Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Hotel Leofric Venue
Another article from the prolific pen of Pete Clemons - The Hotel Leofric venue, Coventry from Coventry Telegraph.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The Lanch (Lanchester Polytechnic Gigs - Coventry
More Pete Clemons this time on the Lanchester Polytechnic gigs, Coventry.
(Readable text below the graphics)
(Readable text below the graphics)
COVENTRY University, as we know it by today, can be traced all the way back to when it was known as Coventry College of Design back in 1843. During 1852 it became Coventry School of Art which then became a College of Art in 1954. During 1960 the college's city centre buildings were erected and housed the newly created Lanchester College of Technology.
The art college also shared the buildings.
Finally, during 1970, these two institutions merged with Rugby College of engineering in 1970 to create the Lanchester Polytechnic. During 1984 'the Lanch' became Coventry (Lanchester) Polytechnic and finally went on to gain full university status in 1992.
And besides having a great reputation as a provider of education the university buildings, or to be more precise, the downstairs gymnasium across from the new Cathedral also has an incredible legacy as a music venue. In fact I cannot over emphasise how important this venue was when bands were taking their music up and down the country through the different universities and colleges.
During my research for this article I came across the odd jazz date held at the Lanch during the early 1960s but the first true rock/beat event I could find evidence for was held during November 1965 and involved a group called Silence who were supported by Coventry band The Sorrows. Now I do know that Mott the Hoople were once known as Silence but I didn't that think they went as far back as 1965 so that one has left me wondering somewhat.
The art college also shared the buildings.
Finally, during 1970, these two institutions merged with Rugby College of engineering in 1970 to create the Lanchester Polytechnic. During 1984 'the Lanch' became Coventry (Lanchester) Polytechnic and finally went on to gain full university status in 1992.
And besides having a great reputation as a provider of education the university buildings, or to be more precise, the downstairs gymnasium across from the new Cathedral also has an incredible legacy as a music venue. In fact I cannot over emphasise how important this venue was when bands were taking their music up and down the country through the different universities and colleges.
During my research for this article I came across the odd jazz date held at the Lanch during the early 1960s but the first true rock/beat event I could find evidence for was held during November 1965 and involved a group called Silence who were supported by Coventry band The Sorrows. Now I do know that Mott the Hoople were once known as Silence but I didn't that think they went as far back as 1965 so that one has left me wondering somewhat.
Toward the end of the 1960s and running through till 1976 the Lanch held annual arts festivals. These were organised by the student union social society and I would not be exaggerating if I said that those festivals were now looked on as almost legendary. And one social secretary in particular, Ted Little, played a very important part in getting those events off the ground in the first place.
Not all of the events were music. The festivals included poetry, dance, film, recitals, puppetry and much more. And not all the events were staged at the Lanch. 1971 for example saw the Monty Python team give a performance at the Belgrade Theatre (in fact this had been their very first live outing) and in 1972 both Pink Floyd and Chuck Berry played at the Locarno. David Bowie had been due to play as part of the 1972 festival but pulled out for some unexplained reason.
But the venue did attract Elton John, Caravan, Canned Heat, The Pink Fairies and The Edgar Broughton Band as well finding space for major local bands Indian Summer, Asgard and Whistler. Even the infamous Sex Pistols gig at the Lanch had been staged as part of the arts festival of 1976.
Another major force behind the festivals, and instrumental in bringing in some of the bigger names, such as the Monty Python crew, was Bron booking agent Colin Richardson.
Colin had also been manager of Jon Hiseman's band Colosseum as well as being the right hand man of Tony Stratton-Smith at Charisma Records between 1972 and 1976.
Aside from the festivals, and for almost 30 years, the students union staged a plethora of regular gigs. Generally these tended to follow university term times. But 'outsiders' such as local folk clubs would use the venue for their events all year round.
Not only did the giants of the then UK music scene such as Free, Yes, T.Rex and The Who perform at the Lanch during the late 1960s and early 1970s but it was also viewed as a huge scoop when they managed to get major American bands such as the MC5, Spirit and Arthur Lee and Love to stop off there too.
The end of the 1970s had seen a tremendous shift in music styles. And the Lanch adapted accordingly. But not only that, it was playing a major part in highlighting the incredible amount of talent that Coventry had to show at that time.
Not all of the events were music. The festivals included poetry, dance, film, recitals, puppetry and much more. And not all the events were staged at the Lanch. 1971 for example saw the Monty Python team give a performance at the Belgrade Theatre (in fact this had been their very first live outing) and in 1972 both Pink Floyd and Chuck Berry played at the Locarno. David Bowie had been due to play as part of the 1972 festival but pulled out for some unexplained reason.
But the venue did attract Elton John, Caravan, Canned Heat, The Pink Fairies and The Edgar Broughton Band as well finding space for major local bands Indian Summer, Asgard and Whistler. Even the infamous Sex Pistols gig at the Lanch had been staged as part of the arts festival of 1976.
Another major force behind the festivals, and instrumental in bringing in some of the bigger names, such as the Monty Python crew, was Bron booking agent Colin Richardson.
Colin had also been manager of Jon Hiseman's band Colosseum as well as being the right hand man of Tony Stratton-Smith at Charisma Records between 1972 and 1976.
Aside from the festivals, and for almost 30 years, the students union staged a plethora of regular gigs. Generally these tended to follow university term times. But 'outsiders' such as local folk clubs would use the venue for their events all year round.
Not only did the giants of the then UK music scene such as Free, Yes, T.Rex and The Who perform at the Lanch during the late 1960s and early 1970s but it was also viewed as a huge scoop when they managed to get major American bands such as the MC5, Spirit and Arthur Lee and Love to stop off there too.
The end of the 1970s had seen a tremendous shift in music styles. And the Lanch adapted accordingly. But not only that, it was playing a major part in highlighting the incredible amount of talent that Coventry had to show at that time.
Of course the Lanch sports hall is captured for all time on the video of the song Rat Race by The Specials. But, despite its huge importance, it was not all about the 2-Tone movement.
The early 1980s also saw appearances by The Reluctant Stereotypes, Eyeless in Gaza, Gods Toys, Attrition, The Ramrods, Urge, The Pink Umbrellas, The Furious Apples and a whole host of others. In addition to this, the venue was still seen as a major stop-off on national tours and was still attracting premier league bands such as The Smiths, Erasure, The Housemartins and The Jesus and Mary Chain.
And the success did not stop when the 1990s bowed in. The Lanch was still considered as a prestigious venue for both local and nationally acclaimed bands. Some weeks, Coventry bands like The Ring and EMF would headline while other weeks would see Ice T, Apache Indian, J Pac, Mercury Rev, Oasis and Supergrass.
Yet again the music scene was seeing seismic shifts with the growing dance movement. And through no fault of its own the Lanch, along with many similar venues up and down the country began to suffer and not fit in current trends and fashions.
By the end of 1997 Coventry University gigs and events were generally held at The Planet nightclub until its own demise. And although it did continue very few gigs and events were held in the downstairs gymnasium that gave the Lanch its infamy.
