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Thursday, February 25, 2021

Big John's Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus

 

Big John's Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus.
by Pete Clemons



During the beginning to mid 1975, Coventry born John Goodison, had co written and co-produced The Bay City Rollers second number 1 'Give a Little Love' along with Phil Wainman. By the end of that year he was preparing to set out on tour for a rock and roll project that would ultimately last for the best part of 20 years.

The project called 'Big John's Rock and Roll Circus' actually began during 1974 with the release of an album of the same name. By the end of 1975, Act 2 was released and we were being invited to 'thrill to the sound of the only audio circus ever to have been captured on bits of the black stuff. Enjoy this unique experience in the comfort of your own home. You can actually smell the Elephant House. Starring: Laslo - the high dive artiste, Norman - the amorous archer and Carlo - the human cannonball'.

The Circus as a live band started a little uncertainly in July of 1975. It was the brainchild of Johnny (Big John, known to his band mates as B.J.) Goodison who had risen to prominence with The Brotherhood of Man, and written hits for Mud and The Bay City Rollers. He had selected six musicians to help form the band, all of whom were previously known to him with the exception of drummer Ian Murray.

John Tebb, from Lincoln had left The Casuals to pursue a solo singer-songwriter career and had spent a lot of time in the studio with Big John recording jingles and voice-overs for other bands. Guitarist Gordon Smith, known from Day One as 'Flash', from Edinburgh had been in London since the mid sixties and worked for several bands including a venture with a young Phil Collins in a group called Flaming Youth. Howie Casey from Liverpool was already a veteran sax player and a member of the ‘A’ list musicians on the London studio circuit. Bassist Mike Gregory from Liverpool had helped form the 60’s group The Escorts and then joined the Swinging Blue Jeans before working for Big John on the original Circus concept album in 1974. Geoff Workman, also from Liverpool was Big John's resident studio engineer as well as being an accomplished pianist.

The Circus very much reflected Big John's sense of humour. Apparently the laughs they had during the two week rehearsal to put the show together persisted right to the end, almost fifteen years later, and his high standards of musicianship. Basically, it was a cabaret-review of Rock & Roll from Elvis to the Beach Boys packed into two one-hour shows complete with fireworks, smoke bombs and 'dancing girls’.



The uncertainty, mentioned earlier, was caused by the last-minute cancellation of a six-week tour of South Africa which was actually the raison d’etre of putting the whole thing together. However, Johnny contacted the Bailey's Night Club organisation and secured a series of one-week-residencies around the UK starting at Baileys in Leicester. The band brought the house down on their first night, almost literally it seems as a firework gag went dangerously wrong, and had a standing ovation from an audience that on the final Saturday night, included the members of Showaddywaddy who came in to see the show and 'stole' half the repertoire.

Although the albums were very different to the live shows it was still a very unique concept at the time. And one that continued for years to come. But this was how the first album was greeted, by one reviewer at the time of release, during 1974 - 'Heard some crazy concept albums before but this must go down as the zaniest for some time. Basically it's been put together by 'Big' John Goodison, DJM's in house producer and Phil Wainman, The Sweets producer. Other musicians involved are Gordon Frechter, Mike Gregory and Pip Williams. The album incorporates some of the old Barnum and Bailey's circus acts, Laslo the trapeze artiste, who climbs to a fateful ending and as he crashes down from above the quintet move into a song, appropriately titled 'Long Time No See'. Goodison and Wainman do a fair production job on it all but with the circus atmosphere dominating the song intervals, it's hard to judge rock and roll circus on any great musical level except to say that it's competently put together by experienced session men. The single taken from the album, 'Lady (Put the Light on Me)', is probably the best and most commercial song'.












Saturday, February 20, 2021

Trev Teasdel - Jazz Town - A new Bandcamp Album

 Trev Teasdel - Jazz Town - 

(A New  Bandcamp Album).

Review by Pete Clemons.


