Manchester 1965/66

I was clearing out some old files and  found a few photos of me I hadn't seen in a very long time. I don't know who took them but I worked out they were taken in 1965 or 1966 when I was at  Manchester university and living in Cornbrook St, Brook's Bar. It was a tenement, as you can see, that I shared with Chris Wright and a couple of other students. As Chris and I got to know each other we found ourselves most  evenings hanging out together.He was already fully occupied with the local music scene as a social secretary and agent so we went to every club, student dance and concert going, and usually ended our evenings in one of the cabaret clubs, such as Mr Smith's, where Chris liked to gamble and I chatted to the croupiers.
I began exploring the music scene in Manchester from the moment I arrived there a year earlier. My early discoveries were blues clubs. The Heaven and Hell that catered mainly for dossers and featured  bands like The Pretty Things and The Downliner Sect, and the original blues club The Twisted Wheel. By 1965 The Heaven and Hell had closed, probably because it had a separate side room which was available for sex, drugs and sleeping and the Twisted Wheel was a soul club and the main attraction, with it's now legendary Saturday allnighters. The Abadi brothers who ran the club printed the posters for Chris's student union gigs so we were welcome at the Wheel and we were regulars. It was packed with mods from all over, apart from Manchester they came by train from the surrounding towns Rochdale, Bolton, Bury, Wigan, Stockport and Leeds, dancing all night on purple hearts and taking the first trains home on sunday morning. Books have been published listing every act who ever appeared there. No need to try to remember who was on you can just look it up, but there were truly unforgettable nights. The artists who played there, mainly touring American soul artists like Ben E King and Wilson Pickett, experienced an atmosphere they couldn't find anywhere else and they were incredible performers even when they were doing three shows a night.
  Otis Redding's 'Otis Blue' album was just available on import  then and was played constantly in Cornbrook St. It seemed to take over our lives. When Otis sang Sam Cooke's  'Change Gonna Come' we truly believed that change was inevitable, and most relationships, however brief, had 'My Girl' at their heart. It's not possible to overestimate the influence the blues and soul explosion had on our lives and attitudes. It certainly inspired a lot of British bands who played at The Wheel, bands such as Long John Baldry and the Hoochie-Coochie Men who segued into The Steam Packet, Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band and Jimmy James and the Vagabonds featuring Count Prince Miller, but really too many to mention. We saw an entire generation of great British musicians for the first time, usually followed by breakfast at the Oxford St cafe. It's where Chris got his start in the music business, and I soon followed him.

I can remember the excitement of course. In those days Top of the Pops was recorded at a church hall in Fallowfield and Cecil Korer the floor manager was in the habit of dropping in to the student's union and giving us passes to dance as the audience. I was on television. When I look at the photos of that time I don't have any idea of what I was thinking, or if I even was. How could I know how long it would last or where it would lead. It was just great to be there and I loved the ride. I wonder what that young man would make of the person I became. I have no way of knowing that of course. Sometimes I suppose you've just have to go with the flow.

Buying music in Hull

I was born and spent my first seventeen years in Hull. I was back there briefly in when my son was  filming in a local Police Station and staying on Newland Avenue where I was brought up. Newland Avenue was where my father  took me to the bike shop to buy a Dansette multi-change record player for my 16th birthday, justifying the extravagance to the shop keeper on the grounds that it would keep me off the streets. It may have had the opposite effect. I'd heard 78's at my aunts but now I began buying 45's from the record shop in the town centre Sydney Scarborough's. It wasn't a regular occurrence so  I had to choose very carefully. Buddy Holly was never a disappointment and I always liked Duane Eddy EP's like 'Rebel Rouser' and 'Peter Gunn'. They had 4 songs and wonderful sleeves and that made them to my mind great value. I think that's why the first first album I bought was 'Duane Eddy plays Songs of our Heritage'. I suppose if not the title then the photo on the sleeve of him with an accoustic guitar sitting in front of a covered wagon should have told me that this wasn't an album of twangy guitar. I got over my initial disappointment. I'd made my choice and lived with it. I played the record a lot and came to love it dearly. Many of the songs 'John Henry' 'In the Pines'  "Streets of Laredo' have kept recurring since, have a listen to Kurt Cobain's version of 'In the Pines' called 'Where did you sleep last night' it is truly desolate, and if you can be bothered look at the history of 'Streets of Laredo' in my piece on Frankie Miller 'A Long Way Home'.
About the same time I met my first band. A friend took me round the corner to a house on Springbank Ave where 'The Watersons' were living. I didn't know who they were or how important they would become but I loved the atmosphere they lived in. Someone arrived with a fox on a lead whilst I was there, but I was transfixed by the Sonny Boy Williamson' autograph on a scrap of paper stuck above the mantelpiece with all the power a holy relic. It had never occurred to me that I could be that close to a legend. I didn't know it then but this bohemian, artistic, musical world would quickly become the life I wanted.

