The Legend of Beau Interview

Born in the Buckingham Nursing Home, Cardigan Road, Leeds circa May of 1946. What was growing up like for you?When did you first begin playing music and what was it initially about the guitar that fascinated you? Particularly the twelve string guitar.

Very happy – a normal middle-class childhood. I was an only child, having been born nine months and three days after my father was demobbed from the RAF following WW2! I went to a couple of elementary schools, then moved up to Leeds Grammar School when I was eight. The first instrument that pulled me in was piano. My grandparents had an upright – an old Bansall – they’d bought for my mother in 1921. Ma never learned to play, but the grandparents hung on to it. I started hammering on that piano when I was about six. It was all by ear, but I remember even then being able to produce what seemed (to me!) a fair representation of the Dam Busters March! Thing is, though my folks were in no way musical, I knew from an early age that I liked both listening to and making music. My very earliest musical memory comes from when I was about four – that would be around 1950. My mother, grandmother and I were staying with grandma’s sister in Coventry. “Aunt” Jane’s husband – one Charlie Peters – had a wind-up gramophone, and it was on this venerable machine that Charlie repeatedly played Edward Elgar’s “Pomp & Circumstance March No. 4”. I didn’t know that was its name at the time, but that didn’t matter. The point was, I was absolutely entranced! The melody and the rhythm stuck, and I marched round and round their old kitchen, every bit the four-year-old soldier! Interest in guitar – and particularly, the twelve-string – came much later.

Who were some of your influences early on? Where would you go to see local shows in your community and what groups/performances stood out to you the most during that time?

Back in the fifties and sixties, there were really four theatre-type venues in Leeds; the Theatre Royal, the Empire, the Grand, and the Odeon; plus the mighty Victorian edifice of Leeds Town Hall, home then as now to the Leeds International Piano Competition and regular classical concerts. I was duly taken to performances at most of these places and have to say they pretty much left me cold. I saw Tommy Steele & the Steelmen (Britain’s first rocker of note) at the Empire in ’56, and he was OK, but that was about all. Ol’ Tommy didn’t inspire me. But then, in 1957, something did; and it began “The warden threw a party in the county jail!” I’d heard Elvis before – I liked “Heartbreak Hotel”, but “Jailhouse Rock” BLEW MY MIND! From those opening power chords through to the end, I listened to “Jailhouse Rock” over and over and over again. Years later, I met up with Scotty Moore in Arlington, TX. and was so pleased to thank him for the light he’d shone into my young life all those years ago, him and that young singer fella he’d backed up; a light, I might add, that has never dimmed. In the years between, say, ’57 and late-’62, my influences were very much “the great Americans” like Elvis and Duane Eddy and, from our side of the pond, Cliff Richard and the Shadows. I saw Duane at the Grand and Cliff & The Shads at the Odeon. They were all brilliant; really standout. Never saw Elvis of course, but hey ho…

What would you and your friends do for fun back in the day? Did you participate in any groups prior to setting out on your own journey as a solo artist?

Throughout teen years, the emphasis was very much on music. I could recite the top twenty from the New Musical Express pretty well week by week! In 1961, some mates from school (who, coincidentally, also lived locally) and I formed The Raiders, a covers band to play pretty much anything that appeared in the charts at the time. Of course, the Beatles debuted in late ’62 with “Love Me Do”, and the world for a covers band changed almost overnight. We still played the old instrumentals and familiar pop, but into the repertoire came blues and R&B- influenced stuff the Beatles, the Stones, the Yardbirds etc. had become so influential in spearheading. Of course, you have to remember in the early-’60s we were living in particularly interesting times.On the political front, the Vietnam War was becoming a more and more contentious issue. I’d always been fascinated by politics and current affairs from being a young kid (I used to watch a political discussion programme called “Free Speech” with my father from a very early age). I’d begun writing a few politico/socially-inspired songs in late ’63-’64. However, it was in 1965 that I stumbled on Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs and others on Jac Holzman’s Elektra label. Those guys in particular impressed me with their clarity of presentation, and gave me a real focus. And as in politics, much was also happening and evolving in the wider music sphere.

