HAPPENING!

• The Rolling Stones contract with Decca Records expires. They still owe one single but deliver the unreleasable “Cocksucker Blues”.

• Ex-Family, Blind Faith and Air Force bassist Ric Grech joins Traffic.

• Arthur Brown is arrested and charged with indecent exposure following his performance at the Palermo Music Festival in Sicily.

• Guitarist Anthony Phillips leaves Genesis. Drummer John Mayhew also quits. Mayhew is replaced by Phil Collins from Flaming Youth. Finding a successor to Phillips proves more problematical. The group continues as a four piece for several months.

• BBC2 TV “Disco 2”-Alan Bown, Justine, Steeleye Span (11th), Mighty Baby (25th)  

• BBC1 TV "It's Lulu"- Marmalade (25th)

• Granada ITV “Doing Their Thing”-Marmalade (10th), Free (24th), Status Quo (31st)

• BBC SESSIONS-Argent (5th, John Peel’s Sunday Concert), Kevin Ayers (3rd, Alan Black-11th, Top Gear), Bronco (7th, Mike Harding), Colosseum (21st, Mike Harding), Fairport Convention (26th, Folk On 1), Free (12th, John Peel's Sunday Concert), Greatest Show On Earth (25th, Noel Edmonds), Groundhogs (28th, Mike Harding), Hardin & York (30th, Stuart Henry), Idle Race (6th-10th, Jimmy Young), If (17th, Alan Black), Incredible String Band (25th, Top Gear), Kinks (27th-31st, Jimmy Young), Magna Carta (18th, Noel Edmunds), Marmalade (12th, DLT--27th-31st, Tony Brandon), Mayfield's Mule (25th, Noel Edmonds), Medicine Head (9th, Stuart Henry), Montanas (13th-17th, Terry Wogan), Nite People (13th-17th, Tony Brandon), Onyx (20th-24th, Jimmy Young--25th, Gary Taylor), Peppermint Circus (20th-24th, Tony Brandon), Pink Floyd (19th, John Peel’s Sunday Concert), Pretty Things (6th, David Symonds), Slade (20th-24th, Jimmy Young), Stone The Crows (31st, Alan Black), Supertramp (18th, Top Gear), Toby Twirl (13th-17th, Jimmy Young), Trader Horne (12th, John Peel’s Sunday Concert), Trapeze (18th, Gary Taylor), Trees (2nd, Stuart Henry), Tyrannosaurus Rex (30th, Stuart Henry)

• Radio Luxembourg “Hard Rock Show”-Quatermass (17th, in concert at Luxembourg Blow-Up Club)

• Download Kenny Everett Show 18th July HERE

WATCHING!

• More Festival fever this month. Blossom Toes and Arthur Brown (see above) travel to Sicily to appear in the Palermo Festival.

• Aachen, Germany, Open Air Pop Festival (10th-12th)-Bill includes: Pink Floyd, Taste, Hardin-York, Quintessance, Caravan, Kevin Ayers & the Whole World, Traffic, Deep Purple, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Free, Edgar Broughton Band etc

• The Nottingham Festival Of Blues And Progressive Music features Family, Taste, Atomic Rooster, Jody Grind, Anno Domini and……Mungo Jerry (25th)

• The Phun City Festival in Worthing, Sussex stars Free, Pretty Things, Clark-Hutchinson, Stray, Steve Took’s Shagrat, Colosseum, Mighty Baby, Renaissance, Stray, Edgar Broughton, Kevin Ayers, Pink Fairies, Quintessence, Third Ear Band, Cochise, Noir and Detroit bad boys MC5 (24th-26th)

• Pink Floyd premiere ‘Atom Heart Mother’ at a free concert in Hyde Park (18th). Also on the bill are Roy Harper, Edgar Broughton Band, Kevin Ayers & Robert Wyatt, Formerly Fat Harry and Lol Coxhill.

• Roundhouse-David Bowie, Idle Race, Roger Ruskin Spear, Quiver, James Litherland's Brotherhood (5th), Judas Jump, Stray, Trees, Satisfaction, Bubastis (12th), Pretty Things, Kevin Ayers, Pink Fairies, Curved Air, Gracious (19th), Aquila, Titus Groan, High Broom, Paradise Hammer (26th)

• London Lyceum-Deep Purple, Julian’s Treatment, Blonde On Blonde (5th), Procol Harum, Hard Meat, Mungo Jerry (10th), Principal Edwards Magic Theatre, Road (12th), Yes, Uriah Heep, Black Sabbath, Clark-Hutchinson (17th), Tyrannosaurus Rex, Man (19th), Juicy Lucy, Fat Mattress, Steamhammer, Granny’s New Intentions etc (24th), Keef Hartley, Genesis, Valhalla UK (26th), Free, Groundhogs, Strawbs (31st)

