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Memories of a Birmingham Musician (Drummer)!

Not a great photo, but in great company, with three of the finest drummers in the world.

l/r: Bill Zildjian; Self; Roy Burns; Louis Bellson; Dennis Matthews (Crescendo Magazine) & Harvey Mason

Bill is from the great cymbal company; Roy- ex. Benny Goodman, Louis - ex. Duke Ellington, and everyone else, Harvey - Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and top Hollywood recording artiste.
Koblenz Drum festival 001.jpg Taken in Koblenz, Germany, February 1984. Two days later Louis and Harvey were with me in London, where we were joined by the great Kenny Clare and Eric Delaney. I had been fortunate to know everyone in the photo for quite a few years, but this was a nice get together.
 
Eddie,

Nice momento to an interesting meeting and difficult to realise that 1984 is now more than 30 years ago. I'd stopped playing four years earlier and was working for the Marconi Company. But it really is the last ten years (since I've been out here) that have really flown by. But I do envy you these memories.

Maurice
 
I was great friends with Jack Mckechnie, who lived in Dudley. Jack was the wonderful guitar player in the 1950/60's Hedley Ward Trio.

The Hedley Ward Trio were top touring artistes, who worked with many of the great stars, and Jack told me the following story, which was so funny that I thought it would be worth sharing.

The Trio were appearing, somewhere up north, and were on the bill with Billy Daniels (Old Black Magic etc.). His Musical Director was Benny Payne, a great American jazz pianist, who worked with Billy for many years.

On this particular week Jack and the Trio were sitting in the stalls watching Benny rehearse the theatre orchestra run through Billy Daniels music. Billy himself was not there, and always left the rehearsals for Benny to sort out, and Billy would appear on stage in the evening, with the orchestra fully rehearsed, fully understanding what to play for his act.

At the afternoon rehearsal, Benny introduced himself to the band musicians, explained the music, and then decided to run through the first number of the songs Billy Daniels would be singing.

Benny counted out loud "One, two, three, four", and the band started played. It was awful. He stopped them "OK fellas, joke over, now lets play properly. "One, two, three, four". It was the same again. Benny Payne looked in dismay at the band, and then noticed that the bass player, was using a bow on his bass, not playing the instrument with his fingers, as he should have been doing.

Benny asked him why he was using the bow "If it twer good enough fer our Gracie, tis good enough for thee, and Billy Daniels".

Jack and the lads were rolling with laughter in the stalls.

Lovely story,

Eddie
 
sospiri said:
Eddie,

Nice momento to an interesting meeting and difficult to realise that 1984 is now more than 30 years ago. I'd stopped playing four years earlier and was working for the Marconi Company. But it really is the last ten years (since I've been out here) that have really flown by. But I do envy you these memories.

Maurice
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Maurice,

My wife worked for many years for Marconi. First in Leicester, then in Norwich. Always in the drawing office.

Eddie
 
Nice one, Eddie!

Just got my email back after a massive computer crash yesterday morning. Had to reinstall Win 7, which promptly wiped out all of the Intel board drivers - good old Microsoft - NOT! Now have loads of programs to reinstall and stuff like that, but the main hurdles are passed.

Maurice
 
A further piece of information about the Hedley Ward Trio. With Jack Mckenchnie on guitar was Derek Franklin, on bass. Derek was married to Beryl Reid, who developed her famous 'Brummie' accent for her "Marlene" routine, from her association with Derek and the Birmingham based Hedley Ward Trio.

George Taylor, the pianist, later worked with the Cliff Deeley Band, at the Tower Ballroom.

Eddie
 
NORTHFIELD said:
I loved Beryl Reid's 'Marlene'. ''Good evenin each. D'yow loike me earrings?''
Click to expand...
So did my mum who used to take her off on stage, she donned a pair of earrings made from bakelite Christmas Tree decorations in the form of 3d stars in red and green that were supposed to glow in the dark. She also did a Dolly Allen Black Country type character,' ar soor this ooman stood stondin on the corner"
 
Nico,

Probably because they're all using CAD systems now, both for doing drawings, designing printed circuit boiards, etc. Gone are the blueprints and dyeline systems.

Maurice
 
Yes Sospiri. my mate worked at Marconi here, he was made to use the CAD system but always did a freehand backup and submitted it afterwards as the printed circuit boards done on the CAD were never precise. The people who had to make the circuit boards complained that the non time served workforce produced drawings that were upside down and back to front.
On your topic, I have come across a smaller than A4 sized quarterly magazine called Evergreen which covers every nostalgic topic under the sun including music. Even the jokes are old but they have a regular Juke Box feature and musical articles e.g. Cilla Black, The Comedian Harmonists circa 1920' 30'a, Slade, and Johnny Kid and the Pirates,
 
I expect that many of you had piano lessons as children, even if you gave it up after a few weeks or months because you preferred playing with your friends or the piano was a bundle of out-of-tune firewood. Many a relative would say Öh", that's good enough for him/her because they're only learning". No quicker way to persuade a child to give it all up, if they needed any persuading at all.

