Spark Records SRLP 102 (U.K.)
Sire Records (U.S.A.)
Track listing:
1. Woman You Need Love (Willie Dixon)
2. Nobody by my side (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
3. Come Home Baby (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
4. Bedtime Blues (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
5. Sunday Morning (Martin)
6. Try to Understand (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
7. My Mind Can Ride Easy (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
8. Wet (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke/Martin/Smith)
9. Keep On Walking (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
10. Forget It (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
11. Lou's Blues (Martin)
12. People Change Your Mind (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke/Smith)
Bill Thorndycraft - Vocals / Harp
Mick Clarke - Lead Guitar
Lou Martin - Keyboards
Bazz Smith - Drums
Stuart MacDonald - Bass
Recorded at Pye Studios, London
Produced by John Edward
Mick writes..
In the late 1960s every major record company in the U.K. had to have a blues band on its roster. It was the In Thing. The only time in my entire life actually, that I have been "trendy". Consequently, when KILLING FLOOR was looking for a label for its first album release we hit the streets of London's West End and went knocking on the doors of the major companies. One by one we met with rejection. Muff Winwood at Island told us "Sorry, we've just signed a blues band"..well they only wanted one each, and we were late getting in. But our manager John Edward had a connection with the publishing company Southern Music, and they were starting a small record label, "Spark". So "Spark" it was.
We recorded at Pye Recording Studios, just off Marble Arch in the West End of London, where many hits of the time were made. You might find the Kinks or Status Quo roaming the corridors - the larger studio had even hosted Frank Sinatra and a big band. So the studio and the engineering personnel were first rate. However the sessions did not always run smoothly.
The first shock we received on the first day's recording was to be told that all the material had to be original, for publishing reasons. This was a little awkward as we had a complete set of Chicago Blues standards which we'd been rehearsing and playing for the last six months. Consequently Bill went and sat in the toilets at Pye Studios and reluctantly rewrote all the lyrics.
Classic blues songs suddenly became originals - the only one that escaped the treatment was Willie Dixon's "You Need Love". Actually the songs had all been re-arranged to such an extent that they were already halfway to becoming originals. The change of lyric just completed the process, but some of them are still quite recognizable.
It was exciting to be in a professional studio for the first time and I'd say we all enjoyed the recording, though at times it was a comedy of errors. We recorded far too much music for a normal vinyl long player and had to cut large chunks out. At least one number starts half way through, and the whole album is full of mistakes both in the music and the production.
But none of this should detract from the good qualities of the session. The band was definitely rocking - we'd had several months of playing the material live and it was ready to go down on tape. Every track is bursting with energy and enthusiasm. We also employed a lot of arrangements in our songs, which was something that very few blues bands of the time were doing. We borrowed ideas quite liberally from other blues and rock albums of the time, but the way the ideas were woven into our own created an end product that was certainly unique.
One of the songs from the album was later covered by blues giant Jimmy Witherspoon. He probably got to hear our album because at one time there was talk of us backing him on a British tour. When I finally heard his version recently I found that he'd pretty much re-written the whole song, but actually it sounds great..("Come Home Baby" on the album "Spoonful of Blues").
Lou Martin added a touch of extra class to the Killing Floor album with two completely original solo keyboard pieces.."Lou's Blues", a flat out boogie woogie assault, and a hymn-like "Sunday Morning", played on a harpsichord that we found in the studio left over from a Pink Floyd session, and committed to tape just before the men came to take it away! "My Mind can Ride Easy" had session men brought in to provide a horn section, as it was intended for release as a single. It also had a bongo player added, and some "dooby dooby dooing" at the end, perpetrated by an untrained vocal team of which I was a participant. In the event the single was only released in Germany, under the title "Wow Wow Wow!"
The album was actually very well received when it came out, being an exciting and unusual record, standing out from the more traditional blues offerings that most British bands were coming out with at the time. It sold well and was distributed all over the world, though we didn't know much about that at the time. It was also released in the U.S.A. by the new London subsidary "Sire", and again sold well with good reviews.
"KILLING FLOOR" was later reissued on the Spark "Replay" series, then on "See For Miles", the German label "Repertoire" and recently the Italian label "Akarma". It's still available, and continues to sell to this day.
