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The History Of Rock 1966
- 3. T HIS YEAR, THE pop scene feels more than ever like a land of opportunity. It is, as one writer in these pages puts it, “wide open”. A year that begins with “beat” groups attempting to extend their range quickly becomes a laboratory of musical ideas: new instruments and influences, even “electronic music”.Byitsend,themusicalexperimentationisattempting to alter consciousness and a new word (“psychedelic”) has entered the vocabularytodescribewhatishappening. An audio-visual signifier for these developments is the sitar, an Indian instrumentthatquicklybecomesayardstickofmusicalcuriosity.Itcanonlybe importedatconsiderableexpensefromspecialistshopsortransportedbywell- travelled friends. Jimmy Page claims to have had one of the first in England. DavidCrosbyfromTheByrdsthinkshehadoneevenbeforeGeorgeHarrison. By 1966, Harrison is growing in stature within The Beatles, but is already a major figure among his peers. His interest in new sounds has given rise to his sitarparton“NorwegianWood”,oneofthekeycompositionsof1965.Now,with thearrivalofRaviShankarinthecountry,heassumesanewrole:asanagentof culturalexchangeandsoniccuriosity. Even in a group as tightly knit as The Beatles, the environment of 1966 is one where the individual is given room and his interests accommodated. The writingof1966reflectsthis:thetrenchfriendshipsformedbetweengroupand reporterinpreviousyearshavedevelopedintomorenuancedrelationships,and agroupneednolongerberepresentedbythewriterasademocracy. ThisistheworldofTheHistoryOfRock,anewmonthlymagazineandongoing projectthatreapsthebenefitsofthisaccessforthereaderdecadeslater,oneyear at a time. In the pages of this second edition, dedicated to 1966, you will find verbatim articles from frontline staffers, compiled into long and illuminating reads.Missedour1965volume?Youcanfindouthowtorectifythatonpage144. This year, Ringo is interviewed less, and Bill Wyman is not required to file a letter from America. However, Mick Jagger is questioned in depth, and Brian Jones readily opens up an intriguing private world. The more contrarian Pete Townshendoftenabsentshimselffromproceedingscompletely. What will surprise the modern reader most is the access to, and the sheer volumeof,materialsuppliedbyartistswhoaregiantsofpopularculture.Now, wealth, fear and lifestyle would conspire to keep reporters at a rather greater lengthfromthelivesofmusicians.Atthisstage,however,representativesfrom NewMusicalExpressandMelodyMakerarewhereitmatters.BackstagewithThe Beach Boys. Returning to Hamburg with The Beatles. Close by while Dusty Springfieldtroubleshootsaproblemwithamonkeyinanorangecrate. Jointhemthere.You’llbegassed. W elcome to1966 HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 | 3 1966 MONTH BY MONTH
- 5. Time Inc. (UK) Ltd, 8th Floor, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark St, London SE1 0SU | EDITOR John Mulvey, whose favourite song from 1966 is Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys DEPUTY EDITOR John Robinson Doctor Robert by The Beatles ART EDITOR Lora Findlay God Only Knows by The Beach Boys PRODUCTION EDITOR Mike Johnson Ha! Ha! Said The Clown by Manfred Mann ART DIRECTOR Marc Jones Rain by The Beatles DESIGNER Johnann Chan You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me by Dusty Springfield PICTURE EDITOR Kimberly Kriete On A Rainy Afternoon by Bob Dylan & The Band COVER PHOTO ©Art Kane Archive/RAP Publishing all rights reserved THANKS TO Emily Christie, Izzy Lambert-Styles MARKETING Charlotte Treadaway SUBSCRIPTIONS Sonja Zeven PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Ed Beale MANAGING DIRECTOR Paul Williams COVERS PRINTED BY Polestar Wheatons TEXT PRINTED BY Polestar Chantry | WWW.UNCUT.CO.UK 104News Whatdoes“psychedelic” mean?AndwhereisBobDylan?In NewYork,DustySpringfielddeals withdrummerBuddyRich. 108TheWho Thebandare interviewedindividually, caughtinrehearsal,andobserved inthestudiorecordingtheirnew album,AQuickOne. 114BrianJones Theexperimentalend ofTheRollingStonesconfides hisinterestsandinvites theNMEbacktohis new“pad”. 120TheCream EricClaptonjoins forceswithJackBruceand GingerBakertoformanew groupplaying“sweetand sourrock’n’roll”. 124Donovan The“MellowYellow” and“SunshineSuperman” songwriterbringshisUS successesbackhome. 128TheBeachBoys BrianWilsonstayshome, buttherestofTheBeachBoys bringthegoodvibrationsto Londoninwinter. 134Singles Whatdidthestarsthink oftheyear’sbiggestsingles? 136TheKinks RayDaviespondershis futureinthepopbusiness… 140TheBeatles GeorgeMartinand Maccaexplaintheband’s newdirection… 145Letters Thereadersreply… TheWho–pages 30and108 HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 | 5
- 6. 6 | HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVES/GETTY “The majority just don’t know what life is” MMFEBRUARY26 Shirts.Tibet.Earlyin1966,MMmeets“Dave”Bowie, amanhopingtomake“musicallifemoreinteresting”… W ITHOUTDOUBTDAVID Bowiehastalent.And alsowithoutdoubtit willbeexploited.For, MrBowie,a19-year- oldBromleyboynotonlywritesand arrangeshisownnumbers,butheisalso helpingTonyHatchtowriteamusicalscore, andthenumbersforaTVshow.Asifthat wasn’tenough,Davidalsodesignsshirts andsuitsforJohnStephen,ofthefamed CarnabyStreetclan. “AlsoIwanttogotoTibet.It’safascinating place,y’know.I’dliketotakeaholidayand havealookinsidethe monasteries.TheTibetan monks,Lamas,bury themselvesinsidethe mountainsforweeks andonlyeateverythree days.They’reridiculous –andit’ssaidtheylive forcenturies.” Itshouldbestatedthat Davidisawell-read studentofastrologyanda believerofreincarnation… “AsfarasI’mconcerned thewholeideaofwestern life–that’sthelifewelive now–iswrong.Theseare hardconvictionstoputintosongsthough.At themomentIwritenearlyallofmysongsround London.No,Ishouldsaythepeoplewholivein London–andthelackofreallifetheyhave.The majorityjustdon’tknowwhatlifeis.” EverynumberinDave’sstageactisan originalthathehaswritten.Ashesays,the themeisusuallyLondonkidsandtheirlives. However,itleadstotrouble.“Severalofthe youngerteenagers’programmeswouldn’tplay ‘Can’tHelpThinkingAboutMe’,becauseitis aboutleavinghome.Thenumberrelatesto severalincidentsineveryteenager’slife– andleavinghomeissomethingwhichalways comesup.TonyHatchandIratherwantedto doanothernumberIhadwritten.Itgoesdown verywellinthestageact,andlotsoffanssaidI shouldhavereleasedit–butTonyandIthought thewordswereabitstrong. “Inwhatway?Well,ittellsthestoryoflifeas someteenagerssawit–but wedidn’tthinkthelyrics werequiteupmany people’sstreet.Idoiton stagethough,andwe’re probablykeepingitforan EPormaybeanLP.Hope, hope!It’scalled‘Now You’veMetTheLondon Boys’andmentionspills, andgenerallybelittlesthe Londonnightlifescene. “I’velivedinLondonand beenbroughtuphere,and Ifindit’sagreatsubjectto writesongsabout.And rememberwithalloriginal numberstheaudiencesarehearingnumbers they’veneverheardbefore–sothismakesfor avariedstageact,”saidDavid.“It’srisky, becausethekidsaren’tfamiliarwiththetunes, butI’msureitmakestheirmusicallifemore interesting.”Hecouldberight. 1966 FEATURINGSTEVIE WONDER,THEKINKS, SMALLFACES&MORE JANUARY–MARCH “Thewholeidea ofwesternlife– that’sthelifewelive now–iswrong. Thesearehard convictionstoput intosongsthough”
- 7. HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 | 7 “Oh,I’monmyown/I’vegot alongwaytogo”:David Bowieperforms“Can’t HelpThinkingAboutMe” ontheTVshowReady, Steady,Go!,March4,1966
