‘Betty Beat Continues. Betty Beat is an extra terrestrial 18 year old girl who comes from Planet Kromos. The action is set in the 1967-1968 period, with loads of ‘Swingin’’ London imagery.
There will be many funny characters coming along as Betty lives her adventures on planet Earth!’ I hope you enjoy getting to know Betty Beat.
Max Galli – 2012
Sexy Sixties – Chapter 1 Part B
Those hedonistic Modernists (1959-1961)
The suit is a blue pinstripe model, made by that Italian tailor cat somewhere just behind Charing Cross Road. It looks good. Well, it looks damn right. It has three front pockets, plus one for the hanky, two eight inch side vents and it’s cut like a piece of art. It’s just perfect. Jean Paul Belmondo and Marcello Mastroianni couldn’t have desired anything better than that.
The owner of that suit – and many others – is a seventeen years old boy from Stepney Green. He works, of course, and his job is all about metal sheets to be folded and shaped. Not that it can be called “the best job in the world”, but it’s enough money to make him afford some very good clothes and fuel for his Lambretta Li 150. And some pills, too. “’Cause life’s gotta be brilliant. You have to be brilliant, mate”, he usually answers when someone asks him questions.
Meanwhile, he also invests his wages into the latest jazz imports from the US, exploring all those many microscopic Soho music shops. He spends a lot of his spare time looking at his image in the mirror, and – hey!, he likes a lot what he sees. He meets somewhere in the West End with a few other cats very much into the same music and lifestyle, but he doesn’t consider himself as part of a group. In fact, he’s an individual. He’s a Modernist.
Music and cinema started it all, in the 50s or maybe earlier. American GIs living in UK wanted jazz musicians to play for them. A bunch of sixteen years old boys, bored to death with the too understated, post war-ish national imagery, found themselves tasting a bit of that ‘modern jazz’ thing being imported. And they liked it. In the same time, French and Italian films added new ingredients to the cinema as a form of art, making British films look plain and unexciting, to say the least.
If we add to these two fundamental things a third, no less important one, the mass motorization, with the introduction of brilliantly designed Italian scooters, you should have a complete frame about our boy with the pinstripe suit, or about his attitude and lifestyle. “Being brilliant” as the opposite of “being plain”, “being dull”, “being a post-war number dressed in a boxy, badly cut jacket”. Or, in one word, “being square”.
All of a sudden these hedonistic teenagers didn’t want to be the average English boys anymore, they wanted to be American, French or Italian. And for the first time ever, they had enough money in their pockets to look smart, to buy imported records and to drive a very good looking scooter – a wheeled piece of the most desirable Italian design.
And the boy with the pinstripe suit irons the crease of his trousers to a sharp, razor-like finishing. A light-blue, tab collar shirt is waiting on a hanger, as the ice-white mac, ready to be worn.
“Just stick a good John Coltrane or Wayne Shorter on the record player, before I go. That will give me a kick”. It’s nine o’clock pm, and the night is there, just behind your flat’s door.
The night is yours and it’s full of new sensations.The gathering of a new kind of knights – the Modernists – will take place at the club, all night long.
You only need to read a book, to learn what’s the story. And this book can only be Colin McInnes’ “Absolute Beginners”. It’s all there.
1966/67 was into Spencer Davis and Tamla Motown and then Small Faces. Started buying records.
Stile Youth Club Todmorden.
Too many to mention in the UK and all over Europe.
1976 – Northallerton Civic Hall North Yorkshire – Lots of kids, mums and dads asking for ABBA!!
Richard Serling – knows what it’s all about on the dancefloor and a pleasure to work with.
Butch – always finding quality new discoveries
Soul Sam – Bless him – his enthusiasm at his age. His spots are either good or not so good!
Black music and fond memories of the 60’s.
I am No. 1 for re-activating oldies. Once you have purchased these finds/discoveries. Twenty four years ago buying Timi Yuro and before that having the first copy of Just Like You Did Me – Yvonne Vernee (Sonbert). In 1977 also recall at the same time myself and a couple of DJ’s first playing My Loves Gone With the Wind.
Tamla Motown – Marvin Gaye. All time favourite singer is Jackie Wilson.
UK Soul labels from the 60’s and quality imports.
Resident DJ 3rd Friday every month Yorkshire. Lawton Civic Hall Nr Wigan 2nd Friday of month. King Georges Hall Blackburn and Kings Hall Stoke allnighters. Most of the top weekenders.
I’ll be honest always chasing records and been very fortunate over a long period in life to have got most of the records I have always wanted but there is always something new to discover and that keeps you going.
Top 10 Tracks of All Time:
All 1960’s except for No.10
1. The Right Track – Billy Butler (Soul City / Okeh USA)
2. Just a Little Misunderstanding – Contours (Tamla Motown)
3. I Won’t be Coming Back – JD Bryant (Shrines USA)
4. It’ll Never be Over for Me – Timi Yuro (Liberty-UK)
5. If You Ask Me – Jerry Williams (Calla)
6. You’ve Been Away – Rubin (Kapp)
7. The Next in Line – Hoagy Lands (Stateside UK)
8. I’m the One To Do It – Jackie Wilson (Coral UK)
9. The Drifter – Ray Pollard (United Artists UK)
10. I Like To Get Near You – Richard Caiton (Uptight USA 70’s)
Current Top 5 Tracks:
(All 1960’s)
1. If You Want to Hold On – JT Parker (Academy)
2. I’ll Believe in You – Nancy Wilcock (10” Pied Piper Production)
3. Heartache Souveniers – William Powell (Powerhouse)
4. Sweet Temptation – Ward Burton (Panther)
5. Money Can’t Buy my Love – Vivien Jones (Lark)
I got into the mod/scooter scene at 15 years old. I bought my first scooter, a Vespa 50cc Special and joined a scooter club called High Moderation. I had an older brother and cousins who were into the Mod scene so I started to hang around with some Mods who were a year above me at school. Once into the fashion it was only a matter of time before I started to get into the music. I started listening to bands such as Paul Weller, The Jam, Small Faces and The Who. My brother had a big part to play in my musical taste progressing, as he was listening to bands like The Specials, Madness and was listening to lots of soul and Motown compilations, which exposed me to artists like Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops and Martha Reeves.
