60-435: The Mo , also known simply as Mo , was a Dutch pop band best remembered for the 1980s hits "Fred Astaire" and "Cheese." The band was known to be an experimental pop band during the new wave era. The Mo was founded in 1979 by brothers Clemens and Huub de Lange. Their debut album Mo , with Heili Helder on vocals and Harm Bieger on drums, had a remarkable instrumentation; the band used no guitar but other instruments such as
120-545: A Wurlitzer electric piano , clavinet and bassoon instead. In February 1981 the album reached the top 10. Successful singles from the album were "Nancy" and "Fred Astaire". After the original group had broken up in mid 1981, Harm Bieger made a new start, recruiting five new members, including singer Linda Bloemhard. He tried to sustain the original sound of the Mo. Two albums followed ( Ha! Ha! The Sound of Laughing and Stop Staring ), but failed to make much of an impact, although
180-425: A "gulf" would still exist between experimental composers and "out-there" pop musicians, partly due to the role of the recording studio. Regarding this, composer Robert Ashley is quoted in 1966; We can't be popular musicians, where the fairly exciting things happen. [...] The one thing I like about popular music is that they record it. They record it, record it, record it, record it! The astute producer cuts out
240-663: A 2021 interview for the BBC, Cooper states that they had failed to sell on that occasion. They contained over 4,000 hours of music on approximately 1,850 tapes, including recordings by David Bowie as singer and sax player with the Konrads , Gene Vincent , Denny Laine , Billy Fury , Tom Jones , Jimmy Page , Mike Berry, John Leyton, Ritchie Blackmore , Jess Conrad , Mitch Mitchell and Screaming Lord Sutch . The tapes also contained many examples of Meek composing songs and experimental sound techniques. Tape 418 has Meek composing songs for
300-641: A London public toilet , and was consequently subject to blackmail . In January 1967, police in Tattingstone , Suffolk, discovered two suitcases containing the remains of Bernard Oliver . According to some accounts, Meek was afraid of being questioned by the Metropolitan Police , as it was known they were intending to interview all of the gay men in London. This was enough for him to lose his self-control. Meek always walked everywhere outside
360-477: A New World with a band called Rod Freeman & the Blue Men. The album was shelved for decades, apart from the release of some EP tracks taken from it. Meek went on to set up his own production company known as RGM Sound Ltd (later Meeksville Sound Ltd) with toy importer Major Wilfred Alonzo Banks as his financial backer. He operated from his home studio which he constructed at 304 Holloway Road , Islington ,
420-459: A gun to the head of drummer Mitch Mitchell to 'inspire' a high-quality performance. Meek's homosexuality – at a time when homosexual acts were illegal in the UK – put him under further pressure and he was particularly afraid that his mother would find out about his sexual orientation. In 1963 he was convicted and fined £15 (equivalent to £397 in 2023) for " importuning for immoral purposes " in
480-490: A number 5 hit on the American Billboard pop charts. The success of these recordings was instrumental in establishing Stigwood and Meek as two of Britain's first independent record producers. When his landlady, Violet Shenton, who lived downstairs, felt that the noise was too much, she would bang on the ceiling with a broom. Meek would signal his contempt by placing loudspeakers in the stairwell and turning up
540-438: A piece from a score Ledrut had written for the film Austerlitz (1960). The lawsuit meant that Meek did not receive royalties from the record during his lifetime, and the issue was not resolved in his favour until three weeks after his death in 1967. On 3 February 1967 (the eighth anniversary of Buddy Holly's death), Meek killed his landlady Violet Shenton and then himself, at his Holloway Road residence. The weapon used
600-544: A pop music film. Meek's concept album I Hear a New World (1960), which contains innovative use of electronic sounds, was not fully released in his lifetime. His reputation for experiments in recording music was acknowledged by the Music Producers Guild who in 2009 created "The Joe Meek Award for Innovation in Production" as a "homage to [the] remarkable producer's pioneering spirit". In 2014, Meek
660-474: A producer was short-lived, and he gradually sank into debt and depression . On 3 February 1967, using a shotgun owned by musician Heinz Burt , Meek killed his landlady, Violet Shenton, and then shot himself. Meek was born at 1 Market Square, Newent , Gloucestershire, and developed an interest in electronics and performance art at a very early age, filling his parents' garden shed with begged and borrowed electronic components, building circuits, radios and what
