekend! We flew out with The Len Price 3 too, and they tore the roof off the place the night before us. We will certainly return to this great weekend, it was so well-organised (good work Eric, John, Patrick and the team), full of real nice people with such a good vibe. The whole ‘Revue’ idea was always going to include various performers, and we will continue to include as many as we can, whether it being DJ’s, a band, some poetry, dancers, visuals, whatever, and we’re hoping to get some more acts down to Cornwall too.

The record shop dream may still become a reality, along with running a music venue (in order to put on all what we like), and I’m working on these, combining the two would be ace and we’re on the hunt for a venue. In the meantime, I’m using the Spinout Shop on the website to sell some specially picked releases to share. We really do appreciate the continued support, bookings, socialising, laffs, friendships, beers, and of course, the events we are able to attend (including the mighty fine Retro Man nights). I’d also like to take this moment to thank ‘the Mess’ (Jon, Darryl, Wolf and Chris) and all that have sailed in her (or bought the 7”…!). Graham Semark, all our Spinout show listeners worldwide, Mole and Lois, Russell Crocodile, Dave Grimshaw, Russ Wilkins, Adam Cooper, Adrian Gibson, Jordan Cinco, John Manion and Steve from Retro Man Blog for all their continued help, support and services to all Spinout affairs. All the bands and promoters that put so much effort in to what they do, and of course, my partner in musical crime, the one and only Little Miss Mojo (Emma), who I’ve had the pleasure (and support) to build this all with.

Check out the Spinout Productions new web-site here for further information on all the Spinout news and happenings and how to order the new 7" single by Sergeants Mess. You can hear one side of the Single in Episode 29 of Retrosonic Podcast. With thanks to Amy and Lee.

The SolarFlares 13th and 14th October at The Water Rats with Special Guests The Fallen Leaves, King Mojo, The Embrooks and DJ Lee Grimshaw

The SolarFlares photographed by Paul Slattery

I'd like to thank everyone that came along to our Retro Man Blog presents The SolarFlares reunion shows at The Water Rats, I really appreciate all the fantastic feedback and comments which goes to show you all seemed to enjoy it as much as we did! Amy Kilroy-Buck kindly contributed her thoughts on the weekend. "When the tickets have sold out before the poster is even printed, you know it's going to be a bit of a special gig. Originally a one off to coincide with the vinyl reissue of three albums on Damaged Goods, the gig quickly became a two off in order to meet the apparently insatiable demand of fans and tickets flew out at a pace that makes this Retro Man Blog's fastest selling event so far. I went to both nights (as one does) and it really was pretty spectacular. Friday night began with an excellent set from DJ Lee Grimshaw before The Fallen Leaves took to the stage. The Fallen Leaves ('no jeans, no t-shirts, no cover versions') are always a joy to watch, with their punchy, catchy songs and unashamedly theatrical delivery. You'll find no wasted notes or excessive noodling here, just good, old fashioned, tweed clad garage punk.

The Fallen Leaves photographed by Paul Slattery

Rob Symmons of The Fallen Leaves photographed by Paul Slattery

I've never seen The Solarflares live before (I was 18 when they split up and only just starting to develop any kind of taste in music), but I've been a regular at Forefathers gigs for quite some time now and, like many of the audience, I was interested to see just how different an all SF's set would be, and if the addition of the Hammond really made much difference overall. Right from the first song it became apparent that it really, really does. The squirly, wailing chords add another layer of sound to an already powerful mix, and it also meant we got treated to the instrumentals Lunar Girl, Moonshine of Your Love, Angel Interceptor, and my absolute favourite, Girl in a Briefcase. With an extensive back catalogue to choose from, the choice of songs on Friday night veered from the poignant (Mary) to the witty (Feet the Wrong Way Round) through to the downright groovy instrumentals via the occasional audience singalong (Miles Away).

