Folk or Solo Players - Rod Felton

This is the first item in the illustrated list of Coventry folk or solo artists in the 1970's

Rod Felton Flyer2

Rod Felton - Arguably one of the Top solo performers and

Rod Felton Flyer

singer-songwriters in Coventry. A powerhouse of a performer who actually, in my experience, was a really nice guy. Pete Waterman introduced me to Rod at his Walsgrave Hotel venue in 1970 where Rod was due to play. While Rod was sound checking, Pete said he regarded Rod as one of the few 'stars' Coventry had produced to date. He had a highly ideosyncratic and effective performance style, that ranged between a folk style and a full-out Janis Joplin R and B style of

Rod-Felton-01

vocals, his songs favouring an open tuning style of composition. At the age of 22 in 1965 he became a professional singer songwriter, after being made redundant from Whitworth-Gloster Aircraft at Bagington (just outside Coventry). He had been on the folk circuit  for a good two years before that gaining  valuable performing experience. The Coventry Standard hailed him as a new Bob Dylan or Donavan in July 1965 and Rod had clearly become a popular artist on the Midlands folk circuit, even playing in Birmingham and London. Rod even shaved his beard off to avoid being recognised in the steet according the Coventry Standard!

Grunt Band

Circa 1968 Rod teamed up with Rob Armstrong to form the Idiot Grunt

Rod-Felton-Rob-Armstrong

Band (becoming The New Modern Idiot Grunt Band in 1969). Rod took off to Germany for a tour with Geoff Smedley of the Coventry Mummers and Rob Armstrong, performing solo and as The Idiot Grunt Band (Rod and Rob) and as the The Gentle Idea (all three of them). Rod continued to perform solo throughout his long career and is still going as far as I can tell on the midlands scene. The New Modern Idiot Band also continued well into the 70's at least which was a jug-band affair with a suitable amount of lunacy involved. One of Rod's most popular songs from the 70's - And I Love Her - (not to be confused with the Beatles song of the same title) appeared in Pete Willow's  Folks magazine in tablature form c 1978/9.

In 1974 Rod had a brief spell with the re-formed Dando Shaft during their performance for a Play about the Coventry Car industry  - (A little more on this when I've found the mis-land play script which I have - somewhere!)
From Hobo Issue 3 1974 -

DANDO - NEW PHASE......
"Dando Shaft - may be reformed in the near future with some of the original members - Martin Jenkins on fiddle, flute and mandola and vocals; Ted Kaye on Congas and percussion, Polly Boulton on vocals, Rod Felton on Guitar and Baz Andruszko (of a Band Called George) on bass and accordian.

At the moment they are fullfiling other commitments. Martin, who recently wrote and played the music for the Belgrade's production Little Red Riding Hood, has another production in London. Rod Felton, meanwhile, is due for another tour of Germany I believe."

More up to date - Rod has recently played with Dave Bennett in a Grunt band type formation as the witty Im and Im!

Rod was an organiser on the Cov scene - his long standing folk Club The Rude Bear Folk Club has already been

Rod Felton Ad HOBO

blogged about and his art work for the Hobo ad and his own publicity. Even when not fulfilling paid gigs, Rod would be supporting local folk clubs around the area, never too proud to decline the offer of a floor spot despite his popularity on the folk circuits and always friendly and accessible.

Pete Waterman in the Coventry days

One fond memory I have of Rod is going up to the Earlsdon Cottage folk Cub in 1970 with Pete Waterman (prior to a Walsgrave gig) - Rod was sitting outside on the beer tables and Pete accompanied Rod on flute on one of Rod's songs. Those who balk at the idea of Stock Aitken and Waterman's music would be surprised at the range of Pete's musical tastes and abilities. Rod and Pete had come up on the Cov

Pete Waterman's Walsgrave

musicscene together in the mid

Pete Waterman Walsgrave 3

60's (Pete as an R & B singer with Tommorow's Kind) at a time when there was a thriving R &B and Progressive Coventry music scene. Coventry was in the wings of a breakthorough to the mainstream then, with the Sorrows breaking through and other bands making singles. The breakthough for Coventry wasn't to be until the late 70's and Pete's own breakthrough came in the late 80's. It seems almost certain that had Coventry had it's breakthrough in the 60's, Rod would have been well primed with the 60's vogue of folk-rock artists judging by the local press reports about him. Who knows!

Rod Felton on My Space

Comments

[mojomorgan]

Hey, my old friend Rod Felton, we used to go to a lot of parties together, and get right out of our heads. He use to come with me down to Banbury to a place called the Lampet Arms in Tad Martin, and the land lady give us beds for the night.

A lot of week ends we spent down there, because the pub never closed.

sp. I could tell you some stories, but i don't think i should.......Peace...Mojo.

[HOBO - Coventry Music Magazine]

[this is good]
Got an e mail from John Silver - of Coventry who now runs the Falcon Hotel in BromYard -

"Early January 1968, or 1969 the dates merge, Rod Felton on the busy stairs at the Umberella Club doing full justice to 'My Name aint Tarzan'. Watching on Roy & Colin Potter, Sylvia Baines and many others including I think Maurice Deacon and Margaret nee? now in Somerset.
 
Jazz fan then and now following Dud Clews (Mercers Arms), Tieano?(Sp) Bueno(Cottage Earlsdon, Monday) put well off Folk by Ian Cambell gig in Coventry which I found very boring and with Ross Patterson and Ray Fiddler? were thrown out by the heavies for not showing respect.
 

Interesting times long gone.
 
Now live in Bromyard www.falconhotelbromyard.co.uk and find there is good Folk music after all having done the best ever Bromyard Folk Festival 2007. Dont think Rod ever got here.
 
John Silver, Freeman of Coventry."

[coopz]

The only recording of the incredible Grunt Band. Live at The Three Crowns at Barwell. Download the whole collection at www.raremusez.co.uk 



from Coopz

[michael scott]

[this is good] Memories,memories,of young drunken,but always beautifully enjoyed,times in the Coventry/Nuneaton/Warwickshire area in 1965 to 1978.....so many lovely,sometimes unrepeatable,good times,

love to all involved

[John]

[this is good]

Hi Rod,

I just discovered this site via Google.

It is wonderful to see you are still active!

I have been telling my wife about the times I would go to the pub in Earlsdon and hear, even record, your act.

That club was my awakening musically.

I started learning guitar, inspired by you, and the recording I did there started me learning the skills etc of recording music and producing tapes and so on.

Never in Pete's league it is amazing to read here that I rubbed shoulders with him, maybe, one of those Sunday nights?

I just want to add that I respect and admire your work and that I still have those recordings, somewhere.

I need to dig them out to list the artists I recorded but if you remember those you featured, I might have a copy of their early work?

I remember June Tabor at least and have dim recollection of others. All the best Rod, many happy years of music may you enjoy.

John