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My History 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. Where did I put my copy? 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",
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'.
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. I then 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"
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 I would like to hear from someone who remembers who was. 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 the Trumpet and Sax players 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 1991 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. Looking for frets again, in 2001, I bought an Ernie Ball Music Man Sting Ray, although this is a brilliant instrument I only played it at one gig. I then picked up a Five String De-Armand, rather cheep at a local shop, and began using it at rehearsals, my first obstacle was where the notes were on the B string. I found that I was looking away and playing five semis down, that was the hardest thing I have ever found about moving up from four strings. However, before getting to use it at a gig I fell in love with a Warwick Streamer Six, a 6 string bass I found, which had been custom made around the mid 80’s for Mark Griffiths who plays with Cliff Richards and the Shadows. After fighting the five string I found it almost played it's self and had to buy it. The only bass I played at gigs for the next three years.
June
2004 I visited the
Overwater
factory in Carlisle! While they filled my wife with coffee, I
was measured up for a 7 string. It took 5 months to build and arrived in the
November. This is still my main instrument today, together with an Overwater
fretless 6 string they made for me to arrive 2007 and a semi-acoustic 6 string I
collected in 2010. In 2004 the old school band were
invited to a fancy-dress party. It was suggested we dress as the Droogs from
Clockwork Orange and maybe perform two or three songs. This escalated leading up
to the party and we eventually appeared as the
"Droogs"
and performed as the main
attraction of the evening. Robert and Dave
making their first public appearance since 1964. After 2 more gigs Robert the
drummer decided to call it a day, this was disappointing but the Droogs returned
in 2005. During
2005, a phone call came from Roger, who
wanted to do the same as Kev and Dave, rehearse
and only do an occasional gig. A gig with a real 60's band is really enjoyable. With
The Droogs, the 60's show was performed on various occasions, and for me, they
were very enjoyable evenings. We had enjoyed regular rehearsals for almost 10
years. The last gig I did with the Droogs in 2007 raised £508
for the Air Ambulance. They now have another bass player and have changed
to another drummer. Bad Moon Rising, Mr Tambourine Man, Waterloo Sunset, Poison Ivy, Lucky
Man, Dedicated Follower of Fashion, Sweet Home Alabama, Needles and Pins, Last
Time, Midnight Hour, Badge, Apache, Space Oddity, Black Magic
Woman, All or Nothing, Urban Space Man, Something Good, Proud Mary, Day Dream (What a Day For), When I'm Dead And Gone, Ob La Di, Shame Shame Shame, Hang on Sloopy, Blue Suede Shoes, Wipe Out, Walk Don’t Run, Do Are Diddy,
All Shook Up, Keep on Running, Walk In The Room,
My Old Man's a Dustman, For Your Love, Shaking all Over, All Over Now, Spirit in the Sky, Keep A Knocking, Hay Baby, Hi-Ho Silver Lining, Hay Joe, Running Bear, Crossroads, House of
the Rising Sun, Lola, Lying Eyes, Paperback Writer, Stairway to Heaven, Well Its Alright, Baby Come Back, Gi'me Some a' Loving,
In My Minds Eye, Eight Days a Week, Help.
I heard this band were looking for a Bass Guitarist in January 2005 and
started to rehearse with them. The band was excellent, formed from 5 different musical
backgrounds including the excellent lead vocals from Christine. I
sadly left this band when Sean was
moving away to be a university teacher and Christine and her family were
emigrating to Australia. Christine is now singing in Australia and has her own
web site.
Undercurrent kept going and I did some dep's, rehearsals and gigs,
with them at the beginning of 2009, with just two of the originals.
Now a very disco band.
November 2005 I enjoyed being a part of the band in the "pit" at
the Kettering Scouts Gang Show. The other musicians and the cast were excellent
and the show was far superior than I had expected.
"Ayleys Comet"
I first played with this band in
October 2005, when I was completely without a gigging band, first gig at very short notice, Rob and Frank on guitars and Ian
on drums. Frank was about to emigrate and Hayley joined the band soon after
me as lead vocalist. This was Hayley's first gigging band, she has a wonderful
voice and I'm sure she has a great future. I
enjoyed an excellent time with
them through 2006 and continued to enjoy occasional gigs with them in 2007. Rob
and Ian were the stalwarts in the band and Joan, secretary/manager, the wife of lead guitarist Rob,
does all the background hard work for the band. A temporary return with
singer, Kristina, in 2008 after Breeez decided to
fold and then with Toni Marie
& Malcolm at the end of 2008 up to New Years Eve. Have they found a permanent Bass
Player? Still doing occasional dep's. "Lou
Short & The Girls who Love Sci-Fi" Yes
I was one of the girls!!!!!! My
first gig at an acoustic venue. There were about 6 good acts on, it was not
strictly acoustic, but we were on last and the audience
loved us. Lou has all his own original material, which comes in all shapes and
sizes. Click here
for Lou's site. We
also squashed into a very small Radio Studio at Harborough FM and various other
gigs. Lou eventually found a bass player for his style. Who was Jack The Lad ? 50's, 60's and very early 70's music, nothing newer, with emphasis on the entertainment. No rehearsals just gigs, July 2009 well into 2010. The audiences were always guessing if we are all Jack The Lad but it was originally Keith on drums and Martin on guitar and lead vocals. Martin performed and Keith and I were his backing but without a lead instrument I was very busy on the bass. The line up constantly changed, the other picture June 2010 had singer Vicki and Robo on guitar.
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