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#1732791517885720-554: A science out of decision points (see ' Oblique Strategies ') rather than being willfully weird or different at the usual unexamined decision points" Eno's album Before and After Science (1977), according to Joshua Pickard of publication Nooga , was "experimental pop lucidity [...] the culmination of sound that Eno had been working on since the release of Here Come the Warm Jets in 1973." Members of Roxy Music, Free , Fairport Convention , Can and Cluster feature on
780-892: A short-lived ITV soap opera in which he was making a guest appearance. The instrumental " Telstar ", written and produced by Meek, was recorded at the Holloway Road studio in July 1962. It was released in August 1962 and reached No. 1 in the UK and on the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1962. Meek's third UK No. 1 and last major success was with the Honeycombs ' " Have I the Right? " in 1964, written by Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley . The Meek-produced track also became
840-548: A three-floor flat above a leather-goods store. His first hit from Holloway Road reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart : John Leyton 's " Johnny Remember Me " (1961) written by Geoff Goddard . This "death ditty" was cleverly promoted by Leyton's manager, expatriate Australian entrepreneur Robert Stigwood . Stigwood was able to gain Leyton a booking to perform the song several times in an episode of Harpers West One ,
900-418: A unique "sonic signature" for every record he produced. At a time when many studio engineers were still wearing white coats and assiduously trying to maintain clarity and fidelity, Meek was producing everything on the three floors of his "home" studio and was never afraid to distort or manipulate the sound if it created the effect he was seeking. Meek was one of the first producers to grasp and fully exploit
960-417: Is pop music that cannot be categorized within traditional musical boundaries or which attempts to push elements of existing popular forms into new areas. It may incorporate experimental techniques such as musique concrète , aleatoric music , or eclecticism into pop contexts. Often, the compositional process involves the use of electronic production effects to manipulate sounds and arrangements, and
1020-584: Is believed to be the region's first working television. During his national service in the Royal Air Force , he worked as a radar technician which increased his interest in electronics and outer space. From 1953 he worked for the Midlands Electricity Board . He used the resources of the company to develop his interest in electronics and music production, including acquiring a disc cutter and producing his first record. He left
1080-593: The UFO Club in London, an underground venue whose objective was to provide an outlet for experimental pop groups. According to The New York Times , Barrett and his subsequent solo albums "became a touchstone for experimental pop musicians". By the late 1960s, highly experimental pop music, or sounds that expanded the idea of the typical popular song, was positively received by young audiences, which cultural essayist Gerald Lyn Early credits to bands like Cream , Traffic , Blood, Sweat & Tears , and "of course",
1140-527: The "Joemeek" line of audio processing equipment. The tribute to Meek was due to his influence in the early stages of audio compression. The name and product line were sold to the American company PMI Audio Group in 2003. The current product line includes a microphone series called "Telstar", named after Meek's biggest hit. After Meek's suicide, Cliff Cooper of the Millionaires is said to have purchased
1200-660: The Beatles . Drummer John Densmore believed that the Doors were on the cutting edge of experimental pop music until he listened to the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), which he described as "[seeming] to have done it all". Martin wrote that, along with the Rolling Stones ' Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967), the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper "opened a space" for experimental pop which would be later filled by Jimi Hendrix , Jethro Tull , and
