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Downtown Faction was Rod's first band, from when he was at school in Durham. The name was Rod's own invention, later to be revived for the band formed with Ray
Laidlaw, Jeff Sadler and the others. The first incarnation had previously been known
as The Cyclones and The Wombats.
The legendary Downtown Facton Tapes is an unreleased album which was recorded over the period of several months at Morgan Studios, London. It included early versions of Road to Kingdom Come and Train in G Major. Other Rod originals were the enigmatically titled Blues for a Dying Season, Far Side of Your Wall, and the uncharacteristically gloomy and introspective From My Window, written by Rod while still a student at Durham University. |
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An acoustic folk-club version of the last of these songs, credited to Lindisfarne, was salvaged for the Buried Treasures Volume 1 CD. Anyone wishing to hear Rod talking about the two versions of this song can do so by pointing their stereos at track 17 - Window Crack. Curiously enough, Rod did not actually appear on the Downtown Faction rendition, owing to academic commitments (see below). The Lindisfarne version was recorded at the Nicely Out of Tune sessions, but missed out for inclusion on the album, owing to stiff competition from the other songs. But, it's fortunate that this song wasn't lost to posterity - listen to the lyrics, can't you just feel the pain that must have gone into writing it?
The more or less fluid state of the Faction's line-up is reflected by the fact that on some of the tracks Ray Jackson took up the vocals/ harmonica role which was shortly to become such a cherished and integral feature of the Lindisfarne set-up, while Richard Squirrell had contributed vocals and harmonica on others. The 'album' was recorded in several sessions over a period of a number of months, during which Richard left, and Jacka arrived. The burning question arises, which of the pair was it who stamped his mark on Road to Kingdom Come and Train in G Major? Rod assures me that it was Jacka in both cases. Rod, on bass and guitar, drifted in and out of the band as his university commitments dictated, finally returning when he graduated. The remainder of the line-up during this period was Ray Laidlaw (drums), Simon Cowe (bass and guitar), and Jeff Sadler (guitar).
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Durham University rag week, 1968 |
It is believed that the Downtown Faction Tapes were acquired by Virgin at the time that they took over the Famous Charisma label, which, as Charles Orr says, is certainly food for thought.
1987 Paul Jones Rhythm and Blues Show
Downtown Faction, with a line-up of Ray Jackson, Simon Cowe, Rod Clements, Jeff Sadler and Ray Laidlaw briefly reformed for a one-off radio appearance on BBC's Paul Jones Rhythm and Blues Show, broadcast on the 1st of October, 1987. The original recording is long since lost, but a member of the band (which one is not yet clear, but it wasn't Rod) had the presence of mind to make a cassette recording from the radio, and from this source Sporting Life Blues, Loving Around The Clock, and Checkin' On My Baby were mastered directly, and the resulting tracks were used for Buried Treasures 1, 2, & 3 respectively.
As Rod tells the story:
'I can't remember whose idea it was or who organised it, but Jeff, Si, Ray, Jacka & myself convened at Jacka's house near Huddersfield, rehearsed in his local pub, & went & recorded the session at Strawberry in Stockport the next day. We did Checkin', Sportin' Life Blues, Lovin' Around the Clock and possibly one other which I've forgotten but would have had "n'" in the title.' |
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It should be recalled that at one stage, around 1967, Billy Mitchell declined the offer of a place in Downtown Faction. As Mitch later showed up in Jack the Lad along with Rod, Si and Ray, there was in this instance a definite element, as Rod freely concedes, of 'reverting to plan A' after the original Lindisfarne split in 1973.
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Rod in action for the Downtown Faction in 1968 |
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