At 16, looking slightly older than my age (not the case now), I was able to start going to clubs like Brighton Beach, local soul nights and the occasional scooter rally. This is where I was exposed to lots of new sounds. I was hearing records like Mel Torme – Coming Home, Sandi Sheldon – Gonna make me love you and Sam Dees – Lonely for my baby. As you can imagine I was blown away by these sounds and the exposure made me delve a little deeper into the music and vinyl records. I bought my first record from Boogaloo Records in Leicester when I was 17 for 6UKP and it was Ray Charles – Go on home.
My First DJ set was in Birmingham; by this time I lived for the weekends and was travelling up and down the country regularly attending mod/soul nights. Through attending nights on a regular basis Pid asked me to DJ along with a couple of mates Soggy and Gibbo. Dudley Steve was also on at the same night. I remember playing records like Joe Tex – You better believe it baby, JJ Jackson – Oh Ma Liddi and The Artistics – hope we have. I also remember playing a reissue, but this was before I was aware of the OVO policy! A couple of people looked amazed that they saw a young 17 year old lad behind the decks playing Bobby Adams & Betty Lou – Dr True Love…quite funny thinking about it now!
My most memorable DJ set has to be in Barcelona at the Boiler club. The city is amazing enough but the Boiler Club is how clubs should be, exciting, vibrant and a full on party from start to finish. I was deliberating weeks before about what I should play and selecting records for my play-box! I was pleased with my sets and judging by the dance floor so were the dancers, it was packed from start to finish… I even played a B-side by mistake and the dancers liked it, thankfully it was a very good B-side!
If ever you get asked to DJ at a wedding DON’T DO IT! I was asked off the back of running a club called ‘Shoutin the Blues’. One of the bar men liked the music and asked me to play at his wedding. At the time I was about 18 or 19 and thought that I could make a few quid. I made it clear that I only had Soul, Mod, R&B, Latin records and that he wouldn’t be getting the usual type wedding DJ playing music like ABBA, The Village People etc. He was adamant that he wanted something a bit different and that his guests would enjoy the music. I agreed to do it and for a price of £150, which I thought wasn’t bad for a few hours work! How wrong could I have been!
I was conscious not to play rare stuff, so I took more mainstream (to me) records which consisted of lots of Motown and dance floor friendly classics. Anyway to cut a long story short only 1 person danced throughout the whole night and that was towards the end of the night… funnily enough it was probably the rarest record I played all night ‘Billy Hawkes – Oh Baby’. Towards the end there were a group of lads who were sat at the back of the room, one of them came to ask me if I would play ‘You’ll never walk alone’, me being a Man United fan replied “I don’t play that stuff”, every record I played then was drowned out by a chant of “Who the f hell are you”. Shortly after that I decided to call it a night. I got my wages and left. Looking back now it’s pretty funny but at the time it was a nightmare!
Mik Parry – Forward thinking and so ahead of the game it’s unreal. It’s only now other DJ’s have been able to acquire records he was playing years ago. A) because the records are pure quality and B) they have seen his playlists. Check out his You tube channel ‘POW WOW MIK’
Karl Heard – Is what I call a proper DJ! This man has the ability to create an atmosphere like no other. Karl had a record collection to die for, but has now sold most of them off…not that I’m complaining! You think of all the big tunes – Volumes, Charles Johnson, Judy Stokes, Notations, Magicians, Harvey Averne, Johnny McCall AND Karl had or has these and loads more of this calibre.
Gav Arno – I always say it but it’s true, he’s a dark horse! Every time I hear him behind the decks and also when I have a look through his playbox he surprises me with what he has. Gav has a passion for unearthing quality unknown records, he finds tomorrow’s big records today!
The three DJ’s I have mentioned in question 5 have helped me shape my taste, especially Karl Heard, over the last few years. Another is by regularly attending club nights and hearing DJ’s spinning new (to me) interesting records. The thing I love about Mod nights is you get such a varied taste of music from Soul right through to Jazz.
The internet is also a great way to hear new records and other DJ’s from around the world. Shows such as Jester Wild and YouTube channels are a great way to hear new stuff. Over the years I have collected all sorts but now I am much more selective about what records I buy.
Tough question…my best discoveries are records I have recently posted on YouTube, Lil Archie & The Majestics, Leave my Girl Alone & Victor Lane, There’s Something About You. I have had them for about 4/5 years now and have been searching hard since but have never come across other copies. That is the reason why I have put them on YouTube to give them more exposure but also to see if other DJ’s/collectors can unearth copies…good luck!
I honestly don’t have a favourite artist, I really like Marvin Gaye but not sure I could call him my favourite. I would relate this back again to question 5 and say that in my time as a resident at The Pow Wow Club, Mik and Gav were massive influences over me musically. The stuff these guys were playing was unreal! Imagine being 19/20 and hearing The Jokers, Jonathan Capree, The Fads, Young Jessie etc. Both well ahead of their time and two great DJ’s.
Not in the slightest, if it’s good and I like it I’ll have bid/buy it. I don’t just buy records for DJ-ing with though. If I hear a record that I like but is not right for playing out, depending on cost, I will still by it for Sunday afternoons relaxing at home, listening to a few records.
Although I do like the Soul Brother Records label. It can be found here.
I am not currently a resident or running any club nights but I get asked to guest DJ quite a bit, so if you keep your eyes peeled I’m sure you will my see my name on one or two flyers. In terms of running my own night… watch this space!
Another tough one, it would have to be either Eddie Parker, I’m Gone on Awake or The Hopkins Bros, Shake Cherri on Magnetik. I can remember when I first heard both of these records for the first time and thinking Holy smoke!
