Alan Wootton 1963
http://www.supersound.org.uk/supersoundstory.html
Pete Fisher… amazing…never knew this was on my doorstep! thanks Alan for posting!!
Cliff Wootton… We are interested to know of anyone who might have used the amps or guitars in bands or worked on them. I remember seeing a band playing at the ABC cinema in the mid 60’s and I’m pretty sure at least one of the band was playing a Supersound guitar (Red body + black scratch plate probably). Around the time these amps were being made, Dee-Day White (well known Hasting celebrity) worked in the factory when he was about 17.
Alan Esdaile… Anyone help Cliff with this? I know Cliff Richard and Helen Shapiro appeared at the ABC but is anything documented on other groups that played?
Cliff Wootton… I think this was a local band playing at the ABC Minors one saturday morning. It is possible it was the GT Strokers because somehow we ended up with their drum kit in our music room. Dad must have bought it off them. I recognised one of the band members names (Tony) and they might have worked at the factory so there’s a possible connection there which explains how he got the drums. I know we’ll never piece everything together but the forensic chase and the Sherlock Holmes deductive process is kind of fun.
Tony Davis… If my memory serves me well, and there are no guarantees on that, I think when Bill Fury played the ABC in Hastings he was backed by the Tornados who also played a set of their own. Any chance this could be where the Supersound guitar was seen.
Cliff Wootton… It is possible Tony. I can’t be completely certain about the dates but I know I went to the ABC Minors on my own from about age 12. Give or take a year or so which would place it around 1965-67 although it could be as early as 1964.
Andy Webster… Yes indeed Tony Lambert did work for Supersound. He was the singer in G T Strokers. I also had a 15watt valve amp made by them . Our bassist had a guitar made by them also. Good old days !
Nick Prince… Tony is right. Billy Fury did play at the ABC, Hastings. Another big name for the time that appeared there was Mark Wynter. I’ll have to hook out my ABC file. I’m certain that the ABC had four big concerts around this time and Mark Wynter was just a support act. The Vernon’s Girls also supported two of the concerts and they had some minor hits, the one that comes to mind is, The Roaring Twenties. I will at some point post all four ads together, showing all acts with support.
Martyn Baker… Fascinating story of “the Woottons”. I never knew!
Tony Lambert… Cliff was a only a lad when I worked with Alan Wootton at Supersound, as a tool maker /general dogsbody. I think I swopped my old Ryetoffs drum kit for something with Alan. I did recover the kit in Fablon to make it more attractive but it still sounded like crap…but good enough to start with. Alan also gave me a new Supersound Bass guitar which was very nice of him but I don’t know what happened to it, maybe that was the swop? Paul Freeman had his own Ludvig ? drum set in the GTS.
Cliff Wootton… I have a picture of me sitting behind the kit somewhere. I’ll try and look it out. Interesting to trace another bass. I’ll add that to the list.
Simon Murphy… Hi – I just got a Supersound amp, and have been researching it – long story short, randomly found a pic of a band from Cardiff in 1962 with a Supersound bass
https://www.voxac30.org.uk/vox_ac30_updates_2022_03.html – scroll down past the Wootton/Jennings/Supersound story and coincidentally there’s a photo of someone with an early AC30 amp, but playing a Supersound bass
Cliff Wootton… That’s fascinating Simon. Thanks for sending this. Looks like it could a tape loop echo unit beside the amp. Could have been a Supersound one as they had a light cream coloured leather-cloth covering. Just found this picture of the Raiders: features a Supersound bass
photo: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/gallery/strictly-ballroom-7726459
Alan Esdaile… Features a young Dave Edmunds.
If my memory serves me well, and there are no guarantees on that, I think when Bill Fury played the ABC in Hastings he was backed by the Tornados who also played a set of their own. Any chance this could be where the Supersound guitar was seen.