Kevin Harrison (who was in Transposed Men, an early precursor of Two Tone band Selecter) is about to launch his new album OBSESSIVE under the name of reallife. (Click link to listen), feat. Two Tone top men Horace Panter and Neol Davies, along with other Cov musicians and friends - Mick Gawthorp (Sax) and Charles Bullen (guitar) and Lynda Harrison on vocals. The new album features some of the best sound-scaping Kevin has done to date, encompassing elements of many styles including Soul, funk and Dub Reggae. His masterful synth work and sampling and guitar is augmented by some power-punching bass licks from ex Special Horace Panter and some screaming, sound-scaped blues licks from masterclass guitarist Neol Davies - (the original Selecter). Add in some some vocal elements and some sax and plenty of echo and effects - the album is varied, highly evocative and fresh.
The following is derived from Kevin's personal history site with full illustrations and audio examples and links which can be found HERE
Kevin Harrison is no newcomer, his story starts in the late sixites when he joined the avant garde jazz rock outfit
By the early 70's Kevin's musical direction was moving from the progressive rock field more into experimental areas. He cites these artists as some of his influences- Can, Faust, Neu!, Cluster and Harmonia. He forms an innovative and synthy Zoastra, calling himself Zodicoaxial, working with musicans such as Al Docker, Rick Medlock, Charles Bullen, John Westacott (there were two line-ups - 1972 - 1975) I visited Kevin in 1975 to interview him for Hobo and was amazed to find a room full of electronic equipment and early synthesizers. Kevin was surely the Brian Eno of Coventry, ahead of his time - with not only his tape looping and synth effects but even down to his cut-up spacey prose/poetry lyrics and his stage name. The article never got printed as Hobo folded soon afterwards although some of the material and lyrics are on the site HERE.
Along the way Kevin becomes good friends with nascent outfit This Heat in London. They swap tapes/phone calls and listen to interesting and challenging musics (e.g. Can, Beefheart, Philip Glass, Magma, The Residents, Devo, Eno, Miles, Sun Ra, Harry Partch etc.) and on one occasion in '76, Kevin gets asked to record an early gig in a London pub. One of the tracks he records ends up on their debut album, (released in '79 - the blue and yellow one). Charles Bullen and Charles Hayward visit Lynda and Kevin in Bedworth and some casual recording is done. At Gareth Williams's invitation, Kevin also spends a few days in Camberwell playing & recording the trio.
In 1976 -77 Kevin is beguiled by punk, meeting Joe Strummer and Johnny Rotten at the Clash and Sex Pistols gig in Coventry and at this stage meets up with good friend Roddy Radiation, who often pops round to record a few demos. Favourite
UK bands during this time include The Pop Group, This Heat, Subway
Sect, The Fall, Gang of Four, Wire, PiL and Magazine. American 'new
wave' artists favoured are Patti Smith, Television, Suicide, The New
York Dolls, The Modern Lovers, The Cramps and Père Ubu. Later on he's
also spinning Dr. Alimantado 'Best Dressed Chicken', Tapper Zukie
'MPLA', Augustus Pablo 'King Tubby meets The Rockers Uptown', Dillinger
'Cokane in my Brain' and Lee Perry 'Double Seven' and anything else I
can find that is produced by 'Scratch'
.
In the late seventies, prior to Two Tone, Kevin joined the TRANSPOSED MEN. Neol Davies - Guitar and Vocals, John Bradbury ( later of The Specials) Drums, Desmond Brown - Hammond Organ, Steve Wynne (aka Vaughan Tive) - Bass and Kevin Harrison on Guitar and Vocals. Hear the early version of On My Radio as rehearsed by by Neol Davies's earlier band Transposed Men
HERE -
In 1979 Kevin got asked to join Urge. Kevin "played guitar, electric piano and EMS synth and started to introduce some of his songs to the group. He employed Burroughs 'cut-up' techniques (he had begun to develop with Zoastra) for some of the lyrics. They released their first single in the midst of the Two Tone explosion. John Peel described it as "more Coventry genius" when he played it on his show. Both John Peel and Kid Jensen made it their "Record of the Week". They followed on with a tour of Holland and Germany. View some of the press cuttings HERE
Kevin says about Revolving Boy on his website "David Wankling and I have good chemistry. It turns out to be a good song writing team, Dave writes most of the lyrics, I compose most of the music. We remain good friends in the future. The first single 'Revolving Boy' takes it's title from a pulp sci-fi paperback. It's a kinda fun song about a pre-pubescent boy named Derv spinning around in zero gravity searching for love. It's married to an updated Stax groove and underpinned by an hypnotic dub bassline, music fans!"
and then goes on to comment on the Coventry scene around the time of Two Tone -
"Although things are grim with Thatcher gaining power in the general election, this only seems to feed the desire of Coventry musicians to make a stand and take a strong political stance. Overall, there is a positive, more optimistic scene starting to grow. This is a good period for music in Coventry, there's lots of bands that play different styles of music, who all know (of) each other. There's friendly rivalry for sure, but a sense of unity seems to be the most prevailing attitude. Importantly The Specials success seems to galvanise the scene. Martin Bowes (Attrition) essential 'Alternative Sounds' is the 'zine with all the dope about what's happenin' locally."