Review of the Akarma re-issue - Blues Matters! magazine March - April 2003
The reissued debut LP by Killing Floor (originally released on the Sire label with a blood covered jail cell on the cover) is laden with imposing blues-rock by the 60's British blues band. They took blues legends' influences and changed it to reflect our times much in the same way Hendrix and so many other bands did. By electrifying the blues, the music reached a young audience that was changing dramatically. The new sounds featured hard rocking long guitar solos that appealed to a young audience hungry for something different.
By supporting groups like Ten Years After and Jethro Tull on tour, this band received some attention and notoriety, nothing like the bands that they opened for, but they did make a name for themselves. This self-titled debut burns with the red hot coals of emotion only found in righteous blues music. Al but one of these tracks is an original, which proves that they were talented enough to hold their own. Singer and harp player Bill Thorndycraft had a gruff deep-down-from-the-belly vocal style, similar to Alvin Lee, and he could blow the harp to give the music that earthy blues feeling that could be found in all the Mississsippi Delta acoustic blues. Michael Clark was an exceptional six-string slinger that had a fire burning in his belly; you could hear it in his playing, and the rhythm section of Bas Smith (drums) and Stuart MacDonlad (bass) was steadfast and true in support of his fire branded flourishes. Lou Martin added the additional elements of keyboards to give their music more texture and a modern updated sound.
This is an excellent album for a debut, and they clearly broke some ground like their counterparts the Groundhogs did during the same timeframe. This LP has an unfailing flow and liveliness that never lets up; it's all mighty blues-rock played with heart and soul. Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
The album was issued on CD (See For Miles SEECD 355), 1992, as "Rock The Blues" and on Repertoire (REP 4532-WP) 1993. The recent re-issue on Akarma Records is on both CD and vinyl. (details at Akarma Records). The cover illustrated above is from the original American release on Sire Records. Below (L to R): The original British cover on Spark Records, the re-release on Spark Replay series and the re-release on "See For Miles".
The single of "Mind can ride easy" was released in Germany as "Wow Wow Wow". We have no details at all of sales.
Original U.S. release on Sire - London
Original British label - Spark Records
The album has recently been re-issued on Repertoire Records, Germany. It can also be purchased through Amazon or Ebay. Releases on the "Pink Elephant" label are bootlegs, and the band has never received any payment for these.
Out of Uranus
1971
Penny Farthing Records
Track listing:
1. Out of Uranus (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
2. Soon There Will Be Everything (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
3. Acid Bean (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
4. Where Nobody Ever Goes (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
5. Sun Keeps Shining (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
6. Call For the Politicians (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
7. Fido Castrol (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
8. Lost Alone(MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
9. Son of Wet (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
10. Milkman (MacDonald/Thorndycraft/Clarke)
Bill Thorndycraft - Vocals / Harp
Mick Clarke - Lead Guitar
Stuart MacDonald - Bass
Bazz Smith - Drums
Recorded at Pye Studios, London
Produced by John Edward
Mick writes..
In the Summer of 1970 KILLING FLOOR picked up one of those dream gigs that don't come along very often - a six week residency in the South of France! In the course of the holiday (sorry, engagement) yours truly got seriously sunburnt and the club went bust. However we all had a jolly good time, and more importantly, we were able to use the empty club each afternoon to rehearse for our new album, "Out of Uranus".
Where the hell did that name come from? Well as usual it was me and my big mouth - overhearing talk of a college band with that name I repeated it innocently at a band meeting. Immediately it was taken up as the name for the next album and I've had to live with it ever since. Well, it was at least memorable, and Bill wrote a pertinent lyric for the opening track of the album.
We were by now a four-piece band - Lou being involved in other projects. We had actually split completely a few months earlier, but drifted back together one by one. By now the British "Blues Boom" was all over and blues was not saleable in the U.K. Instead we'd travelled several times to Germany and Switzerland, playing mainly residencies with occasional club or festival dates.
For the new album we had a whole set of original new material which could roughly be described as progessive blues, veering towards the "heavy" side. Bands like Free and Led Zeppelin were waving the "heavy" banner pretty hard at the time - it seemed like the way to go.
