Creation
c 1971
Nothing much known about them except that it mentions in my 1971 diary that Al Docker roadied for them for a while.
If anyone has any further info - feel free to comment.
HIGHWAY-MAN
c 1974 (possibly going long before but certainly in 1974)
My knowledge of this band came from Brian ('Alice' his disco I think) from Nuneaton. I met him when some of the
This is what he had to say about Highway Man
"Now a word about a Nuneaton / Bedworth based band called Highway Man who have had a major reshuffle after the vocalist left to get married. Now introducing two new faces -
In comes 18 year old Steve Williams on vocals. This is his first band, but the rest of the group have high hopes, after the first vocalist left. Don Ross - bass did the vocals but now reverts back to bass guitar, but still harmony's with the Rhythm guitarist. The second newcomer is on drums. His name is Alan Newcombe, also making his first appearance.
The rest of the group stays the same -
Paul Bainbridge (Brame) - Lead Guitar
Mick Ison - Rhythm Guitar
Don Ross - bass guitar.
At the moment they are doing some tapes with "Alice Sound".
From Brian (Nuneaton)
FROM AN UNPUBLISHED ISSUE OF HOBO 1974
"STOP PRESS - INFO FROM NUNEATON
A new band from Nuneaton - Highway Man - consisting of Steve Williams vocals, Don Ross - bass, Paul Bainbridge lead, Mick Ison Rhythm. Thanks to Brian of Nuneaton for the info. (PS Your other info came too late for this issue - sorry!)."
Dennis Burns may have some more to say about Highway Man at a later date.
BELOW ARE SOME PHOTOS SUPPLIED RECENTLY BY BASS PLAYER DON ROSE - THE ONE ABOVE TOO. MOST ARE MORE RECENT PICTURES BUT TWO RELATE TO 1974. Don Rose is now on Vox - see his icon in the neighbourghood
The Earthquakes
c 1974
The Earthquakes hailed from Derby originally but settled in Coventry. They were managed by the Sunshine Music Agency in Gulson Rd. Coventry. Sunshine are blogged about on the this site - see the index.
Co-director of Sunshine and the main songwriter - Bob Young of A Band Called George - offered them a song -
From the unpublished version of Hobo issue 3
"MAD CAT MOLLY are another band set to make a single for possible release on the Bell label. Again it is a Bob Young composition (no relation to Neil Young Jamie!!) called Dancing to the Music originally going to be done by the Earthquakes who hail from Derby. The line up is Steve Lore on lead; Mick Murphy on Rhythm; Paul Wright on bass and Chris Potter on drums. They have quite a few booking lined up around the country thanks to Sunshine Music Agency."
The Eddie James Sound
Beat - Tijuana - Old Tyme and Swing
Eddie James has the distinction of being about the first to take a paid ad in the first issue of Hobo. Eddie's band was
East Light was Coventry singer Songwriter - Roger Williamson's folk rock band c1970.
Roger Williamson was around the Coventry Arts Umbrella Club, playing at the Umbrella folk nights on a Saturday evening. I got to know him a bit through Esther who used to be a regular at the Umbrella. I have vague memories of him siting in the Umbrella coffee bar in the wee hours playing and talking.
In 1970, as well as putting on the bands at the Umbrella, I used to help out on the door at Pete Waterman's Tuesday
NEWS
We have now heard from Roger and he's living in Minneapolis, MN, USA running Magus Bookstore
and is an artist - you can view his art work HERE
Roger Says in his e mail - "
I remember it being a wonderful and exciting time but then of course it was
the 60's. There were so many small folk clubs in the back rooms of pubs,
The Fox and Vivian in Leamington, others in Warwick and Stratford and so
many in Coventry. Such a lot of talent as well June Tabor, Rod Felton,
Martin Jenkins just to name a few. It was a great time to grow up in.
I have lived in Minneapolis for about the last 23 years and started Magus
Books 15 years ago. Magus is in Dinkytown next to the University Of
Minnesota, Minneapolis on 4th Street SE, which is immortalized in Bob
Dylan's Positively 4th Street. He used to live across the street from the
store. I have written several books since moving here, The Sun at Night,
set in London, The Black Book of the Jackal, Lucifer Diaries and Howling at
the Sky. These are all available from Magus or Amazon USA. I recorded a
limited edition CD, "On the Arrival of the Machine" a couple of years back
which is myself reading some of my short stories set to music by my son
Luke."
