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Mother's Club Carlton Club Ballroom Erdington

Wam, agree entirely, most classical music the vocals are foreign, often Italian, a language I do not speak, but it is the quality of the voice (such as the late Pavarotti) that I enjoy, not the words, I did not know many of the Beatles words, even though they sang in English (scouse) but still loved their music, and still do. Music is a wonderful thing, be it classical, pop, jazz, easy listening or Country, I remember many happy hours in the 50's in Soho listening to Humphrey Littleton's Jazz Band (Was a young man in the RAF at the time and mad on Jazz, particularly the Blues). Happy days. Eric
 
Happy memories Old Humph and his band great stuff. 80 now and must have been there when you where. JohnCrump OldBrit. Parker, Colorado USA
 
Old Brit, I'm 83, and still here, but I do not think Humph is, he passed on a couple of years ago, still got one or two of his old 78's, Old Grey Mare, Memphis Blues etc.... I believe he was 2nd cousin to the present Queen, also saw him in Hong Kong Coronation year 1953 whilst in RAF at a night club with my late Wife. I repeat Happy days. Eric
 
I think this post goes a long way to explain the lure and the love of music.
We have gone from umagumma to Pavorotti in 66 posts. Quite amazing when you
consider the difference ??????
Obviously, I love music you can dance to, Give me April in Paris or April Love with Pat Boone
and I am there, dancing a slow foxtrot.
But then I wonder, Is it the music or the memories??????
Betty
 
I used to go to Mothers when I was about 16/17. I can still remember my very first visit. Standing in the queue outside and listening to the sound of 'Cream' from inside.
The first act that I saw was Brian Auger and the Trinity, which also included the singer Julie Driscoll. They had a record in the charts at the time 'This Wheel's on Fire'. That was in 1968.
I also saw Led Zep there. But the two groups I remember was Chicken Shack with Christine Perfect singing 'I would rather go Blind' and the original Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green as singer and lead guitarist, absolutely brilliant.

Terry
 
Terry we must have gone there around the same time. I still can't believe the groups we saw there...
 
Finally got around to going to Erdington on Sunday!





I also have other photos of the High Street on my Flickr if you are interested!
 
Date for diaries.

On Friday 2nd January and Saturday 3rd January. There will be a reunion for people who went and played at the legendary mothers club erdington. To be held at st barnabus church high st erdington..both days start at 10am till 5pm..this is a free event..hosted by myself and author Kevin Duffy .we will be displaying rare posters..and photos..with newspaper clippings.forthcoming gigs listings ,adverts ,also having a display of local 60s artists. Rare pictures of the idle race,the move,Carl Wayne,nightriders,Roy wood,elo,the ghost,locomotive,also special guest appearances,and live music,also lots of other memorabillia on display,,
 
thanks wendy and good luck with the reunion..i shall pass this info on as i know of some folks who will be most interested...

lyn
 
The date for this event has changed!!! We have a mothers club reunion and memorabillia display ,and live music and stalls,,on Saturday 21st February,10am till 6pm,at St Barnabus church High St Erdington,this is turning out to be a bigger event than expected,we now have Dr Carl Chinn lending his support,but we also have newspaper coverage lined up and a few radio stations present on the day,and tv coverage ,what we really need is people or companys interested in sponsorship for the event,,if you can help or maybe interested in further info please contact me on 07846842462 or email me at collectordave12@hotmail.co.uk, or go to mothers erdington on facebook
 
A Sparks said:
Nice story DPL.

I went to Mothers loads of times, originally when it was still the Carlton.
I can't remember all the bands I saw now but it included Joe Cocker, the Family, Jethro Tull, John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, the Nice, Chicken Shack, Fairport Convention, Ten Years After and Tyranasaurus Rex (my friend was a fan but I didn't like them so it was a bit under sufferance!).

I remember when Led Zeppelin played there not very long after they had formed, supported by Blodwyn Pig. The place was rammed partly because so many people knew John Bonham and Robert Plant what with them being local.

It used to get so full sometimes (I think the guy who ran it admitted they had more people in there than Fire Regulations allowed!) They used to open the fire exit door at the side when it got really hot. Was a great place, very friendly. Cheap cider in the bar too if I remember!

I live in London now and I met someone who said he and his friends used to drive up to Brum to go to Mothers which shows how good it must have been.
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It was
Wendy said:
Terry we must have gone there around the same time. I still can't believe the groups we saw there...
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Me too, fantastic place, Tho Geno Washington seemed to on quite a lot.
 
I don't know whether this has been mentioned on the forum before but Birmingham library services published a book by Kevin Duffy of Erdington library, with a forward by John Peel, about Mothers in 1997. I have a copy it is titled Mothers 1968-1971 the home of good sounds. It includes a full gig guide for all those years. I was given a copy by my best friend to remind me of some the musicians we saw there. It is a comprehensive piece of research.
 
I had several of those programmes at one time. They were folded up and I always kept one at the bottom of my bag. They eventually disintegrated from frequent opening and re-folding. Seeing some of the listings brings back names I'd completely forgotten. Some seem to be listed week after week.

