A Salad In Curved Air

[Adam Blake]

Here's a little essay I wrote just for fun a few years ago. Just found it again. Thought it might amuse:


I had a mate at school that had an elder brother who had a very interesting record collection. He had the basement room in their house and my mate and I used to sneak down there and play his Led Zeppelin records when he was out. I remember being really scared by the middle bit of “Whole Lotta Love” – and thinking that the bit about lemon squeezing in “Killing Floor” was probably really rude (I was right). Of course, he was fourteen, and we were eleven, so he was a bit disparaging - and my mate wasn’t really all that bothered about his big brother’s records. But I was fascinated, and the big brother was a friendly soul, and once he’d got over the shame of talking to an eleven year old he seemed quite pleased that I was interested. It gave him a chance to show off and act knowledgeable – which was fine by me. He was a devotee of what was known as Progressive Rock, and he would introduce me to records by groups with names like Ten Years After and Santana. One of the records he played me that I really liked was by a group called Curved Air. He had all their records but the one I particularly liked was called “Second Album” – a startlingly original title which I remember thinking should have been used by some wag as the title of a debut album. This record came in an extraordinarily elaborate sleeve – a massive fold out affair, which featured, amongst other things, photographs of the band’s lead singer, a lady called Sonja Kristina. I thought she was just gorgeous and this played no small part in my enthusiasm for the band’s music. Then they had a hit single, “Back Street Luv”, and I got a chance to see them on Top of The Pops.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rbr7EfL4Ug

Not long after that they were featured on the B-side of a flexi disc that was given away free by the NME to promote the Rolling Stones “Exile on Main Street” album. (The A side consisted of Mick Jagger introducing snippets of the songs in a rambling blues discourse that, as far as I know, has never been heard of again.)

Anyway, a couple of years later I put on my smelly Afghan coat and went with my friend Paul (who looked older than me) to see Curved Air doing a gig at the London College of Printing. Although we failed to find any pot we had a good time anyway, mainly because Curved Air put on a really good show and Sonja Kristina was wearing a kind of feathery cat suit, which revealed one of her nipples. Whether this was intentional or not we can only guess but I remember they played a “superlong audience participation” version of my favourite song, “Everdance”.

But I never saw Curved Air again and when punk came along and changed everything, I forgot all about them.

Fast forward about 22 years to the start of 1996 and London felt briefly alive for the first time in ages. Hindsight has called it Britpop but then it just felt like it was time to dress up again. Which was no bad thing. Blur and Oasis were ongoing, and in their wake all sorts of possibilities seemed to be unfurling. I had a groovy new student who seemed very plugged into all this. She had the clothes and the attitude and she used to play me all the new bands. One day she played me a record by a band called Salad, which sounded just like Curved Air! And lo and behold, they had a lady singer with a foreign name – Marijne van der Vlugt – who was also very becoming and, again, I suspect that this affected my judgement. But whenever I would try to be hip and namedrop that I liked a band called Salad, people would either curl their nose up or look blank. Turns out that the beautiful Marijne had been an MTV presenter and that meant she couldn’t be any good. But I really did like Salad – I thought they were very musical and unusual. I went to see them live, at a college just like the one where I had seen Curved Air, and they did a version of “Back Street Luv”. You could have knocked me down with a feather. Apparently they recorded it for a charity album that I never have been able to track down, so if anybody’s got a copy they could let me have…
(I subsequently did find it. Great!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZlgedIL ... re=related

I bought all their records and saw them live several times. I wrote them a gushing fan letter and got a sweet hand-written note back from Marijne herself, which arrived on my birthday – not that she was to know. Then Island records dropped them after their second album flopped. And this from the label that brought us Dr Strangely Strange and Wynder K Frogg! Whatever happened to artist development? Poor old Salad were so demoralised by this that they called it a day. Now I gather that Marijne has dropped out of the music business completely and the rest of the band… Well, who cares about the rest of the band? But for an old person such as myself, I still say that, apart from Blur, Salad made the most interesting records to come out of the Britpop scene – and that their apparently completely co-incidental resemblance to Curved Air represents a striking example of re-incarnation in the field of pop music.

[garth cartwright]

Live Forever (Oasis) and Common People (Pulp) - the 2 truly great songs from "Britpop".

I always hated Blur.

Oddly nice essay, Adam.

[AndyM]

I have enthused elsewhere about my deep and abiding fondness for 'Back Street Luv'.

I may have waxed nostalgic about how, as an idle but savvy early-teen, I used to bribe a sixth-form prefect with photos of Sonja Kristina so that he wouldn't, as school rules dictated, make me leave the building on rainy lunchtimes.

But I'm fairly sure I haven't mentioned that I knew Salad's manager (vaguely) - he was the husband of a former student. She's now a lesbian and he's now a drug dealer. Allegedly.

None of this is as interesting as your post, Adam, but I feel mildly purged.

[Adam Blake]

He must have been a crap manager! Salad definitely deserved to be bigger than they were - but it was a crap name. Maybe he thought of it. Maybe he was a crap husband to your student. Maybe he's now a crap drug dealer!

Garth - the two songs you mention ARE probably the most definitive of the era. I was deeply sceptical about Blur until I saw them live, where they really delivered. Nowadays I can happily listen to a fair amount of Blur but Pulp and Oasis don't really do it for me anymore.

[AndyM]

Live Forever (Oasis) and Common People (Pulp) - the 2 truly great songs from "Britpop".

I always hated Blur.

'Babies' by Pulp is far superior, though far less iconic. 'Live Forever' is pretty meagre compared to the best Oasis songs. Blur made some great tracks.......And the great forgotten Britpop track is 'Being Brave' by Menswear.

