Think Pink

John Charles Edward Alder, aka Twink (after a popular home perm kit), hailed from Colchester, Essex, where he had formed an R&B band called The Fairies. After moving to London in 1966, the band released three singles that went nowhere, so Twink joined The In Crowd, which later morphed into Tomorrow. After a spell with The Pretty Things, Twink and a soon to be ex-Tyrannosaurus Rex Steve Peregrine Took started an embryonic version of the Pink Fairies, the fruits of which became Twink's debut solo album, Think Pink. Released in 1970 on Sire Records in the US, the album was produced by Deviant Mick Farren and featured Took, guitarist Paul Rudolph, bassist Junior Wood (from Tomorrow and The Aquarian Age) and some of The Pretty Things. The album opens with the eastern-tinged "The Coming of the Other One," complete with sitar from Jon Povey. "Ten Thousand Words in a Cardboard Box" follows, and presents a heady dose of psychedelia with solid guitar from Rudolph. Following the Om mantra of "Dawn of Magic," another of the album's full-on electric numbers, "Tiptoe on the Highest Hill," offers sterling psychedelia. The sexy "Fluid" slows the pace, while "Mexican Grass War" is a drum-led freak out. "Rock An' Roll the Joint" dips back for some good old-time rock ‘n' roll, while "Suicide" is reminiscent of The Pretty Things. Took penned the last two tracks: "Three Little Piggies" is plain silly, and the closer, "The Sparrow Is a Sign," quite Bowie-esque. The album presents a Ladbroke Grove all-stars product-or as they were known-Pink Fairies Motorcycle Club & All-Star Rock & Roll Band. The album would see release in the UK in January 1971. Following the album's release, Twink teamed up with former Deviants Rudolph, Duncan Sanderson and Russell Hunter to start the Pink Fairies proper.