BRUM BEAT - YOUR LETTERS
updated in December, 2007
The Whiskey a Go-Go
Hey John:
The 60's in Brum were the best for live bands, specially at The Whiskey a Go Go above Chetwyns on the corner of John Bright Street and Hill Street. The whiskey was unique in the fact that not only did the local bands King Bees, Modernaires, Jugs O'Henry, Moody Blues, Denny Laine, Spencer Davis play there, but also people from the states. "Motown" & "R&B" greats like Sonny Boy Williamson sang there, and all night on Fridays till 8am Saturday mornings and again on Saturday nights till Sunday morning. The owners Chris & Steve Healey were two great guys who were there to welcome us all every night the Whiskey was open. They both wore lowed striped jackets as I remember.
I have been told that Steve still has a book that records all the bands and singers of that time that they booked up, such as The Faces, Long John Baldry, and Gary Farr and The Knockouts. I remember Georgie Fame playing virtually all night. They couldn't get him off the small stage until he collapsed with exhaustion, or lack of stimulation's. Great Brummie characters also frequented The Whiskey; Sean MaHoney, Billy Sutton, Billy & Dodger Thompson, Colin Mythan, Noel Barnes, Chris and Gary Burgess, Jock Ellis, Duffy, Bugsy, Chris Wolsey, Kenny Frazer, Rob Marsh, Popeye, Dicky Martin, Bobby Summers, Henry O'Neil, Eddy The Jew, Jonnie Hutton, Dorian Walford, Black H and Spencer, who were both Brummie DJ's with Caribbean and soul backgrounds.
The place buzzed for three years until it changed hands and became the Marquee in 1967. And the chicks that went there were out of this world. One group were called "The Magnificent Seven". Other male groups of people were nick named "The Martini Set", "The T-set" and the "Coca Cola Boy's". It was cult and leading edge for urban 60's live band music, dance styles and fashions. They used to pack in nearly 250 townies and mods onto both floors, live bands on the 1st floor and DJ's on the top floor. Many dudes where "knocked back" at the door if you weren't part of the crowd, as they could not get everybody in the gaff.
After we crashed out in the mornings at the KD (Kardoma) coffee bar in New Street, we went on to the West End Saturday afternoon dance. We then had the energy to go to the "All Nighters" at the Town Hall. Spencer Davis with Steve Winwood were classic, along with the other Brumbeat bands. The Whiskey attracted people from all over the midlands, including Coventry and London scene, to dance and hear live music of the era that was very ahead of pop culture in England at that time! If the Town Hall gigs weren't on we used to go to "The Twisted Wheel" in Manchester that also played Motown & Blues".
Other live band venues we frequented where the "Lafayette" and "The Connaught Suite" in Wolverhampton. We had a Whiskey reunion in 2007 at Solihull Arden Tennis Club. Organized by Chris & Viv Wolsey and Bobby Summers, 150 original people including the Whiskey owner Steve Healey attended. Unfortunately Chris has passed away. The reunion was DJ'd by the refreshingly knowledgeable Mike Hollis of "Smooth Radio", 40 years after the Whiskey a Go Go closed in 1967. Nobody was knocked back at this gig though!! People came from as far away as Norway, France and all over the U.K. to meet each other again for the first time in all those years. It was a great nostalgic and emotional night for us all.
Regards, Bobby.
LEE STEVENS
Hiya John:
Great site! I particularly enjoyed the letter from Mike Clifford telling some of our band's story, as I was lead singer with the Satellites as Lee Stevens from around 1960 until I emigrated to Canada in 1966. Mike joined us as rhythm guitar from Robbie Hood and The Merrie Men after Barry Gray left to join Johnny Neal and The Starliners. Attached is an early photo of the band which at that time included Tony Green (lead guitar) who was subsequently replaced by Paul Brunt from Jimmy Powell and The Jumping Jacks. A later version of the band "The Lee Stevens Group" included Mike, with Jimmy Alexander from The Modernaires on tenor sax.
As we were there at just about the start of that terrific era, most of the Brum bands which went on to bigger things were our friends. The late, great, Nicky James, when "between bands", would often guest with us. I still have an 8mm short film of us playing at 'The Moat House' on such an occasion. What a performer he was! John Lodge, before he joined the Moodies, sat in for our bass player, Roger Gauntlett at The Bull's Head on the Cov. Mike listed a few of the venues we played but never mentioned that we opened The Elbow Room, some time around '63.
