st leonards – SMART

Ad Andre Palfrey-martin collection. photo London Records Ad 1965

John Storer…Does this get votes as one of the most influential singles ever? both tracks are now standards and both sound as brilliant today as they did back then. “Gloria” was the b-side to “Baby Please Don’t Go” when it was released in the UK but the tracks were reversed when the single was released in the States. Yet it was “BPDG” as a b-side that caught the imagination of many American bands and it was a cover of that song by The Amboy Dukes in 1967 that brought a certain Mr Ted Nugent to prominence.

Andy Qunta…..Funnily enough, Gloria was the B-side to Baby Please Don’t Go, although it is perhaps the better-known one now. I like both, but I still prefer the A-side! By the way, they say that if you drop a guitar down the stairs, sooner or later it will play Gloria!

Len……Saw ‘Them’ in the club upstairs above the Fiesta Coffee Bar, on the day they played the Witch Doctor.

Alan Esdaile….Anyone remember seeing Van Morrison at The White Rock Theatre in 1991?

Mick O’Dowd…..Yes I was there. Fantastic show from The Master and if I remember Mike Cotton Sound were a more than adequate band.

David Edwards… Well I never knew that Them had played the Witchdoctor.

John Warner… Mike Cotton, came across him again on a cruise, great trumpeter. Them – Van Morrison. Lonely Ones – Noel Redding. Great times!

The Fleur De Lys – Witch Doctor St Leonards 29th April 1967

April 29, 2018April 29, 2018 by Alan Esdaile

Paul Bryant… Fantastic band.

Paine Electrics – Opening 22nd February 1971.

April 22, 2018April 22, 2018 by Alan Esdaile

Phil Gill… Great. I bought the first Taste album and The Mothers Live at the Fillmore there. Roger Carey bought a lot of music there too.

Alan Pepper… If you had a time machine and went back to ’71 what RECORDS would you get from Paine’s Electrics ?

Alan Esdaile… Loads of great albums in 1971. Subject to budget which was very tight then, I would say Carol King Tapestry, Who Who’s Next, Janis Joplin Pearl and Leonard Cohen Songs Of Love & Hate.

Andy Qunta… If I had a time machine, I would get Time Machine by Factory! I lost my copy! Also The Yes Album, Genesis’ Nursery Cryme, and Deep Purple’s Fireball came out that year, I think.

Nigel Ford… Seeing it was formerly HORNBROOKS, I think that was what the shop in Battle was called when I first bought my 7″s. I don’t desire anything else from that time other than those I have still : GRAND FUNK Live & HUMBLE PIE Performance Rockin the Fillmore, though the latter was much later in the year. I remenber getting GENESIS Nursery Crimes & HUMBLE PIE Smokin from the DISC JOCKEY at different times around then and taking them back as they were too boring, which BIG AL did no problem.

Andy Qunta… Nursery Cryme boring? No way!

Alan Esdaile… Great album Nursery Cryme. Also like Selling England by The Pound.

Ian Cramp… Thanks, fond memories of this shop Best album that year in my opinion Meddle by Pink Floyd.

Alan Esdaile… lots of great albums in 1971. Who’s Next, What’s Going On Marvin Gaye, Blue Joni Mitchell… difficult choice Ian.

Pete Fairless… Don’t forget ‘Sticky Fingers’, ‘Tapestry’ and ‘Hunky Dory’…

Anyone remember Freda Fardoe’s Shop – Gensing Road 1967?

April 18, 2018April 18, 2018 by Alan Esdaile

Mick O’Dowd… No!

Alan Esdaile… Do you remember this shop Andre?

Kym… Freda was my great aunt! Her early years were very interesting – she worked for Churchill in his bunker during the war, as well as the potter Bernard Leach in St Ives.

Vox made at Ponswood Industrial Estate, St Leonards-On-Sea 1971 & HIFI Club chat.

