Pete Waterman - Oct 1974 Interview
by Pete Clemons
Pete Clemons interviewed by Pete Waterman
But there was a time, well before he became a household name, when Pete was known as Coventry's 'King of Philly' - a nickname earned because of his following as the top soul DJ and his visit to Philadelphia during 1974.
At that time, the then twenty-seven year old Pete, had lived in Coventry all his life - sung in the Cathedral Choir, worked in rock groups and as a DJ - and is the biggest local music personality.
An interview with Pete, conducted during October 1974, recently came to my attention and so I decided to transcribe it. I found it all quite fascinating:......................
Q. When did your career as a D.J. begin to develop?
P.W. My days as a D.J. began quite simply in the early 60's it was before the time of disco equipment as we know to-day. It consisted of one turntable only. They needed somebody to change records fast - and I could change records faster than anyone else. The main cause of my interest in soul was John Lennon. I met Lennon when I was working at Matrix Ballroom in Coventry. Reg Calvert, who owned about 6 ballrooms in the area, was so keen on the Beatles that he booked them on 60 different dates. I was working the deck when this guy with Levi Jeans cane up and asked me in an accent I'd never heard before whether I had any Miracles records? any Marvellettes? any Motown? Well this guy sold me right away - I mean Levi jeans in 1962. All I could say was that I'd never heard of them. He went to the van and gave me 'Way Over There' and 'Shop Around' by the Miracles, 'Mr. Postman' by the Marvellettes and 'Finger tips' by Stevie Wonder. Then there was the Beatles themselves - really incredible, numbers like 'You Really Got A Hold On Me'.
Q. Your trip to Philadelphia this year was the culmination of a career developing steadily over the years and finally put you on the map nationally. How important is this national recognition to you?
P.W. My work until recently has always been in Coventry -in 1968 I started working at the Locarno and been packing them in ever since! That is apart from a spell at the Birmingham Locarno. It's much more important for me to be known locally on a friendly basis where people can come up and say hello. That's why the growth of local radio is so important. National fame means people just stare at you.
Q. Philadelphia has recently taken over as the worlds No. 1 music city at the moment. How did your visit come about and how did you fare over there?
P.W. I went over to Philadelphia in April this year and spent some time working with Gamble, Huff and Bell of Philly International. The trip was completely on the spur of the moment. I just packed my bags, flew to the U.S.A. and presented myself to them. Bell with a letter of introduction I had secured from C.B.S. over here. The fact that I was English helped a good deal - first in getting in and secondly for a wider experience. I had the advantage of being able to visit both black and white stations -which are very different!
Q. Music is in a rut here. Where do you look for a breakthrough? and do you see any sign of this?
P.W. There was no sign of the Beatles before they broke. At the moment we are suffering from a whole series of one record artists - 'Top of the Pops' has lost the influence it had. What I do see from my work in the ball-room is a big swing back to dancing. The Bump will be bigger than the Twist, mark my words.
Q. Coventry and towns north seem to be leading the soul movement. Is this what is happening? and why are the provincial areas leading the Capital?
P.W. Certainly that's true -more black acts break in the North. Manchester and Birmingham are the two centres where the record companies aim at first. 'Year of Decision' by the Three Degrees and 'The Sound of Philadelphia' by M.F.S.B. are cases in point. Where soul records sell in the south only after they're national hits. It's all tied up with the move back to dancing. In the Middle and North of England we have what I'd call a ball-room tradition where people dance till they sweat. They don't have the sophisticated clubs and smart discos of London where they go dressed to kill. South of Watford the people are into James Brown and Al Green - but that's it.
Q. Pete, it's been a long trail - you're reaping some of the rewards in a bigger way now. What does the immediate future offer?
P.W. I've got a series of programmes scheduled for November on B.B.C. Radio Birmingham - the story of modern music. When Dave Simmonds goes on holiday I'm filling his Radio One spot for two weeks. Then I'm writing a bock on Philadelphia and my experiences -it should be out early 1975. Embassy, (the subsidiary of CBS) have asked me to put an album together for Christmas, the 'Pete Waterman Philly Story' or some such thing. Then I'm setting up my own label - Cricket Records - in about a month's time. Initially I'll be licensing records from America but later hope to record my own artists before too long.
................................
This is the audio for Pete Waterman's Radio interview with Pete Clemons on the Coventry Music Scene- Here on Sound Click
The following is an article Pete Waterman wrote for our Hobo magazine in 1974 - he'd just been to a Three Degrees concert and met the ladies -
PETE WATERMAN'S SOUL ARTICLE (1974) from HOBO - Coventry Music and Arts Magazine
As you know by now our small shop (The Soul Hole) has now moved to the top of Virgin Records in the City Arcade. Our new shop will, we hope, bring more people into the faith. We had a good time at the shop in the I AM boutique but the stock was getting too big for our small shop. The move will not, we hope, change the service that we are so proud of. The new shop will give us more room to serve and talk. Also you can stand up! (The Soul Hole was originally in the cellar of the I AM boutique with a low ceiling!!)
THE THREE DEGREES
Anyway, down to business. As most of you know by now, I spent the 5th and 6th of March with the Three Degrees. Sheila, Fay and Valerie. On Monday the 5th I went to the Mayfair Hotel in London to see the girls do their own thing. The girls got on and did When Will I See You Again. The first thing that took our breath away was their see through dresses, but they are far from just good looking foxes. At dinner I sat with Peter Winfield (for all those who don't read sleeve notes) Peter is the cat who played keyboards for BLOODSTONE on both Natural High and their new album. For all the foxes and cats not into our faith, Pete also plays for COLIN BLUNSTONE, and writes for a National rock paper.
