The Sunshine Music Agency opened its office at 132, Gulson Rd. Coventry early in 1974. Under the direction
of Craig Ward and Graham Wood (of the well established and popular Disco unit - SILK). Sunshine offered managment, agency, publicity, promotions, discos, road crews, entertainement consultants, disco hire and equipment, recording (at Monty Bird Studios at Snitterfield Nr Stratford and were thinking of launching their own record label. The SUNSHINE label
Sunshine had a half share in Bird Sounds Recording studio which meant that bands under their management had free and unlimited recording time there to make demos.
(There were similar business cards for Craig Ward, Stu Bell, Graham Ward, Bob Young)
During the early part of 74, Hobo was partly based there, using the office
space to type Hobo. It was a good place to be based, being fairly central and having the support of Craig Ward who managed Sunshine. Lots of local musicans came through it's doors so it was a good base find out what they were up to musically and get wind of developments on the music scene. Hobo wasn't controlled by Sunshine - so was still free to report on other agencies and bands not managed Sunshine. Among the musicans that came through the doors was Bob Jackson (formerly of Indian Summer). Bob was playing with Pete Brown at the time who had written those classic lyrics for Cream such as White Room and Sunshine of your Love. bob was even going to show some of my poems published in Hobo to Pete at one stage. I don't know if he did but nothing transpired from it. I was an admirer of Pete's work with Cream and Jack Bruce so that was a nice thought. Craig Ward did some record reviews for Hobo.
Sunshine ran a number of discos including Becketts in Nuneaton and even a folk night at the Pilot in Radford with regulars Bob Young and Gill Darby (a singersongwriter but now a councillor I believe). They also promoted Mr Badgers in Atherston at the New Swan.
Sunshine managed Pug-ma-ho who changed their name to Smack! and A Band Called George who recorded a
single NCB Man released on the Bell label. The single didn't make it as the miners strike escalated and the timing was wrong. You can hear NCB man on the band's My Space (click here A Band Called George My Space - ). Margo of Smack! went on to record with Mud as a backing singer. Smack records a single too - Miss Understood - written by Bob Young for Bell Label. Mad Cat Molly was another Coventry band who recorded a single for the Bell Label with a Bob Young composition - Dancing to the Music.There will be more about the bands in the forthcoming band directories. Other bands they managed included Mad Cat Molly, Gill Darby - singer songwriter - Walrus Gumboot - Monster Magnet - Earthquakes. They also offered to book any band in the country loads cheaper than anywhere else.
Sunshine was basically set up to record the songs of Bob Young of A Band Called George and they advertised for bands and artists to record. Bands weren't as forthcoming as they would have liked and the plans to become a major recording producing concern didn't happen to the degree hoped for. Sunshine ceased to be sometime in 1975 but it was an exciting period in Coventry's musical history while it lasted with lots of energy going out and providing a focus for budding musicians and groups. had the recording label worked out, Coventry may have been on the international map a lot earlier.
Here are the entries in various issues of HOBO -
from Hobo Issue 4
"The Sunshine Music agency formed about 3 months ago by Craig Ward, Bob Young and Graham Ward (of SILK fame) are always on the look out for groups and artists that are available for work here and abroad. They also have a musicians register for musicians looking for bands and vice versa. They also have half shares in the Bird Studios in Snitterfield. If you wish to know more about it then you are welcome to pop in for a chat and a coffee. Address in the Classified ads."
"
Where are you Graham Wood - I want to say hello and catch up on the last 40 years!
Posted by: Sue Long | 02/18/2012 at 06:16 PM
Thanks for the memories!
Not sure who wrote this but they remember more than I do! We were young, well-intentioned and full of ideas and dreams. We thought we were on the verge of something really big when we signed A Band Called George to Bell Records who were without doubt the biggest singles label at that time. The deal was for 3 singles with an option on an album if any of the singles was successful.
We were SO confident NCB Man would be HUGE. Everyone who heard it thought so. We could have signed with any label. EMI and Rocket both made firm offers, and RAK were about to confirm an offer when we signed to Bell.
The idea was to plough back any of the profits from the single back into establishing our own label which would have been solely for Coventry and Warwickshire acts.
About a week after the NCB Man single was released, I remember getting a phone call from Dick Leahy, MD of Bell Records saying "we've got a hit on our hands". This was based on overwhelming feedback from the disco and club dj's who'd been sent demo copies.
Shortly afterwards, though, the Markham Colliery disaster occurred when a lift broke and the safety devices failed to work, killing 18 miners. It also killed any chance we had of getting the all-important airplay.
The single was re-released a few months later, but the momentum was lost and it disappeared without trace. By this time the band had dissolved and alas, the last two contracted singles were never recorded.
Thanks for all your efforts on this page, I don't know how long its been here, but I've only just found it!
Kind regards and keep up the great work!
Craig Ward
Posted by: Craig Ward | 04/06/2012 at 07:03 PM