Coventry Music Archives's blog

The Gordian Knot Interview with Horace Panter of The Specials

 

Horace_n_rodd

Charley Anderson formerly of The Selecter has kindly sent a copy of an interview with Horace Panter of The Specials from the Coventry 80's fanzine Gordian Knot.

Back in 1973 Horace sent a letter to Hobo Magazine with a 50p advert enclosed. He was seeking a 'happy band' in need of a bass player with 50 watt gear! Although we printed the advert, owing to lack of money for printing, Hobo came out too late for Horace as he'd managed find musicians at the Lanch poly. 

In 1974 he wrote another letter asking if we could advise on places for his band to play.I'd set up the Hobo workshop by then which in 1975 moved to upstairs at the Golden Cross. Horace played for us in a jazz rock outfit with two of my musician friends - Ricky and Andy Cairns. I knew them as Ricky's band. Neol Davis and some of the other later members of Two Tone bands were there although they weren't all playing together at that early stage. Later Horace was in a band called Breaker. The Hobo letters are below and a link to Horace's fuller history - Ska'd for Life. Meanwhile enjoy the Gordian Knot interview.

  

Magazine[1]

Magazine2[1]

Horace

Horace Panter's Letter to Hobo Magazine in the 70's

Ska'd for Life: A Personal Journey with The Specials

Horace Panter

 Visit TWO TONE CENTRAL MUSEUM http://www.2tonecentral.co.uk/

Bob Jackson - Indian Summer, Badfinger, Pete Brown, Fortunes.

Indian summer Cover photo

Bob Jackson was a leading light of the Coventry 

Is1

progressive rock band Indian Summer who after competing with Black Sabbath for a record contract at Henry's Blues House in Birmingham 

Bob Jackson

1970 went on to win the next years competition and their first and only classic progressive rock album came out on RCA Neon in 1971. Sadly the band split not long afterwards and Bob Jackson - keyboard player and vocalist, went on to play with a range of artists including Pete Brown and Piblokto, John Entwhistle, Ro Ro, Ross, Dodgers, Badfinger and The Fortunes (with whom he still plays).

Here's Bob Jackson's talented daughter - Emily Jackson - 

 

Walk Away-Emily Jackson-Daughter of Badfinger's Bob Jackson

INDIAN SUMMER - God is the dog

Dodgers - Down - Badfinger

Badfinger - I Won't Forget You

Come And Get It - w/Baby You - Badfinger

Fortunes Bob Jackson 'without you'

THE FORTUNES "LIVE" 2008 Storm In A Teacup

 

On that Train by Phil Knapper (Coventry singer songwriter) Video

Phil Knapper

Phil Knapper was a close friend and accomplished guitarist (rock and classical) and a Coventry singer songwriter in the 70's. He travelled with a musical troupe to Finland in 1970 which included Neil O'Connor (Hazel's brother), John Gravenor (of Wandering John) and Alex Murphy. I met him in 1974 when he came to Hobo Workshop (Holyhead Youth Centre) for one of the gigs. He lived nearby so we became good friends, often jamming - sometimes playing in very informal one off band gigs. We have no recordings of him except the few I recorded on mono cassette while jamming at my house. This video is one of his songs from that time but doesn't reflect the range of his guitar work (that he taught me how to play Bert Jansch's Anji at that session gives you an idea of the range.). Phil was born in Spennymore in Co Durham but his family moved to Coventry and his father worked in the coal mine at Kersley (although they lived in the Binley area of Coventry (hence the pictures). Phil's younger brother Stu Knapper is well known on the Cov scene as the leader of the late 70's punk band Riot Act. Sadly Phil suffered from schizophrenia which hampered his development as a musician and passed away in the 1990's. It was Phil who arranged for Neil O' Connor' s band Midnight Circus (later The Flys) to play for us at the Hobo Workshop in 1974.

On that Train - Phil Knapper

 

Asgard - More archive photos and John Peel cutting 1970

ASGARD - were a Coventry band in the style of Pink Floyd / Nice operating around 1969 - 71 period who were promoted by John Peel and played a number of prestigious gigs - eg Mothers in Birmingham after Pink Floyd and with Peel and Hyde Park etc. Following a recent post on Asgard with some of their music, bassist Richard Kilbride has sent these archive photos of the band and cuttings.

First a cutting from Disc  - Asgard are mentioned in John Peel's column - some of them, including their manager Paul Padum stayed at Peel Acres.

 

John Peel - Asgard

 

Asgard played in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral in 1969 as part of the West Indian concert calld Jerico -

 

Jerico 2

 

Jerico - Coventry Concert

Asgard bassist proposed free open air concerts in Coventry in 1969 in which people could even bring along poems to read (great initiative Richard) according to this Coventry Evening Telegraph article -

The council response is interesting!!

"NO LONG-HAIRED BEATNKS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO ELEMENT" - "THE SALVATION ARMY BAND..ARE A RAVE!!!"

