Day: 5 September 2022

The Confederates – 1963 to 1965 Grove School, White Rock Theatre and Broadstairs.

by

12002068_906658562742547_6411074953605847533_n

11990500_904565519618518_8187672711440171792_n

11220864_904556026286134_4218009192998526742_n

supplied by Peter Millington 

Peter Millington… (photo 1) Anyone who watched part 1 of the Sky Arts programme about Queen recently would have seen Paul Watts of EMI talking about Queen from the record producers point of view. Here is a picture of Paul singing with the Confederates in July 1963 at the Grove School Summer Dance with Peter Millington in the background (with the mandatory Hank Hornrims). Paul was a founder member of The Confederates with Peter Millington on Bass, Lucian LeCoix-Lead Guitar and Dave Saunders-Drums.  Record Collector in 1998 says… Justifiably proud, Paul Watts, then General Manager of EMI’s International Division, decided to commemorate the award(The Queen’s Award To Industry For Export Achievement) with the release of a special single. The choice of artist was easy: “The award represented the way in which Queen were so much a part of the fabric of the company,” he recalled. “They were central to what EMI was doing”. “Bohemian Rhapsody” seemed the natural choice for the record, as it was such a milestone and had been the single that had catapulted Queen into international superstardom.

To read more about the formative years of the Confederates/SPYKE/JINKS have a read and chuckle here –

https://pet842.wixsite.com/confeds-to-jinks

(photo 2) THE CONFEDERATES playing at the Observer Christmas Dance at the White Rock Theatre – December 1965 – Posted by Peter Millington – Photo supplied by Margaret Ross

(photo 3) An early picture of THE CONFEDERATES from 1964. Playing in Broadstairs – L-R Tony Goodman, Dave Saunders, Johnny Conroy, Trevor Spears, Peter Millington.

Supersound Amps – made by Alan Wootton in Hastings

by

alanwootton1963

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.