Now to me there is nothing strange about ‘Strange Orchestra’ a duo consisting of Marc Hartley (Delf) on lead vocals & Gordon Abbott on guitars.
I first came across these two around a year ago and noticed they fitted into the Marc Bolan circuit as well as strawberries goes with cream. Being two big Marc Bolan fans their love and respect for him shows in all their work.
Their live sets are very popular at the Bolan Bop’s including so far 2 year’s running at The Wigan Bop (*including June 2010) and 2009 a live set at a pre-bop night in London and in Feb 2010 they joined ‘All Schools Are Strange’ at a very successful Bolantine Bop.
Strange Orchestra play a acoustic based set covering the complete catalogue of Tyrannosaurus Rex which you can experience if not done so already at this years London Bop in Sept where they appear on the same bill with ‘The Peppermint Apes’ who’ll be performing a full electric T.Rex set.
I got so use to hearing from fans that “you close your eyes it is like hearing Marc Bolan” as Delf’s vocals are so like ‘the main man’s’ it is spooky.
This makes this maxi single even more special as they are all original songs by Strange Orchestra still sounding like Tyrannosaurus Rex just so warming to any Marc Bolan fan’s soul.
Now
April 2010 they released this maxi single which has three tracks on it ‘Angel Breath’ written and composed by Gordon, ‘Queen of Beads’ written and composed by Marc (Delf) and ‘Ostara’ a joint effort.
Before I get into the tracks themselves I must say the artwork / presentation of the package is really wonderful the outer sleeve in true style of Tyrannosaurus Rex it is as if I jumped back to the late 60s as the font work matches Marc Bolan’s original style for Tyrannosaurus Rex. When I opened the sleeve notes I found a collection of very charming small lyric sheets in a very tasteful design which really finishing the package off nicely.
It sort of says before you even play the CD that a lot of care, thought and love has gone into this collection of songs.
The CD itself all proceeds from it will be donated to The Marc Bolan memorial fund which is run by OMBFC.
On to the tracks and the CD starts off with the wonderful number entitled ‘Angel Breath’
I loved playing this on my big sound system as for a duo this is bigger than you could imagine.
The sound is amazing with much added percussion all performed by Strange Orchestra with backing vocals reminding me more of Steve Peregrin Took’s Tyrannosaurus Rex years. The lyrics are touching on the mythical feel ‘ageless like earth the innocence of birth’ you listen and much like Marc Bolan’s classic’s you start to imagine/wonder who is this Angel? Is she someone we know and love, someone we loved and sadly lost or someone much older than earth from somewhere higher? ‘The world doesn’t cry and love will not die, the smell of perfume fills the room with her Angel’s Breath’
What with Delf’s vocals as ever so close to Marc Bolan’s not simply impersonating but singing with all the emotions Marc often did this track is truly a wonderful moving peace
After hearing that breath taking track and no it is not meant as a pun as it truly is the second track ‘Queen of Beads’ has that melody you feel you want to clap along to.
I could even say this could easy be a sing-a-long as the chorus ‘O my little lady, my velvet laden baby’ really pulls you to join in. So I can imagine this performed live getting everyone involved as a feel good crowd pleaser.
Saying that this has a romantic feel to the lyrics ‘you are my Queen of Beads and everything that this boy needs, and with a simple touch, you light my life so much’ to some may say almost touching on raunchy but hey! that just might be my imagination. (he grins). Vocal wise Delf’s voice sounds between late Tyrannosaurus Rex and latter T.Rex but this is not a bad thing as it helps with that amazing catchy beat this number has and if I had to find one fault in the CD it is this is too short as just feel it has more to give.
Well sadly the CD ends too soon and I find myself listening to ‘Ostara’ a more simpler music arrangement than the other tracks with lyrics that would make Mr. Bolan proud.
Lines like ‘as the moths deftly knit their fluffy silken gowns’. The song is basically about the coming of a new day as winter is passing but written in pure poetry. This track has everything that is good about Strange Orchestra in one song and makes you want to shout “we want more”.
Gordon & Delf put a lot of hard work into everything they do and I look forward to hearing more from this amazing duo.
*Note
The EP TRIPTYCH (A Crown of Untold Riches) is available for £4 inc postage in UK and £4.50 inc postage for overseas.
Order via email gjta1977@yahoo.co.uk you can write to Gordon at this address for any extra info plus a PayPal account in linked to this e-mail address.
This EP will only be available till 16th Sept so snap it up now if you have not done so already.
Strange Orchestra can be found on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/STRANGE-ORCHESTRA/155697408047?ref=ts
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