Here is some information on Roger's Bookstore - Magus Books
About Magus Books
Magus Books began business at high noon on September 1st, 1992 with the commitment of supplying new and used religious, metaphysical and thought-provoking books to the community at large.
You will discover upon inspecting our inventory that we do not subscribe to any one belief system, as we realize that what is right for one person's quest of self-discovery is not necessarily right for the next person.
Therefore our selection of titles covers a wide range of material including Wicca, Buddhism, Hindu, Christianity, Islam, Alchemy, Voodoo, Santeria, Magic, Freemasonry, Tarot, Astrology, Palmistry, Dowsing, Mythology, Herbalism, Alternative Healing, Celtic Mythology, Norse Mythology, Native American, Psychedelic, UFO'S, Lost Civilizations, Martial Arts and other subjects. We supply herbs, candles, oils, incense, tapes, compact discs and jewelry. Our focus has always been to develop individuality, to encourage interested parties to explore themselves and the environment, and to seek out our own untapped potentials.
BOOTS c1970
Formerly called Gregorian Chant
Musicians - Dennis Burns says " I am pretty sure that the bass player with Gregorian Chant was Terry Bown, the
Played the Village (Colin Campbell Fri 18th Dec 1970
According to a Vox conversation between Jim Prylal and Dennis Burns -
Mike Berry discovered Fresh Maggots (who made their first album for RCA)
Dennis Burns takes up the story - "Mike went on an A&R visit to see Boots (ex-Gregorian Chant) at a gig at Wolvey Village Hall in the summer of 1970. Mike liked Fresh Maggots so much that he signed them up."
If anyone has any further info on Boots or Gregorian Chant - please post a comment or e mail.
Trev's Diary of Cov Music 1971
October Fri 1st - Moved to a cottage in Shilton - about 3 miles from the outskirts of Coventry on the Leicester Rd. with Al Docker - just the two of us at first. The cottage had been rented previously by Ron Lawrence and his Wife Pat. Ron was the bassist with the electric folk band - April (later Ron was in Sniff and the Tears for a while in the 1980's.). Al Docker's band Tsar were playing at Whitley Abbey School in Cov along with Flood. Fresh Maggots (Leigh and Gill) were there too. We took Dick home to Leamington. (not sure if Dick was a member of Flood - will check with Dennis Burns)!
October Sat 2nd - Al Docker's party at Shilton. Gave the cottage a good clean up.
October Sun 3rd - Went home to Willenhall - then to Umbrella club - met drummer Steve Harrison and Chris ? - we wrote sone songs.
October Mon 4th - Stayed at cottage - wrote a song and practiced on the cottage piano.
October Tues 5th - Went blackberrying with Al (Docker) over the fields. Al's group practised in the dining room - Charlie Bullen came over.
October Weds 6th - We went to Al's parents house and then to town and the Umbrella club. Met Jackie and Sam. Al and I went to see Keyboard player Tony Cross and guitarist Loz Netto play at a jazz session at the Smithfield Arms. (Tony Cross (who had played with Al and Loz in Love Zeus earlier in the year) was like a Jools Holland before Jools Holland - jaming with the house band on Jazz piano and Loz jammed on lead guitar.).
October Thurs 7th - Went to Birmingham to see Steve Knopinski and the others from Vicarage Rd. They had moved to Pershore Rd. Later at the cottage Steve Varney - a DJ from the Umbrella club came around. Tsar were practicing. Later we went on a midnight hike in the country.
October Fri 8th - Went to town - and the Lanch but couldn't afford to get in so we went to the Tally Ho, Golden Cross and the Umbrella. Met Jackie and Sam and Ade Taylor (formerly of Wandering John) - hung out with them in town. hitched home with Al.
October Sat 9th - Went to town - met up with Lyndie and the n Sam - Charlie Bullen's group practising at the Cottage in the evening.
