The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the first volume only chronicled the USA.
Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964–1969 emerged in 2001. It features music from countries such as Iceland, Uruguay, and Japan. I’m profiling and rating each of the 109 tracks, working backwards.
Track 96 – Real Crazy Apartment by Winston’s Fumbs
From: Stratford, UK
10
Credits
4/16. REAL CRAZY APARTMENT – Winston’s Fumbs (U.K.)
(Jimmy Winston)
PERSONNEL/JIMMY WINSTON: vocals, guitar * TONY KAYE: organ * ALEX PARIS: bass * RAY STOCK: drums
Produced by TERRY OATES
Recorded in London, England
Rca single #1612 (1967)
Winston’s Fumbs
Jimmy Winston was the original keyboard player for the Small Faces. He lasted a couple of singles before he was kicked out and was replaced by Ian MacLagan.
Our original organist, Jimmy Winston, wasn’t working out. He couldn’t play – I mean, none of us could play, but we was keen. Jimmy Winston couldn’t play, and on top of it he had an ego as if he could play the piano, so he had to go! We chucked him out of the Small Faces. Very exciting times, the Sixties, there’ll never be another time like it, I’m sure.
Ronnie Lane, Small Faces Talk to You: The story of the Small Faces in their own words
Undeterred, Winston formed new bands, first The Reflections then Winston’s Fumbs.
Real Crazy Apartment
By 1967 The Reflections had metamorphosed into Winston’s Fumbs, releasing this superb freakbeat single for RCA in July 1967. By then, Winston had switched from organ to his first instrument, guitar, and his abrasive leads are well to the fore here, alongside a great, driving Hammond riff. The track conjures up images of the ultimate Chelsea swinger’s pad, all pop art murals, pot smoke, and Space Age gadgetry.
Mike Stax, Nuggets II liner notes
‘Real Crazy Apartment’ is another great find from the Nuggets compilers. With Winston on guitar, it’s frenetic acid rock, a little like Hendrix with an organ player and a more straitlaced rhythm section.
Winston’s Fumbs only released one single, but the flipside is also worth hearing:
The Aftermath
Winston only released a handful of singles, including a 1976 single as a solo artist. He returned to acting – he appeared in stage performances of Hair and in the Doctor Who episode Day of the Daleks.
Meanwhile, another member of Winston’s Fumbs enjoyed a higher-profile career. While Rick Wakeman is the most famous Yes keyboard player, Tony Kaye played on their early albums and 1983’s comeback album 90125. That’s Kaye on ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ and ‘Your Move’.
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Wow…Tony Kaye caught my eye. Kaye was also in Badfinger on their final comeback album in the early 80s. I liked Real Crazy Apartment with the first listen…the guitar and the wall of noise they had going on…it sounded good. I also like Snow White as well with those repetitive backups…they fit. Good one Graham…also…loved the quote by Lane.
I didn’t realise Tony Kaye was in other bands apart from Yes – he annoyed them by only playing piano and Hammond.
I think I remember that now that you said it. He wanted to use a piano, and Hammond but no synthesisers and not even a mellotron. I’m not a keyboard player….so I don’t know if he wasn’t as confident on those or just didn’t like the sound.
Both of these songs are pretty good, One wonders a bit Winston’s Fumbs only managed to release one single. Perhaps Winston’s ego reared its head again like it apparently did in The Small Faces?
Yeah, you’d think someone would have noticed that he was talented and let him record some more. Or maybe he gravitated back to acting?
Love the Lane quote: “I mean, none of us could play, but we was keen.” The Small Faces are personal favorites, but didn’t know about Kaye being in Winston’s band. He was too tall for the Smallies, anyway.
I didn’t know the Kaye connection either. I guess Yes were kind of a Nuggets supergroup – Steve Howe was in Tomorrow as well. Maybe others as well?
Squire was in The Syn. Peter Banks, whose band (forget name) did “19-Hour Technicolour Dream.”