The Revolving Paint Dream vs Arthur Lee

Inspired by a recent blog entry over at Alex Loves You And Your Silly Pop Songs, I thought I'd repost an old review I wrote of The Revolving Paint Dream for Plan B.



The Revolving Paint Dream
Flowers In The Sky (Rev-Ola)
Mystery surrounds the identity of this most enigmatic of early Creation Records bands. Rumours abounded of burnt studio tapes, drunken naked airport liaisons. Phones are slammed down, leaving unanswered questions: pink swastikas daubed on walls...Hell. I was there. Creation Records started for this group, a spin-off from fiery post-Scars Scots combo The Laughing Apple (its first release was supposed to be a Legend!/Revolving Paint Dream split seven-inch). Then The Legend! showed his true colours. But...wait. I was in The Revolving Paint Dream for a short while, sharing vocals with future Blair buddy Alan McGee, before egos clashed and McGee formed the equally psychedelic and late Sixties beat-influenced Biff! Bang! Pow! and passed along the moniker to fellow ex-Apple Andrew Innes. Innes, meanwhile, had been creating insurrectionary trails in The Formica Tops with the mysterious Ken, shared a couple of shows with Fixed Grin (featuring The Legend!) and…a chorus as well, to judge from this compilation of scarce RPD moments, on ‘Stop The World’ (RPD)/‘Got The Wrong Idea’ (TL!). I have no idea whose version came first. Paper sleeves got folded; colours got splattered across screens: paisley and pastel shirts were worn; ‘Slaughter’ Joe Foster was involved somewhere, and one, maybe two, albums and a handful of singles were released and then…nothing.

Innes later resurfaced in Primal Scream alongside ex-Wake member Bobby Gillespie, Foster went on to found the excellent Rev-Ola imprint, McGee is currently DJ-ing at punk revivalist club Death Disco, while The Legend! has disappeared into rightful obscurity. The legacy is collected here with suitably out-of-register artwork, redolent, evocative of more innocent times when aspiring to be Arthur Lee mattered, chock-full of tunes and attitude. Recommended.

Everett True