Daniel Mantey - 'Pressed Rat & Warthog' - (1667 version!)

'Pressed Rat & Warthog' - Mike Taylor, 1967 - arranged and performed by Daniel Mantey - Music All Sorts; hurdy-gurdy (3), bass viols (4), pardessus viols (3), soprano recorders (3), clavichord, folk-guitar, and organ.

'Pressed Rat...' appeared on 'Wheels of Fire' by the Cream, Mike Taylor's music with Ginger Baker's words (which I do not recite here; still working on that evasive 'final mix'!). Honestly, had never heard the song until just a few years ago. As a kid, I enjoyed Cream A LOT, and had even heard Eric Clapton perform with John Mayall's Blues Breakers in 1968 (?) in Cleveland, but never had bought their albums. A few years ago, finally bought all the Cream opus on CDs, and started to listen.

'Pressed Rat and Warthog' just simply blew me away; I stopped the CD, went to my music room, and started recording the above version! I worked virtually non-stop for about 3 days! It was INTENSE fun!!! That was in Spring of 2009. I start off with a single full hurdy-gurdy (two more join in for the final chorus), and eventually you hear clavichord, folk-guitar (modified to emulate a bandora!), four bass viols, 3 pardessus viols (that is it's pegbox on the video!), 3 soprano recorders, and organ.

It was my intent to present a version as perhaps Oliver Cromwell might have heard it, if the broken consort (the band), down at the Swan & Lyre Tavern around the corner from St. Paul's, had come across a copy of the score (via time transport?) about 300 years prior to the Cream's release (give or take a few years, as the Great Fire of London was in 1667?). Cromwell had banned the Anglican Religion, and most churches and cathedrals had sold their organs to inns and taverns, and the concept of 'pubic concerts' was born during this period!

Back to the 20th century; I am not sure exactly what Mike's version might have been, and so base my arrangement (we are now full stop back in the 21st century!) upon the Cream's version, which probably had a lot of Tom Dowd's and Felix Pappalardi's influences? I use Jack Bruce's bass lines a lot, and Eric's solo (he only enters at the VERY end of he Cream version) is done on the 3rd hurdy-gurdy, which sneaks in similarly late in my version. I don't use any percussion, but try to capture the feel of Ginger Baker's supreme drumming in the energy of my arrangement?

I use Neil Brook's hurdy-gurdy for this recording. Neil carved the gibbon head on the hg, by request of course (instrument makers usually don't monkey around so much with their instruments?). David Jacques Way had built the sweet clavichord about 3 years before his passing, and honestly cannot remember which of my many recorders I used? Oh, the big final chorus...when I was getting to the end of 'take-one' of the recorder part, I suddenly realized I needed to keep playing to fill in until the end, and had completely forgotten to prepare anything at all! I just kept playing along, improvising until the final click on my monitor. I was pleased, and continued to improvise on takes two and three. The parts you hear on the recording are (in fact!!!) the 'take-one' improv un-edited, followed by the 'take-two' improv, followed by the same 'take-two' improv in cannon!!! Recording is tricky business, but rule #1, always keep the 'record' button on! You can always edit and toss out; you can NEVER do the same thing twice! Recorded Spring of 2009, at Cherry Tree Studio, Kyoto. Hope you enjoy!

[LaymanRobert]

F&knand soooocooool Thank you from the bottom of my heart! !

[onoyudont]

Happy Christmas '24. I've got this immediately following Ginger's WOF original on a Yule playlist.Oh btw, Jack's masterful, weaving bass lines on the song's fantastic, manic outro were 'inspired" by "The Cutty Wren" a really old, old English folk song.

[RaysDad]

Bonnie Prince Charlie has closed down his shoppe....

[joeymac]

Thanks for this. I am just coming across this now. Love Cream's version. What a great job you did of this. Thank you, thank you. This is beautiful. Is this really written in 1667?

[donnarawlinsfrench]

Daniel, this is gorgeous. I'd love to think that this might be played at the Catankerous One's funeral! I'm sure he'd generously smirk!

[Walkingshadow]

Reciting the poem could be very tricky. I didn't really realize it until I heard the MSG concert, where Cream did Pressed Rat and on the Wheels of Fire version the recitation is actually very good. The live version is not, and that's what made me appreciate how well it was done on the album. I always loved Clapton's guitar work at the end of that song as well. They were at their creative peak during those sessions, no doubt about it.

[verticaldude]

Daniel, this piece is exceotional. You've deinitely sent this one back in time. I can hear it in a scottish film score. Worth every bit of those 3 days. Be well

[DanielPJMMAS]

Hi, if you are still there? I FINALLY figured out what I had done with those fabulous bass lines. I had written them out to play, but, I was then using a bass viol to do the bass part, could not manage those well on that, so put them in the organ LEFT HAND! Unfortunately, you can't really hear them at all in the ruckus, but there they basically are. I am almost done with a new version of the piece, USING a bass guitar, and those parts will be much more noticeable. Coming soon!

[Walkingshadow]

Looking forward to it. A bass recorder might be a good thought also for the orchestration, maybe doubling the bass lines?

[DanielPJMMAS]

You know, I had Jack's bass lines written out, and they just did not fit the bass viol or organ, BUT I now have a bass guitar, and will try to add those fabulous bass riffs to the next version, which will also have the poem! Thanks for reminding me about that, listened to the Cream version today, and your comment came to mind...later, D

[Walkingshadow]

Thanks much! One suggestion: the bass lines at the end of the Cream version are downplayed, but I think that is a very intriguing part of the song. I would suggest giving more emphasis there.