Main » 2010 » April » 25 » String Driven Thing - 1993 - The Early Years
09:20
String Driven Thing - 1993 - The Early Years
Style: prog, folk
Country: uk
Audio: lossless (flac, cue, log, covers)
time: 56'53" Size: 348 mb
Year: 1993 ('68-'72 1st album full & more)
oe: Amazing group!
Tapestry of Delights:
An archytypal progressive rock outfit, formed in mid-1968 by husband and wife Chris and Pauline Adams. Although their debut album bears little resemblance to their subsequent work, being full of US West Coast-influenced breezy harmony-pop, only 100 copies were pressed and it's now inevitably rare and sought-after.
In 1972 they expanded the line-up, with Graeme Smith a classically trained violinist from the Scottish National Orchestra, Bill Hatje and Colin Wilson. The same year they signed to Charisma and released an eponymous album which enjoyed considerable critical acclaim. Characterised by Chris Adams' hard bitten lyrics and doomy vocals and Graham Smith's wailing violin playing, their 'sound' had built up a strong following on the club/college circuit. 1972 also saw them on tour in the U.S. with Genesis.
There is no doubt that The Machine That Cried although musically far stronger than their first Charisma release, was very doom-laden and apparently written while Chris Adams was hospitalised with a collapsed lung. The band too were suffering problems with Charisma. They recorded the album with a drummer against the express wishes of their label who thereafter insisted that the band demo all output for their final approval. Charisma also rejected the bands original title, Heartfeeder.
Colin 'Billy the Kid' Fairley (ex-Ruby and Beggars Opera) also drummed on The Machine That Cried. Soon after the albums release, the Adams' left the band and Graham Smith took over its leadership assembling a new line-up. Apparently, however, an unreleased album exists featuring the Adam's, Graham Smith, Dave Mattacks and Dave Pegg. This was recorded just before the demise of the Adams-led band and examples from it are included on the Discotomy CD.
Their two subsequent albums were OK but never attracted the same attention as the previous two. One curious fact is their It's A Game 45, which was later a hit for The Bay City Rollers! The link between the two was Shel Talmy who produced String Driven Thing and also produced/managed The Rollers.
After the band split Graham Smith went on to work with Van Der Graaf Generator in 1977 and later with Peter Hammill. Colin Wilson went on to record a solo folk rock album Cloudburst (Tabibla ) 1975. Chris Adams too made a solo album The Damage 1992. Kimberley Beacon made some solo albums as Kim Beacon. Today Colin Fairley lives in Canada and runs a tartan import/export business, Colin Wilson works in computers in the Home Counties and Graham Smith teaches the violin.
The most famous String Driven Thing song remains Circus.
1. July Morning 2:20
2. Say what You Like 2:38
3. Magic Garden 3:06
4. Wonderful Places 3:01
5. I Don't Wanna Wake Up 2:54
6. City Man 3:01
7. Another Night in this Old City 3:07
8. That's My Lady 2:52
9. Catch as Catch Can 3:40
10. No More You and I 2:35
11. Lie Back and Let It Happen 3:23
12. One of the Lonely People 4:33
13. Winter Is Coming 4:16
14. Regent St. Incident 4:03
15. Jack Diamond 3:58
16. Argyle St. 3:55
17. Old Love New Love 3:31
in various times: CHRIS ADAMS vcls, gtr
PAULINE ADAMS vcls, perc
JOHN MANNION 12-str gtr, vcls
BILL HATJE bs
GRAEME SMITH violin
COLIN WILSON bs, gtr, banjo
KIMBERLEY BEACON vcls
JAMES EXELL bs, vcls
ALUN ROBERTS gtr, vcls
COLIN FAIRLEY drms, vcls
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