Stevenson's Rocket

 

Stevenson's Rocket

by Pete Clemons

This article is adapted from an interview during December 1975. At the time, musically, the country was in the grip of Rollermania. The meeting had been conducted at the offices of Magnet Records soon after the band had signed for them. Pete Waterman, despite writing two hits for them, called Stevenson's Rocket 'a brief diversion'........

Leaving school for the front man spot in a rock n roll group must have been every young person's idea of a dream come true, but that exactly what happened to 16 year old Kevin Harris during 1975.

Just six months after he turned down an apprenticeship in a Coventry factory, Kevin was having to deal with the sort of fan mania usually associated with the Bay City Rollers.

Everywhere his group, Stevenson's Rocket, played the fans went bonkers. And this was because of their debut single, Alright Baby, was streaking up the charts.

Of course, it didn't happen just like that, Stevenson's Rocket had been slogging around the gruelling social club circuit (all beer and bingo) when they happened to get a booking at Tiffany's ballroom. There they were spotted by then Magnet Records A and R executive Pete Waterman who still ran a disco there.

Pete recognised something raw and earthy in them and decided to take them under his wing. He signed them to Magnet, got them to give up the soul destroying club circuit and before they set out to play ballroom's, made them rehearse for three months on a new act.

When it came to cutting the single they played all the instruments themselves then, with its release, they began gigging.

As Kevin pointed out 'it was only through doing a lot of work that we got that chance. We didn't doss about, we got stuck in'.

Bass player Allan Twigg, who at 18 was one of the older band members, said 'some days we used to go without dinner, we were working so hard. But it's better than working in a factory '.

The group formed around 1972 but only went professional after a guitarist left and was replaced by Mick Croshaw who, at 19, became the eldest group member and Kevin Harris.

Stevenson's Rocket still played the social clubs but as drummer Steve Bray mentioned 'we got a much better reaction with the new line up'.

Mick Croshaw added 'Particularly after Kevin joined us things really started to move. And Allan Twigg, he is non stop entertainment '.

Suddenly all of Stevenson's Rocket at once and the office at Magnet Records where the band were doing their first day of interviews was a cacophony of noise.

'Its a dream, you know' said keyboard player David Reid who summed up everyone's thoughts.

'We all had dreams of hit records and what it would be like' said Steve Bray. Kevin added that 'he always wanted to be in a group. When I knew I could earn a bit more than as an apprentice I thought I would take a chance. When I went to the audition I knew I had to join them, even if they were rubbish. If it hadn't worked we would have all had it' he exclaimed. They had worked so hard for this.
The result of all that practice was an aim to perform four or five nights per week. There would be no more sleeping in the van and jumping their own equipment.

On the day of the interview they were due in Scotland but first they had returned to Coventry to help their new road manager with their equipment. Then, after Scotland, they were being joined by a full road crew.

As for writing their own songs, 'its too early to say. Pete Waterman wrote their current hit and is likely to guide them for some time, but eventually they all want to write.

'I dont think we have the talent yet to write our own singles' said Kevin. 'There's a lot more involved than meets the eye. You've got to know what a pop song is all about. We would like to make pop music a bit more interesting '.

The fact that Stevenson's Rocket were being re-booked at venues suggested that they were doing just that.

A couple of singles followed but then it all came to an end with a changing music scene.

The Damned – Warwick University 1976

 

The Damned – Warwick University 1976

by Pete Clemons

The Damned were the first UK band of the punk era to release a record. They were also the first to split and subsequently reform. They were chaotic, they were charismatic. And they are still here, still touring and remain almost intact in fact. Experience has made them infinitely better almost 60 years on.

Almost as soon as it had begun punk rock was castigated by the Warwick University entertainment section as punk rock was trying to infiltrate into their scene. The fact this new phenomenon was given prominence by SOUNDS magazine had one promoter lambasted them when he read how a group called "The Damned", had created the splash headline 'DAMNED HEAD FOR THE CHARTS'.

He went on "SOUNDS has yet again taken upon itself to ram punk rock down the throat of the unsuspecting public. Now don't get me wrong, I'll sniff glue with the next degenerate, and there's no one I'd rather see in London today than a good punk rock band go through its paces, but for a music paper to come out with such fallacies is just not on".

