The ORGONE BOX: The best kept secret in Powerpop?

Does anyone out there remember the ORGONE BOX CD that was released by MINUS ZERO RECORDS back in 2001? In our view this is one of the finest "Power Pop/neo Psych" (Sorry for pidgeonholing in this way) records of all time. In fact, I would argue that RICK CORCORAN is one of the Uk's unsung heroes right up there with the all time greats. Trouble is, no-one but a few thousand die hard fans know this. We're in the process of releasing this great album, mostly re-recorded and remastered, on vinyl very soon. This thread is on the one hand to make anyone aware of this but also to get some feedback and thoughts on this classic album by those who love(d) it.

 

I bought the CD from Not Lame in the late 90's, the one with "Disposable", and a few other tracks that sounded like something John Lennon could have done at some point in his career. Really good stuff more folks should check out!

 

Amazing stuff, and the "Things That Happened Then" follow-up cd was no slouch, either. I ended up ordering them both from Minus Zero, well, not sure, maybe 5 years or so ago, perhaps longer, when the website was still active. Exchanged a couple of emails with the owner back then. Couldn't get enough, and unfortunately, not a peep from Rick Corcoran since then.

There was also a Japan cd "No Reply", which combined some tracks from the two Minus Zero cds, and contained 5 tracks exlcusive to that cd.

Rick recorded with his band "Orange" prior to all of this, with the original version of "Judy Over the Rainbow" and two other tracks. It was on a 12" single, and also a 3-track cd EP. Tam Johnstone, Davey's son, was also in Orange. Since then, Tam has put out some fine music of his own, as "The General Store".

I'm out of the vinyl mode these days, but am thrilled to hear Rick's music getting some (hopefully) broader recognition from this. Sugarbush sounds familiar to me, must have trolled through their website at some point looking for Orgone Box info. Is Marcus Holler associated with Sugarbush? If so, that was the connection.

Anyways, for any folks here who only do vinyl, by all means consider this release for purchase. I can't speak highly enough of Rick's music.

 

Wait...wow, just reread this to see "re-recorded and remastered". So, Rick is active in the studio again for a re-recording of this?? If so, i'll be dusting off the turntable to hear this.

 

I'm not all that sure that the "powerpop" handle best suits Orgone Box. Beatlesque psych pop/rock would seem more accurate. It meets "powerpop" criteria, but i think that much of it goes beyond with the psych elements.

Thankfully, i found some songs on You Tube.

the entire s/t cd:





a promo video from Orange for "Judy Over the Rainbow" (never knew of this until today, very nice)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjRzr7p0reU


Orange's "Judy Over the Rainbow" in perhaps a bit better fidelity than the video:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFQmcDZ8cS8


Any lovers of psych pop/rock really should explore some tracks on that first cd. Too many missed out on Rick's creative brilliance the first time around.

This stuff is mastered loud and compressed, but for me it's one of those rare exceptions where the music trumps any other considerations. I wonder if the new vinyl will be remastered in more analog-ish manner, that would be nice.

 

Hia-yes the entire album has been re-recorded, dubbed and remastered. There are 4 or 5 entirely new versions of songs + 1 brand new track. It will be out on vinyl and dowload, however we at SR are only doing the vinyl. A long time ago I formed a band SILENT BLUE. After we did our LP TUNE IN in 1990, the line up changed. Tam johnson came in on drums, RICK CORCORAN on guitar and TIM MCTIGHE on bass. They then went off in 1991 and formed GREEN TAMBOURINES. None of them played in ORANGE, however they both play on the (post Orange) ORGONE BOX LP.

To confuse things even more I (Markus Holler) played in ORGONE BOX for several live shows (Spain, Liverpool, Bournemouth, London) about 10 years ago. I also released a CD ACHIN' FOR SUMMER that Rick plays on too (but tracks are demos from the SILENT BLUE era).
Confused? Incestous? Yes....but it gets worse. Now Rick is back, and with Tim McTighe has reworked that entire original ORGONE BOX CD for a vinyl issue on my own SUGARBUSH RECORDS, formed back in 1989 to release the SILENT BLUE LP. It's like a magic circle of sorts and we always seem to end up doing stuff together. However, Rick is a true genius and his work is his own, with a little help from his mates.
Once this album is out, and it IS the final version of the LP the plan is to release a 6 track mini LP of NEW Orgone Box material!!!!!!! But let's wait and get this thing out. Thanks for all the interest, and spread the word!!!!!

