NELSONICA
03
Bill
Nelson's 'LOST SATELLITES' had a personnel change this year at Nelsonica
03. On drums, and playing with Bill for the first time since 1974's
Be Bop De Luxe was Nicholas- Chatterton Dew, better known to Holyground
as Nick Dew.
Mike
Levon was most enthusiastic - "Nick played brilliantly - that very
solid slam from the drums accompanied by surprisingly soft cymbals.
Nick knows how to use silences to good effect.".
below
: Nick and Mike at Nelsonica (photo courtesy Ian Cumberland)
.
BLUE
EPITAPH
Blue
Epitaph consisted for PETE HOWELLS and JAMES GORDON, plus a handful of
supporting musicians. Pete wrote most of the material on Ode, and was
the lead singer. James played guitar and sang harmony. Without the quirky
lyrics and odd tangents the music took, they would have been like any
other two piece, but it was these features, augmented by Holyground's
psych credentials and Mike Levon's production style which made their album,
ODE, a folk-psych masterpiece. Throw in a few Welsh chickens, Holyground's
drawing pin treated piano, a touch of phasing by headphone manimpulation,
and you have it.
PETE
HOWELLS
recalls that "About four years after leaving college
Blue Epitaph went 'on the road' for just over three years playing Britain
and Norway mainly. We did some more recording and got very close to a
major deal with CBS when deals were deals. I'm currently living in Brighton.
I have recently written some songs but have not yet got round to recording
them. I am also writing a novel (ho hum) ..... hard work. At a Bretton
College reunion recently, I am still recognisable as me apparently!"
JAMES
writes,
"I am now living in Norway....still playing and plugging away at
it all . I did a solo CD a couple of years back produced by Doug Morter
(previously from the AlbionBand) and a few of the old timers." And
as for Ode, James is amazed "after all these years there is interest
in an album from so long ago".
PEOPLE
FROM THE PAST . . .
In
the last few years we have made major attempts to contact everyone who
recorded with us, however large of small their contribution was.
Some have found us first! It has been great to re-meet, and pick up with some where we left off - including recording them again, see page three!
Each issue we will list a few past Holygrounders, and from time to time do a profile like that of the guys from Blue Epitaph opposite.
This issue's blasts from the past are:
from
LAST THING ON MY MIND :
Bob Hart ::: Steve Ringsell ::: Jenny Tarren :::
Lesley
Guest (now Swire) :::
from
GAGALACTYCA :
Ted Hepworth ::: Biff Byford ::: Dave Millen ('Ginner')
of Thundermother :::
Pete Duce (photographer)
from
LOOSE ROUTES vols 1 & 2 :
Steve Channing ::: Dave Wilson :::
Peter Morton (of Sidewinder) :::
Frank Newbould (Thundermother) :::
Clive Colling (from 9 Bread Street) :::
Dave Nuttall ::: Ian Jones (drummer) :::
.
. . more next time
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :: go to page three