"Councillor Arthur Taylor, Chairman of the Recreation Committee said he would be glad to make the park available to respectable pop groups but we do not want long-haired beatniks in the San Franscisco element playing in our parks! We have the Salvation Army band playing in our parks and it's a rave! But whether pop music is eeryone's choice, I don't know." Well  -

I must admit - I've never heard the Salvation Army band described as a 'Rave' before!!!! 

 

Header 2

 

Asgard Article

Asgard were invited to Alexis Korner's fiftieth birthday party!!

 

Alexis Korner's 50th Birthday

The following are photos of the young Asgard at play with guitars and dumpeer trucks in the 60's and photos from gigs and rehearsals etc.

 

 

 

 

 

Along with these photos was one of another band from the 1970c period - no idea who they are or if it's a Cov band or one Asgard played on tour with - if any or Richard can throw light on this photo - let me know.

 

Unknown band

Read more on Hobo  - A to Z of Coventry bands https://sites.google.com/site/bandsfromcoventry/coventry-bands-a-to-z/coventry-bands-a/asgard

Interview with Mojo (Tony) Morgan - Coventry Blues / Ska Man

TO BE CONTINUED SOON

Mojo (Tony) Morgan's musical career has spanned nearly 40 years and he's still playing and developing. He

Mojo Morgan - photo by Missy Rose

 began as a bass player in a range of blues bands in 70's; fronted a Coventry ska band in the early 80's and made a single, played in a band with Roddy Radiation (after the Specials), took the blues on the road with Travelling Riverside blues band in the 80's and ran a couple of venues and in more recent years moved to Wales where he is a blues singer with his own Outfit - The Hoochie Coochie Blues Band.

.

Trev Teasdel Interview with Mojo Morgan March 2009

1. How and when did you get started on all this music lark and what were your early influences?

When I was about 10 years old, my parent's record collection was a very large collection of artist's like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Lenor Horne, Billie

 

Robert Johnson- Crossroad

Holliday, and a few Robert Johnson records which I fell in love with, and lots of blues and jazz albums. In the 60s I fell in love with the sound of the likes of John Mayall, Alexis Corner, Rolling Stones. Animals. and lots of other R&B

 

Alexis Korner with Rolling Stones members

bands. I was just mad for all that kind of stuff.
 
2. Your main instrument used to be bass What other instruments do you play.

I played Rhythm guitar and sang in my first band, and then I switched over to bass guitar, and stuck with it for the next 30 years.
 
3. The first band I saw you in was The Mick Green Blues Band - what led you to a love of the blues?

The feelings I had from listening to the blues. ( IT JUST SHOUTED OUT AT ME ).
 
4. Were there bands before Mick Green Blues band?

Yea! I just left school, and put a 3 piece band together called (Orange )  I was playing rhythm guitar and vocals, and Steve Harrison on drums, and Graham Dewis on Bass. we used to do lots of cover versions from The Doors, Cream, Stones, and that sort of thing! Graham Dewis's parents had a farm near Stoneliegh Island, not far from the N.E.C (Birmingham National Exhibition Centre). We used to practice there all the time. In the summer, we would practice out side to all the passers by on the motorway. The cows and the sheep liked us! We were young and just didn't care, and had a great time!

 

 
5. How did you meet Mick Green and Steve Harrison

I met Steve Harrison (Drummer) through a friend Alan Jones in Willenhall, Coventry. Steve lived up the road from me, and we became best friends. The last time I heard about Steve, he was living in France. It would be great to find where he is now, and to get back in touch.I met Mick Green through a guy called Tony who lived in the Stoke area in Coventry, and Mick became a good friend! We played together in Mick Greens Blues Band, and a few other bits and bobs, but nothing came to fruit! Steve Harrison, Mick Green and myself moved to Ealing, London, and formed a band with John Laverick and started jamming together, after a couple of weeks, we were giging around London, We were young and foolish! and it was crazy times
 
 
6. You seemed to be in a cluster of bands in the early 70's around some of the same musicians - ie Mick Green and Steve Harrison and few others such as Concert with Martin Barter on organ and one - I think with Johnny Adams (later with Squad). Apart from Mick Green band, there was Railroad in 71, Eli and Rein Chantre c 73 / 74 that I remember. What can you tell us about your early bands.

Some of the bands that i have played in!
 
ORANGE.
 
Mojo Morgan, ryth'm guitar and vocals.
Steven harrison, drums.
Graham Dewis, bass guitar.
 
MICK GREENS BLUES BAND. (1970)

Mick Green - Lead / Rhythm Guit / Vocals

Mojo Morgan - Bass / vocals

Steve Harrison - Drums

(at various times..Johnny Adams - Vocals / Guitar and Paul Samson? Guitar)
 
 
RAILROAD (1971)

Mojo Morgan / Mick Green / Steve Harrison (Trev Teasdel vocals / lyrics) although that didn't work out and this version of the band didn't get as far as gigging.

