Screaming Lord Sutch

An eccentric, comedy politician famed for founding the Monster Raving Loony Party, David Sutch was also responsible for some of the UK's wildest, most theatrical early rock'n'roll. After leaving school Sutch worked as a window cleaner but, after seeing the outlandish R&B act of Screamin' Jay Hawkins, he was inspired to create the persona of Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow. Onstage he surrounded himself with skulls and crosses, dressed in a top hat and cape and arrived on stage in a black coffin, while his band The Savages played twanging rockabilly and raucous, ramshackle rock'n'roll behind him. His shock rock antics would later inspire the likes of Alice Cooper and in turn Marilyn Manson and his great horror anthem Jack The Ripper - with its menacing riff - became a classic garage rock staple covered by The Gruesomes, The White Stripes and The Horrors. His early singles were recorded by legendary producer Joe Meek and his raunchy showmanship was captured on debut album Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends (1970), featuring Led Zeppelin duo Jimmy Page and John Bonham, Jimi Hendrix bassist Noel Redding and blues guitarist Jeff Beck. Keith Moon and Ritchie Blackmore played on follow-up Hands Of Jack The Ripper (1972), but he then decided to concentrate on politics, standing for election (and losing) on 40 different occasions before committing suicide in 1999, aged 58.

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