Tag: Nick Lewis

Chartism was a 19^th century working class movement which agitated for political reform based on the People’s Charter of 1838. It was particularly strong in industrial areas including the valleys of south Wales but was eventually suppressed by the government. Later, five of the six demands of the charter were adopted by the nation. The Chartists were also a folk-rock band from south Wales who were formed in response to the government’s attack on the miners in 1984. They played a lot of gigs and recorded an album, Cause For Complaint, but when it became clear that the Thatcherite army had won, they disbanded.

Now we fast forward. A copy of the album and an old cassette were discovered but after almost forty years they weren’t in the best of condition. And now we introduce the final twist – a valuable application of AI. Original producer Tony Williams together with Wynford Jones and Geoff Cripps were able to reconstruct the album and five bonus tracks recorded for Radio 2 in 1988 – and a damn fine job they made of it.

All the songs are originals with Jones being the principal writer alongside Geri Thomas, Laurence Eddy and Cripps – the four members of the band. Support came from drummer Nick Lewis, who later joined the band full time plus Brian McNeill, Julian Harris and Nigel Hodge. The narrative of the album, if I may call it that, follows the progress of the strike beginning with the announcement of pit closures in ‘We Regret To Inform’. Like the opener, the cheekily titled ‘Those Were The Days’ (not that one) registers the shock about what is happening. There is anger, true, but it is muted at this point and ‘The Band’ continues in the same vein.

To my shame, I don’t have a copy of the vinyl so I can’t compare old and new but I can say that The Chartists made a hefty sound topped with some fine electric guitar from Jones and a solid keyboard foundation from Cripps. The bonus tracks from the BBC session serves to prove what a stonking good live band they were.

They make a historical diversion with one of the many songs written about the martyr of Merthyr, Dic Penderyn, who was executed before the Chartist movement began although his story is part of the continuum and then comes the title track at which point the anger cranks up with the cry to “stand up and fight”. Written by Jones and Thomas, it boasts a slightly incongruously jolly arrangement while McNeill’s jazzy fiddle spurs ‘Jack Of All Trades’ on. Lawrence Eddy’s ‘The Blue And Green’ takes us to the realisation that the Thatcherite army has won leading to one song that Jones, Eddy and Cripps still perform as Lauford Cripps, ‘Summer Comes Rolling Around’. In this context it takes on a deeper meaning.

Cripps wrote the beautiful instrumental, ‘Er Cof Am’ (roughly “in memoriam”) led by Thomas’ whistle. Up to now the album has been restrained and rather regretful but Jones and Thomas’ closing ‘1984’ turns all that on its head. It’s bitter and vicious: “Whatever happened to the comradeship of the working man” is enough to get all the old lefties stamping and hollering and could – should – still be sung today.

The bonus tracks begin with the instrumental, ‘Penllwyn’ and end with ‘Cause For Complaint’ In between there is more history with ‘The Charter’ and ‘All For A Shilling A Day’ – remembrances of the Great War – and the reflective ‘Picture Show’.

Both The Chartists and Cause For Complaint deserved a better fate when they first drew breath and I can only hope that this reissue restores them to their proper place. Buy a copy and make that happen.

Dai Jeffries

Artists’ website: www.thechartists.co.uk 

‘Cause For Complaint’ – a mix of old and new: