Never the legends they could be, Irish experimental folk-rock also-rans DR. STRANGELY STRANGE are a cult collective – befits a band whose first two albums, out in 1969 and 1970, were produced by Joe Boyd, whose sophomore platter bore the artwork by Roger Dean and featured Gary Moore, and whose ranks included at some point Gay and Terry Woods of STEELEYE SPAN fame. Still, the group got popular enough to properly reunite in 1994, to record a third full-length offering, and then in 2007, to launch an archival collection and stay on the scene till this day, only even that compilation contained strictly studio tracks, because nobody bothered to tape the ensemble’s live performances, except John Peel. The musicians laid down two BBC radio sessions for the DJ back in the day, for the “Top Gear” and “In Concert” programmes, only those documents didn’t survive – and resurfaced now, to be released on October 21st.
The original tapes were wiped, but extensive research among European collectors allowed Think Like A Key Music to locate off-air recordings of both sessions and painstakingly restore them. With the addition of another radio appearances by the band, in Holland and Denmark, and a Dublin rehearsal of “Sign On My Mind” that has Moore on it, the resulting disc will be simply titled “Radio Sessions” and look like this (read the review):
Radio Sessions
Rehearsal, April 1970:
1. Sign On My Mind
Top Gear, June 6th, 1970:
2. Ashling
3. Mary Malone Of Moscow
In Concert, November 1st, 1970:
4. Frosty Mornings
5. Horse Of A Different Hue
6. On The West Cork Hack
7. Ballad Of The Wasps
8. Sweet Red Rape
Dutch Radio, April 9th, 1971:
9. Gave My Love An Apple
Danish Radio, April 20th, 1971:
10. Sign On My Mind
11. Interview