CONCERT 1971

New-1.aconcertjpg

Mojo Morgan bass / Vocals

Martin Barter - Organ

Steve Harrison - Drums

Jim Allen - Sax

 

(Other similar bands with Mick Green / Simon Lovegrove (Drums) Johnny Adams (Guitar) were - Eli - Raine Chantre?) 
 
 
JOURNEY OF A LIFE TIME.....Changed name of band to MORNING FREEDOM.
 
Tony King, vocals.
Ray .............Rhythm Guitar.
Trevor..............guitar
......................drums.
Mojo Morgan, bass
 
KRYSTAL....Lots of bookings with this band....working 3 to 4

nights a week.....Club Band.
 
 
BLEEDIN' HEARTS....Walsgrave based. All bands material!
 
 
ZENITH.
 
Jim Allen, sax and vocals.

Zenith2

Mojo Morgan, bass.
Steve Harrison, drums.
Mark Burton, guitar.
 

AntiBellumEMF

EMF (The Coventry EMF!)

E.M.F. (Ska with Blues bass) 1979 - 1982

(Link above to their My Space)
 
Donna Elkington, vocals.
Sharron Elkington.vocals.
Jim Allen, sax and vocals.

EMF

Mojo Morgan, bass.
Fitzroy Wilson, ryth'em
Leroy Wright, drums.
Dave Gordon, lead guitar.

SAMMY EARTHQUAKE AND THE VOLCANOES.
 
Dickie Slick, guitar and vocals.
Roddy Byers,AKA Roddy Radiation -  guitar and vocals.
Mojo Morgan, bass and vocals.
Red............, drums.

Mojo says - "Roddy Byers after the specials had is own band Roddy Radiation and The Tearjerkers and when he was'nt playing he would come with us and play with Sammy Earthquake and the Volcanoes"
 
TRAVELLING RIVERSIDE BLUES BAND.
 (Hear their tracks on My Space above)

John Alderson, guitar and slide.
Mojo Morgan, bass and vocals.
George Stevens, drums.
Trevor.............vocals.
 
THE HOOCHIE COOCHIE BAND. (In South Wales) - Still going.
 
Mojo Morgan, vocals.
Mr Chilli, bass and vocals.
Vince. guitar and slide and vocals.
AJ, drums and vocals
 
7. What was your take on the early Coventry music scene in the early 70's?

I just did my own thing, and didn't take much notice of what other bands were doing really!
 
8. How did the advent of punk affect your musical career after 1977?

I wasn't really into punk at the time!  But some stuff now, I do like. (21 Days I do like a lot ).  Two members from Sham 69 and two member from Towers of London.
 
9. By 1979 in the wake of Two Tone you formed your own ska band EMF - how did that come about and what was the idea behind the band. Was there still a blues buzz there?

The blues buzz never leaves me Trev.

With EMF. I just wanted to do something different!  I had just met Amos Anderson who new Fitzroy Wilson - rhythm guitarist and Fitzroy knew Leroy Wright - drums, and put an add in the paper for a singer and Sharon and Donna answered the the call and came for an audition and were recruited. Then all we had to find was the lead guitarist and sax player. I knew Jim Allen who played sax, so i recruited him. I think Dave Gordon - lead guitarist heard what we were doing and just turned up. The first practice we had all together was in Hillfields in one of the flats! and it just came together like that. It just jelled straight away!

Trev - (Yes I remember going to your flat in Hillfields in 1979 - you talked to me about doing some lyrics and you explained to me then that the concept was to form a Ska band but using blues basslines and Sax licks - I don't think it was recognised you were trying to do something slightly different with the Ska sound that fitted in with your love of the blues.

10 I went to a lot of EMF gigs at the Dog and Trumpet and Tile Hill in 1980 before I left Cov. How did the band fare after that - gigs, recordings etc.

We got under Oak Agency from Birmingham, and then the gigs started rollin in, playing all over the country in collages and then we started supporting all the Two Tone acts which was a great buzz!

Trev - I used to go to the regular gigs in Tile Hill and dance to try and get others up on the dance floor! It was very danceable music.
 
 
12 = 13. The band came second in Battle of the Bands and made a single for RCA - tell us the story and What happened to EMF - how come you split up?

 I can't remember how we got into Battle of the Bands but we had to go to The Odeon in Birmingham for the first heat

Battle of the Bands 1981 - EMF

 with all the Area bands, and we came first. RCA put us up in London to go in the studio to do a single which went on to a compelation album for the best of Battle of the bands, and was given a trophy of Battle of the bands. There was a lot of bickering in the band by then, and you don't need that in a band, so then i put an advert in the shop to start another band, Yea! A blues band! I left my own band and started The Travelling Riverside Blues Band with John Alderson. EMF got hold of another bass player and done the final battle of the bands.

14 Tell us about the Coventry bands you were in afterwards  There was a band with John Alderson and a band with Ex Special Roddy Radiation I believe - tell us about them. 

Mojo & John Alderson Little Red Rooster

Artist

When I put an ad in the Clay Lane music shop to put a blues band together. The day after John Alderson phoned me, and I remembered him from Wandering John ( A top Coventry band from around 1970).  He knew George the drummer, and Trev vocalist followed! I became best mates with John and we still get together on the phone and still comes down to see us down in Wales. He a great friend and great musician, he taught me a lot. 

