Rustic Hinge

[Billy]

If ever there was a missing link in the history and development of British psychedelic music it is Rustic Hinge. 'Replica' belatedly issued by Reckless Records in 1988, displays an abandoned sense of discipline sorely lacking in UK music of the time. Originally recorded as 'T On The Lawn For 3', 'Replica' features the Rustic Hinge tapes before they were re-edited for planned release as a one-sided album for John Peel's Dandelion label. The tape given to Dandelion featured singer Rod Goodway on a couple of cuts and was an edited version of the 'Replica' material.

Essentially the work of Drachen Theaker and guitarist Andy Rickell (also known as Android Funnel), the Rustic Hinge material is undoubtedly an important find. Drachen recalls: "I found a foil in Andy because he could keep up with me. He's the only musician I've ever played with who could watch me and catch the beats. A lot of that Rustic Hinge stuff was me playing gibberish and him cottoning onto it very quickly and solidifying it as a piece. We had a deal with John Peel. It was signed, sealed and delivered as far as I was concerned and I thought, if it breaks, I'll come back. In the meantime, I left for LA." But 'T On The Lawn For 3' took almost 20 years to surface.

Arthur played a series of gigs with the embryonic Rustic Hinge, but audiences were left bewildered. Drachen: "The problem after I rejoined was that we couldn't find another organist so we couldn't go out and play like the Crazy World. We used to play with Android Funnel, Dennis Taylor and this idiot organist called Roy and it was a total shambles. Arthur would start singing 'Fire' and the band would play cacophony behind him. It was atonal gibberish with banal comedy thrown in and the fans hated it."

Finding the work of Rustic Hinge too close to Beefheartian musical wisdom, Brown moved a couple of miles down the road and began to work on forming his next project, Kingdom Come.

Recorded at Jabberwocky Studios, Puddletown, Dorset in 1970.
Released by Reckless Records on vinyl in 1988.

Rustic Hinge:
Android Funnel - Guitars
Pete Pavli - Bass, Cello
Drachen Theaker - Drums, Tablas

Just me? Any other fans?

[king feeb]

There was an earlier thread about them (which has now vanished, of course) where it was generally decided that, although they had some moments of originality and brilliance, most of the time they were just too close to a Magic Band knock-off.

Here's a video, recorded in Comrade Moleskin's neighborhood, if I remember correctly:

[Snarfyguy]

X-post w/ Feeb

Damn.

I heard them once, on the radio I think, and last time they came up here I remarked on how I really liked what I'd heard, but I'd somehow failed to follow up on it and then I think King Feeb or someone even posted a link to a download or something and I *still* didn't do anything about it.



I think I initially got frustrated because everywhere I looked, all I could come up with was stuff about "Rusted Root," which appears to be some fifth-rate jam band or something.

[Billy]

The story behind it all is probably better than the music itself. There was a fantastic piece about the whole episode (the recording of the album and also the visit from where that clip originated) in Unhinged magazine some years back ... still, all good fun though.

Whatever happened to Unhinged?



I'm going to resurrect my Brainiac 5 thread next

[king feeb]

I heard them once, on the radio I think, and last time they came up here I remarked on how I really liked what I'd heard, but I'd somehow failed to follow up on it and then I think King Feeb or someone even posted a link to a download or something and I *still* didn't do anything about it.

I got mine here.

I was always intrigued by the connection to High Tide... apparently one of the songs on Replicas is actually High Tide playing a RH composition.

[Moleskin]

There was an earlier thread about them (which has now vanished, of course) where it was generally decided that, although they had some moments of originality and brilliance, most of the time they were just too close to a Magic Band knock-off.

Here's a video, recorded in Comrade Moleskin's neighborhood, if I remember correctly:

That is correct. They lived en-masse in Tincleton, a hamlet not far from Puddletown. I found an old Puddletonian who remembered them (along with Arthur Brown - they started as his backing band 'The Puddletown Express') drinking in the Kings Arms. They used to all roll up in their limo.

So far as I can recall, they got the house loaned from the local landowner's family.

PC and I drove around looking for the house pictured in the vid there - paying special attention for the roofline - and we think it's Ilsington Farmhouse. I assume that Jabberwocky Studios was set up in the farmhouse -- I couldn't find any reference to it on line when I was researching them.

[Moleskin]

The video location as it is today, shot from the road.

[Billy]

That's the house all right.

Here is the projected cover (admittedly a poor quality b/w copy -- best I've got!) for the Dandelion records album cover, which never came about ...

You can seem the chimneys and matching features of the house

[Scally Mcgrew]

No connection to the Mary Hinge project then?

[Quaco]

There was an earlier thread about them (which has now vanished, of course) where it was generally decided that, although they had some moments of originality and brilliance...

Like putting a boot on the head of the guitar.

[Ralph Paisley]

The video location as it is today, shot from the road.

Wow you live near the hinge's history? Fab!

[C]

Track one, of the album, is basically Hide Tide with the powerhouse Simon House on violin.

I have always enjoyed the Beefheart-esque robust of the LP.

Yes, I have always enjoyed the Beefheart-esque robustness of the LP

Henry Cow would be proud









.

[purgatory brite]

http://www.frogseye.co.uk/rustichinge/

Is the Prog Corner equivalent of being snobby and wilfully obscure

[der nister]

http://www.frogseye.co.uk/rustichinge/

Is the Prog Corner equivalent of being snobby and wilfully obscure

thanks for that, a great read!