Post by wingsj0 on Dec 27, 2005 14:30:01 GMT
Back in the 70’s MUD were one of the most sought after pop bands in Europe. MUD had endless hits, and many of them charted in at No 1.
MUD received the same kind of hysteria as Bay City Rollers, The Osmond’s, and adorned many a teenager girls wall as there pin ups, and the band enjoyed endless success and lived to tell the tale of the heady days of the 1970’s!
The original line up of MUD are no longer together as a band, but still remain affectionately in the hearts of those teenage girls who screamed at them back in the 70’s, bought there records and attended there live concerts when MUD where once ‘Pop Idols’. (Not all of them where girls, you can read Paul and Pam Clarkson live review from a MUD concert from the 70’s, also featured in this issue)
It’s with a great honour, that I can bring to you an interview with original band member and MUD heartthrob Ray Stiles. Ray has very kindly shared with us his fond memories of MUD, and explained to us what life was like being a 1970’s Pop Idol.
Mud: Tiger Feet Live on Top Of The Pops. 1974.
Dynamite: 1973
At what age did you decide you wanted to become a musician?
Ray Stiles: I never consciously decided that I wanted to be a musician at a specific point in time. At the beginning of the 60’s, ‘Beat Groups’ were emerging and I became interested. My Dad made me my first bass guitar, I taught myself to play and things just went from there.
Describe the music scene around the time you where learning guitar and which song was it that really convinced you this was the industry you wanted to be apart of?
Ray Stiles: In the very early 60’s, which is when I became aware of music, small beat orientated groups were forming everywhere. These were instrumental groups such as The Shadows and The Aventures. No one song was responsible for my interest; I was learning to play just by copying what I heard on records. I did learn one Shadows song through – note for note – this was called ‘Nivram’ and I still play it occasionally at gigs nowadays.
How did MUD meet?
Ray Stiles: We were school friends thought I first met Les Gray sometime after I knew Rob and David.
Whose idea was it to call the band MUD and what was there reason for it?
Ray Stiles: Rob Davis named the band just before I joined in 1966. Apparently they had bought some stage jackets which were a brownish colour – MUD COLOURED – and that was it!
When you look back at the bands Image what goes through your mind?
Ray Stiles: The image was largely directed to us by the record company (RAK) who felt that to be successful we had to have a contemporary Image which then was ‘Glam Rock’. Their ideas started us off but we took over and elaborated it to a great degree. We were all pretty comfortable with the Image, we didn’t mind what people said (at least they were taking notice), and we had great fun being successful. Looking back I suppose we did some pretty ludicrous things but we never took ourselves or the music too seriously. That isn’t to say that we just threw it all together, in fact it was exactly the opposite. Mud was a bloody good band and were very proud of it!!!
Can you tell us the story of Tiger Feet, how did the idea of the song come about? Did you think it would become such a huge hit?
Ray Stiles: Nicky Chinn & Mike Chapman were songwriters for Sweet, Smokie, Suzy Quatro, and ourselves. They wrote Tiger Feet. It was presented to us as a demo just as all our other songs were, and we were told this was to be our next single. This same method of choice of single was the same for any of these acts but we didn’t care, we were having hits and that was all that mattered. We didn’t really like Tiger Feet that much, we thought it as a daft title and we couldn’t see it being a hit which is what we needed at that time. However Nicky & Mike said it would be HUGE and it was. Needless to say we never doubted them again.
What memories do you have of performing on Top Of The Pops?
Ray Stiles: Sheer mayhem, madness and total enthusiasm for what we were doing. Our Xmas NO1 Lonely This Xmas sticks out for me as being what Mud was all about – Ventriloquist dummy, buckets of fake snow, chaos and laughter, all at once. From my first ever T.O.T.P I have a special feeling for the O’ Jay’s song ‘Love Train’. It was used as chart countdown music and we were first on. I remember standing on the stage waiting to start the show. It was an incredible feeling that I will never forget. Whenever I hear ‘Love Train’ it all comes flooding back.