 

Here is some material courtesy of BUCKETFULL OF BRAINS MAGAZINE. I am repriting it and hope the author MICK DILLINGHAM does not mind:

The Orgone Box



In 1994 there appeared a single by an English band Orange on the Chrysalis label called Judy Over The Rainbow. The song is a brilliant slab of psychedelic power pop with hooks to die for and
is rightly rated by a surprising number of people as a stone cold classic. But that was it, one sunburst of a single and then the band disappeared without a trace, leaving behind just a three-song legacy. Over the years the legend of Orange grew and all agreed, if only the band had made an album then said release would have surely rated as one of the finest of the decade. Bill Forsyth of Minus Zero fame, known as the Sam Spade of pop for tracking down and releasing the lovely and totally obscure up to then. L.A. band Skooshny for our listening pleasure, had long been an Orange fan. He once more turned Pop detective to try and track down the band to find out if there was more. But this time he drew a complete blank. The only thing he had was a name gleaned from the song writing credits of the single, Rick Corcoran. And so it remained until a couple of years ago when David Gray lead singer of the fabulous Idlewilds visited his shop. Bill mentioned Orange to him and David not only knew the single, he also had a tape of demos by the band before Orange, The Green Tambourines. The year after that he tracked down a tape of Orange tracks recorded at Abbey road.The need to track down the enigmatic Mr. Corcoran and see if a release of this material was possible became even more critical and yet he remained elusive to any amount of searching. Then, as the way of such things, happenstance took its turn. Six months ago the journalist Jennifer Nine came into his shop with a CDR of the forthcoming release by General Store. The General Store album is a delightful, early seventies feeling, country pastiche and the man behind it was one Tam Johnstone from Sussex. Jennifer also played Bill something that Tam had drummed on. The band was called The Orgone Box and within seconds he remarked that they sounded remarkably like this band he knew called Orange. Tam Johnstone it turned out had been the drummer in The Green Tambourines and The Orgone Box was in fact one Rick Corcoran!
By the next day Bill and Rick, now based in Bournemouth were deep in phone conversation. The Orgone Box was an album that had had a very limited release in Japan only and once heard, it was apparent that this was the album we had all dreamed the Orange would have been. Glorious pulsing psych-drenched power pop of the highest order, lyrically intelligent and driven by joyous energy and majestic melodies with more hooks than a lifetime subscription of Anglers Weekly. Rick obviously loves what he's doing and it shows in spades. With the Minus Zero release of The OrgoneBox now finally upon us it's time to talk to Mr Corcoran and finally after all these years find out the untold story of all things Orange.



So how did you first get into music?
My brother taught me how to play a few chords on the guitar and piano when I was about fourteen and I sort of taught myself from then on by playing along to records. When I joined my first band I was sixteen and working in a nightclub in Sheffield. There was a band with a silly name rehearsing in the afternoons and I used to get up and jam with them after I'd swept the broken teeth and pigs trotters off th efloor Anyway that was my first band. Growing up I got a cross section of influences. My dad was a Beatles fan, Frank Sinatra too. My mom listened to Rodgers and Hammerstein, and my brother was into Be-Bop Deluxe and prog rock in a big way so there was always a lot of that stuff being played around the house. My thing was always guitar pop more than anything – first The Beatles, then Sweet and stuff on Top of the Pops, then Punk and bands like Cheap Trick and The La's. Nowadays if I'm honest I download my favourites off the Internet, stuff like I'm Mandy Fly Me, You're So Vain, Silver Star by the Four Seasons and Guitar Man by Bread. Apart from obvious stuff like The Beatles and The Beach Boys I've always been into one-off tracks and hits more than any one band and I still am.

