John's Children
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| John's Children | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Leatherhead, England |
| Genres | Pop rock |
| Years active | 1966–1970 2006–present |
| Labels | UK: Track, Columbia (EMI), USA: White Whale; Germany, Greece, Australia, Japan: Polydor |
| Associated acts | Jet, Radio Stars, The Who |
| Website | johnschildren.co.uk |
| Members | |
| Andy Ellison (vocals) Geoff McClelland (guitar) Marc Bolan John Hewlett Chris Townson |
|
| Notable instruments | |
| Gibson SG | |
John's Children, formerly "The Silence", were a Leatherhead, England 1960s pop-art/mod band featuring future T.Rex frontman Marc Bolan, whose 1967 single "Desdemona" was banned by the BBC for the controversial lyric, "Lift up your skirt and fly". Bolan was with the band for about four months. His main roles were to be the band's composer and play electric guitar (until then, he only played acoustic guitar). His singing voice is sometimes lead in "unofficial" recordings only (demos, BBC radio sessions). (His voice is clearly heard on "Desdemona", "Midsummer's Night Scene", "Sarah Crazy Child" and on Andy Elison's 'solo' single "Cornflake Zoo".) Throughout their short career, they were not known for musical precision.
Their manager was Simon Napier-Bell (who also devised their white stage outfits) and they were also famous for an outrageous stage act which included fighting each other and Bolan whipping the stage with a chain. An account of Napier-Bell's time with John's Children and Bolan is given in his book You Don't Have To Say You Love Me.[1]
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[edit] John's Children in Germany
The group were put on tour with The Who in Germany around April 1967. A concert in Düsseldorf ended in a riot, and a later concert in Ludwigshafen created such a fuss that the Who nearly couldn't play. The group were promptly deported. The band returned a year later to the Star-Club in Hamburg, substituting for The Bee Gees.
[edit] The group's influence
Despite having little success, John's Children were a heavy influence on punk rock, with their shambolic stage presentation and headline-grabbing controversies. The group still have a cult following, and still play and record sporadically.
The band recorded in June 2006 with original members Ellison, Hewlett and Townson plus guitarist Trevor White (a former member of Sparks).[2]
[edit] Lineup
- Andy Ellison: vocals (b. 5 July 1946, Finchley, North London).
- Geoff McLelland: guitar (b. 1947).
- Marc Bolan: guitar (replaced McClelland in March 1967).
- John Hewlett: bass guitar (b. 1948).
- Chris Townson: drums/guitar (b. 24 July 1947, Battersea, South West London - d. 10 February 2008).[3]
- Chris Colville: drums (only at live-appearances).
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
- "Smashed Blocked" (Napier-Bell/Hewlett) / "Strange Affair"
(UK A-Side title: "The Love I Thought I'd Found"; Germany B-Side: "Just What You Want..." USA: Billboard Hot 100 and local (Florida) Top-10s; backing by L.A. session musicians) (UK: Columbia (EMI) DB 8030, October 14 1966, USA: White Whale, December 1966, Germany: Polydor 59069, 1967)
- "Just What You Want - Just What You'll Get" (Hewlett, Townson, Ellison, McClelland) / "But She's Mine"
(A-side: backing by English session musicians; Jeff Beck guests on B-side) (UK: Columbia (EMI) DB 8124, February 3 1967)
- "Desdemona" (Bolan) / "Remember Thomas A. Beckett"
(Bolan on A-side, McClelland on B-side) (UK: Track 604003, 24 May 1967; Germany: Polydor 59104)
- "Midsummer Night's Scene" (Bolan) / "Sara Crazy Child" (release cancelled)
(UK: Track 604005, June 1967)
- "Come and Play with Me in the Garden" (Ellison, Hewlett)/ "Sara Crazy Child" (Bolan)
(Bolan plays on B-side only) (UK: Track 604005, July 14 1967; Germany: Polydor 59116)
- "Go Go Girl" (Bolan)/ "Jagged Time Lapse" (Hewlett, McClelland)
(A-side is version of Bolan's "Mustang Ford" and features Bolan on guitar, B-side from remaining recordings with Geoff McClelland) (UK: Track 604010, October 6 1967; Germany: Polydor 59160; Greece: International Polydor 244)
- "It's Been A Long Time" / "Arthur Green" (B-side only, Andy Ellison solo single)
(UK: Track 604018, December 1967)
[edit] Album
(White Whale September 1970, projected release: March 18 1967).
[edit] Compilations
- A Midsummer Night's Scene - 1988, Bam Caruso (MARI 095 CD)
- Smashed Blocked! - 1997, NMC (Pilot 12)
- Jagged Time Lapse - 1997, NMC (Pilot 18
- John's Children (EP) - 1999, Trash (LARD 20 07 99)
- Music For the Herd of Herring - (Live) 2001, Radiant Future (REVP001CD)
- The Complete John's Children - 2002, NMC (Pilot 118)
[edit] Notable Other Releases
- "Incredible Sound Show Stories Vol.5 - Yellow Street Boutique"
(A Sampler featuring songs recorded by "The Silence".)
[edit] References
- ^ (1998). You Don't Have to Say You Love Me. Ebury Press. ISBN 0-09-186573-5.
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://koti.welho.com/mikkapan/jc/history.html
