Henry Cow
Henry Cow were an English avant-rock group, founded at Cambridge University in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. Henry Cow's personnel fluctuated over their decade together, but drummer Chris Cutler and bassoonist/oboist Lindsay Cooper were important long-term members alongside Frith and Hodgkinson. An inherent anti-commercial attitude kept them at arm's length from the mainstream music business, enabling them to experiment at will. Critic Myles Boisen writes, "their sound was so mercurial and daring that they had few imitators, even though they inspired many on both sides of the Atlantic with a blend of spontaneity, intricate structures, philosophy, and humor that has endured and transcended the 'progressive' tag." (Read more at Wikipedia.)
Links to Peel[]
Henry Cow - Nirvana for Mice
Henry Cow was in the same category as other bands like Van der Graaf Generator, Gong, Soft Machine and Matching Mole who had a unique approach to music, very different from the typical 'mainstream progressive rock band' that John was known to dislike. Like many of the bands Peel favoured, their roots were in the late 1960s underground scene, although they were more politicised, and more musically avant-garde, than most of their peers. They entered (and won) Peel's "Rockortunity Knocks" contest in 1971, recording their first Top Gear session as a result, and also performed at the 1971 Glastonbury Fayre, which Peel attended. After that, his producer John Walters booked them for five more sessions, between 1972 and 1975.
Despite their anti-commercial approach, they were signed by Virgin Records in 1973, during the early period of the label, when it seemed to be encouraging experimental music. In 1974 they were the support act on a European tour by Peel's hero Captain Beefheart and also toured with Faust. Therefore Peel was quite interested in them while they were active, In 1978 the band broke up, but at the time John was starting to be interested in punk and the likes, so they were not featured again in his programs - even if they did share the punks' desire to distance themselves from the big record companies and take control of their own careers. Although they gained an audience in Europe, in Britain Henry Cow were largely ignored. Their music was remembered, however, by Vic Reeves, co-host of the comedy quiz show Shooting Stars, on which Peel once appeared. When Reeves appeared on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in 2003, he chose Henry Cow's "Nirvana For Mice" as one of his eight selections.
The band's best-known member is guitarist Fred Frith, who has enjoyed a busy career as solo artist, composer, collaborator with others in numerous bands and projects, and, latterly, as an academic based in the USA. He played on the televised version of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, alongside fellow band members Tim Hodgkinson, John Greaves and Geoff Leigh, and was a regular collaborator with Robert Wyatt. Frith played guitar on Wyatt's's hit single "I'm A Believer", contributed to Wyatt's albums Rock Bottom and Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard, and also took part in the 1974 Robert Wyatt and Friends concert at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, which Peel hosted. He went on to collaborate with a host of artists, among them a few who were favoured by Peel, including Brian Eno and The Residents.
Sessions[]
Six sessions. All except session #1 and #6 released on "The Road: Volumes 1-5" (ReR Megacorp – ReR HC 40). Session #4 also released as "John Peel Session (24th April 1973)" (digital EP, EMI, 2010). 11 Minutes from Session 1 were included in the subscribers only Ex Box Collected Fragments 1971 - 1978). Session 6 is feature on "Henry Cow Concerts".
1. Recorded 1971-05-04. First broadcast 29 May 1971. Repeated: 31 July 1971.
- Hieronymo's Mad Again / Poglith Drives a Vauxhall Viva
2. Recorded: 1972-02-28. First broadcast: 14 March 1972. Repeated: 30 May 1972.
- Teen Beat / Rapt in a Blanket / I Came to See You
3. Recorded: 1972-10-17. First broadcast: 14 November 1972.
- With the Yellow Half Moon and Blue Star / With the Yellow Half Moon and Blue Star part 2
4. Recorded: 1973-04-24. First broadcast: 08 May 1973. Repeated: 10 July 1973.
- Nirvana for Mice / Guider Tells of Silent Airborne Machine / 9 Funerals of the Citizen King / Bee
5. Recorded: 1974-04-25. First broadcast: 09 May 1974.
- Pidgeons: Ruins/Half Awake Half Asleep/Bittern Storm Over Ulm
6. Recorded: 1975-08-05. First broadcast: 18 August 1975.
- Beautiful as the Moon Terrible as an Army with Banners / Nirvana for Mice / The Ottawa Song / Gloria Gloom / Beautiful As The Moon Etc. (Reprise)
- Fred Frith
1. Recorded 1974-12-02. First broadcast: 05 December 1974. No known commercial release.
- Please Give It Back / My Need Is Greater Than Yours / Noise Carruthers Pure Bloody Noise / In Which Case The Anxiety / Narrow Road
Other Shows Played[]
- 13 March 1975: Giants (LP - Desperate Straights) Virgin (with Slapp Happy)
- 17 March 1975 : Some Questions About Hats (album - Desperate Straights) Virgin V 2024 (with Slapp Happy)
- J P D36: Excerpt From The Messiah (album - Desperate Straights) Virgin V 2024 (with Slapp Happy)
- Fred Frith
- 05 December 1974: Dancing In The Street
See Also[]
- Fred Frith