I love to quote the most useful dictionary "The New Rock Record" (Hounsome & Chambre):
"The Heavy Jelly on the ISLAND sampler "Nice Enough To Eat" ("I Keep Singing That Same Old Song") was really Skip Bifferty."
Now, Skip Bifferty listed Graham Bell and Colin Gibson among it's members. So the composer names of the unfortunate single I will describe below DO check out.
"I Keep Singing That Same Old Song" (Gibson)/"Blue" (Bell), ISLAND
WIP-6049 (1969).
Obviously issued before the HEAD recordings and before the Jackie
Lomax & John Moorshead line-up existed (see later in this
chapter). It's the only Heavy Jelly record I've been able to lay my hands
on.
A-Side: Very L-O-N-G cut. First an unsure and plaintive vocal and a repetitive acoustic piano. Some aimless guitar. Then it gradually builds up (everybody having a rave up as the good ole Yardbirds would say!) to a bit of a mess: Tons of guitars, Creamish riff fragments, relentless staccato drums. Too much of everything. At the end it sounds as if it's all going to explode.
B-Side: Heavy guitar intro, then the plaintive guy again. Everybody is playing for himself in his own little corner and still it all collides. A merciful faded ending.
You guessed it: I don't like this
But greater things were to come.
So now I quote "The New Rock Record" (Hounsome & Chambre) once again:
"The name Heavy Jelly began as a review hoax but was registered by John
Curd of HEAD Records…
One single "Chewn In"/"Time Out" on HEAD 4001. An album was prepared
but was not released."
"Also a session for the B.B.C. was recorded mid 1970."
This could be the real thing! After the Fleetwood Mac and The Move reissues of B.B.C. material (and good ones, too!), why not this! Please!
But the whole thing petered out. According to "The New Rock Record" seven line ups existed between early 1969 and late 1970. At various times they included Carlo Little, Bruce Rowland, Jim Capaldi, Steve Thompson, Chris Wood and others...
But hark! Additional info from the eminent "Delerium" web site:
Heavy Jelly ... "recorded a promo-only album on Head Records, which
is obviously extremely rare now. Psycho Records reissued this in 1984 although
most of it is eminently forgettable."
Makes me curious anyway.
A helpful reader (Alistair - thanks!!!) briefed me on March 8 2001 of these interesting items at www.metro-music.com Heavy Jelly (Compact Discs|Main Catalog): The Eagle Laughs at You Sale price: $20.00. Their rarest material - incl. singles & unreleased lp! Heavy Jelly (British Invasion/Freakbeat Singles|Main Catalog) I keep singing the same old song Sale price: $25.00 VG+++ UK island -rare from 68!!! Heavy Jelly (Consignment LPs (All Categories)|Backstock Catalog) Take Me Down to the Water Sale price: $15.00 Psycho Mono M |
Links:
www.JackieLomax.com
Carlo Little: Confessions Of A 60's Drummer
who was very much involved in above band!