Zag And The Coloured Beads
Encyclopedia
Zag And The Coloured Beads are an English
experimental rock
band.
Blending elements of psychedelic rock and progressive rock, the band were initially active in the 1980s London free-festival scene and featured several members who went on to subsequent projects including Ring
, Levitation
and The Milk And Honey Band
. Splitting up in 1990, the band eventually reformed in 2006 with a different lineup.
The band have cited Captain Beefheart
, Frank Zappa
, Cardiacs
, Philip Glass
and Can
as central influences over the years, "mixed up with all sorts of post-punk albums of the time (Return Of The Duritti Column, Marquee Moon
, Wilder by Teardrop Explodes, Killing Joke
....)" as well as "old jazz, Trumpton
music, plus all the usual Mojo reader's old records."
. The most familiar lineup was Steve Arthur (vocals and guitars), Michael "Mik" Tubb (guitar, bass, synthesizer, vocals), Paul Howard (bass, guitar, vocals), Robert White (bass, keyboards, vocals), and Tom Rosenbloom (drums). The instrumentation was flexible, with plenty of instrument-swapping both live and on record. The band occasionally also played under pseudonyms such as Ming And The Fods.
For the members, the band was just one of several ongoing projects. Tubb and Howard also played in Bing Organ's Beastly Scrapings; White played in Ring
; both White and Howard played in jazz-rock band Peru; and all members bar Tubb occasionally played in the Purple People Eaters.
Zag And The Coloured Beads recorded their first cassette album, Loaf of Legs during 1984 and 1985, using a portastudio. The followup, 1987's Sawtooth Gripmaster saw the band adding eight-track recording capabilities.
Robert White departed in late 1988 to concentrate on Ring
and subsequently Levitation
and The Milk And Honey Band
(he would eventually be joined in the latter by Tubb). Paul Howard left in 1989 and the band continued for a while as a trio of Steve Arthur, Mik Tubb and Tom Rosenbloom.
Steve Arthur recalls "without Paul to share bass duties with Mik, we stopped swapping instruments around... Initially I wanted to get away from the Beads' jokiness, and be taken seriously, ma-a-n, so in (came) a mixture of more straightforward rock, woozy atmospheres and non-specific angst. This was the era of shoegazing, Dinosaur Jr. and Snub TV
. Plus I saw Levitation
doing very well with these huge, intense songs. That was definitely a kick up the backside, though I was caught between wanting to copy them and wanting to be utterly different.
"There was a group we knew called The Belltower
who were an influence too - really driving psychedelic power pop. As time wore on and Levitation burned out, our love of reliable old faves like Led Zep
, James Brown
etc. came more to the fore. Re. the latter, even with the rhythm section on top form (and it was) funk is difficult for a trio to do well - it needs other instruments. We drafted in Leisurely on bongos, but sadly the Hammonds
, horns and backing vocals stayed in our imaginations."
Wryneck continued until 1993 and recorded two cassette albums. Wryneck (1990) and Instant Confidence (1993). Various lineups of the band continued to work sporadically until 1998.
and North Sea Radio Orchestra
) and Keith Roche (drums). In 2007, Roche was replaced by Paul "Helocolin" Johnson.
To date, the revived band has not released any new recordings, although both Loaf of Legs and Sawtooth Gripmaster were reissued as CD albums to sell at live concerts. A typically lively Zag and the Coloured Beads set can be seen in Nick Booth's 2009 film "Hollow Legs", which can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHUgU-eh-dc&feature=channel, the band appear at 06.10, after a satirical introduction. The Beads perform Bernard Crapshit, a song Mik Tubb wrote in 1986 about the actor Bernard Cribbins. The end credits erroneously refer to the song as A Loaf of Legs, which was the name of the Beads first album.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
experimental rock
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
band.
Blending elements of psychedelic rock and progressive rock, the band were initially active in the 1980s London free-festival scene and featured several members who went on to subsequent projects including Ring
Ring (band)
Ring were an English psychedelic rock band active during the 1980s.The band is notable for having helped to launch the subsequent musical careers of Robert White , Michael "Mik" Tubb and Christian "Bic" Hayes .-History:Ring evolved out of the south London experimental...
