Click to hear 30 seconds of the trackTypewriter Torment [Brooker / Reid]

The Oakes Brothers [UK]

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John and Harry Oakes – voices, guitar, harmonica, typing, percussion

Jon Baker – tenor trombone

Roland Clare – piano and chorus voice

Luiz de Boni, Antonio Costa Barbé, Al 'One-Eye' Edelist, Jeremy Gilien, Dave Knight – chorus voices

People who are accustomed to the distorted racket made by touring ice-cream vans will be surprised how sweet the restored carillon can actually sound. The Oakes's carillon tune is also used on the pub piano.

The idea originally was to use this melody for a version of Skating on Thin Ice, which accounts for the trombone at the session; but the Oakes Brothers also wanted to use the sound of a classic Hammond typewriter they were restoring, and somehow the focus shifted to Typewriter Torment: we are left, appropriately enough, with a conjoined pair of songs.

photo: John Wooff Jon Baker photo: John Wooff
One-Eye Antonio Dave Luiz Jeremy Roland

Conn trombone, Dennis Wick mute
Harmonica: Hohner chromatic
Guitar, piano: no longer have any markings
Ice-cream van carillon by L. Tramonte

Typewriter: Hammond multiplex c. 1915
Typing Paper by Conqueror
Snare drum by Premier
Packing-case by Typhoo

Recorded upstairs at the Pinch o' Salt on Forge Lane in the East End using the house PA for vocal;
additional chorus voices recorded in Brazil, California, Italy, and Cheshire UK

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The oldest Hammond ever heard on a Procol cover