This month's milestone in pop is something of a treat for all you legions of Harlequin Grin fans out there. Sir James Garland, erstwhile bassist with "The Grin" and editor in chief of Windypops magazine has graciously given yours truly permission to offer a little insight into the turbulent final months of the band's existence.
As you probably already know, Harlequin Grin was formed in 1964 by James "Jimmy" Garland and Benjamin "Benny" Benn. "Harlequin Grin" because, at the time, they were working on an assembly line welding the mouths onto those metal clowns that were once such a feature of end-of-the-pier entertainment. They used to vie with each other to make the most disturbing and sinister expressions, although Benny-Benn usually won.
"He could weld the lips onto a clown so that it would have grown men wetting themselves and crying for their mothers"
(Jimmy Garland, 1969, from a speech at Benny-Benn's funeral)
Their first years were spent knocking out cover versions for a pittance in a succession of down-at-heel East End boozers. Hard gigs, but a welcome respite from the daily monotony of their factory jobs. Then in 1966 everything changed. The first flutterings of psychedelia were beginning to hit London and promoters were keen to snap up anything that had a frisson of counter-culture wierdness about it. It was one such promoter that signed them up to headline the "Rite of Spring" night at the Hammersmith Odeon, sight unseen, on the strength of their name. Other acts booked to play that night included Cloud Circle (a traditional Ceilidh band, fronted by Sheila Cloud), Dr Cromwell's Amazing Lunar Landscapes (a talk on the latest photographs of the moon's surface) and The Paisley Curtains (some actual curtains). To the chemically enhanced audience The Grin's hastly cobbled together set seemed an enchanted aural wonderland (although, to be fair, the curtains got a lot of applause too). Harlequin Grin had finally hit the big time.
Hit followed hit, from the cheeky psychedelia of "On Me Tod" to the menacing freakout of "Lung Spoon". The live shows were wild, the backstage antics even wilder.
Look up at the sky
Look down to the ground
I'm all on me tod
There's no one around
So I play a jaunty solo
On my magical pink oboe
It really has a most delightful sound!
(On Me Tod, Haywain Records, 1967)
In the summer of '68, the band were at the height of their fame, although the lifestyle was starting to have its inevitable effect on certain members of the band and internal tensions were mounting. Things weren't helped by the critical panning their latest record, the concept album "The Rise and Fall of Orion Ovaltine", had received. In a last ditch attempt to smooth things over and get back to their roots they embarked on a marathon 5 month tour of Britain. Young Rok Magick journalist Simon Teak was invited along on the tour to gather material for a special issue of the magazine and the following are excerpts from his diary:
June 8th, Bristol Arena
I'm really excited to be allowed on this tour, Benny Benn is my all time hero! I met the guys for the first time earlier today and they all seemed pretty nice and down to earth, particularly Jimmy. First gig tonight, can't wait!
Later:
Wow, what a show! A twenty minute version of Lung Spoon! They all gave me patronising looks when I wouldn't go to the after show party, but we've got to get up early tomorrow if we're going to get to Wolverhampton on time. Seems like a strange tour schedule if you ask me; up and down the country, all over the shop.
July 3rd, Northanger Abbey
The Abbey was a spectacular setting for The Grin's live show, Benny Benn dressed in a monk's costume, with the usual clown mask, and the rest of the band wore choir boy outfits, although I could see the drummer, Phil, wasn't too comfortable about that. Went to the after show party, but it was a bit boring really, Jimmy was completely out of it and spent most of the night under a table weeping uncontrollably and muttering something that sounded like "Sandy!" over and over again. Benny Benn says he's always doing that and he's no fun any more. In the end Herbert Wilkins had to drag him up to his room and put him to bed with a cup of cocoa, I mean he was putting a real downer on the whole evening. Me and Benny stayed up chatting 'til nearly two o clock. He's so cool.
July 23rd, Swelpingham Village Hall
A strange gig. The Grin did a blistering four hour set to an audience composed of various members of Swelpingham Women's institute. Afterwards, Treasurer Ivy Falkirk presented Benny with a pot of home-made marmalade as a thank you. He seemed quite touched, although later Phil stole it and spread it on his genitals, then went round for the rest of the evening trying to get various groupies to lick it off. He didn't have much luck unfortunately, and in the end had to wash it off with a soapy flannel as it was starting to attract wasps.
August 10th, Swindon Civic Centre
Benny Ben says I'm nearly ready to be initiated into the Order of the Clown. Apparently there are secrets that he can't tell me until I've undergone the initiation rite. I'm not too sure. I mean, the guy's a genius, but sometimes I find his clown obsession a bit unnerving. He gets this strange look in his eyes and stares at you without blinking whenever the subject comes up. Which it does. Frequently. I told him that I didn't feel I was ready yet and we left it at that, although I'm uncomfortably certain he'll bring it up again before long.
September 7th, The Haunted House, Brighton Pier
Well, I found out the reason for the odd selection of the tour venues. Benny invited me into his dressing room and showed me a little map he'd made. It's like a join the dots picture with the venues being the dots. Benny handed me a biro and watched my face intently as I slowly traced the path of the tour. After several minutes the shape became clear:- a skull with a grinning clown's mouth.
I looked up as he began to laugh softly. "Simon, Simon, you'll have to join the Order of the Clown now..."
There was something so sinister about the matter of fact way he said it, coupled with his piercing gaze that I found myself beginning to tremble. "Or..What?" I stuttered. He just continued to stare at me, his mouth twisting slowly into an unnatural smile. "Okay! Okay! But not 'til the last date of the tour!" I blurted out, hoping that I'd find some way to wriggle out of it before then. Immediately his face relaxed and he put a companionable arm around me. A chill seemed to leave the room. "Attaboy, Simon," he said and picked up his guitar and headed for the stage. I was left wondering if I'd imagined the creeping aura of malevolence that had seemed to infest the room for a few minutes. Is Benny Ben for real or is he just playing one of his notoriously convoluted practical jokes on me? I'm out of my depth.
October 29th, The Plough and the Stars, Walthamstow
Well, this was the final date of the tour. I'm just jotting down a few notes in my diary before Benny Benn comes to get me for his "Order of the Clown" ceremony. I don't know what I was so worried about. He's been so friendly the last month, and completely normal. I probably had a bit too much to smoke at the Haunted House and let the atmosphere run away with me. I expect it'll just be some silly student-type hazing ritual.
The gig went well tonight, The Grin were playing their old local, next door to the very factory that Jimmy and Benny met in all those years ago, although it's been out of commission for a year or so. They've come a long way since then alright - oh, must stop now, Benny's beckoning me from the door. Apparently we're going to break into the abandoned factory and have a few beers. He's brought a clown mask for me, cool!
Later:
THE PIES! THE PIES! JESUS CHRIST, HELP ME...
Simon Teak has never revealed what went on in the abandoned clown factory that night, in fact for some time he couldn't, as his experiences left him in a state akin to catatonia. Herbert Wilkins took him back to his mother's house where he spent the next six months sitting bolt upright on his bed staring fixedly at the Harlequin Grin poster of a smiling clown he still had taped to his wall. By the time he started to utter rudimentary words and phrases Benny Benn had already been dead for several weeks, having committed suicide.
Drummer Phil Kendal retired from the business on Benny's death, and became a bee keeper.
Bassist Jimmy Garland was at first inconsolable at the loss of his friend and mentor, but got himself back onto his feet by putting all his energy into his new hobby; publishing. Within a year he had bought out Rok Magick, and the rest, as they say, is history.
WINDYPOPS SAYS: Ha! What! Who said you could print that? Come and see me in my office immediately!