Day: 19 October 2017

PROhibition – Bexhill beat group

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Business Cards copy 2

 supplied by Mick O’Dowd

Alan Esdaile… Anyone got any photos or more info?

Josie Lawson… Not sure if same group but when I lived in Burgess Hill I knew a group called PROHIBITION. They had some words of mine to link in as a song, but we lost contact when I came back to Hastings, but after appeals on radio shows for the banjo player who was Tony Cross, I had a message back, and this was 5 years of appealing, he had just died of a heart attack. I did have some 45 records of theirs but seems like many of my things they were skipped when I had some nasty falls.

Geoff Peckham… Laurie Cooksey was in the Prohibition – the local one, anyway. According to ‘LOL COOKSEY’S MUSICAL HISTORY’, a copy of which he gave me, The Prohibition were: Frank Isted, Roger Crerie (not Carey!), Laurie, and David Laffar. They gigged a fair bit in their 9 month life-span including several appearances at the Happening Club. There are many anecdotes in this ‘literary work’ and it would be of great interest to local music historians.

Dave Nattress… Well Geoff I’d love to see Laurie’s musical history, especially I would guess because there’ll be a big helping of Bexhill 60’s and 70’s band history in there.

Barry Bumps into… Pete Brown

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Barry bumps into… Pete Brown

Well,I first met Pete in London, towards the end of the magical Sixties! He lived in an apartment near Marble Arch where you could always find a variety of musicians. Petes band at that point was Battered Ornaments but that association was to end controversionally. However, his reputation was by then assured, due to his songwriting with Jack Bruce, for the legendary Cream.

Meeting for a late lunch at Pissarro’s, I was impressed with how fit Pete looks. He is a keen swimmer and recently swam a number of metres in one session, which I can only dream about!

Music-wise,Pete contributed the majority of the lyrics to Procol Harums “Novum” album, which achieved success earlier this Year. His biog movie,”White Rooms+Imaginary Westerns” is nearing a distribution deal and will feature Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker, from Cream and people like Martin Scorsese. As is a documentary featuring the celebrated guitarist Davy Graham-Pete is the host in this film, which includes interviews with myself and the Hastings blues guru Alan King.

An exciting future project is “Cream Unplugged”, which may well offer an opportunity to re-interpret some of those wonderful, timeless Cream songs. Involved in this will be Malcolm Bruce and hopefully, Eric Clapton.

As a Charity gig promoter, I hope to feature Pete live in Hastings soon, his 2015 St Leonards performance is still fondly remembered by all who enjoyed it!

Barry Taylor – October 2017