With the resurgence of interest in their work on the back of the US “British invasion”, mid-life and older American “roots” artists were coming over to tour in the UK; Chuck Berry, Sonny Boy Williamson, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf et al. And – most importantly from my point of view – old-timey American musics were now appearing on the shelves in record stores; country blues, urban blues, Cajun, hillbilly, ragtime, all were becoming both available and plentiful. And so it happened that one day, out of the blue, I bought an LP on the Society label called “Leadbelly Sings & Plays”. We’re still in 1965, which turned out to be a seminal year for me. I didn’t know Lead Belly, I didn’t know much about twelve-string guitar (other than George Harrison had used a Rickenbacker 12 on “You Can’t Do That”) but what I heard on that Society disc was electrifying! As with Elvis eight years earlier, my life suddenly changed! So, at the end of 1965, I left The Raiders, sold my trusty old Hofner V3 electric, invested in a Hoyer 12-string, and started to concentrate seriously on writing.

Can you tell me about those early days of writing and what you envisioned for yourself as a songwriter? When and where did you make your live debut performing in front of an audience and what was this particular experience like for you?

I can’t say I had a plan. I just knew I wanted to write. And in the twelve, I’d found a vehicle that, with a bit of practice and development, I knew could provide me with a really fat and full accompaniment. It took a little time to pull together a set of around twenty songs and get them rehearsed. It was only then I started thinking, “OK, let’s see where we can take this...” I honestly can’t remember my first solo gig. I’m sure, with the confidence of youth, I had no doubt it would all go off OK! Again, to be truthful, I can’t recall half the gigs I did back in those days. This isn’t a drug thing, by the way; that was never my scene. I just don’t remember! Many people have been in touch with me to say, “I saw you at so-and-so...” and I’m thinking, “Did you? Really?” I saw a ticket on eBay some time back for a 1969 gig in Manchester, with me up as one of the named attractions. I have no memory of that at all!

Tell me about writing and recording your debut record, “Beau”, on the late John Peel’s label, Dandelion Records. How did this deal all come about and I’ve got to ask, what was it like to work with him? What was your process and approach to writing those songs that are featured on the LP? When and where did recording begin in ’69 and would you mind telling me about working with Peel’s friend and agent, Clive Selwood.

Everything came back to my discovering Elektra in 1965. I’d done quite a bit of gigging, had had a couple of local radio series’ under the “Beau” name, and had amassed around forty or fifty self-penned songs in my repertoire. In 1968, I decided to try for Elektra, and sent a tape of four songs on spec to Elektra in London. I was amazed to receive a reply pretty quick; not of the expected “we’ll pass, but wish you luck” variety, but a positive invitation from Elektra boss Clive Selwood to travel down to Polydor to audition (Polydor were distributors for Elektra at the time). I should say, I was really surprised – and immensely gratified! – by this response. It was great even to be considered, given the Incredible String Band were the only UK-based act Jac Holzman had on Elektra’s books! In the event, I turned up at Polydor’s studios and ran through, I think, twenty-two songs one after another.

The whole session was recorded; Clive explaining to me the tape now had to go off to the States. “To sign or not to sign” was Jac’s decision. And that was that. Now it was just a matter of waiting... When the response eventually did come, it was in turn both disappointing and uplifting. Contrary to what had been hoped, Jac didn’t want to offer me a contract. As an aside, and with the benefit of hindsight, this really wasn’t surprising. Following the ’67 “Summer of Love” and the advent of psychedelia, Jac had relocated Elektra from New York to Los Angeles and moved the label on from the singer-songwriter scene. He was now signing bands such as Clear Light, Love, and of course the all-conquering Doors. The Paxtons and Ochs and (Judy) Collins’ themselves were all now moving out to pastures new. However, this initially disappointing letter from Clive offered something even better than I’d hoped! He explained he was John Peel’s manager, and that he and John were looking to start a label called Dandelion with much the same ethos as Elektra; just British.

