John Fiddler shaped the duo Medication Head with Peter Hope-Evans in 1968. Due to tireless guerrilla gigging plus mentorship from DJ John Peel (who signed the skeletal blues-rock duo to his Dandelion label at John Lennon’s behest) they have been embraced as doyens of the underground.
Having damaged overground in ’73 – playing hits with One And One Is One, Emerging Solar and Slip And Slide – they refrained from the mainstream and cut up. Along stints with the bands British Lions and Yardbirds spin-off Field Of Frogs, vocalist, guitarist, pianist and drummer Fiddler has infrequently recorded and gigged underneath the Medication Head title, and has simply returned to the fray with the 12th album, Heartwork.
Who’s in lately’s Medication Head line-up?
Neatly it’s me, principally, however David ‘Dzal’ Martin, who used to be in a band referred to as No Cube, performs an even quantity of guitar on Heartwork, together with any other pricey pal, Dave ‘Bucket’ Colwell who performs on Making Up For Misplaced Love.
The monitor Get Your Fingers In The Air keeps a vintage Medication Head really feel; with brooding restraint and heat, understated harmonica it’s an incarnation of the blues that by no means will get outdated.
It doesn’t. And that’s precisely the texture we have been going for. Get Your Fingers In The Air additionally options Belinda Campbell. She and I document the backing vocals in combination, and she or he’s were given a gorgeous voice. I were given the theory for that music strolling within the rain attaining as much as the sky.
It’s were given a distinctly supernatural really feel. There’s one of those darkness to it.
You’ll really feel the sky come tumbling down.
There’s a large number of love at the album.
I do know. The humorous factor is that virtually each and every monitor had ‘love’ in its name. However as my outdated good friend Nick Lowe used to mention: “What’s so humorous about love and working out?” I forever consider in peace and love, however there may be a large number of love on there, so I modified probably the most titles. Gotta Dangle On To Love become Gotta Dangle On.
Love Is Now not A Dream reveals you immersed in nation, with lashings of candy slide guitar.
It used to be a dream, I in truth dreamt it. I awoke making a song this music about being in prison looking forward to the electrical chair. A truly bizarre dream. It simply got here out adore it got here out, together with the three-four really feel – whether it is three-four. I don’t know, I will’t depend… You recognize, One And One Is what number of?
Are there any plans to take Heartwork at the highway?
I wish to pass out at the highway, however I’ve were given to learn the way to do it, however I’ll err at the certain facet and say sure. I’ll be too outdated, another way. I haven’t reasonably were given Mick Jagger’s stamina this present day. I’ve long gone from covid to bronchitis, so it’s no longer such a lot No Sleep Until Brooklyn as no sleep until bronchitis.
Are you and Peter Hope-Evans nonetheless in contact? Would possibly we ever see you in combination on level once more?
Put it like this, I’m to be had. Peter frequently says “I’m really not to be had”, in order that’s why I’m pronouncing I’m to be had. He did categorical some pastime a couple of years in the past in enjoying some gigs, however provided that we performed the primary album and not anything else. The ones have been his phrases, and… I don’t know. It’s been a very long time, as they are saying.
Heartwork is out now by way of Dwelling Room.
