Biography
Navigating the role of the secondary Tall Dwarf has never come easily to Alec Bathgate, who routinely lingers in the shade cast by his more outgoing partner Chris Knox. Writing him off as Jim Messina to Knox’s Kenny Loggins, or even Bruce Foxton to Knox’s Paul Weller, would hardly be equitable. An XTC parallel fits more closely: if Knox embodies the Tall Dwarfs’ Andy Partridge, the quieter Bathgate functions as their Colin Moulding. Serving as the band’s chief guitarist, he has supplied substantial musical input across the Tall Dwarfs’ albums. His songwriting credits further enrich the catalog, among them “Pictures on the Floor” from Louis Likes His Daily Dip, “Mr. Brocoili” from Weeville, and 3EPS’ “Bee to Honey,” each a sparkling, jangling example of his craft. Once Knox launched his solo work in 1989, the Tall Dwarfs were set aside for several years; Bathgate waited until 1996 to issue his own debut, Gold Lame. The record unsurprisingly mirrors a Tall Dwarfs release, its bright strummed songs enriched by Casio keyboards, eccentric looped rhythms, piano, xylophone, and assorted textures. Steeped in 1960s influences, it draws from the familiar sources—the Beach Boys, the Kinks, and the Beatles—prompting the idle notion of Bathgate as Knox’s George Harrison to Knox’s John Lennon, an idea best set aside.
Albums