The Rockingbirds
When Camden went country!

In the mid 90s, the alt-country scene was developing into a credible genre across the Atlantic thanks to the likes of Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar's Uncle Tupelo. I started getting into country music in a big way around this time. My first introduction to this strange, alluring, yet much maligned music came from digging the Byrds and from this I soon discovered the wonders of Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers. The UK's response came from Camden, London of all places…

The Rockingbirds were a much loved British country-rock band heavily supported by the hip Heavenly label. They formed in Camden, London during 1990. The Rockingbirds were singer/songwriter Alan Tyler, singer/tambourine player Sean Reed, guitarist Andy Hackett, pedal steel guitarist Patrick Arbuthnot, bassist Dave Goulding and former Weather Prophets drummer Dave Morgan.

They released two albums and batch of singles during their brief career. Their eponymous debut came out in 1992 to warm critical response. The follow up 'Whatever happened to the Rockingbirds' came out in 1995. Sadly, the group disbanded soon after leaving behind some happy memories and fine songs including their effervescent tribute to singer Jonathan Richman called simply, 'Jonathan, Jonathan'.

I met up with Rockingbirds sometime in 1993/4 when they arrived in Leeds to play at the Duchess. Whilst the rest of the band were tucking into their grub I spoke to Sean Read.

The Rockingbirds story started in the basement at 123 Camden Road. After awhile the band started gigging locally at pubs such as the Falcon and The White Horse.

Sean Read takes up the story, "After awhile we were picked up by Jeff Barrett's Heavenly label and released a single, 'a good day for you, a good day for me'. A few month later we signed to Sony Columbia and recorded the debut album".

This deal sadly collapsed and the band found themselves without the financial backing they needed to spread the word.

"It's hard not to take being dropped personally but I think you just have to think along the line, that we've only failed commercially not musically. We were lucky enough that the big wigs at Sony lost faith as the dosh wasn't coming in truckloads. Everyone else we working with like Heavenly and Warner Chappell still really believed in us and carried on supporting the band".

Luxury hotels, sleeper buses and unlimited studio time were a thing of the past and the band had to operate on a tighter budget. They documented a year of turmoil in a single called 'Band of Dreams' that preceded the Heavenly album, 'Whatever Happened To…'

"We were almost constantly on tour and were caning it pretty hard the whole time. We got a bit of a reputation for hard drinking, snorting etc and probably tried to live up to it too much. At the time is was the tail end of 'rave' and E culture and bands like Primal Scream championing a high drug profile. The attitude was that there was something spiritual about getting completely off your face. Being on tour is like having no responsibilities and nowhere to put your feet on the ground. So, maybe we did lose sight of music for awhile but as Alan sings, 'It's a mighty hard place to write songs on the road'".

It wasn't meant to be for the Rockingbirds from the start. Despite a brief flirtation with success they soon got dismissed as something of a joke. Listening back to the music I am struck by how authentic and genuine these songs are. From good time, feel good boogie to heartfelt melancholy, the Rockingbirds had it all. They had strong songs that stand up very well today but back then people had too many misconceptions, including the band!

"Most of us had probably been quite disparaging of country in the past being ex punks and soul boys" says Sean, "but I think it was just the stigma that's still attached to it for most of the British population. Alan realised country at a part listening to Elvis. Some of us got into through Neil Young, The Byrds, Gram Parsons. The back door, so to speak...It was the perfect vehicle for Alan's songs about his life living in London…songs with a sort of simple innocence that sit really well with that sound".

Can country music appeal to people in the city?

"I think inner city people do want country music" argues Sean, "They just don't realise it yet. It is relevant as it deals with people's lives and experiences. Country doesn't mean, country as in the sticks anymore. It's an attitude. It's also a form of escapism. Music can make you nostalgic for places you've never been or things you've never done".

"Country (music) was played by the poor white in the southern US" notes Sean, "Stuff like Hank Williams and the Louvin Brothers, is so simple, it's beautiful music. There's no overblown pomposity about it so, that it touches you at a very deep basic level. Some of the stories behind the people in country music are heartrending as well. They mean what they're singing about. You're average country'n'western singer has got more rock'n'roll in his/her little finger than the entire British indie scene!"

Still, there are doubters out there. There is too much cheesy stuff out there that puts people off but when bands do it right you've got soul music.

"It's a matter of taste really" claims Sean, "Even we can't excuse some of Nashville's worst excesses. The 'since you stole my watch, you've been living on borrowed time' school of songwriting! We're more Texas than Tennessee. There's good and bad in all types of music and I'd guess that in country, as in everything else, it's about 50/50".

"We all love Gram Parsons" states Sean as he revealed more about the Rockingbirds country influences, "The man who mixed country music with the west coast hippy drug scene and made about four brilliant albums and a few just good ones with the Burritos and on his own. Died a heroes death in a hotel room with an overdose, a lump of ice up his arse and someone giving him a blow job. Doug Dillard from the Dillards and Gene Clark from the Byrds got together and made a superb album, the fantastic voyage of Dillard and Clark with some beautiful melodies on it. Willie Nelson, of course, is a man worthy of great praise…the master of the understated, gentle song and a voice that softly tears you apart. Merle Haggard maybe a bit of a redneck but he does write a fucking good tune. Kris Kristofferson makes us sing, play guitars, drink, smoke and gamble at cards 'till dawn. Rick Nelson got very good when he went country and formed 'the Stoney Canyon band', members of which went on to form the Eagles. There's a great live album with a version of Dylan's, 'I shall be released' which is a fave of mine. Of course, we love Hank Williams, we love Johnny Cash".

It wasn't country music that first inspired Sean to make music as he confirms the records that changed his life, "Searching for the young soul rebels by Dexys Midnight Runners. The first band I'd heard with real passion rather than punk disaffection or squeaky pop. I went to see the Specials and the Selector and Dexys were third on the bill. It was a 2-Tone tour and all the Mods and the Rude boys were in the bar when they took to the stage. I was blown away. The horns, the style, everything…I wanted to give up my job and my girlfriend and follow them everywhere but I didn't have a job or a girlfriend so I went home and had a wank! Nothing changed my life that much until Andy Hackett came round with GP and Grevious Angel by Gram Parsons, played them to me and asked me to learn bass in a week so I could join the Rockingbirds. I didn't manage it but they took me on harmonies instead!"

One of the songs the Rockingbirds will be best remembered for is there hearty, jaunty tribute to maverick Jonathan Richman.

"Alan is a total Jonathan devotee. We all like him to different degrees. After we recorded 'Jonathan Jonathan', we were asked to support him on his British tour. The first night was in Brighton and he heard us do a Gram Parsons number and after the gig came up and told us, 'Hey! Gram would have liked you guys'. We were too nervous to tell him about the song we'd written about him. He doesn't drink or smoke anything but after a couple of gigs said 'hey! This is like being on tour with a real band!' Like all good icons, there's something slightly mysterious about him. He's a bit larger than life and his personality came across big time without having to say or do too much. Yet his music is so simple. It's going back to that innocence that makes it so effecting and powerful".

Sean Read is still working with Alan Tyler. For more info on their current projects check out www.alantyler.com

This article is dedicated to Edwyn Collins who worked with the Rockingbirds and is currently recovering from a serious illness. Get well soon Edwyn.