BULLS HEAD BOB - MARCH - THE BASS PLAYER SPECIAL!! THE FIRST BASS GUITAR IN THE UK..... JET HARRIS, BRIAN GREGG, ACE KEFFORD, CLINT WARWICK, MICKEY WALKER, JOHN HUSTWAYTE. JOE MORETTI

Hiya Gang,

A little boy says to his Mom, "Someday I want to grow up to be a bass
player."  The Mom says, "Sorry, son, you can't do both."

A dad buys his son a bass as a present and sends him off to lessons.
After the first lesson he comes home and dad says, "what did you learn
today?" and son replies "I learned the first 4 notes on the first
string." Dad says "great, well done."


After the second lesson he comes home and dad says, "so what did you learn today?" and son replies, "I learnt the first 4 notes on the second
string." Dad says "Well done, son".


After the third lesson, the son comes home smelling like cigarette smoke
and beer, the dads asks, nervously, "What did you learn today?" Son
says, "Nothing Dad, I had a gig."
..........................................................................
I love bass players, let's get that right from the start.   You always need someone along to push the van!....  I actually played bass for a short while to help out a band who had some contracted gigs to do and quite enjoyed it for that short spell.

Drummers are a pain in the arse and bass players mumble about electronics and speak in miserable sentences that generally end with "n' f*** you too", but .............Some of those aspiring teenagers with a conviction that they were going to set the world on fire, took to the bass guitar like fish to water, thank goodness.   A band is as good as it's engine and without the natural talent of some of those who gave the engine 'bottom end throb" with drive and passion, we would have been left with mindless, middle of the road groups, which is where the state of music was after Rock nRoll and  before the advent of the Beat Group phase through to the end of the 60's.   I have recently talked about the merits of Muff Winwood's bass role in the Spencer Davis Group so won't repeat that again here.

THE BASS PLAYER
SPECIAL!
THE FIRST BASS SUPERSTAR

The death of The Shadows bassist, Jet Harris was a sad affair.   He was certainly the first 'star' of the electric bass in his own right, having ridden the wave of the skiffle era through to the heady days of Rock n Roll, touring with all the major Rock n Roll acts.   It was during a tour with Cliff Richard and The Most Brothers that Jet, Hank and Bruce had been on the same bill.

Jet had already earned his 'stripes' so to speak and was a lot more experienced than Hank and Bruce, who had their own unique magic at a very tender age, but when these three guitarists combined to form The Shadows, they were just the tighest act about and they were the first to achieve 'hero' group status.......and no back row for Jet either, he was right there, centre stage looking all serious and moody and blonde.  The Shadows sound of those early years was the thing and every bass guitarist copied, or tried to copy, the bass solo in "Nivram".   I'm actually listening to it right now as I type, such a good bass sound too.  It would be some years before John Entwhistle played the second bass solo in My Generation. 

THE FIRST ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR IN THE UK
It was said and probably still is, amongst The Shadows afficionado's, that Jet had the first electric bass in the UK. Well I'm sorry to report that he had the THIRD electric bass in the UK. Not world shattering news you know, however, in some "Hankies Club" in some part of the world, they'll be knocking lumps out of each other about the issue.

IN THE BEGINNING

(copyright Brian Gregg)

If you are follower of this blog you will know that I am fortunate enough to know the superb Brian Gregg (The Pirates/Tornados), we met "In the Snug" a couple of years ago.  He's a remarkable man who has played with all the greats and was an inspiration to many bass players that followed him.   Brian started his Rock n Roll career at the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho, playing there at night and working behind the bar during the day alongside Jet Harris, Bruce Welch, Hank Marvin, Vince Eager, Terry Dene, Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard, Licorice Locking, Mickie Most, Alex Wharton and many, many more.  He co-wrote 'Shakin' All Over".    He was the bassist for The Pirates, Tornados, Billy Fury, Terry Dene, Colin Hicks and The Cabin Boys.   He was the first pioneer of the bass guitar in the UK and still is a great bassist and an icon in many respects.  