Apparently the Damned's first single, for the obscure 'Stiff' label, sold 4,000 copies, when a sale of 25,000 was usually needed even to make the lower reaches of the Top Thirty.

A delegate from Warwick University even went down to London to watch The Damned during autumn 1976. And the verdict was...'boy, were they (expletive deleted). The barrage of sound that emanated from on-stage was greeted not even by what one could call polite applause by the attendance, the majority of which were all seasoned punksters'. Despite this The Damned were, soon after that London gig, visiting Warwick Uni.

The Pink Fairies were a part of the London underground scene of the early 1970s. They were known for promoting free music and performing impromptu gigs and stunts. The Fairies had released a single during 1976 on Stiff Records called 'Between the Lines C/W 'Spoiling For a Fight'. So pairing up with label mates The Damned was not as far fetched as it might seem.

Later during October 1976 appeared The Damned's first single, titled 'New Rose' c/w 'Help', was also released on Stiff Records. The single had been produced by Nick Lowe and regarded as the first ever 'punk' release by a UK band. New Rose failed to chart but became Stiff's biggest seller to date and helped the label secure a distribution deal with Island Records.

Before the gig The Damned asked the promotion team at Warwick if they were scared. The answer apparently was 'No, and also unimpressed .... Don't call us'.

Climax Blues Band had also been in the mix for that Autumn line up of entertainment. A song played during the CBB set was described as 'at least one billion times better than the Damned's Help'.

There is also anecdotal evidence that The Damned also appeared a week later at Canley Teacher Training College. It had been freshers week and the normal festival balls had been arranged. Sparrow, a five piece, new faces show winner from Feb 1976 were certainly on the bill. But I did read that The Damned also possibly appeared. But there was, by admission, the student had maybe got mixed up by the previous weeks events on campus.

Less than a year later had seen 'Punk', as a phenomenon, grow to far greater proportions than one can have envisaged the year before, even taking into account the undoubted impetus given by the press coverage devoted to the Pistols v Grundy T.V. incident.

As a result you never actually sure who actually is into the music. Punk had cast its net wide. Was it the latest thing to be 'into', or did repeated listening to it make a different impact to the initial one. But there was another, more important, reason.

To many, the music itself had improved in terms of its quality, content and impact. Presentation had been the last aspect a punk band would once have to worry about. Aside the likes of Television and The Stranglers who just happened to surface around the same time as the likes of The Clash, The Adverts and the Pistols.

But there were plenty of other bands who are producing attention grabbing yet really red hot sounds. There was The Jam, Buzzcocks, Generation X, Boomtown Rats to name a few – but the list goes on. I don't know how or why the change had evolved the way it did, but my word, it certainly got the adrenalin rushing!

Ian Dury – Road, Stratford on Avon 1987

 

Ian Dury – Road, Stratford on Avon 1987

by Pete Clemons

Ian Dury's songs were based on everyday life as he saw it. They were a combination of word play, humour and poetry. They were based on Ian's observations and Ian was a perfect fit for Jim Cartwright‘s first play Road which first aired in London followed by a short spell in Stratford.

Road was set in 1980s Britain, a time of high unemployment, particularly in the northern Britain. It followed the lives of the inhabitants of an unnamed street in a deprived town in Lancashire. An unpopular leader is re-elected and the country is recovering from a recession.

The theatre had been transformed into the seedy and disturbing environment of Road. You were sucked straight into the world of the Road, a place strewn with road signs, rubbish and a bewildering array of characters.

The play was not afraid to be explicit or exploit the full potential of either the strong scenes or the hideously perverted characters within the text.

To heighten the sense of reality it was a completely powerful performance; the audience was expected to follow their bawdy and drunken guide, Scullery (Ian Dury), around the Road, where he introduced you to a vast array of depraved characters where you learn a little of their lives.

Our guide in this chaotic world was the likeable, charismatic but simultaneously repulsive. Scullery at once drew everyone in and made you want to keep as much clean air between the audience and him as possible.

All who live on Road indulge in abuse, drugs, drunkenness, sex and violence to a shocking extreme degree. Almost as shocking as the language employed by the cast.

