5 posts tagged “rod felton”

Hobo presents here - the 2nd part of Pete Willow's informative history of the Coventry Folk Scene from the early 60's

to the 70's form his 1978/79 magazine Folks. in this article he responds to feedback and makes corrections to some of the assertions in his first article; raids the Rod Felton Scrapbook for insights into the Coventry Folk scen, Rod's own career and that of Beverley Kutner (later Martyn).

EXTRACTS FROM THE FELTON FILES

Or how Roddy encountered the Great Dylan/ Donavan Cliche

Part 2 of Pete Willow’s look at local folk History –from Folks  magazine Jan / Feb 79

 

Over the last few weeks, I have been inundated with comments, some helpful, some critical, some complimentary and some not. So as a result of the Fifteen Folkin Years feature that appeared last issue, in which I undertook a fairly detailed look into Coventry’s Folk Heritage, I can only surmise from this reaction that the article has been a total success in what in what it was attempting to do.

For the most part people who have been closely involved with the development of folk music in the city have been extremely forthcoming with info and offers of assistance for future articles in the series, which means of course that the task of building up a complete picture will be even more complicated than I first imagined. History is being made all the time so I don’t imagine the series will ever be complete.

CLEARING UP SOME STATEMENTS

Before going any further, I’d like to try and clear up some of the statements in the last article that became subject to close scrutiny. For my own part, covering the mid to late 60’s period was a purely historical exercise. Although I was living in Coventry up until 1969, I was totally uninvolved with the folk music scene at the time and , to write the article, I had to rely on not only the word of others but also press cuttings, magazine articles etc., that came my way as evidence of what had happened. Since then I have been given access to more evidence that seems to contradict the stuff I had seen or heard previously.

For example, I stated that the Coventry Folk Club first opened at the Binley Oak in May 1963. Many people disputed this; I heard from somebody who had checked with Barry Skinner himself that the date was 1961. And yet I had found the date in a magazine, published in 1967, only four (or six/) years after the event. An historian’s life in not a happy one!, particularly as I know have in front of me an article published in the Coventry Standard (I presume, as it was written by Dougie Grosvenor who worked for them at the time) in 1965, stating categorically that the club was founded in March 1962!

I also refered to a Miss Beverley Jones in the previous article and I am pleased to have been informed almost immediately that the lady’s maiden name was in fact Kutner. So profound apologies about that. However another point still to be resolved is the exact beginnings of the Tavern Folk Club. I said that it opened in June 1964 at the Swanswell Tavern and that the venue was ‘short lived’ as the club transferred to the Wine Lodge to become Cofa’s Tree Folk Club. Some readers recall that in fact the Tavern went on for quite a time, at least a couple of years and I’d be grateful for any more information to throw light on this. For example, did the club continue at the Tavern under the same organisation or did somebody else take over when the Cofa’s Tree was formed?

I do have access to an article that appeared in the local press in 1964, stating that the club had been going successfully for about six months. A few quotations from the article should be of interest to those who remember the club:

 “…In these commercial days, the venture is non-profit making, and the admission charge 2/- for visitors – goes towards paying for visits every month or six weeks by nationally famous singers like the Ian Campbell Folk Group, featured at the club on Nov 22^nd. I asked Ben Arnold and Bernard Overton, two of the clubs organisers, what they thought had brought their members, now well over three hundred in all, and the answer seems undoubtedly to be the variety and the quality of the entertainment offered… I heard English and American Ballads from Ben, Scotch and Irish songs from the Kerry singers, modern ballads, English, French and German from Bernard and Lesley, American Ballads from the Brothers and American Blues from Rod Felton”

 
I would like to especially thank the last person mentioned for his help with this issue’s article. My original intention in this issue had been to look at Coventry clubs in the early 70’s but I would like to postpone that for another month or so. Roddy has very kindly lent me his famous scrap books, which contain a wealth of information on the local folk scene during the mid to late sixties, and more specifically on what Rod himself was doing musically during this time, which is what I’d like to concentrate on for the main part of this article. Hopefully in future articles, I shall cover the same period of time as seen through the eyes of other local musicians who played different styles of music at different venues.

Above is an attempted reproduction of a photo of Rod that appeared in the Coventry Standard on July 22^nd 1965, accompanied by an article headed Rod Felton- A newcomer in the Bob Dylan Folk Tradition – (See the article here..).

 
Not a journalistic masterpiece, but at least the local press were showing more interest in local folk acts than of late.

