This article seems quite short now, unfortunately, yet to meet Shack I have undergone an eight day bender, beginning in Wetherspoon's with Mick and John Head's uncle George, with unprintable, libelous debauchery. Just trust me. This is the price I was unwittingly well willing to pay to meet Shack and fortunately hear, intimately, some of the most vulnerable yet defiantly beautiful songs of this decade.

Still, that's just my story. Shack's is much more interesting, frustrating but, essentially, extremely fortunate and positive. You will, or should, already know the details, although you don't have to.

So, space (not) allowing, Mick Head was in a Simon and Garfunkel inspired guitar band called The Pale Fountains and beautiful members of eighties' pop society loved him.

Then Shack formed and their albums' commercial potential was spoilt by either overbearing or deserting record companies. Mick and brother John were in Love for a while with Arthur Lee, and there was heroin. I omit feelings, opportunities and crushing ironies I may never understand - I might never Know them - but if i did I'd hope to be as happy or rather as passionate as Michael Head seems now.

"I think I'm one of the best songwriters in the world, as we speak," states Mick, with a humility which most stars don't have but do need.

"And I agree," agrees John, and I do to. Most of Shack's songs are written by Mick, but John Head is an essential song contributor. How do they, as brothers as well as songwriters, establish the limits and also the opportunities for collaborating?
"I think John is one of the best songwriters too," Continues Mick. "My point being..."
"...that I'm better than you?"
"Alright - what about? HA ha ha! But my point being, when we did Pull Together (the next single) I was a junkie," Mick states. John is uncomfortable but understands his brother's need to speak so candidly about himself.

"It's cool," he tells John. "Because we're talking about music. And do you want to know why? can you remember me coming out of detox and being in your flat? Can you remember you playing the piano? Can you remember me picking up the guitar up? Can you remember writing the song?"
"Exactly." John has been agreeing, fervently, throughout.
"That's Pull Together. That's collaboration."

It's inaccurate almost to talk about 'lost opportunities' - Mick and John Head have got albums worth of amazing songs -aromatic Bacharach music with honesty and unsentimental pinpoint clarity -which people can go out and listen to, if they want. More to the point, they have created these songs and they are theirs, And I, for one, envy them.

"The positive thing about it is we know exactly what we're doing," says Mick. "The bottom line is we know the songs, let's get on stage, play them,fuck off. That's what we do, because that's what was left with us."
Not a bad legacy, I suppose.

Ross Charnock

The Pull Together EP is out...soon

<<Front Page

Related Links