Trickster -

Trickster was an English rock band that released the album Find the Lady on Jet in 1977, followed by Back to Zero in 1979.

Members: Phil Bates (vocals, guitar), Colin Hewinson (piano, keyboards, vocals), Mike Sheppard (bass, guitar, vocals), Paul Elliot (drums, percussion), Mike Groth (vocals, bass), John Fincham (bass)

Background

Trickster appeared in 1976 after guitarist–singer Phil Bates, a resident musician at Piccadilly’s Piazza restaurant, formed musical ties through a sequence of pop singles.

Bates (b. March 30, 1953) hailed from Tamworth, Staffordshire, where at age twelve he formed a backyard band, The Wild Four, soon renamed The Teenbeats. At seventeen, he moved to Birmingham, where he worked at Ringland Music, an instrument shop joint-owned by four 1950s jazz stalwarts: drummer Lionel Rubin, bassist Ken Ingarfield, flutist George Watts, and vibraphonist Alan Grahame; known collectively as the resident band on the ATV daily show Lunch Box.^>

In 1970, Bates joined JUG, a hard-rock Wolverhampton band that gained traction in Glasgow with multiple shows at the Electric Garden. Back in Tamworth, he joined Enigma, an MOR folk-pop band that evolved into Quill. As ‘Kwil,’ they cut the 1972 Parlophone single “Spent the Rent” (b/w “Every Little Thing”).

In 1974, he surfaced as Billy Bates for the self-penned single “Mr. Hand Me Down” (b/w “Money Makes the World”), released on Spark (UK) and Blue Jean (Netherlands) and produced by Barry Kingston (Icarus, Velvet Opera). As a sessionist, he provided handclaps and chants on “Shemoot (The Prayer),” the closing track on the 1975 EMI–Buddah release Café De Paris by French rockers Les Variations.

Bates linked with keyboardist Colin Hewlinson and arranger–engineer Colin Thurston (Agnes Strange, Shabby Tiger) for the 1975 single “Take to the Mountains,” a Tony Hazzard cover backed with the joint-written original “Happy to Be With the One I Love,” released as Billy Bates Company on four-press Survival. The trio formed Graffiti with Wombles drummer Morgan Kent and covered two Beatles songs, “Come Together” (b/w “Dear Prudence”), on Beeb, a subsidiary of BBC Records.

In 1976, “Take to the Mountains” reappeared on Philips (France) with a picture of “Billy Bates Company” that shows Phil Bates and Colin Hewinson with bassist Mike Sheppard and drummer Paul Elliott. Collectively, they formed Trickster, which landed its first deal with United Artists.

“To Fly Away”

In 1977, Trickster debuted with the single “To Fly Away,” a swelling ballad backed with “Never Too Old to Rock ‘N’ Roll,” both Bates–Hewinson originals.

A. “To Fly Away” (3:51)
B. “Never Too Old to Rock ‘N’ Roll” (3:57)

Producer, Engineer – Martin Rushent
Engineer – Dave Charles

Trickster came to the attention of Don Arden, a veteran rock manager infamous for his heavy-handed methods, first with Small Faces and then with The Move, which spawned the seventies cash-cows Wizzard and Electric Light Orchestra. Arden signed Trickster to Jet Records, a UA-distributed label established for ELO and like-minded acts.

Find the Lady

Trickster released their debut album, Find the Lady, in 1977 on Jet.

The album retains singer-guitarist Phil Bates and keyboardist Colin Hewinson. Bassist-guitarist Mike Sheppard and drummer Paul Elliott complete the founding quartet. Bates and Hewinson co-wrote eight songs; all four members share the credit on “Listen to My Music.”

“If That’s the Way the Feeling Takes You” charges through double-time accents as firm guitar and synthesizer figures brace Bates’s soaring lead against broad group harmonies.

A1. “Listen to My Music” (5:20) – Hewinson, Bates, Elliott, Sheppard
A2. “Rich Man” (3:56) – Hewinson, Bates
A3. “Louise” (5:08) – Hewinson, Bates
A4. “Miles and Miles Away” (4:45) – Hewinson, Bates

B1. “If That’s the Way the Feeling Takes You” (2:44) – Hewinson, Bates
B2. “Your Money or Your Life” (4:51) – Hewinson, Bates
B3. “The Song Will Always Be the Same” (3:55) – Hewinson, Bates
B4. “Goodbye ’65” (3:34) – Hewinson, Bates
B5. “Let It Lie” (6:03) – Hewinson, Bates

Trickster recorded Find the Lady at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth. Martin Rushent co-produced the album with the band and shared engineering duties with resident Rockfield engineer Dave Charles. Rushent also produced the two 1977 albums by The Stranglers, Rattus Norvegicus and No More Heroes. Charles engineered the contemporary Hawkwind album Quark, Strangeness and Charm at Rockfield.

Find the Lady appeared in a black sleeve that places the quartet around a card table beneath a spread of playing cards. Jet repackaged the album as Trickster in 1978 with a sepia group portrait.

Jet issued “If That’s the Way the Feeling Takes You” in August 1977 (b/w non-album “Rock and Roll Honeymoon”). The label followed in October with “Listen to My Music” (b/w “Money or Your Life”). In March 1978, “Money or Your Life” returned as an A-side (b/w non-album “If You’ve Got the Feeling”).

