Friday's Child

 

Friday's Child

Friday's Child performing in Coventry's Lower Precinct c 1992

BAND INDEX

Friday's Child c 1992

This information came via Sheryl Davis and Paul Kennelly and there may be more to come!

Sheryl tells us that Friday's Child was her brother's band - Steve Davis who is the tall bloke in the photo below. Sadly steve is no longer with us. They were all from Stoke Park school.

No idea as yet of the line up but the band played the Dog and Trumpet every Friday night in the early 1990's and also had gigs at upstairs at Old Browns/ Busters night club/ Tic Toc Club, Colin Campbell /Rose and Crown. They also played, as the photo shows, the Lower Precinct with two other bands. One of them, the Pilgrims were ex Furious Apples Greg and Michael Crabb.

Steve Davis
From Backbeat, Coventry Telegraph by Pete Chambers.
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/backbeat-dragster-ready first-gigs-11413643

Coventry-born Steve Davis taught us many things in his 44 years, one was to live his life to the full, be late for the odd meetings etc.

Though sharing his love of music was one of his biggest aims in life. It all started when Steve started at Earlsdon Primary School when his music teacher Mr Bennett saw something special in that little boy and taught him to play the bass guitar.

Steve spent many hours of practicing at home and became a self-taught natural with a gift many admired. By his teens Madness, and The Specials were among his favourites.

Steve played in many local bands; Fridays Child, The Done thing, The Torches, Spangles to name a few in his life, during school, during his university days and beyond, playing around the country for weddings, parties and anywhere they were asked, Steve playing his beloved bass guitar.

During the 80s things took a strange twist for Steve when he heard of a steel band starting at Earlsdon Methodist Church. Steve along with his sister Sheryl and Elaine (his wife to be), joined Dayspring but this time with Steve playing the bass pans.

Dayspring played in some fantastic places over the years, such as Brixton academy, Blackpool winter gardens, Battersea Park playing to thousands of people

Steve took control and became musical director of Dayspring in 1997 where he arranged music and led Dayspring.

Steve even managed to reform with some of the original and previous members in 2015 calling themselves ‘re Sprung’.

In memory of Steve, to celebrate his Dayspring life and encourage involvement in music there will be a concert in aid of Dayspring Steel Band arranged by his family and friends at Earlsdon Methodist church on Albany Road on Saturday, June 4, at 7pm where Dayspring and friends will be playing many of Steve’s favourite pieces such as ‘Mr Blue Sky’, 'Message to you Rudy' and 'Soul Limbo'. Tickets available on the door are £5 adults and £3 concessions.

Fridayz Angelz

Fridayz Angelz

BAND INDEX

Andy Rothwell Guttercat says

" Before I split from Inzane Dice, we had a last minute change of name (Fridays Angels from the Generation X song), possibly the night before we split. The reason for the split escapes me now? Possibly it wasn't quite the band we all wanted as musical tastes changed.

So 1985/1986 and it was back out looking for a new band again. Anyway, band number five was just over the horizon. Advertising myself as a Fridays Angel, looking for band members, a guitarist named Russ contacted me.

I had advertised for a guitarist or answered an advert for a band, in a similar type of music I was into at the time. I was into bands such as Wrathchild, Hanoi Rocks, and the Babysitters and a host of other similar Glam and sleaze type bands, and so was looking to join a band similar to some of these. I'd gone with my then girlfriend Jacqui to meet up with a guitarist, Russ Frame, at his house. His mum answered the door, and a upon opening it, shouted up the stairs to Russ to come down. This guy bounded down the stairs and looked a cross between a Babysitter/Hanoi rocks Bernie Torme type character. At the time he just seemed to be perfect for what he was looking for and what I was looking for. We chatted for a couple of hours and found so much musical common ground that Fridayz Angelz were born.. Well within a few weeks at least.


