Saturday, January 7, 2023

ANTARCTICS

 

ANTARCTICS

ANTARCTICS - circa 1965 (Sources: Broadgate Gnome / Coventry Standard and Coventry Telegraph)


SCOTT OF THE ANTARCTICS HAS HOT POP CHANCE
COVENTRY STANDARD August 26 1965 (Merry Go Round Column).




"The red van outside was scrawled with the chalked messages of fans - " Don't leave us, we love you, Sue and

Janet," - "Hilda loves the Antarctics, " - and, unaccountably - "Noddy is the greatest.". At 64 Somerset Road, Radford, I was talking to 20 years old Clive Scott, leader of the Antarctics beat group. Reason - the celebrated group - The Mighty Avengers have shown interest in two numbers he has composed.

First is a 'beaty' number "I'm in Love with You" Said Clive "The second is more of a ballad, "Don't Leave Me This Way"....use the other exit" he chuckled goonishly! The Antarctics are right behind Clive and, in the near future, will be making a demonstration disc of his numbers so that they can be played to The Avengers' manager.

Can Read Too!
The back room of the corner shop run by Clive's mother Mrs Brenda Webb, bore all the hall marks of an up and coming group - amplifier, guitar, a record player. Half denuded, a piano exposed its strings in harp fashion ("It's not a 'honky tonk' - I've got the top off because it needs adjusting,"). Most surprising - on the piano was music manuscript paper with real live staff notation written by the composer. For Clive is one of those comparatively rare beings a "pop" Man who can read music. Trained as a serious musician, he studied harmony and counterpoint and composition for two years. Formerly a chorister at Nicholas Church, he composed music for their panto, Robinson Crusoe.

Another venture was a musical play "21st Nightmare", loosely based on Midsummer Night's Dream". He has been composing since he was 12. Since he took the matter seriously - this last two years - he has about 30 numbers to his credit.
...........................................
Clive Scott, later joined The Transatlantics and eventually, Jigsaw.


These from Broadgate Gnome...

From Coventry Telegraph May 14th 2009 by Tina Junday.

Former Coventry pop star Clive Scott dies at 64

A SEVENTIES pop star and successful record producer has died after falling off a ladder in a tragic accident.
Music producer and songwriter Clive Scott enjoyed chart success in the 1970s with Jigsaw, a group made up of members from Coventry and Rugby. Their biggest hit was Sky High in 1975.

Clive, who used to live in Radford, Coventry, suffered severe head injuries during the fall and died two weeks later after suffering a stroke. He was 64.

The accident happened at his home in Ascot while he was fixing the gutter. He died on Sunday, May 10, in Finley Hospital.

Clive, who sang and played keyboards with Jigsaw, leaves a wife Ann, aged 53, and son, Sam, aged 15.

Ann said: “He was a family man and loved being at home. I’ve received some beautiful cards saying what a gentleman he was – he always saw the best in everybody.
“He was well known in the music industry. It was a tragic accident, I love him and I will miss him.”

Jigsaw, which was formed in Rugby in 1966, included bass player, Berry Bernard, Kevin Mahon on tenor sax, Tony Campbell guitar, Dave Beech on drums. Des Dyer later joined following Beech’s departure.

Their big break came when an Australian film company was looking for a theme tune for the movie Man from Hong Kong.

Writers Des and Clive came up with the song in three days and found they had an Australian number one on their hands. The song was their 1975 hit single Sky High, one of the biggest selling English language records in Japan of all time. The duo won the most performed song in 1975 award, then later an Ivor Novello certificate of honour award before starting a world tour shortly afterwards. When the group split in the 80s, Clive went into song-writing and production for other artists, working mainly with Ian Levine at a studio in Ascot.

Their work together included producing Blue’s One Love/Get Ready and remixing Billie’s She Wants You.

Ian described Scott as a “wonderful and brilliant and irreplaceable song-writing partner.”

He said: “The world will never be the same. He was the yin to my yang, my right arm. He was a great person to work with.” At least 500 people are expected to attend the funeral in Ascot, including X Factor’s Rowetta Satchell, soul supremo Jimmy James, and American soul singer Pearly Gates.

The duo also wrote Who Do You Think You Are? which was a hit for Opportunity Knocks winners Candlewick Green in 1974. Clive first played with a band called Scott and The Antarctics.

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