15  Your ran a blues / Folk club at the Freemason's Arms in the 80's - can you tell us a bit about that..

I ran The Coventry Blues Club in the 80's at The Freemasons Tavern on a Thursday nights which we had some great Blues Artist from all over the UK. On Tuesday nights was a folk night with the main band Dando Shaft. Lots of different artists far and wide like Don Fardon, Mick Stuart, Dave Pegg. Martin Jenkins, Rod Felton and many more. 

16. How come you moved to Wales and when? 

DownInTheGutterxxx

HCB

My parents are from Wales, and I came down for holiday most of my life, I always wanted to live near the sea, and

Hoochie_Coochie_Radio

Artist

 wales just seemed right!   
 
To be continued To Come MOJO on the Hoochie Coochie Band  

The Primitives (Coventry band) tribute to Steve Dullaghan

News came in from Bassist John Docker that  Primitives bass guitarist Steve Dullaghan has passed

Image8

 away.

The Primitives were a charting Coventry band of the 80's, produce by ex Reluctant Stereotype Paul Samson.

STEVEN ANTHONY DULLAGHAN

bass guitar, guitars (1985-1989)

b. December 18, 1966
After playing in The Primitives, Steve was in Hate (with Pete Tweedie). Dullaghan, with Martyn Bates, later evolved Hate into Hungry i, with Steve playing guitar. They recorded two EP's on the Nursery label. After two years, he rejoined his first ever band, Nocturnal Babies ("fronted by original Primitives singer, Kieron"). He also roadied for Pulp, Catatonia, and McAlmont. Currently he is "going under the moniker Means To An End".

May 30, 2001, Coventry England's Godiva Festival - Steve sits on the panel of judges at the battle of the bands.

  

Here are a couple of their videos -

 

The Primitives "Secrets"

The Primitives - Crash

Some found pieces on the Primitives -

"The Primitives were from Coventry and formed in 1985. They filled the gap post-Smiths and pre-Stone Roses. Their

The Primitives

 first single was ‘Thru The Flowers’ which was released in May of 1986. The obvious focal point was Tracy Tracy who was cute as cute. The others dressed head to toe in black, wore skinny jeans and pointy boots and had Ringo Starr circa 1965 haircuts. nPaul the guitarist was clearly in love with Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground and had a great collection of guitars. The band went through more line-up changes than Spinal Tap. They released six singles with the sixth being a re-recorded version of ‘Thru The Flowers’ before they eventually signed to RCA in 1987. In 1988 the album ‘Lovely’ was released and it is brilliant. The other key to their sound was producer Paul Sampson who went back through all their old demos and found ‘Crash’ a song they had scraped. This was their only big hit."

"British indie pop band the Primitives was formed in Coventry, England in mid-1985 by singer Kieron, guitarist Paul Court, bassist Steve Dullaghan, and drummer Pete Tweedie; after a handful of gigs Kieron was replaced by vocalist Tracy Tracy, a peroxide-blonde bombshell whose presence inspired a more melodic approach, which earned the group inevitable comparisons to Blondie. The Primitives' debut single "Thru the Flowers" appeared on their own Lazy label in 1986 and was quickly followed by radio sessions for Janice Long, Andy Kershaw, and John Peel. Their second effort, "Really Stupid," preceded the band's first European tour, with "Stop Killing Me" appearing in early 1987. Tweedie was dismissed from the group (allegedly for mistreating Tracy's cats) prior to the Primitives' signing to major label RCA, and with new drummer Tig Williams the group recorded their 1988 debut LP, Lovely, scoring a major UK pop hit with the masterful "Crash." After completing an American tour, Dullaghan exited the lineup, with bassist Paul Sampson stepping in for 1989's Pure; the album failed to recreate the success and excitement of its predecessor, however, and when 1991's Ian Broudie-produced Galore met a similar fate, the Primitives disbanded. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide " 

 

More on Hobo - A to Z of Coventry Bands https://sites.google.com/site/bandsfromcoventry/coventry-bands-a-to-z/coventry-bands-p/the-primitives

Ted Little and the Lanchester Arts Festival - Coventry

 This Post has been updated and transfered to the new Hobo sites here along with all the comments http://covdiscoarchive.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/lanchester-arts-festivals-now-coventry.html

Lanch

Ted Little was responsible for organising the Lanchester Arts Festival in the late 60's / early 70's.

