My early History to 2000
My
first appearance was in 1964 but the story begins in 1957, when a guitar was
brought into school, it was almost as big as me, that was my first contact with
a guitar and the word was added to my Christmas
and birthday lists.
Eventually I got an acoustic and played it at, and after, school. I moved to bass only because the school band needed one but even then, in the 60’s, I added 2 more strings to my bass, tuning it an octave down from a guitar. This was a standard four string bass so the strings were very close, but that was my schoolboy beginnings. Various other concoctions came out of the garden shed including this picture of me with a double-neck.
The first band, or group as we liked to be called in those days, started in 1962, we rehearsed after school and became the CULPRITZ, with this line up in 1964, Dave & Kev on guitars, Robert on drums and me on bass. There were a few more performances until 1966 but then we left school. Read on to discover how the 1964 line up reformed for 2004.
I then moved on to the local youth club and joined a band there. We did a few performances but never played outside the youth club. I played guitar through a 10W amp!, Mark on bass, Kev vocals and a drummer. If you read this and remember the name of the band or the drummer, please let me know.
In 1968, I joined with singer Barry, and guitarist Mark, who was from the youth club band, to end up playing guitar while Mark played bass, but that was the only band with whom I ever played guitar at a gig. We were the "Mark Barry Trio" but later added "plus one" to the name when Lynn, later to become Barry's wife, joined as another singer. My first recording studio experience when we made a single, 45 vinyl, I think it was called "A One Way Love" made at Shield Studios in Kettering by Derek Tompkins. Now where did I put my copy? and has any one any photos?
Over the years I went from Rock & Roll to Cabaret and Dance Bands to Rock Bands. My favourite is entertaining the audience.
The Rock & Roll was a regular "Friday Night with Bobby Leroy". It began at the North Park Club in Kettering, around 1968, and moved to the Windmill Club. Other than Fridays Bobby was a solo act and the others, including me, were playing in other bands. At first I was only playing some Fridays, while Jack did others, eventually I was playing every Friday. Robert was always the Lead Guitarist and there were several drummers including "Webby" and "Flute". Into the studio again with Derek Tompkins, Beck this time at Wellingborough, a 12" vinyl which is still pleasant to listen to.
Eventually I had to give up
the regular Fridays when "Concord",
later to become the "Jacy G
Band",
started to get Friday Gigs.
There were only three in the original Concord, John and Clive with me on bass.
We were mainly a cabaret club band and did occasional dances.
Another studio experience at Beck, this time with Barry Hale, I must ask Barry if he still has a copy, I can't find mine. 12" vinyl again.
I think it was during the Rock & Roll time I bought my first Fender, a Precision, during that time the neck came off and went on to a twin neck home made body (no photos sorry) with a guitar neck, I played that at quite a few Concord gigs. Eventually the Fender went back together and I sold it to a suspecting bass player who spotted the extra holes in the body where I had fitted two other pickups, but he still bought it.
November
1974 I sold everything and bought a house! Silly really because the next year I
saw a bass in a second hand shop, bought it and started playing again, first gig
was the weekend before I married Sue, and 3 kids later we still have each other.
"The Roy Bishop Sound" followed, in 1975, which was my first introduction to Ballroom music, there were originally six, Hammond Organ played by Paul, Roy on Sax, Bill Guitar, Jimmy Drums and me on Bass. There was a singer, Brian, who did some gigs. April 2006 I received a surprise email from Paul who found this web site, I'm still waiting to meet him again!
During two years with Roy Bishop I changed the old bass for a Hayman '40 40'.
I
then rejoined Concord who had changed to the
"Jacy G Band"
and become a Dance Band. Originals were John; guitar
vocals, Clive; Drums, Geoff on guitar who had been added to Concord, and now
they had Trevor on Trumpet and Ken on Sax. An enjoyable 2 years of Dinner Dances
and Dance Halls.
During
that time I began playing a fretless bass, the first was a Fender
Precision Fretless,
but the
light maple fingerboard did not go well with round wound strings.
In the mid 70's I auditioned for a job with a 10 piece Dance band, "John Winston's Selection", and got the job. The band included John; drums, Cyril; piano, Tony; Guitar, Mark and Phil; Trumpets, two Saxes Robin and Phil, and singers Barry and Marie. I enjoyed many years with John's Band, John and some of the others were great mentors, and I learned a great deal about music. Sight reading the bass clef, how to play to an audience and "playing the audience", how to play with dep's and how to play as a dep with another band. When John decided to retire the band changed its name to The "Tony Park Orchestra and Singers" and quite a few changes followed, including me, but nearly all the members, including John, re-formed for one last gig, which was a great night.
Parts of the two bands then became the "Robin Clive Sound" but I didn't stay long, see "Dark ages" below.
Around
1979 I changed the fretless for a WAL
Pro Fretless,
this proved to be an excellent instrument, it was my only bass for 10 years but
I owned it for 30 years.
As I moved up to more than 4 strings I played the WAL less until I very reluctantly
sold it at the end of 2009 to Michael in New York, I was relieved
when it arrived safely.
My next band was a slightly smaller one, one sax and one trumpet, but I really enjoyed my time with them "The Terry Mann Show Band". There was not a Terry Mann in the band but there was mainly Neil on Trumpet and Bill on Sax. I have heard from Alan another trumpet player who expanded the line up on occasions and would love to hear from any others. I do remember Steve who joined as a singer while I was in the band, I had played with Steve before and have played with him since. The band consisted of excellent musicians and we did a variety of gigs, all very enjoyable. There were several changes in the band during my time with them but Neil and Bill were the backbone. I discovered, about 2 years after leaving, they had called me "chippy" just before I left them, I hope the reason is explained in the next paragraph. I would like to hear from any of the others who were in this band
The "Dark Ages"; October 1993 I disappeared into hospital with an abscise in my head. I was playing with bands at the time but that stopped. An operation removed the problem but took away some memory. I came home found a guitar and discovered I could play. It took a couple of years for my memory to recover and to start playing in a band again but read on to see how, the Culpritz are to blame.
An invitation to a Silver Wedding Party dropped on the mat. It was from two friends from the early years Terry & Angie. I arrived at the party, with my wife Sue, and we were shown to a table where there were two men about my age, sitting with their wives. I’m sure we would have passed in the street but it took only a few seconds to realise it was Robert and Kev from the old school band, the CULPRITZ.
After a few weeks of being reunited, a phone call suggested we should attempt to try and play some music, we had the use of a school music room for a day. The day was interesting and we came to enjoy the 60’s music again and stuck with the rehearsing, even doing an occasional gig. Thanks to Kev, Dave and Robert getting me playing again, I was soon to be playing with other gigging bands. They provided what I needed and they are responsible for the musician I am today.
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