1260-572: The Right? " ( the Honeycombs , 1964), and " Tribute to Buddy Holly " ( Mike Berry , 1961). The Tornados ' instrumental " Telstar " (1962), written and produced by Meek, became the first record by a British rock group to reach number one in the US Hot 100 . It also spent five weeks at number one in the UK singles chart, with Meek receiving an Ivor Novello Award for this production as the "Best-Selling A-Side" of 1962. He also produced music for films such as Live It Up! (US title Sing and Swing , 1963),
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#17327915178851320-540: The Smiths , the Associates , and Pet Shop Boys , this tradition "balanced sexuality and literacy, ostentatious performance and austere rectitude, raging ambition and class resentment , translating it into records balancing experimentation with populist cohesion." The 1970s work of ex-Roxy Music member musician Brian Eno is cited by Leigh Landy as an archetypal example of a pop musician who "applied developments from
1380-471: The Tornados . According to author Mark Brend, Meek's I Hear a New World (1960) predates better-known experimental pop by several years, whereas musicologist Leigh Landy names the American composer Frank Zappa as one of the first experimental pop musicians. Musician David Grubbs writes that many younger musicians "moved out of [John] Cage 's shadow by taking to a different extreme and embracing
1440-614: The Who 's Tommy (1968). Prior to Sgt. Pepper , Gary Usher and Curt Boettcher were Los Angeles–based songwriters and producers who were interested in classical music and the avant-garde. Later cited as fixtures of sunshine pop , they worked together to create their debut studio album, Present Tense (1968). It was credited to Sagittarius , a studio group referred to as an "experimental pop band" by The A.V. Club ' s Noel Murray. Author Pascal Bussy wrote that German krautrock groups such as Can and Kraftwerk successfully bridged
1500-480: The album "embrace[d] the listener with a drugged out sincerity; a feat never accomplished by the more pretentious and heavy-handed psychedelia of that era. It is for this reason Smiley Smile flows so well with the more experimental pop of today". In the view of artist Duggie Fields , the Syd Barret -led incarnation of Pink Floyd exemplified experimental pop. The group found their initial success playing at
1560-538: The composer may draw the listener's attention specifically with both timbre and tonality , though not always simultaneously. Experimental pop music developed concurrently with experimental jazz as a new kind of avant-garde , with many younger musicians embracing the practice of making studio recordings along the fringes of popular music . In the early 1960s, it was common for producers, songwriters, and engineers to freely experiment with musical form , orchestration , unnatural reverb , and other sound effects, and by
1620-426: The compositional process involves the use of electronic production effects to manipulate sounds and arrangements. According to musicologist Leigh Landy , experimental pop settings combine sound-based work and note-based work, though not always simultaneously. Composer Nico Muhly described the world of experimental pop as "celebrations of sonic juxtapositions". Martin writes that experimental pop developed at roughly
1680-540: The demand for product. The record made a respectable appearance in the Top Ten, but it demonstrated that Meek needed the distribution network of the major companies for his records to reach retail outlets. Its indifferent business results and Meek's temperament eventually led to the label's demise. Meek later licensed many Triumph recordings to labels such as Top Rank and Pye . That year Meek conceived, wrote and produced an "Outer Space Music Fantasy" album titled I Hear
1740-550: The development of recording practices like overdubbing , sampling and reverberation . Meek is considered one of the most influential sound engineers of all time, being one of the first to develop ideas such as the recording studio as an instrument , and becoming one of the first producers to be recognised for his individual identity as an artist . Charting singles Meek produced for other artists include " Johnny Remember Me " ( John Leyton , 1961), " Just Like Eddie " ( Heinz , 1963), "Angela Jones" ( Michael Cox , 1960), " Have I
1800-485: The electricity board to work as an audio engineer for a leading independent radio production company which made programmes for Radio Luxembourg , and made his breakthrough with his work on Ivy Benson 's Music for Lonely Lovers . His technical ingenuity was first shown on the Humphrey Lyttelton jazz single " Bad Penny Blues " ( Parlophone Records , 1956) when, contrary to Lyttelton's wishes, Meek modified
