Conference marvin::uk_music

    
    
    
    	I remember the Residents, strange vid's, and the music
      was quite good, frequently played on 'the old grey whistle test'
    	
    	What ever happened to Whistle Test ?
    
    
    		Grub....
    
    	

    The Residents, oh yeah!!!!! Great band!
    
    I've got a Residents video which contains their greatest hits
    (hahahahaha) from the last thirteen years. It's called Video Voodoo,
    and only cost a tenner for about an hour of mindnumbing sounds.
    
    Most notable is the classic Third Reich & Roll, with its joyful
    rhythm and stop frame video effects, a laugh a second. Also good
    is the excerpt from Vileness Fats. Not on the video, but good if
    you can get hold of it, is their total massacre of the Stones
    "Satisfaction". Great Stuff!
    
    The Groundhogs - quite big in a cult sort of way many years back.
    I never got to see them, although a couple of their albums passed
    through my hands (Thank Christ for the Bomb, Split). TS Mcphee's
    guitar playing was quite interesting, blues-based but adventurous,
    sometimes downright noisy - he used feedback quite a bit, and produced
    some very strange sounds on the Split lp. Also came up with some
    odd and inventive riffs.
    
    Now the Groundhogs are once again with us - yes, TS and the boys
    are treading the boards again, and only recently played in London.
    Also on the same bill was another band from that era that is with
    us once again - Wales' favourite sons, the legendary Man.
    
    Remember them?
    
    Bob

    I didn't think the residents were that big over there...wait! what
    if we are the only three that know about them!
    have you heard 'santa dog' by them? or their version of 'jailhouse
    rock'? if you want to get rid of company, put on santa dog and say
    "I'm getting hip to this"...in most cases they will leave, unless
    they actually bought the album like you did! 
    i've never seen their videos. but i wrote to ralph records. got
    a nice reply. Only Ralph records employees know who the residents
    actually are. The residents want this because they want no contact
    with their audience so they dont cater to the whims of thier listeners.
    i heard Snakefinger died in madrid a few months back. he was from
    england.
    
    j

    Yep, Snakefinger died recently. He had a good album out around 81
    called "Chewing Hides The Sound". He was perhaps better known to certain
    noters as a former Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers guitarist,
    vocalist...correct Bob?
    
    Ken

    That's right, and I'm frantically trying to remember his name. Aha!!
    I think it was Martin Stone. Who the rest of the Residents are,
    as has been said, no-one outside of Ralph knows.
    
    They also made an ep that contained, I think, six or even eight
    tracks, all of which clocked in at less than one minute. Does anyone
    know what it is?
    
    Talking of very short tracks, there was an lp a few years back,
    organised by Morgan Fisher, ex-Mott the Hoople keyboardist. On this
    lp were about fifty tracks by different people, who had been
    commissioned to write a track specifically for this lp. The only
    stipulation being that the tracks had to be under one minute in
    length. The most memorable one, to me, is Andy Partridge's "History
    of Pop Music in Seven Seconds". Has anyone got this, or is it still
    available?
    
    Love that scenario, Jay - put on something *really* noisy by the
    Residents, and proclaim loudly "I'm getting hip to this!!"
    hahaha hohoho!!
    
    Bob

    Recently saw "Thank Christ for the Bomb" on CD in Virgin.
    
    Andy

    I would say (casting memory back a loooooooong way) that "split"
    is the definitive 'hogs lp, full of original riffs and exploratory
    guitar playing, as well as one or two tricky time signatures.
    
    Bob

    How about the REPLACEMENTS? The reason none of the members look
    familiar is that none were in the original band,called the ORIGINALS?
    

    
    Re: .5
    
    In the US, the Residents issued a full album of tunes clocking in at
    just under one minute.  They called it "The Commercial Album".
    
    							Brian
    

    Re the Residents:

    While I was in France (81-83) the Residents played Paris. The show was
    unfortunately sold-out and lotsa hairy bikers were doing the bouncing
    thus ensuring that my "I'm a hack from the NME"-scheme wouldn't wash
    this time.

    The grapevine had it, at the time, that Winston Tong (of the excellent
    San Francisco band Tuxedo Moon) was their vocalist and that some other
    T. Moonies were in the Residents also.

    Bob, I'll exchange you my xylophone for a look at your Resident's vid.

    - Tim

    P.S. Tux Moon are now defunct - recommended '80 album "Desire"

    The Residents just completed a series of shows in San Francisco a week
    or so ago.  The theme was The history of American popular music in
    three parts.  Evidently the shows were very well received, but I
    haven't seen any reviews.
    
    ASP

    The Groundhogs are playing on the Isle of Wight at the end of August.
    Sort of a commemorative of the pop festival some 20 years ago. 
    Only 4000 tickets this time.

