Swirls | |
|---|---|
| Creators | Milkshake Moustache |
| Genre | Pop Rock |
| Year | 1975 |
| Tracks | 12 |
| Length | 47:26 |
Swirls
Background
Swirls is the second studio album by Leicester based rock group, Milkshake Moustache. The success of their first album, as well as their increasing regular media presence, allowed them to all work together to create their new album in 1975. They had all collectively quit their jobs after appearing on TV show Eyes and Ears, and realising they could really make a go of being professional musicians. They had more time to create the album, so were able to put their whole hearts into it without worrying about other things. The album’s music followed their usual recipe of classic rock with an added pop flavour and a sprinkling of their humour thrown into the mix. With the new found time they had together, the band were able to meet up regularly at their local pub, The Barley Mow, to talk through all aspects of the record. This became their hub for the creation of Swirls.
While at the pub a patron approached them with a proposition to write a song for them. The gentleman in question, Bill Brookes, had no experience with music, but chanced his hand with the band anyway. Scott loved the guy’s bottle and invited him to sit down and chat through his lyrics. They were amazed at his fledgling ability and how easily the band could imagine the song being performed by themselves. The group recorded his original song and also ordered another from him. These two songs, Let’s Talk and Stirrer, became classics for the band, who hired him as a consulting songwriter for their next projects.
The band’s favourite track on the album was Loose Lips, Great Hips written by Julie Treem. It told the story of a local jack the lad that the band knew from their street. He was a frequent attendee of any and every club or disco in the area, and started to get a reputation for being a real ladies man and womaniser. The local girls couldn’t resist the moves he would perform on dance floors across Leicester. Julie had even had a short fling with him, hoping to turn him away from his philandering ways. Sadly it didn’t happen and Julie broke up with him soon after seeing him with another local girl getting a bit too friendly. The highlight for Julie was seeing the cad dance to the song at the club not realising it was about him. She did get to have the last laugh.
Album Art
The cover for Swirls occurred by pure chance. The band had arranged for a very elaborate photoshoot to occur in Leicester high street. Over 30 people had been booked to hold up multicoloured, spiralled umbrellas in the street so a photographer could capture them from above from the roof of the Woolworths. The cover was going to be a step up from their previous one as they finally had a budget to try something different. The band knew something was up when the photographer was 45 minutes late.
As it transpires, the camera man had walked past the front of a local coffee shop and caught the sight of a lady sat in the window seat. He noticed she was eating a colourful ice cream and proceeded to take as many shots of her as he could while waving and mouthing instructions through the glass. He would then go inside to chat have chat with the lady. She asked him for a drink and he thought it was the least he could do. They really hit it off and kept chatting until he realised what the time was. According to Debbie, he came running to the shoot, but all his film had been used. The band had to give up on their idea as it was too late and call it a day. Thankfully for the photographer the band loved the pictures he took. It was Dekaf Records who had to foot the bill for the failed photoshoot, so the band were happy to go ahead with the new idea as they couldn’t afford a reshoot. The photographer always got lucky with the lady as they met up again and had a brief relationship before going their separate ways a few months later.
Track Listing
Ode to a Grecian Girl (4:01)
Let’s Talk (3:45)
Daydreaming All Night (3:19)
Waiter, Waiter (2:56)
That’s A Snip (3:51)
Three Doors Over (3:33)
Loose Lips, Great Hips (4:15)
Party Line (5:04)
Stirrer (3:27)
Grand Gestures of Dull Love (6:39)
Tell That Girl He’s Mine (2:49)
Milk, Two Sugars (3:47)