FROM DOUBLE BASS TO ELECTRIC

Brian was at the forefront in 'the mix' amidst the transition from Skiffle into electrified Rock and Roll.  During our conversation "In the Snug" I asked Brian about music electrification and the first electric bass and here is his reply:

"Dickie Bishop had the first electric bass, although he did not use it in a band, he was a banjo player for Chris Barber.  I had the second in 1957, a Hofner that I bought from Selmer Music in London.   I showed it to Jet Harris who was on double bass then. Jet had a tinker on it and said "that f.....g thing won't catch on!!". Double bass players hated it and it was often called a bastard instrument,  I only used it on a couple of songs myself with Les Hobeaux, because one, the limitations of the amps at that time could'nt handle the bottom end and two, I did a lot of double bass 'slapping' on many of Les Hobeaux numbers, which you couldn't do on bass guitar but I fell in love with it nonetheless.   The first one I saw was being played in the Lionel Hampton band that was touring the UK in 56".

(Copyright B Gregg) Brian Gregg (top left) with Les Hobeaux and his Hofner electric bass 1957.

Brian went on to write the first mega-famous bass riff in Shakin' All Over, only this time on a Framus.   I think that this firmly puts the lid on who had the first electric bass in the UK, so we should now, for the sake of history, set that particular record straight.

BRUMBEAT BASSISTS OF NOTE.
I can't recall seeing my first bass guitar, other than the one on The Shadows LP cover probably because I wasn't interested in the instrument but do recall the first time that I heard one being played live, "in anger' and by that I mean extremely well and outside of the instrumental box.  That honour goes to:

Mickey Walker second left

MICKEY WALKER (The Redcaps).   I am not alone in being one of those musicians influenced by this great Walsall band.  If this group had lived in London they would have been the best known R&B band in the country, Stones included. 
Mickey was really dynamic in his whole approach to being in a band and was one of those bassists who commanded the stage, your attention and respect with his Gibson EBO thundering away.  I was actually influenced to buy a Gibson SG because I liked the way it looked around Mickey Walker's neck.  Some years later on I jammed with Mickey a couple of times at The Rum Runner and it was a gas.  I was so pleased to have had a blow with him and his brother Dave too.  Just the best feeling, real attacking bassist, would be great to have a band with him - even now!

CLINT WARWICK (The Moody Blues).  This guy was real class, his bass lines shouldering the power of the original (and best) line up of The Moody Blues during the days of R&B.  I'm not really sure if he was the best beat group bassist I've seen or not but the choice between he and Mickey would be close.  Naturally I am speaking from the point of view of a guitarist who wants a bassist that fits into a band perfectly and then plays just the right lines.  I was deeply disappointed when he and Denny Laine left the band and doubly disappointed that I never met or saw Clint play again.  He passed away several years ago.

CHRIS 'ACE' KEFFORD (The Move).   I had first met Ace as a member of Carl Wayne and The Vikings, that group was really a dance hall band of the old format, that is front man and a backing group and was very polished, suited and booted.   In saying that, they were a great and very popular Dance Hall band and naturally all the members of that group were of a good standard.  

However, Ace could have been custom made for The Move, he was the heart of that group, he was the modern image of The Move and no-one looked better with a bass strapped across them than he.   "Night of Fear" and "I Can hear the Grass Grow" with it's powerful descending bass line was the perfect material for him to strut his stuff to.   The Move without Ace Kefford were an empty sounding, spent force.   Following his 'departure' he concentrated on being a front man himself which for me, was a mistake, he should have kept playing the bass because as a bassist he already possessed a great image, not as a front man, vocalist.  If it ain't broke don't fix it.


The Move were in the cabaret clubs after his departure, which speaks volumes about the loss of his influence and presence within that band and also says a lot about the lack of imagination from the remains of that group.   All that being said.  Chris Kefford was definitely a great bassist in the rock band sense.  

