Clark Hutchinson from 1968 - Guess I have to set You Free

Andy Clark and Mick Hutchinson recorded four semi-legendary LPs of drug/scatter/raga-blues between 1969 and 1971. The first album Blues wasnt released until a long time after the band had split up.

Mick Hutchinson was and still is a gifted guitarist who had began his career playing Indian style music with the tabla expert Sam Gopal. Although he never recorded with Sam Gopals Dream a young guitarist named Lemmy eventually fulfilled this role Hutchinson and Gopal played together at the legendary 14 hour Technicolour Dream at Londons Alexandra Palace in April of 1967.

Clark first came to prominence as a founder member with guitarist Mick Hutchinson of the late 1960s instrumental duo (later four-piece) Clark Hutchinson, both of them having previously played in the underground band, Sam Gopal Dream. Clark Hutchinson recorded four albums between 1969 and 1971, the most successful being A=MH².

Andrew (Andy) Clark is an English rock composer and performer who is best known for his work on keyboards and synthesizer in the 1970s. Clark played and recorded with Bill Nelson (Be-Bop Deluxe, Red Noise) and appeared on the David Bowie album, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). He also worked for several years in Los Angeles, California as a session musician and has credits on records by artists including Judie Tzuke and Toyah.

"A Day in the Country"

The Knighton Festival

Radnorshire

August 23rd 1970

The Move, Pete Brown and Piblokto, Roger Bunn's Enjin, Forever More,

Clark Hutchinson, James Litherland Brotherhood, Alexis Korner, Killing Floor

Paper Bubble Magi.

DJ Pete Drummond




Gareth Kell- gateman - with organisers Chris Plant and Elwyn Powell




Chris Plant recalls the Knighton Festival in 1970.

And so to the big day. Sad to say I remember virtually nothing of it, having been awake through the night before and probably having reached something like breaking point anyway. I remember Clark Hutchinson being a very spaced set of individuals who never got to play as they wanted to go on late once they saw that we had a strobe light. I remember the caterer threatening me with legal action because the public was using the back stage bar. I remember the Move arriving in a wave of arrogance and demanding immediate payment or they would leave. I remember giving in to sleep well before headliners Piblokto and The Move took the stage. I remember waking to find the stage being dismantled and the audience having long gone. In short, I remember the build up to the festival as one of the most exciting and eventful periods of my life but the day itself as a blur of exhaustion.

Knighton Festival
23rd August, 1970

The idea was first kicked around by myself and a friend by the name of Elwyn Powell, who had previously run a mobile psychedelic disco called the Retinal Circus (after a poetry book we read about). The disco was renamed, in a style so Sixties, Uncle Albert and his Amazing Left Testicle for the one night of a disco competition in nearby Shrewsbury (we didnt win, but at least we werent lynched). Anyway, back to the main plot. I started writing to various people that we liked: I still have a letter from Spike Milligan saying he was sorry but he couldnt do it! We even had the cheek to phone up The Roundhouse in London, where we knew The Incredible String Band were rehearsing a concept show called "U". One of these early enquiries which did bear fruit involved The Strawbs, but more of that later. Other early developments included the roping in of Alexis Korner, father figure of the British blues boom, without whom modern music wouldnt be the same. and a very wonderful man to boot. I have fond memories of going to tea at his house tucked away in a field up the valley and discussing our plan. He took us so seriously even though, looking back, we were just enthusiastic teenagers. Chart regulars The Move were booked at this stage, not because we were great fans but through awareness that we were going to need a big name to headline if we were to get the rest to happen. Also we were in contact with a Shrewsbury duo called Paper Bubble, who had been given publicity through working with the Strawbs. Local bassist Stuart Macdonald was interested in bringing along his band, Killing Floor, who had released two very fine blues albums at that time. Also set up at this early stage was the band Clark Hutchinson, whose one album released at that point had been heaped with of gushy praise and provided with sleeve notes by John Peel.

At about this time we did a bit of fund raising in the time honoured form of a jumble sale. Nothing very memorable about that you might say. except that one customer was none other than Paul Rogers of rock legends Free, brought along to meet us by his mate Stuart Macdonald. Paul took away a pretty floral design dress for his girlfriend. We didnt charge him. (less info)