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The Scaffold

From Alfawiki
The Scaffold
Company typeMusical group
IndustryMusic, Comedy, Poetry
Founded1964
Headquarters
Liverpool
,
England
Key people
Mike McGear, Roger McGough, John Gorman
ProductsMusic albums and singles, Comedy performances, Poetry readings

The Scaffold is a trio from Liverpool, England, known for combining comedy, poetry, and music. The group consists of musical artist Mike McGear, poet Roger McGough, and comedian John Gorman. Their most notable tracks include the 1967 single "Thank U Very Much" and the 1968 UK chart-topping hit "Lily the Pink". Although they ceased regular activity in 1977, they have reunited sporadically for special appearances and projects.

Overview

The Scaffold's origins trace back to a performance revue named The Liverpool One Fat Lady All Electric Show, a title inspired by the bingo slang for the number 8, reflecting their connection to Liverpool’s 8 postal district. Among the founding members was Adrian Henri, another prominent Liverpool poet alongside McGough.

Beginning in 1964, Gorman, McGear, and McGough formed The Scaffold, delivering a mix of humorous songs, sketches, and McGough’s poetry. Between 1966 and 1971, they released various singles and albums under labels such as Parlophone and EMI, later affiliating with Island, Warner Bros., and Bronze.

Their 1968 release "Lily the Pink" achieved the number one spot on UK charts. Additionally, they composed the theme tune for BBC’s comedy series The Liver Birds which aired from 1969 to 1978.

Throughout their career, The Scaffold collaborated with esteemed session musicians including Elton John, Jack Bruce, and Graham Nash. Early in his career, Tim Rice provided backing vocals for them. Guitarist Andy Roberts took on roles as musical director and arranger during live shows and numerous recordings.

Their chart achievements encompass:

The group's album catalogue includes four records: The Scaffold (Parlophone, 1968), L. the P. (Parlophone, 1969), Fresh Liver (Island, 1973), and Sold Out (Warner Brothers, 1975). Their early albums combined live performances centered on poetry and comedy with studio-produced tracks.

Outside The Scaffold framework, members engaged in other ventures: In 1968, McGough and McGear released McGough and McGear, supported by rock musicians including Jimi Hendrix and Mitch Mitchell. By 1971, they joined forces with former members of The Bonzo Dog Band and The Liverpool Scene to form Grimms, embarking on extensive tours and producing three albums in the early ’70s. McGear also issued two solo albums in 1972 and 1974.

Compilation albums highlighting their hits include Singles A's & B's (See for Miles Records, 1982) and The Scaffold: The Songs (1992), alongside several Parlophone collections featuring Warner Bros.' "Liverpool Lou".

The 1970s

In 1970, The Scaffold featured in the BBC children’s program Score with the Scaffold, which showcased a theme inspired by their single "2 Day's Monday". They recorded additional material during this period; much of it remained unreleased until appearing on the 1998 collection The Scaffold at Abbey Road 1966-1971.

Early in 1971, The Scaffold contributed songs to a BBC1 campaign supporting Britain’s move to decimal currency, including tracks like "Give more, get change". That same year saw them broaden their musical horizons by joining the group Grimms, alongside artists such as Neil Innes and Vivian Stanshall. Innes and Stanshall also collaborated on The Scaffold’s last Parlophone single, Do The Albert, which featured contributions from Keith Moon and Les Harvey. The band also recorded the theme for the British horror film Burke And Hare, later included in their Abbey Road anthology.

In 1972, The Scaffold created a half-hour musical film titled Plod, inspired by Gorman’s "P.C. Plod" character; it was filmed in Liverpool with participation from local schoolchildren. That year also saw McGear release his solo album Woman, featuring musicians from Grimms while Grimms themselves continued touring extensively across the UK.

By 1973, The Scaffold had signed with Island Records and unveiled Fresh Liver, their first album of new material since 1969; it contained no singles aside from Gorman’s solo track "W.P.C Hodges". This record showcased contributions from Grimms members and placed greater emphasis on music rather than spoken word content. Following demanding tours with Grimms, McGear departed due to tensions during that UK tour.

