Matt Thomas… Two people I remember from my time at the theatre getting a mention I see – Phil Cronk & Roger Dennett
Pete Brazier… I had just finished cleaning the Pier Ballroom when I saw him enter the Pub on the pier! Wearing a light grey suit and so Tall! Too embarrassed to say anything I just Smiled and Nodded! And he smiled back! Wish I’d said something but then I wasn’t as forward as I am now lol (that was before I had stood at the front of a band for the first time! Surprising how that makes you more confident each time you do it
Rosemary Hughes… Took my Son and Niece to the cinema in Eastbourne and who should we sit next to Tommy and his Family what a laugh that was. He laughed after everyone had stopped and then bought us all an ice cream in the interval
Peter Fairless… ‘R’ to the ‘O’ to the ‘S’ to the ‘K’ to the ‘O’…
Tony Davis… When I worked at the Aquarius the Radio One Club with Rosko, came there. I was on the radio as part of the panel reviewing new releases. He is a nice guy, unlike DLT who I also met at The Aquarius on a different night
Marky Heselwood… You can hear Emperor Rosko on CHR Conquest Hospital Radio on Saturday Morning 12am till 2am. And Monday 12am till 2am
Lynne Smith… I remember DLT coming to the Aquarius
Alan Esdaile… I used to book DLT all over the country from a garden shed in Emmanuel Road!
Mick O’Dowd… Used to love “The Emperor”. His ad tune was a take on Jamo Thomas’s “I Spy For The F.B.I” which he altered to “Rosko For The F.B.I.” Played some good music as well.
Cliff Wootton… Anybody remember going to this? I’ve just unearthed a film that Dad shot. I was there doing location sound recording for a longish film of events during the whole 900th anniversary year. Just cutting down a shorter piece for this year’s festival at Battle Abbey in October. Need to figure out how to make this more widely available. If anyone wants it that is.
Shaun Pont… I remember going to the re-enactment but as I was only 6 at the time my memories are very sketchy
Mike Waghorne… I went to that enactment if my memory serves me well it was in the field on the other side of the road to the grounds of the Abbey, I would have been 14 at the time.
Nigel Kennard… Cliff, I dont remember this event but I do recall being one of the Cub Scouts who liked the route outside the Queens Hotel on 14th October 1966 when Her Majesty drove past in her Rolls Royce. It was a cold, wet and foggy day. She was ushered into the hotel and I remember barely seeing her.
RUPERTS PEOPLE DREAM IN MY MIND ANTHOLOGY 1967-1999
For those not familiar with Ruperts People & my connection with them, I should probably start off by just briefly explaining the following. I first saw the guys play & met Rod, Ray, Steve, John & Dai in 1967 on Hastings Pier, not long after I started working backstage there. We have all been friends now for coming up to 60 years. After all of us doing our own thing over the years since 1969 when the band called it a day, in 1999 there was a re-union gig at the old Marina Pavillion, as it was then called, in St Leonards. The gig was driven by the resurgence of Mods & Mod culture. After the gig, & much reminiscing between Rod, Ray, Steve & myself (no John sadly & Dai was never a ‘core member’) I put forward the suggestion that there was probably enough recorded material to put together an album (it would be the first & only one) after much discussion it was decided to explore the practical possibility. There then ensued 2 long years, much work in tracking down tapes, finding the bands original manager & many other issues. Ray’s breakfast table in deepest Essex was the scene of much debate & planning. Eventually in 2001 after all the effort, the finished result was the release of the album ‘The Magic World of Ruperts People’ on vinyl & CD. I was delighted to pen the liner note on the release & tell the story of Ruperts People & how they played a big part in the launch of my own career in the music biz & thank them in black & white. Now here we are nearly 25 years on & Strawberry Records have released this new edition of the album, complete with an additional track not on the original release. The story of the band is told in a new interview with bassist Ray contained in the accompanying booklet. That story is long & often confusing, & I’m glad Ray is doing the explaining this time round! If you’re not familiar with the band at all, they released 3 excellent singles on Columbia Records in 1967-68. The first of which ‘Reflections of Charles Brown’ (written by Rod, as were all 3) was nearly a hit & gained significant airplay, unfortunately for Ruperts, Procol Harum released ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’ & both records co-incidentally shared the same ‘Air on a G String’ melody as inspiration & Procol won the day. The second single ‘Prologue To A Magic World’ a beautifully constructed psychedelic song using Alice in Wonderland as its inspiration also inexplicably failed to become a hit, but has always remained my personal favourite, & is beloved by fans of