The Session – HMV Empire December 2021

 

The Session – HMV Empire December 2021

by Pete Clemons

Aah, the dreaded curse of Covid. Well that was what I initially thought until Tracy confirmed that she had a throat problem. Thus cancelling The Primitives homecoming gig. A statement confirmed the mixed news 'We’re really sorry to have to announce that Friday’s Coventry show has had to be postponed because Tracy is laid up with a throat infection - not Covid. We have rescheduled the show for Friday April 1st.

However rather than waste the evening the HMV Empire announced the incredibly generous offer of a free evening entirely devoted to the support artists who were also scheduled to appear with The Prims. As such a 'Not The Primitives' evening was declared that involved local bands and artists, The Session, Danny Ansell, The Institutes (stripped back) and Ryan Cowley and Caitlin McCarthy.

Given how things were so finely balanced with the pandemic, it was also rightly billed as possibly the last opportunity of a gig for a while. Thankfully, as the new year awakens, that doesn't appear to be the case.

Headliners, The Session, arrived on stage to a tremendous reception from the 200 strong crowd. And they justified it. The Session are an uncompromising rock band. They play completely original material and this was one of their biggest dates of this most disjointed of years.

Right from the off they displayed an attention grabbing performance with a version of Martinet's Dream. Tunes like The Trait, Loaded Hobo and Denver Hill followed. A particularly poignant moment was when a tune called When She Smiles was dedicated to the NHS. It even melted a hard heart such as mine.

Principle song writer, Dean MacDonald (vocals & guitar) has an infectious enthusiasm for life. A totally positive attitude. Reading his social media posts I get the impression that Dean is an uncomplicated character. Family appears to be all. Yet his songs attempt to unpick the complications of the world we live in. Whatever the situation though, he seems to be able to make the best out of it.

The glue that holds the band together is Dave Chambers (bass guitar) and Ciaran Corkery (drums). Between them they produce some intense and beefed up rhythms.

A comfortable display from new guitarist, The Mark of Warwick (lead guitar), who found the space to deliver several expressive solo's. Mark appeared to have settled quickly into the band.

Sheryl McClean (vocals & percussion) dominates the stage with her huge presence and powerful vocals. Maybe her name is not too familiar yet, but my guess is that it will be. Sheryl screams and growls but don't get me wrong, because she can also sing. And I mean really sing. She is also clearly confident, and has the complete trust of being surrounded by a more than competent band.

The Session do not play covers or anthems. Just original rock 'n' roll. They have textures, harmonies, guts and melodies. Watching them is like having a tin of celebrations. You don't know what they will pull out next. Soft rock, something soulful, something funky. Its all there. Some of the songs endings can be a bit abrupt but they perform the art of 'feeling good' well.

And the thing is, they get to do it all again on April 1st 2022 as, this time, The Primitives will be there.

Albatross

 

Albatross

By Pete Clemons

As a young teenager I remember my attention being grabbed by the instrumental Albatross. But strangely when you began to investigate the group behind Albatross, Fleetwood Mac, you soon discovered that it was unlike anything they had done before. At the time the tune was written Fleetwood Mac were still very much a blues band from the 'underground scene' and were struggling financially.

As the British Blues scene was fading toward the end of the 1960s Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green had began to look outside of the blues for more diverse ideas. At the same time musical creativity, as a whole, was going to a completely new level. Music with a jazz background or a blues feeling was beginning to emerge and stretch itself.

After being camped in London the early version of Fleetwood Mac had also spent time in America. There they toured with bands like The Grateful Dead. The Dead had opened the eyes of the individuals within Fleetwood Mac to the art of free playing. And Peter Green, particularly, was now investigating whole areas of music where few, at that time, had ventured.

Albatross was recorded October 1968 and released a few weeks later during the same year. Initially CBS, the record company who handled Blue Horizon releases, were reluctant to release Albatross as a single. A couple of singles, released previously by the band, had flopped and the label needed persuading with this one.

However, soon after Fleetwood Mac had performed Albatross on the Simon Dee show there were suddenly 60,000 advance orders for it. Entering the chart at number 36, the single crept quietly up the till it hit the top spot at the end of January 1969.

