It's the extraordinarily deluxe Peter Wyngarde page!
Hero (I think): Peter Wyngarde
20/10/2009
Where do I start? Monsieur Wyngarde was a big star in the late 60’s/early 70's, and is remembered mostly
for his TV output of that era. Department S made his name, in which he played a character called Jason King. After Department S, Jason King got his own show, and Wyngarde’s popularity was at an all time high.
Wyngarde is a great actor, and a genuine 'luvvie' thespian, his early career was firmly based in the theatre, dahling. Prior to his small-screen fame, Wyngarde starred (briefly) in Jack Clayton’s absolute classic ‘The Innocents’ (1961), then he landed the lead in the similarly-themed ‘Night of the Eagle’ (1962).
Off camera, his homosexuality was well-known, but –as was the thing to do in that era- he had to shield it from the general public. He had a 10 year relationship with fellow actor Alan Bates, and had the nickname of Petunia Winegum! All this is ironic, as Jason King (which ran for 1 series) was a perpetual womanizer, the effect of which turned Wyngarde into a sex symbol (presumably for both sexes).
Shortly after Department S was made (1969/70), Wyngarde released of a solo album, the imaginatively-titled 'Peter Wyngarde', which was later re-issued under the title ‘When sex leers its ugly head’.
Ohhhh deary, deary me.
ABOVE: The original front & (rather fiendish) back cover of Wyngarde's notorious album.
The 'Peter Wyngarde' album gained notoriety upon release, and was almost immediately withdrawn by RCA. The album is a bizarre concoction of late 60’s experimentation & spoken word. It is Wyngarde’s nefarious babbling that attracted the controversy, especially the opening dialogue tracks that lead to the track entitled ‘Rape’. That’s correct… ‘Rape’. From there, the album rants, bubbles and boils to a variety of extremes… 'Hippie and the Skinhead', for example, starts with Wyngarde reading out an article from the Sunday Times London, 28th September 1969, then progresses into a mad rant (rap, even!) set against a country music soundtrack. How odd. My favourite track is his version of 'Neville Thumbcatch', which was originally by 'The Attack' in (or around) 1967. Wyngarde doesn't go too far overboard on his, and it has grooovy production.
Wyngarde’s point-of-view on the album is strange. Does he hate women? Does he hate Himself? He’s clearly attempting to capitalize on his ‘womanising’ persona, but the frustration that simmers within Wyngarde is palpable. This is, at times, verrry bitter stuff… verrry bitter indeed. I must note that the music is exceptional. Vic Smith does a marvelous job with the tunes, and he was clearly enjoying having carte blanche on the production. To be honest, without Smith's production and arrangements, this album would be unlistenable. In 1998, the album was re-issued in CD format only. The re-issue pleased me very much, as the original LPs were rare as hen's bollocks, and quite expensive to purchase. I seem to remember getting my CD copy from the excellent independent record shop ‘Purple Penguin’ in Bristol.
The 'Jason King' TV series was made the year after his musical foray, and by 1971 his career had peaked. And who could blame the public for loving it? For example:
(Jason King, ordering breakfast in a café): "A bit too early for coffee; I'll have a Scotch!"
But, in 1975, he was arrested and convicted for an act of "gross indecency" (read: cottaging) with a truck driver in the toilets of Gloucester bus station. Oh dear. Career. Over. After that little incident, his nickname became ‘Jason Queen’.
He was only seen in brief roles after ‘that’ incident, appearing as General Klytus in the incredibly camp 1980 film version of Flash Gordon. (He was hidden behind a mask, but you can tell it’s him because of his excellent voice). And I saw him in a Granada TV production of Sherlock Holmes, in the days when Jeremy Brett was playing Holmes.
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere on the site, the last I saw of Wyngarde was on the one-off resurrection of ‘Dee Time’. I believe he was on the dole around that time. He was very bitter. Actually, they both were. Fallen idols of the 60's heyday, long since forgotten.
Peter Wyngarde is a national treasure, and whatever his shortcomings (oo-er), Jason King will live on. I’m still not sure about that album, though. Wyngarde did have a website called 'The Hellfire Club - The Official Peter Wyngarde Appreciation Society', but, alas, that is now defunct.
Since his real name is Cyril Louis Goldbert, I have to say...
Nice one, Cyril.
