Confessions Of A Teenage ELP Fan
It takes a lot to render broadcaster and writer Danny Baker mute. That said, three men, a bank of Moogs, an ominous-looking drumkit and a singer who, according to Carl Palmer, sounded like he could have sung in a choir, can do it.
“John Peel said they were a great waste of talent and electricity,” says Baker and we both burst into peals of laughter.
“To their eternal credit, ELP then put that in their tour programme. I remember seeing them at the Hammersmith Odeon and the first page of their programme said: ‘“Emerson, Lake and Palmer, a great waste of talent and electricity.” – John Peel.’ But he was wrong – the way they used electricity was entirely different from anyone at the time; they certainly weren’t Deep Purple and they weren’t Bowie, they were something else.”
For the eagle-eyed viewers, there was no missing the poster tacked on the wall of Danny’s bedroom in , the TV adaptation of one of his numerous best-selling memoirs (more of which later) – his affiliation, admiration and love for Emerson, Lake & Palmer
