THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,457) Jigsaw — “Tumblin’”
Years before they blew it all sky high, Jigsaw dropped this bomb on the English public, well, I mean “the bomb”, a “psych monster”, “[o]ff the rails” (thomassmilth8721, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyld5on1Ll4), “a phased up stomping, psychedelic beast with a Brian Auger style hammond and eastern guitar licks”. (Peter Gough, https://biteitdeep.blogspot.com/2012/07/jigsaw-1968-1975.html)
Pete Clemons puts together the pieces of Jigsaw:
Jigsaw, formed in 1966, were a group from whose band members came from both Coventry and Rugby. Essentially they were born out of the ashes of another Rugby group The Mighty Avengers but also included members of The Antarctic’s, The Beat Preachers and others. They were active continuously for almost the next twenty years. Formed by guitar player Tony Campbell the band started life as a six piece and, later on in the bands life – and through the formidable song writing team of organist Clive Scott and drummer Des Dyer – Jigsaw scored a succession of worldwide hits. Their discography runs to many singles and albums. . . . Soon after forming, Jigsaw without doubt became one of the hardest gigging bands in the region. . . . During this period it would be fair to say that Jigsaw were more in keeping with the other ‘underground’ bands of the day. They released their first single during 1968 and their music was blues based and incredibly ambitious. This was reflected in their debut concept album Letherslade Farm, released on the Philips label in 1970. This incredibly rare album . . . bears no resemblance at all to the music that they would later become renowned for. Essentially it is a satirical view of the music industry, at that time, and is one continuous story which tells the tale of a broken down pop singer. . . . Sadly none of the bands early releases charted.
Pete Chambers adds some lost pieces to the puzzle:
They were a veritable local ‘super group’ comprising of Clive Scott . . . on vocals and keyboards (from the Atlantics and the Transatlantics), Barry Bernard on bass (from The Vampires and Pinkertons Colours [see #340]). Kevin Mahon on tenor sax, Tony Campbell guitar, Dave Beech on drums ( all from The Mighty Avengers . . . Tony Britnel (from The Fortunes) Des Dyer (from Rugby’s Surf Siders) joined in 1967 following Dave ‘Biffo Beech’s departure. I asked Tony Campbell to tell me how Jigsaw had come about. “The Mighty Avengers had become disenchanted . . . with the business. The last straw was when our van had been wrecked outside Biffo’s house. . . . [W]e all decided to go back to a daytime job. I was a big fan of Cliff Bennet, and decided to start a six-piece band, just to have some fun, with no serious intent. I wanted people that I knew would get along well even though none of us were particularly good musicians. I knew that being couped up in dressing rooms and in vans was always bound to bring out the worst (and best) in people. I was living with Kevin . . . and his family at the time, and he had decided to learn saxophone to pair up with Tony Britnel whom I had known for a long time. . . . Biffo got a bit upset when I said that I was going to start a new band, and hadn’t included him. This was my fault, since I thought that he wasn’t interested. We then actually had three members of the Avengers in the original Jigsaw. Clive Scott had approached the Avengers with his song writing abilities, but we realised he was a good keyboard man and sang as well. I only needed a bass player to get operational. I spent three weeks trying to find Barrie Bernard. I had known him well for a number of years and we had talked about working together one day (usually when playing cards all night at his digs in Cromwell Road). I eventually found him . . . . His first words to me that night were “Tone, I need a job”. My reply was “You’ve got one”. . . . It would take some 2 years before they released their debut single “One Way Street”. Their vocal harmonies and imaginative lyrics saw them release classic song after classic song, none unfortunately heading chartwards. . . . Just to compound things in 1974 the band’s writing machine Scott & Dyer were to have a massive hit on their hands, but ironically it wasn’t for Jigsaw. The song was “Who Do You Think You Are”, an infectious slice of commercial pop that gave the band Candlewick Green a number 21 hit . . . in the UK and Europe . . . . On top of that Claude Francoise charted with the song in France and in America Bo Donaldson got it number 12. Their own chart success was to continue to elude them. However when the guys joined Splash Records (their sixth label), the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place. Their big break came when an Australian film company was looking for a theme tune for the movie Man From Hong Kong. David Essex and The Four Tops were approached, but turned it down due to their work commitments. Jigsaw took it on despite the fact that they had just completed an album, and only had three days to come up with something brand new. The song was handed over with little enthusiasm on the part of the writers Des Dyer and Clive Scott. Imagine their surprise when they suddenly found they had an Australian number one on their hands! The song of course was the quite brilliant “Sky High”, a tune that no one could escape from in 1975. It seemed to crop up everywhere (it also cropped up at number 9 in the UK singles charts and at an amazing number 3 in the good old US of A). . . . They began a lengthy world tour . . . . In 1976 “Sky High” also became a Japanese number one, it would stay in the Nippon charts for an incredible two years thanks to a major Sumo wrestler using it as his entrance music. Their Japanese tour was reminiscent of Beatlemania, with the guys being mobbed every night. . . . The UK follow up single was “If I Have To Go Away”, good but not in the same league as “Sky High”, it did however make a dent in the UK charts at 36. While it’s US counterpart “Love Fire” made 30 in the Billboard charts. By 1978 it was all over bar the shouting.
https://web.archive.org/web/20210629232526/http://www.covmm.co.uk/2016/2020/07/07/jigsaw/
Timothy Monger notes that they were a “dynamic rock act with a penchant for wild stage antics (fire-eating, exploding amps, burning drum kits”. (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jigsaw-mn0001032454#biography) As to the antics, Pete Clemons writes that:
Comedy and presentation [were] the group’s strong points. Their act had to be seen to be believed, always relying on the unexpected. Fire eating, flame throwing, smoke bombs, interspersed with genuinely funny and skillful comic songs and characterisations. Fred Crun, the folk singer who wrote all of Bob Dylan’s songs, and that well known cleric, the Rev. Ian Parsley, were each liable to put in an appearance, and it’s not unusual for the audience to witness a concert performance consisting of lead guitar, bass and rhythm balloons. Des Dyer said that all the comedy routines and effects go down a storm, especially with the university and cabaret audiences, but added that they have to be careful when they’re throwing flames around.
Oh, and “[p]rior to forming the band in 1966 Scott and Dyer had been successful songwriters (for Engelbert Humperdinck among others)”. (Vernon Joynson, The Tapestry of Delights Revisited)
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