Strange Days and Universal remastered Find the Lady for a November 2006 Japanese paper-sleeve CD. The appendix adds both sides of the 1977 United Artists single, “To Fly Away” and “Never Too Old to Rock ’n’ Roll.” It also includes the non-album Jet sides “Rock and Roll Honeymoon” and “If You’ve Got the Feeling.”

ELO Tour and Lineup Change

Trickster promoted Find the Lady as the opening act on ELO’s 1978 world tour behind Out of the Blue, a lavish double-album presented at stadiums in a giant saucer (as depicted in the gatefold art).

After the tour, Mike Sheppard left Trickster, which continued as a five-piece with bassist–guitarist Michael Groth and multi-instrumentalist John Fincham. Groth hailed from Valentino, a pop act with retro leanings (ala Sailor). He wrote both sides of their 1978 Ariola–Hansa single “Evening In Calais” (b/w “Summer Days”), a production of Family Dogg’s Steve Rowland that earned an appearance on the German music program Musikladen.

Back to Zero

Trickster released their debut album, Back to Zero, in 1979 on Jet.

The album introduces singer-guitarist Michael Groth and bassist John Fincham following the departure of Sheppard. Groth shares lead vocals with Bates; Fincham handles bass and adds drums or percussion on selected tracks. Hewinson and Bates arranged the strings on “Time Makes a Fool of Everyone.”

“Tomorrow Belongs to Me” projects Bates’s forceful lead across developed instrumental passages and three-part harmonies. “Road to Nowhere” pairs Bates and Groth lead parts with acoustic-electric guitar layers and group replies. “Bump in the Night” sets Groth’s full-bodied singing against band harmonies and extended instrumental passages. “Time Makes a Fool of Everyone” expands Bates’s lead with strings arranged by Hewinson and Bates.

A1. “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” (3:56) – Bates
A2. “Back to Zero” (4:09) – Hewinson, Groth
A3. “You Make Me Want to Stay” (3:42) – Hewinson, Bates
A4. “Road to Nowhere” (4:12) – Hewinson, Bates
A5. “Bump in the Night” (4:07) – Hewinson, Groth

B1. “Time Makes a Fool of Everyone” (4:44) – Hewinson, Bates
B2. “Hold On” (3:40) – Hewinson, Bates
B3. “Falling for the Wrong Guy” (3:57) – Hewinson, Groth
B4. “I’m Satisfied” (2:55) – Bates
B5. “Can’t Stop Us Singing” (3:39) – Groth
B6. “The Loser” (3:39) – Bates

Trickster recorded Back to Zero at T.W. Studios in Fulham and the Music Centre in Wembley. The band produced the album with engineer Alan Winstanley. Barry Kidd and Richard Goldblatt shared the remaining engineering credits. Winstanley co-produced the 1979 album The Raven by The Stranglers and engineered the contemporary Buzzcocks single “Harmony in My Head.” Kidd had engineered the 1978 Magnum album Kingdom of Madness.

Martin Pole designed the sleeve around a poolside group photograph by Fin Costello. Costello also photographed Japan for the 1979 Quiet Life cover.

“The Loser” first appeared as a July 1978 Jet single (b/w non-album “Sweet Freedom”). Jet issued “I’m Satisfied” in August 1979 (b/w non-album “Rock ’n’ Roll Clown”), followed in October by “Falling for the Wrong Guy” (b/w “Tomorrow Belongs to Me”).

Strange Days and Universal remastered Back to Zero for a November 2006 Japanese paper-sleeve CD. The four bonus tracks gather the non-album B-sides “Sweet Freedom” and “Rock ’n’ Roll Clown,” followed by both sides of the final Trickster single.

Trickster toured with John Miles and appeared as Boston‘s special guest on European dates of their tour behind Don’t Look Back.

“April In Paris”

In 1980, Trickster released their final Jet single, “April In Paris,” a Hewinson–Groth original backed with Bates’ “Everybody Needs a Hero.”

A. “April In Paris” (4:08)
B. “Everybody Needs a Hero” (4:28)

Trickster toured with Jet label-mates Violinski, formed by member’s of ELO’s string section. The shows impressed representatives of RCA, which almost wrested Trickster from Arden and Jet before Bates dissolved the band.

After Trickster

Jet issued “April in Paris” in 1980 (b/w “Everybody Needs a Hero”), the final Trickster single. The band had completed six masters toward a third album when Jet ended the relationship. A prospective RCA contract did not proceed after manager Don Arden set financial terms the label would not accept.

Bates returned to the Midlands in 1981 and rejoined Quill, where he met Jo, his future bandmate in Don’t Panic. The group worked the United Arab Emirates hotel circuit from 1987 through 1990 before returning to Britain. Bates subsequently recorded Power with Atlantic and joined ELO Part II in 1993, remaining through the 1999 touring cycle. He later recorded solo albums and joined the lineups of Bev Bevan’s Move and The Orchestra.

Groth moved into television and joined Esther Rantzen on the BBC programs That’s Life! and Hearts of Gold.

Discography: