In The Top Twenty
(At last!). -Actually, BPS did once release a single,and on vinyl, too! Jim Pryal and Arun Bhandari would love me to add that they joined the personnel for this (and other) recordings. It came out the same week as the first ever single by Squeeze and Kate Bush. (So no pressure,then). They had everso slightly bigger record companies than us doing the promotional work. Even so, our reviews in the Record Mirror ("a classic") and in the New Musical express ("best whistling on record since the Rolling Stones") were very favourable. However, only John Peel of the Radio One jocks liked it enough to play it . Without half a dozen Payola Boys riding round London on Vespas and using "incentives" to persuade media companies to add it to their playlists-it sank slowly back below the horizon. Except in Norway. But it was good, last night, to revisit what might have been.
Warwick Folk Club
We often include two affectionate swipes at the Folk and Acoustic scene in our sets. "At The Septic Monkey" is a cruel and grossly exaggerated amalgamation of all that is odd about that great British Institution the Folk Club. Whereas "What a Folking Liberty" celebrates tongue in cheek the bedsit singer-songwriter angst of "the toughest game in the world." No, not boxing, or the life of a North Sea trawler hand. The art of taking a collection of songs out and about to inflict on a patient and understanding audience. The songwriting source for these songs is several decades of observation-but it is by no means autobiographical. For there are still many pleasant and friendly music venues in the Midlands. Warwick Folk Club is one of them.
Norman Wheatley
Warwick Folk Club is a tribute to the organisational commitment of host and compere Norman Wheatley. His excellent presentation skills, honed in a background of radio broadcasting, and primed with an encyclopaedic knowledge of popular music, help his famed "themed" evenings go with particular style. Norman understands what constitutes a good "show." The knowledgeable audiences at Warwick appreciate diverse performance skills and accept a broad spectrum of eclectic material with enthusiasm and good humour. The setting in the Warwick Arms is very posh. One of the most luxurious venues I know of which is prepared to allow Folkies through its doors. It all makes for a very comfortable experience.
What we did
"It's all over now," the Bobby Womack inspired hit for the Rolling Stones. Slowed down a little, and with Mandola-playing from Mick Harris substituted for Brian Jones. And with the addition of a bass line from guest Parrot Michael Moyse. The audience positively belted out the chorus lines, and (thankfully) a lot of the verses. It was the only Stones song done last night. And no Beatles.
With the same personnel, Peter Green's classic cover of a Little Willie John song "Need Your Love So Bad" followed. For my wife and I that tune was the first dance at our wedding.
Finally, and again with Michael still noodling courageously away to our right, the Sam Cooke hit "Bring It On Home To Me" concluded our guest spot. Not the legendary YouTube version, where I sing along with Chele Willow and Borderline Crossing. You know. The one with me sounding like Doctor John on Helium because I started a verse in the wrong key. This version had an improved vocal from me, supplemented by inspirational call-and-answer hollering of "Yeahs!" from a responsive audience.
What others did
Norman got us all singing "Pretty Flamingo," but refused point blank to perform any song containing his name. Elsewhere on the programme we enjoyed some pop, some 1980's material and a few contemporary arrangements. Not much traditional Folk at all. In fairness, not many bands have crossed the genre divide to chart with folk-based traditional material. The Spinners, The Springfields, The Dubliners and The Pogues are amongst those that have. The Highwaymen, Mike Preston and Allan Smethurst (!!) arguably traversed the same divide occasionally.
Bill Bates sang two fairly breathless numbers, one a version of Cat Steven's "Father and Son" which rendered him red faced with the effort of reaching certain high notes. Keith Donnelly showed off a startling range of guitar harmonics whilst reviving "Overkill" a Men at Work follow up to their hit single "Down Under." He also did a version of "Send in The Clowns."
Ours was not the only Collective, as Norman and friends did a brave second half version of "Nights In White Satin" featuring a lovely flute solo. Norman did not wear his white satin suit for this which was disappointing. Later we all learned how Buddy Holly might have handled "Heartbeat" on Banjo., and we warbled tremulously along with Charles Aznavour thinly disguised as Peter Wimpenny.
We had cover versions of tunes from The Hollies, Boo Hewerdine , Crowded House (2), David Gray, Abba, Marc Cohen, Al Stewart and Danny Wilson (the group not the singer) The Skeptics did interesting acapella arrangements of an Elvis song-O Sole Mio (I know different words to that) and "Children of the Revolution"...which I found mildly disturbing.
We had cover versions of tunes from The Hollies, Boo Hewerdine , Crowded House (2), David Gray, Abba, Marc Cohen, Al Stewart and Danny Wilson (the group not the singer) The Skeptics did interesting acapella arrangements of an Elvis song-O Sole Mio (I know different words to that) and "Children of the Revolution"...which I found mildly disturbing.
Alkevan completed the evening with a very bold adaptation of "Hotel California." By this point, a well-fuelled audience sang not only the choruses but most of the verses, much of it by rote.. "Alkevan" incidentally, might sound like a Middle Earth warrior, but is actually an amalgamation of the first names of the band. Which could make us "Arneffick" or "Miffnold". With the company concluding in mellow mood, Norman brought us all back down to earth by pointing out that there is no such word as "colitas." He added that a spelling prompt would edit the line to "warm smell of colitis, rising up through the air." Not a good image to take out into a chilly Warwickshire evening.
Conclusion.
Butcombe Bitter, a bottle of Chenin Blanc won from a raffle which always puts the mock parody of one in "Septic Monkey" to shame. Challenging arrangements. Good musicianship. Robust singing. Responsive audience. Scrupulously compered and well organised. What's not to like?
What we'd do next time (if invited back)
A choice from: Bohemian Rhapsody: Safety Dance (Men Without Hats): Pretty Vacant. or There Goes My Baby. (The Drifters). Anything by Kings of Leon.