You would have most probably have been taught using one of two tutors, Hermann's Piano Tutor (a large format book about 1/4 inch thick with a grey cover) or the more popular Roland's Piano Tutor (by Alfred E. Roland, with a mid-blue cover, of standard music page size and published by B. Feldman). The latter is still available, though with a different cover, from Amazon.

I've tried in vain to find an image of either book on the web, but we are talking about a period 50 years before the Web was invented. But I remember my mother at the age of 50 trying to teach herself from Hermann's book when she already had podgy fingers and the beginnings of arthritis. I can remember that most of the tunes were not very inspiring and included "Home Sweet Home"and "Öberon" and both tutors included the obligatory "Rousseau's Dream" in E flat. The latter tune comes from a fairly obscure opera by Franz Schubert, but being out of copyright, he was never given credit for it.

Better tunes in the Roland Tutor and I can remember that the last one (before you progressed to better things - rather like finishing square bashing in the services!) was a cross hands version of "Narcissus" by Ethelbert Nevin. Happy days! No, not really as I wanted to go out and play on the bomb site next door with my mates. Practice was very difficult at that age and the piano wasn't very good until my uncle gave me his five years later. Nowadays they learn on expensive electronic pianos that never need tuning - talk about being spoilt!

Maurice
 
Ours needs tuning we can't find a tuner. Our grandson chewed some of the keys and pulled them off, I would not have been allowed to treat a musical instrument in such a way. when I was little, but, I stuck them back on and glued the keys so they got stuck together! I have filed them apart but they stick anyway, it needs refelting. I didn't learn with your book I had the Easiest Tune Book of Christmas Carols, I can smell my piano teacher's house now. A wiered musty sawdusty smell. He accompanied me on his violin which always put me off, that smelt funny too he rubbed something on it. I had the upright in his back room with pitted oilcloth, the other pupils were taught by his wife on the baby grand. My music book was Melodyway by Harry Dexter, containing Greensleeves, The Londonderry Air, All Through The Night, to name but a few. Nan wanted me to learn what she called, Barker's 'Ole, La Barcarolle as she played it, so I did and The Fairy Wedding and the Blue Danube Waltz, I couldn't get my head round Anne Shelton's La Petite Waltz with her picture on the front or The Maiden's prayer. The Fairy Wedding trills hurt my fingers so I pulled my pullover over my thumb to play them.
My teacher was pleased when I gave up his lessons for good and and my parents scrimped and bought me an organ. I still play piano (mainly in C.) I have been given some sheet music and I don't know who would like it. I have been learning the guitar for about 2 years which I love and am teaching myself the harmonica, it's like having a tiny piano in your mouth. I hope you find your music book. Try googling it.
 
When I was around eight years old, my mother sensed my interest in music, and tried to get me to play accordion. We happened to have one in the house, a 48 bass, and I was just big enough to hold it and play the keys. I loved the sound, but did not relish the thought of having lessons, although I did manage to work out one or two melodies by ear. It was the drums for me, kid!!

Eddie
 
My piano teacher came to my house when I was 7 years old - quite a pleasant lady and not intent on driving me towards Grades, which puts many people off that only want to play for their own enjoyment.

Re-felting, re-tuning and several mangled keys and only played in C - that sounds as though it would not be worth spending the money to do it up. An electric piano with weighted keys wouldn't cost you a great deal more. Decent acoustic instruments cost a fortune these days.

1.15am here so well past bedtime. Goodnight Nico,

Maurice
 
hi folks this thread is going so well it has been moved to the music section....

all the best and carry on posting

lyn
 
sospiri said:
My piano teacher came to my house when I was 7 years old - quite a pleasant lady and not intent on driving me towards Grades, which puts many people off that only want to play for their own enjoyment.

Re-felting, re-tuning and several mangled keys and only played in C - that sounds as though it would not be worth spending the money to do it up. An electric piano with weighted keys wouldn't cost you a great deal more. Decent acoustic instruments cost a fortune these days.


1.15am here so well past bedtime. Goodnight Nico,

Maurice
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Yes I fancied one but I don't like the electric sound and it's not my piano and it is sentimental to its owner and it is a nice walnut one. Other people visit occasionally and like to play it much better than me in other keys than C!. I have tried other people's pianos and they don't sound as nice, modern ones and en electric. I played a lovely one a baby grand in a B&B. It made me sound good, I managed a child's version of La Barcarolle - in F!
My mate has a pianola I like that.
I fancied an accordian Eddie but my back wouldn't stand it.
Step daughter can play the drums, my sister the bongoes.
 