JOHN HUSTWAYTE (The Uglys).  There has not been anything said about John Hustwayte over the years and that's not right.  He really typified the model of a very good group bass player, a little bit dour, introspective, and not too chatty either. 
He stood expressionless during those early Uglys live shows. I suppose a bit like the early Bill Wyman - (could be the DNA bass player thing though)

The one thing that has made him stand out from some other good bassists was that he recorded one of the most enthralling bass parts of the time (1966) by a Brumbeat bassist and that is, his playing on The Ugly's, 'The Quiet Explosion" which was the 'B' side to 'A Good Idea".    Check it out for yourself and remember that this was before Pink Floyd and the advent of the heavier style of music had started and showed great creative imagination on John's part.

It is disappointing to only see references to Dave Pegg as being the Ugs bassist, when his tenure with the group was for less than a year with 'End of the Season b/w 'Ugly Blues", being the only evidence of Pegg's time in the group, which is hardly inspirational. Undeniably Dave is a great bassist but John Hustwayte was a great bassist before Dave had even played a bass.
I hope this little piece makes up for those years of ignorance.  John's presence and contribution to Brumbeat ranks as high as any others of the day.  

I'm sure that some of you will disagree with me about who was great, simply because there were so many bands about and so many players to choose from.   I also imagine that there will be bus loads of Brummie bassists now going into 'misery mode' cause they didn't get a mention but those above are simply some of the one's that stood out for me personally, for various reasons, during the 60's Brumbeat days.

A final Bass Player story:
One night at Club Chintz, the mindreader closes her set by reading the mind of the each of the musicians in the band.
First, she reads the mind of the lead guitarist:
"Wow, look at all the cute chicks who showed up tonight! I bet they're all here to see me. Good crowd!"


Then the drummer:
"Look at that crowd! With this many people in the house, we're going to make good money tonight!"


Then the Keyboard player:
"Yeesh, look at that crowd. None of them will ever truly appreciate all of my talent. What a bunch of losers."

Finally, the Bass player:
"E E E E  A A A A  E E E E..."

WARDING OFF THE EVILS OF BLACK SABBATH

It appears that all is not well in the Black Sabbath camp.  Bill Ward refusing to sign a contract for the new BS recording.  I think he has a valid reason to be dissatisfied.

You know these guys were all broke when they joined up together, worked really hard together, played for nothing...just to play together, lived in each others pockets for years, gained fame together and now that there is a new album in the offing recorded by the ORIGINAL Black Sabbath line up there is  in-fighting for who gets the biggest cut, most recognition etc etc............. it doesn't take a genius to work out where that kind of attitude stems from either.

It really disappoints me.  Would it really be the end of the world for them to just record the CD, split the proceeds four ways and then go home happy.  It's so unnecessary and pathetic.  
At the end of the day, there is only one loser and that is the fans of the band who deserve a bit more respect from those whose overriding concern is getting the biggest cut.   Shameful if you ask me. 

OH DEAR!! - JOE MORETTI R.I.P.
It is uncanny that I have been writing about Brian Gregg as the ex-bassist of The Pirates because as I was reading it through, I got news from Brian that ace session guitarist Joe Moretti had passed away recently.   Joe Moretti was a real milestone in my past, after being obsessed with Shakin' All Over as a whole song, I along with many, many guitarists laboured over the record player replaying the intro and solo and learning it note for note.  The Shakin' riff itself had been composed by Alan Caddy, The Pirates lead guitarist, but the solo was down to Joe who did a magnificent job and the guitar sound was incredible and that don't come from nowhere!!

He recently passed away at his home in South Africa from Lung Cancer at the age of 73.   Joe's website was a great source of humour for me and he described just how it was to be in a Rock n Roll group then.  I hope they continue to maintain it in his honour. 

