Album: The Story of Skip Bifferty
Artist: Skip Bifferty
2003 Castle Music (Sanctuary Records Groups Ltd.)
CD: CMEDD 518

Musicians:
Graham Bell: vocals (all)
Mickey Gallagher: keys (1-37)
Tommy Jackman: drums (1-35)
Colin Gibson: bass (all)
John Turnbull: guitar, vocals (1-37)
Alan Hull: vocals (21, 22)
Paul Nicholls: drums (36, 37)
Pete Kirtley: guitar (38-40)
Kenny Craddock: organ (38-40)
Alan White: drums (38-40)
 

Produced by Vic Smith (a.k.a. Vic Coppersmith-Heaven) (1-14, 16, 17), Ronnie Lane (15), Guy Stevens (36, 37), Alan Price (38, 39)
Engineered by Roy Thomas Baker (16, 17)
Compiled by John Reed and David Wells
 

Tracks:
Disc 1 - The Album
1. Money Man [Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher/Gibson/Jackson]
2. Jeremy Carabine [Bell/Turnbull/Gibson]
3. When She Comes to Stay [Turnbull/Bell]
4. Guru [Bell/Gallagher]
5. Come Around [Bell/Gallagher/Turnbull]
6. Time Track [Bell/Turnbull]
7. Gas Board Under Dog (Part 1) [Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
8. Inside the Secret [Bell]
9. Orange Lace [Bell/Turnbull]
10. Planting Bad Seeds [Smith/Gallagher/Turnbull/Bell]
11. Yours for at Least 24 [Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
12. Follow the Path of the Stars [Smith/Bell/Gallagher]
13. Prince of Germany the First [Gibson/Turnbull]
14. Clearway 51 [Bell/Gibson/Gallagher]

Bonus tracks
15. Man in Black [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher; arr. Steve Marriott]
16. On Love [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
17. Cover Girl [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
18. Happy Land [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
19. Reason to Live [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
20. Round and Round [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]

Alan Hull/Skip Bifferty
21. This We Shall Explore [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
22. Schizoid Revolution [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]

Disc 2 - BBC Sessions
23. The Hobbit [Turnbull]
24. Man in Black [Gibson/Turnbull/Gallagher/Bell]
25. Once [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
26. Aged Aged Man [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
27. Higher Than the Clouds [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
28. The Lion & the Unicorn [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
29. Disappointing Day [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
30. Money Man [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
31. I Don't Understand It [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
32. Don't Let Me Be Understood [Benjamin/C/M]
33. In the Morning [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
34. Follow the Path of the Stars [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]
35. When She Comes to Stay [Gibson/Bell/Turnbull/Gallagher]

Heavy Jelly
36. I Keep Singing the Same Old Song [Gibson]
37. Blue [Bell]

Griffin
38. I am the Noise in Your Head [Kirtley/Gibson/Craddock]
39. Don't You Know [Kirtley]
40. Shine (BBC Session) [Bell/Gibson/Craddock]

Notes: (***) Tracks (20)-(22) and (40) are previously unreleased. I presume the writing credit on track (1) is in error and should be Jackman rather than Jackson.

This is nearly everything ever recorded by cult psychedelic band Skip Bifferty. Most of CD1 is their single eponymous album recorded in the autumn of 1967, but only released nearly a year later. However, the interest for Yes fans comes later. The band officially dissolved in 1968 following (violent) disagreements with manager Don Arden. However, the line up actually continued, adopting the name Heavy Jelly (the name of a fictitious band in a spoof review in Time Out) and recording the single included here (36-7). One historical website has it that Heavy Jelly subsequently changed drummer to Dave Potts (who also auditioned for Bill Bruford's spot in Yes when he first left the band) and then to Alan White before splitting up.

White had been working with Kirtley and Craddock as Alan Price's backing band and under the name Happy Magazine. Joined by Gibson, they formed Griffin. Graham Bell soon followed and the three tracks here (38-40) were recorded. The first two are from a Sep 1969 single and the third from an Oct 1969 BBC session for Top Gear. White's presence is not especially notable and the Griffin tracks are not as strong as Skip Bifferty or, indeed, Ramshackled. Why the comparison with Alan White's Ramshackled? Well, Kirtley, Craddock, Gibson and White would later get back together as the band on White's solo album, which is effectively a Griffin reformation. All three Griffin tracks, particularly the BBC session "Shine", are also of rather poor audio quality.

Gibson and Kirtley later appeared on Johnny Harris' All to Bring You Morning, while Gibson is on Steve Howe's Beginnings. White also played for Bell & Arc, consisting of Turnbull and Gallgher (Arc) and Bell. Turnbull and Gallgher ended up in The Blockheads, eventually playing along side Steve Howe's son, Dylan, on drums. (HP, 12 May 03)


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