Nico,

I agree that on a cheapish one, the sound of an electric piano up the top end leaves a bit to be desired sometimes - I'm just thinking of the maintenance costs. Some of the weighted actions are quite good. Pianolas weigh a ton and no one wants them these days. But each to his own.

Maurice
 
No one wants pianos either it seems. We transported a piano my parents bough for me, across cinder jittties, (entries) the chap who was selling it my dad and 2 neighbours on a wooden wheeled trolley, there was a lot of huffing and sweating.I wish I had kept it but it would have been a squeeze in my little house when I left home. And now we would have had 2 pianos. Ny cousin says our present one is a honky tonk? I thought of Dick Emery.
 
My Dad was a very good pianist and played concerts all over Brum. He had. in the tiny front lounge a German Bleuthmer? grand piano. When he passed away, my sister Joan, tried to move the piano and the floor boards gave way! Then they found the piano had also rot from the damp house, she had to almost give it away. I also remember that Dad had a blind piano tuner come to house, he came on the #17a bus that stopped outside our house. I also took lessons for years, hated it, Dad would lock me in the front room to practice. I then took up playing the alto, much better. But in retrospect maybe I should have just kept riding my bike. John Crump
 
John,

It was a Bluthner - and a good German make - but not many people in Brum had room for even a baby grand piano, hence the poor price. Piano tuning was one of the few occupations available to blind people. Being minus one sense tends to heighten the others, especially hearing, so they were generally very good at it. But there are far fewer pianos available & needing tuning these days and lots of electronic tuning gadgets on the market that are remarkably accurate.

I tried alto when I bought one of the altos belonging to the former Birmingham City Transport Band and the BCT Social Club were disposing of its instruments. I got it for a pound and it wasn't in that bad a condition, but I simply hadn't got the puff and gave it up. An alto/baritone player called Brian Finch borrowed it off me and played it quite well. Needless to say, I never saw it again!

I never knew you in those days, but Eddie did and I'm sure he would be the best one to comment about you giving it up. I took up cycling for a few years, found it quite enjoyable and rode many many miles, but again I really hadn't got the necessary puff! Have a good day John.

Maurice
 
Ours was a Rogers Engblut would that be German? I tried cycling too but was unable to go round corners without falling off.
 
Nico,

I quote from my favourite piano information site:-

"The name Rogers Eungblut was used by Kemble in about 1930 and as far as we know is not linked to the make “Rogers”. Rogers Eungblut Pianos are well made overstrung underdamper pianos, usually mahogany, with a typical plain English tone."

As Kemble themselves were the last English piano manufacturer to close down two or three years ago, we're not likely to find out much more. There are thought to be no more than 200 Rogers Engblut pianos in existent in the UK now.

Maurice

​
 
Astoness said:
hi folks this thread is going so well it has been moved to the music section....

all the best and carry on posting

lyn
Click to expand...

Thank you, Lyn.

When I commenced this thread I thought it would only be for a few postings, little knowing the great interest it would have with the BHF readers.

I agree that the thread, although started as drummer based stories of my career, has now spread to other musical stories, and this is extremely good.

Eddie
 
It had a nice tone and 2 keys stuck only. It was very dark brown with the maker's name in gold. The piano stool we had, was always in the family, being black with a grey silk quilted and raised stitch cushion and very elegant tapered legs. I don't know what happened to it, but every visiting child wanted to sit on it, even before the R.E. piano arrived. Our present piano is a a Broadwood White & Co, London. It has a nicer tone. The last stool we had collapsed and was an organ stool having longer legs. My other organ stool also collapsed. My mate's pianola has silver candlesticks attached at each end and is black.
 
Broadwood White pianos (not to be confused with John Broadwood) were made in London by Stanley Brinsmead. But it seems like you are going through piano stools at a rate of knotrs, Nico! :) In the 1920s & 30s there were over 100 piano manufacturers in London plus quite a number of piano component makers. Hence a number of those so-called piano manufacturers were merely assemblers of components made by other makers. But then came wireless! And that really killed the trade off in much the same way that the makers of home electric organs in the 1970s have now pretty much disappeared. Probably not a bad thing as some of those cheap organs sounded awful.

Maurice
 
My Dad had several pianos before the Grand. several upright ones, plus, he even had a player piano. with the rolls with holes, lots of fun to play around with. Also one of his favorite pieces to play was the 'Warsaw Concerto' he would practice for hours. I can still hear him playing this in my mind even now. He was never a fan of Jazz, said it was a lot noise with no melody! John Crump
 
My mate had a reed organ when I was about 10 which fuelled my interest then I was bought the Galanti from Sheldon Organ Studios Galanti also made accordians.I was not allowed to keep the piano as we didn't have the space. I have got used to sitting higher on an organ stool but we just have a chair now. The broken stools were badly manufactured, one with metal joints and nuts, the other did had dovetail joints. It was I think when people scraped them on the floor instead of lifting them and the stools being over stuffed with music and the lids being too heavy maybe.
 
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