Beat Preachers

Beat Preachers

BAND INDEX

BEAT PREACHERS

circa 1963-66 R&B / mod/ freakbeat

Line up: Geoff Parsons (guitar), Ian 'Stuart' Coleman (bass), Graham Rolaston (drums), Forbes Merrigan (lead guitar), Jackie McCormick (vocals).

Formed around 1964 in Rugby. R&B/Mod outfit who supported The Who at the Matrix Hall in 1965. When they played the Parkstone Club the ad proclaimed "see all you mods there ...". Were known as the Midlands Rolling Stones.

Released their lone single under the name The Carribeans (sic) in September 1965. The songwriter credits were 'Benn/Sherriff', after two famous local dignitaries. Reviews at the time noted "..a distinct West Indian sound..."

Added Saxophone (Tony Britnell - later of Jigsaw) in April 1966, but split up two months later. Some members joined Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours.

Under Friars agency. Played The Walsgrave, The Coventry Flying Club, Orchid Ballroom, Reynold Chains factory, The Heath. 

Managed by Reg Calvert and provided Pinkertons Assorted Colours with members. Stuart Colman became a well know DJ and now is a consultant for the excellent re-issue label, Ace records.

Single (as 'The Carribeans'):

Inside out / Up my street - 1965 (as The Caribbean) (Pye 7N 15961 - 1

"Very different are the Beat Preachers. They have changed as drastically as any local group. Not so long ago, they sported shoulder-length hair and were very much on a Stones kick in their music. Now the barber has done his work and they all sport well-groomed manes. Their sound has changed too. They now have a distinct "surfin sound" - although manager Colin Maskell assures me the sound is unintentional. " From Coventry Express, Friday May 28th 1965 Citybeat by Paul Connew (Via Tim James).

Bigger version of the this press page below.

Coventry Express May 28th 1965

Memories from Stuart Colman- From Rex Brough

"The Beat Preachers were formed in Rugby circa October 1963. The line-up was essentially

taken from two other groups - myself, Geoff Parsons, and Graham Rolaston were all apprentices at the AEI factory and had been in a group called The Cataracts. Forbes Merrigan, and Jackie McCormick had similarly worked at English Electric where they were in an outfit named The Boot Hill Six. We turned pro early in 1964. Because the Beat Preachers worked so frequently in Coventry, it soon became accepted that we were actually from the city. This was not unsimilar to the Mighty Avengers situation, as three of them were from Rugby as well. We were booked by the Friars Agency. The agency was a set-up run by an ex-bandleader named Jack Hardy, along with a younger partner named Mick Tiernan. We often worked every single night of the week at venues such as The Coventry Flying Club - (wild), The Walsgrave, The Orchid Ballroom, Reynold Chains factory, The Heath, and countless other locations.

Thanks to the convenient geography, we also visited Birmingham, Leicester, Northampton and Nottingham on a regular basis and became known as "The Midlands' Rolling Stones". We played r&b and basic rock & roll, and had a strong image. However, the group suffered poor management and when we finally came to record, the one single on Pye appeared under the pseudonym of The Caribbean.

The group split with Jackie McCormick at the end of 1965 and for a short while went out with a mad sax player called Tony Britnell who would later become part of Jigsaw. The Beat Preachers made it as far as May 1966 when Forbes Merrigan quit and I was offered the bass guitar gig with Pinkertons Assorted Colours. The work I do for Ace Records, is on a consultancy basis. I am, and have been for many years, a record producer (Shakin' Stevens/ Kim Wilde, Cliff Richard etc. etc.) and I also became a dee-jay on Radio One in the late 70's. I now live and work in Nashville, Tennessee. Well done for running the site. Best wishes, Stuart"

Memories from Stuart Booth (C.S. & K.S.A. Booth Book Publishing Service)

From Rex Brough

"...the band that truly sent me off into what I remain (60 next year-2004) when I saw them at

the Boulevard near York in 1963 . Also added to the bill were unannounced Rhythm & Blues Incorporated form Liverpool.

BUT this is not the odd thing - its that I met and published Stuart Coleman's book THEY KEPT ON ROCKING many, many years later - with no knowledge of the previous connection. Neither did he. Bloody hell! We even had him do an ace r'n'r disco at the Bookseller Conf in Scarborough when published. He was, like me, a Yorkshireman surely - he from Harrogate? I'd always imaged maybe the Beat Preachers went on to be The Sorrows or some such........... Omigod!"