Fredrick Lanchester was famous for being a pioneer in the motor industry so it is great then to see that even today the Lanchester name is still associated with the university with their extensive library and the recently opened gallery at The Hub still bearing his name.
The early 1980s also saw appearances by The Reluctant Stereotypes, Eyeless in Gaza, Gods Toys, Attrition, The Ramrods, Urge, The Pink Umbrellas, The Furious Apples and a whole host of others. In addition to this, the venue was still seen as a major stop-off on national tours and was still attracting premier league bands such as The Smiths, Erasure, The Housemartins and The Jesus and Mary Chain.
And the success did not stop when the 1990s bowed in. The Lanch was still considered as a prestigious venue for both local and nationally acclaimed bands. Some weeks, Coventry bands like The Ring and EMF would headline while other weeks would see Ice T, Apache Indian, J Pac, Mercury Rev, Oasis and Supergrass.
Yet again the music scene was seeing seismic shifts with the growing dance movement. And through no fault of its own the Lanch, along with many similar venues up and down the country began to suffer and not fit in current trends and fashions.
By the end of 1997 Coventry University gigs and events were generally held at The Planet nightclub until its own demise. And although it did continue very few gigs and events were held in the downstairs gymnasium that gave the Lanch its infamy.
Fredrick Lanchester was famous for being a pioneer in the motor industry so it is great then to see that even today the Lanchester name is still associated with the university with their extensive library and the recently opened gallery at The Hub still bearing his name.
...............................
Relevant links for more information from the Hobo Magazine site.
Lanchester polytechnic Gigs of the 1970's - Youtubes of many of the bands.
Lanchester Polytechnic Arts Festivals and Gigs - Host of Archive material, posters,programmes and memories etc.
Interviews with Colin Richardson who was the Bron Agency Booking agent for the Lanch.....
Colosseum at the Lanch Poly - excerpt from Jon Hiseman's biography - Playing the Band
Monty Python - the story behind them playing at the Belgrade for the Lanch Arts Festival
Ted Little organiser / social secretary of the Lanch Poly Student Union who organised many of the events at the Lanch.
Colin Richardson's blog (Bron Booking agent responsible for bringing many bands to the Lanch)
Coventry Theatre
Pete Clemons on the Coventry Theatre - from his article in Coventry Telegraph
(Readable text below the graphics)
That's entertainment! THE FAMOUS FACES TO HAVE PLAYED COVENTRY THEATRE DURING ITS HEYDAY YOUR nostalgia MUSIC historian Pete Clemons, from Keresley, this week looks back on the history and halcyon years of Coventry Theatre.
FROM the outside it was reminiscent of a soulless collection of concrete boxes built together in a random fashion but the interior was another stunning example of the art deco period in which it had been constructed.
Coventry Theatre, as it was most popularly known as, opened on 1 November 1937 under the name of The New Hippodrome. The 'New' being because it had become the third theatre to have been built in that area of the city centre. The others being built and opening in 1884 and 1906. However, it was not until 1955 that it became known as The Coventry Theatre. There was one further name change in 1979 when it became The Apollo Theatre.
During its lifetime the theatre was host to some of the greatest names ever to have trod the boards over the last century from both the UK and beyond. And it would be wrong, I guess, to write anything about the Coventry Theatre and not mention the likes of Julie Andrews, The Goons, The Two Ronnie's, Tommy Cooper, Morecambe and Wise, Ken Dodd, Jimmy Tarbuck, Norman Wisdom, Rolf Harris and Tony Hancock who all performed there during its lifetime.
At its peak the venue became widely renowned for its annual Spring Shows, Birthday Shows and pantomimes as well as the concerts that were put on there. The theatre had also been a firm favourite with both performers and fans alike.
The first musical act to appear was on its opening night and starred Harry Roy and his Band. And during its formative years, as the New Hippodrome, the venue attracted the big bands and orchestras of the day led by the likes of Billy Cotton and Jack Parnell. It also played host to the balladeers and vocal talents such as Donald Peers, David Whitfield and Billy Eckstine.
It is also difficult to imagine that, because the venue opened so close to the war years, it would not have been without its difficulties. But the theatre did succeed in staging shows and pantomimes each year throughout those dark days. And given the titles of some of the productions during those times like 'Let's Get on With it' and 'Victory Frolics', the spirit did not seem to diminish.
Other early highlights include the visit of Vera Lynn who performed in Coventry for a week as part of her first variety tour during July 1940 and also that of Laurel and Hardy who visited the venue on more than one occasion.
The format during these times was that the entertainers would perform for a week. Some would complete two weeks while some of the productions, like the shows and pantomimes, would appear for a whole season. And this type of presentation essentially continued through to the theatre's demise.
The 1960s began with major season appearances by Shirley Bassey, Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Tommy Steele and Frank Ifield.
The shows were predominantly variety. For example, when the Helen Shapiro and The Beatles tour came to Coventry the show also included entertainers Kenny Lynch and Dave Allen. Gradually, however, 'the tour' became normal for music and the bands would, in the main, play 'one nighters'.
It wasn't all about the current fashions though, as Coventry Theatre still found space for and attracted the older more established acts. These included Gracie Fields who appeared on Sunday October 3, 1965 and for whom the late Ray Rastall, legendary barman for the Hotel Leofric, created a cocktail called 'Our Gracie' in her honour.
As the 1960s progressed so the bands tended to split from the variety shows. For major theatre work they would increase the length of their sets and, along with several other bands, and with the aid of promotion companies created their own package tours. Initially these were shows were held on Sundays in order to fit around the residencies.
Examples of these at that time include The Jimi Hendrix Experience who appeared on the same bill as The Pink Floyd, The Nice, Amen Corner and Eire Apparent and when The Kinks appeared they also had The Herd, Gary Walker and The Tremeloes on the same bill By the 1970s the principle and most successful chart bands could command their own audiences and gradually it became the norm where you would have a headline band complete with a support act. Add to that the fact that their own sets were expanding and rather than just a half dozen songs they were playing continuously for 90 minutes or more. This model is still the basic format used today. Not only that but these tours were scheduled quite tightly and as such theatres had to accommodate them on any day of the week.
The 1970s produced some incredible moments that are still revered today. It does not take much to get the older gig goers talking about gigs by The Rolling Stones, Booker T and the MGs, The Beach Boys, David Bowie, Deep Purple, Elton John and Queen.
And the success story continued throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s as The Jam, The Buzzcocks, Genesis, Motorhead, UFO, UB40, Imagination and Dexys Midnight Runners all played to large audiences.
Local artists were well represented during this time too by way of King and Hazel O'Connor who both sold out the venue.
In fact during the 1970s and 1980s some of these shows proved to be incredibly popular and crowds would, at times, sleep outside the ticket office all night in order to secure tickets. I know this because of the first experience I have of doing it. No on line reservations, block bookings or mobile phones existed back then.
It has to be said though that, during the period when it became known as The Apollo, Birmingham had gained the upper hand as far as attendance numbers were concerned and the theatre struggled along until the mid-1980s.
