Gav King, lead singer of Private Dicks speaks about his debut solo album “Skeletons”. Collaborating with lifelong friends guitarist Paul Guiver and Neil Taylor (Tears for Fears), the album delivers an authentic dark retro new wave sound. We’ll hear in his discussion with Jason Barnard how he went from the chaotic punk scene to a more self-aware solo project.
Can you share more about the creative process behind “Skeletons.” How does it differ from your work with Private Dicks?
Best I start with The Dicks. The band was formed by myself along with guitarist Paul Guiver in 1978. All the songs were originally formed in my sweet brain – I don’t really play any instrument lazy bastard lead singer that I am – and then developed with Paul. Most lyrics were in some form by the time we worked on the songs. Sometimes middle eights/bridges were part of my original idea. Sometimes developed with Paul’s input. Sometimes everything was driven at 90 mph but once we had our rhythm section sorted and brought the songs along they would change during the rehearsal process. Important to state here that said rhythm section, Huw Davies on Bass and Mark Seabright on Drums, were crucially important to the sound of Private Dicks – much inspired by Elvis Costello – and how tight we were as a live band. Bear in mind they were only 18 and 17 years old respectively and with very little experience. Yet within three months I had them in the studio recording our first demo which led to the single She Said Go and Green is in the Red on the legendary Avon Calling Bristol Compilation on Heartbeat Records. And then attract the attention of one Mark Dean . . .
Mentioning Heartbeat Records leads me to my solo album SKELETONS. The label had been mothballed by owner Simon Edwards for approximately 35 years and it was only due to a series of fortunate circumstances that saw the label resurrected to provide a welcoming and warm home for SKELETONS. Interesting too that one fortunate circumstance was provided by The Dicks being asked in November 2023 to play a matinee – yes a ‘matinee’ – at our spiritual home, The Crown Cellar Bar, in Old Market, Bristol by Brad, lead singer of the wonderful MONKISH, our first gig for ten years. At that gig an engineer of sessions with one of my 80’s bands Distant Cousins (UK) – as opposed to those upstarts from LA – had come along purely out of curiosity to see if I had any hair left. Steve Street (not THAT Steve Street) reintroduced himself to me and upon chatting I found out that he was now into mastering. Knowing how brilliant an engineer he was (have a listen to the forthcoming album’ Limited Supply’ by Distant Cousins on Bristol Archive Records) I stored that information away.
Blimey, have noticed how many brackets and – there are? Get on with it King!! Ok. Where was I?
Back in 2016 I moved back to Bristol after a brief three year sojourn in The Mumbles and that meant I was more able to interact with mates in The Dicks. Still the same guys. How’s that eh? It was about then that Paul Guiver decided to float the idea of pulling together some of the songs I had written over the years along with some that Paul and I had written together. It took two years to get together for a weekend in Brighton with just an acoustic guitar to record my vocals. That session sat gathering dust as we hurtled towards Lockdown, and it was through Lockdown that Paul and I came to have a discussion as to how we were going to survive the enforced inactivity. The first thing I thought was the live recording we had from our last visit to Berlin in 2013. The recording process had been hampered by technical difficulties and had itself been gathering dust after one listen. Paul wasn’t keen on trying to resurrect the recording but I said I thought there may be one good track. Long story short Paul in the end rescued most of the set through sheer hard work in his studio and his general post-production brilliance and as a band we decided one last piece of vinyl was a great way to celebrate what would appear to be Private Dick’s swansong Live at the Wild at Heart Berlin…a few are still available…call me.
Near the end of lockdown Paul decided to produce one of the songs from the Brighton sessions in a song we wrote together in 2000 called I REALLY CARE…now available on all streaming progs. Paul produced a very wonderful version which I call the Late Night Mix, quite jazzy and all upright bass ‘n stuff. It was then that our old mate, master guitarist NEIL TAYLOR, appears in the story for upon hearing Paul’s version he asked if he could have a go at it and blimey, suddenly, we had a daytime version both of which have videos and are available on YouTube (Neil’s version will also be available as an extra track on the CD version of my next album Every Scar is Mine which is due for release in Nov. 2024).