I never knew Ted Little but as an 18 year old, like many Coventry musicians and fans of the time, I regularly frequented the Lanchester Polytechnic's student's union on a Friday or Saturday night to see some the best upcoming underground acts of the time. The kind of bands and acts that you'd hear on John Peel at that time. The Lanch gigs were the highlight of the week. Everybody would be there. It was such a great social-networking venue and an inspiration to budding local musicians. The first band I saw in the autumn of 1969 was Soft Machine. The list of bands I saw just goes on and on and includes -

Principal Edward's Magic Theatre, Jack Bruce, Colosseum, New Jazz Orchestra, Skid Row, Osibisa, Tyrannosaurus Rex (and later T. Rex), the Nice, Yes, ELP, Ralph McTell, Strawbs, Mr Fox, Atomic Rooster, Blodwyn Pig, Jethro Tull, Roy Harper, Vadergraff Generator, Can, Groundhogs, Duster Bennet, Kevin Ayres and the Whole World,Curved Air,Grimms, The Liverpool Poets, Jake Thackery, Neil Innes, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Scaffold, Paul Jones,Claire Hammil, Blackfoot Sue,Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts, Heron, Fairport Convention, Centipede, Nucleus,Arthur Big Boy Crudup, Climax Chicago Blues Band,Patto, Mott the Hoople, Roxy Music, Wild Angels, Nashville Teens, Leon Russell, Adrian Mitchell,Pete Brown's Piblokto, ELO, Wizzard, Gentle Giant, Fleetwood Mac, Who, Elton John, Caravan, Bridgett St. John, Lindisfarne, Stone the Crows, Medicine Head, Brinsley Schwarz,Brewers Droop, Ivor Cutler, Edwin Hawkin Singers , Lesley Duncan, Suzi Quatro, Cockney Rebel, Arthur Brown,-

These are just the ones I remember seeing. Later there was the Clash, Sex Pistols, Selecter, Specials, Bad Manners, Bowie, Pink Floyd, Chuck Berry, UB40 and so many more - not neccessarily in that order!

Ted Little wasn't responsible for all of those bands however. He was a student at the Lanchester Polytechnic in

Lanchester Arts Festival 1971 Programme

 Coventry, where he read modern studies between 1967 and 1970. His interest in arts administration began when he ran the Lanchester Arts Festival in 1970. 

I'm not clear on whether Ted actually invented the Lanchester Arts Festival but he certainly helped to establish it as a multi-media festival with some of the top bands, street theatre, film, poetry, classical, blues and jazz, comedy and much more. This model appears to have been quickly followed by nearby Warwick University with their annual mixed meda arts festival which always took place a month later in March in the early 70's.

I only know of Ted Little because the other day I got an e mail and phone call from Colin Richardson who is sited on the 1971 Lanch Arts Festival programme as the man who booked most of the artists for the Festival through the BRON Agency in London. Colin (who was a former manager of the Marquee Club in London), was

Lanch Poly - Now Coventry University

full of praise and respect for Ted Little and they established a good working relationship. Colin was particulary impressed with the Multi-media aspects of the festival and the interest and inspiration that he brought to the festival. Colin told me that it was Ted who asked him to book Monty Python's Flying Circus for what would be their first ever Live performance at the Belgrade Thetre as part of the 1971 Arts Festival. (This story will be told more fully in another post).

I also seem to remember there were some great (60's style) artistic posters produced for both the Arts festival and the gigs. If anybody has any of these posters please let us know. I really think they should be archived on the internet in some form!

I was interested to learn that Ted went on to be the administrator of the Birmingham Arts Lababoratory in 1974. I remember going along to the Arts Laboratory to watch how the Birmingham Streetpress was layed out and designed after starting Hobo magazine. I can't recall meeting Ted or even knowing that this was the same guy who organised the

Colin Richardson of the BRON Agency

Lanch Arts Fest. However, as a result of Colin Richardson's phone call, I am now aware of Ted Little and his influence on the Coventry and Birmingham Arts and music scene of the early 70's.

(Colin Richardson's Blog on Typepad http://colinrichardsonjazz.typepad.com/blog/

In my research, I discovered that Ted had gone on to bring his innovative and democratic approach to the arts to the London Institute of Contemporary Art which he headed and, in the words of the Guardian, he became one of 'Britain's leading arts administrators' .

Unfortunately Ted Little fell down the stairs and was paralysed in 1985 but despite his serious disability - "Between 1985 and 1987 he was director of Northampton Arts Centre, followed by two years as director of Artsline. He was active in the development of disability arts; in 1993 he established the Arts Council of Great Britain's initiative to increase the employment of disabled people in the arts."  The Guardian

 

Lanch Arts Fest Poster

Ted Little passed away in 1999 aged 56 but his influence on the Coventry and Birmingham arts scene,not to mention his work in London and elsewhere, is still felt but those who went to Lanch Festivals or the Birmingham Arts lab back in the 70's.

If anybody has anymore information on Ted Little (especially his role in Lanchester Arts Festival) or anyone one else associated with organising the bands and festivals at the Lanch or any posters / flyers, please get in contact. I can add your information / memories in and any material you have. Alternativly leave a comment here.

You can read more about Ted Little by following these links to obituaries in the Guardian and the Independent.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/1999/aug/12/guardianobituaries

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/ted-little-1116790.html

 

ASGARD - & a Tribute to Drummer Terry Westwood

 NEW - LIVE AUDIO OF ASGARD ADDED FROM A GIG IN LONDON in the early 70's - added 5th Feb 2009

AND SOME NEW MATERIAL TO BE ADDED TO THIS FROM RICHARD KILBRIDE'S COLLECTION.

