BID
of The Monochrome Set and Scarlet's
Well, etc.
You won't remember this article.
If things continue to run as usual for Bid, Scarlet's Well will be as criminally overlooked as his original band, The Monochrome Set. This is a travesty. This is injustice of the most predictable sort. An artist who should be hailed above and beyond Morrissey, Oasis, Pulp, and many other British swellheads. A songwriter whose talent rivals Costello, Momus, Dylan or Brel.
"Visual to the extreme, this album is the most amazing collection of well-crafted songs we've been given to enjoy (and ponder on) for a long time. With music ranging from the pure sixties pop to the operetta aria, and with lyrics which could have been written by Byron's eccentric uncle, this is a... what?" (Henry The Pole, 1999)
The Monochrome Set began all the way back in 1976, answering an ad placed by Adam Ant (yes, it's true) which read "Beat on a bass with the B-Sides." It's a long and winding tale but to make it shorter, several band members formed and reformed again through the decades and still exist as The Monochrome Set to this day. It's just that they're on some sort of hiatus for god-knows-how-long. The brilliance of Bid, main singer and writer, has always been the strength of the band. Bid's lyrics have always been profound, hilarious, skillful and consistent. Sometimes this remarkable brilliance would almost lift its head above water with the forgotten near-hits like "The Mating Game," "Jacob's Ladder," "Wallflower", etc. The problem was that they just did not squeeze in to any popular or even unpopular category enough to gather a fan base smart enough to love them.
Many of us have become familiar with the recent Songs For The Jet Set series of '60s-style twee-pop, released through JetSet records via Mike Alway's If... label. The first album in the series was produced by Bid himself. The subsequent work, which stands up pretty well, disappointed Alway and unfortunately seems to have divided the two pop geniuses somewhat, though neither party will speak any ill of the other.
Last year, Bid, and more recent Monochrome Set members Orson Presence and Tony Robinson, released a daringly cinematic and complex concept album under the name Scarlet's Well. The record hardly saw the light of day in any review mag save for a tiny mention here and there. The album, called Strange Letters, features songs by Bid, "sung by a motley crew of young girls, demons, shrews, captains, and sundry werewolves. It is the first in a series of albums about Mousseron, a sickly village situated somewhere east of the Azores, and only slightly north of the Styx."
What the hell was Bid thinking? Major labels (of course) would have considered such material "commercial suicide." Spain's Siesta label seems all too impressed with the eccentric series. A new album has just been released, titled The Isle of the Blue Flowers, which continues on the same fictional/fantasy path. So clearly evident is Bid's honed writing skills that in a just world he would be compared with the likes of Kurt Weill, Noel Coward, and perhaps Gilbert & Sullivan. I can think of many artists that I love. Many I have great respect for, but there are few that I can honestly consider to be truly great songwriters who set their stories to the best of the better pop music. And saying this hurts.
Bid surfed on to my webzine one day and saw my reverent retrospective of The Monochrome Set and left a nice email. I tried again and again to mail back in reply but could never get through. Eventually I gave up and just didn't think about it much more. Upon hearing of the new Scarlet's Well album, I thought I should try and feature this album in some way more revealing than a simple review. It finally occurred to me that I should try to ask Siesta records for Bid's address and they complied with flowery acclamations and cordiality. God bless them. I mailed Bid and he agreed to answer a few questions stating that he has not been interviewed since the '80s! Philistines, all of you!
Bleek: Can you tell me about your work with Mike Alway and the Songs for the Jet Set 1 compilation?
Bid: Mike and I had obviously worked together when at Cherry Red in1982/83, then at Blanco Y Negro. Over the years, off and on, we did the odd thing together, Mondo (by Would-Be-Goods) being the only album. The Jet Set was different in that it was to be the first of a few projects we were to collaborate on, but he had many difficulties with record companies. I grew rather tired of this, and was also rather unhappy with the idea of continuing only in the same vein as the first album. He has continued with his brand of pop, and since my departure has collaborated with Louis Philippe. It is, naturally enough, my opinion that the Jet Set 1 album is more interesting than his subsequent products. It may seem now that I wanted the project to go in the direction of Scarlet's Well, but not at all, just to be a little more original. But, like I said earlier, there's nothing wrong in his approach or in what he does.
Can you tell me about your connection to Siesta records and what the label is like to be affiliated with?
I had produced Songs For The Jet Set Vol.1, a Mike Alway project for Polystar (Japan) in 1996, and this was licensed by Siesta for Europe in 1997. In 1998, Mike and I parted; a little later I conceived of Scarlet's Well, did a deal with Siesta and since then it's been great. I'm sure that I'm the nutter on the label, but they seem quite happy. I'm not sure what you mean by affiliation, business or stylistically?
