Record Collector, December 1992 
Jacky Gunn looks at the history of two notable Queen-related projects before
the group's major success



SMILE

Although it's unlikely that the Beatle's supremacy in the collecting world is

under any real threat, Queen have provided the stiffest competition during the

past couple of years, usurping well-respected giants like Elvis, the Stones and

Jimi Hendrix along the way.  This month, we focus our attentions on two

interesting Queen-related project, which provide collectors with several rare

items to chase.  After this close look at the brief career of Smile, we focus

the spotlight on the intriguing record made by Freddie Mercury as Larry Lurex.



  Way back in the halcyon hippie days of 1968, two London-based Imperial College

students, guitarist Brian May and bassist/vocalist Tim Staffel, decided to form

a group and advertised for a drummer.  Along came medical student Roger Taylor,

and the trio became Smile.  They set about playing a form of music that they

themselves described as 'wild and progressive', which probably suited the

flavour of that era well.  Smile played most of their early gigs in Cornwall -

Roger's home ground - at venues such as the Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth, and PJ's

Club in Truro.  The group also regular appearances at Imperial College, a

popular underground/college venue back then.



  In May 1969, Smile signed their first - and only - record deal, with

American-owned Mercury Records.  They recorded two tracks in June at Trident

Studios, London, with John Anthony producing, which appeared in August but only

in the States.  The songs were Tim Staffel's "Earth" on the A-side, back by the

May/Staffel penned "Step On Me".  The single failed to create any impression

whatsoever - though it's since come to light that "Earth" was only ever

circulated as a promotional device to radio stations and never issued

commercially.  It's a practice that still operates in the States to this day,

and it's possible that in this case feedback from the DJ's wasn't strong enough

to warrant a full release.



DESPONDENT


  However, some months later, Mercury put smile into De Lane Lea studios in

Wembley, London, to record more material with a view to completing an album -

this time produced by Fritz Fryer.  Once again, the label decided not to issue

any of the tracks, and not long after, a despondent Tim Staffel left, and Smile

and Mercury Records parted company.  Tim's place was filled by singer Freddie

Mercury, and the band changed its name to Queen.



  Many years and several Queen hits later, that first and only Smile single

became a major collector's item among Queen fans.  The fact that it was only

issued in the U.S. as a promotional single made it even more difficult to obtain

(copies now change hands for 100+pounds), and therefore opened the market to

bootleggers.  Around 1980, the first "Iron Wire" bootleg was seen.  Someone had

taken the Smile 45, recorded it onto reel-to-reel tape, and used that tape as a

basis for further 7" vinyl copies.  But rather than risk prosecution by using

the Smile name, they simply stuck white labels on them and typed the words "Iron

Wire - Demo Disc Not For Sale".  They then marketed the single as an original

Smile demo, and charged an extortionate price for each bad quality copy.  It

was only recently that a new source for this bootleg came to light in Liverpool

- including what appeared to be those bootlegged reel-to-reel tapes!



JAPAN


  In 1982, Mercury Records in Japan decided to air officially the material that

Smile had recorded with Fritz Fryer.  Three tracks, "Doin' Allright", "Blag" and

"Polar Bear", fully authenticated by Brian May and Roger Taylor, were coupled

with the two songs from the single and released in Japan.  This five-track

mini-album, title "Gettin' Smile", was available quite easily on import for some

time.  However, this too is no longer available and, with prices now pushing the

20pound mark, is now becoming quite a popular collector's item in its own right.



LARRY LUREX

During the summer of 1972, Queen were to be found lurking in the corridors and

reception area of Trident Studios, London, waiting for any available studio time

so they could work on their debut album.  They were more than a little put out

by this indignity, but were left with no choice; their studio deal with Trident

had not yet been signed, and the likes of David Bowie and Elton John kept the

studios - then considered the best in London - extremely busy.



  At the time, Trident staff engineer/producer Robin Cable was working on an old

Beach Boys song called "I Can Hear Music", a song co-written with Phil Spector.

Spector had recently been in the studios recording with his wife Ronnie and,

suitably inspired, Robin decided to have a go at re-creating the 'Spector

sound' himself.  He'd heard Freddie Mercury singing with Queen and, aware that

the band had plenty of free time in between recording sessions, he asked the

singer if he'd sing the vocals for the track in question.



  At Freddie's insistence, fellow Queen members Roger Taylor and Brian May were

drafted in to add percussion and guitars, though bassist John Deacon was not

present at the recording.  Freddie Mercury also sang lead vocals on "Goin'

Back", an old Goffin & King song covered by Dusty Springfield and the Byrds.



PSEUDONYM


  Robin Cable loved the songs so much that he persuaded Trident to release them,

via their arrangement with EMI Records, to whom Queen were already signed.

However, it took almost a year for the disc to appear, and when it did, 

Queen's own album wasn't too far away, and so a pseudonym had to be used.  As

the songs were so far removed from the Queen sound, it was decided to spoof

Gary Glitter by crediting the record to Larry Lurex, and the single was released

at the height of Glittermania, on 29th June 1973 (EMI 2030).



  U.K. copies on "I Can Hear Music" are now immensely collectable, with copies

changing hands for at least 80pounds.  Meanwhile, keep an eye out for the German

picture sleeve edition on EMI's Electrola subsidiary label (1C 006-94 677).



  The single also found a simultaneous outlet in the States on Anthem Records

(AN 204), and while many believed this to have been an unofficial release, it

was in fact sanctioned by those involved, a point that has been confirmed

recently by ex-Trident boss Norman Shefield.  This issue is currently worth

40pounds.  South African pressings also exist.



  During the mid-80s, the single got a second albeit wholly unofficial wind as a

'white label promo'.  The disc credited to Joe Perfect and fans were fooled

into believing this was the original choice of name before Larry Lurex was

amusingly thought up.  In fact, far from being a very rare demo disc, the truth

was that bootleggers had, as with the case of the Smile 45, recorded the

original single onto reel-to-reel tape and re-pressed a new batch of 7's, again

in dreadful sound quality.  Copies of this, and its bootlegged tape, were again

part of the cache recently discovered in Liverpool and picked up by the press.

But as we recently reported in our news page, these are most certainly bootlegs.



  Following many requests over the years, Norman Shefield, who still owns the

original master-tapes, is planning to re-release both tracks, in conjunction

with Queen, in the near future.  This will give collectors the opportunity to

own a rare slice of Queen history without going to great expense - and with

today's remastering techniques, it should sound pretty good too!

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