Egg on the Beeb

[elcherry]

Fascinating to see Mont from Egg on the recent BBC4 prog documentary. I was thrilled when so redid the Egg output - it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but "7 is a jolly good time" floats my boat!

I wonder if there's any live recordings of the band worth remastering?

[esoteric]

I think the band themselves put out something like this in 2008-although they didnt really market it.

Yep very good to see those Egg releases on the documentary-certainly for sales too. Was the top "jumper" on Amazon from all those bands-mind you it had a fair bit of leeway to jump

Good to see our old friend Richard Coughlan on there too from Caravan. Richard and family run the Cricketers on Canterbury High St these days, if anyones down this neck of the woods and is a very lovely guy whose had a fair bit of ill health last few years.Marks off with him for a curry tonight.

[elcherry]

Good to see our old friend Richard Coughlan on there too from Caravan.

Caravan were a huge part of my youth, especially "If I could" and "Land of G&P" (should that be G&T these days?)

[radioshoes]

Am I alone in thinking that so many of the interviewees on Prog Britannia smacked of second and third choices. Surely it would have been nice, for instance, to hear from Richard Sinclair or Pye Hastings rather than Richard Coughlan - fine drummer though he was. And where was Dave Stewart - and while we're about it, Gentle Giant, Van der Graaf Generator, Henry Cow?
I also hoped someone might answer the question that has bugged me for 35 years. Why did Caravan forsake the wonderful fuzz-organ that gave them their distinctive sound when Dave Sinclair left? And how come it then started appearing on Hatfield and National Health albums, as played by Dave Stewart? Was there only one in existence?

[shamal]

[quote="radioshoes"]Am I alone in thinking that so many of the interviewees on Prog Britannia smacked of second and third choices. Surely it would have been nice, for instance, to hear from Richard Sinclair or Pye Hastings rather than Richard Coughlan - fine drummer though he was. And where was Dave Stewart - and while we're about it, Gentle Giant, Van der Graaf Generator, Henry Cow? [quote="radioshoes"]

I do believe that an approach was made by the BBC to Sinclair and Hastings. But they never returned the calls, so to speak. Similarly, you never know who's willing to do these shows and who's not. Ex members of Gentle Giant have never been that keen to get drawn into discussing the 'old days'. While Peter Hammill has always denied any connection or empathy with the prog genre (rightly or wrongly). As is the case with these documentaries, I'm sure there was some difference between the wish list and who they ended up with.

[Cherry Red Head]

& healthy insight from any/all notable contributors is always interesting & more welcome than none at all, right?

[esoteric]

Certain people for whatever reasons didnt want to take part. Dave stewart is notorious for not being interested in interviews and pieces etc-I should know Ive asked him so many times as I had tons of requests and I know Peter Hamill and the guys from gentle Giant arent usually keen either.

With regards to Caravan Richard Sinclairs whereabouts were not known to anyone involved. We dont know it either . Others were interviewed by the way from various bands but they chose ones who were actually decent interviewees .

[edwardmcuk]

Hi all! and hi mr esoteric, re Beeb show, I always end up wondering why when we do get these occasional pieces on the old "Impish Theatre" ..why they always stick to the same old "party line" that progressive music was something that had its zenith in the early 70s then everything got all bloated and along came punk and blew it all away! Anybody with even a passing interest knows that just isn't true and is at best very lazy journalism!!
Obviously many many bands were at a creative peak in the mid 70's , and of course it all continued with a few further transformations on the way. Even viewed at in terms of "commercial fortunes" it doesn't make a lot of sense, since the really big selling acts of the 70's mostly carried on being big selling acts in the 80's and as for everyone else , most of the kinds of bands that graced labels such as Decca etc weren't exactly making much cash in the first place!!

I guess there may have been a contraction of the live music scene but that was also a reflection on the start of the gradual attrition of venues for any kind of band to play at which started to really kick in in the late 70s
mike c

mike c

[esoteric]

couldnt agree with you more. I think what they mainly mean is the contraction in numbers of prog bands out there on big labels , only the biggies tended to remain and smaller numbers of bands coming along to take their place, very few who became "chart acts" with odd exceptions like Marillion.

As you say its lazy journalism and a certain "sheep like tendency" amongst some journos--most of whom lets face it were not even around at the time.

It just wasnt cool and if its not cool, then journos often like to ridicule it. I remember when you would have been laughed at for saying Abba etc were cool but the minute some trendy journo says how much he liked Abba-then of course others come out the closet (who may or may not like Abba) but dont want to look as if they are missing the boat in the "whats cool" barometer.

prog may not be cool but its stll one of the reissue genres that can still sell and warrants a whole new magazine in classic rocks "prog"