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Memories of a Birmingham Musician (Drummer)!

Seeing Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles mentioned reminds me that Les Paul (an abbreviation of his name) was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin. His pioneering of the modern guitar revolutionized modern music.
 
Did any of you guys ever meet Gerald Freeman? He was the drummer for The Applejacks in the early 1960s. He was in the same form as me at Camp Hill GS. Dave.
 
Not me, Dave, I left Brum in January 1961.

This item (a bit late) might not mean a lot to John or Eddie as they were in the States, but anyone familiar with Watkins amplifiers or the famous Copycat will know of Charlie Watkins who died last October at the ripe old age of 91. I missed it until the other day as I was touring around Europe at the time.

https://www.musicindustrynews.com/news/charlie-watkins-dies-aged-91/

Maurice
 
norfolk brummie said:
Does anyone remember the film "The Jolson Story? The first time, I sat in the Piccadilly Cinema in Sparkbrook, and watched it through twice. I saw it again many times. When "Jolson Sings Again" came out, we all stood in a long queue at the old Odeon in New Street, Sunday afternoon, and sat through the film, fascinated. Today, of course, these films are very un PC, but at the time, they inspired people like myself, so interested in music. On one trip to Hollywood, I visited Graumans Chinese Theatre, and placed my hands in the cement patter left by Al Jolson. Lovely memories. Eddie
Click to expand...
. Hi Eddie. I'm not sure I saw the original films, but I have them both on DVD, with Larry Parks playing Al Jolson. The songs are always very catchy. I have been to the Hollywood Pavement of the Stars and know LA quite well as my daughter and family live there. Hope to hear of your time at the Hollywood Bowl. Did you sing "California here I come" when you first went to LA? Dave.
 
I know Gerry very well. Last saw him was around three years ago at the National Drum Show, which is an annual event held in Birmingham. When I left the Midland All Stars Big Band, my last regular 'gig', in 1979, Gerry took over from me. I used to dash back from anywhere, to make the gigs, but it became too much in the end, and I had then decided on other percussion ventures. Gerry was looking good the last time I saw him. Eddie
 
norfolk brummie said:
I know Gerry very well. Last saw him was around three years ago at the National Drum Show, which is an annual event held in Birmingham. When I left the Midland All Stars Big Band, my last regular 'gig', in 1979, Gerry took over from me. I used to dash back from anywhere, to make the gigs, but it became too much in the end, and I had then decided on other percussion ventures. Gerry was looking good the last time I saw him. Eddie
Click to expand...
Thanks Eddie. Good to know that he's still going strong. I probably haven't seen him for 50 years or so. Dave.
 
Maurice. This is getting very embarrassing. I also knew Charlie Watkins very well, a slightly built, energetic man, with, I recall, a good London accent, and his wonderful COPYCAT tape player. Used by all self respecting guitar players. Eddie
 
True, Eddie, and Charlie brought out a small portable organ, the "Telstar", in competition with the Vox Continental. I went up to his factory and he sold me serial number 17. I kept it for several years until the Farfisa Compact Duo came out, and then a few years later I switched to Hammond. Here's the sales literature. 246 pounds may not seem much, but it was a lot of money in 1962 - I had by then moved to Bournemouth, one of Jan Ralfini's old residencies.

Maurice

Telstar_organ.jpg
 
Maurice: I am moving from some of my stories to say that, during the 60's/70's I played with some of the best organ/keyboard players; Keith Beckingham & John Dales (Hammond), Mike Carr (Vox), Saniti Latori & Les Bonner (Farfisa). In fact I made 3/4 LP's with Les on Farfisa. Alan Haven (Lowry). I knew Alan from my playing days in Manchester. We did a show together in London, and Alan, with his wife, Lesley Langley (Miss World), had not booked into a hotel for the night, so we all piled back to mine. I can truthfully say that I have spent a night with a Miss World, but we were just good friends!!
I also did a keyboard extravaganza at the Fairfield Hall in Croydon, where I played with two or three of the featured organists. Also on the bill was Harold Smart, and the top guest was Semprini. Remember him? Did not play with him though. Eddie
 
Eddie, just out of curiosity, if you play in a big band (10/20 players or more) surely the money must have been paltry by the time it`s shared out?, or did you play for the love of it. I once had a guitar but could i hell play it, just not enough dexterity in the fingers :-{ I used to walk up & down our road with my guitar slung over my shoulder just to impress the girls. What a poser!!
 
