Coventry Music Archives's blog

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

Indian summer Cover photo

Bob Jackson was a leading light of the Coventry 

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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

 

Coventry Arts Umbrella Club - New site

The Umbrella at Little Park Street, Coventry

Coventry Arts Umbrella Club played an important role in Coventry's music history, for bands, folk, literature and more. Larkin wrote for Umbrella magazine and two Two Tone members played in early bands here.

Coventry Arts Umbrella Club opened in Little Park Street, Coventry in 1955 by The Goons and financed by West Midlands Arts. After demolition it re-opened in Queen Victoria Rd in the early 60's - again it's premises being demolished and moved to the Charterhouse on London Rd. It's hey days were the 50's / 60's and early 70's but a small group of poets still keep something going, albeit they now meet at someone's house and activities have been scaled right down. (Umbrella Club current Group site)

Neol Davies years before Selecter

In it's hey day, the Umbrella ran a well respected literary magazine to which Phillip Larkin contributed a prose peace

Umbrella Mag

 explaining his poem It's not the Place's Fault (which can be seen on the new site Here and at least two Two Tone musicians played in early bands here - Neol Davies and John Bradbury. It house Coventry's first folk club in the early 60's and played an important part role in Coventry's musical heritage.

NEW SITE

I've created a new site for Coventry Arts Umbrella Club on Blogspot HERE 

http://coventryartsumbrella.blogspot.com/

Pete Chambers and the Two Tone Trail

Pete Chambers, as ever, has been busy putting Coventry music in general and Two Tone in particular on the map in Coventry. Back in 2003 when I took my kids back to Coventry and showed them around the place I grew up, there was plenty going on to establish a Coventry heritage trail but nothing to show for all the music that has come out of the city. Since then Pete has established a Two Tone Trail with a series of plaques on buildings that still remain and much more.On top of that there are his books and the More than Two Tones exhibition. Here are a few photos from Pete's Facebook site to give a taste to those who haven't seen this development.

NEW -  VISIT PETE'S TWO TONE CENTRAL - MUSEUM SITE - http://www.2tonecentral.co.uk/

More than Two Tones Exhibition 2009

Specials Liverpool - Pete Chambers pic_n

Lanch (Cov University) Student Union Two Tone plaque

The Specials Live 2009 - with Pete Chambers

Neol Davies -PeteChambers - Holyhead Rd Youth Centre plaque

Holyhead Youth Centre - Two Tone Plaque

Hand in Heart Two Tone Plaque

Gosford Books Plaque! Horace and Gaps have been in actually

The above is not one of the 'Official' plaques but quite funny.

Pete Chambers and Roadent Two Tone Plaque Mr Georges

Pete Chambers with Roadent (Cov lad who roadied with Sex Pistols and Clash and introduced the Specials to Bernie Rhodes at Mr George's Niteclub in Cov). The is more on Roadent (Scon) on this site here )

Pete Waterman and Brad of Specials - Two Tone Trail

Above - Pete Waterman outside Coventry Virgin Records store where he ran the Soul Hole (Import records) store in the 70's and where Brad of the Specials worked. In the Photo Pete Waterman, John Bradbury and Pete Chambers

More pictures in the Two Tone Collection Folder in the side bar (see Collections).