BRIEF HISTORY

The Purple Gang were originally a songwriting jug band absorbed into the Flower Power,
psychedelic, London Underground scene circa 1967. Signed to Transatlantic Records and
managed/produced by (the now legendary) Joe Boyd, Purple Gang became known for their seismic
stomper and now mini classic 'Granny Takes a Trip'. This became an underground favourite but
banned by the BBC.

Scheduled TV appearances, radio plays and USA recording deals were all cancelled as the
establishment took their revenge on the upstart 'underground' Purple Gang. The music featured
piano, mandolin guitar, washboard and Kazoos - yet the 'Gang' appeared alsongside the greats of
the period, at the best of venues.

The Gang argued and split up in frustration at the lack of progress and support caused by the lethal
ban. Today this would not happen. In 1968 the record company contract forced the Purple Gang
to produce their one and only long player called The Purple Gang Strikes. This is now available
on CD at Castle Music as a stock item and features 'Granny Takes a Trip' and a great new song
'Madam Judge' (a tongue in cheek reply to the BBC etc. thirty years on).
Is out worldwide to great reviews.

The band re-appeared in 1969 as a full electric band and quickly re-established itself as a
college/university hall favourite - playing alongside the big names of the period. Strangely, no
record company seemed interested in signing the Gang even though the band had ex Radio 1 DJ
David Symonds to replace Joe Boyd as manager.

The Purple Gang faded into obscurity for the next 25 years but in 1998 founder Joe Beard decided
that Purple Gang should live on and wrote a whole new set of songs, reforming the band with
three new members to record CD 'Night of the Uncool' and playing live gigs again.

PURPLE GANG HISTORY/INTRODUCTION The Forgotten Flower Power Band From
The London Underground.

The First Psychedelic Jugband?
"1967 was a remarkable year, for many reasons. Records that would now probably
achieve only cult status, were Top of the Pops. There was a feeling that audiences
were open to anything. A record that achieved true "cult" status that year was a
surprising mix of Cheshire jugband and London hippy sub-culture-"GRANNY
TAKES A TRIP" by THE PURPLE GANG. I produced it the same week as PINK
FLOYD`s "ARNOLD LAYNE"-one night later. The two seemed part of the same
world then, despite the vastly different careers that subsequently opened up for
the two groups. At UFO, the crowd would cheer whenever it came on and start dancing madly to
psychedelic lights. THE PURPLE GANG were an eccentric collection of talents,
who have gone on to a variety of interesting careers. The London scene was
greatly enriched that summer of `67 by their contribution." JOE BOYD..UFO club/
Producer/Manager/London Underground Movement****FEB. 1998
"They can have No.2 and we'll have No.1"..Syd Barratt to Joe Boyd on hearing
"Granny" in Sound Techniques, Old Church St. Chelsea.

My name is Chris/Joe Beard and I am the founder/spokesperson/leader/custodian- of-
archive/guitarist/co-songwriter/lyricist and torchbearer for the above-named band.
Here is the main background to our story, which, if I have my way, is not over by any
means yet though the main emphasis in this version, is towards THE PSYCHEDELIC
YEARS `66 `67 `68.

Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Fun.
The Purple Gang were allegedly from California, Chicago, London, Birmingham and Liverpool
and also Manchester. None of this was true, just speculation because of our rare sightings
and sudden dissapearance neither of which the band had much control over. We were
actually formed by myself in Stockport Art College, Cheshire, England in the winter of 1965/66.

I had been to St. Ives in Cornwall that summer and hung out with some musos(i.e. the late Duster Bennet)
from the London area**** I wanted to be in a band for years having met Ringo Starr years before in
The Rock & Calypso Ballroom at Butlins, Pwthelli, N. Wales****(I wore my "Lucky Ringo Socks" at
"Granny Takes A Trip" recording, at the 14 Hr. Technicolour Dream ..and when I got married!! I also had
my first ad hoc guitar lesson from John Mayall in 1963 before a local gig of his, in our shared village
in N.E. Cheshire. His house was also on my butchery-boy delivery round.-.on which I began the
famous lyric to "Granny".

People in bands first are fans! I was always hanging around bands, but I guess most budding
musos are like this anyway" money for nothin` an` yer chicks for free". I met Gene Vincent once..
and Joe Brown .and I booked Cyril Davies All Stars/ featuring Long John Baldry and The
Velvettes for my school dance one night after following John Mayall into Manchester to see
Alexis Koerner Band..(.Gene Vincent`s daughter Sherry lives nearby and has promised to sing
"Be Bop A Lula" with Purple Gang ..anytime soon.) But as the British R&B boom cooled down
a touch, I discovered JUGBAND MUSIC and being a poor art student, I thought here was my
chance to get out there and PLAY.

I formed a band by asking Peter Walker, who I had re-met down in St. Ives when he was
temporarily working as a gravedigger (a suitable blues-singer apprenticeship?).as I was told he
liked singing blues at college. He brought in his mate Gerry Robinson on harmonica and I then
asked the comical extrovert Geoff Bowyer to add washboard/piano and then Ank Langley on jug .
I bought a guitar (with my college fees) and we practised after college in whatever room we could
find empty. The jug was made for us and fired in the Pottery Dept.

We started out in the folk/blues scene and did some weird gigs****and then an eccentric friend of
ours called Gordon Aldred (half-mast elephant-cord. trousers, smock, bowler-hat, posh oxford accent
and Frankenstein impersonations) suggested we did a demo-tape and he would hawk it round Tin
Pan Alley. He would come back cursing "the damn Philistines" after being rejected as not commercial
enough etc. One night during rehearsal he came in whittering-on about something and nothing for ages
..and turned on heel to walk out saying "Well I`m off to a séance now" and left the room. We all looked
at one another vacantly then he popped his head around the door saying quite blandly "Oh..by the way
..we've got a recording contract.!!"

The uproar was deafening, with screaming and shouting/drumming fists on desks and general mayhem
bringing the old caretaker "Bees Knees" running down the corridor. He found himself in an impromptu
knees-up with "THE YOUNG CONTEMPORARIES JUGBAND" as we called ourselves then.

So off to London town we went ,on the bus, with our "gear," to an appointment with destiny and Nat
Joseph of pioneering folk/blues label TRANSATLANTIC. BUT first we made our debut London
performance in St. James` Park nearby Buck. Palace when we drew a bigger crowd than The
Coldstream Guards not far away in the Bandstand (lyric for Auntie Monica comes from this) Sat in a
deck chair semi-circle with Pete blowing his "Hornazoo" the tourists quickly became a crowd until we
were arrested by the "Fuzz" and ejected to boos from the crowd plenty of photos taken.

My only ID was my "Screaming" Lord Sutch fan-club members card (I was No.9 member). We were
cautioned and names taken.("William Broonzy /John Estes" etc.) At Transatlantic.. Sheila (Elton John's
producer, Gus Dudgeon's wife) Gudgeon made us a welcome drink and I sarcastically commented about
the wino outside, who we had seen sliding down the wall and pissing his pants " Who's that you've signed
up now?" This was met with stony silence, but I could see the band were suppressing laughter, whilst
praying I had not blown it for us.

Nat took to us and praised my lyrics but said we should do more of our own stuff and my guitar playing must
improve..touchee.The next day he brought in a young American called JOE BOYD to meet us who he
thought may be a possible Producer for us ., as JOE was connected to USA jugband people, "Lovin`
Spoonful" "Jim Kweskin" and worked with Elektra Records and was a general music man about town.
BUT he was involved with the new "Happening" scene and was also commisioned to produce a debut
single for a band down from Cambridge now calling themselves THE PINK FLOYD.

It was instantly agreed by all that our daft name had to go and what's more it should be colourful and relating
to the Roarin`20`s NO CONTEST. It had to be "THE PURPLE GANG"(Detroit murder squad and ELVIS
would always sing the name forever in "Jailhouse Rock" as Joe quickly pointed out) BUT horror- of- horrors.
The long hair would have to be cut, to go with a "gangster" image.(our first big managerial mistake). Gerry,
Pete and Ank had longer hair than the "STONES" so were mortified. But Joe pointed out that if we wanted
to stand out in the London hip scene it might not be such a terrible thing. We all reluctantly agreed. Gerry lost
all his strength.!

We performed for Nat and Joe an acoustic set in the back room and Nat and Joe went off to discuss matters,
leaving us to polish off Nat's whisky (gangster act of petty larceny). We could see Joe liked us by the big
boyish grin on his face during our songs. But we were pleased to hear that he also was to be our MANAGER
(as well as PRODUCER) when they returned (hoping for a slug of single malt).

Gordon was to be tour/road manager and we would have to get a van (Nat Joseph never offered to buy it noted).
There was no mention of where we would all stay/sleep…a minor detail when you are young/immortal and about
to become stars. A van would become our home on wheels later****(thanks Transatlantic !)

That week Joe took us off to meet THE FLOYD down at the " Marquee" in Soho And it was all polite intros,
"good luck" and "where you from?" sort of thing. Syd liked jugband stuff and I could see he was interested in
"Lucifer" as we called Pete. The dressing room was getting crowded, so we gave our goodbyes and went out
to stand near the bar on the right. I was pleased this was going to be an "arty" band, when I saw the light-show
/oil- wheel set-up, as we had wondered about how to incorporate paintings or art into our shows..but we had
gone down a light-hearted/tongue-in-cheek goodtime route-as jugbands tend to.

The lights went down and I walked to the front of the stage grinning at Syd, but he'd got into "mode" and was
concentrating. The place wasn't packed as this was all new-ish stuff and they launched into Astronimy Dominae
(I think). Before they started though, I remember the red amp pilot-lights (or LEDS now) twinkling like stars and
then the first oil-wheel coloured blobs dancing into action over the guys and Nicky's drums.We were all thrilled
with it and thought "YEAH, THIS IS GOOD BRAVE STUFF" good on' yer guys. But oh we were jealous of that
EQUIPMENT.