Allan Crockford of The SolarFlares photographed by Paul Slattery

Graham Day & Wolf Howard of The SolarFlares photographed by Paul Slattery

The Solarflares really do have something for everyone, and the multiple encores on Friday night definitely gave the impression that the band were enjoying themselves too. One gig down, one to go, or, as Allan joked, 'thank you for coming to our rehearsal for tomorrow'. I've never been to see the same band in the same venue on two consecutive nights before, but on Saturday we shook off our hangovers and piled back into the Water Rats, ready for some more. Saturday's line up gave us two support bands, the first of whom, King Mojo, had made the 500 mile round trip from the frozen north beyond the wall (all right, Middlesbrough) to kick things off for a second night of music. I've seen King Mojo before on their home turf, and as a live band they really are dynamite, combining sharp, spiky song writing with class musicianship. Their EP Ironstoned is on my 'to be reviewed' stack, so more on them soon. Definitely ones to watch, and a great start to the night.

King Mojo - Photo Copyright Retro Man Blog

The Embrooks - Photo Copyright Retro Man Blog

My nearest and dearest will be well acquainted with my tendency to keep banging on about how much I love The Embrooks, but I can honestly say that this band alone would be worth the trip down to London, and if you haven't seen them yet, I urge you to do so. Their stage performances have a manic energy that make them captivating to watch, and their songs will rattle around in your head long after the gig is over. Saturday was already off to a great start, and it was time for more Solarflares. With one or two small changes to the set the band seemed a little more relaxed than the previous night, and soon got into their stride. The Water Rats is a fairly cosy venue, but I decided to fight my way down to the front, and it was well worth the effort.

Wolf Howard of The SolarFlares photographed by Paul Slattery

As on the previous night the sound was full and vibrant, but there was an extra veneer of confidence there and definitely no clues that this was a band that hadn't played together for a long time. The long established team of Graham Day, Allan Crockford and Wolf Howard seem to have a collective sixth sense that we're used to seeing with The Forefathers, but the addition of Parsley on Hammond organ really did elevate this band to something pretty extraordinary. His playing is subtle and empathetic, and supports the guitar rather than fighting it. He's a snappy dresser too, and I hope we see him on stage again at another Retroman night in the future.

Parsley of The SolarFlares photographed by Paul Slattery

The Solarflares always talk about their band with great fondness, and Saturday's gig really did have the feel of a group of friends who were having a great time. The songs still sound new and fresh, and there's obviously some real affection from the audience. As the band came to the end of their final song, Graham leant his Gretsch Black Panther against his Vox and left the stage to a fanfare of self induced feedback. Allan dutifully switched off the amp as the band exited stage right to riotous cheers. The final encore of Father's Name Is Dad marked the end of a triumphant reformation for The Solarflares, and whether they do it again, or it remains a two off, it was a spectacular couple of nights for a few hundred people in Kings Cross." - AKB October 2017

Graham Day of The SolarFlares photographed by Paul Slattery

With thanks to Amy for the great review and to Paul Slattery for his superb photos as always. You can see more photos of all the bands over the two nights at the Retro Man Blog Facebook page here and some videos over at our YouTube channel here. There's also a great review of the Friday night show over on the always excellent Monkey Picks Blog which can be found here.

Groovy Uncle "A Clip Round The Ear" - New Album Review and Interview with Glenn Prangnell

Can you name me a perfect album? I’m talking about an album you can play from side one track one right through to the end without skipping a track? One where every song is a potential hit single and the timeless production means you won’t be cringing in twenty years’ time. Where the title and the cover art perfectly complement each other and the lyrics and music within. Go on, be honest…It’s more difficult than you think isn’t it? Well, Groovy Uncle have just nailed it with the release of their Sixth album “A Clip Round The Ear”, they have delivered that very rare commodity – a perfect album. It's an eclectic romp through Garage Rock, Freakbeat, Tropicália, Soul and Beatles inspired guitar pop. Think The Attack, The Small Faces, The Move and The Who mixed up with The Detroit Cobras, Sergio Mendes and Dusty Springfield and you might get an idea of what we are looking at here. But don’t just take my word for it…first of all Amy Kilroy-Buck gives her verdict on “A Clip Round The Ear” and then we chat to the Groovy Uncle himself, Glenn Prangnell.

