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Gentle Giant was positioned for a giant leap when their
first album appeared. The line-up included Derek, Ray and
Phil Shulman who had already tasted success with Simon Dupree
and The Big Sound with the top 20 UK single “Kite” a psychedelic
single (which Phil Shulman later referred to as a “piece
of shit”) that came out in 1967 and had a moderately successful
album featuring R&B material(some of which was written by
Shulmans as well as their older sister in collaboration
with an assistant of the band’s manager). The band’s old
identity and their hit single ended up becoming an albatross
hanging around their neck preventing the band from branching
out the way they wanted. The Shulmans all of whom could
write and read music, play multiple instruments and had
ambitious plans of their own. ***
Recruiting keyboardist Kerry Minnear and blues guitarist
Gary Green the Shulman brothers founded Gentle Giant one
of the earliest progressive rock bands of the 70’s. The
band combined medieval influences, a variety of classical,
modern and baroque elements from classical music, polyphony,
elements of jazz and rock music creating a unique sound
that has continued to influence bands in Europe to this
day. Ironically, Gentle Giant found their biggest fan base
during their life time in the United States. ***
Photo By Ant
Their first U.S. release was “Three Friends” (actually
their third album) which Columbia Records released using
the artwork for their first album self titled first album.
Cycling through drummers with a different one for their
first two albums and losing second drummer Malcolm Mortimer
after a motorcycle accident, the band found John Weathers
a harder hitting drummer who had played with The Grease
Band and who altered the band’s sound with his playing style.
Weathers who would occupy the drum stool to the end of the
band was another multi-instrumentalist (he played both acoustic
and electric guitar in addition to drums and sang backing
vocals) joining with “Octopus” the band’s fourth album.
***
“Octopus” marked a turning point for the band and also
the beginning of a difficult period; the album cracked the
Billboard Top 50 and the band (opening for Black Sabbath
in some locations an odd pairing to say the least which
led to an interesting audience) appeared positioned for
success when Phil the oldest of the brothers announced he
was leaving the band. Burned out during the last tour (and
a decade older than his siblings) Phil decided he wanted
to stay as close to his wife and children as possible and
life on the road had lost all of its allure. ***
The band chose to carry on without replacing Phil rearranging
older material for the five piece and composing new material
that suited the players. They ran into another road block
though when Columbia chose NOT to release their follow up
album “In a Glass House” in the U.S. because they felt it
was too esoteric and didn’t have any commercial potential.
The band soldiered on touring to support an album that hadn’t
been released in the country with one of their biggest followings
signing with Capitol in the U.S. for the terrific follow
up albums “The Power and The Glory”, “Free Hand”, “Interview”
and “Playing the Fool” a double live album that closed off
the band’s most creative and diverse period. Ray Shulman
has gone on record as stating that “Interview” marked the
waning of the band’s creative ability. Although it IS a
more difficult album than the trio of albums that preceded
it, “Interview” remains a scathing satire of the press and
how it tries to pigeonhole bands using inane questions and
quotes in an attempt to define the music of any band assigning
it to a musical ghetto. Derek’s often expressionist lyrics
give the album considerable bite and artistic merit even
if it’s clear listening to the album that “Interview” tends
to be as fragmentary as those quotes you might find in a
news article. ***
Photo By Rob Robinson
Wanting to reach a broader audience (and success) the
band streamlined their sound on a trio of final albums “The
Missing Piece”, “Giant for a Day” and “Civilian” each a
concept album like the ones before but with a more guitar
based sound and relying less on the complex arrangements/changes
that had become their “sound”. Fans rejected the albums
and the band didn’t find the larger following they wanted
(which is tragic since all three even “Giant for a Day”
which Derek Shulman later called “contrived” have their
merit) and with the New Wave influenced “Civilian” the band
called it a day. ***
Gary Green continued playing working with a variety
of local bands in the Chicago area where he had resettled
after the band broke up. Green an accomplished and talented
guitarist has joined up with former Giant drummer Malcolm
Mortimore (who played on the band’s third album. Although
he would have been interested sadly drummer John Weathers
is ill and unable to perform any longer) performing Gentle
Giant’s music in a live setting again. Although Phil, Derek
and Ray Shulman have opted out of the band which was called
Rental Giant at first and now Three Friends (after Giant
keyboardist/singer Kerry Minnear briefly joined the line
up), Green and Mortimer have captured the spirit of the
original Giant line up performing successfully to often
sold out shows. ***
Gary continues to perform with Three Friends and is
hoping to mount a national tour at some point that will
expose a new generation of fans who never had the chance
to see Giant live to the band’s musical legacy. He also
hopes to put together some new material at some point that
he might be able to record with Three Friends in a similar
style to Gentle Giant’s music. ***
A gracious, intelligent and modest man, Gary spoke
with me on February 12, 2010 discussing Giant’s history,
musical legacy and the remastered editions of the band’s
catalog from “In a Glass House” to “Giant for a Day” which
have become available for the first time as digital downloads,
CD and, eventually, vinyl reissues later this year. The
digital download editions of the albums have bonus tracks
not available with the physical copies. I spoke with Gary
on February 12, 2010 via phone. ---
Wayne Klein:
Welcome Gary thanks for joining us today. Gary I don’t
know if you recall your next-to-last performance with Gentle
Giant. It was at a club called the Old Waldorf in San Francisco.
