Stackridge were a collection
of like-minded English West country eccentrics
comprising a former timber yard labourer,
a bookshop assistant, a cleaner in a birdseed
factory, a bricklayer, a bus conductor
and a professional inventor, whose musical
influences encompass everything from “Mozart
to Road Drills”. He’d built up a very
solid dedicated live following and released
two albums. The second of which, “Friendliness”,
had delighted the critics and hard core
fans, but had continued to bemuse the
listening public at large, leaving the
bands quest for world musical dominance
rather hanging out in the wind.
But in mid 1973 the band’s record label
MCA Record ensconced them in London’s
Air Studios with ex-Beatles producer George
Martin (Stackridge were the first band
that Martin worked with after “The Beatles”,
whose influence can be heard here on all
the songs on this fine album “Man In The
Bowler Hat”).
On the stage Stackridge split into two
definite factions, the serious minded
of the band, shall we say the working
musicians Warren, Walter and Sparkle,
whilst the other three – let’s just call
the Nutters down the front. Stage shows
included lots of ludicrously easy repetitive
dance steps (“Do The Stanley”), the bashing
together of giant dustbin lids (“Let There
Be Lids”), general chaos and mayhem, mass
audience participation both singing, clapping,
stomping, with some loony like Sandilands
down the front leaping about with a giant
leek. Great fun. No wonder, they were
probably the most popular band on the
college circuit in the early seventies.
But “The Man In The Bowler Hat” was definitely
‘make or break’ time. In the studio the
two factions of the live show would join
forces and each member made an equal contribution,
and with Martin as producer the band was
definitely concentrating on making their
“Magnum Opus”. Working on the melodic
and rhythmic patterns and in particular
the harmonies, the resultant album, which
was released in February 1974 whilst full
of recognizable Stackridge trademarks
(strong beat, massive use of instrument
not normally associated with Rock ‘n’
Roll, and plenty of extravagant titles)
had strong echoes of the Fab Four and
marked the artistic and creative peak
of the band on record including “The Galloping
Gaucho” and the ambitious “God Speed The
Plough”.
Unfortunately after this it all went dramatically
pear-shaped with Mutter Slater being the
first to leave hating the idea of trying
to create this album on stage amid the
chaos of their live show. Within six months
only Andy Davis was left from this line
up. Today their music still exudes and
evokes warmth, joy, happiness, and a welter
of memories, real and imagined, and therein
lays their lasting success, the ability
to stand out from the crowd and create
clever songs with witty lyrics and highly
original arrangements.
Goodbye Stackridge, it was a blast. And
all together now
“C’mon and Stanley
Lets all do the Stanley now”.
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
