West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Tim Forster - interviewed by Jon 'Mojo' Mills

'West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band' Tim Forster is interviewed by Shindig Magazine's Jon 'Mojo' Mills.
www.shindig-mag...

[@davidkawikatalisman7244]

I was the lead singer with Goodness and Mercy, a Bob Markley/Michael Lloyd produced project on MGM Records. I really enjoyed this interview being that I spent a year working with Bob Markley on my own album project. He was a very interesting person...incredibly wealthy but shunned the impression that he was privileged. He was very sharp at business while his view of music in the early 70's was a bit strange. Still he had a special feeling for the struggling musicians of the seventies.

[@RikiBerlin]

yeah...he liked picking up girls and we were young but I think at the age of 13-16 we just liked the older guys. We realized it wasn't going to be right, after awhile. Personally, I never got to know any of these guys Markley would come around and play that tambourine on our knees....it was a thrill for us...it was in Hollywood at the Paladium. The Teenage Fair! It was super groovy....incense in tent...darkened in the daytime....and you'd just get into the trance like feeling of the music-and never want to leave...

[@yanmetcaluire]

Hi David; That you for this music i discovered in France (I'm french) in the 80's; I bought the vol.3 for the cover and still listen to the music that i really loved.... Take care ! ;-)

[@RikiBerlin]

I saw them at the Teen-Age Fair in Hollywood...about 14-16 yrs old!! I can tell you exactly what happened inside that wonderful tent of music. I had no idea that the lead singer was not really considered a musician...and more of a "producer". The Act and the Music made a huge impact on me and I spent many years in my youth working in music. I still love this band because they are totally authentic in their sound. I still have their PIN! Nice to know I'm not alone in appreciating them...I always wondered if anyone was out there who was into them. Lovely. Thank you for sharing!

[@nealjohnson6369]

@kathykline7202 Wow ! Thats it. The teenage Fair.I remember the dark tent (alas for the benefit of their light show) which all put together with the music was truly a hypnotic happening. I always remembered the music and was introduced back a few years ago.They will always take me back to that hippie period .The best event of the Teenage Fair for me

[@Tenskwatawa4U]

I met Ron Morgan in Shafer Court at Virginia Commonwelath University; it was probably 1968. I was into WCPAEB from the beginning and I probably looked skeptical. But then I thought, "why would a guy claim to be from a band no one ever heard of?"

[@ceesphurpa]

Loved their music from the first moment when I heard part 2 in 1968. Still love it to this day,my favourite album being "A childs guide to good and evil " Fabulous music!

[@rcjFrankson]

Con't... from down under: our youthful experience with this record W.C.P.A.E.B. Vol. 3 found in a used record store and I bought, based on its cool band name and that cover. I couldn't believe on the back cover, was a introductory to "How to Blow your Mind and have a Freak Out Party"; that went along with that recording. So we scored a batch of Acid, and following the LP's instructions... adjusted my friends parents brand new color TV, and we killed it. "I got a Zebra, and I know she gets high".

[@Trollificusv2]

We thought, back in the late 60s, that our awareness of this band (along with Zappa and HP Lovecraft) made us really cool. Turns out, we were right. We also loved Pentangle, Leonard Cohen, Country Joe, Jefferson Airplane, Donovan, Moby Grape, etc., etc...nice to see our teenage tastes so vindicated a half-century later.

[@daherstorian3857]

Trollificusv2 don't forget magma I think they came a little later maybe

[@MaxPaws]

Have to throw Ultimate Spinach in with that grouping too....

[@Tenskwatawa4U]

As if they ever needed vindication.

[@PAULLONDEN]

*@Trollificus* o k.......but......seriously ....you think you're "realy cool" because you had the normal sense to check out some lesser known underground bands ? I had Silver Apples , W C P A E B, Man(British) and a whole other bunch around '68, but never thought it made me cool........anyway ...the rest you mention here were interesting , but hardly the stuff that makes one "cooL".........Doesn't antimatter........keep on trolling.....

[@DanielAquarian]

Solid comment and contribution to the WCPAEB narrative.

[@aliensporebomb]

I encountered Ron's playing on the first West Coast Pop Art record when I was something like 12 or 13 years old - I had not yet picked up guitar seriously yet. Since then it's very much come to my mind that Ron was an early pioneer of the "singing melodic lead guitar" style that some bands used to great success but Ron was unsung and truly a pioneer, an originator. He was melodic, soulful, and had a wide range of sounds and techniques which you can't say about too many back in '67. RIP Ron.

