Pink Fairies are an English
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Band or BAND may refer to:
Places
*Bánd, a village in Hungary
*Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania
*Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
initially active in the London (
Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove () is an area and a road in West London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, passing through Kensal Green and Notting Hill, running north–south between Harrow Road and Holland Park Avenue.
It is also a name given ...
)
underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s. They promoted free music, drug use, and
anarchy, and often performed impromptu gigs and other stunts, such as playing for nothing outside the gates at the
Bath and
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...
pop festivals in 1970, as well as appearing at
Phun City
Phun City was a rock festival held at Ecclesden Common near Worthing, England, from 24 July to 26 July 1970. Excluding the one-day free concerts in London's Hyde Park, Phun City became the first large-scale free festival in the UK.
History
Or ...
, the first
Glastonbury
Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbur ...
and many other free festivals including
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
and
Trentishoe
220px, The Trentishoe area on Donn's one inch to the mile survey of 1765.
Trentishoe is a village and civil parish in North Devon, England. The parish lies on the coast of the Bristol Channel. The village is east of Combe Martin, at an eleva ...
.
History
Paul Rudolph incarnation, 1969–1972
The group was formed after the three musicians from
the Deviants (
Paul Rudolph, guitar and vocals, Duncan Sanderson, bass and Russell Hunter, born Barry Russell Hunter, drums), sacked their singer and leader
Mick Farren
Michael Anthony Farren (3 September 1943 – 27 July 2013) was an English rock musician, singer, journalist, and author associated with counterculture and the UK underground.
Early life
Farren was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and aft ...
during a disastrous tour of the
West Coast of the United States
The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S ...
.
Prior to the tour these musicians had collaborated on the ''
Think Pink
In their most common sense, the terms thought and thinking refer to conscious cognitive processes that can happen independently of sensory stimulation. Their most paradigmatic forms are judging, reasoning, concept formation, problem solving, a ...
'' solo album by
Twink, former drummer of
the Pretty Things
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
. Most of the musicians involved were members of a drinking club called the ''Pink Fairies Motorcycle Club and All-Star Rock and Roll Band'', taken from a story written by Jamie Mandelkau. While the former Deviants' sidemen were still stranded in America after the tour, Twink, Farren and former
Tyrannosaurus Rex
''Tyrannosaurus'' is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' (''rex'' meaning "king" in Latin), often called ''T. rex'' or colloquially ''T-Rex'', is one of the best represented theropods. ''Tyrannosaurus'' live ...
percussionist
Steve Peregrin Took
Steve Peregrin Took (born Stephen Ross Porter; 28 July 1949 – 27 October 1980) was an English musician and songwriter, best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan. After breaking with Bolan, he concentrated on ...
had used the Pink Fairies name for various activities, including one shambolic gig in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
(with Farren on vocals, Took on guitar, Twink on drums and his girlfriend Sally Meltzer also known as "Silver Darling" on keyboards) and the recording of Farren's solo album, ''
Mona – The Carnivorous Circus
''Mona—The Carnivorous Circus'' is a 1970 album by the UK underground artist Mick Farren.
The album was recorded to fulfill contractual obligations. Farren had recently returned from a tour of the west coast of North America without his band ...
''. Within a few months Twink had left, followed by Farren, by which point Took had renamed the embryonic band
Shagrat.
In February 1970, Twink recruited the remaining Deviants to a new Pink Fairies line-up. Took meanwhile continued with Shagrat as a vehicle for his own songs, and the two bands would appear as separate acts at the
Phun City
Phun City was a rock festival held at Ecclesden Common near Worthing, England, from 24 July to 26 July 1970. Excluding the one-day free concerts in London's Hyde Park, Phun City became the first large-scale free festival in the UK.
History
Or ...
festival that summer.
Their music was upbeat good-time
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...
, often jamming on
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
' "
Tomorrow Never Knows
"Tomorrow Never Knows" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released in August 1966 as the final track on their album ''Revolver'', although it was the firs ...
",
the Ventures
The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar across the world during the ...
' "
Walk, Don't Run (instrumental) "Walk, Don't Run" is an instrumental composition written and originally recorded by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith in 1954.
It was later adapted and re-recorded by Chet Atkins in 1956, and was a track on the LP ''Hi-Fi In Focus''. This arrangement ...
", "
Ghost Riders in the Sky
"(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend" is a cowboy-styled country/western song written in 1948 by American songwriter, film and television actor Stan Jones.
A number of versions were crossover hits on the pop charts in 1949, the most ...
" and other standards. Their sets climaxed with the lengthy "Uncle Harry's Last Freakout", essentially an amalgam of old Deviants riffs that included extended guitar and double drum solos. They were closely associated with the
UK underground, being based in the
Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove () is an area and a road in West London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, passing through Kensal Green and Notting Hill, running north–south between Harrow Road and Holland Park Avenue.
