BULLS HEAD BOB - FEB 2014.... BRUMBEAT, THE RITZ, Kings Heath...The Story Continues. VOTE!. THE LAST MUNCHKIN - JERRY MAREN!! PETE SEEGER.

Howdoo Brummies, Brummies Abroad, Muso's and Boozo's,

When writing about the Brumbeat music days of Birmingham - the 60's in reality, I like to think that I am honest and I say what I believe as one of the hundreds, if not thousands of musicians who were a part of the music scene, whilst, at the same time, acknowledging all the Brummies who went to all those great Birmingham venues as members of the audience and whose enthusiasm for the vibrant, ever changing music scene of those days, made playing such a thrill.   

One of the more historic Brummie gigs was of course The RITZ,

Kings Heath.  In 2012, a blue plaque was attached to the wall of the old building rightly denoting it's existence and importance in the world of music.   The ceremony commemorating the event was attended, almost exclusively, by a ton of old muso's, (see photo) mainly from those Birmingham 60's bands and I wrote an article about the event. 
Click below: 
THE RITZ PLAQUE

Ritz ceremony with many 60's musos and a couple of UB40

If you haven't read the article, I said I was disappointed with the way that the 60's local Brummie musicians who had been the mainstay of this venue had been all but ignored.  Two years on and I have recently received this e mail from the promoters of the Kings Heath Walk of Fame and, as I'd had my say, I thought it only right to give everyone out there a chance to see the reply.  I have removed some advertising content from the text,

To Bulls Head Bob

"Sadly your comments regarding the Musical Heritage of Kings Heath have only recently come to our attention.  Had we seen them sooner we would have been in touch immediately to ask for your guidance.

Much of what you say is true.

Bob Prew and myself, as residents of Kings Heath, have taken it upon ourselves to try our best to protect, archive,display and generally cherish the musical heritage of Kings Heath.  The rebirth of interest in York Road's (Kings Heath), music scene came about over a cup of coffee in the Kitchen Garden Cafe, one of the many independent businesses in York Road, when talking to other local independent shop and business owners, who still thrive on the talent of the 60's/70's performers.

After some research we quickly realised that our investigations had opened a 'Pandoras Box' of interest, and we were soon in contact with, and able to reunite The Modernaires.   It was a sweet and emotional occurrence, which will no doubt be repeated later this year when their pavement plaque (star 9 goes down.  (I bet you didn't know that the drummer still has his original kit stored up in his loft.).
With the help of performers, musicians, fans and visitors to The Ritz  we are gathering an archive to be proud of, involving all of the folk that you mentioned in your 'rant'.

We have used the passage of time to involve as many of the early local bands and performers in our Lazy Sunday Afternoon productions. 

We are supporting local and up and coming artists (30+ in our 6 gigs to date and all full houses I might add).
We agree that the local authority has missed the boat, but this was in no way ever going to be a commercial venture.   Our ticket prices are kept very low and the majority of performers come just for the pleasure of playing/singing.

Sadly, as you are no doubt aware, the original Ritz building has been fire damaged and at present we are awaiting information with regard to it's future, although we have been assured that the City of Birmingham Civic Trust Musical Heritage Plaque No 1, will be returned to the frontage of the new-build in some way.

We have a programme of gigs for 2014 forming as we speak and we know that once again, those who played, danced and romanced in The Ritz all those years ago will pack Fletchers Bar on York Road, directly opposite the fire damaged site of the original building, to reminisce and enjoy the music.

We were 'stung' somewhat, reading your article, perhaps you would like to see our stars before calling them 'cheap'.   We have worked very hard to re-generate the excitement of those wonderful days.

We decided early on, that only folk who lived, worked or had played in Kings Heath would go down as 'Stars'. 

We don't make money, we don't want to make money, we cover our costs...just, and we are happy that the local authority are not involved.

We will be really pleased to hear your comments and advice regarding other
performers who have played at The Ritz and who you feel should be honoured with a 'Star' provided, that is, you don't mind our contact being somewhat out of date.

We look forward to hearing from you.
Ken Whittaker
and
Bob Prew
........................................................

BOBS COMMENTS.

Thanks Ken and Bob for your email and I acknowledge your efforts in trying to 're-create the old days'.         

I am slightly peeved that you thought that the first article was a 'rant'.  

The word 'rant' implies a bitter complaint about something trivial whereas, I and obviously all those musicians who had attended The Ritz ceremony consider it important to acknowledge Birmingham's own musical history, the greatest era of creativity and Rock music the world has ever seen, the Sixties, the era of BRUMBEAT, the era of live music, when every pub and dance hall in Birmingham had bands playing there practically every night.  That will never happen again but it was a Golden Time for those that did live through it all at 'The Ritz '.