Here is a clip of an early Joe Moretti in action with the great Gene Vincent
in Italy, singing Blue Jean Bop....http://youtu.be/qVWmn3aCUao

AND FINALLY.........
Keep your eyes open for Johns new BRUMBEAT Biography page for The Rockin' Chevrolets, one of Tony Iommi's first groups, appearing very soon.

And a welcome to my new Gang of 4 (now 6) pub drinking mate, piano wizard "Mouse".  He's a mate of Nobber's, they 'clicked' at a Marketing Convention, in Stirchley where Nobber was promoting his new line of Political novelty slippers and 'Mouse' was tinkling the ivories in the bar area.   Like the rest of the gang, he likes to moan about things, he knows his music and can play the blues like he was born to it.  OK, that's enough of this. 

Take Care and thanks to Robbie Keane for cheering me up for a couple of
months.

Bob
Copyright: Bulls Head Bob
Contact at Bobsbullocks@GMail.com or just leave a comment if you wish

BULLS HEAD BOB - FEB - FENDER MUSTANG III, ZELLA RECORDS update, LEE STEVENS, TONY IOMMI,THE MOVE

Alright our Kid?

Last year I got a Fender Squier 'Classic Vibe' Telecaster in my Christmas stocking which has become a favoured 'spare' guitar and not wanting to buck the trend, this year I got a new Fender Amplifier, so I thought I would share my impressions with you.

THE FENDER MUSTANG III

I don't like guitar effects because I play mainly 'in the rough' and though I'm not a purist as such, I do believe that the art of guitaristry died somewhat with the advent of effects pedals that simply enhance mediocre playing.  So why have I bought a 'modelling' amp, well the answer is simple,
firstly it's a Fender and I have never had any trouble with any of the Fender amps I have owned (I still use a red knob Fender for small gigs)
secondly, I play in many styles that benefit from differing sounds and thirdly,
the price of this amplifier is amazing value for it's level of quality, and it's quality is what it's all about. 

I am a bit of a design freak and this amp really satisfies my requirements. It is a real good looker, beautifully constructed with some throwbacks to previous Fender design, with it's silver grille material covering the speaker.  The body of the amp itself is a kind of graphite grey, "carbon tweed" finish and I really like the nifty Fender logo in the centre of the amplifier body too, very classy.

Fender have taken this opportunity to make the Mustang a bit more player friendly by placing the controls on top of the amp which I like.   One guitar input, and the normal Volume, Bass, Middle,Treble, Gain, Reverb and Master controls  which appear to be more responsive tonally, than those on the Frontman series of amps.   To the right sits the illuminated modelling controls which are easily readable, an Aux Input, headphone output and a USB connection.

The amp is solid state, rated at a 'true' 100 watts through one Celestion 12" speaker, weighs in at 38lbs, has a two button foot switch and packs a serious punch.  For me the two button footswitch is all I need, it takes off all the effects to leave me with the amplifier sound. 
So, the obvious second question is, why not just buy another amp that doesn't have effects built in? - answer, I wanted an amplifier that is an all rounder.  I choose to play on stage without effects but when recording, it is a distinct advantage to have all the buttons and bells at my disposal.  

I have to say at this juncture that I was intending to buy the Mustang IV which comes with 2 Celestion 12" speakers, delivers 150 watts (75watts each stereo channel) and comes with a 4-way foot switch.  I don't know if I need to spend another 70 pounds for more power than I actually need though and you can buy the 4-way foot switch as an optional extra for the Mustang III if button manipulation is your thing.  I do think that the Mustang IV has a much more pleasingly aesthetic look to it but that aside, it is essentially the same amplifier as the MkIII with an additional speaker and an extra 15 lbs of weight to cart about.
 

