Bulls Head Bob

JAN 2012 - BULLS HEAD BOB IN THE NEW YEARS HONOURS LIST?

2012-01-01T06:00:00.002+01:00

No!!, what me Sir BullsHead? just doesn't sound right does it? I'm fed up with offers of honours ...it was offer and honour all night......... but that aside..........

Happy New Year everyone, and especially to all my new Feminist Friends

GERRY LEVENE - RIP.

Sad to say that Gerry Levene passed away in December after a long,long battle against cancer. Gerry, along with The Avengers had been one of THE acts to see in the early days of Brumbeat and although they never made it 'big' he has left an indelible mark on the history of Birmingham bands. My condolences go to his family.

ASK BOB ADVICE SPOT...BOOKING HOLIDAYS.
BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY NOW.
End of the world freaks get yet another chance in May of this year, when the ancient Mayan calendar seemingly predicts the finish of us all, so get your holidays in around April - Another helpful tip from yours truly.

UPDATED NEWS FROM BRUMMIES ABROAD
Well it's been a year since I reported on my old Muso mates who now live outside of the UK so once again............Happy New Year to Brummies abroad, Will Hammond, Jimmy O'Neil, Pete York, Bill Bonham, Graham Ashford and Lee Stevens.

Graham Ashford (Bobby Ash, The Brumbeats) is on the path to full recovery under the palm trees of Hawaii following a recent neck operation. Graham has also been rercording some new songs. Graham is now the last surviving member of The Brumbeats following the recent death of Roger Hill.

Will Hammond (The Uglys) is still playing gigs in Spain and was honoured recently by being asked to opened a monument to some fallen soldiers of the Peninsular War.

"I am a real supporter of the British Forces and it was an amazing honour to be asked to do this, I feel very priveleged".

Will and I had spoken last year about his old musical henchman Jimmie O'Neil and recently he gave me this 'Fab 208' magazine picture of Jimmy as the 4th Walker Brother.

(John,Gary and Scott Walker, Jimmy O'Neil far right)

Pete York (Spencer Davis Group) continues his drumming shows across Germany.

Bill Bonham (Terry Reid Group) is still working as a sound engineer for the Disney Corporation in California.

Norm Crandles aka Lee Stevens and The Satelites is still trying to master his golf game in the wilds of Ontario with occasional trips back to the UK to see the beloved Aston Villa. Norm who never really liked to spend a lot of his dough, left the UK in 1962 much to the surprise of many of his mates and The Satelites!! perhaps the following clipping from The Birmingham Evening Mail could be a clue as to why he left so quickly...

A prime example of 'cold feet' if I saw ever saw one but then again, a fiver could buy you the world in 62 - well avoided Norm!!

Happy New Year Everyone.

Bob

contact: Bobsbullocks@Gmail.com

DEC - BULLS HEAD BOB'S CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR HIS FRIENDS - YOU!!!

2011-12-01T05:23:00.000+01:00

"What Ho" Merrymakers,

I'm in the Christmas mood again!! I love it..... even muggers give you a friendly smile before pummeling you onto the ground, who could ask for more?

Once again, Birmingham City Council didn't let us down with their 'unique' choice of Christmas parade celebrities. Darth Vader, that well known symbol of Christmas accompanied by Alvin and the Chipmunks were there to remind us of just what Christmas is all about.....

Honestly, I sometimes feel like I've landed on Mars??

I just love the tradition of Christmas and feel happy in calling it CHRISTMAS without being put on the 'Politically Correct Gang' Wanted List for being "Christmasist".....
however, as it is Christmas I, like all others, should show extra tolerance at this festive time, so to you lovely PC'ers......

"Happy Non-Suggestive, In any Manner Whatsoever, Time of the Season that all Faiths Subscribe to (even those who think it happened in March and not December)".

Have a great 'Seasonal Event' and make sure that Timmy and Tabitha get NO sweets or cake, I'm sure they will love you all the more for your thoughtfulness as they crunch their way through a raw parsnip.

This is a true PC Christmas story.......I knew a 'non-female person' called Graham from this brigade, I called at his house for him one Boxing Day and his WIFE, who I had interrupted plaiting her leg hair, ordered me into the kitchen saying "He'll be with you in a moment, do sit on the floor" I sat down and waited, as instructed. Right in front of me, the door to one of the kitchen units (a very slim but tall utility cupboard) opened and out stepped Graham, red faced.

"What the heck are you doing in that cupboard Graham" I said, with open mouthed surprise.

"I've been eating a biscuit in there so the children can't see me doing it" ......??

"Mummy? I do love the carrots hanging from our "Completely Organic Transplantion Symbol".

BOB'S CHRISTMAS GIFT
TO YOU!

Now, it goes without saying that I get inundated with Christmas gifts and greetings from the blog readers, well that is apart from everyone in Wolverhampton and ex-agents like John Singer who expect you to design and buy the card, give it to him for nothing and then have to wait for him to send it back with 30 percent ripped off.

"Happy Christmas" to my my new friend Paul Mlynarz. Paul is a musician but
more importantly, is the main man for http://www.manchesterbeat.com/. I'm sure you guys remember some of those Manchester gigs and this site is worth a visit. He generously gave me a Christmas present and, it being the season of goodwill, I wish to unselfishly share my good fortune with YOU, my cyber Brummie mates. This gift could transport you back to your early beginnings. It's........................

THE BELLS MUSIC CATALOGUE!!
I can almost hear the cheering!!

I think this one is around 1963. How we young sproggy guitarists poured over this catalogue! This particular one is the more modern version of the one I first looked at but nonetheless, there are some vintage guitars, prices and other old equipment featured in this version which I know you'll enjoy.

click here: Bobs Present (pdf format, may take a while to upload)
Hap, Happ, Happy Christmas to you all.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO JOHN WOODHOUSE!!
So, last month, without telling me, John brazenly walked into a Moody Blues concert. Happy Christmas to you John and I know that you actually seemed to enjoy seeing them so I've bought you a special gift for when you go to see them again..... actually I've kinda spoiled you and bought one for the wife too........."Oh Bob, you shouldn't have"....blush,blush

Here's your Gifts:

Yes folks, it's:
"The Moody Snoozer"

The perfect Christmas Gift. No more carrying your bulky camping bed with you to those Moody Blues gigs, buy your ticket, sit yourself down and 'get comatose" in your personal Moody Snoozer, you'll be asleep in no time and you'll be nice and warm. You can even treat the kids to one each, can you imagine how jealous their friends will be on Christmas Day? Here's a picture of some very
lucky kids doing the See Saw.

Rugged green maggot for him, vibrant yellow with leg storage flaps for her - you'll never be the odd one's out at a Moodies gig again.

Let's try them out shall we? Rustle, rustle Ziiiiiiiiiiip ...............

"Nights in White....."ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz"......
perfect, worked first time.

Just need to correct something John said though - "the three original members" he mentioned should perhaps have said ONE original member.
I mean, in those days there just weren't any Brummies who were brave enough to be called Justin?

"Yes OK", I know I started off with the right Christmas spirit and look at me now.......I've sunk to taking the Christmas 'Mick' out of the Moodies, that's not very fair is it? Ooo all right then,
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO THE MOODY BLUES

I haven't got any pictures of them so here's a nice one of the
Sally Anne..........give generously.

FINALLY......Well there you have it, I have adopted a more 'inclusive' approach to this Christmas blog in an effort to win over minority groups who I may have neglected in the past.
.....so I wish a Happy Christmas to you Feminists, here's a feminist card I received which, if I may venture one slight criticism, appears to miss the whole Christmas 'feel' completely!! (Is it the Fem Fraternity(or is it Maternity?) oooh I dare'nt really choose one but I feel a little safer now that I've mentioned both!!)...I really like Doc Martens y'know? and those tie-dyed skirts are just so cool and fantastically original and one thing more "Aren't lentils Fun??"..........

OGGIES CARD

So that's my duty done to my new feminist mates..........but of course it's Christmas and every Christmas I send Oggie a card at the end of the blog so to be 'equality minded' and taking into consideration the things that Oggie wants to see on his Christmas Card

...Happy Christmas Oggie.

Christmas just wouldn't be the same here without it.

Yes Oggie, it's the Mk IV, high pressure 'Green Stripe' lager dispenser!!
well held by my new roadie, Stan............Happy Christmas.

So there it is. An emotional rollercoaster of a blog for Christmas - Nice Bob, Not so Nice Bob and topped off with Nice Bob again.

Thanks to all you guys and one irate feminist for making my time in the bloggery a happy one. It's my emotional 'shed'. Take care, keep in touch and do have a peaceful 2012.

Bob

Copyright: Bullsheadbob
Contact: Bobsbullocks@Gmail.com
or simply leave a comment if you wish.

BULLS HEAD BOB - ROGER HILL

2011-11-10T12:22:00.002+01:00

ROGER HILL

Roger Hill passed away this week at the age of 66. A major part of Brumbeat history passed with him.

A history rich in the stories of Brummie guitarists, Roger had played with many significant bands during his lifetime and NEVER STOPPED playing the guitar. Not for him the "I've had enough of this game". He was still playing at 65 and playing well, if anything, he had improved in certain areas but I guess that is what comes with maturity, no matter what your age is.

The Brumbeats, The Uglys, Exception, Mongrel, Fairport Convention, Chris Barber Jazz Band and lately The Old Horns were some of the bands that had featured Roger's talents. He could be found doing gigs with his own band at gigs like the Actress and Bishop on occasional Sundays in the City centre, always drawing an appreciative crowd.

Roger had always been one of those guitarists who had a leaning to jazz, right from the very beginning. If you wanted to know a chord, he was the guy and it came as no surprise to see him move so easily and willingly from the pop music field to jazz where he spent many years playing with Chris Barber and the great Otilie Paterson.

He got back to where he started his Rythmn and Blues days though and formed The Roger Hill Band playing occasional gigs in Birmingham. Throughout all of his career there has always been one thing certain about Roger. He was just the nicest and most unassuming of guys.I saw Roger last play at The Roadhouse. His show was just great and featured all the R&B and Blues standards that had been the bread and butter for groups during the Beat Group era, laced with older memories of the instrumental classic "3.30 Blues" which sounded as authentic as when he first learned it. The highlight on that particular night for me was his interpretation of the Ray Charles classic, 'Evening" where he excelled himself. As an old friend and fellow guitarist I found myself smiling, and at one point laughing out loud, so thrilled was I at some of his playing.

He could really lay it on when he was 'up'.

I'm sure that he's 'up' right now. God Bless Rog.....

NOV - BULLS HEAD BOB'S AWARD WINNING 'SOUND OF THE SIXTIES'. IAN 'SLUDGE' LEES, - 60's GUITAR EFFECTS PEDALS SPECIAL, STEVE GIBBONS, TONY IOMMI, GEEZER BUTLER

2011-11-01T06:00:00.004+01:00

Owdoo Brummies!

Firstly, thanks to the Birmingham BBBCGLM Club for the award and my induction into their Shed of Fame. It's a thrill packed blog this month, so without further ado:-

SOUND OF THE 60'S
PART TWO:
LISTEN TO THE MUSIC
I remember the rush of excitement at holding in my hands, the very first 7 inch vinyl single with my band's name emblazoned across it and thinking myself so lucky to now be a 'recording star', however, the feeling of first hearing that recording was hugely disappointing. I was shocked at the way the producer had made us sound - scared of overloading the UV meters we sounded nothing like we did live. No dirty or loud sounds allowed. There was just no emotion.

Some of those early producers really didn't give a shit and many a bands careers were shattered by bad production. Record labels were more interested in squeezing in as many acts as possible in one day, what did they care? there were plenty of bands hungry for success. If that wasn't bad enough, by the time you got it to this.................................................

the sound was all but a tinkle.

I could feel people in the room eye-ing me quizzicaly, "It sounded much louder in the recording studio" I thought, not wanting to look disappointed myself. The funny thing about it was, as time wore on and it got played more, the better it sounded - now covered in scratches, the sound developed its own dirtiness and made a shit recording sound atmospheric!! what a soddin' miracle, Dansette had got it right, basic science plus time and neglect.

Dansette owners would say things like "I've got the one with the automatic changer, two tone body and spare storage in the lid" - Almost immediately, we'd invented hi-fi bores before hi-fi was available! - "I say, hold hard with the volume old chap"

Anyway, the music sounded like it was being played through a cheap, 3 inch eliptical speaker -and the clever thing was? we were so ignorant of 'things electrical', (unless you were a bass player), that we didn't know what a 3 inch eliptical speaker was! Now we do, we think it's shit? which confirms my theory that - the further away you move from the purity 'of the moment' the more boring life gets. (taken from: The Useless Thoughts of Bulls Head Bob).

OUR EARS HAVE ALTERED...

claimed the advertising for RCA, announcing the stereo generation was upon us...... and at my house, we had a 'Stereogram' - 3 and a half watts of Hi-Fidelity, cream coloured turntable with sliding front doors. The 4 inch speakers were strategically placed right at the bottom of the unit, aimed at the 'lovely fitted carpet' to lessen the amount of speaker power that might physically blow us out of our armchairs. I think that's where the word 'subwoofer' came from, because the speakers were below the level of our dog. Tweeters were not in evidence back then unless you had a budgie on top of your stereogram.... - I thought I'd include that incredibly original funny joke as a token of my affection to one of the countries funniest men - in fact, I announce here exclusively!!. I publicly donate it to

Ian 'Sludge' Lees.... the face of 60's Wolverhampton Groups.

"Use it at your discretion 'Sludge, you deserve it mate".... "I'm a real fan" - Bulls Head Bob

you can use that as a quote too, how much nicer can I get?

"BACK TO THE STORY"...(The Idle Race "The Lady who said she could Fly")

A bit like a huge pair of wooden headphones, I would lie with my head jammed below the stereo unit, or "Nice piece of Furniture" as it was also known, to try and absorb the best stereo experience, never knowing if I was actually hearing anything in stereo or not to be honest? My sister bought me 'Axis Bold as Love" in Mono? I still stuck my head under the thing though, as I doubt whether my Stereogram would have actually made a discernable difference. My Dad used to listen to Winston Churchill's Speeches on his set of Long Playing Records - Once he put one of them on, there was no getting out of the room. There were four of us kids, we had formed an escape committee and started to dig a tunnel behind the settee.

Of course in the 60's we thought we were on the cutting edge of Great British modernity and we were......... gone were the days when the likes of Johnny Neal and Pat Wayne might gather around a crystal set at Christmas, learning the words to 'I Really Like your Trousers Senor"" by the "The Whistling Matador", thinking to themselves, "Mmmm, hope someone invents Rock n Roll soon!!

It was rumoured that DK or Ol' Big Nose (name withheld in case he has to admit he's a Brummie) had the biggest collection of crystals in Brum. If that rumour was put about these days, the boys in blue will be bashing their way through his front doors as we speak, ready to ~~plant~~ confiscate his stash.
'O-o-oH yes, I'm the great prete-ender"......"Ooo oo, Ooo oo" replied gritty lick boy.

Nowadays everyone has a stereo that actually works but you know what?
There is a school of thought that says if you want to hear it like it was - best get yourself a Dansette my friend and strap yourself in for an unequalled Monofest of 60's beat.

Little Known Brumbeat Facts:
1. Steve Gibbons used to repair 'steam radios' when he was a plumbers apprentice and has a large private collection of Copper Valves at his Birmingham home.
2. Tony Iommi - Did you know that Iommi is NOT a 'made up' name and he can only turn his head in one direction? - Strange but True.
3. Geezer Butler -   Ever wondered why Black Sabbath aren't a massive success in Malawi? Well GB might have been better advised to change his nickname. 'Geezer' is regional Swahili for Shit Bass Player.
4.  Mickey Walker - Once bit the head off his brother Dave during a 'discussion'.
5. The Elbow Room - used to be a storeroom for false limbs before becoming a "Groovy scene Man". The Leg Room was the store next door!
.
EARLY 60'S EFFECTS PEDAL SPECIAL
I hate effects pedals!!
Thankfully, in the early to mid 60's we had only one foot pedal which was the:

Bigsby Volume and Tone Pedal, which had been first manufactured in 1956 and used extensively by pedal steel guitarists.

This pedal simply raised or lowered the volume and changed the tone setting from Bass through to Treble by either moving the pedal from left to right or up and down. The insides consisted of a volume control and a tone control rotated by a pulley system. There were no electrics that altered the sound of the guitar artificially. The pedal had been used to great effect by Big Jim Sullivan on the Dave Berry classic 'The Crying Game'.
I don't know of anyone who actually bought a Bigsby but remember chatting to Steve Winwood at Ringway Music one day whilst he was messing about with one.

My investigative nose has sniffed out some evidence of the very first foot pedal. Well, it's more of a 'sit-on' pedal and interestingly, it was considered so dangerous that the players feet needed to be strapped down to use it.
My mate Nobber believes that it was going to be known, inappropriately, as 'The Honky'.

Eric Von Thruster, shown here with a heavy cold, used to have the women at his feet with his horny stage antics, the Jimi Hendrix of his day. "I WANT TO BLOW ERIC'S HONKER" emblazoned across his van in pink lipstick by some adoring fan.

So thats it, the end of the mid 60's Foot Pedal Special. Hope you found it mind numbing. If you want to be really, really bored, listen to Velvet Fogg playing 'Telstar", probably using a guitar pedal or two by this time (69) but, 'Amazingly' managing to sound like it was coming through a Dansette. Crap and 'Retro' all at the same time.

If that doesn't send you off to la-la land then listen to 'The Edge's' guitar playing - who do you think suggested that name to him?
It was the elusive fifth member of U2, "Deafo".

He uses all this equipment to help him sound less than average?

What? only 36 rack mounted or foot pedal effects, surely that's not enough!
Where's the Watkins Copicat? What a joke.

UB40.
Although not of the Brumbeat era, it's always sad to see a band go under and the news that UB40 are now bankrupt is a real shame, particularly as it was announced on the very same week that they played their first gig since 2006. I can't help thinking that there is a certain sense of irony here.........

AND FINALLY...Well the 21st of October came and went and the world didn't go up in smoke as predicted. I'm sat here in the bloggery, big smile on my face while Lucy is putting a shine on my award - all is well with the world.

"No Pedals" Bob

Copyright: Bullsheadbob
Contact: Bobsbullocks@gmail.com

OCT - CHARLIE WATKINS ROCK GOD. BULLS HEAD BOB'S LAST BLOG??

2011-10-01T05:43:00.001+01:00

Watcha Brummies!!

Well it's late afternoon on the 30th September......f******g **** I haven't done the blog!! "Oh come on" says Lucy you said we were gonna have an afternoon listening to "The Best of Middle of the Road"......We sometimes like to piss ourselves laughing for a couple of hours and they're always a safe bet when we've run out of drugs.

So anyway....I'm now sacrificing my afternoon in the sun, being topical weatherise, - "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" blasting out, envious of those opening lyrics, I snap my fragile pencil asunder with a shattering snip.

Miraculously, at that very same moment, The Wolverhampton Cabaret Groups Association are having an 'Open Afternoon" (where you can safely bring along the grandkids in the knowledge that there will be pie stalls and plenty of rib tickling rejoinders) They too are playing the same CD which they refer to as their set list. The opening words "Where's yer Momma Bin".......limp out of their 28 watt PA Home entertainment System "Tekkin um tu lirricul eaven" "Aaar, it'd be bostin' in harmony" "We can do that old step routine, but spice it up a bit when we get to the 'Ooee Chirpy" bit with an occasional "wedding tackle thrust", it's guranteed to get a scream from the bingo crazed crowd they play to - even if you're a bass player. Anyway I digress, let's get right on with paying homage to someone quite magnificent!!

CHARLIE WATKINS - ROCK GOD
Charlie Watkins doesn't have the ring to his name that say's "Rock God", his name lends itself more to images of a man who might work for Birmingham Parks Department maintaining flower beds somewhere or other, but rock god he certainly was and still is. Speaking mainly for the British scene, he was the man who gave us all the things we needed to achieve our dreams as guitarists, bassists and vocalists.

Charlie Watkins wasn't alone in this quest, he was partnered by his two brothers Reg and Syd. Reg had launched the second ever British solid body guitar, the first being the dreadful Dallas Tuxedo. Reg and Syd would go on to design and build the massively popular Watkins Rapier range of guitars that sold by the boatload during the mid sixties priced between 20 and 50 pounds and which gave every Hank Marvin wannabe a chance to become a rock and roller. I had one because I couldn't afford a Hofner.

The Rapier line was a 'niche filler' but Watkins Guitars faded away all too rapidly, probably due to the fact that they were known as a budget guitar maker and never really taken that seriously. The real Watkins 'name' was gained from it's amplification arm of the business and that was Charlie's area of expertise. Starting with the Watkins Westminster.

This amplifier was a lovely thing and had a very nice tone. Incorporated was a tremelo input as standard which was a nice extra. Four inputs, around 10 watts of output, it was the perfect first amplifier to use at a dance hall and this amp was very popular amongst the many, many bands that were around then. The magnificent Dominator came along and Everyone wanted one, it was so stylish. Charlie thought that the V fronted cabinet would help with sound dispersal although he said that he didn't really know of it would actually work.

However, the real jewel in the crown of Watkins amplification was not an amplifier at all but - the Watkins Copicat echo chamber.

This is still an amazing piece of kit, unbelievable really since it was first made in 1958. Charlie had cleverly placed a Copicat demonstration model in his Music shop before the unit had been brought into production and the day they went on sale he sold all 100 units that had been made. Johnny Kidd and The Pirates being the first outfit to buy one.

During the early Beatles years 64-66, VOX and Selmer ruled the roost in the amplification stakes with Fender coming in 3rd. In 1966 Charlie started to make W.E.M PA Slave Amps and never looked back. There had been a gaping hole in the PA market and W.E.M became the market leaders. There wasn't a big band who didn't use W.E.M equipment, Hendrix, Rolling Stones, The Move, Pink Floyd....the list is really endless. A trip to any of the UK's largest festivals would have found you hearing the sound through a W.E.M PA sound system. Probably the first to have a mixer too.

WEM brought out a whole new range of amplifiers that reinvigorated the brand name and they sold well.

There are a couple of specialist sites on the internet about the Amps and Guitars respectively that are really worth a visit and I have only scratched the surface of this remarkable story of success of Charlie Reg and Syd.

THE LAST BLOG?
Harold Camping, had predicted that the world would end in 1994, he was wrong. Sensationally, he predicted once again that the world would definitely end in May of this year. Stuff my old boots, it didn't end then either!!

Harold Camping hurriedly de-camped from his pad and took to the hills, to some hideout, however he has said in explanation, that he had made a slight 6 month miscalculation in his prediction and that the end will now come in October, the 21st to be precise.

Just in case he is right this time, I'll say "Thanks for reading the blog and thanks to all those muso's whose paths I crossed that made my life a more colourful place to exist in". Will this be the last blog? I doubt it.

Harold has a record of being completely wrong but amazingly, his personal wealth for constantly being wrong during this period of hoodwinking has reached over 100 Million dollars!! It doesn't make sense, I've been talking bollocks all my life and I'm still poor as a church mouse.

Take Care out there....

Bob
Copyright Bullsheadbob
Contact: Bobsbullocks@Gmail.com

BULLS HEAD BOB - SEP - GREAT BRUMBEAT GIGS OF THE 60'S, STOKE ON TRENT and WALSALL TOWN HALL - THE VERY BEST BEATLE BOOKS

2011-09-01T05:04:00.000+01:00

Watcha Brummies!