During this period Kevin released a cassette 'On Earth 2' on the 'Ambivalent Scale' label. This Nuneaton collective comprised Eyeless In Gaza and Bron Area among others. he felt an immediate affinity with them and recorded some tracks for Side 1 of Bron Area's 'One Year' cassette. They then try to organise dates where Bron / Eyeless play with Urge or Kevin whenever possible.
Kevin starts performing local live gigs with his Stratocaster and a tape-delay system, (this consisted of 2 tape recorders, both in record mode, the tape spools from the left (tape deck #1) through two sets of recording heads and is taken up on the right (tape deck #2) the delay is the space between the tape heads, you can then improvise over the top of what you've already played, this is cool as it automatically records the performance. He found out about this system from Brian Eno's 'Discreet Music' album on his Obscure label.
Cherry Red released a new version of On Earth 2 on their label as Inscrutably Obvious. (Link above)
Urge split up in 1981. A new Urge line up was quickly put together (including Lynda Harrison, Dave Gedney, Rick Medlock, Dennis Burns and Kevin but time had shifted and some of the elusive chemistry had gone. Chic and funky, they play plenty of gigs, but by this time they've had too much stuffing kicked out of them, and despite tentative record company interest, accept the fact that Coventry is no longer the fashionable city it once was and reluctantly decide to call it a day. (In hindsight, Kevin says that if they could have done some studio recordings things may have been very different)
Around this time Kevin signs to Glass Records and releases the 'Fly' e.p which also features Horace Panter, Lynda Harrison, Rick Medlock and Dave Gedney. Two tracks from this record (Views Of the Rhine / Inkman) have surfaced as Italo Cosmic Dance favourites and remixes this year (2007) in Italy.
Kevin followed on with various solo projects and various collaborations, continuing to produce fine and innovative music culminating in his new album OBSESSIVE (hear some of the music). Advance copies are available through Kevin's website or just e mail him form his Vox blog.
http://isotope23.vox.com/
Trev Teasdel
(Thanks to Kevin for minor corrections)
Read the full story on Kevin's site HERE
Kevin's other sites are -
http://www.marz-imprint.co.uk/
http://www.myspace.com/84875733
http://www.myspace.com/isotopex
http://unconsciousrepeat.blogspot.com/2007/04/limbic-bath-part-2.html
http://isotope23.vox.com/
Mick Gawthorp was one of the top musicians on the early Coventry Music Scene, playing sax with one of the most popular Coventry groups of the early 70's - Whistler (3 of whose members later joined The Urge); he played in a rock band with Two Toner Neol Davies in Cat's Grave and Asgard, and later on the original version of Selecter's On My Radio. Unfortunately his sax playing never made it on to disc. Mick , who is also a photographer, now runs a college Dept. in South End on Sea and teaches photography. He has a Vox blog and continues to make music and take photos, examples of which can be found on his Vox site called Then..there..here and now.. Mick began by playing in the jazz club at the Coventry Arts Umbrella Club in the late 60's before joining Whistler. Mick will be featured on the Gnome Label's forthcoming Retro Coventry Podcast both with some of his recent work and with some Audio from his Whistler Days. I am hoping that Mick will finally get to release his own album / podcast on the Gnome label.
I must have seen Whistler many times c 1969 - 70 in Coventry and even booked them for the Coventry Arts Umbrella
Whistler though were more of an experimental Jazz Rock band and Mick was their saxophonist. They played all the local venues of the time - Umbrella Club, Warwick University and Lanch Poly Arts Festivals, the Village, the Plough and many more and further afield. ( I expect Mick or Kevin will fill in details of that via the comments - hint hint!).