I first heard Eddie Parker in Sweden at the Soulastic All-nighter when Ginger Taylor was playing. When the first few notes came in the atmosphere was something I had not experienced before at a soul all-nighter and something I will never forget. That night we all went onto an after party and one of my friends had what I thought was a copy of ‘I’m Gone’ and the only difference between his copy and Ginger’s was that my mate’s was a boot (the look-a-like boot). I wasn’t aware of the value of the record at this point and I thought he had a copy, he then explained it was worth in the region of between 5-7K, needless to say, it was hammered that night and played probably about 30 times at the after party… oh what good times!
I first heard Andy Dyson play The Hopkins Bros at Lifeline a few years back and again the place went crazy. Only a handful of DJ’s had it at the time, all the big boys such as Dyson, Butch, Ian Wright… I’m not even sure if Mick H had one at that time!? Shame that it has been booted now! It’s still record of the night every time I hear it out, but I hate that I can now go online and buy a boot of it for £10, it has to be OVO!
Top Ten Favourites:
1. Eddie Parker – I’m gone
2. Hopkins Bros – Shake Cherri
3. Jonathan Capree – I’m gonna build me a mountain
4. Carol Anderson – Taking my mind off love
5. Ray Agee – I’m losing again
6. Billy Hawkes – Oh baby
7. Volumes – I ain’t gonna give you up
8. Otis Lee – Hard Row to Hoe
9. Parisians – Twinkle little star
10. Tobi Lark – Sweep it out in the shed
Top Five Spins:
1. The Sacred Four – Somebody watching you
2. Ray Agee – I’m Losing again
3. J T Parker – If you want to hold on
4. Judy Stokes – Real Man
5. Charles Simmons – Save the World
I’ve been into music for as long as I can remember, I was well moulded by my Dad who has always been a music nut. My earliest musical memories are of tapes he made me, one ‘Hits For Holly’ had a variety of stuff from The Clash to Syd Barrett. I also had an Elvis tape I listened to till it wore out.
The first time I ever did a DJ slot was probably in a place called The Vale, where a band I used to manage did a night, and we used to put on bands.
The most memorable spot was probably the first time we played at the evening events at All Saints in Lavarone, Italy in 2009. All Saints was the first proper 60s Weekender I went to, back in 2005. I never had a clue this world existed till then, I was instantly hooked, so it was special to be invited to DJ there a few years later.
There’s been plenty! Usually involving a broken deck or something, the worst I can recall was a month after moving Eyes Wide Open to a new venue, and the sound completely going out. I think someone had accidentally unplugged something. Disaster, the night was over before it had really begun.
Paddy & Sarge, Andrew Divine, Rob, German crowd.
Childhood, friends, other DJs, weekenders/clubs.
Not sure this is the answer you’re looking for, but probably getting my hands on the Nuggets compilations, they really changed everything for me.
I guess, again, my Dad probably has been. He raised me on Syd Barrett and early Pink Floyd, and they/he is probably still my favourite 60s artist today. I’ve taken his early teachings and run with it, now I play him mixes and tapes and he says things sound familiar to him, and it turns out he was pals with the bands I’m listening to now. If only he still had his record collection from back then!
I collect whatever I love, and what I think people will dance to. I only really collect records to DJ with, so I almost exclusively buy psychedelic records, or garage records. I also buy stuff from new bands, favourites at the moment are The See See, Sulk and By The Sea.
At Double Sight, the Psych weekender we’re hosting in Glasgow in October. It’s running across 5 venues over 4 days, from October 4th to 7th. I’m not running a monthly club at the moment, but DJ in a few bars in and around Glasgow every couple of weeks.
There’s a never ending list. At the moment it’s probably Double Sight/Fredereek Hernando by One In A Million, which we named our weekender after.
And even harder to decide, and something I’ve actually never thought about before. Here are some which spring to mind as long time dance floor favourites.
All time top Ten
1.Wade In The Shade – Daddy Lindberg
2. It Won’t Be The Same – Gavin Hamilton
3. Little Girl – Dick Wagner & The Frosts
4. Fire – Pegasus
5. La Revolution Francaise – Y Mouille a Sciaux
6. I Wanna Be Your Dog – The Stooges
7. House Of Glass – The Glass Family
8. Kicks & Chicks – The Zipps
9. Flash & Crash – Rocky & The Riddlers
I always find this question difficult… so hard to narrow it down, and its always changing, but at the moment my top 5 is probably this, in no particular order.