What memories do you have from MUD live shows?
Ray Stiles: MUD shows were wild, full-on affairs and the screaming was deafening. Girls were turned back from getting on the stage and often we had to make a run for it. It was scary, enjoyable and incredible all at the same time.
For those of us that where too young to remember the 70’s music mania, can you describe how you saw it from a pop stars point of view?
Ray Stiles: The general word for the 70’s mania in music would be ‘Teenybopper’. Glamrock in the 70’s was dominated by Teenyboppers. The whole thing was not as much about music as ‘Pop-Stardom’. The teenyboppers (fans, mostly girls) would pledge their loyalty for to one band and the whole thing became almost one army against another. From our own point of view it was amusing. They didn’t seem to care about the music when we were there in person, just so long as they could see us and scream. I suppose they did like the music though since they brought our records and came to the concerts.
What were the highlights of being in a band like MUD?
Ray Stiles: There were too many highlights to remember them individually. Overall it was fantastic to become successful in a band we had started ourselves. We had no coaching and we manoeuvred ourselves into a position where we got a recording with out any outside help. we were natural at what we did and we realised that although we wanted people to like us, not everybody would. So that said everything was a highlight – we were incredibly happy about what we were doing. After all was said and done we could have been failures.
What was the worst thing about being in a band called MUD?
Ray Stiles: No bad memories there were a few arguments along the way over things that seemed important then but which in the long run ended up counting for nothing, all perfectly normal stuff.
Out of all the TV programmes MUD performed on throughout the 70’s which was your favourite and why?
Ray Stiles: All television appearances were important. We had no real favourites. We went on and did our thing ‘no matter what’ we did The Lulu Show, Cilia Black Show, Sid and Eddie, Jim’l Fix It, Basil Brush, and many others as well as Top Of The Pops. We were promoting ourselves and we were achieving that. We used to get T.V. shows even when we never had a record out to promote because television producers would say that MUD was a good and exciting television it was a great compliment to us.
As a musician what did the 70’s mean to you and are you glad you made your name in the 70 are rather than the swinging 60’s?
Ray Stiles: The 70’s didn’t really mean a lot to me in a musical sense. I was in an entertaining band and I was totally involved in that. Of course we made records that were as good as we could and our stage shows were very expensive to put on. But the emphasis was not totally about being a musician, there was a lot of other stuff going on and I was not preoccupied with Ray Stiles-musician. I still am not, I play because that’s what I do and I happen to be in The Hollies which is a very fine band with great musicians. I am serious about my playing but not – as I say- preoccupied or precious about it. I’ve never really thought about what it would have been like to have made it in the 60’s. If The Hollies are anything to go by then it would have been fun. They still have so much class because they care about what they do and I love that. I can contribute to that and that is an area where I do take myself seriously.
If you could do it all again would you?
Ray Stiles: Without a doubt I would change nothing!!!
Who were your idols and influences from that time?
Ray Stiles: MY IDOLS ARE: Jet Harris of The Shadows – listen to the track ‘Nivram’. The bass solo was created over 40 years ago and it’s still brilliant. He made me want to play bass.
Johnny Gusatffson of The Big Three also The Merseybeats. He was a great player and singer and he made me realise that it was possible to do both well. I’ve always wanted to meet him.
If you were to describe MUD in the rock ‘n’ roll history books how would you describe the band?
Ray Stiles: MUD was a band of four people who were interested in doing things well. In having a good time and giving people a good time through records and more importantly, performance. Art for art’s sake, and fun for Christ’s sake….........
Jo Rishton
With Ray Stiles
(C) TBGOAO Fanzine issue 6 Approved by Ray Stiles.I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ray Stiles sincerely, for all his help with our 70s’ project and for encouraging The Beat Goes On And On Fanzine.
Special thanks to Tracy Jacobs, for arranging this interview. For a complete Biography on Mud why not read Jean Herbaut article featured in this issue?