October Sun 10th - Al and I made arty candles. Jackie and Sam coming through in afternoon. They didn't turn up but Pete and Gina did. Went to Al's parents for a meal. Al's dad gave us both a lift home.
October Mon 11th - Met Lyndie in town. Later Al and I sold cnadles at Lanch. Went to see Barry Bowerman at Whitefriars Gate. Went to Cross and Brolly. Guitarist John Alderson came back to Shilton for a jam.
October Tues 12th - Al Docker's birthday. Al went for job interview! Al's group practiced at the cottage in the evening while I did the washing up!
October Weds 13th. Rained and thundered - got soaked. Went in to the International Centre - met Clive and the King Henry 8th guys. Went to Festival cafe - Christine ? bought me a sandwich. Back to Shilton.
October Thurs 14th - Went to town with Al selling candles we made. Went early to the West End Club and helped Caravan load in the equipment. The new keyboard player - Steve Millar (not the guy of Joker fame) told us he was from Nuneaton area. Met Caz and Jean (who I'd met last year at Pete Waterman's Walsgrave venue -doing the door) and keyboard player Martin Barter and Charlie Bullen there. Got a lift back to Shilton from Ron Lawrence.
October Fri 15th - Al went to Leamington. met Sally in town - went to cross and umbrella - later to the Tally Ho with Jackie and Sam and then to the Lanch Poly gig.
October Sat 16th - Ron Lawrence came around to cancel the Runestaff practice for monday. I went to the Umbrella to met John Leopold about folk contacts for Umbrella gigs. Pete Webb also asked my help for contacts. Met Peta - went to the Lanch.
October Sun 17th Stayed in writing and practicing piano all day.
October Mon 18th - Sandra's birthday. Runestaff - Al's Cov super group with ex April members Ron Lawrence and Bill jackson, ex Indian Summer members Al Hatton and Roy Butterfield, Al on drums.
October Tues 19th - Went to see Heron at the Umbrella club - but they didn't turn up.
October Weds 20th - Al's group practice at Templas School. Met Jackie Fince - she gave me some of her poems to type. Met Thema too. Steve and Roy came to Shilton - evicted from house in Birmingham. Wanted to stay. Steve had been lead singer in a Birmingham band. Al agreed to them staying a while.
October Thurs 21st Mum's birthday. Steve and Roy helped to develop Al's candle trade -working towards a cottage industry - Bludor Candles.. Went to see my mother and then met up with Lyndie in town.
October Fri 22nd Went to town with Steve and Roy to get materials for candle making and then to Birmingham. Al went to Zeta's. I met up in the evening with Jackie and Sam - went to the Lanch.
October Sat 23rd Lyndie's birthday. Went to see her. Jan from the Birmingham moved in to the cottage as well - I met up with Lyndie - we stayed over at Al and Steve Varney's (two guys who did the disco at the Umbrella.Later Al was Bassist with Fission).
October Sun 24th John and Zeta at the Cottage with Al Big jam session at Shilton that night.
October Mon 25th Al's group practiced at the cottage. I worked on a sequence of poems sagaising the coming's and goings at the cottage.
October Tues 26th I went to Al and Steve Varney's disco in Hillfields.
October Weds 27th Steve Knopinski and Roy got proposal form for a loan to develop Bludor Candles. Kitchen was getting taken over with candle making! Lyndie gave me my 'famous' blue top shirt. I was wearing it in the pic Scon (Roadent) drew of me with the guitar by the side of Lady Godiva.
October Thurs 28th - Went to see Lyndie's play at Brookland's Annexe (the drama college).
October Fri 29th Lyndie's second performance at Brookland's annexe.
October Sat 30th Went down town to see Lyndie. Wrote in the evening, practiced guitar and piano (as often when not out and about on the Cov Scene).
October Sun 31st - Tom Paxton at De Montfort Hall in Leicester.
NOT NOW AN ENTRY FOR EVERYDAY - Some dates will be empty..
November Mon 1st - stayed in writing / practicing instruments - beginning to get serious on guitar and putting music to my lyrics.
