Alan Poole Interview

 Alan Poole Interview

by Pete Clemons

Alan Poole was, for many years, a distinguished journalist at the Coventry Evening Telegraph - Alan interviews our Pete Clemons aka Fred Bison.

Alan Poole (pictured) was, for many years, a distinguished journalist at the Coventry Evening

Telegraph. Along with others he was axed when the paper became a more on line based outlet. He had a passion for both sport and popular music and was had vast knowledge in both. Some years ago he spoke to me at length about a project I had indulged myself in. I don't think the interview was ever published. Although I closed down the database I was working at the end of 2020 I am still adding various dates to this very day..............

'FOR more years than I choose to acknowledge, I’ve been boring people rigid with stories of the night I saw David Bowie support the Rolling Stones in Coventry.

Even now, four decades later, I can still summon up vivid mental snapshots of a magical evening – Mick Jagger whipping off his leather belt to slap out the pulse of Midnight Rambler, a bubble-haired, buckskin-clad Bowie perched on a stool as he strummed an acoustic version of Space Oddity.

To paraphrase Ray Davies, it was one of those nights I’ll remember all my life. Only problem is, that’s not the way it happened – those memories, it transpires, stem from two separate concerts, both at The Coventry Theatre but 17 months apart.

When I saw Bowie on October 8, 1969, he was, in fact, opening for Humble Pie, the short-lived supergroup fronted by Stevie Marriott and Peter Frampton; the Stones hit town on March 6, 1971 when The Groundhogs supplied the support for the two back-to-back performances that were the norm in those days.

Those intertwined recollections have finally been unravelled courtesy of Pete Clemons, a self-confessed rock fanatic who is compiling a comprehensive database of half a century of gigs in his home city. It’s a massively ambitious project and he admits that he’ll never know when it’s complete – but the hobby that has transformed itself into an obsession began when he, too, was trying to pin down the details of a single show.

“My brother Nigel used to collect the tickets from concerts he’d been to,” explained Pete. “One of them was for the Moody Blues at Chesford Grange but he couldn’t remember exactly when it was.

“I looked at their website and there was no mention of it and when I wrote to them they said they had no record of it. So I went to the library and trawled through some old papers and eventually found it.

“That got me interested in the 60s and I realised what an amazing time it was in Coventry – there would be concerts seven nights a week and on a Saturday you could have half-a-dozen bands playing somewhere in the city.

“A couple of years ago I started compiling a list of bands who played the Coventry Theatre but it’s expanded way beyond those original plans and now it covers all kinds of venues, from Taylor John’s and The Craftsman pub to the Ricoh Arena.

“I must have about 20,000 dates by now but there’s still a long way to go. I’ve finished the 60s, the 90s and the last 10 years as best as I can; I’ve gone through the 80s but I know there’s a lot missing, and now I need to work my way through the 70s.”

A telecommunications engineer by trade and still, at the age of 51, an enthusiastic footballer when he can wangle a game, Pete’s love affair with rock began in his early teens when his big brother took him along to concerts by the likes of Procol Harum and Barclay James Harvest. And his determination to complete the project gathered pace when Nigel died suddenly in 2008.

“He was a huge influence on me,” said Pete. “He went to all those legendary festivals like Bath and the Isle Of Wight and he had boxfuls of LPs with fantastic sleeves like King Crimson. But he never took to punk. I discovered that all by myself ... those amazing gigs at The Locano.”

Courageously for a Cov kid, he admits that he wasn’t too fussed about 2-Tone, although when pressed to name his favourite among the countless concerts he’s attended he plumps for last year’s Specials reunion at The Ricoh: “Some friends bought the tickets as a 50th birthday present and it was a fantastic night – the atmosphere was absolutely awesome.”

Pete’s admirably catholic taste incorporates superstars (Pink Floyd taking pride of place), cult favourites (Porcupine Tree, Pineapple Thief) and local heroes (Indian Summer, Cliff Hands). And since he began compiling his list he has reinvented himself into a rock detective, eagerly following up rumours of legendary, possibly mythic, concerts.