We had a regular gig at both the Carleton and the Adelphi in West Bromwich. I first saw Denny and the Dips there and they blew us all away. Black snakeskin suits and bleached hair. Wow! The list of venues we played covers most of the favourite places mentioned by your other correspondents, and the names we played, and were mates with, is a who's who of the Brumrock aristocracy. Wonderful days and great memories. Keep up the good work in keeping green the memory of those times.
Best wishes, Norm Crandles
More great times...
Probably the first band I came into contact with when I first began the fabulous merry-go-round of clubs and later pubs of the West Midlands was "The Mark Five". They would play at Albright Youth Club probably every other week on a Friday and during the week at the Albright and Wilson social Club in Tat Bank, Oldbury. The drummer Mac Poole later went on to join Warhorse and one of the guitarists Mick Pollard joined Velvett Fogg.
Other venues around the area were Tube Products and Chances Social Clubs where we could listen to Syrius and The Planets, Kenny Lane and The Bluetones. The guitarist lived on the Cakemore Estate and was a cripple. The Teenbeats from Tividale with Gary Townsend on guitar, Zena his sister was a bit of all right but thats beside the point, played there as well. This was during the week. The New Cyclones from around the Whiteheath area played Albright Youth Club as well. They appeared on "For Teenagers Only" once. I think the compere was Brian Gulliver.
As I grew older we would venture further afield to The Wagon and Horses, Wall Heath. The Californians and Sight & Sound at a pub on the Wolverhampton road, The Staffordshire Knot? The Montanas would play there as well. The Uglys at Langley Baths. Spencer Davis at The Morgue (Kings Head Bearwood) on a friday night just before Keep On Running. The Move at Old Hill Plaza on a Monday night. I haven't mentioned the top American and British artistes we would see at The Plaza but we are concentrating on West Midland bands. Nautical William (is that still there?) Tommy Burton would be playing.
We would also go to the Adelphi West Bromwich and listen to Barmy Barry playing the records. The Bolero Club Wednesbury (the Drifters "Down At The Club") Tower Ballroom Edgebaston. The Locarno in Brum (Herb Alpert's Spanish Flea will forever stick in my mind!) Smethwick baths Thimbermill. The Hen & Chicks on the Wolverhampton Road, The Black Horse Kidderminster, Mare and Colts (god knows where - I think Kidderminster area. I used to just get in the car and be driven to these places). Droitwich Winter Gardens, Malvern Winter Gardens, Hartelebury Village Church hall! Everywhere there would be bands playing. Great times!
Rob
Birmingham better than swinging London?
Dear John:
As a 58 year old ex-Londoner and being conceived at the right time, being a teenager AKA "MOD" in the sixties in London was a wonderful time. My LI 150 Lamberetta with chrome side panels, tank aerial (with fox brush), regulation "parka" and Levi stay-press and Hushpuppies, yes a truly great time, I could go on for hours, (I once considered writing a book called "Thoughts of a London Mod", but alas I have not got the patience or the idea on how to do it).
I digress, as I said, I thought it was a great time, and London a great place to be in the sixties, until I married a Brummie girl and read Brum Rocked On! How wrong I was, you see Birmingham being smaller than London, makes it more intimate, the clubs and pubs are more closer to each other, easy access from outside Birmingham, and no matter which club you went to, you always knew the others there. In London, at the time, the "IN" places would have been found in the West End (Marquee, Whisky etc), Knightsbridge, Kensington and Chelsea all in the centre of London. Try going to those places from the other side of London. It was murder to do it on a Saturday, try getting home early Sunday morning, and when you did get there, you didn't know anyone.
I could go on and on, but I think you have the idea. London was great, but I think, to me anyway, what I have been told and read, Birmingham was better. My wife, June told me about the "all nighters" at the Birmingham Town Hall, London did not have a Town Hall to have "all nighters", and if it did, it would have cost a fortune to get to, go to and go home from. As I say, after listening to my wife and reading the book, and the Brum Beat web site, I think I can honestly say I came to live in Birmingham 40 years "too bloody late", for it must have been wonderful here back then. I did come to Birmingham in 1970, did get to go to The Cedar, Rebeccas and Rumrunner after meeting my wife, we split, for thirty years, met up again, finally got married (that's another story) too long for this page. I now I like to think as myself as honorary Brummie.
