Hearken to the witches rune

As part of our folk horror theme, Bob Fischer (The Haunted Generation, Scarred for Life) talks to Dave Arthur about the remarkable album he recorded with then-wife Toni in 1970. This interview was originally planned for the album's 50th anniversary in 2020, and Bob has in the meantime written a cover story for the Fortean Times about the making of an album which has certainly gained cult status. We look forward to Dave sharing anecdotes and memories of the record’s eveolution and legacy which are just as extraordinary as the music itself: a story that stretches from the basement rituals of tabloid-baiting “King of the Witches” Alex Sanders to children’s TV favourites Play School and Play Away. 

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The LP maintains a devoted cult following among enthusiasts of folklore, occultism and esoteric music alike. Its eight tracks are riddled with tales of fairies, shapeshifting, spells and Elfin Queens, all performed into a Revox A77 reel-to-reel tape recorder in a first-floor Camden Town flat. Its subsequent scarcity has only compounded the record’s mystique: it has been resolutely unavailable since the 1970s. There is no pristine digital remaster, no CD box set or deluxe 21st century vinyl, and abandon hope all ye seeking iTunes downloads or Spotify streams. The vintage crackles of increasingly elusive eBay copies and DIY Youtube rips have themselves become part of the album’s own extraordinary story - but our interview promises rare glimpses into the music as well as its bizarre gestational history.