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Memories of a Birmingham Musician (Drummer)!

Eddie,

I too have never met Paul in person, but have only ever heard good spoken of him. It's certainly been a grim year for show business deaths and since writing post #478 above only five days ago, one of the mutual South African friends mentioned has passed away whilst in London too. RIP Patti Gialeraki, Paul Daniels, Cliff Michelmore, & Frank Sinatra Jr.

Maurice
 
RIP , Paul Daniels, great unsung hero for a number of charity's, used to visit NI a few times for the boys serving there.Paul
 
Mavis Taylor May 1967 001.jpg

Came across this piece of sad news from 1967.

Mavis Taylor was a very fine singer, and had joined the Colin Hulme Band when the band opened the Locarno in Birmingham. Later Colin moved to Nottingham, and Mavis went with the band, travelling from Birmingham to Nottingham each evening, and returning after the gig, back to Birmingham.

It was on one of these return journeys, in May, that she sadly lost her life.

At the time they were still building the M1 motorway, and her car hit the road works where they were building the A6/M1 intersection, between Derby and Loughborough.

I knew Mavis well, and she was a lovely, bubbly, very attractive young lady.

Eddie
 
View attachment 103617

Johnny Hocken lived directly across the road from us, in Anderton Road. He was a fine pianist, but a very strange man. He lived with his mother, and was almost a recluse. I often tried to have a conversation with him, but the response was always just "Yes, or No". Not a great conversationalist.

Eddie
 
Eddie,

Sad story about Mavis. Attachment for Johnny Hocken didn't work, although I didn't know him.

Maurice
 
Colin Willetts 001.jpgJohn, in answer to you question. Colin died around 2004 from a brain haemorrhage. This was around a year after Colin and I had met up a couple of times.

Eddie
 
Eddie,

Thanks for that clipping. I hadn't seen Colin since 1960 and I met up with Johnny Patrick - he was gigging in the Jewellery Quarter - in 2004 and he told me that Colin had just passed away. The public records show that Colin Charles WILLETTS, born 8th April 1938, died at Solihull in the 1st Qtr of 2004. RIP Colin.

Maurice
 
He was a good friend, loved when he played the vibes. Our little band played a lot of gigs around Brum. Once on a visit to Brum I dropped in to see Brum Mail I think it was. always happy to see me. Did he ever get married do you know? Thanks Eddy. John
 
oldbrit said:
He was a good friend, loved when he played the vibes. Our little band played a lot of gigs around Brum. Once on a visit to Brum I dropped in to see Brum Mail I think it was. always happy to see me. Did he ever get married do you know? Thanks Eddy. John
Click to expand...

Yes, John. Colin married a band singer by the name of Phillipa Worth. She had worked with the Colin Hulme Band at Tony's Ballroom, in Hurst Street. She was still alive the last time I heard.

Eddie
 
I couldn't resist repeating this one from th Keyboard Corner Forum:-

My brother tells a story of a band he played in with a bass player that only strung his instrument with two strings.

When the bass player was asked the inevitable "why do you have just two strings on your bass" question, he would say "In case I break one".

Maurice
 
Your post has just reminded me that there was a guy in my carriage on the tube last night with a large double bass with only three strings.
I have just done a search on the internet and apparently there is such a thing although not very usual.
 
A.Sparks,

Yes, a 3-string bass was quite common in days gone by, and a 5-string bass and bass guitar are both not unusual today especially among jazz players who in the last 50 years or so have started to play technical solos in the upper register in addition to the standard four-in-a-bar rhythm paris.

Maurice
 
During the fifties, our bass player, Vince Thomas, carried his double bass on the bus, for 'gigs' in Birmingham, two or three times to my knowledge. He used to get funny looks, but no conductor turned him off the bus.

Eddie
 
Just got me thinking about how we, as musicians, got around in the fifties. Very few cars around in those days, and even fewer young drivers.

When John Crump (Oldbrit), and I worked in a band together, the only driver was Rob, the bass player. We would pile into the car, John, myself, a piano player, and a trumpet player. (sometimes a guitar player). In addition to the band members, we had music stands, music pads, saxophone and trumpet cases, (or guitar & amp), drum kit and double bass!

Off we would go, Rob driving, to play a 'gig' at somewhere like Earlswood. Five musicians and all the gear. 4 x 4's were an unknown quantity, or seven seater Land Cruisers. Just an ordinary car. I cannot believe that we did it, but, somehow, we did.

Eddie.
 
Eddie,

Vince worked with us quite a lot too with his blonde bass. But he wasn't the only one to do that, so did Andy Hamilton's bass player at that time, Sleepy. Those were the days. I also remembered getting a full sized bass in a Morris 8 with the neck sticking out of the window.

Maurice
 
This is my greatest memory, and the most wonderful. 55 years ago.

Easter Saturday, April 1st 1961 @ 2pm. St. Andrews Church, Norwich. marrying my lovely wife Beryl.

Easter Sunday: Both of us travelling to Bournemouth to commence a summer season at the Pavilion Ballroom.

Easter Monday: Starting the summer season. Beryl came into the ballroom on our first night there. I was playing all evening, so Beryl sat there, watching us. A young man took a fancy to her, and asked her to dance. Being a bit bored she said OK. He danced with her a few more times during the evening, and at the end asked her if he could take her home. "I'm sorry" she said " I am on my honeymoon!"

Beryl bw 1 001.jpg002.jpg55 years 2 days, and counting!

Eddie
 
norfolk brummie said:
This is my greatest memory, and the most wonderful. 55 years ago.

Easter Saturday, April 1st 1961 @ 2pm. St. Andrews Church, Norwich. marrying my lovely wife Beryl.