"This is Jazz Town. The melody of the rain, Trumpets of improvised images rain down. Maple Leaf or make believe, could reality be this absurd! Lovers bathe in Malay Specials, pineapples, bananas, and the grapes of wrath; pipers pipe in the Tartan highlands, absurdist politicians walk the catwalk with Pablo Picasso painted policies.."

Jazz Town is a new spoken word and music album by poet / lyricist and Coventry archiver Trev Teasdel, out on Bandcamp. Listen free via the Bandcamp app on here and read the words via the PDf below. 

For more of Trev's books and music visit here https://trevteasdelpoet.blogspot.com/2021/01/books-by-trev-teasdel.html

Trev Teasdel - Jazz Town - A New Album

 Review by Pete Clemons

It quite often seems that, the image of a poet in modern day Britain, is seen as being

condemned to the sidelines and the outer reaches of expression.

The fact is though that Trev Teasdel has been writing poetry for years and has long been engaged in a war of his own, against the rich and powerful elements in our society, and against all that threaten our freedoms and expressions.

Trev's poetic style is very much abstract and oblique. He doesn't seem to favour neatly structured four liners and rhyme. His writing is more complicated that that. His work is challenging, cryptic and witty. Trev's poems tend to carry the insistence that life is to be lived and that two fingers can  be given to the establishment as and when you feel.

This album appears to cover a wide range of topics from the fears and pleasures of complete freedom to the intellectual morose of the masses. And, yes, a lot of words are of a more idealistic nature. But it has been released at a time when, at more than any other time in our lives, many of our ideals are becoming eroded or even derided.

The music that accompanies the words is minimal. There is a lot of bass guitar. But, at the same time the accompaniment is intense and frenetic. Yet strangely, it seems to compliment the words perfectly.

I guess the words take you where you want them to. I personally found it all very much old wave. And that is meant in the sense that you are thrown back a few decades to the bars that lingered with smoke and filled with the mellow sounds that keep you company in the ambience. Difficult nowadays to imagine that that  places like those once existed.

At the same time however, there are also occasional feelings of the current. Which, lets face it, is not the most inspirational of places right now. I suppose though that the clue is in the albums title – 'Jazz Town'.

 In a world where human beings have become so extraordinarily aggressive and violent, not only in their own personal relationships but also in their relationships with both the world and with each other then this album is the complete antitheses.

 Thoughts can create all kinds of situations. Complete freedom to think gives you work like this. You could certainly do so much worse than to lose yourself within this album for the time it lasts.

....................

Jazz Town - The Album - Listen to the 10 track home recorded album here on this player for free. Poetry and music by Trev with 3 blues instrumentals. Read the words below in the PDF book Jazz Town.


Jazz Town by Trev Teasdel the PDF book - scroll down to read or click the arrow to enlarge and read / download on Google drive for free.



Sunday, February 14, 2021

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Years – Coventry 1960-1963

 

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Years – Coventry 1960-1963.

by Pete Clemons


The recent of activity of Coventry rock ‘n’ roll band Rock-It and now The Sorrows 2011 had me wondering about the early days of this particular genre within Coventry and some of it’s home grown talent. Pete Chambers, in his books and articles, has done some fantastic and interesting work in this area. However I wanted to try and delve a little deeper and find out more about the bands involved and the venues that they played in along with anything else I could dig up.

I tried the obvious places like the Telegraph and the Coventry Standard but between the years 1960 and 1963 there was very little to find. I did find regular columns that contained the then current Jill Hanson record shop top 10, a column for teenagers that covered all the chart favorites along with who was visiting the city. But until columnist Andy Anderson got involved toward the end of 1962 very little has been written on the musical scene within and around Coventry.

You need to remember that all this was happening during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s and my own assumptions, and the suspicions of others, regarding this lack of information is that these guys were maybe classed as a bit rebellious and were actually involved with playing the music of the devil. And maybe if the media and press ignored it then it would all go away.

So after much digging and annoying the likes of Vince Holliday (Martin), Phil Packham and Nigel Lomas I have tried to add as much as their memories allow.

