Screaming Lord Sutch Explained

Screaming Lord Sutch
Predecessor:Position established
Successor:Howling Laud Hope
Birth Name:David Edward Sutch
Birth Date:10 November 1940
Birth Place:Hampstead, London, England[1]
Death Place:South Harrow, Greater London, England
Death Cause:Suicide by hanging
Occupation:Musician, perennial candidate
Children:1
Party:Official Monster Raving Loony Party

Screaming Lord Sutch (born David Edward Sutch,[2] 10 November 1940[3] – 16 June 1999) was an English musician and perennial parliamentary candidate.

He was the founder of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party and served as its leader from 1983 to 1999, during which time he stood in numerous parliamentary elections. He holds the record for contesting the most Parliamentary elections: 39 between 1963 and 1997.[4] As a singer, he variously worked with Keith Moon, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, Rob Jevons, Charlie Watts, John Bonham, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell and Nicky Hopkins, and is known for his recordings with Joe Meek including "Jack the Ripper" (1963).

Early life

Sutch was born at New End Hospital in Hampstead, North London, and grew up in Harrow.[5]

Musical career

In the 1960s, inspired by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, he changed his stage name to "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", despite having no connection with the peerage. It later became customary for the UK press to refer to him as "Screaming Lord Sutch", or simply "Lord Sutch".

During the 1960s Screaming Lord Sutch was known for his horror-themed stage show, dressing as Jack the Ripper, pre-dating the shock rock antics of Arthur Brown and Alice Cooper. Accompanied by his band, the Savages, he started by coming out of a black coffin (once being trapped inside of it, an incident parodied in the film Slade in Flame). Other props included knives and daggers, skulls and "bodies". Sutch booked themed tours, such as 'Sutch and the Roman Empire', where Sutch and the band members would be dressed up as Roman soldiers. Fellow musician Chas McDevitt has claimed that he gave the idea for a Screamin' Jay Hawkins-inspired act to Sutch's manager Paul Lincoln after seeing Hawkins perform in New York in 1957, having already considered emulating Hawkins himself by starting his act by emerging from a silk-lined coffin but deciding that he "(didn't have) the personality to carry this off", stating that "no one in this country had heard of Hawkins until the mid-60s".[6]

Despite a self-confessed lack of vocal talent, Sutch released horror-themed singles during the early to mid-1960s, the most popular being "Jack the Ripper". His single "The Cheat" has been cited as a proto-psychedelic recording.[7] Early works included recordings produced by audio pioneer Joe Meek.[8]

In 1963 Sutch and his manager, Reginald Calvert, took over Shivering Sands Army Fort, a Maunsell Fort off Southend, and in 1964 started Radio Sutch, intending to compete with other pirate radio stations such as Radio Caroline. Broadcasts consisted of music and Mandy Rice-Davies reading Lady Chatterley's Lover. Sutch tired of the station, and sold it to Calvert, after which it was renamed Radio City, and lasted until 1967. In 1966 Calvert was shot dead by Oliver Smedley over a financial dispute. Smedley was acquitted on grounds of self-defence.[9] About this time Ritchie Blackmore left the band. Roger Warwick left to set up an R&B big band for Freddie Mack.

Sutch's album Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends was named in a 1998 BBC poll as the worst album of all time, a status it also held in Colin Larkin's book The Top 1000 Albums of All Time,[10] despite the fact that Jimmy Page, John Bonham, Jeff Beck, Noel Redding and Nicky Hopkins performed on it and helped write it.

For his follow-up, Hands of Jack the Ripper, Sutch assembled British rock celebrities for a concert at the Carshalton Park Rock 'n' Roll Festival. The show was recorded (though only Sutch knew), and it was released to the surprise of the musicians. Musicians on the record included Ritchie Blackmore (guitar); Matthew Fisher (keyboard); Carlo Little (drums); Keith Moon (drums); Noel Redding (bass) and Nick Simper (bass).