Current Top Five
1. I’m Just A Fool – Shelly Y Nueva Generacion
2. Sycamore Sid – Focal Point
3. Don’t Let It Get The Best Of You – Nimrod
4. Holding A Dream – Gene Latter
5. Unskilled Worker – The Dukes
DJ Promo Links
www.facebook.com/doublesightweekender
www.facebook.com/eyeswideopenclub
Jacco Gardner – Clear the Air
Skywalkers main man Jacco Gardner comes up with a contemporary pop sike masterpiece with influences from last centuries psych heroes July and The End in the mix. Both sides are bang on the money the A-side “Clear the Air” a wonderful mid tempo dreamy slab of psych complete with harpsichord and orchestral arrangements. The flip a much faster paced affair with groovy bass line and trippy vocal effects, “A house on the Moon” is ripe for some dancefloor action scene psychedelic DJ’s!!! Available from: actionweekendrecords.blogspot.com
The Strypes – Young, Gifted & Blue
Fabulous Blues wailin’ Strypes have been listening to a healthy dollop of early Yardbirds records you know when Eric was uber cool and making a name for himself covering the Blues masters, fast forward 50 years almost and what have we got a bunch of VERY young lads from the emerald isle following the very same path. Cuts included on this EP are “You can’t judge a book by the cover”, “Leaving here”, “Got love if you want it” and “I wish you would” which was co-incidentally was the first Yardbirds 45. Original recordings are in the pipeline soon and the lads live performance is something you won’t forget in a hurry. Catch them live at Crossfire in London on Sat 13 October and see what all the fuss is about. www.facebook.com/pages/The-Strypes/209082819114610
The Urges – Fire Burning
New 45 from another great Irish band The Urges and a slight change in style with a soulful garage sound. Punchy brass and soul stomping drums set the pace on “Fire Burning” which is a frantic dancefloor destroyer with a Doors organ solo and great drum break thrown in for good measure, another 45 that deserves a spin on the scene garage DJ’s!!!. The flip “I’ve been here before” is a slow creepy slightlydelic number in the Kim Fowley/Seeds vein and makes this a cracking 45 which you can pick up here: www.mersolmusic.co.uk
The Hypnotic Eye – Marianne/Searching
New London band Hypnotic Eye’s first 45 is a ferocious effort of the Omens classic “Searching” and shows just what good taste this band has. The double A-sided disc is a limited edition (500 only) vinyl 45 complete with PopArt sleeve. “Mariane” is a home grown number with a more R&B/garage/pop feel with shouts that encourage the young lady to get high to add to the feel good factor. A great debut single with a humorous message on the run out groove. www.facebook.com/hypnoticeye
Brain Washington – L.S.D/Bad Acid
A heavy dose of ferocious psychedelic rock on 45rpm from London band Brain Washington housed in a smashing picture sleeve. Far out effects, rumbling bass, blistering guitar and pounding drums on both sides of this disc make the trip well worthwhile. Available from: deathpoprecords.wordpress.com/death-pop-records-contact/
Midnight To Six Man – Max Galli
Illustrations and thoughts about the Mod Scene from our very own Max Galli who will premiere drawings from this exhibition at www.euroyeye.es in Gijon between 16 July and 19 August at Cleo Modern & Vintage Clothing, C/Antonio 14, Gijon, Spain. Thirty four black and white modernist inspired illustrations included in this book from the hand of Max appropriately entitled ‘Midnight To Six’. The content is usually beautiful ladies, sometimes with the guys, on scooters or inside club’s where you find most self respecting Mod’s and always dressed sharp. Influenced by his father who was a keen photographer this labour of love features drawings inspired by fellow scenesters who Max met on his journey starting in London back in 1999. The attention to detail makes this a must buy for those who collect modernist inspired paintings or books. You can reach Max here www.maxgalli.net and follow the adventures of Betty Beat comic strip on NUTsMAG. If you would like to purchase the book click HERE.
Shindig! Quarterly #3
A firm favourite here at NUTs HQ, Shindig is quarterly now and issue number three features a Fab article on cover stars the Left Banke. A fascinating read on one of Americas many one hit wonder bands who career had barely got started. Interviews with founder members Tom Finn and George Cameron give us a unique insight into the fame, fortune and the eventual chaos. Other vintage acts include Buffalo Springfield who revisits their Gold Star recording studio days and too continue with the American acts the often overlooked Beau Brummels. Contemporary bands Wicked Whispers and 80’s cult band the Nashville Ramblers get a well deserved interview along with other obscure 60’s and 70’s bands. Other topics include “thoughts and words”,” it’s a happening thing” and “twenty questions” accompany thirty plus pages of reviews of the best compilations, re-issues, new releases and books. Shindig is available quarterly from WHS and www.shindig-magazine.com
Fab Gear – The Beatles And Fashion
The Beatles knew how much image mattered in the 1960s, and whether it was Nehru jackets, skinny ties, granny glasses, or the Cuban heel boot-if John, Paul, George, or Ringo wore it, the rest of their millions of fans followed. Renowned music and fashion author Paolo Hewitt takes readers on a fashion tour of the Beatles’ career and the trends they co-opted. From their Hamburg debut in sunglasses, leather, and black sweaters to the conservative suits they were ordered to wear by their manager Brian Epstein; from their infatuation with Pierre Cardin’s collarless jackets to their more casual corduroy; from their Mod madness to psychedelic spaciness to faux-military attire to hippy-chic-each style is revealed as a reflection of the music they made and the world views they embraced. Filled with fabulous photographs and with an appealing retro feel, the book features numerous images, many of which have never been published before. It offers insights into how the band’s meteoric rise and enduring success shaped their fashion choices. There’s even a chapter devoted to their great hairstyles. Fans of all ages, as well as anyone interested in fashion, will be enthralled with this first ever Beatles stylebook that proves the Fab Four really were as timely as they were timeless.
If ever an excuse was needed to chat about the life and music of mod’s favourite sons, the Action, the forthcoming biography of the band ‘In The Lap of The Mods’ by Ian Hebditch and Jane Shepherd surely provides it. A decade in the making, the book features contributions from all original band members: Reggie King, Mike Evans, Alan ‘Bam’ King, Pete Watson and Roger Powell; over 200 images including many previously unpublished photographs, flyers, posters and press cuttings; first-hand testimonials from fans and musical contemporaries; a complete guide to their gigs; and an examination of how the band’s mod following at clubs like the Birdcage in Portsmouth and the Marquee in London influenced their decision making as a band. In addition, this year also finally sees the release of an amazing new album on Circle Records of Reggie King’s post-Action demos, ‘Looking For A Dream,’ recorded with his ex-band mates during the late 60s. With these hugely exciting projects nearing completion it was a real honour and privilege to share a coffee and croissant with the Action’s drummer Roger Powell.
MR: - It was a wonderful surprise to recently see on the ‘In The Lap of The Mods’ website footage of The Action outside the Royal Albert Hall performing “I’ll Keep Holding On” for the Dick Clark Show. What do you remember about it?
RP: - Not a lot. It was a bit embarrassing to be honest. There were all these people throwing paper airplanes and generally just being shitty and we were miming and we used to hate miming. You couldn’t hear anything and had to pretend you were really getting in to it. We didn’t really like anything like that; we were pretty anti-social, anti-establishment.
MR: - Do you think that might have been why you didn’t go as far as you could’ve?
RP: - Oh yes. When we played with the Move they were saying you’ve got to do all these outrageous things, tie yourselves to railings and wear outrageous clothes, and we thought that was moving towards show business.
