THE MUSEUM OF IMPORTANT SHIT

20,000 DAYS ON EARTH - THE MUSEUM OF IMPORTANT SHIT
FEATURING:- Steve Parry - Recollections of Matt Johnson/THE THE - See Without Being Seen (unreleased first album)

http://www.20000daysonearth.com/item/494/

Neu Electrikk - The Bridge House, Canning Town, London E16

 

NME Listing for Neu Electrikk gig with The The on Thursday 4th September 1980. Note, incorrect spelling of New Elektrikk & Steveo's (Stevo's) Electronic Disco

Matt Johnson - See Without Being Seen

See Without Being Seen – Matt Johnson

Thumbing through the pages of the music press had been a weekly ritual for 18yr old Steve Parry.  Having arrived in South London in a mini-cooper hatchback car laden with guitars, amp and a few clothes Parry had taken up residence in a relative’s house in Croydon. Parry had moved to London looking for change and suitors to his often abstract concept of sound. Having bought the popular magazine Practical Electronics Parry would delight in taking things apart; such as old radios and clocks, fascinated by the mechanisms of everyday objects. Parry often built sound generators out of waste materials; having a love for metalwork and woodwork he assembled a guitar from scratch. The self-made guitar with its innate personality and failure regards tuning had a mishmash of pick-ups delivering distortion and noise way beyond what his parents deemed music. This was the guitar that wasn’t! Without having the reverence of a conventional musical instrument the device became something of a sound source whereby it would be played with pliers or by inserting metal bolts, paperclips and wires along the body and neck. Parry had learnt to play classical guitar from the age of 8, however playing music like Greensleeves by traditional means held little attraction to him. The construction of various sound devices, though often frustrating ultimately proved most gratifying.

1979 - Post-punk London appeared a landscape brim-full of opportunity.  Inspired by a myriad of self-produced music and independent record labels everything and anything seemed possible. The political dirge and corresponding unemployment of Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government created a situation whereby many a musician found liberation in the form of a government grant (The Dole) and the freedom to go off and do as they pleased.  In this culture of DIY, events, gigs, happenings, artists, musicians and non-musicians, bands like Throbbing Gristle, This Heat, PragVEC and Robert Rental found an audience eager to share in their endeavour.

With a record collection that included John Cage, The Velvet Underground, Neu, Cluster and Tangerine Dream Parry set about looking for kindred spirits to form a band. Confronted with a pile of music publications laid out on the bedroom floor, he would note down the contact addresses of something of interest. This day a particular advert in the NME caught the eye asking for Bass/lead guitarist into The Velvet Underground/Syd Barrett.

The advert had been placed by a 16yr old Matt Johnson.  The resultant telephone call to The Crown,  Loughton, Essex, a pub run by his father Eddie, revealed a good-humoured confident sounding Johnson with the promise of a real musical revolution. In the weeks, months and years that followed Johnson and Parry would stay in touch. Johnson sent Parry a copy of his solo tape See Without Being Seen. The corresponding letter states “the project which I’m working on at the moment (which the cassette is/was part of) is See Without Being Seen – which deals with you or I (or anyone whose listening to the songs) as a spectator seeing abstract views of life be it of people or situations or how people react to various situations and pressures.”

Johnson apologises for the music being so primitive and pretty straight as far as experimental music goes.  He goes on to say that he only has one keyboard at the moment (Crumer Electronic Piano) that he puts through various effects; this he proclaims to this being very limited.

There is a P.S at the conclusion to Johnsons letter:- ‘The enclosed tape was mastered on a ¼ “ track machine so it would be advisable when replaying to plug from your cassette deck to a large amp and turn up the bass, mid, treb and put a touch of reverb on.’

