Without a doubt, one of the most unknown and unique of the wonderful Charisma artists would have to be Doggerel Bank, a group featuring an eccentric poet with equally eccentric musical backing. The center of the group was William Bealby-Wright, a poet from the Isle of Man (i.e. a Manx) and former leader of The Barrow Poets, a music and poetry aggregation who made records from roughly the mid-60’s to the early 70’s, with albums on Fontana and Argo as well as privately pressed records.
Doggeral Bank set the words of William Bealby-Wright to
an art-rock melange of harmonium, violin, viola, harp, mandolin, piano,
organ, concertina, mini moog, electric guitar, drums and percussion
composed by former British poet lauriat Jim Betjeman. Although they
released two groundbreaking albums, 'Silver Face' and 'Mister Skillicorn
Dances', neither was released outside of England and the group disbanded.
Susan Baker, who played harmonium,
mandolin and violin for Doggeral Bank from 1973 until 1975, went on to
perform on the soundtrack of The Who's 'Tommy'. Jim Parker, who is largely responsible for the music on the Doggerel Bank LPs, also did the musical backing on Betjeman’s four Charisma LPs. Producer Hugh Murphy, best known for his work with Gerry Rafferty, also produced a number of Charisma singles by a wide range of artists, and had earlier helmed some wonderful progressive rock with Gracious! for Vertigo. [SOURCE: LAST.FM]
Label:
Charisma – CAS 1102
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:
UK
Released:
Apr 1975
Style:
Prog Rock, Poetry, Art Pop
Tracklist:
A1 Where The Sun Always Shines 4:13
A2 The Man With The Ginger Lily 2:21
A3 Hyde Park Monster 4:51
A4 Crazy Lips 2:29
A5 Lady Jane 1:49
A6 Oblique Song 3:36
B1 The Lighthouse Keeper's Bicycle 5:08
B2 North Circular Blues 2:38
B3 Cow Pie 2:18
B4 Sarcophagus Blues
2:52
B5 Mister Skillicorn Dances 2:47
B6 Shopping Around
4:53
B7 Valediction (Rondeau Redouble) 3:11
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