Paul and I had pencilled in September 2023 for the recording of SKELETONS in September 2023 so I began putting together backing tracks on my computer using a royalty free software package called Dance Ejay…very old and retro but it worked for me… and my creative juices were resurrected…unlike my libido…. I started matching up the tracks with the back catalogue of lyrics, hundreds of them, that had been accumulating over the years. It was then Paul dropped the bombshell that he had been offered a very big post-production job which he couldn’t turn down. But, bless him, he got in touch with Neil who lives near me and asked if he would take over production duties. Now Neil has put out numerous albums of his own songs and has quite an online following so he said ‘well send me over a track and lets see how it goes’. I sent him the track Blood and Blues, a lyric I wrote remembering my brother who died in 1993.
As soon as he heard the track Neil rang and said you had better come over and record the vocal…and that is how SKELETONS started culminating in a vinyl and CD release March 29 2024 on . . . HEARTBEAT Records. Previously mentioned Steve Street was a mate of Simon Edwards, owner of Heartbeat, and after hearing some of the tracks Steve played them to Simon who was enamoured and he offered to release the album on Heartbeat, squaring a 45 year old circle if you like. I look at the cover of the album and I find it hard to believe what we have achieved. Neil’s production is stunning. The mastering was done by Steve Street who has transferred his mixing skills brilliantly providing the icing on a wonderful cake.
You mentioned that “Skeletons” is influenced by the pandemic and reflections on your life. Can you delve into how these themes shaped the songs on the album?
I’ve been asked to consider writing a book but I am a lyricist so as I composed the backing track the music led to reflections on certain aspects, e.g. Skeletons itself is a song to my grandchildren to grasp the concept of forgive and forget much earlier in life and apply it to themselves when they’ve got themselves into a mess which, as we oldies know, is going to happen if you are living a full life. That quite honestly, unless its criminal, most balls ups will be over by the time the next one comes around. I found life much easier to deal with when I came to that conclusion. Underneath the song titles I have placed pithy clues as to where the inspiration has come from and it can come from the most obscure sources: e.g. TIME the opening track on side 2 was inspired by reading The History of Mr Polly by H G Wells. On the new album there is a track called ‘The Crack Up’ which was inspired by a short book of essays by F. Scott Fitzgerald written in 1931. Whereas Private Dicks were mostly about broken hearts and love affairs…you know how it is…what the hell has a sixty something divorcee got to write about. Of course it could have been a break up album but I got that out of my system with a band called The Bloody Code 2014-2018, so I had to find inspiration from elsewhere and by remembering to keep the notebook and pen handy. You never know when something will hit the ears.
Having said all that I suppose I didn’t completely go full Joni Mitchell with the Dicks. One song 5 Star Freezing was about cryogenics inspired by the rumour Walt Disney had had his head frozen just in case the world had developed a way of reattaching and rejuvenating said head. Course that is the way things are heading. Way to go Walt. One other thing that fascinated me was American politics which began with Watergate. In 1978 I wrote You Want it You Got it which was inspired by David Frost giving Tricky Dicky an obscene amount of money for an interview…back to SKELETONS and a track called Mission Creep is about the odious bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Hey, I’m nothing if not topical and bang up to date.
The lead single “Profiled” has an intriguing backstory involving Simon Pegg’s “The World’s End.” Can you tell us more about how you discovered you were the inspiration for the character Gary King and how that experience influenced the song?
How did the experience influence the song? To be honest the song would not exist. The film came out in 2012 and it was the weirdest experience. A friend was on a transatlantic flight and saw the movie. She then texted me and asked had I seen it and if not go and see it at my earliest convenience. I watched it with my youngest daughter and as the film progressed I could see her glancing at me until finally she asked ‘is this about you?’. If you listen to the song the lyric really does tell the tale. Suffice to say Pegg stayed in my Wiltshire village to do research for Hot Fuzz and heard about me and anecdotes were relayed. I do think calling the character Gary King was a bit on the nose. It was when I was thinking of significant moments for the album this was mentioned and I wrote the lyric quickly at 1.30 one morning.