Did the management miss a trick by continuing with the shows instead of concentrating on more gigs similar to venues such as Wolverhampton's Civic Hall? I suppose we will never know. One thing is for sure though and that is the old adage of 'use it or lose it' certainly came into play. Sadly, after a sell out concert by Barbara Dickson on June 6th 1985 the theatre closed and became a Granada Bingo Hall. This, in turn, was renamed Gala Bingo.
After the bingo ceased the building and surrounding area was compulsory purchased by the council during the year 2000 and controversially demolished in 2002 for the creation of Millennium Place, the Whittle Arch, Glass Bridge and the wonderful motor museum.
I always get the impression that the Coventry Theatre is still much lamented and, although it can be argued that the Belgrade Theatre filled the space, I personally do not think that for all round family entertainment the city has ever fully recovered from its loss and, as such, a whole generation have at times, had to travel to Birmingham, Wolverhampton and even further afield in order to get to see their favourite show or band.
I can still hear Sister Morgan's voice KEITH Morris has replied to last week's article by Julie White about her time working at Gulson Hospital.
He said: "I too worked at Gulson Road Hospital in the 50s. I can still hear Sister Morgan's dulcet tones wafting over the corridor from the nurses' lecture rooms, which in those days were opposite the laboratory where I worked.
"I attach a rather dilapidated picture from the then Coventry Evening Telegraph of a pantomime cast (probably Christmas 1950) and a quote from a later Christmas show (1956 or 57) when the then hospital management committee was considering building a new hospital at Walsgrave. "He led with distinction a party of twenty, To far distant Spain to see Hospitals new.
But on Bullfights and Nightclubs They spent all our money, The lines are directed at Dr Jack Heather, a consultant physician who led the fact finders!" And still about buildings they Ne'er had a clue!!" Can you identify this house? JET Judson is seeking help with this picture of her grandmother's former home.
"We are trying so hard to find out whether this family house still exists in Coventry or if they have bulldozed it, unbelievably. It was called Nailcotes.
"We just found the photo and my father can remember my grandma talking about it when she lived there as a child.
"Thank you for any help you and the readers can give, it would make my dad's day if anyone knew anything."
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Sent to Hobo Magazine  |
Friday, September 28, 2012
Nuneaton's Co-op Hall Venue
Yet more from the man Peter Clemons - this time focusing on the Co-op Hall Venue Nuneaton...from the Coventry Telegraph.
(Readable text below the graphic)
(Readable text below the graphic)
It was period art deco and was one of the finest examples of its type in the Midlands.
It was built during a time before motorways were created. The A5 was still a major trunk road with Nuneaton on its path and, as such, the town became a stop-off point for touring artists.
For the first twenty or so years it played host to the big bands led by the likes of Ken Macintosh and Ronnie Aldrich. The local orchestras of both Bert Lucas and Frank Proctor were also regulars and that trend continued through to the early 1960s when jazz bands were also introduced.
Then, during 1961, teenage dance nights began to be held there by Reg Calvert. Initially they were low key Friday night events. One of the earliest of these happenings I have recorded was during April and was headlined by Tex Roburg supported by Buddy Brittain and the Regents and Glen Dale. The following weekend saw The Rebel Rousers and The Grasshoppers and then soon after it was the turn of Danny Storm.
A refit of the venue took place during July and August. Then a gig was staged on September 1 by Joe Brown and the Bruvvers for its reopening. Over the next 18 months several other one-off gigs quickly followed by Eden Kane, Jackie Lynton, The Brooke Brothers and The Beatles (The Beatles were actually second on the bill, that night, to Buddy Brittain).
By the beginning of 1963 the venue was completely dominated by teen dances. Even the jazz bands that had gradually replaced the orchestras on the Saturday night slots were now being squeezed out.
The music scene was changing and so did the bands that appeared. Along with the regulars bands like The Hollies, The Who, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, The Fourmost, Gene Vincent and The Rolling Stones were now visiting Nuneaton's premier venue.
And so it continued from 1963 through to mid 1966 when Reg Calvert was shot and killed. Through this period the dances were being handled by Reg's daughter Susan. An impressive array of bands appeared in the town that read like a who's who of chart acts from that time.
But despite the regular big names there was still room for local and popular Midlands's bands such as The Jones, The Cataracts and The Cardinal Sins. During this time several other venues sprang up in Nuneaton such as The Holly Bush Hotel, The Chase, The Nags Head and The Weddington.
These venues all began to stage their own regular dance nights putting on the cream of local bands. None of these would have the longevity of the Co-op Hall though. But it wasn't all good as tragedy was to strike the venue on New Year's Eve 1965 when a gig by Pinkertons Assorted Colours and The Tea Set went horribly wrong.
Nine hundred people had packed into the venue and at around 11.30pm an awful crush happened. This resulted in the loss of life for four people and several others were badly injured.
Tom Long, guitarist for the Pinkertons will, unsurprisingly, never forget the incident and easily recalls how difficult it was for the entire band as they had known at least two of the casualties personally.
After this terrible incident the hall had to be closed for a short time while another stairway was installed and other modifications implemented.
It seemed as though the 'great' years had slipped away for the Coop Hall after Reg died, and to an extent they had, but the venue did resume holding dances as the Calverts continued running them until sometime in 1967.
The last couple of years saw the Friday dance disappear. Musical styles were changing but the Saturday still attracted popular Midlands bands the calibre of April, The Reason, Trip to the Sun, Buttercup Jelly and The Power and the Glory.
The whole thing came to an end in June 1970 which saw the last advertised gigs at the venue. One of the last major groups to appear at the venue was Rugby's Black Widow.
At about this time the motorway network grew and Nuneaton, like many towns, fell off the touring schedules. The hall was then used for bingo which, from all accounts, was very popular. Then, at some point, the ground floor became a supermarket.
Attempts to revive and breathe life back into the hall were made but none lasted. Sad times, I guess, for what had been such a vibrant building.
Sadly, after the supermarket pulled out, the Co-op ballroom remained for many years unused and derelict and it fell into a state of disrepair.
It was controversially demolished in November 2008.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Pinkerton's Assorted Colours
Yet another from the Pete Clemons camp for the Coventry Telegraph, charting the history Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, whose biggest hit - Mirror Mirror, charted in 1966.
(Readable text below)
(Readable text below)
FURTHER to my article on the Nuneaton Co-op Hall another band who were quite
prominent at that venue and had strong connections with Reg Calvert's management were Rugby's 1960s chart toppers Pinkertons Assorted Colours.
Originally though the band began life as The Solitaires and had played gigs under that name from 1963 until early May 1964. But by the end of May they had settled for The Liberators and were gigging under that name.
The Liberators line up back then was Samuel ("Pinkerton") Kemp , autoharp and vocals, Tony Newman, rhythm guitar, Tom Long, lead guitar, John Wallbank, drums and Coventry born Barrie Bernard, bass. After recording a single, for producer Shel Talmy on the Stateside label and titled 'It Hurts So Much', John Wallbank left the band and was replaced by Dave Holland.
The band had a unique sound compared to other beat bands of the day and that uniqueness was highlighted by the use of an amplified autoharp which was essentially a hand held chorded zither.
