Hello again friends of the band Body todays song / video is
Called “Wings of time” the studio version is a remix of the song originally released on our cassette album “Full Circle” in 1991.
The live version was recorded at The International 2, Manchester on 7th November 1992
This song is one of my favourite pieces of music from that period.John Bleasdale keyboard playing is excellent the opening passage is enchanting,creating a wonderful atmosphere beautifully enhanced by Barry Wycherley and Marie Woods haunting vocals.Dave Lowry played awesome Lead & bass guitar on the studio version and I had fun playing my kit while twisting the time signatures
For the Manchester show we added Trevor Bamber on bass guitar and Sarah Bigger on 2nd keyboards to help create a bigger sound,
I think Wings of Time was one of this lineup best collaborations
……
Between 1989/93 the band had expanded from 3 to 5 and then 7, so in 1992 this was the largest lineup in our bands history. During those 4 years we recorded 3 albums played some great shows and had heaps of fun 🤘
On this particular day we were playing a one day psychedelic progressive rock festival at The International 2 in Manchester organised by our record company Worldwide records .The intention was to release a live album,and video of the event.
A lot of money had been spent by the record company putting the festival together.There was a fantastic PA and light show,24 track mobile recording studio in the car park and a camera crew filming the event
The communal band room backstage was crammed with drinks and food to keep everyone entertained so everything was set for a great day…🤗..
🎶 it’s only rock ‘n’ roll but I like it 🎶
The atmosphere was really good,but like most festivals there were occasional delays.Trevor Hyett of Granada TV did a fine job smoothing over the gaps and introducing the acts.
There were a good mixture of bands,
String driven thing, T2 , Medicine head, Sweet tooth, Krel, Big George and the business also Pete Brown, poet and lyricist for the legendary band Cream.
I’ve always loved writing lyrics so it was a pleasure to be able to spend time with Pete in the dressing room.I had been aware of Pete Brown the singer after hearing his band Piblokto on a Harvest records compilation album
“Picnic”-A breath of fresh air
www.discogs.com/release/1521450-Various-Picnic-A-Breath-Of-Fresh-Air
This pioneering album introduced me to so many innovative artists Pink Floyd ,Syd Barrett ,Roy Harper ,BarclayJames Harvest ,Kevin Ayers,Edgar Broughton,3rd Ear Band, Quatermass and many more.
I was still at school when I bought the album in 1970 for the princely sum of 29s/ 11d (£1.50 )
On reflection I realise what an essential purchase that was in my musical development,it opened my mind to a completely new world of music
50 years later I would still recommend this album to any one interested in the early days of prog (check it out its on Spotify)
Pete Brown was a fascinating man we talked about Leonard Cohen,Bob Dylan and other great lyricists,his stories about Ginger Baker, and his hatred of punk and tribute bands were hilarious.
Struggling with an injury his mobility was restricted that day so he sat there watching and smiling as things became became more raucous backstage 🍻😵💫
This was nothing new to him ,he’d seen it all before
🎼 it’s only rock ‘n’ roll but I like it 🎼
There were some really good performances that day my favourite was probably T2 and Krel ,
String Driven Thing we’re also good, overall I enjoyed all the bands and the banter backstage was boss
We did give a extra round of applause to one guitarist (from Glasgow) who managed not only to remain standing but still perform after consuming a bottle of Jack Daniel‘s before he went on stage 😵💫 he was so funny it was like a scene from “Spinal Tap”
………..
There are so many stories I could tell about the different festivals I’ve played,they’ve all been fun,usually chaotic,sometimes hair raising but never boring .
This festival was no different,in spite of waiting around for 14 hours we had a great time,enjoyed the other musicians and laughed buckets.We finally got on stage just after 12 o’clock the response from the audience was amazing,so supportive they gave us renewed energy.We put on a good show and the gig was going really well until Manchester council pulled the plug 30 minutes into our set the festival was running late,the promoter had taken his eye of the ball and lost control of proceedings
🎼 it’s only rock ‘n’ roll but I like it 🎼
With hindsight you could see the promoter was clearly out of his depth,he had done such a poor job promoting and advertising the festival The attendance was lower than anyone expected
The warning signs started flashing 72 hours before the festival began when he arrived at my front door with a load of posters and asked could we help distribute them….Um !!! 🙄 that in itself was an unusual request,he should have sorted out the advertising weeks earlier Barry and I spent the next 48 hours driving round Liverpool fly posting before being nabbed by a police woman in Matthew Street ,fortunately she was really nice and let us off with just a warning
During the festival the promoter spent his time flapping around backstage trying to persuade bands to sign a contract (which meant relinquishing the rights for your music performed that day to him )
I refused point blank OMG he was a nightmare,he even managed to fall out with the record company,and that dispute led to no album or video ever being released
the final sting in the tail was when the box office takens vanished …the money was allegedly confiscated by the local bikers chapter who were acting as security for the festival, you just couldn’t make it up,
Its a strange thing to say but after all the shenanigans surrounding the day I wasn’t really surprised 🙄
Fortunately we do possess some footage of the evening,
Keith J a fan in the audience recorded our show on his home video camera.The film quality is a bit grainy but we’re lucky to have any recordings of the day thanks Keith 👍 and also a special thanks to our road crew Rob Besson Lighting and Pete Ambrose on the sound desk
Brilliant guys who always done a great job for the band 👏👏
Despite the abrupt ending to our set, we were still buzzing from the performance and the positive reception from the audience. It was a shame that the festival ended on a sour note, but it was still a memorable experience.
Looking back on that day, it's amazing how much effort and resources were put into making the festival happen, from the PA and light show to the 24-track mobile recording studio. It's a reminder of how different the music industry was back then, and how much things have changed since. Nowadays, it's much easier and more accessible for artists to record and distribute their music independently.
But even with all the technological advancements, there's still something special about live performances and the energy that comes with them. As a musician, there's nothing quite like the feeling of being on stage and connecting with the audience through your music. It's a rush that can't be replicated in any other setting.
In conclusion, that day at the International 2 in Manchester was a wild ride, filled with ups and downs. But even with all the chaos and mishaps, it was still a day to remember.
🎼 it's only rock 'n' roll, but we liked it.🎼