- 8. “Children? There’s still time for a bit of fun” “I PITYPAUL,”SAIDGeorgeHarrison,withawrygrin,“’cosnow he’stheonlyBeatleleft,youlotwithhoundhimallovertheplace. Hewon’tgetamoment’speace.” By“youlot”Georgemeanttheworld’spress–dozensofphotographers andjournalists,whosardinedintoasmallroomattheweekendtohear aboutTheWeddingOfTheYear.” Fortherecord,GeorgefinallytiedtheknotjustaftertheNMEwentto presslastweek(thanks).HeandPattieweremarriedinaquietceremony atEpsominSurrey.MostofPattie’srelativeswerethere,andGeorge’s mumanddadhadhadfourdays’noticetotraveldown fromLiverpool.Pattieworeashort,redfox-furcoat giventoherbyGeorgeasaweddingpresent.George settledforadark,Victorian-stylesuitandoneofthose gent’sfurcoats,reminiscentofoldgangstergear,seen onthetellysometimes. Atthepressconferenceagirlreporterbreathedup tohimandflutteredhereyelashesasshesaid:“How onearthdidyoumanagetokeepitasecret?” “Simple”saidGeorge.“Wedidn’ttellanyone.” Itwasatruthfulenoughanswer–andcluetotheway somanyBeatlesecretshavebeenkeptinthepast.The securitysurroundingthefamousfourhasgottoaMan FromUnclepitch.IstruggledthroughahordeofFleetStreettypes,lost acoupleofcoatbuttonsandhadmyfeettrampledonbeforeImanagedto haveafewwordswithGeorgeandPattie.Georgewastakingitallquite calmly,answeringthesamequestionstimeaftertimewithoutthe slightestsignofboredom.“DidTheHolliesgotothewedding?”Iasked. Helookedblankforamoment.Thenhelaughedandsaid,“Hah!That thingaboutmeknocking‘IfINeededSomeone’.Youshouldn’thavedone it,Alan.Alltheotherpaperstookitup;itjustgotoutofhand.” Hewasn’tannoyedbutquicklymovedontoothertopics.Whowantsto talkaboutsongwritingwhenyou’vejustgotmarried?“We’renotgoingto takeahoneymoontillallthisfusshascalmeddown,”hetoldme.“Ireckon we’llwaitawhile…tilleverybodyleastexpectsit!We’vehadsomegreat weddingpresents,youknow.Thingsforthehouseandthat.Paulgaveus afantasticChinaman’sheadthatyouhangonthewall.It’sgreat!Wealso hadasmashin’antiquetablefromBrianEpstein. “JohnandRingoknewweweregoingtogetmarried,buttherewasn’t aquestionofthemcallingofftheirholiday.AsIsay,wewantedittobeas quietaspossible.Theysentnicetelegrams. “Whendidwedecidetogetmarried?IthinkitwasjustbeforeChristmas. WewereinthecarandPattiewasdrivingandIsaid,‘Howaboutgetting married,then?’andshesaid,‘Yes,OK,’withouttakinghereyesoffthe road.Whatadriver!” Incidentally,ifyou’reagirlfanandyouhatePattie… It’sreallyapityyoucan’tmeetherinperson.She’stwice asattractiveinreallifeasinpicturesandshehasaquiet charmthatmakesyourealisewhyGeorgelookedagain whenhemetheronthesetofAHardDay’sNight,in whichshehadabigpart. Shewaswearingatrousersuitatthepressconference (“Iknowthey’reout,butIlikethem”)andsomeone askedGeorgewhowouldbe“wearingthetrousers”in theirmarriage.Quickasaflashheretorted,“Iknow Pattie’swearingthetrousersnow,butI’dliketoassure you,I’llneverbewearingaskirt!” Therewerecommentsabouthim“breakingamillion girls’hearts”bygettingmarried,butherepliedmodestly:“Oh,Idon’t thinkso–20,perhaps,ifthat!Anyway,Ithinkmostgirlsareintelligentand theywouldn’thatemejustforgettingmarried.Ithinkit’sathingmainly blownupbythepress.Paulgettingmarried,Idon’tknow.That’shis business.Ifhewantsto,goodlucktohim,andIknowIwishhimthevery best.Itjustdependsonhim…andthegirlheasks.Actually,Ifeelsorryfor him.He’llbehoundedtodeathnowusotherthreearemarried.Ican’t reallygivemyownverdictonmarriedlifeyet,exceptthatit’sgreat.You’ll havetocomebacknextweekifyouwantanotheranswer,givemeabitof time!Children,ohtheycanwaitforabouttwoyears.There’sstilltimefor havingalaughandabitoffun,justustwo.And‘WeCanWorkItOut!’” I’msuretheycanandwill.AndI’dliketoextendtothemboththegood wishesandcongratulationsoftheNMEandmyself,lotsofluck! AlanSmith NMEJANUARY28GeorgeHarrisonwedsPattieBoyd.“Howdidwekeepitasecret?Wedidn’ttellanyone…” “Pattie’s wearing the trousers now, but I assure you, I’ll never be wearing a skirt” January22,1966:GeorgeHarrison andactressandmodelPattieBoyd tietheknotinEpsom,Surrey 1966 JANUARY–MARCH 8 | HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 GETTY (3)
- 9. 1966 F OLLOWTHISCLOSELY–thisisthesagaofthe groupthatisrunningaroundin“Circles”,whoelse butTheWho?Currentlywithtwosinglesonsale, eachwiththesameflipside,“InstantParty”(formerlytitled “Circles”),TheWhoofficiallyadmittoonlyonenewdisc, “Substitute”–theirpresentNMEChartentryatNo15–and issuedbytheirnewrecordingcompany,Polydor.Theother disc–issuedbyDeccaandinvolvingrecordingmanager ShelTalmyinalegaldisputewiththegroup–nowtheyhave lefthim,isironicallytitled“ALegalMatter,Baby”. Stirintothislittlemix-upthefactthatthegroupinformed methatafterthefirstfewthousandrecordsof“Substitute” haveclearedthecountersthisweek,itwillbereplacedbya shortenededitionmadeavailableoriginallyfortheAmerican market,andyouwillunderstandwhyIjourneyeddownto BrixtononFridaylasttofindoutWho’sWhoandwhat’swhat. BehindamountainousbarrierofamplifiersintheWhite Hartpublichouse,wheretwoyearsagotheyplayedfor£12 nightly,Ifoundthree-quartersofthegrouprehearsing. TherewasKeithMoonoftheperpetuallysurprised expression,RogerDaltreyoftheblank stareandJohnEntwistle,theirbassplayer andauxiliaryFrenchhorn,ofwhomithas beensaid–Who?PeteTownshendwas characteristicallyabsent. Goingrightagainstthegrainoftheir image,allthreeboysstoppedrehearsing “BarbaraAnn”andobliginglywalkedover andjoinedmeatasmalltable.“Asfaraswe areconcerned,‘Substitute’isournewdiscandweshallnotbe pluggingthesingletakenfromanLPalreadyissued.Idon’t thinkthekidswillwanttoknow,”saidRoger.“We’renotreally worriedaboutwhatDeccaissuesnow.Theyhaveafewold tapesofJamesBrownnumberswe’vedonewhichtheymight issue,butwewillignorethem.Then,ofcourse,there’sJohn’s versionof‘TheseBootsAreMadeForWalkin’–Idon’tthink they’llissuethateither.” Johnsangafewchorusesinasopranovoiceatthispointto confirmeveryone’sopinion.“WeleftDeccabecausewe wantedtogetahitinAmerica,”saidKeith.“Allourprevious singleshavebeenissuedthereandmeantnothing.With Polydor’snewdealwithAtlanticintheUS,wemaydo somethingovertherenow.” Whyhadtheydecidedtodispensewiththeservicesof ShelTalmyandproducetheirowndiscs?“Hekeptconfusing us,”saidJohn.“He’dcomeuptomeinthestudioandsay: ‘Keith,wouldyoumindkeepingthedrumsdownabit?’” Thequestionof“InstantParty”aroseandjusthowwiseit wastohavetwodiscsoutwiththesameflipside.Itwasatonce beautifullyconfused.“Ahwell,itsPolydor,y’see,”saidKeith. “Theyputallthediscsoutwiththewronglabelson’em.The titleshouldhaveread‘Circles’.”Thematterisclearedupnow. IchangedthesubjectbyaskingKeithifrumoursofhis impendingmarriagewereright.“Insanity,”washiscomment. IremarkeduponthevastsizeandnumberofamplifiersThe Whohadsurroundedthemselveswithin thelittleballroomadjoiningthepub. “That’sabouthalfofourequipment,”said Keith.“We’vegot4813-inchspeakers, whichisabout600watts’worthofpower, andwithmydrumsitmakesabout£3,000 worthofequipmentonstageeverynight. That’swhywehavethreeroadmanagers togetthestufferected.Insomeclubswe havetoturnthespeakerssidewaystogetthemallonstage.” FinallyIaskedJohnwhathethoughtofBobLind’snew record.“BoracioLint?Who’she?”heenquired. AbriefglanceatthepositionofTheWho’sdiscandthat of“BoracioLint”s’thisweekmaywellprovetothe advancementofMrEntwistle’seducation. “Idon’t thinkthe kidswill wantto know…” ³Donovanandhis managerAshley Kozakthisweek tookthe remarkablestepof issuingastatement criticisingPye Recordsfor releasinghislatest single.Thesingle, dueouttomorrow, is“Josie”,whichwas recordedabouta yearago.Donovan andKozaksaidthey wishedtodissociate themselvesfrom thereleaseandsaid itwasbeingissued “withoutourprior knowledgeor consent”.They feelthediscis “notanaccurate representationof Donovan’stalents today”.MMFEB19 ³TheMusicians’ Unionwhoareout tobanpopstars mimingon television,iswaiting forthetelevision companiestostop mimingontheir programmesof theirownaccord. MUGeneral SecretaryMr HardieRatcliffetold theMMonMonday: “Ourrelationswith theBBCandthe independent companiesaresuch thatthequestionof pressuretostop mimingdoesnot arrive.”MMMARCH19 ³MikeMillward, foundermember ofTheFourmost, diedinaCheshire hospitallastweek. Hehadbeenillfor sometimeandleft thegrouprecently becauseofill- health.Mikehad beenseriouslyill forsometime andhadbeenin considerablepainat manyappearances overpastmonths. MMMARCH19 HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 | 9 JANUARY–MARCH N EWYORK,TUESDAY–TheRollingStoneshavejoinedThe BeatlesasthemostunwantedguestsathotelsintheUnited States(cablesRenGrevatt).TheStones,whoflyintoNewYorkon February11todoTheEdSullivanShowenroutetoAustralia,willbebunked intodifferenthotels.Theinterestingpointisthatneitherofthehotel managersinvolvedknowswhotheirBritishguestswillactuallybe,asthey areallregisteredunderassumednames.Whathappenswhentheyfind outisanybody’sguess.Meanwhile,backinBritain,TheRollingStonesget readyforpromotionoftheirnewdisc,“19thNervousBreakdown”. One TVdatealreadyfixedisBBCTV’sTopOfThePops,tonight(Thursday). Acceptnosubstitute: PeteTownshendon stageattheWindsor NationalJazzBlues Festival,July30,1966 February13,1966:the StonesrehearsingTheEd SullivanShowinNewYork “We left Decca ’cos we wanted a hit in America” NMEMARCH18TheWho’s complexsinglereleasesexplained Stonesscheme MMFEB5MickandcogoincognitoinNewYorkhotels
