Namesakes #4: The Charlatans

Last week, you had four Octopi to choose from, although the votes were divided almost equally between just two of them. In the end, the 90s Octopus just trumped the 60s version (possibly because they hailed from Shotts).

A far simpler choice this week... 

Let’s talk irony. Imagine you had a band in the 60s called The Charlatans. Then imagine that 20-odd years later, another band turned up and started using that name. You might wish to protest. But how would you do it?

“They can’t call themselves the Charlatans! We’re the Charlatans! They’re just a bunch of… oh. Well, I suppose technically they might be charlatans. Actually, they might be even more charlatans than we are since they’re falsely claiming to be us and that’s just what a charlatan does. How do you think that will stand up in court? Maybe we should say they had the name first and let them sue us for being charlatans?”

There’s a Monty Python sketch just waiting to be written… by someone far more gifted at comedy than I am.

THE CHARLATANS #1

The original Charlatans were leading lights in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco during the mid-60s, or the “Liverpool of the United States” as it was once dubbed by some idiot who'd never been to either Liverpool or San Francisco. 

Being a bunch of counter-culture hippies, these Charlatans found it pretty hard to get their bloody acts together (clearly, they needed a collective haircut), so when you read up on their recorded output you'll find words such as “failed” and “lacklustre” bandied about (and given that much of their initial sessions weren’t released until 1996, you can probably see why). Their debut single was a rather goofy cover of an old Lieber & Stoller tune, The Shadow Knows. They wanted to release a Buffy Sainte-Marie penned anti-drugs song called Codeine, but the record company blocked them, on the basis that it would likely be misconstrued... given the band’s reputation for dressing up as Victorian dandies and dropping acid before performing at the Red Dog Saloon in Nevada. Those live shows are the stuff of legend though, and if you ever find yourself transported back in time to 60s West Coast USA, be sure to grab yourself a ticket.

Singer-songwriter Mike Wilhelm became a member of the Flaming Groovies, while drummer Dan Hicks had some success with His Hot Licks. The Charlatans reformed a few times over the years, though both Hicks and Wilhelm left for the great stage in the sky for a few years back.  

I chose this Hicks-written tune to represent the original Charlatans today because I love the title. Surely an influence on the great If You Can’t Live Without Me Then Why Aren’t You Dead Yet? by My Life Story.

THE CHARLATANS #2

The second Charlatans will need little introduction to most of you, but when has that ever stopped me These Charlatans have been around for almost my entire record buying life, although they’d probably been in the go for at least five years before I paid them much attention. Their biggest success came during the Britpop era, when they were lumped in with that lot for no other reason that that they played guitars. I’ve seen them live once or twice, usually at festivals, and they have enough strong tunes to put on a strong show. I’m not sure Tim Burgess has much to say for himself lyrically though, which is why they don't quite make it into the upper echelon of my record collection. Points for getting Spider-Man into their biggest hit, One To Another, and for Weirdo, which has a nice outsider vibe they never developed any further.

Most of the time you are happy
You’re a weirdo
And before the introduction ends
There is someone feeling sorry for themselves
 
Look at your ugly shame
What are you talking for?
Look at your ugly shame
There’s too much for me to know about

Despite a tragedy-laced history (one member was killed in a car accident, another died of a brain tumour), this bunch of Charlatans have enjoyed remarkable longevity, probably due to a large, loyal fanbase. Does that include the readers of this blog? We shall see.

Now it’s time to vote. Who are The Charlatans, and who are just charlatans? Let’s settle that debate right now…