And so started the auditioning again. The audition took place at the old Horizon studios (where again The Specials connection lies, as they used the place too.) Obviously I got the gig and 1st or 2nd rehearsal in, 'Who's She Killin Now?' was written. Russ decided he liked the name Fridays Angels. So after a few letter changes so as to cause no trouble with my previous band, FRIDAYZ ANGELZ* the glam band were born. The band had been together in various forms before I joined and played a mixed bag of tunes, including a Rush Tune and a Stooges tune. The writing of songs began quite quickly and gigs soon followed. The highlight of being with this band was getting to support (amongst others) The Babysitter's at the Legendary Marquee Club in London. I got to get into the studio with the band for the 1st time also and recorded 3 demo's over our time together. The band lasted a few years and was the heart and soul of my life during that time. So after several years of ups and downs, demo's and line-up changes the band split up due to the poaching of two members of the band by up and coming Birmingham band, The Brooklyn Dogs. One final line-up of the band was put together and lasted several rehearsals before splitting up through lack of direction and enthusiasm from the line-up. The final nail, was losing our then, new bassist, to ex-Tigertailz singer's new band St Jaimz, in London. The guitarist from another local glam band Dressed to Kill, also went off to join St Jaimz."

Four kings

 

Four kings

BAND INDEX

Four Kings - Formed 2001

Line up  Andy Beglin - Vocals, Paul Hartry - Guitar, Leigh Urquart - Bass, Dave Medforth - Keyboards,  Chris Hartry - Drums

The following was taken from the band's website  -

"One evening in the spring of 2001, Leigh and Andy were in town, on a ‘bender’ when Leigh fell over Andy (who was under a table singing), Leigh realised that this amazing voice should be part of a band. So with Leigh on Bass, they hooked up with Dave on Keys, Paul on Guitar and Chris on Drums, to become ‘Four Kings’. 

They started writing and performing in their home town of Coventry.

Four Kings take their musical influence from many directions including bands such as ‘Supergrass’, ‘Pink Floyd’, the ‘Stones’, ‘The Doors’ and ‘Led Zeppelin’. Their stage presence, look, dress and performance have also taken influence from these bands. An eclectic blend of melodic, powerful, dramatic rock ‘n’ roll, their instruments are weapons they use to defend themselves and make themselves heard.

'Four Kings are everything that made you fall in love with scuzzy and dazzlingly powerful rock ‘n’ roll in the first place’.

Dayle Crutchlow – Coventry Evening Telegraph.

During the last three years Four Kings have gained a strong following and have shared a stage with bands such as ‘The Darkness’ (Sheffield Barfly, Aug 2002, when ‘The Darkness’ played to seven people), ‘The Datsuns’, ‘Kasabian’, ‘Goldie Lookin Chain’, ‘Mooney Suzuki’, and ‘Biffy Clyro’, in various cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Leicester, Northampton, Wolverhampton and of course Coventry.

In 2004 Four Kings was invited to be the first British band to play at the ‘Athfest’ music festival in Athens, Georgia (home town of R.E.M and ‘The B52’s’), where their performance secured them a place in next years line up.

Unstoppable! Four Kings are a force to be reckoned with!

The best is yet to come! "

Pete Chambers adds (in Godiva Rocks) "The band have been compared to various rock giants - i would prefer to ignore such remarks and rejoice in the fact that they have a pretty original sound."

Music Matters Curator Pete Chambers writes for the Observer.

Andy Beglin

Andy Beglin has been creating music since 2000.

He fronted bands from 2000 to 2018.

His first band, Four Kings (2000 to 2005), played the Athens Festival, Georgia, USA in 2003.

Next up was DBMA (2005 to 2008) who successfully played Godiva main stage for three years running.

His last band, Dark Actors – whom Andy fronted from 2011 to 2018 – won Godiva Unsigned in 2012 and released their only album Shrine in 2015.

Andy also sang with The Mustard and Blood Band many times from 2011 to 2016 performing sold-out concerts.

Andy decided to teach himself guitar in 2015 and started writing a collection of songs over the next five years.

These created “Memories from the Mantelpiece” – a collection of 14 songs produced and mixed by Michael Gallacher (who also played an integral part on keyboard, guitars and bass).

