2011 intro
One of many strangest hits of the late Sixties was Excerpt From A Teenage Opera, which reached Quantity 2 within the charts in 1967. The strangest factor about it was that it was by no means meant to publicly contain its essential artist, singer/lyricist Keith West.
Born Keith Alan Hopkins, he was lead vocalist for Tomorrow – with Steve Howe on guitar – when he obtained concerned with the Teenage Opera venture: an bold, conceptual rock opus that might impressed prog ideas to come back.
“I knew Mark Wirtz, the person who got here up with the concept,” West explains. “He invited me spherical to his place at some point and performed me numerous the music he was engaged on. What he wanted was for somebody to place lyrics to the songs – that simply wasn’t his factor.”
So he set in regards to the process. And the primary music he completed was Excerpt From A Teenage Opera – additionally recognized by its lyric ‘Grocer Jack’.
“Mark had given me the title of the music, and on the time having eccentric characters on the centre of songs was all the craze,” West remembers. “Perhaps it was one thing to do with the truth that we have been in an period when everybody was dropping acid!”
The label thought it could be a great factor for me to sing on this. I agreed – it could by no means quantity to a lot
Having written the music, West then agreed to do information vocals on a demo, the concept being {that a} larger identify can be introduced in to do a correct job earlier than it was launched as a single, with Howe having offered guitar elements. However that by no means occurred.
“The label, EMI, appreciated what I’d finished. And as they already had me beneath contract by means of Tomorrow, they thought it could be a great factor for me to sing on this. I agreed – it could by no means quantity to a lot, and definitely wouldn’t intervene with the band. How mistaken I used to be!”
West was on tour with Tomorrow when the label ordered him again dwelling to advertise the only, which was beginning promote in main portions. “It simply took on a lifetime of its personal,” he says.
“And in Germany it was even larger than within the UK; it made it to the highest of the charts. In every single place I went I used to be mobbed by ladies – I may have gotten used to that life-style!”
As a result of document label wranglings, the Teenage Opera venture ultimately wilted after a second single, Sam, didn’t emulate the success of the primary; and it took till 1996 for Wirtz to current an album-length model of his idea.
Ultimately, Excerpt was to show a one-off hit for West, who’s nonetheless concerned in music at present; however he has no regrets. “It was a great music, and I cherished the expertise.”