, Levitation
Levitation (band)
Levitation were an English rock band fronted by ex-House of Love guitarist Terry Bickers. Levitation's music and attitude challenged an early 1990s UK alternative music scene dominated by shoegazing and Madchester....
and The Milk And Honey Band
The Milk And Honey Band
The Milk And Honey Band is an English rock band centred around the talents of singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Robert White .-Sound:...
. Splitting up in 1990, the band eventually reformed in 2006 with a different lineup.
Sound and influences
The band's singer/guitarist Steve Arthur remembers that Zag And The Coloured Beads "evolved pretty much independently, as a band who played complicated tunes in a ragged/bluesy style." Music sometimes "emerged out of jamming, noodling, wandering in the evenings and varied loitering."The band have cited Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
, Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
, Cardiacs
Cardiacs
Cardiacs are an English alternative rock/psychedelic pop band formed in 1977 and led by Tim Smith. Noted for their complex, varied and intense compositional style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by bands as diverse as Blur, Faith No More and...
, Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
and Can
Can (band)
Can was an experimental rock band formed in Cologne, West Germany in 1968. Later labeled as one of the first "krautrock" groups, they transcended mainstream influences and incorporated strong minimalist and world music elements into their often psychedelic music.Can constructed their music largely...
as central influences over the years, "mixed up with all sorts of post-punk albums of the time (Return Of The Duritti Column, Marquee Moon
Marquee Moon
Marquee Moon is the debut album by American rock band Television, released in 1977. While often considered a seminal work to come out of the New York punk scene of the late 1970s, the album differs from conventional punk in its clean, textured guitar-based arrangements and extended improvisation...
, Wilder by Teardrop Explodes, Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
....)" as well as "old jazz, Trumpton
Trumpton
Trumpton is a stop-motion children's television show from the producers of Camberwick Green first shown on the BBC in the 1960s. The third and final series in the sequence was Chigley....
music, plus all the usual Mojo reader's old records."
History
Zag And The Coloured Beads was formed in Croydon and began playing live in 1982 (although demo tapes had been recorded as far back as 1979). The band initially featured frontman Zag (real name Ian Faichne), who departed in 1983 to form RingRing (band)
Ring were an English psychedelic rock band active during the 1980s.The band is notable for having helped to launch the subsequent musical careers of Robert White , Michael "Mik" Tubb and Christian "Bic" Hayes .-History:Ring evolved out of the south London experimental...
. The most familiar lineup was Steve Arthur (vocals and guitars), Michael "Mik" Tubb (guitar, bass, synthesizer, vocals), Paul Howard (bass, guitar, vocals), Robert White (bass, keyboards, vocals), and Tom Rosenbloom (drums). The instrumentation was flexible, with plenty of instrument-swapping both live and on record. The band occasionally also played under pseudonyms such as Ming And The Fods.
For the members, the band was just one of several ongoing projects. Tubb and Howard also played in Bing Organ's Beastly Scrapings; White played in Ring
Ring (band)
Ring were an English psychedelic rock band active during the 1980s.The band is notable for having helped to launch the subsequent musical careers of Robert White , Michael "Mik" Tubb and Christian "Bic" Hayes .-History:Ring evolved out of the south London experimental...
; both White and Howard played in jazz-rock band Peru; and all members bar Tubb occasionally played in the Purple People Eaters.
Zag And The Coloured Beads recorded their first cassette album, Loaf of Legs during 1984 and 1985, using a portastudio. The followup, 1987's Sawtooth Gripmaster saw the band adding eight-track recording capabilities.
Robert White departed in late 1988 to concentrate on Ring
Ring (band)
Ring were an English psychedelic rock band active during the 1980s.The band is notable for having helped to launch the subsequent musical careers of Robert White , Michael "Mik" Tubb and Christian "Bic" Hayes .-History:Ring evolved out of the south London experimental...
and subsequently Levitation
Levitation (band)
Levitation were an English rock band fronted by ex-House of Love guitarist Terry Bickers. Levitation's music and attitude challenged an early 1990s UK alternative music scene dominated by shoegazing and Madchester....
and The Milk And Honey Band
The Milk And Honey Band
The Milk And Honey Band is an English rock band centred around the talents of singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Robert White .-Sound:...
