Medicine Head and the pictures in the sky
66Medicine Head - '(And The) Pictures In The Sky' - 1971 45rpm
Medicine Head photos
Medicine Head links
- Medicine Head Discover music, videos, concerts, & pictures at Last.fm
Watch videos & listen free to Medicine Head: One And One Is One, Rising Sun & more, plus 3 pictures. Medicine Head formed in Stafford in 1968, and came to prominence when championed by influential DJ John Peel. - Medicine Head on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads
MySpace Music profile for Medicine Head. Download Medicine Head Roots Music / Blues / Acoustic music singles, watch music videos, listen to free streaming mp3s, & read Medicine Head's blog. - Medicine Head - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- http://www.johnfiddler.com/
the official John Fiddler website
Jew's harp
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JEW'S HARP OLD TIME MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MOUNTAIN MAN
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Vintage Antique Musical Jaw Jew's Harp Mouth Instrument
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Medicine Head were one of my favourite live acts at the end of the '60s
Like so many brilliant singer-songwriters and bands of the late '60s and later, I discovered Medicine Head on the late great John Peel's BBC R1 show Top Gear. They had a really distinctive sound and were not surprisingly signed to Peel's Dandelion label.
Made up originally of John Fiddler on vocals, guitar and drums and Peter Hope-Evans on harmonica, Jew's harp and mouthbow they managed to make a really big sound from just the two musicians.
Peter Hope-Evans had a mass of big hair that contrasted with John Fiddler's long locks and moustache. Whilst John did the vocals, guitar and percussion with cymbals and a bass drum in the style of a one-man band, Peter played the twanging Jew's harp or bluesy harmonica and they rocked!
Of course I had to get a Jew's harp and eventually mastered the strange instrument. There is a real skill to it because if you don't hold it just so you cannot get the right sound. You need to hold the main part of it firmly against your teeth whilst twanging the spring part in the gap between. Over the years I got several different Jew's harps and played one on the recording of my own song Superhero.
Medicine Head had started off as a real underground act but at last they had their first commercial hit with (And The) Pictures in the Sky, which reached number 22 in 1971.
I loved the lyrics of the chorus-line: "And the pictures in the sky helped my soul get high." You only have to look at a beautiful sunset or a formation of clouds to understand these words.
Other hits that followed were One and One is One that got to number 3 in1973, Rising Sun that reached number 11 in1973, and Slip and Slide that got as high as 22 in 1974.
I was, and still am, a huge fan of Bridget St John too, and she was also on Peel's Dandelion label.
I saw Medicine Head live several times at the Student's Union in Cardiff and even ended up dancing on stage with them. They had several songs they used to really rock out in and Peter Hope-Evans used to do amazing blues-harp playing over John Fiddler's guitar and bass drum.
Later stages of Medicine Head saw a full rock band but for me personally they were at their best as a duo.
Imagine my surprise when just the other year I got a an add friend request at Myspace from none other than John Fiddler. Of course, I added him straight away and sent him a message saying I saw the band years back and had danced on stage as they played at the Cardiff Student's Union.
Medicine Head finally broke up in 1977, but whilst the band was no more they lived on for me in their brilliant music, and because so many times when I am admiring the magic of an incredible sky I think of their first hit record.
Medicine Head - How does it feel 1972
Medicine Head - Rising Sun 1973
Medicine Head on Amazon
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Head On
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Best of Medicine Head
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Two Man Band
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One and One Is One: The Very Best of Medicine Head
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Slip & Slide
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Don't Stop the Dance
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New Bottles Old Medicine
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Dark Side of the Moon
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Comments
Thank you, Lisa! I was just on my way over to Myspace! lol
Your hubs are like my own time machine. I can't even remember who I saw live any more! But I remember leaving my jews harp in Wimpys in New Street Birmingham one night.
Have you seen my Edgar Broughton Band hub? I have a lot more to do on other acts I saw all those years back!
Thanks for posting, Kev!
I think that was the first of your hubs I read.
I plan doing a Kevin Ayers one and a Bridget St John one when I get round to it and an Incredible String Band hub. And maybe a Roy Harper hub too!
Great article, thanks
Thanks, Adam!
Hello,That was a fantastic job,I loved it.Music is such a
universal language,I can relate to being high on certain
rythms.Keep it up,that was great!.....Goldstone
Thank you!
Remember these well. I think Hubby has vinyl of theirs somewhere or other.
Thanks for posting, Ethel!














Lisa Luv says:
2 months ago
Cool-- loved the entertainment! What a creative interesting article!
By the way are we connected on Myspace and would you like to be if not?
Here is my address there. WISHING YOU A "ROCKIN WEEKEND!" Although I can see you have already started rockin!
MYSPACE~ URL: http://myspace.com/biillyjean