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Chris McGranaghan owned a record shop and label for many years (Those Old Records in Lichfield).Today, he's semi-retired and living near the sea in Northumberland, where he now hosts a radio show for Lionheart Radio.
In 'The Outer Limits', Chris explores a few artists/genres that are on or beyond the boundaries of Fruits de Mer...

GLOBAL VILLAGE TRUCKING COMPANY

In my early years I used to go to a very seedy music venue in Manchester called The Stoneground (later called The Mayflower in the days of Punk). It was an old cinema, had seen better days but it was a great venue for up-and-coming bands. Sadly, it was beset with the usual problems of casual violence, poor management, indescribable toilets and weak beer. That said, it was a good venue and attracted a mixed crowd of hippies, freaks, piss heads, bikers and the long haired, patchouli oil dreamers of which I was one. I’d seen Captain Beefheart live at the Bickershaw festival, he changed my life and I suppose that I was searching for another band to help keep that fire burning. Live music and collecting records were my thing and the weekend didn’t come around quickly enough.

“The Glob’s” were the support band at one of the many gigs that I attended at the Stoneground and there was an instant connection, musically and in terms of the lifestyle that I thought that I aspired to. They lived in a commune which was owned by front man James Lascelles. He was a minor royal and owned the house that they all shared in Suffolk. On stage they exuded looseness with extended solos that were reminiscent of the Grateful Dead and would improvise live which was something new to me at the time.

It wasn’t just that, they were a band who reacted to the audience, they seemed to thoroughly enjoy playing music with each other and even joined the audience in dancing along. Not something that many bands did. They played the Stoneground on several occasions and every set was different, they had a plan but weren’t necessarily going to stick with it. Band members came and went but it didn’t really matter, the music was always what mattered. They travelled around the country in a large bus with roadies and family members – a small and guaranteed audience wherever they went.

My mate Kevin and I became such fans of the band that we had favourite songs even though there were no record releases at the time. We used to shout for “Judgement Day” and there was no telling how long the version was going to be on the night. Their music was for dancing and having a good time and we threw ourselves into it with gusto.


One Sunday my mother showed me an article in the News of the World (remember that?) about them and the royalty connection and for once they were taking an interest in what I was listening to. The NOTW painted a picture of depravity, sex and drugs which apparently it wasn’t. She wasn’t impressed and asked me not to mix with those kinds of people – what she didn’t know was that I was already becoming “those kinds of people”. I had a Kaftan, yellow loons, stack heels and a tie die T shirt and thick black wavy hair. What wasn’t there to like? They lived in a commune, had fun, probably had lots of sex, played music and I was stuck working in a bakery and living in a terraced house in grimy north Manchester. I wanted all that and more.

Musically, they were tight but loose although their energy never came across on the only album that they released on Virgin’s off shoot Caroline in 1974. All good songs, plenty of Hammond organ and West Coast guitar riffs and extended solos but not the same energy as the live shows. Their album was poorly received and didn’t sell that well. They also appeared on a “Greasy Truckers – Live at Dingwall’s double album released in 1974.


Cherry Red released a two-cd set in 2021 with unreleased tracks and two detailed booklets which provide lots of information. There is a live track on the second CD – “Watch Out There a Mind About” which nails their overall sound of the band. A 12-minute track with lots of improvisation and interplay between the band members. It is sensational.


The BBC made a documentary about The Glob’s in 1973, their lifestyle and determination to be successful without a major record company deal. That was updated by another documentary in 2008 and their first gig in 30 years. They played more gigs that year including Glastonbury and other festivals.


I have fond memories of those days, The Glob’s, the Stoneground and the sheer joy of their music in a live environment and living for the weekend. I really thought that music was a force for good and that it was going to change the world. The Global Village Trucking Company opened a door to my own consciousness and understanding of music as a positive force in this world, that hasn’t changed so I owe them a lot. They were truly wonderful as a live band and it was easy to forget about the state of the country, Northern Ireland, strikes, Ted Heath and all of it for a few hours. I haven’t seen my pal Kevin in over 45 years and often wonder whether he remembers those days. I certainly do. Check them out.

“But it's laughter, singing music all the way, hey, hey, hey And I'm gonna be dancing on the judgement day”

You can listen to Chris' latest radio show 'Influences' on Lionheart Radio

Read Chris' previous piece for Fruits de Mer HERE