Having been touring in America again, Fleetwood Mac arrived home to a number 1. It was the bands first real hit record. It undoubtedly came as a surprise. When asked to comment on Albatross, the tunes creator Peter Green, simply put it down to listening to Eric Clapton.

The whole tune had been Peter's idea. He played Fender Stratocaster on his lap for the main theme. It included two bass guitars. One played by Peter the other by Fleetwood Mac's bass player John McVie. Even the overdubs were Peter's idea. Fleetwood Mac's drummer Mick Fleetwood mentioned that the whole idea was 'as simple as it gets, but yet, it was so beautiful'.

Fleetwood Mac's second guitarist, Danny Kirwan had not long joined the band, and this was possibly his first recording with them. Danny had added a new dimension to the band. For a top of the pops appearance, performing Albatross, Danny took a prominent role. But the bands slide guitarist, Jeremy Spencer, appeared to go through the motions as he had contributed nothing to the recording of the tune.

About the singles title, Peter Green once said, 'We had to call it something and I had just been listening to Blind Faith and the track that had the lyric 'I climbed on the back of a giant albatross, which flew through a crack in the cloud, to a place where happiness reigned all year round, where music played ever so loudly' – I assume Peter meant 'Hole in My Shoe' by Traffic. Regardless, Albatross went on to sell a million copies.

After having his own personal struggles Peter Green became more and more uncomfortable with the fame and fortune that Albatross brought. The next Fleetwood Mac single, Man of the World, was, in hindsight, possibly his first real cry for help. What happened next is a whole different story.

By 1973, and after a few turbulent years, Fleetwood Mac had relocated to America and were steadily rebuilding. By now, I think it is fair to say, that they had been largely forgotten about in the UK. CBS decided to reissue Albatross.

Another million copies of the record were sold bringing the tune to a whole new generation. But the reissue was not without its controversy.

Fleetwood Mac had changed beyond recognition of its early blues band days. The band had changed personnel, and a spokesperson called the single 'unwanted attention'. The, new more American version of the band sought to distance themselves further from the release when they refused to play it live. However an advert placed in the music press a few weeks after those statements did acknowledge the achievement of Albatross and remind the UK that Fleetwood Mac were still very much active.

Reflecting back to the late 1960s Peter Green once mentioned that he had always felt very dissatisfied with whatever he did. The rest is incredibly complicated. But what a incredible legacy Peter left us with.

Influences 

From https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-story-behind-fleetwood-mac-song-albatross/

Musically, a handful of songs inspired the track. Santo & Johnny’s 1959 rock ‘n’ roll instrumental ‘Sleep Walk’ is said to have inspired Green to pen the track. There are also claims that draw parallels between ‘Albatross’ and Chuck Berry‘s 1957 track ‘Deep Feeling’. Typically blues, Berry’s track takes its cues from the 1939 standard ‘Floyd’s Guitar Blues’ by Andy Kirk and his 12 Clouds of Joy, which featured legendary jazz guitarist Floyd Smith.

In Martin Clemins’ 1998 biography on Green, he explained that an early inspiration for what became ‘Albatross’ came from “a group of notes from an Eric Clapton solo, played slower”. Classically Green, the name of the Clapton song has remained a mystery. However, we would posit that it might have stemmed from Clapton’s mid-’60s stint in John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, ironically, the band that would welcome Green to eventually replace Clapton in 1967.


In the book 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, Green is quoted as saying: “I heard John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers cover of blues singer Jimmy Rogers ‘The Last Meal.’ I thought I would take it and develop it.” The song does not exist in a recorded capacity in The Bluesbreakers’ back catalogue, so he must have caught them live, a brilliant reappropriation.


The most memorable part of the composition is that it evokes the feelings of being at sea, on a relaxed boat trip, the complete opposite to the traditional feelings an albatross stokes. Drummer Mick Fleetwood created the sound of waves by using timpani mallets, and this dreamy sound was augmented by Green’s blissful solo.

Jill Hanson Record Shop

 

Jill Hanson Record Shop

by Pete Clemons

The Jill Hanson record shop opened during 1957 in Market Way. It opened at a time when teen culture was on the rise and rock 'n' roll was becoming big in the UK. The shop quickly accepted itself as the place to buy your records.