They became Pinkerton's Assorted Colours during November / December 1965, and scored a massive top 10 hit with their first single 'Mirror, Mirror' written by Tony Newman and released on the Decca label.
'Mirror, Mirror' was the first record to be produced by the late Tony Clarke who went on to produce the classic albums by The Moody Blues and is even today remembered and listed in a top 10 of worldwide chart singles that used autoharp. It sits within the company of releases by Golden Earring and The Electric Prunes.
Originally though the band began life as The Solitaires and had played gigs under that name from 1963 until early May 1964. But by the end of May they had settled for The Liberators and were gigging under that name.
The Liberators line up back then was Samuel ("Pinkerton") Kemp , autoharp and vocals, Tony Newman, rhythm guitar, Tom Long, lead guitar, John Wallbank, drums and Coventry born Barrie Bernard, bass. After recording a single, for producer Shel Talmy on the Stateside label and titled 'It Hurts So Much', John Wallbank left the band and was replaced by Dave Holland.
The band had a unique sound compared to other beat bands of the day and that uniqueness was highlighted by the use of an amplified autoharp which was essentially a hand held chorded zither.
They became Pinkerton's Assorted Colours during November / December 1965, and scored a massive top 10 hit with their first single 'Mirror, Mirror' written by Tony Newman and released on the Decca label.
'Mirror, Mirror' was the first record to be produced by the late Tony Clarke who went on to produce the classic albums by The Moody Blues and is even today remembered and listed in a top 10 of worldwide chart singles that used autoharp. It sits within the company of releases by Golden Earring and The Electric Prunes.
The single led to the bands first Top Of The Pops studio appearance on January 27, 1966 along with other TV studio work including a slot on popular children's programme Blue Peter.
Reg Calvert always seemed to favour The Pinkertons and he was able to get them to do stunts for him like taking donkeys to gigs for use of floor prizes and putting coloured dye into the fountains at Trafalgar Square for a photo opportunity. In turn he gave them their own rehearsal rooms at Clifton Hall. And the band had been very much involved behind the scenes at Reg's Radio City venture.
I was recently talking to band member Tom Long who shared with me an insight into a typical week in The Pinkerton's schedule back then: * Wednesday - The Severn Club, Shrewsbury.
Left after lunch plenty of time. Good gig, stayed in B&B in Shrewsbury.
PUBLICITY Re* Thursday morning - Got up and spent the morning by the river. Then up to Blackburn for the next gig. Thursday night - King Georges Hall Blackburn finished and loaded up by 1 am. Drove steadily down the M1, * Friday morning - got to our regular B&B at Kings Cross London at 7am and knocked up the owner and begged a spare room for a wash and brush up. 8.30am photo shoot in Carnaby Street.
10am BBC for the Joe Loss pop show. Finished at the Playhouse at 2pm and set out for Ross-On Wye for the next gig. Played Ross gig, loaded up and set off straight back to London. Drove in shifts slept on the way.
* Saturday morning - back in London rested at Kings Cross for a while, went to the agency
in Denmark Street for something or other that I can't remember, then set out for Margate Saturday evening - Margate Dreamland. Good gig we liked that place. After the gig took some friends back home to Canterbury.
Got back to Margate digs at 6am.
Sunday morning - Up at 8am and left shortly after. 10am back in London STUNTS: Calvert to Decca no 3 studio to record a flipside called 'Will Ya'. We were so tired it took just about all day to do that one on its own. We left London early Sunday evening for home and slept for a few days having not had a proper night sleep since the previous Wednesday.
After their second single, 'Don't Stop Loving Me', Barrie Bernard left Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, to join Jigsaw during their own early days in late 1966, and was replaced on bass by Stuart Colman. And then after the third single the band shortened their name to Pinkerton's Colours and signed to the Pye record label where they recorded another single 'Kentucky Woman'.
Reg Calvert always seemed to favour The Pinkertons and he was able to get them to do stunts for him like taking donkeys to gigs for use of floor prizes and putting coloured dye into the fountains at Trafalgar Square for a photo opportunity. In turn he gave them their own rehearsal rooms at Clifton Hall. And the band had been very much involved behind the scenes at Reg's Radio City venture.
I was recently talking to band member Tom Long who shared with me an insight into a typical week in The Pinkerton's schedule back then: * Wednesday - The Severn Club, Shrewsbury.
Left after lunch plenty of time. Good gig, stayed in B&B in Shrewsbury.
PUBLICITY Re* Thursday morning - Got up and spent the morning by the river. Then up to Blackburn for the next gig. Thursday night - King Georges Hall Blackburn finished and loaded up by 1 am. Drove steadily down the M1, * Friday morning - got to our regular B&B at Kings Cross London at 7am and knocked up the owner and begged a spare room for a wash and brush up. 8.30am photo shoot in Carnaby Street.
10am BBC for the Joe Loss pop show. Finished at the Playhouse at 2pm and set out for Ross-On Wye for the next gig. Played Ross gig, loaded up and set off straight back to London. Drove in shifts slept on the way.
* Saturday morning - back in London rested at Kings Cross for a while, went to the agency
Got back to Margate digs at 6am.
Sunday morning - Up at 8am and left shortly after. 10am back in London STUNTS: Calvert to Decca no 3 studio to record a flipside called 'Will Ya'. We were so tired it took just about all day to do that one on its own. We left London early Sunday evening for home and slept for a few days having not had a proper night sleep since the previous Wednesday.
After their second single, 'Don't Stop Loving Me', Barrie Bernard left Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, to join Jigsaw during their own early days in late 1966, and was replaced on bass by Stuart Colman. And then after the third single the band shortened their name to Pinkerton's Colours and signed to the Pye record label where they recorded another single 'Kentucky Woman'.
By now Steve Jones had joined on lead guitar and during 1968 the band's name had shortened even further to just Pinkerton's. Drummer Dave Holland had also left to form the incredibly popular band Trapeze.
By 1969 the name Pinkerton's Assorted Colours began to gig once more but the nucleus of the original band had formed their own group called Flying Machine.
And this is where a minor miracle was about to take place.
Flying Machine consisted of Tony Newman, guitar and vocals and Stewart Colman, bass and piano who were joined by Coventry's Steve Jones, guitar and vocal, and Paul Wilkinson, drums who had both played together in bands like The Peeps and The Sabres.
Sounding completely different to The Pinkerton's they were now playing in a more psychedelic pop style. They had teamed up during early 1969 and by June of that year they had recorded a single called 'Smile a Little Smile For Me'.
Four months after the single was recorded, and after selling relatively few copies in the UK, it suddenly appeared in the American charts at number 16. It peaked at number 5 selling in excess of a million copies.
'Five months ago we were unknown and now everyone wants to know' said Paul Wilkinson while being interviewed by the Coventry Telegraph at the time. 'It sounds quite unbelievable but everything has been happening so fast that I can only just take it in' he continued.
The band went on to record several more singles and two albums before, with the original line up, finally splitting up for good in 1971.