I've just got back from the boozer where me and the rest of the gang met up to discuss what we did on our holidays, the state of Brummie football and to enjoy the general wishy-washy bullshit and camaraderie that seems to come so naturally after a few pints. As previously reported last month, myself and Lucy didn't go away, which was more of a holiday than a holiday in fact!!

One of the joy's of doing nothing is that I had some time to re-read some of my music books. As now is the time to start dropping hints for Christmas presents you might like, I thought I'd share with you a couple of book titles that I highly recommend as essential reading about the greatest musical force of the 60's, The Beatles.

REVOLUTION IN THE HEAD

If you were to only read one book about The Beatles this should be the one -First published in 1994, the book has been updated to include the Free as a Bird release and it's always best to get the hardback version (above) too if you can, a much easier read than the paperback. From the masses of books about The Beatles this shines as an outstanding work that I doubt could ever be bettered and Ian McDonald is to be congratulated for the incredible amount of research that must have been undertaken, it is simply staggering. I find myself in conflict with some of his judgements as to the quality of certain songs, "Across the Universe' to name one, but his observations are thought provoking and we all have our favourites.

It is not a light hearted mop-top romp by any means and there are no pages of photos. It is a serious reference work that can be read again and again or just in parts. I thought that the Beatles Anthology book would have been the defining article but of course there was, and still are, obstacles of unnecessary interference from outside of the four members of the group that have prevented the whole truth being printed. Although it is still a great book, you need the muscles of Conan the Librarian to manhandle it's massive size.

One could argue that there is too much detail in Revolution in The Head in some respects but, as with all great books, it is a book to educate and captivate those who may only have a passing knowledge and now wish to delve deeper into the recording sessions, edits etc

From a musicians and songwriters point of view, it describes in detail each and every track recorded by the band and I have spent many an hour listening to the tracks, including the bad edits that I never seem to have heard before, whilst reading the information about its construction and recording. One might think that it's a bit nerdy to get that interested in small detail but what fascinates me is that EMI would actually release tracks that were imperfect, given that The Beatles were the biggest band ever to have existed. It also describes what pressure everybody in The Beatles inner circle came under and that was only half of what the band themselves had to endure.

Absolutely Brilliant, I can't recommend it enough.

PAUL McCARTNEY -
MANY YEARS FROM NOW

Written from McCartney's viewpoint with the aid of Barry Miles this is a treasure trove of information about The Beatles, the London scene, PM's involvement in that and its influences that he brought to the Beatles music.

Apart from being simply the best melodic bass player ever and a truly great songwriter, I am in awe of Paul McCartneys imagination, dedication and drive throughout his Beatles career to do his best but often feel that, following the demise of the band, his insistence at trying to convince the public and specifically John Lennon fans that he was as important to the band, has worked against him.

For me, his role and place in history needs no explanation, "You are what you are" and he is Paul McCartney end of story. Apart from a few opening paragraphs where he, once again, says he and John were the best of mates and how much he admired and loved him, this book centres itself on some fascinating insights into their songwriting adventures without the need to apologise or justify his rightful place in history.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recently recommended it to my musician son-in-law, Sean, who considered it to be the finest Beatles book he'd read. In fact, thinking about it, Paul gives us a narrative that reads like you might be having a conversation with him in the pub. I find it riveting and so will you. Naturally he talks about the writing of his songs as well as Lennon's and their collaborations. Of course John Lennon was a massive force and in 'Glass Onion", the lyrics referring to the "Cast Iron Shore' and "Bent back Tulips" that some might just think of as an LSD fuelled, psychedelic collection of words becomes a concise revelation of the massive changes that The Beatles lives had taken, from humble beginnings to unbelievable stardom and exclusivity.

There were only two people who knew about Lennon and McCartney. One is dead and the other is the fantastic Paul McCartney and I think there is more truth in this book than any other. One has to remember that most of Lennon's rants, spoken in anger, pouring scorn on PM's contribution to The Beatles came after their collapse.

He and Paul had been closer than it is possible to imagine, both emotionally and physically, and had been through the mill of public scrutiny on an unimagineable scale every single day from the moment they woke up so it came as no surprise that their parting of the ways was a divorce of bitterness probably mixed with some regret. We all handle breakdowns in different ways. Paul retreated to the wilderness whilst JL went on a round of TV grabbing headlines and stunts to promote himself and Yoko Ono and it is to Paul McCartney's credit that he had the dignity not to retaliate too much to his jibes.

We all have the same human frailties so possibly, I can even forgive Paul McCartney for Maxwells Silver Hammer - a naive judgement in the extreme and probably the final nail to be driven into the coffin of the greatest band that ever was but hey! nobody's perfect, I still love the guy.

Buy this book. It is a brilliant read.

GREAT GIGS OF THE 60'S
In the July 2010 blog I wrote a piece about a couple of the venues in Brum which attracted quite a bit of interest so here we go again but this time a little further afield.
Birmingham bands played all around the midlands and I thought I'd give some space to some of the nicer venues some of us bands played at around the midlands that don't get mentioned much but deserve to be, the first being:

WALSALL TOWN HALL
As a young sprog playing the normal round of pubs, village halls and youth clubs in Birmingham and it's environs, I never dreamed that I would play at some of those larger places but the band started to get better and better and with the help of a good manager, we became more professional and started to attract the promoters running good venues. I was lucky enough to play at some of the best Midlands places outside of the confines of Birmingham, the first being the fantastic Walsall Town Hall.

It was the first 'Big' gig we did and was such a beautiful building to play in too. We were bubbling with nervous excitement and determined to put on a good act. We were announced, exploded into the first song and within seconds, our amps went off! - some quick thinking by our vocalist, running to check the power supply saved the night and slightly red faced, we re-started and did a brilliant show. Looking at these photos now it's hard to believe that this place used to be packed with Saturday Night revellers. The audience's at Walsall were always fantastic. I played here several times with a couple of different bands but that first big show always sticks in mind. It was run by Astra Agency and I truly loved that gig.

STOKE ON TRENT
We headed into the heartland of The Potteries to Stoke-on-Trent and as well as playing the Top Rank and other smaller gigs like The Pittshill Victory Club, we were lucky enough to play a few times at Stokes three premier venues, the first being:
THE KINGS HALL
I couldn't believe my eyes as we pulled up outside the Kings Hall for the first time, it was massive and the interior was gorgeous, a bit like playing inside a heavily decorated birthday cake. There would always be two or three bands playing. It was amazing to think that we did this type of place with our little 30 watt Selmers and un-mic'd drums but the sound was always good.

Here is a Youtube clip of the place during some recent-ish rockabilly gig, with the hall quite empty in this clip but, this was a place that would be full on a Saturday night. http://youtu.be/TcbpS3fJ5F8

THE VICTORIA HALL

A great picture taken from the stage. This place was a real gem and we played here to hordes of screaming girls. You got a real lift when playing this sort of venue - a long way from playing little village halls and pubs. Stoke on Trent was a great place to play too. Barmy Barry was always the DJ at these places, a nice bloke.

THE QUEENS HALL -BURSLEM

It is quite remarkable that a city the size of Stoke should have three huge venues of such quality and the third of those was The Queens Hall, in the suburb of Burslem. Unfortunately I don't have an image of the interior but it was practically identical to the Victoria Hall and also a joy to play at. These days it is the Queens Hall Theatre and stages many successful productions. Aah, happy days. I hope this has brought back some good memories for those of you who also gigged at these great places.

JERRY LIEBER - RIP

THE GODS OF ROCK AND ROLL

Well it all started with this man and his parter Mike Stoller.

These two guys were influenced by the sound of early R&B and in the fifties they bucked the trend in the USA by writing songs for black artists. It would be impossible to list the incredible catalogue of songs they produced but their first biggie and probably their best known was 'Hound Dog' written for, and recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1954, she was just fantastic and personified the blues and R&B. Of course the world knows the song better for Elvis Presley's 1956 rendition of it but Jerry Lieber always said that she had the best version and I wouldn't disagree with that statement one bit. The real deal.

Elvis' version was dynamite, of that there can be no doubt, sung in the faster Rock and Roll style and whose visual interpretation would shock audiences world wide and give Rock and Roll music to the youth. Lieber and Stoller also provided him with Jailhouse Rock, Dont' Be Cruel, King Creole and others.

(Big Mama Thornton with Buddy Guy)

The duo wrote so many great Rock and Roll hits for a whole bunch of artists and practically each one has survived the test of time and none moreso than the incredible 'Stand By Me". On a topical note, Lieber and Stoller also wrote Kansas City, The Beatles closing number for their live shows, and what band during the early sixties didn't play Poison Ivy?

The music world and Rock and Roll in particular, owes a great debt to these two guys and it is a sad day indeed now this great lyricist has left us. Thanks for everything Jerry. Rock and Awe!!

AND FINALLY...

BOB'S ADVICE SPOT

ASK BOB

- DOGS, BE THE MASTER.

"Nice weather, I think I'll give the dogs a bath". I thought to myself.

Funny isn't it, that dogs know exactly what you're thinking before you say anything and go skulking off to hide? After retrieving one dog from under a bush and the other from under the car, I got them into the large washing container we keep in the garage for such occasions. "Dogs need to know who the master is" is my advice to you. I got the job done and met only minimal resistance. I managed to get a bit of a soaking in the process but that's a small price to pay for their recognition of my superiority.

So they both got their baths from 'The Boss' and shot off afterwards to shake themselves dry whilst I cleaned up the soaking wet area and stowed away the materials. I turned round and they were obediently sat together behind me:

(Charlie and Marty)

My carefully maintained compost heap was now totally destroyed and they looked like they had been mud surfing at Glastonbury.

Funny isn't it that I know exactly what they're thinking without a bark being uttered?? Next month, how to take a cat's temperature!!

Take Care you guys,

Bob

Contact: Bobsbullocks@Gmail.com

AUGUST - BULLS HEAD BOB - PSYCHEDELIA THE SUMMER OF LOVE, THE WAGES OF SIN, LET THERE BE DRUMS

2011-08-01T05:36:00.000+01:00

Far Out Man!!

Like everywhere else in the Western world of 1967 the youth of Birmingham immersed themselves in peace and love for that one long, hot summer and just how cosmic was I? I had enough bells around my neck to emulate a herd of goats clanking through some pasture or other and if gaily coloured beads and conch shells had still been a form of legal currency I'd have been loaded. As it was, I was just as broke (ever the life of a muso) but was maintaining a much happier attitude about it than before.

Adorned with my new diamond shaped sunglasses with their pink lenses, girls on each arm dressed in vibrant swirls of colour (or color for our North American cousins) the good life of a musician escalated beyond imagination. Men were now dressed as colourful as peacocks, all trying to outdo each other with the width of their bell-bottomed trousers and long hair saw it's rebirth, not witnessed since the days of Charles II. Mens Barber shops and Gentlemens Outfitters were going out of business like they had the plague. I had some hand painted shoes made for me and a girl fan of the band knitted me a jacket out of all different colours of string which was not only a great jacket but could be used to tie up parcels with, if ever the need arose.

American bands had come into their own with innovative groups like The Electric Prunes, Spirit, Love and Moby Grape releasing great LP's. Donovan was telling us to 'smoke a banana' - well I tried a whole bunch full and I can tell you, they're impossible to inhale, but give you plenty of energy if you do the sensible thing and eat them. We all seemed to develop an interest in gardening and growing plants. Mmmm!!

"Money's such a drag man, all we need is each other and music". I hadn't factored into that equation that I still had to buy strings and eat! I have to say though, that for that short time there was some incredible music made. Pink Floyd were playing with Emily, Hendrix was in a 'Purple Haze' and The Move were flying the psychedelic flag for Birmingham, Roy Wood was on a roll writing three great consecutive singles 'Night of Fear', 'I can Hear the Grass Grow' and 'Flowers in the Rain' which captured the mood of the time perfectly and, all three of those bands were on probably the very best theatre tour line up that ever was which was without doubt The Move's finest moment, getting equal billing with Jimi Hendrix.

Other Brummie bands were doing great too, Traffic under a 'Paper Sun', The Ivy League changed their name to the Flowerpot Men to write Lets Go to San Francisco and The Moody Blues had just recorded Nights in White Satin. Amongst the many great bands playing in Birmingham during that summer there was one who I liked more than some others.

THE WAGES OF SIN
(later to be Yellow Rainbow)

This band was formed by brothers Ed and Brian Pilling who were born in Brum but had moved to Canada when very young and had subsequently returned to Birmingham to try their luck at 'making it' in the UK. They were two really likeable guys and lived in a flat over a shop on the Stratford Road, next door to The Mermaid, one of the very early Brumbeat venues, sadly destroyed by fire.

Their stage act was good with ex drummer Ed Pilling fronting the band as vocalist and he really found his niche, projecting a really energetic personality. They were joined by Sprike Hopkins (Guitar), Jim Skidmore (Drums) and Tony Clarkson (Bass).

I didn't get too many opportunities to see them play as I was on the road most of the time but I did see them one night at the Rum Runner where they created a real party atmosphere with streamers and balloons festooning the stage for their final song which I recall that night being The Beatles 'All You Need is Love'

They were recruited as Cat Stevens backing band, changing their name to 'Zeus' for a while and whilst it was a good thing for them to play at large venues with a star name, they were just regarded as his backing group and there was no independent future for them there. A Youtube clip of the band with Cat Stevens performing 'First Cut is the Deepest' has recently come to light: http://youtu.be/cwZ1y5WxtOk

There were so many good bands about then, a lot of great talent got overlooked and this band was one of those.   They had recorded a single in Germany though whilst doing a normal German stint on a very small label, which was a cover of 'Hey Joe'.   A little disillusioned with the business they returned to Canada where they later 'made it' in their adopted country having changed their name once again to FLUDD. Sadly Brian Pilling died at a very young age in 1977. (Ed and Brian centre front row)

The psychedelic music scene continued for more than one hot summer but it's heyday had been and gone, the bright new music of 67 had sort of curled up at the corners and had become overplayed and commercial and by 69 with the scene on it's last legs, Velvett Fog were picked up by Pye and made an LP, the sleeve featuring a couple of bare breasted girls that caught peoples attention but in honesty, the music inside the cover was lacklustre and outdated. The record company chose the best track off the LP for a single release - an instrumental cover of 'Telstar' - just how 'trippy' was that?    In reality is was just a straight copy of the original Tornadoes instrumental with a heavily compressed guitar melody line. Unremarkable at best.

One Wednesday summers evening, I being a nice caring son, took my Mum to see The Fortunes, who were musically a great band but really, a cabaret act and definitely not psychedelic, at the Crown and Cushion, and Velvet Fogg were their support band.   Didn't appear very psychedelic to me.

LET THERE BE DRUMS

Following last months blog I have been speaking to ace drummer, Pete York of the Spencer Davis Group, Hardin and York etc etc. Pete lives in Germany these days, so for the German readers, thought you'd like to know that Pete will be appearing near Stuttgart with a big band and singers performing The Gene Krupa Story in early November, a date for your diaries for sure.

Even better news is that I and Pete met for a Brown and Mild "In the Snug' where he recounted the writing and recording of the simply incredible classic "Gimme Some Lovin", anthemic to say the least and a story that will be appearing in the coming months once I can get my head around writing it. Fascinating stuff in the history of 60's Brummie Bands - not available anywhere else but HERE...beware of imitations.

ERIC DELANEY

Sad news indeed to report the death of Eric Delaney, master drummer of the 50's/60's.

I did a gig with him at Wolverhampton Civic Hall once upon a time and he was a truly great showman, internally lighted kettle drums for his performance of Manhattan Spiritual years before lighting rigs had even been considered. He continued for many years performing and conducting workshops and drummers conventions. Thanks to Tom Lane for the info.

AND FINALLY
Well, Lucy and I have been gadding about hither and thither enjoying our Summer and though I am a couple of years older now I still have the hippy ethic of the summer of love except my bell-bottomed trousers don't seem to fit me these days, it's probably because now I can afford to eat.

Peace on you Brothers and Sisters,

Bob
Copyright: Bullsheadbob
Contact: Bobsbullocks@GMail.com

BULLS HEAD BOB - JULY - THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP, THE HARMONY GUITAR R&B 'SOUND' OF THE 60'S

2011-07-01T06:00:00.001+01:00

Hello Brummies and Music Lovers,

"Right then Bob, what made the 'sound' of the sixties so good?". This question was asked of me whilst at the boozer imbibing a 'warming' Brown and Mild, by a young musician with an interest in authentic sounds. "Honesty, Energy and Skill" was my reply. Very concise answer but not a proper answer.

As a form of explanation, I used the Spencer Davis Group as the yardstick, because in reality there wasn't a Brummie band to touch them for their sheer raw sound during the early years of the sixties.
"The Spencer Davis Group?" he said "That was just Steve Winwood" he replied. Now I can fully understand his thinking because Steve is such a big name and rightly deserves his place in history as one of the greatest musicians ever, certainly the VERY best to have ever come out of Birmingham bar none. However, during the early days of the Spencer Davis Group, Steve was just the member of the band who happened to have phenomenal musicality and a voice that was beyond belief.

The band itself however, was a 'true' band that were lucky enough to have a prodigious talent in their ranks. As an aside, there was quite a bit of arrogance from certain members of that group but not from Steve himself, who was always very amiable.  Most importantly though, the group were the first band in Brum to play those early blues songs, at least two years before anyone else. There had no rivals in Birmingham of any note. The Moody Blues kinda copied their act when they formed later on. Smart suited dance hall bands like The Modernaires or Mike Sheridan and The Nightriders were playing pop songs for girls to dance to and, whilst being good at what they did, they were not in the same class.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS. We young beat generation, Brummie musicians of the day only had our 30 watt amplifiers and a 30 watt PA system to work with and strings that could only be 'bent' with the aid of a very strong viking!
There was just one 'Volume' foot pedal available. Yet to be invented, EQ, Gain, Flangers, Chorus, Gates, Compression etc, etc (as a soupson of useless information, in my youth the term 'Flanging' had a more sexual conotation).

BOBS GOLDEN FACT: The first Distortion device was not commercially available until late 1965 - post the Rolling Stones 'Satisfaction',

however Chet Atkins had recorded an Everly Brothers track back in the 1950's that featured a Gibson fuzz tone device and Big Jim Sullivan had used that same device on PJ Proby's classic 'Hold Me' in 1964, pre-dating the supposed 'first use of a fuzz box' by the Rolling Stones and The Spencer Davis Group's "Keep on Running' the year after.


The normal line up of any group, like The Dextones (left), would only have a combined total output of 120 watts between them. Having said that, we all played at some pretty big venues with that limited amplification and it always seemed to be ample.

The tight sound produced by the Spencer Davis Group and their 120 watts was quite amazing though and was attained through the use of pretty basic equipment and Harmony guitars that did not incur the national debt to own. Of course, years of playing experience had honed their performance and their stage presence was electric in those R&B places creating a great atmosphere.    So, if you require the best 60's R&B sound you should buy what they used, it makes perfect sense.

Spencer Davis: Harmony Jupiter:

Steve Winwood: Harmony Rocket.
Muff Winwood: Harmony H22 Bass :

and finally Pete York with a basic Rogers drum kit, with just one small tom-tom and one floor tom-tom (not mic'ed of course).

It's no surprise they used Harmony guitars given that they were the biggest guitar makers at that time and there was little choice at the cheaper end of the market in those early days. Steve had already used a Hofner Club, so it was obviously a 'step up' in quality. He said he'd been been influenced in that choice as it was the guitar model used by the great Hubert Sumner.
Their amplification was a mish-mash of different equipment
but I think that Muff used an Ampeg bass amp. That aside, they wouldn't have had anything greater than a standard 30 watt amplifier of the day because there was nothing much else available at that time. I think they were using Reslo Ribbon Mic's too, although I could be wrong there.
I recall being inside a club in Birmingham city centre where they were playing, around 1963-4, and right from their opening number I started thinking that my group had a lot of work to do if we ever wanted to be taken seriously. I wasn't on my own, there were other musicians there too and they were easy to spot - they were the ones stood about with their mouths open, catching flies, knocked out by the tight sound of that band. After the gig we all walked out in a daze, some of them probably deciding not to play again.

THE ENGINE ROOM
Pete York was, and still is a very good drummer and I admired the way that he withheld his drumming prowess to work with the basic bass patterns of Muff Winwood who, in my opinion, has been much maligned over the years as a bassist, including some off hand comments from Spencer Davis himself which I think was a bit rich. For my part I would rather work with a bassist that plays the 'right thing' any day, than someone who wants to fly up and down the guitar neck like some demented baboon.

The energetic and effective drum, bass and rythmn guitar combination forged a real throbbing pulse, providing the perfect platform for the talents of Steve Winwood's voice and considerable guitar skills. In fact, had Steve not had such a dynamic voice he would probably have become famous for his guitar (or organ/piano) playing alone, his guitaristry seems to be overlooked by most people but he really had an emotional feel to his technique that generally only comes through many years of playing and his Harmony Rocket sounded brash and confrontational.  That emotional feel was one of the things that diferentiated him from Spencer Davis himself who was a bit workman-like by comparison.

These days people are used to the technically produced sound that emanates from some PA system with banks of filters and more knobs than the combined cast of Baywatch. Now I don't want to come across as "It was tough back then" but we had to make the best of what we had, and a PA was something to sing through and nothing more, if you were lucky it had more than two inputs plus a treble and bass control. What you heard was the 'honest' basic, overdriven, amplified guitar sound which was incredibly exhilarating and thankfully, revitalised by Punk groups following the over-produced and effect laden sounds of the 70's.

You can refine sound, time and time again, but risk ending up with something sterile, and in an instant that ragged sound that conveyed so much excitement has turned to "an afternoon with The Corrs". The Spencer Davis Group were THE 'Groups Group' who delivered the best R&B sound in spades and I'm glad that I was one of those who had the privelege to experience and learn from it. If they hadn't found fame it would have been a crime.
The more commercial songs of the later years and the making of the "How to commit musical suicide film" The Ghost Goes Gear, destroyed most of their 'cred', the writing and recording of the kids TV theme tune 'Magpie'
took care of the rest!

Luckily for us, owing to older recording techniques we have been left with a great LP of theirs and I strongly recommend that you get hold of 'Their First LP" issued in 65, prior to their commercial success and preferably on Vinyl. Put it on yer turntable, crank up the volume and enjoy the raw sound of the Harmony Guitar Kings of Brummie R&B.

Their manager took all their money but we have a great piece of history here.

It is amusing to me to read of someone paying thousands of dollars/pounds buying a 50's strat or Gibson and a vintage amp to get the authentic sound and then connect it to 30 assorted footpedals or rack mounted effects. You can buy the cheapest of guitars and connect them to that equipment and get the same result. It's just farcical....more money than brains. For my part I've never owned a foot pedal or anything else that adds an effect and intend to keep it that way.

Steve Winwood related bits:
1. Eric Clapton was influenced to change to a Stratocaster after hearing Steve play one.

2. "Steve Winwood saw me as a threat"
- a quote from Dave Mason that has me in fits everytime I think about it. Don't know a about a 'Hole in My Shoe",he must have had one in his head!

A COUPLE OF FAREWELLS
The 60's was a time of change, not only musically speaking but also in the fields of literature, art, dance and fashion and last month saw the passing away of two iconic figures that featured in the world of 60's music.