Groovy Uncle at Hipsville Weekender - Photo Retro Man Blog

"Until a few months ago I was, shamefully, unaware of Groovy Uncle. Luckily for me, YouTube had begun to catch on to my musical preferences and the name kept appearing in the recommended videos. I clicked on a link (“Count On Me” if anyone's interested) and I was hooked. For the uninitiated, Groovy Uncle isn't exactly a band, more a musical collective featuring a whole host of musos including (on this album) Allan Crockford, Jim Riley, Mole Lambert, Jon Barker and Wolf Howard with songwriter Glenn Prangnell at its centre, and often featuring Cardiff songbird Suzi Chunk. Possibly because of the ever changing line-up and possibly because Glenn seems to have a talent for writing in so many different styles, you can't pin Groovy Uncle down to a genre and the songs bounce happily from Sixties flavoured Pop to Soul with a detour through Garage and the occasional flirtation with Bossa Nova. Pressed on rather eye-wateringly lurid green vinyl, ”A Clip Round The Ear” is notable both for what it isn't and what it is. It's not an album that sits within a genre or is easy to define but it is both musically superb and full of surprises. One of the things that I've really enjoyed about previous Groovy Uncle releases is the mixture of chirpy, witty, story songs alongside your more traditional pop songs and ballads and “A Clip Round The Ear” delivers on both counts, although the feel is more nostalgic and the characters a little more sinister. 

“Oil and Colour Man” in particular made me picture a hybrid of Stanley Unwin and Keith Moon as Uncle Ernie, and if that's not sinister then I don't know what is. Attention to detail is always a key theme with Groovy Uncle, and this album really does demand a 'proper' listen with decent headphones because there is one hell of a lot going on. The songs are multi-layered and intricate with luxuriously full harmonies and of course, the mighty set of lungs belonging to Suzi Chunk. Suzi purrs, snarls and growls her way through her songs and effortlessly swoops from the swaggering attitude of “To The Moon and Back” to the velvety gorgeousness of “The Scheme of Things” and “Things I've Been Meaning to Say”. “Got Up and Gone” and “Now Your Pain is Over” are dance floor friendly funk tinged earworms in the making and Suzi's contributions really are classic ‘Unc and Chunk’. Nostalgia is a thread that runs right through the album, from the delightful black and white picture of Glenn's auntie on the cover, to the hauntingly poignant “Invisible Man” and wry humour of “Mrs Saywell Says”. I'm told that the story songs are inspired in part by the recollections of Glenn's parents and his skills as a storyteller as well as a tunesmith are much in evidence here. In summary, “A Clip Round The Ear” is flipping excellent. The lyrics are quirky and witty, the musicianship superb and the tunes catchy in the extreme. This is certainly an album that will bear repeated listening, and, as if that wasn't enough, the first hundred copies come with a colouring sheet and a balloon. Ten out of ten and a gold star." - Amy Kilroy-Buck.

Groovy Uncle's Glenn Prangnell & Suzi Chunk

I caught up with Groovy Uncle main-man Glenn Prangnell to get the low-down on the new album...

Q: “A Clip Round The Ear” is a pretty nostalgic phrase, evocative of a more innocent time where all you had to worry about was a clip round the ear from your parents, teacher or the local Bobby. Is there any concept behind the title and the album?

G: The idea was triggered after I’d been chatting to my parents about their lives. I recorded an interview with them for posterity and got them talking about their childhood and our family life. They were born just before the outbreak of the Second World War and recalled the day war broke out. They also reminisced about how the milkman did his round on a horse and cart and their schooldays etc. etc. Then my Mum said “Oh and of course there was the Oil and Colour Man”. I had no idea what she was talking about but immediately thought to myself ‘that’s a song title right there!’ Apparently he went round door to door selling lipstick, soaps and…paraffin! I’d say that was the moment I got the germ of an idea for this album.

Q: The Oil and Colour Man is just one of the striking characters that appear in the album alongside ‘our Gary’, ‘Mrs Saywell’ and the ‘invisible man’, where did you get the inspiration for these characters from?

G: During the chat with my parents they began talking about their time at Infant school. There was a teacher called Mrs Neat who used to address the class while standing by an open fire, hitching up the back of her skirt to warm her arse! So I took these characters and mixed them up with some memories of my own schooldays and applied fictional stories to people who had actually lived. Mrs Saywell was another of my parents’ teachers so I used that name in the song title which opens the album, “Mrs Saywell Says”. I made the “Oil & Colour Man” a seedy, sinister character though I’m sure he wasn’t in real life! “Our Gary’s No Fool” was initially about a kid I went to school with called Stuart who passed every exam seemingly without any effort, good at sport, etc. etc. but the name wasn’t right for the song. Then I remembered a friend of my brother’s who was a similar character but whose name was Gary and that sounded much better. The lady on the cover of the album is my Mum’s sister. She married a bloke who most of the family (including me) never met even though they lived nearby. To this day I’ve never even seen a photograph of him! So he was always the ‘mysterious’ uncle or, as I call him in the song “Invisible Man”. By the way, I was born in the house in the background! The song and album cover also references the pub next door called The Lads of the Village (“How they gonna take it at the Lads?”)