So how did you start making your own music?
When I first moved to London, I joined a band called Sugarbush (prev. called SILENT BLUE - Ed.) who were a sort of Replacements/Tom Petty-ish type band. We gigged around Richmond and Fulham for about six months and then I took off with the drummer and the bass player and formed the Green Tambourines. The Tambourines were the first good band I'd been in but maybe we were a bit out of time. I mean we were playing guitar pop while your Jesus Jones and Acid House were happening! As far as I knew an E was a major chord. Island Records put us in the studio with Wreckless Eric producing but they wanted us to be Nirvana so that didn't work. We also had a daft manager who played jazz on his answerphone and didn't know anyone, so you can tell how organised we were. Anyway we did some memorable gigs around London but we split up after about 18 months. I'm still in contact with two of the guys from the Tambourines, in fact the drummer Tam Johnstone played drums on the Orgone Box and the bass player Tim McTighe did the orchestral arrangement on the track Find The One.



So this was when Orange came about?
Orange came together quite quickly after that. I was playing guitar for a band at the Midem festival in France and I gave one of my demos to their manager He offered me some studio time, but only if I had a band, which I didn't. So Orange was formed by picking the first three guys I came across - not a good move. We signed with Chrysalis by making them think we'd been together for ages but actually I didn't know the band from Adam and they didn't know me. The demos that got us signed were all my work, I'd done them at home but the record company couldn't tell - as a band we didn't sound anything like them. When I. heard the recordings we did at Abbey Road they could have been different songs. It was a joke, but it was my fault because I'd roped them into it. The first thing we did after signing for Chrysalis was the single Judy Over The Rainbow. As far as I can remember I had a good time making it because the producer Dave Eringa, was a really funny bloke and the song went down really easy. The response from the radio was good too – loads of plays on Radcliffe and Independent stations. Everybody at the gigs knew the song, which was great because it was the first time anything like that had happened for me. I think, if we'd been a cooler band it would have been a hit. Nowadays I prefer the 4-track demo version that I wrote and recorded while I was with the Green Tambourines and which is also on the Orgone Box album. I like the arrangement on the Orange version but it's played too fast and sounds a bit hectic to me, which incidentally sums Orange up. I relate more to the slower spaced out feel of the original, it rolls along as opposed to jumping, if you know what I mean, and it's less gimmicky. Orange recorded loads of my songs for Chrysalis but none of them ever got released. Because we never got on as a group of people we never really hit it off as a band. I think the bad feeling started right at the beginning when I got rid of the first drummer and another guitarist who happened to be mates with the rest of 'em. I don't think they ever forgave me for that, but there you go. Although I don't particularly enjoy being hated, that on it's own didn't bother me. It was the laziness and playing crap that I couldn't work with. They were always late for gigs, which is fine if you play great and look great but they didn't – songs were always breaking down. In the end we went into Chipping Norton studio with Gus Dudgeon, to re-record an album we'd ****ed up at Rockfield. But the band just couldn't get their parts together. The guitarist couldn't think of anything to play and the drummer just gave up and asked if we could use a drum machine! I found it all a bit embarrassing in front of a guy like Gus – I mean he did Space Oddity and Rocket Man for godsake!
After three days work they went home for the weekend and never came back. I haven't seen them since. It was all my fault because I roped them into it. I ended up finishing the album with Gus but it never came out because Chrysalis dropped the whole project anyway. Funnily enough that was the best feeling I'd had for along time.