1860-426: The experimental sector while creating their own experimental pop sector." Following his departure from Roxy Music in 1973, Eno began releasing a series of solo albums where he simultaneously developed his ambient , pop, and electronic styles. In the belief of pop musician Scott Miller , they were the era's "most successful" experimental pop artists, explaining that the key to Eno's success "appears to have been making
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1920-421: The film Live It Up! On 2 September 2020, Cherry Red Records announced that they had purchased the tapes from Cooper and would begin the process of digitising the archive with a view to releasing the material, subject to rights clearance. The first release was The Telstar Story in 2022, and the series has since run to a dozen volumes. In 1963 Meek worked with a then little-known singer Tom Jones , then
1980-479: The gap between experimental and pop music in the 1970s, while according to The New York Times , Kraftwerk refined an "experimental pop sensibility" on albums such as Radio-Activity (1976) and Trans-Europe Express (1977). Writer Owen Hatherley located a "literary-experimental pop tradition" running throughout the United Kingdom during the 1970s and 1980s. Embodied by artists such as Roxy Music ,
2040-533: The genre known as shoegazing . Martin suggested that hip hop music, particularly released by artists such as Public Enemy and KRS-One , emerged as a new form of experimental pop, seeing a renewed merger of artistic and political innovation. Icelandic singer Björk , who began her solo career in the 1990s, has been called "the queen of experimental pop" by The Guardian ' s Michael Cragg. The record label Hippos in Tanks , founded by Barron Machat in 2010,
2100-589: The grave, in one instance capturing the meows of a cat he believed was speaking in human tones, asking for help. In particular, he had an obsession with Buddy Holly (saying the late American rocker had communicated with him in dreams). By the end of his career, Meek's fascination with these topics had taken over his life following the deterioration in his mental health, and he started to believe that his flat contained poltergeists , that aliens were substituting his speech by controlling his mind, and that photographs in his studio were trying to communicate with him. Meek
2160-463: The group that ranged from massive hits to obscure experimental pop compositions. Their 1966 single " Good Vibrations ", also produced and co-written by Wilson, topped record charts internationally, subsequently proliferating a wave of pop experimentation with its rush of riff changes, echo chamber effects, and intricate harmonies. It was followed by Smiley Smile (1967), an album of stripped-down recordings. In 2003, Stylus Magazine wrote that
2220-508: The gun owner, Burt was questioned intensively by police before being eliminated from their enquiries. Meek was buried at Newent Cemetery, Newent , Gloucestershire. Meek's inability to play a musical instrument or write notation did not prevent him writing and producing successful commercial recordings. For songwriting, he was reliant on musicians such as Dave Adams , Geoff Goddard or Charles Blackwell to transcribe melodies from his vocal "demos". He worked on 245 singles, 45 of which reached
2280-505: The late 1960s, highly experimental pop music, or sounds that expanded the idea of the typical popular song, was positively received by young audiences. Author Bill Martin states that while the term "experimental pop" may sound "seemingly oxymoronic ", it is possible to identify three criteria for characterizing its music: Some tendencies among artists include the incorporation of experimental techniques such as musique concrète , aleatoric music , or eclecticism into pop contexts. Often,
2340-540: The lead vocalist of Tommy Scott & the Senators. Meek recorded seven tracks with Jones and took them to various labels in an attempt to get a record deal, with no success. Two years later after Jones' worldwide hit " It's Not Unusual " in 1965, Meek was able to sell the tapes he had recorded with Jones to Tower (USA) and Columbia (UK). The following Meek productions appeared on the British charts. In later years,
2400-515: The magic from the different tapes ( laughter ) and puts them in a certain order and gets a whole piece. It's very beautiful, because it's really aural magic. [...] We have to invent social situations to allow that magic to happen. Music historian Lorenzo Candalaria described American rock band the Beach Boys as "one of the most experimental and innovative groups of the 1960s." Co-founder and leader Brian Wilson wrote and produced songs for
