Alan Esdaile Thanks to Ian McGilvray for finding this….
Gary Kinch…..Sounds better.
Phil Gill….Like this better than at 45, her voice is still great.
Redstar Richter…..wow!! a totally different song
Helen Connor….Love it
David Miller….Excellent
Ashley Davies…..Like an r&b feel
John Wilde…..Release it now somebody!
Mick O’Dowd….Much better version!
Andre Martin…..This week’s History of The Happy Ballroom, is going to be much improved. Lets go to Saturday 25 April 1964, the top of the bill a band that had been doing great things in recent months were booked to appear – THE SWINGING BLUE JEANS .
Formed in Liverpool in 1961 as The Bluegenes, The Swinging Blue Jeans followed virtually the same path to success as many of their Merseybeat contemporaries during the early 1960s. After playing a succession of local dance halls and club engagements, including the Cavern Club, they travelled to Germany and appeared at the Star Club, Hamburg. The Jeans had their own ‘Tuesday Guest Night’ while they were resident band at the Cavern. One of the first bands they invited as their guests were The Beatles.
Their popularity was assured as by the time they appeared in Hastings in April, they had to their credit several singles, including these over a very short period of time, that had charted, “ Hippy Hippy Shake” / “Now I Must Go”, December 1963) – UK no. 2; “Good Golly Miss Molly” / “Shaking Feeling” March 1964) – UK no.11, and about to be released within days of this appearance, “You’re No Good” / “Don’t You Worry About Me” May 1964) – UK no. 3.
The Support act, booked for that night, should have been The Ramblers, who were from North London and who had appeared before in The Happy Ballroom, they were well known and had made several records under the direction of Joe Meek – what happened on that night is now picked up by the Hastings Observer – A local group The Confederates were asked at the last moment to stand in for the Ramblers and as you can see from the press cutting from the following Saturday, did a splendid job. Peter Millington, remembers the night well, as it was the first time they had played the venue, and it was somewhat larger than usual, as was the size of audience that the boys were used to working before.
The show went well, and as we will see very shortly, the Confederates were to headline The Happy Ballroom in their own right.
all cuttings…..Andre Palfrey-martin collection
Peter Shaw…..The unfortunately late, but great sticks man Dave Saunders…fast hands and an excellent artist too! I have one of his signed crayon art works at home…and it’s of a beautiful woman…typically Dave!! The band were a local big time outfit with a powerful presence…great memories!
Peter Millington….Thanks Pete, Praise from the master, All the product of Grove School (1961-1963) and a Regimental Sergeant Major with a Blue Van.
supplied by Philip John
Philip John….It seems it wasn’t just the Mott crew crammed into an old VW van . Even Sir Mick & the Stones toured in one. Cutting from The Independent newspaper las week.
Philip John…..Just found some add ons for the Hunter-Ronson USA tour. Back in ’75 you could have bought the back line for £9,108 !
supplied by Philip John
all cuttings supplied by John Austin
Phillip Meston…..I was a regular at Scalliwags! Not forgetting the sticky carpets. I also remember the Christmas/New year parties with all the food!
Perri Ann Haste…..Oh my goodness! – I can remember dancing round my bag a few times in this place!
Gary Kinch……….had my stag night there in 78.
Nick Prince…..And not forgetting the Sober Judge.
Andy Qunta….Ah yes, Scalliwags! & Saturdays! Excellent fun times!
Matt Thomas….you still going to the gym? LOL
Yvonne Cleland….Bring back the hair!
Mick O’Dowd….Thank goodness you’ve ditched the haircut(like most of us from that period)!
Tony May…..Great pics and I expect great memories for you. The Brian Jenner mentioned above – was he the one who went on to record with ‘Talisman’? If so I often see him on the bus – we have spoken loads of times about their ‘Sounds In Our Minds’ single and LP. Both of those would be rarities now…
Dave Nattress….One for Jaffa, (Geoff Peckham). Jaffa, do you remember your gig at Bexhill Down School with (I think) Pete Higham on guitar and Tony Ford on drums – you on Bass obviously. The band was called “Syrinx” – was it not. Can’t remember any tracks but quite probably a couple of Cream tracks as Cream was a fave of yours and mine. Would have been 1969? Our 5th and final year!!
Geoff Peckham…..Yes, the band was called Syrinx. A short-lived band, we played a couple of Youth Club gigs as well as the school. We rehearsed on the kitchen/cellar of the Tegor cafe, diagonally opposite Bexhill Central Station. We played Cream covers, as you say, (Strange Brew, I’m so Glad etc), Dear Mr Fantasy by Traffic and a Pete Higham original, “It’s a Terrible Life I Live”, among other stuff. Interestingly, Tony Ford’s dad often gigged with my dad on corresponding instruments.
