The Pink Fairies evolved out of a drinking club formed by Steve Peregrin Took (formerly Marc Bolan's partner in T Rex, the Pretty Things, the Deviants also called the "Social" Deviants) and Syd Barrett in 1969. Took, along with Mick Farren and Twink (previously of The Fairies, Tomorrow, and Pretty Things) named the group Pink Fairies, only to see Twink appropriate the name for his new project (Pink Fairies Mark 2) with three ex-Deviants members. Mick Farren's first solo album, Mona, features the original Pink Fairies Mark 1 line-up.
It is worth noting that according to Jason Ankeny of All Music Guide, "the Social Deviants...consisted primarily of vocalist Mick Farren, guitarist Paul Rudolph, bassist Duncan Sanderson and drummer Russell Hunter. The group also featured satellite members Marc Bolan, Steve Peregrine Took and players from the band Group X, later rechristened Hawkwind."
After the "Mark 2" version of the band broke up in 1972, a new version (Mark 3) formed which, eventually adding ex-Steve Took's Shagrat guitarist Larry Wallis, who took over the band them, leading them on the Kings Of Oblivion LP. Wallis was simultaneously in both the Pink Fairies and the original line-up of Motörhead with ex-Hawkwind bassist Lemmy, and, co-incidentally enough, also substituted for Lemmy on a Hawkwind tour of America at the last minute because Lemmy was deported back to England because of possession of amphetamine sulfate.
Although never in an official line-up of the Pink Fairies (after Mark 1), Took continued to be associated with the Pink Fairies. He played support slots for the Pink Fairies and occassionally joined them as a third drummer, and once on bass guitar.
Members of the Pink Fairies and Deviants were largely interchangeable throughout the years. A more recent member of the Deviants, (Andy Colqhoun) appeared with Larry Wallis, Twink, Russell Hunter and Duncan (Sandy) Sanderson for the later Fairies reunion album, Kill 'Em & Eat 'Em.
"In 1975, the Kings of Oblivion-era line-up reunited for a one-off London gig; an enthusiastic response led to the official reformation of the nucleus of Rudolph, Sanderson and Hunter, who added former Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers vocalist Martin Stone before again disbanding in 1977. A decade later, the original line-up -- minus Rudolph, but including Wallis -- reunited for the album Kill 'Em and Eat 'Em before calling it quits yet one more time. "~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide.
Fairies haven't released any music to the general public in the last several decades. However, reissues of '60s and '70s material and more contemporary jams--of arguably lesser interest--have made it into limited pressings--around 1,500--have been distributed by a loose network of smaller distributors, band members and friends. These albums have featured Twink and one or two other old Fairies members, several of whom were living in Canada, according to graphic novellist Link Yaco, who found Paul Rudolph there in 1999, willing to endorse "Spacechicks and Businessmen", an x-rated graphic novel. Rudolph's endorsement appears on the cover of the book.
The first European excursion for The Pink Fairies saw them blowing amps, money and minds at the three-day Ruisrock Festival in Turku, Northern Finland in 1971. Recorded by the state radio station, the three-piece, now without Twink, consisted of Russell Hunter on drums, Paul Rudolph on guitar and vocals, and Duncan Sanderson on bass. Unleashing heavy, acid-drenched jams on the audience, beginning with a blistering attack on The Beatles’ psych classic Tomorrow Never Knows, the Fairies must have blown away the opposition – Juicy Lucy, Jeff Beck, Canned Heat and Fairport Convention – with sheer force.
Do It
Pink Fairies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well all you've got to do is, do it
Well don't talk about it
All you do is do it, do it
Don't lie about it
Do it, do it
Write about it honey
Then we'll just do it
Do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it
You all just do it
Don't sing about it
If you ain't gonna, do it
Don't write about it man
If you ain't gonna, do it
Rock and roll
And the message is, do it
You're gonna rip me off man
You blew it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it
Do it (x12) yeah
The Pink Fairies’ song “Do It” is an anthem about the importance of action over mere intention. The song urges listeners not to overthink or talk about their ambitions, but to simply take action and make their dreams a reality. The repetition of the phrase “do it” creates a sense of urgency and excitement, as if the band is encouraging listeners to seize the moment and take charge of their lives.
The lyrics also suggest a rejection of pretension and empty showmanship. The band urges listeners not to sing or write about their goals unless they are committed to actually following through on them. The line “you’re gonna rip me off man, you blew it” seems to address those who talk a big game but never follow through, suggesting that the Pink Fairies value authenticity and action above all else.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't think about it
Stop overthinking and take action
Well all you've got to do is, do it
The only thing required is to jump in and start doing it
Well don't talk about it
Talking alone won't get anything done
All you do is do it, do it
The solution is simple, just take action and do it
Don't lie about it
Be honest with yourself and others about what you plan to do
Do it, do it
Reinforcing the theme of taking action and not just talking about it
Write about it honey
Express your desires through writing as a way to manifest them
Then we'll just do it
Using writing as a form of planning to follow through with action
Yeah,do do do do do do do do do do do it
Emphasizing the need for action with the repetition of 'do it'
Do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it
Further reinforcement of the central message of action over talk
You all just do it
Motivating everyone to take action
Don't sing about it
Stop using art as an excuse to avoid action
If you ain't gonna, do it
If you're not going to follow through with action, don't bother talking about it
Don't write about it man
Stop dreaming and put your plans into action
Rock and roll
Encouraging a wild and free-spirited approach to life
And the message is, do it
The central theme of the song is taking action
You're gonna rip me off man
Warning against being taken advantage of by others
You blew it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it
Disappointment at missed opportunities and the need to focus on taking action
Do it (x12) yeah
Final repetition of the message, urging everyone to take action
Contributed by Natalie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Peter Knight Jr.
I had the pleasure of producing the record. A unique experience!
Solaris
Very cool!!
Hartley Taylor
A great record.
Hartley Taylor
If you care to tell a story or talk about it, I’d love to hear it.
Solaris
@Hartley Taylor agreed...
Hollie Moore
How did you do it?
Paul Hine
One of my favourite guitar solos; a howling, fuzzed out blitz. Always loved this song; one of my examples when someone wonders about the roots of British punk.
Paul Hine
brad davidson it’s Paul Rudolph playing guitar on this one. Larry Wallis/Steve Jones? My comment wasn’t specifically relating to the Sex Pistols.
Jack Mcgregor
These guys are better than punk. They can all play their instruments competently. I’d compare them more to Budgie and Black Sabbath than to Punk.
Activ 8
The solo is wah wah garbage.