• Marquee- Caravan (2nd, 30th), Pink Fairies (3rd, 10th), Titus Groan (3rd, 10th), Custer’s Track (4th), Ginhouse (5th), Medicine Head (6th), Status Quo (7th, 25th), Black Sabbath (8th), Steamhammer (9th), Stackridge (9th), Genesis (12th), May Blitz (13th), Supertramp (14th, 24th), Slade (15th), Gentle Giant (15th), Black Widow (16th), Dream Police (18th), Audience (19th), Da Da (19th), Granny’s New Intentions (22nd), Edgar Broughton Band (23rd), Noir (23rd), Groundhogs (24th), Van Der Graaf Generator (26th), Spring (26th), Justine (27th), Hardin-York (28th), Grail (31st)  

• Speakeasy- Gentle Giant (2nd), Affinity (29th)

• Temple Club-The Web, Trapeze, Galliard (10th), Amazing Blondel, Cressida (11th), May Blitz, Gnidrolog, Bram Stoker (17th), Blonde On Blonde, Forest (18th), Slade (24th), Audience, Little Free Rock (25th)

• Acton, White Hart-‘Dave’ Bowie (27th)

• Aylesbury Friars-Argent (6th)  

• Barnet, Queen Elizabeth School For Boys-Kevin Ayers & The Whole World, Noir (18th)

• Barnet Resurrection Club-Clark-Hutchinson (15th), May Blitz (22nd), Trees (29th)

• Barnstable Magic Circus-Badfinger (3rd), Yes (10th), Hard Meat (17th)

• Beckenham Public Hall-Comus (24th)

• Bedford Town Football Club-Deep Purple, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Medicine Head, Principal Edwards Magic Theatre, Skin Alley, Satisfaction, Sweet Slag (4th)

• Bexley, Black Prince-Status Quo, Bram Stoker (12th), Greatest Show On Earth (19th), Trapeze (26th)

• Mothers, Birmingham- Free (4th), Gentle Giant (10th), Jackson Heights (11th), Mighty Baby (12th-cancelled as the group failed to turn up), Trapeze (15th), Yes (18th), Stray (22nd), Patto (24th), Black Widow (25th), Cressida (29th)

• Birmingham Town Hall-Barclay James Harvest (17th), Incredible String Band (24th)

• Bishops Stortford College-Hawkwind (4th)

• Boston Starlight Room-Noir (11th)

• Bournemouth Winter Gardens-Marmalade (3rd)

• Brighton Sloopy’s-Norman Haines Band (3rd), The Symbols (4th), Nite People (10th)

• Bristol Old Granary-Bram Stoker (20th)

• Brixton Telegraph-The Information (8th and every Wednesday, Idle Race (9th), Swinging Blue Jeans (16th), Nashville Teens)

• Burton On Trent, Eton Park Football Ground-The Move (11th)

• Cambridge Corn Exchange-Arcadium (3rd)

• Camden Passage Festival-Stray (9th)

• Cardiff College of Drama-Stackridge (9th)

• Essex University, Colchester-Pink Floyd (22nd)

• Crawley, Grasshopper-Mungo Jerry, Stackridge (7th), Argent (9th)

• Crawthorne, Wellington College-Steamhammer (5th)

• Fairfield Hall, Croydon- Incredible String Band (23rd), Family (26th)

• Greyhound, Croydon-Judas Jump (1st), Free (5th), Bram Stoker (19th)

• Star, Croydon- Alan Bown (3rd), Hawkwind (10th), Genesis, Ben (17th), Argent (24th), Stray (31st)

• Dagenham Village Roundhouse-Fairport Convention (4th), Writing On The Wall (18th), Sam Apple Pie, Custers Track (25th)

• Dartington Art College-Stackridge (6th)

• Dudley, Lower Gornal Football Stadium-Alan Bown, Principal Edwards Magic Theatre, Clouds, Norman Haines & Locomotive, Writing On The Wall, Galliard etc (11th)

• Civic Hall, Dunstable-Mungo Jerry, Clark-Hutchinson (6th), Black Sabbath (18th), The Who, Wishbone Ash, Aquila (25th)

• East Ham, Green Man-Mandrake (23rd)

• Edinburgh Usher Hall-Incredible String Band (17th), Barclay James Harvest (23rd-cancelled owing to a ban on pop and underground concerts at this venue)

• Edmonton Cooks Ferry Inn-Steamhammer (6th), Sam Apple Pie (13th), Alan Bown (20th-cancelled due to non-appearance of the band’s equipment!)

