Famous Jug Band

"Sunshine Possibilities" 1969





















Gordon Potter:
This is a re-issue from 1969, topped-up with an extra couple of tracks from 1970 as part of the tricks of digital re-mastering.

The band was one of those very eclectic mixtures that were around during those days (so what changes?) The jug influence came from Henry Bartlett, playing his favoured instrument, and the rest of the band were Clive Palmer, in between his Incredible String Band and Clive's Original Band days; Pete Berryman the folk-blues man who turned up all over the shop; and Jill Johnson a Cornish singer straight from school - as I said, an eclectic lot.

They put together this collection of traditional and own-composition numbers, with quirky arrangements to suit the guitar-and-jug instrumentation. The songs definitely have a period feel about them, but they still retain the freshness of a young group playing and singing what they wanted to do because they enjoyed it, and having scant regard for convention.

Not typical jug-band then, not typical anything really, but numbers like "Black is the Colour" and "Saro Jane" are given a new slant, with Jill's voice intriguing throughout.