Sindelfingen

Progressive rock band from Rochester, Kent, England, founded by the musical composer Richard Manktelow. It existed from 1969 to 1974. The band was not a full-time professional touring outfit, played only locally (and rarely), and never had a record deal, nor achieved any sort of fame. However, as a result of a limited edition, privately recorded album called Odgipig, which the band recorded at the end of 1972 and released in 1973, and which has subsequently become ultra-collectable, Sindelfingen has posthumously garnered a following out of all proportion to its impact at the time. The album has become so sought-after (at one point having a book value of around £1000) that there have been a number of re-issues. Most of these have been legitimate releases but there are now companies in other countries selling unlicensed copies and downloads.

Sindelfingen were named after a town in Germany near Stuttart and had begun at a jam session at a local youth club. From this inauspicious acorn a typical rock trio grew, consisting of Richard Manktelow, bass-player John Currie and drummer Bill Basden. Bill and Richard were about 18 while John was a year or so younger and still at school. Bill left after about a year. He was briefly replaced by Alan Parry before Roger Thorn was recruited, who is the drummer on the album. Roger was a young but already experienced drummer, a Ginger Baker devotee who possessed a vast twin kick-drum set-up; he also brought with him a glockenspiel which he had liberated from his children.