Author: rockingmitch

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In Their Own Way They Changed Music

This year, 2011, marks 40 years since the death of Gene Vincent and 30 since the passing of Bill Haley. As most people will know, both are heroes of mine and I had the pleasure of working with both of them.
I therefore thought it appropriate to put up a few of their tracks to mark the occasion.
The Gene Vincent numbers are “B-I-Bickey Bi Bo Bo Go” which is a silly title but one of my personal favourites of his with the first set of Bluecaps. “Over The Rainbow” was made slightly later and I included this to show he didn’t just rock out all the time. The third is “Pistol Packin’ Mama” which attained his highest UK chart placing. Made at Abbey Road, the arrangement was by Eddie Cochran who was due to duet with Gene, but the car crash on the A4 at Chippenham put paid to that. Georgie Fame was in the backing group.
Bill’s tracks begin with “Crazy Man, Crazy” cut in 1953, just after he’d changed the name of his backing group from The Saddlemen to the Comets. It was his first US top 20 hit and resulted in him and the band being booked into a black club in Chicago. They didn’t believe white men could swing like that.

The second track is “Happy Baby” which is perfect for jiving to. It shows off the guitar playing of Franny Beecher who had replaced Danny Cedrone. Danny died from a fall down stairs shortly after cutting “Rock Around The Clock”
The third of Bill’s comes from the 60s and is titled “Train Of Sin”. He was trying to introduce new stuff into his repertoire, but audiences just wanted “Rock Around The Clock” which re-entered the charts in 1964,68 and 1974.
I feel that both men, in their own way, changed music for the better and even if you don’t like the tracks I’ve picked, you will agree with that statement. Without Bill Haley, it’s doubtful that Rock and Roll would have entered the mainstream and maybe there would have been no Elvis, Buddy Holly (both of whom were inspired to record by seeing Haley) or any of the others who followed.

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Mitch’s New Year Quiz

Your compiler after Christmas dinner

Section One – Easy

1. What was Elvis Presley’s first commercial record release?
2. What was Cliff Richard’s first record release?
3. Name two artists who had no. 1 hits with the song “Ain’t That A Shame”.
4. What is the link between Billie Davis, The Exciters and The Gun?

Section Two – Moderate

5. Before taking the name The Shadows, what were Cliff Richard’s backing group called? (a) The Coasters (b) The Drifters (c) The Hurricanes (d) The Stargazers.
6. What is the most recorded song ever? (a) “Yesterday” (b) “St. Louis Blues” (c) “White Christmas” (d) “Satisfaction”.
7. Which record has received the most world-wide radio plays ever? (a) “Congratulations” – Cliff Richard (b) “It’s Now Or Never” – Elvis (c) “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” – Righteous Brothers (d) “Satisfaction” – Stones.
8. Who was the first British female group to have a Top 10 hit in the USA? (a) The Kaye Sisters (b) The Lana Sisters (c) The Vernons Girls (d) The Beverley Sisters.

Sectiion Three – Harder

9. Which 60s pop star appeared in the TV version of “Batman”? (a) Lesley Gore (b) Lulu (c) Aretha Franklin (d) Annette Funicello
10. Which of the following was not a real cover version? (a) “Hearts Of Stone” – Billy Cotton (b) “Blue Suede Shoes” – Lawrence Welk (c) “Hound Dog” – Lonnie Donegan (d) “Crazy Man, Crazy” – Lita Roza
11. Who were the first act to appear on “Top Of The Pops”? (a) The Rolling Stones (b) The Who (c) Dusty Springfield (d) Freddie & The Dreamers.
12. What is the only record to have topped the US Hot Hundred chart on two separate occasions? (a) “Jailhouse Rock” – Elvis Presley (b) “Rock Around The Clock” – Bill Haley (c) “The Twist” – Chubby Checker (d) “She Loves You” – The Beatles.
That’s all folks – answers at a later date!

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My Favourite This Year

As I “missed the bus” for the threes, twos and ones selections, I thought I’d post my favourite sound of the year (just to be self indulgent). I was never a great Kinks fan, apart from certain tracks which knocked my socks off.
Paloma Faith is my new fave!(Well, one of) She’s restored my faith (no pun) in the younger music generation.
Amy MacDonald does a good job too on “Dead End Street” on this album.

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New Trivia Quiz


1. Who made the original recording of “Needles & Pins”?
2. Who wrote it?
3. Name a song written by Goffin & King that has been recorded by Amy Winehouse.
4. Gene Pitney had a hit with a song written by Jagger & Richard under a pseudonym. Name the pseudonym.
5. Who sang vocals in the background on that record?
6. At the time Carl Perkins released “Blue Suede Shoes”, there was a serious, but bizarre cover version. Who by?
7. Which recording artist was originally advertised by his record company as “The Screamin’ End”?
8. Which M-O-R recording artist was billed by his record company as “The Latest Rock ‘n’ Roll star, largely because they had no R & R singers on their roster?
9. Which act did Decca take on when they rejected The Beatles?
10. And which act did EMI reject when they signed The Beatles?