November Tues 2nd - stayed in writing / practicing instruments
November Weds 3rd - stayed in writing / practicing instruments
November Thurs 4th - Went with Al Docker to Grantham on bus to see Jenny from the Umbrella club - she was studying there. However Jenny wasn't in Gratham so we stayed overnight there at some guy's house.
November Fri 5th - We explored Grantham early morning
November Sat 6th - Went to see folk singer Rosemary in town.
November Sun 7th - Al gave Steve and Roy 2 weeks notice to leave - the candle business wasn't working out and the candle wax was taking over the kitchen.
November Mon 8th Al's group Runestaff split up - last practice.
November Tues 9th Ex Indian Summer guitarist - Al Hatton came around to Shilton - stayed all day and night.
November Weds 10th Al got a car - gave his girlfriend Peta a lift to town. Went down to Lyndies - we cooked a meal - staying at Al and Steve Varney's house in Alma St.
November Thurs 11th Roy and Steve left Shilton. Went down to Alma street.
November Fri 12th -
November Sat 13th Lyndie came over to Shilton and later Al Ward.
November Sun 14th -
November Mon 15th Steve Brimstone came up from Hemel Hamstead to stay for a while - we went to the Umbrella club.
November Tues 16th Went to Alma St. to see Lyndie and the Varney's
November Weds 17th Took Steve Brimstone around Coventry centre - played guitars in evening - wrote a send up blues song.
November Thurs 18th Lyndie moved in to the Shilton cottage.
November Fri 19th Played guitar with Steve Brimstone, showed me some clawpicking on guitar.
November Sat 20th We went to the Lanch Poly to see Arthur Brown. Jackie and Sandra and the two Jan's and Rosemary there. Arthur on form.
November Sun 21st Stayed in writing / practicing and jamming.
November Mon 22nd Steve Brimstone's friend Tom came up from Hemel to stay. Went to the Umbrella Club - Jan coombs and Louise and Rosemary there.
November Tues 23rd Stayed in writing and jamming.
November Weds 24th Bought Bob Dylan / Band / Neil Young / Joni Mitchell songbooks to develop guitar playing.
In the evening had a 'happening' with people choosing poems to read / playing songs / making food / with candles / joss sticks and a bit peace vides / creativity.
November Thurs 25th..............Skip to -
November Tues 30th Sent a Merry Always Card to 100 music contacts in Cov (instead of the usual Birthday Card) including one to Scon (Roadent as he was later known with the Clash) - this was the first contact with him that carried through most of 1972 - meeting in around the Wimpy bar and the Lanch Poly gigs.
Skip to -
December Fri 3rd - went to town with Steve Brimstone - met up with Paul Tranter - then Jackie and Sandra and Louise.
December Sat 4th - Went to Lanch Poly gig - Osibisa on - Clive - Sandra, Jackie.
December Sun 5th Jackie and Sandra coming to the the cottage (but didn't turn up). Steve Brimstone and I delivered Merry Always Cards to contacts - walked from Shilton to Lenton's Lane.
December Mon 11th Lyndie cut my hair - was trying for a new job.
December Tues 12th Lyndie went to Kenilworth. Ade Taylor and friends came up to jam - he had switched from bass which he played in Wandering John to rhythm guitar. He taught me how to do barre chords. Over the next week I practiced them day and night until my fingers were tougher. It was on a Spanish so it was harder to learn than on the Electric. Steve Knopinski got me playind some of the songs in the Band song book which utilised a lot of the chords. My favourite at the time was I Shall be Released. Over the last year I had mastered guitar and chords and arpeggios on the piano -started writing songs on guitar and piano instead of just lyrics, mastered basic clawpicking thanks to Steve Brimstone and Lyndie (who leant me her guitar to learn), had put music to some of the lyrics written before I played guitar. I never had any formal lessons but learnt bits froma range of Cov musicians or by watching them play at the many gigs I went or by jamming. I began branching out from lyrics to write poetry and humourous sketches and had done by first poetry gigs and played some of my songs live. The live performance side didn't get going properly until autumn 1972. I'd organised gigs and experimental poetry and music sessions at the Umbrella, assisted Pete Waterman with the Walsgrave in the early part of the year. Had built up a range of contacts on the Coventry music scene which set the basis for creating Hobo magazine. Organised my first festival - the Music Marathon (albeit that it had to be cancelled owing to lack of support from the local authority in terms of venue. The diary only sketches over much of it and gives a sense of chronology but it was a foundation year for me kind of!