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Barrie Bernard - Bass replaced by Ian "Stuart" Colman - Bass
Dave Holland - Drums replaced by Paul Wilkinson
Samuel 'Pinkerton' Kempe - Autoharp, Vocals
Tom Long - Lead Guitar replaced by Steve James - Lead Guitar
Tony Newman - Guitar
By 1969 the name Pinkerton's Assorted Colours began to gig once more but the nucleus of the original band had formed their own group called Flying Machine.
And this is where a minor miracle was about to take place.
Flying Machine consisted of Tony Newman, guitar and vocals and Stewart Colman, bass and piano who were joined by Coventry's Steve Jones, guitar and vocal, and Paul Wilkinson, drums who had both played together in bands like The Peeps and The Sabres.
Sounding completely different to The Pinkerton's they were now playing in a more psychedelic pop style. They had teamed up during early 1969 and by June of that year they had recorded a single called 'Smile a Little Smile For Me'.
Four months after the single was recorded, and after selling relatively few copies in the UK, it suddenly appeared in the American charts at number 16. It peaked at number 5 selling in excess of a million copies.
'Five months ago we were unknown and now everyone wants to know' said Paul Wilkinson while being interviewed by the Coventry Telegraph at the time. 'It sounds quite unbelievable but everything has been happening so fast that I can only just take it in' he continued.
The band went on to record several more singles and two albums before, with the original line up, finally splitting up for good in 1971.
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PINKERTON'S ASSORTED COLOURS
(aka Pinkertons Colours)
Formed in Rugby in 1964- 1969
Sources - Rex Brough / Wikipedia / Dean Nelson
Barrie Bernard - Bass replaced by Ian "Stuart" Colman - Bass
Dave Holland - Drums replaced by Paul Wilkinson
Samuel 'Pinkerton' Kempe - Autoharp, Vocals
Tom Long - Lead Guitar replaced by Steve James - Lead Guitar
Tony Newman - Guitar
Singles
Mirror Mirror / She Don't Care - 1965
Don't Stop Loving Me Baby / Will Ya? - 1966
Magic Rocking Horse / It Ain't Right - 1966 (Link is a cover)
Mum And Dad / On A Street Car - 1967
There's Nobody I'd Sooner Love / Duke's Jetty - 1967
Kentucky Woman / Behind The Mirror - 1968
From Rex Brough
Reg Calvert, one of pop's legendary managers and manager of the Fortunes, was living in
Clifton Hall, and spotted them when they were called The Liberators in Rugby in 1964. Following a brief hook-up with producer Shel Talmy, which resulted in one single, Wallbank exited the line-up, to be replaced by Dave Holland.The name came from Kempe adoption of a "posh" sounding name, and the groups array of colourful jackets. Their first pop single, Mirror Mirror, featured the jangling sound of Kempe's autoharp and is a pop classic. Tony Newman wrote this and another psyche classic "Magic horse", though sadly none of the other single achieved the success they deserved. They changed the name to Pinkerton's Colours and eventually eventually became Flying Machine. Steve James and Paul Wilkinson who joined the band later previously had been in the Peeps. Barrie Bernard later joined Jigsaw.
Dean Nelson says -
"..the first line-up of this band -- originally known as The Liberators -- was -
Samuel ("Pinkerton") Kemp on autoharp and vocals,
Tony Newman on rhythm guitar,
Tom Long on lead guitar,
Barrie Bernard playing bass,
John Wallbank on the drums
Pinkerton's Assorted Colours adopted brightly colored costumes for their stage act. Their sound was an amalgam of folk and pop, highlighted by the use of an electric autoharp, which the band used in a manner somewhat similar to that of the Lovin' Spoonful. In late 1965, Pinkerton's Assorted Colours were signed to Decca Records, and they cut their debut single that year with future Moody Blues producer Tony Clarke. That record, "Mirror, Mirror," a band original written by Tony Newman, became a No. 8 British hit in 1966. They had one more minor chart entry, "Don't Stop Loving Me Baby," later in the year, but that was their last hit and after the failure of "Magic Rocking Horse," they left Decca to sign with Pye Records, and even a name change to "Pinkerton's Colours" didn't make their records more appealing."
Dean Nelson says -
"..the first line-up of this band -- originally known as The Liberators -- was -
Samuel ("Pinkerton") Kemp on autoharp and vocals,
Tony Newman on rhythm guitar,
Tom Long on lead guitar,
Barrie Bernard playing bass,
John Wallbank on the drums
Pinkerton's Assorted Colours adopted brightly colored costumes for their stage act. Their sound was an amalgam of folk and pop, highlighted by the use of an electric autoharp, which the band used in a manner somewhat similar to that of the Lovin' Spoonful. In late 1965, Pinkerton's Assorted Colours were signed to Decca Records, and they cut their debut single that year with future Moody Blues producer Tony Clarke. That record, "Mirror, Mirror," a band original written by Tony Newman, became a No. 8 British hit in 1966. They had one more minor chart entry, "Don't Stop Loving Me Baby," later in the year, but that was their last hit and after the failure of "Magic Rocking Horse," they left Decca to sign with Pye Records, and even a name change to "Pinkerton's Colours" didn't make their records more appealing."
And the B side She Don't Care
Don't stop me Loving Me
Magic Rocking Horse
Flying Machine 1969 - Smile and Little Smile
The Matrix Ballroom - Coventry
Pete Clemons with one of his latest offerings to the Coventry Telegraph maps the history of the Matrix Ballroom which was a major Coventry beat group venue in the 60's.
(Readable text below the graphics)
Magic dance hall nights rocking out at The Matrix; YOUR nostalgia ROCK fan Pete Clemons recalls the heyday of one of Coventry's favourite dance halls - The Matrix Ballroom. Pete, from Keresley, who is compiling a history of the city's music scene, charts the venue's history and the orchestras, famous bands and acts who played there over the years.
COVENTRY was once upon a time, and not so long ago, awash with factories that manufactured everything from cars to telephone equipment.
And almost every one of those factories came with its own social club that took care of the workers leisure time and gave them, and their family, entertainment and activities on many levels.
I myself worked, at one time, at the GEC which was typical of all the other factories that existed back then. It had several social clubs that catered for an entire range of bar games including snooker and dominoes as well as being the base for the football and rugby sections along with a variety of other sports and activities. And these clubs were not solely for the use of employees as guests were also very welcome into them.
Some of these social clubs also had large ballrooms that were the focal point for all manner of functions ranging from office parties and presentation evenings to dance orchestras.
Another such company, known as The Matrix, was born in 1953 out of Coventry Gauge and Tool which itself was formed at the end of the 1930s. At its peak the company employed more than 2,000 people and had a reputation of having one of the finest ballrooms in the area.
The Matrix Ballroom on the Fletchamstead Highway near the old Standard Cinema (now Maxim's casino) was one of the city's favourite dance halls. It boasted a large dance floor and seemed to attract the bigger and more popular dance bands. I am guessing that this was partly due to the fact that it was situated on the A45 which, back then, was a major trunk road through the city. Even today you can recognise the building as it is now used as the HSS tool hire store.
The bands started performing at the Matrix soon after the company was formed with, for the first couple of years, The Jack Owens Orchestra taking up a residency and followed then by The Paul Stanley Orchestra for the next few years.
