PURPLE GANG HISTORY/INTRODUCTION

The Forgotten Flower Power Band From The London Underground

The First Psychedelic Jugband ?

****(4 Stars against an item means there is more to tell of interest- to be accessed later by arrangement-as there is too much to be offered freely at this stage…JB)

"1967 was a remarkable year, for many reasons.Records that would now probably achieve only cult status, were Top of the Pops.There was a feeling that audiences were open to anything.A record that achieved true "cult"status that year was a surprising mix of Cheshire jugband and London hippy sub-culture-"GRANNY TAKES A TRIP" by THE PURPLE GANG. I produced it the same week as PINK FLOYD`s "ARNOLD LAYNE"-one night later. The two seemed part of the same world then, despite the vastly different careers that subsequently opened up for the two groups.At UFO, the crowd would cheer whenever it came on and start dancing madly to psychedelic lights.THE PURPLE GANG were an eccentric collection of talents, who have gone on to a variety of interesting careers.The London scene was greatly enriched that summer of `67 by their contribution." JOE BOYD…UFO club/ Producer/Manager/London Underground Movement**** FEB. 1998

"They can have No.2 and we`ll have No.1"..Syd Barrett to Joe Boyd on hearing "Granny" in Sound Techniques, Old Church St. Chelsea.

My name is Chris/Joe Beard and I am the founder/spokesperson/leader/custodian- of- archive/guitarist/co-songwriter/lyricist and torchbearer for the above-named band.Here is the main background to our story, which, if I have my way,is not over by any means yet…though the main emphasis in this version, is towards THE PSYCHEDELIC YEARS …`66 `67 `68

Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Fun .

The Purple Gang were allegedly from California,Chicago,London,Birmingham and Liverpool and also Manchester. None of this was true, just speculation because of our rare sightings and sudden disappearance…neither of which the band had much control over.We were actually formed by myself in Stockport Art College,Cheshire,England in the winter of 1965/66.

I had been to St.Ives in Cornwall that summer and hung out with some musos from the London area**** I wanted to be in a band for years having met Ringo Starr years before in The Rock & Calypso Ballroom at Butlins,Pwthelli, N.Wales****(I wore my "Lucky Ringo Socks" at "Granny Takes A Trip" recording,…at the 14 Hr.Technicolour Dream ..and when I got married!! I also had my first ad hoc guitar lesson from John Mayall in 1963 before a local gig of his, in our shared village in N.E. Cheshire.His house was also on my butchery-boy delivery round.-.on which I began the famous lyric to "Granny"

People in bands first are fans!.I was always hanging around bands, but I guess most budding musos are like this anyway…"money for nothin` an` yer chicks for free"

Gene Vincent

I met Gene Vincent once..and Joe Brown….and I booked Cyril Davies All Stars/ featuring Long John Baldry and The Velvettes for my school dance one night after following John Mayall into Manchester to see Alexis Koerner Band..(.Gene Vincent`s daughter Sherry lives nearby and has promised to sing "Be Bop A Lula" with Purple Gang ..anytime soon . ) But as the British R&B boom cooled down a touch,I discovered JUGBAND MUSIC and being a poor art student ,I thought here was my chance to get out there and PLAY.

I formed a band by asking Peter Walker, who I had re-met down in St. Ives…when he was temporarily working as a gravedigger(…a suitable blues-singer apprenticeship?)….as I was told he liked singing blues at college.He brought in his mate Gerry Robinson on harmonica and I then asked the comical extrovert Geoff Bowyer to add washboard/piano and then Ank Langley on jug .I bought a guitar( with my college fees) and we practised after college in whatever room we could find empty.The jug was made for us and fired in the Pottery Dept.

Joe Brown

We started out in the folk/blues scene and did some weird gigs****and then an eccentric friend of ours called Gordon Aldred (half-mast elephant-cord. trousers,smock,bowler-hat,posh oxford accent and Frankenstein impersonations) suggested we did a demo-tape and he would hawk it round Tin Pan Alley.

He would come back cursing "the damn Philistines" after being rejected as not commercial enough etc… One night during rehearsal he came in whittering -on about something and nothing for ages..and turned on heel to walk out saying "Well I`m off to a séance now"and left the room.We all looked at one another vacantly… then he popped his head around the door saying quite blandly "Oh..by the way……..we`ve got a recording contract.!!"