Please note all articles on this site are (C) to The Beat Goes On And On Fanzine and may not be used without permission.
MUD received the same kind of hysteria as Bay City Rollers, The Osmond’s, and adorned many a teenager girls wall as there pin ups, and the band enjoyed endless success and lived to tell the tale of the heady days of the 1970’s!
The original line up of MUD are no longer together as a band, but still remain affectionately in the hearts of those teenage girls who screamed at them back in the 70’s, bought there records and attended there live concerts when MUD where once ‘Pop Idols’. (Not all of them where girls, you can read Paul and Pam Clarkson live review from a MUD concert from the 70’s, also featured in this issue)
It’s with a great honour, that I can bring to you an interview with original band member and MUD heartthrob Ray Stiles. Ray has very kindly shared with us his fond memories of MUD, and explained to us what life was like being a 1970’s Pop Idol.
Mud: Tiger Feet Live on Top Of The Pops. 1974.
Dynamite: 1973
At what age did you decide you wanted to become a musician?
Ray Stiles: I never consciously decided that I wanted to be a musician at a specific point in time. At the beginning of the 60’s, ‘Beat Groups’ were emerging and I became interested. My Dad made me my first bass guitar, I taught myself to play and things just went from there.
Describe the music scene around the time you where learning guitar and which song was it that really convinced you this was the industry you wanted to be apart of?
Ray Stiles: In the very early 60’s, which is when I became aware of music, small beat orientated groups were forming everywhere. These were instrumental groups such as The Shadows and The Aventures. No one song was responsible for my interest; I was learning to play just by copying what I heard on records. I did learn one Shadows song through – note for note – this was called ‘Nivram’ and I still play it occasionally at gigs nowadays.
How did MUD meet?
Ray Stiles: We were school friends thought I first met Les Gray sometime after I knew Rob and David.
Whose idea was it to call the band MUD and what was there reason for it?
Ray Stiles: Rob Davis named the band just before I joined in 1966. Apparently they had bought some stage jackets which were a brownish colour – MUD COLOURED – and that was it!
When you look back at the bands Image what goes through your mind?
Ray Stiles: The image was largely directed to us by the record company (RAK) who felt that to be successful we had to have a contemporary Image which then was ‘Glam Rock’. Their ideas started us off but we took over and elaborated it to a great degree. We were all pretty comfortable with the Image, we didn’t mind what people said (at least they were taking notice), and we had great fun being successful. Looking back I suppose we did some pretty ludicrous things but we never took ourselves or the music too seriously. That isn’t to say that we just threw it all together, in fact it was exactly the opposite. Mud was a bloody good band and were very proud of it!!!
Can you tell us the story of Tiger Feet, how did the idea of the song come about? Did you think it would become such a huge hit?
Ray Stiles: Nicky Chinn & Mike Chapman were songwriters for Sweet, Smokie, Suzy Quatro, and ourselves. They wrote Tiger Feet. It was presented to us as a demo just as all our other songs were, and we were told this was to be our next single. This same method of choice of single was the same for any of these acts but we didn’t care, we were having hits and that was all that mattered. We didn’t really like Tiger Feet that much, we thought it as a daft title and we couldn’t see it being a hit which is what we needed at that time. However Nicky & Mike said it would be HUGE and it was. Needless to say we never doubted them again.
What memories do you have of performing on Top Of The Pops?
Ray Stiles: Sheer mayhem, madness and total enthusiasm for what we were doing. Our Xmas NO1 Lonely This Xmas sticks out for me as being what Mud was all about – Ventriloquist dummy, buckets of fake snow, chaos and laughter, all at once. From my first ever T.O.T.P I have a special feeling for the O’ Jay’s song ‘Love Train’. It was used as chart countdown music and we were first on. I remember standing on the stage waiting to start the show. It was an incredible feeling that I will never forget. Whenever I hear ‘Love Train’ it all comes flooding back.
What memories do you have from MUD live shows?
