LIKE MOST of their equally obscure mid-60s R&B/freakbeat brethren, THE PRIMITIVES are principally namechecked these days for the value - both in fiscal and artistic terms - of their vinyl
legacy. Their trio of singles for the Pye label, the Italian-only album Blow Up and a unique-to-France EP currently have a combined value on the collectors circuit of over £1000, an accurate representation of their standing amongst freakbeat connoisseurs. But while their records have long been coveted by 60s collectors, the story of the Primitives has remained shrouded in mystery, with only vague rumours circulating about the relationship between the band's early UK career and their subsequent exploits in Italy.
The Primitives evolved in 1964 out of British beat boom hopefuls The Cornflakes (previously
known as The Rising Sons), whose typically cheesy post-Beatles handle didn't prevent them building up a sizeable fan base on the Oxford live circuit. As the Cornflakes, they won the Plaza Cinema beat group contest in Northampton, a competition that proved to be of twofold importance in their embryonic career: the contest's first prize was a two-year contract with the Pye label, while Cyd Cipin, who ran the local Plaza, was so impressed by the group that, in conjunction with his brother Mayer and their associate Leslie Jaffa, he became their manager.
A namechange to The Primitives gave a more accurate indication of the group's brand of long- haired , Pretty Things-styled driving R&B under their new name, they signed to Pye in autumn 1964. At this juncture, The Primitives' line-up consisted of lead vocalist Jay Roberts (real name Jeffrey Farthing), Geoff Eaton (aka Geoff Tindall) on lead guitar, the curiously-named John E. Soul (rhythm guitar, harmonica), RogerJames (bass) and Mike Wilding (drums).
The debut Primitives single, an archetypal British R&B assault on Sonny Boy Williamson's 'Help Me' backed by the similarly earthy group original 'Let Them Tell', duly appeared through Pye in November 1964 (it was also released in America on the Parkway label, trivia buffs). With bands
like The Yardbirds and The Animals attracting commercial attention, there was no reason why 'Help Me' shouldn't receive similar acclaim, though a slighthy earlier cover version from Essex-based R&B group The Rebounds probabhy didn't help The Primitives' chances. Whatever the reason,'Help Me' failed to click, as did the even more frenetic Eaton/Tindall composition 'You Said' (b/w 'How Do You Feel'), released a couple of months later in January 1965 and apparently boasting the input of super- sessioneer guitarist Jimmy Page.
While The Primitives were experiencing the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, a teenage rock'n'roll fan by the name of Paul Bradley Couling had been invited to rehearse with The Meteors, who also worked the Oxford iive circuit. Accepting their invitation, Couling quickly began to
attract attention as The Meteors' frontman, and he was duly approached by prominent local band The Beatniks, whose lead singer Peter Cox had just been called up for National Service. Couling didn't need to think twice about accepting their offer: he left The Meteors, his job at the Southern Electricity Board, Oxford and his old identity behind. Adopting the stage name of Mal Ryder, he and his new colleagues - by now rechristened the Spirits moved north to Doncaster, appointing Martin Yale (who also handled Hull R&B band The Rats and Sheffield's Joe Cocker) as their manager.
Yale helped Mal Ryder and The Spirits find work in working men's clubs, but his influence was most apparent in brokering a recording deal. With the aid of future Tom Jones producer Peter Sullivan, two singles were cut both for Decca and Decca's Vocalion Pop labels: 'Cry Baby' / 'Take Over'
(Decca F 11669, June 1963) and 'See The Funny Little Clown' / 'Slow Down' (Vocalion V 9219, May 1964). When these failed to garner attention, the band changed managers, the London-based David Stones setting in motion a move to Pye subsidiary Piccadilly. That led to the November 1964 release, 'Forget It' b/w 'Your Friend' (a Marty Wilde song), and a follow-up single - the Carter/Lewis composition 'Lonely Room' (also recorded by Carter/Lewis's own band, The Ivy League) backed by 'Tell Your Friend'appeared as a Mal Ryder solo single in April 1965.
At this point, an equally disillusioned Primitives contacted Mal to ask if he'd be interested in joining them as frontman. He accepted on condition that the band was restructured to his own requirements. Only Roberts/Farthing (who by now had switched to bass and organ) and guitarist John E. Soul initially survived the cull, with Roger James leaving to form the Roger James Four, who
immediately recorded two singles for the Columbia label (it's believed this is the same Roger James who wrote 'Shades Of Grey' for the Edwick Rumbold). Mal recruited former Spirits drummer Mick Charleton to the new line- up, but Soul's stay of execution was shortlived. Mal failed to tempt another former Spirit, guitarist Robert Wakely, away from his day job, but he was more successful in persuading Stuart Linnell to leave another local Northampton group, Dave Stone & The Saints, and join the new-look Primitives, who now fielded Ryder (vocals), Roberts (bass, organ), Linnell (lead guitar) and Charleton (drums).