Later on we returned to play the "Marquee" ourselves and I met up with Long John Baldry once more in the
dressing room, who told me John (Mayall) was getting really famous now. I thought wow I hope I can make it as
well (two from the same little Village at the cutting edge of it all). I met a young dark-haired guy in there in the
dressing room called Steve Adams and he let me have a go on his beautiful "Black Box"GIBSON..he let me
tune-it in for him as his hands were shaking (after all he was going on solo as compere). He did OK and was
signed up after that gig. His song "I LOVE MY DOG" was haunting that night and we all congratulated the
young "CAT STEVENS" to be.

Another night at the Marquee I was really upset because I'd broke a string /we were off-form/didn't go down
as good as usual (we were never billed on the posters as we were being groomed by Transatlantic so we played
for no money. Thanks Transatlantic) and I was a bit inhibited by Al Stewart's flash guitar work..in the extreme. Also
the famous London street- singer Meg Aikman arrived brought in by Alexis Koerner.she was amazing. I was sat
in the dressing room despondant - and tearful .She gave me a big bearhug / encouraging praise and general
keep- your- chin-up pep-talk. At the end she whispered to me "and don't you never let on that I told you I was from
Cheshire too not London. it's all a game sweetheart ..we're all in a game keep playing it." she winked (.thanks Meg
wherever you're singing now.maybe for St. Peter?)

Granny Takes A Trip
The arrogance of the small town jugband from Cheshire, to appear in the heart of the inner sanctum of the trippy
Underground..with short hair, in gangster suits, SMILING on stage with next to no equipment, was breathtaking
in the extreme. But as Joe Boyd puts it "audiences were open to anything then" People were beginning to like
us/talk ****about us. (the manager of the MOVE sent a letter of complaint saying we were plagiarising their new
gangster image..and was considering suing…..we replied "Go ahead" and heard no more.

I had previously seen an old lady back home getting into an old Rolls, with her chauffeur loading her cases and I
hoped to get something like this into a song. Maybe to do with Silent Movies or something. I had scribbled some
rubbish down on meat wrapping paper on my delivery round (on which was the Mayall's)" no more sad songs for me.
when I get me across the sea gonna dance with Rudi Vallee" sort of garbage so when Joe took us down to the
World's End in Chelsea to meet Nigel Waymouth and Michael English in their new boutique "Granny Takes A Trip"
We went back there to do our publicity shoot for the record company and PAUL McCARTNEY turned up to buy a
dress for Jane Asher and stayed around to watch.- much hero worship from Purple Gang. Also Patti Boyd was
waiting outside..

The song title was all there waiting - fate if you like. The shop front fitted our image and it just had to be written.
It was one of those fateful coincidences in retrospect. After more appearences/adventures****we got back home
to our base, which was by now an ancient tiny pub in Macclesfield, where our friends/followers used to hang out
playing guitars and all that 60's stuff. Geoff and I were songwriters by now and on the way home from the pub he
got this really fast tune going in his head. He got on the piano and gave it a few goes (we couldn't write notation)
until Fred, his Dad kicked him off to bed.

Next day I was round to help with the rest of it (Intro/Middle etc.) and of course I suggested "Granny Takes A Trip".
It was written straight away then..no problem about THAT old lady going to Hollywood. We rang Joe and he
checked with Nigel about us doing it. no problem at all, in fact they were delighted. We knew what a "trip" could
be, but we never thought it would be offensive or outrageous (and when your lead singer is a witch.****.not much
else seems outrageous!).

Nat Joseph sent Joe up in his old Humber "Snipe"- which he abandoned in S. Cheshire when it blew up- and he
arrived by train to hear "Granny". He thought it was great BUT the band wanted "Bootleg Whiskey" as the single.
Joe pointed out that the hippies were going to become influential to popular taste and we all really belonged to
what would be termed "The Underground"..even as a jugband ("the two seemed part of the same world back then
.."..Joe Boyd 1998) And besides Transatlantic were going to launch their new "pop" label BIG T with us and this
"Granny" song. So it was agreed Joe Boyd would launch his new discoveries THE PURPLE GANG with "GRANNY
TAKES A TRIP". It went in the music papers and all the Underground had another release to look forward to along
with PINK FLOYD's.

We went into UFO, this club Joe was running on Tottenham Court Rd. and met THE FLOYD again. This time they
were in their own environment and we all enjoyed the night. They said they were in the studios the day after us but
hadn't got the right record deal and had got backing to do their own thing.the record deal would come later.

My heart sank when I realised we had signed up to a label first without any advance to us or much muscle but .as a
jugband we had already come thus far .so what the hell. But their way was the best way in the long run. When I
heard that the title was ARNOLD LAYNE.I fell about laughing as I was at school with a kid called ARNOLD BLAYNE
.. Syd said "Man you`re kidding?"..but it's true..he's still alive But does NOT RAID LADIES WASHING LINES OK.???
(More UFO later)

We went into SOUND TECHNIQUES Old Church St. Chelsea early in `67, which was a converted slaughter-house.
The control booth was high up some stairs and we trooped up to meet John Wood and assistant Jerry. (Woody was
very interested in what Walker got up to at his coven..but didn't get any info.).thankfully. We were a tight band,
confident and well played-in. Piano/guitar/mandolin/jug went down in 5 takes. Next..harmonica and washboard and
it was adjournment-time to the pub opposite for lunch. I got into conversation and a round with Rodney Bewes (one
of the"Likely Lads".big TV stars then. He was up for putting kazoo down on Granny but some mates took him off
somewhere .A pity.that would have been good .Walker finished his vocals and Kazoo and it was all done in 5 hours.
It went like a blur so fast .but so does the track.

I believe the same night FLOYD heard it in there and Syd reckoned "Granny" would be kept off the No.1 spot by.
"Arnold Layne" (from JOE BOYD/quote). The next day we were in there mixing when Joe/John played us ARNOLD
through the big speakers. We were speechless at the work not only the FLOYD had done but also BOYD/WOOD...the
intro and the organ blew me away. Surely our effort was paltry alongside this wall of beautiful noise? But Joe said we
had both captured something unique in those few hours...vastly differing sounds but both unique. And filled with an
ambience of something coming along - that was later to be recognised as the springtime of "the summer of love"
BOON TUNE .

At this point in time, Syd Barrett and Joe thought of a follow-up to "GRANNY"-a Syd song called "BOON TUNE" and
the GANG were going to learn it off a tape that Syd sent via Joe. In one of those haphazard ways it incredibly got
overlooked and Joe mislaid the tape..so it never happened. And also Nat Joseph discouraged us from getting involved
with other songs/publishing ---With hindsight it should have been done - BUT 34 YEARS ON I decide we shall do it
on next CD as I have found the song on an old tape. It is now available on "MADCAP LAUGHS" as "HERE I GO".

UFO CLUB
UFO was Joe and his friend John Hopkins`("Hoppy") new venture on Tottenham Court Rd..moving on from some
other place I think might have been the "Arts Lab". Or something similar, where FLOYD had begun to properly evolve.
It quickly was becoming the epicentre of the new MOVEMENT and we returned with Joe un-billed again so he could
show off his new protogees. I think we appeared 3 times at UFO but I am unclear as to whether or not we were billed
on the posters..it was all a bit ad hoc and haphazard.

We were in the legendary Jane Easton Agency by now and I don't think Joe wanted to spoil our chances by double-
booking etc. When I say that in this agency were THE ROLLING STONES..JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE..THE
YARDBIRDS....and us..you'll see what I mean. We had met Mick, Keith and also the quietly spoken Jimi at the
offices briefly..even discussing the (Vietnam) war. We were known around town now and we were in there with it
all.. Jugband or not "it all seemed the same back then". So down to UFO we returned.

Last time the FLOYD were there, this time it was TOMORROW. We went on in the middle and I remember leaning on
an old battered grand piano to stop me falling down. Joe had simply held a mike and introduced us whilst pulling the
curtain back. The silence was terrifying as the UFO crowd weighed - up this short-haired jugband outfit. After they
heard our sound and saw Geoff's antics behind on washboard, all seemed to go ok, until Lucifer and Ank drew out
two starting pistols and fired over their heads .There were screams as some people hit the floor but then everyone
realised this was UFO..and well ..just DIG it.

We went in to the Wizard and the light show helped the creepy atmosphere..there was even a revolving mirror ball..
Ank kicked at me a few times to get me out of my "trance" and motioned towards the side curtain during our next
number (an old jugband blues). Jimi was there playing TOMORROW's (Juniors's) bass leaning against the wall, sort
of helping out the struggling- to- be- heard jug. It wouldn't be plugged in I suppose, but it was a nice memory. He
played with Tomorrow later while we went off to another gig.

UFO used to be an Irish club, called "The Blarney", but it was now painted up all freaky and psychedelic. I remember
the stairs down into the club were all garish day-glo colours. The pong of incense and hash used to waft up the
stairs -plus body heat-onto the street-where hippies were always milling around-doing hippy things. I remember
there were usually "Mods" lurking around but "Hoppy" let them in eventually and things were ok/cool ..peace
man. There were "Idiot"dancers usually stripped to the waist, body-painted with long flailing hair and waving arms.
Even PURPLE GANG had those. One guy I called "The Sheep"(because he was so hairy, blonde and predictable
- always danced to us. I even noticed him at ALLY PALLY down in the crowd.

Then there was Suzy "Creamcheese" who danced erotically stageside. Hoppy (who played piano on our track
"BOOTLEG WHISKEY") married her to get her in as a British Citizen. There were cartoons/art films/silent movies
/stoned/tripping/famous/sloanish/infamous/not famous/revolutionary/people down there and that is before the
rock musicians arrived to swell the numbers.

"RAINY DAY WOMEN Nos.12 &13" was a fave track on the desk amongst others including our "Granny". THEY
could dance to it ok. Down there in the UFO was not like other venues, it had a "presence"..the hippies were
stylish, not scruffy grubby dossers as the media sometimes portray. One night you had "SOFT MACHINE", but
another you would be seeing "BONZO DOG DOO DAH BAND"! I saw the lunatic "BONZOS there and witnessed
SAM SPOON`S infamous solo on electric trouser press---now that WAS a freak-out.

