KALEIDOSCOPE / FAIRFIELD PARLOUR
THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY OF THE WORLD`S FAVOURITE `LOST` BAND FROM THE SIXTIES
www.chelsearecords.co.uk
RETROPHOBIC MAGAZINE INTERVIEW / PART 2
with Peter Daltrey
**The late Kaleidoscope turned into Fairfield Parlour... could you try to
describe the feeling of than "turning of page" within the band? How did
it affect your songwriting?
After our initial success at getting ourselves a recording contract we had a lot of bad luck. Our records failed to chart inspite of healthy airplays because
Fontana were useless at getting the vinyl into the shops. If a kid goes into a shop to buy your record to find it`s out of stock they`ll spend their hard-earned
cash on something else. By the time your record is in stock they`ve moved on to something else. This problem dogged our progress throughout our career, stuck as
we were with Fontana/Vertigo under the same Philips umbrella.
So after our time at the coal-face with Kaleidsoscope we felt a new direction was required. We hooked up with David Symonds a Radio One DJ. He managed us and
renegotiated our contract. We signed a tape-lease deal with the new progressive label, Vertigo -- Fontana with a trendy moniker. Our music had changed -- again!
Psychedelia was a very short-lived phenomenon -- a rocket that shot into the sky, exploded in a cascade of colourful stars then faded and died. It fizzled out in
the late Sixties. We were playing more acoustic, introspective music. Writing with new instrumentation affected the type of songs we were writing. This in turn also
affected the lyrical content.
We were using more instruments than previously, with Steve on bass guitar and flute, Dan on drums and other percussion, Ed on a range of guitars and keyboards and
me vamping out my ham-fisted chords on piano and organ and enjoying my first use of the mellotron. The instrument`s unique sound came as a result of its dodgy technology,
with each note playing a tape of strings or woodwind. The instrument was notorious for going out of tune and being badly affected by changes in temperature. But a wonderful
sound to a group used only to drums and two guitars. A memorable series of sessions, culminating in an all-night mixing session at Olympic Studios in Barnes. Dave liked to
crank up the decibels; the album never sounded so good. We were suffused with its rich, folky sound, overwhelmed by the `size` of the production and left the darkened studio aglow.
We would emerge into the new Chelsea morning, the sweet smell of freshly-baked bread wafting to us on the breeze that swept up from the ancient rolling river. Magic days...
**If you would please, give us your thoughts and memories on each of the
Kaleidoscope/Fairfield Parlour album? What songs or albums stand out for
you ?
I feel the four albums are quite distinct from one-another. `Tangerine Dream` certainly has a naive charm. Four fresh-faced young guys in a proper recording studio for
the first time. A bunch of songs that are old and new, some written a couple of years before, others newly-penned. My voice, in particular, sounds very youthful to me,
almost fragile and uncertain in places. But people write to me and tell me that`s something they like.
We were already pushing at accepted boundaries by including very short introductory pieces together with songs of much longer duration. We even included a spoken piece.
Very brave for the time -- and surprising that Fontana allowed us this much experimentation at such an early stage in our career. But, as I`ve said, they were convinced
they had the next Beatles so they were happy to give us a free rein and plenty of studio time to develop our ideas.
But as a band we evolved and matured at a steady pace, both as people and as musicians. Ed and I were constantly pushing each-other as song-writers: I would write more
outlandish lyrics and Ed would match me with song structures that were complicated with key and tempo changes that stepped out of the pop song frame. With `Faintly Blowing`
we reached our peak as Kaleidoscope with, again, a varied selection of styles that never clashed, from the folky humour of `Tom Bitz` to the mayhem of `Music`, from the grandeur
of `Black Fjord` to the simplicity of `Bless the Executioner.`
Of the two Kaleidoscope albums the second feels like a complete whole to me, from the excellent cover to the range of material. Which is not to say that I don`t have a
nostalgic fondness for `Tangerine Dream` -- I do, but the second album is Kaleidoscope at its best -- and on `(Love Song)For Annie` captures our live sound on vinyl.
Once we had been through the trauma of Fontana giving us the ultimatum, "Record only commercial material or else..." and emerged with a manager and a new determination to succeed,
we grew into our new Fairfield Parlour persona, embracing the social and cultural changes that were happening around us -- and moving with the musical times, away from fey
fairy tales and broken-hearted love songs and writing and performing with a deeper understanding of our genre.