It is also a name given ...
scene and playing festivals, benefits and free concerts.
The band had strong connections with Farren's home town
Worthing
Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Ho ...
, playing gigs for the
Worthing Workshop. These included an appearance on a float in the Worthing Rotary Club Carnival Procession and a free open-air concert in
Beach House
Beach House is an American musical duo formed in Baltimore, Maryland in 2004. The band consists of Victoria Legrand (vocals, keyboards) and Alex Scally (guitar, keyboard, backing vocals).
Their self-titled debut album was released in 2006 t ...
Park. Playing for free in June 1970 outside the
Bath Festival, they encountered another Ladbroke Grove based band,
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...
, who shared similar interests in music and recreational activities. A friendship developed which would lead to the two bands becoming running partners and performing as Pinkwind. Sensationalist coverage in the (Mick Farren edited) ''
International Times'' solidified their rebel reputation.
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
commissioned the group to record a single, "The Snake" / "Do It", and were happy enough with the results to offer the group an album contract. The debut album ''
Never Never Land
Neverland is a fictional island featured in the works of J. M. Barrie and those based on them. It is an imaginary faraway place where Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, the Lost Boys, and some other imaginary beings and creatures live.
Altho ...
'' was released in 1971.
It featured live favourites "Uncle Harry's Last Freakout" and "Do It",
but curiously omitted "The Snake". An appearance at 1971's
Glastonbury Fair led to them being given one side of the ''
Glastonbury Fayre'' various artists triple album. In July 1971, Twink left to travel to
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
.
The band continued as a three-piece, occasionally augmented by former
The Move
The Move were a British rock band of the late 1960s and the early 1970s. They scored nine top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any real success in the United States. For most of their car ...
bassist
Trevor Burton
Trevor Burton (born Trevor Ireson; 9 March 1949 in Aston, Birmingham, England) is an English guitarist and is a founding member of The Move.
Career
Burton started playing guitar at a young age and was leading his own group called The Evergla ...
on guitar.
They released their second album ''
What a Bunch of Sweeties
''What a Bunch of Sweeties'' is a 1972 album by the UK underground group Pink Fairies.
History
Twink had left the band before the recording of this album. Former The Move guitarist Trevor Burton occasionally joined the band for gigs and contri ...
'' in 1972, which featured some contributions from Burton.
On the album's release and with a promotional tour pending Rudolph departed,
going on to play on albums for
Robert Calvert and
Brian Eno. He would eventually replace
Lemmy in Hawkwind.
Larry Wallis incarnation, 1973–1978
Mick Wayne (born Michael Wayne, 1945,
Hull, Yorkshire and died 26 June 1994), was Rudolph's replacement,
having recorded with Sanderson, Hunter and Steve Peregrin Took on sessions for Took at
Olympic Studios, and later on loose sessions (along with sundry other underground musicians) in Took's flat in the basement of manager
Tony Secunda
Anthony Michael Secunda (24 August 1940 – 12 February 1995)
– accessed 27 March 2012 was an English manager of rock gro ...
's office, the fruits of which were released by
Cleopatra Records
Cleopatra Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1992 by Brian Perera. The record label has since grown into a family of labels, including Hypnotic Records, Purple Pyramid Records, D ...
in 1995. Feeling that Took's exceptionally heavy drug consumption would not make him a going concern, the remaining three instead formed a new version of The Pink Fairies (much to Took's subsequent chagrin), releasing the single "Well, Well, Well" / "Hold On", as well as doing a radio session for
BBC Radio One
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
.
However, Sanderson and Hunter became unhappy with the musical direction Wayne was taking the band. They convinced
Larry Wallis, who had played with Steve Took's
Shagrat and later
UFO
An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
, to join the group as a second guitarist.
Shortly after, they sacked Wayne, passing songwriting and singing duties onto Wallis. This new three piece then recorded the 1973 album ''
Kings of Oblivion''.
Out of contract with Polydor, the band continued touring to a decreasing audience, until finally calling it a day.
Wallis went on to join Lemmy in the first incarnation of
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...
, then became the in-house record producer for
Stiff Records. Sanderson joined The Lightning Raiders. Hunter left the music business.
Ted Carroll, head of
Chiswick Records
Chiswick Records was a British independent record label. Established in 1975, Chiswick was the "first true ' indie' label to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". The label has been described as "significant" in the " punk era". It re ...
, organized a one-off reunion concert at
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhous ...
on 13 July 1975, featuring all five previous major members of the group (released in 1982 as ''
Live at the Roundhouse 1975'').
Following this concert, Wallis, Sanderson and Hunter decided to give the Pink Fairies another try. This line up eventually gave numerous 'farewell tours' before disbanding.