Groovy Uncle at Hipsville Weekender - Photo Retro Man Blog

Q: It's a very eclectic album that takes in Bossa Nova, Freakbeat, Garage Rock, Soul and even dare I say...Easy Listening...where do you get such varied influences from?

G: Music has always been a big part of family life on both sides. My Mum had three brothers who all had good singing voices and my Dad played piano and piano accordion. He also did an Al Jolson tribute act in the early ’50’s! The range of music was always varied in our house where Perry Como and Frankie Vaughan albums stood happily alongside The Who and The Anti-Nowhere League! At some point during family get-togethers we’d end up having a singalong around the piano. Along with listening to records this is how I learned about harmonies and how songs worked. It mattered not what type of music or if it was old or new, rock or easy listening, I just soaked it all up and I think that’s always been reflected in the songs I write and the type of records I make. “A Clip Round The Ear” is partly to do with characters and stories but is also connected to the type of music that was around when I was growing up. That’s why there is fuzzy garage rock one minute and easy listening samba the next. There’s even a nod to early ’70’s soul ballads and The Chi Lites, Detroit Spinners in “I Thought It Was About Time” because that was in the air a lot when I was a pre-Punk era kid.

Q: Your regular vocalist Suzi Chunk is based in Cardiff so how did you get to know about her and work together?

G: I first hooked up with Suzi via My Space, remember that? I heard some recordings she’d done with various bands and thought she sounded like a funky Dusty Springfield. I was puzzled to learn there were no stand-alone Suzi Chunk releases available and I thought that should be put right so I asked her if she’d like to make an album with me as songwriter. She said yes.

Q: Does Suzi contribute music and/or lyrics to Groovy Uncle?

G: We don’t write together but she occasionally contributes unwittingly to ideas. The title song from her debut album, “Girl From The Neck Down” came about directly from a joke expression of hers as did “One Vowel Away From The Truth” which referred from me having been born in Kent (geddit?). The line in “When I Saw Love” which goes “Up before the crack of daft …” is also a Suzi-ism.

Q: With the Groovy Uncle “Persuaded” album you released a special vinyl edition based around the spy theme. It came in a brown paper bag with lots of extras. Are you planning anything similar with “A Clip Round The Ear”?

G: Yes, the first 100 copies of “A Clip Round The Ear” is out on green vinyl and will come with the CD version, a postcard, lyric/colouring-in sheet and green balloon. Fun for all the family!

A Clip Round The Ear

Q: The last time I saw a Groovy Uncle gig was way back in 2013 at the Hipsville Weekender. I would love to hear these new songs played live, have you considered getting a band together to go out on the road to promote the album? 

G: We’ve done a few live things including some gigs in Cardiff that Suzi and I did a couple of years ago but essentially we are a recording outfit. A live version of Groovy Uncle is difficult because there are a lot of different musicians involved, all of whom play in numerous bands and have other commitments. I’d want a dedicated line up with intensive rehearsals and I’m not sure anyone could really commit to that, to be honest. Then of course there are the geographical and financial challenges as well.

Q: Do you have particular musicians in mind for each album or specific track? Do you have a strict vision in your head for Groovy Uncle and direct the musicians you work with? Is it a case of the old Brian Clough quote "We talk about it for twenty minutes and then we decide I was right" or do you encourage ideas and contributions?