Smudger: As a full time pro musician in the late 50's, early 60's,, with a 10-15 piece band, the standard money, for five nights, and three to five afternoons was £12.00 week. That would be around 25 hours of actual playing. Money was never that great, and quite often, specially playing jazz, which we loved, we would play for nothing. Many agents took advantage of the musicians. The Musicians Union was never that good at helping musicians, but you did get a bunch of flowers if you died. I spoke with Howard Rudge, the local Birmingham Union Secretary to do more for musicians, but it was like hitting your head against the brick wall.
I realised this pretty early on, but when I got married, in 1961, I decided that I could hopefully continue playing with the best bands, but make something more of my daytime life. I became a professional drum clinician and lecturer, with two drum companies, and three cymbals companies. Life changed after that.
A drummer friend of mine, Bill Eyden, and a London 'session' drummer, played the drums on the recording of "A Whiter Shade Of Pale". It made millions of pounds for Procol Harum. Bill's fee? £25.00. He took them to Court for more money, but lost his case. Although I worked with many groups during the 60's & 70's, I was too old for the big name group scene, and I saw how many of them really struggled. Eddie
 
Eddie, £12 for a 25 hour week sounds a good deal to me. I started work in 57 as a wages clerk & when i left in 59 i was on £2.4shillings & tuppence. I would love to have been a musician rather than sitting in a boring office, but i had little tallent for music (apart from listening to it, not a jazz fan though but Acker Bilk & Kenny Ball put out a couple of commercial hits. I think Acker Bilks "Stranger on the shore" was in the charts for a long time. I like Stephan Grappelli type of jazz.
 
Eddie, the mere fact that you spent the night with Miss World is a good story on its own! Alan Haven was a great organist. I say "was" because he is apparently still alive though rarely performs in the UK. Of the others, Mike Carr I know, but not well and I remember Keith Beckingham from his radio broadcasts. Here he is doing "Begin the Beguine":-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK-e3aB4X8g

Maurice
 
Smudger: I agree that £12 a week was a good salary compared to most other jobs, but, like most other musicians, I had spent lots of money in having lessons, lots and lots of hours practicing, and had invested, in 1954, in a new drum kit, which, even then cost around £250. I also had to buy my first transport, which cost £150 for an ex. post office Morris Series E type van from some motor dealer in Harborne. Not complaining, in fact I thought it was all fun, but trying to be a musician, even a drummer! - was not cheap. Eddie
 
Ella Fitzgerald:

For 1979/80 81, I attended the Montreux Jazz Festival, for the USA company Avediz Zildjian Cymbals. I was there in my capacity as a cymbal specialist, and percussionist, and to advise the many drummers that attended on types and use of various cymbals. Zildjian were also the major festival sponsors.
This meant that I had full access to every part of the festival,and would spend much time backstage with the various artistes. Chatting etc.
One evening Ella was performing with the Count Basie Orchestra. At the end of her performance she had to walk to the back of the stage, climb about five steps and would then be backstage. I was standing at the top of the stairs where she came off, and as she started to climb the steps, I realised that she was not going to make it. I stepped out, held out my arm, which she grabbed, and helped her off. She smiled warmly "Thank you, young man", and gave me a little hug. Me & Ella!!
Later that evening I was in the bar talking with some of the Basie sidemen, and mentioned that she has struggled. They told me that her legs were beginning to cause problems.

She died in 1996, with major heart problems, nearly blind, and sitting, without any limbs, in a wheel chair.
A sad end for a wonderful lady, and the most wonderful singer. Eddie.
 
Another great story Eddie. It is amazing she lived to reach the age of 79 considering her health and her most unhappy personal life. But such a wonderful singer and personality. I'm sure in your time with Zildjean that you must have met a terrific number of well known musicians. Nice memories!

Obituaries of jazz musicians is a bit of a hit and miss affair. I've just read that Ward Swingle, the founder of the Swingle Singers, died Monday last week at his home in Eastbourne aged 87.

https://www.theswingles.co.uk/blog/

Maurice
 
I played at two wonderful venues in the United States.

HOLLYWOOD BOWL: 1979

This was a Yamaha USA musical extravaganza. Yamaha (the worlds biggest musical instrument manufacturers), invited selected young American musicians aged between (I think) 15/16 - 24/25 years old, and believe me, they were good, to play at the Hollywood Bowl. There were strings, brass, woodwind and percussion players. Everything from solo players, to string orchestra's, brass bands, and a big band

Yamaha worked very closely with the Zildjian Cymbal Company (Yamaha could not make cymbals)!, and as the Zildjian clinician, I was invited to play, as a guest, with the big band.