December Mon 13th
Was asked to do a Poetry reading (alongside Adrian Mitchell) at the Colin Campbell for the Lanchester Polytech Arts Feb in Feb 1972 (which I did). That was two festivcal I read at that year - Warwick University Arts Fest earlier in the year and this one. I was mostly writing song lyrics at this stage rather than straight poems but used some of the lyrics also as performance poems. Later on went to see Lance.
December Tues 14th - Lyndies play started at the Butts Tech College. Met Reta on bus and later met Scon (later called Roadent) in the Wimpy bar. He kept a booklet of his poems on him and wrote new ones in it - I started the Communications Books at this time - taking them around like a cyber blog - with others writing in poems / lyrics / thoughts / graphics etc or communicating. Scon / Roadent was one of the most regular contributers, along with Lyndie and Sue from Birmingham.
December Weds 15th.
Recieved cards on Jan Gage and Jan Coombs, John Alderson, Mojo Tony Morgan etc. Got letter off Sue from Birmingham - during 1972 we would hitch around a lot to deveon and Nottinghamshire and became longstanding friends after we both moved to different places. Sue later helped with one of the issues of Hobo with finance and support. Met Egg (Hilary) who had this great silken lilac dress coat ( best I can describe it) on. Went to Steve and Al Varneys' and then the umbrella club.
December Thurs 16th
Went to see Lyndie's play at the Butts tech (more info in the section on Brooklands Annexe - see Hobo Index). Later went to see Pato at the Umbrella Club.
December Fri 17th
Down to read at the poetry event for the Lanch Poly Arts fest on Jan 29th 1972
Skinheads around everywhere in town!
December Sat 18th
Met Scon / roadent in the Belgrade Theatre with his book of poems. Met Jackie and Sandra - hung out with them the rest of the evening.
December Sun 19th
Ade Taylor (Wandering john bassist was going to come up to the cottage for a jam. Didin't turn up.
December Sat 20th
Went to town - hung out with Maggie from the Umbrella - evening it was mistletoe madness -Jackie and Sandra and Heather at Umbrella. Stayed there until 2am.
Skip to -
December Tues 22nd
Got over 30 cards fromthe Cov scene so far and Jacky's today.Went to town - Sandra, Melve Preece, Lance, Steve were there.
December Weds 23rd
Steve Brimstone went back to Hemel Hemstead.
December Thurs 24th
Got card off my dad.
Went to town - christmas spirit - got merry. Met Sue and Lyn in Tally Ho - went to the Jag. Many people around.
December 25th Fri
Spent Christmas with my family - praticed poems ready for the Lanch gig.
Plough Club (Silk Disco) closed down Sundayt 2nd Jan 1972.
This is last part of the diary. I've excluded more of the personal side of the diary and some of the similar entried but hopefully it gives a glimpse of the scene in that year - they type and number of bands and venues, some of the characters and musicians. So were later world famous and others would be known to peole who view this blog on a regular basis. It gives a glimse of my own development on the music scene - developing as both a writer and musician and organiser.
All important music, songwriting, poetry and art isn't created in a Commercial vacuum. It reverberates with meaning, maybe with protest, towards a better way of living, often one that has tolerance for different creeds and cultures and respect for gender, race, the environment, peace and love, co-operation as opposed to exploitation,
The wider, international context of the 60's counter culture movement is well documented and here's a time line from 1960 to 1969 - HERE. There are a lot of stereotypes of what a Hippie was / is - the site linked tries to clarify that.
Much inspiration had been received from Gerrade Winstanley's Digger Movement in 1649 - influencing the formation of
In Coventry, in the late 60's / early 70's we had our own Diggers developing co-operative ventures and producing a magazine which was the first to give the Coventry music and counter culture a consciousness of itself - The Broadgate Gnome - represented here in it's new form.
