String Driven Thing - Live on the Foxtrot Tour

1. Let Me Down
2. Then I Met The Lady
3. My Real Hero
4. Regent St Incident
5. Circus
6. Hooked On The Road
7. Jack Diamond

In fact, their second Charisma album ( and third release in historic terms) The Machine That Cried - originally released 1973- has since been acclaimed not, merely, String Driven Thing’s masterpiece, but one of the finest progressive rock albums of the entire era – its reissue a couple of years back on the British Ozit label was widely heralded as among the most intelligent re-releases of recent years. They are back again with this new CD 40 years later on the anniversary of them signing to Charisma.

On Dec 12th 1972, as Pauline Adams of String Driven Thing passed through customs at JFK Airport, in her suitcase was a full length orange dress. Nothing unusual in that, you might think, but the dress in question actually belonged to Peter Gabriel, to be worn at the climax of Genesis’ Foxtrot set which they were about to debut in New York’s Philharmonic Hall. For both bands, this was a first visit to the States, but whilst Genesis were classic Charisma Prog Rock, String Driven Thing were far harder to pigeonhole. Drummerless, and with a virtuoso lead violinist, they had just released their eponymous album to enthusiastic reviews and their first single “Circus” was already a turntable hit, so there was a real buzz in the city about both bands. On the night, the auditorium was packed and, unusually for a support band, the Thing were brought back for a rapturous encore.

Listening to this free blowing high octane set forty years on, it’s easy to see why. Fast forward six weeks, and the UK leg of the Foxtrot tour is due to start at London’s Rainbow, only in the interim, frontman Chris Adams has suffered a spontaneous pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and is rushed to hospital, where Doctors recommend that he take four weeks rest to let his lung reflate. But unwilling to drop out of the impending tour, Chris elects for the alternative treatment which, in his words involved “watching a brace and bit being used to drill a hole through my chest”.

14 days later, and against doctors’ advice, the band took to the Rainbow stage and, although understandably not being quite at their best, in the following gigs, including Manchester Free Trade Hall where this recently unearthed recording was made, the band performed sets with such stunning energy that multiple encores became the norm. Just listen to the 16 minute version of Jack Diamond and Graham Smith’s incredible virtuosity as he swoops and weaves around the hypnotic groove of Chris’ guitar, Pauline’s percussion and Colin Wilson’s subtly syncopated bass, and I think you’ll agree with me that Ozit has rediscovered a lost masterpiece.

Chris Adams and the band have been performing under the name String Driven for a while now and have their own site at stringdriven.com. This site aims to be a historical reference to the bands earlier activities.

We are currently looking for more content for this site, if you have any photographs or anything you wish to share with us, please email peter.johnson@peterfrankjohnson.co.uk and I will see what I can do to include it on the site.

Rare archive film from numerous sources brings together the story of one of the great North-West festivals of the 70s. Over one and a half hours including music/film/stills from the festival. During the 70s there were only 2 great multi-day Greenfield music festivals with camping in North-West England, Bickershaw and Deeply Vale. Bickershaw, held on a fairly wet May weekend in 1972, was around £2.25 in advance for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Around 40,000 people attended and the festival inspired many audience members to pursue careers in the music industry. Features tracks from: Donovan – Only The Blues, Incredible String Band – Weather The Storm, Country Joe – Sweet Lorraine, Grateful Dead – Black Throated Wind, New Riders Of The Purple Sage – Watcha Gonna Do, Captain Beefheart – Click Clack, Family – Part Of The Load, Kinks – You Really Got Me, Captain Beyond – I Can’t Feel Nothing Past One. Also features interviews with Jerry Garcia, Nik Turner from Hawkwind, Brian Eastwood [guitar builder], poster artist Steve Jacuzzi Hardstaff & Mick Middles.

To complement the Steve Hillage, Fast Cars, The Fall and Nik Turner at the Deeply Vale Festival CD releases, here comes a storming late 70s live performance from The Ruts at the legendary North West England Festival, which is to be resurrected in 2007.

Comes with a 10-page foldout booklet with lots of images of Deeply Vale Festivals.

Order by sending a cheque for £14.75 payable to Recordrange, P.O.Box 116, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 5UG or by credit/debit cards. Phone orders: 01565 734066 or 07970 219701

Format: 180 gram Heavy Vinyl LP
Catalogue Number: OZITLP8007
Number of Discs: 2
Release Date: 22 June 2009

2LP set in 180 gram heavy rainbow coloured vinyl – includes tracks not released on the CD version of the album. Talk to any connoisseur of 70s-era double live albums, and many will agree that Steve Hillage’s “Live Herald”, recorded and released in 1977-78, rates among the finest jewels that the genre has to offer.

So it’s astonishing to discover that someone has spent the last 25 years sitting on tapes that knock that set into the dust, both in terms of on-stage excitement and aural enjoyment.

“Live At Deeply Vale Festival 1978″ (Ozit, UK) transports the listener back to one of the last truly great festivals staged in the UK that decade, a weekend’s worth of music that fearlessly ranged across both the traditional rock range and the upcoming punk movement, before climaxing with a Hillage set that the guitarist himself reflects, “…(sounds) as exciting now as Live Herald was back then.” (Goldmine Magazine, USA.)

“A must-have for any and all fans of Hillage, Gong, Canterbury, Avant Garde and just good British psych in general.” (**** Record Collector)

The Band:
Steve Hillage – guitar, vocals, keyboards
Miquette Giraudy – synthesiser, vocals
Christian Boule (sadly missed) – glissando guitar
John Mackenzie – bass, vocals
Andy Anderson – drums

Track Listing

Side One:
1. Saucer Surfing
2. Searching for the Spark
3. Octave Doctors
Side Two:
1. Salmon Song
2. Crystal City
3. Radio
Side Three:
1. Palm Trees
2. Light in the Sky
3. Hurdy Gurdy Man
4. Lunar Musick Suite
Side Four:
1. Activation Meditation
2. Glorious Om Riff
3. Getting Better
4. Steve Hillage talks about the 70’s and Deeply Vale
5. U.F.B

If you are outside North West region of BBC 1 you can get the North West edition of the politics show by selecting other regions on your Sky or digibox etc.

The program is on at 12:00PM - 1:00PM on Sunday 2nd of November.

"The legendary UK radio broadcaster John Peel started his own record label along with business partner Clive Selwood in 1969. ....some of the musicians who were fortunate enough to be on John Peel’s Dandelion label and filmed their performances and listened to their stories. This DVD is a just over six hours long. Featuring the following : One of Kevin Coyne's last concerts and his only full reunion with his Siren Dandelion bandmates in 30 years. Stack Waddy’s 2007 reunion studio / rehearsals and hilarious interviews with all four band members. Medicine Head - John Fiddler concert performances. Bridget St John - interview and concert footage. Tractor- previously unreleased 70's footage and recent rehearsals and concert outtakes and all about Dandelion studios Rochdale and Tractor sound studios...." More on 'pre-order'. Released November 17th

Intro incl John Peel :12 minutes
Kevin Coyne and Siren 1:08
Dave Clague talks on Kevin Coyne and Siren :38 mins
Med Head/ John fiddler 1 36
Gene Vincent :4 mins
Stack Waddy playing and talking incl Sheila Ravenscroft:30 mins
Bridget St John interview and gig excerpt :30 mins
Tractor :50 mins
Tractor interview and Dandelion and Tractor studios :23 mins
Principle Edwards :5 mins
Bill Oddie 6 mins

around 6 hours long includes 16 page dvd book on Dandelion Records artists in this dvd