Chris Hewitt clearly remains on a mission… his calling to continue enlightening us with an in-depth working knowledge of what went on behind the scenes in the World of Rock back in the day. And I’m not talking encounters with Colombian marching powder or lurid recollections of Dances With Groupies. Chris’ areas of expertise involve sonic enlightenment, his serialisation of the Development of Large Rock Sound Systems now up to four volumes… and counting.
In Volume 4, Chris – last popping up on this website in May 2023, with a link here – shines further crazy diamond light on Pink Floyd’s sonic experimentations, this time concentrating on their Allen and Heath systems and telling the story of the innovative company behind all that. But he also returns to the winning subject of David Bowie, the onus on his 1973 sound system, in a 150-plus page paperback also taking in the IES (International Entertainers Services) story and looking at The Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound, while featuring a wealth of cracking images across the (circuit) board, including those from a few less celebrated ’70s festivals.
Published under the Dandelion Records name (the link to that label and founder John Peel – dating back to Chris’ Tractor days – explained in my first chat with Chris seven years ago, and copied here), it’s another large format book, the fact that there have been so many volumes something of a surprise to the Cheshire-based ‘musical archaeologist’ (BBC Radio 6 Music) behind CH Vintage Audio.
As Chris puts it, ‘Back in 2020 when I started writing and compiling Volume 1, I never thought the interest from all of the world would lead to the creation of further volumes, as people’s memories and photographs came out of the woodwork.’ And they certainly have, much new info, insight and many an anecdote leading to another splendid read.
The section on Pink Floyd ‘s Allen and Heath system was put together with help from innovative electronic designer Andy Bereza, the Floyd first bringing in Allen and Heath at Pompeii in late ’71, with Andy there from the outset. He recalls, ‘The chief Pink Floyd roadie at the time of building the Pompeii mixer was a crazy guy called Peter Watts, who later died of a drugs overdose. I remember when he first came up with proposals for a mixer. He came to me with a huge A1 sheet of paper covered in fluorescent markers, with different coloured knobs for every manageable area of the mixer and the idea of coloured luminated push buttons in a variety of colours for routing on the desk.
‘Peter, like a lot of late ‘60s, early ‘70s people, was into psychedelics, and also wanted to see the mixing desk feature lots of bright coloured lights. I think we did what we could in satisfying his needs for visual stimulation, but in the end, he changed all the knobs constantly, all by himself.’
Much more is revealed about Floyd’s Allen and Heath partnership, the band’s drummer, Nick Mason initially revealing vague details about that hook-up while promoting the Atom Heart Mother LP in April 1971, work by then already underway on follow-up, Meddle. And in Volume 4, we’re soon in Dark Side of the Moon territory, with revelatory insider quotes and interviews – past and present – from the likes of aforementioned Peter Watts, Chris Michie, Mick Kluczynski, Alan Parsons, and Robbie Williams.
The Pink Floyd section spans much of the band’s’ 70s live shows – flying pigs and all – while the IES section sheds light elsewhere via some lovely stories about many more large scale outdoor productions, such as May 1970’s Hollywood Music Festival – not long before Jimi Hendrix, Free, The Who and co. stole the headlines on the Isle of Wight – at Ted Askey’s Pig Farm in Leycett, rural Staffordshire, with The Grateful Dead making their UK debut and John Peel compering ‘from DJ decks on the ground below the front of the very tightly-packed stage.’ And that festival certainly boasted a stellar lineup, also including Traffic, Family, Ginger Baker’s Air Force, Jose Feliciano, Black Sabbath, Free, Colosseum, Mungo Jerry, and Screaming Lord Sutch. Not bad for 50 shillings over that Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend.
We also hear about IES’ involvement at three outdoor shows in July 1974: at Knebworth Park, featuring among others the Allman Brothers Band, the Van Morrison Show, The Doobie Brothers, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, and Tim Buckley; the Crystal Palace Bowl Garden Party show, Rick Wakeman performing his Journey to the Centre of the Earth on a bill also featuring Leo Sayer, Procol Harum, and Gryphon; and Buxton Festival, starring The Faces, Humble Pie, Captain Beefheart, Mott the Hoople, Lindisfarne, and Man. Talk about spoiled for choice. We also hear of IES’ involvement in that era with Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, and with The Beach Boys and The Eagles at Wembley Stadium.