Would I be interested in doing an ALBUM(!) for the new label? My thought was, “Wow! An album!” To be honest, the best I’d been hoping for was a single, which was the normal start-point back in the day for a new artist. So that’s how the adventure began... The eponymous first album, “Beau”, was made up mostly of songs that had gone down well in performance. I had well over the fifty mark in the songbook by that time. I say “mostly” because, thinking back to those “Beau” sessions, there was one significant exception ... In his autobiography, “All The Moves, But None Of The Licks”, Clive kindly mentioned (sorry, but I’ve just looked it up!), “Beau was a joy to produce. He would arrive perfectly rehearsed...”. This was helpful both artistically and in terms of studio time as it meant we were able to lay down the whole of that first album in one long daytime session.

I headed back north after we wrapped, but was booked for a second session four days later to tie up loose ends and work on any re-recordings or overdubs. However... Between sessions one and two, I’d come up with a new song – completely untried in public, of course – and I rather liked it. This was “A Nation’s Pride”. I played it for Clive and John (who joined Clive in the control room for the second session) and they loved it. So “A Nation’s Pride” eventually opened side two of the LP. The song it replaced – “Time”, from four days previously – eventually surfaced on a See For Miles sampler CD twenty-seven years later! Another very short digression... The first session at CBS Studios took place on Monday 14th April, 1969. Mike Ross, the brilliant CBS house engineer had just completed an overnight session with The Who! Yet he still had his studio ready and reset for this new rookie folkie by our 11am start time. I don’t know how he stayed awake throughout the day, but he did!

What was the first order of business once the record was finished? Working with Peel and Selwood I imagine they had all sorts of ideas as to how they would promote it and attract attention to the album. Did you arrange a tour, or a string of shows around that time?

John always lamented (and was curiously apologetic for) the fact Dandy didn’t have a massive promotion budget. I always got the impression he felt the label didn’t get the push it deserved. But as a merry band, we all did do some decent promo work. The launch party was held at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in The Mall, London; the ravenous journos being force-fed the rather disgusting macrobiotic food that was very much in vogue at the time. I did a number of gigs to support the launch (mostly arranged and set up by Clive and his wife, Shurley), and of course John, Clive, Bridget St John, Medicine Head and my good self came together at the Paradiso in Amsterdam to celebrate the launch of the label in The Netherlands. The photo of us on the steps of the Paradiso made the front page of Billboard in the US. I think John and Clive were particularly pleased about that!

Your single “1917 Revolution” gained some attention abroad. In what ways did the release of this record, as well as the single, impact your life both as a musician and as a person?

Yes, this was weird! “1917 Revolution” became an almost instant hit record. No.1 indeed! And I have to tell you, it remained at No. 1 for three weeks, holding off challenges from the likes of Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue” and David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”! Sadly, however, this occurred only in the Lebanon; and whilst I would never wish to denigrate such a historic and beautiful land, Lebanon wasn’t then – and isn’t now – the centre of the known pop universe! There was some talk of me heading out to the Lebanon to capitalise on this undoubted local triumph; quickly quashed when it was realised the country was in the midst of a particularly troublesome insurrection and a UK passport would afford very little protection against the threat of kidnap. World domination thus eluded me and my life changed very little! What was regrettable however was, despite my Dandelion stablemate Bridget St John’s debut set being issued in the US under license through Elektra, neither “1917 Revolution” nor the “Beau” LP were thought appropriate for release stateside.

It was only many years later I found out why. I’d always believed it was probably because Jac Holzman had given me the thumbs-down for Elektra. Seemingly, it wasn’t that at all! With all the best publicity intentions, Clive Selwood had been trumpeting to all and sundry how Beau permanently dressed in black and was a “committed communist”. The fact I wasn’t was irrelevant, but it wasn’t until early in the 21st Century I was informed how, back in the day, I hadn’t been considered suitable for US release because of the “...doubtful nature of my political credentials”! Understandable, perhaps, but sad. But then, this was the time of Barry Goldwater, and the Cold War was in full swing... Thankfully, “Beau” and “1917 Revolution” are now available worldwide in all formats; CD, LP, streaming or download. I guess I’m no longer seen as a threat to western democracy! And would you believe, the vinyl’s even available through Walmart! The times truly are a’changin’!