“I played a season with a team called Jah Baddies when I worked with their club secretary,” he recalled. “They had some cracking players and the social side was great. We twice went to see Bob Marley and The Wailers at Stafford Bingley Hall – and I recently discovered that Bob once played in the area before he became famous.

“I’ve also found an advert suggesting that David Bowie did a Coventry show when he was known as Davy Jones And The Lower Third and I’m looking for evidence that Nick Drake once played here, possibly as support to John Martyn. It’s easy enough to pin down names and dates at places like The Coventry Theatre, but it’s a lot harder when you’re dealing with pubs and small clubs.”

Pete admits that his family are mildly bemused by his obsession (although his then 23-year-old daughter did allow Dad to accompany her to a Stain’d concert at Birmingham Academy) and, having inherited Nigel’s records to supplement his own collection, he is now contemplating a purpose-built extension to his home to accommodate his hoard of souvenirs.

In time that might come to include his own publications. “I don’t really know what I’m going to do with my list when it’s as complete as I can make it, but I think that there might be scope for some books tracing each decade,” he says.

“I think there might also be a slot for it on the internet. What this has proved is that Coventry was, and in many ways still is, an amazingly vibrant place.

“It really annoys me when people say that there’s nothing to do here because if you go looking for it, it’s there. Wandering John are planning a reunion gig in April, 40 years after they split up, and I’m really looking forward to that!”

Wandering John, needless to say, already feature in Pete’s 50-year almanac alongside such luminaries as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, U2, Queen, The Eurythmics, Elton John, Deep Purple, Cliff Richard, The Osmonds, Oasis and his beloved Pink Floyd.

The Floyd, famously, played the Locarno on February 3, 1972 as the second half of an astonishing double-header that kicked off with Chuck Berry, who didn’t hang around too long but did find the time to record the innuendo-soaked version of My Ding-a-Ling that gave him a belated No.1 here and in the US.

If you listen carefully you’ll hear me and my wife-to-be chiming in on the boy-girl choruses, and trivia fans might like to know that also among the audience that night was Slade guitarist Dave Hill sporting a plaster cast on a broken leg. Or, come to think of it, was that Led Zep in ’71'?

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

Below Pete Clemons with Trev Teasdel waiting to be interviewed on BBC Radio Coventry 2015

Woody Allen and the Challengers

 

Woody Allen and the Challengers

by Pete Clemons

Much has been written in the past about the then unique dual guitar style of Woody Allen and the Challengers. But that style once won them the district finals of a national beat contest held at the Locarno Dance Hall.

Winning this contest meant that Woody and the boys went forward to the Midlands area heat held in Birmingham. The winners of that heat then went to the London finals where a £1000 prize and a recording test was on offer.

During their early years the Challengers bands line up had included: vocalist Woody Allen, Bob Saunders, John Zetterstrom, John McLinden, Neil Hawkins, Ted Bean and Barry Bernard. And the Challengers were the last of the four groups to appear. It was said that 'their original treatment of currently popular up tempo rockers brought considerable applause'.

Woody Allen and the Challengers it seems were very adept at performing the 'big record of the moment'. At one time that record was 'Twist and Shout' which was being requested everywhere, 'from Monday night record sessions at the Locarno to national radio's 'Housewives Choice' programme'.

'When one of Leamington spa's best known beat groups, Woody Allen and the Challengers, appeared at The Walsgrave Woody was apparently besieged with requests for 'Twist and Shout'. He kept everyone, except the rather startled barman, happy. With sweat pouring down his face he belted out the number several times. The Walsgrave was crowded with young people and off beat vehicles such as 1950s Cadillacs, modified three wheel Messerschmitts and a converted ambulance filled the car park'.

But back to the competition. The judges on the evening of the 1964 contest included Dennis Detheridge editor of Midland Beat magazine and Mr L. Reed manager of the Record Centre, Coventry who agreed that the Challengers created the most commercial sound of the evening.

