A vintage prophesy from the Third Ear almanac - c/o a live broadcast January 17th 1971 - featuring the (post-Elements / pre-Macbeth) quartet of Glen Sweeney (unwisely eschewing his trade-mark hand-drums in favour of a drum-kit), Paul Minns (providing some chilling oboe), Denim Bridges (playing what Sweeney later called a double 'wammy' guitar - with only one neck that worked) and Paul Buckmaster (sounding somewhat awkward on electric bass). Happily, they were augmented on this occasion by Richard Coff (violin) returning to the fold having departed with Ursula Smith the previous August reputedly to form Cosmic Overdose. His playing here is in every way remarkable, augmenting Minns in fine old style despite the lumbering grove-groove of the rhythm section which, whilst being the very antithesis of the prog-muso-slick of the time, only serves to highlight the musical shortcomings that were their very strengths hitherto. That said, the overall effect is truly sublime, though the intro is edited to cut to the chase. This from the usual source tape doing the rounds - listen carefully at the end and you can hear the Cliff Adams Singers doing Drunken Sailor cutting through from Radio 2...
For the whole session and more:
rapidshare.com/...
This quartet, sans Coff, (see Hyde Park video with anomalous conga player many have identified incorrectly as Sweeney - it can't be Sweeney because he's too good!) up until July 1971 when Simon House was engaged for the Macbeth sessions.