It was supposed to be the band’s last performance.*** Gary
Green: It was a weird place…I don’t know sort of like a
banquet room wasn’t it?***
WK: Yeah. It was originally a night club that held
no more than maybe 250 people.***
GG: I remember at that show a fan tried to give us
stuff at that particular show someone brought an enormous
replica of “The Missing Piece”.***
WK: Yes, I remember that it was presented at the end
of the show.***
GG: It was a beautiful gesture. Had it been the day
of digital cameras we would have been able to record it
all. I’m glad that I found someone who remembers seeing
it there though. I think it was (in San Francisco) supposed
to be the last show (Ed. Note for “ Civilian” tour)as I
recall I guess that the show at the Roxy had done well we
went back to the Roxy and played the last show there (Ed.
Note. This last show appeared as a CD release “Last Steps”)
and that was it.***
WK: I realize that the band had made an agreement to
break up after the tour to support “Civilian”). It did seem
to me that the band was on the cusp of possibility breaking
through to a larger audience with a more commercial sound.***
GG: Yeah well I think so but with sort of a sacrifice
on the musical side. When you form a band you believe you’re
going to get success that will sustain you at least. Sadly
it wasn’t the time for Giant. Although we played great music
it wasn’t stuff that would reach a larger enough level to
guarantee all of us to live off of it. Ironically enough
I think like you said it was headed towards that. We perhaps
could have but everybody was tired at the end of all that.
It was a 10 year run and I don’t know but it seems like
many bands 10 years seems to be it or any sort of creative
project is about 10 years. After that either something mighty
will happen or you kind of give up the ghost. Then you think
“maybe we could be doing something else”.***
WK: Could you tell us a little bit about your influences.
Although Giant was more “prog rock” you always struck as
a blues player.***
GG: You got it. Exactly I’m a blues player. I grew
up listening to all of the Cream stuff, John Mayall and
Little Walter that’s what I listened to growing up. I was
in a blues band with a friend of mine who played harmonica
on breaks from school. Also, The Beatles (were an influence)
but I suppose my biggest influence was my brother Jeff because
he—my older brother—started playing guitar before I did.
There was always a guitar lying around the house. I picked
it up and he was showing me stuff and I kind of got into
it through him. I grew up in a house where my mom and dad
were always listening to jazz at home and that was always
rolling around. I had two brothers one played drums and
a guitar player—Jeff. There was always Duke Ellington, Frank
Sinatra, Django and then The Beatles came along. I was always
open to listening to it but, I don’t know, it seeps into
you as you get older. You know you’re an impressionable
kid and The Beatles came along and I was a guitar player
(laughs).***
WK: I wanted to get your impression of the first four
Gentle Giant albums vs. the later ones because after Phil
left the band and it altered the sound. How would you describe
the changes?***
GG: Less experimental perhaps we had a much less broad
musical palette after Phil left. Phil was obviously very
instrumental in forming the band one and sort of guided
the direction of the band early on. It was his statement
on “Acquiring the Taste” that made that outrageous claim
(“..it is our goal to expand the frontiers of popular music
at the risk of being very unpopular”-a manifesto of sorts
that appears on the interior packaging of the band’s second
album) which I didn’t actually think of at the time but
looking back at the time it was a ballsy statement to make
but that’s exactly what we did. It was a time in the 60’s
where it seemed that record contracts were being given out
left and right. The brothers obviously had an in because
they had already been in a pop band (Simon Dupree and The
Big Sound) and were still good friends with the manager.
We just wanted to make music. We didn’t think we were going
to be a prog band because there wasn’t such a thing at the
time. There wasn’t that label fortunately I think. We just
went ahead and made the music that pleased us regardless
of commercial success. That’s where it got us (laughs).
There were very different things on those four albums and
when Phil left it became more of a straight—well not straight—sort
of rock band.***
WK: It seemed as if from “In a Glass House” to “Interview”
it seemed some of the “progressive” elements from the first
four albums were missing which gave you more freedom as
a guitarist. Is that an accurate assessment?***
GG: Yeah it is. Early on the musical parts were very
exact as to who was going to play what. There was a little
more freedom with the later albums and I think as time went
on and we realized that playing the music from “Acquiring
the Taste” wasn’t going to make us not rich and famous but,
you know, that we had to tailor it to a wider audience that
included more straight forward guitar things. It did allow
me a little more freedom I think in expression. I wasn’t
concerned with that but with it being a bit more guitar
it was geared more towards a commercial market.***
WK: I think you end up losing fans any time a band
tries something different. Sometimes streamlining the sound
of a band doesn’t mean it’s going to be better or worse
just different.***
GG: I agree with you. Just because somebody changes
doesn’t mean it’s going to be worse.***
WK: There seemed to be a real competition between all
the instruments before the band began to streamline it’s
sound for everyone to “have a space”. As much as I love
the early stuff, the thing that appealed to me was that
the fact that the band became more guitar based. Since the
guitar is the essence of the Blues, R&B and Rock…***
GG: I Think we knew that and that was in everybody’s
mind. Regarding what you said earlier about the instruments
competing I guess that’s true but it wasn’t an ego thing.
It was purely the result of playing the arrangements as
written. I’m sure you’re aware that anything Kerry wrote
that was contrapuntal with different lines going through
it you’re playing a single part in it. No one part is supposed
to be the dominant part so they weren’t competing as such.
It’s just a matter of playing the tunes..being part of the
ensemble.***
WK: The only band I can think of that was comparable
in terms of complexity from that time was Zappa's.***
GG: Zappa resembles Giant musically more than others.
It’s not something that you would typically hear in rock
music and it’s how Kerry and Ray wrote. Giant’s music is
a bit more akin to something like classical music. It’s
a band that played interweaving parts and we enjoyed it
very much.***
End of Part One:
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