Zag and the Coloured Beads

Last updated

Zag And The Coloured Beads are an English experimental rock band.

Contents

Blending elements of psychedelic rock and progressive rock, the band were initially active in the 1980s London free-festival scene and featured several members who went on to subsequent projects including Ring, Levitation and The Milk And Honey Band. Splitting up in 1990, the band eventually reformed in 2006 with a different lineup.

Sound and influences

The band's singer/guitarist Steve Arthur remembers that Zag And The Coloured Beads "evolved pretty much independently, as a band who played complicated tunes in a ragged/bluesy style." [1] Music sometimes "emerged out of jamming, noodling, wandering in the evenings and varied loitering." [2] The band have cited Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, Cardiacs, Philip Glass and Can as central influences over the years, "mixed up with all sorts of post-punk albums of the time (Return Of The Duritti Column, Marquee Moon , Wilder by Teardrop Explodes, Killing Joke....)" as well as "old jazz, Trumpton music, plus all the usual Mojo reader's old records." [1]

History

Zag And The Coloured Beads were formed in Croydon and began playing live in 1982 (although demo tapes had been recorded as far back as 1979). The band initially featured frontman Zag (real name Ian Faichne), who departed in 1983 to form Ring. The most familiar lineup was Steve Arthur (vocals and guitars), Michael "Mik" Tubb (guitar, bass, synthesizer, vocals), Paul Howard (bass, guitar, vocals), Robert White (bass, keyboards, vocals), and Tom Rosenbloom (drums). The instrumentation was flexible, with plenty of instrument-swapping both live and on record. The band occasionally also played under pseudonyms such as Ming And The Fods. [2]

For the members, the band was just one of several ongoing projects. Tubb and Howard also played in Bing Organ's Beastly Scrapings; White played in Ring ; both White and Howard played in jazz-rock band Peru; and all members bar Tubb occasionally played in the Purple People Eaters. [2]

Zag And The Coloured Beads recorded their first cassette album, Loaf of Legs during 1984 and 1985, using a portastudio. The followup, 1987's Sawtooth Gripmaster saw the band adding eight-track recording capabilities. [1]

Robert White departed in late 1988 to concentrate on Ring and subsequently Levitation and The Milk And Honey Band (he would eventually be joined in the latter by Tubb). Paul Howard left in 1989 and the band continued for a while as a trio of Steve Arthur, Mik Tubb and Tom Rosenbloom.

Wryneck

The remaining band members gradually became another band, 'Wryneck'.

Steve Arthur recalls "without Paul to share bass duties with Mik, we stopped swapping instruments around... Initially I wanted to get away from the Beads' jokiness, and be taken seriously, ma-a-n, so in (came) a mixture of more straightforward rock, woozy atmospheres and non-specific angst. This was the era of shoegazing, Dinosaur Jr. and Snub TV. Plus I saw Levitation doing very well with these huge, intense songs. That was definitely a kick up the backside, though I was caught between wanting to copy them and wanting to be utterly different. "There was a group we knew called The Belltower who were an influence too - really driving psychedelic power pop. As time wore on and Levitation burned out, our love of reliable old faves like Led Zep, James Brown etc. came more to the fore. Re. the latter, even with the rhythm section on top form (and it was) funk is difficult for a trio to do well - it needs other instruments. We drafted in Leisurely on bongos, but sadly the Hammonds, horns and backing vocals stayed in our imaginations." [1]

Wryneck continued until 1993 and recorded two cassette albums. Wryneck (1990) and Instant Confidence (1993). Various lineups of the band continued to work sporadically until 1998. [1] [3]

As of 2019, Wryneck has reformed with a lineup comprising Steve Arthur (guitar, vocals), Paul Howard (guitar), Mik Tubb (bass), Rick Barker (drums, vocals) and Simon Beck (electric piano, organ, synth, Stylophone).

Zag And The Coloured Beads reunion

Steve Arthur, Michael Tubb and Paul Howard reformed Zag And The Coloured Beads in 2006 with new members James Larcombe (keyboards, from Stars In Battledress and North Sea Radio Orchestra) and Keith Roche (drums). In 2007, Roche was replaced by Paul "Helocolin" Johnson.

To date, the revived band has not released any new recordings, although both Loaf of Legs and Sawtooth Gripmaster were reissued as CD albums to sell at live concerts. A typically lively Zag and the Coloured Beads set can be seen in Nick Booth's 2009 film "Hollow Legs". The Beads perform Bernard Crapshit, a song Mik Tubb wrote in 1986 about the actor Bernard Cribbins. The end credits erroneously refer to the song as A Loaf of Legs, which was the name of the Beads first album. Along with his work in Croydon band Junk Time Pate, Mik Tubb has also developed an interest in gambling on horse racing. At Plumpton races in the winter of 2010 he almost won a large sum on a horse called Uncle Eli, which unfortunately unseated its jockey, Grand National winner Liam Treadwell at the final hurdle, resulting in the destruction of Tubb's wager. There has been talk of a new band being formed between Mik Tubb and Paul Howard, called Mik Tubb's Military Pickle.