The uproar was deafening, with screaming and shouting/drumming fists on desks and general mayhem..bringing the old caretaker "Bees Knees" running down the corridor. He found himself in an impromptu knees-up with "THE YOUNG CONTEMPORARIES JUGBAND" as we called ourselves then.

So off to London town we went ,on the bus, with our "gear,"to an appointment with destiny…and Nat Joseph of pioneering folk/blues label TRANSATLANTIC.

At Transatlantic.. Sheila (Elton John`s producer,Gus Dudgeon`s wife) Gudgeon made us a welcome drink and I sarcastically commented about the wino outside,who we had seen sliding down the wall and pissing his pants " Who`s that you`ve signed up now?" This was met with stony silence, but I could see the band were suppressing laughter, whilst praying I had not blown it for us.

Nat took to us and praised my lyrics but said we should do more of our own stuff and my guitar playing must improve..touchee.The next day he brought in a young American called JOE BOYD to meet us who he thought may be a possible Producer for us ., as JOE was connected to USA jugband people, "Lovin` Spoonful" "Jim Kweskin" and worked with Elektra Records and was a general music man about town.BUT…he was involved with the new "Happening" scene and was also commisioned to produce a debut single for a band down from Cambridge now calling themselves THE PINK FLOYD

It was instantly agreed by all that our daft name had to go and what`s more it should be colourful and relating to the Roarin`20`s NO CONTEST It had to be "THE PURPLE GANG"(Detroit murder squad and ELVIS would always sing the name forever in "Jailhouse Rock…" as Joe quickly pointed out) BUT .horror- of- horrors.the long hair would have to be cut, to go with a "gangster" image.(our first big managerial mistake) Gerry, Pete and Ank had longer hair than the "STONES" so were mortified.But Joe pointed out that if we wanted to stand out in the London hip scene it might not be such a terrible thing.We all reluctantly agreed.Gerry lost all his strength.!

Gordon was to be tour/road manager and we would have to get a van (Nat Joseph never offered to buy it…I noted) There was no mention of where we would all stay/sleep…a minor detail when you are young/immortal and about to become stars. A van would become our home on wheels later****(thanks Transatlantic !)

That week Joe took us off to meet THE FLOYD down at the " Marquee"in Soho And it was all polite intros, "good luck" and "where you from?" sort of thing.Syd liked jugband stuff and I could see he was interested in "Lucifer" as we called Pete.

The dressing room was getting crowded, so we gave our goodbyes and went out to stand near the bar on the right. I was pleased this was going to be an "arty" band, when I saw the light-show /oil- wheel set-up,as we had wondered about how to incorporate paintings or art into our shows..but we had gone down a light-hearted/tongue-in-cheek goodtime route-as jugbands tend to.

The lights went down and I walked to the front of the stage grinning at Syd ,but he`d got into "mode"and was concentrating.The place wasn`t packed as this was all new-ish stuff and they launched into Astronomy Domine (I think) .Before they started though, I remember the red amp pilot-lights (or LEDS now) twinkling like stars and then the first oil-wheel coloured blobs dancing into action over the guys and Nicky`s drums.We were all thrilled with it and thought "YEAH, THIS IS GOOD BRAVE STUFF"good on` yer guys .But oh we were jealous of that EQUIPMENT.

Later on we returned to play the "Marquee" ourselves and I met up with Long John Baldry once more in the dressing room, who told me John (Mayall) was getting really famous now.I thought wow I hope I can make it as well…(.two from the same little Village at the cutting edge of it all) I met a young dark-haired guy in there in the dressing room called Steve Adams and he let me have a go on his beautiful "Black Box"GIBSON…..he let me tune-it in for him as his hands were shaking(after all he was going on solo as compere)He did OK and was signed up after that gig.His song "I LOVE MY DOG" was haunting that night and we all congratulated the young "CAT STEVENS".to be.