Stuart Booth (From comments on BBC Radio Coventry)

I saw the Beat Preachers play the Boulevard, on the A64 'tween Leeds & York in either late 63 or early 64; supported their by local resident Steve Cassidy and the Escorts and "surprise guests form Liverpool: Ruythm 'n' Blues Incorporated (actually form Lytham I think). A night that changed my life.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/content/articles/2004/11/05/music_godiva_rocks_feature.shtml

PETE CLEMONS ARTICLE ON HERE https://coventrygigs.blogspot.com/2014/01/stuart-colman-cataracts-beat-preacher.html

The Baptists

 The Baptists

Gig 15.2.1987

BAND INDEX

c1987 but revived with new line up more recently.

The BAPTISTS - Ellie (Elisbeth Dick) on lead vocals a cracking rocky blues band fronted by Jason Toynbee ( brother of Poly Toynbee the TV newsreader and journalist) with Neil Hunter and some other good Coventry musicians at the time. (Info via Jim Pryal). The Baptists are also mention on Peter Every's Neophyte site.

It seems the Baptists are back with a new line up - according to this Facebook page with Jason Toynbee.

From Arts Net http://coventryarts.net/?p=267

"In the last month, I’ve seen Coventry’s finest set blues and soul practitioners The Baptists on two occasions and in both instances they were quite different performances. The first one was electric at the Albany Pub. The second was part of the excellent “Parkers” evening run by Neil Hunter from the band and excellent local singer Ruth Roberts at The Jacobean Hotel on the Holyhead Road.

Both incarnations of this band are extremely powerful. Not least due to the very soulful strong voice and excellent harmonica playing of front man Jason Toynbee. This is complimented by the imaginative songwriting of Neil Hunter and the always first rate slide guitar playing of the Reverend Ryan Every (because of his grasp of first rate blues playing of the pre-war variant. He’s not a man of the cloth).

Set highlights for me are their slowed down version of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” and their version of the Little Willie John classic “Fever”, made famous by Peggy Lee. A particular highlight of the aforementioned “Parkers” evening was Ruth and Neil’s duet covering Gillian Welch’s “Dark Turn of Mind."

The Baptists Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Baptistry

Baptists cover of Bob Dylan's Everything is Broken.

Baptists cover of Eddie Cochran Summertime Blues

Summertime Blues Eddie Cochran cover Summertime Blues.

BANCO DE GAIA

 

BANCO DE GAIA

BAND INDEX

The band have a good website - here with much information on.

According to Pete Chambers (Godiva Rocks)-

"Banco De Gaia (Meaning Bank of the World) - or Toby Marks - based in Leamington - along with the likes of the Chemical Bros and the Orb has made himself one of the leading forces of Ambient trance dance scene. His diverse musical background (having played Bhangra, Heavy Rock, Classical and Jazz) has given him and his music a sense of unpredictability and constant development. His creations move with atmospheric backdrops, subliminal decoration, always evocative, always inventive.

The master of chill-out began his creative plan with his own Planet Dog label. Using the sound he had heard on his travel, he perceived the ground breaking album Maya charting at 34 in 1994. By 95 he had moved on musically and the masterful Last Train To Lhasa attained a credible 31 in the national album charts. The mid nineties brought Live at Glastonbury / Big Men Cry / Igizeh (partly recorded inside the pyramid at Giza)."

Coventry drummers Ted Duggan and Paul Brook have played for Banco De Gaia.

Balloon Farm

 

Balloon Farm

BAND INDEX

The Balloon Farm - Apathy (7'', 1991)The Balloon Farm - Apathy (7'', 1991) 

TRACKLIST/TEMAS: 1. Dissident Sound 2. Never by You 3. Spiral

From their Website (Pristines) - The Pristines came out of it - see entry for the Pristines
"
First Gigs - the Quants to the Balloon Farm

Richard met Gavin.
Gavin wanted to start a band.
Carl & Tony hated Gavin.
It got difficult..

Richard left the Puppets to join Gavin in forming The Quants taking Sarah on bass with him.
Somehow I ended up in both The Puppets and The Quants as rhythm guitarist, both bands hated each other - a kind of sibling rivalry (or quibbling rivalry).
I was caught in the middle - trusted by neither side.

The Quants played the first gig (one-nil to them) at the Hope & Anchor, 1987.
Gavin was a great blagger - it was packed. We opened with a cover version of Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft by The Wedding Present from the album George Best which had only been released earlier that week.