Asgard photo 1

ASGARD (whose name was inspired by Norse mythology, land of the gods). were one of Coventry's top progressive bands in a Pink Floyd vain c 1969 - 70. Neol Davis (later of Two Tone band Selecter) sometimes guested on Sitar, John Peel took the band under his wing for a while and the band began to play more widely around the country.

This post expands on our previous post about Asgard with some addtional material supplied by the band and the promise of some live audio to come to this post. It also forms a tribute to their drummer Terry Westwood whom we have just been informed has terminal cancer and to Bill Walker - their musical genius / organist Bill Walker who sadly passed away in the mid 70's, still a young man.

 

This post therefore is mostly in the words of their bassist Richard Kilbride and their Roadie - Bob Mansfield with some additional information from some of their friends and associates. More on the Hobo A to Z of Coventry bands  https://sites.google.com/site/bandsfromcoventry/coventry-bands-a-to-z/coventry-bands-a/asgard

 

Asgard are now on My Space Here  And also visit their REVERBNATION site - http://www.reverbnation.com/asgardcoventry 

 

Asgard My Space

"I have also got an original acetate (demo disc) that the band did in London which is still playable although a bit battered and scratchy." Bob Mansfield. The audio added here Track 2 is the only one with vocals - and a great track too. 

was digitised and cleaned up a 40 year cassette tape from the 70's as best as can be expected for us by Roger Lomas. Thanks Roger.

Click the Reverbnation widget below to hear Asgards music -

Read more on hobo - A to Z of Coventry bands https://sites.google.com/site/bandsfromcoventry/coventry-bands-a-to-z/coventry-bands-a/asgard

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Kilbride - Asgard bassist

ASGARD - by Richard Kilbride

"The band was formed as a school pal band in 1966. We were then called Union Jack and were a modish four piece Guitar, bass, farfiza and drums. They performed Who type material (hence the awful name). The three of us that became Asgard all lived within 200 yds of each other at Eastern Green and as Bill had a good shed behind his Garage that became our rehearsal studio, (every night). We soon started writing our own New wave or Psychedelic type music and did cover Nice and Floyd. We played a lot at the Umbrella Arts Club and the International Centre under the Cathedral as well as all the usual haunts that all the bands played in. We played the Warwick University Arts Festival with Pink Faries, Whistler, Sorrows etc. and Peter Waterman's progressive music venue at The Walsgrave and the Coventry police social club on a 'Penny Tour' with Comus (fantastic!) and Demon Fuzz..We were taken under the wing of John Peel for some time, through the efforts of Paul Padun our manager, We played with him on his new band spot at Mothers Erdington and also appeared at Torquay Town hall with him at a Blues festival there as support to Blodwyn Pig who failed to turn up. So we improvised a set to fill their spot. He also put us on a C.N.D festival in Victoria park (with a huge audience), headlined by The Crazy world of Arthur Brown and The Liverpool Scene. We also did many Gigs with Principal Edwards Magic Theatre in St. Ives, who were also his protogies.
 
The band moved to Devon to re write and re format the band, but doing so in a cottage we rented that had no electric defeated the project and Bill went off to Uni, Terry went back with Bob to Coventry and myself and Adrian Watton the bands light show and effects member stayed, seduced by the area.
 
I later formed a 6 piece band called Bo-Speak that had a good run of support playing throughout Devon, This band was a fusion band playing self written sets in the Talking heads, Brian Eno type stuff."

"We gigged at Mothers on our own accord not long after the Victoria Park gig (At which we replaced the then relatively unknown Black sabbath) as we impressed John Peel and he invited us to perform at his regular Friday night radio slot live from Mothers. Just as an aside Paul (our manager) went to live with John Peel in his mews appartment in Upper Harley street whilst working for bands such as Roxy Music, Pink Floyd, Principal Edwards Magic Theatre and Chicargo Blus Band (as did Terry when the band (Asgard) split up)"

  

 

Terry Westwoos Asgard drummer

From Asgard Roadie - Bob Mansfield - A bio of drummer Terry Westwood

"When the band went their merry ways Terry toured with Climax Blues Band along with Paul Padum for a short while after leaving Tialta Cottage in Westwood Ho, Devon. He then married Janet and lived with me in Coventry for a while until he got himself a house in Coventry. They have two sons, Neil and Lee, both of whom live near to him now in Kings Lynn. (Which is a great help at this present time). He left the heating industry (we originally both met as apprentice gas fitters in 1967) and became a lecturer in welding at Lloyds training school and got into education (technical). He joined CITB and moved back down to Westwood Ho to become regional manager for the local CITB moving finally to their head office in Kings Lynn to write their quality control system and become their health & safety director (I think). He was made redundant a number of years ago but remained on the payroll as an independent consultant, setting up his own business in the process. In between all of that he took an open university Masters Degree."

