After Judge Smith left Van Der Graaf Generator he formed Heebalob with his friend Maxwell Hutchinson, which also included future VDGG saxophonist David Jackson, but that band broke up when the label they were signed to collapsed. However, Maxwell and Judge decided they would keep working together and decided they would compose a substantial piece of work. They wanted it to be fact based so searched for a suitable subject, finally settling on the Kibbo Kift, a movement formed by John Hargrave in 1920 and in 1932 had become the Green Shirts.
There is a great deal of history and information in the booklet regarding the movement, the meetings Maxwell and Judge had with Hargrave, and how it came to be that the album turned into a theatrical production. It was first performed at The Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh in June 1976, and again later the same year as part of the Edinburgh Festival. For these a band was brought together, who became known as Totem, and Maxwell and Judge recorded the songs themselves so the band could learn them. Totem also went to a recording studio to undertake a session, but due to union rules the cast could not be involved so Robert Pettigrew (who was also the pianist and is still working with Judge to this day), Judge and Christina Mattews provided the vocals.
This album has been put together by using the songs recorded in that session plus the ones recorded by Maxwell and Judge (and one from the later 1977 production), but there are no proper recordings of the full musical. Unlike many albums/musicals of this type, Maxwell and Judge decided to have no narration at all, so the lyrics provide the complete story which means that even though the lyrics are not provided in the highly informative booklet one can fully understand what is happening as they shine a light on a subject, I had not previously come across.
I have no idea why this wasn’t a bigger success at the time, as to my ears it is a thoroughly enjoyable release and having heard it, I know I would have happily attended a theatre to see the show. I also do not know why it has taken so long for the songs to be made available, but all credit to Think Like A Key Music for making this available a mere 50 years on from when it was first performed. I can certainly hear why it was determined to make this a stage performance as opposed to an album, as the storytelling definitely adds to that feeling, and if it had been an album there would have been a demand for it to be staged as well.
It is very British, very Sixties/Seventies (The Small Faces is a band which keeps coming to mind, along with The Kinks), and is thoroughly enjoyable throughout. It is a gem and should be much more widely known and urge those who want their music to be a little more obscure than many, but still a great listen, then this may be for you.
Rating: 8/10
Links:
https://www.judge-smith.com/
https://www.thinklikeakey.com/