Pete is a soul freak, like myself and we both agreed their harmonies were the tightest we'd heard for some time. The voices were fantastic, Sheila takes the lead most of the time. The next in line was Dirty Old Man, this was fantastic, with the girls showing they can handle the audience with fun and firmness. Then they did "A Woman Needs Love" proving they can sing ballads as well as up tempo Nos. Their footwork was as good as any I've seen before, and if any in the audience weren't sold on that, the next was they're single Year of Decision. It had everybody on their feet shouting for more. But it was all over, Pete and the Colin Blunstone band went off to record the Old Grey Whistle Test, and I went to the girls bedroom to have a natter to them about their early years for all the people who knock our music- God knows why!
Just as a boost to our egos, David Bowie was there to pay homage to the three ladies of soul. It seems that Rock stars are getting back to their roots with Bowie telling me that he is soon to be recording with top black acts in the states and John Lennon saying Ann Pebbles I Can Feel the Rain is the best record for two years.
New Sounds to Look Out For
The Ojays new single is a track off their latest LP (as are all the new Philly singles) and is called For the Love of Money. The Intruders - I’ll Always love My Mama (2 Pts)
Trammps new single is a track off the 1970 British Motown company, picking the slower track. USA Marvin Gaye scores with his controversial single You Sure Like to Ball taken from the Let’s Get it On album. A new single soaring up the American charts from the M.F.S.B. band on Philly International is called Tsop, taken from the TV series Soul Train.The end five bars feature the 3 Degrees.
LP of the month - too many really to pick one but look out for Blue Magic and import Out Here on my Own Lamont / Dozier. Superb LP’s. Next Billy Paul single The Whole Town’s Talkin’ .
Also check out - Rock me Baby - George McCrea / Help Yourself - Undisputed Truth / Dancing Machine - Jackson 5 / I Lied - Bunny Sigler / Mighty Mighty - Earth, Wind and Fire / Be Thankful For What You’ve Got - William Devaaughn / Chameleon - Herbie Hancock / Sagittarius - Eddie Kendicks / If You’re Ready - Staple Singers / Got To Get You Back - Sons of Robin Stone / Pepper Box - The Peppers
See ya soon. Keep the faith right on -
Pete Waterman (1974)
As you know by now our small shop (The Soul Hole) has now moved to the top of Virgin Records in the City Arcade. Our new shop will, we hope, bring more people into the faith. We had a good time at the shop in the I AM boutique but the stock was getting too big for our small shop. The move will not, we hope, change the service that we are so proud of. The new shop will give us more room to serve and talk. Also you can stand up! (The Soul Hole was originally in the cellar of the I AM boutique with a low ceiling!!)
THE THREE DEGREES
Anyway, down to business. As most of you know by now, I spent the 5th and 6th of March with the Three Degrees. Sheila, Fay and Valerie. On Monday the 5th I went to the Mayfair Hotel in London to see the girls do their own thing. The girls got on and did When Will I See You Again. The first thing that took our breath away was their see through dresses, but they are far from just good looking foxes. At dinner I sat with Peter Winfield (for all those who don't read sleeve notes) Peter is the cat who played keyboards for BLOODSTONE on both Natural High and their new album. For all the foxes and cats not into our faith, Pete also plays for COLIN BLUNSTONE, and writes for a National rock paper.
Pete is a soul freak, like myself and we both agreed their harmonies were the tightest we'd heard for some time. The voices were fantastic, Sheila takes the lead most of the time. The next in line was Dirty Old Man, this was fantastic, with the girls showing they can handle the audience with fun and firmness. Then they did "A Woman Needs Love" proving they can sing ballads as well as up tempo Nos. Their footwork was as good as any I've seen before, and if any in the audience weren't sold on that, the next was they're single Year of Decision. It had everybody on their feet shouting for more. But it was all over, Pete and the Colin Blunstone band went off to record the Old Grey Whistle Test, and I went to the girls bedroom to have a natter to them about their early years for all the people who knock our music- God knows why!
Just as a boost to our egos, David Bowie was there to pay homage to the three ladies of soul. It seems that Rock stars are getting back to their roots with Bowie telling me that he is soon to be recording with top black acts in the states and John Lennon saying Ann Pebbles I Can Feel the Rain is the best record for two years.
New Sounds to Look Out For
The Ojays new single is a track off their latest LP (as are all the new Philly singles) and is called For the Love of Money. The Intruders - I’ll Always love My Mama (2 Pts)
Trammps new single is a track off the 1970 British Motown company, picking the slower track. USA Marvin Gaye scores with his controversial single You Sure Like to Ball taken from the Let’s Get it On album. A new single soaring up the American charts from the M.F.S.B. band on Philly International is called Tsop, taken from the TV series Soul Train.The end five bars feature the 3 Degrees.
LP of the month - too many really to pick one but look out for Blue Magic and import Out Here on my Own Lamont / Dozier. Superb LP’s. Next Billy Paul single The Whole Town’s Talkin’ .
Also check out - Rock me Baby - George McCrea / Help Yourself - Undisputed Truth / Dancing Machine - Jackson 5 / I Lied - Bunny Sigler / Mighty Mighty - Earth, Wind and Fire / Be Thankful For What You’ve Got - William Devaaughn / Chameleon - Herbie Hancock / Sagittarius - Eddie Kendicks / If You’re Ready - Staple Singers / Got To Get You Back - Sons of Robin Stone / Pepper Box - The Peppers
See ya soon. Keep the faith right on -
Pete Waterman (1974)
From the Coventry Telegraph 1974
ANOTHER PIECE FROM HOBO 1974
No comments:
Post a Comment