"14 HOUR.TECHNICOLOUR DREAM. SAT.APRIL 29 1967 ALEXANDRA PALACE…..INTERNATIONAL
TIMES BENEFIT The View From The (organ-end) Stage Through the smokey spotlights, strobes and beyond the
heads/ sea of faces- I could make out, to my left-a helter-skelter which we went on later. I got a nice smile off Julie
Felix, who was stood with David Frost to the right. The noise around the cavernous place was at first intimidating,
but then uplifting at the same time. This was from having two stages at either end of the venue going hell-for-leather
to accommodate all the bands/happenings due to partake in The Underground's coming-out party (to help the
harassed IT editor (and UFO co-organiser)"Hoppy").

We eased into our new psychedelic dirge "Sing Me The Word Called Love". This time we had a drummer, who was
with us to help out on a couple of tracks. over at SOUND Techniques. Unfortunately he was also out of his tree
and instead of using beaters on the tom-toms- as rehearsed- he sort of went "Uuurrgh-aahg yeeee" and stared at
me in a demented manner. Before I collapsed with laughter we were saved by "Lucifer"(our vocalist) creeping
forward from rear-stage, adorned in scarlet and black satanic robes, shades, sandals(!), with his jaw violently
rocking from side to side, in a drug -induced spasm. People thought he was chanting some obscure ancient oath
(See MILES` book) but it was his pills. I was definitely relieved that he was not wearing the black hood (as
threatened to Joe Boyd) but amused by the sandals and shades.

I spotted "Sheep" and some UFO faces/afros and began to enjoy it. The Wizard went well in it's usual goth. way
and Geoff got on piano for our good-time numbers like Auntie Monica. He had been on washboard- complete with
it's cymbal, cow-bell and block---he was in a dinner-jacket, beret and T shirt. I was absurdly dressed in bottle-green
crushed velvet flares, silver shirt, purple suede boots and a double-breasted gangster jacket. What a mess we must
have looked...but it all didn't seem to bother anyone. "GRANNY TAKES A TRIP" was called for by the UFO
section and we duly delivered----I was pleased to see more people surging towards our stage. Then I think we
came back to do it again but it was all over in no time-and the next band awaiting behind.
I got into the dressing room and there was John Mayall (plus lots of even more famous people). I reminded him of
home and the old days and had a chat about my band/plans.etc. Denny Laine came and sat with me and was
playing some new song he was writing and the rest was a blur of well-known faces Joe and Hoppy were well
pleased with us and there was talk of Hoppy going on the organ with it's mighty pipes/later.

ANK our jug player arrived with the two hippie chicks from the stage side, who had been throwing things at us
and larking around with us during our set. We then heard John Lennon was around outside but couldn't get in
without being mobbed. When he didn't show, we all went to go on the helter-skelter. On there I got a great view
of the whole scene and it was bloody fantastic -then I got pushed and slid down. Half-way down I spotted Lennon
and entourage in Yoko Ono's area (she had a model called Valerie, sat on a stool (naked) wearing cellophane.
You were given scissors to cut off cellophane and expose the exposed Valerie..a feminist statement/happening).
I walked towards my hero, but so did everyone else, so off he went (he" split the joint" man) out to de-camp in the
park in the trees, for a smoke.

There was an igloo filled with bananas, Arthur Brown hung from a small crane made a fiery entrance and I saw
loads of bands /happenings and public love-making for real. We also went outside for a smoke and sat a
respectful distance away from John and then I went to check our van window. We had been stopped on
Oxford street that afternoon in our Purple Gang van, by loads of hippies ,who were hanging onto the. sides
and all over us .."Granny "band was getting famous (Jane Easton agency PR machine was at work). I had
damaged the window trying to wind it up while someone was hanging on to it.

I stuck around to the end to wait for the PINK FLOYD who were late coming over from Holland I think, or
Rotterdam. It was getting towards the end of the night (but not the gig) and I wanted to get my spot- so I sat
down with a few others in a meditation group. I can, 34 years on, still smell the dusty floorboards/the hash/
incense/body odour and hear that big-hall reverby, crowd-din and swirling band noise/drum crashes.

The Floyd roadies began to get the gear organised and the light show people took over. The dawn was at
the gates and everyone was getting a bit tired now and shouting for the band to get their asses on stage. On
they eventually trooped looking unhappy I thought -a bit of tenseness there (I was glad we'd gone on earlier
so we could enjoy the gig). The shafts of dawn light were now beaming through the high windows and were
caught and reflected back off Syd's mirror/effect guitar. But something was not right and Syd was not up to it
..just sort of standing there out of his tree I suspected. (We had been warned off acid by one of our friends
who we had visited in a mental hospital. He was found naked in a lift with a sword later. He made us promise
not to take the stuff when we hit London...and beside ..we were weird enough).

It seemed apparent that the FLOYD were allowing for this as ROGER seemed to take over. I admired him for
this and was not happy that Syd had now drifted off. Can`t remember what they played but it would be the set
of the time.

There was a guy eventually who had climbed up the great organ-pipes and then up to the ledge-HIGH UP
where the walls met the roof. "Hoppy" who had just played the organ (Bach) got a mike and talked the silly
bugger down eventually. "It would be really..like not cool man if you were to stop the gig by killing yourself"..
to great applause.

Eventually after another hour of finding everyone, we drove off back to JOE`S and crashed down after
(as usual) tip- toeing around the debris of exotic and fragile instruments left on the floor by the INCREDIBLE
STRING BAND who were touring. (we always had to avoid these instruments-a bloody nuisance!!)
"GRANNY TAKES A TRIP" was coming out and we were going to be famous..BUT..OH NO..

JUGBAND BLUES
We were booked for "Juke Box Jury"/"Top Of The Pops"/SIRE records were going to put out our LP in the
USA/BARCLAY records covered "Granny" in France and the pirate dj`s backed us especially JOHN PEEL...
"PURPLE HAZE" came out the same week and we thought we were on our way. I learned later that Pete
Jenner had bought in/hyped "ARNOLD LAYNE " sales to ensure it's charting position and subsequent TOTP
appearance. Brian Epstein had even had to resort to these shady tactics years before for "Love Me Do. Such
was the two-faced state-run so called "popular charts".

ARNOLD LAYNE escaped the censor's net, so did PURPLE HAZE but not GRANNY TAKES A TRIP. A BBC
letter arrived at Transatlantic records castigating the record/group and company for "attempting to corrupt the
nation's youth. The PURPLE GANG having a self-confessed witch as a singer will not be tolerated by any
decent society either".

We were to be the scapegoats and the song was about acid .We were banned and all Big things planned were
dropped overnight. USA got cold feet and at the 11th.hour topped all promotion. The pirates were all closed
down and the dj's re-hired for the state-run crappy RADIO 1....welcome Tony Blackburn and co.

THE PURPLE GANG STORY DOES NOT END HERE . THERE IS AN ALBUM TO DO, A PURPLE GANG2
WILL ARRIVE AND GIG WITH BOWIE/LOVE/BEEFHEART/BOLAN/MOVE/KINKS and a host of others.
A connection with Liverpool and lots of adventures to follow. There will be a gap of 34 years THEN IT ALL
WILL BEGIN AGAIN BUT THERE WILL NEVER BE ANYTHING QUITE LIKE SUMMER 1967 AGAIN
----DOWN IN THE UNDERGROUND OF PSYCHEDELIC LONDON.

PSYCHEDELIC LONDON ACCOMODATION FOR THE PURPLE GANG

Hotel wrecking by some `60`s bands are the stuff of legend, but our hotel WAS a wreck, and it was on wheels.
Purple Gang never stayed in hotels. We were expected to fend for ourselves by our over-generous record
company.. in a bid to toughen us up for stardom..no doubt in the Bankruptcy courts later. We lived as travellers
in our legendary van.. As Geoff Bowyer (piano/washboard/vocal/kazoo/lunacy)says in 1997- “My fondest memories
were of my life in the van travelling the M1 and the new M6 in all weathers, along with dozens of other bands in other vans,
all on Safari for a recording contract and that perfect college gig. Because our electrical equipment consisted of only
one microphone and a small amp (that resembled a sewing machine case) it meant that there was room in the van to
sleep five insane young men. At night though, the mandolin, guitar, washboard and jug slept in the cab covered over
with coats…not to keep them warm, but to stop them giving the game away that the soon –to-be- famous five were
asleep in the back. We`d basically sleep where we ran out of petrol-places like Regents Park, Hampstead Heath,
Cheyne Walk…even The Mall.

In the morning we would queue outside public baths waiting for them to open or outside public toilets with our towels,
soap and toothbrushes..to freshen up.These times of what others would find an unbearable existence I found highly
amusing-and much better than being in a job or being an Archbishop…but it did remind me of an extremely cramped,
smelly, hardware shop on wheels.”…G.B. JOE BEARD

The first van we had was a THAMES TRADER 12 cwt.which had two large jugs painted on the sides, so we must have
had the appearance of being paraffin salesmen, which might explain the occasional queue of strange types with cans
asking us”how much a gallon?” I think it was pale blue in colour originally, but eventually had flowers and posters pasted
along it. Most would be collectable `60`s memorabilia now..had they survived.

In Spring1966 I went along to a local foam factory and managed to scrounge some foam sheets which I cut to shape
to line the inside of the van…I put 3 layers down.Now it was a hotel on wheels.We would sleep in the van as we (and it
seems our record company), had no finances for anything better. The attitude then was “think yourselves lucky we gave
you a contract and brought you to London……now look after your selves”…so we did.We made the most of it and when
the gangster suits arrived around Xmas `66, we hung them around the inside on coathangers.

The two smallest in stature were forced to sleep at the back ,horizontally between the wheel arches and we other three,
lengthways at the front section.The instruments went in the cab. At the time it reminded me of those dreadful slaveship
plans you would see in history books. So, at night, parked near a gig or in a London park or alley, the van would be
inconspicuous to Old Bill..but generally they were OK with us and let us continue as long as we kept our heads down.
With the instruments tucked away in the cab, under coats and the suits hanging around the sides it got quite warm in
winter…..but the condensation was bad.We even had to wipe the suits down in the cool mornings. Once we were
woken up after a foggy night (where we had just stopped and turned in for the night) by a cavalry officer, in full regalia
(on horseback), who drily pointed out that we were in The MALL and in danger of being arrested as Her Majesty was
due in about 20 mins.It was so foggy the previous night we had not realised where we were.