I always enjoyed listening to Whistler with their off beat time signatures and rhythms, having been pre-conditioned by listening to early King Crimson. I have discovered that Mick, who blogs on Vox, is a really nice and talented bloke and has supported this Hobo site with his insights and comments almost from the start - nearly a year ago. However, although I watched him play many times, I don't recall talking to him much back then. My main contact was their bass player who used to hang out at the Umbrella - John Westacott and later Kevin Harrison whom I later interviewed for Hobo Magazine in 1974. A fuller account of Whistler will be on here soon - with, hopefully, some further info - even pictures, Kevin and Mick (Hint Hint!) - maybe even some audio if they can find some (huge hint to get finding!).
But now I will let Mick speak for himself about his musical back ground in Coventry and his development since:-
MIck Gawthorp's Story -
"I was brought up in Coventry and spent my formative years there until
leaving for Leeds in the mid 70’s. The first and last musical
projects I was involved with in Coventry were with former school-
friend Neol Davies. In the mid 70’s I told Neol that nothing good
would ever happen in Coventry. Well, what do you know? Very soon
after me saying this a number of good things happened in Coventry! I
could have taken it personally and believed that Cov’s finest had
actually waited for me to go! Soon after leaving Foxford School, the
very first band that would have me (we spent more time practising
than performing) was Neol’s, whose idea it was to call ourselves
Cat’s Grave? Some time later, I hooked up with Kevin Harrison to form
Whistler, a band specialising – or so we thought – in quirky time-
signatures and tricky key-changes. Contemporaries of ours on the
Coventry gig-circuit at that time included Indian Summer and Asgard
(who I also played with on a few occasions) and Wandering John. One venue at this time
was The Umbrella, an arts-club where we would also rehearse and where
Trev was evidently working behind the scenes. People who remember
Whistler comment with words to the effect of ‘being ahead of the
times’. Whatever, it turned out that it wasn’t time for us then.
I now live in Southend-on-Sea and earn a living from education,
endeavouring as best I can to run a department in a sixth-form
college. I continue to make music, the digital revolution
facilitating opportunities that would have been unthinkable all those years ago. Earlier this year I participated in Kevin’s Obsession
Project at Woodbine Studios in Leamington Spa alongside a line-up
including Neol, Horace Panter and Rick Medlock.
Peekaboo-bebop is the name given to my solo-efforts, all of which
have been recorded at home by way of a G5 Apple Mac dual processor
and software such as Ableton, Logic, Audition and Garage. I play
keyboards, guitars and saxophones (but none of them very well).
Percussion is provided by way of loops and samples. Panoptorama is my
attempt at writing for an augmented line-up that might feature a
phalanx of horn-players. The brass-section here is a combination of
midi-based simulations of horns and my own playing. Peekaboom is an
upbeat tune that some people might even be able to dance to.
I’m really pleased to have been invited to participate in this
project and even though I left Coventry many years ago, I will always
remember it fondly. Some eulogies to the place have been written up
in my occasional blog."
Also says Mick -
"Just before leaving Cov, I had a bit of a disco period (ask Neol or
Kev about the 'disco series') and Pete Waterman was obviously part of
this on account of his DJ residency at Mr George's. I left Cov circa 75 I
fancied my chances as a songwriter and this necessitated playing
guitar (rather than sax/flute). I pretty much gave up on music-making, perhaps as a
result of a couple of things not working out. These include playing
alto-sax on the original version of On my Radio, but which ultimately
featured tenor played by someone else (Joe Reynolds). (No hard feelings though!!!)
and some recordings with Brad (Specials Drummer) as part of his JB's AllStars Specials'
splinter/ spin-off. I also played a few gigs with
Urge. What I know for sure is
that - for a moment in the late 60's early 70s - Cov was a great
place to be and it was just fantastic being connected with some of
what was happening."
You can hear some of Mick Gawthorp's new music on his Vox Blog HERE
or on his MY SPACE - Well worth a listen. Additionally he's on the Obsession CD led by Kevin
Of his new music Mick writes on his My Space blurb -
"Peekaboo-bebop is the name of Mick Gawthorp's current musical project.
Drawing upon an eclectic mix of musical styles and approaches,
Peekaboo-bebop comprises a number of sonic assemblages produced at home
by way of Apple-Mac hardware (G5 Dual Processor), various software
including Ableton Live. Logic Pro, Adobe Audition, Garage (particularly
the double-bass voicing!) and various musical instruments including
tenor and soprano saxophones, M-Audio Keystation midi-keyboard, Alesis
USB guitar interface and guitars.
The title for the latest compilation of tracks is 'Born to be filed'
and shows that the weakness for puns and word-play is as bad as ever.
