seventies pop
Eyes Of Blond plus King Rod – Battle Memorial Hall 8th Jan 1971
photo source: http://www.eyesofblond.co.uk/index.html
Anyone remember or know anything about Eyes Of Blond?
Geoff Peckham… Yes, Eyes of Blond were an excellent band. I was at this gig with Laurie – I believe Tone and Andy too. They opened with the Byrds’ song, “Gunga Din”. I think we covered it for a while after that.
Nigel Ford… I was there too, not sure if this was their 1st appearance there or their second,the second time I was torn between giving a friend of a girl I fancied a lift back to Hollington, which I did (without reward,HUH!) only to return to find the band finishing up!! DOHHH!!! …and it was a cold, foggy night (on my GT200 Lambretta). I think it was the first time I’d seen a band with 2 base drums (well, when they first played there) when they first visited. Heavy Rock sound, from London I think. I was impressed , hence why I was annoyed at missing their second appearance!
Geoff Peckham… I saw them at the Cobweb around this time too. (Or was it a band called Blonde on Blonde?) Unfortunately their drummer collapsed mid-set and the gig was abandoned. They claimed it was because he was on strong antibiotics. Does anyone else remember this?
Alan Esdaile… Yes your right Geoff , they played Hastings, “Cobwebs”, St Leonards Monday, August 17, 1970, Hastings, Combe Haven Caravan Pk. Tuesday, August 18, 1970. I don’t know if Andre has any cuttings?
Phil Wade… (guitarist and vocalist in photo above, right hand side) comments… The drummer with the two bass drums was Harry Rix (now deceased), but it was Paul (on the left in the photo) who played at The Cobweb in 1970. Neither drummer collapsed on stage Geoff – perhaps it was Blonde on Blonde? I’ll dig out a photo of the group lineup that played at Battle.Incidentally, our lead guitarist Phil Dimitri now lives in Eastbourne.
Alan Esdaile… Geoff, definitely a band called Blonde On Blonde, I’m sure I have seen them on one of the cuttings but just found this on the web.. was a guitar-led psychedelic rock group from South Wales. The band was originally formed in Newport in 1967
Geoff Peckham… Sounds like them. I remember them being very loud and ‘dangerous’. Some time into the set I noticed the drummer shouting to the others and he was clearly in some discomfort. They didn’t notice until he keeled over backwards and it all came to a halt. Poor guy!
Phil Wade… We split up in March 1971, so you saw us close to the end. Have a look at the web site (www.eyesofblond.co.uk) to see where we came from and why we split. We’d heard of Blonde on Blonde of course (named after a Dylan album) – but our spelling is for males 🙂
Geoff Peckham… I checked it out when the website was posted earlier, Phil. Good stories. Yours is one of the few bands I remember well from that era. Very influential. Just loved “Gunga Din” and other stuff and the way you played them. My band at that time, Factory, probably learned a lot from you guys. We too have met up again recently and we were only talking about you the other day! Never thought I’d be talking to a member in the band shortly after!
Emotion – The Regent Hotel Seafront Hastings late 1970
supplied by Barry French
Barry French… The name on the Bass drum is Emotion. (1st Emotion was added later when my Sister Jenny joined the band). Barry French on Guitar, Den Wootton on Drums and Clifford Wootton on Bass. At that time my Dad was the maintenance manager of the Regent Hotel & he pulled many strings to get us regular gigs there.
Mum & Dad would be on the door taking the admission, while we played a set of pop songs of the day to a mixture of foreign students & bikers. Looking at that picture makes me wonder where the years have gone, Cliff & I would have been 17 while Den was 15. (Makes you feel old!!!)
Yvonne Cleland… Wow! This takes me right back to the Lido days. We used to go to the Regent every single weekend in those days, and do biker dances to Emotion! I remember Barry’s mum was in charge. She was a friendly and kind lady. It was a great place to go to, Emotion would play all of our requests, and we loved it.
Cliff Wootton… Yeah this would have been a very early incarnation not long after we started and probably before Pete Cunningham from Mullet Smith Music offered to be our ‘Manager’. I think that’s a Jennings transistor amp behind me and maybe a Rosetti bass. We are probably singing Yellow River. A song that is indelibly etched on my mind. We were impressed with Baz because he had just bought all this new gear.
Lucy Pappas… That’s how I remember you Cliff and Den x
Cliff Wootton… I do look a bit different now. Something like a cross between James Robertson Justice, Long John Silver and one of the hairy bikers. 😉
Barry French… Thanks Yvonne for your kind words. Initially the owner of the Regent gave us a months trial. The first couple of weeks the place was pretty much empty and if you guys hadn’t turned up we would have lost the gig for sure. I remember lines of people doing the biker dances (A kind of forerunner to line dancing!!) Fun times.
