We appreciate any amount that you can spare to help keep this unique internet radio station "on the air"!


 

From: Newcastle, England

Skip Bifferty never even came close to making it big in the 60s, but is now considered by many to have been one of the more underrated bands to come out of the U.K. psychedelic scene. They had a fantastic, well-oiled sound that was mainly due to the fact that most of the band members had already been playing together for many years as the Chosen Few, an R&B act similar to the Animals. No one in the Newcastle area group was actually named "Skip Bifferty", which was in fact a fictional comic strip character of their own concoction. The band came to be in late 1966 when Chosen Few frontman Alan Hull left and was replaced by Graham Bell (lead vocals). Other members included Mick Gallagher (keyboards), John Turnbull (guitar), Colin Gibson (bass) and Tom Jackman (drums).

The outfit relocated to London and was discovered playing an early opening set at the Marquee by former Small Faces manager Don Arden, who took them under his wing and quickly got them signed to RCA. They issued their first 45 ('On Love' b/w 'Cover Girl') in the summer of 1967 and it wasn't too long before they became regulars on John Peel's Top Gear Radio 1 program. A second single ('Happy Land' b/w 'Reason To Live') followed in late '67, but both failed to chart. They continued to perform solidly and write music together however, finally issuing a third single ('Man In Black' b/w 'Mr. Money Man') and self-titled LP in the summer of 1968. Both songs on the 45 are quite good with Small Faces members Steve Marriott arranging and Ronnie Lane producing 'Man In Black'. The album is excellent as well with most of its tracks being proudly played here on TWOS.

Even though they were fairly popular in the underground scene, they failed to break out commercially and, along with having conflicts with Arden, decided to switch to the Island label, change their name to Heavy Jelly (not to be confused with a totally different band of the same moniker that included Jackie Lomax) and issue one last early 1969 single before breaking up. In 2002, a well put together compilation package titled The Story Of Skip Bifferty was released and includes some great previously unreleased tracks, including 'This We Shall Explore' featuring Alan Hull on lead vocals.

Artist information sources include: The book, 'Tapestry of Delights Revisited' by Vernon Joynson.

Original LPs/EPs

Skip Bifferty

Original LP/EP Label: RCA Victor SF 7941

Released: July, 1968

Buy from Amazon.com

Songs from this album played on TWOS:

  • Clearway 51
  • Inside The Secret
  • Jeremy Carabine
  • Money Man

    (Original 45 Label: RCA Victor RCA 1720, B - July, 1968)

  • Planting Bad Seeds
  • Prince Germany The First
  • Time Track
  • When She Comes To Stay
  • Yours For At Least 24

Artist Compilations

The Story Of Skip Bifferty

Buy from Amazon.com

This 2 CD compilation also contains all of the other songs by this artist that are played on TWOS.

Songs from this album played on TWOS:

  • Man In Black

    (Original 45 Label: RCA Victor RCA 1720, A - July, 1968)

  • Man In Black [BBC Radio Version]

    (Originally Unreleased - 1968)

  • On Love

    (Original 45 Label: RCA Victor RCA 1621, A - August, 1967)

  • Once

    (Originally Unreleased - 1967)

  • Round And Round

    (Originally Unreleased - 1967)

  • This We Shall Explore

    (Originally Unreleased - 1968)

General Compilations

Electric Sugarcube Flashbacks

Buy from Amazon.com

This compilation CD contains the following songs by this artist that are played on TWOS:
- On Love

Looking At The Pictures In The Sky: The British Psychedelic Sounds Of 1968

Buy from Amazon.com

This compilation CD contains the following songs by this artist that are played on TWOS:
- Round And Round

Talking About The Good Times, Volume 1

Buy from Amazon.com

This compilation CD contains the following songs by this artist that are played on TWOS:
- Round And Round

The Rubble Collection, Volumes 1-10

Buy from Amazon.com

This compilation CD contains the following songs by this artist that are played on TWOS:
- On Love