[@hotchameanshotcha]

I was probably 17 when I was introduced to WCPAEB by a friend who had all of the three parts. We were both amazed by the cover of the 2nd, and by songs like In The Arena, or Suppose They Give A War, and I must have listened to those albums a zillions times since, as my friend gave them all to me when he lost interest! I still own I + II, today having in the mail III, which I did lose and now bought again on Discogs, although I did buy all the CD rereleases. In the 80's I collected everything by Kim Fowley and Michael Lloyd, Kim's first two albums being classics. I still remember this scene in a record shop in Berne/Switzerland in '68, where we kids were asked by an american tourist if we could score some dope. hahaha. We couldn't, of course. I had written WCPAEB on my boy scout shirt at the time, wearing it every day, and we were excited finally getting to ask someone from over there if he knew the band. Hahaha again. We were desperately trying to find some information about them, so I'm very thankful to Tim Forster providing me with it, first in the liner notes to the CD, and now in this very interesting interview. You know, there are actually people out there who really want to know. Those who don't care should just sod off instead trying to spoil it for us aficionados. Maybe you should just shut up.

[@723scooter]

this is great! love this group. glad i stumbled across this.

[@josephbrabander9124]

I was at a high school graduation party, so most likely June '67 and I heard this really strange record and it turned out to be "Help. I'm a Rock" by the WCPAEB. Some time later I picked up the album, a real diamond in the rough with some super songs. Nice to know that there are still people who continue to recognize this gem.

[@kookamunga2458]

I like the band because I am into weird music . I just bought reissue of Part one . After a sample of hash West Coast pop art experimental band sounds awesome.

[@churchtaff]

This is secretly the greatest thing on youtube...also you should be reading Shindig, I do.

[@sixbladeknife44]

Great stuff here, nice to hear Julian Cope get namechecked too. Vol. 3 is a true masterpiece.

[@earheadsix4119]

Despite what others have written here, I thought this was a good interview. Very informative. Well done!

[@alexmickee6799]

This guy is like a beatnik version of Chistopher Hitchens. Really interesting stuff.

[@boychildnew1]

A name impossible to remember? huh? I never had any trouble remembering it. SAYING it, yes...but never remembering it. Anyway, very interesting stuff...a great band, which i have adored for 30 years now. Specifically since i bought it in Nov or Dec 1987 in 'One Up records' in Aberdeen. Ive mentioned them in two of my graphic novels ('Parecomic' and 'The Story of Lee').

[@michaelskurski912]

Somebody needs to write a book

[@theelectricsplash7384]

They were an interesting band that recorded some great songs. I head about them through The Clientele, who have said this is their biggest influence. The Clientele covered "Tracy Had A Hard Day Sunday" and "As The World Rises and Falls." When I saw "Part 1" at a record expo circa 2012 I bought it for $25 (the most I'd paid for a record at that time) based on the fact that The Clientele mentioned "Transparent Day" in an interview. So glad I picked it up, as I still listen to this album on a regular basis. Such a bizarre backstory.

[@NadirJones71]

Hey, thanks for that. I've loved WCPAEB since I heard them in '92 (coincidentally, through Mojo's old band mates!) but have been getting into the Clientele slowly over the last few years. I saw them live this year in Bristol and their true majesty was revealed in no uncertain terms.....Oh boy! Anyway I did not know of any connection between these two beloved bands. A tasty nugget indeed!

[@aliensporebomb]

I often think that the Harrises/Markley arguments foreshadow a later band that had famous interband rancor: Pink Floyd. Love the WCPAEB. Great songs and playing.

[@drkbart]

@CosmicDean I've been listening to them and own many originals, since 1967 !

[@johnshaughnessy7323]

I enjoyed this interview for filling in a few gaps that aren't on the WCPAEB Wikipedia page. I consider myself an avid collector of bits of the history of rock'n'roll. It's rare that something "new" comes to my attention, but this band's story is rather fascinating, and largely missing from the preserved popular historical annals. (this vid is the only detailed discussion I could find, and while Forster is their "biographer" there's no official book out.) Seems like the story could make an interesting movie, though. Forster and Mills do seem to go a bit easy on Markley, though. Certainly by today's standards I would think WCPAEB's smarmy svengali would have been a registered sex offender and come to a tragic downfall well sooner than he did. Interesting however that comments from those who knew him seem to express admiration in equal measure.