On a personal note, I love living in Birmingham and I love the people. I shall not be going back to London - they have nothing that Birmingham has.
Thanks for a great site - Dave (ex saaf londnaaa)
Billy's Fury
Hi John:
I've just discovered your Brum Beat (website). What a cracking site, really interesting. I was thinking about the Carlton (Club) and thought I'd let you know of one or two memories. I was one of a gang of lads who went to the place a lot and I suppose we could be termed a rough crew. The bouncers had given up on us I think and sometimes asked us to help out.
Billy Fury was on one night and was really good, and the bouncers had asked us to help them get him out. Well one of the drawbacks of the place from an artists point of view was that the dressing room was in the top left hand corner of the room, and the stage was on the left hand wall in the centre, and the best way out was through the crowd to the fire escape opposite. Anyway, we all formed around Billy and started to push our way across. All of a sudden, Billy jumped about 3 ft in the air and my mate Billy griffiths turned to me with a great big grin and said "I've just pinched his arse". The joys of being a star!!
Chris Cadby
"The music will always live on"
Thank you so much for the information. I truly appreciate what you do in keeping these people and their music alive. I am 53 now, but it all began for me when I was twelve years old, listening to radio station WLS in Chicago, which I could barely receive on a tiny transistor radio. "The British Invasion" they called it. Song after song from all those great groups. I've never forgotten, still listen to, and enjoy as much today as I ever did.
I recently attended a Moody Blues concert at an outdoor pavilion, here in Houston. When they introduced the band, first on stage were two women! OK, I said to my friends, there are NO women in the Moody Blues! Of course I was wrong, and they were wonderful and the show was just unbelievable. The two women, however, spurred my interest in what had happened to the other original members, and I began a "Google-quest" and found you and so much information. How these bands morphed into each other, with members moving from band to band. Just fascinating stuff. I just read about how the Move had Jeff Lynne, and became ELO. I never knew that!
Somewhere among all the reading I did about Clint (Warwick), someone said his voice towards the end had taken on a very unique and gravelly sound. I'd love to hear it someday. His life seems to have had some hardship after the Moody Blues period, and there are many stories like that in the world of rock and roll, but at the end of the day, the music will always live on, bringing a smile... a memory. And that makes it all very special.
Thank You - Jim Veal (Houston, Texas)
The last Band of Joy
Hi, my name is John Hill.
You may or may not know that the very last line up of the Band of Joy consisted of Johny Bonham, Mick Strode, Rob Plant, and myself. We did a tour round Scotland and the north in 1968. This was for the infamous Duncan McKinnon "Drunken Duncan", a superb man with a wonderful warm heart. It was right after this that Robert went to London and whilst stopping with Alexis Corner he was put in touch with Jimmy Page. The rest as you know is history.
This didn't help me and my best mate Bonzo at the time as we were about to rehearse a new line-up consisting of John, myself, Reggie and Chrissy Jones and a keyboard player that John found from a Liverpool band - I think they were known as the Peeps ?. I went on to join a band called the Wellington Kitch Jump Band with Chris Brown on hammond. Chris is also ex Band of Joy from the more well known line-up. Anyway, Bonzo finally got the message after several telegrams and wisely got his ass down to London.
Oh yes - I am still playing in a band called the Notorious Brothers. Check it out sometime - maybe the Monday of the fill your head with rock festy.
All the best and keep on rockin - John.
Barmy Barry up the village...
Hi John:
I found your superb, brilliant site by accident and can't believe how I have been transported back to the 60's. I used to go to the Carlton very often ok 4 times a week as I lived on the village. I saw loads and loadsa brum bands and loved 'em all. Sunday afternoons was spent with the Moodies up in the Carlton while they jammed. I loved Denny Laine. I really loved a DJ that was a regular there - Barmy Barry - he had pink hair, green hair, you name it!
