Ilford Subway - The 3rd Prophecy/ A New Song

Folky psychedelia from future Thin Lizzy and Supertramp members

Label: Equinox

Year of Release: 1967

As someone who was born in the East London suburb of Ilford and still currently lives there (though not for much longer) of course I wasn't going to walk past this record. The group's name is mysterious - the only significant subway I'm aware of in Ilford is the one for Gants Hill underground station, which was designed by the architect Chris Holden in a manner closely apeing the Moscow Metro. 

It's not entirely impossible that some members of the American group The Ilford Subway had visited and been wowed enough by the experience to name their hairy hippy combo after it, but let's chalk it up as unlikely. If anything, it's probably just another example of a fairly random garage group name with no major or specific meaning attached (and chances are if there was one, even the band members can't remember it these days).

The A-side "The 3rd Prophecy" is, despite its way-out title, a weird concoction of hey nonny-nonny folk melodies, early sixties pizzicato plucked guitar strings and a distinct paisley hue. A mish-mash of trad folk, pre-beat stylings and post-beat psych, its like the past and the future rolled into one rush of flavours. That makes it sound more overwhelming than it is in reality, though - there's nothing alienating or harsh about this and it acts as a neat, smoky bundle of fireside melodies.

The slightly more freaky sounds are on the flip, though, where the distorted guitars, squeaks and squawls live. 

Ilford Subway are most notable for featuring future Supertramp drummer Bob Siebenberger and Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham (here playing bass), and alongside those two future stadium stars the group contained Don Wilson on guitar, Jeff Avery on vocals, and Mickey Wells on guitar. The whereabouts of those three these days is slightly less clear. 

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