The album also includes Andrew Shanley (guitar), Nick Jones (drums) and Jade Hartley (backing vocals). The album, recorded between 2016 and 2020, is a mix of west coast Americana and English soft rock and pop.

Andy is looking to launch his debut album ‘Memories from the Mantelpiece’, which is out now, in the coming spring with a few dates (not yet announced).

He is looking to build on this album by releasing his first single. This is a great album with some superb harmonies with great instrumentation.

You can listen to Andy Beglin’s songs on Amazon, ApplePlay, Spotify, YouTube and other online platforms including music updates on his Facebook page

Andy grew up in Coventry, attended Cardinal Wiseman School and has a five-year-old Son. He lives in Finham with his wife and their tuxedo cat.

Four Clubs

 

Four Clubs

BAND INDEX

No real information about this group except what's on their business card (which I think was given to me in 1973  by Johnny Adams (who was in Fission at the time - later in Squad). Possibly Johnny Adams was in this band.

 

Manager F. Smart, 40, Chandros St. Coventry. Mari-ann / Rick / Dek / Keith / R. Phillips, 53, Furnace Rd. Bedworth.

No idea of when they operated - possibly early 70's.

The FOUR ACES

The FOUR ACES

C 196?

BAND INDEX

THE FOUR ACES

Popular in the Border land counties.

Colin James, Roger Philpotts, Cliff Bolsey, Bob Maddox.

THE FLYS

 THE FLYS

BAND INDEX

Formerly Midnight Circus - early 70's see this post https://coventrybands.blogspot.com/2021/08/midnight-circus-flys.html

Line Up
Neil O'Connor (Hazel O'Connor's bro) - Guitar. Dave Freeman - Guitar. 
Joe Hughes - Bass. Pete King - Drums (later Graham Deakin drums.)

Molotov Cocktail - The Flys 1979

Trev Teasdel memories

This band were originally called Midnight Circus. (Check their page out too) In 1974 they played their first or early gigs for us at the Hobo Workshop - Holyhead Youth Centre (associated with the roots of Two Tone) in Coventry and by 1976 were playing the Memorial Park festival with many other up-coming Coventry bands before changing their name to the FLYS -

Source - Rex Brough

The band recorded a demo in 1977 that failed to attract much attention from record companies, so they formed their own Lama label and put out an EP, Bunch of Five, around the end of the year. That caught the fancy of EMI, which signed them up in a hurry and put out the EP's "Love and a Molotov Cocktail" as a single. The album Waikiki Beach Refugees appeared in 1978. Several Flys singles appeared in early 1979, culminating in the release of the second album, Own. Intraband quarreling had led to King's departure and the arrival of Graham Deakin, the former drummer of John Entwistle's Ox. A move to Parlophone Records did little to salve the bickering, and the Flys broke up in 1980. O'Connor joined his sister Hazel's band and then took his skills behind the scenes as producer, arranger, and engineer; Freeman performed on Alison Moyet's Raindancing album, played briefly with Roddy Radiation and the Tearjerkers, and then formed The Lover Speaks with Hughes; Pete King went on to join After the Fire before his untimely death at age 26.

Singles

Love and a Molotov Cocktail / I can crash here / Civilisation - EMI 1978

Oh Beverley / Don't moonlight on me - EMI 1978

Fun city / EC4 - EMI 1978

Waikiki Beach Refugees / We don't mind the rave - EMI 1978

Name dropping / Fly v Fly - EMI 1979

We are the lucky ones / living in the sticks - EMI 1980

What will mother say / Undercover agent zero - Parlophone 1980

The Flys on John Peel September 1979 

EPs

Bunch of Five (I can crash here / Me and my buddies / Just for your sex / Saturday sunrise / Love and a Molotov Cocktail) - LAMA 1977

Four from the square (Sixteen down / Night creatures / Lois Lane / Today belongs to me - Parlophone 1979

Others on You Tube -

More John Peel Flys.