At night, before we slept, sometimes we would play and sing quietly (if we were in a good mood and a lot of the time
we were.) Gerry would play harmonica and me guitar. Jug and washboard were rested though…hardly lullaby instuments.
Sometimes we just sang, old songs we`d heard in earlier folk scene days, maybe early Dylan or blues or even old
Scottish ballads like “The Water Is Wide”.A favourite was “Ain`t no more cane on the Brasssos” which The Band
eventually covered, but we learned it from “Duster” Bennet. To listen to music whilst travelling, we had a Decca
transistor radio, operated by batteries, which lived in the cab window.Occasionally you would get a decent song
coming off the BBC Light Programme like a Beatles or even Dusty Springfield. We liked all sorts of stuff apart from
blues and jugband, (which you would never hear)..any good song really. One number we learned this way was Ramsay
Lewis` “In Crowd” which went in the set later.

THE LUNATICS ARE IN THE VAN
Unfortunately, the first van came to an untimely end around midnight Nov 26 1966.It had been my 21st birthday bash,
back at home in the local pub, with relatives and friends ..and I had got drunk. My friends had left to go on to another
party and I was a bit envious.Relatives were great, but to a young guy..mates were better. Briefly, I found the van keys
and drove off to this farm to join in, but only made it a mile down a country lane..when a telegraph pole jumped out and
assaulted the van. I woke up looking at the stars (on my back without shoes and a splitting headache) I could hear
whirring, steam hissing and realised the van was wrapped around the telegraph pole.The pole was where I had been
sitting and it looked like the van had eaten it. I couldn`t move for a while, nothing worked, but slowly I got up and
staggered back to the van and switched lights and ignition off. Walking unsteadily to the nearest house, I rang the
bell and waited in the darkness until the disturbed occupant slowly opened the door. Dressed in pyjamas, he found
one of the world`s first psychedelic gangsters, slumped in the porch with a bloody face, asking for help. I wanted to
say that Elliot Ness and The Untouchables had intervened to stop a vital “hooch” run -but it seemed more appropriate
to ask for a cup of tea and a telephone.The guy got in touch with my long suffering old man, who took me off to hospital.
The charge nurse insisted I did not have a cracked skull, but a cracked personality instead and should clear off home.
I was lucky to survive and the Goddess of jugbands, Viola Lee herself, must have given me a lucky break. Today, this
would have been a criminal offence (rightly so) but in those days the local copper, “Nobby Clarke” got me out of trouble
-as long as I forked out £32 to have the pole replaced.My pole is still there.

The next morning one of our friends (the one who had suggested our new name “Purple Gang”..and who himself lived
in a perpetual world of the “Roarin`2O`s) was passing by in his trilby hat and greatcoat (he was then 21 years old )
..stopped and on seeing the van parked outside my parents, on the grass verge, realised I had to have been killed,
no-one could have survived that impact. Wonderfully, he took his hat off and stood to attention for several minutes,
(in a W.C.Fields type grand gesture of respect for the dead) then crossed himself and began to slowly walk away,
head bowed. I banged on the window and waved, eventually attracting his attention. He looked back to see the
ghost of his old mate at the window and ran off. Later on of course he phoned and I confirmed that I had indeed
been fortunate. (Two years earlier I had been in another terrible crash with him and he had lost the sight in his
left eye ..again I was lucky..Viola Lee must have been on hand then also.)

TAKING OVER THE TOWN
Naturally the band were furious at my idiocy and really missed the dear old van. There was talk of concrete
boots and canals..until I persuaded the ever- generous father of mine to bail me out by buying another.This
he said he would do, on condition that when we hit the bigtime, he would have a red Ferrari off me. No problem,
Geoff and I were going to be succesful songwriters, so we obtained the second Purple Gang van. This second
van was a Commer 15 cwt. and was black with” Purple Gang” in purple lettering down the sides, in typical `60`s
swirly lettering. Foam was again used to kit out for sleeping.In the meantime Purple Gang had been contracted
to appear as gangsters for an advertising campaign in Swinging Chelsea.

“Stone Dri” was a range of rainwear clothing and they wanted to be up with the “Happening” scene, so they
asked their Ad. Agency art director to find a pop group to help sell a new image. He happened to be a fan, so
he came up with a gangster theme called “Taking Over The Town”. We were to be in the shots (but behind the
models) and at great expense, a 1920 Chrysler with running boards and whitewall tyres, was wheeled into the
studio behind Cheyne Walk. There were Tiffany lamps, rubber plants and all the usual `20`s paraphenalia. We
drove to Chelsea and found Frank Sweeney`s studio, parked up and went off for lunch to The Seven Bells. On
return, there were a couple of old dears who had spotted this pop group van and wanted it removed, forthwith,
from their solubrious neighbourhood. Frank came out to explain that we were expected to be there for several
days and could they be tolerant.? No way, they went off to see the local constabulary to get rid of these drug-crazed
hippies..or were they drug-crazed gangsters….or even drug crazed hippie-gangsters? Either way they wanted
us gone. Sure enough Old Bill called to see us, and they were really cool, saying if we just kept it quiet and did
the job, then go quietly ..they would look away. They were sick of these complaining old miseries anyway. So we
got on with being international models.

Next to us was a bistro called “Fanny By Gaslight” and the owners were ok with us but occasionally one or two
customers peed down the sides of the van. One night a guy was too drunk to open his flies, so his lady friend
did it for him and not only that disgustingly held his penis whilst he peed over our van! So we went straight into
singing “The Water Is Wide” to their embarrased shock..off they went followed by our jeers and laughter. We
had to change in the van, falling over one another as the models had commandeered the loos and changing
rooms in the photographers studio. The morning passers–by would have to look twice as they saw gangsters
getting out of the van. The models were gorgeous and slim, but one girl who looked like a twig (NOT “Twiggy”)
fainted as soon as we started. This went on all morning until Frank gave her some money to go and feed herself
as she was costing too much in time. She was also high on slimming pills. We posed around the car and played
cards with trilbys, cigars, props etc. then Walker took out his gun that he had fired over the heads of the UFO
crowd some nights earlier..Frank wanted to use it, so it went in the shot. But later the Art Director was nearly
fired (pardon the unintentional pun ) for this, as children were also in the shot. These adverts went in `60`s mags.
”Vogue”,”She”, “Honey” and “Nova” and I still have some of the cuttings in my scrapbook.

BIKE
On the last night, the local residents sent a vigilante on his bike to harrass us into leaving. This was such a farce
and needs telling. We were half asleep and we had made friends with all the hardworking models and had been
out for a drink. So as we were about to settle down to sing to harmonica, as usual, we heard this sqeack of bike
brakes and a voice grumbling about “bloody hippies”.Ank our jug player who was (and is still) a collector of
memorabilia, had recovered a broken drumstiok out of “Sound Techniques” (as it would probably be one of
Nick Mason`s of The “Floyd”) and suddenly he had this in his hand. Then brazenly, the lone vigilante had come
up to our van and started to let down a tyre (I wondered at this point where his logic was leading, if he wanted us out).
Ank flung open the back doors and we all yelled like savages, tumbling out behind . The mortified vigilante stood
in terror, then bolted towards his means of escape ..the bike. He jumped on and started peddling madly, looking
for all the world like Kenneth Williams in a “Carry On “ scene escaping from Hattie Jacques, until Ank threw the
drumstick onto the pavement - where it rebounded up perfectly - into his front spokes. Over the handlebars he
somersaulted, yelling for the police and landed in a flower bed. At this we got back in and drove around to
Old Church Street by Sound Techniques, howling in tears of laughter…but still watching out for vigilantes.

THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF OUR LIVES
Further down the King`s Road was the World`s End pub and opposite was the now world famous( but gone)
“Granny Takes A Trip” boutique run by artists Nigel Waymouth and Michael English. Not only did we do our
publicity shots for the album there, Nigel also designed our poster there - of the old lady on the back of a
Harley Davidson.now auctioned by such as Bonhams no less. We, however had this poster pasted on the
van sides by now and were getting stopped by fans and hippie UFO club people.Then on went The 14 Hr
Technicolour Dream poster with us proudly billed alongside Pink Floyd and all the others we shared our
musical world with at that moment in time then a couple of other psychedelic ones and we weren`t so
inconspicious anymore.

Eventually, Joe Boyd our manager got a big place at 90 Westbourne Terrace, Bayswater, and our van would
be seen outside, though this time we had our own room (with The Incredible String Band lodging in the next)
However, before we all moved in there I had a weird experience going home one night, when the van was
struck by lightning. It was raining hard and I had dropped everyone off and was alone driving home. Suddenly
I jumped out of the seat as the van lit up blue and all lights went out. Also, my heart seemed to stop and the
ends of my fingers tingled. This all happened in a second…but then it was over and I was back driving in control
but shaking like a leaf. A scary but awesome experience…Viola Lee had given me a third let off. The van stayed
with me one night when I had a cold. And the boys went off to look for grub in the Bayswater/Paddington area.
I asked them to bring me a hamburger or something and settled down with Robin Williamson`s sitar. Two
georgeous `60`s ladies called round that night, but I was the only one in and so they did not stay unfortunately.
I regretted not asking the first to come and watch “East Of Eden” with me which was showing at the cinema
round the back…….she would have said no anyway probably…..the late Sandy Denny, and the other..Caroline
Coon about to start up RELEASE the drug bust help organisation along with Joe. Later that night a shaken
Purple Gang came back to relate to me how they had a met a BBC radio disc jockey in the food joint, who had
enticed them back to his flat and began showing them porno boy photographs and generally making lewd
suggestions. When Chris Denning rang his mate Jonathon King and said “come round I`ve got The PurpleGang
here ”the band fled. King and Denning are both in jail (at time of writing) for sexual depravity/ paedephilia activities.
(Denning later offered to plug “Granny Takes A Trip” free opting for a commission as he was so sure it would be
a hit the second time around (in 1976).