Easter Sunday: Both of us travelling to Bournemouth to commence a summer season at the Pavilion Ballroom.

Easter Monday: Starting the summer season. Beryl came into the ballroom on our first night there. I was playing all evening, so Beryl sat there, watching us. A young man took a fancy to her, and asked her to dance. Being a bit bored she said OK. He danced with her a few more times during the evening, and at the end asked her if he could take her home. "I'm sorry" she said " I am on my honeymoon!"

View attachment 104151View attachment 10415255 years 2 days, and counting!

Eddie
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You`ll give your good lady a neckache Mr.Lanky.
 
Smudger: 6 ft. 2". I think she only keeps me so that I get the things that she cannot reach!

She finds me very useful in a super market......as do many of the other lovely ladies!.

Eddie
 
Eddie,

A bit belated, but we have spoken via email. I'm sure this is Beryl chatting with your daughter..........

drummers.jpg

Best wishes,

Maurice
 

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The sad passing of 'Prince' today, and Victoria Wood yesterday.
Last week the BBC did a 'same period' comparison for 2013, with 5 'name' deaths, 2015 there were 12 'name' deaths, and this year, at the end of last week, there had been 26 'A list/big name' deaths. A really sad start to the year for those that have entertained us, in one way or another.

Had the pleasure of meeting Victoria Wood, in her early days, on Leicester London Road station, when we were both waiting for a train. Naturally the main topic of conversation was music.

Eddie
 
Today I was reminded about one of my visits to Chicago.
I had met up with Jamie Oldaker, Eric Claptons drummer, and he decided to take me around the Chicago Museum of Transport, or whatever the official title was.

During the visit we were shown an original German U Boat. It was incredible. This U Boat was a centre piece in the museum, and a visit could walk through it, and it was still just as it was when the U.S Navy captured it during WW2.
The tour guide made a big thing about the capture of the submarine, and I decided to tell him that, as an Englishman, we also caught, and destroyed many German U Boats. An American man looked at me, and said "You had these things in your part of the world?".
"Oh, yes" I said, "We regularly had them washed up on our beaches".

It all went quiet, but Jamie, who is American, and I had a good laugh.

Eddie.
 
norfolk brummie said:
Today I was reminded about one of my visits to Chicago.
I had met up with Jamie Oldaker, Eric Claptons drummer, and he decided to take me around the Chicago Museum of Transport, or whatever the official title was.

During the visit we were shown an original German U Boat. It was incredible. This U Boat was a centre piece in the museum, and a visitor could walk through it, and it was still just as it was when the U.S Navy captured it during WW2. Everything still in the German language.

The tour guide made a big thing about the capture of the submarine, and I decided to tell him that, as an Englishman, we also caught, and destroyed many German U Boats. An American man looked at me, and said "You had these things in your part of the world?".
"Oh, yes" I said, "We regularly had them washed up on our beaches".

It all went quiet, but Jamie, who is American, and I had a good laugh.

Eddie.
Click to expand...
 
Eddie,
As someone objected to my posting musicians' deaths on the Birmingham Jazz thread, I'm sure you would accept it here.

On 5th May the death occurred of the Japanese synth pioneer, Tomita Isao, of a heart attack. Whilst most of his work involves arrangements of the classics - and superb ones at that - he was also a renowned composer and will be sorely missed. Anyone not familiar with his work should start with his arrangement of Holst's "The Planets", which is available here:-


Sorry I haven't been around much. Jan, my other half, has been ill, unusual for her, and that has upset our arrangements generally. However, she is now recovering and will hopefully be more or less back to normal within the week. Unfamiliarity with the new Forum software also somewhat slows me down, but I'll get there in the end!

Maurice
 
sospiri said:
Eddie,
As someone objected to my posting musicians' deaths on the Birmingham Jazz thread, I'm sure you would accept it here.

On 5th May the death occurred of the Japanese synth pioneer, Tomita Isao, of a heart attack. Whilst most of his work involves arrangements of the classics - and superb ones at that - he was also a renowned composer and will be sorely missed. Anyone not familiar with his work should start with his arrangement of Holst's "The Planets", which is available here:-


Sorry I haven't been around much. Jan, my other half, has been ill, unusual for her, and that has upset our arrangements generally. However, she is now recovering and will hopefully be more or less back to normal within the week. Unfamiliarity with the new Forum software also somewhat slows me down, but I'll get there in the end!

Maurice
Click to expand...
 
I am also attempting to get my head around this new website system, although I have been off the old computer for a number of days.

The name Tomita Isao, I have heard off, but not familiar with his work. Will check it out. I have many other stories of my life in the music business that have not been yet told on this thread, simply because I felt a rest away from it would be good.

Eddie
 
My old drum teacher, Phil Seaman, was arguably, in his prime, the top drummer in the UK. The only other pupil that I am aware that he taught, was the great Ginger Baker.

Phil spent hours teaching me wonderful African rhythms. These rhythms were the source on which all modern jazz and rock rhythms are based.

Phil was also a great character, famous for his very colourful language, and his eccentric behaviour.

When Leonard Bernstein brought his West Side Story show to London, to be performed live, Phil was the drummer that was chosen to play the very difficult drum parts.

During one part of the performance, Phil had a very long rest, until he had to strike a large gong.

During this rest, the performance being a very subdued, and moving part of the show, Phil dozed off.

One of the musicians near to Phil, whispered "Phil". Phil leaped up and struck the gong. Wrong moment.

Phil turned to the audience, bowed, and announced "Dinner is served".

A wonderful drummer, teacher and a very special man. I miss him very much.

Eddie
 
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