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Abbots Langley
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Track list | |
Authorised release 2007
£7.99 plus postage
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Abbots Langley In 1980, following his early career with TIMEBOX, PATTO, TEMPEST and BOXER, guitarist Ollie Halsall teamed up with former bandmate drummer John Halsey to record these remarkable sessions. The planned group never materialised and Ollie joined Kevin Ayers' band, with whom he spent most of the next 12 years, until his untimely death in 1992. This album is a snapshot of a particular period in the life of a somewhat eccentric but extraordinarily talented musician. This new album of previously unreleased recordings by Ollie Halsall is now available from Market Square Records [MSMCD 145]. The material, which includes nine Halsall originals, dates from a 1980 colaboration with drummer John Halsey and is completed by some very unusual extra recordings.
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Bum Love Bonus tracks:
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| Hertfordshire, England 1980 | continued | |
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"So, what are you doing?" Ollie asked me. "Not a lot." "Let's put a 3-piece together and do some gigs." So over to Abbots Langley I go. The house was an utter shit-hole! He couldn't pay the mortgage or rates, the electricity had been cut off as well as the gas. He couldn't drive and had no phone. He had no money and was stealing food from shops and milk off people's door steps. All he had was a borrowed guitar and a battery-operated Pignose amplifier. We retired to the pub to talk tactics. He was barred from the two others in the village - one for fighting and the other for urinating against the bar where he stood drinking his beer. The one remaining establishment was run by an old lady with thick khaki stockings, slippers and a housecoat. Even though we were the only customers, she didn't seem very happy to see Ollie. We decided to get a bass player to help out with the vocals. There were a couple of players involved, but none that stayed. We even advertised in The Melody Maker - 'Ollie and John from Patto want bass player/vocalist.' It brought no response. I did quite a lot of work with John Rowlands, the engineer from The Barge studios in Maida Vale. He knew people who gave advertising briefs to writers of jingles. I put it to him that, if any assignments came our way, Ollie and I would split the profits with him. The first one we were offered was for Marietta's Pizzas. They wrote and sent us the lyrics and we set them to music. (Included here as track links.) We recorded them in The Barge studios. They were never used, so we never got paid. Vivian Stanshall got us to do some tracks with musical director Pete Moss for the album Teddy Boys Don't Knit. I got my session fees - about £700 - through the post. Next day, I drove over to Ollie's, thinking "At last, he can buy a guitar" because everything he was doing, he had to borrow one. |
I was thinking that he could have the electricity put back on, or buy some coal, or even food! But, no: "Hi J. Yeah, got my money. Come and see." I went into the house and, all around the walls, were pinned these giant sheets of paper. "I'm gonna build an ocean-going yacht. Sail around the world. I'll build it in the back garden and have it lifted over the house by one of those massive cranes on the back of a lorry." The plans cost £700. One day, he said to me "I can't understand why I don't get any work - I'm not a bad player." I had to explain to him that, without a guitar, driving licence or telephone, it would be a little uphill. The fact that he hadn't paid the mortgage or rates for a year, and was scared to draw the curtains or answer the door, was not exactly conducive to modern day living. Another thing we did was the Miniatures album by keyboard player Morgan Fisher (who had been with us in John Otway's band). This comprised just one-minute tracks - loads of 'em. It was recorded in his flat in Fulham. Ollie and I put together this bizarre crooning piece with staccato guitar middle and talking through it and Morgan counting the seconds down backwards from 60. (Included here to open the album. "See you in a couple of weeks" he said. Off he went from the house in Abbots Langley . . . and he never came back. John Halsey |
Marietta's Pizzas! It's a lot a cheaper Marietta's lovely pizzas Marietta's pizzas |
Executive Producer: Peter Muir Album concept and design: Barry Monks Photos: Morgan Fisher, Mike Shefrin, TF 'La Voghuer Lough' painting by Ollie Halsall and Bernie Holland Total running time approx. 40 minutes These recordings are of historical interest. Whilst every effort has been made to digitally enhance the sound, the quality reflects the limitations of the source tape £7.99 plus postage
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