Okay, here’s an oddity from 1970 from a band called Suck, another endearing African rock treasure for you, dear mates,a fantastic band that released one phenomenal album and then just disappeared into obscurity. Did you go all crazy for Free, Sabbath, Donovan or Crimson? Well Suck were just as infectious and beautiful as any of them and a little more , being African they sort of put their own spin, further evidence that in the ’70s the rockers subjects had already been deeply absorbed in several countries far from the two great capitals of rock world, which have a reserved stage on all continents.

Suck – Time To Suck

Tracks:

Aimless Lady [3.12] originally by Grand Funk Railroad
21st Century Schizoid Man [4.51] originally by King Crimson
Season Of The Witch [10.07] originally by Donovan and covered by Brian Auger
Sin’s A Good Man’s Brother [3.35] originally by Grand Funk Railroad
I’ll Be Creeping [3.19] originally by Free
The Whip [2.54] written by Suck
Into The Fire [3.18] originally by Deep Purple
Elegy [2.58] originally by Colosseum
War Pigs [7.14] bonus track on CD, originally by Black Sabbath – first released on the Rock Today With The Big Heavies compilation album

The album was produced by Julian Laxton, under the direction of Clive Calder.

Musicians:

Stephen Gilroy: Guitar (British Citizen)
Saverio “Savvy” Grande: Drums (Italian Citizen)
Louis Joseph “Moose” Forer: Bass (SA Citizen)
Andrew Ionnides: Flute and Vocals (SA Citizen of Greek extract, died 16th October 2000)

Release information:

LP: 1970, EMI Parlophone (South Africa), PCSJ(D) 12074
LP: 1970, Mega Phone records (France), 2074
CD (unofficial): 1998, Never Never Land (Japan), 758036005
CD: November 2001, RetroFresh (South Africa), freshcd 118

Buy this CD from Fresh Music

Guitarman

Comments:

Info supplied by Leon Economides. Cover scans from Piet Obermeyer. French cover scan from Andrew King.

The ‘War Pigs’ bonus track is the first track on some “unofficial” releases and the last track on others…

‘Aimless Lady’ was a cover of the Grand Funk Railroad track from their ‘Closer To Home’ album. Released by Suck as a single in 1970. Suck were the “heaviest of the heavies” and a very colourful band.

I think King Crimson, Brian Auger, Free, Deep Purple, Colosseum and Black Sabbath would be quite chuffed that their tracks were so well covered!
— Leon Economides, February 1998

Freak Emporium Website: Official release of this rare South African hard rock album from 1971 that contains wild heavy guitars and screaming vocals that is on par with any UK underground rock act from that period. Excellent cover versions of ‘Into the Fire’ Deep Purple, ‘War Pigs’ Sabbath and an extended 10 minute version of ‘Season of the Witch’ which is mind frying. Excellent booklet detailing the history of this wild rock group. This is heavy 70’s rock with a real attitude and deserves your attention.

Review:

The Scene: Beavis & Butthead’s living room. Beavis takes a CD out of a box and places it into the CD player. The camera focuses on the CD cover that features a young child next to a drum pedal staring up at the viewer. The cover is also sporting a Retro Fresh sticker. A barrage of drums and guitar pour out of the speakers.

Beavis (looking at the CD cover): Huh-huh huh-huh This band Sucks huh-huh huh-huh

Butthead (absorbed in playing a mean air guitar solo looks up some what taken aback): No way man, these guys kick, you know like, butt.

Beavis: Huh-huh He said butt.

Okay so they had a risqué name, but it could have been worse. According to the sleeve notes {by Leon Economides – ed}, they did consider using an F in place of the S. Mildly controversial by today’s standards, but in those days virtually everything about Suck caused the guardians of morals to tut-tut, frown and ban them from doing anything (although secretly, while the kids were at school, they would pull their copy of ‘Time to Suck’ out from the bottom of their underwear drawer, crank up the gramophone and let rip).

In their short history (about 8 months) Suck made one album and created more mayhem than most bands do over a 10 year career. But what an album. ‘Time to Suck’ is a highly charged package of manic drumming, scorching guitars and sublime wailing vocals from the sadly departed Andy Ionnides. Consisting of 8 cover versions of rock classics and 1 self-penned tune (“The Whip”), this is an unrelenting album of full on, uncompromising ROCK!!!!

It all culminates in the CD bonus track, a cover of Black Sab’s ‘War Pig’, which assaults the senses with a barrage of screams, drums and guitars for just over 7 glorious minutes, causing many an air guitar to be smashed to pieces over imaginary amps in bedrooms all over the country (except perhaps in Welkom if the sleeve notes are anything to go by).

Suck descended on an unsuspecting SA music scene, swiftly gained a bad reputation, produced an album of white hot rock which could easily rub shoulders with the like of those they were covering (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Grand Funk, King Crimson, etc) and then just as quickly disbanded and disappeared. Disillusionment with their management and the SA music scene in general (which had done them no favours) meant that their 15 minutes of fame was over in 8 months, but what a great 15 minutes. Now thanks to Benjy Mudie at Retro Fresh, those of us that weren’t there can get a small feel of the excitement and musical energy that made up Suck.

Beavis: Huh-huh huh-huh He said Suck.

John Samson, London, UK, January 2002