Sometimes we would drive past the Albert Hall and Joe would say “We`re gonna play there soon guys” and I
would gaze up at the place and think “If only”. We never got to play it, but the Incredibles did in their own
inimitable flower-power way. The van was seen back up in Cheshire between gigs outside the door of The Castle
Inn back Church Wallgate as we would be inside with our friends. We would go off to parks and outdoor swimming
pools, parties and such. The locals could not believe the way out look of the van by now. Sometimes we would give
an imprompu performance off the back of the van as we could do the jugband stuff, we did this several times. By now
the van was being recognised around central London especially by UFO types or people who listened to John Peel`s
“Perfumed Garden”Radio London Pirate radio show (he plays “Granny” to this day and it was played on his last show
of “PG”). This culminated with the old van being mobbed by hippies in Oxford Street the day before we went up to
MuswellHill and a date with The 14 Hr. Technicolour Dream. The second van survived to an old age and ended up
in a scrapyard somewhere……a bit like the band that lived and laughed in it all those years ago.

“WALKING WITH GIANTS (–IN CRUSHED VELVET FLARES! )” 1969- -72
Purple Gang “Strikes” Album and the years 1968 –1972 - PURPLE GANG 2
(electric) evolves to play the University Circuit
As the dust began to settle ,post “Granny “ban ,we began to consider if we
should record the Syd Barrett song “Boon Tune “ after all, but Joe (Boyd) our
manager said he had misplaced the tape that Syd had sent and wasn`t sure if
Syd had retrieved it from Sound Techniques for his own pending projects.So
we postponed that one until later.But in the meantime I had a mega row with
the band by going on strike and refusing to drive the band van AND play in
the band .This had been brewing for a while as I was getting a bit worn out by
now.None of the guys had learned to drive as yet ,so it fell to me.Later that
summer of `67 Joe had secured us a top of the bill gig at Sussex University to
play at a “Leavers Ball” sort of thing .I had a rotten cold and my Dad was in
hospital in bad shape, so I recklessly thought if I refuse to drive, then they will
have to bring in a driver. (“Roadies” were a breed not fully- formed in those far
off days of M1…and tea / crumpets at The Blue Boar).Instead of bringing in a
driver, it was left to the last minute to decide that Joe / me was out of the
band.This angered me so much ,as founder of the band, that I became totally
unreasonable and refused to apologise or speak to anyone, except Joe .So
we never got to the gig and the Social Sec. at Sussex wrote a letter of disgust
to Melody Maker ( the influential music paper of the time ) saying how
arrogant Purple Gang were etc. and deserved their reputation.I phoned Joe
and he said he thought we should have done it in spite of my problems, but it
was between me and the others (always was laid back !) Lack of
communication all round…it was 1967 after all !

Joe advised me that the band were really upset with me, but as we were
contracted to do another single AND an album, it would mean that as a writer
they and I would have to get back into the studio and work together.If I could
come up with another “single” idea, Geoff and the guys might let me
back.Luckily,I had a Gt War type song on the go,called “Kiss Me Goodnight
Sally Green” that I had taken round to Geoff`s and he agreed to help finish it
which he did as in times before.We were cautiously friendly once more and
decided we HAD to do more recording in Sound Techniques So we contacted
Nat Joseph at Transatlantic and he said to forget the Barrett song for now and
go with our own song.He booked us back into Sound Techniques..BUT JOE
BOYD WOULD NOT BE PRODUCER….instead it would be engineer John
Wood assisted by Vic and Jerry Boys What had happened to Joe??

“STRIKES” ALBUM
It seems that Joe was paid for neither “Arnold Layne” ( and he was expecting
to do the album “Piper at the gates of Dawn” later ).nor “Granny Takes A
Trip”, which we found disgraceful.He had got involved with a folk- rock outfit
called Fairport Convention along with Incredible String Band and was thinking
of starting an independent record label later.At this point Joe and us seemed
to drift apart and to this day we still don`t really know why, other interests
came in all round as he says.We`re back in touch again..Now though, HE`S a
giant of the music scene., but we`re still “underground”…

THE PURPLE GANG “STRIKES “ Album was completed in just a few days
due to low budget given us .We had quickly got back to being tight ,but this
time had leaned more to psychedelic stuff,which we had been rehearsing in
our beloved Castle Inn in Macclesfield.We had started off our set at ALLY
PALLY with a psychedelic dirge called “Sing Me The Word Called Love “ and
had another called “Breaks Bazaar” and “Ballad Of The Green Museum”
“Cannery Row” “The Tennesse Belle” etc and many more good songs we
wanted to freak out with -sounds enhanced by Sound Techniques.
At the first session we brought in Tony Moss on bass and Alex Sidebotham on
drums and we played for an hour.Over the tannoy Woody`s voice boomed -
“Guys!. Stop.! I just phoned Nat Joseph and told him you had “changed-“ he
says that he only wants you sounding like the last tracks and keep that
jugband folky feel ,please” .We were astounded at this repression of new
ideas , so we stuck to our guns and said this is what WE want.He telephoned
Joseph back and came down the stairs, looking grim.”He says- you can either
do it his way or you all go back home to Cheshire and there is no "Sally Green
“ single.So the band had to resort at once to that older sound .The resultant
LP is a tribute to the guys who made it under those pathetic circumstances, it
is a wonder it sounds as good as it does.It gets slated by psychedelic
reviewers who do not know what went on… or what opportunities were denied
the band to show what they could do.But at least it got done..albeit on a shoe-string

"Kiss Me Goodnight Sally Green” was a great Purple Gang single that sank
without trace due to lack of promotion. John Peel played it to begin one of his Sunday
programmes and we all heard it as we sat in a sunny park in Macclesfield,
another great little memory…good old John.

SONGSMITHS IN LIMBO
So although the smell of incense still pervaded the air and Woodstock Festival
loomed large on the horizon the momentum was winding down a little as
regards all things Underground .“Hoppy” had been jailed and UFO moved to
Middle Earth, Joe was going along with Incredibles, Fairport and Nic Drake
and for us and others there was a sense of treading water at the
time.”Lucifer” our lead singer went off to join this wretched coven run by a
loon called Alex Saunders a one- time follower of Aleister Crowley and then
something weird happened .. he got married.! and had a daughter.!Ank went
off with the hippie chick he picked up at ALLY PALLY and Geoff and I wrote a
song for Mary Hopkin called “ A Winter`s Tale” for the Eurovision Song
Contest.She picked a Paul McCartney song called “Goodbye” ..instead
……….no chance Bowyer and Beard.We went up to Barnet with producer Bill
Leader to record some publishing demos ( presumed lost now ) at Livingstone
Studios , with Nic Kinsey engineereing ,then later we wrote to Apple and they
sent for us to go to Saville Row.We were still cool it seems and we took some
songs along by taxi and got out to be met by “Apple Scruffs” who took our
autographs, in spite of not knowing who the hell we were.Inside, Yoko had
bought a new sofa-( bright red , I think) and it had just been delivered
upstairs.We were sent upstairs to see someone and we sat on this sofa .We
were smoking and I dropped some ash on it carelessly.The more I tried to rub
it off the worse I made it until thankfully we were ushered in and the guy
listened to our tape.He only liked “Dawn Ballet “ ,saying they would like to
use it over some freaky film being planned by on of their new signings.Then
we heard the famous Ono scream and she went apeshit at us for spoiling her
sofa.John shouted at her to shut up and drop the matter.Our guy said clear
out now and we`ll talk again when she`s not here. We left the tape there.and
fled .Formidable woman when cross! Later Apple sank under it`s own weight
and another of our chances went down with it.

BANDWAGON JUMPERS
The main interest in Purple Gang has been( understandably I suppose) due to
it`s inclusion in the inner sanctum of The London Underground scene, where
we walked with and played with, giants .(.But PURPLE GANG 2 did more so.)
This was a short era when everyone raised their game and artistic barriers
came down, genres interacted and hedonism was the order of the day.Our
inclusion has bemused several Psyhc. Era officianados, even irritated
them.Particularly those of younger years, who are looking back from an
outside perspective, filtering information from several accounts and who need
the barriers re-erecting to make sense of why a band like this should be..
accepted / included. .When this happens Purple Gang become an easy
target, a minor participant, who can be or should be erased.from the historical
records.What the hell were they doing there?Who allowed a poxy little
acoustic jugband free rein to wander The London Underground?And without a
big record deal.And ,horror of horrors -,with short hair and gangster suits!
They had to be bandwagon jumpers?… BUT IT WASN`T LIKE THAT THEN !
Back then ,Art Nouveau and Edwardiana mixed freely with Brit. R & B,-
Roarin` 20`s with Haight Ashbury hipness and Pop Art with Edward
Lear…..etc. no barriers.

John Lennon wasn`t the first celebrity to wear “Granny” glasses for instance. It
had to be another John…/ Sebastion .Fresh from”The Village Fugs” scene of
Greenwich Village and the freewheelin` Bob Dylan world .Like us he had
come from a world of jugband music along with Jim Kweskin and his
crowd.Sebastion would mix jugband into his poppy, arty band “The Lovin`
Spoonful”.It became known as “Goodtime Music” and we were supposed to
become “the English Lovin` Spoonful”.We were taken on by Joe Boyd with
this in mind, but all rapidly changed in just a few short weeks and we found
ourselves right in there with him ,as it all started to evolve.Here are some
brickbats that have bounced off Purple Gang written by people who weren`t
there or ever heard Purple Gang 2- with our psychedelic sounds and electric
band…..(my comments are in brackets ).

“ Everything they did sounded samey”……..”Hard to picture them going any
further” (we did though )……”Not exactly brimming with musical expertise “
(Joe Boyd didn`t deal in incompetents )……….”The guitarist sounded as if he
had learned by mail order” (I did…”Bert Weedon`s Play In A
Day”)……”Cannot imagine them on the road with those instruments” (it was
unimaginable ) ………Mildly psychedelic but undistinguished British
BlueGrass” (or should that be Purple Grass ?”)….”Certainly no Floydian
pioneers” (no , we were US )……….”Band wagon jumpers “ (no…we were
already on it )……………etc.