- 10. 10 | HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 1966 JANUARY–MARCH TheSpencerDavis Groupin’66:(l–r) SpencerDavis,Peter York,SteveWinwood, MuffWinwood
- 12. 12 | HISTORY OF ROCK 1965 12 | HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 utterlydevoidofpretensionandisdeliveredatthesametime withcompellingauthority. NextcomesStevie’spianoplaying,whichIfindmore interestingthanhisguitar,althoughStevescatsingingalong withtheguitarlineissomethingelse!Whichinstrumentcame firstinhiscareer,andwhatwashisfirstmusicallove–jazzor blues?WhendidStevestartdevelopinghismulti-skills? SaidSteve:“Icomefromamusicalfamilyonbothmymother andfather’sside,butIwasneverforcedintoplayingbymy parents.IfirststartedplayingwhenIwassix;picking outtunesonthefamilypiano,andmyfirstjobwas withmyfather’sbandwhenIwasaboutnine. “It’safunnything–myfirstinstrumentwaspiano, thenIgotholdofacheapoldguitarandstartedtolearn that.WhenIjoinedmybrotherMuff’smainstream jazzbandIwentbacktopianoandpackedupthe guitar.ButwhenIjoinedthegroupwithSpenceI startedonguitaragain!” Whendidhestartsinging?“Well,whenthegroup startedwewerelookingaroundforacolouredsinger butwecouldn’tgetone.Istartedsingingbecausewe couldn’tgetanybodyelse.”Didheconsciouslystrive foracolouredsound?“YesandthethingwasIdidn’t havetotrainmyvoicebecauseIhadstartedlistening tocolouredmusiciansatanearlyagebeforemyvoice broke,andstartedsingingduringtheperiodwhenitwasbreaking,when Iwas13.Myfirstmusicalinterestswereinskiffle,thentrad,then mainstreamandmodernjazz.WhenthetradthingfinishedIdiscovered RayCharles.NowIlistentoeverything.Ithinkallmusiciansshouldlisten toallformsofmusic.” WillStevedevelophisjazzpianoplaying?“I’dliketo,butnowwe’vegot ahitrecordwehavetobecareful.Thereareonlyafewclubswherewecan getawaywithoneortwojazznumbersnow.Istillpractisealotonpiano. I’mdevelopingmystyleonguitar,too.Iknowitsoundslikeaclichebut Iwanttobeanall-rounder.I’veneverbeenapuristandI’veneverhated poporanythinglikethat.Ijustwanttoplaymyownmusic.Myoldman alwaystoldmeit’sadiceybusiness,andIknowthat.Buttherehasnever beenanyoppositiontomebecomingamusician–onlyfromschool. Frankly,Ican’tdoanythingelse!” WhatareSteve’spersonalambitions?“ThethingIdon’twantustodois golikeTheYardbirdsplayinginballrooms,andI’dhatetoendupin pantomimelikeTheRockin’Berries.Ijustwanttogoonplaying reasonablygoodmusic.” Stevehopestorecordasoloalbumwithbig-bandbacking–what’s happeningonthatscene?“It’sbeenputbackabitaswearerushing materialforthenextsingle.Itwouldbeanexperimentalthing–‘Stevie WinwoodSingsTheSoulHitsof’65’–andIwouldn’tmindjustdoingitas ademo.Itwouldn’tbeallbig-bandbacking;someofthetrackswould featuremeonpianoandguitar.” DoesSteveeverfeelsurprisedathisownachievements?“YesIdoreally. Itwasabigsurprisetomeaboutthevoice.IneverexpectedI’dbecome knownasasinger.Leadguitar,too.Ihadalwaysconsideredpianotobe mymaininstrument,butnowIthinkIenjoyplayingthembothasmuch. I’vetinkeredaboutwithdrumsaswell.WhenPete[thegroup’sdrummer] washavinglessonsIusedtogoalongwithhimandsitandlisten.” HaveSteve,Muff,SpenceandPetechangedatallduringtheir successfulyeartogether?“Icanhonestlysaywehaven’t.Ithinkwe’ve beenabitspoilt.Ateveryjobwegetbetterappreciation.Isupposeoneday we’regoingtobedisappointed.” ChrisWelch —NMEFEBRUARY4— S PENCERDAVIDNELSON(hisfatherwasaparatrooper!)Davis soaredinmyestimationlastFridaywhenhesentTheRolling Stones’chauffeur-drivenAustinPrincesstocollectmeatthe NMEofficesforaninterviewwithhimathishomeinPottersBar!The chauffeurtranspiredtobenoneotherthanThomas“IGottaGroup” Keylock(“I’llplayyouTheHabits’newdisclater”),whoownsacar-hire firmandonlyturnsoutforRB-stersliketheStonesandSpencer. DuringthetripIaskedmyothertravellingcompanion,charmingBess Coleman,justwhatkindofcharactershethoughtSpencerwas. “HehashadauniversityeducationandspeaksSpanish,Frenchand Germanfluently,”shesaid.“SoI’dsayhewasdeep,verydeep.”Ittherefore cameasnogreatsurprisetoarriveoutsideSpencer’s semi-detachedtofindthathewasbecomingdeeperbyapparently havingamoatdugaroundhisproperty.“It’sthedrains,”observed Spencerdrily,indicatingthefour-foottrenchinhisgrassverge.“Icame homefromagiglastnight,jumpedoutofthevanandstraightintothe hole.ThenIgallopedallthroughthehousewithclayallovermyboots. Paulinenearlykilledme.” Spencer’ssoftlyspokenwifePaulinedidn’tstrikemeashavingthe “killer”instinctwhenIfoundherstrugglingtokeeptheboileralightin thekitchen.LookingalittlelikeNanaMouskouriwithherlonghairand secretarialspecs,shespoketomeofthestrainofmovinghouse.Ityped herasthekindofgentlepersonwhoavoidstreadingonants.“Comeand seetheloft,”invitedSpencerenthusiastically,“theloftknockedmeout.” Beingignorantofthewaysofkitchenboilers,weleftThomastoignite thingsandclimbeduptotheloft–whatSpencerintendstobehisstereo room.Alreadyflooredandwallpapered,theloftisaveryusefulextra room,butwithnochairsinstalledweretiredtothefrontroom,where Spencerbegananautobiographyforme. “AsaninfantoftwoorthreeIcanrememberthelastperiodoftheWorld War,”saidSpence.“Icanremembermyhometown,Swansea,under attack,withgreenandwhiteflareslightingthesky.Myfatherwasinthe Servicesandwewerealwaysonthemove.Myfirstschoolwasinalittle placecalledDoeLeainDerbyshire.Wewerelivingwithsomepeopleon afarmandIusedtogotoschoolinahorse-drawncart.” Spencer’saptitudeforlanguageswasshownininfancywhenhehad learnttoreadbytheageofthree.“IcouldunderstandTheDandyand BeanobythetimeIwasfive,”saidSpenceproudly.“Fromthoseliterary heightsImovedtoCaptainMarvelandSupermancomics.Strangely enough,I’vebegunreadingthemagainjustlately.It’sakindoflight relieffromtheJamesBondsophisticationwhichiscreepingintoall kindsofwriting.” Spencer’sfirstmusicalinterestscameaboutonhisreturntoschoolin Swansea,wherehejoinedtheschoolchoir.“ThereIquicklygotproof thatallWelshboysarenotbornwithmelodiousvoices,”saidSpence. “Wesang‘AllThroughTheNight’and‘DrinkToMeOnly’andI’dswear three-quartersofthemweretonedeaf!” AboutthistimetheradioshowEducatingArchiewasmakinganimpact, withSpenceespeciallyinterestedintheharmonicaplayingofRonald Chesney.“Igotamouthorganandlearnttoplay‘AnyUmbrellasToMend’ –badly,”Spencerrevealed.Buthisfirstrealmusicalinstrumentcame aboutthroughDutchUncleHerman,whosemandolinplaying fascinatedyoungSpencer,whoimmediatelyrequestedaguitarandgot apianoaccordion,fromhisparents:“ItwassupposedtobeaChristmas present,”recalledSpence.“Infact,Italkedthemintolettingmehaveit onemonthearly,soIcouldlearnthreecarolsandgostaggeringaround Swanseawiththesqueezebox,almostasbigasIwas.ThusIcompleted myfirstprofessionalengagementfor35bob!” Bytheageof11,SpencerwasshowinggreatpromisewithhisLatin, FrenchandWelshinschool.“Mydeclensionsandconjugationswere 1966 JANUARY–MARCH January17,1966:TheSpencer DavisGroupsqueezeinto theShakespeareHotelin Woolwich,south-eastLondon PACE/GETTY
- 13. superb,”saidSpence.“Ihadakindofphotographicmind.”At16,Spencer leftschoolwithsevenGCEO-levelstohiscreditandbeganworkinaPost OfficeSavingsBank.Hewasallowedtocontinuehislanguagestudies onedayaweek. “TheseweretheyearsofChrisBarber’sJazzBandforme,”saidSpencer. “ItwasalsotheyearthatImetPaulineattheBexleyHeathFair–onthe dodgems.Iboughtmyfirstguitar.Adiabolicalthingwithabutterfly drawnonthefront.IlearnedthreechordsandlistenedtoLonnie Donegan.TothisIowemypresentsuccess,”headded,sarcastically. SpencerformedaskifflegroupcalledTheSaintsandtheywere“moved on”fromsuchcelebratedvenuesasTrafalgarSquare,CharingCross StationandMarbleArch.“Isufferedasetbackherewhentheguywho wasteachingmeguitartriedtorunoffwithPauline,”recalledSpence. “FortunatelyIcouldrunfasterinthatdirectionthanhecould.” BoredwithhisjobintheCivilService,Spencerwrotetohisoldschoolin Swanseaandwasacceptedbacktostudylanguages.HepassedA-levels inGermanandSpanish,butfailedtheFrenchbecauseofabadmigraine attack.BirminghamUniversityacceptedhimonanhonourscourse. “DuringtheholidaysIbuskedaroundEuropewithmyguitar,”Spencer wenton.“I’dtaken£5withmeandwhenIgottoParisIerectedasmall placardsaying‘Pleasehelpapoorstudentonhistriparoundtheworld’.It soundedbetterthat‘justtoBerlin’.Ibecameknownasthemusicianfrom theLeftBankanddidwellenoughonthesouthcoastofFrancefromthe Americanswhostayinluxuryhotels.” Itwaswiththeuniversityjazzbandthat Spencerreallybecameinterestedinrhythm- and-blues.Heplayedaguitarspotduringthe interval,andashewaschairmanofthe committee,bookedhimselfwithbiased regularity.