The Troggs Tapes
| The Troggs Tapes | |
|---|---|
| Studio album (bootleg) by The Troggs | |
| Released | 1972 |
| Recorded | 1970 |
| Genre | Spoken word |
The Troggs Tapes is a bootleg recording of the English rock band the Troggs. It was originally recorded in 1970, and consists of band members having an acrimonious argument over the production and recording of a song, with frequent use of profanity. It has become one of the best-known spoken-word bootleg recordings, and has influenced later work such as This is Spinal Tap.
By the late 1960s, the Troggs' commercial success had waned. The production company Dick James Music offered them studio time in the hope of recording a hit single and revitalise their career. The band, lead singer Reg Presley, guitarist Chris Britton, bassist Tony Murray, and drummer Ronnie Bond, with producer Dennis Berger, were booked into DJM's studios in London, which suffered from having the control room and recording room in separate locations, linked only by a Tannoy system and closed-circuit television. The band intended to record a song called "Tranquility", but had not rehearsed before entering the studio. The session quickly descended into acrimony, with Presley verbally assaulting drummer Bond's ideas and competence. Bond was unable to copy Presley's idea of a drum pattern, which culminated in Presley exclaiming "Fuckin' drummer. Oi shit 'em!"
Larry Page, the band's original producer, said that he usually recorded the band quickly and without fuss, as he expected arguments would otherwise arise. He was not invited to the session that produced The Troggs Tapes and claimed the lack of his usual working methods were a key source of the arguments and tension that resulted.
Despite the verbal assaults between Presley and Bond, the pair remained friends until Bond's departure from the band in 1984. Presley later said, "When you know somebody that well, you can say almost anything."
The argument was captured on tape by engineer Clive Franks with help of tape op Barry Sherlock, and made its way onto bootlegs in the early 1970s. The release gave the Troggs an infamous reputation, though it also raised their public profile. Though the band's career collapsed shortly after the session, it was revitalised by the bootleg's notoriety and led to the band reforming and becoming popular with punk rock audiences towards the end of the 1970s.
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