Most of this stuff is written by Psychedelia buffs as the main- streamers have
never even heard of us.As I mentioned before ,to even get the POINT ,you
would have to have a broader perspective of what was being strived for ,
(apart from recognition for your efforts) .ALL forms of music were brought into
the arena and as long as it was sounding new, was trying to elevate itself
above it`s known barriers and was allowed to bend and warp – then it was
acceptable.The hallucinatory aspect could creep in, the artistically deviant and
the downright absurd.One minute it`s musical intensity, the next it`s hedonistic
tomfoolery……………then if it goes mainstream the greysuits with pony tails
will castrate it….( notably , Pink Floyd have to be admired for keeping their
ball rolling , post- Syd. Barrett era)…but here I now speak of 1969.and the
second PURPLE GANG…the one that seems to be forgotten-for some
reason.

BAND REFORMS 1969
As for our PA ,we had a “roadie” now called Gerry Grover and he was working
part-time at a little studio in Stockport, being built by Eric Stewart and Graham
Gouldman late of The Mindbenders andThe Yardbirds (songwriter )
respectively.This studio would achieve fame later as Strawberry Studios.and
they, as “10cc” .They had a Danish PA called a DANE that looked like it
should be in an Intensive Care Unit.It was in racks on stands with wheels on
the bottom…they sold it to us at a reasonable price (£120) and it was quite an
interesting talking point for other bands.”What`s that, man ?”

As we headed towards the end of 1969 Geoff decided that he would be
happier on his own piano and went and got a loan to buy a real mini-piano-
AND (gulp!) .. we would have to carry the thing around!.I simply do not know
why we allowed this, but we were desperate not to have anymore out of tune
“house” pianos.I shudder when I think of us going up and down the cellar
steps at our rehearsal place and lifting this thing .In and out of vans – into
venues ,up onto campus hall stages and back again.Talk about paying your
dues to music..These days Geoff has back trouble…his piano lifting days
musn`t have helped.Always game for a laugh, we would do our STAN and
OLLIE repartee whilst lifting this thing, laughing until we damn near dropped
it.Many a social sec. pitched in to help lift it.I think it was a “Zender” mini piano
– and we would hang two mikes into it and add a bit of reverb…a good honk-
tonk sound was achieved,however.And on top ,fuzz-wah electric mandolin
and clattering, ringing electric 12 string guitar.plus drums and wild electric
bass.

After several weeks rehearsals,we entered 1970 with our first gig (Sat Jan 17
1970 ) at a pub in Culcheth, Warrington called “The Harrow Inn” for a local
agent called PARABILAgency (Pam, Ray and Bill were the people who ran it ,
hence the odd name ) .The secretary ,Heather had this really broad local
accent and used to say ,( when asked to speak to her boss Ray Makin.).”He`s
norrin I`m afraid “…we used to love this and fall about laughing ,until it
became a band saying ( to be used if you wanted to be left in peace / private)
“ Leave me alone ..I`m norrin”

Set list for that night included 4 instrumentals…..”ANGIE” (by Davy Graham) “The IN-CROWD “ (by
Ramsey Lewis ) “DAWN BALLET” (by us ) ,”COUNTRYLINE SPECIAL” (by Cyril Davies) plus
“Bootleg Whiskey”, “The Wizard “, “Granny”,”Coney Island Washboard”, “Charlie “, “Viola Lee
Blues”,”Overseas Stomp”,”Mr Aldred-Jones”,”Auntie Monica”,”Kiss Me Goodnight Sally
Green”,”Rainy Day Women No.s 12 &13”,”The Sheik” and “Freightliner”
We did a series of college gigs in the NW and at one stage GranadaTV`s
Tony Wilson came to watch us (at Mister Smith`s club in Manchester –Sun.
Feb 15 ) but didn`t like us much..We were half expecting it,due to our London
association / history and we came from Cheshire (not conducive to being
looked sympathetically upon by Mr. Wilson !.).The venue rebooked us but we
missed out on local TV exposure…THAT close once more.!

GIANTS
I have my diary for 1970 and in it there are some notable names we played
with / walked with/ shared stages and dressing rooms with.A lot of the time we
had our own gigs or were top of the bill ,but we got to be a good popular
warm-up/ support band and were popular with the other bands also.
On Tues24 Feb `70 we were support to “LOVE” and Arthur Lee and the crowd
was big at Manchester Uni. College of Commerce…my diary says we got £20!
.Diary also says “Tough start.Nervous.Big audience.However 2nd. Half went
down very well.”Love” were fantastic.But reports say we managed to hold our
own”……….I managed to talk to Ken Forssi the bassist and they liked what
we were doing, but all was not well with them as Lee had gone off to take his
own rooms and was not speaking to the band.They were worried that he
would abscond.We all were mingling around the stage behind the curtains
talking shop, when Arthur arrived and the gig was on again.I remember him
playing a black Gibson acoustic( like Cat Stevens at The Marquee) and
thinking he had a look of Hendrix at times.The set really rocked and I am still
his fan.Got to meet him only briefly as he cleared off again .But it was Bryan
MacClean who wrote “Alone again ,or ?”,…he wasn`t there.”High Tide” were
also on,but Arthur messed their playing times around.(I had the pleasure of
meeting Arthur again last week at a gig as I am still a FAN.He is BACK firing
on all cylinders again and I have a live CD of the set…..great. )
Three nights later we were at Keele with “The Tremeloes “and” 3rd Ear Band,”
…eclectic days.

The following week we finished by supporting” T.REX “ at Manchester Uni.
Main hall.I got to meet Marc Bolan again, the last time was at a TV pilot show
that John Peel had let us attend.He was in the dressing room and I was
shocked to see this “Glam” boy image as opposed to his elphin image. He
was OK and polite saying it was nice to see us gigging again.I remember that
was the first time I had seen banks and banks of WEM PA speakers and
realised things were going to get louder from this point on.We played one end
of the hall and Marc and Mickey Finn the other end.That night there was a
row between my girlfriend and Mossy`s and Tony and I had words also , he
was not going to stay,I figured….I was right.

The following week it was Sheffield with “Pretty Things “ and Manchester with
“Bob Kerr`s Whoopee Band ( where I met up with Sam Spoons again of
Bonzo`s).Later that week we ran into Wayne Fontana in The Red Bull
Stockport, with Graham Gouldman and later we went to Wayne`s house with
some songs for him to try out..we had a few ideas and left a tape
there.Nothing happened though.He wanted to be called Glyn as that was his
real name.Met up with him again in 1997.

There were some pretty dull gigs the next month but one for Oldham`s
Batteries Works Social Club at Hyde was anything but dull.In fact I`VE never
seen such violence.The audience was split right down the middle with half the
audience loving us and the other detesting us as freaks and hippies.On Fri
April 10 , Geoff lost his front teeth as it all kicked off.The bottles were flying
everywhere as the two opposing sides did battle.All the band left until there
was me just on guitar dodging bottles and watching people trying to kill one
another.Love and Peace was truly over now.It took 4 ambulances to ferry the
injured away.I put it down to lead poisoning from the batteries affecting the
worker`s personalities….or maybe it was that electric fuzz-wah
mandolin?Dreadful affair.More negative than positive.(sorry !)

An EMI producer came to check us out at Bolton Tech,. College end of April
but nothing evolved from that although he was full of words and promises.In
my diary I had written “drunken Pakistanis everywhere”…..strange one.
On Mon 27 April we were booked to play for Stockport schools who had
clubbed together to hire a big venue and had booked “DAVEY BOWIE and
Band” “BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST” and “PURPLE GANG”.DAVID
BOWIE`S band did not arrive and he asked if we could help out …but we had
no time to learn “SPACE ODDITY” and bottled out basically--- so David
decided to go acoustic solo, which was appropriate as he was all in demin
anyway.I remember the different coloured eyes and was so proud when he
mentioned “Granny” and the UFO club .He was bloody brilliant of
course……….but what a scoop for us to share the night.A week later we were
on with “MOTT THE HOOPLE”( who would later record “All the young dudes”)
at the CF Mott( yes Mott! ) College Warrington and here I confess to the theft
of an artist`s easel from out of dressing room -passed out of the loo window
to me by Mr Ian Hunter and friends (Your Honour ) ..still used by me today.
Tish tish .Any way my need was greater and they didn`t pay us what we were
worth.Guilty, send him down.and cut one ear off.!

In May we played to 2,300 people at our old college with “THE MOVE” and
“BLODWYN PIG”……..diary said “Went down very well indeed”.We did not
manage to speak to any of the other musicians.(We were not worthy).Also in
May ..Sun.24 we were booked back down to London (to our delight.. ) once
more, to appear at THE ROUNDHOUSE with “HAWKWIND” and “CURVED
AIR”.This event was filmed by French TV and will therefore be the ONLY
KNOWN FILM OF PURPLE GANG ( HELP ANYONE??) We did an encore
and threw Mars Bars at the audience in appreciation(*?!*) Curved Air`s
manager asked us to consider a move back down to London and do a
residency for him (no money for us ..so we passed on it ).It was at this gig that
I picked up a biker chick and ended up in the dressing room with her in a
clinch ..It turned out she was a big “Queen” in one of the chapters and they
were looking for her ,so we went out to meet them ( I was petrified but it
seems they all liked the band ,so I was OK.Except for one guy who warned
me I had upset him).I made my excuses and went to the loo.There I got some
of the guys from the other bands to help me through a window and I went
back to the digs at Finsbury park to await the band.

It was about this time that I heard the record that absolutely stole our thunder
as regards our sound as it used to be…it sickened me to think that we had not
been heard by the general public and this record became the surprise catchy
hit of the summer…”In the Summertime” by Mungo Jerry… and it used some
of the music from the BIRMINGHAM JUGBAND`S “Goin` To German” song
from the 1920`s…when it came on we all looked at one another and
said…”PURPLE GANG 2 years ago !”

But now we were different and more rockier and good luck to Mungo`s with
their jugband sound…we were on a different plain now heading away from
that stuff………….one thing though…..if the public liked “In the Summertime”,
how come we never got a look in with “Granny” and “Sally Green” ??………
We did some more gigs and in June played with “Jon Hiseman`s Colosseum”
and “Shakin` Stevens and The Sunsets” at Keele University at an all
nighter.We went down”very well” and earned all of £40 !I I got on really well
with their guitarist and we went off for a drink and chat together.I wonder what
Clem Clempson`s doing now?Onto some more local gigs and then we played
with “THE KINKS” at Sheffield Uni. The social sec. told us The Kinks had a
few crates in their dressing room and had invited us all round for a “wet”.In the
meantime the Davies brothers had had a row with one of the organisers and
had thrown him down the stairs, breaking his leg! I said to the band that I
thought that was a shit thing to do and we all agreed to pass on a drink with
the stars of the show.Unfortunate but …well sod `em..no need for that carry
on, what? I`m still a fan of Ray Davies` songs though.