The Quants performed 12 songs or so - either written by Richard, Gavin or myself - but with no collaborations. Again you can see the rivalry factor creeping in.


Another important factor that evening was a friend of Gavin's called DJ Cap spinning the records, a new face to us then but someone who was to become a major part in Coventry's indie scene over the following years. Influential in setting up and Deejaying the first and then only Indie night in Coventry.

I was sacked after that first Quants gig.
It still hurts to this day to think back to that.
It took a long time to patch over some wounded friendships subsequently.

Horror! I was no longer in a band..
I planned my own, I had the name already The Balloon Farm, named after a club in New York where a big influence on me, The Velvet Underground, used to play early gigs. (Sadly, The Balloon Farm is now also a Disney movie!).
I planned to take a couple of months to write songs, but instead the band formed after a mere couple of weeks and lasted for 3 years, with at least 15 different members!
I felt like Mark.E.Smith was to The Fall, but at least this time it was my band, and I could do the hiring and firing (not that I was any good at it).

The Balloon Farm gave me some of my fondest memories of being in a band.
Recruiting Robert Dillam as drummer after seeing him backstage at a My Bloody Valentine gig. (Incidentally, possibly the finest group to ever grace this planet..)

Oxford, at the legendary Jericho's Tavern. Danny (our bass player) getting drunk and wanting to fight the whole of the headlining band's audience.
We had to physically restrain him.
Although, to be fair, the guy jumping around blowing a whistle did really need a good kicking!

Scrumpies, Leeds. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.....
It's a long journey to Leeds...
Maybe too long...
By the time we got there we were in no fit state to play.
Robert (the drummer) the only one sober enough to tune the guitars.
None of us sober enough to play them, or remember the songs or the words when we did.
We have a desk tape of that gig. Still undecided whether it is hilarious or just cringingly embarrassing.

You can hear us arguing on stage. I got bored and kept dropping songs the others wanted to still do.
"How does this go?"

"Who starts this one?"

"What's next?"

Danny shouting "Who stole my pint?", when really he'd put it down on top of the bass amp before starting a song, and the vibrations had knocked the glass over to spill inside the amp & bounce behind the stage.
It wasn't even our amp. The headline act were somewhat surprised to see their amp mysteriously blow up mid set.
It got funnier...
Staying in Danny's girlfriends student digs in a cobbled street in Leeds in the February snow.
Richard is so drunk he refuses to get out of the back of the van & decided to sleep there rather than inside.
Only for later that night someone to be awoken in the early hours to see the sight of Rich throwing up out of the van window, and the van rolling down the street as he'd managed to dislodge the handbrake in a lunge for the window!
How to explain that to the van rental company? We had enough trouble hiring one in the first place, maintaining we were going to Leeds to help move some furniture for a friend, and that "no, no, no, by no means - of course we aren't a rock band..".
A story not aided when Richard in an attempt to find his Driving Licence managed to spill a handful of plectrums across the desk!
The whole journey did have a happy ending, however. We arrived back in Coventry the next day, tired and hungover to be greeted by newspapers pronouncing Thatcher had resigned!
Better times did follow for The Balloon Farm.
We became the press darlings of the local paper for a short spell.
Supported Adorable at the Tic Toc (see pic) - their first gig as Adorable, prior to signing to Creation Records.
And recorded a fine demo. Sadly, the only Balloon Farm studio recording. The quality of which is held up by the fact that 3 record labels in 3 different countries have released some or all of the tracks in various format.
It all ended in a clash of egos and arguments in 1991, as so often these things do. The unruly child that was The Balloon Farm had finally gone beyond my control.
Which brings us, finally, to the subject matter..."

BAIT

BAIT

BAND INDEX

According to Pete Chambers (Godiva Rocks) this band consisted of former Coventry University students. Their music was a blend of guitar based harmonic rock that is hard to pigeonhole. Perhaps a cross between the Doobie Bros and the Eagles.

Website https://www.baitband.com/ For audio downloads and info.

Band Members
Chris Johnson - Vocals and Guitars
Nick Nugent - Vocals and Keyboards
Andy Pitcher - Vocals and Bass Guitar
John Chivers - Vocals and Drums



Alumni

Daniel Hall - Vocals and Guitars (1996-2002)
Dave Perry - Electric Guitar (2000-2001)
Ben Campbell - Electric Guitar (2001-2002)
Declan Sharma - Lead Vocals (2006)

About BAiT

Coventry-based BAiT was an original rock band, which performed songs featuring strong and melodic harmonies and innovative arrangements.