The early rock ‘n’ roll scene in Coventry at that time seemed, in the main, to be centered mainly around 7 bands. These were The Vampires, The Zodiacs, Johnny Ransom and the Rebels, Ray Kelly and the Freemen, The Atlantics, The Buckaneers and Jason and the Canonites.

The VAMPIRES formed during 1959 and existed till 1965. The band’s initial line up was Vince Martin, Geoff Baker, Phil Packham and Barry Bernard. However depending on who you talk to that initial line up also included Keith Parsons. Several line up changes occurred during the bands existence although, yet again, I have several differing lists of who was with them and at what stage they were in. Although they differ though the names remain constant and Johnny Washington, Johnny Buggins, Robin Bailey, Alan Palmer and Ronnie Cooke all passed through the bands ranks. The venues they played included: The Bantam Pub Hen Lane, The Milano Coffee Bar Radford Road, The Transport and General Workers Union HQ and The Police Ballroom. They also had a residency at the Lutterworth Working Men's Club for 12-18 months on a Wednesday evening.







The ZODIACS were also formed in 1959 by singer Maurice Redhead and Nigel Lomas. Also in the band were Terry Wyatt and Graham Peace. Maurice and Nigel had met at a rock n roll club during 1958 called The DRUMBEAT CLUB on Lockhurst Lane railway bridge on the Holbrooks side. It was a cellar club beneath a coffee bar. Nigel would get up and sing there and have an occasional go on the drums. ‘The only people I remember who also performed there were Mick Van de Stay a singer and guitarist Jim Smith’. At this time there were only a few coffee bars that had music. The MILANO on Radford Road and, The DOMINO Gosford Street were 2 of them. In 1960 When Eddie Cochran appeared at the Gaumont Cinema during Jan 1960, he actually called in at the MILANO after the show. The Zodiacs, incredibly, still perform today.

                                                        Zodiacs 1964 Memorial Hall 


Johnny Ranson and the Rebels were formed during 1960. The band included Rick Lee on vocals, John Miles and the Kerrigan Brothers Joe and Andy. Sadly Rick recently passed away. The Rebels played venues such as The Co-op club located at the Forum on Walsgrave Road and the GEC ballroom.

The Atlantics were also formed during the very early 60’s and this band included Johnny Martin on vocals, Don Kerr, Mick Calcott, Eddie Milton and Tony Chambers. Also future members of The Sorrows Phil Packham, who had by now left The Vampires, and Pip Witcher performed at some point with The Atlantics.

The Atlantics


Nigel Lomas takes up the story: I played drums for the ZODIACS from 1959-1962. The venues we played included; Collycroft Club Bedworth most Thursdays, Newdigate club Bedworth most Tuesdays, St Georges Hall Nuneaton most Saturdays, the Ritz cinema Longford on the odd Friday night or Sunday afternoon, the Stag and Pheasant Lockhurst Lane Sunday Lunchtimes for about one year, maybe more I cannot remember.

Other groups sharing the bill during these times were: Vince Martin and The Vampires, The Atlantics, who played at the DOMINO coffee bar Gosford Street, Johnny and the Rebels, Max Holliman and the Guitarnos who were from Nuneaton.

I left the ZODIACS in 1962 and was replaced by a very good drummer called Ron Cooke. Within one week I had replaced him in his group The FREEMEN who, at that time, were the highest paid Coventry group due to being the resident house band at the GENERAL WOLFE HOTEL and by playing four nights a week their.

The FREEMEN were Ray Kelly: piano, Johnny Goodison: vocals, Dick Morden: lead guitar, Mick Calcott: bass and Nigel on drums. Sadly Johnny and Dick have both passed away. Mick Calcott was replaced by Colin (Olly) Warner in 1962. Nigel and Olly had both been together in The Zodiacs. (Olly had replaced Graham Peace)

By April 1963 the then manager of the Orchid Ballroom (now the KASBAH) Larry Page had spotted the band. He arranged a recording test for us and as a result we became the FIRST Coventry group to have a record released titled "SCHOOL IS IN" on the DECCA label 6th Sept 1963. On the 13th Sept 1963 we had another release but this time backing the three girl Coventry harmony group THE ORCHIDS. Their record being titled ‘’GONNA MAKE HIM MINE’’ and this was also on the DECCA label.