Essentially it is based upon a notion that such efforts might be
variously classified in terms of 'down-tempo', 'slow-burn',
'chill-out', 'lounge', 'trip-hop' (already something of an
anachronism!), 'nu-jazz', 'electronica' etc etc. I have been playing -
intermittently - for many years now, my first musical collaborations
with people who became far better known than myself as part of the
Coventry-scene. Indeed, more recent collaborations I have been involved
with have included participating in Kevin Harrison's Real Life project
with former schoolfriend Neol Davies of The Selecter and Horace Panter
of The Specials. It was with Kevin and Neol that my first musical
efforts and collaborations were formed and I continue to learn from
their expertise. Ich bin ein dilettante.
Peekaboo-bebop, however, is what I have been doing at home over the
past couple of years."
His influences include -
"Gary Winogrand, Paul Citroen, William Burroughs, Art Pepper, Sid James,
Henry Mancini, Delia Derbyshire, The Three Monarchs, William Klein,
Coventry, Kevin Harrison, Neol Davies, John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy,
David Stone-Martin, Don Martin, Henry Mancini, Herbie Hancock, Neal
Hefti"
He sounds like -
"music from films - or sequences from films - that have yet to be made.
Most of what you hear here is not bound by words or anchored by lyrics.
In fact, in most cases the title comes last of all. Quite often, its a
word-play or pun that only I will believe is funny or clever."
My new album Coventry Days on the Gnome Label will consist of previously unreleased material from synthy songs
Here's a glimpse of some new stuff being worked on.
This is a draft of song that resulted in a recent on-line collaboration with the Newcastle based band THE NERVE -
The nerve range from punk (with a phantastic version of Lou Reed's Waiting for my Man) to trance.
On this number they took an Mp3 of me reading one of my recent performance poems from the Writers' Cafe in Stockton and layered and adjusted the voice over their basic trance tracks. The song is a work in progress with much to be done to it yet. They've not yet putt all the words on it (or all the words they are going to use to make it a song) and the final result may be quite different.
The basic sound effects track was laid down by the legendary songwriter and producer Steve Thompson and Nerve leader Mark did the rest with the band's lead singer Una Luna providing backing vocals. Unfortunately the Nerve's My Space has gone down recently. I'm trying to persuade them to come to Vox.
The track therefore consists of sound collage, trance music, a poem, and a playlet all in one. Here a previous version - I suggested they illustrate the theme of the song with a domestic - well there's a lot of realistic swearing going on as Una and Mark mocked up a row between a couple around the idea of the bloke coming in drunk and calling the lunch soup when it's really Shepard pie - it opens a pandora's box of slagging each other off - quite literally.
Trev's Album Profile on Broadgate Gnome below
http://broadgategnome.com/jamroom/members/2/
Songs of Trev Teasdel - On Vox
Here's the full words -
DOWN OUR STREET
by Trev Teasdel 2006
Down our street
The men bugger off
Leave the kids in the trough.
So the
wives sleep around
With everyone in town
So now they’re all related
To people that they hated
Things are really neat
Down our Street.
Down our street
The neighbourhood watch is always alert
Reporting crimes and digging up dirt
And the gossips write a novel
About each and every hovel
And their kids have shady eyes
Even the police are streetwise to their lies
And the Sheep Don’t bleat
Down our Street.
Down our Street
They’ll scratch your car and steal your fence
Then have the gall to ask for 50 pence.
Their garden hops never stop
with invisible cloaks to fool the cops
They say they’ve got nowt to do
smoking ganga up a chimney flue
they never miss a beat
Down our street.
Down our Street
The men are doing up old bangers
Their garages look like airplane hangers
They are black with oil
And stink of toil
And the engines never seem to go
They’d be better off with a boat to row
You need a licence for your feet
Down Our Street.
Down our street
The council are never seen
If they lived here they’d go green
If you complain they don’t know what you mean
They spend all the money on Bell Air Green
The council say it’s not their scene
Acknowledging this estate will spoil their dream
We’re chaff and they’re wheat
Down our street.
Down our Street
It’s a crop circle situation
People don’t want this aggravation
But they start up hostilities
If you suggest giving the kids facilities
The council
are no hoper's
They won’t confront the contradictions of their voters
Absurdity can’t be beat
Down our
Street.
A few oldies from Coventry Days album - Trev Teasdel
Here's a cassetted draft of a ska No I wrote in 1980 for Mojo Tony Morgan's ska band EMF who recorded later and
briefly for RCA - It's called With Someone Nice Like You written in the Dog and Trumpet - Coventry's Cavern.
Just Before Dawn - a clawpicking song written about the morning rush in Coventry (or any town)
And lastly - A Lotta Rain is Fallin' - lyric written at the GEC in Coventry in 1970 - originally Pete Waterman (before
he was world famous) put acoustic music to this - but this version is with my own music and with Steve Gillgallon on lead acoustic guitar - again a simple home cassette recording.