How do you feel you fit in with the rest of the Siesta roster?
Siesta are a completely independent label, self-financed. I really have no idea where Scarlet's Well fit in, in any category—I suspect that this complies with the classical meaning of "avant-garde," but I don't think I can be before anyone if no-one else is going to follow, not that I want it anyway.
How many Scarlet's Well albums will there be?
It's
open-ended. Some may think that this is a little excursion; far from it. I can't
see myself doing anything else for the foreseeable future. I had planned the
general gist of Blue Flowers before I completed Strange Letters,
and likewise have already sketched out the next album.
What can you tell me about the origins of Mousseron?
Well, I wanted a name for the village that I was kind of setting this stuff in around, and I thought that, as a setting, either Dorset or Brittany fitted the bill. Both rather quirky and untouched places, but with "histories." Some of the village names in Dorset are in French (or Latin) anyway, so Mousseron it became. We also have a cat called Mushroom (mousseron is slightly old French for mushroom), who is very vile and stinks. It's a fairly standard literary ploy, to set a succession of "works" in a town village area. See Lovecraft, Bradbury, etc.
So Scarlet's Well is your own invention and not a former fictional land?
Yes! In fact, just recently when searching for Scarlet's Well on Northern Light, I found that there is a "Scarlet Well" near Bodmin (Cornwall), known for magical properties, or something. I'm sure I will encounter a Mousseron at some point.
What was the impetus for Scarlet's Well?
(a) Monochrome Set: I was tired of being in a band, and the restrictions it imposed on the material.
(b) Mike Alway: I didn't want to go in the direction of a succession of compilation sampler albums.
(3) I wanted to run my own show without any artistic reference to any other partner, band member, etc. Standard "I'm going solo" stuff, really, but the main difference being that I was not initially intending to sing (or write all the material) on the Scarlet's Well albums, though I have ended up doing so. This project is not about any individual, but an atmosphere generated by the whole. I wanted to have the freedom to change singers when it felt right to do so, and two singers from the first album have been replaced. This may not happen on every album, but this is not a band solo project, it's an open-ended musical with partly ever-changing cast.
How did you manage to obtain those young girls for singers in Scarlet's Well?
Lester Square has for the past 15 years or so worked as an art teacher, more recently at girls' schools (I think he's got the best record for passes in the UK). I got Alice, Laura, Lucy, and Zarif from his school. Florence is my wife.
Is the Moat your own studio, and is that what Simon Turner (as Monday Sinclair) is referring to at the end of "1910 Cotton Candy Castle" from Algebra Spaghetti (Another Mike Alway project similar to the Jet Set series but with a "children's fantasy pop" direction) when, at the end he sings "take me to the moat"?
No, The Moat Studios are owned and run by Toby Robinson. Since producing Mondo there, I have done all my recording and producing at The Moat, mainly because he buys me crisps. I'm sure "1910 Cotton..." is an old song, Mike usually does a few covers. Maybe Simon added a line. Don't know why.
Were you also the backing band for Bad Dream Fancy Dress?
Nope! We really didn't have much to do with El, apart from the Would-Be-Goods records. It may be that Girlfrendo (as are, I am told, Beaumont, another recent Siesta signing) are influenced by an El "sound" which was in turn influenced by a side of The Monochrome Set.
Can you say what the current state of The Monochrome Set is?
Not split up, just resting. I don't know if we'll continue, no immediate plans.
Where do you feel The Monochrome Set fit in the '80s? Post-punk? Power pop? Did any genre claim you as one of theirs? Does it matter?
New Wave. When The Monochrome Set started, it was in a period when we were surrounded by bands who all had a new sound and who were all different to each other (two examples being Wire and Blondie. I mean early Blondie), this was what New Wave meant. Post-punk is very incorrect, as punk came after this New Wave developed in the mid '70s, and included a harder sound, which itself developed into punk. I think that most of the bands labeled as punk are in fact New Wave. We definitely didn't want to associate with anyone. Some bands, however, took the opposite view. Example: "We Vibrate" by The Vibrators was originally a mid-paced song, which went breakneck when they figured they might sell more. The list is endless.
Describe The Monochrome Set fan and the Scarlet's Well fan.
I wouldn't know the typical Monochrome Set fan. Anyway, we've been releasing records since 1979, so I'd guess it varies. The biggest selling album in France was Misere; in Japan it was Dante's Casino; and in UK/US it was the first two albums. We were No.1 in Bolivia with "Eine Symphonie Des Grauens." I thought all the ex-Panzer crews went to Argentina. I'd like to think that the typical Scarlet's Well fan is an old lady who likes fig rolls.
What's the most celebrated band you played with and how did the show go?