I remember a Muddy Waters appearance being cancelled due to ill health but think that was a year after the programme in post #75.

Funny how you took for granted many of the names that regularly appeared.

Cha - that book sounds amazing. Viv.
 
A bit late to reply to Terry's post, but I was a regular at Mother's and saw all the acts he mentions. 40-odd years later Cream remains just about my all-time favourite band, and I still listen to their LP's (not CD's!) and still get a big kick. Same goes for Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall Bluesbreakers, who I saw I think twice at Mother's. Blues, both original Delta and more modern electric, remains my absolute favourite music, which I still persist in attempting to sing and play at local music clubs. My 'modern' favourites include performers such as Brooks Williams, Boo Hewerdine, Eddi Reader, and others - more country-blues than traditional blues, also referred to these days as 'Americana'. Great Birmingham venues to catch this kind of music are The Tower Of Song in Kings Norton, and The Kitchen Garden Cafe in Kings Heath. But Mother's was, and will remain, my absolute favourite.

G

PS: was anyone at Mother's the night they had The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown? (Sorry if I posted this previously, but I haven't checked back through the thread).
 
hi G...its amazing that although mothers had a short life span it has a big following...only sorry i missed out on it..

lyn
 
Hi Lyn,

yes, easy to forget that it didn't last long. I've got a feeling that the Carlton Club which was Mother's predecessor on the premises was going for longer. I still remember the long queues and the limited choice of drinkies at the bar. Oh, and the noise.....

G
 
Cats-Pyjamas-7-April-1968-e1492963832450.jpg


images7KZ2CLQQ.jpg images7KZ2CLQQ.jpg
I worked for Mothers as a bouncer (doorman) in the late 50s and quite a bit of the 60s. I only did a few nights actually at Mothers and I only did the odd night at the Bull in Hay Mills but I did thur Fri and Sat at The Station in selly Oak and Mon at the Hollybush in Quinton every week for a couple of years. I don't know how old these two ads are but I do not recall the named group at all.
 
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I used to go to the Bulls Head and the Station sometimes back in the mid 60's.

I do vaguely recollect the band's named though I don't think I ever saw them. I certainly remember and saw the bands appearing at the 'midnight rave' at Mothers mentioned at the bottom of the first cutting.

I would guess the year would be around 1966

Edit to correct; according to a page on garagehangover.com about Cats Pyjamas, it would have been 1968
 
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Carlton was opposite St Barnabas, Erdington High Street. Became Mothers. Modern Streetview image below, club was above "extra" shop. You can just make out the Mothers blue plaque on the wall. Viv.
 

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Pedrocut said:
Where was the Carlton Club situated in Erdington?

Screaming Lord Such, the Savages and the Sect.... Have to look again to see if he is at Pype Hayes Bowling Green behind All those MPs!
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The Carlton Club as I knew it 1958/9 was in Erdington High Street opposite the Church, it was above a shop with huge plate glass windows that used to bend as the band played and the dancers danced. It was purely a dance hall then, Lady P is sure to remember the name of the shop underneath.
Bob
 
Dale Forty (was this the piano people ? I also know it was a furniture shop. Maybe Dale Forty did furniture too ?) - see Phil's post #8 here (along with a smashing photo of the building) https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...ght-club-recognised-with-a-blue-plaque.42212/

Viv.

PS there's a video of the club/furniture showroom/storeroom somewhere. Can't find it but maybe someone will have it. I think it featured a former groovy soul (!) who did a quick tour of the club in modern times. Yeah, man, a tour around the furniture.
 
Yes it was Dale Forty. Mom and Dad brought most of our furniture from there. On the never never of course.

This video shows every band that played at Mothers
 
Well Froth, just had a nice trip down memory lane with that video. So many bands I'd forgotten about, only a few listed that I don't recognise. Saw quite a few on the list. Blimey, I was right back there.

In all the times I went there I was never really aware of how small it was. It wasn't until I saw the later video when it was a furniture store that I realised how incredible it was to fit all that was needed in there. It was always buzzing, the music was LOUD and the cider was strong. What more did you need ?

My kids think I can't possibly have had a wild teenage youth - huh, what do they know, hey ?!!

Viv.
 
Google Dale Forty and you will see they still make pianos (designed in Europe) and are now located in Cheltenham. Thanks for confirming it was a furniture store as well, although once again Dale Forty was piano when I heard the name. By the way I started to write the reply on the Carlton at 0900hrs, but broke off mid text to carry out a training session, came back finished it off and then got an alert with Viv's reply, so sorry if it appeared that I was being stupid and confirming something already said. By the way did any of those MPs etc from Pype Hayes Bowls Club appear in the DVD?
Bob
 
I remember another pub somewhere in Erdington with a large function room that put on dances/groups, but i can`t remember where or the name of the pub. I do remember a rather nice young lady asking me to take her home, and being the gentleman that i am ( randy sod who thought his luck was in ). It turned out she was just doing this to make her boyfriend jealous :-{
 
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