The Challengers version of The Beatles LP track 'Roll Over Beethoven' was judged to be better put over than were Beatles numbers performed by the other groups. These bands being Peter Trent and the Travellers, The Chequers and the Phantom Four.

A media report mentioned that 'Peter Trent and the Travellers, from Stoke on Trent, were very popular with the Locarno's beat hungry twangers. Not content with clapping and cheering for the Challengers, the audience shrieked and screamed for Trent and his men – especially when Peter was almost dragged off stage by a female fan'.

A few minutes after their performance Locarno manager, Michael Lyons, had booked the Travellers for a return visit to the ballroom.

The report continued 'The other two groups put up a brave performance. The Phantom Four, a Coventry group, must be congratulated for writing their own variations to the tunes they played. The Chequers, from Tamworth, were full of vitality. The beat contest was organised by Walls Ice Cream manufacturer'.

Woody - whose real name was Allan Wood sadly passed away almost 10 years ago aged 67.

MORE ON WOODY ALLEN AND THE CHALLANGERS HERE ON 

COVENTRY BANDS 1960's TO NOW

Coventry's Own Dance – The Twang

 

Coventry's Own Dance – The Twang

by Pete Clemons

In 1962, Dione LaRue was signed to the Cameo/Parkway label. She was given the stage name of Dee Dee Sharp. Dee Dee then went on to release a string of successful singles including 'Slow Twistin' with Chubby Checker, 'Mashed Potato Time', 'Gravy (For My Mashed Potato)', 'Ride' and 'Do the Bird' which provided Dee Dee with her only entry in the UK singles chart which it entered during April 1963. It appears that the short lived Coventry dance, The Twang' was inspired during 1963 by 'Do the Bird'.

The song caught on at dance halls like The Locarno but the accompanying dance did not. Possibly it lacked something, and so it was forgotten. Until, that is, till later in 1963, when variations of the dance were devised. New steps were added that the 'hipsters' of the day found more interesting – interesting to perform, interesting to watch.

It appears that the dance spread too. Dancers all over Warwickshire, and further South were shaking their heads, swinging their hips and generally having a great time. The name of the dance was changed too. It was know as the Blues in Leamington and the Twang in Coventry and parts of London where it was still spreading.

This it seems was down to a Coventry PR company called Friars Promotions who specialised in putting rock 'n' roll / beat / pop acts on at local pubs and other venues and were run by local lads Mick Tiernan and Jack Hardy.

Friars operated from Whitefriars Street. For a short time the business became an incredible success as Friars set up dances at pubs not only in Coventry but also Birmingham and London. Even as far away as Wales and Scotland.

Mick Tiernan was, it seems, an incredibly forward thinking person and was always looking for ways and ideas to keep his dances fresh and to keep them in the public eye. And he appeared to push 'Do the Bird' even after it had dropped out of the chart.

What made The Twang unique and identifiable was that the dancers hands spent a considerable time behind their backs. Well, believe it or not, this posture was inspired by the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Twang even made the national press where it was described: 'The idea it seems is to look as sullen or fed up with life as possible while, at the same time, shaking your legs ferociously. Your hands stay in Philip fashion most of the time, though occasionally they wake up and perform like those of the lady who advertises Windowlene on the television'.

The article continued 'The 'experts', of course, have a traditional pattern to follow. After a period of leg shaking they clap hands loudly and jump around to face a different angle. Then, hands back behind back, legs still shaking and head forward almost touching their partners. Occasionally they hit one hand into the palm of the other and create a pecking noise'.

Dee Dee Sharp may not have had huge success here in the UK but her other hits were million sellers in the US and would subsequently feature in films such as 'Sister Act'. And due, in part, to the silver screen her hits are more recogniseable today than they ever were.

