Article
 Poetry
In Lotion - (RCA)
 Disc
Magazine- Jan 18, 1975
Disappointing really. An album containing a mixture of old rock
numbers and brand new tunes written by the band. Most of the new
songs have very limited instant appeal, while the older material
is interpreted in a very unsatisfactory manner.
Perhaps I would be more excited about this work if the band concentrated
on one type of music instead of trying to jumble up the past with
present.
Of course these are all very personal opinions. Millions of you
out there will doubtless hear this LP and weep warm tears of joy
at its sheer spiritual intensity. Sadly I can only manage cold crocodiles.
BL
 Melody
Maker - Jan 18, 1975
A brand new year dawns and with a brand new album from Fumble, the
frantic five from Weston-super-Mare whom I fancy for big things
in '75. Their first album, released two years ago, saw them in a
strictly nostalgic mood recreating oldies from the fifties and sixties.
And it was fine as far as it went. However, they needed to show
themselves as something more than mere adaptors - it's taken two
years to get this down on vinyl but the wait was worth it. "Poetry"
is quite a good album and provides a useful pointer to the direction
which Fumble may take. They haven't cut themselves off from their
roots, witness such oldies as "Not Fade Away," "Break
My Mind," "The Letter," "Runaround Sue,"
"Gone Gone Gone" and "Keep A Knockin'," but
sharing the grooves with these are five fine numbers written by
lead vocalist Des Henly (four) and pianist Sean Mayes which display
Fumble at their best.
They're an unashamedly lightweight band but on "Poetry"
nowhere do they descent into the mindless sort of music which so
dominated the charts in '74. There are couple of slow songs, "Marilyn"
and "Don't Take Love," written respectively by Mayes and
Henly which are probably the stand-out tracks. They make a good
contrast with the faster ones. Their flop single "Not Fade
Away" is included which offers some hope that this great treatment
of a great song won't disappear without trace. The main criticism
is that the album has altogether too clean a sound. I realise that
their music demands a clean sound but it's carried a bit too far
here by producer Shel Talmy. Otherwise it's just fine. Incidentally,
I loved the piano solo on "Keep A Knockin'."
B.H.
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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) |