I was at the studios nearly every Sunday to watch the Thank Your Lucky Stars being recorded to go out the following Saturday. Saw the Beatles and crossed the road with Brian Jones to the Star for a drink. Cried when I saw Billy Fury and my mate Diane went out with Steve Brett, he got the Beatles autographs for her... I know I am rambling but one memory just keeps going into another.
I can't thank you enough. Love Kath.
The Carlton Club
Hi John:
Just discovered your amazing site. Brings back a flood of memories. I grew up in Erdington, so of course The Carlton Club (later Mothers) was the place to go for great music. You had to be 18 to join, so myself and hundreds of others are a couple of years older than we really are according to their membership records. I live in Canada now, but I have often told my daughter how many of major classic rock bands had their start at the Carlton and other similar venues. The names came flooding back including some I had forgotten about.
New Years Eve at the Carlton was the place to be if you could get in. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if there had been a fire or anything. One memorable experience was rubbing shoulders with Long John Baldrey in the bar of The Acorn across the street before he went to do his gig. Another was the Moody Blues coming back from London by cab to fulfill an outstanding booking at the Carlton. Keep up the good work.
Keith Oxley.
The Sattelites & Lawmen
Hi John:
Just found your site by accident. I was a member of a number of groups around the Birmingham/Midlands area in the 60's. Whilst a member of The Satellites, we played the circuit, including the 'Carlton Club' at Erdington, Birmingham Town Hall, Adelphi, West Brom (now sadly burned down), all of Mrs Regans venues, and the Brum nightclub scene. Also at the Cedar Club, Elbow Room, Rum Runner, The Moat House, and many more. We even appeared on black and white TV in a program called 'For Teenagers Only' at the old ATV studios in Aston (I'm A Hog For You Baby, and Get A Shot Of Rythm And Blues, were the songs).
As The Lawmen, we were managed by Reg Calvert, who was murdered whilst involved in some shady deal related to a pirate radio station in the Thames Estuary. Andy Brown, our drummer went on to join 'The Fortunes'. I met him just a few years ago, and he was working as a club drummer backing the artists. By this time my brother and I were doing a duo club act as 'Tomika'. performing 60's material. They were great times, and will probably never be repeated.
In more recent times my son Paul made more progress (in music) than me as a member of 'The Wonderstuff' but they have sadly now split, other than for Miles Hunt, and the lead guitarist. It would be nice to see the names of the two groups I was in included on your list if possible.
Mike Clifford.
The Hookey Walkers
Dear John:
I saw Carl Wayne and The Vikings at the Kings Head pub in Edgbaston on several occasions. I was playing bass at the time (about 1960) in a group called "Jeff Lynx and The Bobcats" from Great Barr (I often wonder what happened to them...) In 1964 I went to Birmingham art school and was co-founder with Robin Tarsnane (now a famous film art director in Hollywood) of a blues band called The Hookey Walkers. We often played at the Golden Eagle pub in Hill Street where we shared the bill a few times with the Spencer Davis Group. I even filled in for Muff Winwood when he got married - the highlight of my musical career!
Christine Perfect (see Chicken Shack) was, would you believe, our manager and taught me to play blues bass. The band broke up in 1966 and I quit college for London. I was on the dole for a while and one day I met Steve Winwood in Oxford Street. To cut a long story short, he introduced me to Chris Blackwell of the then fledgling Island Records where I got a job designing posters and flyers etc. I wasn't very good and the job lasted 6 months but it was a start and I went on to design 19 Magazine and do illustrations for most of the magazines at the time including a poster for Spencer Davis for "Mr Second Class".
Brummily yours - Mike Dunbar
Spencer Davis Group at The Golden Eagle
Hi John,
I started what we called Birmingham's First Rhythm & Blues Club at the Golden Eagle on Hill Street. The club started because the club manager didn't want "Jazz or Rock music" so I told him I would promote R&B. Before Spencer Davis appeared, we had a band we called "The Big Four" featuring Mike Burney on saxophone.
At this time I also worked at the Alpha Television Studios Aston, as a property assistant (later to become the studios for BRMB). I worked on every Thank Your Lucky Stars programs for about two years. It was at a recording of this programme one Sunday that I met Chris Blackwell with Millie Small. We talked and I invited him to stay over and come to see my band (The Spencer Davis Group) at the Golden Eagle the next evening. He arrived the next evening and was well impressed. He invited the band down to London and the rest is history.
