SLURPY GLOOP- I HEARD IT IN A BATHTUB IN OHIO, LP, 1986, U.K.

bathtub



































Pano (Michael Douglas) - keyboards, various electronic gadgetry
Fritz (William Ian Fitzsimmons) - keyboards, voice
James Barney Ward - synth, strings, backing vocals
Maria Berry - backing vocals

Other collaborator included:
Derek "Deek" Coll: - keyboards, drums, percussion
Kenny Macdougall - drums, percussion
Craig Hood - drums, guitar
Talcy Malcy - trumpet
Alison Reid - vocals
Wee Lynsey n Tracie

Way back in the late seventies, Pano briefly managed Dunfermline bands 'The Skids' and later, 'Trax'. He then formed 'The (Dick Emery) Family On Holiday' (Members included: Pano - guitar / Fritz - keyboards / Nipper Morton (Murray Ferguson) - vocals, drums / Peter Hamilton - drums / Scott Roberts - bass / Collapso - drums). Described as a psychedelic / electro / punk group, 'The Family On Holiday' played and recorded around the fife coast of Scotland and released a 7” single ‘Who’s a Pretty Boy Then?’ / ‘You’re as Cute as a Dead Gerbil’, recorded at Palladium Studios on their own ‘Fabidoo Records’ label in July of 1981. (It was the chosen single of the week in ‘Melody Maker’ of guest reviewer Mark E Smith (singer with Mancunian legends ‘The Fall’!)

'The Family On Holiday' later spiralled out of control and transformed briefly into ‘Choir Invisible’ (Pano, Fritz & Warpo on drums).

Take electronic legends and luminaries such as Karl Heinz Stockhaesen, Philip Glass, innovative brain-waving stereo pioneers 'Tonto’s Expanding Head Band' and on to the weird and wonderful krautrock 'Faust', then add 'Kraftwerk', 'Syd Barrett', 'Pink Floyd' and 'The Pixies' into the equation and you'll begin to understand the mix that inspired Pano to form his next project, 'Slurpy Gloop'.

Pano dreamed-up the moniker to turn his musical ideas, inspirations and technological skills into reality. Starting off with not much more than a guitar, Minimoog and drum machine (Warpo), material was written, analysed and moulded into the shape that was to become the basis of that certain 'Slurpy Gloop' sound.

He then enlisted friend and Choir Invisible music collaborator William Ian Fitzsimmons (Fritz) whose armoury included an Octave Cat synth, and a Roland String Synth. Fritz appeared to be quite shy in the early stages of the band but soon proved to be anything but when performing. He had amazing off-beat rhythm and an ear for a good original keyboard sound. He later moved on to vocals and at his best an excellent singer and performer but his pièce de résistance had to be his song writing.

Having written the preliminary sketches for what would become the backbone of an album, the duo called-out for someone to have a freelance roll and experiment with some kind of vocals to layer on top of some unfinished work.

Maria Berry had never sung with a band before, but what she lacked in experience was made up by her enthusiasm and lack of fear to try something new & different and usually performed on her adrenaline / nerves. The end result (live and recorded) was rather intriguing to say the least. She soon adapted herself to tune in to the sound with her own inimitable style.

With Fritz and Maria concentrating on vocals, the door was open for a new keyboard player to add a new dimension to the sound. All they expected from James Barney Ward was some different keyboard work but once he settled in with a Minimoog, Oscar Synth and Crumar Strings he created some mind blowing tunes. James also had an interest in backing vocals and his unique style is evident all the way through the album.

On Saturday 23rd May 1987 they had a bash at a Beatles-style roof-top gig one warm sunny afternoon at Sunset Studios in central Dunfermline atop a building known as 'Shafi's' on the corner of Carnegie Drive, Chapel Street & Bruce Street where they rehearsed & recorded the album.

Pano himself takes up the story:
"This is where we had our rehearsal/recording studio and I remember it was a Saturday afternoon and a lovely summers day, so within a whimsical second or two the decision was made to open the skylight, chuck up the backline and p.a. and just go and have a wee practice in the sunshine. The only thing was that once we started jammin', mayhem ensued as down below the traffic had stopped, the Police and papers turned up and the band consequently were arrested but released 4 hours later without charge. A nice time was had by all" ..

‘I Heard it in a Bathtub in Ohio’ was recorded at Sunset Studios Dunfermline (atop the old Shafi’s building) mixed and mastered at REL studios in Edinburgh.

For a period of time while Slurpy Gloop were totally together and at the height of their creativity and totally psyched up for it, they were ignored by the influential music heirarchy/industry bigwigs who couldn’t really think where these guys fitted in or quite politely had never heard of them and did not want to, because they were not hip and in consequence the buzz, adrenalin and creativity that was there in abundance during rehearsals and the recording of ‘Bathtub’ soon petered-out and the band went their separate ways through time. While other experimental incarnations of the band came & went, none were anywhere near as good or had the definitive vibe within the original line up of Pano, Fritz, James and Maria ..

info from:kinemagigz.com

:dark synth pop with great hooks lots of synths,drum machines and ear droppings
for the minimal corral, sounds more like 82 than 86 in the special way of course, highly recommended!!

SIDE 1

DONT LET YOUR TOUCH DIE 3:02
FEELINGS (THE OUTSIDER) 5:11
LET GO 2:16
COME WAKE ME 4:47
SLURPOUT 2:55

SIDE 2

VICTORY BEAT 5:05
IN LITTLE ONES 3:35
POWER OF LIES 3:04
RIBBONS OF THE HEART 2:40
GOOD MAGNETISM(BABE) 3:25
AN END TO A START 3:35