Road was not a play for the squeamish or those easily offended. However, amidst all this sordid squalor, a moving tale is unearthed by the predicaments and individual destinies of the pitiful characters.

This is especially so in the case of the tortured Joey who yearns to escape this dirty world he is trapped in and attempts to do so by stopping to eat and waiting for some important secret to be revealed to him. Joey's end is frightening and unnerving, the tension is only relieved by the antics of the more exaggerated characters around him.

A character known as the Professor was skin-crawlingly unpleasant, while the drunken Helen was both seductive and very sad.

Mrs Iger a larger than life character proved a timely distraction from the harrowing scenes with Joey with her talk of passion for “big men”, and her bullying of her tiny, hen-pecked husband who cowered behind an enormous velvet bow-tie.

Skin Lad the violent Buddhist thoroughly intimidated the audience, while the drunken but visionary quartet of Louise, Carol, Eddie and Brink ended the play movingly with the heartfelt cry of wavering hope: “Somehow a somehow might escape”.

Other characters were full of humour, anger and pathos. Humorous and brash caricatures were used to convey the very real issues of poverty, unemployment and dying hopes.

Road, recently revived as a touring production, is this combination throughout of moving drama and black comedy that makes this X-Rated Coronation Street such a complete and unforgettable experience.

Jumpin’ Jaks

 

Jumpin’ Jaks

by  Pete Clemons

Life, they say, goes around in circles. I began my working life at the GEC factory in Spon Street. That building was demolished and made way for the sky dome entertainment centre completed in 1999. Like many I probably spent too many hours in there.

The sky dome has held many bars and restaurants and gymnasiums over the years. The Odeon cinema, which still operates there, Chicago Rock, The Orange House, Bonds are just a few that immediately spring to mind.

But many I suspect will have memories of Jumpin’ Jaks nightclub – some good, others not so. There was no doubt however that Jaks could draw in the clubbers - most of them queuing across the foyer even if it was empty inside.

Jaks first opened its doors in 1999 and welcomed over 1million guests. It became famous, or infamous, for its atmosphere and huge events as well as its customer service. The place packed in the crowds week after week and often reaches capacity so early arrival was always recommended.

The club presented the perfect blend of current commercial tunes and old favourites and played host to many parties and gatherings throughout the year whilst also having a huge loyal following of clubbers that attend its nights weekly.

Jaks quickly became a bastion of Coventry nightlife which continued for several years. Below is a flavour of what was on offer depending on which evening you went on.

Monday - the ultimate karaoke
Your chance to reveal your hidden talents. Bring you mates, have a laugh and sing your socks off! Free admission all night.

Tuesday - fabtastic 70s and 80s
It's back to the music of the 70s and 80s with the Jaks extravaganza of live music and crazy routines bringing alive those retro years. Free before 10pm and a £1 after.

Wednesday - tribute showtime
Come and see the best look-a-likes and sound-a-likes of the biggest music stars and legends supported by the Jaks Duelling Pianos. Free before 10pm and £2 after.

Thursday - the live one
Featuring the best cabaret and show bands in the country together with four decades of the greatest music. Free before 10pm. £2 after 10pm.

Friday and Saturday - Dualling Pianos
Experience the latest concept in live entertainment, direct from America with Jaks trademark sessions of Dualling Pianos. Free before 8pm, £3 before 10pm and £4 after.

Sunday - the ultimate party
It's just another manic Sunday! A night of music and mayhem. Featuring the most popular music, guest artists, giveaways, drinks promotions and the fabulous Jaks crew. Free admission all night.

Jaks cheesie music, bar staff dancing on the bar's, live entertainment on the stage and some of the best party songs ever played, made sure that everyone who was in there really knew it was the best party in town.

The stage was regularly graced by countless chart toppers from Leo Sayer to Shola Ama, Basshunter to Jason Donovan. Major events were frequently sold out.

After several closures and reopenings the doors finally to one of Coventry's longest-running and most successful nightclubs during June 2023 closed after years of constantly packing the dance floor with singing and dancing. It reopened briefly for a small number of special events but it was announced it had gone into administration in January 2024.

