News, Bedfordshire
A 1960s band is finally releasing an album after its music was accidentally discovered by a producer.
Chris Stokes, from Luton, sold an electric piano on eBay and included some of his band’s sound clips in the listing.
The Genesis – not to be confused with the globally famous progressive rock band starring Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel – recorded music in the 60s and 70s.
Chris, who is now 80 and lives in Essex, said: “If I hadn’t sold the e-piano for £10, all of this music would have ended up in landfill.”
The piano was picked up by music producer Will Twynham, who is based in Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire, and goes under the name Dimorphodons.
“I was browsing eBay for weird and semi-working musical gear, when the sound clip on Chris’s old Hohner electric piano stopped me in my tracks,” said Will.
“It was a great song, and as a fan of 60s and 70s obscurities I knew it was unknown.”
After meeting Chris in person, Will was “absolutely astounded” to hear 80 more tracks from between 1964 and 1974.
“I couldn’t believe that this quantity and quality of music had gone unreleased for such a long time and immediately decided to rectify the situation,” said Will, who is releasing some of the material under his record label Hand of Glory.
The band was originally called Genesis, but did not register its name and had folded by the time the group fronted by Gabriel shot to fame.
Chris said their only connection with the other Genesis was via record producer Jonathan King.
“Jonathan King was managing a band called Hedgehoppers Anonymous, and we did a gig supporting them. Later Jonathan King went on to become the first manager of Genesis,” said Chris.
The five Luton men formed the band in 1966, including two workers from the Vauxhall factory.
“We rehearsed at the local church and started gigging. We used to do a pretty wild version of Bob Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone and Vanilla Fudge You Keep Me Hanging On,” said Chris.
Instead of just performing covers, The Genesis wanted to write and record their own music, including a pop opera that tells a story.
“Over a period of three months we came up with this thing. We were blundering around in the dark, we didn’t know what the hell we were doing.
“It was nothing like we’d heard another pop group do.
“We managed to con an afternoon with this new studio in King Street – it was a guy with a mixer and tape recorder.”
In that same studio, Chris recalls meeting another band rehearsing for a gig.
“It just happened to be Ian Anderson and Clive Bunker, Mick Abrahams … who became Jethro Tull.
“Luton back then was a phenomenal place to grow up, music wise. Both Luton and Dunstable had huge international acts coming to perform.”
Chris said the remaining band members “think it’s insane” that their music is being released.
“They’re mildly amused that anybody is taking any interest whatever.
“It appeals to the inner ego, that somebody has finally listened to the nonsense I was writing 40 to 50 years ago and thinks there is any worth in it.”
Will believes the music is waiting to be discovered.
“Somehow Chris managed to have a really great stab at all the music of the era, including moody mid-60s beat group sounds like The Zombies, psych, prog, glam and of course a historic, pioneering rock opera!
“There’s even a fully orchestrated 15-minute Brit-jazz track featuring a saxophonist from the John Barry Seven.”
Chris concluded: “I have described my life many times as being a series of happy accidents, and this is just another one. It’s a funny old thing.”
