Multi-instrumentalist Richard Harvey and his fellow Royal Academy of Music graduate Brian Gulland, a woodwind player, began the group as an all-acoustic ensemble that mixed traditional English folk music with medieval and Renaissance influences. After their self-titled debut, they expanded their sound to include electric guitars and keyboards as well as wind instruments, such as bassoons and crumhorns, not often found in rock music. Gryphon's music often sounded as much like rural English folk or Renaissance chansons as it did rock, at least on their early recordings. After their third album (Red Queen to Gryphon Three) and the subsequent tour as a supporting act for Yes, their instrumentation became more conventional and the use of non-standard instruments was reduced. Fans and critics generally regard Midnight Mushrumps and the all-instrumental Red Queen to Gryphon Three as their finest albums.
In 1974, the group's publicist Martin Lewis arranged for the band to be commissioned to write and record the music for a major stage production of Shakespeare's The Tempest at Britain's National Theatre directed by Sir Peter Hall. It opened at the historic Old Vic theatre in April 1974. The music the band wrote and recorded for the stage production inspired the 21-minute fantasia "Midnight Mushrumps" (a phrase heard in The Tempest) which became the title track of their second album. Following the successful premiere of the play and acclaim for its music, Lewis arranged for Gryphon to give a Sunday evening concert at the Old Vic in July 1974—the first-ever rock concert held at Britain's National Theatre. At the concert the band performed "Midnight Mushrumps". The concert was considered a major breakthrough for progressive music. Rumors have abounded that there are audio tapes of the fabled concert but none have yet surfaced.
Their last output, until now, was 1977's Treason.
In September 2007 it was announced on Gryphon's website that, after a silence of 31 years, the band had finally decided to produce a new album. Whether the new Gryphon album will be a modern progressive and commercial sounding offering like their later albums, or a return to the predominantly medieval-based themes of their earlier works, has yet to be announced. Whilst there was no timescale planned, it was envisaged that it would be released in the Summer of 2008 with a one-off London concert date also suggested, although not confirmed. On 15 September 2008, Gryphon announced via their website that the album was still in production "albeit slowly".
The reunion concert has been confirmed for Saturday 6th June 2009 at The Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.
Members:
Brian Gulland — Bassoon, Crumhorn, Recorder, Keyboards, Vocals
Richard Harvey — Recorder, Crumhorn, Mandolin, Keyboards, Vocals
David Oberlé — Drums, Percussion, Lead Vocals
Graeme Taylor — Guitars, Vocals (through Raindance)
Philip Nestor — Bass guitar, Vocals (Midnight Mushrumps and Red Queen to Gryphon Three)
Malcolm Bennett — Bass guitar, Flute (Raindance)
Jonathan Davie — Bass guitar (Treason)
Bob Foster — Guitar (Treason)
The Devil And The Farmer's Wife
Gryphon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What happened to him I soon will relate
The Devil he called upon him one day
"Tomorrow one of your family I must take away" ("yea" [laughter])
This put the old man in terrible fright
But good mr. Devil soon put him quite right
"It's not your eldest son I crave
But that damn scolding old bitch of a wife you have-a"
Just like a bold scotsman carrying his pack
The Devil he brought her close to Hell's door
"Get along in you damn scolding old whore"
She saw some young devils all hanging in chains
She ripped off her mittens and dashed out their brains [incomprehensible voices]
Some more little devils looked over the wall
"Take her back daddy she'll murder us all"
So the Devil he canted her over Hell's wall
She fell on her arse one hell of a fall
Which proves that women are worse than the men
If they go to hell they get thrown out again
The lyrics to "The Devil and the Farmer's Wife" by Gryphon tell a humorous story about an old man who is visited by the Devil. The Devil informs him that he is going to take one of his family members away the next day. This puts the old man in a terrible state until the Devil reveals that he is only interested in taking the old man's wife away. He carries her off to Hell, but she turns out to be too much for the young devils there to handle. She rips off her mittens and attacks them until they beg to be rid of her. The Devil ends up carrying her over the wall and dropping her back into the land of the living, which the song jokingly implies is because women are worse than men.
Line by Line Meaning
There was an old man who lived near Hell's gate
Once upon a time, an old man resided near the entrance of hell.
What happened to him I soon will relate
I will narrate what occurred with that old man very soon.
The Devil he called upon him one day
The devil paid him a visit one fine morning.
"Tomorrow one of your family I must take away" ("yea" [laughter])
The devil announced to him, 'Tomorrow, I shall take away one member of your family,' which resulted in laughter from the old man.
This put the old man in terrible fright
The old man got really scared after hearing the devil's plan.
But good mr. Devil soon put him quite right
However, the devil quelled his nerves by explaining his true intention.
"It's not your eldest son I crave
The devil disclosed, 'I do not desire your eldest son.'
But that damn scolding old bitch of a wife you have-a"
Rather, I wish to take that scolding and malicious wife of yours.'
So the Devil he carried her off on his back
The devil took the old man's wife on his back.
Just like a bold scotsman carrying his pack
It resembled how a Scottish man carries his baggage with confidence.
The Devil he brought her close to Hell's door
The devil approached hell's entrance with the wife.
"Get along in you damn scolding old whore"
The devil commanded, 'Go ahead, you wicked and quarrelsome lady.'
She saw some young devils all hanging in chains
She came across some young devils who were shackled.
She ripped off her mittens and dashed out their brains [incomprehensible voices]
She mercilessly tore off her mittens and intensely assaulted them without any audio.
Some more little devils looked over the wall
Few more miniature devils peeped over the wall.
"Take her back daddy she'll murder us all"
They warned their father, 'Take her back as she will murder us all.'
So the Devil he canted her over Hell's wall
The devil hurled her over hell's wall.
She fell on her arse one hell of a fall
The wife stumbled and tumbled horribly when she fell.
Which proves that women are worse than the men
This incident validates that women are inferior to men in terms of wickedness.
If they go to hell they get thrown out again
Moreover, if women also go to hell, they are banished just like the wife was.
Contributed by Gabriella V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.