Screamin' Jay Hawkins Leofric Jazz Club – April 1966

 Screamin' Jay Hawkins Leofric Jazz Club – April 1966

by Pete Clemons

I recently listened to Arthur Brown's 'Crazy World Of' album. On that album Arthur does a fine version of 'I Put a Spell on You'. Soon after I was reminded that Jalacy Hawkins (aka Screaming Jay) once appeared in Coventry.

Screamin' Jay Hawkins had co-wrote 'I Put A Spell On You' along with Herb Slotkin. This haunting classic was performed at the Leofric Jazz Club on 10th April 1966. The song, written a decade before his visit to Coventry, has since bewitched generations for decades.

Screamin' Jay Hawkins was one of the most outrageous and colourful character in rock 'n’ roll history. His stage act included emerging from a coffin and carrying a flaming skull on a long stick that he called Henry. He really did put on an incredibly theatrical show.

His first UK tour was during 1965 and this was quickly followed by a return visit in 1966. He would say 'My act is built of standing up and singing a song, playing a tenor sax or piano, dancing and running all over the place'.

Screamin' Jay Hawkins arrived at London Airport on April 1st for the beginning of his second UK tour, which lasted for almost a month, from April 1st. Incredibly his first gig was for the later that day at the Ram Jam club in Brixton. There was barely any time for Hawkins to rest.

The package tour was put together by Roy Tempest's Global Promotions and Hawkins was to be backed by Herbie Goins and the Night-timers. American born, Herbie Goins was stationed in the United Kingdom for a while with the U.S. army and was now living permanently in the United Kingdom.

After retirement from the army Herbie became a vocalist in Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated. But then in 1964 branched out and formed the Night-timers who became one of the hottest soul bands around.

In Herbie's band for the 1966 tour was Mick Eve on saxophone, Mike Carr organ & vibes, Harry Beckett trumpet, David Price bass guitar, and Bill Stephens on drums. John McLaughlin was a guitarist for the Night-timers but, as far as I can tell, he joined them after this tour.

The Night-timers second single 'Number One In Your Heart ' released July 1966 (Parlophone R 5478) was added to the set list on the tour which concluded in London on April 22nd at the Flamingo Club.

Coincidentally a version of 'I Put a Spell on You' had helped promote the 1966 tour. A version of it by Alan Price had got to number nine in the charts in April 1966 while Jay was over here. After John Peel's death, a copy of the Alan Price single was found among the DJ's most treasured singles.

'I Put a Spell on You' has been revived many times since including a version by Bryan Ferry in 1993, his version reaching the top twenty.

Screamin' Jay died in France in 2000. Later that year, Sonique took his most famous song back into the UK top ten. Herbie Goins, who originally hailed from Florida, died in Italy in 2015.

The Beatles 1962 to 1964

 

The Beatles 1962 to 1964

by Pete Clemons

During the years 1962 and 1964 The Beatles went from playing to a handful of people to thousands in under a couple of years. During some recent general research, for a completely different subject, I found myself going back in time to when the band played in Coventry. Snippets I found myself drawn to included the following and I put them into some sort of context:

Matrix Ballroom November 1962:

The Beatles first single 'Love Me Do' had been released early October 1962. During November of that year the band appeared at The Matrix Ballroom

The more recent 'anthology series' revealed several, previously unseen, engagement instructions. Specifically for the Matrix Ballroom gig of 1962 it was stipulated that: 'You must have a good programme for this date as this engagement is for a new London Agent (also for our best fee yet – One hour spot minimum')

In the 'Let It Be' film Paul McCartney discussed this particular show with John Lennon, describing it as 'the worst first-night ever' following their recent return from Hamburg.

Set lists from this period are mainly based on a 'best guess'. But as the band had played both 'Love Me Do' and 'Ask Me Why' for a radio session the day before the Matrix gig I assume these tunes would have been played at the ballroom.


Coventry Theatre February 1963:

The single 'Please Please Me', released during January 1963, went to number one in February just as the band were touring with Helen Shapiro. Ringo Starr revealed 'We used to open for her, then hang out until the next show, it was always a bore – then suddenly we had a number one!'