[@ricofreako5971]

I used to live in Hollywood back in the late 60's (yeah I'm pretty old now). I was friends with Kim Fowley who introduced me to Bob Markley when this band was still together and producing albums. I got to know him pretty well and had many conversations about the band, the music and more intimate details about Bob's life. So I'm the real deal here and can honestly say this interview is just like Shindig-mostly all hype. But then so was Kim Fowley and Bob Markley. Although Danny (kind of crazy), Sean and Michael were talented trained musicians, Bob bought his way into the band and even sometimes paid other people to help him with his songwriting. Plagiarism is a common theme in the L.A. music scene. Bob had the money and connections to produce the albums so that's how it goes. This is why the band's music sounds so disconnected and fake. Except for some of the darker stuff that Markley wrote which reveals what was going on in his twisted mind. Some of the album covers tell his story too. But it's not the analogy referred to in this interview. It was well-known in his inner circle that Markley was a pedaphile and a tempermental control freak. But hey, that's Hollywood for ya!

[@michaelskurski912]

I need to know about bob Markley I need to know more about what he was like. how much of what is said about his story is true.

[@t0ddler588]

Was Markley ever convicted and did he ever act on his ideas

[@ricofreako5971]

@@t0ddler588Yes he was a well known pedophile and didn't hide it. No need to as it's very common in Hollywood. The little girl on the front of one of their album covers was one of his victims. She was only 12. Markley told me he was dating her mother too. He liked to cruise the Sunset Strip in his Bentley on weekends looking for teenage girls from the valley to pick up.

[@ricofreako5971]

@@t0ddler588 Kim said that he did get arrested when he moved from Beverly hills to Malibu. I don't know if he spent any time in jail though.

[@judebandstra3169]

11 years later, the albums are hard as fuck to find

[@PAULLONDEN]

Unbelievable how brilliant this bunch was .I have such good memories of their Vol. 2 & 3. Fowley sadly became a talentless cynical usurper starting the 70's though.

[@MaxPaws]

WCPAEB! Had all (both?) their records. Very cool band!

[@Tenskwatawa4U]

There were two later, as MARKLEY. A GROUP. Name change not approved by the Harris brothers, I'd guess.

[@KingOFuh]

Kim Fowley's dad was once Doc Holliday.

[@judebandstra3169]

“I (don’t wanna) live inside steel and 4 walls “ said markley on his way to the Bahamas

[@JohnJohn-hr5qf]

Great great discussion...Shindig...it's become an institution now really

[@whitedwarf13]

Why is Tim Forster getting so much hate?

[@rcjFrankson]

Sorry... I quoted "War Pigs"... and the song was actually the longest song on that LP "In the Arena". Content was pretty much about War Pigs.

[@clarkewi]

@drkbart Me too. First time I heard this album I was high as a kite on acid. Loved it.

[@judebandstra3169]

Ty segall loves WCPAEB, he’s in a band called white fence

[@judebandstra3169]

The album where’s my daddy just pushes all my buttons, it’s got something for everyone!

[@rorygg1]

thanks for this posting. seems to be very objective, at least bob markley isn't getting trashed like the harris bros do when talking about him.

[@t0ddler588]

Is it possible to find any interviews with the Harris brothers

[@rcjFrankson]

Hmm, articles on what is an Undergound Icon. Lets talk vinyl records, and collecting album covers and art work. In 1971, I found W.C.P.A.E.B. Vol. 3 I believe; the album with 'War Pigs' on it. Buy the mid 70's if you could find all 5 volumes, you could get up to $5000.00 for them in any condition as long as they were in their original sleeve. One has to understand 60's Underground bands and music, a good example would be Frank Zappa and The Velvet Underground along with the growing drug culture.

[@Aidenbro-s2k]

The first fifteen minutes of this thing is an interview about writing an article. It was insufferable. But after that, a good talk about the band.

[@fraterfraxinus6293]

Glad to know it eventually gets around to its topic.

[@starcloud4959]

..magic doesn't need to be analyzed..☆

[@Davian67]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..............

[@PAULLONDEN]

"West Post Cop Art"..........🖐🏻👮🏻‍♂️

[@magmasunburst9331]

Wouldn't doubt if some of the hardcore fans eventually had to run in with the law.

[@Sigh952]

Why?

[@brianorakpohit]

This interview serves no purpose.

[@fabianfranck2115]

WCPAEB is one of the absolute worst bands of all time. Sometimes "cult" is just a fancy word for "practically forgotten because pretty much no one likes them".

[@MrT-lc8lc]

🍋🍋🍋🍋🍋