The latest in the series of exclusive fan club interviews is a chat with the MUNGO JERRY band's long time guitarist, TIM GREEN. Tim started out with the band in something like '78, his debut album being that year's, RAY DORSET & MUNGO JERRY album, and he has been around almost all of the time ever since. He is currently working on the latest MUNGO JERRY offering - 'THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES'. IT SEEMS TO BE AN EXCITING TIME RIGHT NOW, TOURS TO THE U.S.A, SOUTH AFRICA & AUSTRALIA AND A NEW ALBUM BEING WORKED ON? Yes I think that firstly the input from ROLAND DUNNE is giving the MUNGO JERRY project a new lease of life and now Ray finally has a right hand that can possibly develop things to a different level. This has been lacking somewhat in the past and I am quite excited about the various prospects. HOW IS THE NEW ALBUM – THE EMPERORS NEW CLOTHES – COMING ALONG? At this stage it is a bit early to say, but the basic tracks are being recorded according to everyone's time schedule. CAN YOU TELL US ANY OF THE NUMBERS RECORDED SO FAR? Wait and see !!! TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING, WAS IT GARY GAZELLI, LARRY ANDERSON & YOURSELF WHO TEAMED UP WITH RAY AND COLIN? WERE THE THREE OF YOU FROM THE SAME BAND? Yes, at that time in the seventies all three of us were members of the actually quite successful British Rockabilly band, ROCK ISLAND LINE. We had been doing shows with Mungo and BONNY TYLER in Germany as well as the college circuit in England, and also we had recorded some of Ray's rock & roll songs. The three of us teamed up with Ray and Colin. It was a good mixture of influences. I NEVER SAW THAT LINE-UP BUT TALKING TO RAY ABOUT IT, HE SEEMED TO RATE IT HIGHLY? Sure was, Ray's bluesy rocky style, Colin's boogie piano, my extra guitar and harp mixed with a great drum and bass section. We recorded some good stuff. HOW DID THAT BAND BREAK UP? If I recall correctly, Colin went to the US. Larry went off to pursue a solo career and I moved to Germany. Gary stayed on for a about a year with Eddie on bass, and then also moved to Hamburg where he still remains until today. DID YOU EVER ACTUALLY LEAVE? I CAN REMEMBER LINE-UPS IN THE 80’s WITHOUT YOU. Yes I actually left the band for the first time in January 1978 when I moved to Hamburg. RAY SEEMED TO BE DRIFTING ALONG IN THE 80’s UNTIL HE HOOKED UP WITH JOE RUSH FOR SOME SKIFFLE GIGS IN FRANCE AND THEN COMING BACK AND FORMING THE BAND WITH JOHN AND NICKY WREN. THERE WAS A REAL BUZZ ABOUT THAT BAND? I kind of missed out a bit there as in the eighties I was trying to get my first production company going. I never got the chance to see the line up so I am unqualified to make comment. I know that Ray enjoyed those pub things he did with Joe as it was very laid back. WE THEN HAD THE SNAKEBITE ERA AND OF COURSE THE ALBUM, ANOTHER GOOD BAND? Very rocky, with JAMEI ROBERTS on drums, LES CALVERT on bass, not forgetting STEVE JONES on keyboards. I still like that album a lot. By the way Steve just got married last Saturday ! CONGRATULATIONS STEVE IF YOU ARE LOOKING IN! AM I RIGHT IN THINKING THAT YOU HAD SOME INVOLVEMENT WITH THE KATMANDU PROJECT WITH PETER GREEN AND VINCENT CRANE? Yes that is correct. I was visiting Ray when he lived in Farnham. He told me that Peter had given him a call. I thought it would be great if Ray could record with Peter. What a mixture of great musicians, a sort of “best of” British blues line up. I also helped construct the first record deal for the album. I HAVE A TAPE OF OUTTAKES WHICH TO MY MIND ARE BETTER THAN THE ALBUM! Well, that’s a matter of personal taste. I have heard the outtakes. I prefer the album . One must remember that the album was a kind of jam session, and reflected the bluesy mood that all the participating musicians felt at that moment in time. I WAS NEVER QUITE SURE ABOUT THE OLD SHOES NEW JEANS ALBUM BUT IT SEEMS TO HAVE GROWN ON ME. That’s strange, I liked that album a lot. YOUR GUITAR WORK ON THE 'CANDY DREAMS' ALBUM WAS EXCELLENT, I TAKE IT YOU WERE MORE THAN HAPPY WITH IT? Yes, that was slightly different music from Ray which gave me a chance to try some different styles of guitar playing that during the course of the normal live work I don't always have the chance to play. DID YOU ENJOY THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY GIGS IN NEWCASTLE UNDER-LYME? Yeah! That was fun, I had not seen Joe for years and the pub thing and the evening show both went well. The last I remember was Joe having one Guinness too many and getting a bit loud in the car park !! WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE ADULTS ONLY ALBUM? Well it has received some good reviews, but I feel confident that we can top that with 'THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES'! I HAVE A FEELING THAT YOU GOT TO SEE THE ‘ORIGINAL’ OR RATHER MORE ACCURATELY, THE JUG BAND – 1971 LINE-UP. HOW DID YOU RATE THEM AS