“Skeletons” features collaborations with Paul Guiver and Neil Taylor. How did their contributions shape the final sound of the album?
The album would never have been written let alone recorded if it hadn’t been for Paul. It was his idea. As my best mate he didn’t want my vocal legacy to be the fast paced New Wave, upper register screeching singer. In 2000 we had one of our occasional song writing weekends and a result of that was I Really Care which was heartfelt ballad of sorts. It hung around a while, indeed was on a Chill Out album put out in Spain in the mid-noughties , and was the first thing Paul suggested we record. As I’ve said previously this inadvertently led to Neil taking over Production duties. Whist he has written and produced a series of excellent solo albums this was his first time producing someone else. The only way I can describe the procedure is I liken it to MasterChef. I provide him with ingredients and then he creates a beautiful course be it either starter or main or dessert. He will send me various mixes of each song and I throw back areas I want to accentuate etc and then we arrive at a final mix and send it off to Steve Street for Mastering. That is always exciting because Neil and I know that however pleased we are with finished song Steve’s mastering adds a good 10% on top. I’m a lucky lucky chap to have chanced upon such a talented team. Not in my wildest dreams did i ever imagine this would be how I see out my days.
You describe the songs on “Skeletons” as more considered and emotional compared to the fast-paced style of Private Dicks. Can you talk about the lyrical themes and musical elements that define this album?
It was Paul again who succinctly said ‘why don’t you write some songs that you can actually sing?’ Charming. But I knew what he meant. 1979 I was a different animal and three minute pop songs about a twenty something single lad are going to be so different to the songs written 40 odd years later even if the older lad is ‘arrested development writ big’ Thank you Mr Pegg.
Joni Mitchell is a significant influence for “Skeletons.” What aspects of her music do you find most inspiring, and how have they impacted your songwriting?
As a teenager I had the chance to buy one album in a swap for my fishing gear. Only two were remotely worth listening to: Clouds by Joni Mitchel or Ummagumma by Floyd. Luckily I chose Clouds and so began a love affair which lasted up to Hejira and then only intermittently after that…there is a reason why Joni herself describes her output in the 80’s as her ‘Lost Period’. What I really admired about her was the way on Court and Spark not only did she expand the arrangements themes which she hinted at on For the Roses but also a lyrical divergence from ‘confessional’ to ‘observation’ which of course then came to fruition on Hissing of Summer Lawns and Hejira. If you haven’t heard the Dolby Atmos remixes yet do so. It’s revelational.
Reflecting on your long career, what was it like to transition from the high-energy punk scene of Private Dicks to the more introspective style of your solo work?
Old Age. I had to grow up sometime…apparently. But I’ve managed to fight it off for a good while. Remind me again, why did she divorce me?
Private Dicks have had a tumultuous journey, from early success to unexpected reunions. Looking back, what do you think were the defining moments for the band?
Ooh.
- The departure of a short lived second guitarist which catapulted us from sub-Banshees tosh…well it is Bristol … to trying out She Said Go. Suddenly we were flying.
- Then the first demo three months later, probably my favourite recording of all. Three mixed demos in eight hours with the fab Kenny Wheeler at Sound Conception Studios.
- The happy coincidence of that demo coinciding with Simon Edwards decision to do the iconic Bristol Compilation Avon Calling. Boy did John Peel like that record.
- Simon’s decision that She Said Go was a hit single waiting to happen.
- Recording the single at Crescent Studio in Bath.
- The single a disappointing pale imitation of the demo energy, but the excitement of being in a kebab shop opposite the Music Machine when our song suddenly came on the radio for the first time. Cue mayhem.
- Mark Bloody Dean.
- Playing the Marquee where one of my fave ever albums was recorded Live at The Marquee Alan Bown Set with the glorious Jess Roden on vocals. My Hero. Just to have performed on the same stage.