We shook hands at the Eagle and Chris Blackwell promised me he'd see me alright? I've never heard from him since that day! I still have the actual telegram from Mike Vernon of Decca Records cancelling a promised recording session that I'd organised with him.
I also did a joint promotion with National Jazz Federation called Birmingham's First Rhythm & Blues Festival at Birmingham Town Hall.
Cheers - David Postle
The Moody Blues - featuring Rod Clarke!
Hi John, You mention on your Moody Blues page on the Brumbeat.net that bass-player Clint Warwick was replaced by John Lodge. This is not true. For a few months one Rod Clarke was bass-player. He was in the band that played my hometown of Utrecht, The Netherlands in September 1966, of which concert I've included a picture (from the local newspaper) with Rod, Ray Thomas, AND Denny Laine, who was still in the band!
I remember Denny played a cherry red Gibson SG Junior and under his black uni-suit he wore a Union Jack shirt. For the show stopper "Bye Bye Burd" he took off his jacket to show his shirt. There were many girls in mini-skirts (Mary Quant) dancing and photographers made pix from the floor looking up. Reportedly some people were fornicating under the provisional stage, which of course I missed out on (being 15 at the time and not knowing you could do things like that under a stage).
Denny left early October 1966 and a few weeks later Rod was sacked. There's also some German Beat Club footage that shows Rod Clarke in the band performing "Really Haven't Got The Time" live on TV (with Mike Pinder singing lead!). Keep up the good work.
Henk Hager
Brum Beat at The Kavern
John, I was there the night that the picture was taken for the cover of the Brum Beat album. Mick and I were avid Kavern fans - the Brum Kavern Club in Wordsworth Rd, Small Heath, just off the Coventry Rd. There is a clear shot of one of my friends, Mick Livingstone. This early picture on the Brum Beat album has us wearing the paisley style button under collar shirts that were so trendy. Later Mick worked for a milliner and could get hold of fur hats so we were the first mods in the Kavern to have fur-lined hoods in our original American parkas. American Parkas over suede jackets over fine knit polo shirts with "Tonic" mohair trousers which we got from a great shop in the Piccadilly arcade. The shoes were buffalo skin or some other exotic leather - from Rackhams.
We also frequented the Ritz in Kings Heath, the Locarno in the city centre, Solihull Civic Centre and later, Mothers in Erdington - saw Family there in the 70's. We also went to the Railway Inn at Selly Oak on the Bristol Rd. We saw the Moody Blues play there on their first gig so we were told. There was another pub near to the railway where I saw the Spencer Davis Group one night. I can't remember what that was called. I do remember there being hardly anyone there early on. We occasionally visited the "Whiskey A Go Go" at the bottom of Hill St. in the city. And I remember Alex's caf near where the Albany Hotel is now. It was a place to steer clear of as it was frequented by "rockers".
Other groups I saw included Denny Laine and The Diplomats (later of wings fame), and Carl Wayne and The Vikings. I saw Lulu but can't remember where. I saw Millie (Small), of "My Boy Lollipop" fame at the Ritz in Kings Heath. I saw loads of other groups but I have no recollection of the names - a gentle nudge may help. Later on in life I did some building works for the drummer of the Applejacks, Gerry. He lived in Yardley at the time. He had a great sound system - Quad Valve amps etc, and I was taken with some of the drummers that were on the records he had. I played Gerry at squash a couple of times at the Metropole Hotel at the NEC before drifting out of contact. I saw him a couple of times afterwards working as a session drummer on TV. Strange days. I wish I had taken a camera with me. The pics would be worth a fortune now. Thanks for the memories of a misspent youth.
Peter Barton - Lincoln U.K.
From The Boulevards to Magnum - and much more...
What a great web site! What horrible, embarrassing memories it brings back! Does anyone remember seeing groups at The Silver Blades Ice Rink in Birmingham town centre around 1964? There was a small stage on one side of the rink and local groups, including The Uglys and Sooty and The Three Quarters, played there during the skating sessions. Us kids used to stand wobbling on the ice, waiting for the curtains to open and the show to begin. The Uglys were special favourites and Steve Gibbons was (and still is!) a heart-throb. There was also a very cool Jimmy O'Neil on organ before he left to join the Walker Brothers. A few well-known groups also played there, such as chart toppers Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders and Pinkerton's Assorted Colours.
