You would had to have been of a certain persuasion to enjoy the music of the Edgar Broughton Band, who were part of the UK’s 60’s/70’s blues/psychedelic movement.
Written by: Explorer
ARTIST: Edgar Broughton Band
ALBUM: Sing Brother Sing
LABEL: Harvest
SERIAL: SHVL 772 2004
YEAR: 1970
CD REISSUE: 2004, Harvest, 07243 8 64124 2 3
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: England
LINEUP: Edgar Broughton – vocals, guitar * Arthur Grant – bass, vocals * Steve Broughton – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 There’s No Vibrations, But Wait! * 02 The Moth a The Moth b The People c Peter * 03 Momma’s Reward (Keep Them Freak’s A Rollin’) * 04 Refugee * 05 Officer Dan * 06 Old Gopher * 07 Aphrodite * 08 Granma * 09 Psychopath a The Psychopath b Is For Butterflies * 10 It’s Falling Away
2004 CD Reissue Bonus Tracks
01 Out Demons Out (Released as A-side of ‘Harvest HAR 5015’) * 02 Rag Doll (Previously unreleased) * 03 There’s No Vibrations, But Wait! (Alternate version previously unreleased) * 04 The Locket (Previously unreleased) * 05 We’ve Got the Power (Previously unreleased) * 06 Up Yours (Released as A-side of ‘Harvest HAR 5021’) * 07 Freedom (Released as B-side of ‘Harvest HAR 5032’) * 08 Apache Dropout (Previously unreleased Peter Jenner version)
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
‘..And Now for Something Completely Different’. This was the now famous Monty Python catchphrase that was around at the time of this recording by the Edgar Broughton Band (EBB), and for their second album it was most definitely that, something very different. Of course I’ve always known about EBB, and just never got round to listening to them, but a charity shop buy recently has put that little anomaly right.
The EBB were part of late 60’s/early 70’s Blues/Psychedelic movement out of the UK alongside acts such as The Pink Fairies and Hawkwind. Signed to the prestigious Harvest record label (an earlier single was the first ever 7 inch single release from the label) the band had some success, with this album peaking at no 18 in the UK album charts as well as a single from this album that just missed out on the top 30.
But come the mid to late 70’s and the game was largely up for these guys as punk and such like made this type of thing very passe. To be fair though, Edgar is still out there playing to audiences that will still gladly listen to this (very) peculiar brand of rock music.
The Songs
Just imagine if Captain Beefheart had come from the rural Midlands of the UK, and that’s pretty much what you get. At times it’s very discordant and at others quite melodic, and of course it’s all very far ‘out there’. Opener ‘There’s No Vibrations, But Wait!’ is set to a very rhythmic back beat with a suitably ridiculous spoken narrative laid over the top.
The 3 part ‘The Moth’ reminds me at times of something that The Doors would do, and the rest of the album veers crazily from one style to another. From fairly straight forward blues workouts to Music hall/Doo wop with some rather incongruous soloing thrown in for good measure, and it’s all done with a psychedelic bent on just about everything.
With regards to the vocals, considering they hail from the Midlands in the UK they sound at times like they have come from the deep south of America! It makes for an interesting listen that’s for sure. The extra tracks are various single edits and tracks found in the Harvest archives around the time of this reissue (2004), and are as curious as the rest of the album.
In Summary
This album was released at a time when pretty much anything went and also when labels would nurture bands and give them time (and money) to follow their own path. The Edgar Broughton Band was no different and released a series of albums through the Harvest imprint with varying degrees of success. They are without doubt an acquired taste and they are not without a certain charm.
I actually surprised myself at liking this and have, since getting this purchased the rest of their Harvest catalogue. This is a release for inquiring minds only I reckon.The term ‘Underground’ being seemingly invented for bands such as the Edgar Broughton Band and their ilk in the early 70’s and more power to them in following their own (very) distinctive vision.