MR: - Did your manager Rikki Farr try to push you into a more commercial market and get a hit?
RP: - Yes, we knew we needed a manager as we needed publicity to get gigs. We’d built up a really good following on the circuit and could’ve carried on just doing that but Marquee Artists and Rikki obviously wanted to make money and get the right record for us because we were on £100 a night and once you had a hit record you’d be on £500 or more and go to gigs in cars, have roadies and stay in nice hotels. But none of the records I felt were anything near a hit record or anything edgy enough people would remember. We never felt comfortable going after a hit even though we went along with it putting records out but they weren’t really doing anything. I think “I’ll Keep Holding On” got to number 39 in the charts.
MR: - Was it disheartening to keep putting records out that didn’t hit?
RP: - It wasn’t disheartening because we were there for the music; we weren’t there for the hit record although all the people around us were getting them: the Kinks, the Small Faces, the Who, Spencer Davis Group, Manfred Mann. It seemed everyone we played with at the Marquee had a hit record except for us.
MR: - Why do you think that was?
RP: - I think because they were doing original stuff and we were doing covers. And we never got an original cover. Something like “Ride Your Pony” would come out in America and someone else would do it in England. At the time we didn’t consider writing our own songs as there was so many cool records to explore we just enjoyed playing them. If we’d had an original cover first we might have had a hit record.
MR: - “Shadows and Reflections” was a very original cover.
RP: - Yes but it didn’t get played, it didn’t get marketed, no machine behind it. It was who you know not what you know. You needed just the right contacts, like the Who had with Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. They had the key contacts, the money, and were right in with all of the faces of the time, although I think they would’ve hit anyway regardless.
MR: - Having George Martin as your producer must’ve helped.
RP: - Being with George at Abbey Road helped but although “I’ll Keep Holding On” was alright and “Never Ever” was okay, you couldn’t do it without the machine behind you. You really needed the publicity, to know people at the BBC to actually plug it. And a lot of people bought their records in to the charts. They’d get a little sniff into the charts, once it was there, the DJs would play it, you’d get on the telly and you’d be away. So from an initial investment of say ten grand you could make it back.
MR: - Mike Evans said when “I’ll Keep Holding On” got to number 39 that was when you needed to start buying up all the records.
RP: - At that point there was a bit of a woo-hah about it. Early on you had a list of all the special shops they took the chart returns from so you could send boys and girls in to buy a copy of this, two copies of that. There were as many as twenty or thirty record shops in London where they took the charts from, so if you knew the right shops…
MR: - You still managed to get on Ready Steady Go a few times.
RP: - I think we did it three times. We did it with Pete Stringfellow who was brought down from the Mojo Club in Sheffield to compere it and we played a couple of songs live on there. It was the first time anyone played live on Ready Steady Go and it gave us that appeal for the mods on the circuit and we got a really good following from it.
MR: - The book is titled In The Lap of The Mods, is that how it felt?
RP: - Someone said it to me that we were in the lap of the mods and I thought it was great, so we used it as the title. That’s how it felt. They’d meet us on their scooters and we’d meet them in the pub before the gigs. We were like mates; there was no differentiation between us and the audience. We were all regular guys; we didn’t put on any airs and graces. It was all, “You got any leapers? Yeah, great”.
MR: - We refer to the Action nowadays as a Mod band but did you consider yourselves Mods? Did you think in those terms?
RP: - No, I don’t think anybody did. I don’t think people had this idea early on of being this thing called mod. It was just smart blokes. We used to like mohair suits and very smart Italian clothes. We never really had a concept of what it was. I would say we were a sort of soul band.
MR: - The Small Faces had accounts the length of Carnaby Street for their clothes, where did yours come from? Did you buy them yourselves?
RP: - Yeah, John Stephens, Carnaby Street, all those. We bought them ourselves. There’s a picture of us in the book outside Harry Fenton’s, once we’d put the clothes on and had our photograph taken we had to put the clothes back. “The Action supplied by Harry Fenton” but they never gave us anything. It was the same with drums. If I wanted to play Premier drums I had to buy them, you needed a hit record before they’d give you anything. Keith Moon got a contract with Premier.
MR: - Were you mates with Keith Moon and The Who?
RP: - Sort of because we did a lot of gigs with them and used to support them for quite a while so we were sort of friendly but they were always a bunch of piss takers so I didn’t really want to spend too much time around them. I remember at the press release at the Marquee for “Never Ever” Moonie was throwing peanuts at us.
MR: - Your drum kit had a two bass drum set-up which others also used, where did that idea come from?
RP: - A lot of people may tell you otherwise but I was definitely the first person to get two bass drums at the Marquee. Definitely. Then Moonie got two, Ginger Baker got two, Mitch Mitchell got two, and then most of the other drummers got two. So then I took mine away and just had the one. Buddy Rich had two bass drums and I thought it looked really smart, but it was nice with the tambourine as it gave that off-beat. We didn’t have someone playing the tambourine so when I was playing I didn’t use the hi-hat, just used the bass drum for the off-beat with the tambourine, which was important for The Action’s sound. You could do some amazing things with the two.
MR: - It gave you that good Motown sound. Where were you hearing those kinds of records?
RP: - We got them through Mike’s mum who worked for EMI so she used to get us all these obscure records. We weren’t really into the mainstream Tamla, we were into Stax and really obscure stuff. There was also the DJ at the Twisted Wheel in Manchester. We used to go back to his house after the club to hear them and Guy Stephens used to give us stuff. That’s where we got a lot of the info. Then we’d learn them and try to put our own little spin on them.
MR: - When you did the all-nighters how many sets were you playing throughout the night?
RP: - Sometimes we’d do three sets. Three quarters of an hour each and usually you’d be the only band. They’d be records, we’d do a set, more records, then yet another set.
MR: - There must be a lot of songs you played live but didn’t record.
