Biography
J.P. Sunshine ranked among the most obscure acts to emerge from England's flower-power years, to an extent that scarcely needs emphasis. Its rudimentary home recordings stayed confined to private quarters throughout the ensemble's brief existence, surfacing only long after London's cultural peak had faded. The project originated in the capital during the closing months of 1967 as the vision of poet George Duffell, who performed under the name Jorgy Porgy. Eager to pair his verse with melody, Duffell encountered Rod Goodway, previously of the English pop outfit the Pack, whose cover of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe in Magic?" had reached listeners. Goodway supplied straightforward acoustic guitar settings, prompting a group to assemble around the pair. Duffell handled bongos and xylophone while Goodway took vocals and guitar; they were augmented by Adrian Shaw on guitar, Pete Biles on bongos, and Duffell's partner Pat Morphin on percussion.
By the start of 1968 the lineup embraced amplification after Goodway brought in former Pack guitarist Andy Rickell, known as Android Funnel, prompting Shaw to switch to bass. Beyond a conventional band, J.P. Sunshine functioned as an extended circle whose participants gathered at the flat shared by Duffell and Morphin to absorb fresh American releases by Love, Jefferson Airplane, Captain Beefheart, and the Grateful Dead, among others, while consuming various substances. Under those combined influences the circle composed and performed, capturing the results on a basic two-track recorder. This casual, early lo-fi approach appealed especially to Goodway and Rickell, who treated the activity as leisure separate from their professional commitments in the psychedelic rock group White Rabbit. At the same time Goodway lent his voice to the Artwoods during their short-lived rebranding as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. The project's end hastened amid the insular, substance-fueled atmosphere that had taken hold inside Duffell's residence. Rickell's involvement with Morphin led the increasingly despondent Duffell to compose lyrics addressing the entanglement, which the others then performed, deepening the already strained dynamic. Toward the close of 1968 the musicians laid down finished takes, and Pink Floyd's management expressed interest yet recommended rerecording with a full drum kit. The decisive blow arrived in December when a prolonged surveillance operation by the drugs squad dismantled the gathering. Shaw, Rickell, and Goodway subsequently appeared in various groups, among them the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Magic Muscle, Hawkwind, and the Bevis Frond. The previously unheard J.P. Sunshine album finally reached the public on cassette in 1985 and on vinyl in 1996.
By the start of 1968 the lineup embraced amplification after Goodway brought in former Pack guitarist Andy Rickell, known as Android Funnel, prompting Shaw to switch to bass. Beyond a conventional band, J.P. Sunshine functioned as an extended circle whose participants gathered at the flat shared by Duffell and Morphin to absorb fresh American releases by Love, Jefferson Airplane, Captain Beefheart, and the Grateful Dead, among others, while consuming various substances. Under those combined influences the circle composed and performed, capturing the results on a basic two-track recorder. This casual, early lo-fi approach appealed especially to Goodway and Rickell, who treated the activity as leisure separate from their professional commitments in the psychedelic rock group White Rabbit. At the same time Goodway lent his voice to the Artwoods during their short-lived rebranding as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. The project's end hastened amid the insular, substance-fueled atmosphere that had taken hold inside Duffell's residence. Rickell's involvement with Morphin led the increasingly despondent Duffell to compose lyrics addressing the entanglement, which the others then performed, deepening the already strained dynamic. Toward the close of 1968 the musicians laid down finished takes, and Pink Floyd's management expressed interest yet recommended rerecording with a full drum kit. The decisive blow arrived in December when a prolonged surveillance operation by the drugs squad dismantled the gathering. Shaw, Rickell, and Goodway subsequently appeared in various groups, among them the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Magic Muscle, Hawkwind, and the Bevis Frond. The previously unheard J.P. Sunshine album finally reached the public on cassette in 1985 and on vinyl in 1996.
Albums