Initially known as The Ingoes, they were renamed and signed to manager Giorgio Gomelsky's Marmalade label. The original line-up comprised Brian Godding (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Jim Cregan (guitar, vocals), Brian Belshaw (bass, vocals), and Kevin Westlake drums).
The band's debut album, We Are Ever So Clean, is a classic example of English psychedelia. On release, it was presented in the U.K. music magazine Melody Maker as "Giorgio Gomelsky's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Although not a major commercial success, tracks such as "What on Earth" or "Look at Me, I'm You" have helped give the album something of a cult period status as it is unearthed by successive generations of 1960s retro fans. It was recently voted number forty in Record Collector’s list of the "100 Greatest Psychedelic Records".
If Only for a Moment saw the band taking a noticeably heavier and rockier direction, with Cregan and Godding's distinctive two-part guitar harmonies playing a prominent role. The album also marked the departure of Westlake, to be replaced by John "Poli" Palmer and then Barry Reeves.
The quartet was dissolved in 1970. While Belshaw and Godding rejoined Westlake in B.B. Blunder, Cregan formed Stud with Jim Wilson and Charlie McCracken, before joining Family. He would find fame later in the decade with Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, and as a part of Rod Stewart's backing band.
The Blossom Toes contributed music to La Collectionneuse (1967), a film by French director Éric Rohmer, and also appeared in Popdown (1967) by Fred Marshall.
Mister Watchmaker
Blossom Toes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mister Watchmaker,
Make me a watch that has not time
So I can stay as I am today
For tommorrow she'll be gone
Mr. Watchmaker,
Give me a little for you have so much
So I can hide deep down inside
Yesterday time, well I would know when she was happy
But now there are tears in her eyes, and what else can that be?
Tell me
Mister Watchmaker,
Make me a watch that has not time
So I can stay as I am today
For tommorrow she'll be gone
The lyrics of "Mister Watchmaker" by Blossom Toes speak about a desire to preserve a moment in time, to make it last forever. The singer wishes to have a watch that does not measure time, to remain in the present and prevent the future from taking away the joy of the moment. The song calls upon Mr. Watchmaker to create such a watch, and to give the singer a little of what he has. The singer wishes to hide in a memory and escape the harsh realities of the present, where tears replace happiness.
The song is infused with a sense of longing and a fear of loss. The singer is aware that tomorrow she will be gone, and the fleeting nature of time is a central theme. However, the desire to preserve the moment is so strong that the singer is willing to invoke the mythical character of Mr. Watchmaker to create a timepiece that defies the laws of time. The song speaks to the human desire to hold onto precious moments, to escape the transient nature of existence, and to find solace in memories.
Line by Line Meaning
Mister Watchmaker,
Addressing the watchmaker, who is a master of making watches and manipulating time.
Make me a watch that has not time
Create a clock or watch that does not measure time and allows the person wearing it to remain in the present and avoid thinking about the future.
So I can stay as I am today
Prevent the passage of time from changing the present situation or emotions of the person wearing the watch.
For tommorrow she'll be gone
Expressing concern that tomorrow the object of the person's affections will be absent or unreachable, this line is a reason for the watch's request.
Mr. Watchmaker,
Addressing the watchmaker again with emphasis.
Give me a little for you have so much
Asking the watchmaker for a small piece of what he has access to, since the watchmaker has a wealth of materials and expertise.
So I can hide deep down inside
Being able to retreat within oneself and be comforted by memories unaffected by time.
Of a memory
A poignant reminder of someone's happiness from before time caused a separation or pain in a relationship.
Yesterday time, well I would know when she was happy
Reminiscing about a time when the person wearing the watch was more able to discern the feelings of the person they loved by their countenance or behavior, making it clear when they were happy or unhappy.
But now there are tears in her eyes, and what else can that be?
Emphasizing the difficulty of understanding what the person is feeling when they cry, leaving the person who is watching her in a state of ambiguity and concern.
Tell me
An appeal for help to the watchmaker or perhaps anyone who can make sense of the confusing emotional state of the person he loves.
Mister Watchmaker,
Repeating the request to the watchmaker with even greater urgency.
Make me a watch that has not time
Echoes the earlier lines of the song, reiterating the request to create a clock or watch that does not measure time.
So I can stay as I am today
Reaffirms the desire to remain in the present and avoid losing the current feelings and situation.
For tommorrow she'll be gone
Emphasizing once again that the requirement of the requested clock or watch is to avoid confronting or dealing with the pain of losing the person tomorrow.
Contributed by Adam L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.