The first being Carl Gardner, lead singer for The Coasters. The years prior to the "Swingin 60's" were dominated by Rock and Roll and Doo-Wap and from this mixture came the finest band of that genre, The Coasters. They were hugely popular and their songs influenced most early groups that were forming. The Coasters first record release was the brilliant 'Searchin' that was played by most bands and would become The Hollies first hit. Birmingham's first pop group to appear in the chart's, The Applejacks, featured several Coasters songs in their act, Charlie Brown and Yakety Yak to name but two.

The second did more to raise temperatures of the young men of England than a Vindaloo with extra sauce. I speak of Flick Colby, the leader and choreographer of Pans People.   This line up of fashionable, gorgeous, young dancers were real leaders of their field, having fun 'strutting their stuff' and the only dance group to feature on the legendary 'In Concert' series.   Flick Colby's routines were raunchy and were a flagship for those days of change when female sexual freedom broke the chains of moral and righteous indignation of the previous decade. I think they appeared in Birmingham at either The Carlton or the subsequent Mothers, one night? Could be wrong though.
I don't give a shark's fart what cold blooded feminists think, these girls were the business, of their time, and not a moustache amongst them!! Right on Sisters.

Right folks that's it from 'yer man.   Time for summer hols and that sort of thing. Me and the lovely Lucy have yet to plan our outings cause there's nothing worth seeing this month in Brum.  I wish you all well and hope that football tempers will have a chance to die down and common sense prevail following the recent cross city upheavals.

Keep Breathin'
Bob

Copyright: Bulls Head Bob
Contact:   Bobsbullocks@Gmail.com

BULLS HEAD BOB - JUNE - THE TRAVELING PILBURY'S

2011-06-01T06:00:00.018+01:00

Howdoo Brummies and my Brummie Muso mates abroad,

"Oh Bollocks" I thought when I heard the name of the featured band here this month, "Another soddin' tribute group". You can imagine my great relief at discovering that this group are a "Proper Band" with a rich musical heritage and a great set list. The following picture nicely depicts the band in action, reminding me of the saying that "If it looks good then it probably is"
THE TRAVELING PILBURY'S

.....and they certainly look good together. All of these guys are very experienced musicians with far too many connections to other 'Name' acts to mention and, not being one of those sort of people who believes that fame by association is relevant, I shall not dwell on that subject other than to say, you have to be good to play at a good level.

In the mid 60's you would have seen vocalist John Kerton fronting The Andicaps, drummer Rob 'The Stick" Moore with Paradox and later, during the colourful, whirlwind days of psychedelia, with Ochre Daydream which also included Pilburys pianist Steph Griffin. Bands of the 60's worked hard

and regularly, in competition with other great bands, honing their musical skills with each performance. That experience is never forgotten.

The Pilburys set-list is a great mixture of songs that embrace their individual musical backgrounds from out-and-out rock and roll to some soulful classics like 'Handbags and Gladrags' with it's beautiful piano intro and the brilliant Ray Charles song "Unchain my Heart". It takes years of experience to play that particular song well and benefits from their mature approach allied to great vocal skills.

Naturally the music of The Beatles feature, giving the band an opportunity to show off their harmonies and the set also includes a couple of tunes of Brummie origin reflecting their associations of the past. A real well rounded show. I want to be entertained when I go to see a band and this set list, played by good musicians delivers in spades.

Their coming together was prompted when Jake Commander, former lead guitarist of The Andicaps visited the UK from his current home in West Virginia 3 years ago for a short stay and some former Andicaps members and other musicians met up to reminisce and to have a bit of a session.

When Jake returned they saw no reason to stop playing together, Bassist Graham Savage says "We sounded good and the lure of playing music together was as strong as ever, the only changes in the line-up since that first session have been with lead guitarist's but once Tony Cook came into the band the sound really gelled". Tony had given up playing but jumped at the opportunity to play with Rob Moore again, having previously been in the same group, namely Dickie Heart and the Pacemakers.

They played a couple of gigs for their own amusement but found that the demand was there and since then work has come rolling in, including a Butlins 60's festival.

John Kerton said "Playing in a band again was the last thing on my mind but when I heard how good we sounded it was just impossible to avoid, it's in the blood". He's absolutely right, the music these guys play improves with maturity and experience.

They were all sort of reluctant to get involved with a group again but now the most important thing about this band is that they are really enjoying playing music together and that feeling always conveys itself to an audience. Go and see them or if you're a promoter, get a hold of them now, you won't be disappointed.

To find out where the Pilburys are playing OR to arrange a gig contact Graham Savage at grahamsav@GMail.com or view the band's page at www.myspace.com/travelingpilburys

I have to admit that I know/knew two or three of these guys, although up to now they didn't know that.

THINGS THAT ANNOY ME - PART 355, TRIBUTE BANDS.
Amongst my many hates, which with every passing year seem to be growing in number, are 'Tribute' bands. They come in all shapes and sizes and, more often than not, are usually absolutely dreadful. I can't see that playing someone else's songs badly is a form of tribute to anyone or, EVEN WORSE, intimating that they are the rebirth of a band whose name they're a parasite to, by inserting the word 'New".

Is there a Brumbeat relevance to all this scorn, quite simply "Yes".
If you wish to amuse yourselves for a short while, why not visit The 'New" Applejacks here: http://youtu.be/SuSTju38USw Always good for a cringe!!

The female bassist who is the 'New' Megan Davies has a real talent for
"Oo-ing" in the sort of flat dirge vocal style that we only come to expect from the likes of Bananarama.   The 'New' Al Jackson looks like an old George Melly. I notice that the comments panel has been disabled, I wonder why?

We here at Brumbeat Towers seem to have a TRIBUTE WEBSITE too....that's novel eh? Watch this space for future developments.

BOLLOCKS TO DENMARK!
To quote that well known Midlander, William Shakespeare:
"Something is rotten in the State of Denmark"
After a million years of importing their bacon and singing Hans Christian Anderson songs the Danes have repaid us in the most underhand manner
by banning MARMITE..... What!! MARMITE??...Stone me, must be dangerous stuff! - If I'd have known it was THAT dangerous I would have tried to smoke it....I live life on the edge.

It is less surprising however when you consider that they also banned OVALTINE too.   They don't want their people having a good nights sleep..

GET WELL SOON
Brummie abroad, Graham Ashford (Brumbeats) has recently undergone a less than comfortable spinal operation and is taking it easy for a short while. I wish him a speedy recovery.

and finally......
THE BLUES BLUES
Well I'm a Villa fan and like all Villa fans, I'm a fair minded sort of guy so it
was quite sad to see the 'other' team get demoted this season but we look forward to drubbing them again in the near future.

OK you guys, take it easy and be nice to each other.

Bob.

Contact: Bobsbullocks@GMail.com
Copyright: BullsHeadBob.

BULLS HEAD BOB - MAY - THE GRETSCH CORVETTE, THE ACEMEN, MADE IN BIRMINGHAM

2011-05-01T06:00:00.001+01:00

LITTLE GRETSCH CORVETTE

The best things are uncomplicated. If that is a statement of fact then the Gretsch Corvette fits the bill perfectly and this beautiful 1964 model would look fantastic in my hands!

I was always the 'Anti-Gretsch'. Their large guitars left me cold and for some reason I always thought of Duane Eddy when I saw one. For me though, the "Twang wasn't The Thang", I wanted something that was dirty, something that would rip your head apart and then go and shag your sister.

This guitar was a serious attempt to take on the Gibson Les Pauls and SG's. It's body contours and shape are so reminiscent of a mixture of the Gibson double cutaway, that I used for some years, combined with the contoured SG body, even the translucent red colour of the Gretsch was almost identical to that used by Gibson.

It wasn't a clone as such, but Gretsch's way of being a little more modern thinking and I liked the idea, the guitar appealed to me in a simplistic manner. It was very light and I loved the nifty cut-out at the tail to accommodate the strap button and trapeze bridge assembly, one volume and one tone control and sod all else, bliss!.

The headstock from 64, was quirky with it's 4 + 2 tuner arrangement, no makers name emblazoned across it either. The only hint was the engraved 'G' on the controls, classy... not something that the Gretsch design staff had been bunging out before.

I tried out a Corvette, at Ringway Music in Birmingham I think, and was quite impressed but too short of funds to really consider buying one. I didn't think it better than a Gibson so wasn't tempted to trade in one of my other guitars, however I think it held it's own but with a cleaner, brighter sound, almost like a Rickenbacker.

In the end NOT buying one turned out to be a good idea. 'You are what you are" and my Anti-Gretsch feelings were soon proved to be correct when this stuck-in-the-mud company bought out "Girls Versions" called the Princess or the Twist, covered in purple sparkle and padding on the back.
Stone me! just what were they thinking?? Not only that, they started adding frippery and Bigsby's, wrecking what was a lovely, simple, serious guitar. Talk about suicidal.

These days that same guitar body shape has been re-issued and is now known as the Gretsch G5135CVT - just like a vehicle number plate - or why not try the top of the range 'Stump-o-Matic!!' model that comes in British Racing Green with all the buttons and bells and even has a white "racing Stripe' down the length of the body. It would seem that Gretsch have adopted 'car accessory' guitars, truly mind boggling, perhaps they got their ideas from Halfords or another car parts supplier. "Yeah go on, strap that bit on but leave room for another set of unnecessary switches".
"Does it make the guitar better?" - "Are you serious!!?"

Gretsch and Guild were the two companies that were the fuddy-duddies of Rock music, both had their feet firmly in the C and W market and never really were contenders in the solid-body rock stakes, but just for a moment there had been a glimmer of light, a ray of hope......the lovely Red Corvette nearly made them legitimate but they threw it all away and gave it to the girls.

THE ACEMEN
It’s common knowledge that I don’t like sterile cabaret groups. Slightly refreshing then for me to bring to your attention The Acemen. They’re not Brummies but Tom Lane, their drummer, has been resident in several Brummie bands during the 60's including Luddy Samms. Tom is also the skin basher for Tuxedo Junction and he and vocalist/guitarist Murph of that same band, were joined by manic saxophonist Glenmill, who along with the previous two, had been a member of the Leicester based, Tiger John Blues Band many years back. To round up the line-up they recruited Bassist 'Smokey'.

All old stalwarts of the music scene in the Leicester area, they got together in 2008 to do a favour for a friend and play at his silver wedding party. We’ve all done things like that, just got a few musical mates together and knock out a few songs for a party. No set list but just a quick rehearsal to agree what songs you know between you. Tom decided on the name The Acemen as something uncomplicated, Glenmill however wanted to call the band 'The Skeleton Blaggards' or something more evil! I have no idea how evil a Skeleton Blaggard is but he makes me slightly worried!

Three years later they are still together and that same playing principle applies to The Acemen, except they've completely abandoned the rehearsal part. Turn up and start playing....."Shuffle in E, 1-2-3-4".........now I'm not really too sure if this attitude is something to be wholly recommended to musicians of a nervous disposition but their way of looking at it is, "We are enjoying playing this way and have no plans to change the format" which is great if you are good enough to play in that style and they certainly have many years of experience behind them. "We are a jamming pub band and PROUD of it" said Tom. Well hallelujah to that brothers and pass the pipe. The idea appeals to me.

It is said that if you are having a good time on stage then that enthusiasm rubs off on the audience and they'll have a good time too. If this is the case then I'm sure they'll be very popular with people "looking for a good time"!! Wait a mo', haven't I heard that phrase before??

So, if you're in the market for a rockin band, then drop Tom 'Ace' a line at
www.theacemen@virginmedia

WOLVERHAMPTON

I expected some fall out about the Wolverhampton 'cabaret groups' blog last month, well maybe from those who might know how to write! Surprisingly, I didn't get one single complaint from any Strollers fans but we did get an email of complaint from someone from a Wolverhampton band I'd forgot to include in my 'tribute', THE CALIFORNIANS.
Every picture tells a story.

I got a letter from a Bishop too!! Below is the letter from the Bishop of Sedgetree.

From: Arthur Yowm-Loopy,

Lord Bishop of Sedgetree
Ammonia Mansions
Ammonia Drive
Sedgetree
10 April 2011

Dear Kindly Bob,
WOLVERHAMPTON CABARET BANDS

Have pity on those from Wolverhampton,
for they shall be the Cabaret Bands.

If you happen to be in the area this weekend,
some friends of mine want to know if you fancy a ~~beating~~ pint
at the Cleveland Arms?

Arthur,
The Bish

I'd gladly go along but as many of you know, I don't go out for pint's with musicians I chat about on the site, I don't want to be seen to favour someone just because he got me arseholed.

"Oh wait a minute, if it's at the Cleveland Arms there won't be any proper muso's there"....

"See you Sunday Bish,
warm Brown and Mild if you please!!"

IN CONCLUSION
Just to set the record absolutely straight, there was a good band from Wolverhampton, however, I Googled "Famous or Great Bands from Wolverhampton" to get someone else's opinion, here is the list
http://www.knowhere.co.uk/Wolverhampton/West-Midlands/Midlands/info/celebs
This site appears to be compiled by someone from Wolverhampton or it's environs so reflects a 'local's' point of view.

I would like to remind them though that Noddy Holder is from Walsall, Roy Wood is from Birmingham, as were ELO. Robert Plant was born in West Bromwich and raised in Worcestershire. I do love the reference to the band who split in 2003 after playing IN EXCESS of 12 Gigs though!!! wow...A WHOLE DOZEN!! ...they must still be exhausted poor little things.

MADE IN BIRMINGHAM - SUPPORT THIS SITE
You may recall my March blog about Alex's Pie Stand and the bikers that used to frequent that very piece of pavement, as well as the rest of the
night-people of Birmingham.

Our Brummie history is something that I am very proud of. I love being a Brummie and hate to see our heritage being abandoned or destroyed in the name of 'progress'. Our city once boasted a mass of vehicle and motorcycle factories, we were industrious and above all had a unique sense of working men's fun. It was colonial style, lack-lustre management combined with 70's union greed that saw the vehicle industries collapse under the weight of Japanese imports.

www.madeinbirmingham.org/ is a site well worth contacting if you are interested in the industrial history of Birmingham and specifically Motorcycles. Today some of those very same Pie Stand bikers organise charitable motorbike runs and recently conducted an outing from the site of the original Alex's. So if you're an old biker or even a new one, with a sense of pride in our industrial heritage and have a stomach large enough to accommodate a fair amount of Meat and Potatoe pies, you'll certainly be made welcome by JP and his Gang!!

There are some beautiful bikes at these meets and we Brummies made em' all, well not me personally - not with my delicate fingers.

The site is also actively and physically lobbying for an Industrial Museum to be set up in Brum and I for one, wholeheartedly support this venture.

The picture above shows the gathering for the BSA memorial run in 2004.
So go and get your bike cleaned up and contact JP today!   Brrrrrm-beat.

MIDLAND BEAT
Memorabilia collectors would have been watching E Bay recently when a whole collection of Midland Beat newspapers were being auctioned. The papers featuring all west midlands bands sold in the region of 10 to 20 pounds each issue with the top price of 69 pounds being paid for the issue featuring The Uglys/Yamps.   Wish I'd saved my Midland Beats now!!

AND FINALLY....BOB'S ROCK BAND CONSULTANCY TIP
I've just been thinking about what Acemen Sax player Glenmill said about calling the band something more evil than a Skeleton Blaggard. I have an idea!!!.   Of course they can reject this suggestion but a slight alteration of their current name to "The Ass Men" will probably bring evil to them!... like I said, it's just a thought.   Peace and happiness be with you brothers and sisters...oh and get well soon Gerard, Up The Villa.

Bob

copyright: Bullsheadbob
contact:   Bobsbullocks@GMail.com

BULLS HEAD BOB - APRIL - HAS A MIRACLE HAPPENED?? - STROLL ON!!

2011-04-01T06:00:00.008+01:00

Oh Dear, Dear Me, Brummies,

I'm not going to start with my usual bright greeting. "Why not Bob?" you say.

I'm gonna say "Evenin' All" - in a voice that reminds you of Sgt Joe Friday (Dragnet) well, one with a Brummie accent! - yes, "BOB'S' INVESTIGATING" again.

I'm on a serious mission to get to the bottom of a scandal that will hit the world of Brummie music like a bloomin' number 29A bus gooin' full speed down the Stratford Road -

SCENE OF THE CRIME
- BRUMBEAT TOWERS
"Hey John", I said "Has a soddin' Miracle happened?".

Oxford English Doctionary definition of MIRACLE: Marvellous event due to some supposed supernatural agency...

THE STROLLERS - VOTED FEB'S BRUMBEAT NUMBER 1. BAND!!!!!

"It's a mystery to me" he said "The Stats don't lie". "Of course Stats don't lie" I said, they're inanimate figures, it's the dickhead with his finger on the button that does the lyin' part". So either a MIRACLE has occurred here at Brumbeat or it's:

VOTE RIGGING!!!

It's NOT PRETTY and it's written in red so it must be important.

John and I had/have been discussing admitting bands from outside Birmingham. Well he opened the door to bands from Wolverhampton and now our hallowed pages are sullied by cabaret groups, armed with smart suits and polished acts, a far cry from the antics of 'proper' bands playing RandB to sweaty crowds. Let me clarify one thing here, I don't include Walsall bands in that 'Wolverhampton' category.

Not only have we been infiltrated but it would appear that they have come armed with their schoolboy antics of vote rigging, like teenage groups did to win the Midland Beat "Group of the year" title back in the early sixties, like The Talismen from Cheltenham for example.

Well we're older than 15 and you're fooling no-one!!

"Can you prove it" some guilty bastard is thinking now.... "I don't have to matey" - it's Trial by Peers!. Now I have a little experience in the world of "being in a band' and have played the length and breadth of the Black Country but never did I come across a band that was anywhere near as good as Traffic.
The Strollers must have been SOME act for the short time they existed (62-63)

Steve Winwood was between 12 and 14 during that time and just coming to his RandB pinnacle with his voice sounding as soulful as Ray Charles and as powerful as any I have ever heard, his piano skills already legendary, he was one of the best guitarists around, and gigging with Spencer Davis. - Just as a comparison to The Strollers or any Wolverhampton band. I was between 12 and 14 at the same time, in Brum, playing guitar too but that's where any similarity ends.

I still wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt though, so considered other options. Including someone 'inadvertantly' pressing the Enter key a couple of hundred times.

THE INVESTIGATION COMMENCES.
I first went to Wikipedia to see if a Miracle had occurred recently - Nothing!

A Google entry revealed four references to The Strollers, "Ah, now we're getting somewhere" I thought. My hopes faded however when I discovered that the four entries were in fact all the same article! Their Brumbeat.Net bio, copyrighted to John Woodhouse and Brian Nicholls but placed on different sites. At least it was a lead, so I investigated those inferior Brummie music sites further and yes, the article was there, there were no comments on the Forum pages from admiring fans but at least I had two more suspects!!
(Rattish smell beginning to get up yer nose yet?).

Now I believe that the readers of Bulls Head Bob are bright as a shiny new silver sixpence and won't be fooled into thinking a miracle had actually occurred. Well a couple of you probably DO think a Miracle has happened and you would be writing about it yourself if only the authorities hadn't removed all your sharp objects.

I thought I'd approach it from another angle. I took to the streets of Sedgely with a placard asking "Did you Vote for The Strollers?" I have to report that almost immediately, I found a person who said he had and was not the only one!.

He said that his brother had their music sung to him by a Klingon at his wedding too!

I thought he, or his 'brother' might not make credible witnesses but still not wanting to make rash accusasions, I considered that their 'back catalogue' had just been released and these votes are as a result of their current stardom?".
I traipsed, metaphorically speaking, across to record company sites and entered their name - It would appear the closest they ever got to recording was in someone's front room - could have been in Tipton though, the home of Black Country recordings, a bit like Nashville without the pickers, or the good music.

I see from their bio that two of them have fled the country!!

By chance, I was talking with Brummie guitarist
Dave Ball who knows the other 50 percent of things I don't. As we know he has been in bands as diverse as 'The Little People", "Big Bertha" through to Procul Harum.

He had this reaction to The Strollers news and then applied the face that conveyed to me this statement!!
"When I was working out the guitar solo for Conquistador I often thought, if only the Strollers were about to help me with the tricky bits"
So it appears he might have some knowledge of their past?

Poor man, he looks green with envy, having to physically force that smile on his face.

WITNESS FOR THE DEFENCE

I considered, halfheartedly, interviewing comedian, Ian 'Sludge' Lees. He had been the vocalist at one time or another for the following Wolverhampton bands - Finders Keepers, The Montanas, Light Fantastic and The Strollers themselves! but after seeing his publicity photo I thought he might be a bit too biased!!

It'd be a bit like leaning into a punch..

Of course it could be someone trying, badly, to promote a book....who knows?

Myself and the other members of the gang of 4 have been pissing ourselves, except for Crazy Malc, who confuses The Strollers with Flanagan and Allen's nostalgic war time song 'When I'm Strollin, just Strollin' and says it deserves to be No 1 in the Brummie top ten??

someone is........THE GUILTY BASTARD.

If John is having these type of groups on the site he should put them on a page where they can't harm any sane person interested in proper music. You know, 'Child Friendly', maybe password protected - when you Enter you're guaranteed a corny joke in between songs, "Something to tap your feet to between Bingo sessions" and the odd shaving foam 'pie'..... He could get one of them to do a Masterclass on the intricate chord structure to "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" or "Simon Says".

By the way, it seems appropriate at this time to inform you that The Montanas are now receiving a load of votes!?!?!? I imagine I'll never get another 10 quid gig at Sedgeley Parish Hall after this, but this is just nonsense!!
Does anybody serious out there want me to write for them?????

Bob

PS.
Steve Winwood, all round cool dude, Master of All Brummie Musicians is reported to have said "Drat! you pesky Strollers. I knew one day you'd come along and topple my crown, with your smart suits and cabaret act routine. I'm off now to learn how to be a proper musician before The Montanas teach me another Strollers lesson" - "Honey, Mmmmm sugar-sugar"

STOP PRESS: John Woodhouse says "It was nothing to do with me, nobody has paid me anything"

JET HARRIS - Bulls Head Bob

2011-03-21T14:33:00.000+01:00

Hello Brumies,

I don't usually have the time to write blogs outside of the normal monthly one but I simply couldn't let the passing of Jet Harris go without writing some sort of tribute to him. It feels as though a small part of my life has gone, that part I remember oh so well, whilst learning how to play the guitar, sore fingertips but with the ambition to try and play like my heroes.

I must have spent every moment of my young days staring at this LP cover:

I saved up my pocket money for this and I still have it in my record collection, although I wore out the original and had to scour car boot sales before I came across another one, luckily in nice conditon for a quid.   If I close my eyes I could tell you every detail on that cover, front and back!. It was The Shadows very first LP. I can also tell you that my Mum knitted me every one of those jumpers too. I knew and played every track note for note, lead and rythmn parts.

However Track 3 of the LP would be the only time I ever bothered to learn a bass part, the track was 'Nivram' and featured probably the first bass solo in modern pop music, the bassist, the great Jet Harris.   We would have to wait till The Who's 'My Generation' before another came along.

Called 'Jet' because of his ability as a fast runner in school, he was the icon of bass players during the early 60's. He was one of the best and had an image as strong as his temper. Jet joined the Drifters after a Moss Empire tour of the UK as the bassist for The Most Brothers, on the same bill as Cliff Richard and The Drifters.   Jet suggested The Shadows as the name for the band, necessary so as not to be confused with the American Drifters. All of the members of the Shadows had worked or were part of the scenery at the iconic '2i's' Coffee Bar in Soho, where rock music began.   Jet swept up and served coffee at the bar to supplement his money earned playing Rock and Roll in the cellar whilst Hank and Bruce served coffee and things.