You're time with Orange doesn't sound a happy one. Did it put you off the whole music thing?No, I thought sod all that major record company stuff and spending weeks in big studios getting drum sounds, comping vocals and everybody eating three course meals. I hated it, so I borrowed some money and hired some tape machines and started recording new songs at home. I did this kitsch campy song called Find The One, which is a kind of Roy Orbison thing and some Japanese label heard it and asked me to do an album, which eventually turned out to be The Orgone Box. Making it was a really enjoyable experience for me. I had four 8-track tape machines, a 32 channel desk, a load of effects, three amps and half a dozen guitars all set up in my flat so I could make a right racket. I wrote most of the songs while I was recording them. What I did was put down some guide drums with a click, added a bass line, a bit of guitar and a vocal. Then I took the tapes and the machines to this place called the House in the Woods, which is a big old mansion house in some woods just off the M25. 1 got hold of Tam Johnstone and he laid the drums down to my guide track in what looked like a big dining room or a library or something. The feel was just right and the whole thing took about four days.
Then I took the tapes home again and spent a few weeks doing overdubs and generally just had a great time playing around with the music. I've always wanted to be in a great band but when it comes to recording I always seem to be at my best when I'm working alone. It's just the way I am. That way I can conjure up and maintain an atmosphere that I feel is right for the song and put all of myself into the performance, instead of reacting to an atmosphere created by others. I don't like being hurried or slowed down by other people. I like to do things in unorthodox ways and at unsociable times. I can start work on an idea one day and just keep working until I'm happy. I don't think about sleeping or eating. Those things just break the flow up for me. I'll stop when I'm satisfied or when I get bored or when I drop. At the end of the day it's not the sound quality or making sense that I'm most bothered about, it's whether there's a spark in the record that excites me, a feel that takes me somewhere else in my head, that's what I do it for I mean just listen to Noddyland. The crowd on there is from the Shea Stadium gig, I had it in my cans while I was singing and playing guitar at the same time and it was like a fantasy gig for me. Pure tennis racket!




Listening to the album it strikes me how literate and thought provoking the words are.
It's a very personal and private record lyrically and at the same time I feel that the tunes are universal. Nearly all the songs are introspective themes because that's the way I am. I'm always thinking about what I'm thinking or what you're thinking and my songs usually analyse me. Listen to Anaesthesia, Bubble or Ticket With No Return for instance - lyrically I'm being very melancholy, even a bit down on myself. But at the same time the tunes are very uplifting, very welcoming to the listener I think the tunes contain a hopeful message.
So what the heck is an Orgone Box anyway?The Orgone Box was a thing devised by a psychoanalyst called Wilhelm Reich. He claimed that Orgone was some kind of universal energy and that he could capture it in his device and then use it to treat illness. I read about it in a book on the occult by Colin Wilson and I liked the idea of it. It sounded musical to me and I'd done most of the record in my flat, which I suppose is a kind of box, so bobs your uncle, as they say It's nothing profound I just liked the sound of it.



How does it feel now the album is finally coming out?
It's funny how things come about, I honestly thought that the album would never get off the ground .The Japanese label got closed down and I couldn't get anything else going, so when Bill phoned me out of the blue I was dead chuffed. I'm hoping that the Minus Zero release will prick up some ears. I read somewhere that if the music is playing the audience will find it one day and I believe this. Sooner or later the album will make its mark, and to be honest I could do with the money to do more recording. At the moment I've got the bones of another album written and I've just started putting the ideas down on tape. As it stands I think the first side is going to be about eight songs all joined together in a kind of mosaic. I'd love to get something else out this year if possible, that's what I'm aiming for.

 

In case anyone wants to look, here is a page regarding our own SUGARBUSH RECORDS' vinyl label. We are always interested to hear from UK based companies (or elsewhere) who can offer a 1st class pressing service. SUGARBUSH RECORDS LABEL

 

Markus, first, sorry about recalling your name incorrectly (as Marcus), for the factual error of believing that Tam Johnstone was a member of Orange, and also for misidentifying the Japan cd "My Reply", as "No Reply" (a temporary case of Lennonitis). Also, that "My Reply" combined tracks from "Orgone Box" and "Things That Happened Then", where it is actually the "Orgone Box" only, with a different sequencing and the five unreleased tracks added in. Do i recall correctly that Rick handled the re-sequencing of the original tracks along with the additional tracks?

I ended up ordering a replacement for one of my OB cds from you, i think it was the first s/t one, via the Sugarbush website. There were a few emails exchanged. I also ended up ordering your "Achin' For Summer" cd as well along with it, which i enjoyed (and need to break it and the OB cds out to refresh, it's been a few years since i've had the time to hear them). I seem to recall your mentioning that there was a heavy Beach Boys tilt in a lot of the music on your cd.

I think the last email i exchanged with Bill Forsyth, he said that Rick was working on some new material then; and it's foggy, but had to have been between 5-8 years ago now. Since then, i've often wondered if i'd ever hear anything from Rick again. So, once again, here's a huge payoff for being a member here at Steve Hoffman's Forum. This is great news, and i don't know how i would have heard about it otherwise.