The object of this post is to stimulate discussion / thought or research on how both the ideas of the 60's and growing up in post war Coventry helped to shape / characterise Coventry music, poetry and art. (Maybe somebody will rise to the challenge and study it - and there are plenty of primary sources and contacts on this site to facilitate it! If anybody does this - let us know - we'll help with sources). Here's some pointers -
During 50's and 60's, Coventry was in throes of a major regeneration programme as a result of the city centre being flattened in bombing raids during world war two. The regeneration programme wasn't just down to Hitler though, the process had begun in the 1930's - Trinity Street area had been redesign and plans for a new City Centre were on the drawing board. The bombing raids brought plans forward and widened their scope and significance. Musicians grew up in the a city that was at once highly industrialised with the Car factories and engineering and yet had brand new open-spaced city centre with the greenery of the Broadgate / Lady Godiva Island in the centre - a Phoenix city rising from the ashes! Many of the city's young musicians, writers and artists, growing up in the 60's balked at this bland 'Grey' industrial landscape, where all you could be, mostly, was someone who put bolts on cars on the Assembly lines. The symbolic image of this 'Grey' existence occurs in some of the songs that came out of the city -
The 'Grey' is mindless conformity, the 'default', the 'inevitable' - no one thinks for themselves in the land of 'Grey'. They get their opinions from the tabloids or the conventional opinion handed down to them.. They take the path of least resistance and not the one less trodden by. Their environment shapes them and they accept it (albeit begrudgingly sometimes).
The great thrust which came out in the music was to transcend the 'grey', To escape the Rat Race, the Ghost Town, the Concrete Jungle - all images which have come out of Coventry songs. The Broadgate Gnome called it 'Throb City'' - in reference to the background throb of the car factories all through the night - I think!
ESCAPE FROM THE 'GREY'
In Whispering Ned (by top Coventry folk band - Dando Shaft) - 1971 they sing -
Well he came to a land
where heads were banned
and the land was grand
and the people were grey
and they worked all day
in a diligent way
trying to keep out heads
and Whispering Neds
In the Selecter hit Three Minute Hero - Neol Davis wrote
THREE MINUTE HERO
(Neol Davies)
The Selecter
They asked you if you’re alright,
You say yes,
But all the time you know,
It’s a mess,
It’s 5 pm and you’re on your way home,
Just another day with that endless grey drone.
(Chorus):
Three minute hero,
I wanna be, a three minute hero,
I wanna be,
a three minute hero,
I wanna be, a three minute hero,
Drag yourself along the road,
Sit on the bus,
Switch on your transistor,
Cause a fuss,
It’s 11 pm and you’re on your way home,
Just another night with that endless grey drone.
(Chorus) I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be, A three minute hero, (Chorus): A three minute hero, I wanna be, A three minute hero, I wanna be, A three minute hero, I wanna be, A three minute hero,
It’s too early in the morning,
Stupid job,
Don’t wanna eat, can’t think straight,
Same as yesterday,
It’s 7 am and you’re leaving home,
Just another day with that endless grey drone,
(Chorus):
A three minute hero, I wanna be,
(Repeat to fade)
Escape from the ' Grey' Comes into some early poems by Dave Clarke (Printed in 1970 by a group of Diggers intheir magazine The Broadgate Gnome)
AN EXPERIMENT WITH TRADITIONAL RHYME AND STRONG STRESS METER
Dave Clarke
From Broadgate Gnome 1971
City you cannot last
Nor must you think that time gone past
Will remember you and say
This is how it should be today.
You have no roots, only bricks and mortar.
Conceived in conflict, concerned with slaughter
And shall your offspring, sons and daughters
Pay homage, or plot your doom
Perhaps in the fields at
Their eyes will turn towards your
Shadowed graves and marvel how once
Men lived like slaves.
In the depths of your swollen womb
Perhaps in green grey gardens through
Mirrored moons
They will sit peacefully and reflect
Upon your ghost forms, cold and derelict
None here will mourn your mutilated form
Nor yet will fevered eyes still gaze
In tomorrow’s dawn.
