Complex

The Blackpool, England outfit Complex devised an airy blend of bubblegum, residual psychedelia, and nascent prog traits that found little traction during the early '70s. Throughout most of that decade the musicians gigged steadily in hometown venues while cutting demos in repeated but fruitless bids for wider success. Their two homemade long-players, Complex from 1970 and The Way We Feel from 1971, likewise failed to attract label interest, leaving the group to chase an elusive break until the end. Over subsequent years the band’s reputation expanded, turning those early recordings into coveted collector items. The 2022 appearance of Live for the Minute: The Complex Anthology finally supplied the full catalog with deluxe reissue treatment.

Complex originated in the mid-’60s beat combo the Ramblers, whose guitarists were Brian Lee and Tony Fisher. That unit built a following on the local Blackpool circuit and came close to securing a contract before momentum stalled; Lee then returned to his studies and the group disbanded. After finishing school and returning to Blackpool, he reunited with Fisher, adding bassist Lance Fogg and vocalist/drummer Tony Shakespeare. The newly christened Complex began performing in 1968, only to encounter further personnel shifts. Fisher departed, replaced briefly by 12-string guitarist Chip Hughes; Fisher returned for a short spell before enlisting in the army. Organist Steve Coe then joined, bringing a set of original compositions that supplanted the group’s earlier reliance on covers. The ensemble kept performing, refining a style now encompassing baroque psychedelia, expansive neo-prog, West Coast harmony pop, and bubblegum, yet still without landing a deal.

In 1970 Complex financed their own single, pairing a sprawling reading of Deep Purple’s “Hush” with the stately, Coe-written soft-psych ballad “Images Blue.” Shortly afterward they decided to document an entire album as a demo for labels. Using a local pub during off-hours for the instrumental tracks and the Lee family home for vocals, they produced a raw, lo-fi snapshot of a psychedelic-era band exploring jaunty ska, lightweight bubblegum, and extended jazz-rock passages. Ninety-nine copies of the poorly mastered self-titled album were pressed and mailed to companies; the sole response came from EMI, which invited the band to cut a proper demo at its studio, but no contract resulted.

Undaunted, Complex moved on to a second album, selecting material that had worked best onstage. Again convening at the pub, this time with slightly improved production, they completed The Way We Feel—named for its most memorable track—pressed another ninety-nine copies, and repeated the cycle of anticipation and rejection. The lack of label response was discouraging enough; worse was Coe’s exit to pursue music teaching. Keyboardist Steve Proctor, who had issued the 1967 single “Mr. Commuter” and previously played in the prog outfit Innocent Child, took his place and steered the sound toward progressive territory. In early 1972 this lineup recorded a five-song demo featuring two extended progressive-pop pieces and three covers, among them an expansive “Theme from Shaft.” Interest remained absent, and Proctor soon left, replaced by Keith Shackleton.

The musicians persisted with demos, talent contests, and regular performances. By the mid-’70s they had reverted to a cover band, abandoning earlier prog inclinations. A glam-tinged demo finally yielded a 1975 agreement with Pye Records. After bassist Lance Fogg quit on the eve of this opportunity, the remaining members recorded “Who Got the Love,” a disco-inflected track, and the smooth soft-rock number “She Turns Me On,” issued in April 1976 to minimal notice. Further studio attempts failed to satisfy the label, and the Pye association ended a year later. Drummer Carl Hutchinson was added, another demo went unheard, and the band veered abruptly into punk with “Dial 999.” Brief consideration of a new identity as Ronnie Nose & the Snot Gobblers accompanied the shift, yet the group ultimately chose to disband.

Complex’s music slipped into obscurity, hardly surprising given its limited initial exposure, though a modest cult following formed around the first two albums. A 1991 bootleg appeared, followed by Wooden Hill Records’ authorized 1999 reissue of both LPs. Additional editions surfaced over time, but only the 2022 Grapefruit Records set Live for the Minute: The Complex Anthology presented the complete remastered output.