I thought a plaque affixed to The Ritz would have been sufficient, with maybe another one beneath that, listing who had played there, both famous chart acts and, more importantly, those great Brummie bands from the City and the West Midlands area.  

However, as Ken and Bob point out, the local businesses do indeed thrive on the talent of the 60's/70's so it is to their betterment to have Stars spread down the street to increase the footfall of various shop frontages so of course it's a commercial venture, not an act of generosity.   There are entrance charges but the visitors who pay to get in generally perform for the pleasure of it.  I don't have any problem with any of that, hard work and initiative should be rewarded. Ken and Bob take the time to promote these events and appear to be supporting local talent so that's a positive.  

WALK OF FAME 
Below is Ken and Bobs 'Walk of Fame' web page, I was hoping to read about the involvement of some of the old bands as mentioned in the email but couldn't find anything.  Nonetheless, this is the place for you to get more information if you want it.
http://www.kingsheathwalkoffame.org.uk/index.php
  
FUTURE STARS ON THE WALK

Thanks very much also for their offer, for me to suggest some deserving names for 'star' consideration.  I'm afraid I'm going to pass on that.  I do suggest however, that readers of this Blog make contact with Ken and Bob on their website to suggest some names of the old great Brummie bands for their consideration.  I imagine that every one of Ma Reagans bands will think they deserve to have a star but that would not be true in the sense of being one of Brums finest.   
Beware of 'THE STROLLERS' effect.

Occasional visits by Ken and Bob to the original and the best Birmingham 60's music

Website... www.Brumbeat.Net might be a good place to start when looking for those who have some merit for their consideration.

Lastly, I have to say that I did make contact offering my help both individually and through a third party who is a regular blog visitor, as soon as I had heard about the proposed plaque to The Ritz?   

All of the above aside, I wish Kings Heath and Ken and Bob well and to say that it is somewhere for those who remember The Ritz to arrange a get together and swap some war stories or for members of old bands to arrange a re-union if you want to. 

THE RITZ FIRE
Spookily, The Ritz caught fire on the same night as a concert, across the road occurred, marking the 50th Anniversary of the Beatles having played there.

copyright.  Birmingham Mail.

What a sad sight, I can remember standing in front of that stage on the left of the picture as an audience member and also standing on it as a musician several times. So my perspective is from both viewpoints.   My older Sisters and Brother had been regulars there in the 50's so The Ritz had been a familial thing for us and so many others like us.  

I had seen a lot of brilliant chart bands there but The Moody Blues triumphal return to play in their home town with 'GO NOW' at No 1 in the charts, was a memorable night to have seen one of the best Brummie R&B groups in the country in action.  Denny Laine spitting out the lyrics, a great R&B driving sound  It was brutal...The real Moody Blues

I'VE BEEN STUNG!  Lastly, as I explained to Bob and Ken, I did not say their star was 'cheap' I said the Walk of Fame was  'a cheaper version' which has nothing to do with the quality of the product they provide (The Star).   There is already a Walk of Fame on Broad Street, which gets most of the publicity and attention in Birmingham so this one at Kings Heath along with other areas of Brum that have this thing in their own planning stages like Erdington, will have a lesser impact than that in the City Centre. Here's a picture of Toyah's star, it's outside a Sports shop so perhaps you might want to jog down there, stand on it, then buy yourself some new trainers whilst you are there.   

END OF SUBJECT.......


THE LAST MUNCHKIN - JERRY MAREN
From iconic places to iconic faces.  The Ritz was certainly an iconic place for us Brummies and some of Films most iconic characters, from the epic film the Wizard of Oz, were the Munchkins who were a real part of that films magic, no CGI then, just real people.   We were treated to some great acting performances from one of the 'featured' group of Munchkins.

in the centre of the above picture is the last surviving munchkin,
Jerry Maren (centre) who is now 93 years old.   

I just wanted to take this opportunity to say to Jerry, "God Bless you mate, I loved those little characters you portrayed and your performance enriched my life and convinced me that magic was real.  I Still think that way too!".

PETE SEEGER

How sad to say goodbye to the fabulous Pete Seeger who died earlier this week.   His incredible songs graced our lives through his enormously long career.   

I remember him appearing on Sunday Night at The London Palladium singing songs like 'Little Boxes', no more than lovable little ditties that the British people truly warmed to in those days.   However Pete Seeger was so much more than a writer of light hearted, comedic songs, he was a true fighter against injustice and hypocrisy.  His song 'Turn Turn Turn' was one of the most recorded by other artists of the 60's, the greatest success being the version by The Byrds.
    
