Coventry Music Articles by Pete Clemons: 2012

Thursday, December 20, 2012

The Orchids and the Beatles - Juke Box Jury!

Pete Clemons guides us through 60's Coventry girl group The Orchids encounter with the Beatles on Juke Box Jury. Think the Crystals and you'll be thinking in the right direction. Pete's latest article for the Coventry Telegraph...

Orchids bid for Beatles' backing on Juke Box Jury; YOUR nostalgia.

MUSIC historian Pete Clemons, from Keresley, this week looks back at teenage trio The Orchids and an episode of TV show Juke Box Jury when one of their singles was reviewed by The Beatles.

COVENTRY girls and former Stoke Park School attendees Georgina Oliver, Pamela Jarman, and Valerie Jones were, collectively, known as The Orchids.

As 15-year-olds they were discovered by Larry Page who, at the time, managed The Orchid Ballroom, now known as The Kasbah.

Over the course of two years or so he moulded them from being local talent contest winners, held at The Orchid Ballroom - hence how the group's name derived - to the point of being a quality harmony vocal group who would go on to appear on national television and gain recognition overseas particularly in America.

The Orchids signed to Decca records in 1963 and they went on to release a total of three singles. They also released singles in the US under the name of The Blue Orchids and then in 1965 a final 45rpm release for Decca under the name of The Exceptions. Various other songs were also recorded at the time and have since seen light of day on CD.

Their first recording was actually as backing vocalists for the Johnny B Great and the Goodmen single "School Is In". The Goodmen would reciprocate and perform on some of The Orchids singles.

"Gonna Make Him Mine" c/w "Stay at Home" was The Orchids first single but failed to chart. However it was The Orchids second effort, "Love Hit Me" c/w "Don't Make Me Mad", which had been given the Phil Spector type wall to wall production, that got them a break as their record was discussed on a, then, incredibly popular TV programme.

On December 7, 1963, following a mid day concert at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool, the Beatles rushed across to the Odeon Cinema for a special recording of the BBC TV programme Juke Box Jury.

Briefly, for those who do not remember, Juke Box Jury was a musical TV show which ran from 1959 until 1967 (although it has been resurrected on a couple of occasions in more recent times). It featured a panel of celebrity show business guests, that changed week by week, and who discussed and critiqued recent record releases. Finally the panel would then vote, by way of voting paddles, on the record as a potential 'hit' or a 'miss'. During its most popular period the show was compared by David Jacobs.

Among the songs discussed that particular evening were 'Hippy Hippy Shake' by The Swinging Blue Jeans, 'Kiss Me Quick' by Elvis Presley and 'Love Hit Me' by The Orchids.

Although the Fab Four voted the single a miss they did give it some very positive comments. And, unknown to The Beatles while discussions and comments were ongoing, was that The Orchids were actually sitting among the studio audience. It was laughingly described by John Lennon as 'a lousy trick'.

A transcript of the events is detailed below: David Jacobs: "Three Coventry school girls called The Orchids on 'Love Hit Me.' John Lennon."

John Lennon: "Well you know, it's just a big cop, or pinch. It sounds....... If it had come out before 'The Crystals' and 'The Ronettes' it would've been great. They've even got that, what is it... castanets?" Ringo Starr: "Tambourine." John Lennon: (Loudly, giggling) Tambourine, is THAT what it's called!!" (Laughter) John Lennon: "It's quite nice, but it's sort of the British version, you know, which... although the song's original, I think. But it sounds... doesn't sound right."

Paul McCartney: "It's okay. It sounds great for an English record, though, you know. Because about a year ago, if someone had brought this out and said 'Listen to this record,' I don't think you would've believed that it was an English one. It's marvellous, the sound things. And I think it's great. I like it."

Ringo Starr: "It's good, you know. I wouldn't buy it. It may sell a few but not that many." (Beatles laugh) George Harrison: "I thought it was quite nice. I liked the idea of the British records sort of being on the way to boom-chicka-boomchicka, all this. I like the American stuff like 'The Crystals', I mean, even though it is a pinch, you know. I'd rather they pinch 'The Crystals' than carry on doing the stuff they've been doing."

