Photo courtesy Ronnie Harwood & Barry Marcheant
Left to Right: Geoff "Pussy" Mew (Lead Guitar), John the Roadie, Ronnie Harwood (Bass), Dave Sutch (Vocals) and Joe Meek (Production), during the recording session of Dracula's Daughter
Screaming Lord Sutch & his Savages were recording their 4th single "Dracula's Daughter"/"Come Back Baby" with legendary independent producer Joe Meek, in RGM Studios, on 306 Holloway Road, London, in 1964.
Joe Meek had produced "Telstar" by the Tornados that had been an international for them, in 1962/3. They were first british band who topped the american charts, a year before the Beatles (although Vera Lynn had also a number hit with "Auf Wiedersehen" in 1952, but she wasn't a band).
Most of Screaming Lord Sutch's releases have been produced by Joe Meek. From his debut single "Till the Following Night" to "Honey Hush"/"The Train Kept Rollin' " in 1965.
Joe Meek even penned a number with J. Goddard for Screaming Lord Sutch, "Monster in Black Tights", a little bit inspired by Jimmy Clanton's "Venus in Jeans", in 1963.
Unfortunately, they failed to chart and Joe Meek tragically passed away in 1967.
Amongst the session musicians he used: Mitch Mitchell, later drummer with Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page (see chapter about him) and Jeff Beck.
Jeff is often credited playing lead guitar on "Dracula's Daughter", although Geoff Mew, the then-current Savages guitarist, did play lead on this number. Beck only played on the B-side.
As usual Meek distorted the original sounds with some effects such as compressions and overdubbings.
Dave Sutch actually met up Dave Sutch while touring in 1961:
When I went in a 2I’s package tour with Adam Faith and Joe Brown, we toured round the Country. There was a talent scout who gave me a card for somebody by the name of Joe Meek. So I phoned up and the guy said “Come over – I’ve heard all about you, your wild stage show. What material have you got that’s not been recorded? I had this number called “My Big Black Coffin” that I’d written. We put it together and recorded it”.
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