Another night at the Marquee I was really upset because I`d broke a string /we were off-form/didn`t go down as good as usual (we were never billed on the posters as we were being groomed by Transatlantic…so we played for no money.Thanks Transatlantic.) and I was a bit inhibited by Al Stewart`s flash guitar work..in the extreme.Also the famous London street- singer Meg Aikman arrived brought in by Alexis Korner….she was amazing.I was sat in the dressing room despondant -and tearful Shegave me a big bearhug / encouraging praise and general keep- your- chin-up pep-talk.At the end she whispered to me"and don`t you never let on that I told you I was from Cheshire too…not London….it`s all a game sweetheart ..we`re all in a game…keep playing it."she winked…(.thanks Meg wherever you`re singing now….maybe for St.Peter?)

The arrogance of the small town jugband from Cheshire,to appear in the heart of the inner sanctum of the trippy Underground..with short hair ,in gangster suits,SMILING on stage with next to no equipment,was breathtaking in the extreme.But as Joe Boyd puts it "audiences were open to anything then"People were beginning to like us/talk ****about us.(the manager of the MOVE sent a letter of complaint saying we were plagiarising their new gangster image..and was considering suing…..we replied "Go ahead"and heard no more.

I had previously seen an old lady back home getting into an old Rolls,with her chauffeur loading her cases and I hoped to get something like this into a song. Maybe to do with Silent Movies or something. I had scribbled some rubbish down on meat wrapping paper on my delivery round (on which was the Mayall`s)…"no more sad songs for me….when I get me across the sea…gonna dance with Rudi Vallee" sort of garbage…so when Joe took us down to the World`s End in Chelsea to meet Nigel Waymouth and Michael English in their new boutique "Granny Takes A Trip"We went back there to do our publicity shoot for the record company and PAUL McCARTNEY turned up to buy a dress for Jane Asher and stayed around to watch .-much hero worship from Purple Gang. Also Patti Boyd was waiting outside..

The song title was all there waiting.-.fate if you like.The shop front fitted our image and it just had to be written.It was one of those fateful coincidences in retrospect.

After more appearences/adventures****we got back home to our base, which was by now an ancient tiny pub in Macclesfield.,where our friends/followers used to hang out playing guitars and all that 60`s stuff.Geoff and I were songwriters by now and on the way home from the pub he got this really fast tune going in his head.He got on the piano and gave it a few goes(we couldn`t write notation) until Fred, his Dad kicked him off to bed. Next day I was round to help with the rest of it (Intro/Middle etc.) and of course I suggested "Granny Takes A Trip". It was written straight away then..no problem…about THAT old lady going to Hollywood.We rang Joe and he checked with Nigel about us doing it….no problem at all, in fact they were delighted

We knew what a "trip" could be,but we never thought it would be offensive or outrageous(and when your lead singer is a witch.****.not much else seems outrageous!)

Nat Joseph sent Joe up in his old Humber "Snipe"- which he abandoned in S.Cheshire when it blew up- and he arrived by train to hear "Granny".He thought it was great BUT the band wanted "Bootleg Whiskey" as the single.Joe pointed out that the hippies were going to become influential to popular taste and we all really belonged to what would be termed "The Underground"..even as a jugband…("the two seemed part of the same world back then.."..Joe Boyd 1998) And besides Transatlantic were going to launch their new "pop"label BIG T with us and this "Granny"song.So it was agreed Joe Boyd would launch his new discoveries THE PURPLE GANG with "GRANNY TAKES A TRIP". It went in the music papers and all the Underground had another release to look forward to along with PINK FLOYD`s.

We went into UFO, this club Joe was running on Tottenham Court Rd.and met THE FLOYD again.This time they were in their own environment and we all enjoyed the night.They said they were in the studios the day after us but hadn`t got the right record deal and had got backing to do their own thing….the record deal would come later.

My heart sank when I realised we had signed up to a label first without any advance to us or much muscle………but…….as a jugband we had already come thus far, so what the hell.But their way was the best way in the long run.When I heard that the title was ARNOLD LAYNE….I fell about laughing as I was at school with a kid called ARNOLD BLAYNE..Syd said "Man you`re kidding?"..but it`s true..he`s still alive But does NOT RAID LADIES WASHING LINES OK.???