Consensus: MISS) David Jacobs: "They say that it will be a miss, which in fact is most unfortunate, because we do have sitting in the audience three young ladies called The Orchids. Stand up, young ladies. There they are" (Crowd applauds) George Harrison: (Jokingly) "Sorry! Didn't mean it!!" John Lennon: (Switching his card) "I'll change it to hit!" (Laughter) John Lennon: "I'll buy it! I'll buy two!" David Jacobs: (Laughs) John Lennon: (Comically) "I didn't know you were here!" David Jacobs: (Laughing) "John thinks it's a lousy trick but we'll get on to the next record."

When screened, later the same evening, that particular episode of Juke Box Jury was watched by an estimated 23 million viewers.

The Orchids third single was titled "I've Got That Feeling" and had been written by Ray Davies of The Kinks who, by now, were being managed by Larry Page. The 'B' side was titled "Larry".

Their final single, under the moniker of The Exceptions, was released in March 1965 and titled "What More Do You Want". The 'B' side to this release was a Georgina Oliver song called "Soldier Boy".

After The Orchids disbanded all three members went onto become successful in their chosen careers but over time, as happens, lost touch with each other. Pete Chambers, in his excellent book Godiva Rocks, resurrected interest in the group and conducted a series of great interviews reviving some great memories of the group.

During 1985, the Coventry Evening Telegraph published a letter from Georgina (who had now become) Johnstone who ultimately made a successful attempt to reunite with the other members Pam Hepburn and Valerie Davies.

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More material below the videos

The Orchids first single -

Gonna Make Him Mine

And the single that got judged by the Beatles - Love Hit Me

And the third single written by Ray Davies of the Kinks

I've Got that Feeling

Orchids with the song - Mr Scrooge - on TV

Georgina Oliver - lead vocals
Pamela Jarman - vocals
Valerie Jones - vocals
Sources Rex Brough - Dean Nelson

The Orchids were a trio of 15-year-old girls from Coventry who went from winning a local

talent contest to national television and an international recording career. They won their contest at Coventry's Orchid Ballroom, thus acquiring their name, and fell right into the managerial arms of Larry Page (renowned for his later work with the Troggs). They were signed to English Decca in 1963 and released the first of three British singles that year, "Gonna Make Him Mine" b/w "Stay At Home," produced by Shel Talmy and picked up on Ready Steady Go Despite that exposure, the single didn't chart, but the trio was unusual enough in England (where "girl" singers tended to be in their 20's) to get lots of television appearances and even a spot in the movie Just For You, singing "Mr. Scrooge." Their second single, "Love Hit Me," received a huge, Phil Spector wall-of-sound style production that got the trio pegged as England's (or at least Decca's) answer to the Crystals.

From Rex Brough -

"For the best article on this fantastic girl group, go to Spectropop, the ultimate girlgroup website. Ian Slater and Ian Chapman are the authors.

Coventry's only girl-group's career started when they won a competition at the Orchid

Ballroom. Larry Page the resident DJ spotted the Stoke Park Grammar schoolgirls and got them a deal with Decca. Shel Talmy (Who, Kinks etc..) produced their records. As a girl-group they probably were the only one that successfully emulated stateside groups like Crystal/Shirelles. They sounded how they looked, Coventry schoolgirls against a Spectoreque backing, particularly on "Love hit me". Wonderful! Next to the Orchids, other British girl-groups sound too polished.

The TV show Ready Steady Go! played "Gonna Make Him Mine", as dancer Patrick Kerr demonstrated the Hitch-Hiker. Also they featured in the 1964 pop movie Just For You, singing "Mr. Scrooge".

In America they were billed as the Blue Orchids to avoid clashing with a homegrown Orchids. After that they changed their name to the Exceptions and cut one more single under that name. Apparently they did a Bert Berns, one of his own songs, "Just Like Mine". Also there was a session with Andrew Oldham, a song called "Society Girl", but this, like the Berns track never saw the light of day.

Great Coventry group - Where are they now? Pam is headmistress of a school in Scotland, Georgina living in Vancouver, and celebrating 30 years marriage. Valerie moved to Cornwall."