A typical set list at this time may have included some of the following: 'Chains', 'Keep Your Hands off My Baby', 'A Taste of Honey', 'Please Please Me', 'Love Me Do', 'Beautiful Dreamer'.

Coventry Theatre November 1963:

A week or so before the Coventry gig it was announced that 'The Beatles latest and greatest long playing record entitled 'With the Beatles', and presented in an attractive monochrome cover featuring the shadowed faces of the four idols, will be released on November 22. A so far unnamed single will appear seven days later. Demand for both is fantastic – city record shops have been overwhelmed with advance orders'.

Interestingly the article also mentioned that 'the group had been in the city the previous Sunday, walking almost unnoticed near the Lady Godiva statue in Broadgate Island' – did The Beatles make an unscheduled visit to the city?.

The show(s) themselves were reported as follows: 'Once the show got under way the capacity audience screamed for their idols – almost ignoring the supporting entertainers who really worked themselves into the ground – but met with little response'.

The reporter continued: 'This crowd only have ears for only one group tonight and the rest of us might as well go home' mentioned a member of the Peter Jay group – as he staggered to his dressing room after a soul destroying session on stage. It was impossible to hear the words of any of the songs and the music was almost drowned out by the screaming – despite the fact that the group had 10 amplifiers on stage. The second performance, with a slightly older audience, was just as enthusiastic in its reception and while the Beatles were on stage for the last time several teenagers threw small table tennis balls onto the stage. Outside the theatre many of the fans who had seen the first show had waited to see their idols leave Coventry but the group had been driven away almost unseen'.

As for songs played, every Beatles gig at that time seemed to start with 'I Saw Her Standing There'. Also it was reported widely that up to 10 songs were played on every date of that Autumn tour. Others possibly included 'All My Loving', Twist and Shout', 'She Loves You' and 'Money'.

An article that appeared after that Beatles gig stated that the bands latest single 'Can I Hold Your Hand', which had been released that week, was proving popular, and I am told that sales may exceed supply in some shops. The demand for the long player 'With the Beatles' has been 'simply fantastic' say the local record shops. (of course the single was actually titled 'I Want to Hold Your Hand').

Beatles German releases arrived in Coventry during 1964 and this is how that news was received:

Die Beatles 'Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand' disc, with 'Sie Liebt Dich' on the flip side is now available in Coventry. This German version of 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' and 'She Loves You' is one of four Odeon records featuring the four long haired lads from Liverpool.

The imported records cost is 1d more than a British single, but what's 13 pence between Beatle fans. The other three discs are re-recorded in English, but are perhaps a better proposition for the thrifty as they feature 'A' songs on each side. Specimen titles include 'Roll Over Beethoven', 'It Wont Be Long' and 'Twist and Shout'. Each disc is presented in an attractive coloured cover with photographs of their idols.

Of course, all of the above could have been in any town or city as The Beatles travelled the length and breadth of the country during that time. But it does give a small flavour of how things were almost 60 years ago when The Beatles made their flying visits the city.

I Want to Hold Your Hand in German

She Loves You in German

UB40

 

UB40

by Pete Clemons

Almost as soon as they formed reggae purists were dismissing UB40 as bland UK rockers. Music journalists were labelling them as dull. Regardless of the dismissiveness UB40 carried on, undeterred, eventually proving how important this band actually were.

That said, local fanzines such as Alternative Sounds, along with local record shops, had picked up on UB40 very early on and were very positive in their comments.

The first six months of UB40's career were spent in a cellar, where they began to learn how to play their instruments by copying their favourite records by artists such as Gregory Isaacs and Bim Sherman. The band played public for the first time during February 1979.

For the rest of that year UB40 played pub and club dates, community festivals and political benefits. First of all locally then they began to play around the country. These early gigs included several in Coventry. A date at 'The Lanch' with The Cimarrons, a visit to Warwick University and a support slot to The Beat at Tiffany's during December 1979.