    
    	I have lots of Groundhog bootlegs if anyone is interested.
    	The most recent is from Aberdeen about one month ago.
    			Bill.

    
    I saw th Groundhogs in early December at The Standard in Walthamstow.
    An excellent gig which seemed to be over so quickly, even though they
    played for 1hr 45mins. Tony McPhee can produce the strangest guitar
    sounds, the feedback is still ringing in my ears! His guitar playing is
    improving with age, although his voice was unintelligible.
    
    Re: Martin Stone from .5
    
    Is he dead? There was a Martin Stone low on the bill at a concert at
    The Robey, Finsbury Park. Didn't hear him, but did hear Reckless Eric
    (abismal), and Wilko Johnson (from Dr. Feelgood)who did some very fast,
    tight blues guitar with some of his hilarious penguin walk. He seems to 
    have a good sense of humour, parodying himself with OTT facial
    expressions. He did a lengthy blues style intro to Roxette that had me
    in stitches!
    
    Barry. 

    Time to resuscitate an old note!
    
    I've only got one Groundhogs album, the mythical "Split", but I
    regularly see "Blues Obituary" and "Razor's Edge" in secondhand shops,
    so it's probably only a matter of time before my curiosity gets the
    better of me.
    
    "Split" was a very important record in my musical upbringing. My elder
    brother had been to see the band at Brighton Poly. in the late sixties
    (supported by a pale, frail-looking David Jones, who was so nervous
    that he actually sang the wrong verse to one of his songs and had to
    start again - I suppose everyone starts somewhere!) and he was amazed
    by them. A few years later he picked up Split secondhand and it became
    an ever-present on our turntable. 
    
    I can't speak for the rest of the Groundhogs' output, but I honestly
    think that Split rates as highly as any single Hendrix LP (and higher
    than some). McPhee's guitar playing is awesome, the band are as tight
    as you can be within an experimental framework, and the songs are
    memorable (Cherry Red and Split Parts 1, 2 and 3 are required listening
    for any fan of guitar-based blues-rock). In fact, I think the quality
    of the songwriting is perhaps the distinguishing feature; normally, the
    songs in this type of music are little more than a vehicle for an
    "extraordinary" lead guitarist. Certainly not the case here.
    As for Tony McPhee himself, I can think of few examples of 
    technically (and technologically!) gifted guitarists who IMO play so
    tastefully (no fast scales, bundles of meaningless notes, etc.). He
    really interprets the chords of the song with each solo.
    
    I think Tony McPhee's Groundhogs (almost certainly a different lineup)
    still play regularly in London and I bet they're STILL worth checking out. 
    
    Cheers,
    
    Dom

    Hmm, funny that the last reply was entered so recently, I just picked
    up a used copy of "Split" three days ago to go along with my ancient
    copies of "Who Will Save The World" and "Hogwash".  Really a strange
    band to my ears, obviously rooted in blues but with a tendency to go
    off on weird tangents.  
    
    Some of the songs haven't worn well with time (the lyrics are, shall we
    say, a bit on the naive side), but many (like "I Love You Miss Ogyny")
    are still very listenable.  I agree that T.S. manages to sustain
    interest over long jams better than many of his contemporaries.  I also
    enjoyed his later experiments with adding mellotron and synthesizer to
    the guitar-based sound.
    
    These guys were never more than a cult band here in the U.S. (did they
    ever tour here?) and only screwball record collector types like myself
    seem to be interested in them. 
    
    							Brian

    
    I remember the groundhogs but not the music. But strange that the name
    should pop up. In the last year or so a band using the name Groundhogs
    have played at a pub not far from where I live. Unless someone is using
    a lot of old names, I would take it to be the same as bands like Climax
    Blues band and names like Steve Marriot, Suzie quattro have been
    playing at this pub.  Anyone interested its the Royal Standard in
    Walthamstow, London.
    
    
    Garry 

    
    RE -1.
    
    The london pub circuit has been the stomping ground of such bands for
    more years than I'll admit to remembering. Last saw the Groundhogs in 
    the Robey (Finsbury Park). Last saw little Stevie (RIP) in the 
    Torrington. Last saw Climax Blues in the Plough Kenton, now closed.
    
    The Time Out is a good giude for this sort of music.
    
    MikeW

    
    re: .18
    
    The extraordinary musical knowledge of Mr. Rost never ceases to amaze!
    I'd be interested to hear your views regarding a comparison between the
    Groundhogs and either of Hendrix's bands.
    
    re: .19,20
    
    I'm convinced that every time I look at a copy of Time Out, there's at
    least one ad. for a Groundhogs/Tony McPhee's Groundhogs gig I get the
    impression that they only play in London now. Still, there are
    probably enough pubs/clubs there to keep them going for another 25
    years!
                                                    
    Dom

    re: -1
    
    >probably enough pubs/clubs there to keep them going for another 25
    >years!
    