Despite marrying, and becoming Hopkins, Jill ensured that the already established Hanson name continued. It was first seen in Coventry when A&FE Hanson began as a music shop in Earlsdon. And Jill was keen to keep the Hanson family business alive.

Their was a myth going around that Jill was the sister of entertainer John Hanson. But the two were completely unrelated.

Links were established early on when Coventry Theatre would give Jill advance notice as to who was appearing there. This was so the latest records by that artist could be stocked and displayed. It was a two way thing. Entertainers appearing at the theatre would also make appearances at the centrally located shop.

And then, during 1959, the Coventry Telegraph began a weekly column that gave news, views and gossip from the record world. Jill Hanson's joined forces with the Telegraph in this new feature by bringing the 'top ten' ratings from Coventry based on sales at the shop. The very first gossip column and list is below and this top 10 was an ongoing benchmark for several years and appeared in other local newspapers.

1. Travellin' Light – Cliff Richard

2. Sea of Love – Marty Wilde

3. Til I Kissed You – Everly Brothers

4. Mack the Knife – Bobby Darin

5. Here Comes Summer – Jerry Keller

6. The Three Bells – The Browns

7. Only Sixteen – Craig Douglas

8. Livin' Doll – Cliff Richard

9. China Tea – Russ Conway

10. Broken Hearted Melody – Sarah Vaughan

The Beverley Sisters come out today on Decca Label 45-F11172 with a disc that should rival their' Little Drummer Boy', their last number one with the Christmas message that sold nearly a quarter of a million copies. It is a 'first ever' attempt by Sunderland composer Eve Boswell called 'The Little Donkey'.

Listen to 'Disc Break' telecast next Tuesday for the Beverley Sisters first appearance since last Christmas when 'The Little Donkey' will be presented.

Pye Records continue the Christmas Theme with last week's new issue of 11 Golden Guineas. The company's all out advertising campaign has been a huge success, and their attitude of 'the best for the public at the public's best price' is reaping rich dividends.

The Guinea disc I liked best was GGL0004 'The Golden Age of Dance Bands' featuring the fabulous names from a fabulous musical era – Miller, Goodman, Shaw, James and the Dorsey Brothers.

Nostalgic certainly, but who doesn't remember with a special kind of thrill 'Moonlight Serenade', 'Stardust' and 'String of Pearls' to name but three of the 12 titles on the label.

Best soundtrack recording I've heard in a long long time is the original Goldwyn production of 'Porgy and Bess' on the Phillips label ABL3282 (12 inch LP). A top album for top collections.

Sadly Jill Hanson record shop closed during 1981 after business rates became too expensive and unsustainable. But the Jill Hanson name, to this day, is still remembered with fondness.

2021 Music Roundup

 2021 Music Roundup

by Pete Clemons

2021 an overview

If 2020 was a catastrophic year for the music industry then 2021 was equally as difficult. If not more. So for those involved in it - Massive thanks to all for keeping our spirits high..............

With music venues in the U.K. remaining closed until July 19 live activity hit promoters hard and resulted in fewer performing opportunities for bands and artists alike.

Ongoing restrictions meant a whole raft of ideas being floated including drive in gigs. But none really came to fruition. It also appears that the imitative for livestream gigs didn’t exactly capitalise on the absence of the real thing either. Extensive technical issues seemed to mar many of the events.

Yet despite the problems on the live circuit Coventry bucked the trend with the opening of two new outstanding music venues. The HMV Empire and Drapers Hall. And both, very quickly, began to attract big names. Along with venues like The Arches in Spon End, which again battled every obstacle set before it and The Assembly in Leamington Spa which appears to be booking a whole host of bands for 2022 then Coventry and Warwickshire must be in a favourable position as far as the future of live music is concerned.

Live music

How wonderful it was to see the return of the Godiva festival. And what an unforgettable weekend it turned out to be. Yes there were teething problems with ticketing and entrance. Overall though a great experience. But that was during the early part of September.

By then though we had seen the stop start opening of the HMV Empire. Blues 2 Go take the honour of being the first band to grace its stage on its opening night. They were quickly joined by The Session, Candid and Stone Foundation on that prestigious occasion.

