BBC Radio 3 Sunday Feature 18:45 Sunday 09 April 2023 Please Mr Lacey, Let Me Work Your Lovely Machine

Bruce Lacey defies categorisation. He painted, made sculptures, films, installations and was a performance artist in the 60s. Roger Law goes in search of an artistic enigma.

Lacey's robots appeared on the Fairport Convention LP What We Did On Our Holidays (1969) in the song "Mr Lacey", written by Ashley Hutchings. The song is about Lacey, and the noise of his robots (which he brought into the studio) contribute the "instrumental break".

Please Mr Lacey, let me work your loving machine
Please Mr Lacey, let me work your loving machine
Will you let me control the handles,
You know it's the best thing I've ever seen