Hello you Guys!
Summer truly arrived with some heat this year, who needs to fly to France and Spain when we have this beautiful weather and no Euro-Hassle at the other end!! Taking the Bobettes to the park for a picnic and family fun is surely the best antidote to a miserable year locked down in the house. Family is what the good life is all about, not saving your money all year just to experience some snotty waiter in Paris refusing to take your order because you dont speak good French! Well, to be honest, I got 5% in my French exam in the final year at school and that was for filling in my name on the exam paper, so he might have had a point? I was trying to impress a girl so I pointed at things and then just spoke some French 'sounds', full well knowing they weren't words at all, in between pointy gestures and, carried away by my success, I added a closing phrase about the wine..??? OK that's enough of that, time to return to 1963 when wine was exotic and only entered the house at Christmas.
HOFNER CLUB - THE SOUND OF 63
The song was a cover, originally released by The Drifters as an album track and in a samba rythmn, which meant it was lacking in "bite" and the Searchers revved it up in 4/4. The Searchers follow up track "Sugar and Spice" was given the McNally treatment as well and for probably the first time the dominant instrument on the two top ten hits was the rythmn guitar and more specifically the sound of the Hofner Club 60. The song was written by Tony Hatch and in effect was a re-write of their first hit. That too raced up the charts to No 2. Meanwhile in Burmingham Me and Oggie, still at school, him more than me, learned them both at his house, stood round the Dansette with our electric guitars unplugged and swapping who played the lead and who played THAT rythmn!
Given that The Searchers and The Beatles were both Liverpool bands and had played many times on the same bill before achieving fame makes me think that The Beatles "All my Loving" rhythm guitar might have been adopted and adapted from McNallys style and on their 63 Lp "With The Beatles"
As a band The Searchers had been at odds with each other from the beginning with Tony Jackson leaving the band after their first 2 hits followed by drummer Chris Curtis. Over the years they all had variants of the band touring around. I believe The Searchers are now defunct and for sure, the great John McNally has retired.
It was only as I was writing this article that I realised that the band never had any self penned hits? I did a couple of gigs on the same bill with them, one of those at The Belfry and they were a really polished act. Like The Hollies and Rockin Berries they had become more accustomed to playing on the cabaret circuit. BOB FACT: The Byrds based their 12 string sound on that of The Searchers not The Beatles.
John Lennon and George Harrison both had a Hofner Club 40 (the single pick up model) from the infant days of The Quarrymen and McCartney used Lennons "hand me down" during their early days in Hamburg when his Rosetti Lucky 7 fell to bits, as they all did and prior to him moving onto bass guitar. He bought the Hofner violin bass as it was cheap and had a design that meant it looked the same played left or right handed.
The violin bass went on to be a favourite with bands as it was lightweight and more than effective in the thumping bass sound. It is an iconic instrument. The future of the Hofner Club model stopped dead in its tracks really until the 90s when some Hofner models were back in the shops as re-issues even including a "John Lennon" Club 40 which says more about corporate greed than fact, given that he gave it away and didn't record anything with it! It wasn't special and maybe it was the one he stole?
There was a John McNally special though, of which I know little about, other than to say that it was a "signature" model fully deserving of that tag attribution and if you wanted that authentic sound there could be no one more worthy. The Searchers sound after those first two hits was mainly dominated by the Rickenbacker 12 string.
As a band The Searchers had been at odds with each other from the beginning with Tony Jackson leaving the band after their first 2 hits followed by drummer Chris Curtis. Over the years they all had variants of the band touring around. I believe The Searchers are now defunct and for sure, the great John McNally has retired.
If you are a Hofner fan then please visit the lovely Steve Russell's Vintage Hofner web page at www.vintagehofner.co.uk where there is so much more information on these classic oldsters.
Here is one that is currently on sale at Vintage and Rare if you have an appetite to own it and have 2,500 Euros to spare.
RECENT BRUMBEAT BIRTHDAYS
The Brumbeat generation are getting fewer and older but are still active. So in the latter half of July two significant Birthdays were celebrated by.
JOHNNY NEAL
Johnny Neal and The Starliners were ever present on the scene during the 60s and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that John was the First of the Rockers in Birmingham. He went on to have a stunning success in South Africa where he lived for many years before returning home to Brum some years back. A song he recorded with ex Starliners keyboard player Geoff Nicholls titled "Ever seen a Man Cry" is currently riding the airwaves in Brazil and has been covered by several bands. Geoff had graduated from the Starliners to being the keyboard player for Black Sabbath for many years but sadly passed away in 2017. I'm sorry he didn't get to know about this success.
STEVE GIBBONS
Steve Gibbons celebrated his 80th Birthday 2 weeks ago. Steve has a long history as vocalist for brilliant Brummie band The Uglys and having a chart hit with a Chuck Berry cover of "Tulane" way back in 1977 with his own band. Steve continues his musical journey gigging around the country and long may he continue to do so.
FINALLY
Its good to see folk getting back on their feet, on the way forward to winning the battle against the virus and discovering normality for a while. Lets remember though, it's still about and although we have been told it's not obligatory to wear a mask, it's your choice. They have been wearing them in Japan for years and years.
UTV!!!
Bob.
Copyright: Bullsheadbob
Contact: Bobsbullocks@Gmail.com
Bob
