Third Ear Band - Eternity in D (1971)

A vintage prophesy from the Third Ear almanac - c/o a live broadcast January 17th 1971 - featuring the (post-Elements / pre-Macbeth) quartet of Glen Sweeney (unwisely eschewing his trade-mark hand-drums in favour of a drum-kit), Paul Minns (providing some chilling oboe), Denim Bridges (playing what Sweeney later called a double 'wammy' guitar - with only one neck that worked) and Paul Buckmaster (sounding somewhat awkward on electric bass). Happily, they were augmented on this occasion by Richard Coff (violin) returning to the fold having departed with Ursula Smith the previous August reputedly to form Cosmic Overdose. His playing here is in every way remarkable, augmenting Minns in fine old style despite the lumbering grove-groove of the rhythm section which, whilst being the very antithesis of the prog-muso-slick of the time, only serves to highlight the musical shortcomings that were their very strengths hitherto. That said, the overall effect is truly sublime, though the intro is edited to cut to the chase. This from the usual source tape doing the rounds - listen carefully at the end and you can hear the Cliff Adams Singers doing Drunken Sailor cutting through from Radio 2...

For the whole session and more:

http://rapidshare.com/files/129191420/Third_Ear_Band_-_unreleased_1968-1971.rar

This quartet, sans Coff, (see Hyde Park video with anomalous conga player many have identified incorrectly as Sweeney - it can't be Sweeney because he's too good!) up until July 1971 when Simon House was engaged for the Macbeth sessions.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• third
• ear
• band
• psychedelic
• psychedelia
• pop
• folk
• john
• peel
• sounds
• of
• the
• seventies

[keltyk]

amazing-- little break-beat an' all---

[unfolk]

Interesting rare track from the BBC archives and beautiful visuals too... Bravo Tertiusauris! - a.m.

[zzdcb]

If you watch the Miles Davis DVD 'Electric Miles - Another Kind Of Blue' (Live At The Isle Of Wight), you will see and hear Paul Buckmaster talking about 'Bitches Brew' and what a big influence it was on him. Buckmaster was a member of theThird Ear Band for a while, and played electric bass as well as cello, so it's maybe not surprising to hear that influence coming through here. I like it.

[jazzpiano10]

man that's totally coppin bitches brew

[sabrinaeden]

It's from Sounds of the Seventies with John Peel - the whole session can be had from the link in the panel to the right there, complete with Peel's pre-punk enthusiasms verging on lethargy. Stephen Morris is the hi-hat king for sure, and never was a bass player more aptly named than Hook.

[DannyDesperate]

Pete Drummond (as I remember) had some odd TEB sessions on his Sounds of the 70s program. Was this one of them? Sweeney sounds like he copied the beat from the 'slow rock ballad' setting on my Yamaha Home Organ, but without the swing button on... Might have been quite interesting with Stephen Morris and Peter Hook in the rhythm section instead?