After a period of inactivity they entered the burgeoning punk scene as one of the few 'hairy' bands revered by the new guard. Recruiting former
Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers guitarist
Martin Stone,
they toured and released the single "Between the Lines" / "Spoiling for a Fight" on Stiff Records but, with little interest being shown in them, they once again split up.
Rudolph and Wallis resumed playing for Farren in 1977/78, releasing the EP ''Screwed Up'' as The Deviants again on Stiff, but Rudolph returned to his native Canada prior to the recording of 1978's ''
Vampires Stole My Lunch Money
''Vampires Stole My Lunch Money'' is a 1978 album by the UK underground artist Mick Farren.
Farren had left music performance after his 1970 album ''Mona – The Carnivorous Circus'' to concentrate on journalism and writing. However, in 1976 ...
'' and follow up single "Broken Statue".
1980s and 1990s
In the early 1980s, Wallis, Sanderson and drummer George Butler (ex-
Lightning Raiders
Lightning Raiders were an English pub rock band, with Johnny Hodge being the most prominent member of the group. During their lifetime, they released two singles, an EP, and recorded an album that was not released until 2013.
Career
The Ligh ...
) recorded and played live, the albums ''
Previously Unreleased'' (1982) and The Deviants' ''
Human Garbage
''Human Garbage'' is a 1984 live album by the UK underground artist Mick Farren and friends, released under the name The Deviants.
Farren had relocated to New York but a return visit to London gave him the opportunity for this one-off performa ...
'' (live 1984) being released. The band went under many names including The Police Cars, The Police Sleighs, The Donut Dunkers Of Death and finally The Love Pirates Of Doom, the most settled line up being Wallis, Sanderson, Butler and second guitarist Andy Colquhoun (ex-Warsaw Pakt &
Tanz Der Youth).
In 1987,
Jake Riviera, head of
Demon Records
Demon Music Group (DMG) is a record company owned by BBC Studios that is mainly concerned with back-catalogue rights and re-issuing recordings as compilations on physical media (CDs and vinyl) via supermarkets and specialist stores.
History
DM ...
, offered a
recording contract for a reformed Pink Fairies. Of the five group members,
Paul Rudolph was not involved,
so the second guitarist position was taken up by Andy Colquhoun, who had previously played alongside Wallis. This band released the album ''
Kill 'Em and Eat 'Em
''Kill 'Em and Eat 'Em'' is a 1987 album by the UK underground group Pink Fairies.
This is a reformed Pink Fairies, prompted by an offer from Jake Riviera, head of Demon Records. Of the five original group members, Paul Rudolph wasn't involv ...
'' and toured following a sell-out show and London's Town & Country Club before once again splitting up in 1988.
After Twink's ignominious departure they had carried on until Wallis too left at which time the remaining members toured and recorded as Flying Colours. An archive live album ''Chinese Cowboys: Live 1987'' was issued in Japan in 2005 on
Captain Trip Records.
Following this period the magazine UHCK (Uncle Harry's City Kids - run initially by Jeff Holmes and later by Tim Rundall) collaborated with the band to produce two tape releases (''Silence Of The Hams'' & ''Son Of Ham'') and two CDs (''Son Of Ham'' extended version & ''Hogwatch'') for subscribers, all featuring entirely unreleased music by members of the band in various side projects (
the Deviants,
Lightning Raiders
Lightning Raiders were an English pub rock band, with Johnny Hodge being the most prominent member of the group. During their lifetime, they released two singles, an EP, and recorded an album that was not released until 2013.
Career
The Ligh ...
, etc.), radio sessions and specially written material. In common with many 'official' Pink Fairies releases the artwork was by the late underground cartoonist Edward J. Barker (I.T., Nasty Tales) famed for his Largactalites cartoons and his pig and crow caricatures. Much of the magazine was actually written by ex-band members and by longtime associate, road manager, 'wet nurse' and manager of
Dingwalls
Dingwalls was a live music and comedy venue adjacent to Camden Lock, Camden, London, England. The building itself is one of many industrial Victorian buildings that were put to new use in the 20th century. The original owner of the building, ...
, Boss Goodman, who went on to become a renowned chef, once cooking for US President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
at the Portobello Gold.
In the mid-1990s Twink collaborated with Paul Rudolph and the pair recorded 1996's ''Pleasure Island'' and 1997's ''No Picture'', released as the Pink Fairies on Twink's own label. Twink also issued a plethora of albums featuring outtakes, alternative versions,
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
sessions and live material including: ''The Golden Years 1969-1971'', ''Do It'', ''Live at Weeley Festival 1971'' and ''Mandies and Mescaline Round at Uncle Harry's'' (1998).
During the early 2000s, Polydor remastered and released their Pink Fairies back catalogue with bonus cuts, and issued the sampler albums ''Master Series'' and ''Up the Pinks: An Introduction''.