The rest of Cliff and The Shadows rise to fame has been documented well enough. The Shadows became THE group to emulate in the UK and us young British guitarists were fortunate to have all those instrumental hits to use as a launch pad in the art of playing the electric guitar and for the first time bassists had a brilliant role model.

Jet's time in the Shadows was cut short by him becoming "fed up with being cooped up with the same people every day and night". He left the band and for a short time forged a successful solo career for himself and later with ex Shads drummer Tony Meehan. During this time he had an affair with Brum's Billie Davis of "Tell Him' fame. Jet and Billie had a serious car crash which saw him having operations to his head. A traumatic accident like that leaves deep wounds and he took to the bottle with style, he stopped playing and in the 70's was a photographer (of some note it appears. Brian Gregg has some of his photos) and during his darker days a hotel porter , garage hand....anything to earn a crust.

Jet got back onto the music circuit again playing with The Rapiers and other "Shadows type' bands. Where he made a good living from that time on but nothing will ever replace him in my thoughts as the blonde guy in The Shadows, a great bassist, a great personality and most of all a great loss to British music.

Bob

MARCH - BULLS HEAD BOB - GET A LIFE YOU SAD GIT. I LOVE CHICAGO.

2011-03-01T06:00:00.001+01:00

Watcha ar' Kid,

ALEX'S PIE STAND - NOTHING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT
There are a couple of sad git's who were musicians during the 60's in Birmingham whose personalities were such that one of the highlights of their musical lives was to buy a meat pie from Alex's Pie Stand after a gig.

I used to go there too but extolling it's virtues in a radio or newspaper interview, like it held a special place of significance in the Birmingham music scene, is simply bollocks... The hours must fly-by at his gaff!!

Alex's was just a place to get hot food in the City Centre, there was nothing else open at that time. Curry houses had not yet started to open, there was no chinese food, no Hamburgers no fish and chip shops either in the City Centre. There were always loads of bikers there who had formed a club (including my brother in law). Apart from the bikers, there were partygoers, louts, drunks, ne'er-do-wells, hookers, crooks, thieves and wino's - as well as visiting groups and other bands who had been playing in the city that night . They went there for the same reason as everybody else - there was nowhere else to get something to eat after a gig and only the better known bands were granted free access at the nightclubs.

To suggest it was a place where bands specifically met is untrue - it was the only place open for ANYBODY who was a night person, which of course included the hundreds of groups that were around in those early days. So it was no surprise that we all bumped into each other occasionally with the usual, "Alright guys, where you been playin?" everybody would lie through their teeth about how much they got paid and how they'd gone down a storm, lead guitarists would be sizing each other up like gun-fighters, giving each other cursory nods of the head as some sort of mark of acknowledgement.

There was a kind of clique of groups though, who were mates and didn't talk to the lesser bands who in turn, had their band of mates who sneered at the freshly formed groups who could only stand looking goggle eyed. Quite funny really.

You'd buy your pie then all pile back into the van and start talking about the other bands who might be there in the queue, "Fuckin wanker" was quite often the opening phrase followed by, "If his Dad didn't own the van, he wouldn't be in that band", a lot of truth's spoken and a lot of bullshit spread about.   As for "Bands being formed there", there was more chance of that happening at a gig, where there would generally be two or three groups on the bill, or more likely inside one of the music shops that were frequented by all and sundry where one could pass a couple of hours playing some of the instruments off the wall whilst persuading someone to abandon their mates and join your group.

Just to add to the confusion, there were two pie stands.....and everyone referred to them both as Alex's
the one pictured on the Brumbeat Pie Stand page was situated by the Albany Hotel, the second was located at Snow Hill Station and was a mobile van that used to arrive around 10-ish and stay there till about 2.30 in the morning. On the side of the van was painted "Hot Snacks" or something similar but we all called it Alex's nonetheless. I have no idea and in fact have no wish to know, if Alex was the owner of both.   It was just somewhere to eat, not an institution, no magic occurred there.   Some people should get a life!

SWEET HOME CHICAGO

Some of you eagle eyed warriors may have noticed that the old "Bulls Head' logo has disappeared from the page. I have replaced it with the Bulls Head on the Coventry road. When I first started doing this blogging lark I simply added a picture of a bulls head, as a form of decoration for the page. I only became aware of the connection to the Chicago Bulls football squad when I began to get a lot of visitors to the site from the windy city itself. It got even more confusing when I mentioned Hollick and Taylor studios, because it would appear that one of the directors of The Chicago Bulls was called Tom Hollick!! - well I wish them well.

That aside, we owe a huge debt to the black Chicago musicians who provided all of us groups of the day with practically all our music.   The incredible songs of Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and others being changed and chopped around by groups, generally speeded up and played at breakneck speed to willing audiences of dancing girls, the sales of harmonicas and Marracas soared.

For the more serious, the influence of Elmore James slide guitar and Big Bill Broonzy's guitar work meant lots of hours of practice to get the 'feel' correct. Probably the very best blues guitarist and performer, Buddy Guy rose through the ranks of Chicago's bluesmen to become an inspiration to Jimi Hendrix, indeed, much of Hendrix' act and performance tricks were taken directly from BG.

The original, medium paced 'My Babe" became a regular in Brummie groups' set lists but now sounded completely different, certainly louder and faster.  Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightnin" was also another favourite for lead guitarists. The adaptation and modification of this wonderful black music by British guitarists was a precursor to the Brits going to America and playing to the largely white audiences the same black music that was practically ignored by them beforehand; the difference now was the UK groups were light years ahead in style, inventiveness and aggresion that had come from the years of playing fast Rock n' Roll. By the time American bands got into it they sounded like cheap and soul-less copies for years.

You only have to listen to any of Led Zeppelin's tracks to recognise riffs from the greats of Chicago, now ashamedly credited to Jimmy Page, whole lines of lyrics just 'dropped in' here and there like a modern day 'sample' gave Plant songwriting credibility that belonged to some other guys......brutal copies of the real thing.
Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac always gave credit and royalties to those blues guys who he borrowed phrases from. Good Man.

THE KING BEES
Now when I was a lad there were only a few groups I would take the time to go and see. One of those bands was the King Bees, a bit mod-ish in style for my liking but as their name suggested, they were equally influenced by the blues artists and were a pretty tight band to boot.    Why not take a cyber stroll onto the Brumbeat Pie Stand page to link to the story of the King Bees, nice interview by John with founding member and guitarist Geoff Brown (If I remember rightly, he played a Telecaster?).

BOB'S ON THE TOWN
I shall be doing a couple of gigs over the weekend and Monday too....so I look forward to meeting up with some of you. Oh heck, I finished this blog without telling you where I was playing, never mind, there'll be other times!!

BRUMMIE GIG
Well I'm sure that some of you will remember this place with some affection. Kinda small but great atmosphere:

Bob
Copyright Bullsheadbob. Contact: Bobsbullocks@GMail.com

FEBRUARY - BULLS HEAD BOB - OGGIE'S HOFNER SUPER SOLID 3, PAUL LINCOLN ROCK AND ROLL LEGEND

2011-02-01T07:00:00.015+01:00

Watcha Brummies,

YOURS IN CONFUSION? I get quite a few e mails from people and some of them have unusual first names but you know, I just can't keep up with the bizarre names people give to their offspring these days.

Just this week I had a e-mail from a girl in Tipton, she's obviously a fan but too embarassed to write me a message, it simply said.

Dear Bob,

Yowma Saftwat

"Yowma!", I wonder how that name came about?

SET FASERS TO STUN......Well we got over freezing January, amazingly I didn't have to take back any presents this year. Lucy has a great heart but kept buying me clothes that make me look like a Romulan, all bleedin' shoulder pads. She's Star Trek mad, me and the kids call her Captain Slog but despite her lack of good judgement in her Telly viewing, she's not a bad un'. So anyway, as well as it being St Valentines Day this month, it's our 37th wedding anniversary and I've planned a romantic surprise for her on a Star Trek 'theme' - "Oh Bob you're such a sentimental old thing" I hear you say. "I know...I'm like that" comes my reply.

I've been burning the midnight oil in the studio, plonking on me new Telecaster and have written her a special song that hopefully, shows the depth of my affection for her. I've plumbed the depths of my literary and physical soul to deliver something that I hope she will listen to again and again.....

It's called "I'm Gonna Beam You up the Wormhole".

OGGIE'S HOFNER SUPER SOLID 3.
A blog that dedicates itself to the sixties music would be drastically incomplete if it didn't include something about Hofner guitars. Now I'm not gonna go on about all the models that Hofner produced, there are fabulous websites dedicated to Hofner guitars where you can browse away to your hearts content.This is the best one: http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/ look, enjoy and drool!!

Briefly, Hofner had been making some lovely acoustic guitars for years, with the Committee being it's flagship, a beautiful piece of work.

The transition to semi-acoustic guitars with fitted pick up's soon followed. However, these models aside, I want to talk about one of their best solid body guitars, specifically, the Hofner Super Solid 3. This was the foundation guitar of practically every young group or musician that wanted to emulate Hank Marvin or the Shadows but couldn't afford a Fender. I never owned a Hofner but practically everyone else did....my reasons were economic, otherwise I would have just loved to have had one.

I recall Oggie getting his brand new Hofner Super Solid 3,
I went round to his house the day he got it and was so impressed, it was immaculate. He'd owned it for two hours and had already polished it for one hour fifty minutes. I never heard a tune out of it for eight weeks, he was a bit worried about taking the shine off the strings!

When I eventually heard the strength of the Hofner's pick-up's in comparison to my budget guitar, I realised the difference - I think it was probably the first time I began to appreciate the technical details rather than simply the aesthetics of guitars. Hofner had not only excelled in the pick up's though, the volume and tone controls were a nice modern design and placed correctly and it had the really 'cool' (I thought) pick-up selector switch located on the bottom cow horn. I could just picture myself reaching across the guitar to switch my pick-up, mid-way through a solo. "That'll impress the girls, I'll definitely get a shag tonight" - mind you I remember actually thinking that if I owned a Watkins Dominator, as I walked through a dance hall carrying it, one of the girls would think "Mmm great amp", I was a very sad young man!!

The '3' sported a Stratocaster body design of course
and it was 'built to last', the paint was deep and very glossy. A black scratchplate, adorned with 3 gleaming chrome pick-up's was a visual treat, particularly the red coloured variant. It looked oustanding. The neck was I recall, a little on the 'generous' side - depth-wise and was liberally embellished with pearloid inlays that stretched across the fretboard and kinda' gave it a nice 'look of the times". It was obvious that some real design thought had gone into this guitar.

You could also comfortably play up to the fifteenth fret which was amazing for what was a budget instrument. It knocked the other budget guitars sideways in its quality build and forced the other companies to do better themselves.

All of a sudden nearly all groups were using Hofners fitted with flat wound strings, connected to a Watkins copycat and a Watkins Dominator. Not only could they sound like The Shadows but had guitars that looked every bit as good to an audience who knew nothing about instruments beyond their appearance. These days people are far more informed.

The headstock too was very nice with beautiful sculpted tuners and Hofner nameplate. A substantial tremeloe arm was incorporated, which was quite firm to use, a bit Bigsby-ish I thought. From a personal standpoint, design wise, I think they could have improved the shape of the arm a little, I never understood why it was almost dagger-like with its pointed end. "You could have your eye out on that thing" I could hear me Mum saying. It would have had Jimi's eye out probably if he'd had one, he'd be biting the strings and blinding himself at the same time, 'cor' luv a duck, what a carry on that would have been. Anyway, it had a beautiful clean sound throughout the tonal range and looked stunning for it's day but, with time, music styles changed and it's sound fell out of favour like some other guitar brands.

This guitar though rightly deserves to be treasured, it represents a real milestone in popular music both in terms of its design and it's success. It bought a quality budget guitar to a huge market of would be Hanks and there were thousands of em' - in my street alone.

Sadly, Oggie doesn't have the guitar anymore but still has a 'crackin' duster' and liberal amounts of polish so, "Wax on, Wax off Oggie".

THERE GOES A PIECE OF HISTORY. PAUL LINCOLN - THE 2i's COFFEE BAR SOHO . I was chatting to my mate, The King of Skiffle, this week. He told me that sadly one of his old friends, Rock and Roll legend Paul Lincoln who had been the owner of the historic 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho, had recently passed away. We musicians and music lovers alike, all owe a small debt to him because the British Rock and Roll scene started there. Cliff Richard, Tommy Steele, Terry Dene, all the various members of The Shadows, Wee Willie Harris, Vince Eager, Billy Fury, Tony Sheridan, The Most Brothers, Adam Faith, Les Hobeaux all started in that tiny basement room and for a while Paul Lincoln managed a lot of those acts and many more after them. Most of them also worked behind the coffee bar or swept up at closing time too for about a quid a week. Co-incidentally, Brian Gregg who I interviewed in December was a member of Les Hobeaux.

Paul Lincoln, an Australian, was a showman through and through. Not only did he own, in partnership, the 2i's but also the All-Nighter bar in Gerrard Street which was considered to be the real centre of Rock n Roll by those 'in the know'. He promoted the first RandR tours of Great Britain and was also a full time Wrestler who went under the name of Dr Death. Bizarrely for me, this was how, unknowingly I would have seen him on some of my outings to the Walford Road Wrestling shows in Sparkhill when I was a sprog.

In the mid sixties, as a musician, I visited the 2i's, as an act of homage I suppose. There was nothing special about it, no vibe really, the coffee was expensive and it was a place where people visited because of it's history. One could only imagine the scene during it's early years when it was considered the centre of British Rock and Roll, much like the Cavern in Liverpool during the Beatles emergence, The Marquee in London during the R and B period or Mothers in Birmingham - you had to have been there at the time to really feel it. It has a significant place in British rock history though and the building where the 2i's was, now has a blue plaque on the wall noting it's existence for posterity.

Paul Lincoln was an early innovator and entrepeneur, he was loved and respected within the world of Wrestling and the coffee house'/Rock and Roll fraternity. I'm pleased I could have said something about him here, albeit a little too late.

FOOTBALL ROUND UP. It breaks my heart to say this but, congratulations to the Blues for getting to the Carling Cup Final. The mighty Villa have turned the corner and with their new sigining Darren Bent and are in the ascendency, great result on Saturday puts them (along with the Blues) into the fifth round of the FA Cup. Meanwhile the Baggies are kind of drifting around after an amazing start to the season - what whent wrong there then?

BREAKING NEWS.... RIP John Barry.

So there you have it......Intrigue, music, classic guitars, history and a sports round up. Could a blog get any better I ask myself??

See you in March,

Bob

Copyright: Bullsheadbob. contact: Bobsbullocks@gmail.com

JANUARY - BULLS HEAD BOB - 2011

2011-01-01T07:00:00.002+01:00

Hello Brummies and Company,

Well we had a white Christmas which was lovely. I didn't go to the sales, which was even lovelier and for once this year I didn't have to take back any of my gifts - an absolute rarity!!

It's very quiet in the Bob household after a couple of manic days of visitors and also I find myself hiding from the 'Blues' supporters, ready to pounce on me as I enter the boozer - I have my ready wit poised to counter their jibes though with a few choice phrases passed onto me by Nobber, it is therefore only proper that I withhold them today for fear of offending the whole world - Nobber has cleverly learned every swear word in the world and links them altogether to ensure he can curse a whole football crowd in one go. I have stopped eating French food too.

Got a nice Christmas present which is worth telling you about.

SQUIER 'CLASSIC VIBE' SERIES GUITARS
Way back in 1985 Squier made a Stratocaster copy that outstripped the 'real thing' and today this model regularly sells for 300 to 400 quid on E Bay. Fender must have been real annoyed about that and today will be feeling even moreso because it looks like Squier have done it again with the 'Classic Vibe' series of Telecaster and Stratocaster models that are fantastically priced and play really well. The guitars are available in differing colours and also differentiate between 50's and 60's models:

This is the very nice 50's SquierTelecaster
with Alnico pick ups. Fabulous build quality
and nice playability. Those thinking that it
would make a nice 'spare' could very well
find themselves playing this more than they think.

OK it doesnt have the Fender label on the
headstock but it doesn't mean that it doesn't
sound every bit as good as the 'real thing'.
The body however, is made of Pine and will
show up any 'dings'. That aside, it's fantastic
value for money and I heartily recommend
you to check them out.....

This guitar is already a favourite of mine.

So, for those who may be thinking of taking up the guitar these models are highly recommended, they will give you the Fender sound for a few quid. Experienced gutarists will still find themselves enjoying this too. Can't go wrong really. Check out the Squier site for the different models.

This blog is a short one owing to the excesses of the Festive season that has seen me consume everything drinkable that has truly addled my very small brain, mixed with a depth of despair over the French antics at Villa Park. Nonetheless, I wish you all a Happy New Year and thank you all for your very kind e mails and support. Here's hoping for a great 2011.

Take Care

Bob
copyright Bullsheadbob
contact: Bobsbullocks@gmail.com

DECEMBER - BULLS HEAD BOB - 'SHAKIN' ALL OVER' - CHRISTMAS AT THE CARLTON - HAS MACCA GONE MAD

2010-12-01T05:47:00.001+01:00

Happy Christmas Brummies, Associate Brummies and Brummies Abroad,

Ding-Dong the Christmas spirit is upon us and I LOVE IT !!!!

BRIAN GREGG 'IN THE SNUG' WITH BULLS HEAD BOB.
THE WRITING AND RECORDING SESSION OF
- SHAKIN' - ALL - OVER

Brian Gregg is an icon in the world of Beat Music and I was more than pleased to have a chin-wag with him about the recording of the BEST beat song ever written. He's a fabulous guy....... Geographically speaking, Shakin' All Over is outside of our bailywick but in musical terms, we Brummies shared and relished the massive impact of it's heritage. Every night in every bar, and probably twice a night - this song was played by every Brummie Beat group - guaranteed. A record and recording that stands as a model of what a great band should sound like and it's impact affected every red blooded musician from it's first release in 1960 to the present day. I just know that some young band, probably at this very moment, have just discovered Shakin' All Over and are thrashing it out in a garage.

ANSWERED!! ....
THE GREAT RIDDLE OF WHICH GUITARIST PLAYED WHAT....JOE MORETTI, MICK GREEN, ALAN CADDY - IS BROUGHT TO LIGHT AND LAID TO REST.

Click Here to Read on!! http://www.brumbeat.net/bgregg.htm

CHRISTMAS AT THE CARLTON
If you were a popular Brummie band during the 60's your Christmas Gig List would have been full to bursting for a couple of months already. If you were 'canny' though you always held New Years Eve open for a bit longer, to get a better price, and could normally play a 'double' that night. These days you would be lucky if you got two gigs for the whole of the month.

One Christmas, maybe 67', New Years Eve to be precise, we played at The Bulls Head, finished there at 10.00 - I think the Idle Race were on then up till midnight, I'm not sure - we then drove over to The Carlton to play up to midnight there and then straight on to the Elbow Room to play till 2.AM. Every gig at The Bulls Head was great, but playing to a jam packed house with everyone in party spirits on New Years Eve was extra special, even the bouncers smiled, or maybe it could have been some wind! They always seemed to grimace at me, I think they could sense my fear!! It proved a little difficult to leave the place though, with several high spirited girls demanding New Years kisses before we left - naturally the part that all musicians had to suffer!! I always felt exploited....suffering at the hands of women.

On arrival at The Carlton we made for the entrance whilst the roadie did his thing, carting 4 x 12 cabinets up those metal stairs at the side, it must have been back breaking, particularly having just humped it all up and down the stairs at the Bull. We went through the front into the downstairs foyer where Phil Myatt was holding court and and there was much 'Happy New Year-ing' between us all.

The Way of Life were playing on stage as we arrived. Apart from the Jones brothers I'm not quite sure who else was in the line up at that time but they were a fine band. As you walked up the stairs the sound of the band got louder and louder, then it hit you full in the face as you cleared the top stair.

There was always a good atmosphere at The Carlton and on New Years Eve the place was HEAVING, the air was a blue haze of cigarette smoke, the smell of perfume and beer pervading everything. The heat that night, inside the venue was incredible, all those hot bodies leaping around and the stage lights contributing their own share of therms. We headed into the bar area and spent some time chatting to the group of girls who always followed us around and bought us christmas gifts. They were great and loyal fans.

Having warmed up at The Bull, we were 'up for it' that night and had a really good time on stage getting the crowd going, it was twice as hot upon the stage as it was down on the dance floor. We played our set and did the 'Midnight Countdown' thing then finished. We were all soaked to the skin with sweat - with still one more gig to go. The roadie meanwhile, was humping the kit back down the two flights of steel stairs.

We arrived at The Elbow Room in that sweaty condition too, but now physically drained, after the 'sauna' at The Carlton. The Elbow Room was always good to play at though, with some 'groovy' clientele.

We must have looked like drowned rats and smelled like drains as we entered, but we joined in the ongoing fun whilst the roadie humped our kit up yet another couple of flights of stairs. He was a real hero and all round good guy, not with us any longer I'm sorry to say. After the last gig of the night, we 'wound down', partied and left our gear there to be picked up the day after. We must have paid him a good bonus for that night. A triple was never a recommended thing to take on but on New Years Eve was always worth the money.

I'm sure this scenario will bring back memories for some of you guys who went through the same sort of thing at exactly those places and I know that if you close your eyes you can definitely picture it, almost hear it but thankfully not smell it!!.....Christmas at The Carlton, Happy Days when Live Music was King. (For you download freaks, the photo used in NOT the interior of The Carlton - sorry)

HAS MACCA GONE MAD???
Paul McCartney seems to have spent his life fighting for equal recognition with John Lennon - criticised wrongly, in my opinion as a 'lightweight'.   I believe that he was the greatest driving influence in The Beatles, aside from his awesome output of songs. It was he who had the project ideas, he wrote and played some of the best remembered guitar solo's - ie. Taxman - he was by far, the best bass player on the planet and he also wrote some thundering rockers.   I have always been and will always be influenced by him musically.
But why is it he seems to lose the plot completely? When he does that, he falls right into the hands of his worst critics.

He doesn't need any more money. He is a hero of rock music beyond comparison and I'm elated that he spends the time touring. The Beatles were the most innovative and creative bands of all time who struggled for years to become a great little R&B group, as every other band in the UK did - only the strong survived.   He doesn't need any publicity either, everybody knows who he is.

So what the heck is he doing kow-towing to juvenile Corporate Music show - X Factor!! It is this very show that has been the downfall of independent music, it's packaged tripe - week after week, playing to the Grannies and tinytots.   So it's surprising that he would come out with a gaff like:   "Its a tribute that The Beatles are having their songs sung by the X Factor contestants" - WAKE UP!!! MACCA, for F***'* sake....it's people like these who think, and state, that The Beatles were a fabricated boy band!  Now I don't watch the show personally, but I have read some stuff in the newspapers that suggests 'One Direction" a boy band on the show are the New Beatles. I don't have to watch the show to know that it's all..... BOLLOCKS!!, what a pile of crap.

He's done it because of the business deal that will have the songs on the show available on i Tunes but the question is?

Where's his sense of pride and self respect?
Can't he see how vulgar these actions are when people are being thrown out of their homes through poverty?   Paul, you don't need any more money....give it a rest man. A Working Class hero??
A Happy Christmas to him anyway.

