CLIFF COWLING TRIO

 

CLIFF COWLING TRIO

BAND INDEX

circa 1969 -71 - Source Hobo

Cliff Cowling (piano/vocals).

Regularly practised and performed at Cov Arts Umbrella. Played blues and 50’s Rock n Roll. Were centred around the rock n roll and boogie piano playing of Cliff Cowling.They may have started in the 1950's, not sure. Cliff Cowling was involved with putting on the live music at the Coventry Arts Umbrella Club until 1970 when Al Docker and Trev Teasdel took over the role. Cliff still rehearsed at the Umbrella in the early 70's, probably playing the clubs accompanied by upright string bass and snare drum - almost skiffle.

More recently Pete Clemons wrote an article about Danny and the Heartthrobs who played at the Lanchester Poly in Coventry in 1971 featuring Cliff Cowling on piano. Initiated by Malc Harker - one time bassist with Indian Summer and in Coventry and later heading his father's engineering firm in Stockton on Tees - Harkers.

"Danny and the Heartthrobs was based on Zappa’s Reuben and the Jets, about an old-time rock & roll band who awake from hibernation unaware that it’s no longer the late ‘50’s. Danny was Paul, Ultra/Sam’s singing drummer. We had a real boogie piano player, Cliff Cowling, plus a brass section (including Tim James on lip-synch alto), bass, two drummers (me & the Other Guy) and a great blues guitarist who had just joined Indian Summer - Steve Cotterill. Steve was left-handed and temporarily between guitars, so I loaned him my right-handed Gibson 330. Steve re-strung it, put a sock in it to stop the feedback - and learned Bill Haley’s Rock Around The Clock guitar solo note-for-note. We only ever played 2 gigs - both at the Lanch. The first was the last in the upstairs refectory, as the audience cracked the foundation walls. The second was in the main hall, supporting Free, Yes and Mott the Hoople. We went on last - and on and on - until the plug was literally pulled. We also had a last-minute addition to the line-up: The Throbettes - Bob & Paul from Indian Summer in drag."