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Revival of
the early rock-years?
Fumble ride the oldie-wave
 British
music papers barely had time to discuss them, when they felt they
had to go to Germany:
Fumble seemed to have been in quite a hurry to make a name for themselves
over here, rather than back home in
England.
At the same time we have to ask ourselves whether the band is actually
good enough to gain international
attention! In Hamburg, however, they were merely about average.
At best, their appearance was extraordinary - in tune with the nostalgia
wave. But without a doubt, “Long Tall
Ernie” and his SHAKERS can do that in a more original way.
Do you remember times when rock was young? When drumkits and other
instruments were packed up and sent
to the next place to play by bus or by underground? In those days
it was still ‘fun’ if you had a gig somewhere.
These old days came back to London, when FUMBLE played at the recently
held ‘Alexandra Palace’ Music
Festival. Apparently, over there the band had achieved what may
be denied to them in Germany at the moment:
to gain a little attention. And there was plenty of time to achieve
that. Fumble had exactly 10 days time to
‘fumble’ themselves through the festival. They played
once a day.
And they were happy about that, the boys in the band. “We
really went down well with the people after we
played the small hall instead of the big one,” says the ‘boss’,
guitarist Des Henly. “In the main hall the acoustics
were just too bad.” What luck for you boys that you were able
to change places.
But we don’t find this too interesting! Don’t you have
anything better to tell us?
' Best thing perhaps, that we founded our band on friedship,' Henly
continues.
Well, that is a much better story!
So Des Henly, Mario Ferrari (bass), Sean Mayes (piano) and Barry
Pike (drums) play together because they are
friends. What they play, when they play?
Well, mostly good-time Rock such as ‘Poetry In Motion’,
‘Ebony Eyes’ and ‘Hound Dog’, the latter
ones from
the ‘Elvis’ rag bag, but also some of their own compositions.
After all, they do not only plagiarize. Everything
sounds so nicely yesterdayish, like from the early sixties. But
it seems to me not nearly as good as in those days.
Well, whoever likes it, likes it...
Article: Jürgen Steinhoff
Photo: Rainer Drechsler
Translated from original German text: Fumble
reitet auf der Oldies-Welle 
(text kept as close to the original wording as possible)
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More
articles:
Success for Weston Group in beat championship
(Local paper, 1967)
Baloons flying
high behind Iron Curtain (Local paper, 1968)
Fumble (Record Mirror,
1971)
FUMBLE (Beat Instrumental,
1972)
American Press (1972)
Fumble gain a firm hold (1972)
Nancy
finds out all about....
(date unknown 1973)
There's no flies on Fumble (NME,
1973)
Fumble flies to fame and fortune
( 1973)
Rumble, rumble...here comes
Fumble (Record Mirror, 1973)
Fumble begin to feel good (Evening
News, 1973)
Fumble US Tour (Record Mirror,
1973)
In a class of their own
(Sounds, 1973)
Under the influence: Des
Henly (NME, 1973)
Rollin' and Fumblin'
(Melody Maker, 1973)
The Raver
(Melody Maker, 1973)
Back
in time - Nutrockers! (Reading Rock 73)
Accident Prone (Music Star,
1973)
An
interview with Barry Pike (Drum Magazine 1974)
Rock'n'Roll band signs up (St.
Albans Midweek Recorder, 1974)
Record and Popswop Mirror (Record
& Popswop Mirror, 1975)
Robin Katz talked to Sha Na
Na and Fumble (Sounds, 1975)
Pop goes GLC decibel dosage
(Daily Telegraph, 1975)
Concert reviews:
Playhouse Theatre
(supporting Bill Haley) (date unknown)
Newcastle,
City Hall (supporting David Bowie) (Jan 7, 1973)
Philadelphia,
Tower Theatre (supporting David Bowie) (Feb 17, 1973)
London,
Greyhound (May 17, 1973)
Paris
(May 31, 1973)
London,
Speakeasy (June 7, 1973)
London,
Marquee Club (July 14,
1973)
London, Rainbow Theatre
(supporting Chuck Berry) (Sept 7, 1973)
London, Marquee Club
(March 1974)
Bristol,
University (Apr 27, 1974)
London, Kings Road Theatre (Dec
15, 1974)
Burton-on-Trent,
76 Club (Mar 29, 1975)
London,
Roundhouse (supporting Dr. Feelgood) (Apr 20, 1975)
Festivals:
The Reading
Festival 1973
Alexandra Palace
Music Festival 1973
Roskilde
Festival, Denmark 1973 (Sounds)
Roskilde
Festival, Denmark 1973 (NME)
LPs and Singles:
Fumble
(Sovereign) 1972 (Melody Maker)
Poetry In Lotion (RCA) 1974
(Disc, Melody Maker)
Alexandra
Park (Sovereign) 1973 (Disc Magazine)
Million
Seller (Sovereign) 1973 (Melody Maker, NME, Disc, Sounds)
Not Fade Away (RCA) 1974
(Record Mirror, Melody Maker, NME)
Don't
Take Love (RCA) 1974 (Sounds)
German / Danish articles:
Fumble
ride the oldie-wave (fans magazine, 1973) translated
Fumble
- Nostalgischer Pomaden-Pop (Flash magazine, 1973)
Success through persistence (BRAVO
magazine, 1973) translated
 FUMBLE
(GO, 1972)
Sjoveste LP i lang tid (Some
Danish paper, 1972)
Kendt
beatgruppe i Diskotek Limelight (Danish paper, 1973)
Roskilde-festival en stor succes
(Berlingske Tidende, 1973) |