Singles

Gonna make him mine / Stay at home 1963 Decca

Love Hit Me / Don't make me mad Dec 1963 Decca

I've got that feeling (written by the Kink's Ray Davies)/Larry - 1964 Decca

Oo-Chang-a-lang - US single

What more do you want / Soldier Boy - As The Exceptions - 1965

Tracks found on Compilation CDs

Love Hit Me and Don't make me mad - on Pop Goes the Sixties Volume 1 - See For Miles

Oo-Chang-a-lang and Soldier boy - on The Girls Scene - See For Miles

Memories from Georgina Oliver (Orchids Lead Singer!)- From Rex Brough

" For us it was just about having fun and maybe meeting some pop stars at the time. Now I

realise that we had the chance to work with some great musicians and producers. I've been told by a number of people that the records are very well produced.

We started off singing together in the schoolyard at recess and lunch hours. We would sing the latest songs with our friends and I guess after a while it just seemed to be us singing and everyone else listening. Pam entered us in a talent contest one Saturday at the Orchid ballroom. We used to go there dancing every Saturday afternoon. Val and I didn't go that weekend for some reason and when Pam told us what she had done we were horrified! Anyway we won first prize - one whole pound!! Larry Page gave us the name The Orchids after the ballroom and arranged for some Decca people to come up to Cov to hear us sing. And as they say the rest is history.

We liked listening to American groups, mainly Tamla Motown, Crystals, Ronettes, Marvin Gaye,etc. We also liked the Beatles of course. Val liked the Stones but I wasn't into them. We wanted to do songs like the Motown stuff but nobody listened to us! The song I wrote - Soldier Boy - was, I guess, styled after the "teenage angst" songs of the States, you know, my boyfriend rides a Harley and now he's dead kinda thing. I enjoyed singing the less "poppy" music.
We didn't have a name before the Orchids and yes Larry Page did name us. Very original,

right? To tell you the truth I can't remember a whole lot about him. He was okay I guess, he wasn't a Fagin or Svengali. When I think back I guess he wasn't really that old but he seemed so to us being the fifteen year old brats that we were. I'm sure we must have exasperated him no end at times!

I remember the Orchid being very different in the daytime to when we saw it on Saturday afternoons with all the lights turned down and the music going. We would go for a meeting or rehearsal and the house lights would be on and everything looked kinda worn and seedy and a little dirty, like an aging actress with no make-up.

I remember Johnny B. Great and the Goodmenand Shel Naylor. We all went down to

London one evening after school to the recording studio (we recorded most of our records through the night, I guess it was cheaper then) We were all crammed into a van trundling down the M1. We girls got a case of the giggles and drove the guys mad. They threatened to dump us on the side of the road if we didn't shut up! Our first ever recording was as backup on Johnny's record "School is In". I don't remember singing with any of the groups other than that. We did make an appearance in Oxford in a show with Gerry and The Pacemakers and a few other people. Sounds Incorporated backed us when we did our set.

Again I don't remember much about the people who did the technical stuff at our recording sessions. Being teenagers we weren't included in any of the decision making or discussions. They said "Sing" and we sang. That's what we enjoyed doing and they said we were great so we were happy. I remember a few times we tried to make our feelings known. If we thought something was not to our liking we would try to tell them that we were members of the record buying public and if we didn't like it then others wouldn't, but I don't think anyone really listened to us. I do remember the names. Shel Talmey,of course, Mike Leander, Bert Burns - all American. I do know that Big Jim Sullivan played guitar on a couple of our records. Sometimes we would just have to sing over a pre-recorded music track and we didn't see any musicians at all. As I said we didn't realise at the time what was going on around us and what amazing talent there was to back us up. I remember some of the time we spent with Andrew Oldham. I remember him driving us around London in his big American convertible. The top was down, the sun was shining as we listened to Dionne Warwick singing "Don't Make Me Over" on a record player in the dashboard of the car. We were so impressed! At his flat we met the Beachboy's father who gave us an LP of their's that hadn't been released in the UK. Marianne Faithful turned up after a while too. Like our view of Page Andrew Oldham seemed to us to be older but as you say he could have only been in his early twenties.

