RIP Martin Duffy

Ex Felt, Primal Scream & Charlatans keyboard player.

Understandably Terry Hall is remembered, a total legend.

My mate mark Ellis, RIP, who has a plaque to remember him in the East Stand lent me a copy of an early compilation of the band Felt called "Gold Mine Trash" about the time it came out in '87. Have been a fan ever since. Felt were falling apart as a band in the late 80's & were signed to Creation at the time, so Duffy joined Primal Scream, their label mates in time for the legendary Screamadelica LP. He later joined the Charlatans too, after the tragic death of their keyboard player Rob Collins.

This might not be everyone's cup of tea, but was the sort of stuff Duffy played on in his early days with Felt. Primitive Painters, with Liz Fraser being their most remembered track.Could have posted something off Screamadelica, but hopefully most of you will be familiar with that.



RIP Martin, thanks for the memories. I know @Mr C will echo this.

 

Check my signature

 

Class.

 

**** me. Terry Hall and Martin Duffy in the same day. They left some great music behind for us. I was in hospital when I was about 11 and requested Ghost Town on the hospital radio, as it had just come out and I thought it was ace.

Jay doesn’t need reminding of my love for Felt, as we’ve spoken often about them. In fact, just had to look down to see if I had my Felt t-shirt on (I haven’t, it’s a KLF one!). The Charlatans are one of my favourite bands too. I think Duffy only played the Knebworth gig with them didn’t he? I might be mistaken. A shame, cos his style really fit in with them. They needed someone at short notice for Knebworth, so he stepped up. I guess he joins the Charlatans casualty list.

My mate’s sister was the PR for Oasis/Creation, so me and my mate were on the Creation guest list (best moment - when Stuart Pearce said I was welcome to his place in the England team. Don’t think El Tel would have been impressed if I’d turned up with my boots!). We were offered either day, but chose the Sunday cos The Charlatans were playing that day. Quite an emotional moment when they came onstage, as Rob Collins had only died shortly beforehand. In fact, there was a raffle in the Creation tent for a very smart looking scooter, with the money going to his family. I bought a ticket, although the thought of me riding through Camden Town on a scooter sounds like the opening shot from an episode of Casualty.

 

Great story that. Thanks for sharing. I think Duffy played on a few Charlatans studio cuts, "How High" being one off Tellin' Stories & also with Shack on HMS Fable.

 

Stop talking about music, the last time we did I had to buy the Frazier Chorus back catalogue.

Your life's too good to be true
I think I'll ruin it for you

 

Fck, I can't keep up.
I knew Martin a bit. From Creation & the BrumBeat scene. Very talented, very funny bloke. Gone way too soon.

 

I bought a 12” called nothing by Frazier chorus was prob 1990, cracking band

RIP Martin, what a terrible day

 

Frazier Chorus we’re ace. 2 albums, a mini-album and that’s yer lot. All 3 are brill. If you like one song, you’ll like them all, as they had a style. They even made Anarchy in the UK sound like they’d written it. There was a bootleg of demos that was knocking about, with some songs that didn’t get officially released. I’ve tracked down a few songs from it, but never found a copy of the record. But in looking for it I found a few, er, interesting pages on the internet. Then again, it is called Monkey Spunk!

interesting fact. The singer, Tim Freeman, is the big brother of The Office’s Martin Freeman, who apparently based his character on his big brother, right down to the name.

Shame they didn’t make any more music. You should search out their first two albums, Sue and Ray. Here’s my favourite track, to whet your appetite.

 

Is there anyone you didn’t know?! Actually, on that, I was sorry to read that your old mate Darrell Bath died last year. He must only have been the same age as us.

 

****, I’m taking it that you already knew. Please tell me I haven’t told you bad news over a footy forum.

 

You've told me this before. I love the videos for Dream Kitchen and Typical because Tim is exactly how his brother portrayed him. The bit where he puts on the gold lamé suit and plays the Glockenspiel is one of the highlights of pop as far as I'm concerned.

I knew Frazier Chorus at the time because I'm an 80s kid and I love pop music and pop music in the 80s and sort of into the 90s (so long as we ignore grunge and Britpop) is spectacular. But there was so much else I didn't really pay them no neverminds. But since you recommended them I think they're great. Maybe not Cure, Mary Chain, Felt, Sarah Records, Subway Organization great, but still pretty great.

 

Who are you asking Paul? Me?
About Darrell? Yes, I found out straight away. I’m not that reclusive.

 

Just read how Duffy died. A brain injury after suffering a fall at his home in Brighton. So sad.

It means he’ll have been taken into the A&E that I used to work in, or one of the A&Es I should say.

 

Yes. I thought you would have, but then just had a moment’s panic after pressing send! Jimmy Viz once inadvertently informed me of the death of an old friend on here when he mentioned it in a post. One of the London Reds from before your time.

 

Saw them at Northampton Roadmender many many years ago i always liked.

 

Aye, I found out about Gary (Shenk) on here, just recently. Just a day later..

 

I was just thinking last night, as I played one of my Explosions in the Sky CDs, that this goes both way, as I’m pretty sure I’d never heard of them until you told me about them. Sure it was you.

On another note, Lawrence’s band is now called Mozart Estate and he has a new album out next month. He’s even touring and is playing Leeds, but it’s somewhere out by Pudsey station, so will be impossible to get the train home after the show. Stars and Luke Haines are also playing in Leeds, at the Brudenell Social Club, but again, the rubbish time of the last train home has put paid to any thoughts of going to see those either.

 

It's the Old Woollen Mill. Really good venue TBH. Luke Haines at the Brude will happen, as it is 20 mins walk from my flat.