SENT FOR COVENTRY - THE ALBUM
Martin Bowes, editor of the Coventry Alternative Sounds Magazine c 1979 / 1980 - in the midst of the Two Tone Period - was instrumental in getting together an incredible album full of the vibrant Cov bands of the time -many who made singles and supported many of the top bands of the day. Two of the bands featured on the album had had members of the Specials in their ranks - Machine's drummer was Silverton - drummer with the Specials until replaced by John 'Brad' Bradbury and Terry Hall had been lead singer with Squad. Kevin Harrison of Urge had played in the original formation of Selecter - The Transposed Man and had worked on the original draft of
(Featured on Kevin Harrison's musical history site - HERE
You can listen to excerpts and download the album here
The following bands were on the
album -
The Wild Boys - we're only monsters
The Clique - Mothers Never Know
The End - Panic in the Night
The Mix - With You
Machine - Character Change
Urge - Nuclear Terrorist
Protege - Protection
Solid Action - Message from a Loner
Wild Boys - Lorraine
Squad - Flasher
Homicide - Armageddon
Riot Act - Sirens
Vietnamese Babies - Donna Blitzen
Cherry Red Records / Kathedral Records.
Here are the pages of the special issue of Alternative Sounds that came with the album - in a collection - click to view the pages -
Updated Oct 27th 2007
Pete Chambers invited me down to Cov to attend the launch of his latest book on the history of Coventry Music - a
The launch last Thurs 18th Oct 2007 was at 'The Fletch' and after a speech by BBC Radio Coventry DJ and musician Bob Brolly (featured in the book) and author Pete Chambers, the resto of the evening consited of book signings, networking and music.
Many Coventry musicans were there or those associated with Coventry music in some way. I can't remember the names of all those who played but they incuded some of the musicians from the 60's and later on form Wandering John guiitarist John Alderson and former Ra Ho Tep (Cov's former avant Garde Jazz group leader) Tim James performed some country blues on John's Delta Resonator guitar with Tim on vocals and harmonica. The set included Statesbro' Blues and a Robert Johnson Number.
After a couple of wines - I got up to dance, being described by one of the musician's as "the original Breakdancer"! but most of the evening was sent networking on behalf of the Hobo site. It wasn't too far removed from the original Hobo Magazine work in the
There were many I didn't get around to talking to - some of the musicians from the 60's whom I didn't know personally and the Enemy - however the Lord Mayor came up and said hello although no converstion resulted from it - he was circulating one way as I was circulating the t'other.
First off though I spoke to Bob Jackson, for the first time in many many years. Bob was the main songwriter, vocalist and keyboardist with Indian Summer, whose RCA Neon album from 1971 is still a classic of progressive music. Indian Summer competed with Black Sabbath for their record contract - Sabbath won in 1970 but Indian Summer won in 1971. After they split Bob went on to play in bands with the Who's John Entwhistle, Ro Ro, Pete Brown (who wrote the Cream lyrics like White Room), Badfinger and now gigs with the re-formed Fortunes. Bob was unaware of some of the recent developments like this Hobo site and the proposed Coventry Music Exhibition and the Gnome Label. I was able to inform him about them and Bob said I'd set him on path to find out more about what was happening so hopefully he may contribute some of his info and stories to the site and for the exhibition..
Next off I spoke to ex Wandering John / Trevelling Riverside Blues band guitrist - John Alderson. We talked about the idea of publishing the 1971 Wandering John tapes - recorded at one of the band's last gigs at the Lanch Polytech (now Coventry University). John has the tapes but finding them after all these years might be a task. These tapes were to be the first release on the Gnome Label in it's original proposed form in 1971 but owing to the band splitting up and the Broadgate Gnome emigrating to Brighton - it never happened. Shame as they were (in Neil O'Connor's words) "a spaceship of a band". The hope is that the Gnome Label will soon be able arrange for the tapes to be digitally enhanced (they were recorded live in in the 70's) and release it. The next hope is for the band to reunite for a new recording session of fresh material - it could even be a Then and Now style presentation. So hopefully the Gnome can re-unite John Alderson and John Gravenor and Ade Taylor and Jim Pryal and John Alderson can locate the tapes.
