AN INTERVIEW WITH JO MURPHY (HUX RECORDS)

first posted in WHAT's RATTLIN'? # 201 subscribe here



Q: Can you begin by first telling us a bit about the history of Hux Records and how you have come to specialise in releasing BBC radio sessions and concerts ?

A: I used to manage the Windsong label, which specialized in releasing archive BBC recordings. After a few years, I was frustrated at the restrictions imposed regarding budgets etc., so I left to set up Hux Records. Our aim was to build a collectors label of classic archive recordings. Several of our albums are comprised of BBC recordings, but we're also reissuing some great albums which were previously unavailable on CD.

Q: Do you personally have a particular interest in the Canterbury scene, as one could think based on your releases by Kevin Ayers, Caravan, and now Soft Machine ?

A: I don't know about a particular interest. I'm a fan of Soft Machine, Kevin Ayers & Caravan. But I'm a fan of lots of different types of music. In truth, I'm not really keen on the 'Canterbury Scene' tag. I agree with Hugh Hopper's comment about it being "a rather artificial label". I hope you don't mind me saying that. I mean, I think the Calyx site is superb and it's great that people can continue to discover these artists via sites like this.

Q: There had been a previous release of Soft Machine BBC sessions in 1989 or 1990, on Windsong Records, which I understand was a previous incarnation of Hux (is this correct?). Had this been out of print for some time ? What gave you the impulse to devise a new version ?

A: The thinking behind this new album was the same as the thinking behind every album we release. Which is that we felt there were some great recordings which weren't currently available. We thought that, if we could obtain the necessary approvals, we could release an excellent album. Yes, some of this stuff has been out before, but on albums which have long since been deleted.

Q: To make this compilation, you have obviously been able to go back to the original master tapes. Between the completely unreleased tracks and the longer versions of others, there is about 40 minutes of previously unissued material. The BBC has a rather mixed reputation about the preservation of its archive of classic recordings. Were the Softs tapes well sorted of did this project neccessitate a lot of research ?

A: Well, it did require a certain element of research, as do all of our albums. I wouldn't exactly say that we spend endless hours crawling on our knees through dusty basements, scouring shelves for lost masters, but effective research is an essential part of a company like Hux.

Q: Would you say the BBC, as an institution, has been helpful and supportive to your projects ? Has it been easy to work with ? Or did this project necessitate mountains of paperwork, years of waiting for tapes to be delivered/copiedÖ ?

A: The BBC have been incredibly helpful and supportive of all our projects. Bearing in mind that some of these sessions were recorded over 30 years ago and they were never intended to be commercially released, I think the BBC have done a great job of archiving all their tapes and making them available for license to companies like Hux.

Q: Hearing the 1967 session in such fine sound quality is nothing short of a miracle. The credits mention Mike King (author of the "Wrong Movements" Robert Wyatt biography) as having been involved in remastering that tape, which had long been presumed lost. How were you able to include it in this release ?

A: Steve at Cunieform Records put us in touch with a collector in the States who had access to the 1967 master tape. He sent it on to Mike King who did a great job on the mastering. Mike was also kind enough to lend us a couple of photos for the CD booklet.

Q: Apparently, most of the past members were cooperative, or at least sympathetic, towards this project. Kevin Ayers and Hugh Hopper have both contributed liner notes; Robert Wyatt has made suggestions regarding the order (presumably to avoid the repetition of "Mousetrap" on the first CD). Do you have interesting anecdotes about their involvement ?

A: Yes, the band were all very supportive. In addition to the points you mention above, Robert also lent us a couple of his abstract 'photographs', for use on the cover art and Elton Dean lent us a photograph for use in the booklet. No anecdotes, I'm afraid. I was just grateful to the band for their co-operation and support. I'm sure it must be very odd for them all now, to be faced with the prospect of releasing sessions which they recorded over 30 years ago.

Q: The booklet (including Mark Ellingham's informative liner notes) and overall design is a definite improvement over the previous version. There is also a significant improvement in the sound quality of the previously heard material. This is obviously a labour of love - any comments on all these aspects ?

A: Yes, it's definitely true to say this is a labour of love. We've spent more time and money on this package than on anything we've done before. We even printed the booklet on a special paper which has a 'waxy' feel to it and which is very expensive. We could probably have released the album in a plain brown paper bag and it would have sold just the same amount. But we wanted it to look and feel like something special. (Which is just one reason why I'll never get rich from this business).

Q: The contents for the second volume have just been announced. It will consist of three sessions from 1971-73, just one CD in total. Two other Phil Howard-era sessions are missing. These and two remaining BBC radio sessions from 1974 (Jazz In Britain, featuring Allan Holdsworth) and 1976 (live at Newcastle Jazz Festival, featuring Percy Jones) have yet to see the light of day. Why ?

A: Our plan is to release all the sessions which still exist in the BBC archive. So if the original tapes exist, they'll be included on the album. We don't want to use second generation 'off air' recordings on this album as we're aiming to have the best sound possible.

Q: Any upcoming projects for Hux Records that you think would be of interest to Canterbury music fans ?

A: We've got several great albums scheduled for release this year, including Nucleus, Wreckless Eric, Brinsley Schwarz, Gryphon and The Grease Band. In fact, Wreckless Eric was just telling us the other day about how Kevin Ayers was a huge influence on his own career. Whether or not any of these albums will be of interest to 'Canterbury Music' fans, who knows? I certainly hope so