In all fairness the music on SWBS requires no apology at all – the music is experimental, complex and rich although obviously constrained by the technology available. The music although naïve at times (hell, it’s made by a 16 yr. old) is also brimming with ideas, Johnsons open tunings and effected guitar vying with his unhinged vocals amidst the throb and spit of an analogue drum machine. The songs underpinned by the wobble and creak of the Crumer Electronic Piano. SWBS is crazy portentous stuff where lyrically he sings about ‘dancing on graves’ and seemingly a warped love affair with wallpaper in the shape of ‘My Vymura’.

The music comes housed in a tape cassette with a sleeve presumably designed by Matt, replicated on a Xerox photocopying machine.

SWBS is wonderfully plucky, ambitious music hinting at what is to come from Johnson as a solo artist and as THE THE. Some ideas, lyrics (‘history repeats itself…’) later turn up on ‘Burning Blue Soul’.

Parry never auditioned to join Johnson’s band. That’s another story. Matt went on to create a brilliant experimental album in Burning Blue Soul, work with the Gadgets and record a couple or more avant-garde outings with Keith Laws as The The. In a letter to Parry dated 02/11/1981 Johnson posed the question not knowing what direction he wished to go in – commercial (as in accessible foot tapping, hum along – disposable or experimental (as in?)

Johnson, it appears has over the years often dismissed the early work of THE THE. It’s a shame because Controversial Subject/Black and White, Untitled and the later Cold Spell Ahead/Hot Ice 45rpm remain challenging, enchanting statements of experimental sound that reward the listener to this day.   

The music on See Without Being Seen remains unreleased (other than the cassette created by Johnson). It seems the album had been distributed to very few people. To this day, the music appears not to have been leaked onto the internet. Therefore SWBS remains an enigma and fable in its own right - A much sought after artefact of his recorded work.

Postscript – Johnson during his career has crafted some brilliant political songs that have stood the test of time. Johnson remains an enigma of which sadly we hear not enough – his current efforts appear confined to creating film soundtracks and engaging in the occasional political rant: In 2012 Johnson self-published his father Eddie Johnsons memoir of living in Stratford, East London in the 1960’s – Tales from the Two Puddings.

 

Matt Johnson - See Without Being Seen (DEMO)

All Compositions M. Johnson 1978/79

Track Listing:-

Troops

Homas Coma

Planetarium

Spaceship in My Barn

Insect Children

My Vymura

Windowledge

Neu Electrikk - some bizzare evenings

Press advert for Some Bizzare Evenings

Steve James Sherlock

Steve James Sherlock - Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Devices - Neu Electrikk

Steve James Sherlock (born: 1953 in London, United Kingdom) is a British musician and founder member of Neu Electrikk. He grew up in the south London district of Thornton Heath and played saxophone, clarinet and flute. Influenced by the sounds of his youth, jazz, soul, dub, reggae and hearing saxophonists like John Coltrane, Andy Mackay of the 70’s band Roxy Music and Davey Payne of Ian Dury and The Blockheads Sherlock went on to develop his own style of playing. This involved improvisation and experimenting with sound by processing the playing through various effects pedals.

Following his time in Neu Electrikk Steve Sherlock joined The The and contributed to the ‘Uncertain Smile’sessions ‘Three Orange Kisses From Kazan’ and ‘Waitin' For The Upturn’. He also joined Matt in various other ‘live’ versions of The The. At this time Steve also recorded various sessions with Keith Laws (unreleased) and joined forces with Matt Johnson/Colin Lloyd Tucker/ Simon Fisher Turner contributing to Deux Filles ‘Silence and Wisdom’ LP. Having received an endorsement from Matt, Steve joined Marc Almond and Annie Hogan in Marc and the Mambas. His playing features prominently on ‘Torment and Toreros‘. Steve wrote the track Narcissus with Marc Almond for the album. Steve also contributed flute to the track ‘The Hungry Years by Marc Almond and Andi Sexgang included on the 1983 compilation album ‘The Whip’.