"Terry Westwood was the drummer (very much on the Nick Mason vogue) and whom the band met on the road actually jamming with them one wet wednesday night at Mothers in Erdington."

 

Bill Walker Musical genius& Organist of Asgard

" unfortunately Bill Walker had a fatal heart atack weeks after he married circa 1975/8 ish, as did their manager Paul Padum (Coventry lad, lived in Foleshill of Ukrain family) and knew Neol Davis (Black Cat Bones) who actually never really played with Asgard as a member, more of a guest line up when he was into the Sitar"

"Paul Padun died in Bahrain whilst working with Charles Aznavour circa 1980"

Below are -

"some photos of the band in action at the Jag Sports & Social Club from a

Asgard - Trivialities Part 1

guy called Terry Turner who was a sort of booking agent back then and organised gigs at the Jag, The Police Club and others."

  

  

  

 

Neol Davis - Sitar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asgard photo

 

 

Asgard Photo 2

 

 

Asgard - Terry Westwood

 

 

Asgard Flyer

 

 

Asgard flyer 4

 

 

Asgard bio

 

 

Asgard flier 3

 

Asgard flyer 2

STEVE EDGSON - Tribute to a Reluctant Stereotype

New additon to this post. More the the Reluctant Stereotypes and the Lyrics can be found on Paul King's site  - http://www.paulking.nl/reluctant_stereotypes.html

Steve Edgson, who was the distinctive clarinetist and showman of Coventry Ska band - The

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Reluctant Stereotypes - passed away on January 8 2008 aged 53. He had been ill for some time with cancer. Steve was a leading light in a number of Coventry bands from Analog, Ens, Reluctant Stereotypes, Pink Umbrellas, The Giraffe's and more recently Two Giraffe's. Steve also played guitar and recorder.

  

It's relevant we should do a tribute to Steve on the Hobo site because it was at the Hobo Workshop, Holyhead Rd in 1974 that Steve's early jazz-rock band ANALOG had their first gig at our venue where they became quite popular and were photographed playing live by the Coventry Evening Telegraph as can be seen here. Steve's quirky and distinctive clarinet sound gave the band a unique sound that was to inform the sound of the all his later bands.

 

Analog at Hobo Workshop74 Holyhead Youth Centre

Analog and the Hobo Workshop

It began with a letter sent to Hobo magazine in 1974, in which Guitarist John Rushton outlined the concept of a band called Analog which led to an ad in the magazine and a series of gigs at the Hobo Workshop -

"Analog -  “a new and truly original rock band”. and the line up consisted of  Mick Hartley - bass / Steve Edgson - 2nd guitar, clarinet, recorder / Paul 'Babbling' Brook - he plays a double kit + vocals and John Rushton - Multi-track maniac on lead guitar and backing vocals.

They had been rehearsing a concept piece written by Paul Brook for over a year called 'Custer's Last Stand' and were looking for a first gig. John explained - 

“We’re working on a 40 minute suite at the moment, as yet untitled, based on an original idea by Paul Brook. This will comprise the first half of the set, along with a super high-energy instrumental entitled ‘Custer’s Last Stand’ – say no more! The suite contains more words than ‘Close to the Edge’ and has seven main parts.”

 More on Analog here https://sites.google.com/site/bandsfromcoventry/coventry-bands-a-to-z/coventry-bands-a/analog

Seminal Moment

 Although it wasn't clear at the time - the Hobo Workshop 1974 -75 was a seminal moment in Coventry's musical

Holyhead Youth Centre

history and Steve was certainly a vital element in that. Coventry had had a lively music scene in the 60's, often on the edge of a breakthrough and with some notable bands and artists making the big time. The early 70's, with it's emphasis on the 'underground' and presided over by the Broadgate Gnome and The Umbrella and Pete Waterman's Progresive venues, boasted some great bands such as Indian Summer, Wandering  John, Whistler, Dando Shaft and Asgard and a wealth of venues. By 1973 - the Gnome had fled to Brighton, the Umbrella club bulldozed for a ring-road, the Plough club and other venues closed and many of Coventry's top bands had split up.

New Seeds

 

Hobo Workshop

New seeds were sprouting however - we started Hobo Magazine to help revive the music scene and campaign for more venues and support for bands in the city and through an arrangement with Coventry Voluntary Service Council, managed to acquire use of the Holyhead Youth Centre for the Hobo Workshop to provide first time gigs for new bands and artists along with a range of other creative ideas - street-theatre and film for instance.

Steve and his band were part of a new growth of young Coventry musicians that, unbeknown at the time, would flourish over the next 4 or five years and help to put Coventry music on the map. Jazz rock was prominent at the time before punk broke through and Steve, with his clarinet, fell easily into this trend with Analog. Another regular band at the Hobo Workshop that forms a thread in Steve's early history was the jazz rock outfit Trigon. Trigon had formed out the demise of Fission - headed by Johnny Adams (who later played in Squad with Sam McNulty - Steve's later co-partner in Two Giraffe's). Trigon was headed by Paul Samson who became band mates in Ens and the Reluctant Stereotypes. Paul himself would go on to produce the Primitives and many Bhangra tracks.