At about this time we had the eccentric Penry Llewellyn Llewellyn Roberts in
the band as manager / roadie/ soundman, who used to wear a huge wide-
brimmed hat with a ribbon around hanging down his back.Our old roadie
Gerry Grover had gone off back to some new Stockport studios and “OAF”
our farmboy / strongman had gone back to the land.(“Oaf” was not an insult,
Colin used to answer to that name…it was typical of our crazy sense of
humour at the time ) We missed Colin carrying our piano under his arm, whilst
carrying the PA speakers under the other arm …other bands roadies didn`t
mess with our gear when they saw “Oaf” glaring down at them.whilst chewing
on a nail.

DAVID SYMONDS - BBC radio 1 DJ becomes our manager
I heard BBC Radio One DJ , David Symonds had played “Granny Takes A
Trip” on his afternoon show that summer ,so I wrote a letter to him asking for
help, then went off on hols to Majorca.When I came back there was a reply
from him advising me to listen to his show on a particular day, which I
did.Blow me if he didn`t say over the air that “help was at hand for you Purple
Gang” and he played “Sally Green” We were overjoyed that something at last
was in the air and decided to do a demo ( which he had asked for anyway )
back at the new Strawberry Studios where Gerry was helping out .I think we
were the first band in there to do a recording other than owners “HOTLEGS” (
later “10cc”) who were about to record their novelty hit “Neanderthal Man”.We
recorded 3 numbers “Charlie” a song about Chaplin which featured drummer
Alex on JAWS HARP, “Mishka” a Russian cossack style instrumental that
went down a storm live, and “Dawn Ballet”, our dreamy psychedelic number
that Apple liked.The day was also notable for me as I ran into the back of a
coach load of pensioners whilst ogling a Stockport girl in a mini skirt, bashing
my head (PRE-seat belt days ) This same week I was interviewed by Mervyn
Edgcombe of "The Daily Mail" AND WE WENT INTO A NATIONAL DAILY
FOR THE FIRST TIME…..it was the usual hard luck for Purple Gang theme,
but welcome all the same.

We then went on to support “SLADE” at Manchester University main hall and
we weren`t so good , sort of unsettled..”Glam Rock” was coming in big style
and we were not that much interested.We couldn`t see what was wrong with
the original “Hippie/ Dandy/ UFO “ sort of look…but there you go ,things
change . The day after next we travelled to Loughborough Uni. To support
“YES” in the main hall there.This was great as we met up with STEVE HOWE
again (ex “TOMORROW”) in the dressing room and we shook hands and had
a reminisce about 1967 /UFO club and all that.There was trouble with the
electrics that night and during our set the power went off…..so we resorted to
our jugband stuff and carried on acoustic as loud as we could.I had asked
everyone to be as quiet as they could and we pulled it off to great
applause.When I looked to the side I saw “YES” stood there joining in the
applause…a proud moment for us indeed……….what nice guys , especially
Steve.We gigged some more with us headlining and David Symond`s wife
“Dids” rang to say they were knocked out with the demo tapes and David was
thinking of coming in as manager!

On the run up to Christmas we did some mad gigs and one in particular was
Derbyshire Caving Club which ended up as a mad but friendly chaotic riot,
with everyone doing cossack dances to “Mishka”, our new wild cossack
instrumental. In the end there was an ambulance outside to collect the injured
and the police came in during “Rainy Day Women Nos 12 &13” (Bob Dylans
stoned - out goodtime song that was always a fave at UFO club) ..The officers
were grabbed by the girls as everyone sang “Everybody must get stoned “and
were lost in the melee of bodies ….we had to do 7 encores until the police
came on stage (sweating and hatless ) and pulled the plug.Ah
rock`n`roll.Later gigs were with IDLE RACE at St George`s Hall Liverpool, a
re-union with my old mate from St Ives days “DUSTER BENNET and then
back to support “T-REX” at Manchester Uni.in front of 2,000 people this time.I
went along to say hello to Marc again and found him putting his MAKE-UP
ON!! I looked at him and said "“Hi…..PURPLE GANG” and he just sort of
giggled and said “No, T-REX”…………..”He knew who I was but was being
THE STAR……anyway I said “OK forget it ..I`m in the wrong room now,
right?” He just sort of shrugged his shoulders in a sheepish manner, looking I
thought a little apologetic.I turned and walked out ,but I saw him later
watching us play from the wings.Anyway he WAS a star…..a tragic loss to the
music scene ..goodbye Marc…you bopping elf…The day after next we were
back at Keele Uni. Playing with FAIRPORT CONVENTION at what was
called The Revolution Ball and this was obviously great because of all our
connections…Joe Boyd etc.They loved our stuff , and we were sort of mates /
comrades in arms immediately They sent a crate of Newcastle Brown round,
bringing another themselves .I got to know Richard Thompson for the first
time.He seemed unhappy and was talking about having his own band doing
all his songs eventually, but generally there was harmony in the band.Dave
Swarbrick was interested in Gerry`s electric mandolin etc. and Simon Nicol ,
Dave Pegg and I, planned how to nick one of the table –football machines
.(which later went into Fairport`s van )..at the finale we all went on stage
together for a crazy jam / knees-up.OUR second set had been ruined by us
being drunk on Newcastle Brown, Fairport had nobbled us- the
scoundrels(These days we are awaiting to see if they`ll have us on at their
Cropredy Festival… maybe we will go there eventually..we`ll see )

RECKLESS STRIPPER EMBARRASSES PURPLE GANG DRUMMER
The following Friday (Dec 11 `70) we were due back at Stockport College to
support The KEEF HARTLEY BAND .This was home ground and we were
due a great reception, BUT what we did not know was that the social sec./
student`s union had booked two strippers to welcome us backThe crowd were
giving us a great reception and Geoff responded with his crazy antics and
weird dress.I was passed a note to say that “could we play some slow
raunchy blues,as a stripper was due on”.Always willing to oblige, we went into
“BOOTLEG WHISKEY” and on came this girl who went into her routine.CAN
you imagine this today …?..well it wouldn`t happen of course, but then it
seemed a laugh.She went (not quite naked ) to great applause and whistles
.Then another note came requesting another blues-so we just did “Green
Onions/ Help Me” riff and on came another stripper. This one was more
raunchy and showy and got a guy out of the audience up,putting his glasses
down her front briefs etc. and placing them back on his blushing head and
sort of crawling all over him, as they do,The music got louder and more
exciting and she decided to go all the way and took her knickers off and threw
them behind her head…………they landed right on top of Alex`s head (our
drummer ) and he furiously tried to flick them off with his drumstick.But the
music kept playing and the stripper was pointing at Alex in his embarrasment

..By this time the audience were weeping and howling with laughter and poor
Alex tried to keep the beat going as we played on whilst flicking unsuccesfully
with his drumstick to get her knickers off his head.Then he poked himself in
the eye and the screams of laughter were deafening with Alex holding his
head in his hands with eyes watering.Then as the audience thought they
couldn`t take anymore, on comes Geoff in his underpants,…riding a child`s
tricycle , wearing a fool`s 3 cornered hat with bells on and we went into “The
Air Conditioned Nightmare”…….the audience went into uproar.I have to say at
this point that The Keef Hartley band looked most unimpressed and didn`t get
the joke.The rest of us had a great time .Uncool can be cool sometimes.I think
it was more to do with how well we were going down, actually.But they were a
great band…and Keef himself was OK.

We went on to more run of the mill gigs -some good some not so good- then
in the New Year we were asked to go back down to London to do The 100
Club on Oxford St. by BOB KERR of The Whoopee Band, (now with Sam
Spoons and Vernon Dudley Bohey- Nowell late of THE BONZO DOG DOO
DAH Band….who told me that earlier they- The Bonzos- had given “Granny” a
try ,hoping to cover it ,but couldn`t sort out a lunatic enough arrangement!) It
was 1971 now and The Summer Of Love was fading into memory.

1971 ISLE OF WIGHT CAPERS AND JODRELL BANK TELESCOPE
FREAKS OUT
I have no diary surviving from this year but it was notable that we supported
“CAPTAIN BEEFHEART and his MAGIC BAND”at Manchester Uni..I
remember they all wore strange hats like something out “The Hobbit”-and
played the strangest stuff ,but we all liked it .We never got to mingle though.
Later we supported” LONG JOHN BALDRY`S STEAMPACKET”and John
remembered us and came to see us/ me(I had met him years earlier when I
booked him and Cyril Davies for a school hop and also at The Marquee ).He
was very friendly and glad to see us still going, telling us that ALEXIS(
Koerner) was going onto Transatlantic Records our old label.I said “Good luck
to him”.The rest of the band arrived and we were introduced to ROD
STEWART AND ELTON JOHN ….yet to become the MEGA GIANT STARS-
,..back then it seemed normal ,… now it seems unreal..they were in the band
together!

We got more involved with DAVE SYMONDS and went off to East Molesey to
plan our assault on the music scene.Dave thought we had had a raw deal and
should have been bigger…we agreed .It was decided that we should have a
holiday / residency and get it together in The Isle Of Wight as Dave had taken
his other band “FAIRFIELD PARLOUR (ex KALEIDOSCOPE )” down to the
big I.O.W Fest. (the previous year) and had stayed with them at The Clarendon
Hotel , Shanklin. KRIS KRISTOFFERSON and ZAL YANOVSKY (Lovin`
Spoonful) had done an impromptu post –gig performance at this place (which
we heard on reel to reel tape ) and the owner was friendly with the Foulkes
Bros. who ran the fest.An opportunity arises ?

