Doc Mustard (Andrew Roland Oliver) - A Tribute
by Pete Clemons
It is fair to say I think that Andrew Roland Oliver, or Doc Mustard or Ollie as more widely known, led an alternative lifestyle. Ollie was non-mainstream, he believed in conspiracy theories, particularly those involving aliens, and, in general, lived outside of the cultural norm.
Ollie moved to Coventry during 1973. Coventry folk of a certain age will remember Doc Mustard as a busker who pitched up, with his dog Paxo, around various locations in the city centre. This led to a partnership with former Tubulah Dog and Crokodile Tears guitarist, Jerry Richards, who became known as the Cobalt Kid.
Ollie then moved onto Cornwall during the early 1990s. Firstly calling in at Mousehole and then eventually settling in at Penzance.
Despite his life style, and the fact they clearly enthused him enough to get up and play, Ollie’s musical influences would suggest that he was not that different from you and me.
The following are a few of Ollie’s quotes on albums that had an effect in his early years:
‘Flowers of Evil’ by Mountain: ‘Back in early 70's Matlock I was bass player in a rock trio called The Doughnut Band. We got a gig at The Cavern. As I walked down the steps into the basement club there was what sounded like PA feedback and I'm thinking it's the sound engineer setting up. Wrong. It was the DJ who was spinning the Dream Sequence from this album and I'd arrived at the point where Leslie West holds a sustained note before breaking into Roll Over Beethoven. I was ecstatically blown away’.
‘Tons of Sobs’ by Free: ‘Whilst living in The Horse Shoe, Matlock Green during respite from boarding school, my friend a few doors along towards Tansley, Tom, who is wholly responsible for my guitar obsession thanks to his Watkins Rapier if my memory serves me well and also his album collection, would regale me with tales from his college adventures including rave reviews of this amazing band he'd seen called Free’.
‘The Eagles’ by The Eagles: ‘Back in the mid 70's I saw Horace (Panter) in Gosford Street, Coventry on his way to Hits, Misses and Vintage records to part with some Eagles albums so we came to a satisfactory financial arrangement. Even before Joe Walsh they were awesome’.
‘Babylon by Bus’ by Bob Marley and the Wailers: ‘Living in multi-cultural Coventry from '73-'91 I was blessed with an infusion of uplifting music. Here's a top live album that helped to steer me towards the post of Keyboard player for an awesome Cov reggae band 'The Ring'.
‘96 Degrees in the Shade’ by Third World: ‘I don't take holidays as travel advertising in the name of global consumerism doesn't appeal to me also I'm not a slave in need of respite despite having to report to the taxman annually. This album takes the mind on a vacation so here we are with the sun blasting away outside’.
‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’ by Steely Dan: ‘I was living in Coventry when I heard this. Utterly ground-breaking harmonies, melodies and rhythms seriously fed my musical appetite. Can't imagine how life would have been without them’.
‘Talking Book’ by Stevie Wonder: When I moved to Coventry in '73 as a bass player in a trio we were introduced to a drummer, Nick, who put us up temporarily in his flat in Radcliffe Road. Earlsdon. His dog Freddie always went apeshit every time the ‘Crossroads’ title theme came up on ITV. Nevertheless, this is an album that was a popular spin on the turntable.
Ollie had just recently put together a trio called The Cobalt Kids. This involved former Coventry residents Alan Varney on bass guitar and Robert Brown on drums.
According to Alan ‘Doc Mustard and the Cobalt Kids were just ready to do gigs and we had a lot booked and even got 26 songs recorded 13 of which are on a CD, but just as it was about to be unleashed on the public Ollie took ill and within 12 weeks sadly passed away’.
Alan continued ‘Of the 26 songs we put together for gigs and recording, about 13 are Ollie's lyrics, with my bass and Robs drum parts. Just up to date versions of Ollie's busking songs which are a mix of Boogie/Reggae/Ballad/rock feel songs’. ‘I met up with Ollie here in Penzance this year the last time we met was in the 70s in Coventry. He called it Serendipity the way we met again after so many years. We jammed for an hour or so and then found we just clicked and had a great sound and Ollie loved it’.
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Here is a recent tribute from Cornwall Live https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/one-cornwalls-best-loved-buskers-3204360?fbclid=IwAR3obkBrIAJXbJS3cW2Nx97srImjd4OH-ipTgo60FZmCK6Pw2vuxWHEjxF4
Doc Mustard playing bass with Machine / Hot Snacks in the early 80's. The original drummer of the band was Silverton Hutchinson who was also the original drummer of The Specials before John Bradbury joined. The band performed Two Tone band The Selecter on occasions.
Below - Ollie with a tale about his busking career!
The Ring - Reggae band
Doc Mustard's appearance on May the Best House Win.
More of Doc Mustards musical videos here
https://sites.google.com/site/bandsfromcoventrypart2/home/hot-snacks-machine?pli=1 More about Machine / Hot Snacks on this link.
The Ring
Craig Ward's publicity sheet with Sunshine Music Agency Coventry 1974 for SMACK - Ollie played bass and sang vocals in the band.
The following are two news items from Hobo Coventry Music and Arts Magazine (edited by Trev Teasdel) 1974.
"SMACK! formed from the now defunct Pug-ma-Ho, are now completing a tour of Germany. a single is due out around Christmas time on the Bell label.
The number is entitled "Miss Understood" and was written by Bob Young. The line up of the band consists of Gordon Reaney on lead guitar; Ollie Oliver on bass guitar; Nicky Trevisthick on drums and a female vocalist by the name of Margo- Buchanan-Reid-Smith (Later a backing vocalist with Mud)."
From Hobo (February 1974)
SMACK! PLAY GERMANY
Just returned from a successful tour of Germany are SMACK!. The group who are Coventry based, hail mainly from Matlock. This phunky rock band who play original material, consists of these curios Smackeroos - Gordon Reaney - lead guitar, Ollie Oliver - bass and vocals, Margo-Buchanan-Reid-Smith on Vocals and smiles and Nicky Trevisthick on drums.
Doc Mustard at the Stoker venue in Coventry c 1989 / 91, organised by Steve Ashwell
Doc Mustard with Simon Baker at the Stoker.
The following are Ollie's press cuttings sent to me by Al Varney.
Discordia - Eris
I knew Olly well first meeting him and his then girlfriend Gill Taylor in the Climax pub .I shared accomodation with him at various times including 5 moat avenue where he established the naughty boys room recording studio it was only after he left Coventry that he became obssesed with conspiracy theories .He was well aquainted with the Coventry music scene and they would often call round for a bit of inspiration .He never smoked tobacco and was vegetarian.His death in Cornwall came as a suprise and I have been unable to find out the cause I wonder what happened to the 8 track recordings he had of groups that played at the Stoker and those who used his recording studios .To my mind musically he was at his best with Hot snacks .Jerry richards the Cobalt Kid was a t one time dossing at 5 Moat avenue and had a bit of a touchy temper which could rub up against Ollys pacifist nature Jerry went on to become a member of Hawklords and i think that epitomy of the English underground Hawkwind .posted by Marcus .
ReplyDeleteThank you Marcus, Trev Teasdel, site admin here. Interesting comments. I knew Gill too, met her at the Tech college - she lived near me in Willenhall Wood and used to drag me off to see Ollie's band Hot Snacks at the Ryton Bridge Hotel. Brilliant band. I met him long before in 1974, at the Sunshine Music agency in Gulson Road - he had a band called Smack at the time. No idea about the 8 track tapes although one of The Ring has surfaced I think. I don't have it but will see if we can put some of it on the site. Ollie died of cancer in 2019 sadly, down in Cornwall.
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