Notes

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IDLE RACE - IN A SEA OF DREAMS The Radio Sessions

Tracks 1-3: World Service 1968
Tracks 4-12: Top of the Pops 1968
Track 13: Radio One Club 1968
Tracks 14-16: Top Gear Febr. 25, 1968
Tracks 17-18: Top Gear Sept. 22, 1968
Tracks 19-21: Top Gear Jan. 26, 1969
Tracks 22-23: Top Gear June 29, 1969

The Idle Race [Idle Race]

Jeff Lynne vocal, guitar & piano (left 1970)
Greg Masters bass guitar, vocal
Dave Prichard guitar, vocal
Roger Spencer drums, vocal
Mike Hopkins vocal & guitar (joined 1970)
Dave Walker vocal (joined 1970)

With the departure of Roy Wood and Mike Sheridan in 1966, The Nightriders (see Mike Sheridan and The Nightriders) remaining members Dave Prichard, Greg Masters and Roger Spencer enlisted guitarist Johnny Mann from the recently split-up Carl Wayne and The Vikings and secured a recording contract with Polydor Records. Some songs were recorded in London but before anything could be released Johnny Mann decided to leave the group. An advert was placed in the Birmingham Evening Mail for a "keen young guitarist" to replace Mann and this was answered by an unknown Geoffrey Lynne who was 19 at the time. Jeff Lynne was born in Birmingham on December 30, 1947 and lived with his parents in a council house at Shard End. While a schoolboy, Jeff went to a Del Shannon concert at Birmingham Town Hall and was so impressed, that joining a band became his main ambition. Roy Orbison was another early influence on the young Jeff Lynne as well as Chuck Berry, The Shadows and later of course, The Beatles. Jeff's natural talent as a musician enabled him to master piano and guitar and he spent many hours practising in the front room of his parents house as well as making recordings and experimenting using an old tape recorder. This early experience in home recording would prove valuable later in his career. Jeff Lynne formed his first band called The Andicaps with some friends and after leaving school he played guitar with a semi-pro local group called The Chads (previously known as The Sundowners) but was always looking for a chance to "turn professional" and go full-time with an established band. The Nightriders were impressed by Jeff Lynne's innovative guitar technique so hired him as their new lead guitarist. The group soon got together at Hollick & Taylor Studios in Handsworth to record a new single It's Only The Dog/My Friend that was released by Polydor Records under the name "The Nightriders" and had drummer Roger Spencer on lead vocal. Shortly after, in response to changing trends, the bands' name changed to The Idle Race (adapted from Idyll Race) and Jeff Lynne soon became the groups' focal point as both songwriter and lead vocalist. Unfortunately, the band's Polydor contract was allowed to expire but former Nightrider Roy Wood, now of the very successful Move , remained friendly with the group and through him, contacts were established allowing the Idle Race to record during off-hours at the Move's Advision Studios in London. The Idle Race continued to undertake bookings in the Midlands area and would drive down the M1 to London and record whenever studio time was available. One song offered to them was Here We Go Round The Lemon Tree, written by Roy Wood and was the b-side to the Move's Flowers In The Rain single. The song was selected as the first Idle Race release by the management of Liberty Records who had signed the group, but as the Move's version was receiving airplay, The Idle Race did not wish to be known as a "cover band" so subsequent negotiations resulted in the Idle Race version of Here We Go Round The Lemon Tree not being released in Britain (the real reason may have been because The Move stood to lose royalties on the song due to the outcome of the infamous "Harold Wilson lawsuit"). For the first U.K. Idle Race single, two Jeff Lynne songs Impostors Of Life's Magazine/Sitting In My Tree , were selected for release in October of 1967. Despite airplay, the single did not chart but attracted much interest in the music press and won many admirers. The second single The Skeleton And The Roundabout/Knocking Nails Into My House , also both written by Lynne, was released early in 1968 to promote the forthcoming Idle Race album and although this single is probably their best known, it also missed out on a chart placing. Despite lack of success in the charts, the Idle Race gained a large "underground" following including the support of many prominent musicians and radio personalities and this is reflected on the inside artwork of their first album The Birthday Party where invited "guests" are displayed in a photo collage and include such figures as The Beatles, The Move , Brian Jones, Hughie Green and many of the Radio One DJs. Eleven of the thirteen songs on the album were composed by Jeff Lynne and most displayed a simple, almost childlike pre-occupation with weird characters and a lavish production reminiscent of the Beatles Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds/Fool On The Hill type of atmosphere. The Idle Race's live performances saw the band in a heavier vein and included many covers such as Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix), Born To Be Wild (Steppenwolf) and People Are Strange (The Doors). The band also did a heavy version of Tyrannosaurus Rex's Deborah amongst various originals and 1950s rock 'n' roll standards. In early 1969 the Idle Race began recording a second album which would be released at the end of the year. At about this time Roy Wood made an offer to Jeff Lynne to join The Move as Trevor Burton had just left. Lynne declined the offer so Rick Price was selected as Burton's replacement but Wood and Lynne remained in close contact. Further Idle Race singles were released but despite extensive touring of the U.K. to promote them, the group could still not manage a chart placing. The lack of chart success for the Idle Race despite critical acclaim remains a mystery, especially as the band were no strangers to radio and TV appearances. Even the appointment of DJ Kenny Everett as honourary fan club president and the added flattery of having their compositions covered by other artists did not achieve the results the group aspired to. A music press article on the Idle Race in 1969 quoted Jeff Lynne as being disillusioned about the bands' lack of chart success and this was further reinforced by the poor sales of the Idle Race's second self-titled album released in November of 1969 on which Lynne himself had handled the production. For Jeff Lynne, fate played into his hands when The Move's lead singer Carl Wayne quit the group in January 1970. Roy Wood again asked if Lynne would join the Move and this time the offer was accepted (see The Move ). The other members of Idle Race were naturally disappointed with Lynne's decision but decided to carry on with replacements Mike Hopkins, formerly of the Diplomats and The Lemon Tree , on guitar/vocals and Dave Walker on vocals & harmonica. Idle Race continued to tour and release singles with their cover version of Mungo Jerry's In The Summertime managing to reach No. 1 in the charts in Argentina! After a final Idle Race album released in 1971, personnel changes took place starting with the departure of Dave Prichard who joined up with various Birmingham bands including the Poorboys. Dave Walker was next to leave and joined various groups including Savoy Brown, Chicken Shack, and Fleetwood Mac. Roger Spencer moved into TV production and became the comedian "Ollie" Spencer while Mike Hopkins joined the group Quartz. The remaining original Idle Race member Greg Masters joined up with guitarists Dave Caroll and Bob Wilson from the Birmingham group Tea & Symphony along with drummer Bob Lamb who had also played in the group Locomotive. Birmingham singer Steve Gibbons (see The Uglys ) joined shortly after and in February 1972, Greg Masters finally left to be replaced by Bob Griffin who in return was replaced by former Move and Balls member Trevor Burton. The group dropped the Idle Race name and became the Steve Gibbons Band who scored a top-20 hit with the Chuck Berry song Tulane in 1977.