Church Gathering

Church Gathering
'Teeth' c/w 'Jennifer Smells'
Released 19th May 1967. ARC AN 4199
Spencer Charles (Lead Vocals), Kevin Gabriel (Lead Guitar, Sitar), Oliver Marchbanks (Bass Guitar, Chimes), Peter Korda (Harp, Tenor Sax, Tabla), Geoffrey Tollington (Percussion, Paintings)

The five members met at Canterbury Choir School in 1962 where they formed Jackie James & The Rockerberries. After three years pretending they were The Shadows, the group hit the London club scene as The Modonauts, having a small hit with 'If You're So Rich, Buy Me Pills' on the Clutch label before pupating into the legendary psychedelic group Church Gathering in '67.

The group claimed to be amongst the first to take acid in the UK. "Peter Korda had been to California where his father owned a small town", remembers Geoff Tollington. "He left us a Mod and came back with flowers in his hair. We thought he'd fallen over in a florists or something, but it was down to the acid and West Coast vibes. He had a washbag full of the best Owsley acid. Within a week, the Mod suits were in the dustbin and most of us were walking around Chelsea wearing tie-dyed sheets and finger cymbals".

The group proceeded to gather together as many unusual instruments as possible. "I was so high, I tried playing a tree", says Peter Korda. "But it was impossible to tune. Instead, I stuck to harp, tabla, the occcaroon, muslin harmonium and a selection of gamelan nockotinas".

While the band created long, Indian inspired improvised dirges, Tollington would paint psychedelic canvasses on the floor of the group's Kensington squat. "It wasn't strictly a squat as Kevin Gabriel's dad owned the property. But it wasn't cool to have money. I had to open my Coutts bank account in a different name."

Tollington, who is now one of the country's most respected gallery owners, has a huge collection of memorabilia relating to Church Gathering. "I have posters that are now worth several thousand pounds, and the original vinyl copies of our album 'Body of The Common Man' are worth three hundred pounds each. I keep things ticking over on Ebay. It helps finance the wine collection and keeps me in meals at The Waterside Inn!"

Ollie Marchbanks joined the short-lived Hump in 1970.