In 2017 his song "Flashing Lights" was featured in Logan Lucky, directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Political activities

In the 1960s Sutch stood in parliamentary elections, often as representative of the National Teenage Party. His first was in 1963, when he contested the Stratford by-election caused by the resignation of John Profumo. He gained 208 votes. His next was at the 1966 general election when he stood in Harold Wilson's Huyton constituency. Here he received 585 votes.

He founded the Official Monster Raving Loony Party on 16 June 1982 at the Golden Lion Hotel in Ashburton, Devon,[11] and fought the 1983 Bermondsey by-election. In his career he contested over 40 elections. He was recognisable at election counts by his flamboyant clothes and top hat. In 1968 he officially added "lord" to his name by deed poll.[12] In the mid 1980s, the deposit paid by candidates was raised from £150 to £500. This did little to deter Sutch, who increased the number of concerts he performed to pay for campaigns. He achieved his highest poll and vote share at Rotherham in 1994 with 1,114 votes and a 4.2 per cent vote share.

At the Bootle by-election in May 1990, he secured more votes than the candidate of the Continuing Social Democratic Party (SDP), led by former Foreign Secretary David Owen. Within days the SDP dissolved itself. In 1993, when the British National Party gained its first local councillor, Derek Beackon, Sutch pointed out that the Official Monster Raving Loony Party already had six. He contested 39 parliamentary elections – a record number – losing his deposit in all of them.

He appeared as himself in the first episode of ITV comedy The New Statesman, coming second ahead of Labour and the SDP, in the 1987 election which saw Alan B'Stard elected to Parliament.

Adverts in the 1990s for Heineken Pilsener boasted that "Only Heineken can do this". One had Sutch at 10 Downing Street after becoming Prime Minister.

Sutch pulled out of the 1997 general election to take care of his sick mother in South Harrow.[13] Later that year he contested his last two by-elections, in Uxbridge and Winchester.

In 1999 Sutch starred in a Coco Pops advert as a returning officer announcing the results of its renaming competition.[14]

A number of Sutch's Loony Party policies were later adopted by mainstream parties and became law. Specifically:

Personal life

Sutch was friends with Cynthia Payne, and at one time lived at her house.

Sutch had a history of depression, and killed himself by hanging on 16 June 1999 at his late mother's house.[15] At the inquest, his fiancée Yvonne Elwood said he had manic depression, now known as bipolar disorder.[16] He is buried beside his mother, who died shortly before the 1997 General Election. He is survived by a son, Tristan Lord Gwynne Sutch, born in 1975 to American model Thann Rendessy.[17]

In 1991 his autobiography, Life as Sutch: The Official Autobiography of a Raving Loony (written with Peter Chippindale), was published. In 2005 Graham Sharpe, who had known him since the late 1960s, wrote the first biography, The Man Who Was Screaming Lord Sutch.[18]

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilations

Posthumously released:

Extended plays

Posthumously released:

Singles

Elections contested

ElectionTypeConstituencyPartyVote% votePlaceCandidates
National Teenage 209 0.6 5 5
Huyton 1 National Teenage 585 0.9 3 22
GE Young Ideas 142 0.4 5 5
GE Go to Blazes 351 0.6 4 4
BE 97 0.3 6 16
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 374 0.7 4 8
GE Finchley 1 Official Monster Raving Loony 235 0.6 5 11
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 412 1.1 4 8
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 178 0.3 5 17
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 202 0.5 5 7
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 134 0.4 5 11
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 277 0.7 4 7
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 61 0.3 7 15
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 174 0.6 7 8
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 208 0.6 7 9
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 167 0.3 6 9
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 266 0.6 8 11
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 106 0.4 10 14
Official Monster Raving Loony 841 0.5 6 8
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 336 0.6 7 14
BE Bootle 2 Official Monster Raving Loony 418 1.2 6 8
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 197 0.9 6 7
BE Bootle 3 Official Monster Raving Loony 310 1.1 5 7
BE Ribble Valley 3 Official Monster Raving Loony 278 0.6 6 9
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 263 0.8 7 8
BE Monmouth 4 Official Monster Raving Loony 314 0.7 4 7
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 546 1.4 5 6
GE Huntingdon 1 Official Monster Raving Loony 728 1.0 6 10
GE Islwyn 5 Official Monster Raving Loony 547 1.3 5 5
GE Yeovil 6 Official Monster Raving Loony 338 0.6 5 6
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 432 0.7 7 19
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 404 0.8 5 6
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 1,114 4.2 4 5
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 727 2.4 4 5
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 783 1.4 5 14
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 506 2.2 5 7
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 586 1.4 5 9
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 782 1.9 4 10
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 652 3.0 5 10
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 506 1.2 5 13
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 396 1.3 4 11
BE Official Monster Raving Loony 316 0.6 5 8

