Excerpt from A Teenage Opera

"Excerpt from 'A Teenage Opera'" (also known as "Grocer Jack") is a 1967 single by Keith West, produced by Mark Wirtz. It was a big hit in Europe, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart.[1] The single was part of a bigger "A Teenage Opera" project. The song was written by Wirtz and West, credited as "Philwit / Hopkins".

"Excerpt from 'A Teenage Opera'"
Single by Keith West
B-side
  • "Theme From 'A Teenage Opera'"
  • by The Mark Wirtz Orchestra
Released28 July 1967
Recorded1967
GenrePsychedelic pop
Length4:25
LabelParlophone R 5623
Odeon O 23 597
Songwriter(s)Philwit/Hopkins
Producer(s)Mark Wirtz
Keith West singles chronology
"Excerpt from 'A Teenage Opera'"
(1967)		 "Sam"
(1967)

History

According to Mark Wirtz, the song comes from a dream he had about an ageing door-to-door grocer named Jack in a small, turn of the 20th century village, who was mocked by the children as he was taken for granted by the town folk. When Jack unexpectedly died, the town folk reacted with anger about the inconvenience of now having to be self-reliant about their staple provision, while the children were heartbroken, in truth having loved and appreciated Jack all the while.[2]

Working with EMI recording engineer Geoff Emerick at Abbey Road Studios on a project called Mood Mosaic, Wirtz developed the idea which he called "Excerpt from A Teenage Opera" because, he said: "That way, if the single is a hit, people will want an entire LP of the whole opera". The recording used the voices of children from the Corona Academy, with Keith West of the band Tomorrow, with whom Wirtz was also working, as lead vocalist, and his bandmate Steve Howe on guitar. At first, EMI executives were critical of the use of children's voices on a supposedly "rock" record, but Wirtz played an acetate of the record to Radio Caroline DJ John Peel, who loved it and played it on his show.[2] After its eventual release, it climbed the UK singles chart, reaching number 2 in September 1967 (behind "The Last Waltz" by Engelbert Humperdinck).[3] The single reached number one in 16 countries, but in the US only reached number 109.[4]

According to Wirtz, EMI treated the single as a one-off novelty, and refused to give the go-ahead for a full album until there had been a second hit single. Wirtz turned down an offer from Robert Stigwood to help develop the project. He continued to work on the project, which he intended to be "a kaleidoscope of stories, a bouquet of allegorical, tragiccomic tales about a variety of characters and their fate, all related to each other by the common thread of living in the same imaginary turn-of the-century village. Each character distinguished him/herself by rebelliously pursuing a dream or lifestyle against all odds and in defiance of conformity, their ageless celebration of youth and individuality embodying the very spirit of Rock’n’Roll."[2] However, Wirtz became involved in a contractual dispute with EMI, and the ending of the pirate radio stations around the UK with the introduction of Radio 1 led to changes in the company's marketing approach. The second single from the proposed Teenage Opera, "Sam", was only a modest hit, and Wirtz and West lost interest in the project and ended their working partnership.[2]

In 2000, Wirtz wrote: "Quintessentially, what killed Teenage Opera was EMI’s blind and stubborn procrastination and political tomfoolery, which ultimately shot us all to shit. Nevertheless, even in its incomplete form and ultimate failure, Teenage Opera entered the history books as a bright torch and shining star, having set a precedent and broken down barriers to pave the way for others to succeed where I had failed."[2]

References
  1. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 596. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. "The Story Behind "The Teenage Opera"". Archived from the original on 2012-12-31. Retrieved 2016-09-30.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. Official UK Singles Chart, 20-27 September 1967. Retrieved 9 August 2020
  4. Keith West Top Songs, MusicVf. Retrieved 9 August 2020
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