Coventry Music Articles by Pete Clemons: Roddy Byers AKA Roddy Radiation

Roddy Byers AKA Roddy Radiation

by Pete Clemons

A Roddy Byers / Radiation song for the Specials

Look in a dictionary under 'maverick' or 'renegade' and you see those words described as a hard hitting rebel who plays by his own rules. A person of few words who don't take no nonsense off nobody.

A rather remarkable picture found its way onto the internet recently. It shows a group of David Bowie freaks from around 1974/75. And it was taken in the Rose and Crown on the High Street, Coventry. Next door to Bear Inn.

From left to right the photo shows, back row: Big Jim / John Wankling / Chris Byers / Rod Byers / John Shipley / Dave Wankling / Kevin Brown. Front row: Steven Connolly AKA Roadent / Paul O’Brien.

And I kind of felt that the word 'mavericks' or 'renegades' fitted the people in that photograph. And I don't mean that with any disdain either. Far from it. More in admiration. From an early age, these people simply played life by their own rules.

John Shipley went on to form and play guitar for the Swinging Cats,Dave Wankling went on to become vocalist for Urge while Roddy Byers featured in both the Wild Boys and The Specials. And between them they wrote, or were involved in the writing of several important songs. These included Mantovani, Revolving Boy, Bobby, Rat Race and Hey Little Rich Girl. This is indeed a priceless image and a gathering of wonderful talent.

Most of the names in the photograph were already known but Roddy Byers kindly added the rest. And in doing so we had a rather interesting chat about that period.

The conversation kind of started when I mentioned how much I had enjoyed David Bowie's music and lyrics. Particularly, for me, the period from 'Man Who Sold the World' through to 'Diamond Dogs'. Those albums are just so incredible.

Rod: 'Yep a good time 72 till 76 then Punk happened'.

Me: 'So this image was taken just prior to Wild Boys being formed maybe'?

Rod: 'Yes around same time'.

Me: 'Yet despite all of the good things that happened during the 1970s Coventry, and I guess other places, could be brutal and unforgiving for those who veered off the perceived straight and narrow'.

Rod: 'Most Blokes thought we were a bunch of Puffs but we had all the best looking girlfriends. I married mine '.

Me: 'And what you touch on there kind of shows that not all aspects from that period were not great to live through'.

Rod: 'We got picked on quite a lot There were only certain pubs where it was safe for us to go to'.

Me: 'I can imagine. I got 'done in' for wearing purple platform shoes once. Could also guess the safe pubs also. But, as far as I am concerned, you all had last laugh' .

Rod: 'Most of us became punks or new wavers'.

Just for some clarity, I became aware of punk rock as early as August 1976. October 1976 saw what was considered to be the release of the first punk rock single in the UK. So it you were aware of the onslaught to come before any of those dates, as the guys in that photograph clearly were, then you really were ahead of the rest of us. And not only that, those guys believed in it and realised the impact it would bring.

Me: 'You were all very switched on and way ahead of the time, I do know that much'.

Rod: 'Well when I came back from seeing the early punk bands in London not all the Bowie freaks were convinced. Same as when I started looking rockabilly some of my punk friends didn’t like it. Young Americans era that's why I got into punk, I didn't like the soul boy thin white duke stuff much'.

Again, and for the purpose of clarity, the period Rod was talking about here was the first half of 1976....maybe slightly earlier.

Me: 'Add me to those not convinced by punk initially. Took me a little while, but got there in the end'.

Rod: 'Yes it was a revolution of sorts but when the Glam Rock thing started a lot of long haired rock guys felt the same way. I guess every generation had its own anthems'.

Me: 'I remember being at Knebworth 76 and read about punk in a Sounds mag that was handed to you as you entered the venue. I remember that Pistols/Clash gig at Lanch being advertised. But the lads I knocked around with didn't fancy it. I did see both bands eventually but should have gone with my gut feeling that night'.

Rod: 'I was at the Lanch but I'd already seen them both at the 100 Club in 1976 The sound was awful you couldn’t hardly hear the words But the attitude and way dressing was wonderful '.

Me: 'Wow, just the thought of you seeing them in 76 simply blows me away. But twice !!. This was months before they became household names. You and that Scon (Steve Connolly) were way ahead of the curve'.

Rod: 'Well I'd been listening to the Ramones and The Stooges , New York Dolls etc. so it wasn’t that radically different '.

Me: 'See I didn't. I was too much into progressive rock I guess. I did catch up with them though. Particularly the Ramones. Was it through Bowie you heard the Ramones etc.'?

Rod: 'Lou Reed the NYC stuff I suppose. I was into Hendrix & the Cream in my early teens too'.

Me: 'I enjoyed Hendrix, Cream and Bowie but I didn't get into that NYC stuff. My brother, however, went to see Lou Reed in Birmingham during the early 70s'.

Rod: 'Velvet Underground all that stuff. My older mates turned me on too a lot of stuff'.

Me: 'I was too stuck into Yes and Caravan etc.'.

Rod: 'Not my thing even though I saw Yes. I kinda switched to T. Rex n Bowie and Roxy Music after the rock stuff. But I listened too a lot of black blues as well and early Rock'n'roll '.

Me: 'Got to say I have really enjoyed this chat. I find it all so interesting how it all developed for you'.

I then asked Rod if he would mind if I developed our chat into a blog. And in true maverick/renegade style he said........

Rod: 'Yep why not nothing I’m ashamed of'.

For the completion of this article my thanks go to Milan Stojsavljevic and Joe Kerrigan (Horizon photography) and John Shipley for making the photograph available. And, of course, to Roddy Byers for the wonderful chat.