Phil Free (a.k.a. Phil Clancey, Phil Dat)
Bands and Artists: Crass, Donna and the Kebabs (w/Honey
Bane), Lee Munro, Giant, Ritzi
During the 1970s, years before making music history with Crass, Phil Free cut
his teeth on an Australian pop band, Ritzi. Comprised of Pete Hughes, Mick
Carroll, and Pete "Fong" Long, Ritzi's only chart single was the 1975 "Too Much
Fandango" on the Warner Brothers label. Free's next venture, however, was
the progressively activist group, Crass. Formed in 1977, Crass admits that its
musical roots were actually in classical music and avant-garde performance
instead of the punk traditions of the 70s. However, Crass's philosophy of
anarchistic pacificism influenced punk groups in its wake and later inspired
groups such as Chumbawumba.
During their years of controversial political involvement, the most notable of
which was their vituperative protest of the Faulklands War, Crass recorded
with Honey Bane under the moniker "Donna and the Kebabs." The group
disbanded in 1986, and Phil Free somehow found himself in a collaboration
with Numa Records for Lee Munro's one-off project, "(I've Got) Stereo
Headphones," a Crass-inspired techno-pop missive. Three years later, Phil
Free formed a new band, Giant, which was cobbled together from ex-Stiffs
members Mark Coleridge and Ian "Strang" Barnes, and which released but one
single for a charity cause--scarcely found on the secondary market. (If you
have a scan of this record that you can share, please write me at
karl.sherlock@gcccd.edu; I'll give you full credit for its inclusion on this page.)
In the decade following, Free moved to California and continued to be
involved politically and musically in a number of different social causes and
avant-garde music projects, both in the U.K. and in the U.S. In 2005, for
example, he participated in a Reunion Gig in Letcliffe Park, West Craven (UK)
honoring the men and women of the 1919 National Railway Strike.
Notwithstanding several near fatal heart attacks in May of 2006 which led to a
lengthy and arduous recovery, Phil Free has rejoined the pop group that
started his career, Ritzi, and the group are once again performing and
recording: Ritzi’s first album in twenty years was slated for release in 2008.
Free also cultivates his daughter’s music career, soul artist Hannah-Rose,
whose first single, "Dreaming," was released in September 2004. Several
Hannah-Rose websites, including her Facebook site, credit her father as a
guitarist for Elkie Brooks, but to date I can find no direct reference to Phil
Free having played guitar for Brooks. If this connection does indeed exist,
then perhaps Phil Free worked with the Elkie Brooks band under a different
name. If you have further knowledge of this musical connection, please feel
free to write me with details--for which I will gladly credit you on this page.
Many thanks.
Ritzi Discography
Too Much Fandango / Wrongly Accused [7" Warner Brothers] (1975)
Demasadio Fandango [Argentinian promo 7" MH/Warner Brothers 32.384]
(1976)
Crass Discography
LPs
The Feeding of the 5000 (LP, 1978, Small Wonder Records)
The Feeding of the 5000 - Second Sitting (LP, 1980, Reissue on Crass Records
621984, with the missing track Asylum reinstated)
Stations Of The Crass (521984, LP, 1979) (Reissue on Crass Records)
Penis Envy (321984/1, LP, 1981)
Christ - The Album (BOLLOX2U2, double LP, 1982)
Yes Sir, I Will (121984/2, LP, 1983)
Acts Of Love (1984/4, LP and book, 1985. Poems of Penny Rimbaud set to
classical music, sung by Eve Libertine and Steve Ignorant)
Best Before 1984 (CATNO5, LP compilation, 1986)
Christ: The Bootleg [live recording, Nottingham 1984, Allied Records] (1989)
You'll Ruin It For Everyone [live recording, Perth, Scotland 1981, Pomona
Records] (1993)
EPs
Ten Notes On A Summer's Day (CATNO6, 12 EP, 1986)
Singles
Reality Asylum / Shaved Women (CRASS1, 7, 1979)
Bloody Revolutions / Persons Unknown (421984/1, 7 single, joint released
with the Poison Girls, 1980)
Rival Tribal Rebel Revels (421984/6F, flexi disc single, Toxic Grafity [sic]
fanzine, 1980)
Nagasaki Nightmare / Big ‘A’ Little ‘A’ (421984/5, 7 single, 1981)
Our Wedding (321984/1F, flexi disc in teen magazine Loving)
Merry Crassmas (CT1, 7 single, 1981)
Sheep Farming In The Falklands / Gotcha (121984/3, 7 single, 1982,
anonymously released flexi-disc)
Bad News (221984/12 Hit Parade, 7” single, 1982)
How Does It Feel To Be The Mother Of 1000 Dead? / The Immortal Death
(221984/6, 7 single, 1983)
Whodunnit? (121984/4, 7 single, 1983)
You're Already Dead / Nagasaki is Yesterday's Dog-End / Don't get caught
(1984, 7 single, 1984)
Compilations
“It's You" on P.E.A.C.E. ("Peace, Energy, Action, Cooperation, Evolution")
[international anti-war benefit compilation double Lp, R. Radical Records
R.R.R. 1984] (1984) (CD reissue 2007)
“Powerless With A Guitar” on Devastate to Liberate [Animal Liberation Front
benefit compilation, Yangki Records YANGKI 001] (1986)
“The Unelected President” Peace Not War [anti-war CD compilation, Platinum
Records PNW1CDX ] (2003)
"What Do You Want?" on Anti-Capitalism, Volume 4 [anarcho punk
compilation CD w/foreword written by Penny Rimbaud, Overground Records
OVER111VPCD] (2005)
Others
Honey Bane w/ Donna and the Kebabs (a.k.a., Crass, including Phil Dat)
You Can Be You EP [Crass Records 521984/1] (1979)
Tracks:
Girl On the Run
Porno Grows
Boring Conversation
"Guilty" / "Guilty Dub" [Honey Bane Records] (1980)
Giant (Phil Free with Mark Coleridge and Strang)
"Heartbeat"/ "Shout it from the heart" [7" IMPACT records] (1989)
Hannah-Rose (Phil "Free" Clancey's daughter)
"Dreaming" [CD maxi single, Robbins Entertainment, 76869-72095-1] (2004)
"Dreaming" [12" promo, Robbins Entertainment, REAB-72095-1,
76869-72095-1] (2004)
Sleeping Dogs (w/ Phil Free and Penny Rimbaud)
Beware CD [Broken Rekids, BRKN 107] (2004)
Sources:
Ritzi on MySpace Music; Ritzi on Wikipedia
Hannah-Rose on MySpace Music; Hannah-Rose on Facebook