A CHRISTMAS GREETING.
I would sincerely like to wish all the Brumbeat surviviors and the blog readers a truly Happy Christmas, these are uncertain days with the crisis and cuts in full swing.   Nonetheless, this is a time for us all to reflect and appreciate the things that we have, and have had in our past. Be good to each other.

Wishing a speedy recovery and kisses to Maggie Crandles and a Christrmas 'Thankyou' to Judy Adkins for her patience.

I would further like to send a special greeting to any of you who have family members in the UK Forces serving on operational duties.   It is hard enough being parted from those who are dear to us at any time, but doubly so at the festive season.   A very special Happy Christmas to the guys in Selly Oak too.

Thanks for your e-mails of support concerning some Brummie traitors I mentioned.

AND FINALLY.....OGGIE'S CARD
OK, Here's Oggies Christmas Card, he's in California this festive season. Last year I published a photo of scantily dressed females. I have learned my lesson and decided that it was exploitation to ask girls to pose with just a pair of pants on........

.....................problem solved!!!

Toodeloo!!

Bob

Brian Gregg photo (Copyright Brian Gregg)
Copyright: Bullsheadbob

Contact: Bobsbullocks@gmail.com

NOVEMBER - BULLS HEAD BOB - A TRUE BRUMBEAT HERO, THE BIRMINGHAM WALK OF FAME, TRAITORS

2010-11-01T06:00:00.006+01:00

Hiya Brummies and friends around the globe,
Howya gooin?

This very day, you find me showing my extremes...not in the testicular area I hasten to add, that would just cause pandemonium. It's more anger, at the feeling of being socially and geographically snubbed by a bunch of W*****'S. But don't let me prejudge anyone....read on and make your own mind up who the W*****'S are. thats how serious I am today!

On the other hand... you will findWARMTH and respect oozing out of every pore.
Now, I'm known locally as 'Joe Placid' but here we go....I might as well start with the angry bit -

SOMETIMES WE DISAGREE.....TRAITORS

The office at BRUMBEAT Towers has been a hot bed of disagreement over the last month.

John is the type of guy who doesn't like to ruffle anyone's feathers too much because he's such a nice man, however, on my side of the office indignation rules and the word of the humble Brummy speaks out.

Whilst I seethe with rage, he guardedly keeps his thoughts to himself. Why do I seethe? Well, it's because he gave publicity to that group of brummie musicians and their promoter Brian Yeates on last month's Pie Stand Page, who think that "referring to themselves as being from Birmingham, is a hindrance to them"!! Johns editorial response was ("It should really enhance the appeal in my opinion! JRW"). That was John at his angriest.

I don't even want to mention their names, because to do so would give them more publicity, although I'm guilty of doing that very thing now. I would have binned the whole thing and saved us the embarrasment of having been associated with a show that's ashamed of admitting they're from Birmingham.

'Nobber'

Needless to say the Gang of Four at the boozer are ****ing fuming. Nobber launched himself into 'abuse mode' with an assortment of conjoined swearwords I'd never heard before, but all of them ended in -ers!

I now give you the lowdown on a recent result of a vote from 'A selected voice' of the inhabitants of Aston who were in the pub at the time.... "Mon dieu, Gerard" -UTV.

RESULTS FROM QUESTIONAIRE, HELD AT A 'MEETING' OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF BRUMMIES AND INVITED GUESTS FROM THE SISTERHOOD 'ON DEFINITELY AN EQUAL FOOTING' OF BRUMMIE-ESSES OR "BRUMS", DEPENDING ON YOUR ASPECT. - 38 ATTENDING.
(Quantity of 'gender blend' will be supplied if requested but will be resisted by certain elements of the brotherhood/sisterhood (or vice versa) of the 'fra/materinity' if certain issues arise pertaining to a percieved derogatory word or insinuation OR insult by any party in the world whatsoever, and their Mum.) dum de dum de dum......

RESULTS OF QUESTIONAIRRE:
1. Question One. Are They Wankers?
answers ......YES 38 - NO -0 )
2. Question 2. No further questions.

If there is an 'up' side to this sorry tale, then it's because I am pleased to see that at least Gibbo isn't a part of this. It's probably just the same material served up under a different name anyway, so if you saw Brum Rocked, or The Move or Bev Bevans 'Move' or any of those other permutations of the same group of people, I imagine there'll be nothing new apart from a bit of Froggy's stuff. Go and see them if you want, but be careful not to speak, they probably won't understand your accent.... I imagine GT thought he wouldn't be having a pie in the face any longer? - welcome back.

Perhaps Roy Wood was right when he talked in such a derogatory manner about the Move reformation..... flogging a dead horse.

A TRUE BRUMBEAT HERO!!
Now for every low point there is a High. Ladies and Gentleman, here is a real hero, who has done masses to promote Birmingham, is proud of his heritage and asks for nothing in exchange. I also know that he would quake at the thought of anyone writing anything about him. Particularly me.

JOHN R WOODHOUSE
Just because he doesn't seek any publicity, doesn't mean that he isn't going to get any - not as long as I'm around that is!

Ten years ago, bassist John Woodhouse, was thinking of a little hobby to entertain himself with. He remembered some stories his uncle had told him about the days of being a musician during the 60's in Birmingham, the incessant sound of beat groups and Chuck Berry rhythms, the gigs, the night clubs and band hangouts. John was already a fan of the music from the West Midlands and has a great record and CD collection of all the bands. He thought that he could create a personal website about that subject. Little did he know, or envisage that 10 years after, the website would be such a huge success. From early beginnings, people started contacting him with details and accounts about groups they had played with, a small trickle soon became more of a constant flow. A lot of stories were passed on, often contradicting each other but this is hardly surprising, as all the events had taken place 40 years prior to the website being launched.

As time passed and information grew, some clarity began to emerge and group biographies were amended to amplify or remove some stories that were "Imaginative" and in a couple of cases clearly fabrications - Elvis never played with a band from Small Heath!!

There are now a massive amount of biographies archived on the site and although John receives some biog's sent in written form, they all need to be edited to fit the BRUMBEAT bio format, checked for inaccuracies and then re-written in his own inimitable style. When I say that written bio's were sent in, they mostly consist of "I played with this group, then this one and then the other" and from this undetailed information John has written full pages of relevant information about the bands activities and line-up changes. The construction of these bio's are really time consuming affairs and can be made even more difficult in some groups cases, as the line-up changes were on a weekly basis.   The whole concept of this small army of Brummie musicians swapping groups and changing names was incredibly complex and in some cases unfathomable. I know of one bass player who could have had a hundred notches on his guitar to indicate how many bands he had been in. Of course John doesn't just write biographies, he has conducted reviews and interviews with a host of names from Birminghams illustrious musical past.

What does he get out of it?...in financial terms nothing. BRUMBEAT is a 'not for profit' website run by someone with imagination and a resolute determination to map the years when Birmingham throbbed with the sound of a group in every bar, pub or dance hall during the years that saw unparallelled changes in society, fashion and the arts in general.

Only those who lived through those days can truly know what a mind blowing experience it all was, at its climax.   Without a person like John, that experience, starting from the very start of the Group phase would never have been passed on and this archive would never exist. As such, his contribution to the preservation of a generation of Brummie musicians is incalculable. This website has aided the most familiar glossy music magazines with research into their stories and has assisted record companies with information and helped them to gain contact with group members, more often than not without any form of acknowledgement at all.

John has another tremendous asset.  He is a good, enthusiastic musician who likes to play rock n roll and plays with a couple of bands, the main one being PASSPORT. He has had a load of gigs and has rewarded himself with a new Fender Jazz Bass.    Just where he finds the time to hold down his job, look after his family obligations, fulfill his commitments to the bands AND write stuff for the website is really something to be admired.

About 5 years ago, I suggested that we pool our resources, promising that "We wouldn't regret it". Well we have had some opposite views at Brumbeat Towers but mostly we are of the same mind and its great to work together, we just approach things from different angles. The folk who were a part of the BRUMBEAT scene are becoming fewer and each time that happens, it only elevates the importance of the work undertaken by one of the nicest men about and I personally thank John for his dedication.

Ten years is a long, long time and I know for a fact that I speak for all the musicians and anyone else with any form of connection to the BRUMBEAT era, when I say thanks and rightly applaud him for keeping those days, the spirit and the history alive.

I give you

John Woodhouse,

BRUMBEAT Hero.

Happy 10th Anniversary

THE BIRMINGHAM WALK OF FAME

I believe that the Birmingham City Council should take note of John's achievements and think positively about Birmingham's Broad Street, 'Walk of Fame' star allocations. I would certainly like them to give great thought to giving John Woodhouse or even simply BRUMBEAT some just recognition for 10 years of unpaid and incredibly important service to the history of Birmingham's music scene - in the years when it was proclaimed that the sound coming out of the West Midlands was called

BRUMBEAT!!!

Here's to another 10 years....

COMING TO YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN IN DECEMBER

Bulls Head Bob's Christmas Bonus to all the BRUMBEAT readers. Fantastic "In the Snug" interview with BRIAN GREGG, Bassist for Johhny Kidd and The Pirates. The story and "The Recording Session of 'SHAKIN' ALL OVER' - amazing stuff!! Exclusive to BULLS HEAD BOB and BRUMBEAT, the worlds greatest BRUMMIE partnership - and proud of it!!

Bob

contact: Bobsbullocks@Gmail.com

OCT - BULLS HEAD BOB'S 'BRUMMIES ABROAD'....WHERE ARE THE EXECUTIONERS? PLUS THE GREAT JIMMY O'NEIL??

2010-10-01T06:00:00.045+01:00

Owdoo!
Winter approaches, time to start thinking about how miserable the festive season will be after the goverment have deprived me of some more of my assets, come the Budget later this month. Is this the real winter of discontent?

BRUMMIES ABROAD

Thought I'd take the opportunity this month to put out messages for some people looking for old mates and to feature some more of our 'Brummies Abroad'. Now I can't actually confirm that the next Brummie is actually living abroad because I don't know... but I know somebody who does.....

JIMMY O'NEIL

I recently wrote an article about the VOX Continental organ and in that piece mentioned the name of Jimmy O'Neil as being an organist of some standing. In the absence of much written material about Jimmy, I think it right that I should try and give some more information about this fine Brummie musician of the sixties. I write it in the context of Brummies Abroad, as it's believed that Jimmy lives in the States these days. I am not in contact with him but as I had spoken with Will Hammond last month I asked him about Jimmy - they had been musical mates for years.

WH: Jimmy O'Neil? great bloke and a brilliant musician, he was from an Irish family from the Yardley Wood area. I think he started his musical career playing piano with the Jon Carter Image, playing the youth clubs and small dance halls scattered around Sparkhill in Brum. I could be wrong though.

I got to meet him when I was around about 14. I think Jimmy must have been 17 or older because he had a motorbike, a nice one too. I had been used to talking music with friends who, like me, had grown up teaching themselves how to play but Jimmy was on another level completely, he was an accomplished, trained classical pianist. We 'hit it off ' from the very beginning and started playing music together round at his parents home where there was a piano. He used to come and pick me up on his motorbike and I would balance myself and my guitar on the pillion which was no mean feat with the wind hitting the guitar case. There was always a bonus of going to his house - getting some of his Mum's Cherry Pie.

Early on, his name had been mentioned to me as someone who could play the piano 'a bit'. I was knocked back on my heels when I actually heard him play. His fingers used to float effortlessly, across the keys, an absolute joy to watch. We talked for hours about music and particularly about things like, structuring discordant harmonies and the like, we both had great enthusiasm. Sometime later we both found ourselves working at the Wholesale Food Market in the City centre, I was a junior salesman on a fruit pitch and Jimmy worked as a salesman in the Fish Market. The working hours were 5am to 11am which suited the life of semi-pro musicians.

The VOX Continental came out and he bought one straight away. We played together in the same group -The Yamps - for a short while, doing things like House of the Rising Sun and a load of R and B things by Jimmy Reed, Willie Dixon, Howlin Wolf and their like. His skills as an organist were amazing and he played with loads of passion, we worked very well together.

Jimmy came by one day to say that he was going to London to join The Walker Brothers, I was flabbergasted, I wasn't bothered about him leaving the group so much, as I was excited for him. He was a mate as well as a musical partner and I was really pleased he was joining a famous act. I didn't see him for about a month, then one day he turned up at my house looking like a star, wearing fabulous clothes, sporting the Walker Brothers type hairstyle, driving a new red Triumph Spitfire and not smelling of Salmon!! I was very impressed and happy for him.

The Walkers were then a four-piece outfit with Scott Walker on Bass, John on Guitar, Gary on the drums and Jimmy O'Neil on the organ. They played one night at the Brum Cavern (or should I say the scout hut), around the time of 'Make it Easy on Yourself' where I popped down to see him. They were doing the normal 'Reagan double' and went from there to the Plaza Handsworth for the next show. He told me, at that time, that the group would be using a full blown backing band and his tenure as the 'fourth Walker Brother' would shortly be coming to an end. I hoped he'd be coming back to Birmingham to rejoin my group but he got an offer from The Ugly's which he took. We continued to play together socially.

I joined up with The Uglys myself a little later on but was disappointed that Jimmy then switched to playing the Bass instead of the organ, and though he was a good bass player, I thought it was a real waste of great keyboard talent. We were playing a gig at some Town Hall somewhere and there was a Bechstein grand piano on the stage, the support band were setting up their gear and various town hall employees were 'doing their thing' preparing for the night when Jim strolled across to the piano and started playing a piece by the Norwegian composer, Christian Sinding - 'The Rustle of Spring', an evocative, melodic piece - everybody just stopped doing whatever they were doing and stood 'open mouthed'. You could have heard a pin drop, everyone burst into applause, recognising his enormous talent. I think Jim felt embarrassed by the attention, he was more focused on the music.

In 1968 Jimmy left The Uglys, joining as the bassist for The Mindbenders, then left The Mindbenders, got married went into the antiques world, did something else then went to the States. I haven't heard from him since 1970 when we had a brief musical encounter for a while but I was in another place at the time so it was doomed to failure. I believe he lives in America permanently now. I have some fond memories, I'd love to play music with him again" WH.

BRUMMIES RE-UNITED - JIMMY ALEXANDER

This is a call going out to find a long lost mate of Norm Crandles (Lee Stevens), another Brummie abroad, who is looking for old band mate Jimmy Alexander. Norm makes the occasional trip back to the UK from Canada to see his beloved Aston Villa and has taken the opportunity to renew some old friendships with Johnny Neal and some of hs band. If you are reading this Jimmy or if anyone knows of his whereabouts, an e email to the address at the bottom of the page will set the ball rolling to reunite these two old musical mates.
and whilst we're on the subject of Johnny Neal....................

BUCKING THE TREND - NOGA I'M HOME!!

Whilst other Brummies are still doing their thing across the globe, Roger 'Moon' Shaw has just returned to the midlands from his life abroad, having lived in Turkey for the last 40 years. Roger hailed from the Great Barr area and was lead guitarist with The Zeniths and The Silhouettes before featuring in several line up's of Johnny Neals band. From The Starliners right through to the Johnny Neal Sound. Roger met up with some of his old band mates recently. Johnny's band all seemed to have had nicknames and Rogers was because of his round face, like the moon.

Pictured below from left to right, Johnny 'Noga' Neal, Roger 'Moon' Shaw and 'Tiny' Tim at their recent re-union.

Roger, like most guitarists of the era, listened to the blues and was also influenced by Chet Atkins during his formative years. Such was his dexterity that when Johnny Neals band backed Gene Vincent at The Carlton, Vincent himself said that he was the best 'picker' he'd heard outside of the States.

So a happy Brumbeat survivor is welcomed back into the fold. Roger now lives in Telford, where he continues to play and has a home studio. Anyone wishing to make contact with him should simply e mail me at the normal address.

MAKE MINE METAL
OK you metal freaks. Remember Henry's Blues House? If you were or still are, a Metal Head why not take a look at the 'Home of Metal' website, set up to honour Birmingham as the birthplace of that type of music. What did we call it before "Metal' - loud, I think!! Still in its infancy, the website is just the place to visit to swap your thoughts or contribute a memory. Rob Horrocks is the guy to speak to.

Well guys, happy hunting.

Still no new about The Executioners....
Cheers
Bob

Copyright: Bullsheadbob
Contact: Bobsbullocks@gmail.com

SEPTEMBER - BULLS HEAD BOB - THE FIRST MUSIC VIDEO - THE FUTURAMA AND LIL' CHARLES

2010-09-01T06:00:00.026+01:00

Hi Brummies and friends abroad,

THE ABSOLUTE FIRST POP MUSIC VIDEO

Much credit has been claimed by many different bands, including The Beatles, for having made the first music video to accompany a current song release. George Harrison, with his normal and irreverent attitude to all things 'Fab' said, jokingly "So we invented MTV".

Well I'm here to state that the credit for having made the very first music video belongs to one man, ALEX WHARTON, ex-manager and producer of Birmingham's, The Moody Blues. In my 'In the Snug' interview with him last year we discussed, in some depth, the recording session for Go Now. I wanted to centre the interview on that particular subject for the publication but during our discussions we had talked, in passing, about music and the visualisation of songs as an art form. Following the recording session of Go Now, in a developing Marquee Studios on Wardour Street (a half re-monted garage), Alex put up a black curtaining back drop, positioned some minimal lighting and filmed The Moodies miming to their current hit.

Filmed in black and white, half illuminated faces of the band, with Denny Laine's position in the line up being moved from the foreground to the back left of the shot through the course of the song, are perfect for this ethereal piece of film, I would say video but of course there was no such thing then. The half illumination reminded me of the 'With the Beatles' LP cover that was out in 1963 so perhaps there was a possibility he had also been influenced by this striking LP cover art. I didn't ask him if that was the case.

After filming the first session Alex superimposed another film of a girl, wandering aimlessly down a pathway, over the top of the Go Now film. It's effect is hypnotising, giving the whole thing an atmosphere and helping to portray the sentiments of those very moving lyrics. He brilliantly kept the superimposed girl 'shot' to the left side of the band video and her blonde hair appears to be floating around the heads of the band towards the latter part of the song as if she were in their minds. Alex's creativity and artistic originality has either been intentionally forgotten, stolen, blatantly ignored or claimed by others who were a part of his life at the time. I choose not to use their names because to do so would be to give them some credit.

Alex has never asked for any recognition, he is not fuelled by his own ego, there are enough people out there who have enough ego to fill a lake, dropping names and make spurious claims - a smokescreen for mediocre talent. However, I truly believe that Alex deserves to be recognised as a real ground breaker. I said in the last article that his handling of the 'Go Now' recording itself was a masterpiece of production and I still stand by that belief. Others may disagree, but they would be the people who recorded Hermans Hermits or some other disposable music like that, clinical and sterile pap.

There have been some remarks about the similarities for the much acclaimed Queen video for 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and the Go Now shoot, particularly the latters closing shot. Who is to say who or what influenced peoples artistic decisions. Life is full of subliminal images stored and re-utilised sub-conciously in some other form, music is based on that same formula. What is true though is that Alex Wharton did it first!

The Beatles made their 'video' for the record 'Hello Goodbye' in 1967. Alex Wharton filmed the Go Now session in 1964. I don't believe that there was anything before that. Alex has never recieved one penny for that piece of history, we on the other hand are all the richer for his efforts. So for what it's worth, thanks Alex.
'GO NOW' - THE VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLgdcGEqgcw

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO HEADLINE!!!

Was it The Gorillaz that bored you to death at Glastonbury?

Had all your food nicked out of your tent?

Caught a dose of crabs "from the toilet seat??"

Big Name festivals are humungous by reputation and that being the case, anyone with a sense of fashion thinks they should be seen THERE because it's the place TO BE SEEN. However, it doesn't mean that during the Festival season it was the best PLACE TO BE....Basic ticket prices for Glasto this year were 195 pounds!!....each!! Now I'm a frugal sort of guy but love great music so I had an alternative Festival season and went to:

NETHERBURY 2010.
Firstly, Gorillaz didn't make an appearance.
There were no tents.

There were slightly less fashionistas...but

There was a girl that SOLD crabs!

and top of the bill were

SHINDIG

Tony Russell (left) had been featured here on the BHB Blog last August in the Hank Marvin/Fender Stratocaster piece. Now he's a headline act with his band Shindig. "We owe it all to Bulls Head Bob" says Tony, one mention and here we are, in a park". Shindig showed their versatility and rocked their way through their set.

The band are a very much sought after act in the 'club' world where they bang out early sixties hits blended with a few of The Shadows instrumentals. A real inclusive package for those who are into that period, what's more, these guys lived through all those times learning their craft with the changing times so there's no band more authentic than this one. Look out for them.

In the true tradition of Festival spirit, guest artists make surprise appearances with featured acts. At Glastonbury Kylie Minogue teamed up with the Scissor Sisters.   Not to be outdone, SHINDIG attracted the NETHERBURY debut appearance of the Black Country's hottest young guitarist 'Lil Charles.....or as he's better known 'Ar Kid'. Armed with his luthier made guitar he laid down some hot gritty licks with Shindig providing him with a rockin' backing.   His sheer presence and confidence on the stage, struttin' his stuff was enough to have the crowd roaring their approval.
Go-Go-Go little Charlie!!!!!

THE FUTURAMA - FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS
Way back when, it was impossible to buy a solid body guitar and even when they became available they were either built in Italy, Germany or Czechoslovakia and imported and badged under different names for sale in the UK. Those were the days when a 'solid body' electric guitar was simply seen as a faddish thing that would be short lived. The Futurama III was made in Czechoslovakia by the Resonet factory and imported by Selmer. It was called the Futurama III because of it having 3 pick ups. It was an excellent guitar, given the competition from other guitars on sale at the time was limited and, although it's looks wouldn't have knocked you out too much, the electrics were really excellent. George Harrison famously spent time drawing pictures of this guitar in his schoolbooks whilst daydreaming about success.

The guitar itself was quite well put together with 3 pick ups, volume and tone rotary controls and three Rocker switches for tonal selection. An uncomplicated tremelo arm assembly gave the opportunity to bend some notes, long before the physical finger bending of strings was a known thing. Nice sunburst finish and natural fingerboard. The strap button on the upper cutaway was not placed very well but apart from these little imperfections it was quite a stylish option for a budding guitarist and many, many blossoming guitar heroes chose this model as their first solid body instrument.

With the lifting of the UK importation bill, guitars flooded into the country from the USA and with the likes of Fender, Gretsch and Gibson models becoming desirable, those earlier guitars found themselves on hooks in second hand shops. However guitars from the US were costly and with the enormously popular solid body Hofners and Watkins Rapier models selling fast at the budget end of the market Selmer introduced a new range of re-modelled Futurama guitars to increase it's share of that market but this time made by Hagstrom.

I remember very well passing Jones and Crossland and seeing, for the first time, the new Futurama models (II and III) hanging on the wall. The body shape of the Stratocaster had been adopted, like its competitors, but that was the only thing that had anything going for it. Cheap, tacky plastic covering, screwed onto the guitar itself was hardly impressive in my eyes. Nonetheless, curiosity got the better of me and I went in and had a closer look. The build quality was horrible and this guitar would probably have been better placed to sell in Woolworths department store, not a serious music shop. It was like a toy. I know that these days folk like to think that any guitar from the 60's has a collectable value, well if you are into kitsch and tacky memorabilia then this is the very thing for you. But with guitar dealers asking silly prices of around 400 to 500 pounds for something that is only suitable to hang on a wall and look at, I have to say that they are incredibly over-priced. If you really want a Futurama from the 60's for your collection that is worth having as an instrument and not as a design disaster, then the Czech made Futurama III is the guitar to get. These comments purely reflect my personal opinion but I have watched some Youtube clips of this guitar and they tend to reinforce that this guitar sounds as bad as it looks - dreadful.

