Spirogyra may have been a commercial latecomer to the rather broad-reaching acid folk movement (their debut, St. Radigunds, was released in '72), but Spirogyra's history dates back to '66, as a trio of Martin Cockerham, Mark Francis and Andy Duckworth. They fragmented in '69, after which Martin pulled together a group of musicians, eventually whittling it down to himself, Julian Cusack, Steve Borill, and Barbara Gaskin, with Dave Mattacks of Fairport Convention guesting on percussion in the studio. Cusack and Borill eventually ceased gigging with Spirogyra, though they performed in studio on Old Boot Wine and Bells, Boots and Shambles. They would dissemble in '74 after releasing Bells, Boots and Shambles in '73.
Just what is Spirogyra? Reviewers of the time found them difficult to pin down, calling them "acoustic rock rather than folk rock," though that would do disservice to their strong progressive tendancies and slightly psychedelic pepperings. The answer, as always, is to listen first and make your own decision.
*NOTE:* Those interested in listening to the large bulk of Martin Cockerham's unofficially released work (through the glory of CD-R) should check this out . Those more concerned with Spirogyra proper should note a disc of Spirogyra rarities offered, the Arkives, featuring among other things the officially unreleased twentysome minute "mini rock opera," "Sea Song." If only Comus had had the opportunity to record Malgaard before fragmenting...
(information on this page scrounged off of the web and the CD insert of Spirogyra: A Canterbury Tale; special thanks to Steve Brown for clarifying some elements of early Spirogyra)
*ALSO ALSO WIK:* This site is not maintained by any member of Spirogyra, but I'd like to think that it's unofficially official as Martin Cockerham (a.k.a. Earth Emperor) friended it.
