The Idle Race

The Idle Race were a British rock group from Birmingham in the late 1960s and early 1970s who had a cult following but never enjoyed mass commercial success.^[1] In addition to being the springboard for Jeff Lynne, the band holds a place of significance in British Midlands' pop-rock history as a link between The Move, Electric Light Orchestra, the Steve Gibbons Band and Mike Sheridan & The Nightriders.

Band history

The Nightriders (1959-1966)

The band was initially formed in 1959 under the moniker of "Billy King and the Nightriders"; and consisted of core members rhythm guitarist Dave Pritchard and drummer Roger Spencer, along with vocalist Billy King, bass guitarist Brian Cope, and lead guitarist Al Johnson. In 1962 King departed the band and was replaced by Mike Tyler; who changed his surname to 'Sheridan' for performance purposes, and this change coincided with the band's rise to great success, culminating with gaining a record deal with EMI in 1964. By this time Cope had been replaced by Greg Masters, and Johnson by lead guitarist and composer Roy Wood, in 1963 and 1964, respectively. Wood, who would go on to find greater success in his subsequent bands', had his first commercially released composition with the Nightriders in 1965, in the form of "Make Them Understand", which appeared on a single B-side.^[2]

By December 1965, Wood had joined forces with other musicians to form The Move; ultimately leading to his departure from The Idle Race in January 1966 when The Move started touring [Please note: Roy Wood was never in the Idle Race]; his place in the Nightriders being filled by Johnny Mann, who had previously performed with Wood's new band mate in The Move Carl Wayne in Wayne's previous band The Vikings. Sheridan, feeling that the band had come full circle, ultimately decided to depart The Idle Race shortly thereafter (although Sheridan would later tour with various musicians using the Nightriders' moniker). The losses of Sheridan and Wood led the band to change direction; first changing shortened their name to 'The Nightriders' (reflecting the fact that the band was now going to lack a dedicated frontman and feature other members' performing lead vocals); and then signing a new recording contract with Polydor records. Mann departed shortly thereafter, and was replaced by Jeff Lynne (who at the time was an unknown guitar prodigy from the Birmingham district of Shard End). Their time at Polydor was short, and they only recorded one single; "It's Only The Dog/Your Friend", released in November 1966 with Lynne on lead guitar. Spencer sang lead on the former; the latter was written and sung by Pritchard.^[2][3]

The Idle Race (1966-1972)

Eager to showcase Lynne's vocal and guitar skills as well as his growing cache of catchy Beatlesque songs, and wishing to embrace the new psychedelic movement, the group changed its name, first to The Idyll Race, then The Idle Race. Wood, now a major star as the Move became a successful chart act, helped arrange a partnership with pop producers Eddie Offord and Gerald Chevin for The Idle Race. In 1967, the band were the first major signing by the new British arm of Liberty Records. Interesting, only their first single (not issued in the UK) and their first album got released in the US on Liberty (Liberty would later merge with United Artists).^[3]

The group were well received by the music press for their melodies, whimsical lyrics, and inventive production. They often appeared on the same bill with such bands as The Spencer Davis Group, The Who, Small Faces, Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, Status Quo, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Yes, Free, and The Move.

During this period, Idle Race was also, as one member later termed it, a very "schizophrenic" band. While their records were awash in melodic hooks, paisley-pop backdrops and lilting harmonies, they were a much heavier act in a live setting. Lynne's early trademark around the clubs and colleges was his ability to coax an unusual "violin" sound out of his guitar, while Masters would occasionally take a bow to his Hofner bass. In addition to original material, their set list included extended covers of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild", The Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Purple Haze", Moby Grape's "Hey Grandma," The Lemon Pipers' "Blueberry Blue," The Doors' "Love Me Two Times", and an electric version of "Debora" by Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Influential BBC disc jockeys such as John Peel and Kenny Everett were big boosters of the group. But despite critical respect and famous admirers such as The Beatles and Marc Bolan, Idle Race failed to catch fire with the public.

Bad luck sabotaged efforts from the start. Their debut single on Liberty, a cover of Wood's "Here We Go 'Round the Lemon Tree", was scheduled for release and heavily promoted in September 1967. When the Move's version began getting national in airplay around the UK as the B-side of the hit "Flowers In The Rain," Liberty abruptly pulled the single in the UK (although it was still released by Liberty in the US). The record company replaced it with Lynne's crunching "Impostors of Life's Magazine" in October. With no promotion, "Impostors" received critical praise but this did not result in strong sales.

"The Skeleton and the Roundabout" (February 1968) and "The End of the Road" (June 1968) suffered similar fates. Work continued throughout the year on the Idle Race's debut album, the group commuting in from Birmingham to London on Sundays, when they were granted free studio time at Advision. The resulting "The Birthday Party" was released in October of that year to strong reviews but tepid sales. (Surprisingly, it was issued in the US on Liberty with a modified cover.)

Lynne and Wood's mutual respect and friendship deepened. The demo for the Move hit "Blackberry Way" was recorded in Lynne's front room and borrowed motifs from the Idle Race; the chorus of Lynne's 1969 rocker "Days of the Broken Arrows" lifted part of a riff from the Move's "Wild Tiger Woman". Wood and Lynne often spoke of working together on a project that would integrate classical instruments within a pop/rock idiom.

Lynne received an offer to replace Trevor Burton in the Move in February 1969 but declined with hopes of steering The Idle Race to commercial success — and producing the band's second LP for Liberty.