Upon your profit priests in suited grey
Atheist children all robed in nature
They will laugh aloud to read your beasts
Yet see no traces
Of your golden age of your super race
No gods or ghosts will walk this
Wretched ruin of yours
No angry groans or tortured moans will
Pour molten shapes, mutilated forms
That writhe in fear
No super races here
Only the watchful glare of shapeless
Moon and the eternal gloom of your
Quick, unlit tomb.
ON MOVEMENT AND PURPOSE
Spilling from the city's noise they come,
Slipping past evening's first opportune hour.
From the swollen abdomen of the factory some
Drone their weary way, through gate and tower,
Belched out at five.
They, faceless for a time, molten seep
Into human channels, consumed deep
In the irregular flood, at first a patterned tide
Split only by an aching, frenzied halt,
As, like tributaries unperceived, others join, match stride
-Ooze their thoughtless path, eager to assault
Drawn blank in an organic ritual.
Happy those who conjure imagination
Avoiding the fact that they bear no relation
To cloth arms and unknown feet
That move annoyingly close, almost familiar,
with their own purposeful, aimed retreat.
Many tread homeward with ideas similar
Hurrying towards some mystic meet.
Others from college, peacock daubed, set apart,
Flaunt homeward, promiscuously apparent for an early start.
Outcasts but design these, yet not quite free
from economies, or traditions or laws, or all that abstract oppose
The natural instinct. Chained in society;
Yet suspended for a time in freedom's awkward pose,
They, warlike, gimmick a possible future.
Condemned to learn, no tax form claims them or cares
Subtle in her wooing, society hides her snares
Challenging and extreme in her ultimate offering.
Parallel, roars man and machine
linked in dash-daring unison.
Revved hearts spurt mean
Grimaces, turned to defy, shun
Limits with limitless power.
Tailored for destruction, they combine in one
Machine, motor, mind and gun.
With fear streamlined in oiled silence
Watch how they move, slip gear, accelerate away
Substitute war or violence
with symbol. Linked thus, they may,
Fuse metal and power with hand and feet
Hide stature on cushion and seat,
'Till mover and moved blurr totally.
But more likely, they will use the thrill
of combining, creation and will,
To risk a future -
To answer in part the constant need
For measuring life, in space and speed
Seeking pleasure or praise or lust.
Watch though, how death rides too a wheelspin away
Rears at a junction, reducing move or stay
To mere instinct. Til machine and man
Lack purpose, unless the purpose be....
To eliminate the lapse between A and C
Between movement, pause and movement.
Dave Clarke - Coventry 1970
Song lyric By Trev Teasdel 1970 Coventry
As I pass the streets lined with tears of unexpressed souls
Rows of tins of compressed talents chained in their folds
Lines of ‘I could’ve been if I tried, but didn’t pursue my goals’
Chains of the ‘same as the day before and day before that’ plastic moulds
Boxes of ‘shun the new, it’ll be our ruin, stick to the beaten path’ holes
Chorus
I just put my face to my hands
My fear for to hide
That I might yet become just another
Flower of the Wayside.
Their bins are full of screwed up dreams from the morning of their youth
and yes they still have their dreams in the straight-jacket of their lives.
They follow convention down the steps, in his drunken waltz
To fall into the waters deep, to find they cannot swim, to find they cannot think.
They’re too busy not being busy trying to be themselves,
They’ve been hung up upon society allocated shelves.
They pay homage to the idle with numerals on his face
And as his arms rotate, they start their diurnal chase
Machines I once thought were extensions of men’s arms
But men have just become extensions of machines,
Turmoiling in their cogwheel confusion
While I stage my independence – the water bearer’s revolution.
r
You're working at your leisure to learn the things you'll need
The promises you make tomorrow carry no guarantee
I've seen your qualifications, you got a Ph.D.
I've got one art O-level, it did nothing for me
Working for the rat race
You know you're wasting your time
Working for the rat race
You're no friend of mine
You plan your conversation to impress the college bar
Just talking about your mother and daddy's Jaguar
Wear your political T-shirt and sacred college scarf
Discussing the world situation, but just for a laugh
You'll be working for the rat race
You know you're wasting your time
Working for the rat race
You're no friend of mine
Working for the rat race
You know you're wasting your time
Working for the rat race
You're no friend of mine
Just working at your leisure to learn the things you don't need
The promises you make tomorrow carry no guarantee
I've seen your qualifications, you got a Ph.D.