In it's 'modelling' mode it gives you the opportunity, via the selection wheel,

to emulate the sounds of all the best Fender amps of the past and a few others too.  The 'clean' sound of some of these is gorgeous and is the main thing that attracted me to this particular amplifier.  The sound effects patches applied to the 100 pre-sets of these examples can be altered to suit your own requirements, or bypassed completely, so you are not held captive by the sound that someone else thought you might want.  It does take a bit of tinkering with these settings to get the sounds you want but once achieved you can "Save" them to the amp itself and there are some settings that will probably not need any tinkering with at all. 

It is in the recording studio that this thing lights up for me, effect wise.  The Mustang has a USB output which will link direct to your laptop or other digital recording device AND also Fender have included Fender 'FUSE' software for studio recording which also gives you the opportunity to alter and save the on-board sounds of the patches.  Simply fantastic value for money here.

Would I have preferred to buy an 'all valve' amp?  Well I may be a little controversial here by saying that so much of this "You must have an all valve amp to sound better" is hyped up, probably by amplifier companies and of course, the many nerdy equipment freaks that one finds lurking in the dark recesses of music stores, just waiting to pounce on you with the familiar "Ooo I wouldn't buy that mate" opening line.   It's at this point that I pretend to be a foreigner "No speakee English", its the only way to get rid of them. 

Simply for the sake of it, I would love to buy a vintage, hard-wired amplifier, but only for nostalgic reasons.  I've owned most of these sought after amplifiers in the past and have enjoyed playing them.    These days, most gigs are put through an in-house PA system whose overall sound is dictated by the engineer and spending all that extra dough to get a purist sound is soon dealt with by some over eager knob twiddler whose only concern is to make you sound homogenous.   My bass player happens to be a good lead guitarist too and he has an old all-valve amp manufactured by a very well respected company which he sets up and then uses three foot pedals to get the 'natural' sound he wants.....which kind of proves my point.


At the moment, I love this amplifier because it does what I need an amp to do for my particular likes in music.  It sounds great, it's not a heavy thing to lump about, it's very loud and I have yet to hear someone from the audience say "You would have been much better if you had a valve sound" - the majority of the public don't even know what a valve is for goodness sake and a 'name' valve amp is 3 times the price of this amplifier.  I believe that we musicians pay enough already in blood, sweat, time and commitment and with disappointment lurking at every corner it is all too easy to be swept along on the "I must have this" equipment addiction.

I have only one small gripe about Fender and that is they expect me to pay an extra 50 quid for a vynil cover which is very poor marketing I think, the cost per item for that would be minimal. Lucy is hard at it on the sewing machine as we speak, making one for a couple of quid ...... as they couldn't be generous enough to give me a cover I shall probably write their main competitiors name across the home made cover.

In closing I will say what I always do, these comments are not for the technophobe and purely reflect my own opinion.  I'm sure that there are some nerdy wierdo's grinding their teeth at my 'valve' remarks but it's for you to make your own decisions. If you're in the market for a change of amplifier though, go and check one out for yourself, you just might like the sound of the Fender Mustang. I certainly do.

ETTA JAMES - R.I.P

I just thought she would go on forever....one of the few early female blues singers that commanded worldwide respect.  "I would rather Go Blind" has never been bettered by anyone.  She was just awesome and had a voice that would convey pure sentiment through her handling of the blues, no fancy recording tricks just honest talent. 

It always seems such a pity that her reputation as a 'real great' wasn't rewarded enough by getting her a few 'real good' original songs to sing and make her own.   Although she had a massive hit with "At Last", and it was a indeed a great song to sing, it's style was a bit of a departure from her blues roots and kind of placed her in the jazz lounge.  I've been listening to her music today almost exclusively, with one exception and that is the music of someone else of staggering importance to R&B who passed away on the same day and that is...... 