The self-titled Idle Race was eventually released in November 1969 (in the UK but not in the US). When the two Lynne-penned, Lynne-produced singles that preceded the LP, "Days of the Broken Arrows" (April 1969) and "Come With Me" (July 1969) also failed to chart, their composer's frustration mounted.

Despite more good reviews, Idle Race, the first album to be produced by Lynne, flopped.

In January 1970, Lynne accepted a second offer by Wood to join The Move, on condition that they would eventually retire that band and concentrate on a new venture, Electric Light Orchestra.

Lynne made two albums ("Looking On" and "Message from the Country") and a handful of singles with the Move, including the first version of "Do Ya", as work on the first ELO album continued in the studio throughout 1970 and 1971. The Move, now comprising just Wood, Lynne and drummer Bev Bevan, ceased touring in 1970 and adopted its ELO alter ego permanently in 1972.

Meanwhile, Mike Hopkins (guitar) and Dave Walker (vocals) were hired to replace Lynne in The Idle Race. A cover of Mungo Jerry's "In the Summertime" on Liberty in 1970 finally got them into the top 10—in Argentina. A cover of Hotlegs' "Neanderthal Man" didn't fare as well. In 1971 the band produced their final album, Time Is for Regal Zonophone (UK only); despite this, the band's line-up collapsed shortly thereafter with the departures of remaining founding members Pritchard and Spencer (who later became comic "Ollie Spencer"),^[4] along with Hopkins and Walker. Sole-remaining member Greg Masters built another line-up of the band with guitarists Dave Carroll and Bob Wilson and drummer Bob Lamb; with Steve Gibbons being recruited later as front-man. Ultimately however, this line-up was short-lived and Masters himself departed in February 1972 and was replaced by Bob Griffin; whose tenure in the band was brief and who was replaced by former The Move member Trevor Burton. The Idle Race then, finally, disbanded; with the final line-up becoming the founding line-up of the Steve Gibbons Band.^[3]

Personnel

Members

Line-ups

Discography

Albums

• The Birthday Party (October 1968) (issued in UK and US)
• Idle Race (November 1969) (UK Only)
• Time Is (May 1971) (UK only)

Singles

• "Here We Go 'Round the Lemon Tree"/"My Father's Son" (not issued in UK but issued in Europe and US) 1967
• "Imposters of Life's Magazine"/"Sitting in My Tree" (Liberty LBF 15026) October 1967 (UK only)
  • "Imposters of Life's Magazine" was erroneously credited to "G. Lynn"^[5]
• "The Skeleton and the Roundabout"/"Knocking Nails Into My House" (Liberty LBF 15054) February 1968 (UK only)
• "The End of the Road"/"Morning Sunshine" (Liberty LBF 15101) June 1968 (UK only)
• "I Like My Toys"/"Birthday" (Liberty LBF 15129) 1968 *Unissued*
• "Days of Broken Arrows"/"Worn Red Carpet" (Liberty LBF 15218) April 1969 (UK only)
  • "Worn Red Carpet" was erroneously issued as "Warm Red Carpet" on the UK Liberty single
• "Come With Me"/"Reminds Me of You" (Liberty LBF 15242) July 1969 (UK only)
• "In the Summertime"/"Told You Twice" (not issued in UK or US but issued in other countries) 1969
• "Neanderthal Man"/"Victim of Circumstance" (not issued in UK or US but issued in Canada) 1970
• "Dancing Flower"/"Bitter Green" (Regal Zonophone RZ 3036) 1971 (UK only)

Compilations (CD only)

• Impostors of Life's Magazine (Daffodil DDAF10046) 1974 (2-record set, Canada)
• Best of Idle Race Featuring Jeff Lynne 1990 (1 CD, UK only)
• Jeff Lynne - A Message From The Country 1968-1973 1990 (1 CD) Also features tracks by The Move and the Electric Light Orchestra - there is a companion disc, You Can Dance the Rock and Roll which focuses on Lynne's Move and ELO bandmate Roy Wood.
• Back to the Story 1996 (Re-issued 2007, 2 CDs)
• A new, 5-disc Idle Race box set is also in the works, although a release date has yet to be determined.

Cover versions of songs by The Idle Race

• "The Birthday" was recorded by The Fall with vocals by then-band member Lucy Rimmer and no apparent contributions from bandleader Mark E. Smith; it was released as "Birthday" on their 1996 compilation album Sinister Waltz. (The Idle Race are also mentioned in the lyrics of The Fall's 1978 song "No Xmas for John Quays".)
• Ambrose Slade (pre-Slade) covered "Knocking Nails Into My House" on their 1969 Beginnings (Now expanded and remastered as part of a soon-to-be-released box set) album.
• Finnish band Spider covered Follow Me Follow on their 2nd album 1980.
• "Morning Sunshine" was covered by Jeremy as part of the "Lynne Me Your Ears" tribute collection to Jeff Lynne in 2001.
• "I Like My Toys" was covered by Radio DJ, Ed Stewart (under the name Stewpot) and the Save the Children Fund Choir.
• "End of the Road", "I Like My Toys", "The Skeleton and the Roundabout" and "Sitting in My Tree" were covered by Norwegian pop group The Tables on their 7" EP "The Tables play The Idle Race" (Kippers Records, 2000)
• "Days Of Broken Arrows" was covered by The Liquor Giants on the album "Something Special For The Kids" in 1998.
• "On With The Show" Covered by Pugwash as a double A side with "At The Sea" released 2010. The chorus vocals are provided by Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy
• The Move recorded a BBC Session in which they covered " The Birthday" with Roy Wood singing lead. This recording is currently not commercially available.

References

External links

• The Idle Race discography at Discogs