psychedelia, as is it’s ‘B’ side ‘Dream In My Mind’ which has showed up on various psyche compilations over the years. The third single, & arguably the most commercial sounding, ‘I Can Show You’ (video at end of review) sadly made for a hat trick of singles that just didn’t break through to the charts. However, the 3 singles subsequently became ‘cult’ records & as the years passed started to command high prices for original vinyl copies. Ruperts People became this cult, almost mystical band, talked about by psyche fans & later the new Mod movement. These 3 singles & their ‘B’ sides form the nucleus of the anthology album & are complimented by 2 tracks from Rod & Steve’s first band Sweet Feeling, featuring the ambitious psyche single ‘All So Long Ago’ complete with backward taping & phasing effects, & the original version of ‘Reflections of Charles Brown’ which was/is radically different in its structure & simply entitled ‘Charles Brown’. Added to this are 4 live tracks recorded in London in 1969 & 4 tracks from the aforementioned St Leonards re-union gig of 1999, the latter includes covers of ‘My Mind’s Eye’ (Rod was a big Steve Marriott fan) & The Beatles ‘Rain’. The anthology concludes with the previously un-released track ‘Flying High in 67’ Sadly original RP member keyboard player John Tout who later joined Renaissance passed away in 2015 & is missed by us all. This has been a rather strange experience for me ‘reviewing’ an album I was instrumental in organising originally. Despite my love for the guy’s as people, I trust I haven’t let that fact influence my honest judgement when it comes to being impartial regarding the music. I believe now as I did all those years ago that on musical merit Ruperts People deserved greater success than came their way. Enjoy.
Mike Tobin… Got to know Rod really well when we worked together at John Sherry Enterprises and I managed the band Stackridge. Last time I saw him was just over 10 years ago when he came to see them play at The Half Moon ,Putney.
Sarah Harvey….July 1973. Remember them playing ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ and it was superb played live. Loved ’em. And of course a great band in support!
Phil Gill….I was at that gig, watching Ray Fenwick, It was the “Gluggo” tour, and “Catch You On the Rebop”, the single form the album was all over the radio. I really liked it – here it is.
Phil Gill….I was then 17. Fast forward seven years and Steve Demetri, Andy Caine and I end up playing on When The Boys Happy by Jo Jo Laine & The Firm with Ray Fenwick, Funny old world….
Terry Pack….I saw Ray with Fancy, supporting 10cc at The Dome in 1975. He was excellent, as were Mo, Les and Annie.
Andy Qunta….I just checked my diary, & it says Factory got a tremendous reception & did 2 encores! Wish I could actually remember it! Always liked the SDG & supporting them was very exciting!
Bernard Jeffery….I did see the original band probably one of their last gigs as I was very young and later met Steve Winwood when I was recording with his brother Muff producing at Island studios
Dennis Torrance… Another great band Steve Winwood and band. Also Factory brill band still are.
Jacquie Hinves… A very young Ray Fenwick. Gorgeous as ever.
Peter Houghton… Yes it was a great night and seeing Stevie Winwood
Roger Carey… I saw this gig as did Sarah who has sent this in… Don’t want to be contradictory but Stevie Winwood was long gone from Spencer Davis’ band by this time. It did feature the late great Ray Fenwick as pictured here; I was impressed by his stylish guitar work, he of course became part of Hastings music scene some years later…. Pete York , a very good drummer, and Ray would do a instrumental duo feature, I have some of this band on a radio broadcast I taped same year… Eddie Martin was principal lead singer as I recall and “Catch you on the Rebop” is a memorable song… And of course “Factory” one of the best bands based in Hastings, were on great form at this concert- they were always on great form -still going to this day!
Roy Penfold… I remember Willie – great voice! Did a demo for him many years ago.
Jenny Tyler… He was good, saw him at the Bembo & the little angling club.
Kevin Burchett… im getting some video of willie g someone is sending it to me from wales the plan is to upload it to youtube the quality might not be good but i will try to improve it
Alan Esdaile… Excellent track.
Sandra Cunningham… I went to his funeral.
Rachael Rellis… Love Willie forever, such talent and a great guy, always my best friend whom I miss so much. His son Kane is looking for video of him, Facebook group of Willies is where you can reach Kane if you have any videos. Oh how I miss that voice ❤️
Andy Ives… Such a lovely guy was totally shocked when I heard of his passing. We had some great laughs.
Jonathan Mendenhall… I loved Willie G..great character..broke all the rules..
Eric Harmer… Great guy
Wendy Weaver… What a lovely guy Willie was
Monica Bane… A great guy! He use to come to Real Sports and sit on the counter chatting to us.
Early Nineties!
