On this date 38 years ago, Robert Fripp was in the control booth at Wessex Studios overseeing the production of Keith Tippett’s Septober Energy.
Septober Energy, performed by Keith Tippett’s 50 piece orchestra Centipede, remains one of the classic (if criminally underrated) albums of the early 70s. Fripp played with the group on stage in 1970 in London and France and this experience was undoubtedly one of the key influences on the recording of King Crimson’s Lizard.
Septober Energy was recorded between 16th - 19th June although Fripp's production duties at Wessex precluded him from actually playing on the album.
In addition to Tippett himself the album features several musicians who had guested on Crimson albums including Nick Evans and Mark Charig. It is also notable in that the stellar line-up also includes Boz Burell in the chorus and Ian McDonald on saxophone as one of the featured solists.
McDonald remembers Centipede with some affection. “It was a great piece of music to play live. I’m incredibly shy and I would never practice my saxophone in front of the other guys.
I remember Gary Windo and a couple of the other guys creeping up behind me to listen to what I was playing. I turned around and they were eavesdropping, when they saw me they laughed and ran away.
It was very difficult for me socially because there were lots of extrovert jazzers in the band but I loved playing in it and listening to Keith’s playing.
In the dressing room’s Keith would go into these wonderful piano improvisations and that was worth the price of admission alone. It was great hearing Keith play and it was a good piece of writing.”
The influence of Septober Energy was quite far reaching. In his autobiography, Changeling, Mike Oldfield recalls being on the same bill as Centipede during his stint with Kevin Ayers. “Centipede was really a big inspiration for me. I wanted to have my own Centipede, or make some music that had the same kind of effect. It was totally brilliant and I haven’t seen anything like it since.”
You can read my take on Septober Energy over on the blog.
Septober Energy, performed by Keith Tippett’s 50 piece orchestra Centipede, remains one of the classic (if criminally underrated) albums of the early 70s. Fripp played with the group on stage in 1970 in London and France and this experience was undoubtedly one of the key influences on the recording of King Crimson’s Lizard.
Septober Energy was recorded between 16th - 19th June although Fripp's production duties at Wessex precluded him from actually playing on the album.
In addition to Tippett himself the album features several musicians who had guested on Crimson albums including Nick Evans and Mark Charig. It is also notable in that the stellar line-up also includes Boz Burell in the chorus and Ian McDonald on saxophone as one of the featured solists.
McDonald remembers Centipede with some affection. “It was a great piece of music to play live. I’m incredibly shy and I would never practice my saxophone in front of the other guys.
I remember Gary Windo and a couple of the other guys creeping up behind me to listen to what I was playing. I turned around and they were eavesdropping, when they saw me they laughed and ran away.
It was very difficult for me socially because there were lots of extrovert jazzers in the band but I loved playing in it and listening to Keith’s playing.
In the dressing room’s Keith would go into these wonderful piano improvisations and that was worth the price of admission alone. It was great hearing Keith play and it was a good piece of writing.”
The influence of Septober Energy was quite far reaching. In his autobiography, Changeling, Mike Oldfield recalls being on the same bill as Centipede during his stint with Kevin Ayers. “Centipede was really a big inspiration for me. I wanted to have my own Centipede, or make some music that had the same kind of effect. It was totally brilliant and I haven’t seen anything like it since.”
You can read my take on Septober Energy over on the blog.