Regarding Bowie’s Sound Secrets, 1973, ‘from the men who built and operated his sound system,’ as Chris puts it, ‘Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders usually sounded and were incredible. At one of the last concerts, attended by Elton John, the latter was heard to say that the piano sound – never an easy instrument to amplify – was the best he’d ever heard. Bowie’s sound secrets were many, and although much of the quality was due to the fact that there were large financial resources available for equipment, the design and construction of the PA system and the way it was used, were what made the Spiders’ sound so good.’
That PA system was built by Mike Turner, of Turner Electronic Industries, a relatively small outfit when they first approached Bowie, the initial demonstration taking place at Beckenham Rugby Club, South-East London, not far from where the Brixton-born, Bromley-raised icon had a flat. There’s insight too from Robin Mayhew, the sound engineer and road manager who was the instigator of that original demo and remains behind the Bowie and Tony Defries-sanctioned Ground Control, Robin having supervised the positioning and wiring back in the day while running the show from a mixer console.
Some of the detail of Chris’ nuts and bolts take on his subject, as I’ve pointed out in previous appreciations, is perhaps lost on those of us who rather take their inspiration from the sheer energy of live music in all its guises without knowing too much about the technical what-the-fuckery of it all… but he always pulls it off, the stories included across these four volumes often very entertaining. And who better to guide you through such a process than someone who’s been there, staged it and splashed out on much of the gear he and his friends feverishly talk about on these pages.
My move late last year from just up the road from Chris’ Cheshire base to deepest Cornwall meant a delay in putting together this piece, but better late than never… although word has it that he’s already well and truly ensconced in Volume 5 while courting further contributions, as he continues to go about his bold sonic quest. In fact, at the time of going to press, he told me, he has ‘tons of material but a few side distractions,’ those including a project with Abbey Road Studios, who have asked him to take all his Abbey Road and Beatles gear back into Studio 2 for a photo shoot, adding that ‘some of it’s not been in there since 1967.’ Meanwhile, this year sees Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon 1973 quad system being used for live shows by a Floyd tribute act. So here’s to the next part of the story, and the author himself. Shine on, Chris.
The CH Vintage Audio collection and Chris Hewitt Museum of Rock – ‘the country’s best collection of rock ‘n’ roll sound equipment’ – is just half an hour from Manchester and available for viewing by personal appointment. And for more details on the four volumes (so far) of the Development of Large Rock Sound Systems series, Chris Hewitt’s 2022 50th anniversary book celebrating the Bickershaw Festival (as featured in this appreciation), and various other CH projects, check out his https://chvintageaudio.com/ website. You can also contact him via email at enquiries@chvintageaudio.co.uk, call 07970 219701, or order online via www.deeplyvale.com/wem-pa-book.
While you’re here, talking of Pink Floyd, those good people at Spenwood Books (OK, full disclosure, they have published my most recent books on Slade and The Jam… but I’m writing this merely because it contains another quality product from the same publisher) are currently offering at a bargain £10 plus p&p Richard Houghton’s wonderful large format, epic, fully illustrated 450-page appreciation of the band, published in late 2023, originally retailing at £35.
It’s a must for Floyd fans, written by those that were there. Richard Houghton writes, ‘Wish You Were Here – A People’s History of Pink Floyd takes the reader on a trip back in time (without the aid of acid) to the psychedelic Sixties, when London was tuning in, turning on and dropping out and when Pink Floyd were at the heart of what was happening in the music capital of the world. With concert memories going back to the earliest Floyd shows, in 1966, through to the last appearance of the band at Live 8 in London’s Hyde Park in 2005, this is the Pink Floyd story in the words of over 500 fans, with eyewitness accounts from around the globe of seeing in concert one of the most legendary bands of all time.
‘It’s the story of Syd Barrett’s founding of the band and of his genius and burnout; of the move by the band from the singles charts and into recording and performing the multi-million selling albums The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall; of the gruelling world tours and increasing tension between band members Roger Waters and David Gilmour that fuelled the creative genius of the band and which continues to spark to this day, nearly 20 years since the band last played live together.
‘More than 300 different gigs are recalled by fans who remember the music, the light show and the aural adventure of a Pink Floyd concert along with the wine, the magic mushrooms and the window pane acid.
‘Floyd concerts were not captured on smartphones. Concert memories were an aural and visual experience made in the mind’s eye. Now these stories, previously shared only with family and friends, are told anew.’
To order, visit https://spenwoodbooks.com/product/wish-you-were-here-a-peoples-history-of-pink-floyd/
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