We never toured. We were booked to do a summer season in Great Yarmouth but it was

cancelled because of rules and regulations about school and dates. There were a few times when we couldn't make appearances or sing live because of our ages. Pam was a few months younger than Val and I and it meant we couldn't do a number of things.

We appeared on a number of TV shows. We were on Ready Steady Go a couple of times. Once with the Hollies. Graham Nash gave us a lift back to Coventry after the show as he was going home to Birmingham. We had to wear these horrible jade green and black dresses. We hated them! We also appeared on Juke Box Jury a few times. We were on the show the Beatles did from Liverpool. We were so excited that we might get to meet them. No such luck. We were seated in the audience and had to stand up in a spotlight after the Beatles voted our record a miss!!!!

We also appeared on some local news magazine shows. We made what you would now call a video of an unreleased song "Mr Scrooge" It was used in a film called "Just For You". The movie starred Sam Costa as a dj who has a dream (I think) about playing all these records. The film included songs by The Batchelors, Freddie and the Dreamers and many more. Some of these performances found their way onto a U.S. video called Disk-O-Tek Holiday available on the net. The premise is kinda sappy with an American singer trying to get his song played by the radio stations. His journey is interspersed with videos by some American groups and some of the videos from Just For You. I have a copy of the video. In addition to our song it also has one by Johhny B. Great (without the Goodmen).
Yes, the schoolgirl look was all Larry Page's idea. Do you think any teenager in their right mind would have come up with that one!! Speaking of the Kinks I guess you know that Ray Davies wrote "I've Got that Feeling" and I do remember a rumour back then that the Kinks were slated to be our backing group. When Page took them on I remember him asking us to come up with a new name for them. They were The Ravens at the time. I'm afraid we can't take credit for the "Kinks", someone else came up with that.

We never went to America. Our record, Ooh-Chang-a-Lang was a U.S. only release. We

were renamed the Blue Orchids on that disc because there was already a group called the Orchids in the States. For our last release, "What More do You Want", they changed our name to The Exceptions to see if that would help. It didn't! I think if we had been a bit older and been allowed to have more of a say in what we recorded we might have been a more successful. But by then it was clear that the next big thing was going to be guy groups, guitars and drums.

I guess my song is more soul than pop. I tend to lean more that way. If things had been

different I think I would have liked to end up singing jazz or blues. I remember a few songs that were never released - Jenny Let Him Go, Larry (!) Just Like MIne, and of course Mr Scrooge.
I guess it all ended in 1965 after our last release. I guess Decca didn't renew our contract and it just kinda fizzled out. The three of us stayed friends and kept in touch until I left school at 16 to go to art college. The other two stayed on for the sixth form. After two years at Coventry College of Art and three years at West Sussex College of Art and Design studying textile design I liked the idea of being a perpetual student. I went to Weymouth teaching college thinking that maybe I would become a teacher. I soon realised that no, I didn't want to do that!

After one term I left and went home with a boyfriend in tow. We were married in 1971 then we came to Canada in 1973. Over the years I have worked mainly at home. I've done some graphic design work for a Fisheries and Oceans magazine, proof reading, poetry courses, made and sold crafts, taught adult evening class. I'm now producing a monthly newsletter for a local vintage car club. I also sing in a choir but that's mostly classical. Last year we performed Brahm's German Requiem (in German!) and this year we did CArmina Burana by Carl Orff. I enjoy most kinds of music except Rap and Country. I'm particularly fond of 30's, 40's and 50's standards. But it depends what mood I'm in. I like Mozart but I also like Cold Play and Radiohead.

The last I heard Pam was a teacher in Scotland but I haven't been in touch with her since school. I contacted Val a number of years ago through the Cov. Evening Telegraph. We keep in touch via email. She was teaching art but recently quit to do her own work. She lives in Devon and has three children, a girl and two boys. It would be cool to have a reunion but I don't think it would be musical!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Rocking at the Gaumont

Another article hits the press - Coventry Telegraph - from the pen of Pete Clemons. This time he regales us with the rock history at the Gaumont in the 1950's. If the likes of Bill Haley, Eddie Cochran and Cliff Richard ring a rock tune in your head - read on -

(Readable text below the graphics)

Jiving away at the Gaumont; MUSIC historian Pete Clemons looks back to when the Gaumont cinema played a major part in the rising rock 'n' roll scene in Coventry. Pete, from Keresley, charts the history of the popular venue, which played host to big name stars including Bill Haley, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran.