Yvonne Cleland… Barry it was so nice to read that we meant as much to the band as they did to us! That we’re still talking about it all these years later says it all! xxxx
Cliff Wootton… Awesome! Very chuffed to find that people remember us from back then.
Yvonne Cleland… Lots of us weren’t old enough to legally drink hahahahaha
Decades The Sweet in the 70s – by Darren Johnson coming shortly
Coming soon! Published 29th July 2021. Available to pre-order now.
More information… https://darrensmusicblog.com/?s=the+sweet
Iain Cobby… fantastic band, saw them on Hastings Pier back in the 70’s, what a crew. No pop hits but pure heavy metal . not many in the audience but wow! Thats how I will remember them ………..
Darren Johnson… was that the 1971 New Year’s Eve gig? It gets a (very) brief mention in the book, if so!
Alan Esdaile… yes it would be 31st December 1971
The Confederates to SPYKE to JINKS updated website
Just to let you know that Pete Millington has updated his website. Some great photos on his groups and music history. The new website address is: https://pet842.wixsite.com/confeds-to-jinks
SMART coffee meet No. 38 Report
Our 38th meet. Among the newbies this time were Harry Randall. Harry was talking about his bands Chain Reaction, The 6ts and The Patriots who appeared on New Faces and had a single out on Bus Stop Records called Rick Rack. Mick O’Dowd arrived with The Beatles live at the BBC cassette pack and a whole bunch of cd’s that he was happy to give away for a donation to the Conquest MRI Scanner appeal. Laurie Cooksey arrived with some more photos from the 6ts and the very first photo of Die Laughing, and interested in getting a book together of Hastings rock history. Cliff Wootton had with cd’s for his new progressive folk band ‘Where Once Giants Trod’ and Pete Prescott had with him The Simon Dee book, the Guitarist book from 87 featuring him and Ray Fenwick and Jazz UK and The Hastings Trawler, both with Liane Carroll on the covers. Wendy Weaver remembers seeing live Fred Astaire and Gene Vincent and going to The Simon Dee tv show. Iain Cobby was talking to John Petrie about Stallion at The Melody Maker rock contest and Tony Qunta was talking about how the Factory single Time Machine keeps rising in value and also amplification getting smaller and smaller. Colin Bell mentioned that he did the first proper disco in Hastings at The Regent Hotel in 1968 for the EF students, prior to this Andre said that he played records in the same venue supporting bands like Unabridged Telephone Directory. Sarah Harvey is working on the Hastings Rock recordings of Colin’s interview with Roger Daltrey which she hopes to play on her Slammin Tunes programme some time in the near future. Kevin Burchett is working on some videos of The Lost Boys and Sergeant which will be posted on You Tube shortly. Also Kevin was pleased to announce that enough money has now been raised for a permanent statue to Ron ‘Popeye’ Everett. Tony Davis was talking about an incident at his recent Birthday event , when The Kavemen played. Unfortunately someone stole the bass players pedal kit. Photos are all over social media and hopefully the person will be caught. Chat was also about the BBC Proms Stax Records tribute and PP Arnold’s finally releases her lost album. As we finished more people were arriving and ended up a very good afternoon. This is a small bit of what I can remember, anyone who wishes to add anything you were talking about, then please feel free to do so.
Phil Gill… Sorry not to make it this time Alan, work got in the way.
Lucy Pappas… Sounds like I missed another great afternoon xx
Mick O’Dowd…Everyone is always made welcome at the Meets.
Andy Qunta… Anyone else like to have their fire buckets checked?
Jim Breeds… I’ll avoid any joke about hoses!
Mick O’Dowd… I think I needed a fire extinguisher after meeting her!
Pete Fairless… I saw them in September 1975 – 42 years ago, tomorrow… Yes, I recall it was rather warm!
Dennis Torrance… I was there
Martin Waghorne… Great night i remember it . just
Paul Hoggard… Great gig! 
Steam – The Carlisle Tramps Supper – 1974
Anyone remember this band?
Mick O’Dowd… Are they not the Nah,nah, nah goodbye band?
Alan Esdaile… I knew you were going to say that Mick! Very unlkely its the same band.
Dave Nattress… I think this “Steam” was a re-name from a band called “Penny Black” which my old mate Terry Creasey used to play in. It was not the same Steam as the Na, Nah etc. but I think they used to play the song.
Karen Sweatman Was Blackman… I wonder who won the competition for the best dressed tramp? I hope they had actually entered the competition!