“MybestfriendwasDonCampbell, ourclarinettist.Hetaughtmealotabout mainstreamjazz.Hewastragicallykilledlast yearinaroadaccident,Imisshim.” ItwasalsowiththebandthatSpencerfirst heardtheMuff-WoodyQuartet,whoatthattime had12-year-oldStevieWinwoodplayingpiano. “Whentheyplayedagiginpubstheyusedto havetohideStevieashewasstillwearingshort trousers,”smiledSpencer.“Anyway,afew monthsafterhearingthemfirstIgotaregular gigatapubinBirmingham.Ididn’tfancyitsolo,sothe boysjoinedme.” Whenmyinterviewended,theboilerwasalight andsmokewasbellowingfromeveryaperturein thehouse!Imademyexithurriedly.Pictureifyou willmywavinglanguidlyfromthebackseatof mychauffeur-drivensaloon.“TotheTopOfThe Pops,BBCTVcentre,Thomas,”Icommented imperiously.TheAmosBurkeofthemounted press,that’sme! KeithAltham —MELODYMAKERFEBRUARY19— H OWAREHITrecordsmade?InTheSpencerDavis Grouptheyplacealotofrelianceonmilk–andagreat song.CasuallytheSDGswenttoworkintheearlyhourslast Thursdaytoproducewhatpromisestobeanevenbiggerhitthan “KeepOnRunning”.It’sanothergreatJackieEdwardssongcalled “SomebodyHelpMe”,withlyricstailor-madeforSteveWinwood.It wascommittedtotapewithmoderatelyexcitedconfidencethat communicatedeventothehardenedstudioengineerusedtodealing witheverythingfromsymphonyorchestrastojazztrios.Thegroup –minusdrummerPeterYork–metinitiallyforapicturesessionon OxfordStreetinthemiddleoftherushhour.ThenMuffWinwood andSpencerdrovetoSpence’snewhomeatPottersBarintheRolling Stoneslimousine,currentlyonloantothegroup,whileStevewentin searchofhismatePeteTownshendofTheWho. Atthespacioussemi-detached,stillinthethroesofdecoration, Spence’swife,Pauline,brewedfoodwhileSpenceandMuffwatched JimmySmithonJazz625.Butasmidnightneareditwastimetotrekback totown,andduringthedriveinSpence’sTriumphVitesse,Muff reminiscedabouttheolddaysinBirmingham.“Rememberwhenwe backedJimmyWitherspoon?Itwasabouttwoyearsago,andwewere getting£40anight,whichwasalotofmoney.ButJimmyWitherspoon onlygotaboutsevenquid?Hetoldushelikedthegroupandwasreally knockedout.ItwasagreatsessionandSteveplayedpianoallnight. IrememberwhenTheMoodyBluesusedtoplayonthesamesessionas us.DidyouknowStevetaughtDennyLainehowtoplayharmonica?” ArrivingatMarbleArch,MuffandSpencestockedupwithcartonsof milkatanearbycafe,thenwentintothestudiowhereStevewasalready sittingatagrandpiano,inawhitepullover,playingaslowShirleyScott blues.MuffandSpencewereabouttodumpmilkandhamburgersall overthegrandwhentherecameafaintmoanfromatechnician,who stumbledashenfacedtowardsusandwithamuttered“Please”hastily drapedacoveroverthetop. Stevegrinnedreprovinglyasheplayedsomesoulfulchords.“This pianocosts£2,000–morethananorgan.Getmeahamburger,Muff.” Butitwastimeforwork.Theyhadtoaddthe vocaltothebackingtrackalreadyrecordedthe previousweek.Steveproducedatattypieceof paperwiththewordsscribbledinredink.“Igot thepenfromacopper,”herevealed.” StevewastotaketheleadvocalandMuffand Spencewerebackingonthechorus.“Hey,I’ve gottwolines,”exclaimedMuff,pleasantly surprised.“Howonearthcanwereadthis?” demandedSpence,tryingtodecipherthe handwriting.ButStevetookcharge,explaining theparts,andthethreeweresoonsinging, unaccompanied,soundinglikePotter’sBar’s answertoTheWalkerBrothers. Theengineer,anexplosivechap,proneto pullingalltheplugsoutwithfuriousoathsand throwingtapearound,indicatedthroughtheglasspanel thathewasreadytorunthebackingtrack.Onwentthe studioredwarninglight,andtheboysgatheredround themicrophone,leapingenergeticallyupanddown tothebeat.Jackie’slyricsonscrapsofpaperwere placedimposinglyonamusicstand.“Well,it’sgotto lookgood,”saidSteve. “SomebodyHelpMe”hasamuchlighter,swingier soundthan“Running”andthefuzzboxisreplaced byvibesplayedinunisonwithguitar.Nearthecoda, bongosareaddedtoPeterYork’sdrumming.Thelyric about“alittleboyof17”aredesignedbyJackieforSteve. Afteronly afewtakesthenumberwascompleteand everybodywasknockedout. “WhaddyameanaNo1?”saidStevewithamusement.Nextthe engineerspentseveralminutestryingtoeditout a“clang”ontheB-side, “WhenIGetHome”,agreatWinwoodcompositionthatcouldeasilybe anA-side.Severaloffendingbass-drumbeatshadbeensurgically removedaftermuchsweatbytheengineer,whenMuffcameintocontrol, listenedandcomplained:“What’shappenedtothatgreatbitinthe middle?”TheengineergaveMuffapenetratinglookandsaid,“Youwant it?Youcanhaveit,”andthrewalengthoftapeoverhishead. “Hey,let’sgoforadrink,”saidSteveinasuddenflashofinspiration.“Oh man,Idon’twantalatenight,”complainedMuff.ButSpence, acemediator,promisedSteveadrinkandMuffthatitwould beashortsession.Offtoabeatnightclub,theyweregreetedby TheAnimals,VivPrinceandPJProby.Stevewassoonupon stage,jammingonguitarwithBrianAuger,LongJohnBaldry andTheVIPs,whileEricBurdonbellowedfor“Lucille”. FortheSDGs,musicismusic,andtothemdiggingthegreat leadsingerwithTheVIPsisasimportantascuttingtheirown vitallyimportantsinglewhichhastheircareerspinnedon thelabel. ChrisWelch • “I learned three chords and listened to Lonnie Donegan” HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 | 13 SPENCER DAVIS GROUP
- 14. » PICTORIAL PRESS April1966:theSmallFaces recreatealate-night “mysterysession”inthe basementoftheirrented houseat22Westmoreland Terrace,Pimlico,London 14 | HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 1966 JANUARY–MARCH “We don’t have to work atit” —MELODYMAKERFEBRUARY12— T HEWORDISout–theSmallFacesare“sellingout”.“They’vegone commercial,”crydistraughtgirlsastheylistentosingerSteveMarriott wailing“Sha-La-La-La-Lee”.Yetifyouhaveseentheboysrecentlyitis quiteobvioustheyhavenot“soldout”.Onthecontrary,theyhave“sussed” thesceneout. “We’vesusseditallout,”Steviesaid.“We’vegottamakesomebread.The wholepointinrecordingacommercialrecordistotryandgetournamereallyestablished. Ifwecanscoretwoorthreebighits,thenwe’llstartmakingthekindofrecordswewantto.” Stevewasworriedthathe’dcreatedthewrongimpression:“It’snotthatIdon’tdigthegroup. I’mthoroughlyinvolved–andpleased–withwhatwedoonstage,butonrecordwehaveto conform.They’retwodifferentscenes.” “Iknowthatsomepeopledon’tlikeourdiscsafterseeingthestageact,”saidbassguitarist PlonkLane,“othersliketherecordsbutthinkthatthestageactistooloudandthat.” “Wewanttogetthefullforceofourstagenumbersonrecord,”explainedSteve.“Mindyou,it’ll befurtheroutthanourpresentstuff.I’vewrittenalotofthings,andacertainMrTownshend,of agroupwhosenameIwon’tmention,isbringingsomedemorecordsroundinafewweeks,” laughedSteve. TheFaces’newestmember,Ian“Mac”McLagan,corneredtheconversation:“WellImean,if yougetsaxesintothegroupit’sdeath,death,death!Iwantedtogetanelectricpianotositonmy organbuttheonlyreallysuitablemodelwasoutofproduction.Fortherecordwedouble-tracked thisolduprightthatwassittinginthestudio–it’saveryelectricpianosound,actually.Wedig theBookerTsounds,butwefilloutsomeofthosebadbrasssoloswithourownweirdsounds.” “Sometimeswegethunguponasoundforhours,”mutteredPlonk.“Actually,it’saverybad scenethatwehavetowatchcarefully.Wemighthitonariffthatreallyjumps.Welikethesound andsticktoit.Thenasitgoesonweplaysubtlevariationsroundthemainriff.Icanunderstand THESMALLFACES aretorn.On record,theydeliver popgenius.Live, theyplay“sortof freeformnumbers”. Howcanthey reconcilethetwo? SaysSteveMarriott: “I’mmoreofa soundman…”