RP: - In the book there is a playlist of every song we ever played. We didn’t repeat songs in a night. We might occasionally do one twice if it was really popular. We wouldn’t repeat “Land of a 1000 Dances” or anything but “Needle in a Haystack” we might do twice or “Heatwave” as people loved that. We had a good lot of songs and we used to rehearse all the time.
MR: - The collector’s edition ‘In The Lap of the Mods’ includes your audition disc of The Temptations’ “Girl (Why Do You Want To Make Me Blue)” you made for Decca. What do you remember about that and Decca turning you down?
RP: - Nothing! I remember going in to this big executive office at their studios. We played three songs but only one was actually taped which was that one. Jane bought it on eBay. Mike knew it was genuine but was saying it wasn’t, so as to put off the other bidders!
MR: - Did you stay for the all-nighters after you’d played them?
RP: - Yes it wasn’t worth going back. They’d finish at six in the morning and we’d stay up and drive back with a little help so we weren’t falling asleep at the wheel.
MR: - Were you taking many drugs?
RP: - We were all on leapers most of the time because we were doing all-nighters and otherwise you just couldn’t keep going. We got busted at the Birdcage for amphetamines. We were all in the dressing room when suddenly all these policemen came in. Everyone was dropping stuff. I think they found some amphetamines in Mike’s pocket and took him away to the police station so we had to go and try getting him bailed out so we could finish the gig.
MR: - How did LSD enter the scene?
RP: - In the early days we were one of the first people to take acid because it had just come over from America and we knew people in Pond Street who had gallons of LSD. These people came over just to turn on London. And when we were staying with Nick Jones in Bognor this guy came down to turn us on and that was our first acid trip. I couldn’t believe it.
MR: - Was the trip arranged beforehand?
RP: - Yes, it was a party and it was about twelve o’clock and this guy was about to arrive. We didn’t want to trip with all these people around so we thought we’d better try and get rid of them so we put on a crazy Albert Ayler LP and everyone said “I gotta go now”. He gave us this stuff, I think it was me and Mike, maybe Bam, but not all the band wanted to take it. I remember sitting there about half an hour later and looked at Mike and he looked at me and we just started laughing and laughing and laughing. It made life so funny and so stupid. We tripped all night and went out to the beach. To be honest it did destroy people, I know a lot of people who didn’t make it. You needed a strong inner core and need to be comfortable with yourself. We tripped actually on Ready Steady Go, me and Mike and then got spiked afterwards. We’d gone back to this guy’s house and were coming down from the trip and he gave us some toast and we started freaking out again wondering what was happening. He’d put more LSD on it. It was only when he told us that we thought thank goodness for that.
MR: - There seemed such a huge shift from the mod days once 1967 arrived.
RP: - By ’67 all the underground stuff started happening in London with the UFO Club in Tottenham Court Road. A lot of the psychedelic bands were self-indulgent nothing. I didn’t like Pink Floyd or any of those bands, I couldn’t get into it. The all-nighters at the Roundhouse people were all over the place. The drugs had changed. With the old amphetamines everyone liked a chat, wanted to be your mate, it was brilliant. When people were taking acid it was totally different. It’s an important thing drugs and culture, they’re a totally interlinked thing. I mean, but even if the mods weren’t taking uppers they were very chatty, friendly people. At the Roundhouse people were isolated in their own heads, doing their own thing. It was like chalk and cheese. Mod gigs and the Roundhouse, unbelievable difference. I didn’t like the Roundhouse, it was too self-indulgent.
MR: - So what was it like when you were then playing one song for 45 minutes?
RP: - I wouldn’t call it psychedelic by any means. It was more jazzy, rock-jazz, but I liked the three minute things. In the space of half an hour you could get loads of brilliant records rather than one long thing. We lost touch with the club scene after a while, at the end of the Action, and got a bit disenchanted with it. The early days of the Action were the most exciting, when we were playing the Birdcage and stuff like that. That was an incredible time in the clubs.
MR: - When The Action got back together in 1998 it was great it was all original members, which is very unusual. How did that feel?
RP: - It had to be. We wouldn’t have done it otherwise. It was exciting and it felt like there was unfinished business, that somehow we hadn’t really closed the circle. We knew it wasn’t going to be the same as we weren’t twenty anymore, so we knew it was going to be different but it was still worth doing as it was nice for people to see us again. It was awesome. I’m really pleased we did it as we got to meet people like Jane and Ian, Rob Bailey, yourself.
MR: - On some of the reunion shows you even included a sax player and some percussion; would you have liked to have had a Hammond player or a sax player back in the day?
RP: - I think so, it would have been great. That’s what I liked about Jimmy James and the Vagabonds; they had a nice big fat sound with an organist and a sax but the vocals were the main thing with the Action.
MR: - Did you help arrange the vocals harmonies?
RP: - Oh no, I wasn’t musical at all. Reg used to say, “Just shut up and bang the bloody drums!” People used to call him Reg, and he’d say “Mister King, to you.”
MR: - Reggie was quite a character.
RP: - Reg was always a bit of wild card. He just started going funny, a bit out of control, towards the end of the Action days. We were playing a gig at the Blue Lagoon and all of a sudden Reg started climbing up this palm tree. The bouncers came up, Reg jumped off the tree, we’re still playing and the bouncers are chasing him around the audience whilst he’s still singing. “You’ll never play here again!” Then he got arrested on the M1 at the Blue Boar services. We’d eaten and had come out and were sitting in the van, ready to go, and it was “Where’s Reg?” We looked around, couldn’t find him and twenty minutes later this policeman comes up and knocks on the window. “Do you know Reg King? He’s just been arrested for threatening someone with a plastic knife.” I don’t know what it was about, something about where he wanted to eat his egg and chips. Eventually we just decided, a sort of mutual thing, to move on. But he got his head together a bit and we worked with him on his album. The trouble was once we started doing stuff like John Coltrane’s “India” what was he going to do while we played that for half an hour? Stand there and go “Elephants… Elephants”?
MR: - Did you think Reg leaving would give the band more freedom or did you think that was going to be the end?