The late 60s line-up of the Primitives continued to contribute to Italian albums like "Sua Eccelenza" and "Mal Dei Primitives", but their musical output had become increasingly erratic. Sparkling psychedelic performances of 'Dear Mr. Fantasy', 'Race With The Devil' and the Small Faces track 'Song
Of A Baker' were buried cheek-by-jowl alongside such mainstream fare as 'Love Letters In The Sand', 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' and 'You'll Never Walk Alone' as Mal opted for the traditional showbiz route. For that reason, our anthology ends in 1967, thereby capturing both Mal and the Primitives during their mid-60s artistic apex, with fire in their teenage bellies and an unshakable commitment to the life-affirming qualities of raw, belligerent, adenoidal British R&B. Maladjusted? The Primitives?!? You'd better believe it. .
By DAVID WELLS
The Primitives – Maladjusted
Label: Castle Music – CMRCD 051, Sanctuary – CMRCD 051
Series: Doin' The Mod
Format: CD, Compilation, Remastered
Country: UK
Released: 2001
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Mod, Beat
THE PYE SINGLES
01. The Primitives – Help Me 3:39
Written-By – Mort Dixon, Ralph Bass, Sonny Boy Williamson
02. The Primitives – Let Them Tell 2:14
Written-By – Jeffrey Farthing, John E. Soul
03. The Primitives – You Said 2:17
Written-By – Tindell
04. The Primitives – How Do You Feel? 2:23
Written-By – John E. Soul
05. Mal & Primitives – Every Minute Of Every Day 2:10
Written-By – Frank Catana
06. Mal & Primitives – Pretty Little Face 2:07
Written-By – John E. Soul
07. Mal Ryder & Spirits – Forget It 2:01
Written-By – Irving Martin, Jack Daw
08. Mal Ryder & Spirits – Your Friend 2:37
Written-By – Mal Ryder
09. Mal Ryder – Lonely Room 2:02
Written-By – John Carter, Ken Lewis, Perry Ford
10. Mal Ryder – Tell Your Friend 2:27
Written-By – Mal Ryder
PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED TRACK
11. The Primitives – Oh Mary (Demo) 2:48
Written-By – Jackie Edwards
OH MARY: THE FRENCH EP
12. The Primitives – Oh Mary 2:05
Written-By – Jackie Edwards
13. The Primitives – I Don't Feel Myself 2:42
Written-By – Dave Sumner
14. The Primitives – Mr. Heartache 2:36
Written-By – Jay Roberts
15. The Primitives – Tears In My Eyes 3:47
Written-By – Dave Sumner
BLOW UP: THE ITALIAN LP
16. The Primitives – Gimme Some Loving 4:21
Written-By – Muff Winwood, Spencer Davis, Steve Winwood
17. The Primitives – L'Ombra Di Nessuno (Standing In The Shadows Of Love) 2:55
Lyrics By [Italian] – Giuseppe Cassia
Written-By – Holland-Dozier-Holland
18. The Primitives – No Response 3:08
Written By – Anderson
19. The Primitives – Johnny No (Thunder & Lightning) 3:10
Lyrics By [Italian] – Luigi Tenco, Sergio Bardotti
Written-By – Hoyt Axton
20. The Primitives – Cara-Lin 3:32
Written-By – Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer
21. The Primitives – Yeeeeeeh! (I Ain't Gonna Eat My Heart Out Anymore) 3:12
Lyrics By [Italian] – Luigi Tenco, Sergio Bardotti
Written-By – Lori Burton, Pam Sawyer
22. The Primitives – Gira, Gira (Reach Out, I'll Be There) 3:07
Lyrics By [Italian] – Giuseppe Cassia
Written-By – Holland-Dozier-Holland
23. The Primitives – Every Minute Of Every Day 2:16
Written-By – Frank Catana
24. The Primitives – Mister Heartache 2:19
Written-By – Jay Roberts
25. The Primitives – Ma Beata Te 3:08
Lyrics By [Italian] – Giuseppe Cassia
Written-By – Jay Roberts
26. The Primitives – Sookie, Sookie 2:51
Written-By – Don Covay, Steve Cropper
27. The Primitives – Mohair Sam 2:43
Written-By – Dallas Frazier
28. The Primitives – L'Incidente (Soul Finger With Words) 2:52
Lyrics By [Italian] – Mogol
Written-By – Ben Cauley, Carl Cunningham
LINE - UP
Dave Sumner, Geoff Tindall, Jay Roberts, John E. Soul, Laurie Jeffs, Mike Wilding, Paul Bradley Couling, Pick Withers, Robbie McIntosh, Roger James, Roger Peacock
NOTES
Tracks 1 & 2: Pye 7N 15721, 11/64
Tracks 3 & 4: Pye 7N 15755, 1/65
Tracks 5 & 6: Pye 7N 15915, 8/65
Tracks 7 & 8: Pye 7N 35209, 11/64
Tracks 9 & 10: Pye 7N 35234, 4/65
Tracks 12 to 15: Vogue INT 18093, 1966
Tracks 16 to 28: Arc-Piper Club SA 22, 1967
(Tracks 21 & 17 also issued on 45, Arc Piper-Club AN 4108, 12/66)
(Tracks 28 & 19 also issued on 45, Arc Piper-Club AN 4136, 1967)