So it was back to Pye studios near Marble Arch, this time the larger No.1 room. The sessions, as always, were late night all night affairs. Lou came in and played some piano on "Call For the Politicians" and we featured a mellotron and violin on "Soon There Will Be Everything".
The cover had already been designed for another "Penny Farthing" project, and was generously donated to our album - at once distinctive, memorable and completely tasteless!
"Politicians" was a single, and with Larry Page behind it there seemed a fair chance of success. Larry had been involved in chart hits for the Kinks and the Troggs in the sixties. "Politicians" did make it on to the Radio One playlist, and we heard it quite often on the radio. We even went up to the West End one afternoon and guested on the "Radio One Club", being interviewed by Annie Nightingale and getting screamed up by the young audience. We met Gilbert O'Sullivan in the dressing room, a friendly chap who looked quite normal until he slipped into his schoolboy stagegear. My greatest regret was leaving before the arrival of Ken Dodd.
But "Politicians" wasn't a hit and life carried on as normal. Later we found out that it had sold several thousand copies in Germany, but nobody told us at the time. We performed "Milkman" on BBC TV as the closing track of "Disco 2", a programme which was the fore-runner of The Old Grey Whistle Test. We mimed to the backing track while Bill sung live - Bazz thrashing away on the BBC plastic imitation cymbals.
"Out of Uranus" is an interesting and at times exciting record, although parts of it sound dated and can be clearly pegged to those "progressive" days of the early seventies. Listening to it again for the first time in many years I found it entertaining and enjoyable, and was struck by the wealth of ideas it contains.
The album was issued in Germany on CD by Repertoire Records REP 4367-WP and has recently been reissued by Akarma Records in Italy on both CD and vinyl.
Far left: Promotional copy of the single "Call For the Politicians" b/w "Acid Bean" on the Penny Farthing label. The record reached the Radio One playlist in England and also sold well in Germany, (German cover shown). "Milkman" b/w "Where Nobody Ever Goes" was released in Italy also on the Penny Farthing label. We have no details of sales.
Japanese only release! MUST for early 70`s rock fans....an true unearthed treasure. Essentially rearranged Chicago blues songs given a cool heavy rock treatment with Savoy Brown, early Led Zep and Moody Blues thing all mixed up. "3 stars... Out of Uranus is rawer and more irreverent than most second-line British blues-rock of the late `60s and early `70s, as indicated by the title itself. That doesn`t mean the all-original songs are that good, that they`re especially imaginative players, or that Bill Thorndycraft`s semi-barked vocals are so special. But it makes for a refreshing change from the normal not-so-well-known British blues-rock albums of the era, with a brash streak to both the lean arrangements (particularly in the frequent rushed tempos and Bas Smith`s crisp drumming) and lyrics missing from many of their peers. Slight nods to the world of underground rock outside of the blues form are heard in the yearning hippie ethos of "Soon There Will Be Everything," where the violin of Paul Spencer Mac again takes them a little outside of the standard framework for the genre. The countercultural mindset of the time is occasionally reflected in numbers like "Call for the Politicians" and the wittily titled "Fido Castrol," somewhat in the bluntly sardonic manner of another band of the day, the Deviants."-AMG.
Three tracks "Soon There will be Everything" "Acid Bean" and "Lost Alone" appear on the 1995 psychedelic compilation "Syde Trips Vol 5" ((Tenth Planet TP 020).
Zero Tolerance
2004
Mick writes..
This is the first new Killing Floor recording project for 32 years! The idea of Franco Ratti at Appaloosa Records in Milan, Italy, the album was written and recorded throughout 2002 into 2003 and includes the entire original line-up of the band from 1968. As I've written on the album notes..
When Franco first suggested the idea I was sceptical, but after contacting the guys involved I knew that there was a real energy and enthusiasm for the project. I then spent a holiday in Brittany mumbling ideas into a dictaphone to the accompaniment of a field full of hens and cockerels, and once I finally got together with Bill we quickly wrote a total of nine original songs. Bill had already written lyrics such as "Prozac Blues" and "The Big Issue", and "Calm Down" was to come together live in the studio. With two contributions from Mac and a couple of blues standards we were ready to rock!