Yvonne Cleland…..Rehearsed in the cellar of the Tegor! I love it!
Geoff Peckham….Yes, do you remember it, Yvonne? It was a Yorkshireman who ran it. When he bought it, it was called the Roget and to save money on the sign he just renamed it anagrammaticly. (Nice word!) He had a good sense of humour – once, he came down during a rehearsal and said “I’m not saying it’s loud, but they’re dancing on the beach!”
Dave Nattress….Spot on Geoff about the Roget becoming the Tegor! I recall this now. I think, in the very early 70’s it changed hands and became “The Boiler Room” – a little – very little “Discoteque. I don’t think they had live bands there though – my recollection is that half a dozen people dancing filled the dance floor. Interesting that you used to rehearse at the Tegor. When I joined Damaris – mid-70’s – we rehearsed in the cellar under Barraclough and Stiles, (Opticians) just round the corner in St Leonards Road. We had sound-insulated the walls with old mattresses obtained from goodness knows where – rubbish dumps/house-clearance/lay-by’s and they were not of the newest/highest quality and ponged a bit to say the least. Like you I guess, lugging all the gear up the steep stairs, through the shop and then the reverse, post-gig at half-past midnight, after a stop at Taffy’s chippie. Good old days. We used to get a tug from time and time again from a man who lived in the flats above the shop – noise, and I guess didn’t like the tracks we were rehearsing!
Geoff Peckham….. Jack Bruce was a big influence in my formative years as a bass-player. And talking of interesting places to practice, my next band, Diversion with Andy Knight, used to rehearse in another café. It was the one on the beach at Glyne Gap. It was a really pokey but at least we didn’t upset any neighbours.
John Storer asks...
I wonder if anyone else can remember Tom Robinson Band with Eater in support around the time of 2-4-6-8 Motorway
The other was Dexy’s Midnight Runners around the time of “Searching For The Young Soul Rebels (my second favourite album ever) – a set even shorter than The Sex Pistols. There were a few National Front idiots at the front of the stage and Kevin Rowland took the band off-stage during the third number and refused to come back out. There may even have been some band / audience fisticuffs Dexy’s are one of my all-time fave bands but this was the only time I saw them live. What really annoyed me was that a lot of mates decided not to go see them at The Pier but to go to the band’s gig at Brighton Top Rank the following night. They all returned with rave reviews and one of them still swears to this day it was the best gig he ever went to!
Philip Meston…..Didn’t see TRB, but was at the Dexy’s gig. Gig was rather spoilt by beer can throwing and disruption, which was partly due to the band not wanting to play Geno as I recall. Other than that, they really could play!!
John Austin….I saw the Dexy”s gig ! spoilt by gobbing punks !
Pete Fairless…..The Dexys gig was brief, nervous and angry… In short, of course, exactly as it should have been! Not sure anyone saw TRB on the pier!
Martyn Baker…..Yep I was there. Kevin asked the audience if they’d bought tickets just to see them perform their hit record. When lots shouted “Yeah!” He quietly said “Ever been had?”.
Leigh Weiland-Boys…..I was there that night! Anyone & everyone that knows me has heard the story…I seem to recall a lot of spitting going on!
Pete Fairless….Eater supported The Stranglers, it may be that gig that John is thinking of. Eater were dire, probably the worst band I ever saw on the pier.
Alan Esdaile….It does look like Tom Robinson did not appear, unless anyone knows different? Could it have been The Crpyt?
Sarah Harvey….I have seen an advert for TRB but just need to find it. As i remember it wasn’t the biggest advert I have ever seen….could have been supporting someone else. Can’t remember actually seeing them.
photo by Mick O’Dowd
photo by Mick O’Dowd
Tony Qunta….”One of my favourite singers/frontperson ladies from one of my favourite bands! Great photos!”
Dave Arnold….Was a roadie for them at Maidstone Art College gig:) great band & beautiful singer…
Andy Qunta….Great to see these pics! BIg fan of the band & Sonja!
John Alexander Wilde….”Daryl Way on violin”
Mick O’Dowd….She seemed very pleasant and friendly. Great meeting her.
Martyn Baker….”Great photo. I remember those weird fire-buckets too, and wasn’t she a Babe!”
Sarah Harvey…..She was such a beautiful lady.
Ralph Town….Still alive and still performing
advert from The Priory Magazine(Priory Road School) 1967.
Alan Esdaile….Interestingly the Record Shop advertised in all the copies I have but nothing from The Disc Jockey. This maybe due to the fact that when I worked in the cake & tuck shop at school, the reward apart from broken jammy dodgers and split bags of crisps, they always gave you a Record Shop record token at the end of the year.
Mick Hymans…..I believe that Jack and Sonia London also had a passion for railways and took much cine film. As they have sadly now passed on, does anybody know if they had any offspring that would have inherited their films. Thank you
