Next, Sid Bishop got married and exited the Deviants; the band recruited a Canadian guitarist named Paul Rudolph and then put out their third album, Deviants #3 in 1969.
The three remaining members of the Deviants at that point – Russell Hunter, Duncan Sanderson and Paul Rudolph – became the core members of the Pink Fairies, though not immediately.
Mick Farren, Steve Peregrin Took and Twink had actually teamed up a few months before their October 1969 gig as the Pink Fairies, during the July 1969 recording sessions for Twink’s first solo album, Think Pink, which was released in 1970. Farren produced the album, Took was on guitar and vocals, and Twink was on drums and vocals. Paul Rudolph, previously in the Deviants and later in the Pink Fairies, played guitar and bass and also provided vocals.
The Pink Fairies proper began to take shape when Twink connected with the three remaining members of the Deviants after Mick Farren was sacked: Russell Hunter, Duncan Sanderson and Paul Rudolph. This line-up produced the debut album, Never Never Land (1971). The album features classic Fairies tracks like “Do It”, “War Girl”, and “Uncle Harry’s Last Freak-Out”, but not the early single that is probably their best known song, “The Snake” (yes, that is a penis reference).
Mick Wayne replaced Paul Rudolph on guitar in the Pink Fairies, and this line-up recorded a single, “Well, Well, Well” b/w “Hold On”. For the band’s next album Kings of Oblivion (1973) – by far the easiest Pink Fairies album to find, at least in this country – Larry Wallis was brought in as the guitarist, and they also pressed him into songwriting duties; the credits list Wallis as playing Big Guitar. The album is mostly a sonic assault that also includes the playful song “Pigs of Uranus” – but even that song ends with a fabulous electric guitar solo.
However, the Wikipedia article on Shagrat states the following: “Shagrat was a British supergroup formed by Steve Peregrin Took and Mick Farren in February 1970 after they split with Twink, their partner in the prototype Pink Fairies supergroup of late 1969.” Thus, the tracks on Pink Jackets Required might not be by Shagrat, strictly speaking. According to the liner notes: “The Think Pink tracks [“The Coming of the Other One”, “The Sparrow Is a Sign” and “Three Little Piggies”] were recorded at Recorded Sound Studios, London 1969 with various members of ‘The Pink Fairies Motorcycle Club All Star Rock and Roll Band’. The ‘Demo Versions 1 & 2’ [all other songs] were recorded at Denmark St. Studios, 1969 & 1970”. Individual musicians credited are Steve Peregrin Took, Twink and Paul Rudolph.