A BAND? Yes! I saw them in, I think it was Bognor Regis. I cant remember the name of the venue. Something Ballroom? Well they were going a bit against the style of what was going on at that time, but nevertheless the bluesy skiffle interested me a lot. I never thought that a few years later I would be in the band!! At this point, I thought it be a good idea to get some of the fans to hurl a few questions at Tim. DEREK WADESON ASKS… WHAT INPUT DID YOU HAVE WITH ROCK ISLAND LINE AND THE THAT'LL BE THE DAY MOVIE? Well I actually joined ROCK ISLAND LINE just after the film was finished so I was not involved in the film. BARRY GIBSON (lead guitar) had just left the band and I got the job as lead guitar player. Barry went on to fulfil his life's dream in as much as he is now the owner of, and still manufactures Burns Guitars, as far as I know. The band went on to be very successful in Scandinavia and Germany. Working alongside the late SCREAMING LORD SUTCH. It was a departure for me playing Rockabilly, and you can imagine being a “blues rocker” and having long hair, being in a rockabilly band. The older fans used to call me, “the rockabilly hippy” but they respected my playing more than the way I looked. We recorded for DJM records and had a couple of hits in Denmark. IS THERE A SORT OF GIG THAT YOU WISH RAY WOULD NOT UNDERTAKE? No not really. They are all different. We have played pretty much all sorts of gigs from hotels to big festivals to private parties, and if the band performs well, then Ray can usually turn on any audience pretty much anywhere in the world. CAN WE HAVE A BIT OF INFO ON YOUR PUBLISHING BUSINESS? I have now been involved in publishing and production since 1978. My first company was sold to Warner Bros. I was involved in a few hits in the eighties here in Central Europe and today I am involved in the most diverse music from Cuban Jazz to Pop. 'Music was my first love'….. I am still involved in German TV and help organise artists to perform on National TV shows. WHAT IS IT THAT RAY HAS GOT ON STAGE THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO CARRY ON? Ray’s performance and vocals have in my view improved over the years (in comparison to many artists). If I listen to old sessions, I always get the feeling that Rays voice had a lower kind of tone. Hard to explain. Nevertheless the years of live experience can only work in a positive way. OUTSIDE OF MUNGO, WHICH OTHER BAND WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A PART OF? Never really thought about that! I would like to have worked maybe in the JOHNNY WINTER band or maybe TAJ MAHAL. STUART TURNER ASKS… DO YOU FEEL THAT ALL THOSE OVERDUBS ON OLD SHOES WERE NECESSARY? As always when we record, I record a lot of guitar tracks. The final decision as to what get used is always with Ray. I know that on these particular recordings Ray was aiming at getting a kind of Chicago Blues sound that actually always sound a bit overdone with all players blowing at the same time. ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO TOURING THE U.S, SOUTH AFRICA, ETC? Yes! I haven’t been in the States for a couple of years. I have many friends and family in the U.S and look forward to performing, and hopefully seeing a few of them. The last time we played in New York, it was kind of odd because many people were not aware that MUNGO JERRY is an English thing, they thought that the band came from San Francisco! It will be nice going to South Africa, I like the wine!! DO YOU PREFER GIGS OR STUDIO WORK? WHY? I prefer live shows. Working in the studio with Ray is fun as it always gives me the chance to add my part to his music, but there is nothing like the excitement of a good live gig. JEAN JACQUES BEDROSSIAN ASKS… HAVE YOU ANY COMPOSITIONS OF YOUR OWN THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECORD AS A MUNGO JERRY SONG? No, as I have never considered myself to be a songwriter. WHY ARE YOU NOT ALWAYS IN THE CURRENT LINE-UP? As you may be aware, Ray is working with different line-ups as well as solo, etc, and it is not always possible for me to perform. There is a basic line up which has been the same for a while and according to the information that I have, I shall be performing this year on some of the key shows and tours. I am looking forward to the shows. ROB KAMPHUES ASKS… I WANNA KNOW IF THE ZIPPER FROM YOUR GUITAR CARRY BAG IS FIXED? (After a gig last year in Germany, his guitar slipped out of his carry bag and smashed on the street, with some damage to the guitar). The zipper was not actually broken. I was just too dumb not to close it properly in the rush to get away after the concert, so now my brand new Stratocaster has its first war wound! It gives the guitar character! I grew up in the seventies and after watching RORY GALLAGHER, (who played a really beaten up old Stratocaster) knew that it's not the way the instrument looks, but how it sounds and the way you play it.