If you have never taken the time to hear him perhaps he will be worth your investigation too! 

STICKS O' BOGEY
Whats the difference between a drummer and a Savings Bond?
 - One will mature and earn money.

Take Care.
Bob

Copyright:  Bullsheadbob
Contact:    Bobsbullocks@GMail.com
  

BULLS HEAD BOB JAN 2014 - HUNTING FOR A CHEAP GUITAR. BOB'S SPARKLING CHRISTMAS PRESENT. GRETSCH ELECTROMATIC.

Hey Ho! and a Happy New Year to you all!!

Many thanks to all those who took the time to write and wish me a Merry Christmas, much appreciated!!  As mentioned in the last blog, my aim this Christmas was to get myself a new guitar, well 'new to me' that is. Three years ago I bought myself a new Fender Squier Classic Player Telecaster for Christmas and I wasn't disappointed with the guitar itself, especially the neck action, but it's budget electrics were and still are, soddin' useless!   

I bought the Tele with the aim of using it as a spare for gigs.  The problem being is that if you are playing, for example, a Les Paul with it's powerful and vibrant pick ups, and then you break a string and need to change your guitar, any sound balance that you may have established with the band or the balance established by the venue sound engineer will be totally destroyed by using a guitar with pick ups that have only about a half of the power and potency of Gibson Humbuckers.  So whilst the Tele is fun to play in isolation, it is not acceptable for stage work in my case.

DI MARZIO PICK UPS
I had considered replacing the pick-ups with Di Marzio's as I had upgraded my

friends Squier Tele a couple of years ago and the sound difference had been dramatic and very pleasing but the upgrade is still quite expensive.  So after much thought about the way forward I decided to keep the Tele just for recording and to look out for a different spare guitar for the same amount of money it would have cost to buy a better set of pick ups, if possible, a real personal challenge! 

LET THE SEARCH BEGIN. Here's what I did.......I sought out the cheapest set of DiMarzios I could find for sale, (165 pounds) and allowed myself the same amount of money to achieve my aim, not a lot of money for a guitar I think you'll agree, so this was going to be quite difficult.   I immediately eliminated Epiphone and other budget guitar brands from the search because their electrics are just as crap as the Squier. It was plain and simple second-hand bargain hunting for me!!!

I had spent days and hours cruising through Ebay,local Free Ad papers and all the usual haunts but was really not getting any further forward.  I would spot something with possibilities only to find out that there was a problem with the instrument, or the electrics!!  Still, undeterred, I had the idea of looking across Europe to see if there was anything going there, I tried Germany and indeed there were a lot of probabilities but none of them would post outside of Germany.  So, then I moved on to Italy and Spain and, as I was looking at some beat up old relic, a new entry popped up on the screen.......like a bolt of lightning, there in front of my eyes was a solid body Gretsch Electromatic going for the Euro equivalent of 125 quid.  Small bodied like the Duo Jet/Les Paul with apparently no dents or dings, so despite the distance between us, I was on the phone like a hairy bear. 

  
I was dreading the answer at the other end because I can only speak two languages, Brummie and Bollocks, but the bizarre thing was, when someone answered the phone, it was an English guy living abroad, what luck!   After a short discussion which also included some begging on my part, he agreed to send it to me for 40 euros more.   Unbelievable really, the cost of postage and the guitar came to slightly less than my budget by a couple of quid.   

GRETSCH ELECTROMATIC
Sometime back I wrote a piece about the Gretsch Corvette saying how much I liked the original Corvette and how disappointed I was that Gretsch had then covered it in glitter and called it a Princess and other unacceptable names like that!!  The guitar I had just bought is unfortunately in Dark Blue Glitter but at least it's a dark colour.

I had tried a Duo Jet way back in 1966 but at the time I was wailing the blues and it's sound didn't cut the mustard, compared to my SG Standard.  Gretsch were too middle of the road for my liking but, on the plus side, they always exuded an air of quality, a bit like Guild.    

The one fantastic thing Gretsch did do though, in their efforts to get into the solid body market, was to take their great Synchromatic electrics which featured on all their great models and stick them on a quite average solid body guitar, which is not brilliant in the choice of wood, but of course the whole thing about an electric guitar in a Rock band is it's amplified sound.