BRUMBEAT DOT COM!!
Hot news from the office. The best Brumbeat site in the world is now to be found at http://www.brumbeat.com/ Add it to your list of favourites. This is the only site about Brumbeat that offers you a 'second to none' list of band biographies AND a monthly blog filled with facts, features on old kit and guitars and of course my inane ramblings. What more could you hope for? It doesn't even cost anything. Bloody miracle if you ask me. We should be given a star on Broad Street for our services to Brummie rock music.

BRUMMIES ABROAD.

WILL HAMMOND

The ex-guitarist of The Uglys, is currently 'knocking em bandy' in the central part of Spain with his band of Spanish musicians at various blues and rock clubs. "The club scene here is brilliant and vibrant once you've cracked the market and your name gets around, the audiences are knowledgable and very enthusiastic about music and we're going down very well".

"There are some beautiful clubs to play at and some fantastic musicians here in the land of the guitar. I really had to lift my game, a bit like the old Brummie scene where you had to work hard and get a reputation to get into the better bands in the City".

"I Still do Shakin' all over but now I sing it as well!!" (see Six of the Best)

(Will Hammond Band: photos courtesy Manuel Jesus Salguero)

OK y'all, that's about it for this month. I hope you enjoy what's left of the summertime and keep your eyes peeled for another

'In the Snug' interview coming soon. A real highlight for BRUMBEAT'S 10th Anniversary year. More importantly thanks to you all out there for your letters of support and encouragement.

Bob

AUGUST - BULLS HEAD BOB - ZELLA RECORDS, SELMER TWINS AND OLD FRIENDS

2010-08-01T06:00:00.003+01:00

And we're Off!..........
Hello Gang!!!!, pause for reply - (muffled sound) -"hello bob".

Time to take stock of one of our Brummies Abroad....
GRAHAM ASHFORD.

I have heard recently from Graham (Bobby Ash/Brumbeats) who has just returned from his annual six month stint living in Hawai and is back in California, slumming it!.... Graham is hard at work though, recording a 10 track CD of self penned songs for the Hawaian market whilst holed up back at home. How glum must that be? Its been hammering down cats and dogs back in the UK.

I, on the Black Country side of the Atlantic, have been revisiting some of my old West Midland courting places, Bilston Glue Factory, The Ammonia Plant at Sedgetree where me and Mavis the 'Manipulator' experiened some real chemistry and my favourite of all time.....da-da-dada ......... downwind of the Golden Wonder Crisp factory at Tyseley, Mmmmm it was an olfactory delight on Salt and Vinegar day. We move in the same circles, Graham and I. To me, of course, he's simply 'G'. BHB and G - it's the dream ticket.
We'll be makin' music together soon, I can feel it in me waters. All I need is the air fare and a grass skirt..

THE VICTORS, THE FUGITIVES AND A LASTING FRIENDSHIP
You may recall me publishing a photo of The Victors sent in by bassist Ken Reeves which I really liked and still do, in fact here it is again:

This was followed up, a couple of months later, by yet another photo, sent by John Parish, this time of The Fugitives which also caught my eye.

Unbeknown to me at the time, both John and Ken had been lifelong mates and had started out down the rocky, but grand music road together when they were sproglets.

John sent me a couple more photos including one of his earliest groups, which featured both he and best mate Ken who, during the next few years, would be bassist for The Victors, The Yamps and probably a couple more bands along the way.

Ken and John in the centre of the picture. Hofner Colorama in Johns hands, looking at the body size of Kens bass I'd guess at a Hofner club or Framus, doesn't look big bodied. Not sure about the guitar on the right, looks a little like a Futurama but has the wrong headstock, could be a Vox maybe - giz a clue someone?.

Here is another of Johns group photos, John on the left. They were very well dressed!! - from Solihull that's why - if they lived where I did, you shared a pair of jeans with the bass player, one leg each. Luckily, mine was a good mate, well the one in the early days was. The last one would have charged me rent. Had an extra pocket sewn onto his 'leg' to hide his stiletto.

Selmer, Bird and Watkins Dominator amps, Hofner guitars and a very early appearance of a Stratocaster. No microphones are evident, so a Shadows type outfit I guess. I really think this is quite an amusing photo because generally, in those days, a mark of a successful band (from another groups perspective) was based on their equipment, as it gave the appearance that they were earning a lot of dough.
I just love the way they have lined up their gear, in front of them!! I just fall about at that, in a nice way that is...very naive and pure, just the best fun ever. The smallest bands had some of the best times, having a musical adventure combined with energy and the love of playing music. They were'nt spoiled by the work-like 'professionalism' of bigger groups. The further you move away from purity, the less the enjoyment is. I really miss those particular days. BRUMBEAT was not just about big name groups. It was that energy and enthusiasm on a massive scale for a while and ALL these guys were a real part of its foundation.

2010 and here they are again, still mates, still playing and now available in colour!! - of course, nice guitars and matching clothes!! It's real testament to the bond that musical mates have. Good on you guys, you have my deepest respect.

Now then, when is it my turn to have the jeans for a whole night Dave?

ZELLA STUDIOS/RECORDS
In the June blog, Hollick and Taylor studios were featured but they certainly were'nt the only studios about in Brum that were popular with bands. Let's talk about another very well known studio, Zella. Zella studios had been known as Ladbrokes studios for many a year and the same amount of people who recorded at HandT recorded at this studio as well, which was situated on Essex Street. just around the corner from Jones and Crossland. Spencer Davis, The Move, The Uglys, Idle Race, Band of Joy and Black Sabbath who made their very first studio recording there, "When I Came Down" (available on some bootleg recordings), were all regular customers along with a host of others. It was a smallish studio but had some ambience to it. Tiny control room I remember. Johnny Haines had been the sound engineer under the Ladbrokes regime but now he was the main man there and did a good job. When the studio name change occurred it also spawned Zel-La records of which there were many releases, and differerent coloured labels over the coming years. Heavy Brum band Magnum who had used Zella extensively, ended up buying the studio from Haines in the 80's.

So along with all those better known names there were masses of demos cut there. Psychotron records have notified me of a couple of demos that have surfaced recently and are currently for sale. This is a great opportunity to reunite some musician with a piece of their past. The two are as follows:

MILLIONARES - LIFETIME TO FORGET (COX-CONNELL) / LIKE A BUTTERFLY (COX-CONNELL)
organ led pop/prog around 1970?

SECOND TIME AROUND - IF THIS IS LOVE / ISN'T IT SO SAD (I.M. STONE)
Early 70's pop ?

SELMER TWIN SELECTORTONE
THE BEST 60'S 30 WATT AMP?

John and I were discussing the merits of early 30 watt amps. There were only two real good 30 watt amps available in the early 60's, the VOX AC30 and the Selmer Twin Selectortone. I had the latter. I had gone the normal route of a small 8 watt RSC practice amp, Linear Conchord cage amp and then onto the Selmer. I can't tell you what a 'step up' this was. It was like growing up.

Why buy a Selmer over a Vox AC30? The Vox was the amp of the moment, it was attractive with gold lettering and was used by the Shadows and later The Beatles too. I bought mine during The Shadows phase. I guess it was probably a choice based on my available funds though and I bought a second hand blue/grey model. The joy of this amp over and above the Vox was it's built-in tremelo effect which was really good AND also sported a spring reverb. The Selmer had a great row of push button switches which would enable you to switch between preset tones, from a gentle bass sound right through to ear splitting treble. I didn't venture much towards the gentler end of the sound spectrum however. My Selmer had a bit of a dirtier sound to it than the Vox, which may have been the overall virtue of this amp or, quite probably had just got that way through years of me 'givin it some welly'. It certainly loved playing the likes of 'You Really Got Me' right through to, and including, the Blues phase. It is worth mentioning that VOX added their treble boost control as standard in 1963 which could well have been their reply to the sound that was already available from a Selmer Twin.

This amplifier was incredibly heavy and built to last. I recall dropping it down a flight of stairs and would invariably come crashing down off its stand (chair) when we was 'rockin', with the reverb making a hell of a noise as it landed on the floor. Like all other muso's I carried a couple of spare valves but generally speaking I couldn't fault this lovely old thing. The Bluey was superceded by the Croc Skin covered model during 64, (although it had been initially launched during the Autumn of 63 at the Music Fair in London) became a favourite of The Beatles and was used extensively during the recording of Revolver.

The Croc Skin model was now called the Zodiac and further, featured a glowing green light in the centre of the amp facia material which indicated the depth of tremelo effect being used. Pretty gimmicky addition that didn't really serve any technical purpose. The Selmer badge had now been moved from a small badge in the top left corner to one that spanned the whole width of the amp across the bottom. Outside of the cosmetic appearance, the amp itself remained practically the same but now there was the option of a 50 watt model being available. The controls changed little from the original ones.

It was only some years later that I moved on to Park amps (of which there will be a bigger article forthcoming) when 30 watts just wasn't enough to fill the places we were playing. In fact most 30 watt amps became a thing of the past at that time. I can't, for the life of me, remember what I did with that Selmer amp, wish I had it now.

It turned out during our conversation that John had owned a Zodiac up to two years ago when he

- THREW IT IN A SKIP!!!!!!!!!! - for our North American friends - a DUMPSTER!!

I can almost hear you guys fainting out there............I couldn't speak when he told me. People in the States are scrambling to get hold of one of these wonderful amplifiers so please don't 'Do a John'. Also the Croc skin amp appears to be favoured above the bluey. Well listen you people, in my opinion you would be doing just as well to get yourselves a bluey, dont be a slave to fashion. They are both seriously great amps. One has different make-up, thats all.

Until next month........

Keep Rockin'

Bob

Contact: Bobsbullocks@gmail.com

JULY - BULLS HEAD BOB - I AM BOB ZIMMERMAN - Window Gazer

2010-07-01T07:49:00.001+01:00

Oh you're back then?.. well I'll begin... "Oh no" you say to yourself. "Bob's gonna be talking bollocks again..."

I AM BOB ZIMMERMAN - WINDOW GAZER
I was mulling over a story I did a short while ago about being a music shop 'window gazer' when I was younger and it made me think about the reason behind it's attraction. It's a bit like wanking, we all did it but hardly own up to it!... standing for hours just looking at a particular musical instrument. Why did we do that? nothing stopped me from doing it at all, fog, rain, snow, desperately scraping the ice off the window to get a better view during the depths of winter. Was it in the firm belief that this instrument would suddenly pass, magically, through the glass into my hands? The fact that there could be nothing to gain from this activity never entered my head, in reality it became almost addictive. I even recall walking away from a window for about a hundred yards and then returning to have another gander for half an hour. Nowadays some 'PC' git would say I had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder....no I didn't you tie-dyed tosser, it was called being in love with a Gibson!! She was young, curvy and attractive, in a cherry red sort of way. Scrupulously clean and shiny beyond belief with a couple of knobs I would love to get my hands round.

It was a form of masochism though, because you knew, for sure, that one day the guitar or whatever, would be gone and you would experience that ballsaching, heartbeaking sensation as your stomach plummeted to your scrotum with a hefty thunk!. You found yourself tentatively looking around in disbelief, making sure no-one could see you in your state of shock. And then... Shit! there's a soddin' trombone in the very place that your guitar stood, lazily resting on its stand, I'm not gonna stare at that thing, a trombone!! of all the things to put in it's place? you're secretly grateful though, that they didn't put a kazoo there, that would have been just too insulting.

Why have they changed the display?, they know I come and look at it everyday. Panic- stricken, you press your face flat against the shop front window searching the darkness within to see if there was a trace of YOUR guitar. Where is it? Your face is contorted into all sorts of unflattering shapes as you drag it down the window. The disappointment comes flooding through your soul as you realise that it has gone forever and off you go, head down like a rejected lover, trapsing the streets, rabid with rage and swearing your allegiance to some other music shop. Great big smear down the shop front though, that'll serve them right?

These days I am more than a few years older and a lot wiser than then. With a mature outlook on the realities of life, I look back and laugh at that aspect of my youth and foolishness - as I find myself, along with four other guys, staring through the window of the 'Incontinence and Walking Aids Boutique'.

I go every day, with Wednesday's off for a spot of 'sexual therapy, wiv' her indoors'...yay!!

I know that one of the 'window gazers' is secretly admiring a strap on, leg-bag, cause he's the only one at the controversial 'Incontinence' end of the shop front. The other three and me, at the safer 'walking stick' end of the window, had all been musician window gazers too! None of us, even 'Strap-on man' need any of the services available there!! It's just that the glass at this particular shop is always washed every morning and we can do some formation nose-pressing in hygienic circumstances, if we have a mind to?

"Mmmm! a new model, three pronged Zimmer!!. If I ever needed one - thinking ahead - I bet I could walk twice as fast with that model, plenty of grip from those bulbous rubber feet, maybe I could cut some grooves into the rubber, for wet weather conditions, even carry a second set - Slicks maybe for 'warm pavement' situations? They would definitely help during a bit of child-swerving and avoidance techniques at the school crossing chicane!!"

There could be money in this. Maybe I could get Lewis Hamilton to endorse a 'Signature" model, he's just perfect in the wet.....? "OK guys, noses at the ready........press away".

Bob.

AND ABOUT TIME TOO!!!
ROY WOOD.......

I am thrilled to hear that Roy Wood has been given a Mojo 2010 Classic Songwriter award in their honours list. Roy is a true Brumbeat hero, great bloke, not full of bullshit like some others. This is great news indeed. I can almost forgive 'Curly'.

MEMORY LANE GIGS...Once again, your man on the street has been rummaging around his cyber drawers to help restore your recollections of the incredible music scene of Birmingham, and its environs, in the late 50's to late 60's.

THE ADELPHI, WEST BROMWICH
The building that was The Adelphi in New Street burned to the ground in 1971, however, I managed to find some film recorded inside The Adelphi during an ATV dinner dance in 1962. I believe that this is the only inside footage available, you lucky people! It was a little before my time as a proper musician and it's silent I'm afraid but it would appear that even then, in the audience were two Mackeson fuelled revellers who thought it would be 'super' to take their bikes with them. Also a couple of "swingin' birds" winning a TV. Brings a tear to my eye........enjoy. Dancing scene from a 'Bands Eye" view. A great but short piece of film history. Click Below:
http://www.macearchive.org/Media.html?Title=2926#

EVEN MORE OF THE GREATEST GIGS IN THE MIDLANDS
THE CARLTON/MOTHERS , ERDINGTON THE RITZ, KINGS HEATH

THE PLAZA, OLD HILL

I played at all three of these places a few times with The Plaza being one of the favourite places because of it's revolving stage which provided a great dramatic entrance, whizzing round as you were announced. If you didn't have a road manager the last number could be a bit of a nightmare though. As you finished your set you had to run to take the leads from the back of your PA speakers because as the stage starting to revolve again, in the opposite direction, it would drag them crashing to the ground. The Beatles and Stones both gigged here along with every great band of the sixties.

I've read recently that the place opened again in May for live music though it will never re-live those days when every band, that ever was, regarded this place to be almost hallowed ground.

PROBABLY THE TRUE HOME OF BRUMBEAT

YES SIR, IT'S - THE BULLS HEAD, COVENTRY ROAD

Now this is a VERY old photo and I've had to take some liberties with it but can't find another picture of the place anywhere. If you look carefully you can see a cart just at the side door. Five blokes standing around drinking and smoking, they must have always had bands there!! Loads of people will remember lugging their gear up those two flights of stairs. This was such a great place to play, I have really fond memories of nights here. It was always packed when we played there, probably when you played there too.

I think most good Brummy bands did gigs here so I won't do any 'naming of names' because I'll get people saying "I played there as well, add me your list". However don't let that be a reason not to make contact here.

FOND FAREWELL

Goodby to Pete Quaife, co founder and bass player of The Kinks. Pete had been undergoing Kidney dialysis for some ten years, although it is not known if this was the reason for his passing.

WHATS IN A NAME?

HOORAY IT'S COMPETITION TIME AGAIN.

Liam Gallagher has announced the new name for his band - "Beady Eye".

Coincidentally, at that very moment, the Gang of Four at the pub were playing a game, which was to come up with a name for our band using only descriptive words. 'Gobby Wanker' had us in fits of laughter until 'Swaggering Twot' tipped the scales in it's favour. It would look really good on a poster too. I wonder if Liam needs a support band? doubt it though, he can definitely fill the whole stage with his own 'aura', he is the re-incarnation of John Lennon...... How do you remove 'aura' stains?

Send YOUR Entries for our Gof4 competition to "Swaggering Twot is Nothing" Bobsbullocks@GMail.com , if the Lyrics to 'Doris' (Jun blog) don't sell, they could well be on their way to 'YOU' if you win. There will be no other copies made, this is more genuine than 'Frankies Mints' or those other companies that advertise on the back of Sunday supplements. You're probably working away at your entry right now!! Just to show you how genuine I am, "Lucy pass me that piece of paper"...sound of scratchy pen.... there couldn't be fairer, I'm a man of my word.

I'd like to win them myself but competition rules mean I can't - just my luck!!

AND FINALLY....SOME QUIRKY BITS

"Every Morning at the Mine you could see him arrive"....not any longer I'm afraid. Jimmy Dean, singer and composer of 'Big Bad John' has recently passed away.

Pete Townshends guitar sells for 64,219 dollars.

A Day in the Life lyrics sell for 1.2 million dollars.

Bob's "Gis a Snog Doris" lyrics remain unsold - unbelievable!! It's a competition prize of a lifetime.

Honest John Prescott has been made a Lord after saying for years that he would always refuse to enter THAT place.......the Gang of Four think that he's going to be known as Lord Suet Crust of Cowpieland.

HIGHLIGHT OF GLASTONBURY. Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead playing in a small tent devoid of TV coverage. The audience and those two were 'at one with each other' during their short performance. Great to see that ONE band who could have quite easily headlined in place of the crap Gorrilaz and got a big earner too, chose to 'Keep it Real' and give something back to their fans. Absolutely Brilliant!!!

Still no news from anyone who was in The Executioners...surely someone must have heard of them??

Bob

JUNE - The Brumbeat Secrets of Hollick and Taylor

2010-06-01T05:22:00.004+01:00

Hiya Brummies and Music Afficionado's Everywhere

SPOTLIGHT ON: FROSTY MOSES

In my recent "In the Snug" interview with ex Moody Blues Manager and Producer Alex Wharton, as well as discussing the early Moody Blues and the recording of Go Now, we had talked about the second Brummie group he had some involvement with, namely Frosty Moses. Frosty had been formed by two members of Birmingham soul band, Traction, in the form of Danny Gallagher (Bass), and Phil Savage (Vocals) who wanted to move on and leave the Soul environment. "We went to London and recruited guitarist Gerry Earsden, who was playing with Phil Collins and a couple of weeks and one drummer later we got his brother Maurice who was the drummer in a band in Northumbria to join us". Mick Lavender (Hammond organ) came to us from a local Brum band Rum Bak Shush". The group decamped to Wales to 'get it together' and record a demo tape of their material. This tape found its way to many London agents/Labels and eventually onto the desk of Chris Blackwell of Island Records who gave the band their name during a visit to his office one day.

Frosty Moses 'givin it large' at Cannon Hill Arts Centre.

They had emerged as a force during the early progressive rock phase having quite famously, blown King Crimson off the stage at the best gig in the 60's bar none, 'MOTHERS' and were tipped for great things. Several agents and management companies were interested in the band but Alex Wharton had made the journey up from London one night to see them live at 'MOTHERS' after they had been recommended to him by Kenny Everett, he had first seen and signed The Moody Blues at this very place a few years before. He was knocked out and signed them up on the spot. The much loved, Phil Myatt also became involved as part of the bands management. It appeared that the future looked positive but this group narrowly missed being thrust into the world of the big acts owing to problems involving their financial backer. Despite having a good fan base in Brum and London and some respect from other bands too, Frosty Moses disbanded shortly after the recording of this song.

It came as a nice surprise then to find that Alex had recently discovered at his home, the acetate from the session he had produced with Frosty Moses that never got released. The song title was 'People Say' and had been the bands opening number at MOTHERS the night Alex went to see them. Despite being recorded all those years ago the acetate was in surprisingly good condition. "I have sent the disc to ex bassist Danny Gallagher as I felt it should be with the guys who wrote it" Alex told me recently.

I listened to the recording and although it is in acetate form, it is produced in the same manner as Go Now, that is to say, with energy and has almost a live feel to it. A heavyish medium pacer, opening with an unusually constructed guitar riff and is joined by a fabulous, deep and raw Hammmond organ sound growling away in there courtesy of Mike Lavender, who of course later collaborated with Laurie Hornsby for the Brum Rocked books, and it really has that 'late sixties' sound to it. Although they missed out on the big time, it's nice news to know that there is something tangible of their past to listen to after all those years.

THE EXECUTIONERS

IS THIS YOU??

Not exactly in comparison with the Frosty Moses acetate discovery but to certain folk just as important. I was sifting through EBay and stumbled across another, more local, acetate of a band who, to my knowledge didn't reach those kind of heights? THE EXECUTIONERS:

Now, every man and his dog went to the Hollick and Taylor studios in Handsworth to record demos. Moreover, the first BRUMBEAT LP on the Dial label was also recorded there. The Executioners, are a group I am totally unaware of but they, like many other bands, had gone to H and T to record this demo of a self penned number 'Cry Cry Cry' which was backed with the old Little Richard classic, 'Slippin and Slidin'. I have listened to both sides of the single and the vynil quality of the recording is quite messy, but one has to remember that acetates are generally only good enough for about 10 plays anyway before serious degredation. Music style wise, I would say it was recorded around 65/66'. I did a little bit of detective work and found a quote from H and T studios actually mentioning The Executioners in a list of other names who recorded there, but nothing more.

As you can see from the photograph it is autographed by, I presume, the five band members with the 'A' side being written by Keith Barber. As it's signed I imagine that this was given as a gift to someone. Was this you, or do you know any of the band members? If you were one of The Executioners drop me a line. The acetate sold for an amazing 173 pounds on 8 May 10 to a buyer in the States. My thanks go to Pete Bonner of Psychotron records http://www.psychotronrecords.com/ for his assistance in supplying me with the photos. Pete is an internet record dealer from Birmingham who specialises in rare LP's and singles. He discovered the acetate in the Kingstanding area of Brum in 2008. However, just because it was found there means nothing really, it could very well have been recorded by any band in the whole of the West Midlands. If you're on the lookout for a special LP or disc give him a shout, he's very friendly and helpful.

I've said before that there must be some acetates gathering dust in peoples attics or basements. Get down there and dust it off, I'd love to hear from you if you have one.

