When remembering Rich it is impossible not to recall the time we spent
together in the school band Anon.
We made our debut live performance in December 1965 at an end of
term concert playing three songs the Stones had recorded on the Out of
our Heads album. It was
touch and go whether Rich would actually be allowed to perform with us
on that occasion - his parents had initially declined to give their
permission which meant that the programme for the concert went to print
with his name being left out - but thankfully there was a last minute
reprieve on that front. I
remember that we went down very well with the audience although the
Headmaster was less impressed and spent the whole of our three songs
with his fingers in his ears!
Obviously
things moved very quickly - as they do at that age - and we had a brief
change of line-up, bringing in the multi-talented Mick Colman. Dear Rob
Tyrrell, Mike and I survive but I am feeling joy at the thought of a
celestial Anon reunion between Riv, (Rivers Job, my best friend at St
Edmund's prep pre-Charterhouse), Rich and Mick Colman.
It is hard at this time NOT to mention the legendary concert of summer
'66 where we were permitted to do an impromptu concert in Hall by the
very effete, touchy and classically-steeped Geoffrey Ford (hence his
edict of "alright - but NO announcements!").
The place was packed, at least half the school there. We ripped through
first three numbers, the latter 'Mister You're A Better Man Than I', a
Yardbirds B side that was very powerful and emotive and in which I made
a vaguely convincing effort at aping Jeff Beck's solo!
So far so good, two numbers to go. Would you believe it, the last one
which was the Sam Cooke song 'Shake' we hadn't once rehearsed but just
listened to in a music booth in Record Corner in Godalming ?!!
Over-confidence, hubris...?? How would it go, it HAD to be a disaster?
Well, we never got to find out (divine intervention..??!) as now
occurred the familiar gear break down, squeaking of leads being taken
out and re-inserted, feedback etc causing enough unrest in the audience
for the great showman that was Rich to save the situation with great
professionalism and announce, "Sorry folks this is all part of the act'
but, in the heat of the action adding, "The next number is..."
Within seconds of starting Pennsylvania Flickhouse I'm stage left
and I see a Vesuvian Geoffrey shouting "Last number, off !" (The
announcement !!!!!)
There was a virtual riot in the place, the Gownboys were rocking the
school clock, violently stamping their feet. It was mayhem.
Rivers, the most placid of people, was heard to say 'where's that
bugger Geoffrey' and threw a lead at him !
Rich had strutted that stage as if he owned it, a natural performer and entertainer. I love to think of him now strutting that celestial stage and entertaining the angels and gods....Till our paths meet again...RIP
Ant
I first met Richard and his wife Maggie in September 1995, having made contact with him a few weeks earlier. He kindly (and perhaps bravely) had agreed to let me interview him and I found him to be both friendly and welcoming. He was also had a large number of stories and some fascinating insights from the many different things he'd been involved with over the years, which he was more than happy to share with me.
Many of these would
later appear in his memoir My Book of Genesis (Rich told me that he had
sold over 6000 copies of the book, which is impressive for a
self-published title) but there were many more.
It's a little-known fact that when he
was at his prep school Aldro in Shackleford near Godalming his best
friend at the time was none other than Richard Scott, who would later
collaborate with Ant on Invisible Men and the musical Alice.
Of his time with Genesis, I
particularly remember him telling me about when they played at Oxford
Town Hall in 1972.
Believing that all the band's equipment
had been safely loaded into the van he drove off - not realising that
Phil Collins' cymbals had been left behind in their cases on the
pavement outside the venue!
The cymbals were later handed in to a
police station and eventually found their way back to Phil but the fact
they had been left behind only came to light when the band's gear was
being unpacked at the next gig in Derby and they couldn't be found.
Rich had to break the news to Phil, who
borrowed the cymbals from the drummer of the support group playing with
Genesis that evening.
Rich was well-known as
being the lead vocalist for the pre-Genesis band Anon and in the 1990s he contributed backing vocals to Peter
Gabriel's Digging In The Dirt as well as Steve Hackett's version of Your
Own Special Way.
Perhaps less well documented in this
respect is the fact that Rich was also a member of the Barge Rabble that
contributed to the vocals on the final part of Henry: Portraits From
Tudor Times on The Geese & The Ghost.
Prior to that in the Autumn of 1973 he
had played a vital role in the production of the student film Fantomas
made by his friend Philip Black, for which Ant wrote and recorded the
music.
Rich found himself driving of all
things a Paris bus that had been borrowed for the filming around the
streets of Brighton, with his sterling work in this respect earning him
the credit in the final film as Sherpa Macphail.
I stayed in touch with
Rich after doing that first interview and recorded a second one with him
later the following year. In the course of our conversations we
discussed the acetate of Anon's demo of Pennsylvania Flickhouse that he
had carefully looked after since it had been recorded in 1966 along with
some similar recordings - also on acetates - that Maggie had from her early
years as a pianist and harpsichord player.
As I was working at the BBC at the
time, I was able to arrange for them to be professionally transferred in
a studio and put on CD.
I can still remember how pleased and
thrilled Rich
was on hearing the recording of Anon for the first time minus most of
the clicks and surface noise that an acetate will attract the more it is
played.
It clearly meant a lot to him and I
think that early period was one that he looked back on with a good deal
of affection.
It was a pleasure to have met Rich and I am very
grateful for having had the opportunity to get to know him.