• Wake Arms, Epping-Van Der Graaf Generator (5th), Skid Row (12th), May Blitz, Patto (19th), Uriah Heep (26th)

• Epsom Methodist Hall-Fusion Orchestra (4th)

• Farnborough Tech College-Argent, Stackridge (4th)

• Folkestone Tofts-Delivery (4th), Skid Row (18th)

• Gloucester Tech College-Kevin Ayers & The Whole World, Paladin (3rd)

• Guildford Civic Hall-Quintessence, Jody Grind (18th)

• Hampstead Country Club-Aquila (3rd), Alan Bown (7th), Judas Jump, Bram Stoker (10th), Jan Dukes De Grey, Spirogyra (14th), Stray (17th), Hawkwind (19th), Fairport Convention (21st), Noir, Trapeze (24th), Skin Alley (26th), If (28th), Skid Row (31st)

• Harlow Odeon-Marmalade (4th)

• High Wycombe Blues Loft-High Tide (3rd), Arcadium (10th), May Blitz (17th), Satisfaction (24th)

• High Wycombe Town Hall-Juicy Lucy, Aquila (2nd)

• Hull City Hall-Incredible String Band (19th)

• Inverness Caledonian Football Ground-Taste, Savoy Brown, Black Widow, Brinsley Schwarz, Atomic Rooster, If, String Driven Thing (18th, 1st Scottish Blues & Progressive Music Festival)

• Kingston Polytechnic-Genesis (9th)  

• Kirk Levington Country Club- Affinity (25th)

• Little Bardfield Barn Club-If (4th), Fat Mattress (11th), Crazy Mabel (18th), Black Sabbath (25th)

• London Horse Shoe Hotel-Stray (2nd), Pete Brown & Piblokto (9th), Dream Police (16th), Comus (23rd)

• London Palladium-Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention (26th)

• London Queen Elizabeth Hall-Strawbs (11th)

• London Resurrection Club-Argent (8th)

• London, Royal Albert Hall-Colosseum (2nd)

• Royal College Of Art, London-Van Der Graaf Generator (7th)

• London, Torrington-Aquila (12th), Affinity (19th), Bram Stoker (26th)

• London, Upstairs at Ronnie Scott's-Delivery (2nd), Gass (3rd, 4th, 15th, 24th, 25th), Wishbone Ash (7th), 23rd), Aubrey Small (28th), Noir (29th)

• Maidstone Art College-Ben (2nd), Juicy Lucy, Yes, Greatest Show On Earth (3rd)

• Manchester Free Trade Hall-Incredible String Band (18th)

• Manchester Mr Smith's-Little Free Rock (5th), Alan Bown (12th), If (19th), Blonde On Blonde (26th)

• Manchester University-Curved Air (3rd), Medicine Head (17th)

• Merton King’s Head-Hackensack (12th)

• City Hall, Newcastle-Van Der Graaf Generator, Audience, Jackson Heights (2nd)

• Mayfair, Newcastle-Pretty Things, Roy Harper (3rd), Man (10th), Atomic Rooster, Van Der Graaf Generator (23rd), Deep Purple (31st)

• Norwich Youth Festival-Jackson Heights (4th)

• Peterborough Cloud Nine-Argent (19th), Comus, Grizelda (25th), Quatermass (26th)

• Van Dykes, Plymouth-Fairport Convention (18th), Writing On The Wall (24th), Alan Bown (25th), Yes (31st)

• Portsmouth Stadium-Uriah Heep, Gentle Giant, Keef Hartley, East Of Eden, Strawbs, Gypsy, Heaven, Hookfoot (4th)

• Potters Bar Farx-Edgar Broughton Band, Ben (4th), Trees (11th), Judas Jump, Gnidrolog (18th), Argent, Bram Stoker (25th)

• Coatham Arms, Redcar-Yes (19th), Affinity (26th)

• Rickmansworth, St Joan’s-Genesis (11th)

• Romford, King’s Head-Juicy Lucy, Aquila (13th), Van Der Graaf Generator (20th), Castle Farm, Egg (25th), Groundhogs (27th)

• Sheffield University-Kinks (17th)

• Southall Farx-Black Widow, Supertramp (5th), Audience (12th), East Of Eden (19th), If (26th)

• Fickle Pickle, Southend-Patto (3rd), David Bowie, Aquila (17th), Status Quo (24th), If (31st)

• Southend Kursaal-Juicy Lucy, Argent, Stackridge (11th)

• St Albans Pioneer Club-Stray (4th)

• St Ann’s Sporting Club-Warm Dust (27th)

• Stevenage Bowes Lyon House-High Tide (23rd)

• Stockport Bamboo Club-Aquila (27th)

• Swindon McIlroys-Free (7th)

• Tooting, The Castle-Stray (8th), Argent (22nd)

• Twickenham Eel Pie Island-Jody Grind (3rd), Stray (18th), Pink Fairies (24th), Groundhogs (25th)

