Alan Clare Group - Milligatawny
Posted on July 10, 2008 by Kris Holmes
Since there seems to have been something of a run on UK jazz on Waxidermy lately, here is an interesting 45 to share. Alan Clare was a UK pianist who had a pretty long career & a touch of mainstream success from the 40s through to the 80s. Most of the online discographies for Clare seem to cut off around 1960 & this 45 is hardly ever mentioned. It would seem that all the info you can google on this record can be traced back to a couple of non-definite online sources which means that there is little concrete information to go by for these songs. It is believed to date from around the mid-60s ('64 has been speculated), there is no stock release on Pye but there is a rumored stock release on Saga. It ("Milligatawny") also is thought to have been the theme song for an early Spike Milligan BBC2 TV series (again unconfirmed). The personal has also only been speculated upon with Clare on piano being the only definite. Nevertheless, these are two top pieces of mid-60s UK modern jazz, "Milligatwany" is an upbeat piece with a great trumpet solo & the flip "Dog's Body" is a more mellow affair. If anyone knows anymore about this 45 please share. I'd like to see a pic of the Saga press if it exists.
Filed under: 45's and 7's, Jazz
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