The guitar duly arrived and when I examined it, it was indeed scratch and 'ding' free, there was loads of dust around the bridge area and headstock, as though it had been standing in a corner for years unplayed.  The pick up selector switch didn't function too well but my electrician mate gave the switch a squirt of connector cleansing fluid and everything was totally fine, I couldn't believe my luck at finding this little gem.  This guitar was made in Korea, it's weight is pleasingly light, it's well put together and I was very pleased to find the controls had a sturdy and substantial feel to them, unlike the Tele.  The neck felt slightly slow but the application of some polish soon fixed that.

I was amazed too when I plugged in to my amp and gave it some volume, this little thing has power in spade fulls!!  It was then that my mind wandered back to doing some gigs with the Small Faces way back in the 60's and remembering just how cutting the sound of Steve Marriots Gretsch had been and he had used several different Gretsch models.

Am I happy? you bet your life I am!!   It took me some time and a lot of diligent investigating but I have ended up with a great Gretsch guitar for just a little money, so if you're in the market for a new instrument get looking, it can be rewarding and fun too.  I read in some Guitar Forum that the Electromatics were 'Wondrous guitars'......they are, it's a fact. 

I hope some of you guys got something special too over the festive season..... I now sense a bit of Bo Diddley creeping into my soul, "Lucy grab yer' Maracas".....

ASTON VILLA
Nice to see that Birmingham Library have shown their support for the mighty Villa by lighting up the building in the clubs colours

Birmingham City fans are incensed and are demanding the Library do the same for them, if they only knew what a book was? let alone a library!!


Take Care and Keep Playing!!!

Bob

copyright:  BullsheadBob
contact:    Bobsbullocks@Gmail.com

BULLS HEAD BOB DEC 2013 - THE OLD BULLRING. OZZY CHRISTMAS CONTROVERSY!! TONY IOMMI 'IN COLOUR'. OGGIES CARD 2013.

Watcha Brummies and other Friends scattered around the world,

I'm in colour for this festive blog.

It's hard to believe that another year has flown by so quickly and I find myself hurried into writing this small Christmas offering and want to start by wishing you all a Happy Christmas and thanks for 'tuning in' during the year.   Have a nice warm and over-fed Christmas, look after each other and remind yourselves of better times and better times to come!

I know I'm going to have a better time because I'm Guitar shopping again.
I've challenged myself to find a great buy from a variety of sources.  "Lucy open the Sherry I'm feeling happy".   

I know there will be lots of live music going on in Brum over the festivities, so get out there and support it. 

THE OLD BULLRING
I was 2 years old when this pìcture was taken but it's face never changed up until the rebuilding of the Bull Ring.  A few years later as a mere 'nipper', I was given One Pound to buy my Christmas presents and myself and my sisters would get the bus into Town and go to Woolworths and the old Victorian Market Hall, from where this photo appears to have been taken, to buy our gifts.  It's  such a massive difference from today and I really dislike what they did with the church surrounds.   I just loved the atmosphere  of the old Bull Ring.   Here's a photo to give you a reminder of what we had in 'nicer times'

  

BLACK SABBATH PICK UP AWARD

OZZY FUELS CONTROVERSY!!!!!!

Black Sabbath were given a plethora of awards at the recent Classic Rock, Roll of Honour awards ceremony including one for being alive!!.   'Fresh faced' Ozzy once again appeared to be causing controversy at the ceremony when, it was rumoured, he had suggested he had been 'singled out for embarrassment' by the organisers, saying that he should have been given a "left-handed award like the others"..:   

"Look at this B*****d".   Ozzy with offending Right Handed Award 

They'll be glad to know that the Winners of these awards automatically qualify for inclusion in the world famous BBBCGLM SHED OF FAME 'Golden Dibber' awards, so it will be interesting to see how the voting goes for the Sabs after the Christmas holidays, there'll be some stiff opposition.  They'll not put up with any of your publicity seeking shenanigans

Ozzy!! Happy Christmas Black Sabbath. 

Bill, it appears has been 'Hospitalised'......."Get better soon Bill" and Have a Happy Christmas!

A 'DOUBLE' FOR TONY IOMMI
Just like we did in the old days during the festive season, the left hander had himself booked for a 'double gig' and jumped into his Ford Transit, racing off from the Classic Rock ceremony to receive yet another award, this time an honorary doctorate from Coventry University.  Tony's links with Coventry go way back to when he passed through the city one day in 1967, so it's easy to see why they selected him to receive this prestigious title.  Well done Tony

"How does that Riff go again Doctor Big Man?, dum dee dum"

As can be seen from the picture,he also appears to have been given an early Christmas gift from the university of a Luxury Colour by Numbers Colouring Book and A Boxed set of crayons so he'll have something to do whilst flying over to America for the Sabs tour. Happy Christmas Tony..


