The Unexplained

Personnel: Leigh Tarrant - Bass Guitar, Vocals Mervyn Lovett - Guitar, keyboards, Backing Vocals Jeffrey Oberman - Drums Stacey Estathiou - Lead Guitar (Occasional) Brian Kotz - Lead Vocalist 1978 David Field - Keyboards, Lead vocalist 1979-1980
Some Song Titles Endless Night Senseless No-Go Quick Riverbank Freedom Lost In the Light Mirrors (in the dark) Painted Lady Girl Next Door Devils Angel Illusions You and Me I Love The Unexplained	Click the images for larger pictures

A Brief History

The Unexplained were formed in the summer of 1978 by Mervyn Lovett and Leigh Tarrant. Based in Oakwood, North London the band quickly gathered momentum in the summer and Autumn, to recruit new lead singer/frontman Brian Kotz. As a four piece,they performed their legendary first gig in the infamous Sports Hall of Trent Park College, Middlesex, in September 1978. This set was recorded , and is very rare today to find, the quality of the performance was rather poor,but did show the kind of imaginative set the guys were soon to master.

They played a kind of rock/Psychedelic/early punkish repertiore, which, as the songs developed,ended up being over 6 minutes in length.

Towards the end of 1978, Brian left the band to join the now famous Mod Band "Back To Zero". In his wake came keyboards man Dave Field, already an accomplished musician in his own right. They went on to record their first demo tape, which included the songs ...Endless Night,Quick Riverbank and Painted Lady.

After a spate of a few gigs, which often included playing at "The Duke Of Lancaster" in East Barnet, Martin Murray of the well known sixties band "The Honeycombs" was keen to sign them to his new label. But after much thought, Mervyn had decided to take leave from the band, to go on and study at Sheffield University. The band then disbanded in the fall of 1980.

Aftermath

After "The Unexplained" had called it a day, Leigh and Mervyn did go on and write a few more songs, and recorded them for future prosperity, where they still lay lying in the vaults somewhere today.

A short while after, in 1982, Leigh and Mervyn formed a band called "Zoe and the Hush Puppies" to which a new singer, Zoe Matthews took the helm, helped out by Prime Cut's Paul Cuthbert on the drums. The band played a few London Gigs in that Summer, and finally came to rest shortly after.

Other demos emerged during the following Summer, with help from A10's John Quorm (Drums) and Stacey Estathiou (Lead Guitar) and also Jeremy Sutton doing his turn at the lead vocals.

Some Memorable Gigs

Duke Of Lancaster, Public House, East Barnet - 1978 1979 1980
The Alan Pullinger Centre, Southgate, 1979
Pembrooke University, Oxford, 1980
Moonlight Club, Kilburn, London 1979 1980
Hilton House Hotel, Euston 1979
The Orange Tree, Public House, East Finchley 1979
Middlesex Polytechnic Trent Park Students Union 1979
The Tunnel Club, East London 1980 1981
Middlesex Polytechnic Trent Park Sports Hall 1978


Sound bites from the archives of The Unexplained

Painted Lady
Girl Next Door
Devils Angel
Endless Night
Click a song title above for a brief sound bite in MP3 format.

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