After releasing his solo album McGear along with the successful single "Liverpool Lou" in 1974—recorded with Paul McCartney and Wings—McGear reassembled The Scaffold to produce their final album, Sold Out, released early in 1975 under Warner Bros. Records. This album continued prioritizing musical elements as seen on Fresh Liver. Subsequent to contributing to Grimms’ last LP Sleepers in 1976 and Gorman issuing his solo record Go Man Gorman, The Scaffold signed with Bronze Records. They toured and released singles through 1977 before amicably dissolving. Since then, they have occasionally reunited primarily for live shows.

After The Scaffold

Following the release of multiple singles, McGear departed from the music scene during the 1980s to concentrate on his career as a professional photographer and writer, using his family surname. Gorman remained in the public eye by appearing on children's television programs such as Tiswas throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. He continued to engage in performing and recording before eventually moving into theatre direction and production. McGough issued his solo spoken-word album Summer With Monika in 1978, inspired by his poetry collection, and has maintained the most prominent post-Scaffold career as a vocal artist on British radio and TV, alongside his pursuits as a poet and author.

The group came together again in 2008 to produce "3 Shirts on a Line," a reinterpretation of The Lightning Seeds' "Three Lions" for Liverpool – The Number Ones Album, which celebrated Liverpool's designation as European Capital of Culture. At the Number One Concert held at the 10,500-seat Echo Arena, McCartney and Gorman represented The Scaffold, receiving a standing ovation. In 2009, the original members performed at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London for a BBC television special. October 2010 saw them perform a Gala Concert in Shanghai alongside the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, OMD, and the Liverpool Chinese Children's Pagoda Orchestra, marking the conclusion of Liverpool Pavilion at World Expo.

In August 2013, McCartney and Gorman appeared internationally at the O2 during the Liverpool Music Festival. They also performed at the Heswall Arts Festival in both October 2013 and 2014, collaborating with musician and poet Keith Wilson, who had worked with them intermittently since 2008. Additionally, in October 2018, the trio organized a fundraising concert benefiting the Nordic Church and Cultural Centre in Liverpool.

Plans for performances in Tokyo were arranged by McCartney and Gorman for 2015.

On April 9, 2020, The Scaffold released an updated rendition of "Thank U Very Much" to honor British National Health Service workers amid the COVID-19 crisis. The new vocals were recorded remotely via iPhones and combined with the original backing track discovered by McCartney stored in his attic.

UK releases

  • McGough and McGear (Parlophone PMC 7047 [mono], PCS 7047 [stereo]) [LP] May 1968
  • The Scaffold (Parlophone PMC 7051 [mono], PCS 7051 [stereo]) [LP] July 1968
  • L. the P. (Parlophone PMC 7077 [mono], PCS 7077 [stereo]) [LP] May 1969
  • Fresh Liver (Island ILPS 9234) [LP] May 1973
  • Sold Out (Warner Bros. K 56067) [LP] Feb. 1975
  • The Scaffold Singles A's and B's (See For Miles CM 114) [LP] Oct. 1982 [Compilation of 22 EMI and Warner Bros tracks]
  • McGough and McGear (Parlophone PCS 7332) [LP] Apr. 1989 [Reissue of the 1968 album]
  • McGough and McGear (EMI CDP 7 91877 2) [CD] Apr. 1989 [Reissue of the 1968 album]
  • The Best of the EMI Years: The Scaffold, The Songs (EMI CDP 7 985022) [CD] Feb. 1992 [Compilation of 20 EMI tracks]
  • The Very Best of The Scaffold (Wise Buy WB 885572) [CD] Feb. 1998 [Compilation of 12 EMI and Warner Bros tracks]
  • The Scaffold at Abbey Road, 1966–1971 (EMI 7243 496435 2 9) [CD] Aug. 1998 [Compilation with 27 EMI tracks, including seven unreleased]
  • The Very Best of The Scaffold (EMI Gold 7243 5 38474 2 5) [CD] Mar. 2002 [Compilation of 26 EMI and Warner Bros tracks]
  • Live at The Queen Elizabeth Hall 1968 (Él ACMEM63CD) [CD] Jan. 2006 [Reissue of live album recorded in Feb. 1968]
  • Liverpool – The Number Ones Album (EMI 50999 5 19522 2 8) [CD] Feb. 2008 [Multi-artist commemorative album including one new track by Scaffold]