As for spreading the word to music lovers, you're in the best place for that here, that's for sure! I'll be watching for an update as soon as the vinyl can be pre-ordered. Thanks, Markus, and best wishes to you and Rick and Tim on this project.

 

Folks, sorry about that first YouTube link, which should've linked to a player with all of the cd tracks showing on the right side. After trying the link out, it only connects you to the first track, "Hello Central, Give Me Ganymede". So, here are separate links to the other tracks.

Track 02 Anaesthesia



Track 03 Bubble
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feHpxiqrYWI&list=PL3CF547B53F7E6431


Track 04 There'll Always Be Attitudes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOuuKGnWZCA&list=PL3CF547B53F7E6431


Track 05 Disposable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTCqz97wb3g&list=PL3CF547B53F7E6431


Track 06 World Revolves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiGYUN_m7JQ&list=PL3CF547B53F7E6431


Track 07 Find the One (Ballroom Mix)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK9wZdlhczo&list=PL3CF547B53F7E6431


Track 08 Guilt Trip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kv1UbnY4p8


Track 09 The Song Formerly Known As Mirrorball
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6e5oH3KUQg


Track 10 Noddyland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6o6FyIB-O4&list=PL3CF547B53F7E6431


Track 11 Judy Over the Rainbow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5nl8aW1v4s&list=PL3CF547B53F7E6431&index=11


Track 12 Ticket With No Return
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlYTeGnJfEE&list=PL3CF547B53F7E6431

 

Hi Rick, don't worry about the spelling of my name! Yes you recall right, Rick WAS working on new stuff 8 years ago, but nothing ever came out. i managed to coax him out of hibernation last year when I suggested a straight reissue of the Cd to vinyl. This then turned into a full-blown reworking from him and its taken him about a year now to finish it off. Oddly, although it is based on that 1st CD it does sound like a different record. Maybe if you send me an email to [email protected] I can keep you posted when it is out...thanks again.

 

Good stuff for sure.

Sorta stinks there's no CD release for the new offering. I don't have a turntable anymore.

I have these on CD:

 

Sorry bout that, but we are a vinyl only label....but that does not mean someone else might release it on CD?

 

Oh, it's ok. If no one releases it on CD - I will get it on vinyl and maybe someone will do a needledrop for me. That's my hope anyway.

 

Well you can also email me when the release is done and I can run off a CD for you.

 

or you could include a lossless download card as others have suggested. why should non-turntable owners be given a freebie? their choice.

 

Thank you so much! I appreciate that. I'd be fine with a lossless FLAC download card/code if I bought the vinyl - that would be great too. I'm all for that.

What I don't like is buying vinyl and getting the download card/code - only to discover you are getting mp3 lossy tracks. I don't want to pay for that. I will pay for lossless!

 

Well I am happy to announce we have the test pressing back and they sound great and that means the album CENTAUR will be with us shortly, finally a new (well kind of) ORGONE BOX ALBUM.

 

Awesome! Thank you for the update! I will order the album when you have it available!

I also announced this upcoming release on popgeekheaven's chat box. Looking forward to it!

 

Hi Rhett-thanks for passing the message on and thanks for buying it!! Will send it the day it gets here.

 

Thank you so much - I hope you received my PM here on the forum.

 

Thanks for reminding me about The Orgone Box. I also picked the debut up as a result of reading about it in the Mojo book, though I had kind of forgotten about it amid my accumulated stacks of stuff. I've got it spinning now and this is some high quality psych pop. I'm glad to hear that they're still working on stuff and would be interested to check out Centaur, though I don't have a turntable. I'd go for a download if it were available.

 

Markus, can you tell us something about the sound quality and the mastering of the new release on vinyl?

 

Hi-

Hi-yes I think it sounds superb. the cut and pressing sounds lovely-and Rick did a great job mastering it. I am really happy with the test pressingsand they sound great on several hi-fi systems I use.

 

Hi-thanks-well, SUGARBSUH RECORDS are only doing the vinyl, but I am sure Rick himself will offer the tracks a downloads somewhere.