G: I usually know fairly early on during the demo stage which musicians I’ll use for the session. “Barefoot In The Car Park”, “Persuaded” and the “Look Back And Laugh” single for example, were always going to feature Bruce Brand on lead guitar. I’m not a good instrumentalist so I need to have really good players to interpret what I want. Mole Lambert and Wolf Howard on drums totally understand what I do as does Nick Rice on bass. It’s essential to have people on board who “get it”. I’ve been very fortunate with the horn section too - John Littlefair, Anna and Paul Jordanous - who are just superb. I’ve been lucky enough to work with jazz percussionist Roan Kearsey-Lawson who played vibes on a couple of things and he also scored the string quartet arrangement for “No Idea” from the “Persuaded” album. He tracked down the musicians for that session, all top notch classical musicians. Allan Crockford plays some mean guitar on the new album too. Yes, I consider myself a very lucky songwriter!

Q: Do you produce the albums yourself? Which studios do you record in?

G: The first two albums and singles were recorded at State Records studios in Sandgate. Mole Lambert produced and played on a lot of the tracks on those records as did Marty Ratcliffe. Mole is still involved with our stuff but after their studios were badly flooded and recording sessions ceased we moved to Jim Riley’s Ranscombe Studios in Rochester where we’ve recorded ever since. “Persuaded” was our first Jim Riley produced record. I’ve never been disappointed with anything we’ve recorded at either studio. Both studios have producers who are totally on board with us and understand what we want. I have a pretty clear idea of what I want most of the time but I always let the producer produce and I like everyone to chip in with ideas because they’re often better than mine! I always go into the studio with an open mind.

Q: You have released records on Mole’s State Records but also Trouserphonic, is that your own label? Have you released any other bands on the label? If not is that something you would consider?

G: We released the first two albums and singles on the State Records label. The third album “One Vowel Away From The Truth” was recorded at State and I had hoped they would like to release it too but it was decided against. I don’t think it fitted in with the type of stuff they were releasing at the time. So we had an album ready to go but no label and that’s when I decided to set up my own label and release it myself on Trouserphonic and that’s what we continue to do. I’m not against the idea of releasing other people’s stuff but up to now I haven’t really given it much thought.

Groovy Uncle at Hipsville Weekender - Photo Retro Man Blog

Q: Your first band The Off-Beats played gigs with The Prisoners, The Dentists and The Milkshakes, did you sense at the time that there was something special brewing in the Medway?

G: There has always been a healthy music scene in Medway going way back long before the Milkshakes/Prisoners days even. So much artistic talent in this funny, peculiar corner of the country. When I started out I always sensed there was something special about the Medway scene but, to be honest I never thought anyone would “make it”. It just seemed like too much of a laugh for all that serious mullarkey. Everyone was having too much fun!

Q: The Kravin' A's and The Off-beats were more traditional British Garage R'n'B bands but then Goodchilde - which featured you, Allan Crockford, Wolf and Jon Barker - seemed more of a "rock" band, lots of guitar riffing and occasionally - for example on "The World and His Wife" - almost a “Grunge/Nirvana” sound, were you taking your influence from what was coming out of America at the time?

G: Goodchilde took in a lot of influences from the 90’s music scene, Grunge, Britpop etc. and I think we were trying to break away from what we’d been doing previously. We were Johnny and The Bandits, Medway’s premiere 60’s covers party band, available for all occasions! None of us thought very highly of the 80’s music scene and suddenly there were bands in the charts we actually liked so Johnny Barker and I began writing songs with a lot of that stuff in mind.

Q: There's a Goodchilde track "Email Female" which wouldn't seem out of place on the new Groovy Uncle album, and Suzi Chunk did an updated version of the Kravin' A's "Tripwire", and the Off-Beats "Millionth Time" - do you look back on your old bands with fondness and have you been tempted to "re-form" any of them? I think The Off-Beats in particular would go down really well in today's scene.

G: I have a lot of affection for all those bands. They were great times and I regret none of it. But I’m not one for living in the past and not a big fan of reunions. It’s strange how so many people attempt to cling on to what has gone and by doing so are missing out on now. Now is all we’ve got!

Q: Did any of the early Groovy Uncle demos with Allan Crockford and Darryl Hartley ever see the light of day?

G: Those demos haven’t surfaced officially yet. I’ve got so many lying around and some are good. I might put a compilation together one day…

Groovy Uncle at Hipsville Weekender - Photo Retro Man Blog

With thanks to Glenn Prangnell and Amy Kilroy-Buck. You can order "A Clip Round The Ear" and check out more info on Groovy Uncle at their new web-site here and Suzi Chunk here.