- 16. 16 | HISTORY OF ROCK 1965 16 | HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 thatsomepeoplegetbored’costheydon’tdigthe changes.Igethookedonapartlikethisandendup playingformyself.” “It’stheworstthing,”saidMac,“you’vegottoplay fortheaudienceandnotyourself.It’ssomethingthat theSmallFaceshavetroublewith,especiallyas wedosortoffreeformnumberswithcompletely improvisedmiddlesections.” “WhenMacfirstjoinedus,”saidMarriott,“we weresoknockedoutwiththewayheplayed organthatwejuststoodaboutonstageand watchedhimgo.Nowwe’vegotitundercontrol andusehimasacarpet.” SaidMac:“WhathemeansisthatI’m abasssoundunderneaththeguitar,bass, anddrums,keepingasteadyrhythmand amelodysothatthevocal,bassandguitar, canloonaboutontop.” “Atpresentweonlydothisfreeformstuffon stageandsometimesonourB-sidesofrecords,” saidSteve,“Iknow‘Sha-La-La-La-Lee’isalong haulfromit,butonedaywehopetobedoingrightweird,far-outstuff.” —NMEFEBRUARY25— S TEVEMARRIOTTSAID,“Memuvverandfarverkeptonatmeto getadecentjob.”Steveisthatcheerfullittlebundleofenergyof thechart-climbingSmallFacesgroup.Hewenton:“Butplaying inagroupwasallIwantedtodo.SoIplayeditshrewd.Igotajobat LyonsCornerHouse,washingup–an’afewweekslaterIdropped acratewithabout3,000dishesinit!” Heroaredwithlaughterandwavedhisarmsabout,describingthe incident.“Don’tthinkIdiditdeliberately,mind!Itwasanaccident.But itwasoneofthosedead-endjobsyougetoutofinahurryanyway–and whentheygavemethebootIwasthehappiestblokealive!Itellyou, acoupleofweeksan’Iwasplayingwithagroupagain.Great.Andme mumanddadcouldn’tsaymuch.Ididtryanordinaryjob,didn’tI?” LikeTheWho,SteveandtherestoftheFacesreallylivetheirmusic.But that’swheretheresemblancetoTheWhoends.There’snohard-bitten moodinessor“image”wheretheSmallFacesareconcerned.When they’retalkingabouttheirworktheireyeslightupwiththejoyofit,and theyjumpupanddownandmovearoundastheytellyouhowknocked outtheyarebyanewsoundthey’veachieved,orbythewaytheirhit“Sha- La-La-La-Lee”isgoingdownintheballroomstheyvisit. AlltheSmallFacesareofauniformtininess.“Itjust happenedthatway,”grinsSteve.“We’rejustmates whohappenedtohititoff.Somebodydidn’tsay, ‘Right,let’sgetacrowdoflittleblokestogetherand formabiggroup!’” Lookingover(andafter)themwith fatherlyefficiencyisbigBillCorbett, aroadmanagerwhotrainedthehard way.HeusedtobeachauffeurwithThe Beatles.Billlooksdownoverhishorn- rimmedglassesontothemlikea headmasterabouttohandout200 lines.“Youcan’tdothat!”he’llsay,or “Nowthen,youcan’tsaythat.” “Yes,Bill,”theSmallFaceschorus backobediently,andthentheylook outofthecornersoftheireyesandgrin ateachother.AsBilldrives,theSmall Facesmayactuallygettoavenuesafeand sound,butthere’snoguaranteethey’llget outthatway.They’vebeenexperiencing someextra-wildfanscenessincefirsthitting thechartswith“WhatchaGonnaDoAboutIt” inSeptemberlast. SaysnewgrouporganistIanMcLagan:“Weplayed atanorthernvenuerecently.Billhadphonedthe managerearlierinthedaytotellhimtoputcrash barriersroundthestage.Weknewthey’dbe needed,becausewe’donlyjustescapedwithour livesatashowthenightbefore!Idon’tthinkthis managerreallyknewwhatitwasallabout,because whenwegotthere,therewerenocrashbarriersand hesaid,‘Don’tworry,Icanhandlethis.’Wefoundwe hadtowalkbackwardsandforwardsfromour dressingroomthroughthewildestcrowdyou eversaw!Wewereallbeingpulledtotheground anddraggedabout,allinfearofinstantdeath!” Onahappiertopic–theboys’music–they’ve madeuptheirmindsnottotrytodoeverything themselvesinthefuture.SaidSteve:“Atfirst,we thoughtwecouldwritesongsforourselves,but wefindthey’retooway-out.We’vedecidedto useotherpeople’sstuffforawhile.More commercialnumbers.There’salwaystimeto experimentwhenwe’remoreestablished. “Anotherthingaboutourmusic,weliketo keepitsimple.Alotofgroupsforgetthe simplicity,ortheydon’thaveteamwork.You sometimesgetfourblokestogether,andplaying great,butasindividuals.Honestly,webelieve somuchinbeingateam,it’snottrue.Andwedon’thavetoworkatit, either.We’reasortofnaturalunit.Weknowwhateachotheristhinking. “Anyway,weliveforthemoment.Andwejustwanttoworkasmates togetherforaslongaspossible.We’rejustordinaryblokes.Ifthingsdon’t workoutinthefuture?Well…it’sbacktowashingupinJoeLyons!”Steve concluded.AlanSmith —MELODYMAKERFEBRUARY26— F ORMANYGROUPS,thedaydoesn’tendafteragig.Theymay fallintooneofthecountry’sin-clubs,slopeoffwiththeir girlfriendorarrangeaquickbooze-up.FortheSmallFaces, it’sinvariablyhometotheirhouseinLondon’sPimlico. Anddowninthebasementthemysterysounds,asthegroupcallthem, takeplace.Ian“Mac”McLaganmoveshisHammondorganintothe corner,Ronnie“Plonk”Laneplugshisoldguitarintoanamp,andSteve Marriottsitsatabeat-uppiano.Someonegrabsatambourine,and someoneelseapairofbongos–andthe“sounds”areunderway. “We’restillplayingroughlythesameoldstuffbutwereliveit,” explainedSteveMarriott.“It’stheBookerTkickreally.Heplays12-bar numbers,buttheyarefantasticallyhipsounds.InBookerTAndThe MGs,theirguitaristSteveCropperistheguv’nor.” Whatisthepointoraimofthesemoonlightsessions?“Afteragig,oron anightoff,weliketogetafewcoolmatesalongandhavethese workouts.Youcanplaymostlywhatyouwant,whatyou feel,andforhoweverlongyouwant.Sometimeswe getabitweirdandfar-out,andsometimeswedo slowRayCharles-typeblues–infactweoften getquiteafewideasandoriginalnumbers fromourmysterysessions. “It’stherighttimetoexperiment,”said Steve,whowasplayinganoldslidepick- upguitarwhichhehadboughtfor£10. “Igotthisthingtoday.It’sagasfor playingMuddyWaters/Elmore James-typebottleneckguitar– althoughnotreallymyscene. I’mmoreofasoundman.” Macbegantoexplaintowhat lengthsthegroupwouldgotowith their“mysterysounds”.“Evenifwe wentfurtheroutthanTheWho,we’d stillbedifferentfromthemsoundwise. TheWhoarecompletelywrappedupin sound,whereaswe’remoreconsciousofour stageact,andthekindofshowweputover.We worryaboutwhichnumberstoputin,andwhich toleaveout,andhaveendsarrangedforeachnumber. TheWhomightimproviseawildmiddlepart,andthenjust peterthenumberout.Iattachgreatimportancetothe endofanumber,”saidMacseriously,“becausethe audiencerememberandnoticetheend.” 1966 JANUARY–MARCH “We just want to work as matestogether as long as possible” IfyourFaces fit…(inan Earo Aarnio ballchair) GETTY
- 17. DoesMacbelievethegroups’neglectof melodyandpreoccupationwithweirdsound willleadthemintodeepwaters? “Notreally,”saidMac,“because,forinstance, ourrecord‘Sha-La-La-La-Lee’isavery‘la-dee- da’numberandthenwedonumberslike ‘Please,Please’,and‘You’veReallyGotAHold OnMe’,whichareexactlythesamelengthand playedthesamewayeverynight.I’dbethefirst toagreethatmelodystillcounts,butImustsay thateachofournumbershasapreciseand differentpurpose.” —MELODYMAKERMARCH26— T WOWEEKSAGO,thefourSmallFaces chalkeduptheirfirsteverNo1and completelyjustifiedtheirearly promise.Butjusthowmanypeoplerealise theSmallFacesareoneofBritain’sleading groups?Certainlytheirproductionmanager- cum-chaperone,BillCorbett,whousedtodo thesamejobunderTheBeatles.Billsaysthat theSmallFaceshave“arrived”quickerthan TheBeatles–healsosaysthatthey’llbecome oneofthecountry’sbiggestgroups,and,he addsgruffly:“Theyain’twokenuptoityet.” Withorganist“Mac”McLagananimportant manintheirrecentrisetostardom,theFaces haveonlybeentogethertwomonths.Before “Mac”joinedthegroup,theyhadonlybeenin existenceforfourmonths.Altogetherthatissix monthsinwhichthey’vescoredtwohitrecords andbeenhotlytippedforthevery,verytop. Inthelastmonth,theFaceshavegathered greatmomentumandhavesmashedballroom andclubattendancerecordsskyhigh–butstill theyhaven’treallygottheacclaimthey deserve.Evenwhentheyhitnumberonethey gotacoolreception:“Naturallywe’reknocked out,”saidSteveMarriott“butsomepeople don’tsayathing.” Nevertheless,theFacesareingoodspirits andworkinghardontheirLPandnextsingle. Stevesaysthattheyhavetroubleselecting singles:“It’sverydifficultbecausethenumbers thatwewritearen’tcommercialenough.They arealrightfortheLP,butnotforsingles.We havetosiftthroughotherwriters’stuff.‘Sha- La-La-La-Lee’wasjustright.Thebeginning andtheendisrealSmallFacesstuff,whilethe middlepartisprobablywhatsoldit.” Whatpolicyarethegroupadoptingwhen theychooseLPmaterial? “Mainlywewanttoincorporateallthelittle musicalthingsourfansdig.It’sgoingtobe morelikeourstageactthanacollectionofvery commercialtracks,”saidPlonkLane,the group’sbassguitarist. “Yeah,wepromiseourfans,andallthepeople whodigourmusic,thatit’llstillberavingkind ofstuff,”saidSteve. “Thetroubleiswedon’tgetalotof time,”mutteredPlonk,“yougeta numberhalfwrittenandthenyour nutgoes,andit’snotfinished.” Macstarted:“Wegetaniceideafor thenumbertobeginwithbutthen suddenlywehavetofinishthemin timeforarecordingsession,and theendingsarerushed.Ittakes alongtimetogetanumberto soundhowwewantit.” • “The most vile thing I’ve ever heard…” MMMARCH5SteveMarriottreviewsthesingles DaveClarkFiveTryTooHard (COLUMBIA) Itswings.Nicedrummer. It’sgotalotofdrive.Idon’t knowwhoitis.Imean,it’s gottobeBritishbythe sound.Thevoiceisrather likeJohnLennoneverynow andagain–butIknowit’s notTheBeatles!IsitThe ClaytonSquaresor someone?There’sno individualityaboutthe soundtoassociateitwith anybodyinparticular, althoughthesongand arrangementaregood.Isit TheMojos?Oh,Igiveup. DaveClark!You’rejoking– it’sthebestthingthey’ve everdone.Idigthat–it’llbe abighit. TheWhoSubstitute(REACTION) Oh,great.It’sjusttoomuch. TheysoundlikeBillyFury (fallsonfloorlaughing).It’s good.It’sgreat.Ithink they’llgetaNo1withthis. That’llpleasePete–and Keith’smum!Icanhonestly sayit’snotasgoodas“My Generation”,butit’s definitelyaNo1.Digthat “RescueMe”sound.Pete’s writingmoreandmore commercialstuff–this actuallyconjuresupavisual pictureofthem.Hayley Millswilllikeit. TheMcCoysUpAndDown (IMMEDIATE) Ilovethisnumber–ifitis “LoveHurts”.Oh,it’snot. Everyone’sgotontothis on-beat-four-in-the-bar sound.Peopletookitfrom TheFourTopsusing on-beatdrumsandoff-beat bassguitar.Idon’tknow whothisis.Anicerecordbut I’mnotover-exuberant aboutit.Probablyahitifit’s well-plugged.TheMcCoys! It’stheworstrecordthey’ve made,I’mafraid. TheBachelorsSoundOf Silence(DECCA) Soundslikealoadofmonks walkingabout.Iknow,The Yardbirds’“StillI’mSad” revisited.Oh,it’snotThe Bachelors,isit?Let’shear thenextonethen!