Originally formed in 1996, the band featured nine line-ups throughout its existence, culminating in its strongest line-up, featuring Chris Johnson (ex Cherry Stones) on guitars, Nick Nugent (ex State Of The Art) on keyboards, founder members Andy Pitcher on bass guitar and John Chivers on drums.

Their sound comprised driving guitars, vintage synth sounds, and a solid and tight rhythm section, while their songs had a contemporary sound, played against a solid, classic rock background.

The band recorded five albums in total:

Not In My Back Yard (2000)

Shut Up And Take A Seat (2002)

South Of The Delta (2004)

The Full English (2005)

BAiT Lite (2006)

BAiT in the Studio - The Depot, Coventry, 2001

CUPID'S INSPIRATION

 

CUPID'S INSPIRATION

BAND INDEX

Cupid's Inspiration was not a Coventry area band in it's original hit record form in 1968 but Leamington based Martin Cure (of Martin Cure and the Peeps who recorded uncharted singles in 1965) became the lead singer in 1971 and brought in a number of local musicians. Below is a Wiki entry for Cupid's Inspiration but here is Bob Poole's info on the Leamington version of the band in 1971 -

" Once upon a time there was a band called Cupid’s Inspiration. Cupids had a number 1 hit record in England with a song called “Yesterday has gone” and then went on the slow road toward the “one hit wonder” graveyard. 

After a few line up changes the group stabilized by 1971 with the following personnel: Martin Cure (vocals) Bob Poole (bass) Paul Shanahan (guitar) and Andy Chaplin (drums). In the middle of the 70’s the musicians began to write songs together. By the late 70’s the band were, in tandem with the “Cupids” gigs, organizing local pub rock gigs under the name of “4 wheel drive” to play rock music and try out their own songs and began building up a strong local following. At this time they recruited a second guitarist, Steve Walwyn, from another local band to build up the twin guitar sound the boys had decided would best suit their own music. "

The Leamington version of the band eventually began writing their own Rock based songs and became Chevy (see the entry for Chevy).

Wikipedia says 

"Cupid's Inspiration was a English rock band. They were predominantly active between 1968 and 1971.

The group scored two Top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart in 1968. "Yesterday Has Gone" hit #4 in June of that year, and "My World" went to #33 in October.[1] In 1970, lead singer Terry Rice-Milton was followed by John Lynch and then Martin Cure, who added several musicians from Leamington to the line-up. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the group did reunion shows with other bands from the era.

Their song "Yesterday Has Gone" (written by Teddy Randazzo[2] and Victoria Pike) has featured on many compilation albums, including Sixties Power Ballads - The Greatest Driving Anthems in the World... Ever! (2007)."

The line up history is also on Wikipedia - Martin Cure - Jim Batty -Paul Brook (later of Analog and Reluctant Stereotypes and a producer of Cold Cut) and Keith Hancock -were I think the musicians from the Coventry area.

Members

Terry Rice-Milton (born Terence Rice-Milton, 5 June 1946, Stamford, Lincolnshire) - lead vocals (to 1970)

Laughton James (born 21 December 1946, Stamford, Lincolnshire) - bass guitarist (to October 1968)

Garfield Tonkin (born 28 September 1946, Stamford, Lincolnshire) - keyboards (to 1969)

Wyndham George (born 20 February 1947, Stamford, Lincolnshire) - guitar (to October 1968)

Bernie Lee (born July 1943, North Wales) - lead guitar (October 1968 to 1970)

Gordon Haskell (born 27 April 1946, Bournemouth) - bass (October 1968 to 1969)

Roger Gray (born 29 April 1947, Stamford) - drums (to 1970)

David Morris (London) - electric organ (1969 onwards)

Derek Needham (born 10 October 1945, London) - bass (1969-71)

Martin Cure - lead vocals (after 1970)

Jim Batty - guitar (after 1970)

Paul Brook - drums (after 1970)

Keith Hancock - bass (after 1971)

............................................................

The line developed with Bob Poole on Bass  _ Bob describes how he came to be playing with Cupid's Inspiration and how they became a rock band instead called Four Wheel Drive and later Chevy.