Digressing if I may for awhile, I referred in the last issue to the change of venue in 1965 of the Coventry Folk Club, from

Binley Oak to the Craven Arms (now the Bear), High Street. There is more detail of that in another cutting form the scrapbooks headed

 

“Folk Wave Hits City Scene”

It describes a particular evening at the Coventry Folk Club and then runs briefly through other Folk events in the area and mentions Rod’s popularity as a local singer. Articles like this appearing in the local press did much to bring the local folk scene to everyone’s notice. Not only did the people of Coventry know there was a growing movement of folk enthusiasm in the city, but they knew where to go to see it for themselves and who they could expect to see on stage. Local acts, like Rod, were given particular encouragement.

I hope journalists reading this take note.

 
Here are a few quotes from that article:

 

“The fact that the Coventry Folk Club at the Craven Arms was packed out by 7.50 on Thursday night makes its own comment on the subtle change coming over the folk scene in this country.

 
Sure enough the visitor was American, Tom Paxton. Sure enough he does sing a few protest songs. But Paxton is a vastly different kettle of fish to Bob Dylan…..Donovan and their subsequent cult of demi-clad, hirsute ‘folk poets’ and revolutionaries.”

 
The article the describes Paxton as a ‘real professional’ and implies he’s not a ‘weirdo’ like the others, then goes on; “Meanwhile folk music session are taking place in the city most nights of the week, including Sundays” (and here is a list I could have done with when compiling the article last issue!). “When fans congregate at the Weavers Arms Hotel in Bell Green Rd., The Cofa’s Tree Folk Club…, the Heart of England Folk Club at the Fox and Vivian, Leamington.”

 
Then back to the original theme when the article quotes The Heart of England F.C. Chairman Pete Fairley “…One of our most popular resident singers is a Coventrian. He is Rod Felton, the blues artist, who has shown interest in the club since our formation 18 months ago.”  The article makes reference to a club Roddy ran at the Market Tavern in Coventry on Wednesday evenings.

Whether it is journalistic flair or whatever, constant mention is made in these articles about the enthusiasm and the packed audiences at these clubs. 1965 seems to have been the year when folk was ‘new Wave’ although the impression seems to be (from the newspapers viewpoint at least) that this was due to the cult heroes, Dylan and Donovan. American influence, including country music, and of course Irish Traditional music appeared to be two main factors in the folk scene, skiffle becoming a thing of the past by this time. I mentioned last issue that anthologies of English Traditional material were not so abundant in the early to mid sixties as they are today; publications by such collectors s Karl Dallas were still being prepared. It could be that the so-called traditional folk clubs as we know them

today are, strangely enough, a more recent innovation than clubs where more ‘contemporary’ music is played. Please write in your thousands if I’m wrong!

Roddy and Rob Armstrong formed the New Modern Idiot Grunt Band in the mid sixties and quickly achieved fame throughout Britain and Germany. A selection of quotes from various newspapers reveals a little of their past.

 
Newspaper quote – Three Coventry folk singers plan to spend a fortnight in Germany…

 
More extracts from the Felton scrapbooks are included on the next page, although there isn’t space to include everything in them. Suffice it to say they are packed with letters, cuttings, photos and posters relating to people involved in the local and national folk scene from the mid sixties to the early seventies. They also contain many details of Rod’s own career as a folk singer, including tickets, ads, posters and other publicity of concerts he has performed along with Savoy Brown, 10cc, Bronx Cheer and Julie Felix. A brief rundown of  Rod’s career up to the age of 25 appears in the programme of the concert at the Playhouse, Harlow, one of the venues where he appeared with Julie Felix;

“He has played guitar since the age of twelve and started playing in clubs at the age of 15. He teamed up with Beverley Kutner who later married and partnered John Martyn.

He then formed the New Modern Idiot Grunt Band which was a great success in Northern England and Germany. When they disbanded, Rod decided to build a solo career and recently signed management and recording contracts with Barry Murray and Harry Simmonds – managers and producers of Mungo Jerry, Savoy Brown, Chicken Shack etc. who in turn signed him with the newly formed British Talent International Agency who handle Mungo Jerry. Savoy. Prelude, Peter Skellern, Weather Report and Herbie Hancock. Rod is currently working on his first Album and single.”

Another local artist who received much attention in the  local and national press was Beverley Kutner, or just  plain

Beverley. The Daily Sketch (Aug 23^rd 1966) ran an article headed “Now Beverley has the key to the top” which read:

 
“If there was an award for sheer will-to-win in the pop business it would go this year to an 18 year 0ld singer singer billed simply as Beverley. Just a year ago she came to London and Demmy Cordell, who makes discs for Georgie Fame and the Moody Blues, heard her sing in a club. Cordell told me: I offered her a record contract. She is the only person other than Georgie Fame and the Moodies, I’ve wanted to record.

 
But Beverley told him; ‘I’m going away – I’ll see you when I think I’m ready….’ Beverley went back to her home in Coventry with a guitar – which Denny Laine of the Moody Blues had given her – and learned to play. Now she is rated by Jimmy Page or the Yardbirds, as the ‘best girl guitarist’ he’s heard.”