RP: - No, you just go through a transition you don’t think “Oh I’m changing now into something else.” It was very subtle. It’s only when you look back in retrospect you realise you’ve changed from A to B. So it didn’t affect us that much. After Reg, Rod Stewart was going to join the Action at one point. We knew him quite well and when Reg didn’t make a gig at the Twisted Wheel Rod sang a few songs with us. But it didn’t materialise as he then got into the Faces as they’d had some hits and were bigger than we were. We also tried to get the organist Keith Emerson. I went round to his flat to ask him if he’d be interested and he said he would’ve been but was just joining the Nice. We got Ian Whiteman and Martin Stone in and became more of a jazz-funk-jamming band.
MR: - How did that go down with your audience?
RP: - It depended where we played. Some people were bored with it; some people sort of liked it. We got to a point where we didn’t know where we were and the audience didn’t know quite what we were doing. It took us a bit of time to find our direction with Mighty Baby when we started writing our own stuff.
MR: - How long did you keep the Action name after Reg left?
RP: - About six months I think. It was sadly a bit of a mess really. We did want to somehow change. Pete Watson left, even when Reg was still with us people would come up to us at gigs and say “Oi, you’re not the Action!” which was fair enough really because we were doing new stuff we’d written and we were all wearing Granny Takes A Trip suits. It was a transition period. We started getting into West Coast, Captain Beefheart, Love. Things like “Dustbin Full of Rubbish” which Ian Whiteman wrote was still the Action, but it wasn’t the Action. We didn’t have a new name basically until we went with John Hurd at Head Records and we said we had to change the name and he came up with Mighty Baby, which I wasn’t that keen on as it felt a bit silly but in retrospect it was all right and we then did a couple of albums.
MR: - Do you look back at the periods of the Action and Mighty Baby differently or is it one continuous thing?
RP: - No, as different lives, definitely. The Action was very exciting. The whole scene, the music, the atmosphere in the clubs was brilliant. As soon as you walked in those clubs, the Marquee, the Birdcage, you could feel people were really into it. With Mighty Baby you had to create an atmosphere with the music, you really had to win them over, which was more difficult. With Mighty Baby we were searching, it was a time of introspection and because we’d all downed massive amounts of LSD what we thought was real wasn’t real. Once you’d taken acid, tables were like vibrating with energy and flowers were absolutely stunning, you know. You have to rethink totally who you are and what life’s about. We became like travelling philosophers. I was listening to one of the Mighty Baby tracks on the train coming down, “Tasting The Life”, which is all about seeking, searching, holy islands. Whenever we’d do gigs as Mighty Baby if there was a castle we’d go there, Stonehenge we’d stop there, so we were always seeking some meaning in life through our music. In Mighty Baby we were analysing life, who we were. In the Action we weren’t, we were just being the life.
The Poets are rightfully hailed as legends for their originality and ground breaking song writing in the mid-60s, as any (freak)beat aficionado will be well aware. This didn’t go unnoticed by the youth of Scotland at the time, and they were treated as such with hysteria wherever they played. Needless to say it wasn’t long before the Rolling Stones’ manager and producer, Andrew Loog Oldham, came a-calling, signing them to Decca (and subsequently Immediate).
Despite penning such pioneering classics as ‘Now We’re Thru’ and ‘That’s the Way It’s Got to Be’ the Poets infamously underwent many line-up changes and, in terms of commercial success, never fully met their true potential.
It took a very long time in coming, but after many long discussions with beat-garage sensations – and most importantly faithful fans – the Thanes, original singer George Gallacher, and 1965-67 guitarist Fraser Watson agreed to go into the studio to see if they could recreate the Poets’ sound. And after being lucky enough to help promote their first come back show at EWO in December last year, I’m delighted to say they have done an impeccable job!
Here we talk to George, and Lenny Helsing of the Thanes, about the Poets in the 60s, what we can expect from them this year and at Le Beat Bespoke 8.
NUTs – Despite only having released a few singles, you’re known as the best Scottish beat group of the mid 60′s. What was the scene like in Scotland? And were you based in London or in Scotland when the band was most active?
George Gallacher – The Scottish scene was vibrant with loads of great bands and great musicians, but completely lacking in originality; we were the only ones writing and playing our own material.
Lenny Helsing – During their heyday the Poets did actually stay mostly in London, mainly flitting between two hotels, the Aaland, and the Adrian. The former also housing at that time Them, Little Walter and one of the group’s earliest industry champions, Jimmy Saville.
NUTs – How does the success you achieved in Scotland differ from what you felt from the rest of the UK?
GG - It was easy in Scotland because we had little competition ’the big fish in a small pool’ syndrome but in England we had to prove ourselves to be something other than a provincial success; I loved playing in England and loved the buzz in London.
NUTs – Were there ever plans for a full album release, or will there still be any?
GG - No the concentration was on singles. It may have been different if we had had more significant success. However, the fan club had concocted an optimistic story from summer 1965 onwards saying that the group were busy planning and arranging the recording of an LP, and that the group and management hoped it would be released in time for the fans to have it in their Christmas stocking. However, the reality is that only the singles, and a few extra tracks here and there, were ever recorded.
NUTs – In your BBC radio interview you mention Donovan sending some unreleased tapes of the Poets in their heyday to you, have you listened to them and what did you think?
GG - Yes we’ve now listened to the tapes that Donovan found in his archive. We think the material is excellent, and the quality of some of it is really quite exceptional.
There were three reel-to-reel tapes containing the original two-track mono masters for the following tracks: ‘There Are Some’ (B side of ‘Now We’re Thru’), ‘I’ll Cry With The Moon’ (B side of ‘That’s The Way It’s Got To Be’), and also ‘Loving This One’ (unissued at the time, but subsequently issued, in a much rougher-sounding acetate version, on the ‘Scotland’s No 1 Group’ CD and the more recent ‘Try Me Again’ CD/DVD set, both released on the Distortions label from Philadelphia, USA). One reel also contained the original tracking session for ‘Some Things I Can’t Forget’ (B side of ‘Call Again’), and ‘It’s So Different Now’ (unissued at the time, but also heard in a much rougher-sounding acetate version on the Distortions cd’s).
