Tuesday 22 May 2012

RAW MATERIAL: 'new musical directions'

In the course of assembling Galactic Ramble and Flashback, I've trawled a huge number of British music mags and papers. Very few bands seem to have received no press whatsoever, but the impressive Raw Material are one. Indeed (as far as I'm aware), they're one of the few remaining bands of the late 60s / early 70s who have yet to resurface and tell their tale.

Attached below is the only info about them I've ever encountered. I'll also post the only ads that I've found, to promote their October 1970 debut LP (and extracted 45) and their November 1971 Time Is LP. These snippets offer the bare bones of their history, but there is of course much left to be discovered. As ever, if you know more, please get in touch...




Having signed to the tiny Evolution label, their debut 45, Time & Illusion / Bobo's Party appeared in the autumn of 1969. Their second effort, Hi There Hallelujah / Days Of The Fighting Cock appeared in the spring of 1970. Here's a press ad for it:



In May Evolution sent out this press release and bio to promote their third 45, Traveller Man Parts 1 & 2:




Here's the scarce German picture sleeve for that release:


Their debut album appeared in the UK in December 1970. Here's an ad for it:



A few months later they cropped up in a Marshall advertising supplement in Sounds, dated May 1st 1971:


Their second and final album appeared in November 1971:


This article appeared in Sounds of May 27th 1972, and is clearly an incomplete reprint of a press release. I suspect they'd split by then.


If anyone knows more, please get in touch!

10 comments:

  1. These are a great band ! Love -"Time is" Record always!

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  2. Hi my name is Paul Young. Drummer with Raw Material. If this site is still up and running and you would still like some info on the the band members and what became of them, let me know.

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    1. Hi Paul - yes, please! My email is flashbackmag@gmail.com. Best, Richard

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    2. I do research on the rock history of my home area in Southwest Germany. Raw Material played a lot in that part of Germany in the early 70s and even lived there for a while (as I was told). I would like to get more details from the band members. So please could Paul Young or Mike Fletcher - if you read this - get in touch with me: christophwagner@talktalk.net

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  3. Hi Richard, it's Mike Fletcher,I did a bit of work with Raw maty. Paul Young has a lot of info
    I have some photos if you want them?
    After Raw Material I went to the US, now I'm in NZ, been here for years, I'm not a facebooker.
    kind regards
    Mikey

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    1. I do research on the rock history of my home area in Southwest Germany. Raw Material played a lot in that part of Germany in the early 70s and even lived there for a while (as I was told). I would like to get more details from the band members. So please could Paul Young or Mike Fletcher - if you read this - get in touch with me: christophwagner@talktalk.net

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  4. Yes please! Please email me at flashbackmag@gmail.com. Leaving messages here gives me no way of contacting you! Same goes for Paul.

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  5. I have found probably the only Video recording ever made of Raw Material:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJcY2tTfKNM
    Time and Illusion, Live in Aachen Germany 1970.
    Sadly its only a very small snippet and after asking several German TV Stations i still have only this, no one seems to have it archived.

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    1. Hi Richard,
      You would make a top private eye, I cant believe you found that!
      Thanks for sending it to Paul, who then sent it to me, a small gem
      that brought back a lot of good memories.
      Kind regards Mikey

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  6. Got these two albums. Excellent

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