"A guy my age lived down the road from us and we would have friendly competitions playing our guitar as loud as possible as the other walked past, trying to impress. He was in a soul group called “Jalopy Ride” and his name was Paul Shanahan. Paul then went off to play for 6 months in Canada and when he returned he got a job with Cupids Inspiration. I was well pissed off until one day not long after he asked me if I would like to be their roadie. I immediately said yes as this was a chance to travel and be on the road and who knew what might happen? In 1971 I got my break. We were in Scotland in Kirkcaldy on New Years Eve, a big money night and Cupids bass player was too drunk to stand up on the stage. I had been watching carefully and knew all the songs so I grabbed his bass and said words to the effect of “I can do that”. That was my first real professional gig and from then on I became a bass player. The old bass player left not long after and I got the job. Almost immediately Paul and I started writing songs. It soon became apparent that we were more rock than pop orientated and as Martin Cure, our singer had already been down that road with his former bands “Rainbows” and “Still Life”, we decided to risk the secure income from “Cupids” and turn into a rock band. We found a scruffy old Hotel in Leamington called the Crown and began to put on gigs every Thursday night playing under the name of 4 Wheel Drive, covering bands like Boston, Thin Lizzy and Steely Dan while slipping in our own songs - until in the end we were just playing our own stuff and had an average audience of 200 people each gig. (We used to spend the Wednesday before the gig building a 24 ft-wide stage and rigging up loads of spotlights that we had stolen individually from Cupids gigs). One of the support bands on those gigs called “Hands Off” had a guitar player named Steve Walwyn and as we liked his playing and needed a second guitarist in the band we asked him to join us. He gave up his day job and played with us on the still active Cupids gigs (where we earned our money) and became quickly involved in the song writing and developing of the “Chevy” sound. " 

Bob Poole

Tracks by Cupid's Inspiration with Bob Poole.

Crystal Ship

 

Crystal Ship

BAND INDEX

I am assuming this was a Coventry area acoustic band.

CRYSTAL SHIP
This was another acoustic band at the Umbrella in 1970 which Al Docker booked. The title of a Doors song.

CRUX

 

CRUX

BAND INDEX

Line up
Andy McGarth - Vocals
Mick McGarth - Guitar
Brendan (Replaced by Mick Rowe) - Bass
Andy Garner - Drums


Website http://www.uk82.com/bands/cru

Discography
CRUX/CRASH "KEEP ON RUNNING" 12" EP
V/A "OI! OI! THAT'S YER LOT" LP

Keep on Running

Brighton Front
Streets at Night
I'll Die with my Boots on.

http://www.last.fm/music/Crux
Hear Ingrown


Also on MY Space
Tracks -
War
I'll Die with my Boots on
CLA
Streets at Night
Liddle Towers
Keep on Running
Who is She / Thatcher on the Dole/ Franky / Nothing To Do.

http://www.last.fm/listen/artist/Crux/similarartists

Liddle Towers

Keep on Running

Who is She / Thatcher on the Dole/ Franky / Nothing To Do

.

http://www.last.fm/listen/artist/Crux/similarartists

This is from Alternative Sounds 1979 - Editor Martin Bowes

From (SOUNDS May 21, 1983) and this Website http://www.uk82.com/bands/cru

"The record-buying public's first introduction to the Camphill Liberation Army and their apparently blissful existence came at the fag-end of '81 courtesy of No Future's seminal 'Country Fit For Heroes' compilation EP....

The next vinyl outing from these Nuneaton nutters, 'Liddle Towers' on last year's distinctly average 'Oi Oi That's Yer Lot', saw their stadium-soaked sentiments take on a more serious side.

Basically a rough-house rewrite of 'De Camptown Races' it saw the street corner quartet taunting the constabulary with lines like -You got Liddle Towers, but you won't get me, doo-dah- '

Further defiant pleasures were available a little later on No Future's 'Keep On Running' 12" which Crux shared with the nicely speed-crazed Crash.

Here they proffered four spunky sing-songs in classic OiOi style, the best being the sprightly title track. Though not exactly Ted Templeman production jobs, they were spirited yobbo anthems which were delivered just as fine live, as London billies discovered at the band's knuckle-dustered fistful of Skunx gigs last year (before that sweaty dive got polluted by blockheads).

Now Crux are back in the studios knocking together another noisy No Future EP which should find them well placed when, as looks likely, another wave of harmless hooligan bands takes off this summer.

Now comprised of the three McGrath brothers (Mick on guitar, Brendan on bass and dumpling vocalist Andy) and drummer Andy Garner, Crux's original line-up (which saw Brendan replaced by Mick Rowe) actually formed as far back as 1978 bashing out dodgy renditions of classic Pistols, Clash and Sham gear in a local youth club.

