John's Children
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John's Children, formerly "The Silence", were a Leatherhead, England-based 1960s proto-punk band featuring future T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan, whose 1967 single "Desdemona" was banned by the BBC for the 'controversial' lyric, "Lift up your skirt and fly". Bolan was with the band for about four months. His main roles were to be the band's composer and play electric guitar (until then, he only played acoustic guitar). His singing voice is sometimes lead in "unofficial" recordings only (demos, BBC radio sessions).
Their manager was Simon Napier-Bell, who devised white stage outfits and an outrageous stage act which included fighting each other and Bolan whipping the stage with a chain.
John's Children in Germany
The group were put on tour with The Who in Germany around April 1967. A concert in Düsseldorf ended in a riot, and a later concert in Ludwigshafen created such a fuss that the Who nearly couldn't play. The group were promptly deported.The group's influence
Despite having little success, John's Children were a heavy influence on punk music, with their amateurishness and their headline-grabbing controversy. The group still have a small cult following, and are still releasing albums, with only two members of the original lineup remaining. Present-day indie rock groups such as the Arctic Monkeys owe a lot to the band's simple DIY mod-rock music.lineup
- Andy Ellison: vocals
- Geoff McClelland: guitar
- Marc Bolan: guitar (replaced McClelland in March 1967)
- John Hewlett: bass guitar
- Chris Townson: drums / also guitar after Bolan left in June 1967.
- Chris Colville: drums (only at live-appearances), after Bolan left the group, enabling Townson to switch to guitar.
Discography
- Singles
- "Smashed Blocked" / "Strange Affair" (UK A-Side title: "The Love I Thought I'd Found"; USA: Billboard Hot 100 and local (Florida) Top-10s; backing by L.A. session musicians) (UK: Columbia DB 8030, October 14 1966, USA: White Whale, December 1966)
- "Just What You Want - Just What You'll Get" / "But She's Mine" (A-side: backing by english session musicians; Jeff Beck guests on B-side) (UK: Columbia DB 8124, February 3 1967)
- "Desdemona" / "Remember Thomas a Beckett" (Bolan on A-side, McClelland on B-side) (UK: Track 604003, 24 May 1967)
- "Midsummer Night's Scene" / "Sara Crazy Child" (release cancelled) (UK: Track 604005, June 1967)
- "Come and Play with Me in the Garden" / "Sara Crazy Child" (Bolan on B-side only) (UK: Track 604005, July 14 1967)
- "Go Go Girl" / "Jagged Time Lapse" (A-side is version of Bolan's "Mustang Ford" and features Bolan on guitar, B-side from remaining recordings with Geoff McClelland) (UK: Track 604010, October 6 1967)
- Andy Ellison: "It's Been A Long Time" / "Arthur Green" (B-side only, Ellison solo single) (UK: Track 604018, December 1967)
- "Incredible Sound Show Stories Vol.5 - Yellow Street Boutique" A Sampler featuring songs recorded by "The Silence".
External links
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