‘71 saw the release of your wonderful sophomore follow up entitled “Creation”. Tell me about writing this record and what you wanted to achieve and/or express that maybe you couldn’t on your debut?

Two factors were particularly influential when it came to the “Creation” album. The first was when Clive phoned to say he’d had an idea. Dandelion had recently signed an innovative new rock band from Rochdale, just over the Pennines from me. They were called The Way We Live. Would I be interested in perhaps working with them on my next album? He sent me a reel-to-reel copy of Mike Hart’s soon-to-be-released “Mike Hart Bleeds” album to give some idea of the sort of enhancement he was envisaging. The second was my increasing interest in the avant-garde. At the time, I was getting quite heavily into the more exotic sides of classical music – Bartók, Stravinsky, Schoenberg etc. From these guys, it was but a short leap on to people like Morton Subotnick, György Ligeti, Lukas Foss; and particularly Karlheinz Stockhausen. Meeting up with Jim, Steve and John (The Way We Live’s producer) I found not only were they flexible enough to work with a folkie, they were also open to experimentation. So, when it came to writing the “Creation” set, alongside ‘Beau the Folk Singer’, I had the opportunity to play around a little! I guess the nearest-to-avant-garde track on the album is the title track itself, entirely whispered and with a doomy bass, swirling electronics and a rather satisfying explosion at the end! “Silence Returns”, at the other end of the scale, has been described as “one of the most shocking moments in rock!” My idea here was that, after the folky lyric had denounced the violence of silence, the second half of the song would illustrate that violence instrumentally; which Jim Milne famously carried through in spades when he let loose with his now iconic solo!

When and where did recording begin in ’71? I understand you worked with a handful of different engineers on this album. Where was the cover of the album taken?

We recorded “Creation” over three days at the Hollick & Taylor recording studio in Birmingham. John Brierley of The Way We Live supervised the recording, with John Taylor engineering. However, when it came to mixing, we took the tapes to Marquee Studios in London. Another interesting sideline... Neither Phil Dunne, the Marquee engineer at the time, nor John Brierley could quite get the timing right to trigger Jim’s solo on “Silence Returns”. And so, it fell to yours truly to flick the red switch at exactly the right moment. This stands as my proudest engineering achievement! The optimistic-feel album design is actually cover #2. Created by Forehead Designs in London, it’s simply based around a stock photo. Collectors today however seem more interested in the first (rejected) cover featuring me recumbent behind a fish tank, and starring our two pet fish, Zarathustra and Finbar Furey! Sommor Records in Spain featured this cover in full size with their vinyl reissue of the album a few years back. I’m very curious and having great difficulty not asking about the late John Peel.

During your very short, but impactful time with him, what can you tell us about working with him for the few years you did? What was he like outside of the studio and outside of music for that matter?

John was a great bloke – very genuine, straightforward, hated confrontation, what you saw was what you got. When I knew him, he lived in a small mews pad just off the Marylebone Road. The first time I visited, I was mightily impressed by the groaning racks of records that lined one wall. Going through them, I was impressed how many we had in common (though my collection was miniscule compared to John’s!). One disc in particular rang a bell and made me think, “This man has real taste!”; “The Art Of William Kimber”, an old Oxfordshire concertina player on the Topic label. Anyone who liked William Kimber was OK with me! Marc Bolan was there at the same time, playing away on a sitar in the corner. John had done so much to bring Tyrannosaurus Rex to public attention, and I know he was hurt in later years when, after becoming successful with T. Rex, Marc became rather difficult and dismissive of the help John had given him. But that’s showbiz... John was a fine raconteur; but then, he had so many stories to tell, particularly of his time as John Ravencroft in the States. It was almost as a throwaway he told us when we were over with him in Amsterdam for the Dutch Dandelion launch how he was actually in the room at Dallas Police Headquarters when Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald! (All true, by the way!) But it’s a long time ago now. The last time I met up with John and Sheila, my wife and I were at a Tangerine Dream gig in York Minster. That would be in the mid-70s. He was a great guy. Good memories.