Members

Discography

Related Research Articles

<i>Home Is Where the Heart Is</i> (David Cassidy album) 1976 studio album by David Cassidy

Home Is Where the Heart Is is the second album released on RCA Records by David Cassidy. It was released in 1976 and was produced by Cassidy and Bruce Johnston. Although critically well received, the album did not chart in any country. The album is noted in particular for Cassidy's recording of Paul McCartney's song "Tomorrow" which McCartney rated as taking the song to its ultimate potential.

Levitation (band) English psychedelic rock band

Levitation were an English psychedelic rock band, formed in 1990 in London. The band consisted of frontman Terry Bickers, drummer David Francolini, guitarist Christian Hayes, bassist Laurence O'Keefe and keyboardist Robert White.

"Nowhere Fast" is a song, performed by Fire Inc. in 1984 for the rock movie Streets of Fire. An alternate version of the song was recorded by Meat Loaf the same year. The song was written by Jim Steinman.

<i>Dont Mind If I Do</i> (Culture Club album) 1999 studio album by Culture Club

Don't Mind If I Do is the fifth album by the British new wave band Culture Club, released in 1999 by Virgin Records. The album was released only in Europe and Japan, though some promo copies also circulated in Australia.

The Dillards

The Dillards are an American bluegrass band from Salem, Missouri, popularly known for their appearance as "The Darlings" on The Andy Griffith Show.

Rare Bird were an English progressive rock band formed in 1969. They had more success in other European countries. They released five studio albums between 1969 and 1974. In the UK, they never charted with an album but charted with one single, the organ-based track "Sympathy", which peaked at number 27. It sold one million copies globally.

Smash Palace are a power pop rock band currently based out of Southern New Jersey.

<i>Bad Attitude</i> (album) 1984 studio album by Meat Loaf

Bad Attitude is the fourth studio album by Meat Loaf and was released in November 1984. Recorded in England, it features two songs by Jim Steinman, both previously recorded, and a duet with Roger Daltrey. According to Meat Loaf's autobiography, he approached Steinman about writing the entire album, but waiting for new songs wound up taking so long that Meat Loaf recorded two previously released Steinman songs and moved on with other writers. The album concentrates more on the hard rock side of Meat Loaf, was a minor success around the globe and released a few hit singles, the most successful being "Modern Girl".

The Neverland Express is the name for American singer Meat Loaf's live band. The name is most likely taken from Meat Loaf's collaborator Jim Steinman's affinity for Peter Pan.

<i>I Am the Phoenix</i> 1981 studio album by Judie Tzuke

I Am the Phoenix is the title of the third album by the British singer-songwriter Judie Tzuke, released in 1981. It peaked at no.17 on the UK Album Chart.

Cold Water Army was an American rock band that existed for several years in Tallahassee, Florida, and broke up over the summer of 1995. The band had two recordings that were released, the first a cassette-only release entitled 'Eliot Ness,' and the second entitled Cold Water Army. The second release was remastered in 2007, and is available on iTunes. The band's sound combined elements of disco, punk rock, funk rock, pop and big harmonies.

Ring were an English psychedelic rock band active during the 1980s.

The Milk And Honey Band are an English rock band formed by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Robert White.

The Dave Howard Singers is a cult Canadian alternative rock band/project originally formed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The project is based around the talents of singer-songwriter Dave Howard and the signature sound of his Ace Tone organ. During the second half of the 1980s, the band were resident in Britain, where they were a cult act making several appearances on nationwide television.

Little Nemo is a French rock band formed in 1983 and originating from the region of Paris.

Bands and accompanying musicians of Paul Kelly

Paul Kelly is an Australian rock musician. He started his career in 1974 in Hobart, Tasmania and has performed as a solo artist, in bands as a member or has led bands named after himself. Some backing bands recorded their own material under alternate names, Professor Ratbaggy and Stardust Five, with Kelly as an individual member. As of September 2017, Paul Kelly's current band members are Cameron Bruce on keyboards and piano, Vika and Linda Bull on backing vocals and lead vocals, his nephew Dan Kelly on lead guitar and backing vocals, Peter Luscombe on drums and Bill McDonald on bass guitar.

<i>Bottom Line</i> (album) 1979 studio album by John Mayall

Bottom Line is an album by British bluesman John Mayall with various musicians. It is the only Mayall album that has never been released on CD.

<i>Good Year for the Wine</i> album by Ernest Tubb

Good Year for the Wine is an album by American country singer Ernest Tubb, released in 1970.

<i>The Amazing ZigZag Concert</i> 2010 live album by Various artists

The Amazing Zig Zag Concert was a rock concert held at The Roundhouse on 28 April 1974 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Zig Zag Magazine. Described as "one of the gigs of the decade", the concert "has taken on legendary proportions over the years" and featured Michael Nesmith with Red Rhodes, John Stewart, Help Yourself, Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers and Starry Eyed and Laughing. The concert was recorded, but was not issued until 2010, when it was released as a 5-CD box set.

<i>Plain Dirt Fashion</i> 1984 studio album by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Plain Dirt Fashion is the fifteenth album by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, released in 1984 by the record label Warner Bros. Records. This album went to #8 on the US Country charts. The three singles from this album all charted in the top 3. "Long Hard Road " went to 1, "I Love Only You" went to 3, and "High Horse" went to 2. The album is noteworthy for the remake of both Meat Loaf's 1978 hit Two Out of Three Ain't Bad and Bruce Springsteen's 1981 single Cadillac Ranch.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.