Among other bands who played the Workshop at the time included Neil O'Connor's Midnight Circus, who later achieved fame and a recording contract as the Flys in the late 70's. Neil's sister Hazel O'Connor followed through in1980 and Neil joined her tour band. The 16 year old Dave Pepper - later of the X Certs did his first gig at the Hobo Workshop too. Downstairs in the Cellar elements of the later Two Tone were brewing - Charley Anderson, then a youth worker with a group of West Indian musicans, were jamming below. I invited them to join in the sessions upstairs in the theatre but they a bit shy at the time. It was Neol Davies, who had come along to help organise a jam session who went down and befriended and jammed with the guys that made a breakthrough that lead to a number of bands being formed over the next few years such as Hard Top 22. Eventually those musicians formed the basis of Selecter and the Specials. Horace Panter also played the Hobo Workshop after its move to the Golden Cross in a Jazz rock outfit in 1975. Neol Davies managed to bring some of the West Indian musicians to the Cross but only Neol ended up playing in the jam session. Steve's own band The Reluctant Stereotypes benefited from the later Two Tone development with the band moving from pure jazz rock to ska with jazz rock overtones and the acquisition of Paul King - later to head his own chart topping band King in the mid 80's. 

 Unfortunately Steve wasn't to be part of King's success. After the Hobo Workshop period he joined forces with Paul Samson to form the Jazz rock band Ens, later changing the name to the Reluctant Stereotypes. The Stereotypes becaume a highly popular band on on the scene as the musicians grew in experience but the Two Tone development split the band in two. I recall members of the band telling me they were intending to leave because the band was becoming more commercial and trendy. Reluctant Stereotypes mark two took off in the very late 70's and achieved a record contract with WEA, with Steve still on board. Steve's distinctive clarinet was stil an integral part of their sound as can be heard on their album The Label - or on their My Space - Here. They began to gig more widely around the country, touring with the Specials and featured on The Old Grey Whistle Test.

  

Reluctant Stereotypes on My Space

Paul King, Colin Heanes and Tony Wall went on to form The Raw Sceens - later called King and Steve and Paul

Reluctant Stereotypes

 Samson formed the Pink Umbrellas in 1981, however, Paul and Steve moved on and formed The Pink Umbrellas. The band were a 4 piece from Coventry and consisted Paul Sampson (singer), Steve Edgson (clarinet), Rob Hill (Drums) and a bass player called Barry Jones. They had a great live presence but their single, some thought, did not do them justice.

Indeed Pete Chambers describes the musical relationship between Paul Samson and Steve this way in Godiva Rocks -

"Paul's quirky, clipped vocals grooving alongside Steve's stunning electric clarinet fills, creating some wildly colourful harmonics, indeed there is a clarinet fill on the track Joseph Monk that positively sends shivers down my spine on every hearing Steve is a master of his instrument as Paul is a supurb songwriter"

 

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Paul became more involved with production later on with a range of credits to his list over the years and Stev moved on to the Giraffe's in the 80's with ex Squad member Sam McNulty. As Pete Chambers comments "They

RELUCTANT STEREOTYPES ----- REVEREND

 were the bees knees around Coventry at the time". More recently Steve has played again with Steve McNulty in a scaled down version of the band called TWO GIRAFFES consisting of just the two of them, Sam and Steve, with Steve on guitar and clarinet as can be seen in this video.

 

 

Silvery Trees by Two Giraffes

As can be seen from the above and much more that hasn't been written, Pete Chambers is right when he say -

"Steve was a constant in the world of local music, always there, always inventive, always musically superb."

Steve made a significant contribution to the Coventry music scene over four decades, appearing some of its best bands, always with musical integrity and popularity - and we are lucky to have a range of audio and video footage to document his work.

Trev Teasdel - 2008 

More about Analog on Hobo  - A to Z of Coventry bands https://sites.google.com/site/bandsfromcoventry/coventry-bands-a-to-z/coventry-bands-a/analog

 and Reluctant Stereotypes https://sites.google.com/site/bandsfromcoventry/coventry-bands-a-to-z/coventry-bands-r/reluctant-stereotypes

Giraffs (Two Giraffs) https://sites.google.com/site/bandsfromcoventry/coventry-bands-a-to-z/coventry-bands-g/giraffes

Pink Umbrellas https://sites.google.com/site/bandsfromcoventry/coventry-bands-a-to-z/coventry-bands-p/the-pink-umbrellas

 

MOJO MORGAN - New tracks hot from the Recording Studio

 

Hoochie Coochie Band live at Queen's Hall

COVENTRY's top Rocking Bluesman and former Ska

Mojo Morgan - photo by Missy Rose

 

band leader with EMF - Mojo (Tony) Morgan has just returned from the recording studios with tracks from his Pembrokeshire blue band - The Hoochie Coochie Band. Here is an exclusive preview of three of them and they great.

 

 

 

 

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