We went into SOUND TECHNIQUES Old Church St. Chelsea early in `67, which was a converted slaughter-house..The control booth was high up some stairs and we trooped up to meet John Wood and assistant Jerry.(Woody was very interested in what Walker got up to at his coven..but didn`t get any info.) .thankfully.

We were a tight band,confident and well played-in.Piano/guitar/mandolin/jug went down in 5 takes.Next..harmonica and washboard and it was adjournment-time to the pub opposite for lunch.I got into conversation and a round with Rodney Bewes (one of the"Likely Lads"….big TV stars then.He was up for putting kazoo down on Granny but some mates took him off somewhere .A pity….that would have been good .Walker finished his vocals and Kazoo and it was all done in 5 hours.It went like a blur…so fast….but so does the track.

I believe the same night FLOYD heard it in there and Syd reckoned "Granny" would be kept off the No.1 spot by…."Arnold Layne" (from JOE BOYD/quote)

The next day we were in there mixing when Joe/John played us ARNOLD through the big speakers.We were speechless at the work not only the FLOYD had done but also BOYD/WOOD…….the intro and the organ blew me away.Surely our effort was paltry alongside this wall of beautiful noise?But Joe said we had both captured something unique in those few hours…..vastly differing sounds…but both unique.

And filled with an ambience of something coming along- that was later to be recognised as the springtime of "the summer of love"

BOON TUNE .At this point in time ,Syd Barrett and Joe thought of a follow-up to "GRANNY"-a Syd song called "BOON TUNE" and theGANG were going to learn it off a tape that Syd sent via Joe In one of those haphazard ways it incredibly got overlooked and Joe mislaid the tape…. so it never happened .And also Nat Joseph discouraged us from getting involved with other songs/publishing ---With hindsight it should have been done- BUT 34 YEARS ON I decide we shall do it on next CD as I have found the song on an old tape.It is now available on "MADCAP LAUGHS" as "HERE I GO".

UFO was Joe and his friend John Hopkins`( "Hoppy") new venture on Tottenham Court Rd..moving on from some other place I think might have been the "Arts Lab". Or something similar,where FLOYD had begun to properly evolve.It quickly was becoming the epicentre of the new MOVEMENT and we returned with Joe un-billed again so he could show off his new protogees.I think we appeared 3 times at UFO but I am unclear as to whether or not we were billed on the posters..it was all a bit ad hoc and haphazard.We were in the legendary Jane Easton Agency by now and I don`t think Joe wanted to spoil our chances by double-booking etc.When I say that in this agency were THE ROLLING STONES…JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE….THE YARDBIRDS……………and us……you`ll see what I mean.We had met Mick, Keith and also the quietly spoken Jimi at the offices briefly..even discussing the (Vietnam) war.We were known around town now and we were in there with it all…. Jugband or not "it all seemed the same back then".So down to UFO we returned.

Last time the FLOYD were there ,this time it was TOMORROW. We went on in the middle and I remember leaning on an old battered grand piano to stop me falling down.Joe had simply held a mike and introduced us whilst pulling the curtain back.

The silence was terrifying as the UFO crowd weighed -up this short-haired jugband outfit.After they heard our sound and saw Geoff`s antics behind on washboard, all seemed to go ok, until Lucifer and Ank drew out two starting pistols and fired over their heads .There were screams as some people hit the floor but then everyone realised this was UFO…and well…just DIG it.We went in to the Wizard and the light show helped the creepy atmosphere….there was even a revolving mirror ball….Ank kicked at me a few times to get me out of my "trance" and motioned towards the side curtain during our next number (an old jugband blues).Jimi was there playing TOMORROW`s (Juniors`s) bass leaning against the wall, sort of helping out the struggling- to- be- heard jug.It wouldn`t be plugged in I suppose,but it was a nice memory. He played with Tomorrow later while we went off to another gig.