UB40 recorded a demo tape that the legendary Robin Valk broadcast on his BRMB show. That same tape also impressed John Peel. So much so that John arranged a radio one session which was broadcast during January 1980.

In the meantime Chrissie Hynde saw UB40 play in London and this resulted in, arguably, the bands first big break when she asked them to support The Pretenders on their first national tour. This tour included a date at Tiffany's. And throughout 1980 more headline dates in Coventry followed.

Around the same time UB40 were signing their first major record deal with Graduate Records, a small independent company in Dudley. Their first single 'King/Food for Thought' was released during February 1980 and, with little promotion, soon found itself at number 4 in the UK singles chart. 'King' became one of the earliest singles ever to reach the top 10 without any major record company backing.

An album 'Signing Off' followed during August 1980. 'Tyler' opened the album and its strong, booming chords and beseeching chorus showed off all UB40s melodic powers to the full. The simmering anger bursts out on 'Burden of Shame'. Dubbier versions of 'King' and 'I Think its Gonna Rain Today' are also showcased on the album. 'Signing Off', as well as the bands style, certainly turned heads and opened up a lot of ears.

UB40 had several more hit singles on the Graduate label but then the band formed its own record label DEP International. In making this move the band felt they were able to maintain complete control of their own output. The formation of DEP International was to also create an outlet to release records by other artists.

With increasing popularity came the inevitable relentless heavy touring schedules. 1982 saw UB40 visit Coventry Theatre several times.

During the summer of 1983 UB40 had the opportunity to record a collection of songs that had inspired them to form a band in the first place. They called the album 'Labour of Love'. A couple of American tours, including one supporting The Police, and a European tour followed. The new album took the band to a whole new level.

1984 saw yet another album and UK tour. This time in support of the Geoffrey Morgan album release. The completely sold out tour included a date at Coventry Theatre during December 1984 and two at Birmingham Odeon.

The Choir of Man

 

The Choir of Man

by Pete Clemons

The world is not made up of people who think the same as you or feel the same. We are all very different in our moods and mannerisms. We are also different people at different times and the humble pub catered for all.

And all the above is at the heart of the musical The Choir of Man currently running at the Assembly Festival Gardens in Coventry.

The setting for The Choir of Man is a pub called The Jungle. The pub has its own choir that features a multi talented cast of 9 men, each with his own personality type.

And those personalities include a Poet, a Handyman, the Pub Bore, the Hard Man, the Beast, a Romantic, the Maestro, a Joker and the Bar Man. The Bar Man, for example, loves to keep the beer flowing for people at the pub while the Romantic hopelessly keeps swiping on dating apps. The Beast is a bit more dexterous than his first impression gives.

The Poet is generally the narrator, but there's not really a plot. Each of the performers has somewhat of a surface level backstory. Nevertheless you are welcomed into the Jungle where you are served with beer and banter.

Throughout the 90-minute performance, each man gets his chance to perform his own number when he's not backing up another. There's a few rousing group numbers too, and they featured an awful lot of talent.

No doubt, even the average theatre goer would recognise a lot of the music featured here. And towards  the end of the performance there's a sing-a-long of The Proclaimers '500 Miles'.

Other songs performed include 'Somebody to Love' by Queen, '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' by Paul Simon', 'Under the Bridge' by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, 'Hello' by Adele, Rupert Holmes 'Escape (the Pina Colada song)' along with several others.

Throughout the show, The Poet will pop in for a few timely monologues, mostly reminding the crowd of the loss of gathering spaces like pubs during the pandemic, and how much we all missed them.

There was actually a lot of talk about the freedoms that the pandemic took from us. It also reminded us about theatre and live music being back and how that needs our help right now.

Overall The Choir of Man delivers on so many fronts. It was charismatic, and they had the audience on their feet several times.

The Choir of Man is on it's second run here in Coventry and is now on it's last couple of weeks of that run. Be quick if you intend to see it. It is very worthwhile.