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15.60.75 (The Numbers Band) - Jimmy Bell's Still In Town

Tracks: Animal Speaks / About The Eye Game/ Narrow Road/ Thief/ Jimmy Bell/ About Leaving Day

Recorded: Agora Club, Cleveland, Ohio 16/6/76

Released: 1976

Personnel: Drake Gleason (bass), Terry Hynde (alto & baritone sax, maracas), Jack Kidney (harmonica, tenor sax, organ, conga), Robert Kidney (guitar, vocals), Tim Maglione (tenor & baritone sax, conga), David Robinson (drums), Michael Stacey (guitar)

Reissued On CD: Glitterhouse Records GRCD 522 (2001)

The Animal Speaks

"I didn't like that…it hurt." TOO RIGHT! This music hurts. It bleeds. But at least it feels. Those immortal words were uttered by a young girl, to Robert Kidney, leader, singer & guitarist with Kent Ohio's second most famous cultural phenomenon 15.60.75. The band had just come off stage, performing to an utterly indifferent crowd of Bob Marley fans, who had come to see their idol at The Agora Club in Kent on 16th June 1975. What made this particular night extraordinary was that the band had the tapes running, with plans to release them as their debut album.

Listening to the album today, if you didn't know the circumstances, you would swear that it was recorded in a small sweaty club, like the Marquee used to be, in front of a few hundred sardines. Hear the sweeping power of Terry Hynde's (elder brother of Chrissie), Jack Kidney's & Tim Magliones Saxophones. Then, the sheer tightness of Drake Gleason's bass guitar, Michael Stacey's rhythm guitar & Dave Robinson's drums. All three of them lay down a foundation of impossible time signatures - in fact the band don't count measures and are unable to outline the structure of their songs to an outsider. Finally, careering wildly over the top of all this is Robert Kidney - singing, shouting, growling, and as if that isn't enough, playing some of the sharpest, nastiest & most angular guitar you could ever have the pleasure of hearing.

And then there's the songs. The word is just too small for these sonic explorations of jazz, blues, punk & rock'n'roll. Think Pere Ubu meets Graham Parker meets Beefheart meets Sun Ra & you still wouldn't be prepared for this album. It quite literally is like nothing that you have ever heard before.

15.60.75's history goes back to exactly 2 months after Kent's other claim to fame - the infamous Kent state University shootings, when the band got their first gig at the Kove. The name was intended to suggest an almost Orwellian sense of totalitarian dictatorship, but by chance the numbers also have a 1,4,5, ratio upon which the blues is based. This was the hottest spot in town & they played 4 nights a week to a regular audience of between 500-900 hippies, poets, bikers, artists, townies, musicians, college professors & students. Everything went well for a couple of years, but Robert wanted to move on, the others resisted & the band fell apart. Robert kept the name, drafted in his brother Jack & reformed the band. The band's new drummer, Jay Brown only stayed for a couple of years, unable to take Robert's insistent drive for onstage perfection. "He talked to people like they were dogs" he noted. Despite these constant upheavals, necessitating the need to re-write the songs each & every time anyone joined or left, the band continued their regular gig at the Kove. By 1974, they were branching out & through a friend, they got a gig at the Primo Show Bar in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where they were assured a lot of famous people would be. Unsurprisingly, they weren't. However, John Lennon's portable recording studio was. Never one's to miss a trick, they took advantage and recorded their first original song "Stolen Cadillac".

Shortly after this, Michael Stacey joined on rhythm guitar. This had the direct effect of freeing Robert Kidney up to play lead guitar, his scorching pyrotechnic lead work being one of the bands main trademarks. This was the line-up that went on to record the classic "Jimmy Bell's Still In Town" at the infamous Bob Marley gig. From here, you would think things would have been looking up. No, they just got worse. The Kove burned down, & now homeless, the bands financial backers pulled out. The band had to complete the entire production themselves including the artwork & release on their own Water Brothers label. Throughout this period, they moved next door to another club "J.B's". During a performance here, the Kove burned down again, this time taking the roof of J.B's with it. They then moved to "The Robin Hood". Shortly afterwards that club was closed by the health department.

The band was now at rock bottom. They were playing at the "Pancho Vias" 4 nights a week for just $60 each. Robert wanted to quit, but was persuaded by friends to "tough it out for at least another month". It paid off . J.B's reopened and the Numbers re-established themselves as the best band around.

"Jimmy Bell's Still In Town" sold in paltry numbers, bought only by their existing fans. But, without radio support, commercial success could never happen, & record company promoters had no idea what to do with them. However, through their regular gigging & residencies, they have managed to keep going, releasing albums periodically right up to the present time.

Public apathy has been matched only by the loyalty & devotion of established musicians. Anton Fier of "The Golden Palominos" invited Robert to tour North America with him. Also recording one of his songs on the "Visions of Excess" album in 1985, namely the awesome "The Animal Speaks" with the inimitable John Lydon taking the lead vocals. John Lydon is probably the only singer in the world who could capture the manic claustrophobic energy of this classic "Jimmy Bell" song and make it his own, whilst detracting nothing from the original. Robert also recorded 5 other songs with the "Palominos" at this time. Around the same time, another famous friend, David Thomas of "Pere Ubu" produced a 2 track single for the band.

Since the mid 1970's, Robert's health had been failing, due to abnormal kidneys, a situation not rectified until 1990. When he recovered from surgery, he recalls "It would be nice to say that I was glad to be alive. But honestly, I was scared. I woke up to debt , divorce, & I was unable to work. It was an incredible struggle". Slowly he made a full physical & mental recovery, helped by brother Jack stepping forward to keep the band going & helping to pay mountainous medical bills.

In 1994, Robert was asked how he would describe his music - "Although it won't be recognized as such for 40 or 50 years, it is classic American folk music, in the truest sense. We are 2 brothers, singer/songwriters who write about the events in our lives. We borrow from all forms of music; blues, jazz, rock, country, alternative & classical."

After years of turmoil, the bands line up is at last stable & Robert believes that that the line-up since 1990 is the best yet. "Everyone is healthy, happy & at the top of their ability as musicians", and Robert is glad to be alive.