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We went to different schools together

I was going through some stuff which has been stuck in a drawer for a while and found some old school reports (classified!). My school, in Croydon was Selhurst Grammar. It no longer exists as such. The building which housed the girls became The Brit School in the 80s and the boys part is now an FE college.
However, when I was there, we were a very musical bunch. The attached clip by the Cuppa T features ex-Selhurst boy Viv Lythgoe teamed up with a bloke called Terry Widlake who had been the bass with The Overlanders when they recorded “Michelle”. Viv and I had played together in his band, The Roosters, with me taking over from Terry when he left them to join the “Michelle” hit-makers.
Also at both my grammar and primary schools was a bloke called Matthew Fisher. He is most well known for his organ part on “Whiter Shade Of Pale”. Definitely a musical genius, Matthew used to get up at primary school assemblies to play a piece of music he had composed. You could give him any instrument and he would get a recognisable and often complex tune out of it within about 15 minutes. Mat & The Deputies was my first band and we used to play at Saturday morning pictures. I played rhythm guitar in those days.
Another ex-Selhurst boy was Tim Guest who made a very nice living as a backing musician, most notably with Paul & Barry Ryan.
Someone who had been a classmate of mine was Ed Gilbert. Now this bloke was a surprise. I never even realised he was a musician until I picked up a copy of the Daily Mirror and read that he and his band, The Snobs, were the first British band to secure a regular spot on US tv, appearing on the Red Skelton Show. That was before The Beatles had broen in the States.

There were others, but I now wonder if my old school was very different from many others in the early 60s.

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MAIL ORDER BARGAINS!!!


ORDER NOW FOR CHRISTMAS!!! Yes, it’s true. At last an end to “what shall I buy son and so” misery! We GUARANTEE you may be delighted In the best traditions of Private Eye , I now present Mitch’s Autumn Mail will be delighted! We further GUARANTEE that all orders placed before Nov. 1st will be delivered by Christmas 2011.

Here is a small selection of what is on offer!

Don’t Lose Your Licence – Estonian scientists have been working on the best money saving gadget you will ever buy! The “SPEED CAMERA PLIMSOLL”. These wonderful, smart ‘n’ natty plimsolls come in two colours, “Warm Brown” or “Inky Black” and are nice ‘n’ comfy whilst warning you of approaching speed cameras which are intrusive agents of the State. Remember, it’s an Englishman’s right to kill and maim people on the roads without State interference. (Please quote item no. P1550FF when ordering and state shoe size required)

Scare Your Friends!! With the PaulMac horror mask. Made from the softest Bulgarian latex, this lifelike full head mask will shock and dismay your friends!
PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AND RECEIVE IT IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN!!
(Please quote item no. 00ER and state head size required) Your pals will larf ‘n’ larf!

You will be truly amazed by the “Singing Rocks Of Slobdovia”. Freed from the yoke of years of Stalinist tyranny, Latvian geologists were able to freely examine the disused salt mines. Whilst there, they discovered these amazing rocks which actually sing.
It is believed the rocks actually have recorded the voices of the poor downtrodden miners who were forced to work there.
Looking lovely on your mantelpiece, these rocks will play “The Anvil Chorus”, “Angel” by Robbie Williams and “We Are The Champions” by Queen. For an extra £5, you can have our “de-luxe” rock which, in addition to the above, also plays selections from the wunerful toonz of Andrew Lloyd Webber (thought to be Mrs. Thatcher’s favourite)
(Please quote item no. PR4T when ordering or PR4TT if requiring the de-luxe model and state the size of your mantelpiece) One’s staff will be truly amazed!

Revolt everybody with our “Boil In The Bag” . Obtained with the consent of the UK Border Agency from the face, back or bottom of failed Asylum Seekers, one of these on your coffee table will certainly be a talking point when (if) you have guests. (Please quote item no Y3ECH and state your vomit threshold)

For any or all of the above, please send cheques, P.Os or registered cash to Lefty & Knuckles enterprises, Cell 33, D Wing, Parkhurst Prison, Isle Of Wight, UK.

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ANTI-RACIST ROCKERS

I have often blathered on about right-wing and downright racist rock and pop artists who should have known better.
However, I think it should be said that some took a defiantly anti-racist stance, even in the 50s when lots of people didn’t think about it much.
For instance, Louis Prima who was playing in Las Vegas (probably ‘The Sands’). Also on the bill were The Treniers, who were very big at the time, especially having appeared in the movies “Rock Around The Clock” and “The Girl Can’t Help It”. During the breaks in their set, they were made to stand outside the back of the hotel and have their food. When Prima found out about this, he refused to go on until they were allowed to eat in the dining room.
Another who took a lot of stick for employing Jewish and Italian Americans in his band was Bill Haley.He was once called “a fat bum who employs spicks and jews” by a ‘rockabilly’ artist who was fairly well known (and before you ask, no, not Jerry Lee) He flatly refused to play segregated theatres (mainly in the South, but also in Boston) and lost quite a lot of money by taking that stand.
Buddy Holly, who, being Texan, grew up with racism all around took active steps to rectify that. On tour with Sam Cooke, he slept in the tour bus rather than enter a hotel which wouldn’t allow Sam in. He worked with King Curtis and of course, his marrying a Puerto Rican was frowned upon.
Although not a rocker (despite his record company once advertising him as such and also appearing on an Alan Freed R&R package), Tony Bennett marched with and entertained the Freedom Marchers with Martin Luther King. For this he got several death threats from the KKK.
Bobby Darin took a resolutely anti-racist stance and once punched somebody who was giving Clyde McPhatter a hard time.
Eddie Cochran also was not afraid to give credit to Ray Charles for the songs of his which Eddie recorded/performed and indeed it was largely Eddie doing “What’d I Say” and “Hallelujah I Love Her So” which introduced Ray to the British public.
I’ve heard stories about Elvis from both angles. However, I once met Bo Diddley outside the Marquee club in 1964. He was talking mainly about how he’d been ripped off by record companies (I later discovered he was in dispute with the Chess brothers at the time), but he also said he was convinced Elvis was a racist in that he never used his position to change things. That was Bo’s view.
The point I’m making is that there were some very brave entertainers who were prepared to challenge the status quo and try to change things.