Chrysalis RIP

Chrysalis finally sold...

Ari Up

photo by Caroline Coon
I met her mum Nora when she came into the Chrysalis office in 1970. It wasn't many years later I was watching The Slits on a double bill with Siouxie and the Banshees in Croydon.Sadly its now an obituary. Simon F has written something on his blog http://yammer.blog.co.uk/ that I thought I might reprint below.

Lead singer of radical post-punk girl-band ‘The Slits’, Ari has a special place in my heart. The reason? I was a member of The Slits for 24 hours. It’s a terribly long story, and one I might write about another time. Suffice to say, they were looking for a drummer to tour with them after the recording of their seminal album ‘Cut’. Budgie, who had played on the record, had commitments with The Banshees, hence his unavailability.

I had met with their then extraordinarily-glamourous guitarist, Viv Albertine, who had checked me out by dragging me to a screening of Samurai movies at The Electric Cinema (light years from being a members’ club). Having evidently passed muster, I was then auditioned at a rehearsal room in Pimlico. Naturally I was terrified, and remember Ari howling and leaping around the room in a sort of free-form scat-toasting capacity, with me trying to figure out what was the verse, chorus or middle eight, only to realise such structures were wholly irrelevant to her. Nevertheless, she took pity on me, was extraordinarily sweet, and announced that I had the gig, only for me to receive the news the next day that the quite-brilliant drummer, Bruce Smith (then of The Pop Group and later of P.I.L), would be doing it instead.

Secretly I was relieved. Ari was on a powerful trajectory that I knew I would never be able to keep up with.

I am delighted to read she kept shining for the rest of her life.

PRINCE Nikaia,Nice July 2010 The Sacred and the Profane

In the last 3 or 4 summers I've seen a few great shows in the south of France. Bob Dylan played at Le Cannet an unprepossing suburb of Cannes in a municipal hall called La Palestra that seems to have been mainly used for boxing tournaments. He was amazing in the way only he can be. I saw the Rolling Stones play the stadium in Nice. They beat the previous attendance record of 50,000 plus formerly held by U2, which they had themselves taken from the Stones, and which they were likely to have regained had they played there July 15th this summer, as was originally planned. The Stones show was extraordinarily well structured to allow a bunch of over- sixties to play a 2 hour stadium set,with solos, solo spots, accoustic sections and multiple changes in stage sets. The two key 20 minute bursts at the beginning and especially at the end surprised even my 'seen it all before' persona and I found myself with my mobile in the air during 'Sympathy for the Devil' for my wife, who was at home, to hear. By the way that can't be said of supporting band Kasabian.Their singer came out dressed in black, which ensured none of the crowd could see him, as opposed to the Stones who all wore something glittery or shiny and could be seen from anywhere. He then announced 'Bonjour France' or something like that, and immediately lost the crowd,whereas Mick Jagger came out and made a 5 minute intro in perfect French, along the lines of 'good evening,its a beautiful evening here on the cote,we're here to rock and roll etc...' and had the audience eating out of his hand before he'd sung a note. When the singer got to 'we're Kasaaabian' in that horrid mock manc drawl they've all affected since the Gallaghers it was all over,certainly for me.


