Vignette: Syd Barrett and Stars
About the timeline: Using some butterfly shenanigans, this is a short timeline about Syd Barrett's only post-Pink Floyd group, Stars, formed with Twink (former drummer of Pretty Things, Tomorrow, and Pink Fairies), and Jack Monck.
P.O.D./Short story: In February 1969, giving a break of his solo project, Syd Barrett moved back to Cambridge with his girlfriend. By her, he met the then-Pretty Things drummer John Alder, known as Twink, and Delivery's bass player, Jack Monck.
"
It was initially Jenny's suggestion to us about form a band with Syd. She was along with us, and we went round to Syd's house and knocked on his door. We started rehearsing in Syd's basement in his house the next day, took all my drums round there and just started jamming. Eventually we needed a bigger rehearsal place so we started rehearsing in my room in Cambridge, and we were knocking some of Syd's songs, and some of mine, into shape."
-
"Twink/Bevis Interview Ptolomaic Terrascope", 1989.
"
We've played in local venues, not as much as we wanted, soon we went back to London to play in bigger venues. My manager, Peter Jenner, liked the idea of our supergroup and put us to play at the Hyde Park in 1969. We've played sort of our new set, and some of Pink Floyd old material. Twink and I wanted to do an album while Jack wasn't so compromised to do this so he left us. Twink called up Steve [Peregrin Took] and we were reformed, ready to record our songs."
- Syd Barrett, NME, 1992.
Stars signed with Polydor Records, and entered the De Lane Lea Studios to record their debut album.
LEAN OUT YOUR WINDOW
STARS - LEAN OUT YOUR WINDOW (1970)
Genre: Psychedelic rock
Total: 42:09
Side A - 20:05
1. "Golden Hair" (Syd Barrett, James Joyce) - 1:33¹
2. "Dawn of Majic" (John 'Twink' Alder) - 1:44
3. "The Coming of the One" (Barrett, Twink) - 3:39
4. "Amanda" (Steve Peregrin Took) - 3:11
5. "Three Little Piggies" (Took, Twink) - 3:12
6. "Clowns and Jugglers" (Barrett) - 3:47
7. "Strange Sister" (Took) - 2:59
Side B - 22:04
8. "I Caught You" (Took) - 2:57
9. "No Man's Land" (Barrett) - 3:03
10. "Milky Way" (Barrett) - 3:07
11. "Tiptoe On The Highest Hill" (Twink) - 5:18
12. "Ten Thousand Words In A Cardboard Box" (Twink, John 'Junior' Wood) - 4:29
13. "Late Night" (Barrett) - 3:10
Notes:
[1] Golden Hair - Take 5
Source:
Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs
Twink - Think Pink
Steve Peregrin Took's Shagrat - Lone Star
Produced by Mick Farren, Stars' debut album attracted curious looks about the new venture of former Pink Floyd frontman. Clowns and Jugglers was the only single of the album, and the album made little success outside the United Kingdom and France. To Marc Bolan's initial misfortune, Stars toured with his Tyrannosaurus Rex, which included Mickey Finn. Although, during the tour, Marc Bolan and Steve Peregrin Took apologized.
"
It was great to see everyone who I saw play back in the UFO years helping us to record Lean Out Your Window. I had certainly good times when we were recording.", Syd Barrett. Syd's behavior was getting better together with Twink and Steve. "
Twink and I still used to smoke week in the early times of the band, but outside Syd's range of view. We've stopped to do that frequently... in 1970, I think?", Steve Peregrin Took, 1978.
In 1970, the band backed Mick Farren in his studio album, Mona - The Carnivorous Circus, and also backed him in his concerts throughout the United Kingdom. In the same year, the band hired producer Tony Visconti and at the Mayfair Studios, the band recorded Beautiful Deceiver in a week. "
Syd wrote three songs, Took and I wrote The Sparrow is a Sign, and we've written other songs solely. But we've started to jamming together and we did some kind of free-jazz song which Barrett called Rhamadan.", Twink. In the same year, Syd Barrett seen his former band produce the successful
Atom Heart Mother. Stars opened a gig for Pink Floyd in London.
BEAUTIFUL DECEIVER
STARS - BEAUTIFUL DECEIVER (1971)
Genre: Experimental rock, psychedelic folk, free jazz
Total: 43:51
Side A - 23:42
1. "Mexican Grass War" (John 'Twink' Alder) - 5:28
2. "Baby Lemonade" (Syd Barrett) - 4:10
3. "Rats" (Barrett) - 3:00
4. "The Sparrow Is a Sign" (Twink, Took) - 2:22
5. "Dominoes" (Barrett) - 4:09
6. "Beautiful Deceiver" (Took) - 4:33
Side B - 20:09
7. "Rhamadan" (Barrett, Twink, Took) - 20:09
Source:
Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs [bonus track]
Syd Barrett - Barrett
Twink - Think Pink
Steve Peregrin Took's Shagrat - Lone Star
Beautiful Deceiver had good reviews and initially would be the last album of Syd Barrett, who briefly left the group moving back to Cambridge. One month later, Syd calls Twink to return with Stars. In 1971, the band started to tour, and played at the Glastonbury Festival. In 1972, the band was invited by Tony Visconti [asked by David Bowie] to be the opening act during Ziggy Stardust tour. "
Opening act? I was the closing act for them! Every gig with them I was becoming even more entranced by their sound.", David Bowie. During the time, they met Lou Reed and Iggy Pop. Later, Steve was involved in Iggy's projects.