Ray Stiles: MUD shows were wild, full-on affairs and the screaming was deafening. Girls were turned back from getting on the stage and often we had to make a run for it. It was scary, enjoyable and incredible all at the same time.
For those of us that where too young to remember the 70’s music mania, can you describe how you saw it from a pop stars point of view?
Ray Stiles: The general word for the 70’s mania in music would be ‘Teenybopper’. Glamrock in the 70’s was dominated by Teenyboppers. The whole thing was not as much about music as ‘Pop-Stardom’. The teenyboppers (fans, mostly girls) would pledge their loyalty for to one band and the whole thing became almost one army against another. From our own point of view it was amusing. They didn’t seem to care about the music when we were there in person, just so long as they could see us and scream. I suppose they did like the music though since they brought our records and came to the concerts.
What were the highlights of being in a band like MUD?
Ray Stiles: There were too many highlights to remember them individually. Overall it was fantastic to become successful in a band we had started ourselves. We had no coaching and we manoeuvred ourselves into a position where we got a recording with out any outside help. we were natural at what we did and we realised that although we wanted people to like us, not everybody would. So that said everything was a highlight – we were incredibly happy about what we were doing. After all was said and done we could have been failures.
What was the worst thing about being in a band called MUD?
Ray Stiles: No bad memories there were a few arguments along the way over things that seemed important then but which in the long run ended up counting for nothing, all perfectly normal stuff.
Out of all the TV programmes MUD performed on throughout the 70’s which was your favourite and why?
Ray Stiles: All television appearances were important. We had no real favourites. We went on and did our thing ‘no matter what’ we did The Lulu Show, Cilia Black Show, Sid and Eddie, Jim’l Fix It, Basil Brush, and many others as well as Top Of The Pops. We were promoting ourselves and we were achieving that. We used to get T.V. shows even when we never had a record out to promote because television producers would say that MUD was a good and exciting television it was a great compliment to us.
As a musician what did the 70’s mean to you and are you glad you made your name in the 70 are rather than the swinging 60’s?
Ray Stiles: The 70’s didn’t really mean a lot to me in a musical sense. I was in an entertaining band and I was totally involved in that. Of course we made records that were as good as we could and our stage shows were very expensive to put on. But the emphasis was not totally about being a musician, there was a lot of other stuff going on and I was not preoccupied with Ray Stiles-musician. I still am not, I play because that’s what I do and I happen to be in The Hollies which is a very fine band with great musicians. I am serious about my playing but not – as I say- preoccupied or precious about it. I’ve never really thought about what it would have been like to have made it in the 60’s. If The Hollies are anything to go by then it would have been fun. They still have so much class because they care about what they do and I love that. I can contribute to that and that is an area where I do take myself seriously.
If you could do it all again would you?
Ray Stiles: Without a doubt I would change nothing!!!
Who were your idols and influences from that time?
Ray Stiles: MY IDOLS ARE: Jet Harris of The Shadows – listen to the track ‘Nivram’. The bass solo was created over 40 years ago and it’s still brilliant. He made me want to play bass.
Johnny Gusatffson of The Big Three also The Merseybeats. He was a great player and singer and he made me realise that it was possible to do both well. I’ve always wanted to meet him.
If you were to describe MUD in the rock ‘n’ roll history books how would you describe the band?
Ray Stiles: MUD was a band of four people who were interested in doing things well. In having a good time and giving people a good time through records and more importantly, performance. Art for art’s sake, and fun for Christ’s sake….........
Jo Rishton
With Ray Stiles
(C) TBGOAO Fanzine issue 6 Approved by Ray Stiles.I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ray Stiles sincerely, for all his help with our 70s’ project and for encouraging The Beat Goes On And On Fanzine.
Special thanks to Tracy Jacobs, for arranging this interview. For a complete Biography on Mud why not read Jean Herbaut article featured in this issue?
Please note all articles on this site are (C) to The Beat Goes On And On Fanzine and may not be used without permission.