Is it true that your music may have inspired America’s great hit “A Horse With No Name?”

However unlikely it seems, it appears so! Several years back, I was reading an interview with America in a magazine and was more than surprised to see they referenced Beau’s “1917 Revolution” as a key inspiration for “A Horse With No Name”. Initially, it seemed ridiculous, particularly because, as we’ve already said, “1917 Revolution” was never issued in the States. However, what I didn’t know at the time, and what I only found out later, was the guys’ fathers were in the military and stationed – complete with their families – in the UK throughout the late ’60s/early ’70s. Seemingly, that’s where the band picked up on “Revolution” and the rest, as they say, is history!

After the release of ’71’s “Creation” it seems you took a near 40 year hiatus in music. What happened after that release and where were you in your life during that time? As a huge body of unreleased work began to surface throughout the years in various forms, it's hard to imagine you didn’t write and record through the decades. Did something change during those Dandelion days?

In 1972, two major events occurred that would affect my musical future. Firstly, Dandelion folded with all artists now having to look around for alternative labels. The second, which happened at almost exactly the same moment, was I got a major promotion in the day job. Circumstances panning out as they were, the decision as to my professional future became something of a no-brainer and I stayed in the commercial world until finally leaving to focus on music and writing in 1996. One interesting project was however mooted in the months immediately following Dandelion’s collapse. The Way We Live (now re-named Tractor) and I were busily working on album #3 when the bad news dropped. When work on the new set ground to a halt, the band’s drummer – and talented artist – Steve Clayton had an idea to make a series of paintings themed around my songs. I think he had a book in mind. The book never came to pass, but half a dozen or so of the pictures were completed, which I subsequently bought from him and still have in my collection. Now fast-forward almost fifty years...

When COVID hit in the UK, I was searching round for a project to work on during our first period of lockdown. What I came up with was a short movie, “Out Of Adversity...” (now showing on YouTube), showcasing Steve’s paintings from ’72/’73, and the songs that had inspired them. As a movie, it’s never going to rip up any trees, but I was quite pleased with the result and how it’s gone down. But back to your questions... That long dormant period was when I built my first studio. And yes, over the time I wrote and recorded hundreds of songs; some “full band”, many just in my preferred simple voice-and-twelve-string style. People often ask me, “How do you write your songs?”, and sometimes – even more pointedly! – “WHY do you write songs?” The answer to the second question is simple; “Because I do!” It’s like asking, “Why do you breathe?” “Because I do. It’s part of me.” It seems strange, thinking back, that over a period of twenty-three years – from 1972 to 1995 – not a single Beau track was released or re-released anywhere in the world (other than on a couple of bootlegs).

