Conference marvin::uk_music

    Yep!... I was a great fan during their 'commercial' period. 
    In fact, only a few years ago I picked up 'Dolls House'
    and 'Old songs, New songs' cheap (new) in Amsterdam....
    
    They certainly had something, a 'melodic voiced' lead singer
    was NOT it..... ;-)
    
    Ray.

    I've seen all the albums mentioned in .0 on CD in Our Price/Smiths
    etc. in the Reading/Newbury area only last Saturday.
    
    If you need a hand in getting them drop me a mail.
    
    Rich
    

    Gooooooood band, thanks for the basenote.
    
    As was the case with a lot of my lp's from this period, I fell on
    hard times (sound of sobbing and violins), and had to sell them,
    my Family lp's included.  Some music of this era I'm just starting
    to think about replacing - the old hippie roots coming out again,
    I think. I'd love to hear some Family just to know if I want to
    get the lp's again, or whether the music is too firmly rooted in
    it's time (although I do find a lot of late 60's early 70's music
    to be relevant and valuable even now).
    
    Two things - apparently it wasn't safe to be in the first 8 or so
    rows at a Family concert, because Chappo tended to throw tambourines
    and mike stands around. Is this in any way true? Secondly, does
    anyone else remember the Streetwalkers, Chappo'n'Charlies band after
    Family. I didn't like their records a great deal, but they were
    killer live. One gig at the roundhouse is particularly memorable
    
    Bob

    re: -1 Yes, you did have to watch out for tambourines. Chappo could
    get through quite a few in a night. Somehow I've managed to lose most
    of my Family albums, but I played "Anyway" recently and it did sound
    good. Certainally I think "Bandstand" will have aged well.
    
    Regarding Streetwalkers, I saw them once at the Rainbow but didn't
    really enjoy them. I guess I was looking for Family. Saw Chappo with
    the Short List many times, mainly at the Venue (whatever happened to
    the Venue?). They were a great band also, with Tim Hinkley, ex-IF, 
    Maggie Bell, Crawler guitarist Geoff Whitehorn and occasionally Poli
    Palmer. Chappo is still touring the European circuit.
    
    Ken

    > Maggie Bell, Crawler guitarist Geoff Whitehorn and occasionally Poli
    > Palmer. Chappo is still touring the European circuit.
    
    Now there's a lady - Maggie Bell. What a voice.
    
    I've got both of her LPs but would dearly luv to get them on CD.
    
    Rich
    

    Never really listened to them in their heyday, but I thought the
    Streetwalkers live album was very good.
    
    David.
    

    Not wanting to start a rathole here, but mention of Maggie Bell
    prompted me to enter this one.
    
    There was a lot of this gritty R'n'B based stuff around then, does
    anyone remember people like Mike Patto (now sadly dead), the 'Ladbroke
    Grove Funky Crew' (my term), people like Carol Grimes, the Grease
    Band (Joe Cocker's old mob, which leads to the related area of Leon
    Russell's music), Kokomo, Arrival, etc....?
    
    There was one aggregation of about 9 or 10 of these people, also
    including Mel Collins and Boz Burrell, who used to be a loose live
    band known as Dick and the Firemen. Patto, who had a vocal style
    similar to Chappo, but slightly less rough, was the singer, and
    they had two or more of everything else - 2 drummers, 2 basses,
    etc.  Remember them?
    
    BTW, a few back - I think I was at that Streetwalkers gig at the
    Rainbow. Funny, didn't see you, tho.......
    
    Bob

    Mike Patto is one of the most sadly underated vocalists from that
    time. Patto (the band) also had a great guitarist in Ollie Halsall.
    
    It's interesting to look back at the careers of some of the musicians you
    mentioned....f'rinstance, Carol Grimes Delivery featured Lol Coxhill
    (solo artiste),  Pip Pyle and Steve Miller (later to Caravan), Phil Millar 
    (Matching Mole) and Roy Babbington (Soft Machine). Ex-Grease Band guitaist 
    Neil Hubbard turns up on Bryan Ferry albums..quite a change from Joe
    Cocker.
    
    Kokomo were another great live band. I was lucky enough to be on
    several dates of the Naughty Rhythms tour. Remember that? Kokomo,
    Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers, Dr Feelgood - a differenet
    playing order each night, sigh...
    
    Ken

    The Naughty rhythms tour .....
                     
    Gaaaaaaaaaaaaagggghhhhhh, nice one!!!!!!!
    
    Strange how this crew incorporated people who diversified into,
    at one end, the mid-70s phenomenon known as pub rock (a reaction
    to the overblown overproduced technoflash stuff that predated, and
    possibly helped to influence, punk) to the British modern 'jazz-'
    or 'art-rock' of the era. Some of them, like Mel Collins, seemed
    to be equally at home in any style.
    
