About The Factory

There are several artist go by or have gone by the name, The Factory: 1) "Why don't you come and see us play" said a group of young musicians to BRIAN CARROLL at a summer party back in 1967. The FACTORY were three boys from Surrey in England at the height of Jimi Hendrix and the whole flower power fantasy of the summer of love. Through the haze of cities covered in smoke from a generation that was expanding their minds came thousands of groups and musicians waiting for the break that would take them from a seedy club to a recording contract. The FACTORY were lucky. BRIAN and his friend DAMON LYON SHAW worked for IBC, the leading independent recording studios in London and they were looking for a band to record for their newly formed production company, HOMEGROWN MUSIC. They were both recording engineers who had worked with such legends as JIMI HENDRIX, THE WHO, THE ROLLING STONES, CREAM, STATUS QUO and many more. Surrounded by all this talent the engineers decided they had to find a raw young group that could use the knowledge they had learnt. Brian went to see the band and although only 21 himself, he was impressed by the energy from a trio of 17-year-olds. Time was spent searching for a debut single and finally they came upon an obscure track called "PATH THROUGH THE FOREST". The boys learnt quickly and IAN OATES haunting guitar intro leads us into a nightmare of psychedelia. Satisfied with the track they completed the B-side, a cover version of PAUL REVERE'S "GONE" and within weeks the record was released by CBS. Without the backing of a record company behind you it is impossible to reach the ears of the masses and like many good records of this era the single was swallowed up among the hundreds of tracks released every week. But there was still some more music to be made and while looking for a new single they recorded FAIRPORT CONVENTION'S "MR LACEY" and FAMILY'S "SECOND GENERATION WOMAN". The single "TRY A LITTLE SUNSHINE" came from a meeting of the band with JOHN PANTRY, a talented writer who was also an engineer at IBC. The words to "TRY A LITTLE SUNSHINE" was a peaceful message that worked against the band in an anti drug society. With "RED CHALK HILL" as the B side and released on MGM records,"TRY A LITTLE SUNSHINE" took many years to be appreciated as a statement of the times. Once again IAN OATES guitar took us somewhere else while drummer BILL McCLOUD and bassist JACK BRAND kept a steady rhythm in a song that has also joined "PATH THROUGH THE FOREST" as a classic of Psyche. Also included on this the demo version of "RED CHALK HILL" sung by JOHN PANTRY and a version of "PATH THROUGH THE FOREST" that Brian and Damon wanted to do but were advised against by the record company. The FACTORY went on to other things and today are all successful in their own careers. 2) Tennessee-based funk-cover band originally comprising of two members Paramore (Hayley Williams and Jeremy Davis) . 3) Some British house producers. 4) An UK 80's Goth rock band on "Strike Back Records." 5) Much like predecessors New York Dolls, Stooges and Dead Boys, The Factory burned like a roman candle, then disappeared into the night. The Washington D.C. band ruled the roost for a stint in the late 80's/early 90's, opening for Iggy Pop, The Ramones, Public Image, Ltd., and Johnny Thunders - turning the heads of both fans and music industry reps along the East Coast. Led by Vance Bockis (formerly of The Obsessed, 9353 and doom metal gods Pentagram), The Factory ratcheted through songs of juvenile lust, drugs and working class bravado. They were a brash extension of late 1970's Rolling Stones, picking up where the strut and sneer of Some Girls and Tattoo You left off, creating an explosive concoction of straight ahead Rock n' Roll, Glam, Punk and R&B.