By the time brothers Mick and Andy had started scribing their own embryonic streetpunk arsenal and had begun to build up their own local following (the CLA), Rowe had been replaced by the equally short-lived Higgy.

Before long the Camphill Commandos had teamed up with neighbouring Coventry band, Criminal Class, the Upstarts-influenced combo noted throughout 1979 and 1980 for their pioneering benefits for RAR and the Troops Out Movement.

Crux themselves shy away from such overtly political activities.

"We're not a big political band really" Andy McGrath explains.

"When we first started we used to do songs attacking Thatcher and that. But we don't really know much about politics. We don't like this government at all but we try to keep away from that side of life. There's too many bands writing about the same thing anyway, it's started to get boring, but we are against anything that makes the rich people richer and poor people poorer."--

Pro the people and pro Britain, Crux fly the flag without flirting with fascism and hate privilege without subscribing to the diehard dogma of cropped Trots 5 la Redskins. This is the nearest to the true original Oi spirit you could probably get.

They've notched up ten gigs since Brenclan joined last Xmas, and cite listening habits ranging

from the expected early Blitz and 4-Skins to GBH, Motorhead, and oddest of the lot, Alice Cooper. They're even planning to do a cover of 'Dead Babies'!

Crux are also adamant that street-punk needn't be a dying concern.

Andy:---Loads of good bands came out of the eighties like Blitz (oh dear), GBH and the Test-Tubes who are big bands and get a decent sound. Punk owes a lot to the Oi albums and record companies like No Future because they've helped keep the sound alive. The Oi albums have brought a lot of great bands into the open, and given unknown bands a chance to make a name for themselves.

"People on the street need punk and Oi because they're sick of listening to disco shit. There's nothing to disco music, it gives you a headache and doesn't tell the truth about what is really going on and that's where punk takes over. It's a way of getting your views across, not just posing.

"Mick's the only one who likes the music of bands like Sex Gang Children and even he doesn't think they're really punk. They're more like a failed futurist band.

'We'd like to get together with about ten of the bands off the Oi albums and do a free open air gig somewhere to prove that punk isn't dead and that genuine punk can't die.

"There should be a programme on Radio One dedicated to Punk and Oi. The nearest we've got is the John Peel show. It's not too bad but he's not as good as he used to be. They oughta do one on Channel 4 as well, there's plenty of room on that and they're not afraid of being offensive.

"There was a programme the other week full of shagging, very good it was, but mams and dads would probably rather let their kids watch a punk band.

"The only reason we're in a punk band'is we like the music and enjoy doing gigs - gigs are the best part of being in a group. We'd like to end up being a lot bigger tou rngdround the country having a go time.

"We'd never like to rip people off charging high prices on the door, we like to keep entrance fees down so as many people as possible can afford to come. The average price we charge when we put on our own gigs is 50p. . .-“

Penny Rimbaud, eat ya heart out."

Crux - I'll Die With My Boots On

Crux - Liddle Towers

Crux ... C L A

Criminal Class

Criminal Class

BAND INDEX

c 1979 - Sources Criminal Class My Space & Rex Brough who says they were "A skinhead band with political message. The trouble is, I've forgotten what it was. Can anyone help?"

Last known line up Craig St Leon - -vocals Danny Greer (originally at the beginning but not on the recordings) Gary Meffen) - Lead Guitar Fred Waite - Drums Mark Branski - Bass Rick Bristow

The line up in 2002 was Craig St Leon - vocals Danny Greer - guitar Kez Reid - bass Nels - drums

From their My Space - " Criminal Class originally formed in 1979 by vocalist Craig St. Leon, drummer Mark Branski, bassist Rick Bristow and guitarist Gary Meffen and there first gig was in December od the same year at The Zodiac pub in Coventry. Most of 1980 was spent playing gigs in and around the Coventry area quite often gigging with Crux. A Demo tape was made during the summer at Woodbine Street Studios, Leamington Spa. The demo tape was sent to Garry bushell at 'Sounds' who seemed pretty keen on the band and invited them to appear at the first Oi! Convention at Southgate, North London, along with The 4 Skins and Infa Riot. However, The 4 Skins pulled out and in stepped The Angelic upstarts to headline the gig. It was around this time that guitarist and drummer were replaced with Bernard 'Berry' Cunningham and John 'Septic' Taylor respectively. Another Demo tape was also made at Woodbine Studios. They were also asked to appear on the second Oi! album, "Strength Thru Oi!". Discography. Strength Thru Oi, Fighting the System, Blood On The Streets Oi Collection CD.