I played two numbers: 'Just One Of Those Things', and a bit of a feature on 'CUTE', a nice relaxed jazz standard, that features brush and stick work.
At the rehearsal, prior to the concert, I thought that acoustically, it would be like playing into a field, but I was pleasantly surprised, as the 'Bowl' around the stage balanced the sound perfectly. A wonderful experience.

GRAND OLE 'OPREY: 1980

I was in Nashville visiting the Gretsch Drum Company, and the guy who ran the company was Charlie Roy. Charlie was also a sponsor and supporter of the Grand Ole Oprey. On the night we went out to the Theatre, and backstage I was talking with the resident Country & Western musicians. Charlie suggested that I go on stage and play!!

The guys made it easy for me, although I felt relaxed with the music and the rhythms. Another great experience. Eddie
 
You certainly did get about Eddie! Great stories. Buildings are very deceiving when it comes to sound. One of the finest auditoriums in the country was said to be Bournemouth Winter Gardens, yet a few years ago the Council said that they couldn't afford to maintain it any longer, demolished it, and it is now a car park! What appeared to be a simple rectangular building, but I attended many Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra concerts there and the sound was great - far better than the acoustically-designed Royal Festival Hall. The powers that be will never learn!

Maurice
 
Just dug out a couple of photos of my days playing around Brum
This was with the Johnny Beck Six, circa 1956/7, just before I left Brum.

Alan Tomblin (tpt): died very young. Johnny Beck (alto); Went on to be very successful in insurance, lived for a time on the Isle of Wight. Harry Burrows (tnr); Lived with Susan Maugham (Bobby's Girl); Vince Thomas (bass); I think, still lives in Brum.
Les Price (piano) went off to the USA to join his brother, Ray, who played with Spike Jones, and Stan Kenton. Self on drums. Eddie

Sorry, lost the photos somewhere. Will try again!!!!!
 
Hi Eddie,

I played quite a lot with Vince Thomas - nice bass player. Johnny Beck (Smith) I knew well, but didn't realise he had headed to IoW. I think I mentioned before that I met his ex-girlfriend one lunchtime in the Bourne Hall Hotel in Bournemouth. Can't for the life of me remember her name now, but this must have been mid-1960s and she hadn't seen him for a while. The name Harry Burrows rings a bell, but I can't put a face to the name.

Maurice
 
I just get an error message if I click on the Attachment 96054, Eddie.

It says "Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator"
 
003.jpg003.jpg003.jpgMaurice. Try these!!!
Club 57 Digbeth, circa 1957. JOHN BECK SIX; Alan Tomblin (tpt); Harry Burrows (tnr); 'Robby' Robinson(bass). Self on drums,
Willtry to sort out the Bournebrook Hotel photo. Thanks for the info. Eddie
 
Maurice.
You have just reminded me. When I played the Pavilion, in 1961, the local M.U. Secretary was a woman. She was a real stickler for MU fees and keeping up the membership. One day I asked her why so keen, and she said that the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra was a prestigious orchestra, but never made money,, and it was only the pressure from the MU on the local council for funding that kept the B.S.O afloat. Eddie
 
Bournebrook Hotel 001 - Copy - Copy.jpgRe: Post #50. - Bournebrooke Hotel - Selly Oak, circa 1957.
For some reason, the photo keeps printing on it's side. It must be me, but just in case, John Crump (Old Brit) will also try to send this photo. This was just after John Crump had left for the States, and we had been playing together playing earlier. Eddie
 
Eddie:

Bournemouth MU at that time was a right Communist cell. Of the Committee of 12, the B.S.O. (with 150 members then and 110 now) had but one member, the rest were semi-pro fifth rate players that I wouldn't give houseroom to. You can say the same about most symphony orchestras - they're all kept alive by Arts Council and local councils simply because door receipts could never cover the players salaries. Similarly Kenton, Basie, Herman & Ellington found it difficult to keep large bands on the road. It will be documented elsewhere on the web that but for Poole Council allowing the BSO to rehearse in what was then Poole Arts Centre, the BSO would have gone under as Bournemouth Council could not afford to maintain their previous home, the above-mentioned Winter Gardens. But we'd best not let this get political, so I will say no more and not mention names!

Maurice
 
Yes, there's Vince, you'd recognise him a mile off, and John too. I've taken the liberty of turning the pic around

Maurice

Bournebrook_Hotel_001.jpg
 
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