I'm a Canvey boy and used to drive Lew Lewis Reformer about in my dads van when his own one was off the road. I played drums in a band called Screaming Abdabs, and we had a singer from Basildon name of Alison Moyet , who we would pick up at the Fortune Of War pub on the way up the A-127 when I was driving Reformer about. Drummer Buzz Barwell (RIP) would get the ump because he would then have to sit in the back. Happy Days!
I remember the Screaming Abdabs well, and I'm sure I booked you a few times, including, I think, for a GLC Anti-Racism Benefit somewhere (Clapham Common?). Were the Lew Lewis days when (the late lamented) Dean Kennedy was around?
@@JimDriver I think I vaguely remember the Clapham Common gig, we all drunk quite a bit in that band, and as it's 45 years ago now, everything's a bit vague. The Reformer days were 79 & 80 really, and Dean was very active at that time, fronting an excellent band called The Rubies, with his brother Warren, and still on the road with The Feelgoods & The Hot Rods. Warren tour managed Sinead O'Connor for many years till her untimely death last year, and is back out with ABC as I type. Dean has been gone 5 years now, really flown by. All of us in this post used to drink in The Jellicoe pub when able (Including Alison) and there were some legendary Saturday evenings took place! The Pub burned to the ground a few years back now, as they have a habit of doing in Canvey and Southend!
Good point, Paul! As I said in a previous comment, I quite enjoyed seeing the Motors but I hadn't quite adapted top their new-wavey style, which in 1978 was very new…
@@JimDriver The Motors struck me as a hairy band from a previous era, who accommodated their appearance to the late 1970s. I don't know enough about them to claim this is true, but there was no shortage of rock bands who played their set at three times the speed and got a hair cut in 1977.
Thanks Jim.Great to see Jerry Williams, a great singer and a great performer, His career went on from the early sixties to His death in 2018. I met Him once in the early 90's, My band was one of two opening acts. Backstage He was a very humble person, on stage He was flat out Rock'n'Roll👍
Thank you for commenting! This is not just about me, I’m hoping to build up a whole community of people enjoying and looking back on the pub rock experience via these videos. Although I knew John Spencer well (obviously!), I didn’t know Jerry Williams at all, though John spoke highly of him…
@@JimDriver that’s good to hear! I once saw a barman dance on the counter at the Lord Nelson when they played…and always remember a bit of one of the best lyrics in pub rock, “and I knew she was a lady cos she moved the dishes first” (peeing in the kitchen sink), and who else sang about Uncle Joes Mintballs?
Another great video. Lew Lewis recorded with the Stranglers and George Melly- Old Codger, one of the Stranglers curious but fab B sides. Another pub band from that mid 70s period I liked were Meal Ticket (members still playing around West London circuit).
Jim, I am writing from Iowa USA and enjoying these videos very much. Back in the 70’s I had a bunch of these records by the Brinsleys, Motors, Dr Feelgood Ducks Deluxe and the like. Paid a dear price as they all were imports. Thanks for the nostalgic trip.
I remember the Roll-Ups. I think I saw them at the Windsor Castle in the Harrow Road in the early 1970s. I can't remember the music though I have retained an impression of one band member, who I seem to remember was tall and thin with wispy blonde hair. (Or it may have been a dream!) Cheers!
Loved the motors ,And our guitarist had a second hand 4x12 can with the motors sprayed on the back ,forget about you and absolute classic And soul survivor from the LP ❤🇬🇧
If for nothing else, Lew Lewis Reformer deserve to be remembered for their album title alone: Save the Wail. Brilliant title. They had some great tunes as well. Lucky Seven is one of my favorite pedal-to-the-metal, loud-music-in-cars songs.
Oddly enough (and I'm usually contrary to most people's opinions), 'Lucky Seven' is one of my least favourite Lew Lewis tracks! But it's all down to personal taste, isn't it? Totally agree that 'Save the Wail' is a great title and I like to believe it was Lew who thought of it! Thanks again!
I used to watch a band called Juice on the loose at The caernarvon castle in Camden Town in the 80s . They used to do a great version of lonely teardrops by Jackie Wilson . The pubs no longer there but every time I visit Camden , lonely teardrops is always playing in my mind . As a footnote prior to that , I used to go to a pub called The pelican in Torquay from where I saw Bruce Woolley and The camera club singing Video killed the radio star …
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Tony. I too used to drink in the Caenarvon Castle back when Juice on the Loose played there and my mate Ron Chisholm was the manager! I featured Juice on the Loose in a recent video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RH4v3CGDj24.html Cheers!
Roogalator! Thanks,Jim! As I mentioned in my comment on the first video in this excellent series,I used to drink in The Hope and Anchor but I can't remember where I saw Danny Adler/Roogalator. The Cricketers,maybe? So many good pubs in London serviced by lots of great Pub Rock bands. Keep up the good work,Jim!