April 16, 2018April 16, 2018 by Alan Esdaile

supplied by Peter Gladwish. photos by Dave Trodd © Vox. http://www.voxshowroom.com/equipment/index.html

Peter Gladwish… In 1970, Birch-Stolec Industries purchased the VOX name and company, moving their manufacturing facilities from Erith, Kent, to Ponswood Industrial Estate, St Leonards. At the same time, Rick Huxley, former bass guitarist with the Dave Clark Five, joined the company as the Southern Area Sales Executive. This sales brochure was produced for VOX by Berfolt-Holt Design Ltd., St Leonards, where a friend and fellow band member, Cliff Brooker was employed. Now don’t laugh too much but I was asked to ‘pose’ with various musical instruments and equipment, in case viewers were unsure how to use them, I suppose! The photo-shoot took place in the basement of the Hi-Fi Club, High Street, Hastings Old Town and the photographer was Dave Trodd . The club owner is in the photo above( photo 5) but I can’t remember his name. If you know him, or remember him, please let me know. The Hi-Fi Club burned down in allegedly ‘suspicious’ circumstances around 1978. Again, if anyone has any more details, please let me know. You can learn more about the history of VOX on the website link above, where this brochure is featured.

Kevin Burchett… The club owner of the hi fi was aa chap called guy not sure of his surname he used to come to scalliwags with monkey Dave i saw him last year in Morrisons.

Alan Esdaile… This is definitely not Guy. Guy rang the HIFI with his brother. Anyone remember who this is?

Ralph Town… Wish they were still there,I,d take a job on those valves and pcbs

Colin Fox… I had one. You can see it behind me on the right. I seem to remember Rev Stockdale worked there for a while.

Paul Dengate… Vox also had a workshop in Beaconsfield Road.

Caz Simpson… The man in question resembles a man Guy and Dave hired as a bouncer at the club. I thought the brothers were the owners because they lived there and rented rooms to Jack and George.

Peter Gladwish… Clearly, the man in this pic with me was not the owner of the Hi-Fi Club (Guy McFarlane), as I had always thought and no-one seems to know his name. As he was the one who unlocked, plyed us with drinks and was hanging around all day, whilst Dave Trodd arranged the shots, I just assumed he was the boss-man. Thanks anyway for all your contributions. Apparently, Stuart Moir also worked at Vox in Beaconsfield Rd., Colin Fox & Paul Dengate. Anyone else out there with any memories?

Caz Simpson… I saw Guy some years back, he was running a bar in Battle. Sadly I heard Dave died, his wife was a lovely lady who had been a bunny girl. There was a good deal of suspicion about how the club burned down. Guy and Dave had extensive wood panelling carried out to the upstairs living areas which allegedly hid a lot of rot. They tried to sell the club but surveys always brought to light the concealment and sales fell through. I understand the insurance company had strong suspicions regarding the nature of the fire so refused to pay, which is why the gap remains.

Alan Esdaile… was the Vox factory in the Philips building on Ponswood?

Will Cornell… very cool Mason’s shares that address, Alan! Did they make the electric dulcimers for Brian Jones there too?

Alan Esdaile… We are over the road from what was the Philips building, Will. They used to be one of the big employers of the town, sadly no longer here. Now split into lots of small businesses.

Peter Gladwish… Brian Jones’ Appalachian Dulcimer was made for him by JMI (who owned Vox) at their Dartford factory by a woodworker named Tony Diamond, Will Cornell. Hastings produced mainly amps, speakers.

Will Cornell… I’m always overwhelmed at what all Vox did…even after reading the “Rolling Stones Gear” (and the “Beatles Gear”) books! And I think they made two or three for him! One of them maybe was stolen. Sad that more business addresses don’t get “Official Historical Markers”….but then some have squandered their legacy. Charley’s Guitars here in Dallas is a pale imitation of it’s former glory supplying custom guitars for Stevie Ray Vaughn etc. It now does repairs, has maybe a handfull of overpriced vintage guitars hanging on the wall for sale…and more pictures on the wall of SRV (and the former ownership/staff) than merch for sale.

Peter Gladwish… Vox also made the Bill Wyman bass, both at Dartford and in Italy, at Eko guitars.