During July 1963 The Freemen had changed their name to JOHNNY B GREAT AND THE GOODMEN and added three sax players to their line up. They became the resident house band at Nottingham Locarno and were employed by the MECCA group. However they were told that if they did not stop the release of their records then they could not be on contract to them. So they then left the Locarno sacked two of the sax players and did a series of one night stands covering most of the North of England often meeting up with the Rolling Stones and the like. This lasted with one or two line up changes until the end of 1964 when Johnny Goodison (B Great) decided to go solo and try his luck in London, which was to prove to be a very successful move for him.

As I mentioned, by the end of 1962 the activities of the Coventry music scene was now being given greater coverage by Andy Anderson alongside the music scene at a national level. 1963 saw record releases by likes of Beverley Jones and Johnny Washington and these were being given ample promotion and the Twang Dance era had already got underway with regular gigs at place like The Orchid.

But hopefully I have gone someway at adding a bit more meat to the bone with regard to a small but very important area in Coventry’s music history.

Pete Clemons

26 August 2011

issue 2 – 30 August 2011

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Ike and Tina Turner - Coventry

 

Ike and Tina Turner - Coventry
by Pete Clemons



Toward the end of 1966 The Rolling Stones set out on a UK concert tour. The opening acts were The Yardbirds, Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers and, on their first British tour, the Ike and Tina Turner Revue complete with the Kings of Rhythm Orchestra and The Ike-ettes. They were described at the time as, one of the most exciting rock and roll shows ever to hit Britain.

It was The Rolling Stones themselves who had offered Ike and Tina Turner the chance to be one of their opening acts, having seen the Revue while touring in the States. It also gave the pair the opportunity to book additional concert appearances and tours all over the UK, Europe and Australia where they attracted large audiences.

To coincide with their British tour London records released the Phil Spector produced 'River Deep-Mountain High'. Recorded late 1965, and later released during mid 1966 in the UK, 'River Deep-Mountain High' failed to become a hit in the United States. However, in Europe it was a totally different story as it became a massive hit, reaching the top 3 in the UK.

It was quite a coup for The Rolling Stones as the arrival of Ike and Tina Turner made the front pages of the music magazines. Their agent, Tito Burns, confirmed the tour during July 1966. At that time the pair were riding high in the charts with their single 'River Deep-Mountain High'. He mentioned that, in addition to the concert tour, the Revue would also be completing several other personal and TV appearances while they were here.

And one of those additional concerts, scheduled during free time from The Rolling Stones tour was at the Locarno in Coventry. As far as I can determine the set list included 'River Deep-Mountain High', 'Shake', 'A Fool In Love', 'It's Gonna Work Out Fine', 'Please, Please, Please', 'Goodbye', 'So Long', 'Land of 1000 Dances', 'Tell the Truth', 'I Know (You Don't Want Me No More)', 'Something Got a Hold On Me', 'You Are My Sunshine'.

The fact is that despite their popularity in Europe Ike and Tina Turner had been making quality music for at least six years with no success back home. According to Ike Turner, they had been trying to get across to the UK for a couple of years but was not comfortable to until he was sure he could bring the whole Revue.

During an interview while in the UK Ike Turner mentioned: 'I wouldn't have come till I was sure that I could bring along all of the act. It would have been no good just Tina and me coming here. I didn't want to be a let-down act, I don't even know how we all managed to get here, but here we are'. Ike also confessed that the Revue did not rehearse very much. Yet, despite that, he mentioned that they still managed to sound close to the record while on stage.

The audiences appreciation of the bands sound stunned Ike and Tina Turner. And, following the visit, the band returned to the United States in high demand despite never having had a hit record there. Of course, that all changed, as the pair went on to win a Grammy Award as well as being inducted into the rock n roll hall of fame during 1991.