PINK FAIRIES ASSOCIATIONS

The Pink Fairies, one of two “Peoples’ Bands” along with Hawkwind, flew the flag for free music and Anarchy in the early ‘70s underground. Based around the thundering blues guitar of Paul Rudolph and the double drumming of Twink and Russ Hunter, they were less a band, more a musical terrorist organisation, turning up to play anywhere for free, even unwanted. They were, in short, the ultimate ongoing rock 'n roll agitprop stunt.

They evolved out of the drinking club formed by Steve, the Pretty Things, the Deviants etc in 1969. Later that year after Steve left Tyrannosaurus Rex, he along with Mick Farren and Twink, used the Pink Fairies as the name for their underground supergroup, only to see Twink run off with the bandname for his new project with three ex-Deviants members.

After the original band broke up in 1972, Steve’s backing band broke away and formed a new version of the group, which went hideously awry until ex Shagrat guitarist Larry Wallis took over and transformed the band, leading them on the classic Kings Of Oblivion LP. Between times, Steve played support slots for the Fairies as well as jamming as third drummer, even once deputising on bass guitar.

LARRY WALLIS Larry Wallis and Tim Taylor, guitarist and bassist with 60s underground band the Entire Sioux Nation, were headhunted by Mick Farren and Steve Took in February 1970. A month later, Farren dropped out leaving Tookie as outright bandleader for the first time in his career. Took, Wallis and Taylor added drummer Phil Lenoir and became Shagrat. Together they recorded three tracks at Strawberry Studios and played live at Phun City. After the rhythm section dropped out, Steve and Lazza continued with drummer Dave Bidwell. The three rehearsed with various bass players and later formed an acoustic three-piece (as well as a six-piece social gang with their three girlfriends, of whom Lazza is sole survivor.) Larry visited Took at his flat below Tony Secunda’s offices and played some guitar for what later became the Missing Link CD. Later in 1975 and again 1976, he worked with Steve on recordings of Took’s songs. He was present at the Horns recording session at Pathway studios in Nov ’77, but left just as Steve began recording his vocals. INFORMATION AND SOUND FILES FROM 'SHAGRAT'

TWINK Twink (John Alder) came to prominence as drummer of top underground band Tomorrow, before later replacing Viv Prince as drummer in the Pretty Things. They regularly played double bills with the Deviants, both ending their sets in chaotic community jams in which Took joined. After Twink left the Pretties, he recorded the much-celebrated solo LP “Think Pink”. Took played on and donated two songs to the LP and this proved to be the final straw that broke the Tyrannosaurus Rex camel’s back. Furthermore, it was the album wrap party – largely consisting of trashing a showcase King Crimson gig at the Speakeasy – that caused Steve to oversleep and miss his flight to the US for the final American tour the very next day. When Took returned to the UK in October, Twink formed a Pink Fairies supergroup with him and Mick Farren, but behind their backs he was setting up another Pink Fairies with Farren’s ex-Deviants bandmates. Twink stayed with this underground behemoth until departing to live in Morocco in ’71. (He would later return to the band towards the end, as well as numerous reunions in the late 70s and 80s.) When he came back to the UK the next year, Twink drummed for Syd Barrett’s Stars and played on Steve’s tapes for the future Missing Link CD. Twink also formed a backing band for his solo career, which would last on-and-off for five years (eventually recording indie singles in ’77 as The Rings and Twink & The Fairies) and with which Steve Took occasionally jammed. INFORMATION AND SOUND FILES FROM THINK PINK

DUNCAN SANDERSON Précis: Be it as sideman at a Took solo Westway gig, player on the “Think Pink” album, bassist for Steve under Tony Secunda, participant in the Missing Link sessions –when it came to active Took duty, Duncan ‘Sandy’ Sanderson, Deviants/Pink Fairies bassist 1968-77 pretty much did it all. For the full story, click here.

RUSSELL HUNTER Précis: PF drummer Russell Hunter was Steve Took’s flatmate. Together they planned a new Steve Took band. When the Fairies keeled over, Russ had no option but to make- that idea a reality. Their band’s career may have consisted of several-abortive studio sessions, but in giving rebirth-to the Fairies and ultimately to the Kings Of Oblivion line-up, its importance in PF history cannot be denied. For the full story, click here.

MICK WAYNE Précis: Mick Wayne and his band Junior’s Eyes were to Bowie’s career what Steve Took had been to Marc Bolan’s. It was only fitting that in late 1972, at the height of the Bolan/Bowie glam era, their respective exes teamed up in a band together. For the full story, click here.

PAUL RUDOLPH Paul “Black George” Rudolph was the incredible Canadian blues-rock guitarist whose recruitment to the Deviants in 1969 pset the apple-cart of the “anti-musical” band, ultimately leading to the expulsion of bandleader Mick Farren and the metamorphosis of the band into the Pink Fairies in the new decade. Paul's career with Steve Took started in the late '60's and both men worked on Twink's 1969 solo LP "Think Pink". Paul contributed thundering lead guitar work on "The Sparrow Is The Sign", one of Took's two songwriting contributions to 'Think Pink'. In 1974 Rudolph's path crossed with Took's again for the Robert Calvert single "Crikit Lovely Reggea" and "Howzatt". More Info on this Here. In addition there were some guest jamming spots by Steve on some Deviants/PF gigs where Rudolph also appeared.