rock ’n’ roll lifestyle. Iggy, and for that matter Thee Hypnotics, could do it. But not everyone can. “In Italy [Craig’s] heart stopped and we’d have to re-pump it,” claims Ray, shaking his head. “A few weeks later when back in London, Jim and Heather weren’t at their flat and he went all yellow and purple... and he died. It was heavy. The mad thing was that his father was a health expert in LA and had a show on TV!” After the near tragedy of the “Phil Smith car accident”, death had now entered Thee Hypnotic’s existence. “It was a wake -up call of sorts,” admits Jim, “but we saw [that Craig] was a real loose canon, and that was his way. The saddest thing was that his girlfriend followed in the same way shortly after.” Ray tuts, “Another clichéd story of drugs.”
Drugs
“I have just finished the Keith Richards’ biography,” Jim explains, “and it’s a great little read. It’s fucking fascinating when he’s writing about songs, but when he gets into the drugs thing it’s like, ‘Does anyone really care?’ No one really cares that you couldn’t be woken up before a gig. That’s just fucking boring.” And yes, all manner of hard drugs were consumed. Jim is now teetotal and successfully touring the world with his new band The Jim Jones Revue, whilst equally gifted and charismatic guitar player Ray has not graced the stage since Thee Hypnotics called it a day. He has overcome addiction and is out of work. As Jim honestly states, “Becoming Iggy and Keef doesn’t work on a budget.”
Perhaps a victim of what had begun as teenage emulation of their rock heroes, all Ray has to say on the matter is, “There’s nothing glamorous about it... all my friends are down in a hole. There is no romance.”
“We’d been living life to the max and at the end of it we didn’t want anything more to do with hard partying.”
neck out and said he would produce us too.” It was most unfortunate that before the recording of the album started, Craig Pike OD and died. Having been part of the writing process for The Very Chrystal Speed Machine and touring Europe with the songs, a great gap was left without him. Long time friend Will Pepper agreed to help out when he was most needed. “He heard about it and was mortified,” says Ray. “‘Look if there is anything I can do, I will’, he said on the phone. We told him we were recording a new LP in LA and Will was there for us and came back on board.”
If Soul, Glitter & Sin was a harrowing ride through hellbound Americana (juke joints, voodoo and swampland), the new album was a return to the ’70s and more importantly, England. “It was certainly our most British sounding record,” agrees Jim. Producer Chris Robinson was as in awe of England as Thee Hypnotics were of the States, and saw them as the new Free. Fellow
72
Album Number Three: The Very Chrystal Speed Machine
Below: Thee Hypnotics with The Cult Bottom: The High Life: America circa 1994
Throughout ’93 and ’94 Thee Hypnotics had been cementing themselves as a live draw in the States, winning fans everywhere they played. Johnny Depp was a huge fan, as was Harry Dean Stanton. Even Cher showed up at a Viper Room gig. Life had been tough, but it did look like their star may still shine bright. “Chris Robinson had a lot to do with instigating [our next album]. It was done as a handover from Beggars, rather than being dropped,” explains Jim. “At one point Chris said to the label, ‘Look I’m doing more publicity for your band than you are. What the fuck is that about?’ He really stuck his
Crowes Marc Horne and Eddie Harsch contributed fine slide and keyboards, whilst the holy quartet of Jim Jones, Ray Hanson, Will Pepper and Phil Smith turned the clocks back to London circa 1970. The Very Chrystal Speed Machine is a retro rock delight outstripping the similarly inclined Primal Scream or Lenny Kravitz, and to all concerned had the trappings of bona fide success. A video for the lead single, ‘Heavy Liquid’, was directed in London by Martyn Atkins (Lenny Kravitz, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty). “Rubin had given me $17,000 to make this video,” he explains on the phone from LA, “which he wanted to look really English with a Faces-type vibe. We hired an old open top Bentley, scored a big bag of blow,
brought in their female friends and made a rock ’n’ roll video where we got trashed and drove around London. It was one of the best videos I ever made. We hung out for a couple of days and had a really wild time.”
But even if Rubin was a fan of the band’s music, and had so far spent a lot of money on making the album, Jim explains the turn of events.” Before going on tour, America [Rick Rubin’s almighty label who were issuing the record] said, ‘If you’re Danzig or The Black Crowes, you’re alright. If you’re Thee Hypnotics we’ll put the stuff out, but you’re on your own. Things have changed.” In legal proceedings with Polydor, the
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