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The Purple Gang are a British rock band active intermittently since the 1960s. They were originally associated with the London psychedelic scene. They released their debut album, The Purple Gang Strikes in 1968, with one track, "Granny Takes a Trip" banned from being broadcast by the BBC.
Although they were associated with the London psychedelic music scene, they originated in Stockport, then in Cheshire, [1] as The Young Contemporaries jugband. The band adopted the name, The Purple Gang, when they changed their image to the well-dressed, clean-cut "gangster" style in the 1960s. In London, they engaged Joe Boyd as their record producer, and shared a studio with Pink Floyd as they recorded their first single, "Granny Takes A Trip" [1] [2] (named after the eponymous shop in the Kings Road, London). Pink Floyd were making their own first single, "Arnold Layne", at the time.
The BBC spotted the word 'trip' in the title and, assuming it to be a reference to LSD, banned the record from their airwaves. [3] Also noting that the band's lead singer at the time (Pete Walker) was nicknamed 'Lucifer', the BBC Controller said "... a song with a dubious title designed to corrupt the nation's youth – and a band that boasts a warlock for a singer will not be tolerated by any decent society..."[ citation needed ] An album, The Purple Gang Strikes was released in 1968, [1] but failed to sell, although Pirate radio station DJs such as John Peel praised the group. The band continued during the early 1970s, with a slightly different line-up. [1]
In 1998, the band reformed and recorded an album, Night of the Uncool, with several new songs by Joe Beard, some of which were produced by Gerry Robinson, the mandolin and harmonica player from the original 1967 line-up. [4] From 1999, their new lead vocalist was Stuart Pevitt (born 27 December 1952, Sale, Cheshire, England). [2] They enjoyed some commercial success in Eastern Europe; in Bulgaria and Hungary one of their singles, "Sunset Over the Mersey", [2] entered the national charts.
In 2003, they re-released The Purple Gang Strikes on CD. [5] It contained remixes of several of their 1967 songs, including the BBC-banned track "Granny Takes A Trip". Another track, "Madam Judge", was their reply to the latter's banning. [5]
Most of their songs were written by their early members: guitarist Joe Beard (born Christopher John Beard, 28 November 1945, Macclesfield, Cheshire), and organist Geoff Bowyer (born Geoffrey Paul Bowyer, 1948, Leek, Staffordshire). Some other members were vocalist Pete Walker (born Peter John Walker, 1946, Hyde, North Cheshire), jug / banjo player Ank Langley (born Trevor Langley, 1946, Stockport, Cheshire) and mandolin / harmonica player Gerry Robinson (born David John Robinson, 1947, Hyde). [1] Their musical influences and styles are varied, from jug band, country and western, through psychedelic, to rock music.
The band's unofficial headquarters was The Castle Inn, Macclesfield, where they regularly practised and jammed for their enthusiastic local fans.[ citation needed ]
Stuart Pevitt died of cancer in 2009, aged 56. [2] [6]
Joe Beard has written a biography of the band – Taking the Purple - The Extraordinary Story of The Purple Gang - Granny Takes a Trip… and All That ( ISBN 978-0992867102). [7]
Beard and Robinson released a new CD in 2014 – We Meant No Harm. [8]
Bollington is a town and civil parish in Cheshire, England, to the east of Prestbury. In the Middle Ages, it was part of the Earl of Chester's manor of Macclesfield and the ancient parish of Prestbury. In 2011, it had a population of 8,310.
Disley is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England, on the edge of the Peak District in the Goyt valley south of Stockport, close to the county boundary with Derbyshire at New Mills. The population at the 2011 Census was 4,294. To the north, the River Goyt and the Peak Forest Canal, which opened in 1800, pass along the edge of the village. Today it is a dormitory village retaining a semi-rural character.
Macclesfield Town Football Club was a professional association football club in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, which was wound-up after a High Court ruling on 16 September 2020.
Macclesfield is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The town lies on the River Bollin, in the east of the county on the edge of the Cheshire Plain, with Macclesfield Forest to its east. It is around 16 miles (26 km) south of Manchester city centre and 38 miles (61 km) to the east of Chester.
Transatlantic Records was a British independent record label. The company was established in 1961, primarily as an importer of American folk, blues and jazz records by many of the artists who influenced the burgeoning British folk and blues boom. Within a few years, the company had started recording British artists. The company's philosophy was intentionally eclectic.
Wilmslow is a town and civil parish in Cheshire, England, 11 mi (18 km) south of Manchester city centre. The population was 24,497 at the 2011 Census.
Shades of Deep Purple is the debut studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple, released in July 1968 on Tetragrammaton in the United States and in September 1968 on Parlophone in the United Kingdom. The band, initially called Roundabout, was the idea of former Searchers drummer Chris Curtis, who recruited Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore before leaving the project. The Mk. I line-up of the band was completed by vocalist/frontman Rod Evans, along with bassist Nick Simper and drummer Ian Paice, in March 1968.
Listen Here! is a sampler album released by Transatlantic Records in 1968. It was the second significant UK contemporary music sampler release in the period.
The Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, which is recruited from five of the counties that formed the ancient kingdom of Mercia. Known as 'The Heart of England's Infantry', it was formed on 1 September 2007 by the amalgamation of 3 existing regiments. The Regiment has had eight operational deployments since its formation.
Poynton is a town in Cheshire, England, on the easternmost fringe of the Cheshire Plain. It is 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Manchester, 7 miles (11 km) north of Macclesfield and 5 miles (8 km) south of Stockport.
Lee David Bowyer is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach of EFL Championship club Birmingham City.
The Book of Taliesyn is the second studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple, recorded only three months after Shades of Deep Purple and released by Tetragrammaton Records in October 1968, just before their first US tour. The name for the album was taken from the 14th-century Book of Taliesin.
Marion are an English Britpop band, formed in 1993 in Macclesfield, Cheshire. The band's classic lineup featured frontman Jaime Harding, guitarist Phil Cunningham, guitarist Tony Grantham, bassist Julian Phillips and drummer Murad Mousa.
Cheadle Hulme railway station is a station in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, England. It is operated by Northern Trains.
Hapshash and the Coloured Coat was an influential British graphic design and avant-garde musical partnership in the late 1960s, consisting of Michael English and Nigel Waymouth. It produced popular psychedelic posters, and two albums of underground music.
Granny Takes a Trip was a boutique opened in February 1966 at 488 Kings Road, Chelsea, London, by Nigel Waymouth, his girlfriend Sheila Cohen and John Pearse. The shop, which was acquired by Freddie Hornik in 1969, remained open until the mid-1970s and has been called the "first psychedelic boutique in Groovy London of the 1960s".
Tinkerbells Fairydust was a British pop group in the late 1960s, who hailed from east London. They recorded three singles and one album for the Decca label.
Eight Frames a Second is the debut album by British folk musician Ralph McTell. Released in the UK in 1968, it is notable for being the first record produced by Gus Dudgeon, and the first arranged by Tony Visconti.
Stuart Evers is a British novelist, short story writer and critic, born in Macclesfield, Cheshire in 1976. He was brought up in Congleton, Cheshire.