OGGIES CARD 2013
Last year I bent over backwards to please my group of feminist 'pals' and in place of the traditional Oggies Card, which had mainly comprised of groups of naked women wearing scanty Christmas outfits or other naked girls with some beer.  I showed a picture of Bilston......it just didn't work!

I don't want to give in to pressure so I've come at from a different angle. There are definitely NO sexy Christmas outfits to exploit. How about the Australian Lady Caravan Owners Christmas Prize Giving, that should be fine and dandy, funny? I can't see any Christmas Baubles anywhere!!
so Happy Christmas Oggie!!!

GETTING AN INSTRUMENT AT CHRISTMAS?
If you are planning to start playing a musical instrument this Christmas then the following maybe of some help to you when considering just how much you should need to practice......naturally this chart does not apply to those wishing to playlike 'The Edge' from U2 or those thinking of playing the Bass.   

So there you go, short and sweet, that's it for another Christmas.


Cheers
Bob
Copyright Bullsheadbob
Contact  Bobsbullocks@Gmail.com

BULLS HEAD BOB NOV 2013 - BROAD STREET WALK OF FAME STAR - DON'T VOTE FOR STEVE WINWOOD !! SAY NO NOW!!!

Howdoo Earthlings,

I'm sat here with sore fingers after playing too many gigs, too close together
and on top of that I've been recording and teaching, I don't know why I just don't have my guitar surgically grafted onto my body!  

THE DISKERY
A quick word of thanks to John Garghan for getting in touch with me and pointing out that the picture I showed of The Diskery 

in last months blog
is the current store and not the original that was on Hurst Street, just around the corner.  

I did know that, but didn't include an original picture of it in the blog because I thought that if you wished to visit the current location of The Diskery,those of the Brumbeat generation may suffer from some herbal 'short term memory loss effect' and I didn't want you wandering off into heavy traffic, forgetting what you've just gone out for, 'Man'?? ..."just lookin' for some grooves"

From a vinyl perspective, you may be interested to know that
it has been reported that this year has been the best for sales of vinyl LP's, for many years......the reality, however, is the volume of sales was 0.07% of the market, so it's popularity is not at eye watering levels just yet. 

But I just love Vinyl.........those downloads and CD's of original recordings, pale into insignificance when heard as original recordings on vinyl, there's just no comparison, no expectation, no reward.  On vinyl you can hear Little Richard sweat....!!

DON'T VOTE FOR 
STEVE WINWOOD'S 
BROAD STREET STAR

I've seen recently, a campaign of sorts encouraging Brummies to vote for a star to be awarded to Steve Winwood on the Broad Street walk of fame.
Well let me tell you all this simple fact......I'm not voting for him because:
Class doesn't need crap publicity

The people whose names are already included on Broad street are all third rate in comparison to Steve Winwood's talent, musically speaking.  It's like comparing U2 with The Beatles, or U2 with well, anyone really.   All of those stars on the pavement are there to ATTRACT PEOPLE TO THE BARS, nobody gives a shark's fart about who should be there on merit and there's no scoring moral victories by mounting campaigns for a star, because at the end of the day, who cares?  

Is that just me being grumpy? I don't think so.

 I would say that all of those who have their names on the pavement of the 'Walk of Cut Price Drinks' respect Steve Winwood as the finest Brummie musician right from his very early days.   The rest of the world knows it even today.    

I would hope that Steve doesn't give a shit about it and steers well clear of being some shop keepers or council wanker's afterthought!! 

For my part, I am amazed that he wasn't the first person to be offered this useless piece of tat but moreover, am mystified about why the heck would anyone CARE if they didn't feature there?

Steve has some good friends,

is currently on TWO tours in the States and Canada, one with Rod Stewart and the other on his own so he's not short of work and I doubt very much whether he loses any sleep over a soddin' paving stone? 

Keep it real Steve and tell em' to stick their star up their khasi's. I think you might have to modify the language somewhat but if you find that task a little too onerous you could just be 'permanently busy'!!

BOB'S COUNTER CAMPAIGN
Given what has been said in the above passage I think that us Brummies
should think of something a little more imaginative and 'high status' for the Lord Master of Brummy Twanging and luckily, I have the answer and it's so simple.....

We'll all write to The Mayor and demand to change the street name of Broad Street and call it: 

WINWOOD BOULEVARD!!
How fitting, poetic and rhythmic it sounds, it kind of rolls off the tongue doesn't it?  I can see myself cruising down Winwood Boulevard

in some classic car or other with 'Gimme Some Lovin' whangin' out with it's gurgling, over-driven Hammond organ and Steve's amazing vocal sound that makes us muso's pull weird faces in sheer admiration? In doing that, we will surely be placing Steve Winwoods importance where it should be, as The Overlord of The Barely Significant and their Lowly Paving Stones.

