Barnsbury Boys
  • Home
  • Editorial
  • New Articles and Images
  • School
    • Barnsburian Magazine
    • Bunking Off
    • Corporal Punishment
    • School Anecdotes
    • School Band (1958-?)
    • School Holidays >
      • School Journey to Champéry, 1955/1956
      • School Journey to Paris, 1959
      • School Journey to Austria, 1960
      • School Journey to Champéry, 1961
      • School Trip to Boulogne, 1961
      • School Journey to Germany, 1962
      • School Journey to the Isle of Wight
      • School Journey to Lloret de Mar, 1963
    • School Memories - Chris Zindilis
    • School Memories - Russell Profitt
    • School Photos
    • School Sports
    • School Uniforms Post War
    • School to Work - Tony Alger >
      • School to Work - Tony Alger [Part 2]
    • School to Work - James Sanderson
    • School to Work - John Tythe
    • Schoolboy Jobs
    • Schoolboys – Where are they now?
  • Teachers
    • Peter Stechman on Rozzer Richards
    • Barry Page on Harry Godsall
    • Mr. Witriol's Journal
    • Mr. Witriol vs. Johnny Williams
    • Tony Lawrence on the Teachers of 1951/1952
  • Personal Memories
    • Growing up between the Wars
    • World War Two Tales
    • Family Tales
    • Chris Zindilis - Childhood Memories of Cyprus >
      • Chris Zindilis - Childhood Memories of Cyprus Pt 2
      • Chris Zindilis - Journey to Mistras
    • Anecdotes
    • The Games We Played
    • Tony Bernie
    • Peter Coldicott
    • Alan French >
      • Music - the early days
      • Music - Into the Studio
      • Music - On The Road: Billy Fury
      • Music - On The Road: Bruce Channel
      • Music - Our First Album
      • Music - Cruising
      • Music - Trident Recording Studios
      • Music - Back into Trident Sound
      • Music - The day we turned down Son of my Father
      • Music - Running Out Of Time
      • Music - Our Last Album
      • Music - End Of The Road
    • John Golding
    • Terry Hayford
    • Raymond Hunter
    • Dave Hollowell-Geddes
    • Micky Isaacs
    • Richard Jones
    • Tam Joseph
    • Brian Karavis
    • Paul Kenealy >
      • Music - the early days
      • Music - Movin' On
      • Susan - the mid-teen years
    • David Naylor
    • Peter Nelson
    • Barry Page - Memoirs Online
    • Music - Bill Pitt-Jones >
      • Baby, I go for you - The Blue Rondos
    • Tom Pratt
    • Ken Pratley
    • Russell Profitt - Chuck Berry
    • John Prysky
    • Micky Simmonds
    • Bill Tanner
    • Paul Tully
    • Bruce Weir
    • Ray Wilkerson
    • Bike Lovers Everywhere
    • GS 150 - A Love Affair - Ray Silk
    • Hobbies
    • Manze's & Chapel Market
    • Retirement
    • You a Cab Driver?
  • Natter
    • Club Tempo, Highbury Corner.
    • Department Stores, Cinemas and other Buildings
    • Early Tastes and Adventures in Music
    • General Natter
    • Giles, the Cartoonist
    • Guy Fawkes Night
    • H. J. Nichols
    • Swimming Lessons
    • The Scariest Film You Have Ever Seen.
    • The Two Puddings Pub, Stratford.
    • Underage Drinking and the Art Circle
    • Uniforms & Caps
  • Local History
    • The Winter of '63
  • Reunions
    • Reunion December 2014
  • Obituaries
  • Archives
    • Happy Christmas 2014
    • Letters and Comments
    • 2013 Editorial
    • Christmas with the Family
  • Miscellaneous Images
  • Mod Dress in the Sixties
  • Template with Header to Copy

BARNSBURY BOY - ALAN FRENCH. MUSIC: ON THE ROAD

Picture
Bruce Channel

We arrive at the famous Tottenham Royal Ballroom. BRUCE CHANNEL American Singing Star cried out from the poster. Music history has already been written here over the years. We set up the gear on the revolving stage. Barriers were being set up on the dance floor in front of that stage. Security became the name of the game. I thought 'Who On Earth Was Going To Storm The Stage?’

