Psychedelic Rock Legend Twink On 50 Years of Rock, Jamming with Hendrix
From Jimi Hendrix to Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd, Twink has played with some of the greats. Back in the '60s and '70s some of his bands included the likes of The Pink Fairies, Tomorrow, The Pretty Things, The Aquarian Age, PinkWind, and Stars. Now, the 74-year-old British drummer, born John Alder, makes his way to Beijing for a Jan 5 DDC show celebrating the 50th – yes, you read that right – anniversary of his landmark LP Think Pink. Ahead of the show, the rock under-the-radar rock legend regaled us with tales from his glory days.
How did your old band Tomorrow end up jamming with Jimi Hendrix?
I remember seeing him arrive at the club [UFO] with a friend of Tomorrow called Howard Parker. We were playing and they both sat down in the center of the club amongst the audience. At a certain point during the show John Junior Wood would often put his bass guitar down and attempt some performance art. John did it this night and Jimi took the opportunity to jump up on stage pick up the bass guitar and jam. So for about 20 minutes, I had two of the greatest guitarists that have walked the planet playing with me. Steve Howe on my left, Jimi Hendrix on my right and me in the middle driving it on.
What are some aspects of Syd Barrett’s personality that might surprise fans?
Syd Barrett was keen to play in early 1972 when we formed Stars together. Syd had come to two shows when Jack Monck and I were playing with The Last Minute Put Together Boogie Band. He just turned up with his black Fender Telecaster with a view to jamming with us. He was invited up on the stage on both occasions. A couple of days later we formed Stars.
I found Syd to be kind and generous, always on time for rehearsals and shows. We played about six shows as Stars, and his playing ability always amazed me. His fingers moved up and down his guitar neck at lightning speed.
What inspired you to coin the phrase “acid punk” for your music in the late '70s?
When I was singing with The Rings in 1977 we produced a fanzine and while in production we came up with the phrase acid punk. We had a laugh about that but it did seem to fit me at the time. It led me on to write a song called “Acid Punk” and one day during that time I met up with Peter Meaden who suggested I change the title to Psychedelic Punkeroo. I did and recorded it for Chiswick Records.
What led to your conversion to Islam?
I had been searching most of my life looking for a practical way to express my gratitude for all the things that have been given to me for free e.g. the air that I breathe. I also found that in Islam many unanswered questions were answered and ideas confirmed too. By chance while traveling in Morocco 10 years ago, a friend suggested Islam to me, and that was it.
What inspired you and your partner Jon Povey to release a concept album earlier this year based on the works of poet Aleister Crowley?
I have always been a fan of Aleister Crowley's written works and interested in the man and his life. I had over the years thought it would be a good idea to record an album of his poems with music. I had been recording Think Pink II with The Technicolour Dream and when we had finished I suggested we embark on the Crowley project. Jon's ears pricked up and he started running with the idea, which culminated in the album Crowley & Me released earlier this year on vinyl and CD. My band, The Technicolour Dream also produced a sister album which has just been completed and will be released on vinyl in January 2019. Twink & The Technicolour Dream - Sympathy For The Beast is full of surprises.
How does it feel to continue recording and performing for enthused crowds 50 years after you began your career?
When I started out playing more than 50 years ago I hoped it would go on for all my time. But realistically I didn't expect it too. I love recording and playing live. And I think the fans who come to my shows really do appreciate the work that I have done in the studio recording, and the excitement I try to generate at live performances. I never expected to be touring and performing in wonderful China in 2019.
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Twink will perform at DDC on Jan 5 at 9pm. For more information, click here.
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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photos: Hit Channel