By "played with," you mean supported, shared the headline with? I've not played with any other band as a musician. Well, we haven't done much of that, usually only when it's a bandfest special event, kind of thing. The last one we did was at La Cigalle in, er, 1990 with John Cale and The Feelies. I think that year we also did a crappy do in Berlin, but with a lot of bands and a lot of venues. Needless to say, we got up to all kinds of amusing capers.
So here's where I have to ask what capers you guys used to get up to?
I'm only going to give one example. I mentioned Berlin (this is not very interesting): It was a music festival, many bands, a few (indoor) venues. Some of the other bands were staying at the same hotel. We go off and do the gig, can't remember how it went, or who played before or after us (we went to Berlin to buy Russian souvenirs, just as we played in Athens to buy sandals), got back, found no-one at the hotel, broke into the kitchen (stole the key), made ourselves a fry-up, looked at the register, found Hole listed as staying, borrowed the hotel keys for their room, broke in, rifled through their belongings, found a paperback, tore out the last page, found a passport, put a salami slice in the middle, put all back as untouched, went back to kitchen, did washing up, replaced all keys, left all as untouched, went back to rooms and played cricket with orange and baguette.
I'd like to give you some names and have you tell me your take on these people or bands, please.
Momus
I've only met Nick [Currie] once (I think), when he came in to the Jet Set session. He wrote one of the songs and was showing us the structure. I spoke to him once on the phone a couple of years later. He struck me as a very nice chap. I've heard some of his stuff, it's quite good.
Morrissey
He's not bad, but a bit repetitive.
Simon Fisher Tuner (aliases The King of Luxembourg on El records, Monday Sinclair on the Reverie label, Loveletter on Songs for the Jet Set and the If... label and SFT when solo.)
As a singer on easy listening, or as an artist in avant-garde? Can't sing to save his life, but great character. Extremely nice person.
Scott Walker
A singer with a very good voice. Interesting in his choice of direction (I am reminded of Sinatra's "Watertown," quite rare now I think).
Louis Philippe (Long-time Mike Alway mainstay and another Songs for the Jet Set producer with aliases such as Today's Pop Symphony, Wallpaper, The Great Chefs of Europe, etc.)
A talented musician and writer though don't know a lot of his stuff.
Jarvis Cocker
Made
a very interesting TV program about eccentric artisans, don't really know his
music work apart from the one song, which they always play.
Oasis
Ultimately worthless.
Blur
Same, but they strike me as more interesting people.
Of the above, I only own the Walker/Brel (Scott Walker sings Jaques Brel) album.
What's the most obscure reference made in one of your songs?
Oh, dear. A lot of them are obscure in that they're about unnamed people. I don't know.
What exactly is your connection to Indian kings?
Well, I'm from the oldest section of the Brahmin caste, and there are a few (well, about 30) kings in the family tree. Kings don't exist in India anymore, it's a democracy. However, it's still, technically, an offence for the British Queen to step on my shadow. Yes, indeedy.
What was the actual quote from Andy Warhol concerning The Monochrome Set?
I don't know! I didn't do a lot of interviews then, the rest went. Think John Cale liked us at the time as well. Lester was also in a performance art group at the time, so he knew Warhol a bit.
What does your record collection consist of, or is that too big a question?
Not such a big question; nothing really. I used to have a whole bunch of stuff from the late '60s and early'70s, but I seem to have lost a lot of it. Most of the records belong to Florence (the wife), so it's Steely Dan, Camel, Caravan, also some French stuff, Hot Club, Brel, Gainsbourg. I really don't listen to music much! Besides Anthony Adverse, The Sneetches, King of Luxembourg and the Raj Quartet
Weren't The Raj Quartet you guys? What other Monochrome Set songs have been covered?
Yes, The Raj Quartet was myself doing a throw-away single for El. There's been a lot of covers, but Lester (aka Tom Hardy) knows most of them—I don't keep track. There was one odd one, by Lida Husik on her Fly Stereophonic album, for Alias Records, of "Eine Symphonie." She recorded her vocals and some instrumentation over the original, but then refused to admit it. "Cover" indeed.
What is musical genius?
A musical genius is someone who creates one or several great works of art in music. You could extend this term to be collective. You could say that, collectively (but not individually), The Beatles were a genius, and the same could be said of Brecht & Weill, Gilbert & Sullivan, etc. As an art form, music is unusual in that it's common for talented people to get worse as they get older, perhaps because it has become more collective, and perhaps because it's more intertwined with entertainment than the other arts. Still, it's difficult to comprehend how great writers such as Bowie and Dylan could have become so truly crap.
My comments regarding other bands may seem a trifle nasty, in fact I don't think Blur or Oasis are crap, they have written some ok songs. However, I do think that they just fall in to the category of once-split-up-who-they category, I may be wrong. •