Giant, the debut album by The Woodentops, came out forty years ago this week. It's a fantastic album, a slice of 1986 that is in some ways a unique sounding record, one that was a little out of step in 1986. It's indie but sounds little like the main indie attraction of 1986 (The Queen Is Dead) and had little in common with the other big indie hitters of that year- The Fall, Billy Bragg, R.E.M., The Housemartins, Husker Du and The Shop Assistants all made the NME's albums of 1986 with Giant pitching in at number 36*.
Rolo McGinty formed The Woodentops in South London in 1983 having spent some time in Liverpool playing bass with The Wild Swans and then joining The Jazz Butcher. The Liverpool connection s present with Frank de Freitas (brother of Bunnymen drummer Pete) playing bass in The Woodentops and them being joined by Simon Mawby, Alice Thompson and Benny Staples on drums. Staples added something different to the band- he played standing up and had a rack of hub caps that added a real bite tot he percussion and rhythms. Rolo strummed his acoustic guitar like he was trying to scrub several layers of it away and the use of acoustic instruments like marimba and accordion made them sound different. The songs were crafted, beautifully sung, hypnotic, upbeat and infectious. On disc they popped out of the speakers. Live they were twice the speed, hyper energetic and Rolo sang like his life depended on it.
There isn't a bad song on Giant- Get It On, Good Thing and Give It Time are an uptempo and punchy opening trio, the swooning, rattling Love Train follows. Love Affair With Everyday Living sounds like nobody but The Woodentops. Travelling Man, Last Time, Everything Breaks make a strong final three songs. Their energy and speed hen playing live is caught brilliantly on Hypno- Beat, a live album released in 1987 with the band recorded playing at The Palace in Hollywood. It's been noted I think that was the night The Woodentops discovered ecstasy. The performance is most definitely ecstatic.
The Woodentops found their way into the record box of the legendary Alfredo, a DJ playing records at Amnesia in Ibiza. Alfredo played whatever he liked- rock, soul, disco, early house, reggae, instrumentals, Belgian New Beat, ambient, New Age, anything that suited the mood of the outdoor dance floor and that people could enjoy under the stars. Why Why Why became part of the Balearic Beat, The Woodentops energy and dance rhythms fitting in with Alfredo's vision and spirit.
Rolo posted on social media on Tuesday marking the fortieth anniversary of Giant's release and saying what a happy time it was for the band, hard work but great fun visiting countries they never imagined they'd play. He recounted being in a club in Kyoto, the Rubba Dub, and having an emotional moment standing looking at the band and road crew having the time of their lives on the dance floor and becoming teary eyed at the sight. 'The Giant tour... peak happiness all round', he wrote.
Happy 40th birthday Giant.
The Woodentops story didn't stop with Giant and it goes on still. Last year a revitalised Woodentops released Fruits Of The Deep and this week have put out a remix of one of the songs from the album, the Too Good To Stay (Night Club Mix)- funky, infectious, uplifting, danceable, indie rock. Get it at Bandcamp.
* The NME's end of 1986 Albums of the Year is here and it's an interesting top ten showing that the NME's writers were of a fairly broad mind in the mid 80s. The indie ghetto they were famed for is not evident in the top 10 or the top 50. Prince topped the '86 chart and the top 10 found places for Mantronix, Run DMC, Paul Simon's Graceland, Cameo, Janet Jackson and Anita Baker as well as Sonic Youth (Evol at 4), The Fall (Bend Sinister at 7) and The Queen Is Dead (number 9). Melody Maker had The Beastie Boys at number 1 along with The Smiths, Prince, Elvis Costello, Throwing Muses, The The, R.E.M. and Big Audio Dynamite, with Giant coming in at number 16.
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