Thanks so much to Ada Wilson for the interview! I wrote about The Magnificent Everything some weeks ago on the blog and Ada got in touch! That was lucky! And even better he was up to tell me the story of the band! I knew very little about them so this was great. If you have never heard them, it is a good time to discover this early 80s Wakefield band!!
++ Hi Ada! Thanks so much for being up for this interview! How are you? Still making music?
Hi Roque, I stopped making music 30 years ago, but I’ve finally put a little band together to mark my 60th birthday in 2020. It’s sounding good so far.
++ Let’s go back in time. What are your first music memories? Do you remember what was your first instrument? How did you learn to play it? What sort of music did you listen at home while growing up?
I was born in 1960 and music seemed to be a lot more important in the 60s and 70s. I can’t remember not being aware of songs – from the Beatles on. When my brother fell out of a tree and had to go to hospital, I was allowed to go to the Beatles Club, which the girls on our street had. I’d be about four I guess. So it was always there. I had a guitar from the age of around eight, a Framus, fumbled about with it and started playing in Working Men’s Clubs when I was 12 – old rock’n’roll standards etc.
++ Had you been in other bands before The Magnificent Everything? What about the rest of the members? If so, how did all of these bands sound like? Are there any recordings?
Bob, Bas, myself and drummer Ringo Higginbottom had been in a band called Strangeways from 1977-79. We got a little success too young really, signing to Real Records, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, which also signed the Pretenders and Johnny Thunders. The Pretenders supported us for their first low-key gig in Wakefield, then became a hot thing and we had to support them. I’m sending you an unreleased track of Chrissie Hynde singing ‘Wild Thing’ with us at an early recording session. It was pretty obvious she had something special, wasn’t it? We also supported The Ramones, Johnny Thunders, Graham Parker & the Rumour and various others and released two singles, Wasting Time and Show Her You Care on Real Records. A compilation of our songs called Powerpop! came out about ten years ago on Detour Records. We also appeared on the TV programme ‘Get it Together’ with Roy North at this time – it’s on YouTube somewhere – and I just found this bio from somewhere else here.
++ Where were you from originally?
Wakefield.
++ How was Wakefield at the time of The Magnificent Everything? Were there any bands that you liked? Were there any good record stores? Or what about the pubs or venues to go check out up and coming bands?
This was the early 80s, so the venues were The Hellfire Club at Heppy’s, Unity Hall, The Red Shed, Henry Boon’s, The Grove and a few other pubs. The record shop was JAT records and a second I can’t remember now. There were some great local bands like Fiat Lux, Citron Girls, The Fourth Estate, The Juvies, The Rainy Days – many more. Wakefield had Bretton Art College at that time, so there were lots of young people moving in and out and forming bands for five minutes.
++ When and how did the band start? How did you all meet? How was the recruiting process?
After Strangeways split up, I did some solo gigs and released a single called ‘In the Quiet of my Room’, which did quite well and was Single of the Week in Sounds, the weekly music paper. I sold the rights to Chas Chandler – former Animal and manager of Jimi Hendrix and Slade etc., so it seemed to make sense. It promptly sank without trace. I then formed another band called Ada Wilson and Keeping Dark, who were on the Hicks from the Sticks compilation and released a (pretty lame) single called Head in the Clouds. Inevitably, I started playing with Bob and Bas again, because I missed the harmonies we had between us.
++ How was the creative process for you? Where did you usually practice?
Bas or I would have a chord sequence or melody and go from there. We rehearsed under a pub called The Hammer in a little pit village called Ryhill. The pub disappeared years ago.
++ And who would you say were influences in the sound of the band?
It was the New Romantic period and there was a definite move towards swing and jazz in pop. Dexy’s were the big influence for me at this time.
++ I know you released only one record, back in 1982 on the label Handful of Snake Enterprises. I was wondering about this label, was it a self-release? Or who was behind it? Care telling me a bit more about it!
Yes, it was a self release.
++ This 7″ had a very cool art made by Lee Walsh. How did he come to work with the band? Who came up with the idea behind the art?
Lee’s an old friend and I’m pretty sure it was just his idea.
++ The 7″ included two songs, “Tuxedo Lights” and “Jackpot”, and I was curious where were they recorded? Who produced the record?
There were a few local studios we used but mainly Woodlands in Normanton run by Neil Ferguson, which was perversely the home of both Chumbawamba and Black Lace! ‘Jackpot’ was recorded in a home studio in Ryhill.
++ And was that your first time in a studio recording or you had already previous experience?
We were spoilt during our Strangeways period – ‘Wasting Time’ our second single was recorded at Abbey Road, produced by Tommy Ramone.
++ You also appeared on the compilation “On the Rocks” that was released by TPL Records. You contributed two songs, “Blue Sky, North Street:” and “Uptown Electric”. Were these songs recorded at the same time as the single? Or are they from a different session? And how did you end up on this comp?
I think the band had split up by the time that compilation finally came out. It was a labour of love from the chap who put it together and didn’t really hang together.
++ You were also on another compilation, “Real Time 7”, on Unlikely Records. Who were Unlikely Records? Did it come with a magazine or fanzine?
Unlikely Records was an endeavour of a chap called Robert Cox, who put out wonderful cassette compilations of a lot of obscure music. I wonder what he’s doing now?
++ I was wondering too if you were friends or part of a scene with the bands that appear on these two compilations? Or perhaps not?
No, not really – we used to communicate by old-fashioned mail – that’s how long ago this is, so didn’t know any of the other bands.
++ Are there more recordings by the band? Unreleased tracks? Demo tapes?
Yes there are. I’m sending you a track which I think is great, called ‘Suddenly It’s Not Funny’, written by Bas., please feel free to use it as you like.
++ When and why did The Magnificent Everything stop making music? Were you involved in any other bands afterwards?
I had a band called That Uncertain Feeling before deciding I was sick of having no money and it was time to do something else. That Uncertain Feeling released one album called What the World Wants. It wasn’t really.
++ Never been to Wakefield so I would love to ask a local for some recommendations. If I was to to visit your city what shouldn’t I miss? What are your favourite sights? And any particular food or drinks that you think one shouldn’t miss?
To behold our wonderful city in its splendour you probably need to be in The Pie Shop overlooking Westgate at 11.30 on a Saturday night. It will tell you all you need to know.
++ Anything else you’d like to add?
It’s amazing what you can find out about your past on the internet.
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