Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Twink - Glad To See You (1971)

John Charles Edward Alder was born on 29 November 1944 into a family of musicians, including his grandmother, who was a concert pianist and soloist. He was interested in music from a young age, and his professional career began in 1963 when he played the drums for Dane Stephens and the Deep Beats, a rhythm and blues band from Colchester. In 1964, after performing for a year, the band changed their name to The Fairies, and their first recording experience was backing Johnny Shadow on 'Talented Man', the flip of his 1963 single 'Atom Bomb Song Part 3', which was issued in two years later in 1965. Due to the band's growing popularity, its members began receiving regular gifts from their music fans, and as Alder had long curly hair at the time, he regularly received bottles of Twink brand home perm lotion, eventually adopted 'Twink' as his stage name. The band signed to Decca in 1964, and their first single was a cover of Bob Dylan's 'Don’t Think Twice It's Alright', with the band making newspaper headlines when members of the group were arrested for climbing up a statue. In 1965 they moved to HMV and recorded 'Get Yourself Home', written by their road manager Johnnie Dee, after rejecting another of his songs 'Don't Bring Me Down', which later became a hit instead for The Pretty Things. Original vocalist Doug Ord was replaced in 1965 by Nick Wymer while Ord spent time in jail for manslaughter following a road accident in which he'd driving the group's van without any licence or insurance when he hit a car and killed a number of people. n 1965, Twink moved to London, living in the Chelsea area. When the Fairies broke up in August 1966, he replaced the departing drummer in a rhythm and blues/soul music band called The In-Crowd, playing alongside guitarist Steve Howe, bassist John 'Junior' Wood and singer Keith West. A few months later the band decided to change their name to Tomorrow, releasing a a njmber of singles and the classic self-titled album in 1967. When West scored a massive hit with his solo single 'Excerpt from A Teenage Opera' it resulted in the band's breakup, which in turn led to a one-off single by the short-lived band Aquarian Age, which was basically just Twink & Wood. A third track was reputedly recorded by Aquarian Age, but Twink has confirmed that 'We' was actually recorded by Zion De Gallier, aka Dougie Ord, aka Dane Stevens – the original vocalist with The Fairies. Also in 1967, Twink completed a recording session with a group called Santa Barbara Machine Head, which was an ad-hoc band consisitng of two former members of the beat group the Birds, Ron Wood and Kim Gardner who both later joined The Creation, plus keyboardist Jon Lord. They recorded three songs which later turned up on the 'Blues Anytime' compilation series. 
In 1968 Twink replaced Skip Alan in The Pretty Things, joining Phil May, Dick Taylor, Wally Allen, and Jon Povey as they were half-way through recording the classic 'S. F. Sorrow' album, and he was still with them when they they appeared in the Norman Wisdom film 'What's Good For The Goose.' Following the release of 'S. F. Sorrow' in 1968 Twink started recording songs for a solo album, enlisting the help of members of underground band The Deviants, including Mick Farren (who produced the album), guitarist Paul Rudolph, Duncan 'Sandy' Sanderson, and Steve Peregrin Took (of Tyrannosaurus Rex, who contributed two of the songs). 'Think Pink' was belatedly relased in 1970, and it also included May, Povey, Waller, and Victor Unitt from Pretty Things, Viv Prince (ex-Pretty Things), John 'The Honk' Lodge (Junior's Eyes, Quiver), 'Junior' Wood, and the enigmatic 'Pink Fairies Motorcycle Club and All-Star Rock and Roll Band'. This provided the name for Twink's next band, when he formed The Pink Fairies with Took and Farren, both of whom had left their respective bands, and they played in Ladbroke Grove, home of the UK underground, as well as helping record Farren's solo album 'Mona – The Carnivorous Circus' in late 1969, before they fell apart. Took, Farren, former Entire Sioux Nation guitarist and bassist Larry Wallis, and Tim Taylor then assembled the band that became Shagrat, with Farren departing before any recordings were made. Farren then reunited with Rudolph, Sanderson and drummer Russell Hunter for a North American our, and when they returned to the UK in 1970 they invited Twink to form a two-drummer second incarnation of The Pink Fairies. This version of the band recorded the stunning 'The Snake', which they released as a single in 1971, followed by the 'Never Never Land' album, after which Twink left the band, although he would periodically return to play with them. As you can see from his convoluted biography, Twink has had an amazing journey from his first group in 1964 to playing with one of the biggest underground bands of the 70's, and it didn't stop there, as he's continued to record and release new and archive material right up to 2019, including an excellent collaboration with The Bevis Frond on 1990's 'Magic Eye', and three more volumes of 'Think Pink' in 2015, 2018, and 2019. So enjoy this collection of recordings from the many bands that have been graced with his drumming and composing skills. 



