Hatfield and the North was a very talented short-lived Prog band. The name of the group was inspired by the first road side on the M1 motorway going North from London- hence- Hatfield and the North.
Drummer Pip Pyle and guitarist Phil Miller have known each other since the age of six and were in a band together called Delivery. They met Richard Sinclair (bass/vocals) via Phil's brother- Steve, who was playing with Caravan and were very impressed with his talent. "We'd just heard Dave Stewart from Egg and figured he could play organ, and we were looking for an organist after Dave Sinclair threw his annual wobbler..."
Pip Pyle, back from his stint with Gong in France, began to work with the Miller brothers and Richard Sinclair. Miller and Richard Sinclair left Caravan in the summer, and as Matching Mole slowly disbanded, Miller eventually left, and Richard Sinclair's cousin David joined the band, who then changed their name to Hatfield and the North.
Hatfield and the North began in the autumn of 1972. David Sinclair left Hatfield (in January 1973) for the same reasons as a few months earlier when he'd quit Matching Mole: too much improvisation! He eventually rejoined Caravan, and was replaced by Dave Stewart. With Stewart on board, Hatfield and the North utilized their `trademarked,' use of the organ and the Fender Rhodes electric piano. The band signed with Virgin Records (who championed several Canterbury-related bands), in 1973.
Hatfield and the North recorded their self-titled first album between 1973 and 1974 at the Manor Studios, and released it in March `74. It was made up of compositions from all members, and was predominantly instrumental. Dave Stewart penned almost half of the material. Richard Sinclair wrote a few songs filled with his whimsical British lyrics and provided vocals with the assistance from the Northettes- three female backing vocalists- Barbara Gaskin, Amanda Parsons and Ann Rosenthal . Robert Wyatt and Geoff Leigh (Henry Cow), helped out on the album as well.
In October 1974, Hatfield and the North entered Saturn Studios in Worthing and recorded three songs: two sides of a single (released on November 15) - "Let's Eat (Real Soon)" (by Sinclair and Pyle), and "Fitter Stoke Has A Bath" (by Pyle). Pyle explains that: "The title ("Fitter Stoke Has A Bath"), came from my daughter Alice when she was trying to get her mouth round the English language. She came up to me one morning and seemed to be saying 'Fitter Stoke Has A Bath'... She was probably asking me to make her a bit of toast or something! It seemed like a good title for a tune".
The third song- a medley of Dave Stewart's epic "Your Majesty Is Like A Cream Donut" and Richard's song "Oh What A Lonely Lifetime" were recorded (which later appeared on the Virgin "V" sampler), to little success at best.
The title- "Your Majesty Is Like A Cream Donut" - came from a Monty Python skit from the same time period.
Dave Stewart reunited with his former colleagues of Egg to record a posthumous third album.
In January 1975, Hatfield returned to the studio,- Saturn Studios, to record their second, and unfortunately final, album: `The Rotters' Club'. The band made extensive use of effects and instruments typical of the 70's. Dave Stewart's 20-minute epic "Mumps" full of constant harmonic and rhythmic changes, is the high point of Hatfield's short musical career.
Pip Pyle's "Fitter Stoke Has A Bath", arguably the most beloved of Hatfield songs showcased their humor and writing skills.
Soon after recording `Rotter's Club,' without any commercial success, Hatfield and the North disbanded though by 1977, Miller, Stewart and Pyle were all members of National Health. In 1980, Stewart and Pyle were reunited in the short-lived Rapid Eye Movement and from 1982-85, Miller, Sinclair and Pyle were all members of `In Cahoots.' Pyle and Miller guested on several early Stewart-Gaskin songs.
In 1990, Hatfield (without Dave Stewart), were briefly reunited for a TV show on UK's private Central Television channel. Stewart was replaced by Pip Pyle's then-girlfriend- Sophia Domancich- a talented jazz pianist, yet she did not totally meld into the Hatfield sound. The performance was solid, and included classic Hatfield songs with new compositions. A live album was released of this show. Many people expected a new album of material, but it never came.
In 1998, all former members of Hatfield and the North were reunited on Pip Pyle's solo album `7 Year Itch' which included an unrecorded National Health track- "Seven Sisters."
2004-5 brought back another reincarnation of Hatfield with the lineup of Richard Sinclair, Phil Miller, Alex Maguire, Pip Pyle. The band is on a UK mini tour...
In 2006, the Hatfields played the final day of the elite Prog festival- Baja Prog on March 11, at the Teatro del Estado; and toured Italy in the spring. During their stay in Tokyo, they filmed footage for a possible DVD release.Also the band released on their own- Hatwise Choice a collection of unknown and variations of archived material- most over 30 years old. There will be more of this to come. Also rumored besides a DVD is the possibilities of a new album.
On June 23, The Hatfields played to a full crowd of Prog enthusiatics at the Progressive Legends Showscase (pre-Nearfest show- why they couldn't headline Nearfest is beyond me). The set was powerful and clearly illustrated the band still has it and with the addition of new virtuoso keyboardist- Alex Maguire- who wowed the audience as well as gave new energy to the variety of new and old tunes. They continued touring in europe.
I am shocked and saddened by the following news. Drummer Pip Pyle died (of `natural causes'), in a Paris hotel early in the morning of August 28th shortly after returning to France via train. He had stopped off there after completing a Hatfield & the North gig in Groningen, The Netherlands on August 26th. Rest in peace Pip, we will sorely miss you.
