Hey Nonny YES - Medieval Songs from Merrie England Album

The peculiar history of a very peculiar album, by Raymond Duck

1986 was a strange year for Nutmeg, even by their own bizarre standards. The spring and summer of that year saw them record the frequently brilliant concept LP Arrow’s Rest (which wouldn’t see the light of day for the best part of thirty five years, after Clive Masters absent-mindedly stashed the tapes in a kitchen drawer) after which the band took some ‘time out’ to pursue other interests.

For Benji and Wendy Wendle this meant focusing on setting up the interpretive dance studio Dance Would Be a Fine Thing on London’s no longer fashionable Beak Street. The idea was simple enough; the pair would charge small groups of bored housewives large amounts of money to attend classes in which Benji would improvise what was usually quite upsetting music on his newly purchased Yamaha DX7 while Wendy encouraged the attendees to express their feelings by moving one part of their body at a time. Numbers dwindled week on week and the studio closed its doors by the end of the year.


Clive meanwhile had decided to try his hands at acting and managed to land several non-speaking television roles. He can be be be seen in that year’s Bergerac Christmas special as ‘Man in Garden Centre’ and a recurring role as ‘Man in back of Auction House Scene’ in Lovejoy, a role of which he was rightly proud. It was at a Christmas Eve drinks and nibbles evening at Ian McShane’s house that Clive was introduced to Orlando Pench. Clive’s life was about to change, if not for ever then at least for a couple of years or so.


Not much is known about the early life of Orlando Pench. From the few photos that have since surfaced he looks to be fortyish in the mid eighties, with a thin, wiry frame and an unconvincing black wig. Some reports suggest that he spoke with a broad Birmingham accent, others state that he spoke all posh, but with a lisp. Either way he entranced Clive with tales of his past life as a medieval peasant called Biff and they spent the whole of the evening at McShane’s house deep in conversation. Before long, Pench had moved into ‘Mary Lighthouse’, Clive’s Cornwall home with him and the two began building a mud hut in the garden - their plan was to begin living as if it were the Middle Ages in order to draw inspiration for an album of medieval songs.


When the hut was finished (authentic in every way save for electricity for the mini recording studio. And a toilet) Clive invited the Wendles (who had just closed the dance studio) to join them to begin work on the new songs. Sessions were immediately strained. Masters insisted that Pench was now a member of Nutmeg, an idea to which Benji and Wendy were vigorously opposed, Wendy going so far to say that she found Pench ‘dreadfully creepy’. Masters responded by banning the Wendles from the hut, banishing them to recording their parts from a filthy caravan nearby - something that, whilst infuriating Benji and Wendy, helped contribute to the album’s unique ambience.


Three weeks later and the record was ‘in a can’ and delivered to Beatroot Records. Despite some very strong songwriting and some clear potential hit singles (The Land of Cockaygne, Hey Nonny Yes), the album raised little enthusiasm from the record label who were busy trying to market their new signing Jonny Spangles (described my Melody Maker as ‘a disappointing cross between Chris DeBurgh and Bon Jovi’) and the project was shelved (put on a shelf).


Continuing the series of Nutmeg releases featuring reissues and unearthed unreleased gems, we present here the full album Hey Nonny YES - Medieval Songs from Merrie England. From the mellow medieval-reggae of Down in the Dungeon to the catchy twang of A Boke of Kokery, there is something here for, if not everyone, then at least some people.

‘Fun’ album facts:

* Down in the Dungeon was inspired by a holiday Clive took in the Bahamas in 1985 - THE SAME HOLDAY THAT INSPIRED BERMUDA HOLIDAY!

* Fay Be Dol was written by Benji while he WAS ON THE TOILET.

* Although Wendy and Benji were largely successful in preventing Pench from appearing on the album, his haunting backing vocals can still be heard on some of the tracks.
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