(Steve getsupandhurlsitoffthe recordplayer)IlikeGracie Fieldsaswell! FreddieTheDreamersIf You’veGotAMinute,Baby (COLUMBIA) IsitGerry?Oh,Freddie TheDreamers.Ugh–I don’t…Ican’t…Ugh!Ican’t listentotheirrecords.I thinkoftrousersfalling down.IlikeFreddieasa personbutIdon’tdighis records.Verypolished,butI don’tlikeit.CanItakeitoff? DelShannonICan’tBelieve MyEars(STATESIDE) Idon’tlikethatorgansound. Oh,whatabadscene.Ican’t rememberhisname.Oh, y’know–(singsfalsetto)“I’m a-walkin’intheraaaaain.” No,thisistoodated–the kidswon’twantthis.Ican’t rememberhisname. TheTornadoesPopArtGoes Mozart(COLUMBIA) That’sniceharpsichord– Ithink.It’snottheAndrew OldhamOrchestra,isit? Themassedbandsofthe TasmanianAirForce– featuringSootyonvibes!It’s TheTornadoes!Ah,thenitis themassedbandsofthe TasmanianAirForce!Iwish JoeMeekwouldsellhis echochamber.It’sdated– goodforknees-ups.Whata badscene(speedsrecordup to73rpm).That’swhatthey callpopartgoesoffitshead. AnitaHarrisSomething MustBeDone(PYE) Whatacrazysound,man. Ilikethis.Ifit’ssomeone who’shadahitbeforethen itmightgo.Goodrecord. ThebestI’veheardfora longwhile.Whoisit?The band’sonagoodscene. AnitaHarris.Oh,thebest oflucktoherthen–hope it’sahit. TimThomasWalking (POLYDOR) Yeah,nice(long,long pause).Idon’tlikeit.Abit jazzy,butitallsoundslike aput-on.Agoodtry.May Irejectit? TheGolliwogsBrown-Eyed Girl(VOCALION) SoundslikeThemorThe Animals.It’snottheSonsOf Fred,isit?Theyshouldhave builttheorgansoundup more.Alittlemonotonous, butIdigmonotony.Idon’t knowifotherpeopledo though.Itwentintodouble timebeautifullythere.Ifthe singergotofftheEric Burdenkickhe’ddo better.Heshould phrasedifferently. BobLindElusiveButterfly (FONTANA) Iheardthisonmywayhere. It’ssomethingabouta butterfly.Itgetssquashed! Notmysortofstuff–my mummightlikeit.Ormy dad.No,no,mymumwon’t likeit–butmydadwill.I don’tknowthisfella,but Ithinkhewroteitaswell. Idon’tlikeit. TheNewbeatsShakeHands (HICKORY) It’sajumpingrecord.Isit TheFourSeasons?Oh,I knowit’sthe“BreadAnd Butter”lot.TheNewbeats. Ican’thearawordthey’re saying.Ihated“BreadAnd Butter”–themostvilething I’veeverheard.Thisis better,butit’sstillhorrible! MARCH5 SINGLES REVIEW HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 | 17
- 18. “We don’t need stuff like that in the Pop 50...” T HEARGUMENTSLASTyearover BarryMcGuire’srecord“EveOf Destruction”werenothingcompared withtheemotionsthathavebeen rousedoverStaffSergeantBarry Sadler’s“TheBalladOfTheGreenBerets”. TherecordreachedNo1inAmericaand enteredthePop50lastweek.Mutterings againsttherecordwerebroughttoahead whenDJBrianMatthewdescribeditas “sickandnauseating”onJukeBoxJury– andwasrebukedbychairmanDavidJacobs, whodefendedthedisc.ThisweekMelody Makercanvassedtheopinionsofother recordingstars.Thisiswhattheyhadto sayabouttherecord. GEORGEHARRISON:It’sterrible.I’m sorryforthepeoplewhoboughtitandputit No1inAmerica. PAULMcCARTNEY:Crap!It’sadreadful record. RINGOSTARR:Icouldn’tcarewhat happenstoit! JOHNLENNON:It’spropaganda.Wedon’t needstufflikethatinthePop50. PETE TOWNSHEND: It’senlistment advertisingand Ihateanykindof armyrecruitment whichdoesn’t actuallycomeout withitandsay“Jointhearmy”.Everyone mustknowwhatthearmyislikebynowand theymustknowwhatVietnamisallabout.It justgoestoshowhowbloodylongthething hasbeengoingon–they’reevenmaking recordsaboutit. CLIFFRICHARD:Ihearditonceortwice andI’vegotnothingtosay fororagainstit.It’sone ofthosesongsthatwill probablybeahit,withall ofthepublicityit’sgetting. Personally,Idon’tthinkit’s sickeningatall! DAVEDAVIES:Ihave neveronceheardthe record.ButfromwhatI’ve heardaboutititisprettyawful. PAULJONES:Youcouldn’tprintwhat Ireallythinkaboutit.Themainpointisthat theAmericanStateDepartmentisclearly annoyedbecausetheycannotgetpeopleto volunteertofightinVietnam.Thismayor maynotbeduetocowardice.Ipreferthatthe Americancitizenryaresaying:“Goandfight yourownbloodywar.”Ithinkit’sthesickest record–andIhavethisawfulsuspicionthe samepeoplearebuyingitwhoboughtBarry McGuire’srecord.It’sstrange–itproves peoplepreferheroestopacifists. ALANPRICE:ThewayIfeelaboutthe recordisthewayIfeelaboutbeingcalledup –Iwouldn’twantto,butI’dgo.Itleavesme neitherhotnorcold–itjusthasnovaluefor me.Isupposeitmusthavesomesentiment aboutitthatmakesitsell. PLONKLANE(SmallFaces):Idon’tlikeit. Isupposeit’salrightforsome,butIcan’t understandwhythekidsarebuyingit. Wheneverwehearitontheradiogoingto ajoborsomething,we screamandgrovelabout inthebackofthecar. MICKJAGGER:A terriblysicksongand Ihopeitwouldn’tsell inEngland.Itsoldover twomillioninAmerican –whichshowswhata warmongeringnation theyare.Thelastverseofthesongissobad –youwon’tbelieveitwhenyouhearit–all abouthopinghissongetskilled.It’sawful, terrible,andshowshowmuchtasteAmerican recordbuyershave.That’llstopusfrombeing No1inAmerica! CHASCHANDLER:It’scrap,andtypical ofwhatisgoingoninAmerica.Theyare gettingsonationalistic-mindedand everybody’sbehindtheirred-blooded boysfightinginVietnam.Idon’tthinkitwill beahitinEngland;we’vegottoomuchsense. SomebodyinAmericasaidtomequite seriouslythatifthewarkeepsgoing,Barry Sadlerwillgetreallybigandthey’llbeable toruncomicstripsonhim. “The last verse is so bad – all about hoping his son gets killed” GETTY 1965 JANUARY–MARCH MMAPRIL2JohnLennon,MickJagger,PeteTownshendandmanyotherpopstars airtheirviewson“TheBalladOfTheGreenBerets”byStaffSgtBarrySadler SgtBarrySadler:hymning the“fearlessmenwhojump anddie”withaJimReeves warbleandarat-a-tatbeat
- 20. 1966 JANUARY–MARCH StevieWonderin 1966:regardedasthe babyoftheTamla Motownfamily 20 | HISTORY OF ROCK 1966
- 21. CA/REDFERNS/GETTY HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 | 21 “Let’s faceit. Youcantell aTamla record a mileoff!” —NMEFEBRUARY18— S TEVIEWONDERISoneofthefriendliestandmostcheerful AmericanpopsingerstoarriveinLondonformanymonths. ApartfromtoppingtheUSchartwhenhewasbarely13with “Fingertips”,hehasgainedareputationasatop-classdrummer, harmonicaplayerandpianist.AndthisweekthefirstBritish entry,“Uptight”–whichhewrotehimself–jumpstoNo13in theNMEChart! Steviesucceedsateverythingheturnshishandto–andyetforall15yearshe hasbeentotallyblind.HearrivedinBritaintwoweeksagoforballroomandTV datesandwaspreparingtoreturntoAmericawhenImethiminhisLondonhotel. “ThisisthethirdtimeI’vebeentoEngland,”hesaid,sippingacoke,“butIthinkI’ve hadabettertime,audience-wise,thistripthanontheearlierones.ButIsuppose therecord‘Uptight’hashelpedalot.” WheneverSteviegoesontourhehasthreeconstanttravellingcompanions– ClarencePaul(musicaldirector),BoHamilton(drummer)andTedBull(tutor). Althoughhespendsalotoftimeawayfromschool,Steviestudieswhereverhe STEVIEWONDER,now15(andnotsolittle),arrives inLondontopromote“Uptight”.Laterintheyear, NMEinterviewsUKrecordexecutivePeterPrince tolearnmoreabouttherhythmsofworkinglife atTamlaMotown’sDetroithitfactory. STEVIE WONDER »