Given how memorable Dylan and the Stones had been I rolled up to Prince with some excitement. I'd seen him a few times before and I'm a huge fan, but hadn't seen him for a while.
Rumour in Nice Matin suggested Prince had wanted to be part of the 'Jazz at Juan' Festival which was celebrating its 50th Year Anniversary since its beginning in Antibes in 1960,and this was the closest he could get. Starting with Sidney Bechet and followed by Louis Armstrong,Dizzy Gillespie and many others this has been one of the greatest jazz events in history and its no surprise that someone as intimately connected to the traditions of his music as Prince should want to pay tribute by participating. He managed on the night to do a good deal more than that, opening with 'Purple Rain' he stormed through 'Let's Go Crazy! Pt1' into 'Delirious' then 'Let's Go Crazy Pt 2' and followed that with '1999.' I danced for two hours.
I'd been listening to Sam Cooke live at the Harlem Square Club in Miami in 1963. He had the gospel feel and fervour that he had when he was in the Soul Stirrers, but of course by 1963 he was also a musician of the flesh "Don't fight it...feel it. Don't fight it...feel it!" he called to the crowd, and to himself. The contradiction between doing God's work and the Devil's work runs right through the music coming directly from the blues and gospel dichotomy. It runs through Prince's music to, and the atmosphere at the gig was as close to the Harlem Sq Club as a stadium show could be. "Dearly beloved we are gathered"...I had seen Prince play a club date in Camden Town in the '80's,an aftershow party following a Wembley Arena concert at which he went on at 1.30 and by 4.30 was into an extended version of The Temptation's 'Just My Imagination'. Prince's knowledge,respect and command of his music tradition showed in Nice. Just as Bob Dylan's 'Theme Time Radio' show demonstrated the enormous depth of knowledge and the inspiration he can draw from, so Prince's love of jazz, gospel, funk, r&b,rock and soul shines through his music, as his encores after 'Little Red Corvette' and 'Kiss' showed, including songs from the Jackson 5, 'Everday People' and 'I Wanna Take You Higher' from Sly & The Family Stone and finally 'Dance (Disco heat) by Sylvester. Actually Bob Dylan who is reportedly unhappy with video screens could take a tip from Prince's brilliant use of video technology. He had screen behind the stage so we watched the close-up through the live band and stage lighting which meant it was able to intensify the visuals rather than distract.

We read a lot about the 'strangeness' of Prince's life.Just recently he has been criticised for 'giving his new album away' and casting doubts on the internet.It's always interesting with him, remember the Prince merchandising shop in Camden market? In Nice he checked out of his hotel because the decor offended him, probably correctly. Does any of this obscure his place amongst the greats of music? No. He has listened carefully and has with courage and dedication forged a unique contribution to music,and earned his place, not just amongst the stars, but amongst the legends. Salut!

Mercury Music Prize

It rolls out every year with an announcement in the 'off season' which guarantees it lots of attention, followed by an award show quickly enough to hold that attention. Or does it?
I wondered. I called Simon F an ex-music journalist, ex-muscian, ex-video director and writer for an opinion. His first reaction was abusive, however when I asked for a quote I got "wake me up when its over".
Looking down this years list and as usual I'm irritated. Why does the formula have to be repeated so slavishly with all the usual nods in all the usual directions, one credible pop, a couple of neo-folkies a token look at contemporary jazz, trendy alternative one etc etc.? It's in a competitive area agreed, Mojo, Q, NME,Ivors,MOBO's and Silver Clef (google it) amongst many others celebrate the Brit music scene and I suppose they have to maintain their brand very carefully. It is after all the Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize.
I think my irritation is because the Mercury Prize reminds me every year about something that I do care about. As someone who has been actively involved with British music for a very long time I'm unhappy about the inability of the music industry to properly recognise and archive the achievements of it's music community. America has very many awards shows but nestled in there is the 'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame'. I've been to that show a few times, I saw Pete Townsend induct the Rolling Stones beginning his speech with " I hate that bastard Mick Jagger", Lou Reed induct Dion with an atmospheric poem composed for the occasion, and Little Richard induct his neighbour from Macon,Georgia Otis Redding. I could go on. I have never failed to feel humbled and proud of my involvement with music at that event. I believe the UK music community deserves the same attention and respect, and feel the UK music industry has been short-sighted in not combining its efforts to find ways to properly celebrate its creative legacy. There is a British Music Experience at the O2 I could recommend to you, but that's it.Its not something that can or should be left to the media, most of their coverage of music is either hagiography or pop sociology,with no real sense of music as an artform.
Perhaps if a UK MUsic Hall of Fame existed the Mercury Prize would be free to present a genuine annual debate about the state of the art in music, to discover and award the most creatively significant albums of the year? Let's face it we need such a debate. The fact that so many releases can be tagged so readily tell us that niche marketing rules, and new artists are in danger of being sucked into style tunnels when they should be heading off into the great unknown.The frantic commodification of music is depleting the creative activity. The discussions around both art and literature are more intense than the music discussion these days aren't they? I'm worried about Simon F's quote but I'm more worried about the quote from Lou Reed's friend Donald "stick a fork in their ass and turn em over,they're done".