Monocled Alchemist

Article published in Hit Parader, July 1967

LOVE Never Stands Still | Love is elusive – the emotion, of course – but also the seven-member group residing in Hollywood. They don’t “hang out” much, so one is not likely to trip over Love just by wandering around with hopefully closed eyes. One (meaning this one) isn’t even very likely to see them for an interview . . .

But persistence has its rewards. After a couple of cancellations, six Love (Loves?) appeared for said interview. Bryan MacLean, the Love I once confused with Byrd Chris Hillman, was the absentee.

The interview took place during their recent gig at the Whisky A Go Go on Sunset Strip, an appearance that netted them excellent reviews in metropolitan dailies and goodly crowds for dancing and digging every night. Lots of people were talking about the new sound of Love.

The “new sound” was immediately labelled “jazz rock” by local reporters, but it is much more than that. Leader Arthur Lee refuses to categorize their music at all: “People who listen to music today would probably call it ‘jazz rock,’ but I don’t call it that. It’s free music.”

LOVE Never Stands Still

Johnny Echols, lead guitarist, spoke up: “Jazz expresses feelings more than say, rock and roll. Jazz gives people more soloists; there’s more feeling for the artist. Blues, for instance, has four-and twelve-bar changes, but jazz is ad-lib. You can use other forms to express yourself.”

All group members, but most particularly Arthur, are adamant about “free music.” All of them write songs, but Arthur’s efforts are perhaps more frequently recorded and performed. “We have to choose material that will fit this group,” he explained, “and that’s free music. We don’t want any patterns; we go completely against the book. You can get hung up listening to AM radio. I try to accept all kinds of good music because all kinds are good, no matter what label it is.”

Arthur is so wary of labels, tags, and misinterpretation that he seems reluctant to communicate except on a relatively superficial level. His conversational partner, it would seem, must pass the Arthur Lee test for psychic compatibility before he renders confidence and shares ideas.

He doesn’t he explained, like the idea of strangers taking his words and twisting and misusing them, nor could I convince him that a little communication with a small audience is better than none at all. He had the perfect parry–“I communicate with people I know. There are lots of people who understand what we’re trying to say and do, but I don’t think I could explain it to you.” I know a put-down when I hear one.

But in spite of his stated reluctance to reveal personal thoughts, Arthur talked on for quite a bit. He explained that Love had added the two new members, Michael Stuart and Tjay Contrelli, just a few weeks before they played the Whisky. “We wanted to do a new and different sound. The more instruments you have, the better the sound is, right?”

LOVE Never Stands Still

The group had performed as a septet only five or six times, but they’d been working and rehearsing steadily before then. “We’re still feeling each other out, though,” Michael said.

Michael is the new drummer, but his musical background includes trumpet, clarinet and piano. He attended college in Los Angeles for three years, then went on the road with a group. Somewhere along the line he met Love and started getting into their “frame of thought of music . . . they were going from straight rock to a free expression style; more real.

There’s more emotion involved in what I’m doing now. We’re improvising a lot too, but we still do songs from the first album (including their initial hit, ‘Little Red Book’); new songs like ‘Revelation’ (a 20-minute album cut – that is, album side) and ‘Smokestack’ have a lot more improvisation than there used to be.”

Tjay Contrelli, the other new Love, was acquainted with Johnny from their jazz group days. He plays several wind instruments, from flute to tenor sax to soprano sax, and back again. He amplifies his instruments by using a tiny pick-up, or microphone, which leads to an amplifier which allows the soft wind sounds to be heard with the guitars, drums, and harpsichord.

LOVE Never Stands Still

The harpsichord is also new to Love, played by “old” member Snoopy Pfisterer, original drummer. “Snoopy wasn’t quite educated enough on drums to go forward on what we were doing,” Arthur explained, so Snoopy (nicknamed because “I was supposedly an inquisitive child”) merely moved over to the Baldwin.

With the wide variety of instruments, plus seven not-small young men, the stage is full of Love. At the time we talked there was an interesting situation that had developed over their then current single release, “Stephanie Knows Who.” The single’s B side was “Orange Skies,” written by Bryan – a beautifully soft song, jazz-oriented. It has received more play than either of the A sides – it seems that the first A side was pulled back after release and a second was issued, called “She Comes In Colors.” Neither A side did very well (unlike its two predecessors), but then “Orange Skies” was the real A side, if you ask me – which you didn’t.

Love will be devoting most of their performance time to colleges rather than clubs; they were soon to leave for Wyoming, with San Francisco and San Jose set in the near future, New York in May. “We play Pluto next,” quipped Johnny, “then Venus. But not Jupiter. They’re prejudiced there.”

LOVE Never Stands Still

Because of their freedom from restrictions and “bags,” Love’s music (and their physical appearance) manages to be psychedelic without being freaky. Although Arthur is far from conservative, his bearing is more flashy and bizarre than weird.

The others aren’t even flashy – unlike Arthur, they are quiet, almost conservative, but like Arthur, they are intelligent and capable musicians. Snoopy is very subdued, almost shy. Michael spoke little, but when he did, the words were quick and sharp (in spite of a momentary hang-up of worrying about the fleas that were very much at home in his new apartment). Ken Forssi, bass player, arrived after the rest and listened.

Although most of them didn’t say much, they didn’t look bored or restless; it was as if they too were perhaps learning, or, at least, silently agreeing. Bearded Tjay (who looks as if he just stepped out of one of those exotic Italian epics) is smooth-voiced, with nice eyes and a comfortable manner. Johnny is reflective; quietly groovy with a subtle wit and strength.

In the past, when asked why they chose the name Love, Arthur would say, “It’s a big word.” The group – and its sound – is living up to the name. Love will probably never be “big” if big means the Beatles, the Stones, and so on. But Love is undoubtedly “big” if that means fresh, exciting talent and very, very good music. But don’t call it jazz-rock.