"So anyway Steve, there you have it.  Why settle for a paving stone when I can get you the whole road??
I could be your campaign manager....let's get the wheels in motion.

Get one of your people to talk to one of mine (me), I've talked to other people before so I have experience in that field too". If you decide that 'Winwood Boulevard" is a great title and inspires you use it for a song then I'll say no more about it, it's your's for free. 

Us lesser mortals will get busy lobbying the mayor.

CRITICAL MASS - OFFICIAL MELTDOWN
As reported in the last couple of blogs, Critical Mass have formed, played a couple of gigs and guitarist Oggie, who was pissed off....pissed off!! apparently back to the safety of the boozer.

FREEDOM FIELD (L to R) Bob Styler, Dave Hynds, Michelle Williams, Danny Gallagher

FREEDOM FIELD - THE RE-BIRTH
They have now discarded that original name (and Oggie) and have been re-born again as FREEDOM FIELD with Bob Styler taking over sole guitarist duties for the band.   I wish them well for the future and know they are working hard on Michelle's original material which is quite political in nature, so for you socio-anarchistic music lovers, this band could be just the ticket.

They recently appeared at The Old Moseley Arms, in Moseley, where they went down very well.  Oggie, me and Steve Gibbons were also in the audience.

It's kind of like history repeating itself, this same group of people who I knew as a teenager way back in the very early 60's (excepting Michelle), forming another band and going through those band disagreements that caused ructions like they did when we was all sprogs.  I can't help thinking that this is just like the way it was, way back then.   Nothing changes, These are all musicians with a good heritage and they have all featured in great groups of those heady days of Brumbeat.   Great stuff!!, a good band will always be a good band, so long may they reign!!  Go and see them.

FINAL FAREWELLS
With the last days of October came the news of the death of Lou Reed
(71).  I'm sure we were all fans of 'Walk on the Wild Side' and 'Perfect Day',
the latter being covered by the whole of the music business for a charity single in 1997.

On the flip side of the serious music coin we also saw the passing of Manolo Escobar on the same day, whose 'Viva Espana' drove me round the soddin' bend for more years than I care to think about but was destined to be the fuel for some Black Country bands set lists     Bilstons own 'Ammonia Workers Social Club' would have been throbbing to this classic on a Sunday afternoon, singing along and all remembering their Spanish 'All Day Breakfast', skin-peeling experience from the year before.  "We went to a classier hotel and it really paid off.  Our Gareth said it was the first time he'd come back without the clap...........""""Oh Viva Espana"""

On that note....

Bob

Copyright:  Bullsheadbob
Contact:    Bobsbullocks@GMail.com

BULLS HEAD BOB OCT 2013. HISS, POP, CRACKLE IT'S VINYL TIME. THE DISKERY AND REDDINGTONS RARE RECORDS

Hello Brummies and other assorted Friends.

Let's get on with it.......   

VINYL, BLACK GOLD?

I bought my first Long Playing Record (LP) from the Stratford Road, Sparkhill. Co-incidentally it was from Bev Bevan's Mum's shop and it was The Best of The Beach Boys Vol2.

The records were cheaper there than other shops I knew because they appeared to be 'seconds', that is, with some minor defect to the vinyl or cover.  I seem to remember that it played OK though, or perhaps not because I don't recall buying any other records from there?   I was prompted to buy this particular LP after playing in the support band spot for Tony Rivers and The Castaways, certainly the best harmony band in the UK at the time, at Hall Green Technical College. (Funnily enough Bev Bevan was at the same gig, in the audience I seem to remember?)  
I was simply knocked out by the strength and richness of their harmonies, I'd never experienced anything like that before and even now can remember most of their act.  

BRUMBEAT GIG
Hall Green, Technical College was a really good Brumbeat gig and I played there a few times as one of the support bands to the likes of The Zombies, and The Sorrows and various others whose names don't immediately spring to mind. I also went there to see Birmingham bands like The Hellions and The Yamps.

Anyway, back to the Vinyl.  The days of the record shops in the sixties was huge, unlike today, with the greatest of names and labels closing down and the recording business nose diving into the abyss of uncertainty.

THE DISKERY
On Bromsgrove Street, in the City Centre of Birmingham there was one shop that we all went to and that was The Diskery, opened by the legendary Morris Hunting in the fifties and it was from there that you could buy Jazz, R&B, Blues and Ska records that were unavailable anywhere else.