Thanks for the kind words and for commenting! I doubt if you saw Roogalator at the Cricketers as they'd broken up well before I started there and before me the focus was on Jazz-Funk, though it's possible they could have fallen into that category and been booked. You're right, back then we were definitely spoilt for choice both in terms of bands and venues. Not so now…
Lew Lewis Reformer....almost forgot about him, Save The Wail is a great album , reminds me a lot of the early J Geils Band...he also played on The Stranglers Old Codger b-side
Having spent most of the '70s & '80s living in squats in London, I went to many 'Pub Rock' concerts. I was at X-Ray Spex's 'Front Row Festival' show which wasn't only recorded for inclusion on the album, but also filmed by LWT - which I recently found on RU-vid (although I couldn't spot myself in the audience!). Having lived in the West Country now for 35 years, it always irritates me when, if travelling into London by road, I see 'The Famous Three Kings' and I think, "You're famous for having been 'The Nashville Rooms', where I saw The Jam & others"!
Yes, totally agree: the "Famous Three Kings" is famous for being a party pooper! Thanks for your comment and keep watching. I only ever saw X-Ray Spex once, and that was not at the Hope & Anchor, but not exactly sure where it was (old age!). I've got my thinking cap on… 😎
I forgot to mention that I never knew Danny Adler was in Elephants Memory - weren't they once John Lennon's backing band? Oh yes, and I remember seeing Mari Wilson (sans Wilsations) at The Cricketers in the late '80s.
More nuggets thankyou Jim It's great that you are documenting all this - this is the sort of social history that so easily fades away Don't stop !!!! Existentially yours.......
Thank you, Chris! I appreciate the comment! Social history is very much my thing, and I think the Pub Rock era needs a maverick to express his/my sometimes contrary views. It wasn't all Eggs Over Easy at the Tally Ho! 😀😀😀
Part of Lew's charm was his unpredictability and he was known as the "Southend Madman" in some circles! He was funny and wild in roughly equal measures. I chose that clip because it's a glimpse of the Lew Lewis I knew…
Enjoyed them , just subscribed. Interesting history about Lew Lewis, he also played Harmonica on The Stranglers ‘Old Codger’ with George Melly on vocals. Edit: Already in the comments 👍😎
I stopped to comment at THE MOTORS. I played the egg-suckin' grooves off their TENEMENT STEPS album on radio the southern U.S. I can still sing LOVE AND LONELINESS and THAT'S WHAT JOHN SAID to this day. Loved that band. (BTW, I also played THE FABULOUS POODLES' MIRROR STARS on radio, to no avail...)
Thank you so much for sharing your love for The Motors (and Fab Poodles)! It's incredible how music can stay with us for so long. Keep enjoying those egg-suckin' grooves, and please keep watching!
Another gem of a Video From Jim...A Couple of Bands That I Always made an effort to go and watch was The Movies And Fischer Z. Great Period For Some Great Bands and Music...Thanks For Posting This Jim Happy Days.
Thanks very much for saying that: I really appreciate your positive comment! I did see both the Movies and Fischer z, though only once or twice each. Cheers!
The pubs weren't always packed. I often went to gigs that were empty and sometimes inexplicably so. I remember putting the great Laurel Aitken on at the Cricketers in the mid-1980s and for some unknown reason, only about 50 people showed up. Normally we'd be turning people away by 8:15. But I get your point: it was a much healthier scene back then and we were spoilt for choice. Putting on Steve Marriott or Geno Washington or Juice on the Loose or Morrissey Mullen or Mickey Jupp on on a Friday or Saturday night and you could almost guarantee a full house at any music pub in London…
@@JimDriver bands up north get around £50 per member these days but the majority are cover bands , give the punters what they want deal and landlords don't seem keen on taking a risk with original material , I don't know about the money back in 70s but I'm guessing the money deal is more difficult to work these days but the young folks today are missing out on some good times , there's a great cd series English freakbeat Micky Finn , the sessions , soul agents etc
In Liverpool there was a band who played the pubs and clubs around Merseyside as a duo called 'Twos a Crowd' later 'Up and Running'. It was Phil Jones and Alex Mckechnie. They where brilliant to watch and recorded several tracks over the years. They sold out Liverpool Empire theatre for a full band show with Alternative Radio as support. The show was recorded for a live album called 'Live at Lime Street'. To show how popular this band where. On Merseyside they outsold U2s Joshua tree album to reach the no1 spot for the region.
Hats off to Liverpool: the City has always had a vibrant culture all its own. I'm not sure The Beatles (and the rest) would have come to prominence anywhere else but Liverpool. Thanks for letting us know about Two's A Crowd and please keep watching these videos!
Blast Furnace were great. But so were a lot of other bands back then. I was lucky because it was "my job" to see bands. Not everyone had my luck. Cheers!
My first gig was The Motors supported by John Foxx's Ultravox. I really like ex-Motors guitarist's band Bram Tchaikovsky's Battleaxe . Their song Sara Smiles is an unknown classic.
Thanks for sharing that. Now you mention it, Sara Smiles was a very good track. I'd forgotten it but when I checked it out just now, I instantly remembered where I'd heard it…
Hello again, Jim. Good to see you featuring John Spencer. I played with him in his more folky iterations, together with Graeme Taylor (guitar player with the Home Service). We both played for a while with guitar player and singer Martin Simpson. He told me he added the "B" to his name because there was a well-known snooker player at the time named John Spencer. John was a great bloke. Lived in a sprawling house in Chiswick with his wife Lou, who was a stained glass artist. RIP John.
