Help Yourself (band) - History

History

Help Yourself formed in London in 1970, originally as a backing band for singer-songwriter Malcolm Morley, who had left Sam Apple Pie and been signed as a solo act by Famepushers. The band was assembled by John Eichler who, as well as working for Famepushers, was production manager at Strand Cosmetics, where he hired people either for 'musical ability' or 'strangeness'.

The eponymous debut album, Help Yourself, was recorded from late 1970 to early 1971. Malcolm Morley, (guitars/keyboards/vocals) wrote all the songs on this album, which was recorded with another former Sam Apple Pie member Dave Charles (drums/percussion/vocals), ex member of Monday Morning Glory Band, Richard Treece (guitars/vocals/harmonica) and former Growth member Ken Whaley (bass)

The album was recorded before the band had played a gig, having been signed to Liberty Records by Andrew Lauder, head of A&R. The band toured on the Downhome Rhythm Kings package with Brinsley Schwarz & Ernie Graham (ex Eire Apparent), who were all managed by Famepushers. After the tour, Ken Whaley was fired, but no other bass player was recruited.

Help Yourself, Ernie Graham and his guitarist Jonathan “Jojo” Glemser, moved into Headley Grange in 1971, shortly after Led Zeppelin IV had been recorded there. The line up was amalgamated to include both Graham (who had just released his eponymous solo album backed by Help Yourself and Brinsley Schwarz) and Glemser, both of whom were guitarists, so Treece switched to bass. The band played the 1971 Glastonbury Festival Sam Apple Pie having played the first Glastonbury in 1970. "Street Songs" a track that would later appear on the second album Strange Affair, was issued on a United Artists double album sampler All Good Clean Fun. A tour was arranged to promote this album, so Help Yourself joined Man and Leicester band Gypsy, on a tour of Switzerland. The second album Strange Affair was recorded at the Grange, initially with Richard Treece still on bass, and adding his guitar parts later, until Paul Burton, a former Sam Apple Pie roadie, joined on bass, to complete the album. Strange Affair was released in early 1972, by which time both Graham and Glemser had left.

The new line up of Burton, Morley, Treece and Charles appeared on their first Peel Session in April 1972 and recorded the next album Beware of the Shadow almost immediately. Sean Tyla, who had been the band's roadie, helped with some of the songwriting, notably "All Electric Fur Trapper", which was based on a fairy tale he had written. Shortly after completing the album, the band left Headley Grange, Tyla moved in with ex member Ken Whaley, and they formed Ducks Deluxe.

Just as the Helps were due to start a tour to promote Beware of The Shadow, Morley suffered a bout of depression, ("The Shadow" referred to in the album title). Rather than cancel the tour, Deke Leonard, who had just been fired by Man, stood in. Leonard stayed with the band after Morley had recovered, whilst Help Yourself backed Leonard on his first solo album Iceberg

In December 1972, Help Yourself with Leonard and BJ Cole, played at Man's Christmas Party. The double 10" album, Christmas at the Patti recorded at this concert, contains far more of their performance (24’) than their hosts (11’30’’). Ducks Deluxe also played this concert, but Whaley had already left.

Beware of the Shadow was released in late 1972, but none of the first three albums sold well. The Helps appealed to a hippie audience such as fans of The Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service so they were moderately successful in the U.S. but never toured there.

In 1973, the band proposed touring with Roger Ruskin Spear, the Flying Aces and Vivian “Spiv” Morris, in a vaudeville show called “Happy Days”, which was to be held in a circus tent. They started recording material for this in January, but Burton was unhappy with the proposed theatrical tour, so he left. Whaley returned and the band started recording their new album in February, finishing the Happy Days album in March and the Helps album in April, when they also recorded their second Peel Session. After a two month "Happy Days" tour, the fourth album, The Return of Ken Whaley, was released, with the Happy Days album included free with the first 5,000 copies.

The fourth album did not sell well either, and the band were not getting many gigs, so they were surprised when United Artists asked them to record another album, which they started recording in July 1973, with a line-up augmented by Sean Tyla. The album was to be called 5 and a cover was commissioned from Rick Griffin. They only had “half formed ideas” and although they eventually laid down 8 tracks, they gave up recording and disbanded in August 1973. They reformed for "The Amazing ZigZag Concert" on 28 April 1974 with a core line up of Morley, Treece, Whaley and Charles with Burton and Leonard guesting.

Being incomplete, 5 was not issued, although a few years later some fans tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade the band to complete the album. After Morley released his solo album Aliens in 2001, the suggestion re-arose, and the album was finally completed in 2002/2003 by Morley, Treece and Whaley, with Kevin Spacey on drums, as Charles had other commitments. The album was eventually released in 2004.