July started out in the early '60s as an Ealing-based skiffle act working under the name of the Playboys, and then metamorphosed into an R&B outfit known as the Thoughts and then the Tomcats, through which John "Speedy" Keen passed as a drummer. The final Tomcats lineup, which evolved out of a band known as the Second Thoughts which included future NIRVANA and Hat & Tie man Pattrick Campbell-Lyons, found some success in Spain when they went to play a series of gigs in Madrid in 1966. They returned to England in 1968, the group's lineup consisting of Tony Duhig on guitar, John Field on flute, percussion and keyboards, Tom Newman on vocals, Alan James on amazing zoom bass, (made to sound like the indian tabla drums woop! sound) and Chris Jackson on drums, and changed they their name to July.
The band lasted barely a year, leaving behind one of the most incredible LPs of the British psychedelic boom. Their sound was a mix of trippy pop, eastern tinged psychedelic meanderings, eerie vignettes , and strange, bright electric-acoustic textured tracks, with some heavy grooves and dazzling fuzz guitar workouts for good measure, all spiced with some elements of world music, courtesy of Tony Duhig, and time spent in Morrocco. To the layman it might sound as if Pink Floyd, Sgt. Pepper, and Jimi Hendrix all collided one evening at the Middle Earth, with a bit of Maroccan brick and curry.but July have a feel that is all their own and quite unique. Surprisingly,pop chart success eluded them, despite 2 singles on Major Minor and Epic records and an LP deal with Epic/Major Minor.
The band separated in 1969, with Tony Duhig & John Field moving on to Jade Warrior (representing the ancient samurai disciplines of art & war) and releaseing some excellent LP's on Vertigo then on the Island label. Jade Warrior's first few lp's will be of interest to the July fan as they mix more ambient eastern and oriental modal styles with a hard acid rock. Tom Newman became a well-respected songwriter and engineer and set up Richard Branston's Virgin studios, with Mike Oldfield 's Tubular Bells to his credit, and bassist Alan James later working with Cat Stevens and Kevin Coyne, among others.
July stands as an amazing group that surely deserves more credit retrospectively than was given them at the time. their musicianship, instrumentation and songwriting are as innovative, interesting as any of the top groups of the day, and in their sole album there is much magic to be discovered by those who seek such things.
excellent re-issues of their only LP are available on Bam Caruso, Acme-Essex and on CD from Aftermath and Acme-Essex.