So you’re right – just because I was no longer actively involved in the music business over that time didn’t mean my musical activities were in any way curtailed. Just returning that often-posed question of a moment ago, “How do you write your songs?”, forgive me again if I wander slightly off-piste to answer. It’s relevant to what I do now and the way I do it. I always say there are as many ways of writing songs as there are song writers. For me, the lyrics have come first in 99% of the songs I’ve penned down the years. I’m first and foremost a words man. I can easily count on the fingers of two hands where the melody has been the driver with the lyrics fashioned to fit. Quite a few years back, a Japanese label re-released both the “Beau” and “Creation” sets on CD. They offered great facsimile presentations, including transcribed lyric sheets. I was intrigued, though a bit saddened, to see that whilst the “Beau” sheet was mostly accurate, the same certainly couldn’t be said for “Creation”. I really wish they’d asked me for the words! I’d have gladly sent them through. Significantly, I realized the misinterpretations occurred mostly on the “band” tracks. By and large, the voice-and- guitar takes were OK. When carefully-worked-through lyrics are the reason for a song’s existence in the first place, it really is better to avoid misinterpretations! That’s why nowadays, wherever I have input on releases or re-releases, the full correct lyrics are always published, either as fly-sheets with LPs, or online. It’s also why I prefer to stay with voice-and guitar (rather than deliver in a band environment where, with the best will in the world, the clarity of the lyrics can be compromised in the mix). Sorry about that – I got carried away! Just to conclude your point... It was in 1994 that JP did an interview for a magazine called Interzone in which he favourably recalled “1917 Revolution”. Later that same year, Q Magazine ran a “Where Are They Now” feature on me, probably off the back of John’s comments. The following year, See For Miles re-released both “Beau” and “Creation” on a two-for-one CD. That was when everything began to snowball. Thank goodness, the snowball keeps on rollin’! It’s true a fair number of the songs written and recorded in those “dormant” years have now surfaced on various media; Salvation’s vinyl “Twelve Strings To The Beau”, Angel Air’s “Edge Of The Dark” CD, Cherry Red’s “Fables & Façades” and “Creation Recreated” download sets being examples. But there are still a whole load more ‘in the can’. What, if anything, will happen with those in the long run is anyone’s guess!

I understand you’ve almost been working exclusively with the folks over at Cherry Red. Can you tell me about some of those releases such as, “Fly The Bluebird”, The Methadone of Time” and most recently “Al Killem’s Final Show”? What has it been like for you to release all these records in this a whole new climate with different generations engaging with your work?

Remarkably, “Al Killem’s Final Show” has been my thirteenth release for Cherry Red! I’m willing to stand corrected, but I think I’m the only artist on Cherry Red’s books to be releasing entirely current material. You mention “Bluebird” and “Methadone”, but one reason I’ve rarely got round to putting out more recordings from those ‘dormant’ years is I write so much new stuff now! I’m lucky in that I’ve never had writer’s block. But then, seeing as most of my material is sourced from news and current affairs, I can never run out of topics. That said, I only rarely write ABOUT specific incidents (news items, by definition, have a very short shelf-life). I prefer to be INSPIRED by them. Looked at carefully – and maybe obliquely – most events have an underlying narrative that will stay valid long after the happening itself is forgotten. And of course, the climate – in all its senses! – keeps on changing as the world keeps turning! Talking of different generations, now being in my seventy-seventh year, it feels bizarre to be considerably more ancient than those venerable old bluesmen who were rediscovered and lionised back in the sixties. I guess when you’ve been around a long time, that in itself seems to confer a certain credibility!

Is there anything else you would like to further share with the readers?

Well, seeing as how you ask... You’ll remember we spoke about the avant-garde aspects on the “Creation” album back in ’71? If any of your readers lean in that direction, they may well be interested in a relatively recent incarnation of mine; Simfonica. Simfonica – SIMFonic ElectrONICA – is the umbrella name I use for large-scale pieces in the electronic sphere. So far, Simfonica has released two CDs – “ audio/visual DVD, “ and “Body Mass” (2018), plus one Letters In Time” (2017). Song Of The Volcanoes” (2016) For anyone fancying a gentle introduction to Simfonica, “From A Birmingham Jail” on YouTube is taken from the Letters In Time” DVD and was inspired by Dr Martin Luther King’s 1963 famous correspondence. Many thanks indeed for inviting me to take part in this interview. I’ve greatly enjoyed it, and wish you and Primitive Man Soundz all the best!

Website – http://www.trevormidgley.com/
Beau’s Recordings blog – http://beausrecordings.blogspot.com/
The Raiders “I Remember” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiX7exZSTMk&t=28s

Beau “1917 Revolution” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNSA6gUpy_k
Beau “Silence Returns” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne3F8VH7mNo
“Out Of Adversity...” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1h-J6ZNI8U&t=6s

Simfonica – https://simfonica.bandcamp.com/
Simfonica “From A Birmingham Jail” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kebLDVaezg