February 1970 - Blues Fiasco - Mott the Hoople

 February 1970 - Blues Fiasco - Mott the Hoople

by Pete Clemons

Even the most organised of us can get things mixed up. So much was happening, entertainments wise, at Warwick University that mistakes were bound to happen. And, as detailed below, it certainly did on one occasion. Here is a snapshot at how things could go awry in the build up to your evening out......................

Tonight will be either one of the best social nights in the history of Warwick University, or one of its most ignominious failures. A major blunder has resulted in a clash between the Blues Society's Mott the Hoople concert and the Motor-Cycle Club's Greasers' Groove.

Because of this the Blues Society has reduced its admission from 6s. to 2s. ( 6s. non members) - the Greasers' Groove is Id. Both organisations were under the assumption that they had booked the Airport Lounge and, with it, the Union equipment. I n fact, it was only the Motor Cycle Club which had followed the correct procedure and done this.

However the Social Secretary did agreed with the President of the Blues Society, that he would book the Airport Lounge for every Friday of this term, on the premise that between them they would organise some form of dance or concert every week.

Because of the change from one yearbook to another, and because of a change in his social policy, he forgot to do this, and due to the departure of the Administrative Officer, the mistake was not rectified.

The Mott the Hoople contract had been signed on November 10th 1969 but no one from the Blues Society checked the bookings until a few weeks ago, and by then the Airport Lounge had been booked for every Friday of this term.

This meant that the Blues Society's Andy Firnback concert clashed with an African Society dance which had been extremely well-publicised; the concert had to be moved to a Tuesday, and made a loss.

The Mott the Hoople concert could not be changed and so had to be either cancelled or moved, because the Greasers' groove organisers would not back down. Since the Union would have had to pay £70 in the case of a cancelled booking, it was decided that the concert would be held in the Refectory at cheaper prices, and that the Union would make up the deficit, and finance the hiring of equipment.

When he discovered the clash, the Social Secretary actually over-ruled the Greasers' Groove booking. He wrote to the Motor Cycle club on February 13th informing them of his action, but due to the incorrect addressing of the envelope, by a Union typist, the letter was not delivered until this week.

The Motor Cycle club found out about the Blues Society purely by accident on February 19th and took the matter to Social Secretary where their decision was reversed on the grounds that the Motor Cycle club had followed the correct technical procedure. The fact that the financial loss would be less for them than for the Blues Society could not influence the situation since this would have set a dangerous precedent.

The Motor Cycle club had already spent a great deal of time and money publicising the event, and were they not willing to back down, since no other date was available. Both sides feel themselves to be the innocent party. The Blues Society had negotiated direct with the Social Secretary, and thus assumed that their booking was valid.

The Motor Cycle Club had followed the correct technical procedure by signing the book. Only tonight can tell us what the outcome of the clash will be. Since both events are cheap, students may wander from one to the other, but the difference between 1d. and 2s.6d. could be too great for many.

All we know for certain is that it will be very noisy in the middle. Steps are being taken to ensure that a double booking of this kind cannot occur again.

Badfinger – Head First 50th anniversary release

 

Badfinger – Head First 50th anniversary release.

By Pete Clemons

December 1 1974 Badfinger went into the recording studio under pressure. They didn't particularly want to but 2 weeks later they had completed the demos for what became the Head First album. As well documented Warner Brothers went into litigation with Badfinger. Money was pulled from an escrow account and the album was pulled. The year 2000 saw a release of the album. But these were the demo tapes but it was a rough copy. The ambition was, still, to get hold of the master tapes and get an mastered version released. At that time Warner Brothers were still insisting that they owned the album and were again threatening court action. Fast forward to 2023 and, at long last, the tapes were discovered in America and someone had moved the contents onto digital stems. It is not even known for sure if the 2 inch tapes still exists. The important thing was, at last, there was something concrete to work from. By all accounts the stems were in an old format but after almost 50 years Bob, at last, effectively had the long lost tapes. Or at least their contents. And they were in a relatively modern configuration. In steps Andy Nixon and a small team of people in America. Andy mixed the album from scratch with the original multitracks. With today’s technology he was able to achieve a really detailed mix by separating certain elements that wouldn’t have been possible 50 years ago so. The result is a much wider and deeper audio spectrum that sounds contemporary. Andy mentioned 'Bob came round for the final few days to agree on the more subjective mix choices. It’s been an amazing experience hearing the band in the studio between takes, hearing the vocals, guitars and everything else in solo, isolated from the mix. We had some great moments deciding on how best to finalise everything including the running order. True honour for me to have mixed and mastered it'. Andy continues 'The track Savile Row was a kind of throw away 36 second demo track on the 2000 release. When I first heard the multitracks I found that there was over 2 minutes of the rest of the existing audio. I started experimenting with adding segments of vocal from other tracks on the album and building the arrangement. Bob loved the idea so we developed it further and it’s now a really strong final track on the album which kind of serves as a tribute to the whole Head First story, quite emotional to hear actually'. In the background to all of this the spectre of Warner Brothers still loomed large. 7 months of arguing has resulted in the following compromise: Warner Brothers still own the album but, in this instance, they will overlook the release of the album. As such on December 13 2024, after exactly 50 years, Bob Jackson's labour of love see's the light of day. Head First, the oldest newest album ever recorded, is to be released.