Name Dropping

Saturday Sunrise.

A lot more of the Flys on YouTube if you search.

Albums
Waikiki Beach Refugees EMI 1978

Own EMI 1980

I think Neil's piece from the Flys My space describes them best -

"In the beginning there were three young lads from Cov in the UK. David Freeman, Joe Hughes and Neil O’Connor. Hazel O'Connor Molotov Cocktail Neil was slightly older than the other two and had made their acquaintance through David’s mum, Esther Freeman, a lovely lady who was Neil’s Yoga teacher. ( yeah he was a bit of a late flowering hippy….) Joe took up the bass, Dave and Neil, the guitars and voices and they started to try to do something. They gave themselves the name "Midnight Circus" and were probably bloody awful but, hey, it was a good laugh. In those days there was never a full time drummer The Flys formerly Midnight Circus except for one guy, Paul Angelopolis, an American guy from Florida, in the same age group as them who wasn’t half bad except for when he partook more than he should’ve. Sadly Paul abused too much and died of a barbituate overdose at the age of 24. And that was sort of the end of "Midnight Circus". By now it was 1977 and there was a change in the air. So they dropped the name and reincarnated as "The Flys". But still no drummer. Around this time they happened upon a guy named Chris King who started to take a managerial interest in the lads and, as luck would have it, had a younger brother, Pete King, who was a good drummer and so deserved an audition. 197872 Here was the guy they’d been hoping for years to meet. And so The Flys became Dave, Joe, Neil and Pete. Chris had a huge amount of belief in the band and proposed that he’d set up a small indie label and sign up the band to release a limited edition 7 inch EP and so they went off to Pathway studios, an 8 track in Islington where all the great Stiff recordings had been made, to spend a Saturday recording their repertoire of 14 songs, or so. 284373 Then 5 of the recordings were chosen, mixed, mastered and became the EP "Bunch of five" on Chris King’s "Zama" label which included the titles…."Love and a Molotov cocktail" "Can I crash here" "Civilisation" Eventually EMI were to sign the band after having heard the EP and seeing the band on stage 362246 opening for The Buzzcocks tour in the Autumn of ’77. A condition of the contract was that the "Zama" indie release had to be limited to 2,500 copies as EMI wanted to re-launch with the title "Love and a Molotov cocktail". In the late winter of ’78, with EMI money, they went on a UK nationwide tour opening for John Otway and Wild Willie Barrett and as spring arrived moved to London and started to record their first album for EMI, "Waikiki beach refugees". Maybe they’d been too long in each others company, it’s hard to know exactly why but rifts started to appear. The first casualty was Chris. The Flys were no exception to any other bands in that they were full of insecurity and that insecurity pushed Chris away. Pete continued to play with the band who, by now, were opening for "The Ruts" around the UK and playing shows in their own right around Europe but he was never totally happy without his brother around. Probably he felt torn in his loyalties, Which is no surprise and eventually he was offered the chance to join "After the fire" who, at the time, were about to tour with ELO. For Pete this became a dream come true as ELO’s drummer became to ill to play and Pete ended up playing drums for ELO for most of the tour. After Pete they recruited Graham Deakin, a lay it down Keith Moon type who came to the band from John Entwhistle’s "Ox". And so with new drummer, Graham, the guys went down to a 16 track in Somerset to record their second album which was to be called "Own". Although they continued to record more singles, EP’s, tour and make many TV and Radio appearances throughout the UK and Europe their time together started to unravel and in the spring of 1980 they called it quits. Neil went on to play guitar and record with his sister Hazel O’Connor. Eventually, in the mid 80’s, he moved into the field of recording and producing working mainly from Martin Rushent’s "Genetic studios". David went on to follow a solo career securing a publishing/ development contract with Dave Stewart. Eventually Joe joined him, they called themselves "The lover speaks" and in the ‘90s they were rewarded with a huge songwriting success when Annie Lennox covered their song "No more I love you’s". Sadly Pete succumbed to cancer before he could reach the age of 30. Graham was never heard from again. These days Neil lives in Montreal, Canada producing and performing still. Joe and his wife split their time between the UK and the States with their band "Cicero Buck". David’s a bit of a hermit as of writing. "Die Toten Hosen" from Germany and "Duanne Peters" have both covered "Love and Molotov cocktail". Hazel included it in one of her TV shows too. Photo L to R ( taken by Pete Vernon 1978 ) Neil O’Connor - guitar, keys, vox David Freeman - guitar, vox Joe Hughes - bass, vox Pete King - drums Managers and road crew were……….. Chris King -manager 77 to 78 Mark Rye –manager 78 to 80 Vance Anderson -tour manager 77 to 80Mick Anderson - backline 77 to 80 Record labels…………….. Zama-indie - 77 to 78 EMI - 78 to 80 See for miles - re-release in the 90s Captain Oi - re-release in 2K.