N'BETWEEN TIMES. THE BLACK COUNTRY

The site where I saw the quote from Hollick and Taylor and the Executioners was from the excellent web site, N'Between Times. N'Between Times, if you don't know, started as a book dedicated to the groups of the Black Country. The book was a great success and it's author Keith Farley took the step of publishing the whole thing on the net rather making reprints, a great unselfish gesture. I have visited the site myself many times as a reminder of some of the many gigs I did around the Black Country as well as Brum, with a variety of bands. This comprehensive site was only realised by the hardworking efforts and enthusiasm of Keith and regrettably, I inform you that in March of this year he passed away. Keith was also the Chairman of Wolverhampton History and Heritage Society and his work and dedication in preserving the popular music history of the Black Country bands deserves to be recognised in some form or other. We at BRUMBEAT offer our condolences to Keith's family, friends and fellow historians on this very sad occasion. I don't know if there are any plans to continue the site at this stage but it is well worth a visit or two right now just in case it isn't. I loved the Black Country gigs. Dudley Zoo,Walsall Town Hall, Wolverhampton Civic, The Woolpack, The Ship, Bilston, Sedgely, Tipton etc... Always good audiences there. I'm sure that Keith will be missed by many, many people.

THE ELECTION

Well wasn't that exciting. To-ing and fro-ing, back door negotiations, I'll swap you two of these for one of those etc etc, just like the West Wing but with a cup of tea and a digestive.

COLLECTIBLE CORNER

This month, coming up for auction on 18 June at Sothebys New York are John Lennons handwritten lyrics for A Day in the Life. The catalogue price is set at 750,000 dollars but a million is probably on the cards I would think. Interestingly, the lyrics don't include the two pieces of the song that McCartney contributed, namely the middle section "Got up, got outa bed..." and the controversial line "I'd love to turn you on" that resulted in the song being banned. These handwritten lyrics had been the property of Beatles roadie Mal Evans and presumably he had retained them from an earlier session before the song had been completed?

I recall being at a party the night Sgt Pepper was released
we had just returned from a tour of the Welsh coastal resorts, deep joy, and about twenty of us were sat around on the floor, all trying to be the last person who could still hear the final piano chord from this song. "Lying git" was the phrase of the night.

Hilarious really seeing as the sound was coming out of a Dansette
These days it's all I can do to hear someone knocking at the front door.

For fans of The Who, on 24 June 2010, Christies are selling the largest private collection of The Who memorabilia, including a Gibson SG circa 1970 used by Pete Townshend on the Who's 71 tour of the States. Estimate 20 to 30,000 pounds.

Its probably about time I started auctioning my handwritten lyrics. Yes, here we are, "Gis a Snog Doris" a sad lament about a girl from Tipton who's thinking about making the big move to Sedgely to take a job as a supervisor at Sketchleys Dry Cleaners. A real heart tugger....

"Friday morning at 6 o'clock as her shift begins,
Noisily slamming her bedroom door,
Leaving a note that says she's home at four
She goes downstairs to the coalhouse wearing her overalls...."

I don't know quite where I got the inspiration from for the song lyrics? Anyway I'm gonna scribble em out on a sheet of paper and start the bidding at 34p. I'll sign it if it reaches a Fiver. ' Must-Have Memorabilia'
says - 'Bulls Head Bob' misjudged poet or just enigma!!

AND FINALLY......
So there you are then, lots of local stuff this month. Ah yes, I've added a Google search gadget in the side bar nowadays to save you having to leave the page to look for additional info should you feel the need to.

Tara

Bob
copyright Bullsheadbob. Contact Bobsbullocks@Gmail.com

MAY - I'D LOVE A NICE RED ORGAN

2010-05-01T05:00:00.002+01:00

Hi Brummies,

Aah how nice, Spring weather out in the garden planting the seedlings under the watchful eye of Lucy, standing over me with a loaded dibber at the ready in case I dare make a mistake. "Careful with that lettuce", "Leave plenty of room in between" "Put that broken egg shell round the plants to stop the slugs from eating them" "Mum's coming for dinner", "Don't forget to plant french marigolds in your salad plot to deter blackfly". So rapid were her orders and statements of fact that I hardly noticed the 'Mum's coming for dinner' information, strategically placed in her stream of conversation like a well camouflaged hideout. It's a skill women have developed over many years and one that is a standard in their armoury of womanly wiles.

Lucy's Mum has one of those ride along invalid buggies. She doesn't have mobility problems but loves the fact that she can be a public nuisance whenever she wants. Her imminent arrival is always heralded by the sound of pedestrians swearing as she careers down the pavement.
'Born to be an Interfering Sod' tattooed across her forehead, she ploughs through them uttering her high pitched war cry, "Cooooo EEeeeeee" that makes her sound like a black country red neck at a pig roast.

Nonetheless, she keeps Lucy happy and we all sit in a corner of the garden with a mug of tea. It's at this point that I realise that I am totally invisible, "Have you told him about marigolds" "Have you told him to do this....that...the other....". I sneak a look at the window to check if my reflection is still there, yep, I start to rise and walk down the path "Where are you going?, Mum's talking to you!" "He never listens to me Lucy" says Hildergard the Horrible, whisps of green smoke now curling up from her scaly nostrils. "Gotta do the Blog, I'm behind schedule" - so here I am in the safety and sanity of the Bloggery watching volcanic ash pile up on top of her head.

I'D LOVE A NICE RED ORGAN
Sounds like a phrase you might have heard in the back of many a van but of course I'm referring to the mighty VOX Continental. This piece of equipment enhanced the sound of popular music in the early to mid sixties. Keyboards were a great thing to have in a band but unless the venue you were playing at had a piano on stage you were sunk.
In Brum the electric organ first started with bands like Johnny Neal and the Starliners in the very capable hands of Ian 'Monk" Mutch and were huge cumbersome things built by Bird that had speakers built-in to the organ's sides. They kind of resembled an overstuffed armchair and needed an army of blokes to shift them about.

When VOX launched their truly portable organ in 1962 they were riding on the soundwave of success that the Selmer Clavioline had given to the worldwide instrumental hit 'Telstar' by the Tornadoes that year, it had also been used prior to that on Del Shannons 1961 hit 'Runaway'.
On a BRUMBEAT note, the clavioline was used by geeky Brum band, Second City Sound during 65/66 who recorded upbeat classical music instrumentals, Tchaikovsky One being their best known recording.

The Vox Continental's reedy and bluesy sound suited pop and R&B music down to the ground and most importantly it could fit in the back of a van and be carried up flights of stairs without giving the whole band a joint hernia! Unlike other organs it didn't have a built-in or attached speaker, it could simply be plugged into any amplifier. Even today this is quite a stylish piece of kit, it's 'Z' shape chrome stand was a nice aesthetic feature and enhanced its modernistic red and black colour scheme ('color' for you north americans). VOX had cleverly also reversed the key colours with the white keys now black and vice versa. Fully transistorised meant no broken valves to deal with unlike the Hammond Organ

After it's launch it seemed that every band had one of these things, particularly after the Animals 'House of the Rising Sun' was such a success featuring Alan Price's astounding solo. Farfisa produced a portable organ too which did an equally good job but was ugly compared to the VOX, so it's easy to see why the Continental was the first choice. The sound of The Doors was down to this instrument too.

In the Brumbeat days, Birmingham's Jimmy O'Neil was probably the best organist around for some time and could make his VOX sing, he used it to good effect as the fourth member of the Walker Brothers to play the orchestrations to their hits, before they had the luxury of a touring band to back them. These days of course a good keyboard can emulate most other instruments but I don't believe that emulation is a replacement for a great looking and wonderful sounding piece of kit like this. I am only amateurish as a keyboard player but would genuinely like to own one of these. Are you listening Santa!!

THE CHADS. John has been busying himself at his end of the office and has just completed a brilliant updated bio of The Chads. This can be accessed via the Pie Stand or the Bio pages. This 'special' bio is dedicated to the memory of Mick Adkins and, for the first time at BRUMBEAT.Net, you can now listen to a soundclip of Mick chatting and the band in action.

BOB'S BITS. Thanks to everyone for your correspondence, it's an important asset to the running of this site because there's no story without you guys. It doesn't matter if you weren't successful. Every group that played in the midlands during that phase in the 60's was a contributor to the scene, so if you feel you have something to say or you have a nice photo you'd like to see in print, the door is always open and you can make contact at the address at the end of this blog.

WORLD CUP NEWS. Wayne Bridge has said that he will never play football for England again as long as John Terry is in the squad, following the scandal surrounding Terry's affair with Bridges girlfriend. England fans are hoping Terry makes a move on Emile Heskeys wife soon!!

ELECTION FEVER HITS SEDGETREE.

Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm stuck between which bunch of thieving, corrupt, self serving, irresponsible tossers to put in charge of the country next. Tony Blair ran off to the middle east to hide before the shit hit the fan, with his puppy face antics and his dodgy property-dealing, 'ball juggling' wife. "Who Me?" "Iraq War? Definitely no deceit". To make himself look better he put Gordon Brown in charge of the shop - "There will be no Boom and Bust under Labour" said Big Gord ??
Reports are coming in that the WAMPS (Wives and Mistresses of Politicians) are holding a 'Shag In' to raise a few quid for John Prescott's pie allowance during the election campaign and Harriet Harperson is starting a "Be Nice to Men Fortnight", unfortunately though, owing to the pressure of electioneering to her feminist fanclub, she has 'regrettably' had to reduce that to 3 minutes. No surprises there then from the Equality Minister!!

On a local note I and the Boogie Band have been playing some fund raising gigs for Sedgetree's Independent choice, Mrs Gertrude Silent-Fart MBE, "GO Gertie, GO Gertie.......". (Note): Mrs G S-F MBE is sponsored by "Bobs Pork Sausages and Black Puddings, truly the Black Country's Best, Go on, Get one down yer Gob"

Bob
copyright Bullsheadbob.
E Mail Contact Bobsbullocks@gmail.com

APRIL - GIGGING AT THE WING WAH?

2010-04-01T06:00:00.003+01:00

Watcha Brummies, Ow yer Gooin',

Hooray, Spring has sprung!! Oh the sun, aint it bostin', I can feel the vitamin D coursing its way through my delapidated frame making me feel like a frisky young thing again.
Spring in the Black Country, kind of evocative. Sedgetree experiences the aroma of the local glue factory mixed in with the background sounds of the council road works going on, priceless British pleasure. Giggin at the Wing Wah? well thats the name of the Chinese restaurant that used to be the Hen and Chickens, Langley, on the Wolverhampton Road. Normal gig for all the Brumbeat bands. When The Overlanders were at No 1 in the charts with 'Michelle' they played there for ten quid owing to bad management in not negotiating a contract that covered the likelihood of them entering the charts.

ACOUSTIC BLUE
Acoustic Blue, who I mentioned a couple of months back, appear to be getting a string of gigs together and last month played at a whole load of places, unfortunately I wasn't aware of the dates but if you fancy a gander at this blues orientated duo they will playing at The Boat Inn, Cathriene de Barnes, Solihull on 4th of April 8.30 -10.30. So why not go along, support live music but more importantly support the survivors of Brumbeat.

HOORAY IT'S OLD KIT!!
HARMONY.
The Harmony H75 to 78. Harmony were once the biggest guitar maker in the world and produced many a model but the H75 to 78 model was their flagship instrument. Twin cutaway Gibson 335 style guitar finished in a nice natural honey sunburst (H75) - the H76 was identical but had a Bigsby trem arm. This was followed by the H77, the only difference from the 75/76 being the colour - red sunburst with the H78 having the Bigsby. OK, the fact is, it's not a Gibson and doesn't have powerful pick ups but it sounded just beautiful and mellow and was probably one of the best guitars for a good rythm sound that I ever came across, there were lots of buttons and bells to hone the type of sound you wanted from it. This guitar was extremely light and comfortable to play
In America you could even buy it in Kit form with the guitar body itself prebuilt and you did the rest, mounting the pick ups, tremeloe etc. For some reason this make of guitar never really got the sort of credit I believe it deserved as an all rounder. These days, if you see one for sale, buy it my friend, it's the guitar to have. I can think of three Brummie bands who used this here geetar'. Another BRUMBEAT band who also used it were The Fugitives pictured below.

Thanks to John Parish (second left) for sending me yet another great photo. The Fugitives were from the Solihull area, formed during 67/68 and played many a gig at the Solihull Civic Hall even once supporting Gene Vincent. They were also a band that worked for Ma Regan. Sporting their tailor made suits from Jacksons at 12 quid each they must have looked the Biz on stage. This picture tells a story or two, though you may not think so at first glance. There were two more members of the group who were not in the shot!! the other two being a guy and girl singers. It makes you wonder, why take a photo without them? Well I'm sure there was a perfectly reasonable answer to that. The photographer did the usual trick of glueing them all together in that well practiced group pose.

This picture also belies a certain resentment of one member within the group to conform. Close examination reveals that they had great gear and wore nice suits but there was obviously some disagreement about the suede winklepickers (that could have had your eye out). A closer look reveals that the guy at the back, I imagine the drummer, was making his own statement by wearing black chisel toes. There's always one!!

BULLS HEAD BOB SEAL OF APPROVAL - AND THE WINNER IS:

Outside of the Gang of Four at the pub, I have a couple of friends who I speak to regularly about music and through conversation, give me food for projects. One who was a key player in the Brumbeat days and knows everybody, the other, a likeable music guru who lives on the edge of a forest and shall be known as The Skiffle King. It was he who asked me what I thought about the Bob Dylan Theme Time Radio Hour, broadcast by XM Satellite in the States and good old Blighty by Radio 6. "Are you bonkers?" I asked, "Bob Dylan DJ-ing!!, Do me a favour". Well he did me a favour and now I'm going to do one for you.

I have not been so impressed by a radio programme for years and years. I have been glued to the contents of this radio show and really recommend it for you guys out there, if you haven't heard it already. It's a real gem and the show revolves around a theme every week i.e. Girls Names, Cars etc.. featuring some incredible tracks from way back until today.

Dylan himself entertains between tracks with an engaging and informative air that has you fascinated with this archive of music history. He is often comical and of course his own knowledge of the music business is to the fore. The show aired from 2006 to 2009 and features 100 hour-long shows. This is a serious collection of music that, for those who love the music business, should listen to. The stories of how some of these songs were written are eye opening and there is no doubt that this show has the BHB Seal of Approval. Listen Now!!! Should you not be able to find this anywhere contact me at the usual address and I will assist.

AND FINALLY.....
Ricky Martin announces he's Gay. I never would have known arf, arf.

I'm sure that, like me, you have been reading the papers which feature the sex scandal surrounding the Catholic Church. Not amusing in any sense but I would have thought the Editor of The TIMES would have thought twice before giving the 'by line' of the story to reporter "Roger Boyes??"

It's coming up to Easter so buy an extra bit of chocolate for the lady in your life. Lucy is getting my donation first thing Easter Sunday, back ache permitting!!

Tara a bit,

Bob
copyright Bullsheadbob. contact Bobsbullocks@gmail.com

MARCH - NOBBER FREAKS OUT

2010-03-01T06:08:00.000+01:00

Hello Brummies and Overseas Contingent,

So then, February came and went in a trice. St Valentines Day was it's normal occasion, I was swamped, naturally, with card from my horde of admirer, the lovely Lucy. I went down the pub and chatted with the other members of The Gang of Four, Nobber, Crazy Malc and Mick the Plumber about the sad state of the music industry. The rumours of Abbey Road being sold and EMI being a billion pounds in debt brought the normal raft of swearing from Nobber, "F****** downloads have F****** F***** the F****** buisness and all those corporate soul-less F****** B******* like that F****** S***** T*** S**** C***** are responsible and should be deported to some distant S*** Hole".

Personally, I think Nobber is still smarting a bit at not getting a writers job with NME. He constantly fails to believe that his limited F****** vocabulary could be a factor. Added to that is the fact that he is older than 14, doesn't have a Daddy in the City, lacks the child-like mental age of the current writers and worst of all - he is extremely knowledgable about music, a factor which dramatically precluded his selection.

THE BRITS
HIGHLIGHT:

Alicia Keys singing a few notes with Jay Z, the quality and class just oozed from that woman, a true, wonderful vocalist. No gimmicks required.

LOWLIGHT:
Meanwhile, at the gimmick end of the stick was Cheryl Cole's corporate performance. So that's how you do it? Steal Kylie Minogues fashion ideas, the hat from my milkman Stanley, then steal Michael Jackson's trapdoor stage entrance AND dance routines.

The thing is this, when M Jackson made his sprung-trapdoor entrance onto the stage, the crowd went crazy and he stood there motionless, for what seemed an eternity whilst the fans roared their approval, why? because he was a huge star with incredible charisma. When Miss Cole was fired into the air for her entrance, the audience response was more akin to the sound experienced when entering a doctors waiting room - silence with the occasional throat clearing.

It was one of those 'verging on the embarrassing' moments as she stood there waiting for the silence to die down!

Aah, what an individual talent she doesn't have. Never mind Pet, and it's such a pity that the music was crap too.

DAVE BALL
Well here's some hot poop. Brumbeat guitarist Dave Ball is planning a return to the UK from the shores of New Zealand and surprisingly, wishes to return to the life of pain, hardship and misery as a musician! Some people never learn do they?

Dave having a blues snooze!

Watch this space for further news.

YOU GET THE BIGGEST CRABS IN BIRMINGHAM
Or so it would appear from a recent picture in the Birmingham Press:

"It started with a little bit of itching in the Y Front area" said Norman Polethruster.

SPOILED FOR CHOICE. It's a real minefield trying to buy a set of guitar strings these days. I feel quite intimidated when faced with about twenty different Makes of string and even more choices about weight and thickness etc.. I was much happier when there was only one choice:

For the un-initiated, Black Diamond strings were the mainstay of British guitarists and bass players for some years in the sixties. Why? - well, there weren't any other wire wound strings available, its that simple. They came in one thickness - very thick!!

With the advent of the Beat Boom, guitarists found it better to dump the G string provided with the set, using the second string as a third, the first as a second and then you purchased a Banjo string for the top E or in my case, at times, used two E's. Bending of notes was so much easier from then on.

There was a country song written about them too by Guy Clark "Black Diamond Strings are like white flour and grits, you buy Black Diamond strings cos' they're all you can git"

AND FINALLY....
Remember The Bobcats? A group of Brummie schoolboys who were genuinely, a good little band and recorded a single for Pye. They also experienced a level of fame that many groups would never achieve, for a short while. They appeared on TV programmes like Blue Peter, Crackerjack and even David Frost. They were managed by John Singer who promoted a publicity campaign headline stating that they had been given a contract "worth Twenty Thousand Pounds!" - who to? I thought. I know its bad to laugh at your own jokes but I laughed about that one for ages! Some members of that band are still playing....good on you guys.

Bob

FEBRUARY - LOWER THE JOLLY ROGER

2010-02-01T06:00:00.007+01:00

Hello Brummies,

MICK GREEN - THE PIRATES
My very first guitar hero has sadly taken his leave of us. As a young guitarist, Mick Green was my inspiration as an attacking guitarist, his style of playing was agressive and effective and I always associate the Telecaster with that man, more than anyone else.

He had been reared as a professional guitarist backing that brilliant showman Johnny Kidd (Shakin' all Over) and to have had him as a theatrical inspiration showed because he was no slouch himself when it came to giving his 'all' on stage during performances when The Pirates reformed in the 70's, to carry on with their attacking style of play.

With those machine-gun like, stabs and chops of telecaster treble, punctuating The Pirates solid rythm section, they blasted through a high energy set to huge crowds who were eager to experience what the beat group phase was all about.

I was fortunate enough to have worked on the same bill with him on a couple of occasions, also when he was with The Dakotas and was backing Billy Fury. The first time we met we were sharing a dressing room, he must have seen my chin hit the floor as I walked in and saw him there - I was face to face with my personal guitar hero. Luckily for me, at that time, I was playing a Gibson TV (pictured in Micks hands)which used to be his guitar of choice whilst in The Pirates so we had a real starting point for a couple of nice conversations. I found him to be extremely generous with his time and advice.

Mick Green was a truly wonderful guitarist and had worked with everybody of importance, including Van Morrison, Bryan Ferry and had latterly featured with Paul McCartney, recording the excellent CD "Run Devil Run" where he was in the line up of McCartney's band alsongside rock hero's David Gilmour and Ian Paice. Mick Green was not out of place in that company, in fact I think David Gilmour would have been daunted by him. This CD of R&R covers took him back to where he really excelled, playing hard Rock and Roll whilst Gilmour almost floundered about noodling.

For me, he will always be the guitarist for The Pirates. Aggresive and inventive. I'm sure that Wilco Johnson and Jimmy Page have a lot to thank him for. A great loss at the age of 65, so Ladies and Gentlemen...a round of applause for our dear departed King of Beat Guitar, the beautiful Mick Green.

BURNS GUITARS. You know, young musicians of the early sixties were always regarded as foolish layabouts by the general public. Electric guitars were seen as a 'fad' that would disappear when the next generation of instruments came along. A click on the following link Burns Guitar 'short' shows quite funnily how pop musicians were regarded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mls08C1ukHM

ACOUSTIC BLUE
A couple of months back I mentioned The Chads and, like magic, a real live 'Chad' emerged in the form of Keith 'Noddy' Harrison, the Chads ex drummer. Noddy had been attending the funeral of Mick Adkins (Chads and Sundowners) and whilst there got into conversation with guitarist and music afficionado Bob Boden. Well you know what musicians are like, a short conversation led to a further meeting for a drink where a 'get together' was arranged just to play a couple of songs in pleasant, likeminded company.

It took no more than that session to convince both of them that there was a possibility to play together as an act and so Acoustic Blue was born. The duo decided to feature the music of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Clapton, Chris Rea, Gary Moore, Lightnin Hopkins, Dylan etc... as well as some of their own compositions.

Bob Boden had been a folkie for some years but had leanings towards the blues and Noddy had experienced playing all those blues standard, but faster, with The Chads during the R&B phase that swept the nation in the mid sixties. "We seemed to click straight away and it felt natural to get back to playing" said Noddy. They decided to go 'acoustic' with Bob on guitar and Noddy employing Bongos and Tom Toms and also blowing the blues harp.

I remember very well as a really young kid of about fourteen trying to wangle my way into little jazz/blues clubs in the inner city. A lot of the times I had to listen to the music from outside because I would be refused entry owing to my age, occasionally however, I could sneak in when the bouncer went to the toilet or to attend a fight. I saw many of the early blues hero's in those smoky, hot places and was captivated by the sheer rawness and emotion of the performances they delivered.

I believe there is nothing better than purity in music. There are times when technology should be scrapped with it's homogenous and lifeless backing track sound. This outfit's aim is to produce that purity in an acoustic form. They have done a string of successful gigs so if you're in the market for a bit of natural sounding blues music keep a lookout for any of their future performances. Acoustic Blue can be contacted at: kharrisonchaduk@yahoo.co.uk

It's great to see that some of us are still performing the sort of stuff that we excelled at and I wish Acoustic Blue a good future.

HERE'S A NICE PICTURE... THE VICTORS. I publish the attached photo for no other reason than I really like it. Thanks to Ken Reeves for sending me this little gem(pictured on the right). The Victors were formed to back the late Nicky James but Nicky James being Nicky James meant that it was all a fools errand. Nonetheless, the band carried on, on their own.

It's so evocative of the time and fashion. Nice pair of Gibsons there too. I simply LOVE this....Great facial expressions. I'd like to see other photos of your bands if you have them available. Sorry, I can't visit your homes to see them so, if you have a scanner available...

MUST SEE MOVIE

...the cone of shame!! If you only get to see one movie this year at the cinema make sure its 'UP' by Disney (Pixar). It's incredibly funny, full of pathos and its also in amazing 3D!! Even better if you are into herbal 'jazz'.

Hi Luanne.

OK folks thats about all from me this month except to wish all the Villa fans the greatest success at WEMBERLEY for the Carling Cup but please get behind the team AND the absolute best Manager they've had in Martin O'Neill. UTV...

