Coventry Music Articles by Pete Clemons: Silk Disco

Silk Disco – The Origins
by Pete Clemons

Music can take you back in time, as well as act like switch that can stimlate the brain and stir it up. And that was exactly what I was attempting to do when I asked Graham Wood to go back to a time, over 50 years, when he and Jim Twyneham formed Silk Disco.

I am fairly certain if you were a regular 'up town' during the 1970s, or began to move slightly more away from the city centre, you were quite likely of attending one of Silk's nights at some time or other. But, as I discovered, it didn't just end there. This is the first part of a piece that will hopefully cover all of Silk's activities. But I started by asking Graham how it all began...........

'Jim Twyneham lived in Styvechale and went to Whitley Abbey School. We met on the return journey of a Sky Blue special train and I’m sure it was on the way back from Burnley in August 1967, our first First Division match!. (For the record city lost 2-1 in front of 21,000 fans).

'We immediately struck up a friendship based on our passions for CCFC and interest in rock and prog music. We went to most matches, home and away and loads of gigs. We were approached by the club - Arthur Pepper and Ian Willars, who were on the commercial side of the business) as they wanted to start a Fan Club. Arthur Pepper was a real gentleman and an absolute pleasure to know.

The first function we organised was a disco in the Continental bar, located in the Sky Blue stand, roughly across the road from the Mercer’s. The DJ was Pete Waterman and it would have been late 1969. We did 3 more discos in the bar (one with Wandering John) before we 'officially' formed Silk in December 1969. Unfortunately we never met Jimmy Hill'.

I then asked Graham to recall how the Silk name came about and when the residencies began. Silk also promoted bands..........

'We came up with name. We wanted a short name that had a 'quality feel'. Do remember the carbon paper that typists used between plain sheets in order to produce several copies? On it, it said 'Silk finish' and that became our choice. Jim was keen on Halfbreed (we both loved the Keef Hartley Band and Halfbreed was the title of one of their albums) but, in time, wouldn’t have been that clever a choice.

At one time we advertised as SILK - Sounds Incorporating Liquid Kinetics!. I think we’d had a few beers. We didn’t start running the Plough Club until Feb 1970 but did book Dando Shaft in that year'.

Finally, for this particular session, and probably because I had an earlier article about Mandy's club still fresh in my mind, I asked Graham for any memories of the Sunshine Agency. Their founder, Craig Ward, was a near neighbour in the area I grew up. I was just wondering if their had been any tie up's or rivalries.........

'Craig was a local DJ (called himself Craig Crunchbucket) who I got to know thru him managing a band from Derby called Pugma-Ho and they played at the Plough. He then asked me to set up an agency/management company with him which we called Sunshine Agency & Management.

I bailed out within 12 months coz it was too much work alongside Silk. However during my SAM days we looked after a band called, A Band Called George who made a single called 'NCB Man' on Bell Records which got a lot of media coverage locally and they played at Mr George’s and the Trocadero. It was a bit of a novelty single released at the time of the big miners strike due to pit closures. I just can’t remember him putting on gigs at the West End Club but may explain how I remember Silk supporting a couple of band at the Navy Club'.

To close this first article it is right, I think, to mention more about Jim Twyneham who passed away during 2017 at the age of 67.

Jim had once been known as 'The Voice of Highfield Road'. The result of 20 years of service as stadium announcer. Jim’s first game was a 1-1 draw with Everton on August 30, 1986 after being spotted by George Curtis during an event at the Ryton Sports Connexion. Jim's final match as announcer was at the Ricoh Arena during March 2006. He also presented a late night slot on Mercia Sound.

NCB MAN - A BAND CALLED GEORGE