NOWADAYS, if you mention the Odeon cinema you will more than likely cast your mind to the multiplex picture house located within the Skydome complex built on the site of the old GEC factory in Spon Street.

But one of the most popular places for film goers when I was growing up, and I suspect for hundreds of others in Coventry, was the Odeon in Jordan Well. Until 1967 it had been known as the Gaumont and, of course, this particular Odeon is not to be confused with the one that existed until the early 1960s in Far Gosford Street and subsequently became a bingo hall.

I personally remember the Odeon in Jordan Well as being a rather plush place with its wall to wall carpeting. I can also recall that it had a large stage and had a distinctive Wurlitzer organ, the kind that was typical within cinemas at that time. I can also recall the Saturday morning club which was so popular with us youngsters.

The building itself is now known as the Ellen Terry centre, and is an annex of Coventry University. It first opened as a cinema in 1931 and during the war it took several direct hits and was extensively damaged. It seems that the damage was patched up until a full restoration took place in 1949.

I had always been aware that, when it had been known as The Gaumont, it had played a short but significant part in the Coventry music scene of the late 1950s and early 1960s but it was not until I began my research that I realised just how important the place had actually been during those formative years of rock 'n' roll.

One of the very earliest, of several high profile package tours to be staged at there, was that of a visit by Bill Haley and the Comets on Sunday February 10, 1957. It had been promoted by future TV giants Lew and Leslie Grade.

This was a major event at the time and was hugely anticipated and awaited. During late January of that year the Sid Phillips Orchestra were playing Coventry Theatre. They finished the evening with a rousing version of Rock Around the Clock which, according to a local news report, was met with 'frenzied applause'.

The following week saw the Basil and Ivor Kirchen Band perform a Sunday jazz concert at the theatre. Yet again tribute was paid to the forthcoming visit.

The words 'On your marks, get set...' opened the concert which attracted well in excess of 2,000. The excited teenagers were then hit with a 'white hot' version of Razzle Dazzle.

The 45-minute set also saw the seven-piece perform See You Later Alligator and the inevitable Rock Around the Clock. Afterwards praise was given to the cinema manager and staff for their efficiency in dealing with anyone who attempted to jive during the performance. Apparently a sharp warning was issued that you had to remain seated or face being ejected.

A year later on Sunday February 16 saw the Big Teenage Show of 1958. It hosted the stars from the '6.5 special' and topping the show was Colin Hicks and his Cabin Boys along with The Four Jacks. Further down the bill were a very young, Marty Wilde and his Wildcats.

The next big music event came on the June 3, 1958. It was another Lew and Leslie Grade promotion and featured 'America's most outstanding group' The Treniers along with the Hedley Ward Trio. This particular tour had initially included Jerry Lee Lewis but after completing the first few dates he returned home early because of the controversy about his 13-year-old wife.

This was his third wife and, at the time, he had not actually divorced his second. And this, along with the fact that she was only 13, didn't go down very well with the British press, causing a major storm. The tour continued, including The Gaumont date, with Charles (Chas) McDevitt Skiffle Group and Terry Wayne replacing Jerry Lee.

The year also saw concerts at The Gaumont by Frankie Vaughan and Wee Willie Harris.

Another 'Big Teenage Show' came to the city in 1959. Wednesday September 16 saw a Larry Parnes promotion starring Cliff Richard and the Drifters. By coincidence it was sometime during this tour that The Drifters became known as The Shadows. In fact there was a headline feature in the New Musical Express for the week dated September 18 reporting as such.

As the new decade began, 1960 saw the last concerts at The Gaumont.

The first of these, another Larry Parnes production, was when Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Vince Eager, The Viscounts, Tony Sheridan and others visited Coventry on that now infamous tour that, during April, ended in tragedy.