2460-424: The possibilities of the modern recording studio. His innovative techniques — physically separating instruments, treating instruments and voices with echo and reverb, processing the sound through his fabled home-made electronic devices, the combining of separately recorded performances and segments into a painstakingly constructed composite recording – constituted major breakthroughs in sound production. Up to that time,
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2520-681: The practice of making studio recordings of works along the fringes of popular music". Grubbs further explains that some of the most prominent avant-garde musicians who formed rock bands in the mid 1960s were the Welsh John Cale (later of the Velvet Underground ) and the American Joseph Byrd (later of the United States of America ), who both went on to create albums of experimental pop music. However,
2580-502: The psychology of the modern corporate state using electronically processed verse." Writing for The Guardian , Jason Cowley described British singer-songwriter Kate Bush as "an artist superbly articulate in the language of experimental pop music". Paste Magazine credited My Bloody Valentine 's 1988 album Isn't Anything with showcasing an experimental pop aesthetic, which drew on "harsh, swirling guitar tones and beautifully dissonant distortion," that would eventually develop into
2640-495: The record as session musicians in addition to Phil Collins , who performs drums on one track. Collins' own debut solo single " In the Air Tonight " (1981) was described by Gary Mills of The Quietus as being "at the vanguard of experimental pop" when it was released. He further called it "a rock oddity classic" which was influenced by "the unconventional studio predilections of Brian Eno and Peter Gabriel ". Landy noted
2700-509: The same time as experimental jazz , and that it emerged as "a new kind of avant-garde" made possible by the historical and material circumstances of its time. In the pop and rock music of the early 1960s, it was common for producers, songwriters, and engineers to freely experiment with musical form , orchestration , unnatural reverb , and other sound effects. Some of the best known examples are Phil Spector 's Wall of Sound and Joe Meek 's use of homemade electronic sound effects for acts like
2760-468: The song "Cheese" did become a modest hit in dance hall circuits. The single "Asia" in 1984 became a major hit, but it failed to save the group. The group disbanded right after the release of their 1984 album Stop Staring . In 2013 Linda Bloemhard re-recorded "Cheese" with American producer Fernando Perdomo in Los Angeles. (1979–1981) (1981–1985) Experimental pop Experimental pop
2820-545: The sound of the piano and compressed the sound to a greater than normal extent. The record became a hit. He then put enormous effort into Denis Preston 's Landsdowne Studio but tensions between Preston and Meek soon saw Meek leaving. During his time he recorded US actor George Chakiris for SAGA Records and it was this that led him to Major Wilfred Alonzo Banks and an independent career. He also engineered many jazz and calypso records including vocalist and percussionist Frank Holder and band leader Kenny Graham . Meek
2880-485: The standard technique for pop recording was to record all the performers in one studio, playing together in real time. This was substantially different from that of his contemporary Phil Spector , who typically created his " Wall of Sound " productions by making live recordings of large ensembles that used multiples of major instruments like bass, guitar, and piano to create the complex sonic backgrounds for his singers. In 1993, former session singer Ted Fletcher introduced
2940-583: The studio telephone for important communications due to his belief that his landlady was eavesdropping on his calls through the chimney, that he could control the minds of others with his recording equipment, and that he could monitor his acts while away from the studio through supernatural means. Meek was also a frequent recreational drug user, with his barbiturate abuse further worsening his depressive episodes. In addition, his heavy consumption of amphetamines caused him to fly into volatile rages with little or no provocation, at one point leading him to hold
3000-467: The studio wearing sunglasses, fearing recognition by local gangsters such as the Kray twins , whom he feared would attempt to steal his acts or blackmail him regarding his homosexuality. Meek's depression deepened as his financial position became increasingly desperate. French composer Jean Ledrut accused him of plagiarism , claiming that the melody of "Telstar" had been copied from "La Marche d'Austerlitz",