Bob

JANUARY - BOB PHOTOGRAPHED!!

2010-01-01T05:00:00.000+01:00

Hi de Ho Brummies,

CHRISTMAS SALE MADNESS!!
Aren't the Winter Sales something to look forward to? Idiots elbowing their way through the crowds of normal, everyday people like me just to get socks with 20 percent knocked off. I'm starting a 'Sales Armour' business next year and plan to have, fashion co-ordinated Cricket Boxes, Carbon Fibre Boob protecters and a wide ranging variety of 'Fetching' helmets. Can't fail?? The one thing I do like about the Sales however is, that its the only time you can see groups of women fighting with each other over a pair of cheap knickers without having to go to a porn site!

This year, I got gifts from my loved ones that I actually wanted. I think they all thought I was going to peg out when I was hospitalised so I didn't get those normal 'Dad' gifts - you know, the sort of things that I mean, knee scratchers or musical ties!! I can almost feel someone out there thinking quizzically "Hang on Bob, that's what I got this year?".

BOB PHOTOGRAPHED??
Wow!! we've had oodles of snow which naturally, not everyone likes, but seems to make Christmas that little bit more festive. My daughter and I even found time to play out in the snow blissfully unaware that the long lens, Black Country papparazzi were watching, trying to grab an opportunity to expose my identity. Fortunately I was wearing my 'shades man'. The following photographs however appeared in the Sedgetree Gazette....

This was taken following Christmas dinner, Skippy attends me with sick bag at the ready.
The Gazette also must have been at work with the airbrush, removing my glasses, because they released the following close-up photograph.. skin colour correct, dripping red nose correct, my eyes however are a romantic shade of hazel - phew identity intact.....

BUDDY HOLLY MUST HAVE INVENTED FEEDBACK!!

In the early Fifties Rock music started to rear its ugly head above the parapet of decency and moral correctness. Its hard to believe, these days, that something so innocent could have caused such a commotion and indignation to some people. Below is a Buddy Holly review that I stumbled upon whilst meandering through the cyber world of Rock oddities - this is not made up by me (like the rest of my inane ramblings). The Gang of Four at the pub were in tears when I read them this:

"Artistry has been kicked out of the stage door and performers who can provide ephemeral thrills are taking its place. Audiences are in search of the momentary gimmick, of which they tire whenever another novelty is introduced. At least it would seem so (writes Peter Holdsworth) from the fanatical reception given to a screeching guitar player and his two colleagues when they headed the bill at Bradford last night. They were American Buddy Holly and the Crickets. Unless they had previously read the lyrics or heard them sung by an articulate vocalist, I would have defied anyone in the audience to tell me what 70 per cent of the words which issued from the lips of this foot-stamping, knee falling musician. Where on earth is show business heading? The tragedy often is that many of the performers, like the trio last night, have a basic talent which they distort in order to win an audience's favour. On an elaborate display board at the Gaumont announcing a forthcoming musical contest, is fixed a washboard. What a pitiful symbol it is of present-day entertainment. Like its worshippers, it would be better employed in the dolly-tub!"

OK, you folks. I would like to say many thanks to all those who have sent me their Christmas and New Year greetings and in return, here's wishing you all a prosperous, warm and peaceful New Year and "Tune in again next month folks for more hilarious, rip roaring, side splitting humour from your man on the street"

Bob

DECEMBER - The Queens Peach

2009-12-01T05:03:00.000+01:00

Ho Ho Ho - Ar Kid,

BRUMBEAT CHRISTMAS PARTY
Sadly, the annual BRUMBEAT Christmas party has had to be cancelled this year as John is in the process of moving house,
he'll do anything to avoid buying me a drink. Perhaps he's related to Danny King, Dave Morgan or Johnny Neal - great artists in the conservation of their wallets! While all us plebs will be freezing our assets off in the UK over the Christmas period, Mr Neal will be sunning himself on the shores of the Cape of South Africa, he says that the cost of sherry there is much cheaper?

MICK ADKINS
Last month I was doing a bit of web surfing and thought I would trawl through the music sites that interested me to see if any updating had been done. I headed first for Mick Adkins website only to find the page unavailable, now my computer isn't the most modern in the world and often 'hiccups' with speed faults etc so I moved on, meaning to return a little later. In conversation with John he tried to find it too. It came as a real shock for John and I to find out, through a Health and Safety document, published on the web, that Mick had died from asbestosis in 2007. It's such a shame that no-one had contacted us about Micks passing. We both wish to say how sad we are at the news and send our thoughts to Judy Adkins and the members of Micks family and friends.

Of the many contributors to the BRUMBEAT website Mick was one of the best. His e mails to us were witty and informative and indeed, his own website was a great read about his 60's days as lead guitarist of The Sundowners, The Chads and his time as one of Robbie Hoods Merry Men!! Self deprecating, as is the case for most Brummies, and full of humour it made a great read. Micks musical history is a long one, spending many years after the sixties, playing the clubs with the brilliant Brenda Bosworth through the 70's and 80's. Micks wife Judy informed me that his funeral was attended well and included a couple of the Idle Race guys, Roger Spencer and Greg Masters. I'm sure Mick would have appreciated the company some of his muso mates, we all appreciated his company back then.

ALEX WHARTON - THE MOODY BLUES. Visit the Pie Stand page to read the exclusive interview with the great Alex Wharton

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
Both John and I would like to wish a very Happy Christmas and Peaceful New Year to you all and thank you for visiting the site and keeping people's memories alive. This little community of the Survivors of Brumbeat are getting thinner each year and its brilliant that we can share our passion for the music with those who were not fortunate enough to have been around to have experienced it first hand - from the days before you could buy a solid body electric guitar to the psychedelic summer of love when even The Applejacks wore kaftans!! (I think they wore them to conceal their woggles!!). It maybe hackneyed to say this but there will never be another time like the BRUMBEAT days, when there were hundreds of venues or bars featuring 'live' music, two or three times a week....... even in Tipton. You could walk down Broad Street without being kicked to the ground. Best of all, us happy band of muso's meeting at Alex's, The Cedar Club, Elbow Room and The Rum Runner after gigging somewhere, were lucky to have had each others company and to have shared loads of good times together. I think of you all with great affection (well not ALL of you)......have a good one.

AND FINALLY.......
It's days away from the festive holiday and so being a pal I thought it best to remind you all, especially the tight fisted ones amongst you, that its a nice gesture to give someone you love a little token of your affection whether you 'Do Christmas" or not. We're not here forever.

Thats for you Oggie..

Bob
copyright BullsHeadBob. Contact: Bobsbullocks@GMail.com

NOVEMBER - Autumn Leaves.........

2009-11-01T08:32:00.000+01:00

Hello Chums, Pals, Boys and Gals,

Just two months till Christmas!! Now I absolutely love the Christmas festivities, in fact I probably enjoy the lead-up to Christmas rather than the event itself, although these days I don't get the obligatory 'knee trembler in the cupboard' during the works party or, in fact, the Works Party either.
As I missed that sort of thing, last year Lucy and I decided to have an 'adult' Christmas role-playing game, we spent the afternoon getting absolutely ratted on cheap champagne, scoffing vol au vents and mince pies. I had suggested we dress appropriately for the occasion but unfortunately Lucy, lacking a little imagination, dressed as the office cleaner, not the eager little strumpet that one normally finds at Christmas parties. For added authenticity she had smeared herself with Johnsons Lavender Wax Polish to give that ambience of bonking in a dark space. A laddered and wrinkled stocking was fetchingly draped around one of her ankles like a flacid brown eel, a half smoked ciggie accentuating her diseased left ear took your eye to her hair tucked teasingly under a headscarf covering a couple of rollers that peeped out from the sides of her head like torpedo tubes on a Motor Launch. She suddenly leered at me.... and said the magic words "See you in the cupboard Tiger". I was off...to the cupboard under the stairs.

There's one consequence of getting older that never entered my head when planning the event and that is the problem of memory loss. From the living room to the hall cupboard is less than 10 seconds away but more than enough time for me to have forgotten what I was going there for in the first place. On entering the door I spent the next three hours happily sorting out a jar of nails and screws into sizes. Likewise, back in the living room, Lucy had checked her appearance in the mirror, saw that she was dressed as a cleaner and started washing down the paintwork...

EXCLUSIVE - I LOVE THE MOODY BLUES??

Over the past couple of years I have to admit to being less than friendly towards the Moody Blues. However that wasn't always the case. I loved the first line up of that band, as an R&B group, with Denny Laine and Clint Warwick. They really were BRUMBEAT in every sense.
So as a form of Christmas present to our faithful readers and especially to my fellow lovers of The (R&B) Moody Blues, we are really excited to bring you yet another BRUMBEAT EXCLUSIVE and let you know that, after some gentle persuasion, I have recently interviewed the great Alex Wharton, Manager and Record Producer of the Moodies. He popped into 'the snug' for a pint of loosening juice and then we talked at length about the recording session that produced one of Birminghams best records of all time, the epic "Go Now". Alex sheds light on his particular difficulties of the recording process and touches on a couple of other subjects too. You read it here first...... The interview will be appearing on the main site in December - this is too good to miss!!

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN!!
For those of you who didn't know, the (after R&B) Moodies have a 'Ride' named after them at an American theme park, how grandiose!

Although I haven't been on the ride myself, I imagine that you enter the ride, then they strap you tightly into a chair and play Nights in White Satin at you until you fall asleep. I suppose they could get through 10,000 people an hour...........the upside is you come out feeling refreshed but not remembering the ride at all. What a trip!!

ANOTHER SURVIVOR FOUND ALIVE AND WELL!!
Last months mention of the reunion of J Neal Esq and Norm Crandles, has brought another BRUMBEAT muso out of the woodwork, in the shape of Paul Brunt who played lead guitar with both of the aforementioned Brummie vocalists and also played with Ace Kefford, Nicky James, Jimmy Powell and others. Nice to hear from you Paul - he's still playing if anyone wondered.

GET LISTED
Were you a member of one of the following bands?
If so, Chris Smith would really like to hear from you in his quest to complete his book Brumbeat and Beyond. Some of the names of the group members are included where known. Chris would be very happy to have any information about any of these acts even if you weren't a member of the band itself. Chris can be contacted at http://www.smithc711@aol.com

BIRMINGHAM ( BIRMINGHAM )
DAVE PEACE - VOCALS / PIANO

BOYS BLUE THE ( COVENTRY )

BRAND THE
ROY EVERETT( TAYLOR ) - LEAD VOCALS / HARMONICA
HONRI EDOUARDE - BASS

BUBBLEGUM ( LEICESTER )

CINNAMON QUILL

CONGRESSMEN THE

CONVENTIONS THE

CRAWDADDIES ( BIRMINGHAM )
DAVE PEGG - LEAD GUITAR / VOCALS

DAVE & THE EMERALDS ( BIRMINGHAM )
DAVE PEGG - LEAD GUITAR / VOCALS

DUCE COUPE ( LEICESTER )

FOUR SQUARES THE

HUSH THE BIRMINGHAM )

ILLUSIVE DREAM
CHRISTINE PERFECT - ORGAN / VOCALS

INTER-MISSIO
GIORGIO UCELLINI ( MARODER )

KATZ THE ( BIRMINGHAM )

KINGBEES THE ( RUGBY )

LOOSE ENDS THE
ALAN MARSHALL - DRUMS

MARKLEW ALISON BAND
ALISON MARKLEW - LEAD VOCALS

MUSIC BOX ( COVENTRY )

POLIPHONY
MARTIN BERRY - BASS / VOCALS
DAVE BRISTOW - KEYBOARDS

PSYCHOTIC REACTION ( COVENTRY )

THE SHAKES

SINNERS THE

STORME ROBB & ( THE WHISPERS ) ( BIRMINGHAM )

STRINGBEATS THE

THREE HEADED DOG

UK BONDS

XCALIBURS

COMING SOON. Look out for forthcoming 'In the Snug' interviews with some past stars of BRUMBEAT. We only bring you the best.

Till Next time,

Bob.

October - Home Sweet Home

2009-10-01T07:00:00.000+01:00

Hello Brummies, Friends, Brummies Abroad, Muso's, Afficionados

BACK HOME AGAIN

Well here I am back at the old house, tucked up in bed after my summer long hospital stay. I'm still convalescing, so once again I'm afraid that this will be quite a short blog. I thought that I could lie in bed and shout down the stairs to Lucy "I'd love a cup of tea" or other reasonable requests, given my delicate state, but she seems to have developed a bad case of deafness and a sharp increase in the usage of the word Bollocks!! A quick word of thanks to all those lovely NHS people who nursed me through my month long ordeal and also my thanks go out to some of you kind folk who sent me e mails wishing me a speedy recovery. Alex, my special on-line metaphysical physiotherapist, assigned to improving my positive mental attitiude, has sent me a leaflet outlining a few simple Yoga exercises to make me supple again so, being a sharing type of person I thought I would pass them onto you in case you wanted to try them out for yourselves:

I'm sure we've all been well practised in some of those positions in the past!!

SIMON DEE

Farewell to DJ Simon Dee who recently passed on. OK, so he wasn't a Brummie or had no connection with Brumbeat but he was a certainly a great influence on the British pop scene through his Radio Caroline days, when all we had was Radio Luxembourg which famously faded in and out on the airwaves. He rose to meteoric stardom hosting his own Saturday Night TV show 'Dee Time' which attracted an audience of 22 million!! An 'E type' driving DJ surrounded by hordes of young women and living the high life of London during the sixties. He was unfortunately a victim of his own popularity and over- inflated ego so the British, as usual, turned on him and his career plummeted alarmingly overnight and within months he was bankrupt, drawing dole money of 6 pounds a week. He also did some jail time for assaulting a bailiff. Some say that he was the model for Austin Powers

ITS A REUNION OF TWO HALFS
It's great when you can reunite some BRUMBEAT muso mates. Norm Crandles, formerley Lee Stevens (and The Satellites), pictured on the left, flew across the pond from Canada for a reunion with old buddie Johnny Neal, co-incidentally, their respective wives are both called Maggie! No doubt there were some 'War stories' flying about, broken down vans, crap agents, "I was always much better than people said" etc etc... Johnny is an avid Birmingham City supporter and Norm a Villa fanatic so Johnny must have been gutted when the Mighty Villa trounced the Blues the day this picture was taken, Norm's smile says it all really!! I hear that another get together is planned for the future. Good on you guys, its nice to know that the ties that bind us are still strong.

Bob

September - Carry On Bob

2009-09-01T07:00:00.001+01:00

Hi Brummies,

I greet you from the confines of my hospital bed where I have been for the past couple of weeks, what's that you say? Bob in bed? Ill? Yes folks, I have succumbed to some form of hideous illness brought on by too much Brown and Mild, Pork Scratchings and too few Villa victories at the beginning of the season!! No doubt you Bluenose gits out there will be laughing your socks off at AV's poor start but no doubt it is a part of Martin O'Neils greater plan. So here I am, Ward 7, suffering, but as we say at the luxury BRUMBEAT Towers 'The Blog Must Go On', thats dedication folks. I am surrounded by a pleasant enough bunch of fellow patients and the nurses and Doctors are all very nice folk too and are looking after me with loving care. I'd like to offer my apologies to those of you have written to me and are awaiting an answer but now you know why!

LES PAUL

So, with a large tear in either eye we bid a farewell to the luminescent Les Paul at the great age of 94. Many folk have spoken about his demise so I don't have much more to say than they. It is, however worth saying that the sound of the rock guitar today is a result of the work he did to produce an instrument of such distinction and it is is fitting that that guitar is commonly known as a 'Les Paul' and not a Gibson. That being a fact, his name will live forever more. As a lighthearted aside, when my daughter was a teenager and was trying to impress one of her guitar playing boyfreinds she said "My Dad has a very nice 'John Paul' at home" - he must have thought that I had the Pope round for dinner!!!

HOW DID YOU DO IT??

I was thinking the other day about how difficult it was to learn new songs way back when, after all there were no portable recording devices, cassettes, CDs etc?
I recall walking four miles just to listen to Karl Perkins "Matchbox" on someones Dansette. I also got to know someone who, in turn, knew someone else who had some LP's from America and we would trog on over to his house to listen to Willie Dixon or Howlin Wolf then it would be a case of writing the words down and trying to copy the melody line on the guitar and then on the long walk home would repeatedly sing the song so as not to forget it, or if I had the bus fare I would go upstairs and play the melody line on my guitar as well. It occurred to me that there must have been hordes of tennagers all doing the same thing at the same time, in the early hours of the morning people would be woken from their beds by the passing by of a grotty, spotty youth singing Smokestack Lightnin'. Later, at dance halls I would hear other groups do those songs as well but everybodys lyrics seemed to be different I guessed that one person probably knew a bit of the guitar part and they would just make up their lyrics and melody to go with the part they actually knew. In the end I dont think anybody really cared because it was all creative fun and got the girls dancing.

REUNION
Nice to hear that Lee Stevens is making the long journey across 'The Pond' to meet up with Johnny Neal and others from the golden age. Have a fab night you guys.

OK, I'm back to my moaning and groaning to get the attention of that crackin brunette "Nurse, nurse - I think I need another bed bath?"

Cheers and Take Care

Bob

Copyright: BullsheadBob Contact: Bobsbullocks@Gmail.com

August - Riders of the Storm

2009-08-01T07:30:00.005+01:00

Hello Music Lovers,

Some things in life look how they should look and you just know they mean business, for instance, the Supermarine Spitfire is simply the most sublime looking fighter aircraft ever produced, the iconic Jaguar E Type with its sensuous lines and sleek shape informed you, with one glance, that it was a thing of speed and beauty. A girl called Shirley, who could make the zipper on your trousers undo itself in the anticipation of the greatest shag of your life and lastly, in 1954 one mans vision produced the most iconic of guitars ever made and found a true partnership with:

THE FENDER STRATOCASTER AND HANK MARVIN.

There is one thing for certain, in the early Rock days I, and probably all other guitarists in Brum would gather and stare longingly through the windows of George Clays or Jones and Crosslands at the first Stratocasters on sale in the City, a row of greasy nose prints adorned the shop windows in front of the display, freindships and groups formed at those very spots. Hours of conversation about the finish of the paintwork, which was just the dogs bollocks on those very early Strats. I remember, in particular, a natural sunburst model in a locked glass cabinet at Woodruffe's, it's futuristic shape and its great cutaway cowhorns were a thing of wonderment and you just knew that, if it was yours you would be as good as Hank B Marvin. Every guitarists hero of the day.

1956 Stratocaster.

HANK MARVIN
Cliff Richard asked Hank what kind of guitar he would like to play and as history shows, his choice was the Strat. Cliff purchased one from America and gave it to Hank to use, reportedly the first Fender in the country. The guitar was not available commercially, in the UK, at the time due to an embargo on imports and us poor plebs had to settle for cumbersome semi acoustic things with an excuse for a pick up or some cheap Italian thing. To make matters worse it was almost impossible to buy an amplifier! Hank led us all in the art of the instrumental, the Strat combined with a Meazzi echo chamber and a VOX AC15 produced the 'Shadows Sound'. Hank was also responsible for giving us the AC30 when he asked VOX if they could make him a bigger model with two speakers. Another important factor to The Shadows sound being the marvellous rhythm guitar style of Bruce Welch, the master of chords and lightness of touch. It is easy these days, to forget what an impact The Shadows had on the music scene, yours truly was a member of their Fan Club and possessed all their LP's and EP's. As a matter of fact, every young guitarist who was about during their reign owes something to all those guys and their contribution should never be dismissed. These also include the greats - Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Mark Knoppfler etc

One glance at this wonderfully styled guitar clearly shows it is designed with the player in mind. Beautifully contoured body that fits neatly into your waist, tremelo arm that was just the right length to enable you to use it comfortably, Hank used this to great effect and developed a playing style whereby he held onto the arm continously. It's three pick ups with a neat, well positioned, selector switch meant you could effortlessly, select different sound combinations. The bottom cutaway also gave comfortable access to the top frets which beforehand were simply unplayable. Even the positioning of the strap button on the uppermost cow horn meant that the guitar was perfectly balanced.

TONY RUSSELL
I was reminded about the virtues of this guitar again by BRUMBEAT veteran and fellow 'Stratocaster Window Watcher' Tony Russell who, like a lot of us served his dues around the clubs and pubs of Brum, including The Bulls Head, Carlton, The Station at Selly Oak etc from 1962 onwards, with The Stormriders, The Exchequers, The Couriers and Shingles. Tony then retired from the game and led a sensible life but, the longing to play again was just too much to resist and Tony now has an aptly named 60's revival group "Shindig"(although at present the group is 'resting' due to illness). As Tony says "When I was young I used to dream about owning a nice guitar and now I find I can afford more than one and some nice amplification to boot". (Tony top right, Brother Chris kneeling).

He and his bass playing brother Chris, are both avid admirers of The Shadows and they attend 'get togethers' with like minded Shads freinds for an occasional session. Tony owns a fine brace of Stratocasters, that is a Fiesta Red Hank Marvin Signature with gold fittings, a standard Strat again in fiesta red and a natural 'Classic Player' sunburst model fitted with 57/62 pick ups. He refers to his sunburst as his Buddy Holly Guitar, for obvious reasons

Tony, like Hank, has an awful memory for names hence the initials.

Tony really admires the talents of Bruce Welch and says "I still regard Bruce's part in The Savage and FBI as a real test of skill" and, of his Brother Chris, "He puts on a classy performance with his rendition of Jet Harris' solo part in 'Nivram'.

Its great to know that there are people who are still passionate for this style of playing with its precise notation and lush sound and I wish to thank Tony, Chris and all you Shadows fans and players out there for keeping that sound and those precious memories alive. Long may you Shadoogie!!

STRAT SNOBBERY. It makes me weep when people start to get 'Nerdy' about guitars, things like "thats a 1962 switch not a 58" like it REALLY makes a difference - "Its a shaggin' guitar so play it and stop gobbin' on". However, its incredible these days to see a 70's Strat described as something collectible. The only true Fender models stopped being made in 1965. To acquire a Strat of comparible quality you have to lash out thousands on a Custom Shop built model and is it a joke that people are forking out 850 pounds to buy a 'Road worn model"? That is, a perfectly ordinary Strat that has been pre-battered and scratched for you - it looks as though they've let some mexican peon loose on it with a soddin' angle grinder - if some people are stupid enough to buy it, they're definitely stupid enough to be conned out of their dough, just sheer lunacy. It is sad, in a way that todays budding guitarists will never experience that 'first sighting feeling' of a good guitar because there's just so many makes available.

If you want an authentic sound but can't afford a Custom Shop or original model Tony says his 'Classic Player' Mexican produced, Sunburst Strat " gives that vintage sound for under 400 quid", that's sound advice from someone who obviously knows his guitar. Thanks Tony.

THE BLACK PIG SAILED INTO THE SUNSET. Well another adios, to the writer of Captain Pugwash who died in July. No more Seaman Stains or Master Bates for us to giggle at!!

NEW STORE OPENING. Dudley, sorry Dudlae' has announced that a new toy megastore is being built there called "TOYS AM WAE"?

UPCOMING. I'm so-ooooo excited because I am currently talking to several Brilliant people from the BRUMBEAT days and can assure you of some exclusive, crackin' articles coming in the next few months, it's just too good to be true....somebody pinch me, Ooh, that reminds me of Shirley again - get down boy!!

Tara for now

Bob