I've got one art O-level, it did nothing for me
Working for the rat race
You know you're wasting your time
You're working for the rat race
You're no friend of mine
To their great credit - the Two Tone bands reflected this change in their lyrics and music -
Coventry folk duo who played the Coventry Arts Umbrella c Feb 1971. I think, but am not completely sure, that it was led by John Brown who taught guitar at the Umbrella and later in the year had a contemporary folk group c April 71 (according to my diary) called Toadstool who also played and practiced at the Umbrella. I think they mostly did John Brown's songs.
There's a note in my 1971 diary for Feb 14th 1971 to the effect that I was at the Plough Club on London Rd with Martin Barter and I got the address off the two folk groups (with a view to booking them for the Umbrella Club music nights I organised) that were on that night - Music Box (Colin and Rob Armstrong) and Don't Pick a Flower. Bill Campbell of Coconut Mat was there too..
Although I never attended a full course of guitar lessons - I did join in the first in the series of the bearded John Brown's lessons when I was starting out on guitar - at the Umbrella. I think he taught us how to alternate the bass on the C chord in that lesson.
Don't Pick a Flower were a gentle harmony folk duo with interesting lyrics as far as I can recall. They seemed to be around the Umbrella a lot at that time, weekends, sitting in the coffee bar, playing guitar and chatting.
After Indian Summer split up in 1971, after the release of their RCA Neon album named after the group, Coventry keyboard player and vocalist Bob Jackson (Wikapeadia)went on to play with John Entwhistles band Ro Ro and then join Alan Ross in the band Ross - recording on the RSO label and then played in Pete Brown's band. By 1974 Bob had replaced Peter Ham in Badfinger (and was retained after Peter Ham withdrew his resignation. Badfinger disbanded following Ham's suicide in 1975. Jackson remained in contact with Badfinger's bassist Tom Evans, and the two joined "The Dodgers" in 1976. The Dodgers released a handful of singles and one album by 1977, the year Jackson was released by the band due to management disagreements. (Bob Jackson story).
It started as a demo session for John Wilson and Dave Powell but then Tom Evans and Bob Jackson harmonized very good with the other two musicians, so that they decided to form a band together. Dave Powell made the proposal to call the band the DODGERS. They selected two songs out of their sessions for the first single, which was released in March 1976. Another two songs were released in June as the second single of the DODGERS. Shortly after the release of the second single Dave Powell left the group.
Tom Evans bass / Vocals / Bob Jackson keyboard / guitar / vocals / John Wilson Guitar / vocals / Dave Powell drums / PCS
Singles - 1976 - Dodgers - Don't Let me Be Wrong (by John Wilson) b/w Get to You (Bob Jackson / Tom Evans) Island.
Just want to Love You (John Wilson) b/w Don't know what you're doing (Bob Jackson) Island
Down (John Wilson) b/w Don't know what you're doing (Bob Jackson) Island
Love on the Rebound (John Wilson) b/w Come out Fighting (Bob Jackson / Paul Hooper) Polydor
Anytime Bob Jackson / John Wilson) b/w Little Darlin' (Roger Lomas) Polydor
Bob Jackson called his old
friend Paul Hooper to join the DODGERS but as he was not immediately available,
Terry Williams joined the group for some commitments in July.
New Line up - Tom Evans - bass / vocals / Bob Jackson - Keyboard Guitar Vocal / John Wilson Guitar / Vocal
Terry Williams Drums / PCS
Then Indian Summer's Paul Hooper replaced Terry Williams on Drums.
In 1978 they produced their album - Love on the Rebound - Polydor
The Coventry musician Roger Lomas (Ex member of the hit 60's group The Sorrows) replaced Tom Evans but played guitar instead of bass - John Wilson took over on bass.
Now it was almost completely a Coventry band with the exception of John Wilson.
After a wrangle with the manament over their behaviour - Bob Jackson was also fired and then Joined the Searchers as a guest musician - recording and touring with them. Currently Bob is with the reformed Fortunes.
Read whole history of Bob Jackson's musical career HERE
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