Tim James (formerly of Coventry's Underground and experimental Jazz group of the early 70's - Ra Ho Tep) - joined us and Horace Panter formerly of the Specials of course. Horace is currently teaching music in a Primary School and was enthusing about how the kids loved his presentation of Blues music, especially excited about stories of Robert Johnson. Both Tim and John had been doing school residencies as musicians that very day along the same lines - and they had played, among others, Robert Johnson. It had struck a nerve and the roots music had excited the pupils, most of whom thought the session was going to be boring. We talked about how learning about the blues wasn't just about music, it was a doorway in to ecoomic and social history, the poetry of the blues, sociology etc. Having been a writer in residence in schools in the past, I could understand how artists in schools can generate enthusiasm in pupils for music and writing in a way that the normal curriculum can't. The enthusiam and insights that artists bring to it bring these topics alive and can even inspire pupils who are not otherwise too responsive to learning. this augers well as one of the ideas around the Music Exhibition is both adult Education moduals and musicians going into schools -and a reciprocal visit to the music Exhibition. Both John and Tim said they would explore the site and make any contributions they can.
Also there were Kevin and Lynda Harrison, formerly of the Coventry Jazz/
Also there was former KING drummer John Hewitt who was formerly with Team 23 with Dave Pepper and Jim Lantsbery (also of King). We got talking after Jim had given me the thumbs up for my wild dancing! The lineage of King had evolved from two bands that played the Hobo Workshop in 1975 - Analog (with Paul Brooks / Steve Edgeson) and Trigon (with Paul Samson). Paul Samson of course went on the produce the Primatives and Catalonia. The evening was coming to an end about then but Jim said he would take a look at the site and hopefully contribut. Another drummer - Ted Duggan was there too but had disappeared before I could talk to him.
All in all it was a good evening and nice to be reconnected to my roots in Coventry after a long absence and some good networking was done. It looked like Pete Chambers did a good turn on book sales and I think him for the opportunity to attend this invitation only event. Thanks Pete.
Do check out Pete's new book if you are interested in development of the Coventry music scene - there are a lot of interesting pics and stories and an interview with Jerry Dammers. The amazing thing about this is tht despite all the posts on this site - Pete's books and the site have quite independant material in them in the main - which just shows what a lively scene there has and continues to be in Coventry.
Trev Teasdel - Oct 2007 - Below some of Coventry Music books by Pete Chambers
The Two Tone Trail and The Beatles - Sent To Coventry.
THE COVENTRY MUSIC EXHIBITION 2009
Please contribute your thoughts and ideas on this.
Pete's original post on Backbeat (Cov Telegraph) can be traced via Pete's Site Pete Chambers
Trev's orginal thoughts on the museum - Coventry Music Museum
Earlier this month I went down to Cov for a meeting with the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum. Through the Hobo site connections Pete Chambers and I shared our thoughts on the possibility of a Coventry Music Museum and Pete appraoched Roger Vaughan from the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum with a proposal. The Museum is currently undergoing a major redevelopment that includes a History dept, Cafe, Recording Studio and more. As result of Pete's initial meeting Roger Vaughan called a meeting between members of his staff and people who represent the Coventry Music Scene or media, including Roger Lomus, Radio Mercia and the BBC Coventry, Pete Cahmbers, Mysoefl and the Recording Studio. After quite a heated and enthusiastic discussion, Roger's staff took away the ideas and are formulating them into a working plan. There will be further discussions as we go along as well as progress reports but meanwhile Roger and his staff would appreaciate any feedback or ideas. If you have any thoughts on this - please leave them in the Comment box or message me and I will gladly pass your thoughts on. Meanwhile here is a summary of the proposals so far.
Pete Chambers
Present: Pete Chambers, Peter Walters, Trevor TeasdeL, Roger Lomas, Dave Fisher, Roger Vaughan, Jo Whitford, Richard Elms, Martin Roberts
The current proposal is to hold a temporary exhibition at The Herbert towards the end of 2009. This would be used to test the feasibility of a permanent gallery on the subject.
The exhibition aims are:
• To record the history of the music scene in Coventry
• To inspire the musicians of the future
• To celebrate the creativity of the city and instill civic pride
Key themes
• Main acts/heroes/chart successes
• Behind the scenes (e.g. producers, studios, venues, instrument makers)
• Social history context (e.g. fashions, politics)
The current proposal is to hold a temporary exhibition at The Herbert towards the end of 2009. This would be used to test the feasibility of a permanent gallery on the subject.
The exhibition would focus on events in Coventry, but the scope should be widened to include the rest of Warwickshire, especially Leamington, Warwick, Stratford, Rugby. The chronological range of the exhibition would be from the 1950s (birth of rock & roll) to the present day.
A timeline could be used to give a chronological framework to the exhibition, within which these themes could be explored in some depth.