UFO used to be an Irish club, called "The Blarney",but it was now painted up all freaky and psychedelic.I remember the stairs down into the club were all garish day-glo colours.The pong of incense and hash used to waft up the stairs -plus body heat-onto the street-where hippies were always milling around-doing hippy things.I remember there were usually "Mods" lurking around but "Hoppy" let them in eventually and things were ok/cool ..peace man.There were "Idiot"dancers usually stripped to the waist ,body-painted with long flailing hair and waving arms.Even PURPLE GANG had those. One guy I called "The Sheep"(because he was so hairy,blonde and predictable- always danced to us.I even noticed him at ALLY PALLY down in the crowd.Then there was Suzy "Creamcheese" who danced erotically stageside.Hoppy (who played piano on our track "BOOTLEG WHISKEY") married her to get her in as a British Citizen.There were cartoons/art films/silent movies/stoned/tripping/famous/sloanish/infamous/not famous/revolutionary/people down there and that is before the rock musicians arrived to swell the numbers.

"RAINY DAY WOMEN Nos.12 &13" was a fave track on the desk amongst others including our "Granny".THEY could dance to it ok. Down there in the UFO was not like other venues, it had a "presence"..the hippies were stylish, not scruffy grubby dossers as the media sometimes portray.

One night you had "SOFT MACHINE", but another you would be seeing "BONZO DOG DOO DAH BAND"! I saw the lunatic "BONZOS there and witnessed SAM SPOON`S infamous solo on electric trouser press---now that WAS a freak-out.

ALEXANDRA PALACE…..INTERNATIONAL TIMES BENEFIT

The View From The(organ-end) Stage

Through the smokey spotlights,strobes and beyond the heads/ sea of faces- I could make out ,to my left-a helter -skelter which we went on later.I got a nice smile off Julie Felix, who was stood with David Frost to the right.The noise around the cavernous place was at first intimidating, but then uplifting at the same time.This was from having two stages at either end of the venue going hell-for-leather to accommodate all the bands/happenings due to partake in The Underground`s coming-out party(…to help the harassed IT editor (and UFO co-organiser)"Hoppy").

We eased into our new psychedelic dirge "Sing Me The Word Called Love".This time we had a drummer, who was with us to help out on a couple of tracks.over at SOUND Techniques.Unfortunately he was also out of his tree and instead of using beaters on the tom-toms- as rehearsed- he sort of went "Uuurrgh-aahg yeeee" and stared at me in a demented manner.Before I collapsed with laughter we were saved by "Lucifer"( our vocalist) creeping forward from rear-stage, adorned in scarlet and black satanic robes,shades,sandals(!), with his jaw violently rocking from side to side, in a drug -induced spasm.People thought he was chanting some obscure ancient oath (See MILES` book) but it was his pills.I was definitely relieved that he was not wearing the black hood (as threatened to Joe Boyd) but amused by the sandals and shades.

I spotted "Sheep" and some UFO faces/afros and began to enjoy it. The Wizard went well in it`s usual goth. way and Geoff got on piano for our goodtime numbers like Auntie Monica.He had been on washboard- complete with it`s cymbal,cow-bell and block---he was in a dinner-jacket,beret and T shirt.I was absurdly dressed in bottle-green crushed velvet flares,silver shirt,purple suede boots and a double-breasted gangster jacket.What a mess we must have looked…..but it all didn`t seem to bother anyone."GRANNY TAKES A TRIP" was called for by the UFO section and we duly delivered----I was pleased to see more people surging towards our stage.Then.I think we came back to do it again but it was all over in no time-and the next band awaiting behind.

I got into the dressing room and there was John Mayall(plus lots of even more famous people).I reminded him of home and the old days and had a chat about my band/plans.etc.Denny Laine came and sat with me and was playing some new song he was writing and the rest was a blur of well-known facesJoe and Hoppy were well pleased with us and there was talk of Hoppy going on the organ with it`s mighty pipes/later.

ANK our jug player arrived with the the two hippie chicks from the stageside, who had been throwing things at us and larking around with us during our set.We then heard John Lennon was around outside but couldn`t get in without being mobbed.When he didn`t show, we all went to go on the helter-skelter.On there I got a great view of the whole scene and it was bloody fantastic -then I got pushed and slid down.Half-way down I spotted Lennon and entourage in Yoko Ono`s area(she had a model called Valerie.sat on a stool(naked) wearing cellophane.You were given scissors to cut off cellophane and expose the exposed Valerie….a feminist statement/happening) I walked towards my hero, but so did everyone else, so off he went(he"split the joint" man) out to de-camp in the park…in the trees,for a smoke.

