Posted in: Musicouching by Mark Gordon Brown on February 5th, 2010 | 17 Comments
Have you ever imagined what Western popular music would sound like if The Great Depression or World War II had never happened? The band Slapp Happy may be the answer to that question.
My first exposure to Slapp Happy came from buying the record “Desperate Straights” (a collaboration with Henry Cow), at a record store, in Flint Michigan’s Eastland Mall, in 1981. This record had a plain gray jacket with an image of a very strange etching in the center. It was common for me to purchase records at random at the time. The record was in a rack of “imports” with various other progressive artists, such as Tomita and Klaus Schulze. I had looked at this record on other visits to the record store and decided to purchase it.
Cover of Desperate Straights
I took it home and put it on the turntable and listened to it, while working on a stop motion film for a class I was taking. I had a terrible headache that night. Having a headache is not exactly the best way to listen to Desperate Straights or Slappy Happy for the first time. Despite this, I continued to listen to the record, while I worked on my film project. Desperate Straights became one of my favorite records of all time. This is because that record, and the other music of Slapp Happy, mentally transport me to an alternate reality.
I will address my feelings of Slappy Happy tapping into an alternate reality later on, for now, here is a brief history of the band. Slappy Happy was formed in 1972, in Germany. At that time it was comprised of Anthony Moore on Keyboards, Peter Blegvad on guitar, and Dagmar Krause on vocals. That same year they recorded their first album, “Sort Of” on Polydor Records, backed up by the band Faust. It was a commercial failure and Polydor requested that they achieve a more “pop sound” on their next release. Their answer was Casablanca Moon, which failed to impress Polydor, and was not released. The members of Slapp Happy moved to London England, where they re-recored Casablanca Moon and were picked up by Virgin Records for the album’s release. Virgin had already signed their former backing band Faust and the British experimental band Henry Cow.
qasimdharamsy February 5th, 2010 at 4:49 am
Great post…very well written….
joyhyena29 February 5th, 2010 at 6:13 am
great share^^
ganeshgolha February 5th, 2010 at 10:57 am
Great one! Its interesting.. keep it up. N thanks for the post,also go tru the one which I recently posted.. Thanks!!!
Brenda Nelson February 5th, 2010 at 11:06 am
I cannot watch the videos, but have heard their music, some songs I like.. others are just too weird.
martie February 5th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
interesting to say the least.
Trakiya February 5th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
good article.thanks
deep blue February 5th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Nice music with a different delivery style.
Alistair Briggs February 5th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Good argument about how things could have been different had it not been for the great depression and the second World War.
I think there are arguments both ways. For example, look at what the likes of Robert Johnson was doing in the 1920’s. Even on to the likes of Muddy Waters in the very early 40’s. A lot of that is only one step away from what some of the 60’s bands were doing (Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin etc).
The irony of the British invasion was that it had its roots firmly in the German music scene to start with.
During their Hamburg days, the Beatles performed quite a lot of Cabaret style music and show-tunes, more through a time issue requiring it rather than a wanting to do it.
Anyway, I think I am kind of rambling here without making a point. lol Very interesting read and it is always good to think how music could have progressed differently had certain things not happened.
Ruby Hawk February 5th, 2010 at 11:02 pm
Mark, I think I agree with you. The war did change everything including music. I had never heard of this group before but I like them.
Daisy Peasblossom February 6th, 2010 at 1:22 am
It reminds me of a strain of underground music known as “filk”. Although filk has been infiltrated by rock in recent years, well into the ’90’s it had a folk quality that has been lost to mainstream music. Worm at Work reminded me of my favorite genre.
taypai February 6th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
i have never heard of them but as i listened to the music i feel pulled into the song, another band that was created during the same era was orange marmalade, a scottish band that had a unique sound as well, they didn’t make it far but the sound was one i enjoyed as much as slapp happy
clickmarbin February 6th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
nice information you have here
kakiss February 7th, 2010 at 3:24 am
very nice info
Mark Gordon Brown February 8th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Alistair, it is interesting that you bring up what Robert Johnson was doing in the 1920s musicially. I personally think that most of Western popular music that is around today can be traced back directly to Johnson. Not really a new idea. Many have suggested as much. If I actually believed in a devil, I might even suggest that the Faustian deal Johnson allegedly made “down at the crossroads” might have been a contributing factor to The Great Depression. Maybe the fodder for another article on alternate realities and how things could have been different. I am aware that it has been suggested that Rock and Roll, R and B, and even to some extent Modren Country has been crused by the alleged deal that Johnson made with the devil. For example, the Rock and Roll death curse theory that took the likes of Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, and Cobain, etc etc etc… something about them being taken at the same age Johnson died 27????? .. I may or may not write something on this other idea I have about that deal having a part in causing the Great Depression for the reason that Johnson’s influence to be felt on a larger scale would need some serious economic problems on a larger scale than purely the plight of poor minorities and such. But then again I am not quite sure if I am invested enough in the idea to relate it beyond this response.
Alistair Briggs February 8th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
I think you should consider writing something about the link between it and the great depression, even if it is written a bit at a time over a longer period. I, for one, would be interested in reading it.
lol, the musicians that died aged 27. I wrote a piece on that a while ago called ‘Dead Musicians: The Curse or 27′
@ taypai: were you refering to Marmalade? (Scottish band from the late 60’s to the early 70’s), They had a huge number one in the UK with a cover version of ‘Ob-la-di Ob-la-da’.
In there earlier days they were known as ‘the Gaylords’ lol
BradONeill March 4th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
AHHHHHH mARK i LiSTEnED to the first video and want to poke my ears with pencils So i never have to hear anything like that again!!!
sorry I know you like these guys we just have differing ideas of what constitutes torture. You probably consider water boarding torture and I consider this torture.
Mark Gordon Brown March 5th, 2010 at 2:12 am
Yeah Brad, Slapp Happy is a love or hate thing for sure. Actually I lived in a house during art school with a bunch of other people. They would put on my Slapp Happy records when they wanted people to leave after a party. lol