January 18, 2024

Fill Your Head With Rock – CBS Sampler – 1970

January 18, 2024January 18, 2024 by Alan Esdaile

Anyone remember this classic sampler album from CBS? Which introduced you to a whole host of great acts.

Tony May…..Simon Griffiths/Karl had this album and was always keen to introduce me to it. Sadly, I never let him (selfish git I was back then but did not realise it) but I recall him raving about the Black Widow track and asking me if I believed in Magic. I have subsequently bought the ‘Sacrifice’ album and explored a load of Simons fav music. Some of it makes me sad but the majority I have taken to and really got into. Great memories from the 80’s – just wish it could all have turned out differently…

John Wilde….Great Lp.

Peter Howard…..Awesome album. Spirit, Black Widow, Flock, Byrds and Laura Nyro were the tracks we listened to most often. Is it available on CD anyone know?

Mick O’Dowd…..What about those other great rock samplers: “The Rock Machine Turns You On” &”The Rock Machine Loves You” & of course the double album “El Pea”.

Phil Thornton…..Nice enough to eat ?

Peter Howard…..There was one with a spider on the cover..had Steppenwolf- Snow Blind? on it

Alan Esdaile…..Walter, the compilation with the spider on was called Handle with Care.

Kev Towner…..I’ve got this (Fill Your Head With Rock) on vinyl.

Claudio Heathen……I used to have this LP.

Angela Frances Gardner….Mine is with all my other albums!

John Storer…..One of the great things about the internet is that these albums are all about out there somewhere. I have this, “Handle With Care” (Funk 49 by James Gang still one of my favourite all-time tracks), “Nice Enough To Eat” .My two favourites were/are “All Good Clean Fun” – a Liberty / United Artists sampler with Brinsley Schwarz, If, Amon Duul II, Groundhogs, John Lee Hooker, etc and “Age of Atlantic” with Zeppelin, Delaney & Bonnie, Graham Central Station and Little Feat

Chris Meachen… I still have some of these;- Nice enough to eat, Bumpers, & fill your head with rock, & possibly some others…

Eddie & The Hot Rods, Radio Stars and Squeeze – 18th March 1978

January 18, 2024January 18, 2024 by Alan Esdaile

ad supplied by Sarah Harvey, ticket supplied by Ken Copsey

Sarah Harvey… A pretty good line-up. March 1978.

Mark Gilham…Had a Radio Stars album called ‘Songs for Swinging Lovers’ featuring the hit single ‘Beast of Barnsley’. From what I can remember it was pretty good.

Mark Randall… Electro encepholograph ! I believe you turned Kelly onto this ( Nervous Wreck) and de facto I heard it from Jonathan! Why o why do I remember this sort of thing ….

Mick O’Dowd… That is an amazing line-up similar to the U.F.O. / Supertramp gig.

John Storer… Remember this gig very well as one of the most enjoyable I saw at the Pier. Had been looking forward to it as soon as the tour announced as all three bands were big faves of John Peel and they had all had a lot of airplay on his evening shows. In fact, I already had the Eddie & the Hot Rods and Radio Stars albums and think I had the Squeeze debut by the time of the gig Squeeze were getting a lot of daytime radio plays by the time of the gig with their single “Take Me, I’m Yours”. This was the first time I saw them live; I have now lost count of how many Squeeze gigs I’ve been to … well over 20, the last time being December 2012. Radio Stars were flying under the “new wave” banner but were actually made up of survivors from the glam rock period …. seem to remember Marc Bolan had a hand in writing / producing some of their stuff. The Hot Rods were superb …. pub rock at its best. Barrie Masters sweated so much he must have lost a stone or two in weight. Their debut, “Teenage Depression”, has stood the test of time as well. Definitely a night to remember.

Andy Gunton… I think the Marc Bolan connection with Radio Stars came through their singer Andy Ellison, who I believe was a member of Johns Children with Bolan. I saw Radio Stars several times & really liked them. As you say , not exactly Punk, but still good. I would have loved to have been at this gig, great line up.

Mike O’Dowd… You’re right Andy, the other Andy was in John’s Children.

Alan Oliver… Saw them a while ago in Nottingham. Still brilliant!

Mark Syrett… Great gig remember it well especially Squeeze

Tony Ham… Life On The Line, great album, I was too young to see them though!

Joe Knight… Was talking to someone out of Squeeze in the Queens Head last year?

Paul Gray… 16 at the time. Surprised I was allowed to go

Peter Fairless… Well, Ken was there and he’d have only been… what, 12?

Ken Copsey… You’re mistaking the way I behave with my actual age! I was in fact 15

Nigel Goodman…I was there amazing gig

Capels Restaurant and Upstairs Niteclub Old Town Hastings – 1980’s advert

January 18, 2024January 18, 2024 by Alan Esdaile

Reid McDuffie… I really liked that place

Sheila Maile… Went there as a nite club in 80s

Malcolm McDonald… That was a shame when it went, it was great

Elaine Stock… I went here a couple of times when on holiday, really liked it!

Coral Pasqua… Had some good nights in the night club .

Gary Benton… I was the chef here when it first opened. John Shrive and Colin Cotton owned it. The large steaks were the most popular. 1kg t-bone especially. I also worked at Valentinos in All Saints St and The Mitre which is now Porters.

Wendy Weaver… Great place. I went on Carnival night when the disco was on Winkle Island.

Tony Court-holmes… drank in there a lot loved it

Tony May… I did one night at ‘Upstairs’ filling in for Phil Hall. Had a close shave that night as a BIG hairy biker wanted me to play ‘Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing but I was having to use my records not Phil’s and I didn’t have it with me. The biker thought I was deliberately choosing not to play it …until I offered to strum it out and hum it for him on a guitar if he liked! (lol)