One big problem was that we couldn't find Bazz.. no-one had heard from him since the seventies. Eventually we decided to go ahead with Chris Sharley on drums, a man who had already been working with me in my band for the last ten years. Subsequently Bazz made contact..alive and well and living in Neuchatel, Switzerland. He was able to fly in and play on two tracks of the album.
We had a great time making the album, and in the pub afterwards. I hope you enjoy the 21st century Killing Floor. And do me a favour..just keep rockin'...
The line-up is:
Bill Thorndycraft
(original Killing Floor singer) - Vocals, harp, and acoustic guitar.
Mick Clarke (original Killing Floor guitarist) - Vocals, electric and acoustic guitars
Stuart (Mac) McDonald (original Killing Floor bassist, also ex Paul Rodger's Peace, Jellybread, Salt) - Bass
Lou Martin (original Killing Floor pianist, also ex Rory Gallagher Band, Blues'n'Trouble and others) - Keyboards
Chris Sharley (Mick Clarke Band, ex Sassafrass) - Drums
Bazz Smith (original Killing Floor drummer) - Drums (tracks 3 & 12)
Appaloosa Records AP144
Track listing:
1. Burnout (Thorndycraft / Clarke)
2. Prozac Blues (Thorndycraft / Clarke)
3. Calm Down (Smith / Martin / McDonald / Thorndycraft / Clarke)
4. Sperm Bandit (Thorndycraft / Clarke)
5. The Big Issue (Thorndycraft/Clarke)
6. Strange Love (Slim Harpo)
7. Zero Tolerance (Thorndycraft / Clarke)
8. Run On(Thorndycraft / Clarke)
9. Iron Ewe (McDonald / Davies)
10. What is it about you? (Thorndycraft / Clarke)
11. Road of Diamonds (Thorndycraft/Clarke)
12. The Radnor Rumble (McDonald / Davies)
13. Fred McDowell (Thorndycraft / Clarke)
14. Bring it on Home (Sonny Boy Williamson)
Produced by Mick Clarke
Executive Producer: Franco Ratti
Recorded at The Moat Studio, London. www.themoat.demon.co.uk
Engineered by Lee Bowman
Many thanks to Toby Hrycek-Robinson
Additional recording by Mick Clarke at various locations in South and West London
Mixed by Mick Clarke and Killing Floor
Mastered by Lee Bowman at The Moat Studio
Released in the UK 24 January 2005 via Cadiz Music
Cadiz Music Ltd, 2 Greenwich Quay, Clarence Rd. London SE83EY
Contact Laurie Staff laurie@cadizmusic.co.uk telephone 020 8692 3555 mobile 07984 013 697 fax 020 8469 3300
"The Blues is something that touches everyone during their lifetime. For some it starts as early as childhood through parental or guardian neglect or abuse (emotional, physical, sexual) or bullying from peers or siblings using their power to inflict pain for whatever perverse reasons.
For others the Blues may occur during adolescence through rejection (loving someone who doesn't love you) or maybe feeling you are a failure or just not good enough.
In adulthood the Blues is felt when the loss of a valued relationship happens (death, bereavement) or through the loss of a job/unemployment/Rascism/sexism/Homophobia/disability/ homelessness/poverty/aging and isolation, all of which may contribute to the Blues.
The Blues is indiscrimatory. It is endemic. It affects the young and old, rich and poor, black and white, women and men.
The Blues is a state of mental health. Depression is the Blues.
The songs on this album are about many of the above mentioned states which all of us in the band have at some time experienced, or still contend with to varying degrees.
In the UK during the year 2002, more people were prescribed anti-depressants for daily use than the total number of people who voted for Tony Blair's government!! That's a lot of people with the blues..."
Burnout Mick had the structure for this song with one of his many magical Riffs which he seems to produce like Armani produce quality suits. I wanted to write a song about "Burnout" a syndrome/phenomena never mentioned much before the mid 1990s but ubiquitous in the late 90s following the increase in expectations and workloads of professionals, especially in people professions such as the Police, Social work, and frontline medical workers and then extending to many other professions. This resulted in the remarkable increase in stress related problems such as Depression, Migraine, Asthma, IBS,Back pain etc and increased alcohol and Drug dependency. This leads on to the second song on the album...