But by the end of the 1950s the place was attracting bands and orchestras the calibre of those led by Johnny Dankworth, Ted Heath, Ken Mackintosh and Ronnie Aldrich and, such was the popularity, advance tickets were being made available from Jill Hansons record shop in the city centre.
The early part of the 1960s saw the dance bands becoming freer. Rock and roll had kicked in and the formalities of the orchestra, although not lost forever, were being left with the older generation. The needs of the younger workforce and music fan were being met and during 1961 and the early part of 1962 the traditional dance orchestras were being replaced by the likes of the accordion-led Pat Gissane Show Band and The Temperance Seven who specialiSed in 1920s style jazz and swing.
September 1, 1962 saw the hall reopen after the summer. The bands that night included Swedish instrumentalists The Spotnicks and suddenly there was a new feel to Saturday nights. The beat groups had arrived.
Incredible as it now seems but a band called The Beatles played the venue on November 17, 1962. This was only weeks after Ringo had taken over from Pete Best on drums, two days after returning to the UK after a two-week residency at the Star Club in Hamburg and just days before they recorded their second single Please Please Me. Famously the hitman Pete Waterman had been in attendance and recalled that around 80 people had been in attendance to see them.
Within a year The Beatles had been followed by groups like The Searchers, Freddie and the Dreamers and The Rolling Stones. Even American acts like Gene Vincent and Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard performed there.
After a brief refit the venue reopened as the New Matrix during mid-1965 and the previous successes continued by way of visits by Manfred Mann, Van Morrison's Them, The Small Faces and countless other bands. And these big name chart acts were quite often supported by a local band as happened when, for example, when The Beat Preachers supported The Who during August of that year.
November 1968 saw a regular Irish club move in, The Hibernia Club. For a year or so the atmosphere of the hall changed again as Saturday nights were alive to the sounds of The Skyliners and The Yankee Clippers Show Bands and their assortment of jigs and reels.
There was still room however for rock and pop as the late 1960s saw the likes of Joe Cocker, Desmond Dekker and The Equals all perform at The Matrix. The Hibernia Club continued to put on the show bands at the venue until it moved to the Foleshill Road during mid 1969.
The 1970s all but saw the rock and pop disappear. Occasionally a local band might play but not on the regular weekly basis that the venue had previously been used too. For several years throughout the 70s though the musicians union staged an annual big band competition at The Matrix. During the day up to a dozen youth orchestras would appear such as the Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra.
It was a very popular event.
Another use of the hall during the 1970s and 1980s was that as a venue for an annual beer festival. But the Matrix Ballroom effectively ceased as a music venue during the mid 1980s and remained unused for many years.
(Readable text below the graphics)
Magic dance hall nights rocking out at The Matrix; YOUR nostalgia ROCK fan Pete Clemons recalls the heyday of one of Coventry's favourite dance halls - The Matrix Ballroom. Pete, from Keresley, who is compiling a history of the city's music scene, charts the venue's history and the orchestras, famous bands and acts who played there over the years.
COVENTRY was once upon a time, and not so long ago, awash with factories that manufactured everything from cars to telephone equipment.
And almost every one of those factories came with its own social club that took care of the workers leisure time and gave them, and their family, entertainment and activities on many levels.
I myself worked, at one time, at the GEC which was typical of all the other factories that existed back then. It had several social clubs that catered for an entire range of bar games including snooker and dominoes as well as being the base for the football and rugby sections along with a variety of other sports and activities. And these clubs were not solely for the use of employees as guests were also very welcome into them.
Some of these social clubs also had large ballrooms that were the focal point for all manner of functions ranging from office parties and presentation evenings to dance orchestras.
Another such company, known as The Matrix, was born in 1953 out of Coventry Gauge and Tool which itself was formed at the end of the 1930s. At its peak the company employed more than 2,000 people and had a reputation of having one of the finest ballrooms in the area.
The Matrix Ballroom on the Fletchamstead Highway near the old Standard Cinema (now Maxim's casino) was one of the city's favourite dance halls. It boasted a large dance floor and seemed to attract the bigger and more popular dance bands. I am guessing that this was partly due to the fact that it was situated on the A45 which, back then, was a major trunk road through the city. Even today you can recognise the building as it is now used as the HSS tool hire store.
The bands started performing at the Matrix soon after the company was formed with, for the first couple of years, The Jack Owens Orchestra taking up a residency and followed then by The Paul Stanley Orchestra for the next few years.
But by the end of the 1950s the place was attracting bands and orchestras the calibre of those led by Johnny Dankworth, Ted Heath, Ken Mackintosh and Ronnie Aldrich and, such was the popularity, advance tickets were being made available from Jill Hansons record shop in the city centre.
The early part of the 1960s saw the dance bands becoming freer. Rock and roll had kicked in and the formalities of the orchestra, although not lost forever, were being left with the older generation. The needs of the younger workforce and music fan were being met and during 1961 and the early part of 1962 the traditional dance orchestras were being replaced by the likes of the accordion-led Pat Gissane Show Band and The Temperance Seven who specialiSed in 1920s style jazz and swing.
September 1, 1962 saw the hall reopen after the summer. The bands that night included Swedish instrumentalists The Spotnicks and suddenly there was a new feel to Saturday nights. The beat groups had arrived.
Incredible as it now seems but a band called The Beatles played the venue on November 17, 1962. This was only weeks after Ringo had taken over from Pete Best on drums, two days after returning to the UK after a two-week residency at the Star Club in Hamburg and just days before they recorded their second single Please Please Me. Famously the hitman Pete Waterman had been in attendance and recalled that around 80 people had been in attendance to see them.
Within a year The Beatles had been followed by groups like The Searchers, Freddie and the Dreamers and The Rolling Stones. Even American acts like Gene Vincent and Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard performed there.
After a brief refit the venue reopened as the New Matrix during mid-1965 and the previous successes continued by way of visits by Manfred Mann, Van Morrison's Them, The Small Faces and countless other bands. And these big name chart acts were quite often supported by a local band as happened when, for example, when The Beat Preachers supported The Who during August of that year.
November 1968 saw a regular Irish club move in, The Hibernia Club. For a year or so the atmosphere of the hall changed again as Saturday nights were alive to the sounds of The Skyliners and The Yankee Clippers Show Bands and their assortment of jigs and reels.
There was still room however for rock and pop as the late 1960s saw the likes of Joe Cocker, Desmond Dekker and The Equals all perform at The Matrix. The Hibernia Club continued to put on the show bands at the venue until it moved to the Foleshill Road during mid 1969.
The 1970s all but saw the rock and pop disappear. Occasionally a local band might play but not on the regular weekly basis that the venue had previously been used too. For several years throughout the 70s though the musicians union staged an annual big band competition at The Matrix. During the day up to a dozen youth orchestras would appear such as the Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra.
It was a very popular event.
