Nuggets II: Vacuum Cleaner by Tintern Abbey

Stuart MacKay and David MacTavish met at the dole office, and named their band after a Wordsworth poem.

Vacuum Cleaner—Tintern Abbey

• Track 92, disc 2
• Year: 1970
• From: London, England.

8/10

More about Nuggets II

Credits

4/11. VACUUM CLEANER – Tintern Abbey (U.K.)
(David MacTavish)

PERSONNEL/DAVID MacTAVISH: vocals * DAN SMITH: lead guitar * STUART MacKAY: bass * JOHN DALTON: drums
Produced by JONATHAN WEBBER
Recorded in London, England
Deram single #DM-164 (1967)

Tintern Abbey

Stuart MacKay bought an electric guitar and formed The Strangers, who specialised in Shadows covers. He met David MacTavish at the dole office – MacTavish invited him to join his fledgling band. They named their band Tintern Abbey, after the Wordsworth poem.

The group only issued one single – ‘Vacuum Cleaner’ was the B-side.

David had an acoustic guitar which he used in songwriting and sometimes insisted on continuing to play this as the group developed a number. The initial rendition of ‘Vacuum Cleaner’ as David presented it was in a ‘hillbilly’ style and obviously had scope for improvement. Don Smith and I immediately launched into a raunchy driving beat which lifted the number to a higher level, although David did keep trying to strum his rhythm guitar throughout! When we were in the studio we did persuade him to drop the rhythm guitar and Don overdubbed additional guitar backing together with the incredible lead break which has become the hallmark of the number.

Stuart MacKay, The Strange Brew

Vacuum Cleaner

Released in 1967, ‘Vacuum Cleaner’ is trippy. There’s a pretty melody, but it’s offset by the extroverted drumming and the psychedelic guitar. It’s a little like a minor league ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’.

The lines “Fix me up with your sweet dose/Now I’m feeling like a ghost” perfectly encapsulate the pervasive, dreamlike quality of Tintern Abbey’s “Vacuum Cleaner.” This eerie piece of psychedelia glides on a deep, roiling bass line, and the haunted vocal melody is accented by splashing cymbals and a surging feedback solo.

Mike Stax, Nuggets II liner notes

The Aftermath

Guitarist Paul Brett joined after ‘Vacuum Cleaner’ but enjoyed the most successful career of any Tintern Abbey member. He also played with Roy Harper, Arthur Brown, and The Strawbs.

Read More

• Nuggets II Song by Song
• 1960s Album Reviews

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