MUD - Flower Power - The Early Years

By Peter Checksfield

M-U-D. No-one seems quite sure who thought of the name, but it came about because they wanted something with few letters that would look huge on posters. As Les Gray later remembered, names like The Incredible String Band were far too long – and so were their sets!

They were formed around February 1966 out of various bands in the Carshalton and Mitcham areas of Surrey – bands with names like The Apaches, The Barracudas, Remainder and The Mourners. Initially featuring a line-up of Les Gray (vocals), Rob Davis (guitar), Nigel Lunt (bass) and Ray’s brother Pete Gray (drums), Ray Stiles quickly replacing Nigel on bass, and by the early months of 1968 Dave Mount had become their new drummer. The hit-making line-up of the ‘70s was in place.

Still with Pete Gray on drums, the band were signed to CBS Records in late 1967. Both of their two singles for the label were Produced by Mike Smith, whose previous successes had included The Tremeloes, Dave Berry and Georgie Fame.

FLOWER POWER (Single A-side, October 1967)

For those only familiar with the Glam-enthused-Rock ‘n’ Roll of their big ‘70s hits, Flower Power is a revelation! Chiming guitar, bells, some great harmonies and lines like “Flower Power, let the people know” are far closer to Syd Barrett-era The Pink Floyd than to Tiger Feet and The Cat Crept In.

YOU’RE MY MOTHER (Single B-side, October 1967)

Despite the iffy lyrics, You’re My Mother is tougher, with a guitar riff and power-house drumming reminiscent of The Who and The Creation.

This fine single failed to sell in great quantities, a fate that would befall all of their 1967-1970 singles.

UP THE AIRY MOUNTAIN (Single A-side, March 1968)

With Les singing in his own Ray Davies-meets-Steve Marriott English accent, Up The Airy Mountain features lyrics (based on a poem by 19th century Irish poet William Allingham) such as “Up The Airy Mountain, Down the bushy glen, We daren’t go hunting for fear of little men” combined with a marching band rhythm and Pepper-like brass.

THE LATTER DAYS (Single B-side, March 1968)

Another lost Pop-Psych classic, The Latter Days with its imaginative guitar riff, heavily phased vocals and three-part harmonies wouldn’t have sounded out-of-place on a Tremeloes B-side.

I WILL SEE YOU THERE (Linda Kendrick Single A-side, February 1969)

Still lacking major success in their own right, in early 1969, Mud backed ‘Hair’ singer and actress Linda Kendrick on a version of The Tremeloes’ ‘I Will See You There’ for a single, with the band also appearing on radio and on stage with her.

SHANGRI-LA (Single A-side, May 1969)

Now on the Philips label, the catchy Shangri-La sees a change of tact with a classy orchestrated Pop-song. Similar in style to some of Marmalade’s better singles at the time, the song got plenty of airplay, but still failed to chart.

HOUSE ON THE HILL (Single B-side, May 1969)

Probably of more interest for Pop-Psych collectors is The Who-inspired B-side House On The Hill, with powerful drumming, a strong guitar riff and the usual great harmonies.

JUMPING JEHOSAPHAT (Single A-side, June 1970)

Their most instantly commercial song to date, the catchy Jumping Jehosaphat is up there with the big hits by Edison Lighthouse and White Plains as one of the era’s best Bubblegum songs. The phrase ‘Jumping Jehosaphat’ incidentally had previously been a key part of Jerry Lee Lewis’ 1958 B-side ‘Big Blon’ Baby’, a possible inspiration for writers Mitch Murray and Peter Callander? Clearly hearing the song’s potential, The Netherlands’ Allondee and Belgium’s The Ruby’s both quickly covered it.

WON’T LET GO (Single B-side, June 1970)

By complete contrast, B-side Won’t Let Go is a mid-tempo Country-styled song, complete with fiddle, harmonica, piano – and a trumpet solo during the fade!

With promotion on such TV shows as ‘Lift Off’ and ‘Ed and Zed!’, the single very nearly became a hit, but yet again didn’t quite make it. Like CBS before them, Philips gave up on what they saw as a lost cause, and dropped them from the label.

As well as their latest single, that same appearance on ‘Ed and Zed!’ saw the band performing competent versions of Edison Lighthouse’s ‘Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)’ and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Up Around The Bend’, while on a high-profile appearance on ITV’s ‘South Bank Summer’ a couple of months earlier they did a great version of Ides Of March’s ‘Vehicle’. They were clearly an entertaining and highly versatile live band, and, as the months turned into years, they would continue to build on that reputation… and then, it happened: In late 1972, famed song-writing and production team Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman – or ‘Chinnichap’ as they were so often dubbed at the time – were looking to expand their roster of artists. They’d already had success with The Sweet, and would later make stars out of Suzi Quatro and Smokie, but right now Mud were just the type of act they were looking for. Over the next few years they would have 15 UK hits, including 3 chart-toppers.