Andre Palfrey-martin collection
Andre Martin… Mid March already, and we had similar weather 50 years ago, a mixture of some days Cold and other warm, the only different is that in 1965 we had Snow at the beginning of the month! Saturday 13th March 1965 in the Happy Ballroom on Hastings Pier saw the usual programme of The Gordon Rider Dance Orchestra providing music for both “pop” dancing and the more traditional “togetherness”. The Witch Doctor in Marine Court was working Seven Days a Week, with a variety for the young people of the town. Saturday night, a double bill. – Guy Darrell and The Midnighters, supported by Jon Best and The Challengers. Sunday Club – Johnny B Great and The Quotations. A change was planned for mid week – Thursday Night was now branded Big Rave Night with all the TOP records. Friday it was Sonny Child and the Elder Consolidates. We had started the weekend with Friday night – Ready Steady Go, this week Keith and Cathy had presented a good variety – Donovan “ Catch the Wind” – Gerry and The Pacemakers “ I’ll be there” Francoise Hardy “ All Over the World”, The Temptations and Little Stevie Wonder. And from Brighton, Gary Farr and the T Bones. BBC Radio Light programme had kept up the pop provision [ perhaps driven by the competition from the Pirates ] Saturday Club : Ivy League, Danny Williams, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, Tammy St John, The Artwoods and Long John Badry. Brian Matthews would be spinning top discs. Saturday Swings at 2.00pm with Clinton Ford, Patsy Ann Noble, The Travellers, with the Morgan James Duo. Brian Matthews was back at 4.00pm with Top Gear – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames and Roy Orbison.Sunday was Easy Beat time, Matt Monro, Kenny Ball and the Johnny Howard Band. Juke Box Jury was taking a break, but on the commercial channel – Thank Your Lucky Stars was going strong – Bachelors, Joe Brown & the Bruvvers, Troy Dante, Marianne Faithful, Moody Blues, Them and Tommy Roe with Brian Matthews and Janice Nicholls. There is not much else to report from 1965, things have settled down and we are all looking forward to the Easter Weekend, but that would be some 4 weeks away, and would the Mods & Rockers Invasions return ? Until we answer that question, you all take care out there, wrap up warm and hope that the month will “go out like a lamb, and not like a Lion “. Andre Palfrey-Martin ©2015.