`From Home to Home` grew organically, with songs written beneath the shade of willow trees in David Symonds` sunny garden by the river, and honed during late night jams
where candles burned, wine flowed and friends listened. The exception was `Sunnyside Circus` which was a left-over gem from the Kaleidoscope sessions, but a song we all loved.
The recording sessions were delightful:very late night/early-morning sessions, exploring new instruments and new recording methods.
Although the production on some of the tracks is flawed, the overall sound of the album is one of a gentle cohesion, a coming together of the spirit of the band.
`Drummer Boy of Shiloh` and `Aries` stand out for me, the latter in particular represents Fairfield Parlour at its best.
Although recorded next, `White-Faced Lady` was finally released as a Kaleidoscope album, simply because we would only confuse new fans in the 90s by asking them to
know us as two separate bands. For me `Song for Jon` and `Epitaph` are most satisfying. But it is difficult to single out individual tracks because the album was always
meant to be listened to as a whole.
Sadly, memories of these sessions are not held so close to my heart as frictions between management and band were reaching a climax. But if I were to listen to the album
again I would strive to eliminate that from my mind and enjoy the ebb and flow of the album as the songs lead you majestically from innocence and hope to tragedy and death.
One wonders what would have been Fairfield Parlour`s fate, its place in musical history if that album had been released at the time...
**What happened to each of the band members after the split and is there
any chance for a Kaleidoscope/Farfield Parlour with the original line-up
for a one-off concert or a new album?
When the day came that I realised I was completely broke I knew that I couldn`t go on. We had tried very hard to secure a licensing deal for `White-Faced Lady` but had failed.
I got married and hurried away from London to the countryside. David Symonds got Ed a job in local radio and he has continued in that and many other things ever since,
even working with McCartney for awhile. Dan ran a record shop for a few years. Steve drove limousines, picking up actors and actresses from airports and driving them to
film locations.
On Saturday 1st May 1999 Steve attended a film launch party in London. In the early hours of the morning he was crossing Chelsea Bridge on his way home when he was hit by a
taxi and killed. At his funeral the three surviving members perfomed `Aries` -- it was the last time we played together.
So -- no, there won`t be a one-off gig, much as we would have liked. With the renewed interest in the band it would have been wonderful to play for our fans, new and old. And no new album without Steve. There was much talk about getting back in the studio, but it evaporated into thin air. Hence my own determination to keep writing and recording.
**What about the Kaleidoscope reissues? What are your relationship with the labels involved, is there any other unrelased material about ?
I worked for many years on getting Universal to reissue our albums. Pirate issues had been on the market for some time. Eventually they saw sense and I worked closely with them on the release of the compilation, `Dive into Yesterday.` We all worked with Circle on their BBC Sessions release -- although, personally I detest those recordings. Repertoire in Germany have also worked with us on reissues. But the best reissues have been through Airmail in Japan where we enjoy a healthy following. I was not happy with the shoddy release of the Sidekicks tracks.
In the late Sixties we recorded many demos of our songs for Fontana at small independent studios and there were some out-takes at the main Marble Arch studios, but nothing has been found. It is with immense regret that I have to report that in the Eighties when I thought the band was dead and buried forever I actually threw out some rare tapes.
**Ok the last one Peter, What keep you busy nowadays? Now you can tell what you want to our readers!
Writing and recording constantly. I have just released my thirteenth solo album. I`ve released three albums written and recorded with a brilliant musician and writer from New Orleans, Damien Youth. `Tattoo` is one of my favourite albums, one of which I`m very proud. And `Nevergreen` is another concept album like `White-Faced Lady` with eighteen songs and an accompanying story. I`ve also recorded three albums under the name, Link Bekka which are more experimental, but nonetheless satisfying, particularly `Pittsburg Warhola.`
Many people write to tell me they enjoy my albums because my voice hasn`t changed and there are many echoes of both Kaleidoscope and Fairfield Parlour in my songs. Inevitable, I suppose: in many ways I`m still that starry-eyed eighteen-year-old kid who just wanted to be Buddy Holly.
Link Bekka/MySpace
The Morning Set/MySpace
Peter Daltrey 2/MySpace
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