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U.J.R. had financed the "Earthquake" album privately, which was a considerable risk, but he was confident to find a record company afterwards. Uli took this risk in order to avoid production interferences from A&R managers. Shortly after “Earthquake” was completed, a suitable record company was found indeed with “Metronome”, which were based in Hamburg, just like Uli’s previous record company, RCA.
The managers of Metronome were very excited about the album, particularly so as "Tokyo Tapes" had just been proven to score the largest ever international success for a German band and had turned 'gold' in several countries. It was also generally felt that Uli had been responsible for a large part of that success.
Metronome were then planning to do a series of large festivals for May 1979 in order to promote their “Brain" label, for which Electric Sun was the newly acquired flagship.
There was only one snag, however, because drummer Clive Edwards chose to break his contract with E.S. and left the band in the lurch at short notice in order to follow what then looked to him like a more lucrative offer from a band named Wild Horses.
Electric Sun were being urged to play the festivals at all costs, although Uli told the record company they didn’t have a drummer and that he felt the band was far from ready for such an assignment at short notice. Eventually, and against his better judgment, Uli agreed to do the shows and a pretty frantic search for a new drummer ensued.
Indonesian born Sidhatta Gautama, who lived in Hamburg, was recommended and after one rehearsal Uli and Ule decided in favour of him, because they liked his style of drumming.
The band then had very little time to rehearse and held stage-rehearsals at a hall in Hamburg after which they had their debut at the first of three ‘Brain Festivals’ on May 24 in Bad Rappenau. Uli was far from pleased with the results of the first show and the band got a somewhat muted reception. The second day at the Essen Grugahalle was little better, but the third show, a day later in Bremerhaven was a success. (With the UK’s Record Mirror magazine, giving the shows a rave review, stating...”Roth’s Hendrix atavism’s had the audience eating out of his mitts!”) Electric Sun were learning fast and getting better each night. |