- Bass player Huw breaking a finger just as we went to record a Radio One Session at Maida Vale.
- Guivey mistakenly using new strings at said session which resulted in an appalling version of Catalogue Girls. I never want to hear that out of tune horror ever again. Luckily we only managed to keep one song from that session and it is on our debut album which was first released on CD in Japan. The power of that recording shows where the band was heading. We could’ve contenders…
- Mark Dean’s contract which was crap and I refused to sign.
- The other guys unhappy with me cos Mark Dean issued an ultimatum, sign or I’m off…and orf he jolly well went. End of band…or is it?
Your fans played a crucial role in the band’s revival. Can you describe the moment you realized Private Dicks still had a dedicated following, and how that affected the band?
The advent of Broadband. 2003? Suddenly being contacted by people wanting to know what happened to the band to the Japan Homelife album, reissue of the vinyl single and then the Live at The Marquee album…all 23 years later. Oh the feeling that songs you thought had been forgotten being resurrected. Then being asked to play live again to launch the CD version of Avon Calling and how great it felt for the four of us that we could still cut it live. These guys really are my brothers in arms.
“Live at the Wild at Heart, Berlin” captures a unique moment in the band’s history. What was it like to perform and record in such an iconic venue after so many years?
After the Crown Cellar Bar in Old Market Bristol The Wild at Heart is our European spiritual home. The gigs there were so wonderful, the stories outrageous.
In the late noughties it was one chap known as Kidnap from the Berlin band The Not Amused asked if we would go over to German and play the Wild at Heart and two other gigs. That was such a fine time. At least for the band. I think in hindsight it worsened fractures already present in some relationships. We returned to Berlin many times over the years to 2013 when we recorded Live at the Wild at Heart. Little did we know that would be it for 8 years and a pandemic. One thing to mention was that during this time Mr Neil ‘Producer’ Taylor, an old mate, joined us on stage a number of times and that culminated in being second on the bill to headliner Brian James with Sham 69 sans Mr Pursey at the Road to Ruin festival in Rome. That was probably the most wonderful gig playing to two thousand people who knew all the songs and sang along to everything. I shall take that memory with me as I go on that final exciting adventure.
The St Pauls Riot is a significant part of Bristol’s history, and you mentioned being caught in the middle of it. How did that experience influence the band’s trajectory?
Only in the fact that we rehearsed at the Dockland Settlement in City Road, St Pauls in a room next to a very loud dub Disco which I believe eventually led to Massive Attack. Many stories about that place. Suffice it to say that finishing rehearsal and emerging into a ‘war zone’ was something else.
You had an opportunity to sign with Mark Dean, the man who later discovered Wham! Looking back, do you have any regrets about not taking that chance, or do you think it was the right decision for the band at the time?
Ah. Yes. Well . . . I think the honest truth is that if we had signed and if…a mighty big if…we had signed a major deal which was mooted I think I may not have survived. Even as band founder and leader with all of the responsibility of ensuring the rhythm section stayed out of trouble? Me and two teenagers at that time was asking for trouble.
Not even our sane and responsible lead guitarist could have saved us. Now having said that we got in enough trouble as it was. There are many many stories told about the Elmgrove Squat where the lads lived. There’s a book in that place alone. Ask Jon Klein.
How have your relationships with your bandmates changed from the early days to now?
We are still very best friends. Blimey, we’ve even had a late flourish this year. A ten day UK tour and two Punk Festivals is something I don’t think any of us expected. We are Godfather’s to each others children and we are there for each other even though we live miles apart. My brothers in arms. I’d be lost without them.
Private Dicks have an enduring legacy in the punk and new wave scenes. How do you feel about the band’s place in music history, and what do you hope your long-time fans remember most?
We are nothing more than a very small footnote although it is still surprising to find people who remember us from back in the day and the resurrection. I’m so proud of my boys and how we’ve stayed together so long. Not many bands can say they are still playing live with the same four members after 45 years. God Bless the Private Dicks and all who sailed on her. Amen.