April 3 saw Craig Douglas, The Mudlarks and The Avons perform. Alan 'Fluff' Freeman was compere and Bunny Lewis the promoter.

An early promotion by Don Arden followed during May. This time the stars were Conway Twitty, Freddie Cannon, Johnny Preston, Joe Brown and Lord Rockingham's XI. Don also compered this particular show.

And finally the last recorded date, I have, for a package tour to be staged at The Gaumont. Monday November 28 saw Billy Fury, a returning Joe Brown, Tommy Bruce and no less than 12 others perform in another Larry Parnes promotion. By now these shows were being given proper production and this one had been produced by none other than Jack Good, the man who gave rock 'n' roll its first break in the UK with the TV series 'Oh Boy'.

Rock n roll was not a passing fad as predicted (or maybe hoped for) by the powers that be at the time. In time it was even embraced by all, including the provincial theatres, such as the Coventry Theatre, which went on to include the music within their variety show programmes. The Gaumont cinema then reverted back to doing what it was built for... showing the latest films.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Indian Summer - Coventry band

Indian Summer circa 1968-72

Progressive band.

BELOW - ARTICLES BY PETE CLEMONS

Malcom Harker - bass, vibes
Paul Hooper - drums
Bob Jackson - organ, lead vocals
Colin Williams - guitar, vocals

Early band members included: Al Hatton (bass), Steve Cottrel (guitar), Malc Harker (drums), Roy Butterfield guitar.
Album:

INDIAN SUMMER (NEON 1971 NE3)

Indian Summer - Full Album 1971

Peter Clemons treats us to the first of two articles top 70's Coventry Prog-rock band Indian Summer, published in the Coventry Telegraph.

Keyboard player Bob Jackson went on to play with a range of top artists and bands including John Entwhistle's Ro Ro and then Ross, Pete Brown's Piblokto, Badfinger, Dodgers and more recently The Fortunes.

Part One

Music Success Dried up Too Quickly for Indian Summer

Pete Clemons

Part 1

IT is roundly acknowledged that the 1960s and 1970s produced a wealth of amazing music.

It is also agreed that, as well as the obvious talent, there was a lot of luck attached to those bands that reached greatness.

Sadly though there were an awful lot of bands whose music, although just as good - if not better - simply flew under the radar.

For whatever reason lady luck was just not on their side.

One of those bands that I feel never got the recognition they deserved were Coventry's 'Indian Summer'.

The roots of Indian Summer can be traced to the mid-1960s when, as teenagers Bob Jackson and Paul Hooper were members of bands like 'This That and the Other' and 'The Rochester Beaks'.

It was all very youth club stuff but even back then both Paul and Bob knew that they were determined to put something good together musically and that they had ambitions.

The two then became involved with friends who were playing in bands like The Perfumed Garden (1966/67) and the Acme Patent Electric Band (1967/68) where Bob ended up played bass.

Both bands were more than competent and covered everything from Stax to Tamla Motown although the Acme band would become renowned for stretching themselves by playing more progressive art-house material and utilising stage props for dramatic effect.

The band was really the mastermind of one Malcolm Harker, student at the Lanchester Polytechnic and multi-instrumentalist. Indian Summer was formed during late 1968 by Bob and Paul. Bob had by now realised his main goal at the time and he had bought himself a Hammond organ.

This was an impressive bit of kit to own and involved a lot of self sacrifice and saving hard which meant Bob walked everywhere rather than pay for bus fares.

To show support and solidarity Paul often walked with him. The day finally arrived when Bob took ownership of his Hammond. This was the point where Bob and Paul, on drums, could put together their long planned for band and set about recruiting the other members.

Completing the line-up was bass player Alan Hatton and guitarist Roy Butterfield who had effectively been head hunted mainly through his excellent abilities and partly through his image.

Initially Indian Summer played covers which included playing the music of Jimmy Smith, Jimi Hendrix, Blood Sweat and Tears, early Arthur Brown and even Frank Zappa, but more and more the band developed their own songwriting abilities.

They rehearsed hard at venues such as the Antelope club and began to start playing many local gigs which they often got for themselves or via local agencies such as Friars Promotions.