There was an igloo filled with bananas,Arthur Brown hung from a small crane made a fiery entrance and I saw loads of bands /happenings and public love-making for real.

We also went outside for a smoke and sat a respectful distance away from John and then I went to check our van window.We had been stopped on Oxford street that afternoon in our Purple Gang van, by loads of hippies ,who were hanging onto the sides and all over us .."Granny "band was getting famous(.Jane Easton agency PR machine was at work.)I had damaged the window trying ro wind it up while someone was hanging on to it.

I stuck around to the end to wait for the PINK FLOYD who were late coming over from Holland I think,or Rotterdam.It was getting towards the end of the night (but not the gig) and I wanted to get my spot- so I sat down with a few others in a meditation group. I can, 34 years on, still smell the dusty floorboards/the hash/incense/body odour and hear that big-hall reverby,crowd-din and swirling band noise/drum crashes.

The Floyd roadies began to get the gear organised and the light show people took over.The dawn was at the gates and everyone was getting a bit tired now and shouting for the band to get their asses on stage.On they eventually trooped looking unhappy I thought.a bit of tenseness there( I was glad we`d gone on earlier so we could enjoy the gig)The shafts of dawn light were now beaming through the high windows and were caught and reflected back off Syd`s mirror/effect guitar.But something was not right and Syd was not up to it ..just sort of standing there out of his tree I suspected.(We had been warned off acid by one of our friends who we had visited in a mental hospital.He was found naked in a lift with a sword later.He made us promise not to take the stuff when we hit London…..and beside ..we were weird enough)

It seemed apparent that the FLOYD were allowing for this as ROGER seemed to take over.I admired him for this and was not happy that Syd had now drifted off. Can`t remember what they played but it would be the set of the time.

There was a guy eventually who had climbed up the great organ-pipes and then up to the ledge-HIGH UP where the walls met the roof."Hoppy" who had just played the organ(Bach) got a mike and talked the silly bugger down eventually.."It would be really..like not cool man if you were to stop the gig by killing yourself"..to great applause.

Eventually after another hour of finding everyone.we drove off back to JOE`S and crashed down after(as usual) tip- toeing around the debris of exotic and fragile instruments left on the floor by the INCREDIBLE STRING BAND who were touring. (we always had to avoid these instruments-a bloody nuisance!!)

Careful With That Axe You Beeb

We were booked for "Juke Box Jury"/"Top Of The Pops"/SIRE records were going to put out our LP in the USA/BARCLAY records covered "Granny" in France and the pirate dj`s backed us especially JOHN PEEL….."PURPLE HAZE" came out the same week…and we thought we were on our way.I learned later that Pete Jenner had bought in/hyped "ARNOLD LAYNE " sales to ensure it`s charting position and subsequent TOTP appearance.Brian Epstein had even had to resort to these shady tactics years before for "Love Me Do. Such was the two-faced state-run so called "popular charts"

ARNOLD LAYNE escaped the censor`s net ,so did PURPLE HAZE but not GRANNY TAKES A TRIP.A BBC letter arrived at Transatlantic records castigating the record/group and company for "attempting to corrupt the nation`s youth. The PURPLE GANG having a self-confessed witch as a singer will not be tolerated by any decent society either"

We were to be the scapegoats and the song was about acid .We were banned and all Big things planned were dropped overnight.USA got cold feet and at the 11th.hour stopped all promotion.The pirates were all closed down and the dj`s re-hired for the state-run crappy RADIO 1.…….welcome Tony Blackburn and co.

THE PURPLE GANG STORY DOES NOT END HERE .THERE IS AN ALBUM TO DO…A PURPLE GANG2 WILL ARRIVE AND GIG WITH BOWIE/LOVE/BEEFHEART/BOLAN/MOVE/KINKS and a host of others.A connection with Liverpool and lots of adventures to follow.There will be a gap of 34 years THEN IT ALL WILL BEGIN AGAIN.

Now Go To Part 2! A Van For All Seasons

These recollections remain copyright of Chris/Joe Beard

www.thepurplegang.co.uk

C.J.BEARD…Daisy Bank Studio Poynton,Cheshire SKI2 ITG UK… June 2001…joe.beard@virgin.net