Vinegar Joe: They Want To Be Top Of The Pops

Val Mabbs talks to Vinegar Joe and finds that they want to be Top of the Pops

Undoubtedly the noticeably enthusiastic receptions that Vinegar Joe have been attracting during their recent gigs, have been due to their musical ability and the knack they have of presenting a down to earth set full of enthusiasm.

They've not been wearied by the time they, as individuals, have been on the road.

But equally noticeable is the sexually blatant presentation of their act. Elkie Brooks, more recently known as Elk, is a lady who has long been known for her ability to lay down some gritty vocals along with some equally gritty movements.

In the new Vinegar Joe set up with Robert Palmer taking an equal share of the vocals, she seems to have found her perfect foil.

Elkie swings it, struts and thrusts herself around; vocals equally grabbing the imagination of the audience, while Robert caresses the mike moving just that little bit, with the insinuation of a whole lot more to come.

Is it all a carefully designed audience grabber?

"I used to be very aware of the sexual image when I was younger," admits Robert, still only twenty-three and away from the stage a milder character than might be imagined. "It's a bit of a wank, but now I'm not really aware of it at all. It's something I wouldn't want to push, wouldn't want to sell. It comes out in its own way."

"Once I get on stage the idea is to get the whole band working in the same time. When everyone hits it off you get that spark that's missing in so many other bands - you get this force going, rather than veering off in different directions, and it gives everything a lift. The whole thing takes you over, if you're doing something that might embarass you at another time, it's just being natural when you're on stage."

Robert believes the whole secret of reaching a musical climax is to find the highest pitch for the band and to hold things at that level, thus building up a tension, rather than allowing for everything to go free form.

"There's so much more that happens. The sense of smell and all that must be involved, you pick up on the slightest feelings."

Robert, Elkie and Pete Gage, guitarist with Vinegar Joe, also worked as the front line of Dada some 18 months ago, incorporating brass into the band. Why then, I wondered, had they changed the name of the band yet still retained the nucleus of the original outfit.

"We wanted to attract a different audience because we weren't presenting the same kind of thing at all," Robert explained. "Also when we toured the States with Dada it taught us that from an objective point of view we were being too self indulgent.

"American audiences want a release, they want to be entertained, and they won't just accept anything. We learnt a lot because of that."

Dada

Dada had also worked as a nine-piece band, and with the high expense of just keeping any band on the road the inclusion of brass became something of a luxury. Now Vinegar Joe concentrate on simplicity - and though striving for both, they would rather have feeling than perfection musically.

"We've been on the road for about six months now," says Robert, breaking off to go in search of a light for his second cigarette. "We've had lots of changes in line up in that time, mainly because we find it difficult to get players who are prepared to play simple things. They're all too interested in showing their technique rather than soul.

"The band for instance play simple things, but they're technically capable of more. They don't have to prove anything to themselves though. We've got to find someone with that kind of confidence."

The line up of Dada, apart from the three front line faces, has John Hawkin, ex Spooky Tooth, on piano; John Woods from Bell And Arc, on drums; and Nick South on bass guitar. And according to Robert it is the most settled Vinegar Joe line up yet.

"We want to sell what we've got, we want a number one record," admits Robert. "We want to be on Top Of The Pops. The best feeling we get is from a good audience reaction, to be popular, and to find that everyone knows who you are. We're not going to keep away from doing certain things, just because it's not considered the right thing to do.

"It's not only the young teenybop audience that is attracted by a band with a hit record. A lot might come along because you've had exposure and become a commodity, but we're not going to be opposed to that exposure for silly reasons."

Far from being wary of singles, Vinegar Joe released Never Met A Dog, track from their debut album just two months ago. And like it or not, they're a band who are going to recieve a lot more exposure. Happily they like it.

"We're entertaining music 1972," says Robert. And entertain they will.

Val Mabbs (Record Mirror - May 1972)