Word about the band was spreading and gigs were forthcoming including several at Hotel Leofric. To transport equipment the band managed to get a Black Mariah van which, in itself, caused issues with the police, who often stopped the van being confused as to who was using it and for what.

Then, just as it was all getting serious with things looking good and taking off, Roy Butterfield suddenly and surprisingly left.

Local blues guitarist Steve Cottrel, from the band 'South Side Loop', was drafted in to take over lead guitar duties.

It was at this point that the band began to branch out further afield and started to secure gigs in and around Birmingham. It was during this period that they came to the attention of jazz musician, promoter, manager Jim Simpson, who was gaining a reputation for getting behind Birmingham bands such as 'Bakerloo Blues Band', and a band called 'Earth'.

Jim ran a production company called 'Big Bear Records' and he was interested in getting a deal for Indian Summer who were steadily gaining a good reputation.

In fact while supporting Fleetwood Mac at the Swan at Yardley bass player John McVie was so impressed that he asked the band to send him a tape. Thinking he was only patronising them they foolishly ignored his request.

It was while playing Henry's Blues house on the corner of Hill Street and Station Street in

Birmingham, a music club run by Jim Simpson, that they came to the attention of Olav Wyper who had founded the successful record label Vertigo for the Philips record company and who had signed Black Sabbath, another band from Jim Simpson's stable.

Jim Simpson had recommended Indian Summer to Olav Wyper who, at the time, had not long been employed by RCA to head its progressive Neon Records label.

Most record labels back then had a progressive label. EMI for example famously had the Harvest label.

The interest was there and tough decisions needed to be made over commitment and ability. As a result Alan Hatton left the band as he felt he should adhere to his career as a computer programmer. At this juncture Paul and Bob left their respective 9-5 jobs to become professional musicians. Engineering student Malcolm Harker, who had been known to Bob and Paul since the days of the Acme Patent Electric Band and The Perfumed Garden, was drafted in on bass.

From when he joined though Malcolm knew that he could only commit for a limited time and would be leaving the band within 18 months in order to take over his father's engineering company in Stockton on Tees.

He was a forthright character with business acumen and used this skill to promote and get gigs for the band. No sooner had Malcolm joined when Steve Cottrel, out of sympathy for Alan's departure, also decided to go. This resulted in guitarist Colin Williams being asked to join.

Colin had come with a reputation for being a fast playing guitarist with an impressive technique and had been a member of local band 'From the Sun'.

The 'classic' line-up was now complete.

Next week: The release of Indian Summer's album and the key management decision involving Black Sabbath which hit their career.
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PART TWO by PETE CLEMONS

Seasons in the Sun -Part Two - Pete Clemons

BEFORE long enough original material, and more, had been written for an album with everyone contributing.

This new line-up rehearsed at the Lanchester Polytechnic music room and Olav Wyper came back and signed them teaming them up with producer Rodger Bain. All the songs were 'auditioned' for Roger at T+G Union building that can be seen at the ring road end of London Road. Meanwhile the band was travelling all over the country doing gigs and now promoting their self penned material.

The music largely evolved from Bob's compositions written on keyboard, although all members contributed and collaborated on the song writing and composing. The sound revolved around Bob's Hammond organ and Colin's fluid guitar style, which had more jazzy/classical leanings than typical rock licks. Arrangements allow for intricate changes of pace from driving rhythms to pastoral pieces. Bob's distinctive lead vocals dominate throughout as the compositions develop from one melodic section to another. Interesting and often subtle use of time signatures create inventive passages of music and have lead many to compare Indian Summer with other prog rock acts of that era such as King Crimson, Caravan, and Colosseum.

Through their associations with Jim Simpson and Rodger Bain the band got to know the

members of Birmingham band 'Earth'. Rodger went on to produce Earth's first album, soon after they changed their name to 'Black Sabbath'. It came to the attention of Bob and Paul that Sabbath were in the process of leaving Jim Simpson's management to join Don Arden.

Don was renowned for his 'tough' and demanding style of management and when the band asked why Black Sabbath were leaving Jim Simpson 'Ozzy' Osbourne told them that 20 per cent of lots of the money that Don could make them was way better than 90 per cent of the nothing that Jim would probably get them. True, as it transpired.