Track listing

01 Don't Think Twice It's Alright (single by The Fairies 1964)
02 Anytime at All (b-side of 'Don't Think Twice It's Alright')
03 Get Yourself Home (single by The Fairies 1964) 
04 I'll Dance (b-side of 'Get Yourself Home')
05 Don't Mind (single by The Fairies 1965)
06 Baby Don't (b-side of 'Don't Mind')
07 Am I Glad To See You (by The In Crowd 1966)
08 Blow Up (by The In Crowd 1966)
09 Caught In A Web (unreleased demo by Tomorrow 1967)
10 Why (unreleased demo by Tomorrow 1967)
11 Porcupine Juice (by Santa Barbara Machine Head 1967)
12 Rubber Monkey (by Santa Barbara Machine Head 1967)
13 Albert (by Santa Barbara Machine Head 1967)
14 Private Sorrow (single by The Pretty Things 1968) 
15 Balloon Burning (single by The Pretty Things 1968) 
16 10,000 Words In A Cardboard Box (single by The Aquarian Age 1968)
17 Good Wizard Meets Naughty Wizard (b-side of '10,000 Words In A Cardboard Box')
18 Fluid (Slow Version) (alternate demo for 'Think Pink' by Twink 1969)
19 The Snake (single by The Pink Fairies 1971)

1 comment:

  1. no one had anything to say here so here goes.
    Thanks for sharing this collection. For years John Adler has been an important member of the music community. Along with his many years of service with so many bands, he also has been an innovator in the world of getting long lost music to the listeners. What has become common today when a band from "back in the day" gathers treasures that their labels choose to not release, John was among the 1st to find away. One of the 1st times was shared with me by Phil May, it seems that John wasn't paid for his time with the Pretty Things....perhaps none of them were. But when S.F. Sorrow was released it was introduced in alternate version on BBC. Years later this wonderful set was made available on vinyl by a still existent music magazine on vinyl. the Source was never sighted, but the magazines author has had a long relationship with the P.T.'s. I asked Phil about this & he told me Twink was compensated for his time with the band by giving him these recordings. And over the years Twink has released so many rare sessions & shows he is an incredible groundbreaker.
    These include:
    S.F. Sorrow on BBC
    1971-1973 Radio Broadcasts (unreleased) Live, and Live in Studio
    1994-04-09 Pinkwind -The Mill, Preston, UK
    Pink Fairies - Live At The Roundhouse 1975
    Pink Fairies - Previously Unreleased
    Twink - The Lost Experimental Recordings; 1970
    Twink And The Fairies - Do It '77
    Think Pink & Live in Plastic Land
    1970 Plasticland Live
    1991-10-31 Bevis Frond & Twink - Oliver Twist Acid Jam Colchester
    Among others.
    Typically he creates a beautiful vinyl release and he's made cds.
    Through all these years Twink has been available for discussion or more from friends who take the time to ask him something or just email him. I used to buy his vinyl from ads he placed rock magazines & many of his releases were sold in a great record store in New York.
    But then there was this:
    Just a few years ago I dropped him a note about one of his legendary collaborations. I have a "very small" music wish list. I believe now its down to a recording of Love at the Whiskey anytime previous to 1970...and thats another story. But in 1972 Twink hooked up with Syd Barrett & they formed an outfit known as "Stars". From what I had read, it didn't go to well. I knew they played live ...a time or two. but I asked Twink & shortly thereafter The Last Minute Put Together Boogie Band...The Stars (With Syd Barrett) - Live, about 35m in all appeared in various "Trading Circles". and it is in YouTube. But for what its worth theres almost nothing recognizable that would evoke Syd or John Adler......thanks for sharing

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