Second Hand: Pioneers of British Progressive Rock

Second Hand was an innovative British progressive rock band that formed in London in the late 1960s. The group is best known for their ambitious 1971 concept album Death May Be Your Santa Claus, a cult classic that has endured as a landmark of early UK psychedelic and progressive experimentation.

Early career

Second Hand originally formed in 1965 under the name The Next Collection, playing a mix of R&B and pop covers. The core lineup solidified around multi-instrumentalist and primary songwriter Ken Elliott, along with guitarist Kieran O'Connor and bassist Bob Gibbons. They changed their name to Second Hand in 1968 and independently released their debut single, the psychedelic pop track "A Fairy Tale".

Breakthrough

The band's breakthrough arrived in 1971 with the release of their second and most famous album, Death May Be Your Santa Claus, on the independent UK label Polydor. While not a commercial chart success, the album's complex structures, use of the early Mellotron, and dark thematic content garnered serious critical attention and established their reputation within the progressive rock underground.

Key tracks

Death May Be Your Santa Claus — The epic title track showcases the band's theatrical flair and ambitious songwriting, featuring extended instrumental passages and lyrical depth.

Hangin' On An Eyelid — This track highlights their transition from psychedelic pop into more complex, keyboard-driven progressive rock territories.

Rhubarb! — An instrumental piece that demonstrates the band's skill with the Mellotron, creating a rich, orchestral sound that defined their album's atmosphere.

A Fairy Tale — Their first single remains a notable example of their earlier, more accessible psychedelic pop sound from 1968.

Following Death May Be Your Santa Claus, the band underwent significant lineup changes, with Ken Elliott becoming the central creative force. They released one more album under the Second Hand name, 1972's Reality, before evolving into the more electronic-oriented band Chillum, and later, the successful new age and electronic act Seventh Wave in the mid-1970s.

Fans of Second Hand's pioneering blend of psychedelia and progressive rock should also explore Pink Floyd for their early experimental soundscapes. The Soft Machine shares a similar jazz-inflected and exploratory approach to British progressive music. The theatricality and concept-album focus can be heard in The Pretty Things, particularly on their album S.F. Sorrow. For the innovative use of Mellotron, King Crimson remains a foundational reference point from the same era.

The music of Second Hand maintains a dedicated following and is regularly featured on specialty online rock radio streams and independent music radio stations that focus on deep-cut progressive rock and psychedelic archives. Their influential album continues to be discovered by new generations of listeners interested in the roots of the genre.

You can hear the pioneering progressive rock of Second Hand on radio stations featured on our website. Explore and listen to their cult classic tracks through the curated rock and specialty stations available on onairium.com.