(he would eventually be joined in the latter by Tubb). Paul Howard left in 1989 and the band continued for a while as a trio of Steve Arthur, Mik Tubb and Tom Rosenbloom.
Wryneck
The remaining band members gradually became another band, 'Wryneck'.Steve Arthur recalls "without Paul to share bass duties with Mik, we stopped swapping instruments around... Initially I wanted to get away from the Beads' jokiness, and be taken seriously, ma-a-n, so in (came) a mixture of more straightforward rock, woozy atmospheres and non-specific angst. This was the era of shoegazing, Dinosaur Jr. and Snub TV
Snub TV
Snub TV or simply Snub was a alternative culture television programme that ran from 1987 to 1989. Originally produced as a part of the Nightflight in the USA, it went on to success in the UK and other countries...
. Plus I saw Levitation
Levitation (band)
Levitation were an English rock band fronted by ex-House of Love guitarist Terry Bickers. Levitation's music and attitude challenged an early 1990s UK alternative music scene dominated by shoegazing and Madchester....
doing very well with these huge, intense songs. That was definitely a kick up the backside, though I was caught between wanting to copy them and wanting to be utterly different.
"There was a group we knew called The Belltower
The Belltower
The Belltower was an American alternative rock band from New York City often associated with the shoegazing scene, with members who later joined Luna and Fountains of Wayne.-History:...
who were an influence too - really driving psychedelic power pop. As time wore on and Levitation burned out, our love of reliable old faves like Led Zep
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
etc. came more to the fore. Re. the latter, even with the rhythm section on top form (and it was) funk is difficult for a trio to do well - it needs other instruments. We drafted in Leisurely on bongos, but sadly the Hammonds
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, horns and backing vocals stayed in our imaginations."
Wryneck continued until 1993 and recorded two cassette albums. Wryneck (1990) and Instant Confidence (1993). Various lineups of the band continued to work sporadically until 1998.
Zag And The Coloured Beads reunion
Steve Arthur, Michael Tubb and Paul Howard reformed Zag And The Coloured Beads in 2006 with new members James Larcombe (keyboards, from Stars In BattledressStars In Battledress (band)
Stars In Battledress are an English musical duo featuring brothers Richard and James Larcombe. They are notable for their complex but tuneful compositions, their unorthodox fusion of folk music sources and British/American art rock influences, and for their intricate and allusive lyrics.A related...
and North Sea Radio Orchestra
North Sea Radio Orchestra
North Sea Radio Orchestra is an English contemporary music ensemble and cross-disciplinary chamber orchestra ....
) and Keith Roche (drums). In 2007, Roche was replaced by Paul "Helocolin" Johnson.
To date, the revived band has not released any new recordings, although both Loaf of Legs and Sawtooth Gripmaster were reissued as CD albums to sell at live concerts. A typically lively Zag and the Coloured Beads set can be seen in Nick Booth's 2009 film "Hollow Legs", which can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHUgU-eh-dc&feature=channel, the band appear at 06.10, after a satirical introduction. The Beads perform Bernard Crapshit, a song Mik Tubb wrote in 1986 about the actor Bernard Cribbins. The end credits erroneously refer to the song as A Loaf of Legs, which was the name of the Beads first album.
Members
- Steve Arthur - guitar, vocals
- Michael "Mik" Tubb - guitar, bass, synthesizer, vocals
- Ian "Zag" Faichne - guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals (1982–1984)
- Paul Howard - bass, guitar, vocals (1985–1989, 2006–present)
- Tom Rosenbloom - drums (1982–1987)
- Robert White - bass, keyboards, vocals (1985–1988)
- James Larcombe - keyboards (2006–present)
- Keith Roche - drums (2006–2007)
- Paul Johnson - drums (2007–present)
Discography
- Loaf of Legs (1985 cassette album, reissued on CD 2006)
- Sawtooth Gripmaster (1987 cassette album, reissued on CD 2006)