Concrete Parachute (Cov Band)

CONCRETE PARACHUTE
I don't have a lot of info on this band. Hobo Co-editor -

Bo pic 24jpg

John Bo (Bargeant) was a promoter. Roguestar offered promotion / disco etc. one of the bands he promoted in 1973 was Concrete Parachute. I assume the band had split up by the time John and I got together. John was promoting me as a singer-songwriter until we got heavily into doing Hobo Magazine and that took over. I know about Concrete Parachute only because John recycled their business cards and used the other side to put Roguestar details - he gave me a few to pass around.

 

All I know about them therefore is what's written on the card. The cards were in different colours - Yellow, pink and dark blue.

Two members are mentioned - Barry Ousby of Leamington and Graham Osbourne of Stratford

Comments

[Jim Pryal]

One of the bamd was called Paul ? He lived in Warwick, red transit.

[Graham]

Either this is plagerism or it is a former member of a band who reformed the band Conrete parachute of which I was in and was Co founder lead singer and lead guitarist of in Singapore in 1967/69.
We were all of scool age and played regular gigs at our school and at a local hotel on Orchard road on a guest basis at a blues and soul session on a sundays.
Pete Kirkman was a Co founder and another member but unfortunately I lost contact with him and the rest of the guys when I left in 1969 and moved back to UK.
I'd be interested to find out the how this band formed in the UK and their history, drop me a line if you are one of the band members, cheers!

[Coventry Music Archives]

Hi Graham,

No, I'm not one of the band members. This site is an archive of Coventry (UK) bands. All I can tell you at this stage is what's in the article really. I don't know much about this band except that they were from Leamington Nr Coventry in the late 60's or early 1970's. I got the band card from John Bargent - a band promoter and at the time a co-editor of Hobo magazine. He wrote a note on the back of the card in 1973, which is how it came to be in my archive. I understood that he promoted the band some time before I met him. Only details are the names you see in the post. John has recently found this site so i've sent him a message to see what he can us about the band. I'll post it here if he replies Graham. trev

[Graham]

Cheers for the info Trev much appreciated. It's just interesting to know how the group aquired their name as it's just a bit spooky that in the late 60's in Singapore when I was only a lad I was part of a band that had this very name, what's the chances?
The music we played then was numbers from Cream ,Hendrix,Who etc and more groups of that time.
It would be good though if one of their dad/dads suggested this name after being members in the original band.I'd like to catch up with the old boys from this era as I'll be 60 next year! LoL.

[Coventry Music Archives]

Graham - It's unlikely to have been suggested by your ex band members to one of their kids because the Leamington version of Concrete Parachute on the blog here were operating around the same time (or slightly later)as your band of the same name. I got the band card from John Bargent in 1973 by which time the band had split up and he was no longer promoting them. So that dates them as early 70's at least.

If you Google the name, you'll find another Concrete Parachute on My Space - these were formed in 1989 and are from, I think Southampton. They are not connected, as far as I know, to the 70's band or to your former band - I just noticed it when I Googled the name! You could check them out I guess.

Before the internet you'd think of a name for a band or project and you'd be fairly certain no one else was using it in your area. If anyone was using the same name out of your area (unless famous) you'd probably never know it. Then along came the internet! When I was first on here I Googled projects i was involved with and was surprised to find other people in other countries had the same name for projects totally unconnected - it happens! You should write about your band and if you have some audio do some you tube. Let us know if you do - be good to read / hear your band Graham. Best - trev

[Graham]

Thanks for that Trev,- good point! guess I'll just have to put it down to co-incidence as it does happen, We were all about 13/14 at the time and had some good times in Singapore. Our parents were either in the military or worked in the Naval base dockyard. We went to school and hung out together. Unfortunately being kids we didn't have much money apart from pocket money so we couldn't get any discs cut or record on tapes,Shame really!
I'd like to catch up with the guys from then so I'll do some investigation see what turns up, the power of internet eh?
However I'll certainly get on the net and google for other groups of the same name.
Any way, good chatting to you, thanks again for spending the time to write, Cheers Trev, best regards Graham.

[John Bell]

Hi Graham, As far i know the other members were Richard Entwistle,Steve Keating and Mike Rendle.The later has posted a photo of the band on the Memories of Singapore site (www.singas.com) on the net.There is a reunion of former St Johns pupils planned in Hatfield on the 12th October 2012.There is also an on going debate on the St Johns Singapore Facebook page if Concrete Parachute and Barbed Wire were connected.Can you clear that up Maybe you can find you former band member through the above.
My favourite band of the time was "Fried Ice" with Ray Anthony "The Singapore Hendrix" Your paths must have crossed,as Fried Ice were the house band at the Wisma Auditorium in Orchard road that held a regular blues and soul session on a sundays that you mention in your first post,and where you must have played as well.So the Singapore Concrete Parachute Band is not forgotten.Do you have any photo´s to share at the Facebook page or Singas site,i an sure former fellow pupils would love too see them.