By Neil O Connor.


Review from Alternative Sounds - 1979


THE FLYS - NAME DROPPING / FLY V FLY (EMI)

Get ready for the next Flys single - as the chorus line of the song says, it is amazing! Featuring David on vocals, there's some good lyrics for all you posers to sing-along to. There's some nice juicy guitar playing too, and with a catchy tune like this, all I can say is - make way for a hit. The B Side is a novel little instrumental. The guitar work in it is most unusual - good if you're feeling like a jerky dance. A single well worth adding to your collection.

Biography

This Coventry, England-based group enjoyed a minor league role in the new wave, but owed more to power-pop and astute songwriting than punk. Singer and guitarist Neil O'Connor (brother of Hazel O'Connor) met school kids David Freeman (guitar, vocals) and Joe Hughes (bass, vocals) in the mid-70s, and formed Midnight Circus, eventually recruiting Pete King on drums. A name change to the Flys coincided with the discovery of punk's first tremors, but a demo in April 1977 brought an apathetic response from the usual channels. The band issued Bunch Of Five, an energetic EP, on their own Zama Records label in time for Christmas. Quick as a flash, EMI Records snapped them up, rushing out one of the EP tracks (and perhaps their finest ever moment), "Love And A Molotov Cocktail", as a single. After a tour with the Buzzcocks and John Otway And Wild Willy Barrett came "Fun City", recorded at Pathway Studios. Waikiki Beach Refugees (also the title of their next single) emerged in October 1978 to an enthusiastic response, while the band toured Europe. 1979 saw a flurry of singles - "Beverley" in February, "Name Dropping" in April and "We Are The Lucky Ones" - but internal quarrels led to the recruitment of a riotous new drummer Graham Deakin (ex-Frankie Miller and John Entwistle's Ox). Flys Own, rawer than their debut, coincided with a tour with the Ruts in autumn 1979. The EP Four From The Square was released in February as the band transferred to Parlophone Records. This was followed by "What Will Mother Say" in May 1980. Internal pressures began to erupt and the Flys broke up soon afterwards. O'Connor joined his sister for two years and two albums before becoming a musical arranger, and then a producer and engineer. Freeman issued a cover version of the Supremes' "Stop! In The Name Of Love", took a degree, published his poetry, sang on Alison Moyet's Raindancing and later formed The Lover Speaks with Hughes (after his spell with ex-Specials Roddy Radiation And His Tearjerkers). Pete King, meanwhile, joined After The Fire, but sadly died aged 26. In 1991 See For Miles Records compiled an excellent self-titled retrospective of the band.