- 23. STEVIE WONDER AsTamlaflourished,itboughtupmoreandmoredetachedhouses ontheboulevard,foruseasofficesandotherdepartments.Twofloors ofonehousewereknockedthroughtomakeastudio–andachainof undergroundtunnelswasbuilttoconnectthebuildings.That’swhy Italkabout“themanyfrontdoorsofTamla”. HearingaboutBerryGordy’sstreetfullofhousesmightshatteryour imaginaryimpressionofavast,10-storeytalentfactory.Butbelieveme; theysumupthelabel’ssuccessstorymorethanyou’dthink. Everybodythereactuallylikesworkinginthejammed-upcloseness ofofficesconvertedfrombedroomsanddiningrooms.Itmakesthings seemfriendlyandithelpscreatethatfamousTamla“familyatmosphere” folktalkabout.Notlongagotherewereplanstouprootthewholeset-up andmoveintoamodernbuilding.Nobodyhadmuchenthusiasmforthe ideaandeventuallyitwasscrapped. ProbablythemostsurprisingthingofallatTamla(forme)wasseeing thestudio.Afterhearingthefantasticrecordsoundsproducedthere, Iexpectedtoseteyesonahalf-acreroompackedwithloadsof equipment.Whatgreetedmewasanaverage-lookingstudioin abasement,withtheceilingtakenawaytogivemorespace.Anorgan andagrandpianowerekeptpermanentlyatthe farendoftheroom.I’mnotknockingtheplace –farfromit.Seeingtheactualstudiomademe realisejusthowmuchtheTamlasoundowes topeople…theartistsandtheengineerswho oftenseemtobeworkingthererightroundthe clock.I’veneverseensomanypeoplegettingso muchfunoutofworking. Infact,thewholeofDetroitseemstobe permanentlyonthego.It’satoughindustrial town,packedwithpeople.Manyofthem– almostallcarworkers–floodacrosstheHudson RivereverydayfromCanada,ontheotherbank. Butit’snotthecarworkerswhoaregiving Detroititsbignamethesedays:it’stheever- growinglistofTamlacharacters,fromThe SupremestotheTops,Temptations,Miracles, JuniorWalker,JimmyRuffin,MarthaThe VandellasandMarvinGaye. I’vemetTheSupremesbothinBritainandinDetroit, andhonestlytheyneverchange.Theyaremarvellous girlswithagreatsenseofhumourandareallysharp interestinfashion.WhenImetthemjustawhileago, theywerespendingtwodaysinDetroitafterahectic tourofJapan.IrememberwhenIfirstmetThe “I like some of the avant- garde jazz, but I can’t dig this feedback stuff” MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVE/GETTY Supremes,FlorencewasleadsingerandnotDiana.Tamlawasdoing abitofexperimentingwithsound(asusual!)andtheydecidedto maketheswitch.Idon’tthinkthegirlsminded,becausethey’re prettysensibleandtheyknowtheircareerisbeingwellhandled. IfindFlorenceisprobablythequietestofthetrio,whileDianais theonewithallthenervousenergyandallthego.Maryhasanice humour.IsawthegirlsdoastageshowinDetroitanditwasfunny tohearthewaytheyjokinglytalkabouteachotherintheact.They refertoeachotheras“Flothequietone,Marythesexyoneand Dianatheskinnyone”.Butaseachgirlisdescribed,shebreathes, “Youwannabet…?” PeopleaskmeifanyoftheTamlagroupsarebad-temperedoff- stage.Theabsolutelyhonestanswerisno.Theyaresoco-operative andprofessionalthey’reashiningexampletomanyotherstars.The Supremesarenoexceptiontothis,buttheydohaveoneveryhuman weakness:theylovefishandchips!WhenIwasinDetroittheywere bemoaningthefactthattheycouldn’tgetfishandchipsinAmerica asinLondon–thewaytheylikedthem,wrappedinnewspaper. There’snothingflashyorover-sophisticatedaboutTheSupremes. Infactthey’reverymuchearly-to-bed-and-early-to-risegirls. Ifoundthatoneofthebigexceptionstheymaketothisruleisat “MotownMonday”,whichhasjuststartedupattheRoostertailClub inDetroit.Thisfantasticeventneverfailstopack’emintosqueezing point.TheSupremeswerefeaturedthenightIwasthere,doing averylongactandaccompaniedbyaterrific16-pieceband.Itwas atremendousshow. OnerecordingsessionIwenttowasforbackingtracksforaFour TopsLPandIsawthefamoussongwritingteamofHolland-Dozier- Holland.Theyarethreecolouredmusiciansintheirlatetwenties. Theyradiatesomuchenthusiasmit’sincredible! BerryGordywasn’tatthesession.Infact,Igatherit’salongtimenow sinceBerrydidanyactualrecordproductionhimself.He’sbecome verymuchanadministrationmanandleavestheworkofturningout hitstoothers. Actually,itisalittledifficulttofeelateasewithBerry,becausewhen you’retalkingtohimheseemstohavesomanythingsonhismind!Allthe timehiseyesaredartingtopapersonhisdesk,andIgottheimpressionhe wasitchingtobebackatwork.Isupposeit’sunderstandable:thisisthe veryenergythat’shelpedtobuildTamlauptoitspresentimportance. ThelabelhadfivehitsintheUSTop50whileIwasinDetroit,soyoucan understandhowjubilanteverybodywas. Thefamilyatmospherereallydoesexist.They’reaclose-knitgroup atTamla,enjoyingtheirmusicbutthinkingaboutitaswell.Theytake atremendousamountoftroublewitharrangements;thingslike basslinesareworkedonwithgreatcare. Theyabsolutelypackthestudiowithmusiciansforasession.Infact, theytendtobookmoremusiciansthantheyneedjusttobeonthesafe side!Oneguywillbehangingaroundwaitingforsomethingtodoand thentheybringhimintoplaythetambourine! AnothertalentedTamlaartistImetwas ChrisClark,awhitegirlwhooriginallycame fromtheWestCoastandwholooksalotlike DustySpringfield.ThentherewereTheFour Tops–wonderfulgroup.Ifirstmetthemin BritainontheirfirstvisitandObi(Renaldo) andIwentdowntoRonnieScott’sclubsohe couldlistentosomejazz. Irememberitwastoughtogetthemany TVdatesinthiscountryonthatoccasion. Peopledidn’tknowthemtoowellandmany didn’twanttoknow.Thistime,Ithinkthere weremoreoffersthantheycouldhandle! Leviistheonewho’salwayshappy,jumping aroundandsoon,whereasLawrenceis virtuallytheMDofthegroup.Helooksafterthe musicpartsandthatkindofthing.Abdulisapleasant person,too.IthinkhewasonceengagedtoMaryof TheSupremes.Iwasunluckyinthat“WhatBecomes OfTheBrokenhearted”singerJimmyRuffinwas outoftownwhileIwasinDetroit,butIdidmeet hisbrotherDavid(oneoftheTemptations).He wasnaturallyveryproudofJimmy’ssuccess. PeterPrinceinterviewedbyAlanSmith • HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 | 23 Musictalk:Wonder withPeterNoone,lead singerofHerman’s Hermits,outsidethe officesofMotown RecordsinDetroit, Michigan,1966
- 24. » Xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx 1966 JANUARY–MARCH 24 | HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 “I’venotimetodo allthethingsIwant togetover”:Ray Davies,July4,1966
- 27. HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 | 27 RayisatpresentdesigningthenextLPsleeve himselfandshowedmeacoupleofrough sketcheshehadmadeintheoffice.“I’mgoing tohavethiskindoftheatricalmaskwiththe headliftedupandbutterfliesflutteringout fromtheinside.Hugebutterfliesalloverthe coverandjusttheword‘Kinks’onthefront.” WhatdoesBarryFantonithinkofthedesign, IaskedRay?BarrywasthecompereofAWhole SceneGoingandalsoanartist. “WhydoeseveryoneaskmeaboutBarry?” saidRay,smilingandshakinghishead. “Ihaven’tseenhimforsometime.He’sgot thisfunnybirdwhomakeshandbagsandthey havetheseweirdconversationstogether.Barry says,‘Nowyougoonmakinghandbagsifyou wantto,dear.’Youknowhowhetalks,andshe criesandsays,‘No,Ican’tgoon–Ican’tgoon makinghandbags.’It’sveryfunny!” TheKinkswereinvolvedinacertainamount ofcriticismlastweekwhenplayingJimmy Savile’sclubinManchesterandtheyrefused tosingeither‘SunnyAfternoon’or‘Dedicated FollowerOfFashion’.“Wejusthaven’tbeen playingthesenumbersonourpersonal appearancesbecauseitdoesn’tfitinwiththe act,”saidRay.“Weplay‘WellRespectedMan’ atthebeginningandbuildupaswegoalong –buttoincludetheothertwonumberswould bringthepacedown.” Havinglaidholdofapieceofapplepieand meticulouslyexcavatedthefruitfromtheoffendingpastry,Rayadded thatthingsweregoingtohavetochange.Anentirelynewactisbeing builtuptoincludethesenew-stylehitsandTheKinksarebroadening theirappeal.“Wearegoingtodolessballroomsandclubsanddo cabaretandsummerseason,”saidRay.“NotBlackpool,though,”he hastened.“Icouldn’tplayaseasoninBlackpool.Thatwouldreally breakmeup–really! “Wewilldopantomimethough–Imean,”hesmiledandshookhis head,“they’resorightforpanto–really.Can’tyouseetheotherthree alldressedupintheircostumes.Swordswillgetstuckinscabbards, they’llforgetlinesandtripover.They’dbemarvellous.” RayhasneverbeenoverwhelminglyanxioustovisittheUSsincehis lasttripwhenhebecamesodepressedthathelockedhimselfinhishotel roomandrefusedtocomeoutuntilhiswifeRasawasflownouttojoin him.“Financially,don’tyouthinkitwouldbeenormouslybeneficialfor youtotourtheUS?”Iasked. “Financiallyitwouldbebeneficialforustoplayeverynight,butwe don’t,”returnedRay.“ThelasttourwedidinAmericawasterrible.We playedsomedreadfulplaces.Ifwegoagain Iwouldwant100percentbetterorganisation andfacilities.Icouldn’tbearakindofDickClark tour–really.Therearetwowaysofpromotingin theUS.Oneistodoamonstertourofthewhole countryandtheotheristo dothreeormore majorTVshowswhicharenetworked–that’s thewayIwanttodoit.” InadditiontotheseplansRayisalsoworking onarevuewhichhehaswrittenandisnow rewriting.“Satireisaverystrongword,”said Ray.“Iwouldn’tsaythatitwassatiricalbutthere willbesketchesaboutpeopleinLondonwhich willberelatedtothesongs–BarryFantonimay bethesubjectofone.” Afterthis,theconversationsuddenlybecamemonopolisedbyRay’s descriptionofhisbananashot.Rayhasreturnedtothefootballfieldand seemedgreatlyencouragedbyhisdebutinaFinchleyparklastTuesday whenhehammeredhomea30-yarder.“Itswirledintothecornerofthe net,”demonstratedRay,swingingaleg.“RatherlikeDidi,”hegrinned, namingapastBrazilianfootballer,famousforthisparticularshot. DaveDavieswasdownwithabadboutoftonsilitisandRayexplained hehadtogoearlyfortheirdateinWorthing,justtoputinanappearance withtheothertwo.Wewalkeddowntotheofficebelow,wherewefound TheKinks’co-managerRobertWacepacingabouthisoffice,takingthe measurementsforanewcarpet.“Whydon’tyoumeasureyourfoot,” observedRaywithadetachedinterest.“IamnotaRayDaviesfantoday,” returnedRoberthaughtilyandcontinuedhispacing. Theotherhalfofthemanagement,GrenvilleCollins,pointedout afewoftheblotchesandstainsonthecarpet.“ThatwasRobertin1963,” heindicatedablacksmear.Rayraisedaneyebrowandmurmured somethingabouthavinggotanideaforanewsongashestrodeon downthestairs.Nowwhatrhymeswithcarpet? KeithAltham • Thetiesthatblind: (l–r)PeteQuaife, DaveDavies,Ray Davies,MickAvory June8,1966:inadressing roomattheBBCTVCentre beforeperforming “SunnyAfternoon”on theBarryFantoni-hosted show AWholeSceneGoing “We’re not making any more inferior records like ‘Set Me Free’” IVAN KEEMAN/REDFERNS, DEZO HOFFMANN/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