This was quickly followed by a series of indoor and outdoor gigs at the old cathedral and the Assembly Festival Gardens that included Hazel O'Connor, The Session and Candid.

August saw Roddy 'Radiation' Byers in conversation at the Cathedral Ruins and Callum Pickard make his long awaited live debut with his latest project Tarragon at Jephson Gardens in Leamington Spa.

Soon after the Godiva weekend we were graced with a gig by The Specials at the CBS arena. And it really was very good. Old songs and new both greeted enthusiastically. No denying that the pandemic had affected gig goers confidence by way of many none showers. But with no adverse affects afterwards it was deemed a total success. As was the whole of The Specials 2021 tour.

October 1st at last gave Barnabus the opportunity to play their last ever gig. And what a performance that was at the Nelson Club, Warwick. The trio of John Storer, Keith Hancock and Tony Cox pulling out the gig of a lifetime. They were incredibly good. Yep, it really was that impressive. Local charities benefited also.

October also saw Peter Knight's Gigspanner perform at St. Bartholomew’s Church Hall on the Binley Road. Peter of course was once violinist for Steeleye Span. And this was Gigspanner's first outing for a good while. The enjoyment of all, particularly those performing, was infectious.

Paul Weller graced the Empire during November. This was a monster of a gig. 30 plus songs in a set that lasted going on for almost 3 hours.

Finally December when I saw Jethro Tull, The Skabilly Rebels, Two Whole Quails, Moonbears, The Session, Danny Ansell and The Institutes all perform in various venues around the city.

From an audience perspective I do feel as though we are seeing a rebirth. Musicians just cutting loose after a long period of being shackled. No longer do some look like they are simply going through the motions. Genuine pleasure at doing what they were born to do has been obvious.

Music released by local artists

The Spon End Opera by Mary Courtney and Christopher Sidwell – Odd Sock: History and merryment all on one disc.

Eddie Mooney and the Grave: Includes Coventry drummer Rick Medlock. Have quietly released a series of quality 45s and on line singles.

The Kidda Band: Nuneaton's finest. Born around the time of punk rock and have recently collected all their back catalogue onto CD. These formats were new to me at least.

The Specials – Protest Songs 1924 to 2012: A celebration of the protest song. And very good it is too.

Albums – Wider Afield

Steven Wilson – The Future Bites: this album had been ready to go for some time. But the pandemic delayed its release. My initial thought were that it had Grammy written all over it. It has since been short listed for two.

The Pineapple Thief – Nothing But The Truth: I mentioned above that livestream gigs had, overall, not been a success. This one bucked the trend. It has since been released on CD and DVD and what an absolute delight it is.

Daniel Wylie – Atoms and Energy: Songs about relationships. Great harmonies too. A real delight.

Plenty – Enough: A lock down project. Covers the first ever releases and early demos by Tim Bowness and his band Plenty.

John Fiddler – Warriors of Love: Attention grabbing blues album with songs about love at the heart of it.

The Fierce and the Dead - Part One: Early EP's together as one CD for the first time. Attention grabbing.

Caravan – It's None of Your Business: the bands first studio release for 8 years. Songs influence by the event and restrictions of the last 2 years. A very good listen.

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Knebworth 76: a long overdue release of one of the finest concerts I ever witnessed.

Losses during 2021 included amongst many others..........

Gerry Marsden

Tim Bogert

Sylvain Sylvain

Hilton Valentine

Chick Corea

Bunny Wailer

Alan Cartwright

Jim Steinman

Les McKeown

Florian Pilkington-Miksa

BJ Thomas

Dusty Hill

John Lawton

Nanci Griffith

Don Everly

Charlie Watts

Ron Bushy

Lee 'Scratch' Perry

Alan Lancaster

John Goodsall

Graeme Edge

David Longdon

John Miles

Michael Nesmith



Apart from the above I will also remember 2021 as the year Adele single handedly clogged up the music media manufacturing plants and the Sex Pistols imploded once again. This time, however, in court. On the plus side, 2021 proved to be one of the best years for British bands and music in the UK charts in over a decade.