Keith Veness… His kids were very talented at Hastings Stage School
Ian Sands… I grew up with Willie he was a great guy, we used to race cars around town, I remember him leaving my house, screaming like a girl I must add lol, because I had many snakes as pets and he didn’t realize until he looked in one of the Vivariums. Loved my time with this gentle giant.
Ricky Adelaide… He was a a great act taken too soon
Eric Harmer… Good mate
Andrew Wagstaff… used to DJ and back him at gigs with Willie and rewrite most of his backing tracks.
Andy Qunta…..Just what I was thinking, Sarah! Wow!
Alan Esdaile…..Surprised to see Supertramp were supporting UFO. A few months later and it was probably the other way round.
Mick O’Dowd….Who’d have thought Supertramp as being a support band. Listen had a better write up in the ad and were 3rd on the bill!
Pete Fisher…..remember being mesmerised by Michael Schenker!
Chris Sambrook… I remember UFO playing on Hastings Pier organised by Hastings College 1969 [i believe]. This was the time they were still with the original Guitarist, Mick Bolton on Beacon Records and who were doing very well in Japan. The Following gig on the Pier was in in the early 70’s. If memory serves me well the following line up with Michael Schenker and Bernie Marsden. Then the 3rd time without Bernie Marsden. Correct me if i’m wrong on each count.
Iain Cobby… Can I say that opening act Xerox was myself, Tony (Vic) Bridger and Steve Demetri. God knows how we got the gig, but I know we played several Rory Gallagher tracks and Steve put a pile of talcum powder on his floor tom so that it shot into the air and choked me when he first hit it (where did he get the idea?) Other memories of the night were walking past UFO’s open dressing room to see them cozzing up in glitter and spandex and some great platforms. I watched Supertramp from the side fill. Cant remember anything of Listen or UFO, but a great night to remember.
Mick O’Dowd… Wasn’t Robert Plant a one-time member of Listen?
Sarah Harvey… Spooky Tooth formed in October 1967 and played on the pier on July 6th, 1968. 1969’s Spooky Two LP was the last album release by the original lineup. It included the song “Better By You, Better Than Me”, which was covered by Judas Priest on their 1978 release Stained Class. Many different line-ups for Spooky Tooth but after the original lin-up split in 1970, the band reformed in September 1972 with a different line-up. The best known member of these line-ups (from March 1973 to September 1974) was Mick Jones (guitar / vocals), later in Foreigner. Also from February — May 1974, Mike Patto (vocals) who replaced Harrison for the 1974 release The Mirror. The group then split again in November 1974.
Alan Esdaile… I remember Die Laughing doing a great version of Better By You Better Than Me.
Mick O’Dowd… I’ve only just caught up with them i’m afraid to say. Their version of “I Am The Walrus” is a blaster and being a bit of a “purist” that is saying something.
John Storer… Sarah, you forgot to mention Gary Wright …. he was the principal songwriter, went on to have a worldwide solo hit with “Dream Weaver” and reformed the band in 2004 for a successful tour. He has also been one of the mainstays of Ringo Starr’s backing band
Sarah Harvey… Hey John…..good spot! Sorry for the omission. Will be doing a Spooky compilation on my Hastings Pier Music Show in the early Spring. 🙂
Nigel Ford… And what about Bassist Greg Ridley, ‘ went on to join Humble Pie at the request of Steve Marriott! “Better by Better than me” was also in the set done by Maidstone band Krishna Kudu at the Battle dances.
Robert Searle… Did anyone mention Luther Grosvener,i think thats how you spell his name,on lead guitar. He left to join Mott the Hoople as Ariel Bender..
Bernard Tiltman… I can’t remember Spooky Tooth at Hastings Pier but I can remember them playing Hastings College. I was there from 1965 to 1970 so it could have been anytime between 67-70. Still remember them as one of the best if not the best live bands I have ever seen.
photos by Chris Meachen. cuttings supplied by Sarah Harvey.
Geoff Peckham……This brings back memories of supporting the Heavy Metal Kids in Swansea with Factory. We shared a changing room with them. Supported them in Swansea. Gary (Holton) was a a very funny man. Good band, too.
Andy Qunta……What Jaffa said! What a character!
Pete Fairless…..Gary Holton was a real talent and a sad loss. Here’s one of my favourite old clips, always worth watching again…
Glenn Piper…..Working with the HMK’s on a gig at the Marquee Club was a great time. The support act for said gig was Long John Baldry which led to some ‘interesting’ repartee with the HMK fans 🙂
Sarah Harvey….July 6th, 1974. Heavy Metal Kids with Leo Sayer the following week on the 13th.
Mark Syrett… Saw the Heavy Metal Kids one of my first concerts on the pier.