    If you were to attempt a family tree of this crew, who knows where
    it would end up - for instance, Ollie Halsall (yup, *great* player,
    where is he now?) at one time played in Kevin Ayers band, which
    has connections to the Velvets, via his (Ayers) work with John Cale, Roxy
    Music via Eno, the Police via Andy Summers, Mike Oldfield, the whole
    Daevid Allen/Steve Hillage/Gong mob, the whole Canterbury scene,
    it just spreads every which way......
    
    Bob
    

    Ollie Halsall also played in Jon Hiseman's Tempest with Alan Holdsworth
    (later in Soft Machine) and Mark Clarke (who joined Rainbow). After
    Tempest split, Halsall joined John Otway! 
    
    The pub-rock scene had some great bands - Bees Make Honey, Ducks
    Deluxe, Brinsley Schwarz, Buster Crabbe, the Tooting Fruities, the
    wonderful Roogalator, Sinceros, Phil Rambow, Bontemps Roulez, Graham
    Parker, 101-ers, Kilburn and the High Roads, The Count Bishops
    aaaaagggghhhh.... 
    
    I think we need a "Do you remember.." note

    I think you're right, although a lot of those people are still around.
    
    That style of playing, that fusion of r'n'b, country, and soul,
    always appeals to me - the players always play so tastefully, and
    tight, but never self-indulgently, and that style has continued with
    groups like the Rumour, the Attractions and others.
                                                   
    Get Happy!
    
    Bob
    

    I don't remember FAMILY much apart from 'In My Own Time' and
    'Burlesque' which actually is one of my all time greats.
    
    Mazzer
    

    Oh Yea do I remember Family ! Herewith claim to fame. While at Kings
    College London in '69 I was in charge of the lighting for a Family
    gig. After the support band (can't remember who they were) I had
    an arguement with Robbo about the centre stage spots I had set up.
    He didn't like them and insisted that the whole centre stage was
    just about blacked out. Mind you I don't think we were too bothered
    about seeing them cos the sound was terrrrrriffficcc. One of the
    best gigs I ever saw.
    
    Richard Bell

    Re .0  The album FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT contained the track
    	   'The Weavers Answer'.....I always thought it was on
    	   ANYWAY, cos the EP had a picture on the front with one
    	   of the group 'thinking' "anyway' via a bubble.
    
    

    Hasn't Anyway got Strange Band on it, which was the parenthetical
    title of the 45 rpm Weavers Answer?
    
    Bob, confused in Welwyn, with no Family albums....

    Dunno, I haven't got ANYWAY.... now that you mention it I remember
    Strange Band... I will call my sister 'ce soir' to get her to 
    check out the EP... it has 3 tracks I think, WA, Hung up Down and
    another.....
    
    What I DO know, is that The Weavers Answer IS on ENTERTAINMENT
    cos Ive got it here on my desk!
    ;-)
    Ray.

    I used to have the EP - itcontained Weavers Answer, Hung up down and
    Strange Band, released around 1970 if memory serves correct. that
    record brings back poignant memories... 

    One of Chappo's high points for me will always be the live rendition
    of My Friend The Sun, a quiet corner of an otherwise very rowdy
    set.
    
    Bob

    I thought I might add my five pennyworth to the Weaver's Answer/Anyway
    topic.
    
    I seem to recall (showing my age) that Family had never been happy
    with the mix and production of their first few albums, and decided
    to offer a remixed selection of tracks to their public at a knock-down
    price.  The final result was "Old Songs New Songs", which although
    still cheaper than full price albums wasn't as cheap as they had
    hoped as the task involved not only remixing but also overdubbing
    in some cases.  It featured songs from their first three albums
    as well as B sides and obscure singles such as the lovely "Today".
     It included "Weaver's Answer" and "Hung Up Down", which were released
    as a Maxi-single, along with the new track they were supposed to
    be pushing, Strange Band.  As we know, It was Weaver which struck
    gold.
    
    I remember reading a tour programme which stated that "Anyway" was
    one of the band's favourite expressions... hence the Album title.
     I presume the inclusion of the word on the picture sleeve of
    the single was as a taster of the album to come.
    
    Anyway, the album, contains a live version of Strange Band.  It
    is not one of my favourite Family LPs...they were superb live and
    I don't think this captured them at their best.
    
    Still, I continue to rate Mr. Chapman.  He has released a lot of
    LPs in Germany, and is currently recording a new LP in this country.
     I must try to get hold of it when it appears.
    
    Dave

    That last one, re Old Songs, New Songs, explains a lot. Thanks.
    I'd often wondered about what seemed to be different versions of
    the same song, now I know it's just remixes and overdubs.
    
    Bob