Sandra Barry was a woman who was, it seems, easily led. In this first video, she initially rebuffs her backing band’s calls to ‘come on and shake’, although shake what exactly, and in which direction, is never fully explained, which might account for Sandra’s reluctance, though the band appear to be on their way to bingo caller night school, so your guess is as good as mine. In any case, it takes just 69 seconds for Sandra’s resolve to crumble, in part due to the bass player’s continued threats to clonk her on the bonce. You’ll notice that none of the guitars are plugged in, a stipulation from Decca’s insurers concerned about the worryingly volatile mix of hair spray and high-alcohol two-shilling cologne. When Sandra does slip off her stool to shake, her limited gyrations suggest she’s harbouring something stiff, sore, both or otherwise out of cock. That said, chances are there’s a gesticulating fire officer just out of shot intent on stopping any overly vigorous jiggling for fear of static sparks from those stretch lamé winkle-picker boots.
Easily led indeed. In fact, Sandra was led away from her Boys* and spent a stint in Germany, during which time God alone knows what happened, but it seems to have been traumatic and may have involved bratwurst. Suffice to say she came back as Alice Spring fronting the band Slack Alice. Now, it’s hard to think of any complimentary connotations of that name. What is slack, and just how slack it is, doesn’t really bear thinking about. Anyway, close your eyes and you could be in a North London pub circa 1973 having beer spilled on your Brutus flares as you passively smoke 60 Players No6. MP *The Boys went on to become mod band The Action, itself morphing into the late psychedelic era Mighty Baby.
Thanks to Norm Motorcycho for sending these related videos.