The Songs:
Lay Me Down
Hey Mr Manager
Turn Around
Back Again
Rock 'N' Roll Contract
Keep Believing
Moonshine
Rockin' Machine
Passed Fast
Savile Row (2024)

https://badfingeruk.com/head-first-pre-order

Reggie 'Rocket' Sparkes

 

Reggie 'Rocket' Sparkes

By Pete Clemons

Given that he was once a well known local musician in and around Coventry, entertaining me several times, I felt it was appropriate to write down a few words about Reggie 'Rocket' Sparkes.

This is not meant as a definitive list of bands he played in. In fact I hope it isn't as I would love to see it added too. But it is a starter.

Born 1938 the earliest I see Reggie mentioned in a band was in 1965 and a group called The Soul Sect. The Soul Sect had a comparatively posh Bedford Van, a very good PA and plenty of gigs lined up, albeit in working mens' clubs. By all accounts they gave a valuable lesson in how to get enjoyment by revamping music that was initially not to the bands taste but demanded by the audience such as Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich numbers.

The Soul Sect featured Reg Sparkes on bass, his brother Rick Sparkes on drums, a rhythm guitar, player, Tony Warner who played a Hohner Cembalet Electric Piano and Colin Williams on on stereo Gibson guitar. Which I believe he acquired during the back end of 1966. They were later joined by Tim James on vocals and blues harp.

The Soul Sect, who also played a mix of Tamla Motown and Soul music, went on to gain a residency at the Chesford Grange Hotel. However the HP company eventually repossessed the gear and that was the end of The Soul Sect.

Towards the end of 1966 The Soul Sect lost Tim James and had a change of name, They carried on with a cosmic psychedelic name From the Sun.

From the Sun initially carried on from where The Soul Sect finished and found themselves plying their talents in clubs and pubs all over the north of England. British blues was in its infancy and the band found themselves becoming influenced by the likes of Eric Clapton and John MayalL's Bluesbreakers who at that time included Peter Green and Ainsley Dunbar and who they saw play at Coventry’s all night gig at The Locarno during Oct 1966.

From The Sun were Mick O'Rourke (vocals), Colin Williams (guitar), Tony Warner (organ), Reg Sparkes (bass), Rick Sparkes (drums). (The original singer Pete ?, who joined during the bands Chesford Grange days, was replaced by Mick O'Rourke from The Gazelles.)

It seems that after the 1960s passed and Reggie's flirtations with the underground music scene diminished he reverted to the rock and roll circuit where the 'Rocket' part of the name came in.

Vince Holliday is not 100% sure but thinks it did have something to do with his love for rock and roll. The audience would shout an encouraging 'Rock It' to Reggie. And the Reggie Rocket moniker stuck with him throughout his life.

It is sad when we lose another one of the local musicians who has made life so much more bearable. Reggie was very well known around the Coventry Music scene and will be greatly missed, especially by the likes of drummer Nigel Lomas who jammed, with Reggie, in a lot of those rock and rolling sessions.

Thanks to Robert Weston-Bartholomew and Vince Holliday for, unwittingly, providing some valuable thoughts and insights.