Vinyl Relics: Quill
Vinyl Relics: Quill
Vinyl Relics Epysode 57: Quill by Quill
The Band. The Grateful Dead. Creedence Clearwater Revival. And… Quill?
What do these bands all have in common? The answer is they all played at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair in 1969, but did not appear in the accompanying film or either of the two subsequent soundtracks. John Fogerty wasn’t pleased with CCR’s performance and insisted the band not be included, though a recent release of the set suggests it was far better than he remembers. The Dead’s set was marred with poor sound (and some would say equally poor performance), and Albert Grossman who was managing The Band didn’t want his boys shown in what he described as a “scruffy, chaotic film.”
For established acts, not appearing in the film or soundtrack would have little effect on their career. Some artists, however, saw a massive boon in popularity after the film came out. Think about how Janis, Joe Cocker, or Ten Years After raised their profile and parlayed their Woodstock performance into much greater album sales and larger tours. Ten Years After went from small clubs to arenas virtually overnight.
Would Quill’s fortunes been better had they been included in the film or soundtrack? Hard to say. I had the pleasure of interviewing band member Phil Thayer for my podcast, Vinyl Relics. I asked him that very question. “Perhaps”, he said. “It might have gone on to become a successful commercial enterprise or maybe not. I don’t know what would have happened”. Today you can find about twenty minutes of their Woodstock performance on YouTube.
Quill at Woodstock - image credit Lisa Law, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Quill opened day two of Woodstock. They took the stage just after noon, and played a forty-minute set. I read that they were chosen to play first so that they could be the guinea pigs of sorts for dialing in the sound for the more established acts that would follow later in the day (Santana, The Who, Jefferson Airplane among others). But hey, they got to play Woodstock! “Of course, no one knew what it was going to be like,” Phil said. “The crowds were amazing”.
One difference Quill had, compared to the other acts at Woodstock, was that they didn’t yet have a recording contract. Yep, Quill was an indie band. They were discovered playing some clubs around the Boston area, their hometown which helped them land the dream gig.
Their performance secured them a deal with Cotillion, a subsidiary of Atlantic. Ironically, Cotillion was the same label that would issue the two Woodstock soundtracks. The band had their own recording space and in a stroke of luck, had the opportunity to record completely on their terms. Self produced, in their own rehearsal space. They had complete free reign. That’s something not even many established acts had.
The result was the self-titled Quill album released in January 1970. That means they were discovered, played Woodstock, signed a recording contract, recorded and released an album all within roughly five months.
Quill’s album straddles several genres. Classified as psychedelic, it also has elements of art rock, prog and a hint of jazz rock at times. Highlights include the opening “Thumbnail Screwdriver” and “Yellow Butterfly.” “They Live The Life” is another cool one that has an extended percussion breakdown which they would often incorporate into their live show with audience participation.
Like a lot of debut albums, it holds a lot of promise and exudes creativity. In my opinion, bringing in an outside producer may have helped tighten it a little more as the album at times seems to lose focus. That said, it’s an interesting record that certainly was deserving of a follow up. As it turns out, Quill 2 was indeed recorded but never released, and the tapes have never turned up. Phil said they delivered the finished album to Cotillion but by that time the band was on its last legs and not really performing any more. The label felt therefore it wasn’t worth backing.
Quill
I wondered if maybe there was a possibility the tapes may have since been discovered by someone. I figured if anyone would know, it would be Alec Palao, the music historian who seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of these types of things. He said he’s unaware of them ever turning up and stated that since most tapes in Atlantic’s vaults vaporized in a fire in the late 70’s, it’s unlikely they ever will. So we’re left with just the one Quill album, an interesting one with some really groovy tracks.
These days Phil doesn’t talk all that much about his time with the band. He said he was a little reluctant to join my program, but ultimately said he enjoyed it (phew!). In fact, some of his friends weren’t even aware he even played Woodstock. “Yeah, well that and three dollars will get ya a cup of coffee, y’know!” he said with a giggle.
I hope you dig Quill as much as I do.
– Farmer John
Vinyl Relics is a podcast for groovy people who like music that delves into these under-the-radar types of albums. If you’d like to hear the full story with exclusive commentary from Phil then tune in, turn on & drop by wherever you get your podcasts. Quill’s album is featured in ‘epysode’ 57.
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