"Mud in Your Eye" for Brit-Psychedelia
Chris Andrews Song of the Week!
Chris Andrews’s SONG OF THE WEEK: “Mud in Your Eye” by Fleur de Lys, the lively British rock band credited for starting the “freakbeat” sound—a mash-up of psychedelia, r’n’b/soul, and garage rock.
...In April 1966 FDL was embarking on a series of line-up changes. Chris came on as guitarist-vocalist to replace Frank Smith, who’d quit FDL right as their single “Circles” (a Who cover) was getting airplay. Then FDL signed to Polydor Records and were set to lay down new tracks in IBC Studios in London (Sidebar: The studio where the first tapes were made for the famed Mellotron keyboard).
They went in with 2 new tracks—a cover of The Impression’s “I’ve Been Trying,” and the “jagged, pounding” A-side, “Mud In Your Eye.” Chris said, “The night before the session, Phil (Sawyer of FDL) and I were sitting in my mum’s kitchen wondering what we were going to record for the session. Neither Phil nor I had any songs ready…so we semi-wrote ‘Mud…’ the night before we went into the studio.” Sawyer was supposed to sing lead but couldn’t nail it, so Chris laid down a snarling, gritty vocal that fit well with Sawyer’s slashing guitar and the heavy rhythm section of Keith Guster and Gordon Haskell. Upon release in November 1966, “Mud” didn’t perform well as a single, but today it’s toasted as an evergreen in the playfiles of British Rock and psychedelic music—and Fleur de Lys gets props for sparking the careers of Gordon Haskell (“Harry’s Bar” + King Crimson), guitar hero Bryn Haworth, and Pete Sears (Jefferson Starship). Chris carried on as a solo act, singer-songwriter, and collaborator w/Roger Daltrey, David Essex, Davy Jones (Monkees), and continues to release new music. Meanwhile, here’s “mud in your eye”..
.
#fleurdelys #britishrock #psychedelic #freakbeat #soulmusic #garagerock#garageband #guitarist #vocalist #chrisandrews #circles #thewho #polydor#IBCstudio #Mellotron #TheImpressions #PhilSawyer #keithguster #gordonhaskell#kingcrimson #petesears #jeffersonstarship #brynhaworth #music #careers #londo
n