Posted on by Nathan Beaudry

Episode #119 – Trapeze – Trapeze

Link to this week’s video episode on Cocoscope: https://www.cocoscope.com/watch?v=90977

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Lead up to the Album:

  • Trapeze was the merging of two bands.  Terry Rowley and John Jones were in a band called The Montanas.  Hughes, Galley, and Holland were in a band called Finders Keepers.
  • According to Johnny Jones: In 1969 he and Terry Rowley were taking the train into London when they discussed forming a new band and talked about all the people they’d like to play with.  Terry had worked with Holland and wanted him as the drummer.  This was on a Friday and by Monday the original 5-piece lineup of Trapeze was together.
  • Hughes says that Terry was very well educated musically and he wanted to have strings and orchestrations involved a they were all very taken with what the Beatles were doing.   For that same reason they really wanted to have multi-part harmonies.
  • Jones says that Yes was also a big influence on them.
  • In the 2CD Remastered release liner notes Malcolm Dome says: “The band name Trapeze was suggested by Rowly, and immediately gave them a sense of sophistication, which was highly appropriate when you consider what the debut album sounds like.
  • Jones says he originally suggested the name “Trapezium” because he knew of a folk band called Pentangle.  Terry it is suspected suggested shortening it to Trapeze.
  • Hughes describes the first time seeing Johnny Jones at a Montanas show on stage with sunglasses on and thinking this was the first rock star he’d ever seen.
  • According to Hughes they came close to signing with Apple.  Hughes says that in the end things just fizzled out.
  • Instead of the Beatles it ended up being The Moody Blues who offered Trapeze a deal and John Lodge, the Moody Blues bassist, agreed to produce their album.
  • Like many albums at this time they didn’t have time for pre-production but they had songs written so they went into the studio and performed them.
  • Hughes says that he believes Lodge hadn’t produced anything before

Personnel:

Technical:

  • Producer – John Lodge
    • Of the Moody Blues
  • Research, Coordinator [Co-ordination] – John Tracy
    • Author of sleeve notes for numerous releases.
  • Coordinator [Co-ordination Assistant] – Jack Stansfield, Sue Henry
    • Jack, only credit.
    • Sue worked with Trapeze, Marianne Faithful, John Mayall.
  • Engineer – Bill Price
    • Engineer at West Essex Sound Studio
    • Worked with hundreds including Mott the Hoople, Pete Townsend and The Clash.
  • Engineer – Chris Neal (2)
    • Only a few credits in the 70s.
  • Engineer – John Punter
    • Worked with Roxy Music, Mr. Big (not that one), and Martyn Ford.
  • Engineer – Roger Quested
    • Continued to work with Trapeze, Pink Floyd (Meddle), and Cat Stevens.

Recorded: Morgan Studios / Decca Studios, London

(P) 1970 The Threshold Record Co. LTD., England

Distributed By London Records INC.

Album Art & Booklet Review

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Album Tracks:

Side One:

  1. It’s Only A Dream (Galley)
  2. The Giant’s Dead Hoorah! (Hughes)
  3. Over (Jones, Galley)
  4. Nancy Gray (Hughes)
  5. Fairytale – Verily Verily – Fairytale (Jones, Galley)

Side Two:

  1. It’s My Life (Jones, Galley)
  2. Am I (Hughes)
  3. Suicide (Jones, Galley)
  4. Wings (Hughes, Rowley)
  5. Another Day (Hughes, Jones, Galley)
  6. Send Me No More Letters (Rowley)
  7. It’s Only A Dream – Reprise (Galley)

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Reception and Review

  • The album was released in May of 1970.  The follow up album “Medusa (which we covered in Episode #40) was released in November of 1970.
  • This lineup was only together for 18 months.
  • Hughes remembers the vocal harmonies and arrangements very fondly.
  • Shortly after 

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