Hello, Laurie: long time no see! Thanks for adding to the debate and filling in a few gaps. I used to really enjoy going round to see John and Lou at Fairlawn Gardens (or was it Grove?!) and bask in their personal Bohemia! Happy days…
@@JimDriverIt was Fairlawn Avenue (John used to refer to it as Forlorn Avenue). I used to love to visit. Happy days indeed and seems so long ago. I last saw John and Lou at a party I was playing at in a pub down near Richmond. They were guests and the hosts had booked an Irish Trad band. The next time I saw Lou was at John's funeral. That was over 20 years ago.
They did and those two tracks are great! I tghink I over-estimated Danny's role in the band, as I don't think he founded them but joined quite soon after they started. The line-up of the band was pretty fluid and I think Danny Adler had left before they backed Lennon and Yoko, as he apparently came to London in late 1970…
Yes: two of the best on the London Pub circuit. I've done a video which mentions the Balham Alligators but I can't find it! Probably old age creeping up on me… 😀
Such a joy to revisit this era. I was regular at the cricketers when Alan Murphy, Paul Young(no not that one), and Paul carrack would gig. Was it SAS band? Spike Edneys thing I think. Covers if I remember but played by the best. Also there was a jump band whose album I had and lost. And of course HANK Wangfird. Having seen your other videos not your taste perhaps, but loved all these bands your covering.
Yes, the SAS Band, but they were slightly before my time. By the time I turned up at the Cricketers in 1983, the SAS Band had graduated to playing polo grounds (Ian McClagan's influence?) and posh clubs in Chelsea. I used to put on Hank Wangford who used to say that the Turkish shish from the kebab shop at Kennington Cross was the best in London! Thanks for your kind words, I really appreciate the support. Please keep watching…
Thank you for your film. Did see the motors in Reading and made Danny Adler myselt in switzerland. Theie are more recent videos from the US but leave it up to you how he is now.
Thanks for saying so and please keep watching. I keep thinking of ideas of who to feature next and the viewers keep suggesting people I'd forgotten about!
Thank you very much for saying so! The intro song is the opening few bars of the song 'Out With a Bang!' by John B Spencer and John Gorring (Johnny G): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FkyA2LXAVU4.html
The Motors were great. A perfect segway from Ducks Deluxe. I think you were a bit hard on them...I love your channel, and greetings from Sonoma County, Calif!
Yes, it's very possible I was a bit hard on the Motors. Unfortunately, someone called me "fawning" in comments about a previous video and maybe I'm over-compensating! Have a great Christmas over there in Sonoma County, California, and please keep watching!
It was a gig at the University of Bradford. I met Danny- who seemed to be totally spaced out. I was very keen on a woman at the time- she's still a good friend and her brother was a budding keyboard player and got to know Nick Plytas who was Roogalator's keyboard player. It was January or February and it was cold- so someone decided my coat was just perfect!
Yes, it was very unfortunate, especially for Lew. At the time we thought it was because Lew was a "bit of a d*ck" but now we can see it was probably a cry for help. Poor old Lew, he wasn't the happiest of men…
Do you know the name/info/history of the club in Battle, Hastings. that showcased up coming bands ie. The Kinks, The Who, Hendrix etc...., in the early 1960s ?
Sorry, I don't. I do know the Kinks, The Who and the Stones used to play Hastings Pier Ballroom back in the early 1960s, but that's no good… I'll do some research and see what I can dig up…
@@JimDriver There's a connection to Manchester/Birmingham ? They repeated the same operation' in other, 'out of the way' South Coast towns. I think local businesses and residents managed to eventually get rid of them, after they'd wrecked their tourist trade etc....Why , and for purpose /reason ?
Thanks for the question. As far as I remember, they were a Blues band that was around in the very early 1970s, which is a little before my time because I didn't get into it all until early 1973, and I tghink they disbanded a few months after that. Perhaps my friend, harp-player Laurie Gaiman can help, as I believe he used to play with them…
Sort of… they knocked Dingwalls down (the old warehouse) and built it on roughly the same spot but as part of a bars/office/café complex, in almost the same style of brickwork.
Excellent as ever mate! Btw you've got Dave Winthrop just down the road from your Manor and what a nice chap he is too, but you probably know that anyway keep em comin- what pulled me in to this episode was the pic of the Robey- one band I saw there was The atomic chainsaw sex vikings from beyond Guildford- superb and memorable name but that was about it... ( saying that I was in anal dreadlocks and we were equally successful!) Prisoners were fantastic as were thee mighty Armitage Shanks !
Thanks so much for your kind words and support! Plus your very engaging take on all things Robey. 😀 I'm glad you enjoyed the episode, and thanks for the mention of my Ramsgate neighbour, Dave Winthrop: though he lives on the East Cliff, and I'm on the jolly West Cliff! Thanks again!
@@JimDriver thank you for reply. My brother in laws band mid to late 70s, London and Kent based. Always on the verge of making it, but stayed on the verge.