CD "Blood On The Streets" on the Captain Oi label.

Blood On The Streets / Running Away / Soldier / Jimmy Kelly / Anti Social

/ Do You Wanna Be Mine / Police Brutality / Oi Oi Skinhead / Fighting The System 14

Soldier Soldier, Blood On The Streets and Fighting The System were released as singles in 1981. Most are taken from demos in 1980 and 81 at the Woodbine Studios.

Running Away

Soldier 

Blood on the Street

Fighting the System

Crokodile Tears

 

Crokodile Tears

Crokodile Tears

BAND INDEX

by Christopher Sidwell

http://www.reverbnation.com/crokodiletears

My first band was called the Digital Dinosaurs. We thought that we were great at the time and couldn't understand why no-one else agreed and liked us. We recorded lots of cassettes, had tracks on an EP ('Angst in our pants'), contributed to a couple of vinyl compilation albums and made 6 acetates of a single and then we sort of drifted apart into other bands though we did remain friends. That was 30 years ago and its hard to believe that an American label, hyped2death run by an enthusiast Chuck Warner has put a lot of those early tracks out in his 'Mesthetics' series as well as 2 CD albums from the Digital Dinosaurs. And the really funny thing is that people on the other side of the world are prepared to pay huge sums of money for those acetate singles - £1,000 from a dealer in Singapore - if only we'd made more but of course it’s all about supply and demand !

I started Crokodile Tears as a solo project and it was intended to be my 'pop' project (as in popular). It has been a labour of love and it has been great working with a wide range of gifted people but though we've released 6 albums that I've been very proud of we've never 'made it'. As the Croks have been going for nearly 25 years now I keep wondering if someone like hyped 2 death's Chuck Warner might champion Crokodile Tears retrospectively like he did with my previous band the Digital Dinosaurs – it would probably be when I’m dead now of course!

Crocodile Tears began with a 1986 vinyl mini-album recorded with Paul Sampson (who produced the Primitives 'Crash) it got some great reviews but we didn't have a distributor. The album is worth quite a lot when it crops up on rare vinyl sites these days – Gem sells copies for 60 dollars!

After a 'difficult' and unreleased second album and a period of retirement I started working with an old friend, Alf Hardy who is a multi-instrumentalist and has worked with Spacemen Threes Sonic Boom in his Spectrum and Ear projects in 1992. 'Dodo-ism' the eventual second album was released in 1997 after a couple of EP's and a 12 inch single but we were now Crokodile Tears and I was a qualified teacher who should know how to spell crocodile. The album sold well through People sound an early fore-runner of i Tunes and all of the digital music download sites that we now have today. After a privately released album,'Peacrok' and a couple of mini albums we recorded 'Go for the jugular' in 2005 though it wasn't properly released until last year. We also signed a deal with Catapilla and released a retrospective album in 2007 called, ‘Gullibles travels’which also included new material ,'Gullibles travels'.Our next album,'Words of wisdom ?' took 3 years to record but we were also writing, producing and recording a girl-band project Blush.

We also made a video for our song,’60’s guitar’ directed & filmed by Jilted John / John Shuttleworth’s Graham Fellows that was shortlisted for the Cravefest International video competition in Canada.

‘Dodo-ism’, 'Go for the Jugular', 'Gullibles travels' and 'Words of wisdom ?' are all available through i tunes and Amazon along with the 25 years of Sonar (our publishers) compilation and the original vinyl mini-album is available again through Sonar Records. 2012 also saw the release of 3 single CD’s ; ‘Hats’,’ plus a download-only track ‘Make u smile’.

Our latest album, 2012’s’If Hippies ruled the world’, is probably our most grown-up album yet and has had some wonderful reviews R2 calling it, ’Sparkling’ and ,’Something special’ with the local Coventry Telegraph referring to it as, ‘Probably our best album’. Since then we've put out the Crokodile Tears,’Little nippers’ E. P. earlier this year which includes the brand new song ,’Go to bed with Janice’. We also had ‘Egg ‘n’ chips’ on last years’ Sky Blue Trust, ’Sent from Coventry too’ compilation album which features 23 local bands and has been part-funded by the Football League.

