Band of Joy interview-Part 2 (long)

[Diane <RAMBLD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

D-	WELL THOSE FIRST TWO ALBUMS ARE MY FAVOURITE, BUT A LOT OF THOSE
SONGS WERE SOME THAT THEY HAD NICKED?
K-OH YEA, YEA, WILLIE	DIXON WAS, RIGHT UP UNTIL A FEW YEARS BACK THERE
WAS THE COURT CASE OVER WHOLE LOTTA LOVE AND EVERYTHING.  BUT THEN AGAIN
THEY STOLE FROM THE REALLY GREY AREA. THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THAT, AND
I'LL BE HATED FOR SAYING THIS, IS THAT WHY BANDS LIKE ZEPPELIN WERE SO
CONVINCING AND STILL THE MUSIC STANDS UP TODAY IS BECAUSE THEIR IDOLS
WERE ACTUALLY PEOPLE THAT THEY GOT ALL THEIR INFLUENCE FROM.
EVERYBODY FROM ROBERT JOHNSON TO MUDDY WATERS TO HOWLING WOLF, ALL OF
OUR HEROES. WE USED TO GET THESE PACKAGE TOURS WITH ALL THESE PEOPLE ON
THEN, IT WAS AMAZING!!  I USED TO GO UP TO LIGHTNING HOPKINS AND SAY CAN
I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH AND HE WOULD SELL ME HIS HANKIE FOR 50P (LAUGHTER)
OR WHATEVER?  INCREDABLE REALLY, SO WE USED TO GET ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR
THE WHOLE PACKAGE SHOW COMING OVER?

D-JEALOUSY MAKES ME REALLY HATE HEARING ABOUT THAT!
K-WELL YEA, ALL THOSE GROUPS ARE GONE- BUT NOW ALL THESE SORT OF TENTH
GENERATION OR MUTANT OFFSPRINGS OF VILE OLD ROCK DON'T HAVE THAT SAME
SORT OF LUNATIC EDGE OR WHATEVER. IT MAY BE THAT THE TECHNOLOGY MAY BE
THERE BUT.. I'M MUCH MORE INTO
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE SORT OF?..ALL THE SORT OF HOUSE AND THE RAP AND
ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF THAN I AM TO ROCK MUSIC.

D-	WELL THERE'S NOTHING MUCH GOING ON IN ROCK MUSIC?
K- YES..
D-WELL, ALL OF THE SEATTLE STUFF IS A LITTLE OF A KICK START....
K-	WELL YEA, I AGREE.. LIKE YESTERDAY IN CLASS WE WERE PLAYING PEARL
JAM, AND YOU COULD COMPARE IT TO EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE DOING.  BUT THEYRE
A YOUNG BAND AND IN A WAY I QUITE LIKE THOSE YOUNG GROUPS, LIKE NIRVANA,
TEEN SPIRIT, YOU KNOW, GREAT, IT'S SO SORT OF JUST RAW, INTELLIGENT..-

D-AT THE LEAST IT'S A BREAK FROM THE NOTHINGNESS WE'VE HAD TO LISTEN TO
FOR SO LONG NOW. 
K-YEA, THAT SIDE OF ROCK THAT I THINK OUGHT TO BE BULLDOZED, NOT ALL
THESE NEW BANDS, LIKE THE CHILI PEPPERS AND PRIMUS...
D-YEA!
K-FUCKING GREAT!  YEA, THEY'RE LUNATICS IN A WAY- AND I THINK THEY'RE
GREAT, AND THAT'S WHAT IT IS, WHAT MUSIC IS ABOUT.  BECAUSE ALL THE
THINGS THAT WE HAD, THEY'VE GOT BUT IN ANOTHER WAY AND IT'S PLAYED IN
1992, AND IT WORKS WELL-
P-YES, YES.. THAT'S RIGHT.
K-AND THERE'S A PLATFORM FOR EVERYBODY, THE KIDS IN
COLLEGE WHO SORT OF SAY, OK WELL I'M NOT LISTENING TO ANYBODY BUT THESE
PEOPLE. -(LAUGHTER) YOU KNOW MY HERO JUST DIED A FEW WEEKS BACK, AN
ACCORDIONIST FROM ARGENTINA, ASTA PIAZZOLA (NOT SURE OF SPELLING).  HE
REALLY DID BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, IF HE'D HAVE BEEN AMERICAN EVERYBODY WOULD
HAVE BEEN ... HE'D HAVE BEEN FRONT PAGE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES,
EVERYWHERE...OH FANTASTIC! WHEN YOU HEAR OF A TANGO YOU SORT OF THINK,
OH MY GOD A TANGO...  BUT HE WAS LIKE JIMI HENDRIX ON THE ACCORDION
(LAUGHTER)--
D- JIMI HENDRIX ON THE ACCORDION???
K-YEA, MAYBE IN FACT HE MAY HAVE DONE PURPLE HAZE, I'M NOT SURE!
(LAUGHTER) BUT IT'S THE MOOD, FANTASTIC!