Here is a typical selection of other cuttings about the lady, proving the press moves in mysterious ways;

 
“She’s an 18 year old Chelsea-looking brunette from Coventry who has just cut her first record. The title is ‘Happy New Year’ (Deram). “Beverley…wore a cool black satin pyjama suit – with enormous flapping trousers – at London Airport yesterday. To keep away the chill winter breezes she wore a snug fox fur on top. Beverley was flying to Munich to make a broadcast and promote her new record….” She admires Donovan’s interpretations and was particularly thrilled when, in a London club recently, he stepped from the audience and offered to accompany her on guitar.” “Beverley.. claims that at 20 she has at last found her real self thanks to a visit to the Love thy Neighbour hippies of San Francisco. Beverley has just returned from Hippie-land after taking part in the Monteray Pop Festival.”

Beverley Kutner / Martyn - article.

It seemed for a while that Beverley was the limelight of press attention and attracting a lot of interest in the national folk/rock scene. When she married and worked with John Martyn, interest in her from the music media lost much of its previous intensity. The sleeve notes on John and Beverley’s album Stormbringer

simply refer to the fact that she once worked for a Jug band in Coventry, mentioning no names.

 

 

 

Top man on the Coventry Folk Scene - with one of his most popular songs of the early 70's - "And I Love You" (not

the Beatles song but Rod's Own - played in open D tuning. He'd sing the verses soft as if singing to his lover and then for the chorus would bring in his considerable vocal power. Pete Willow tells me that several Coventry singers covered this popular Coventry song.

This is the first item in the illustrated list of Coventry folk or solo artists in the 1970's

Rod Felton - Arguably one of the Top solo performers and singer-songwriters in Coventry. A powerhouse of a performer who actually, in my experience, was a really nice guy. Pete Waterman introduced me to Rod at his Walsgrave Hotel venue in 1970 where Rod was due to play. While Rod was sound checking, Pete said he regarded Rod as one of the few 'stars' Coventry had produced to date. He had a highly ideosyncratic and effective performance style, that ranged between a folk style and a full-out Janis Joplin R and B style of vocals, his songs favouring an open tuning style of composition. At the age of 22 in 1965 he became a professional singer songwriter, after being made redundant from Whitworth-Gloster Aircraft at Bagington (just outside Coventry). He had been on the folk circuit  for a good two years before that gaining  valuable performing experience. The Coventry Standard hailed him as a new Bob Dylan or Donavan in July 1965 and Rod had clearly become a popular artist on the Midlands folk circuit, even playing in Birmingham and London. Rod even shaved his beard off to avoid being recognised in the steet according the Coventry Standard!

Circa 1968 Rod teamed up with Rob Armstrong to form the Idiot Grunt

Band (becoming The New Modern Idiot Grunt Band in 1969). Rod took off to Germany for a tour with Geoff Smedley of the Coventry Mummers and Rob Armstrong, performing solo and as The Idiot Grunt Band (Rod and Rob) and as the The Gentle Idea (all three of them). Rod continued to perform solo throughout his long career and is still going as far as I can tell on the midlands scene. The New Modern Idiot Band also continued well into the 70's at least which was a jug-band affair with a suitable amount of lunacy involved. One of Rod's most popular songs from the 70's - And I Love Her - (not to be confused with the Beatles song of the same title) appeared in Pete Willow's  Folks magazine in tablature form c 1978/9.

In 1974 Rod had a brief spell with the re-formed Dando Shaft during their performance for a Play about the Coventry Car industry  - (A little more on this when I've found the mis-land play script which I have - somewhere!)
From Hobo Issue 3 1974 -

DANDO - NEW PHASE......
"Dando Shaft - may be reformed in the near future with some of the original members - Martin Jenkins on fiddle, flute and mandola and vocals; Ted Kaye on Congas and percussion, Polly Boulton on vocals, Rod Felton on Guitar and Baz Andruszko (of a Band Called George) on bass and accordian.

At the moment they are fullfiling other commitments. Martin, who recently wrote and played the music for the Belgrade's production Little Red Riding Hood, has another production in London. Rod Felton, meanwhile, is due for another tour of Germany I believe."

More up to date - Rod has recently played with Dave Bennett in a Grunt band type formation as the witty Im and Im!

Rod was an organiser on the Cov scene - his long standing folk Club The Rude Bear Folk Club has already been

blogged about and his art work for the Hobo ad and his own publicity. Even when not fulfilling paid gigs, Rod would be supporting local folk clubs around the area, never too proud to decline the offer of a floor spot despite his popularity on the folk circuits and always friendly and accessible.