Alf Hardy and I have continued to play live as an acoustic trio with long-time contributor guitarist Jerry Richards and last Summer the band played the largest free music festival in the country – Coventry’s ‘Godiva Festival’, the ‘Apex Weekender’, the first ‘ Warwickshire Pride’ and the ‘Onboard the craft’ festival in Bromsgrove. This year the band are playing return gigs at Leamington Pride (Saturday 28th. June), the ‘Godiva Festival’ (4-6th. July) and ‘On board the craft’ (5-6th. September). In the meantime we will be working on our new album ,’Maid in Meriden’. This album starts at the beginning of my life where I was made and features some guest instrumentalists including for the first, and only time on a Crokodile Tears record, a sitar !

Why not check out some of our videos on Youtube (you could start with,’60’s guitar’) or visit our website ;

www.reverbnation.com/crokodiletears

Creation

 

Creation

c 1971

BAND INDEX

Nothing much known about them except that it mentions in my 1971 diary that Al Docker roadied for them for a while.

If anyone has any further info - feel free to comment.

COVENTRY AUTOMATICS

 COVENTRY AUTOMATICS

BAND INDEX

The original band name of the Specials


The story of the Specials is well covered on the internet -


"The group was formed in 1977 by songwriter/keyboardist Jerry Dammers, with Tim Strickland (vocals), Lynval Golding (guitar, vocals), Silverton Hutchinson (drums), and Horace Panter, a.k.a. Sir Horace Gentleman, (bass). Strickland was replaced by Terry Hall shortly after the band's formation. The band was first called The Automatics, then The Coventry Automatics. Vocalist Neville Staple and guitarist Roddy Byers, a.k.a.Roddy Radiation, joined the band the following year, and the band changed its name to The Special AKA, The Coventry Automatics, and then to The Special AKA. Joe Strummer of The Clash had attended one of their concerts, and invited The Special AKA to open for his band in their On Parole UK Tour. This performance gave The Special AKA a new level of national exposure, and they briefly shared The Clash's management." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Specials


From Original Rude Boy - Neville Staples p101


c 1977

"Standing at the door of that rehearsal room in the Holyhead youth Club, I found myself staring at five very different people - including a bass player called Horace Panter. He'd been nick-named Horace ' Gentleman' by guitarist Lynval Golding, who was also present.

On drums was Silverton Hutchinson, a guy from Barbados...On vocals that day was a bloke called Tim Strickland - a sort of James Dean looky-likey who was reading the lyrics to the songs on a piece of paper. Terry Hall would soon replace him.

Finally, the leader of the pack was Jerry Dammers, on an old, battered Hammond organ type contraption...Together they were The Automatics - not yet the band that would dominate the charts 1979 - 80. This was 1977 - they were struggling to get their sound and look right. I instantly offered my services as roadie"


From Original Rude Boy - Neville Staples p116
" Having got a support slot with the Clash, Jerry now had a little problem. It turned out there was another band called the Automatics and through their lawyers, they were demanding we change our name. There was a lot of agonising over what name to adopt - we were briefly the Coventry Automatics but then that was dropped. The Special AKA The Coventry Automatics proved too much of a mouthful, so, after shortening that to The Special AKA, it was finally decided to go for The Specials - The legend was born."

More on Marco the Bass site here "The story behind the recordings dates back to 1978 when a six piece band called The Automatics travelled to London to record a number of demo tapes with the intention of securing a record deal with a major British record label. The group, consisting of Jerry Dammers on keyboards, Lynval Golding on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Roddy "Radiation" Byers on lead guitar, 'Sir' Horace Panter on bass, Silverton Hutchinson on drums and Terry Hall providing lead vocals, laid down a total of thirteen songs."

These recordings were doing the rounds for quite a few years on the bootleg market but finally gained official release in 1993 courtesy of Receiver Records, who seem to have cornered the marketing in releasing live and rare recordings - Via YouTube

THE COVENTRY AUTOMATICS AKA THE SPECIALS Nite Klub/Raquel

BLANK EXPRESSION

Of the 13 tracks which appear on the release only Wake Up, Look But Don't Touch and Jay Walker failed to make it on to any official release and were dropped from the bands live set early in their career. The remainder of the tracks offer embryonic versions of tracks which make up the bulk of the bands first album. Rock and Roll Nightmare would later appear on the bands More Specials under the name Pearls Cafe abet with slightly different lyrics and minus the "It's all a load of bollocks" sing-a-long chorus line. The track Raquel appeared on the b-side of the Dutch Concrete Jungle single and later was released in session version as part of the BBC Radio Sessions album.