THE EXHIBITION
The exhibition should be rich in content, including objects, stories and the music itself. Objects would need to be borrowed from people involved in the music scene. A number of people have been approached already and most were willing to loan items. Potential objects include instruments, gold discs, clothing worn by band members, fan memorabilia, etc. The Herbert can guarantee the security of any items loaned, which would be displayed in secure showcases.
It is important that the right atmosphere is created, through the use of sound, etc.
An important aspect of the exhibition would be to look to the future and to encourage people to make music.
Content could include film of Top of the Pops performances by Coventry bands, karaoke, juke boxes, oral history, etc.
The exhibition should be wide ranging and have layers of interpretation so that it appeals to all age groups, including families and schools.
AV and multimedia exhibits could be used to provide access to more information, including access to relevant websites.
EXHIBITION VENUE
The exhibition will be held in the Herbert's gallery 4 and will run for a period of 2-3 months. Other spaces within the Herbert could also be used for linked activities, e.g. café, studio space, media studios, etc.
EVENTS PROGRAMME
The programme of events linked to the exhibition could include:-
Launch party
Live performances by bands in café or Studio space
Film screenings
Talks programme
Possible commission of a theatre company to create and perform a piece of musical theatre which could then tour other venues
Local bands could be asked to cover songs from other bands from the city. These could be made into a CD which could be sold.
It will be important to promote the work of new young artists.
PETE CHAMBERS IDEA
One idea I had that I didn't mention at the meeting. Was the idea of a mock-up of Jerry Dammers flat (actually just a one wall diorama). This was effectively Two Tone HQ 1979-1980. I think it would work as a centre-piece to any Specials/Two Tone exhibit. The museum already has hand written lyrics and other items that could be included in this diorama. I have photographs of the whole room to base designs on.
Other bi-product stars of the Cov music scene include Chuck Berry, who famously recorded My Ding-A-ling at Coventry's Locarno. As a point of trivia, when Chuck was hitting number one in The USA, Lieutenant Pigeon were number one in the UK. This meant both number one's either side of the pond, were recorded in Coventry, can't see that happening ever again.
As we also touched on; Reggae star Lee Sratch Perry recorded the Grammy award winning album at Roger Lomas's studio in Coventry. Roger Lomas remains the only Cov musician to win a Grammy.
The Clash and the Sex Pistols both played on the same bill at Coventry's Lanch (Cov Uni), 48 hours before the famous Filth & Fury headlines provoked by Bill Grundy infamous interview with the Pistols. It was effectively the last gig they would perform before the tabloid press went critical mass over punk rock and its "evil" followers.
Regards all
Pete Chambers
.....................................
HOBO ARCHIVES
The Broadgate Gnome were asking, I think, about the archiving of the source material. In discussion with Roger Vaughan of the Herbert Art Gallery and museum, I hope to donate the source material from the Hobo files to the Museum / Coventry Archives where they can be used for the new upcoming History research unit and the Coventry Music Exhibition. However there is stil a lot to do on this site as yet.
Trev.
We both had ideas towards a possible Coventry Music museum separately and more recently shared those ideas. Pete approached Roger Vaughan of the Herbert Museum and Art Gallery and Roger set up a meeting between his staff and various intersted parties including Pete and myself and Roger Lomus (Ex Sorrows and Two Tone Producer).
The Herbert complex is currently being re-developed and includes the Depot recrding studio and re-opens in 2008. We met in the temporary accomodation at the Canal Basin where the famous Specials Cover photo was taken. Roger wanted to consult some of the people involved with the Coventry music scene and those who currently charting it's history and develping new projects.
The meeting was quite to begin with but soon cranked up and got quite heated at one stage - such was the enthusiasm for the idea. The idea is to stage an exhibition that will hopefully lead to a permanent Coventry music focus / museum. It was thought the exhibition should create atmosphere, contexted by what was going on in both wider youth culture and the Covnetry take on it, layered so that people can view the exhibits and those that want to can dig a little deeper in to it's social history. It was thought that it could involve school workshops for schools and adult education and much more. Pete's message was not to forget the music in all the brilliant ideas. Now Roger's staff have the challange of marshalling all those diverse ideas into a coherent and achievable plan and get it funded. There will be follow on meetings periodically and the Hobo, Broadgate Gnome, Rex Brough and Tim James sites will provide source materials and inspiration along with all of Pete Chamber's books on Coventry music.
Like the sites, the exhibiton won't just be about history or nostalgia but inspiration and hopefully will provide a springboard for new developments for Coventry musicians.
It was great to see the idea starting to become a reality. Long way to go but it's begun it's journey - and in the same week that long proposed Coventry Co-operative Gnome label has started to develop with the proposed Retro Cov podcast and possible CD and much more.