I'll get my coat.

[kas]

Holy prog! Thanks for the essay and the Youtube links, Adam. I remember, vaguely, seeing a Curved Air album sold cheap on some continental "masterpieces of rock" selection (Portuguese or some such, with new sleeves). Never gave it much attention as the band was already pushed into the periphery of a past-the-sell-by-date genre at the time.

But, more importantly, I vividly remember "Back Street Luv" from when I myself must have been 11 or 12 and listening to everything and anything vaguely resembling rock that was on the radio or at the youth club I visited every now and then. I loved the song - it was one of those rock tunes that seemed to be coming from some still mysterious, adult and still a bit uncomfortable and not-quite-within-grasp world (like your Led Zep at 11). It stuck in my mind but I never, ever caught the title or the name of the band. Now you finally happened to come up with them.

It is still a great song.

At that time I had an older cousin who was also much into prog and infinitely knowledgeable (in my young eyes anyway). He would introduce me to the usual names but also to continental bands like Focus and La Bottega dell'arte.

Having a slightly older, more cool "mentor" must be one of the main factors that has pulled us deeper into this music thing. They provide both access to and pointers into the new world you are discovering.

[Martin Owen]

I remember enjoying Curved Air at UMIST MDH sometime in 1970.. Some stuff still sticks and a Rainbow in CA is still in the vinyl collection. Early prog seems a little more acceptable than the later stuff ( the yodelling in Hocus Pocus is strangely in my brain at the moment).

Thankfully I got over it and I am feeling much better now.

And any gig where Mick Weaver (aka Wynder K) was playing the Hammond B3 induced deep joy ( peace, Georgie Fame and Brian Auger)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDxkiao6 ... re=related

[garth cartwright]

Funny how prog can lead to Britpop! I know nothing about CA other than their drummer joined the Police - I think Sting supported them in Newcastle and Copeland immediately recognised the star potential.

Never seen Pulp or Oasis or Blur live but I heard their records a helluva lot in the 90s - the first Oasis album is as good as early Free, solid, raw Brit rock. And Live Forever is their lad anthem. Blokes I worked with would sing it as they headed to the pub. Pulp - well I'd heard them before and listened after but Common People is their Satisfaction, one that everyone remembers. Blur - a girlfriend of the time used to play Parklife a lot and I hated it. Damon's awful voice and the whole Mockney thing. At their best they sound like bad Crowded House ie Beatles influenced but tuneless.

All of which is to say I believe I might have reviewed Salad once for the Guardian. Their lead singer was tall and striking? and the female bassist very small? In my review I mentioned how the lead singer wrapped the bassist in her left arm and tucked her beneath her breasts. Predictably, the PC Guardian edited this out. It's the only thing I remember of the band, their music being average Britpop. Obviously, I could be talking about an entirely different band!

[kas]

By the by: there is a long, relaxed interview of Sonia Kristina on Youtube's Cherry Red TV. Brimming with anecdotes from the late 60's onwards. Very entertaining.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K7M_oXw ... re=related

[judith]

Having a slightly older, more cool "mentor" must be one of the main factors that has pulled us deeper into this music thing. They provide both access to and pointers into the new world you are discovering.

...made me smile and think of Charlie.

I have so enjoyed these recent 'essays' by Pete, Adam, Garth. Other contributers are starting to dip in. It's comforting - reading and listening to the music that is at the heart of each, getting images of other's lives, reading the conversations the writing triggers. These days, this kind of thoughtful exchange is rare for me. It has brought to mind occasions when people gathered to engage in a physical activity - and while their hands are busy the talk slowly unwinds, stories are told. Comments made. Another story begins. Maybe a song. No preaching or holding forth because if someone gets pissed off and stomps out, the task at hand goes undone, or they don't get to finish their dinner. I'm not talking about the pastoral, quilting bees and family meals. I'm also remembering doing 'production' work (similar to factory work but without the machines). Sitting at a long table with ten other people - immigrants from North, South America, Southeast Asia, from homelands at war with each other, all ages gender and class - sorting, counting, and repairing silver jewelry. Or working as a scenic artist, transferring small artist's renderings onto huge canvas flats in a cavernous studio into the wee hours - another mix of people yet just as varied. Each was quiet work requiring concentration, skill, yet suitable for conversation. Background music? Difficult - sometimes the quickest avenue to dissension - but not impossible. Music worked best when it was spontaneous, like someone humming a favorite song. That sort of thing.

[AndyM]

All of which is to say I believe I might have reviewed Salad once for the Guardian. Their lead singer was tall and striking? and the female bassist very small? In my review I mentioned how the lead singer wrapped the bassist in her left arm and tucked her beneath her breasts. Predictably, the PC Guardian edited this out. It's the only thing I remember of the band, their music being average Britpop. Obviously, I could be talking about an entirely different band!

Elastica, maybe ?

[garth cartwright]

Definitely not Elastica. This band were playing The Garage, had no Damon connection and I had never heard of them before (or after).

[Adam Blake]

It would have been Salad. In their latter days they had a very small female rhythm guitarist. Marijne was six feet tall and very skinny. Their music wasn't average Britpop, however, or maybe it was...

This is a song I liked off their first album - another that sounds a bit like Curved Air!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JULHeUq5VPo

Thank you folks, for your kind words about my quirky little essay. You're always very encouraging. I'll see if I can find another one from the unpublished archives.

[AndyM]

Ah, I thought Salad were all male apart from Marijn.

[garth cartwright]

Went to Spotify and looked and listened and I think it was them - must have been rhythm guitar not bass, very small woman (compared to the towering singer). I think my review might have made some weak pun about wilting...

Strike me as standard Britpop - especially the song about Kent - but each to their own.