Here are some of the band's that Pip played for: Delivery (1966-70), Chicken Shack (1970-71), Gong (1971), Paul Jones Group (1972), All Wet And Dripping (1972), Hatfield and the North (1972-75, 2005-06), Weightwatchers (1975-76), National Health (1977-83), Soft Heap (1978-88), Rapid Eye Movement (1980-81), In Cahoots (1982-2001), Pip Pyle's Equip'Out (1984-95), Patrice Meyer Trio/Quartet (1985-87), Mimi Lorenzini Trio (1987), Faton Cahen Trio (1987-88), John Greaves Band (1990-91), Short Wave (1991-96), Gong/Shapeshifter (1992-93), Hugh Hopper Band (1994), Richard Sinclair/RSVP (1994), Gong (1994-96), Bash (2002-04), Absolute Zero (1999-)
The Hatfield reunion tour will continue with drummer Mark Fletcher (from Phil Miller's band- In Cahoots).
In 2005/2006, the band released two archival collections, Hatwise Choice and Hattitude, featuring the classic Miller/Pyle/Sinclair/Stewart line-up, distributed by the UK label Burning Shed. Both releases contained a mixture of BBC radio sessions and live recordings, along with the odd demo, which are still available on CD and support the musicians and family of Pip Pyle.
In 2007, Cuneiform Records re-released two albums by Steve Miller and Lol Coxhill with bonus material including 20 minutes of material by the proto-Hatfield and the North line-up of Delivery playing "God Song", "Bossa Nochance/Big Jobs", and "Betty" (a variation on some of the Sinclair bass riffs that also produced Hatfield's "Rifferama").
Jonathan Coe's novel The Rotters' Club takes its title from the band's second album. The novel also mentions them several times.
Saint Etienne also reference the band in the track Popmaster on their 2017 album Home Counties.
Discography:
Hatfield & the North (Recorded at The Manor Studios, November/December 1973)
Engineered and Produced by Tom Newman and The Hatfields
Released: March 1 1974
Personnel:
Richard Sinclair (Bass, vocals)
Phil Miller (Guitars)
Pip Pyle (Drums)
Dave Stewart (Organ, Pianos and Tone Generator)
with assistance from:
THE NORTHETTES:
Amanda Parsons
Barbara Gaskin
Ann Rosenthal
(Vocals)
Geoff Leigh (c/o Henry Cow) (Saxes and Flute)
Jeremy Baines (Pixiephone)
Robert Wyatt (Singing on Calyx)
Side One
The Stubbs Effect (Pip Pyle)
Big Jobs (Poo Poo Extract) (Richard Sinclair)
Going Up to People and Tinkling (Dave Stewart)
Calyx (Phil Miller)
Son of "There's No Place like Homerton" (Dave Stewart)
Aigrette (Phil Miller)
Rifferama (Richard Sinclair, arr The North)
Side Two
Fol de Rol (Richard Sinclair)
Shaving is Boring (Pip Pyle)
Licks for the Ladies (Richard Sinclair)
Bossa Nochance (Richard Sinclair)
Big Jobs No. 2 (by Poo and the Wee Wees) (Richard Sinclair)
Lobster in Cleavage Probe (Dave Stewart)
Gigantic Land-Crabs in Earth Takeover Bid (Dave Stewart)
The Other Stubbs Effect (Pip Pyle)
Rotter's Club (Recorded at: Saturn Recording Studio, Worthing in January/February 1975)
Produced by: The Hatfields; Engineering and production assistance: Dave Ruffell
Released: March 7 1975
Personnel:
Phil Miller (Guitars)
Pip Pyle (Drums and Percussive Things)
Richard Sinclair (Bass and vocals [Guitar on Didn't Matter Anyway])
Dave Stewart (Organ, Electric Piano and Tone Generators)
GUEST STARS
Jimmy Hastings
Flute, Soprano and Tenor Saxes
Mont Campbell
French Horn
Lindsay Cooper
Bassoon
Tim Hodgkinson
Clarinet
The Very Wonderful NORTHETTES
Barbara Gaskin
Amanda Parsons
Ann Rosenthal
Tracklist
Side One
Share It (R.Sinclair/P.Pyle) (3.02)
Lounging There Trying (P.Miller) (3.10)
(Big) John Wayne Socks Psychology on the Jaw (D.Stewart) (0.46)
Chaos at the Greasy Spoon (R.Sinclair/P.Pyle) (0.30)
The Yes No Interlude (P.Pyle) (7.02)
Fitter Stoke Has A Bath (P.Pyle) (7.38)
Didn't Matter Anyway (R.Sinclair) (3.03)
Side Two
Underdub (P.Miller) (3.55)
Mumps (D.Stewart)
a. Your Majesty is like a Cream Donut (Quiet) (1.59)
b. Lumps (12.35)
c. Prenut (3.55)
d. Your Majesty is like a Cream Donut (Loud) (1.37)
Hatfield and the North Live 1990 (live CD, Demon, 1993)
1. Share It
2. Shipwrecked
3. Underdub
4. Blott
5. Going For A Song
6. Cauliflower Ears
7. Halfway Between Heaven And Earth
8. 5/4 Intro
9. It Didn't Matter Anyway
(also released on DVD- Bedrock on BBC4, recorded at Nottingham 30 March 1990 )
Personnel:
Phil Miller (Guitars)
Pip Pyle (Drums and Percussive Things)
Richard Sinclair (Bass and vocals [Guitar on Didn't Matter Anyway])
Sophia Domancich (Keyboards)
Hatwise Choice - Archive Recordings 1973-1975, Volume 1
