John Wicks and the Records

What's the band's name meaning?
MY FORMER LYRICIST AND DRUMMER, WILL BIRCH - IN A 'EUREKA' MOMENT - CAME UP WITH THE NAME "THE RECORDS" WHILST SOAKING IN THE BATHTUB ONE DAY!


How did you guys started with the band?
IN EARLY 1978 - HAVING RISEN FROM THE ASHES OF OUR PREVIOUS BAND, "THE KURSAAL FLYERS" - WHO BROKE UP IN LATE 1977 - WILL BIRCH AND I FORMED A SONGWRITING PARTNERSHIP, AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN THE TASK OF WRITING A WHOLE BUNCH OF SONGS TOGETHER. BEING ESSENTIALLY THE NUCLEUS OF "THE RECORDS" - WE HAD A VERY CLEAR CONCEPT FOR THE BAND IN MIND, AND IN MY ROLE AS SINGER AND GUITARIST, I COMPOSED THE MELODIES, CHORDS, RIFFS, ETC., WHILST WILL PENNED THE LYRICS. WE THEN AUDITIONED SCORES OF MUSICIANS, EVENTUALLY FORMING THE BAND.


What's the message to transmit with your music??
BACK THEN - LIKE A GREAT MANY OTHER MUSICIANS AT THE TIME - WILL AND I VERY MUCH WANTED TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ALL THE GREAT 60s SONGWRITERS, BANDS AND ARTISTS, CONTINUING ON THE TRADITION OF WELL-CRAFTED MELODIC MUSIC. SINCE THE FINAL OF OUR 3 DIFFERENT LINE-UPS DISBANDED CIRCA 1982 - I HAVE ENDEAVOURED TO KEEP THAT SPIRIT ALIVE THROUGH MY SONGWRITING. I'M FLYING SOLO THESE DAYS, SO LYRICALLY SPEAKING, MY NEW SONGS REFLECT MY DEEPER SENSIBILITIES - THE HUMAN CONDITION' ETC., HAVING EVOLVED INTO SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE MEANINGFUL, I FEEL. AND IF THERE'S A MESSAGE I WOULD LIKE TO CONVEY, IT WOULD BE - FOR FOLKS ON MASS - TO LET GO - LOSE THAT SOUND-BITE MENTALITY THAT IS ALL TOO PREVALENT THESE DAYS. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN ATTENTIVELY, FOR I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT MUSIC MAY WELL HOLD THE KEY THAT CAN UNLOCK A GREAT MANY OF THE MYSTERIES OF OUR UNIVERSE. AND WHO KNOWS? MAYBE EVEN PARALLEL UNIVERSES. 'VIBRATNG STRING THEORY ANYONE?!'


What's your method at the time of writing a song??
IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE, BUT ON THOSE RARE OCCASIONS WHEN TRUE INSPIRATION STRIKES - AS IF OUT OF THE ETHER - THAT'S USUALLY WHEN THE MAGIC HAPPENS, VERY OFTEN RESULTING IN SOME OF MY BEST CREATIONS. I GO INTO WHAT I CAN ONLY DESCRIBE AS A CHANNELLING, TRANCE-LIKE STATE, DURING WHICH A STREAM OF SUBCONSCIOUS THOUGHTS AND IDEAS BEGIN FLOWING FREELY TO THE SURFACE. IT REALLY IS A QUITE MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE! IN BETWEEN THESE FLASHES OF INSPIRATION, I FALL BACK ON MY CONSCIOUS EFFORTS. SPARKS MAY FLY BASED ON SOME CONCEPT OR OTHER - A COOL TITLE, SOMETHING I'VE READ IN A NEWSPAPER OR BOOK PERHAPS, OR MAYBE FROM SOMETHING SOMEONE'S SAID IN CONVERSATION EVEN. I FIND THE MELODY VERY OFTEN MANIFESTS FIRST, THEN THE LYRICS START TO SUGGEST THEMSELVES, SOMETIMES VICE VERSA, OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH. WHICHEVER WAY IT HAPPENS, IT'S A FASCINATING AND MYSTERIOUS PROCESS FOR SURE. THE GENERAL RULE THOUGH, IS: 'THERE ARE NO HARD AND FAST RULES - NO ONE PARTICULAR METHOD. I JUST GO WHERE THE MUSIC TAKES ME.'


Which is your music influences??
MOST ANYTHING FROM THE 60s. ALL THE USUAL SUSPECTS ANYWAY. OF COURSE, IT'S TRUE TO SAY THAT, TO SOME DEGREE, I'M INFLUENCED BY EVERYTHING I EXPERIENCE THAT'S GOING ON AROUND ME, BUT ULTIMATELY I'M INFLUENCED AND INSPIRED BY ANYTHING I CONSIDER TO BE INTERESTING AND/OR EXCEPTIONAL, AT ANY GIVEN TIME.


What plans do you have for the future??
ASIDE FROM SPREADING THE WORD, RECORDING MY NEW CD (THE FOLLOW-UP TO "ROTATE") RE-RECORDING SOME OF THE OLD "RECORDS" SONGS, PLAYING
MORE BAND SHOWS, AND HAVING MY MUSIC REACH A WIDER AUDIENCE, I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO LIVE AS LONG AND HEALTHY A LIFE AS POSSIBLE, SO I CAN CONTINUE TO CREATE NEW WORKS! LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I BELIEVE MUSIC HOLDS 'THE KEY!'


