Fool's Mate (album)
Encyclopedia
Fool's Mate is the debut solo album by Peter Hammill
of progressive rock
band Van der Graaf Generator
. The title is both a chess
and tarot
reference. It was produced by Trident Studios
' in-house producer John Anthony
. The album was recorded in 1971, in the midst of one of Van der Graaf Generator's most prolific periods. Hammill used the album to record a backlog of songs which were much shorter and simpler than his Van der Graaf Generator material, and declared on the original album sleeve: "This isn't intended to be any kind of statement of my present musical position, but at the same time, it is an album which involves a great deal of me, the person, basically a return to the roots."
Fool's Mate includes one of Hammill's most celebrated love songs, "Vision", which he still performs regularly in concert to the present day. Guest musicians on the album included the members of Van der Graaf Generator, members of his label mates Lindisfarne
, and guitarist Robert Fripp
.
The UK music press was generally very positive about Fool's Mate. Melody Maker
saw "one of THE albums of the year".
The cover was designed by Paul Whitehead
who at the time was the favourite cover artist for Charisma
bands Genesis
and Van der Graaf Generator.
In 2005 the album was issued in remastered form by EMI
Virgin
Records, supplemented with bonus demo recordings of several songs.
Bonus tracks on 2005 reissue:
Peter Hammill
Peter Joseph Andrew Hammill is an English singer-songwriter, and a founding member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Most noted for his vocal abilities, his main instruments are guitar and piano...
of progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester. They were the first act signed to Charisma Records. The band achieved considerable success in Italy during the 1970s...
. The title is both a chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
and tarot
Tarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
reference. It was produced by Trident Studios
Trident Studios
Trident Studios was a British recording facility, originally located at 17 St. Anne's Court in London's Soho district. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield a drummer of former 1960's group The Hunters and his Brother Barry....
' in-house producer John Anthony
John Anthony (producer)
John Anthony is a British music producer. He has worked with Van der Graaf Generator, Genesis, Queen and Peter Hammill.-Career:John Anthony started in 1966 as a club DJ in London at The Roundhouse, the UFO Club, and Middle Earth, and then in 1968 at the Speakeasy...
. The album was recorded in 1971, in the midst of one of Van der Graaf Generator's most prolific periods. Hammill used the album to record a backlog of songs which were much shorter and simpler than his Van der Graaf Generator material, and declared on the original album sleeve: "This isn't intended to be any kind of statement of my present musical position, but at the same time, it is an album which involves a great deal of me, the person, basically a return to the roots."
Fool's Mate includes one of Hammill's most celebrated love songs, "Vision", which he still performs regularly in concert to the present day. Guest musicians on the album included the members of Van der Graaf Generator, members of his label mates Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne (band)
Lindisfarne were a British folk/rock group from Newcastle upon Tyne established in 1970 and fronted by singer/songwriter Alan Hull. Their music combined a strong sense of yearning with an even stronger sense of fun...
, and guitarist Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
.
The UK music press was generally very positive about Fool's Mate. Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
saw "one of THE albums of the year".
The cover was designed by Paul Whitehead
Paul Whitehead
Paul Whitehead is a painter and graphic artist known for his surrealistic album covers for artists on the Charisma Records label in the 1970s, such as Genesis and Van der Graaf Generator.-England: Liberty Records and Charisma Records:...
who at the time was the favourite cover artist for Charisma
Charisma Records
Charisma was a record label founded by former journalist Tony Stratton-Smith in 1969. Manager for The Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator at the time, Stratton-Smith was unable to find a record company willing to release an album by one of his favourite groups so he founded his own...
bands Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
and Van der Graaf Generator.
In 2005 the album was issued in remastered form by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
Records, supplemented with bonus demo recordings of several songs.
Track listing
All tracks composed by Peter Hammill; except where indicated- "Imperial Zeppelin" (Hammill, Chris Judge SmithJudge SmithChristopher John Judge Smith , is a songwriter, composer and performer, and a founder member of progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Initially working under the name Chris Judge Smith, he has been known simply as Judge Smith since 1994.- Early years :In 1967, with Peter Hammill, Judge...
) - 3:36 - "Candle" - 4:16
- "Happy" - 2:36
- "Solitude" - 4:56
- "Vision" - 3:13
- "Re-Awakening" - 4:01
- "Sunshine" - 3:56
- "Child" - 4:25
- "Summer Song (In The Autumn)" - 2:13
- "Viking" (Hammill, Judge Smith) - 4:44
- "The Birds" - 3:38
- "I Once Wrote Some Poems" - 2:56
Bonus tracks on 2005 reissue:
- "Re-Awakening" (early demos) - 4:37
- "Summer Song (In The Autumn)" (early demos) - 2:50
- "The Birds" (early demos) - 3:23
- "Sunshine" (early demos) - 3:54
- "Happy" (early demos) - 2:49
Personnel
- John AnthonyJohn Anthony (producer)John Anthony is a British music producer. He has worked with Van der Graaf Generator, Genesis, Queen and Peter Hammill.-Career:John Anthony started in 1966 as a club DJ in London at The Roundhouse, the UFO Club, and Middle Earth, and then in 1968 at the Speakeasy...
- background vocals, producer - Hugh BantonHugh BantonHugh Robert Banton is a British organist and organ builder, most widely known for his work with the group Van der Graaf Generator in the 1970s.-Career:...
- organ, piano, keyboards, background vocals - Rod ClementsRod ClementsRod Clements is a British guitarist and singer-songwriter.-Career:...
- bass, violin - Guy EvansGuy EvansGuy Randolph Evans is an English progressive rock drummer, percussionist and composer, and a member of Van der Graaf Generator....
- percussion, drums, background vocals - Robert FrippRobert FrippRobert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
- electric guitar - Peter Hammill - acoustic guitar, guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals
- David JacksonDavid Jackson (rock musician)David Nicholas George Jackson , nicknamed Jaxon, is a British progressive rock saxophonist, flautist, and composer. He is best known for his work with the band Van der Graaf Generator and his work in Music and Disability...
- saxophone - Ray JacksonLindsay Raymond JacksonRay Jackson was a mandolin and harmonica player, and joint lead vocalist with Alan Hull, of the folk-rock group Lindisfarne from their original formation in 1970 until his departure in 1990...
- harmonica, mandolin, harp, background vocals - Nic PotterNic PotterNic Potter is a British bassist, composer and painter, best known for his work with the group Van der Graaf Generator in the 1970s.-Career:...
- bass - Martin Pottinger - drums
- Paul WhiteheadPaul WhiteheadPaul Whitehead is a painter and graphic artist known for his surrealistic album covers for artists on the Charisma Records label in the 1970s, such as Genesis and Van der Graaf Generator.-England: Liberty Records and Charisma Records:...
- drums