Another use of the hall during the 1970s and 1980s was that as a venue for an annual beer festival. But the Matrix Ballroom effectively ceased as a music venue during the mid 1980s and remained unused for many years.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
ASGARD - Progressive Rock Band 1969 - 71
Asgard were one of the top Coventry progressive rock bands in the early 70's, with their own experimental numbers influenced by bands like the Nice and Pink Floyd and picked up and promoted by John Peel with a view to being recorded for his Dandelion label alongside acts like Medicine Head and Principle Edward's Magic Theatre.
The band practiced at the Coventry Arts Umbrella club and were sometimes joined by Neol Davies (The Selecter) on sitar. Peter Clemons has the full story of this fascinating band in an article from the Coventry Telegraph. Below is further information and photos on the Hobo A to Z of Coventry bands and some youtube of the band, giving an idea of their sound - but first Pete's article -
The prog rock trio who filled in for Black Sabbath; ROCK fan and regular contributor Pete Clemons tells the little known story of Asgard after listening to rare recordings kept safe by a band member for nearly 40 years. Pete, from Keresley, charts the "refreshing" sound of the Eastern Green outfit.
The band practiced at the Coventry Arts Umbrella club and were sometimes joined by Neol Davies (The Selecter) on sitar. Peter Clemons has the full story of this fascinating band in an article from the Coventry Telegraph. Below is further information and photos on the Hobo A to Z of Coventry bands and some youtube of the band, giving an idea of their sound - but first Pete's article -
A COVENTRY band who had always intrigued me due to the great things I had heard about them was a three piece from Eastern Green called Asgard.
I started doing some digging and discovered that they had played The Walsgrave, The Plough on London Road but had not then realised that this band had actually broken out of Coventry.
Then incredibly, a few years ago whilst doing some research, I was astonished to discover that some of their music had begun to surface on the internet. This had come about via the efforts of Trevor Teasdel who published the music onto his website and Grammy award winning producer Roger Lomas who did an incredible job digitising and cleaning the tracks up.
It turned out that the music had been produced during a period when the band was under the wing of John Peel. It had been recorded and cut to acetate in London during 1970. John Peel had offered to record the band on his own Dandelion label but they could not raise the cash needed, as Peel had overstretched himself by supporting his other signings.
The band's road manager Bob Mansfield had lost contact with Richard Kilbride for over 20 years, only tracing him when needing to get the news to him of Terry Westwood's terminal illness. Eventually it came to light that fortunately Richard had held onto these recordings on damaged acetate for almost 40 years. The tracks are not the greatest of quality and are clearly not professional but they are a remarkable insight and possibly the only recorded document of the band's existence. And they do give you more than a taste of what the band were all about.
I started doing some digging and discovered that they had played The Walsgrave, The Plough on London Road but had not then realised that this band had actually broken out of Coventry.
Then incredibly, a few years ago whilst doing some research, I was astonished to discover that some of their music had begun to surface on the internet. This had come about via the efforts of Trevor Teasdel who published the music onto his website and Grammy award winning producer Roger Lomas who did an incredible job digitising and cleaning the tracks up.
It turned out that the music had been produced during a period when the band was under the wing of John Peel. It had been recorded and cut to acetate in London during 1970. John Peel had offered to record the band on his own Dandelion label but they could not raise the cash needed, as Peel had overstretched himself by supporting his other signings.
The band's road manager Bob Mansfield had lost contact with Richard Kilbride for over 20 years, only tracing him when needing to get the news to him of Terry Westwood's terminal illness. Eventually it came to light that fortunately Richard had held onto these recordings on damaged acetate for almost 40 years. The tracks are not the greatest of quality and are clearly not professional but they are a remarkable insight and possibly the only recorded document of the band's existence. And they do give you more than a taste of what the band were all about.
Asgard had been the brilliant organist Bill Walker with Richard Kilbride on bass and vocals and Terry Westwood on drums and percussion.
They had been together since 1966 when the three of them, all school friends, formed a mod influenced band called Union Jack.
Sometime later and clearly, by then, influenced by bands like The Pink Floyd and The Nice the band changed their name to Asgard. Initially they practiced their psychedelic brand of progressive music every night in a shed at the back of Bill's house. The band wrote a lot of material together but was known for the lengthy improvisations that they sometimes got carried away with even on stage.
By late 1968 they had secured some gigs at the Butts College and a year later they were practicing and performing at the Umbrella Arts Club where, occasionally, they would be joined on stage by Neol Davies (The Selecter fame) on sitar and sax player Mick Gawthorpe who was also a member of another local progressive/blues band called Whistler. By this time they had also established a light show that was operated by Adrian Watton, adding greatly to the band's performance.
The band were so good and well respected that they gained a manger, Foleshill born Paul Padum, who, through his links with John Peel, secured the band a slot at a major CNG gig at Victoria Park, London that was being headlined by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and included bands like The Liverpool Scene. The band had been a late addition having replaced the then relatively unknown Black Sabbath and performed in front of a huge audience of 25,000.
John Peel was compere at the event and had been suitably impressed by the band. He invited them to perform at the legendary Mothers Club in Erdington where, at that time, he was the resident Friday night DJ. He also, for a while, presented a radio show from the venue and this gave the band valuable air time.
John Peel also took the band to Torquay for the Torbay blues festival as support to Blodwyn Pig who failed to show. Peel asked the band if they would step in and play another set, after already completed their own support slot. Having just done their own set, all they could offer was to go on and improvise for Blodwyn Pig. Peel announced to the audience what the band's intentions were and asked them to appreciate the fact that Asgard would be performing without set material. The band improvised for an hour and was called back for an encore. After that Asgard had gained enough support to tour the university circuit that existed at that time.
They had been together since 1966 when the three of them, all school friends, formed a mod influenced band called Union Jack.
Sometime later and clearly, by then, influenced by bands like The Pink Floyd and The Nice the band changed their name to Asgard. Initially they practiced their psychedelic brand of progressive music every night in a shed at the back of Bill's house. The band wrote a lot of material together but was known for the lengthy improvisations that they sometimes got carried away with even on stage.
By late 1968 they had secured some gigs at the Butts College and a year later they were practicing and performing at the Umbrella Arts Club where, occasionally, they would be joined on stage by Neol Davies (The Selecter fame) on sitar and sax player Mick Gawthorpe who was also a member of another local progressive/blues band called Whistler. By this time they had also established a light show that was operated by Adrian Watton, adding greatly to the band's performance.
The band were so good and well respected that they gained a manger, Foleshill born Paul Padum, who, through his links with John Peel, secured the band a slot at a major CNG gig at Victoria Park, London that was being headlined by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and included bands like The Liverpool Scene. The band had been a late addition having replaced the then relatively unknown Black Sabbath and performed in front of a huge audience of 25,000.
John Peel was compere at the event and had been suitably impressed by the band. He invited them to perform at the legendary Mothers Club in Erdington where, at that time, he was the resident Friday night DJ. He also, for a while, presented a radio show from the venue and this gave the band valuable air time.
John Peel also took the band to Torquay for the Torbay blues festival as support to Blodwyn Pig who failed to show. Peel asked the band if they would step in and play another set, after already completed their own support slot. Having just done their own set, all they could offer was to go on and improvise for Blodwyn Pig. Peel announced to the audience what the band's intentions were and asked them to appreciate the fact that Asgard would be performing without set material. The band improvised for an hour and was called back for an encore. After that Asgard had gained enough support to tour the university circuit that existed at that time.