FROM THIS WE WANDERED INTO A DISCUSSION OF FAIRPORT CONVENTION AND
CROPREDY]
K-HAVE YOU BEEN TO SEE THEM?
D-YEA...
K-WELL DAVE PEGG, WHO RUNS THE CROPREDY EACH YEAR, DAVE PEGG AND ROBERT
GO..WELL IT GOES BACK TO THE BAND OF JOY DAYS ACTUALLY, HE WAS UMMM..
P-DAVE PEGG SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE BASS PLAYER, NOT ME (LAUGHTER), AND
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED, DAVE PEGG OPTED OUT.
K-YEA WELL, BUT WE GOT A BETTER BASS PLAYER IN THE END! (LAUGHTER)-
P-HA HA, YEA...
K-HE'S GOT MUCH MORE HAIR THAN PEGGY!
(LAUGHTER)

[DISCUSSION THEN WENT TO ZEP AND HOW BIG THEY STILL ARE TODAY, WHICH LED
TO:]

K-WELL ... UMMM.... WE'LL REFORM THE BAND OF JOY (LAUGHTER) AND SEE IF
WE CAN GET SOME THINGS OUT OF THE CAN AND UMMM-- (IAUGHTER)-. -
D-SO WHEN IS THE REUNION???
K-WELL, IT'S STRANGE REALLY, THINKING ABOUT A REUNION, BECAUSE WE, PAUL
CAN HELP ME ON THIS, THERE WAS
THE BAND OF JOY ALBUM WHICH WE DID-
P-YES, THIS WAS ABOUT 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.  SOME GUYS FROM A BAND
CALLED POSSESSED HAD DIED IN A CAR ACCIDENT, INCLUDING A GOOD FRIEND OF
ROBERT'S, AND S0 WE ALL GOT TOGETHER AGAIN AND DID SOME CHARITY GIGS TO
RAISE MONEY FOR THE FAMILIES.  SO WE TURNED UP IN VARIOUS PUBS AND CLUBS
IN KIDDERMINSTER AND BIRMINGHAM, AND IT WAS A SORT OF ORGANIZED CHAOS. 
SO, THAT'S WHEN I MET KEVIN AGAIN AFTER ALL THOSE YEARS, AND WE SAID
YES, WE'LL GET THE BAND BACK TOGETHER, ROB PLANT AND THE BAND OF JOY,
AND WE'D MAKE A RECORD.  THAT'S WHAT WAS HAPPENING, AND IN THE END
ROBERT NEVER MADE IT BECAUSE OF A TRAGEDY IN HIS FAMILY?
K- YES..
P-SO WE JUST CARRIED ON..

D-SO THIS WAS IN THE MID 70'S?
K-YES, AROUND 1976-77.  AT THAT TIME, SUDDENLY THERE
WAS THIS WOMAN ON A TV SHOW GOING FUCK OFF!!!, AND IT WAS JOHNNY ROTTEN
AND PUNK, AND I'M GOING 'GOD WHAT'S HAPPENING!'
P-AND WE WERE WALKING AROUND IN LONDON DRESSED JUST LIKE THIS (POINTS TO
OLD BAND OF JOY PHOTO) ONLY IT WAS TEN YEARS LATER..
K- WE WERE ALIENS!
P-WE WERE IMMEDIATELY OUT OF PLACE AND WE HADN'T EVEN STARTED YET BUT WE
SOON WERE ... AND THE ALBUM--
K-WELL, A FRIEND OF OURS CAME ROUND, AND WANTED TO KNOW IF WE HAD ANY
SONGS FROM THAT SORT OF PERIOD FOR A BAND HE WAS MANAGING, ANYWAY, AND
THEN WE MADE THE ALBUM AND WERE DOING SORT OF NUMBERS LIKE "3 AM IN THE
CITY" AND THEY SOUNDED LIKE SORT OF A MIXTURE OF THE FIRST JEFF BECK AND
ROD STEWART BAND, AS IN "ROCK ME 'SORT OF, WITH STEELY DAN SORT OF
HARMONY VOCALS-THEN THERE WAS A MISTAKE-
P-WELL THEY PRINTED STUFF IN THE BRITISH PAPERS LIKE "I COULD HEAR
ROBERT IN THE BACKGROUND", AND ROBERT DIDN'T COME ANYWHERE NEAR IT... IT
WAS KEVIN, MYSELF, OFF BASS NOW AND ONTO GUITAR, MIKE CHETWOOD ON
KEYBOARDS, HE HAD A GROUP CALLED TAPAU AND THAT HAD JUST SPLIT UP, AND
ON DRUMS FRANCISCO NIZZA, A BIG 6'4, 6'3 GUY, REALLY COOL, GOOD DRUMMER,
JOHN PASTERNAK ON BASS, WHO HAS UNF'ORTUNATELY SINCE DIED, A GOOD FRIEND
OF KEVIN'S.  WE HAD A MANAGER NAMED CLIVE SELLWOOD, AND SO WE RECORDED
THE ALBUM ON POLYDOR, AND IT DID OK, I THINK THE RECORD COMPANY GOT
THEIR MONEY BACK.