  
Amazingly, and luckily for us devotees of the black stuff, The Diskery has survived the rigours of time and is still in business.
I bought my first Blues LP from here.  It was Sonny Boy Williamson, 'Down and Out Blues' and I was well and truly hooked by the blues sound, as were many other Brummie groups, all inspired by this raw and earthy style of playing that contributed to so much to those fantastic and energetic 'group performance' days of Brumbeat and there were some fine bands about in the City whom I'm sure I've mentioned a hundred times.

For years, it's always been worth a look inside The Diskery to find the obscure from the international market, or those rare LP's that would be nice to have back in our collections.  I've bought some cracking LP's from there including, in 1971, the 'then' newly released, Brumbeat hero Steve Gibbons, 'Short Stories' LP which I still have. It has some personal memories for me too.  I really do encourage you to visit the Diskery and enjoy one of the best customer experiences around these days.  

THE DECLINE
Cassette tape recorders started becoming much more economically available, around the time I bought this particular LP, and the whole world began copying everything from radio shows or from each other rather than buying Vinyl.  Along with that, technology was marching on and miniaturisation loomed large on the horizon with cassettes replacing the space consuming Record collections.   Naturally with such cheap options, record shops began to suffer from declining sales.   Some LP's however were those that demanded owning, like "Dark Side of the Moon" for example or the whole of The Beatles catalogue but the final death knell for vinyl though, came in the form of CD's. The whole world seemed to start selling all their LP's at car boot sales or even worse, dumping them in skips!! 

(Cannon Street shop)

REDDINGTONS RARE RECORDS
You couldn't buy vinyl in the big stores any longer so, conversely, it then became apparent that there was still a market, for the more discerning listeners, or for those wishing to re-visit their past, with shops specialising in old LP's beginning to surface.   The shop that every Brummie vinyl addict would flock to was Reddingtons Rare Records and we all went there looking for those treasured old LP's and singles.   At the same time, people began to realise that some of their vinyl was collectible and had the potential to be of value..... well some LP's are and a lot are not. However, if you think you have something worth 'a bob or two', always seek good advice if you want to sell your collection.  Both Reddingtons and The Diskery are the experts in this field or, of course, there is much information available on the internet.

KAY WESTWORTHS
Reddingtons was hugely popular and its premises grew and grew in size.  My favourite store was the one on Cannon Street that had once been Kay Westworths Music Shop, so it kind of formed some sort of continuity in my life and I could practically feel the ghosts of the people who had worked at that music shop and the musicians who I had met and played with in that small place. 

Reddingtons Rare Records last record store was at Digbeth, near the coach station which closed six or seven years ago, Dan Reddington is however, still trading on-line and has a massive stock of LP's.  So should you be looking for something special don't venture further afield than Brums own, you can contact Dan on his great website at http://www.reddingtonsrarerecords.co.uk/

I keep reading about Vinyl being on the come back, I think it's a faddish kind of style thing that appears with some kind of clockwork regularity. In truth however, it is THE best listening experience by far.  It's rich and warm recordings are a delight to hear particularly, in my case, for the music that was recorded during the fifties and sixties, on heavyweight vinyl if you're lucky enough.  I have some real treasures that came mainly from shops like these two legendary traders of music.  Long may they live and as long as they do, it is us punters who prosper spiritually.  So, many congratulations and many thanks for keeping 'at it' in the name of music.  Two greats of Birminghams Music history.

Finally...
It appears that Oggies stint with recently formed Critical Mass went into
primary meltdown on the first night........."come on now Oggie" none of these moodies.   


Tara' for this month

Cheers
Bob

Copyright Bullsheadbob
Contact at:  Bobsbullocks@GMail.com

BULLS HEAD BOB - SEP 2013. THE BULLS HEAD 1961 WITH CARS!! PROMS 2013 NIGEL KENNEDY. MICK BLYTHE, THE REDCAPS. THE RENEGADES, New Article.

Howdoo!!!

All's quiet on the Brumbeat front at the mo, it must be the heat of this Indian summer we've recently experienced.  According to Nobber, the world has tilted and "although we think we're in Brum drinking brown and mild in the boozer, we are in fact in Southern France and France is now in Spain"  He says it's put a real dent in his fluffy novelty slipper sales but is thinking of including "Free Garlic" with every pair, to attract the more Mediterranean types, who occasionally get cold and want some big bee's on their feet.
  
"THERE'S ANOTHER ONE BEHIND"
For us who use the buses during rush hour on a regular basis that line is all

too familiar.   I never thought that line would apply to one of the most important venue's of Brumbeat which I thought was lost forever in the mists of time.