JOHNNY OTIS - R.I.P

His first hit was the self penned 'Willie and the Hand Jive" which he wrote after hearing a story from US girl group, the Three Tons of Joy, who had been in the UK promoting 'Ma he's making eyes at me", of how the audience of British teenagers sat and danced "The Handjive" on the TV show 6.5 Special.   
This Youtube clip shows the '3 tons' with him during a performance.   http://youtu.be/qOrQTh_Cq7U

I guess this will come as shock news to some folk who always think that anything E Clapton records, he wrote.  As it is, Clapton practically plays his version of 'Handjive' note for note from the original which I actually applaud, it shows he has great respect for the original feel.

The 'Handjive" hit was only a part of Otis' contribution to music though. 
A great band leader, percussionist, pianist, vocalist, promoter, entrepeneur and record producer and it was in that last role that he was responsible for giving the world two of its most prodigious talents - Little Richard and remarkably, the late Etta James.  It would be nice to think that their souls have reunited somewhere. 
   
BRUMMIES ABROAD - A CORRECTION

Last month I falsely gave the impression that Lee Stevens had left the country in 1962 to avoid paying out Five Pounds to someone who came up with a new name for The Satelites.............."I'm outraged" came the reply from Stevens hideaway, somewhere in the depths of Ontario "It was 1966!".

It had been rumoured that a sickly orphan had come up with a new name for
his backing group and would have used the winnings to buy a warm blanket for the winter.   Stevens said "It was a fair competition and though I liked the sickly orphans suggestion of The Lovely Lee Stevens Group",  I myself came up with the best name of all - "The Lee Stevens Group" and awarded myself the prize, I firmly believe that I deserved to win".  The Musicians Charity Organisation, Mitchells and Butlers eventually ended up as the beneficiary of those Five English Pounds, with the majority of that donation being re-cycled into a MkIII UPR (Upright Porcelain Recepticle).

"Rock n' Roll is a cut throat business and you have to be tough to be a winner" said Stevens.      

ZELLA (ZEL-LA) RECORDS
I have been contacted so much about Zella Records that I thought I had better put in this little explanation about the location of the recording studio.

Although Zella Records had been born and grown from Ladbrokes Music shop whose address was on Bristol Street, the studio itself was detached and was located in a delivery quadrangle to the rear of the shop which was accessible through a pair of large gates built into the facade of the Bristol Street shopfronts to permit lorry deliveries to the rear.  This quadrangle also backed onto Essex Street so effectively, the studio was in Essex Street and Ladbrokes Music Shop was on Bristol Street. 

TONY IOMMI
I guess that most of you will have read about Tony Iommi's illness.   I just want to take this opportunity to say that we all wish for a good outcome for Tony who is undergoing treatment as we speak.  I know he is getting fantastic support from all areas.  Positivity is a great weapon. 
I'll say no more on that subject....
  

The hairy left-hander, along with the other members of Black Sabbath are currently recording their new album in London.  I'm gonna proffer a title suggestion here, and this won't have the Sabs being charged a huge amount by some advertising 'think-tank'.   I'm zeroed into the demographic of this great Brummie band, and this is what it should called:

"Met Al in the Elbow Room", kinda clever in a Brummie way.

OR

"Platforms, Hair and ill Fitting Trousers" is my current favourite, an homage to Geezer Butler, almost scary.

THE MOVE
Look out for John Woodhouse's CD review of The Move live at the Filmore, coming soon on the BRUMBEAT Reviews page. 

next month.....
Some time ago I was corresponding with someone who had sent me a DVD of their band gigging somewhere.  I noticed that the right hand PA speaker  obliterated the bass player completely throughout the video, as did the still photography that they had sent me........I suggested that the bassist must have moaned about not being on it "He doesn't know" came the reply "and anyway, they all moan, it's in their DNA!!".   Is that the truth, are all bass players whingers? .....coming to this blog next month. 

THE BASS PLAYER SPECIAL!!

and just before I go......Robbie Kean!! UTV

Bob
Copyright: Bullsheadbob
Contact Bobsbullocks@GMail.com















 

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

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

copyright: Bullsheadbob

contact:    Bobsbullocks@Gmail.com

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

"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

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

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