Exciting stuff.
Meanwhile if you have any suggestions for the exhibition - in terms of who should be represented (famous or not famous but important to the Cov Scene) or for artefacts, or whatever - use the comments below. I won't gurantee your ideas will be taken up but they will be looked at.
Trev Teasdel (Me myself I that is!) has a new book of performance poetry out - more details forthcoming (Watch this space or message me) on how to get a copy but here is a gawk at the cover and some samples. It will cost £3. On Glass Orange Publications
"thanks for your book by the way, some great stuff in there, it makes you think about your own situations, and that I like." Pete Chambers (Ambassador of Coventry Music / Author and Journalist)
"Good stuff, especially 'Boders' and 'Down Our Street'. But isn't it time you submitted a full-length MS to Mudfog or Ek Zuban ?" Dr Andy Croft (Former Literature Lecture - Leeds University / Writer / Poet / Co Founder of Mudfog Publications and Editor for Smokestack Publications)
Poetry
Quotes from the book -
"Spin-doctored money-blenders,
with hidden agendas
Crammed with fruit
in the Cave of Clones
Lie low in Sorrento"
"Down our street
The men bugger off
Leave the kids in the trough"
"You get post-grad cash-back
for shaggin' in the love-shack
A 6 pack,fast-track, 0% APR,
the money goes far"
Includes the popular Dance and R & B ( The Surround Sound)
Recent pic of Trev leading a tribute one of his former Creative Writing Students in Saltburn by the Sea - Pat Brown. He's pictured here (in the black jacket) with some of his former students.
After posting some info on Coventry singer songwriter / author and Magus bookseller Roger Williamson and his folk outfit East Light c 1970 I got an e mail from him - now living in minisota where he runs the Magus bookshop.
Roger has sent me a bio and will be sending us some audio soon -
ROGER WILLIAMSON - BIO
My first adventures into playing music were inspired by listing to rock and roll transmitted on Radio Luxemburg late at night. I would pick up this station on a home made crystal set when I was supposed to be asleep. A couple of years later, probably around 1963, I would go and listen to bands on Wednesday nights at the Orchid Ballroom on Primrose Hill Street. This was about the time of the Beatles release “With the Beatles” album. I remember there was a large copy of the cover projected on the back of the stage.
There was also the Sombrero coffee bar next to Pool Meadow bus station which had the most amazing juke box. This juke box was fabulous and I’ll never forget hearing Bo Diddly singing Pretty Thing. This would have been around 1962. I discovered a whole other world different from my upbringing.
In 1964 I played bass in a band called the Elements which included Paul Saunders on lead guitar and John Underwood on guitar. After the Elements I played Bass for the Red White and Blues and then in 1966/67 left them to play bass for the Darkness. The Darkness was originally going to be Alex Sun and the Darkness but Alex the singer dropped out.
There were great venues we played at, Chesford Grange on Saturdays, Plough on the London Road the Avonside Country Club and The Navigation Inn. Chesford Grange was great on Saturday nights. It had two stages, as one band took a break the second band came on. This was all going on while ballroom dancing took place upstairs, all very bazaar. After finishing at Chesford Grange around 11pm we would often move to the Avonside Country Club and play there until the early hours.
Began singing on the Coventry folk scene in 1967. In 1969 I formed East Light with Paul Saunders and we moved to London. We played as East Light for a few months before Paul emigrated to Canada. I continued to play in and around London folk clubs for the next few years until I joined a reformed Dando Shaft in the early 70’s with Martin Jenkins, Ted Kay and Bill Bones. Martin Jenkins and I busked in the London underground to rehearse each others songs and earn a few bob. This lasted for about six months until Martin Jenkins and Ted Kay moved back to Coventry. I went back to the folk scene performing on my own until forming the Roger Williamson Band in 1974.
I moved to the USA in 1985. I wrote The Sun at Night which was released in 1989 it was reprinted in 1997 followed by Labyrinth: Tales of a Rite of Passage about a year later, Lucifer’s a Basic Handbook of Lucierian Sorcery in 1994 reprinted in 2002, Black Book of the Jackal in 2000 as a limited signed and handbound edition, this was released in soft cover in 2006, Calling up the Spirits was released a couple of years later, Howling at the Sky in 2002 and Lucifer Diaries in 2004. Lucifer Diaries was released as a limited edition signed and numbered hardcover and as a softcover. I released a limited edition compact disc “On the Arrival of the Machine and its Mode of Operation” in 2003 for which my son Luke provided the music. Tarot of the Morning Star deck of 22 cards due to be released October 2007
Opened Magus Books in September of 1992.
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