In this archive: Ginger finishes ARC recording studios, Nigeria by 1973; Ginger takes part in the Argungu Rally; Ginger is introduced to Polo. In 1974 Ginger meets Paul & Adrian Gurvitz & forms the Baker Gurvitz Army; they record their first album, tour the UK & play the Rainbow theatre, London; Ginger's friend Bill Fehilly dies in a plane crash; Ginger splits with GBA and turns to Polo.
For the rest of 1972 Ginger concentrated on getting the new Batakota (ARC) studios up & running, & after many frustrating set-backs & technical hitches it opened at the end of January 1973. Attending the launch party were Fela Kuti, Milton Plumley from EMI and many high ranking Nigerian dignitaries. As Ginger says in ‘Hellraiser', ‘the opening was a great success; it got in all the papers and was a high-profile event.'
Things began auspiciously when Paul McCartney arrived with Wings to record part of his Band on the Run album at Batakota, where due to the expertise of the project, the sound quality was far higher than any that EMI offered there at that time. However, it soon became apparent that all was not set to proceed without incident when at Wing's farewell party in Lagos, EMI's overseas managing director informed Ginger, ‘we're going to screw you...this is EMI territory..'
From then on the situation became increasingly untenable, yet Ginger struggled on. At the same time he got into rally driving at which he excelled & from there he was introduced to the high-status world of Polo, which captured Ginger's heart. With a polo-playing friend Ginger then hit on the idea of forming ‘The Trans-Sahara Trucking Co', which involved by-passing the then blockaded port & getting goods into Nigeria. Sadly this venture also failed..as did Ginger's brief flirtation with dragster-racing at Santa Pod in the UK...........after a near-death experience with some high-octane fuel which luckily failed to ignite!
Ginger met up with brothers Paul & Adrian Gurvitz (formerly of band The Gun) in London's Speakeasy club one night in 1974, right in the middle of all these aforementioned ‘adventures'. The opening gambit for their conversation was the fact that the Gurvitz boys recalled witnessing a colourful brawl that had taken place when Air Force had played in Dusseldorf. They invited Ginger to come & play at a rehearsal, where he was introduced to their manager, ‘an impressive Scot,' named Bill Fehilly of Mountain Management, who also handled Nazareth and Alex Harvey.
Bill was quick to listen, understand & support Ginger in sorting out his various problems; he also encouraged Ginger's interest in Polo in return for forming The Baker Gurvitz Army, cutting new albums and touring the band. They drafted in former Shark's singer Steve ‘Mr Snips' Parsons and keyboard player Peter Lemer before recording the first album ‘Baker Gurvits Army'(1974) at The Who's studio near Battersea Power Station in London. Ginger ‘provided the tyre squeals for Mad Jack', (his brilliant poem/lyrics recounting his experiences in Nigeria's Argungu Rally in February of 1974 & easily comparable with ‘Pressed Rat & Warthog' in dramatic style) by doing his famous ‘sideways Baker' 180 degree wheel spins in the street outside. By all accounts he quite enjoyed the experience & performed another stunt in the studio that involved riding a wheeled swivel chair backwards down a flight of stairs!
The resulting album was well received but never charted. The 8 tracks and the cover reflect Gingers interests, concerns & some nostalgia for the past. The track ‘4 Phil' being a tribute to the great Phil Seamen, the mentor & friend he had lost two years previously. “This album's a strong, decisive statement, and if hard rock's what you crave, you won't be disappointed. ~ Ralph Heibutzki, All Music Guide”
In 1975 the band set off on tour & gathered a large following........
JANUARY
18 th GOETHENBURG / SWEDEN
31th University EDINBURGH
FEBRUARY
5 th University NORWICH
6 th City Hall SHEFFIELD
7 th University LANCASTER
8 th University LEEDS
1oth Free Trade Hall MANCHESTER
12 th University SOUTHHAMPTON
15 th University READING
16 th Rainbow Theatre LONDON (where Ginger stopped the set to ‘go for a piss'! & following the ‘after-after show' meal at The Kensington Hilton, drove his silver Jensen FF at 145mph down London's Westway, only to reverse into his new Range Rover at home in Harrow as he parked!)
MARCH
21th Academy Of Music NEW YORK
(Break to play polo at Ham Polo Club UK!)
AUGUST
16 th Theatre Antique D`Orange France
SEPTEMBER
13 th MAINZ
22 nd Circus Krone MÜNCHEN
OCTOBER
10 th Corn Exchange CAMBRIDGE
11 th Kursal SOUTHEND
12 th The Theatre Royal NORWICH
13 th Town Hall WATFORD
14 th Town Hall BIRMINGHAM
15 th City Hall SHEFFIELD
17 th Free Trade Hall MANCHESTER
18 th Univesity LEICESTER
20 th Guildhall PORTSMOUTH
21th Kings Hall DERBY
22th Usher Hall EDINBURGH
23th Apollo GLASGOW
24 th Mayfair NEWCASTLE
25 th Stadium LIVERPOOL
27 th Guildhall SOUTHHAMPTON
29 th University LEEDS
30 th Colston Hall BRISTOL
31th Surrey University GUILDFORD
NOVEMBER
1 st The Pier HASTINGS
2 nd New Victoria Theatre LONDON
A live album ‘Live in Derby 75' was released & two more were recorded, ‘Elysian Encounter'(1975) & ‘Hearts of Fire' (1976) The latter featured the great Madeleine Bell on some of the vocals; it was recorded at London's Ramport Studios, mixed at Trident & Island Studios & produced by Eddie Offord.........a final gig was played on August 28 th 1976 at the ROTTWEIL AM NECKAR Stadium in Germany.
This last date has significance because in July Bill Fehilly had been killed in plane crash & once more Ginger lost a friend and ally. There had already been some discord within the BGA as Ginger felt that Adrian's guitar playing was ‘just too loud' & this was compounded by what Ginger saw as Adrian's penchant for ‘getting off with every chick that I fancied'! Bill had backed Ginger's desire for change & encouraged him to form another band of his choice. Ginger recounts that after the crash ‘a young Scotsman named Derek attempted to carry on, but without Bill it was a charade.' Bill's death took its toll on Ginger's morale & once more he spiralled into the dark world of heroin addiction, whilst simultaneously desiring to continue with his ‘polo' lifestyle.