There were lots of local groups around at that time playing for dances in youth clubs, church halls, factory social clubs and pubs. Visiting groups often graced the dimly lit, beer-soaked raised platform in the corner of a pub lounge before going on to find relative fame and fortune. Fleetwood Mac (with Jeremy Spencer), The Nice, Jimmy Cliff and Wynder K Frogg all served time at The Bull's Head, Coventry Road. The Queen's Head, 5 Ways Erdington saw Peter Frampton & The Herd mixed in with local bands The Capital Systems & Ochre Daydream. Other venues on the gigging circuit were The Mackadown at Kitts Green, The Tyburn House, The Swan at Yardley, The B.R.S.(British Road Services depot!) at Bromford Lane and Fisher & Ludlow's Social club.
In 1963/4 I lived across the road from Tony Clarkin who was a guitarist in The Boulevards (music in the young tradition). Many years later, having grown up and moved away, I was driving home one night and heard an interview on the local radio station with Magnum. Upon hearing the unmistakable Brummie tones I dug out my old copies of Midland Beat to see if it really was the same Tony Clarkin from the Boulevards. A friend, who still lived in Birmingham, went to a Magnum record signing at HMV in New Street and took along my old photos and newspaper cuttings from the 60s, which caused much hilarity amongst other members of the group.
Another great venue in 1968-9 was "Mother's" in Erdington. Although progressive music seems faintly ludicrous now, at the time it was really exciting. You could go to see "underground" bands such as King Crimson, Blodwyn Pig, The Liverpool Scene, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and Jon Hiseman's Coliseum playing almost every night of the week, all for 2/6d entry. We sat cross-legged on the floor in deep appreciation only to rise up and "freak out" when the music got heavy and took flight. When bands hit the big time they'd come back to play the Town Hall. You could buy cheap tickets to sit on the orchestra platform behind the stage. You spent the entire evening watching the gig from behind but there were memorable nights with Deep Purple, Tyrannosaurus Rex (with David Bowie miming), Derek & the Dominos, with special guest Eric Clapton and Roy Harper.
The weekend that Bob Dylan headlined the Isle of Wight festival, Birmingham, not to be outdone, had it's very own rival event in Cannon Hill Park. Grateful for small mercies, I don't think anyone thought it strange that this free "hippy" festival was headlined by a very young Black Sabbath. I try to ignore the pitying looks my grown up children give me when watching Top of the Pops 2 on TV as I find myself saying "I used to go and see them when I was a kid in Birmingham"...
Alberta Maslov - Blackpool
OBS-TWEEDLE
I'm so happy to have found your page. I now live in Anaheim, California but was raised as a kid at the "Three Men In A Boat" pub in Walsall where I remember all these great bands. I played with Robert Plant in a band called "Obs-Tweedle" and Ace Kefford in another "Ace Kefford Stand" as well as in a band called Spread Eagle. I also played for "Sight And Sound" in the early 70s as well as the Terry Reid Band. I was and still am a keyboard player.
It has been such a long time, but Obs-Tweedle actually started when Tommy Burton left. Mac Bailey and the bass player at that time formed a group with another drummer called "The Answer" I also joined. We actually played in Casablanca and Germany where we changed guitarist to a guy from Scotland. I know we changed personnel a few times and when Robert Plant joined, my father who ran the Three Men In A Boat Pub in Walsall suggested "Obs-Tweedle". That was the band that Jimmy Page and Peter Grant came to see at Walsall College and Robert went to what was then "The Yardbirds" and I joined Terry Reid. Sorry I can't remember any other names, but it was 1967 into 1968. When I left Reid, Ace Kefford had just abandoned "The Stand" though Ace and myself did play as the Ace Kefford Stand. Also as Kefford-Bonham and when we got a drummer, we changed our name to "Spread Eagle". We broke up around 1970. I wish I could remember more.
Thank You - Bill Bonham. www.billbonham.com