So off we went saying goodbye to loved ones and went south listening to
“Your is no disgrace” by YES and other tapes…..not just a Decca Transistor
radio now…but tapes! When we arrived at the place we just fell about
laughing ,as the proprietor (one HERBERT SNOWBALL(.yes , his real name )
had put a sign outside saying “Spanning the years-----The Purple Gang play
all the music for you from 1920`s to today”……………it wasn`t the coolplace
we thought….he took in coachloads of pensioners!! As we entered the place a
13 stone massive old St.Bernard dog greeted us,called “Fred” slobbering all
over us..it then proceeded to pull my shoe off and ran away with it and eat it.!

As it turned out all the local kids and tourists did come to this venue and we
did OK.But we did once entertain a coachload of pensioners, though they sat
with their fingers in their ears.Gerry became known as “The Blind Hippy “as
he was seen walking the dog with shades on , a stick and his hair hanging
down his back.I dated Jon Anderson`s (YES) sister one night and was thrown
off the stage by an electric charge as I had bare feet and foolishly touched
both microphone and guitar pick-up at the same time….bang , found myself
sat in her lap.We did get to meet the Foulkes Bros. who had never heard of us
and didn`t book us either.Thanks fellahs.So we wrote some more stuff down
there and David came down to groove with us from London.

He took us down to “Tin Pan Alley” to record a demo at Chappell
Music`s demo studio and we recorded “Going Back To Memphis” as a demo
(now missing ?), Later the band went there to record “Brown Shoes” and “The
King Comes Riding” (and the 2- track recording machine used here was THE
ACTUAL ONE USED BY JOE MEEK, IN HIS BEDROOM , TO RECORD THE
PIONEERING MULTI -LAYERED INSTRUMENTAL, WORLD WIDE HIT "TELSTAR"!!!!)
which now appear on the “STRIKES” CD as bonus tracks.
Dave was friendly with THE MOODY BLUES and also with JIM
MARSHALL (of Marshall amps ) and our PA was now not up to the job.The
Moody`s had tried out this new 1.000 watt PA with gold plated base, that Jim
had prototyped and amazingly they lent it to us as they went off to USA

At about this time we nearly lost Gerry to JOE BROWN, who was about to
form “HOME BREW” his new country rock project and David Symonds
arranged a meeting (he was thinking of Gerry`s future, I guess ) ,which we
knew about but somehow didn`t mind (crazy to allow it really, but we all were
rooting for one another then, things were getting desperate, individuals were
thinking “WHY the hell are we getting nowhere?”) .JOE came for Gerry in the
proverbial Rolls Royce and took him off to his house for a meal and a
play.Apparantly though he was wanting a mandolin player who also played
fiddle (same tuning ) , but Gerry obviously didn`t .Gerry got to meet Joe`s wife
and played with little daughter SAM BROWN ,(now grown into the powerful
blues singer , who backs PINK FLOYD and JOOLS HOLLAND`S RHYTHMN
AND BLUES ORCHESTRA ) ..then Gerry returned.

I was by now a nervous wreck and panicking about not having a qualification
to fall back on.For some reason , we could not attract any decent recording
deal and we didn`t want to go to a small label due to the lack of promo
forthcoming for PG 1 as before.

I started to get run down and depressed, although looking back , all I had to
have done was go to see John Peel personally and beg him to put us on
DANDELION his own label, and I am sure we would have had some progress
made.Today I would just have done it ..but then I let everyone walk all over
me for some reason…nice guy Joe…nevertheless I had had enough and all
my family, etc. on my back saying the band was a lost cause now.So I
decided to leave ,but carried on for a while.And one notable gig (it was my last
gig.) we were at a farm BBQ run by Chelford Young Farmers who had seen
us perform for Knutsford Show down in deepest Cheshire.The event was
called “The Ugly Bug Ball ( after a Shel Silverstein song I think) and it was
close by the giant telescope at Jodrell Bank.We had sent the young farmers
scurrying away with their fingers in their ears( “Ere Colin this inner pop music,
this bloody `ippy crap !” as Pen wound up his new MOODIES PA ( mad
roadie drunk with power !) AND as Gerry got his fuzz-wah mandolin sound
going well on “THE WIZARD “……INTO THE ARENA COME STRIDING
SOME MILITARY LOOKING TYPES WITH A PIECE OF PAPER..They were
pointing agitatedly at the giant dish radio telescope and to the band.Then one
of the organisers comes running up to tell us that we have to stop as the
sound is interrupting some important tracking of “Pulse “ stars .Professor
Lovell himself had sent down an official note of complaint.So we had to stop
and pack up!Astronomy Dominae.?(sorry Syd ) Maybe some band on the
planet ZOG has learned to cover “The Wizard “??

It all ended in a row later as I was cracked up and couldn`t see any way
forward.The guys brought in Tony Davies from the old JERICHO JUG BAND
( from Richmond ,the band,that Duster Bennet used to be in) and I was
replaced .They actually returned to London and gigged some more notable
gigs for several more months, recorded some more demo`s at Chappell and
stuck it as long as they could.I tried to immerse myself back into “civvy street”
,unsuccesfully and got involved with the Poynton Folk Centre, where I
SHOULD have in fact have had a break and reformed PURPLE GANG, once
more, with other people.But hindsight is a wonderful thing.We are all still
mates and always will be I guess, in spite of all the rows and
recriminations…….there was never any MONEY to argue over! .Penry went
off with “VINEGAR JOE” and ELKIE BROOKES and later “10 CC”, Geoff went
off to form a comedy duo with RADIO 1 DJ ,ANNIE NIGHTINGALE`s partner
and lived with them in Brighton (Kemptown ) Alex went into (later) punk band
“THE DISTRACTIONS” and Gerry ,Chris and I all went into “folk” music
(seeking a quiet life ?”)..Later I went solo, I wasn`t much cop but had some
success with a multi-media gothic/ folk /rock extravaganza called “THE
EDGE” that Joe Boyd nearly took on to promote, but was struggling as an
indie label at the time.Gerry ,Pete Walker and I played a few pub sessions
and IRONY OF IRONIES…Transatlantic re-released “Granny” once more in
1976 to hardly any publicity again We were sent down to the old “GRANNY
TAKES A TRIP” boutique site for a re-enactment photo shoot .We all had long
hair and stood in the same position.This time PAUL McCARTNEY and PATTI
BOYD were not there and Ank was replaced by Alex,the boutique was now a
fruit shop and all the beautiful people had gone.

LEGENDS ,RE-ISSUES AND FULL CIRCLES
Over the years it seems that we were not forgotten after all.And it turns out
that our album did creep out in the USA.The UK album and USA ones are
much sought after as well as the original orange labelled single.There were
radio plays nationally every now and again and various “allies” could be relied
on to give us a play ,such as ANNIE NIGHTINGALE, JOHN PEEL and BOB
HARRIS.Our old vynil LP was re-issued on Razor Records (no
publicity…….why bother ?) .The people we walked with ,talked with are now GIANTS, a lot are
dead and some damaged.Others are rich beyond my dreams and own their
own studios in their mansions.I went off to art college and studied with MICK
HUCKNELL ,who I saw start a band up as I had done 14 years before.One
lunchtime I advised him not to go into the business too seriously……..luckily
for him he ignored my advice.BUT I`m jealous of no-one except the people
who have LOADS of studio time to experiment and create, a luxury that we
never could have.Today when asked by small time people / promoters what
type of music we play, I am obviously at a loss as I cannot say “PURPLE
GANG music”In 1997 we went on at the CAVERN once more and also
outside in MATHEW STREET area at THE MATHEW STREET FREE
FESTIVAL, LIVERPOOL (as I have an oil painting of the Beatles hung in The
Cavern Pub ) and we were on with some old Liverpool bands.They liked us
and we did an encore……..we all enjoyed the re-union, but it seems they
(Pete. Geoff, Alex, Gerry )didn`t intend reforming.So in 1998 I reformed with
Chris Millward and other people, at last.The others being(namecheck time
boys !) PEV PEVITT, ANDY STARK,JOHN CURTIS and GABOR BARTOS.

We are ,today ,slowly being healed and saved by of all things The
INTERNET, and new fans are coming in droves from Russia (especially ) and
across the USA.Syd Barret fans care for us in particular and I give loads of
interviews.We have a great website that is “hit “internationally all the time and
have been on national radio recently as the opening music to “The Pink Floyd
Story” on BBC Radio2 and also our story made a great double page spread in
“The Guardian”.We have a new CD out , have re-recorded “Granny” and
“Sally”and will be doing Syd Barrett`s “Boon Tune “, when funds allow, which
“HOPPY HOPKINS” himself has agreed to play on (he was on Bootleg
Whiskey in 1967, just before 14 Hr Technicolour Dream ).We have our own
newsgroup and Russian fanzine starting out and amazingly the grandson of
thel PURPLE GANG`s real driver from Detroit in the 1930`s ..i,e THE
gangsters has been in touch ( Hi Gordon !) .There have been countless
e`mails of support.BUT the record label that own the master of our single and

LP will not even talk to us…….we are not GIANTS….to them.But we are out
on many compilations stuffed with big names.

I reformed the band in 1998 with new people as I considered it “unfinished
business”…and found several other “Purple Gangs”! We now have Purple Gang 4 an
electro acoustic fourpiece with Gerry Robinson, Chris Millward, myself and
Vocalist Pev Pevitt.At the end of the day it is about making music and making people
react.The history of this band cannot be re-written … we were there. , we
were original……we walked with giants…PURPLE GANG 1 AND 2……..and
we are still here PURPLE GANG 4 .We are still recording and writing songs doing
the odd gig and have a manager in north London.Thanks for your time….hope it wasn`t too
boring…..and “hello “to any old GIANTS who walked with us.and are looking
in through the keyhole.THE TRIP GOES ON.

COPYRIGHT Reg .2002 Chris Joe Beard ………no repro`s without permission
J.BEARD 2002 –04-05
These memoires belong to Joe Beard of The Purple Gang and may not be reproduced without permission .

These recollections remain copyright of Chris/Joe Beard www.thepurplegang.co.uk
www.grannytakesatrip-song.com and may only be reproduced by permission of above.
C.J.BEARD, Daisy Bank Studio, Poynton, Cheshire. SKI2 ITG UK - June 2001 joe.beard@virgin.net