For some years I had been on the lookout for a picture of the Bulls Head, Coventry Road and was forced to use a picture from an old postcard I came across which had been burned and I had to employ the trickery of Photoshop to make half decent full scale shot of the place then along came the very amiable Lee Tonks who sent me the picture of the Bulls Head that I currently use on the blog heading.

Well, "you could do something to me with something or other" as my lovely Mother would say because he's only gone and found yet another picture of The Bulls Head, obtaining the owners permission to publish it, and although it's not great from the point of view of photographic crispness, it is almost right on the button in age terms for the Brumbeat days. It really stirs some memories for us Brummies.

(Pans People.. minis and boots)

 I never played there to anything other than a full house, as did all the great Brummie bands, not only Brummie bands either!!    After we'd done a sound check we would sit in the snug bar at the bottom of the stairs and watch all the girls coming in.....mini skirts, kinky boots. Every young mans 60's reality, yummee!!

I just love the selection of these cars parked in front of the shrine which has me yearning for the days when cars were still made in Brum... 

and the seats smelled of leather and! having white wall tyres was still in fashion. There's just something very curvaceous about these motor cars. There's a Hillman there (I think?) the same as I had except I had the estate version that could accelerate from '0 to 60, eventually!' and there's a

more modern sloped back Anglia.

This photo was taken in 1961which shows perfectly the American influence of chrome overload so, Brum was still embedded in those great rock and roll days when the fashions were somewhat different.   Dusty Springfield had yet to make a real impact as the white girl with the black soulful voice and her journey there wasn't helped by her disastrous choice of stage outfits, who could forget the Trapped Fart Dress??

Are the cars relevant to the Brumbeat days?, of course they are, and the bikes, most of which were made in Brum, it was days of rising prosperity and optimism, the youth were making a strong impact on the scene and this place was a real draw for them, good bands brought the girls in and of course the guys were not far behind!!. From then on and including the Summer of Love this place throbbed to the brilliant live music played there and all the girls in their psychedelic, coloured clothing made it nice to play then, groovy and fashionable 'hip chicks' swirling about on the dance floor was a joy to see..

The world of music then went insane and Prog Rock reared it's ugly head, the audience began to sit down on the dance floor and that was the end of the Dance Hall days, most of the girls had gone.   They all moved to the discos    
whilst the floors of places like Mothers filled up with cider drinking, sixth form vegetarians in duffle coats.

It's somewhat pleasing to see that these days they have taken the prog rockers and put them all on a ship in the middle of the ocean.  Now if only we can find a very small boat for Cheryl Cole that would be fine.

Thanks a lot Lee, now if you could manage to find yet another picture with a Ford Transit parked outside the door, covered in lipstick, that would be the ultimate find.

MUSIC, MUSIC, NIGEL KENNEDY

(copyright. Nigel Kennedy)

Nigel Kennedy's dreams will be realised today if he discovers he's made it to Bulls Head Bob blog with a mention....

For many many years I have or had watched The Proms from the Albert Hall
but always felt detached from it all by the social barriers imposed by the old brigade of Promenaders and, ergo, the programme itself.   This year I was mesmerised by the collaborations forged between street musicians and the BBC Symphony Orchestra which was just amazing and if you didn't watch it, try and get a gander at some of the finest music ever on the BBC.   

NIGEL KENNEDY
Nigel Kennedy is a Villa supporter but more importantly than that, he is just amazing, in fact I would say 'Heroic' from my standpoint. 

Long has he vexed the establishment with his contrary take on things, that is contrary from their point of view.    His concert at the Proms 2013 was incredible, bringing a freedom from the total adherence to the written music notation.  Along with a cast of phenomenal young and passionate musicians he showed just what is possible by breaking down barriers in the classical music field in such a positive manner.  Please take the time to get and see this if you can.  More importantly get someone young to watch it.  It's all about moving forward with art.

MICK BLYTHE
I have recently published some photos of The Salopian Dudes who were
formed around two ex members of iconic Brumbeat band The Redcaps.  Well 
they've increased the bands size by recruiting yet another original member of that great band, none other than guitarist Mick Blythe.  Here's a snap of them playing at The Hen and Chickens, Bridgnorth recently with new Redcap recruit, at the mic with Mick Walker.

Mick Walker and Mick  Blythe

Does my heart good......keep it up you guys!!

BRUMBEAT PIE STAND PAGE
Whilst your here why not pop over to the Brumbeat main site and check out John's new article about THE RENEGADES.     

Well enjoy the rest of the good weather and your Hol's..

Till next Month

Bob

Copyright: Bullsheadbob
Contact:  Bobsbullocks@GMail.com