3060-491: The tendency of experimental pop artists such as Eno and David Byrne to build tracks around existing recordings , effectively fusing different styles, a technique used on the duo's 1981 album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts . The New York Times ' Will Hermes names Laurie Anderson an experimental pop pioneer whose signature song " O Superman " (1981) was a "left-field new wave hit" that "conflated maternal succor with
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#17327915178853120-735: The thousands of recordings Meek had hidden at his studio, for £300 (equivalent to £6,878 in 2023). . These recordings were called the "Tea Chest Tapes" among fans, as they had been stored in tea chests in Meek's flat. Alan Blackburn, former president of the Joe Meek Appreciation Society, catalogued all of them in the mid-1980s, but they remained unreleased. On 4 September 2008, these unreleased recordings were auctioned in Fame Bureau's "It's More Than Rock 'N' Roll" auction. They were reportedly sold for £200,000 but, in
3180-408: The top fifty. He pioneered studio tools such as multiple over-dubbing on one- and two-track machines, close miking , direct input of bass guitars, the compressor , and effects like echo and reverb , as well as sampling . Unlike other producers, his search was for the 'right' sound rather than for a catchy musical tune, and throughout his brief career he single-mindedly followed his quest to create
3240-461: The volume. A privately manufactured "black plaque" (designed to resemble the official blue plaque ) has since been placed at the location of the studio to commemorate Meek's life and work. Meek became fascinated with the idea of communicating with the dead, after reading the works about EVP of Friedrich Jurgenson (1903–1987) and Konstantins Raudive (1909–1974). He would set up tape machines in graveyards in an attempt to record voices from beyond
3300-410: Was a single-barrelled shotgun which he had confiscated from his protégé, former Tornados bassist Heinz Burt . Meek and Shenton had argued over his noise levels and the rent that he still owed, before Meek picked up the gun. Burt had informed Meek that he had used the gun to shoot birds while on tour, at which point Meek had taken it. Meek had kept the gun under his bed, along with some cartridges. As
3360-550: Was affected by bipolar disorder and schizophrenia , and, upon receiving an apparently innocent phone call from American record producer Phil Spector , Meek immediately accused Spector of stealing his ideas before hanging up angrily. His professional efforts were often hindered by his paranoia (Meek was convinced that Decca Records would put hidden microphones behind his wallpaper to steal his ideas), depression, and extreme mood swings. In later years, Meek started experiencing psychotic delusions, culminating in his refusal to use
3420-507: Was also working as a songwriter at this time, using the name "Robert Duke". After being initially released by Eddie Silver and later by Tommy Steele , the Duke composition "Put A Ring On My Finger" was recorded by Les Paul & Mary Ford in 1958, and reached #32 on the US charts. In January 1960, together with William Barrington-Coupe , Meek founded Triumph Records . At the time Barrington-Coupe
3480-498: Was associated with Internet age experimental pop that drew on disparate sources such as new wave , avant-garde noise , R&B , and techno . The label released projects by artists such as James Ferraro , Autre Ne Veut , Laurel Halo , Hype Williams , and Arca . Joe Meek Robert George " Joe " Meek (5 April 1929 – 3 February 1967) was an English record producer, sound engineer and songwriter who pioneered space age and experimental pop music. He also assisted in
3540-412: Was ranked the greatest producer of all time by NME , elaborating: "Meek was a complete trailblazer, attempting endless new ideas in his search for the perfect sound. ... The legacy of his endless experimentation is writ large over most of your favourite music today." At the time of his death, Meek possessed thousands of unreleased recordings later dubbed "The Tea Chest Tapes". His commercial success as
3600-571: Was working at SAGA records in Empire Yard, Holloway Road for Major Wilfred Alonzo Banks and it was the Major who provided the finance. The label very nearly had a No.1 hit with Meek's production of "Angela Jones" by Michael Cox . Cox was one of the featured singers on Jack Good's TV music show Boy Meets Girls and the song was given massive promotion. As an independent label, Triumph was dependent on small pressing plants, which were unable to meet
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