    Apparently, The Groundhogs did a 25th Anniversary concert at the
    Feltham Rox recently. Unfortunately I was at the Forum to see John
    Mayall on the same evening (good concert though). Did anyone make it to
    Feltham?
    
    Barry.

    
    Some guy has lent me a tape - 2 full sides of the Groundhogs. Now, up
    to now, I don't own anything by them so I can only guess ata copule of
    tracks. Crosscut and Black Diamond are definitely there.
    
    Sprawled all over the cassetee in red ink are the words, Omega,
    Skyrover and Time Robber. The question is, for 10 points, are these the
    names of any Groundhog albums or compilations. I would really like to
    know what I have.
    
    The tape is pretty good, by the way, although obviously a bit old and
    'faded' in places, 'they all have faded like my old blue jeans.' Sounds
    like a good line for a song, doesn't it?
    
    Cheers,
    
    Mark. 

    Here are some Groundhogs album names that I can remember :-
    
    Split
    Thank Christ for the Bomb
    Blues Obituary
    Razors Edge
    Crosscut Saw
    Black Diamond
    Groundhog
    
    The names you mention Omega, Skyrover and Time Robber don't sound too
    familiar even though they made more albums than the ones I have listed.
    It sounds like you have a compilation there.
    
    Happy listening,
    Barry.

    Some Groundhog News....
    
    Tony McPhee had a stroke earlier this year but has now recovered and
    is doing concerts again.
    
    A few weeks ago I picked up, what I consider to be the best, Groundhogs
    album. Its called "Extremely Live" and is a live recording from Germany
    (although the picture on the back shows the Sir George Robey in
    Finsbury Park!). The sound quality is OK but the set that is recorded
    contains all the old favourites like Split pt IV, Cherry Red,
    3744 James Road, Groundhog Blues, etc.
    Its a must have for all Groundhog fans. I think it was recorded around
    1990.
    
    If anyone is interested I'll dig out the address of the mail-order firm
    that supplied it.
    
    Cheers,
    Barry.

    	Please leave the mail-order address thanks.
    
    	I bought one called No Surrender about a year ago,this is live and
    	is pretty good sound quality.It contains all the classics tho
    	Cherry Red was a bit too fast IMO.Bought it in HMV in Glasgow along
    	with the Split CD reissue from BGO Records  8')
    
    	What was The Two Sides Of TS McPhee like? ie his solo album from ~
        `73.I saw this on import recently.
    
    	Hope TS doesn`t overdo it with the touring.
    
    	Has anyone heard a two CD set called Groundhog Night which was
    	released late last year?
    
    	Tom.

    I just copied this across from the GUITAR conference where I originally
    entered it, because I thought it might be of interest to people here.
    It also throws some light on the stroke referred to in .25.
    
    Dom
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Note 1339.18                     Keeping It Down                        18 of 18
PAVONE::TURNER                                       31 lines  17-DEC-1993 05:13
            -< Tony McPhee's Groundhogs say: Quiet Is Beautiful!" >-
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    Thought I'd slot this in here.
    
    Last week, I drove 15 miles through thick fog to a small club outside
    town to see that great bastion of the late-60s/early-70s blues-rock
    fad, the Groundhogs. Great gig, embarassingly small audience, and the
    band played songs from all phases of their career, including Split
    (Parts 1 and 2), Cherry Red, Mistreated, Garden and a host of Muddy
    Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Jimmy Reed covers. performed in typically
    sonic, Hendrixian style.
    
    Aaanyway, the upshot of it all was that they played at a surprisingly
    low volume! True, the club was pretty small, but Tony McPhee has made
    his name through imaginative use of feedback, distortion and the like -
    I'd never have expected them to play at toned-down volume, any more
    than the Jimi Hendrix Experience! The result was great; if anything, it
    made the quality of the songs stand out even more. Plenty there for the
    guitar pyrotechnics nutcases too; I've never seen a stage quite so
    littered with footpedals...wah-wah, fuzz, chorus...the whole works.
    
    Incidentally, Tony McPhee was playing an Ibanez (and slide guitar on a
    Strat) through the most battered Session amp I've ever seen! He had
    another guitarist helping out with many of the solos, a mystery that 
    became clear at the end of the evening when he explained that an
    accident had temporarily deprived him of the use of two fingers of his
    left hand. I for one would never have noticed - one in the eye for all
    those megastars who immediately cancel a date at the sign of a slight
    headache.
    
    Another triumph for the low volume lobby!
    
    Dom

    Any news on Groundhogs concerts over the Xmas period?
    
    Cheers,
    Barry.