- 28. Introducing The History Of Rock, a brand-new monthly magazine celebrating 50 years of THE music that changed the world. Month by month, it will build up into an unprecedentedly detailed chronicle of the music and musicians we love. Subscribe toour special launchoffer today! Payonly £9.99 £5.90 anissue andgetevery editiondelivered toyourhome. VISIT WWW.UNCUTSUBS.CO.UK/HISTORYOFROCK1966 CALL 0330 333 1113, QUOTING PROMOTION CODE 10i For overseas orders please call + 44 (0)330 333 1113
- 29. Readers’letters MMFEB19TheMakeropensupitsMailbagpageandinvitesthestarstowritein… HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 | 29 1965 THEINHERITORS Ithinkit’stimethat youngpeoplestarted takingmoreinterest inwhatishappeninginGreat Britain.Theydon’tseemtocareor realisethatin10years’timethey willberunningthecountry–and havingtoputupwithsomeofthe country’sdifficulties.Theolder peoplewhoarerunningthe countrynowaren’tmakingmuch ofajobofit,butIdon’tseewhythe teenagersshouldn’tstartkicking upastink.Thepapersarealways filledwithstuffaboutstrikes, wars,starvingpeopleandbad conditionsandIwouldn’tliketo thinkthatin10years’timeit’s goingtobepartlymyfault. BILLYFURY,London,W1 BOBONLYKNOWS Sorry,readerDSutherland,but you’vegotholdofthewrongend oftheDylanself-proteststick.If you’dcaretoreadcarefullywhat Iwroteafewweeksagoyou’dsee thatIslammedthepeoplewho claimedthatDylan’slackof successwithrecentrecordswas becauseDylantheethnicwas protestingagainstDylanthe popfolkidol.Idon’tthinkDylan isatallworriedaboutbeing successful.AndIdon’tagreethat PaulSimon’sbrandoftalkis “watereddown”.Listentohis“He WasMyBrother”andyou’llsee whatImean. BRUCEWOODLEY,THE SEEKERS,Melbourne,Australia THEDIGNITYOFLABOUR I’djustliketotakeadigatthe peoplewhoassumethatpop singersareunderworkedand overpaid.Sinceourdischitthe Top10weactuallyhadoneweek withonly12hours’sleep.Butat leastweenjoyourwork.Please don’tsendusanymoremirrors. We’resickofthesightofourselves. SAMUEL“PINKY”KEMP, PINKERTONS’SASSORTED COLOURS,Rugby,Warwickshire ONTHEMONEY WhatasplendidBlindDateby ZootMoney,packedwithbright, intelligent,wittyandsparkling comment.Readingit,Iflashed fromoneemotiontoanother– happyonemoment,sadthenext, sultryonemomentandthirsty thenext.Itwascertainlythe bestarticleIhavereadinthe MelodyMaker.Intelligentarticles likethatareenoughtorenewmy faithintheworldofmusic.Keep itup,MM. ZOOTMONEY,London,W1 PRIVETENTERTAINMENT Wewanttobesexy!Wedidn’tlike the“cleanliving”imagewhichwe hadthrough“GoodNewsWeek”. Wegetaterrificreactionfrom ballroomaudiencesifwerave aboutthestage.Sincewe’ve changedourline-upthereare onlythreeofthefive“GoodNews Week”boyswithus–andweare goingtotryandselltheseximage alittlebitmore,becausewhatever peoplesay,wethinkitbasically comesdowntothat. HEDGEHOPPERSANONYMOUS, Manchester BASSINSTINCTS WhydoIgetfanmailfrombass guitaristsandnotgirls?Toallthe bassguitaristswho’veaskedme togoroundandshowthemhow toplaythebasssoloon“My Generation”I’dliketosay–I’m notcoming.Anyway,it’seasy whenyouknowhow. JOHNENTWISTLE,Ready,Steady, Go!,Wembley ABRUSHWITHTHEWALKERS TheWalkerBrothershavegreat voicesandmakegoodrecords. Butourhighopinionofthem mustbebroughtdown.It happenedwhenwewereasked toleaveacommunaldressing roomwhileScottWalkercombed hishair.Aftertourswithmany bigAmericanstars,bothhere andinAmerica,wealways foundthemgoodguys.Sothis wasabringdown. RICKROTHWELL,ERIC STEWART,BOBLANG,ofTHE MINDBENDERS,Manchester TAKINGTHEMICK MickJaggercalledourrecord “WhenMyShrimpBoatComes Home”recently.It’sreally ridiculous,butIdon’tmind.Why shouldhepostallthis,it’sjustnot worthwhile.Youheareverybody knockingeachother.It’sgetting outofhand.Rememberwhen everybodywastryingtofindout whoworewigs?It’ssouncool. Let’ssingatruce. GARYLEEDS,London,W1 WONDERFUL I’dliketosaythanks toallyoupeoplein Britainthatmade myvisitsuchagas.Itwasreally aballandIwishitcouldhave lastedlonger.Specialthanksto everyonewhobought“Uptight”; it’sfantastictohavearecordin yourchartforthefirsttime. They’vegotmeworkinghard inAmericanow,butIhopeto makeitbacktoEnglandvery soon.Haveaswingingtimefor meuntilIcomeback. STEVIEWONDER,Detroit, Michigan KEEPITCLASSY Whydopeoplestillthinkthe wholesceneisstillgearedto groups?Promoterstake advantageofthefacttheycan getalocalgroupfor£10instead ofpayingmoreandproviding theiraudiencewithabetterclass ofentertainment.True–keep moregroupsinemployment, buttheyhavekilledthebusiness bypushingtrash.Wewillalways needgroups,butIdon’tthink theywillsurviveunlessthey haveindividualityand somethingmoretoofferfans besideanoverallsound. CRISPIANSTPETERS, LondonSW3 HOPPINGMOD Whywon’tReady,Steady,Go! putonJimmyJamesThe Vagabonds!Itisridiculousthat anyJoeBloggsfromAmerica shouldgetontheprogramme withnodifficulty,simplybecause he’san“in-crowd”singer.Why nottheVagabonds? Theyareoneofthebiggest groovesinclubsandtheatres, andhaveanelectricactwhich isverypopularwithallthemods. RSGissupposedtocaterfor themodtype,sosurelythe Vagabondsshouldbegiven someRSGexposure. ROGERDALTREY,London,NW1 GETTY JAN ARY–MARCH
- 30. 30 | HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 CHRIS MORPHET/REDFERNS/GETTY 1966 FEATURINGBOBDYLAN, DUSTYSPRINGFIELD, THEBEATLESMORE APRIL–JUNE
- 31. “If it happens again, I’m leaving” HISTORY OF ROCK 1966 | 31 MMMAY28 NewburyRicky-Tickclub,Friday,May20:whenKeith MoonislateforaWhoshow,heisleftwithablackeyeandstitches May13,1966,Wimbledon Palais,southLondon: apreviousWhono-show, thistimebyRogerDaltrey, leavingPeteTownshend, KeithMoonandJohn Entwistletogoonstage andplaywithouthim P ETETOWNSHENDAND KeithMoon,starsofThe Who,wereinvolvedinan incidentonstagelastweek fromwhichKeithreceived abadlybruisedeyeandthreestitchesin hisleg.IthappenedatNewbury’sRicky- TickClub,lastFridaytowardstheendof TheWho’sperformance. Eyewitnessaccountsastowhatreally happenedareconflicting. SaysPhilip Hayward,promoterfortheRicky-Tickclub: “KeithMoonandJohn Entwistledidn’tgetto theclubuntil10.10pm and,becausethe audienceweregetting abitrestless,Pete TownshendandRoger Daltreytookthestage withoutthem,anddid anumberwiththe supportingband. “Anyway,Keithand Johnarrivedafter visitingReady,Steady, Go!andwentstraightonstage.Theyhad completedabout35minutesoftheir 40-minutespotandwereputtingonagood showandplayingverywell. Halfway through‘MyGeneration’intheenergetic part,Keith’sdrumsfellforward.Petewas leapingabouthittinghisguitarinthe amplifierwhenKeithbobbedforwardto retrievethedrumsandreceivedablowon thesideofhishead.” KeithMoonwasnursinghislegathome onMondaywhenhetoldMM:“Idon’t reallyknowwhathappened. Itwasvery instantaneous. Anyway,myeyeisall blackandblue,andI’vehadthreestitches inmyleg.” WasittrueKeithhadthreatenedtoleave thegroupaftertheincident? “Well,y’know–whoneedsit? Ifit happensagainI’mleaving!”saidKeith. PeteTowshend,playingattheBlackburn LocarnoonMondaynight,said:“Wewere dueonstage. Keithhad goneoutwithsomebody else. Theymusthave beenoutforovertwo hoursandintheendwe hadtostartplaying withoutthem. Finally Keithturnedup.Atthe endofourshowwegot madin‘…Generation’ anditannoyedmeinthe middleofthenumber whenacymbalfromhis drumsfellandhitmy leg.Iwasn’thurt;Iwasjustannoyedand upset. ThenIswungoutwithmyguitar, notreallymeaningtohitKeith. Ilostmy gripoftheinstrumentanditjustcaught himonthehead.Attheweekend,Iwent toKeith’shomeinWembleytoapologise buthewouldn’tanswerthedoor.It’sover anddonewithnowandthere’sno suggestionthatwemightbreakup becauseofwhathappened.” “Iswungoutwith myguitar,not reallymeaningto hitKeith.Ilostmy gripanditcaught himonthehead”