Which has been the funniest prank you guys have been or took part while on tour?
OH BOY! THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY! HA! HA! WELL, A COUPLE OF MEMORABLE ONES DO COME TO MIND. IT WAS NOVEMBER 6TH, 1977 AND THE FINAL DAYS OF "THE KURSAAL FLYERS" - SHORTLY AFTER OUR, THEN, LEAD SINGER, PAUL SHUTTLEWORTH HAD ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD BE QUITTING THE BAND. DURING THE LAST SHOW, OF WHAT WOULD BE THE LAST TOUR - IN A QUINTESSENTIALLY ENGLISH TOWN BY THE NAME OF BEDFORD - MYSELF AND THE REST OF THE BAND, HAD DECIDED IT WOULD BE HILARIOUS TO START ONE OF THE SONGS IN A HIGHER KEY! (I'M LAUGHING AT THE MEMORY!) ANYWAY, WE COMMENCED PLAYING THE SONG INTRO., WATCHING PAUL INTENTLY, WHO APPARENTLY HAD NO CLUE THAT ANYTHING WAS AMISS, (AND WHY WOULD HE?!) THEN WE COLLECTIVELY ERUPTED INTO FITS OF HYSTERICAL LAUGHTER, AT THE SIGHT OF HIS PAINED AND PUZZLED EXPRESSION, AS HE STRUGGLED AND STRAINED IN VAIN TO HIT THE NOTES! (IF YOU'RE READING THIS - 'SORRY PAUL!') AS IF THIS WASN'T BAD ENOUGH, IN AND OF ITSELF, AFTER THE SHOW - WITH EVERYONE BEING IN EMOTIVE, HIGH SPIRITS, DUE TO THE PREMATURE ENDING OF THE TOUR - ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE BACK AT THE HOTEL! ANYWAY, PAUL, HAVING HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH OF THE HIGH-JINKS, DECIDED TO CALL IT A NIGHT. HE BADE US ALL FAREWELL, AND HEADED FOR THE ELEVATOR, OR 'THE LIFT' AS THEY CALL IT IN ENGLAND. 'LITTLE DID HE KNOW ...' THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE TOO FAR TO GO TO GET SOME REST THAT NIGHT! THE ELEVATOR DOORS OPENED, AND THERE - RIGHT BEFORE HIS VERY EYES - WAS HIS BED!! 'ROCK CONCERT: $30.00 - STRETCH LIMO: $300.00 - HOTEL: $200.00 - DOUBLE-BED-IN-THE-ELEVATOR - PRICELESS!'


If you guys were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you guys are, ¿Who would you guys send to look for help? And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first?
I HAVE TO SAY THAT, WHILST THESE ARE ALL VERY GOOD QUESTIONS, THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS ESPECIALLY CREATIVE - IN A GHOULISH AND SURREAL KIND OF WAY! HAD ME SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING BECOMING A VEGETARIAN! ANYWAY, HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING, I GUESS I'D DISPATCH THE TOUR MANAGER TO SEARCH FOR HELP - ASSUMING HE WASN'T BIG AND SUCCULENT LOOKING, THUS MOUTH-WATERINGLY EDIBLE! AS FOR WHO I'D OPT TO EAT FIRST, WELL, THAT'S ANOTHER VERY GOOD QUESTION, THE ANSWER BEING LARGELY DEPENDENT ON WHICH PARTICULAR "RECORDS" LINE-UP WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE. (AS I STATED EARLIER, THERE WERE 3 DIFFERENT LINE-UPS BACK IN THE DAY.) LET'S SAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FIRST OF THE THREE: ASSUMING THAT NONE OF THE OTHERS MADE A MEAL OUT OF ME - I WOULD PASS ON EATING WILL BIRCH, AS HE AND I WERE THE SONGWRITERS AND NUCLEUS OF THE BAND. SO, THAT WOULD LEAVE BASSIST, PHIL BROWN AND LEAD GUITARIST, HUW GOWER. SINCE HUW WAS THE LAST MEMBER OF THAT LINE-UP TO JOIN US, I'M GUESSING, I MIGHT JUST TAKE A BITE OUT OF HIM! THAT SAID, IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE OVER THE YEARS, THAT THE ONE AND ONLY GOOD REASON TO HIRE A MANAGER, IS SO YOU CAN EAT HIM IF YOU SHOULD EVER FIND YOURSELF IN SUCH A DIRE SITUATION! SO, SHOULD SUCH AN UNFORESEEN AND UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCE, COME TO (DONNER?) PASS - SAID MANAGER WOULD BE BY FAR AND AWAY MY FIRST CHOICE! I'D GOBBLE HIM UP IN A HEARTBEAT!! THE REAL QUESTIONS HERE ARE: IF HE WASN'T A GOOD MANAGER, HOW WOULD HE TASTE? BAD?!


Which country you guys would love to play?
AUSTRALIA


With which bands you guys would love to share stage??
FOO FIGHTERS, THE BANGLES, TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS, CHEAP TRICK & SPINAL TAP. THOUGH NOT AT THE SAME TIME.


Are you OK, with the direction the band is going actually?
ABSOLUTELY! ALTHOUGH I'M ESSENTIALLY A SOLO ARTIST NOWADAYS, I DO PLAY FULL-BAND SHOWS WITH A NEW LINE-UP OF EXTREMELY TALENTED MUSICIANS. IN ADDITION TO MY BAND ACTIVITIES, I WRITE, RECORD AND ALSO PLAY OUT ACOUSTICALLY. OF COURSE, WITH MY NEW-FOUND 'CANNABALISTIC' TENDENCIES, IT CAN MAKE IT A LITTLE TOUGH TO FIND MUSICIANS BRAVE ENOUGH TO WORK WITH ME!!

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