At the same time that the RCA Neon deal was on the table ready to be signed, Colin Williams had sent tapes to Island record subsidiary label Chrysalis who, after hearing them, also offered the band a brilliant deal. But in the end the band did the ethical thing and turned down Chrysalis out of loyalty to Jim Simpson and RCA. On such decisions careers are built or fail. At the time the band decided to stick with the same successfully proven team that made the first Black Sabbath LP and remained confident of success.

With the RCA deal signed Rodger Bain took the band to London's legendary Trident Studios to record their self titled debut album. It took several days to record with some of the sessions lasting well into the night that resulted in the band having to sleep rough at times.(i.e. in the van). However, the record was completed and 'Indian Summer' (catalogue number NE3) was released in early 1971.

The album was launched alongside another release by RCA band Fairweather who were lead by Andy Fairweather Low. It was received well and got very good reviews but despite the high profile promotion, regrettably failed to sell. The label itself never took off. It could be that Neon failed partly due to the fact that it was pushed as the "underground" label for students. Students, at that time, preferred to find things out for themselves rather than have things pushed on them. Indian Summer felt that the LP didn't really capture their raw and exciting sound they achieved at gigs and looked forward to addressing that when recording a follow-upbut they never got the chance.

However, following on from the LP release the band was asked to release a commercial single. A cover of 'Ride a Pony' by 'Free' was suggested by the record company but the band, naturally, wanted to see their own music released. They recorded the unreleased 'Walking on Water c/w Firewater.' But the single failed to see the light of day as RCA didn't get behind it.

Soon after the LP was released, and true to his word, Malcolm Harker left the band in order

to concentrate on the engineering business. Previously with The Sorrows, guitarist Wes Price came in to take over the promotional work, gigs and festivals that followed.

Still gigging but with no encouragement or plans from the record company to make another album and failing singles the band's days were numbered. A 10-12 date tour of Switzerland was arranged. Wes was going to Italy on a family holiday but was happy to drive from Italy to Switzerland in order to fulfil the tour. The rest of the band made their way overland from the UK, travelling in a hire van loaded with friends as extra road crew. It was a final party tour.

Despite the tour being a comparative success both Wes and Colin, for a variety of reasons, became disheartened after it was completed. With well paid gigs hard to come by and a non-supportive record company the momentum fell away. Making great music is a dream but a living still has to be made. So both Wes and Colin gave up professional music to work in the car industry. Bob and Paul were too disappointed to carry it on. Sadly that was the end for Indian Summer.

Ironically, the Indian Summer LP is now often held up as a fine example of the progressive rock genre by those who appreciate that kind of music, and is now highly regarded and prized as a collector's item.

Bob and Paul continued their dream with bands like The Dodgers. Bob, notably, spent some time as a member of hit record makers Badfinger.

They both eventually reunited with almost 20 years together in 'The Fortunes'.

Malcolm, apart from the engineering business, built his own studio in the north east where a then unknown Chris Rea would begin to realise his career by recording demos etc at Malcolm's place in the Cleveland Hills. Malcolm would later emigrate to the USA.

Alan Hatton is nowadays based in Canada while Colin Williams lives in Daventry.

Today Bob Jackson is still with Fortunes while Paul Hooper, although semi-retired and based in the north east, adds his percussion skills to the recently revitalised folk/rock band Prelude who are well worth checking out via respective websites: www.preludemusic.co.uk and www.thefortunes.co.uk

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A third article by Pete Clemons on Indian Summer's New Album can be found here

http://coventrygigs.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/indian-summer-new-album.html

From Coventry Evening Telegraph 1971

Trev Teasdel "Summer 1970, Indian summer played Pete Waterman's Walsgrave pub Progressive Music venue. I was doing the door for Pete and through bass player Malc Harker (who was soon to leave the band) booked them for the Coventry Arts Umbrella club. The Umbrella was only a small venue but the Friday night band sessions went on until about 2am. We were lucky to get them, the band were in big demand at that stage and not long afterwards made their first album for RCA Neon - still a classic on the Prog-rock scene after all this time."