 

Steve Parry - aka Stefan Jadd

Steve Parry - Guitars, Piano, Synth, Effects, Devices - Neu Electrikk

In 1976, Steve Parry at the age of 18 moved from Harrogate, Yorkshire to London in search of new music opportunities. Parry had played in a succession of local bands, none of whom seemed to possess any real ambition. Parry had been accepted onto a journalism/photography course but would have to wait for another year before taking up the placement. During this time Parry worked for the civil service in the Ministry of Defence. Spending the days bored and frustrated working in a dead end job, in an office full of old army types who spoke of nothing but the war and the anarchism of today’s youth proved the catalyst for change.

Relocating to London, Parry answered a musician’s wanted advert placed by Derek Morris in the Melody Maker. At a similar time Parry answered an advert placed by Matt Johnson in the NME requesting musicians into The Velvet Underground/Syd Barrett. Having contacted Matt he discovered there had been a somewhat limited response to the advert. Parry enquired with Matt what instruments he played and equipment he used - this included a guitar/amp setup purchased from Woolworths, a Crumer Electronic Keyboard and an assortment of other borrowed musical instruments left behind in the basement of his father Eddies’ pub.

Johnson did send Parry a copy of his cassette demo 'See without Being Seen' recorded in the cellar of his parents pub. The music Parry found interesting, Matt had written all the music and played all instruments himself. The cassette came in a cover designed by Matt copied on a Xerox machine.  Parry thought ‘See without Being Seen’ an ambitious, impressive work for a 15-16 yr old. Parry considered Matt essentially a solo act and found it difficult imagining them being in a band together. Matt Johnson and Parry kept in touch informing each other of each other’s activities. Letters to each other would contain the names and addresses of key contacts, people like Genesis P-Orridge of the band Throbbing Gristle, people who could potentially help the cause. Concurrently Parry had been in contact with Derek Morris and Steve Sherlock and due to the practicalities of living closer to one another they decided to form a band.

Matt later contacted Parry when he discovered Keith Laws, appearing keen for them all to get together and introduce Laws to him.  Parry remembers having Keith around seemed to give Matt greater self-confidence. Together they would formulate ideas, take to the stage and perform as a live act, as a duo they would both develop the idea of what was to become The The.  At the time Matt was working at De-Wolfe music studios in Soho and this gave him the opportunity to record backing tracks to which he and Laws would later improvise. Parry was present at all of The The’s early performances. The The first gig was at the Africa Centre, nr London’s Covent Garden, the event being memorable for having an African/Caribbean evening taking place at the same time in the basement. As The The played upstairs, the throb of African music permeated up through the floor. Parry liked the abstract, experimental sound of early The The, the music being a stimulating hybrid of electronic drum beats, effected guitar, a wasp synthesizer, slabs of noise and distorted vocals. Parry did join The The on stage and played guitar on just the one occasion – The Anarchist Ball – Metropolitan Warehouse. This event followed a frustrating day spent in SGS studios in south London recording the track that was to become ‘Untitled’ as later featured on ‘The Some Bizzare Album’. In the company of an uncooperative, unprofessional engineer, Parry, Johnson and Laws struggled to make themselves understood. This situation Parry found especially embarrassing having recommended the studio to Johnson/Laws and booked the studio for them. Amid the chaos Parry found himself sharing the studio control room listening to the rant of the engineer while attempting to salvage the situation. Parry recalls making a musical contribution in the form of hand claps and maybe some fuzz guitar. At the end of the recording session the engineer scrawled obscenities on the tape reel box - "The Bollock Dance" - Parry took the master tape home with him then a few months later he received a request from Laws asking him about the whereabouts of the master tape. They wanted the track for a forthcoming compilation - Some Bizzare Album. Sadly when the Some Bizzare Album materialised no credit is given for Parrys contribution to 'Untitled'. 'Untitled' remains an interesting artefact in the early career of Matt Johnson / The The. 

   

Neu Electrikk and The The shared management, record-label, gigs and personnel. Following the demise of Neu Electrikk Steve Sherlock effectively went on to join The The and with Johnson both contributed to Marc and the Mambas.



Photocopied Gig Poster given to Steve Parry by Matt Johnson for early The The gig