I've just this week been reminded by Bill Friend, Bass Player, that the famous Denny D'ell of 'The Honeycombs' was there behind the scenes. Rumour has it that Denny fetched Bill a glass of milk. The Royal was a welcome venue for us, it was like a home match; we hoped to score all three points (or two points as it was then).

Picture
Among our travels with other stars we also had a career of our own to carve out. In between those prestigious gigs we were still working under own name. One show I must talk about is when Dr Marigold's Prescription opened for the Small Faces at The Guildhall in Portsmouth. Our van had broken down. The agency who booked us found a replacement along with a driver. Now at this time there was flooding along the route to Portsmouth. The River Mole had burst it's banks. After a few diversions we ended up in a traffic queue and time was running away. Our nice driver that day was getting agitated as we had a schedule to keep.

Bill Collins was the name of our driver, his son was the famous actor, Lewis Collins. Bill told us about the group that he managed The Iveys. This must have been around the time when the group signed to Apple, then changed their name to Badfinger. Stuck in traffic, going nowhere, Bill actually drove along the pavement, no messing about. We arrived in Portsmouth just in time. The bonus for us was Bill Collins carried all the equipment from the van to the stage. My lasting memory of him is eating his way through a bag of plums whilst driving. Only a small thing but sometimes those memories are the best.


Picture
This gig in Portsmouth with the Small Faces was a real step up for us. One song we may have opened the show with was 'Light My Fire' the Doors version. While we played our set we knew there was a party going on backstage. One thing TSF liked was partying. Once they started playing the whole of their set was an extension of that party. They were amazing and more. I watched from the side of the stage.

Another support show of note was at the Colston Hall, Bristol. Top of the bill that night was Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich. Now the stage at the Colston Hall was the longest I ever played on. Dave Dee was a great front man. They had hits all over the world. When he picked up that whip during The Legend Of Xanadu screaming ruled. The only front men I saw who bettered Dave Dee were Reg Presley and of course, Screaming Lord Sutch.

Back at the Tottenham Royal we watched the crowds building up. My memory tells me the Royal was a massive dance floor, not much else apart from the revolving stage. It took some doing to fill it. Bruce had already had a number 1 hit record with Hey Baby. He was back in Britain with a new release Try Me. Keep On was released earlier in 1968. I now have to rely on heavily on my memory. As far as I remember we first met Bruce Channel at the Granada Walthamstow. We were up on the stage and he walked down the middle isle towards us. He was with a man called Roger Easterby. Now Roger worked at the Arthur Howes Agency in Piccadilly. He had close contact with the BBC and would later become our manager. Bruce was a real nice man.

We had already learned to play Bruce's songs, copying them from actual recordings. Bruce was typically American, no problems with anything, always looking forward and extremely positive. The show in Tottenham was a success. I must say sitting on that stage I did think at some point of The Dave Clark Five who made the ballroom famous. Among the songs Bruce sang were Mr Bus Driver, Keep On, his new release Try Me and of course, Hey Baby. Other venues with Bruce were in Scotland, Nantwich in Cheshire and the famous Cavern in Liverpool. This was a memorable occasion. The Cavern is well documented, but unless you have been there it's just a mere thought. I enjoyed sitting in the dressing room even though it was extremely tight for room, but to make up for that, seeing all the famous names etched into the brickwork was a great experience. It was very cramped on stage and the sound seemed to disappear. There was a strange smell in the Cavern, almost like drainage. Anyhow WE WERE THERE something to always remember. Another gig we played with Bruce was the Tudor House in Bearstead, Maidstone, Kent. It was a regular venue for groups like Vanity Fair and Chicory Tip. It was here that we heard that Bruce was to marry a girl who worked at the Arthur Howes Agency. Now for me that is a nice story.


Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.