Comment from the Hobo site from Stu Knapper (Lead singer with Riot Act)

"Got to tell you that I loved The Flys, In fact I am sure that I still have a few Fly's badges still kicking around in a cupboard somewhere. I saw them in the early days a couple of times at Mr Georges as they always seemed either get the support slot or top the bill when the headline didn't turn up. This happened a few times during '77 I remember no shows from Eater, Elvis Costello and Generation X and on at least one occasion the Fly's got the gig. I think they suffered at the hands of EMI who at the time where really pushing their top acts like Kate Bush and Queen. I was working in Virgin for some of the Fly's releases and I can tel you that they never got the push that might just have broke them to wider audience. But lets not forget the great records and some good memories."
Posted by: Stu Knapper | 02/29/2008 at 07:06 PM


Hazel doing Neil O Connor's Molotov Cocktail (Neil did the music for this and wrote the song for the Flys originally)

Neil O Connor's version of his sister - Hazel O Connor's Will You

Flying Machine

 Flying Machine

BAND INDEX

circa 1969 - Pop group. Sources  - Broadgate Gnome & Rex Brough - Dean Nelson

The bulk of the outfit started their musical career under the title of Pinkerton's Assorted Colours.

Line up: Steve Jones (lead guitar, vocals), Tony Newman (vocals), Stuart Coleman (bass), Paul Wilkinson (drums) Sam Kempe - Vocals

Newman and Coleman previously in Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, Wilkinson previously in The Peeps and Jones was in The Sabres (with Wilkinson).

"Songwriters Tony Macaulay and Geoff Stevens wrote their hit "smile a little smile for me" which was a smash, Stateside. In 1971 they played a final gig in the 40 thieves nightclub, the first lineup called it a day. Phil Clough and Mike Summerson replaced

Stuart Coleman became a BBC London radio DJ in the late '70s, running first the rock'n'roll

show "Echoes", later appearing on Capitol Gold. He produced hits Shakin' Stevens, Kim Wilde, and Cliff Richard and lives and works in Nashville. A line up of Flying Machine exists to day, but ether's change the name back to Pinkerton's Colours." Rex Brough

Dean Nelson tells us -

" This was a studio project of songwriters Tony Macaulay and Geoff Stevens. The touring group featured Tony Newman as lead vocalist. He and the other members (except Wilkinson) had earlier been in Pinkerton's Assorted Colours (later known as simply Pinkerton's). 

Sequel's double CD retrospective Flight Recorder compiles everything that they recorded for Pye between '67 - '71, plus sixteen previously unreleased cuts including demos of their Decca hits as Pinkerton's Assorted Colours."

Singles:

Smile A Little Smile For Me (Tony McCauley & Geoff Stevens) b/w Maybe We’ve Been Loving Too Long 1969

(Dean Nelson tells us  it "Peaked at No 5 on US Hot 100 on Kapp Records' Congress record label. By 12 December that year they had sold a million copies of the record, and it was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A.the record had no presence at all on the UK Singles Chart, despite its initial release there on Pye Records"

Baby Make It Soon b/w Smile A Little Smile For Me 1969 (First recorded by Marmalade) Dean Nelson tells us "It scrapped the US Top 100 the following year, but the group, somewhat ungratefully, grew frustrated with their pop-oriented style. A final single, "The Devil Has Possession Of Your Mind", suggested a change of direction, but the Flying Machine split up following its release"

Send My Baby Home Again b/w Look At Me Look At Me 1969 

Hanging On The Edge Of Sadness b/w Flying Machine 1970

The Devil Had Possession Of My Mind b/w Hey Little Girl 1970

Yes I Understand b/w Pages Of Your Life 1970

Albums:

Down to Earth With The Flying Machine 1970

1. Smile A Little Smile For Me 00:00

2. Marie Take A Chance 02:56

3. Waiting On The Shores Of Nowhere 06:11

4. That Same Old Feeling 09:39

5. There She Goes 13:05

6. Baby Make It Soon 15:57

7. Broken Hearted Me, Evil Hearted You 18:51

8. A Thing Called Love 21:57

9. My Baby's Coming Home 24:31

10. Send My Baby Home Again 27:32

Compilation appearances have included: Smile a Little Smile for Me on Paisley Pop - Pye Psych (& Other Colours) 1966-1969 (CD); The Flying Machine on Rubble, Vol. 7 - Pictures In The Sky (LP); Hey Little Girl and Smile A Little Smile For Me on Ripples, Vol. 7 (CD).