• Twickenham Grammar School-T2 (18th)

• Walthamstow, The Brewery Tap ‘Bluesville’-Titus Groan (12th), Wishbone Ash (26th)

• Walthamstow Greyhound-Arthur Brown (3rd), Stray (10th), Pink Fairies (17th), Atomic Rooster (24th)

• Weymouth Pier-The Move (10th)

• Windsor Club 1832-Curved Air (11th), Clark-Hutchinson (18th)

• Windsor East Berkshire College-Fat Mattress, Jody Grind (4th)

• Wolverhampton Lafayette-Peppermint Circus (25th), Slade (26th), Dream Police (31st)

• Wood Green, King’s Arms-Climax Chicago, Bram Stoker (24th)

REVIEWS

AUDIENCE

Belladonna Moonshine: Takes quite a few spins before it registers. An original and distinctive sound, with forceful piano, guitar and saxes adding depth  to the vocal harmonising. A group from whom we'll be hearing a lot more in future.

BLACK SABBATH

Paranoid: An almost demonic approach to this furious mindblowing set. The disc really lives up to its title and gives the impression of an uninhibited freak-out. Only for those who want to be shattered!

PETE BROWN & PIBLOKTO!

Can't Get Off The Planet: Throbbing, pounding drums and swinging organ underline the fruity solo vocal in this exhilarating set. Lyrically I'm not quite sure what it's all about, but that doesn't really matter because the overall sound is pulsating and palpitating. A bit too way-out to have mass appeal.

JIMMY CAMPBELL

Don't Leave Me Now: Jimmy dualtracks the beseeching and poignant lyric of his lilting self-penned ballad, with a delicate guitar accompaniment.

FAIRFIELD PARLOUR

Just Another Day: An enchanting routine--wispy, fluffy and haunting--which erupts into an intense ensemble chorus. There's a touch of old-world charm about this group, especially in the quieter acoustic sequences--just as in its previous single 'Bordeaux Rose'. This is equally delightful, and I hope it gets a better break than the last one.

FAIRPORT CONVENTION

Full House (LP): I'm lost with admiration for this band who've been supplying me with my most enjoyable listening since way back. A brilliant, exciting album, maintaining all of the joy and youthfulness that has always characterised Fairport.

FAIRWEATHER

Natural Sinner: The best record Andy Fairweather-Lowe has ever made! Starts with an intriguing, almost ethereal sound, then the pulsating beat begins building with catchy tempo changes and Andy pouring his heart out. Instantly appealing. Certain to make the top 5.

FOTHERINGAY

Fotheringay (LP): It's not so much a barrier-shatterer or a mind blaster...more a gentle, insinuating affirmation of what is one of the most exciting and open idioms on the current scene.

HARDIN & YORK

The World's Smallest Big Band (LP): It's sometimes hard to believe that it's just humans generating all this power and excitement!

HUMBLE PIE

Humble Pie (LP): If you don't know what the creature in the title of 'One-Eyed Trouser Snake Rumba' is, write to me for the answer in a plain, sealed envelope!

MEDICINE HEAD

Coast To Coast: A John Peel production set to predominantly piano, guitar and drum chunk beat. The rather repetitive vocal is almost spoken and the melody isn't one that's likely to carry it into the charts.

MUD

Jumping Jehosaphat: A bustling up-beat toe-tapper with a gimmicky title phrase and a sparkling accompaniment. Gay and light hearted, it's a fun disc.

SALAMANDER

Crystal Ball: This powers along at an up-tempo gallop pace backed by twangs, reverberating beat and falsetto chanting supporting the soloist. Then, suddenly and inexplicably, it slows down to funeral pace in an instrumental break which destroys the rhythm of the whole routine.

SPOOKY TOOTH

The Last Puff (LP): This is the album that was supposed to have marked the rejuvenation of Spooky Tooth but turned out to be their swansong, and what a loss their demise will be, because this is the best thing ever done under the Spooky banner. Their 6 minute version of 'I Am The Walrus' scintillates with that Spooky Tooth strength for dramatics and instrumental power. 

STRAWBS

Forever: A warm and glowing love song. A tenderly caressing piece, mainly soloed but building to an expansive ensemble coda. Noteworthy for its beautiful string scoring, with violins and solo cello. An unlikely hit, but a disc for the fan who likes some quality and substance with his pop.

TREES

Nothing Special: Features the voice of Celia Humphris which is beautifully clear and stands out strongly against interweaving harmonies from the backing instruments. A very original sound which could catch on given the plugs.

WHO

Summertime Blues: The Who at its most pulverising, vibrant and electrifying best. Nothing subtle or progressive about it--simply hard-driving, block-busting rock.

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