US editions

  • Thank U Very Much (Bell 6018) [LP] September 1968
  • McGough and McGear (Real Gone Music RGM-0025) [CD] February 2012 [Reissue of the original 1968 album]

Japanese editions

  • Sold Out (Muskrat RATCD 4228) [CD] August 2004 [Reissue of the 1975 album]
  • Fresh Liver (Island UICY 94110) [CD] May 2009 [Reissue of the 1973 album]

Singles

UK editions

  • "2 Day's Monday" / "3 Blind Jellyfish" (Parlophone R 5443) May 1966
  • "Goodbat Nightman" / "Long Strong Black Pudding" (Parlophone R 5548) December 1966
  • "Thank U Very Much" / "Ide B The First" (Parlophone R 5643) November 1967
  • "Do You Remember?" / "Carry On Krow" (Parlophone R 5679) March 1968
  • "1–2–3" / "Today" (Parlophone R 5703) June 1968
  • "Lily the Pink" / "Buttons of Your Mind" (Parlophone R 5734) October 1968
  • "Charity Bubbles" / "Goose" (Parlophone R 5784) June 1969
  • "Gin Gan Goolie" / "Liver Birds" (Parlophone R5812) October 1969
  • "All The Way Up" / "Please Sorry" (Parlophone R5847) June 1970
  • "Bus Dreams" / "If I Could Start All Over Again" (Parlophone R5866) October 1970
  • "Do The Albert" / "Commercial Break" (Parlophone R5922) October 1971
  • Two tracks from Fresh Liver, credited to John Gorman or as P.C. Plod: "W.P.C. Hodges", Island Records WIP6151, 1973
  • "Lily the Pink" / "Thank U Very Much" / "Do You Remember?" (EMI2085) November 1973
  • "Liverpool Lou" / "Ten Years After on Strawberry Jam" (Warner Bros K16400) May 1974
  • "Mummy Won't Be Home For Christmas" / "The Wind Is Blowing" (Warner Bros K16488) December 1974
  • "Leaving of Liverpool" / "Pack of Cards" (Warner Bros K16521) March 1975
  • "Wouldn't It Be Funny If You Didn't Have A Nose" / "Mr. Noselighter" (Bronze BRO33) October 1976
  • "How D'You Do" / "Paper Underpants" (Bronze BRO39) April 1977
  • "Lily the Pink" / multiple tracks (EMI2690) October 1977

US editions

  • "Thank U Very Much" / "Ide B The First" (Bell701) January 1968
  • "Do You Remember?" / "Carry On Krow" (Bell724) May 1968
  • "Lily the Pink" / "Buttons of Your Mind"(Bell747) December 1968
  • "Charity Bubbles"/"Goose"(BellB-821) August 1969
  • "Jelly Covered Cloud"/"Liver Birds"(BellB-849) 1969
  • "Liverpool Lou"/"Ten Years After on Strawberry Jam"(Warner Bros WBS8001) July 1974

Canadian editions

  • "Thank U Very Much"/"Ide B The First"(Capitol72524) February 1968
  • "Lily the Pink"/"Buttons of Your Mind"(Capitol72562)1968
  • "Liverpool Lou"/"Ten Years After on Strawberry Jam"(Warner Bros WBS8001) July 1974

Discography details

  • The album titled McGough and McGear features Roger McGough and Mike McGear; all other releases belong to The Scaffold.
  • Beginning in 1973, credits are given to Scaffold rather than The Scaffold.
  • Refer also to Mike McGear Discography and Grimms Discography.
  • Certain albums appear to have been issued exclusively in Japan; notably, the two mentioned here were not released on CD in the UK market.
  • The significance of the phrase “Aintree Iron” in the track “Thank U Very Much” has not been revealed by songwriter Mike McGear.

See also

External links

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