The link between the classic Canterbury Scene of the '70s and the D.I.Y. psychedelic pop scene of the '90s is Todd Dillingham - a one-of-a-kind artist. Equally capable of writing concise, catchy little pop songs, twisted psychedelic explorations, and sprawling prog rock improvisations. This North London resident is like a one-man combination of XTC, Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians, and the Bevis Frond.
Remarkably, for a one-man band who plays almost all of the instruments on his records, Dillingham came late to music, not recording his first songs until he was already into his thirties.
His first album was a limited-edition self-released cassette, 1989's Stalking the Wily Chub, with a homemade cover designed by his brother, music journalist and psychedelic poster artist Mick Dillingham. (Dillingham has something of an obsession with fish, which regularly appear in his album titles and cover art.
Brother Mick took an even more active role in Dillingham's next project, the Bizarrdavarks, a trio featuring the brothers and Bevis Frond mastermind Nick Saloman that placed two tracks on 1990's Woronzoid, a double-album compilation on Saloman's Woronzow label.
Saloman and Mick Dillingham also appeared on Dillingham's next recording project, the Saloman-produced Art Into Dust, which was supposed to appear on Woronzow in 1990 but was shelved, eventually appearing on the Voiceprint label in late 1992 with the addition of one later track, a nearly half-hour jam on Pink Floyd's classic "Interstellar Overdrive."
Dillingham's association with Voiceprint, a label associated with the '70s Canterbury Scene spearheaded by the Soft Machine and Hatfield and the North, began in 1991, when Caravan LEGEND Richard Sinclair invited Dillingham to record an album with himself, drummer Andy Ward (Camel), and reedman Jimmy Hastings (Caravan, Soft Machine, National Health). The resulting Wilde Canterbury Dream received rapturous reviews among prog rock diehards, but Dillingham's next two releases were a pair of more immediately accessible psychedelic pop EPs in the style of XTC's Dukes of Stratosphear side project: the Norwegian release A Dash of Haddock (1993), and the German release Arthur Woodcote (Is His Name) (1994).
Dillingham's next two albums, both released in 1994, re-emphasized the prog side of his musical personality, although the live Radio Session included a few '60s-style freakbeat rave-ups as well. Vast Empty Spaces (produced by Peter Giles of the legendary Giles, Giles, and Fripp) marked a reunion with Ward, with Curved Air's Mike Wedgewood and Anthony Alridge of the jazzy and eccentric Skaboosh! contributing bass and violin, respectively.
With the exception of occasional extended improvisatory workouts, Dillingham then retreated from progressive epics into a marginally simpler and considerably poppier form of psychedelic pop. The self-released Astral Whelks, which included contributions not only from Ward but Ward's Chrysathemums bandmate, Yukio Yung, was the first evidence of this new focus, but it was 1995's Sgt. Kipper, with its priceless cover portraits of Dillingham, Yung, and Ward in Sgt.Pepper-style satin outfits, that delivered Dillingham's most consistently poppy and groovy set of tunes. this was from the all music guide.. very much out of date im afraid.. from 1995 till 2007 another 18 cds have been released.
The Beatles, Syd Barrett, Robyn Hitchcock, Caravan, Kevin Ayers, Todd Drundgren, Pete Wyngarde, Arthur Mullard, Peter Banks, Roy Harper, Frank Sidebottom, Neil Young, XTC , Early Yes And Early, Genesis. Egg. Zappa, Game Theory, Hendrix , The Opelias, The Pillbugs, R Steve Moore And Hundreds More..
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TODD DILLINGHAM RADIO SPECIAL FRIDAY 3 AM EST USA OR 8 AM Body: April 25, 2008 (20h00 Paris time): 3 am usa est time Todd Dillingham Special: Discover this distinctive songwriter exploring catchy little pop songs, twisted psychedelic explorations, and sprawling prog rock improvisations. Considered as the link between the classic Canterbury Scene of the '70s and the D.I.Y. psychedelic pop scene of the '90s, Todd Dillingham is a one-of-a-kind artist.
Luxemburg European radio Todd Dillingham special www. 100komma7. lu is how to hear it live on the web
shownotes April, 2008: Todd Dillingham Special: Discover this distinctive songwriter exploring catchy little pop songs, twisted psychedelic explorations, and sprawling prog rock improvisations. Considered as the link between the classic Canterbury Scene of the '70s and the D.I.Y. psychedelic pop scene of the '90s, Todd Dillingham is a one-of-a-kind artist. Discover Todd's music and get his insights in an interview.
May, 2008: Daevid Allen (GONG/SOFT MACHINE): The enigmatic and friendly teapot pixie gives us the honour to share his thoughts with us in an interview done for this show. Graced with some of his musical creations this should be an inspiring moment to share on radio gnome.
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