In sort of jammings, the first tour of Stars was the filled with 10 to 20 minute jams of songs, with medleys and potpourris. The experimental turn of the band was very appreciated and compared with Pink Floyd takes on Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother, and Meddle, as Hawkwind's live show, Space Ritual, and Grateful Dead tours. "
We were aware of all the comparisons, although we didn't like it, we had to let them come. It's the press, what do you want? But it was a great time, I learned new techniques during our World Tour, which helped me in my future tours and albums.", Syd Barrett.
In 1972, with the formation of Pink Fairies by close friends, the release of Never Never Land is considered an inspiration to compose their
magnum opus,
Uncle Harry's Last Freak Out. Along with Tony Visconti, Stars grouped at the Trident Studios recording the album nearly in one month and a half. One of the songs of Syd Barrett was written with Richard Wright during a free-time.
"Well, I was visiting Rick in France when Pink Floyd were recording... Obscured by Clouds, I think, and we both were alone and I was inspired to write something, and he ended up helping me...", Barrett.
STARS - UNCLE HARRY'S LAST FREAK OUT (1972)
Genre: Psychedelic rock, progressive rock, proto-punk
Total: 46:01
Side A - 24:28
1. "Thor" (John 'Twink' Alder) - 0:58
2. "Opel" (Syd Barrett) - 6:26
3. "Swan Lee (Silas Lang)" (Barrett) - 3:13
4. "Still Yawning, Still-Born" (Steve Peregrin Took) - 3:01
5. "Heavenly Man" (Twink) - 3:41
6. "Two of a Kind" (Barrett, Richard Wright) - 2:35
7. "War Girl" (Twink) - 4:34
Side B - 21:33
8. "Peppermint Flickstick" (Took) - 5:43
9. "Wolfpack" (Barrett) - 3:41
10. "Uncle Harry's Last Freak Out" (Barrett, Twink, Took) - 10:51
11. "The Dream Is Just Beginning" (Barrett, Twink) - 1:18
(Thanks to Loulou in help me with the tracklist!)
Source:
Syd Barrett - Opel
Syd Barrett - Barrett
Pink Fairies - Never Never Land
Steve Peregrin Took's Shagrat - Lone Star
Uncle Harry's Last Freak Out was produced by Tony Visconti and was the most successful album of Stars, received with great appraise. Considered a proto-punk masterpiece, the album released the successful
War Girl as single, then
Still Yawning, Still-Born, and
Wolfpack. In 1972, the band started their longest and most exhaustive tour to date, playing in Europe, United States and Japan. The album was considered highly influential for Sex Pistols' frontman Johnny Rotten.
Before the tour starts, the band hired Bruce Paine, former member of Bosstown Sound band Apple Pie Motherhood Band and singer in the counterculture musical Hair, as a lead singer. With Paine, the band wrote new songs which were played during the tour, two of them are present in the live album,
Live Extracts: Six Hour Technicolor Dream. With Paine, for a short time, the supergroup became a four-set band.
"
I remembered that after the tour we didn't want to talk about Stars for a while. When we returned to record our fourth album we've decided not to, and we preferred to disband the band for good. I went for a solo career before my retirement on painting, Twink joined Pink Fairies and Steve became close to Iggy Pop, and ended up joining The Stooges for a while. He even moved to Berlin during that Berlin period of Bowie and Iggy."
- Syd Barrett, NME, 1992.
LIVE EXTRACTS: SIX HOUR TECHNICOLOR DREAM
STARS - LIVE EXTRACTS: SIX HOUR TECHNICOLOR DREAM (1972)
Genre: Jam band, progressive rock, proto-punk
Total: 47:06
Side A - 22:54
1. "Number Nine" (Syd Barrett, John 'Twink' Alder, Steve Peregrin Took) - 10:23
2. "Gotta Be a Reason" (Barrett, Twink, Took, Bruce Paine) - 7:19
3. "Let's Roll" (Barrett, Twink, Took, Paine) - 5:12
Side B - 24:12
4. "Boo! I Said Freeze" (Took) - 4:16
5. "Uncle Harry's Last Freak Out" (Barrett, Twink, Took) - 19:56
Source:
The Last Minute Put Together Boogie Band - Six Hour Technicolor Dream
Pink Fairies - Finland Freakout 1971 [BOOTLEG]
Steve Peregrin Took's Shagrat - Lone Star
Mixed and produced by Syd Barrett himself, the live compilation Six Hour Technicolor Dream was the fourth and final album of Stars. Received with a positive appraise by their fans, the album, along with bootlegs, shows the experience of Stars' concerts with loaded jams, and is the only album featuring the lead singer Bruce Paine as a member.
The End
After Stars' disbandment, the group reunited four times, the first in a reunion tour in the 80's, then in the 90's, the Live 8 in the 2000's, and a final concert in 2011. Syd Barrett, then-married with Jenny Spires, proceeded with his solo career with
The Madcap Laughs,
Maisie and
Syd Barrett, before his reclusion to take care of his first child, and his final album,
Love Songs, before he could retire from the music to dedicate fully to painting and social activism. He still toured, such as in 1985 playing at the Live Aid, collaborating with David Bowie in late 80's, and producing an album after nearly 30 years,
Collapsed.
After the end of Stars, Twink joined as a touring member the Pink Fairies before he become an official member. His music career had some activity in determined periods, such as in the late 70's by releasing Do It '77 with The Fairies, and starting in the 90's his solo career with Magic Eye and Mr. Rainbow. His most recent album, Think Pink II, was widely appreciated by the critics. Steve Peregrin Took worked mostly as a session musician, and joined Iggy Pop in The Stooges, and reunited with Marc Bolan in the mid-70's. He moved along with David Bowie and Iggy Pop to West Berlin. He didn't release any solo record, and died in 2015 during his sleep. Bruce Paine invested in his successful career in musicals, such as in Broadway.