NUTs – Will any of this material see the light of day on a new Poets release?
GG – Currently, plans are afoot for Andrew Oldham to issue some, or all of these tracks, both on vinyl and CD. It is hoped that this idea will come to fruition sometime during 2012.
NUTs – Do you feel your association with Andrew Loog Oldham worked against you because of his focus on The Rolling Stones?
GG – No! Never! The time Andrew spent in the studio with us was incredible and it allowed him to indulge his imagination in something very different from the blues based, rock stuff of the Stones.
NUTs – Did you have any sort of relationship with the Rolling Stones? Were there tours you did together or plans for such? How about the Small Faces?
GG – There was really only a minor relationship going on between the Poets and the Rolling Stones. The groups didn’t ever really get together on a social basis, as both groups would always have such busy schedules, leaving no time to meet up. No tours were ever considered, or done together with either the ‘Stones, or with the Small Faces.
NUTs – Why were there so many changes to the original line-up of the band? Who made these decisions for change?
GG – Well Andrew made the first change getting rid of our drummer Alan Weir simply because he didn’t fit the image, this led on to his best friend Tony Myles (our rhythm guitarist) then leaving. I was next to leave simply because I was disillusioned with our relative failure and with what happened after, with which I had no interest.
NUTs – What are your plans for the current reunion of The Poets. Are any recordings planned?
GG – We have discussed the possibility of recording something now that the group has new life. We don’t really think there’s much point in re-recording any of the group’s already legendary-sounding singles, although it’s thought that it may be worth giving some of the old demo material another shot.
NUTs – What are some of your dearest memories of the 1960′s? People you worked with? Parties and the Music Industry scene?
GG – I have no particular memories of great importance just the wonderful zeitgeist itself. I mean we met loads of those who are now recognised as ‘giants’ of rock but at the time they were nothing special to us, only others pursuing the same dreams as ourselves. If there is one thing that did impress me it was the live performance of the Pretty Things. I saw them live in the 100 Club in 1964 before we signed to Andrew — They were sensational!
NUTs – Are there any un-released songs that you feel could be released in the near future?
GG – There are certainly unreleased songs but their release would depend on the interest of others.
NUTs – What can we expect from your current live performance? How does it differ from the way it was in the 60′s?
GG – You can expect to hear a lot of what the Poets would have actually played live in the 60s, ranging from most of the original material that was released on disc, but also including some of the more eclectic R’n'B styled covers that the original band did at the time. The approach to playing the old material is as authentic as you would want it. But certainly one of the things the Thanes have brought is a much edgier sound to the overall proceedings, and they have also toughened up the feel of some of the more ‘ballady’ sounding, whimsical songs, for example the likes of ‘There Are Some’, but also ‘Call Again’ and ‘I’ll Come Home’. The group has also now developed a looseness which we like, and some songs are played at a slightly faster pace than they were originally played, but this also seems to work really well.
We brought you a showcase of the best acts that will be playing at LBB8. If you’re still unsure if you’re coming, give it a try… If you’re definitely coming, then get a quick fix. See you all there anyway!
A transcript in case you can’t understand Eron’s Jive English…
Hello everyone and welcome to NUTsCast. We’ve got a special NUTsCast for you on this third official release. Le Beat Bespoké 8 is coming up in April and all the kids are a-shakin’ with anticipation. The crowd dictated our direction and we chose just the songs to give you a taste of what’s coming in April. Sit back, enjoy your cooking, cleaning, your pipe or cigar and beautiful penthouse view of central Tokyo or dodgy dusty basement feel of suburban London. I’m gonna take you on a journey through the acts we chose for Le Beat Bespoké 8.
The Winners of our Battle of the Bands competition and possible rockabilly champions of London will open the festival on Thursday night. Jack Rabbit Slim – Listen to: Long Time Dead,
Friday night we’ll be bringing you back to the 8 hour technicolor dream in Alexandra Palace 1967… Don’t miss our revealing interview with Arthur Brown and his Surprisingly Crazy World.
A band hailed post-mortem and resurrected to shine even brighter, here’s July with Dandelion Seeds
So we’ve shown you July and we’ve shown you the crazy world of arthur brown, but there’s one more band that will be performing their classic late 60′s album live for the first time since the Hipster Golden Age, a personal favourite of mine, the Pretty Things
ANOUNCEMENT April Come She Will, so hurry and get your tickets before we sell out at www.newuntouchables.com
After the record fair and Dirt Water Records, showcases, Saturday afternoon you’ll hear the wonderful sounds of our new breed garage sensation Thee Vicars,
Before we step into the gloriously sinful night of Saturday, I bring you another personal favourite to grace our stages, Don Fardon & the Sorrows.
There’s a cherry on top of every night, that is the DJs of NUTsWorld who will be taking you into the wee hours of the morn, remember kids, it’s no use whining when the tickets have gone, times are fast and it’s all one click away at www.newuntouchables.com
I interviewed the Trashmen myself, and they didn’t have a lot to say… they were to busy screaming! Saturday night at Le Beat Bespoke 8
It’s Sad, but it’s Sunday finally. Now we’ll be testing your moves with two rooms on Sunday night, on Room A, Cataluñas Armada devastation the Pepperpots. Singing with the Pepperpots is the unforgettable Maxine Brown
On the other room A will be the garage palatable, a great European band I once had the privilege of having a bus ride with, Wild Evel & the Trashbones
Scotland’s finest will leave you with a pre-nostalgia to an undoubtably memorable event, The Poets live at LBB 8, yes, you heard me right, the Poets…
How does it feel to have heard it all and still not have a glimpse? I’m with you brothers and sisters, tickets at www.newuntouchables.com
Eron the Red Baron, DJ MrE out…