Notes:-

References

General

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Doc Rock . 1998–1999 . The Dead Rock Stars Club . 19 June 2013.
  2. Web site: 1999-05-17 . David 'Screaming Lord' Sutch, Pop Star, Politician 1940–1999 . 2022-06-14 . NME . en-GB.
  3. Book: Talevski . Nick . Rock Obituaries: Knocking On Heaven's Door . 2010 . Omnibus Press . 978-0-85712-117-2 . 628 . 9 November 2019.
  4. Web site: Most UK elections contested and lost . Guinness World Records . 7 July 2020.
  5. Web site: IN BRITAIN'S CRAZY POLITICS, LORD SUTCH HAS NO PEER . 2022-06-15 . Chicago Tribune. 16 April 1997 .
  6. . The 2i's and the birth of British rock . . 5 October 2007 . 7 September 2021.
  7. Web site: The Wild World Of Screaming Lord Sutch . Campbell. Marc . November 22, 2010 . Dangerous Minds . December 8, 2023.
  8. News: Solly . Bob . Sutch's life . 25 October 2021 . . 28 March 2009.
  9. Book: Stafford . David . Stafford . Caroline . Cupid Stunts:The Life & Radio Times Of Kenny Everett . 2013 . Omnibus Press . 978-0-85712-867-6 . 28 December 2018 . en.
  10. Web site: 1994 Colin Larkin – All Time Top 1000 Albums . Timepieces.nl . 1962-10-24 . 2012-02-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140904000631/http://www.timepieces.nl/chart/12172/1994-colin-larkin-all-time-top-1000-albums . 2014-09-04 . dead .
  11. News: Ashburton's role in political history . 11 July 2024 . . 2 July 2024.
  12. News: Obituaries – Screaming Lord Sutch . https://web.archive.org/web/20090617215545/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/politics-obituaries/5496941/Screaming-Lord-Sutch.html . dead . 17 June 2009 . 19 February 2019 . . 18 June 1999.
  13. Web site: That was 1997, that was . 2022-06-15 . News Shopper . 17 January 1998 . en.
  14. Web site: Crawford . Anne-Marie . Coco Pops back after vote . Campaign . 19 February 2019 . 13 May 1999.
  15. News: Madcap maverick of politics hid his life of despair. Millar. Stuart. 1999-09-01. 18 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240418032519/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1999/sep/01/uk.politicalnews. live. The Guardian. 2020-02-04. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  16. Web site: Lord Sutch fought long battle with depression. 1 September 1999 . Tim . Moynihan . . 18 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240418083548/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Lord+Sutch+fought+long+battle+with+depression.-a060467108 . live . . 'He suffered from manic depression for many years,' she said. . 19 June 2013.
  17. News: Obituary . Sutch is survived by his partner Yvonne Elwood, and his son Tristan, from his relationship with Thann Quantrill. The death of his mother, in 1997 on the eve of the last general election, greatly affected him.. Screaming Lord Sutch . 19 June 1999 . 18 April 2024 . 18 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240418084402/https://www.theguardian.com/news/1999/jun/19/guardianobituaries.nigelfountain . Nigel . Fountain . . live.
  18. News: Desperately Funny . 2 July 2005 . The Guardian . Review . Simon . Callow . https://web.archive.org/web/20240418085921/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2005/jul/02/highereducation.biography . 18 April 2024 . 18 April 2024 . live.