The ''Kings of Oblivion'' line-up (Wallis, Sanderson, Hunter) were scheduled to play at one-off gig on 22 January 2007 at the Roundhouse, London and record a BBC session for
's ''Freakzone'' radio programme, but activities were cancelled at the last minute due to ill-health. In 2007, the biography ''Keep it Together! Cosmic Boogie with the Deviants and Pink Fairies'' by Rich Deakin, Mick Farren's webmaster, was published by
. In September 2009, the ''What a Bunch of Sweeties'' line-up (Rudolph, Sanderson, Hunter) re-united in the studio to record a new version of "Do It" for the various artists CD ''Portobello Shuffle: A Testimonial To Boss Goodman And Tribute To The Deviants & Pink Fairies''.
The CD was a find-raiser for Boss Goodman, who was suffering from the after-effects of a stroke, and who died on 22 March 2018.
In 2011, Farren and Colquhoun returned to the UK from Los Angeles after nearly 20 years exile. They teamed up with the rhythm section of Hunter and Sanderson, along with second guitarist Tim Rundall and percussionist Jaki Windmill, for a number of appearances. This line up performed on the 'Spirit of 71' stage at the
- 40 years after the Pink Fairies' previous appearance at that event - under the name 'Mick Farren & The Last Men Standing'. Without Rundall, they later performed as The Deviants until Farren's death in 2013.
In 2014, the Pink Fairies reformed with a line-up of Russell Hunter, Duncan Sanderson, Andy Colquhoun, Jaki Windmill and second drummer George Butler. Initially announcing two dates - The Robin 2 in Bilston on 15 May and 100 Club in London on 17 May - more dates were later added up to October 2015. A new album called ''Naked Radio'' was released after a
campaign ending on 12 February 2017. George Butler died in January 2018.
Paul Rudolph completed recordings with drummer
in Austin, Texas, to be released as a Pink Fairies album on Cleopatra Records in 2018. One track appeared on the 2017 compilation ''Halloween Garage Blues''. The LP ''Resident Reptiles'' was released on August 24, 2018.
Larry Wallis died on 19 September 2019, and Duncan Sanderson died just two months later on 20 November 2019.
Tim Rundall died in January 2022.
No. 48
'' (Demon) – Wallis; Colquhoun; Sanderson; Hunter; Twink
*1996 – ''Pleasure Island'' (Twink Records) – Twink; Rudolph
*1997 – ''No Picture'' (Twink Records) – Twink; Rudolph
*2017 – ''Naked Radio'' (Gonzo Music) – Colquhoun; Sanderson; Hunter; Butler; Windmill
*2018 – ''Resident Reptiles'' (Purple Pyramid) – Rudolph;
*1978 - ''Twink and the Fairies'' (Chiswick) – Twink; Sanderson - consisting of the tracks "Do It '77", "Psychedelic Punkeroo" and "Enter The Diamonds"
*1984 – ''
*1975 - ''Flashback'' (Polydor)
*1999 - ''Live at the Roundhouse'' / ''Previously Unreleased'' / ''Do It '77'' (Big Beat)
*1999 – ''Master Series'' (Universal)
*2002 – ''Up the Pinks – An Introduction to Pink Fairies'' (Polydor)
*2021 – ''Duo Up'' (Explore Rights Management Ltd via Cherry Red)
*1971 - "The Snake" / "Do It" (Polydor) – Rudolph; Sanderson; Hunter; Twink
*1972 - "Pigs of Uranus" / "I Saw Her Standing There" (German Polydor release) Rudolph; Sanderson; Hunter
*1973 - "Well, Well, Well" / "Hold On" (Polydor) – Wayne; Sanderson; Hunter
*1976 - "Between the Lines" / "Spoiling for a Fight" (Stiff) – Wallis; Stone; Sanderson; Hunter
'' (Big Beat) – Wallis; Rudolph; Sanderson; Hunter; Twink
*1998 - ''The Golden Years: 1969–1971'' (Cleopatra Records) – Rudolph; Sanderson; Hunter; Twink (live, BBC sessions, Twink solo material)
*1998 - ''Mescaline and Mandies Round at Uncle Harry's'' (NMC) – Rudolph; Sanderson; Hunter; Twink; Burton (BBC sessions, live)
*1999 - ''Do It!'' (Total Energy) – Rudolph; Sanderson; Hunter; Twink (live, Twink solo material)
*1999 - ''Live at
'' (Get Back) – Rudolph; Sanderson; Hunter (live)
*2005 - ''Chinese Cowboys'' (Captain Trip) – Wallis; Colquhoun; Sanderson; Hunter; Twink (live 1987)
*2008 - ''Finland Freakout 1971''