VdGG Profile: Van der Graaf Generator III

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VdGG Profile

Van der Graaf Generator III - IVa [Autumn 1968 - June 1969]
Personnel
Name Chris Judge Smith: voc, perc, ocarinas, sax Peter Hammill: voc, gtr Hugh Banton: organ, piano Keith Ellis: bass Guy Evans: drums, perc	ex VdGG II VdGG II VdGG II The Koobas [see below]	to Heebalob I & II / [solo] VdGG IVb / PH solo I VdGG IVb VdGG IVb VdGG IVb / Misunderstood VI

Discography
III	1968	People You Were Going To / Firebrand	Polydor	single

IVa: Afterwards and Necromancer was recorded in January 1969 and later included on The Aerosol Grey Machine (see VdGG IVb).

History

Keith Ellis was suggested by Tony Stratton-Smith who knew him from Koobas days. Guy probably saw Hugh's add in International Times. They soon recorded the sparkling single People You Were Going To / Firebrand. It was released on Tetragrammaton, a deal secured by Stratton-Smith. But the band/Peter was still tied to the contract with Mercury and the single was soon withdrawn. Now it's a rare collectors' item. The two songs are included as bonus tracks on the Repertoire CD version of The Aerosol Grey Machine. They are probably taken from a vinyl copy and not the master tapes, though.

Judge left shortly after the single was released. Their new equipment was stolen four days after buying it. They split after following frustrating gigs on borrowed gear, lack of gigs and because of Peter's rotten record deal. Stratton-Smith didn't want any of the others of the band to be involved with neither Mercury nor the contract.

Guy Randolph Evans : "I was at Warwick University doing various entertainment things... (this being 1968; he got a degree) and heard that Tony Stratton-Smith was involved in a band who were looking for a drummer... I rang up about it, came down to London, had an audition, failed it, thought the band was terrible, but somehow eventually joined." (ZigZag vol. 6, 1975, #7)