One fond memory I have of Rod is going up to the Earlsdon Cottage folk Cub in 1970 with Pete Waterman (prior to a Walsgrave gig) - Rod was sitting outside on the beer tables and Pete accompanied Rod on flute on one of Rod's songs. Those who balk at the idea of Stock Aitken and Waterman's music would be surprised at the range of Pete's musical tastes and abilities. Rod and Pete had come up on the Cov

musicscene together in the mid 60's (Pete as an R & B singer with Tommorow's Kind) at a time when there was a thriving R &B and Progressive Coventry music scene. Coventry was in the wings of a breakthorough to the mainstream then, with the Sorrows breaking through and other bands making singles. The breakthough for Coventry wasn't to be until the late 70's and Pete's own breakthrough came in the late 80's. It seems almost certain that had Coventry had it's breakthrough in the 60's, Rod would have been well primed with the 60's vogue of folk-rock artists judging by the local press reports about him. Who knows!

Rod Felton on My Space

Googling for something on the Coventry Music scene I came across a thread on a discusion forum on the Coventry

duo The New Modern Idiot Grunt Band. Consisting of  Rod Felton and Rob Armstong, this duo (both of who also played solo or in other bands) were prominent throughout the 70's. More of thse musicians in the directory but...

In 1970, I was helping to set up and do the door at Pete Waterman's Walsgrave gig

(a regular progressive music venue at the Walsgrave pub every tuesday evening.) Rod Felton was on and Pete introduced me to him with something like " Rod is one of the few true stars Coventry's produced". Sure enough Rod was an impressive performer and songwriter. He looked like a dark haired Roy Harper and his 'folk' vocals were more R & B - more Janis Joplin (male version!). I got to know Rod quite well, going to his various folk clubs, often playing and as will be seen on the post, Rod design a brilliant ad for Hobo, for the Rude Bear Folk Club. I didn't know Rob Armstrong quite as well but Colin Armstrong who played in the sam band, was part of the Hobo team later on, and a regular player at the Hobo Workshop. Rob began to concentrate making guitars, including a guitar for Bert Jansch and Paul McCartney.

As a relsult of leaving a message on the discussion board, Graham Oliver sent this contribution in regard to the New Modern Idiot Grunt Band - ( Thanks Graham) If anyone has the  answer to his question on the tracks or further information - feel free to e amil it or comment underneath.

"I have just discovered a tape that I recorded when I ran a folk club at

Ye Olde Red Lion, Rugby. It includes an entire performance by the 'New
Modern Idiot Grunt Band' and although the sound is distorted in places
(because Rod was banging his foot so hard that it made the tape recorder
jump) it isn't that bad. The recording was made on 24th February 1969
with Rob and Rod's full co-operation and consent."

The play list (with a few jokes in between) is:

San Francisco Bay Blues (Jesse Fuller)
Salty Dog Blues (Traditional American)
Colouring Book (As We Go Sailing On) ?
Skin Game Blues (Peg Leg Howell)
Your Ugly (Armstrong/Felton) ?
Anthem - Keep on Grunting (Armstrong/Felton) ?
Grunting Everywhere (Armstrong/Felton) ?

Gospel Blues (Traditional American) 

Lady Baby Gypsy Queen (Felton)
Everybody Loves a Nut (Clement)
Can't You See That I'm Just Crazy Over You ?
Harry Rag (Davies)
Mrs Murphy's Man is Back in Town ?
Yat-tat-tat-ta-tat-tat Yat-tat-tat-ta-tat-tat ?

In some cases, for instance, where I am not sure of the proper title or
the songwriter, I have put question marks. If anyone reading this is
familiar with the former duo's repertoire, I would be most grateful for
any assistance in correcting the titles and origins.
--
Graham Oliver
http://www.grahamoliver.com

ISSUE THREE (February 1974)

Hobo is a media for the music and arts scene in Coventry and near by. It welcomes opinions, help, poems, information, articles, graphics, ideas etc.

It is a framework to be clothed with your ideas and activities. It needs feedback. Don’t hesitate as we are friendly. Money made is used for the mag to keep it going and gradually (if the country does not collapse!) to improve it. Hopefully Hobo will continue on a regular monthly basis. Previous delay was owing to printing hassles, paper shortages and money shortages and god knows what. Hobo can be obtained from VIRGIN RECORDS, I AM, SUNSHINE, SOUND CENTRE, CRANES, RUDE BEAR FOLK CLUB, SILK DISCO, STUDENTS UNION AND VARIOUS MUSIC SHOPS ETC.

Trev Teasdel - Editor / Reporter / Layouts
Mike O'Hare (Virgin Records) - Virgin Album Chart
Support - Sunshine Music Agency (SAM) (Typewriter / office space / encouragement and
                 contacts)
Rod Felton - Art work (Rude Bear Folk Club)
Printing - Broadgate Press (offset Litho)
Support and Help - Sue and Mike Pearce / Colin Cripps / Lynda Hardcastle