In October 1970, the UK music magazine New Musical Express reported that Dawn record label acts Demon Fuzz, Heron and Comus were due to take part in a series of UK gigs during November. It was a promotional tour and at all venues the price of admission was one penny.
Although not signed to the Dawn label Asgard joined the tour.
March 1971 saw Asgard back in Coventry making one of their final live appearances at the Warwick University Arts Festival alongside The Pink Fairies, Skin Alley and Whistler. The band then relocated to Devon for inspiration and to be able to write and lay down some new music. But in a rented cottage with no gas or electricity the idea never got off the ground and, in 1972, the band fizzled out. Soon after Bill Walker went off to university, Terry Westwood returned to Coventry with Bob Mansfield while Richard Kilbride remained in Devon.
Shortly after the split they learned that a band called T2 had also split and that band's tour dates including the U.S. had been offered to them. The band got back together for one final appearance at Tantons hotel in Bideford North Devon to an invited audience.
The magic was still there but by then they had all moved on. Richard Kilbride formed a new band in Devon called Bo-Speak that, again, skirted the doors of fame only to crash and burn as did Asgard. Manager Paul Padum went on to share an apartment with John Peel in London and worked for bands like Roxy Music, Rocket 88, Alexis Corner, Renaissance and Pink Floyd.
Unfortunately the story does not really have a happy ending and from here it all gets quite sad. Bill Walker suffered a fatal heart attack soon after getting married during the mid 1970s. Manager Paul Padum suffered a similar fate around 1980 while working with Charles Aznavour in Bahrain. Terry Westwood, after living with Bob Mansfield for a while, eventually settled in Kings Lynn where sadly he passed away in 2009. And finally Richard. He himself has been very ill recently with prostate cancer. But thankfully he now seems to be on the road to full recovery.
The band had also gigged heavily with a band called Principle Edwards Magic Theatre and clearly impressed their tour manager Chris Runician wrote the following words: "The original sound produced by Asgard comes as a refreshing change from usual heavy clich ridden bands who 'blow the mind' with volume and distortion. Asgard put the emphasis on quality and clarity of sound. Their sound has been described by other musicians as 'atmospheric'.
The best example is the climax of their act, simply called K511 which is concerned with the emotional rejection intolerance towards love, peace etc. A very powerful end to their act."
It all makes you wonder just what other musical gems are out there in Coventry just waiting to be discovered.
Although not signed to the Dawn label Asgard joined the tour.
March 1971 saw Asgard back in Coventry making one of their final live appearances at the Warwick University Arts Festival alongside The Pink Fairies, Skin Alley and Whistler. The band then relocated to Devon for inspiration and to be able to write and lay down some new music. But in a rented cottage with no gas or electricity the idea never got off the ground and, in 1972, the band fizzled out. Soon after Bill Walker went off to university, Terry Westwood returned to Coventry with Bob Mansfield while Richard Kilbride remained in Devon.
Shortly after the split they learned that a band called T2 had also split and that band's tour dates including the U.S. had been offered to them. The band got back together for one final appearance at Tantons hotel in Bideford North Devon to an invited audience.
The magic was still there but by then they had all moved on. Richard Kilbride formed a new band in Devon called Bo-Speak that, again, skirted the doors of fame only to crash and burn as did Asgard. Manager Paul Padum went on to share an apartment with John Peel in London and worked for bands like Roxy Music, Rocket 88, Alexis Corner, Renaissance and Pink Floyd.
Unfortunately the story does not really have a happy ending and from here it all gets quite sad. Bill Walker suffered a fatal heart attack soon after getting married during the mid 1970s. Manager Paul Padum suffered a similar fate around 1980 while working with Charles Aznavour in Bahrain. Terry Westwood, after living with Bob Mansfield for a while, eventually settled in Kings Lynn where sadly he passed away in 2009. And finally Richard. He himself has been very ill recently with prostate cancer. But thankfully he now seems to be on the road to full recovery.
The band had also gigged heavily with a band called Principle Edwards Magic Theatre and clearly impressed their tour manager Chris Runician wrote the following words: "The original sound produced by Asgard comes as a refreshing change from usual heavy clich ridden bands who 'blow the mind' with volume and distortion. Asgard put the emphasis on quality and clarity of sound. Their sound has been described by other musicians as 'atmospheric'.
The best example is the climax of their act, simply called K511 which is concerned with the emotional rejection intolerance towards love, peace etc. A very powerful end to their act."
It all makes you wonder just what other musical gems are out there in Coventry just waiting to be discovered.
.......................................
More material and photos via Trev Teasdel on Hobo - The A to Z of Coventry Bands
YOU TUBE
The following tracks by Asgard were digitised and cleaned up by producer Roger Lomas from a rare live acetate of the band which unfortunately was partially damaged with solder splashes along with the customary vinyl clicks and noises. Although Asgard were lined up to do some professional recording for John Peel's label at one stage, it never happened and these demo tracks are all that we have. However, they give a good idea of the band's sound and material at the time they were recorded.
Asgard - Sunrise
Asgard - Month Part 1 and 2
Asgard - Trivialities parts 1 and 2
Follow the link to A to Z of Coventry bands for more photos and material.
Photo of Neol Davies wirth his long hair playing sitar c 1970.
John Peel
"We were taken under the wing of John Peel for some time, through the efforts of Paul Padun our manager,We played with John Peel on his new band spot at 'Mothers' - Erdington in Birmingham / Asgard made its debut at the Torbay Blues Festival and also appeared at Torquay Town hall with John Peel at a Blues festival as support to Blodwyn Pig who failed to turn up! So we improvised a set to fill their spot. He also put us on a C.N.D festival in Victoria park (with a huge audience), headlined by The Crazy world of Arthur Brown and The Liverpool Scene. We also did many Gigs with Principal Edwards Magic Theatre in St. Ives, who were also his protogies. The Roundhouse in London"
Photo of Neol Davies wirth his long hair playing sitar c 1970.
Asgard were under the wing of John Peel for a while and they were mentioned in his column in Disc and Music Echo early 1970
In the article John Peel writes "Paul Padum and elements of Asgard stayed at Peel Acres. Tonight we were supposed to drive to Coventry to see Asgard play but there was talk of fog on the M1"
Richard Kilbride (bass player) wrote "
John Peel
"We were taken under the wing of John Peel for some time, through the efforts of Paul Padun our manager,We played with John Peel on his new band spot at 'Mothers' - Erdington in Birmingham / Asgard made its debut at the Torbay Blues Festival and also appeared at Torquay Town hall with John Peel at a Blues festival as support to Blodwyn Pig who failed to turn up! So we improvised a set to fill their spot. He also put us on a C.N.D festival in Victoria park (with a huge audience), headlined by The Crazy world of Arthur Brown and The Liverpool Scene. We also did many Gigs with Principal Edwards Magic Theatre in St. Ives, who were also his protogies. The Roundhouse in London"
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