“Hanging Around” / “Mood Music” (EMI 5300) May 1982
Mood Six | Hanging Around | (EMI) 1982 | The first waves of excitement came from a teen swing joint-hip nightspot, the ‘Groovy Cellar,’ situated somewhere in the hive and jive of Piccadilly, where, every Friday night, flamboyance, colour and fun helped an ever expanding band of ravers to renew those heady days of the swinging sixties.
Out of this carnival-festival of creativity emerged a new mood — MOOD SIX — six cool guys hailing from London’s South-West suburbs. All had served apprenticeships in various illustrious pop/beat combos.
SIMON SMITH — the band’s quiet well-spoken member is often mistaken for Simon Dee; but put behind his drums he is transformed into a wild animal, that even his mother would not recognise.
Mood Six | Hanging Around | (EMI) 1982
ANDY GODFREY — the group’s tall and talented bass-man is a technical wizard and fixes the band’s gear.
TONY CONWAY — the Man of Mystery, alternatively known to the in crowd as Zieman Barzell or the Big Man or even the Maharishi —his taste in women is as mysterious as the man himself.
PAUL SHUREY — plays a Vox Continental, is a dedicated follower of hip fashion and dreams of living the part of David Hemmings in ‘Blow Up’.
PHIL WARD — the front man is a real hit amongst the chicks. The group’s flower child, he generates passive vibes to the other members of the band in times of stress.
GUY MORLEY — the rhythm guitarist and resident neatnik, digs his girls petite and raven-haired — but will they dig him?
Before the Groovy Cellar and MOOD SIX London was a quiet colourless void searching for an exciting alternative. Conceived in dreary restless times, MOOD SIX music is dynamic, fluorescent and even multi-faceted.
This phenomenon burst forth with a flourish and was first sighted at their spectacular river boat happening on the Thames. Now you too can be part of the new Mood with this, the band’s first release!
“This is their happening and it will freak you out.” (Barzell) (Clive Solomon)
Mood Six | Hanging Around | (EMI) 1982
Endgames ‘We Feel Good (Our Future’s Looking Fine)’ (Mercury) | Mood Six ‘Hanging Around’ (EMI)
The Emperor’s new chaise longue part 34 – it would be lovely and fine (Endgames’ word) if the big companies could fool us all and My Editor (who’s not really fooled at all, but that’s a worse, more evil tale) into believing, like suckers, that such as Mood Sex and Endthingies were hot and young and vitally new.
“There is no such thing as brand new” – Una Baines, 22nd May 1982
Both these outfits have been going longer than the Outcasts and the UK Subs put together and multiplied by three; but even then they aren’t that offensive. They’re just old hat with a new lining.
Endgames, having pitifully missed the Scots Scene boat, take up the obvious Spambau paddle with a vengeance. Have you ever noticed how false-happy these desperately would-be New Acts are?
Mood Six | Hanging Around | (EMI) 1982
It’s maybe a sign of how much they are tied (like a noose) to big company notions of what’s real and sellable, that they above everything else hark back to Freddie And The Dreamers et al and tell us how wunnerful the world rilly is.
Anybody who calls their act after Harry Pinter has to suck. Mood Six meantimes revive the Summer Of Love, are a merciless hype, are (wors!) ugly (I detest ugly acts – Birthday Party f’instance) and generally give the impression of not being very honest.
Do they take acid? Does he take sugar? Remember the Pleasers? (Sounds, 29/05/82)
Mood Six | Hanging Around | (EMI) 1982
What can you say about New Psychedelia? Even to give it with such a name is to invest it with a degree of significance it doesn’t begin to merit. OK, so a few silly boys and girls in London want to believe they’re living in 1967.
Other folk spend their weekends dressing up as cavaliers and roundheads and re-enacting the English civil war, which presumably is more dangerous than sitting round smoking banana skins, but they at least keep their pursuits in perspective.
The idea that there was ever going to be a “movement” along these rubbed-out, paisley-shirted lines is enough to make a cat laugh. The record? Undistinguished power pop, man (Record Mirror, 29/05/82)
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