Mick Farren left the fold shortly afterward, and Twink and Steve Peregrin Took formed a band called Shagrat with Larry Wallis (guitar) – who later appeared in several incarnations of the Pink Fairies – and Tim Taylor (bass).  The band name is taken from a character in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and Took is credited on the Mona – The Carnivorous Circus album as “Shagrat the Vagrant”.  Twink left the band after a short while, and Steve Peregrin Took became the bandleader with the other two plus Phil Lenoir (drums), and later Dave Bidwell (percussion).  The band is often called Steve Took’s Shagrat and was the springboard for Took’s solo career.

*       *       *

I picked up a 2001 CD by Shagrat called Pink Jackets Required, and it is a delight.  This music was evidently made by the earliest lineup of the band.  In the review of the album for Allmusic, Dean McFarlane gives it four stars and reports:  “This album was recorded in 1969 just before Tyrannosaurus Rex embarked on their first U.S. tour and was completed on [Steve Peregrin] Took’s return.  Although it is in effect a collection of demos, and some of the tracks will be known to fans of Think Pink – primitive takes of ‘The Coming of the Other One’ and ‘The Sparrow Is a Sign’ will be familiar – in fact, Pink Jackets Required is one of the most astonishing albums either of the pair recorded, and in popular opinion and rock-evidence surpasses the Twink Think Pink album.  The name Shagrat was bounced around for an incarnation of one of Twink’s other groups with members of the Pink Fairies, but that unit was entirely different from the genius brilliance of the project with Steven Peregrin Took.  Simply, this should be tracked down and given serious attention by those who love A Beard of Stars [by Tyrannosaurus Rex], Deviants, Pretty Things, and early T. Rex.” 

However, the Wikipedia article on Shagrat states the following:  “Shagrat was a British supergroup formed by Steve Peregrin Took and Mick Farren in February 1970 after they split with Twink, their partner in the prototype Pink Fairies supergroup of late 1969.”  Thus, the tracks on Pink Jackets Required might not be by Shagrat, strictly speaking.  According to the liner notes:  “The Think Pink tracks [“The Coming of the Other One”, “The Sparrow Is a Sign” and “Three Little Piggies”] were recorded at Recorded Sound Studios, London 1969 with various members of ‘The Pink Fairies Motorcycle Club All Star Rock and Roll Band’.  The ‘Demo Versions 1 & 2’ [all other songs] were recorded at Denmark St. Studios, 1969 & 1970”.  Individual musicians credited are Steve Peregrin Took, Twink and Paul Rudolph.