Prozac Blues which I had structured before the coming together of the band and is rather personal to me as it documents many events in my life especially the premature death of my sister who had taken on the task of caring for my disabled elderly mother who was very demanding not just because of her physical disability but more significantly, because of her enduring mental health problems. my sister was prescribed a cocktail of Prozac and Valium to help her cope with this complex and untenable situation.There are several million Full time carers in Britain today whose lives are devoted to and overwhelmed by the demands of the caring role and who save the government and Tax payer millions of pounds by their unpaid labour.
Calm Down Bazz Smith flew in from his home in Switzerland to play on a couple of songs. This was jammed from nothing in one take thanks to our excellent engineer Lee Bowman having the sense to run the tapes, otherwise I am not confident we could have reproduced the feel on another take.I love Lou's piano break in the middle!!
Sperm Bandit was influenced by Dotun Adebayo's book and documentary "Sperm Bandit" about the modern day phenomena of some women acquiring the sperm of a male partner unbeknown to the man for the purpose of pregnancy with no intention of any further requirements of the man, which I thought was an interesting theme for what was originally Mick's song.
Big Issue aka Bush'n'Blair..This was a song I had written before the band came together again ,written around 2000, and when we recorded it in 2003, we thought it best to retitle it as we we not confident that Mr Bush and Mr Blair would be in power for much longer at that time. So the Big Issue seemed an appropriate alternative title as the song is about so many "Big Issues." You can take your choice!!
Strange Love I have always loved Slim Harpo's sound and consider him a greatly underrated blues man. This is one of my favourite Sim Harpo songs which Mick does great credit to on vocals and guitar
Zero Tolerance A term and political slogan used frequently by the media and politicians.I will say no more!!!
Run On Running has been a significant part of my life in the past and to a lesser extent now, it was only logical for me to write about the joy and therapeutic value gained from running. Another wonderful riff and rocker from Mr Clarke..
Iron Ewe Mac's idea ably co written by his partner Jan and given the Mick Clarke arrangement
What is it about you? I had written this song many moons ago and it might ring a bell for those men who struggle to understand women. Lou's piano solo in the middle highlights one of his influences, the great Fats Domino.a very fine piano Solo Mr Martin!!! Thank You Lou.
Road of Diamonds Essentially Micks song and one of my favourites on the album. I love Micks "Twangy guitar" in the middle. Very remininicent of the late great Duane Eddy.
Radnor Rumble Mac and Jan's song with a great arrangement from Mick and driven by the formidable Bazz Smith on Drums. Enjoy Mac's superb Bass!!
Fred McDowell A song about a Blues hero of ours featuring another great Mick Clarke Riff and fine Bass playing from Mac.
Bring it on home Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) has been a major influence on me ever since I had the privilege to witness him live at the Black cat club, Woolwich back in the sixties. I was delighted when the band agreed to do this on the album and hope you enjoy our version for which much credit must go to Mick for his arrangement..
Throughout the album we were fortunate to have Chris Sharley drum for us in the absence of Bazz. Chris in my opinion, is one of the finest Rock Blues drummers around and his solid drumming combines perfectly with Mac's imaginative Bass. Hopefully you will agree. Let us know if you enjoy the album.Let us know if you don't!!!
Best wishes..
Bill Thorndycraft December 2004
ZERO TOLERANCE is available direct from Appaloosa Records at IRD Milan, or through Amazon, eBay and other distributors.
Please note: Please direct any comments or issues regarding lyrics direct to Bill Thorndycraft.
The album was released January 2004 on Appaloosa Records, catalogue AP144. Distributed in Italy by IRD S.p.A. with distribution throughout Europe
The single of "Mind can ride easy" was released in Germany as "Wow Wow Wow". 
Original British label - Spark Records
Far left: Promotional copy of the single "Call For the Politicians" b/w "Acid Bean" on the Penny Farthing label. The record reached the Radio One playlist in England and also sold well in Germany, (German cover shown). "Milkman" b/w "Where Nobody Ever Goes" was released in Italy also on the Penny Farthing label. We have no details of sales.
Three tracks "Soon There will be Everything" "Acid Bean" and "Lost Alone" appear on the 1995 psychedelic compilation "Syde Trips Vol 5" ((Tenth Planet TP 020).
REAL AUDIO 