K-ONE NICE THING ABOUT IT WAS THAT WE DIDN'T TRY TO SOUND LIKE THE BAND
OF JOY OF OLD.  WE WERE TOTALLY, MUCH MORE PUNKIER, FAST, SORT OF UP
TEMPO --..YOU MUST GET A COPY OF THAT BECAUSE YOU'D ENJOY IT...
P-YEA, IT'S JUST CALLED THE BAND OF JOY.
K-YEA-IN FACT WE RELEASED THE ALBUM IN THE STATES,
IT WAS AROUND 77, AROUND THAT TIME.  I'M NOT SURE THOUGH BECAUSE WHAT
HAPPENED WAS THAT THE MANAGING GUY FROM HERE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER PARTS
AND THEN A NEW GUY CAME IN AND RIGHT AWAY HE SAID BASICALLY "WHAT'S WITH
THIS GROUP-THEY LOOK SORT OF OLD.  OH YEA YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A TWIN
NECKED GUITAR IN THIS DAY AND AGE", SO RIGHT AWAY THE WHOLE THING WAS
FORGOTTEN, WHICH IS A SHAME REALLY.

P-YEA, BUT THEN WE DID ANOTHER?
K-'24K' WASN'T IT..-
P-YEA, THAT WAS ABOUT FIVE YEARS LATER, ABOUT 92, ON
CLIVE SELLWOOD'S LABEL, THUNDERBOLT.  THAT WAS OUR FINAL THING AS THE
BAND OF JOY-WE PLAYED FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS AND THEN WE SPLIT UP AND WENT
OUR SEPARATE WAYS AGAIN.

D-YOU REALISE THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OF THE EARLY DEMOS OUT ON BOOTLEG,
BUT NOT ALL?.
K-WELL THE DEMOS WERE MEMORY LANE, HEY JOE, FOR WHAT ITS WORTH, ADRIATIC
SEA VIEW?
[DISCUSSION GOES OFF FOR AWHILE WITH ME SUGGESTING THEY SERIOUSLY
CONSIDER RELEASING THAT STUFF ON A LEGITIMATE FORMAT FOR THE FANS.  MET
WITH SOME SERIOUS DISCUSSION OF THE POSSIBILITY AND SOME SURPRISE THAT
SOME OF THOSE SONGS ARE COLLECTED ON BOOTLEGS! ]
D-WHAT IS THE STORY OF THE BAND OF JOY DEMOS?
P-THEY WERE THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY CAREER!
K-DENNY CORDELL, WHO PRODUCED ALL THE MOVE RECORDS, PICKED UP ON THE
DEMOS, AND ROBERT SAID 'OK I'M GOING TO LONDON WITH THE DEMOS', AND
DENNY WAS REALLY OVER THE MOON ABOUT THEM THE NEXT WE HEARD AND ROBERT
WAS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR SAYING 'YEA THEY LOVE IT!'.  BUT THEN SOMEHOW
IT GOT MESSED UP, ROBERT SAID COME ON AND LET'S GO MEET DENNY AND HE
DIDN'T COME BACK.  SO WE WENT DOWN AND HE SAID 'GREAT LET'S GO IN THE
STUDIO', AND DENNY SAID 'THERE'S A GUITAR', HE STUCK IT IN MY HAND AND
SAID 'WRITE SOMETMNG!'.  AT THAT AGE WE REALLY HADN'T STARTED WRITING,
SO HE SAID, 'OK I'LL GIVE YOU A TENNER OR SOMETHING AND PUT YOU UP AT
THE MADISON HOTEL, GO WRITE A SONG AND COME BACK IN THE MORNING.'  SO
THERE WAS ROBERT AND I WITH A BORROWED GUITAR, AND WE SAID 'WELL WE
BETTER COME UP WITH SOMETMNG.'  SO WE DID THIS WILD THING WITH LIKE ONE
BAR, AND WE WENT BACK THE NEXT DAY AND OF COURSE THAT KILLED US
(LAUGHTER), AND PAUL PICKED US UP COMING BACK OFF THE MOTORWAY ABOUT
10:30 THAT NIGHT, WE HAD NO MONEY FOR TRAIN FARE, AND HE MET US AND WE
GAVE HIM THE EXCITING NEWS?.
P-DIDN'T THAT GET PUT OUT?
K-NO I DON'T THINK SO. A FEW YEARS BACK WE WERE GOING TO MAKE A 12 INCH
OUT OF THE DEMOS FOR THE COLLEGE, BUT WE COULDN'T GET ALL THE
PERMISSIONS FROM FAMILY OR WHATEVER, AND WE DIDN'T DO IT, AND AS DIANE
SAID IT'S ALREADY BOOTLEGGED...
[The track 'Adriatic Sea View' was officially released on a charity
compilation tape that had extremely limited distribution in the
Midlands.  This tape was later made available exclusively through
Nirvana Magazine.]

(Part 3 to follow)
- -- 
Diane Lovett
RAMBLD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://home.att.net/~RAMBLD/diane/dianesweb.html