July/August/September – Happenings Page 2...


Help Still Wanted – can you solve our mystery?

We had an e-mail from Stewart May:

I wonder if you can help me? I was a young lad living with my parents in Hong Kong between 1958 and 1961, where my father was a serving soldier. During this time we had a visit at our house in Sek Kong Village by a local radio DJ (or possibly two of them). They turned up in a little white sports car with two black stripes over it from front to back I cannot remember his/their names. I may be wrong, but I think one of them may have been called Roger. I am sure he later joined Radio Caroline.

My family went from there to Africa but on my return, I remember joining the Radio Caroline Club and going to the gigs they ran at the weekend in London.

I am going to a reunion for the ex-kids and staff of St George's School, Hong Kong, and when I show my pictures I would like to be able to tell the others who I am talking about.


This is the best picture we have of our mystery man.

Click to enlarge.

So far, neither we, nor Jon at the Pirate Radio Hall of Fame, can offer any suggestions as to who the mystery DJ might have been. Ed Stewart was in Hong Kong in 1961, but he says he recognises neither the DJ nor the car.

Theo Bakker, Leeuwarden, Holland has identified the make of the car. He says: "The car is a Panhard, a French car. I recognize it as one of my classmates' father from primary school had one."

Tom Lodge thought our mystery man might be Roger Gale, who joined Caroline North in 1964. We can see the likeness, but Roger assures us he has never been to Hong Kong.

If you have any ideas, please get in touch


Bobby Hebb (Robert Von Hebb)
26/07/38 – 03/08/10
"One of the nicest people that I had the pleasure of working with." – Nick Simper

Bobby Hebb, who had been suffering from cancer, died at his birthplace of Nashville, Tennessee only days after his 72nd birthday.

Bobby, who supported the Beatles on their final USA tour in 1966, will always be best remembered for his much-recorded song 'Sunny'. His own version appeared in the Fab Forty alongside covers by Georgie Fame and Cher, but it outstripped its rivals, reaching #5 on 18/09/66.

The follow-up, 'Love Me', was picked as Paul Kaye's climber for 02/10/66, remained as a climber the following week and spent its third week on the Radio London playlist in the Fab Forty. 'I Love Everything About You' was Pete Drummond's climber for 03/04/67 and spent a week in the Fab Forty.

Bobby Hebb had his own publishing company and record label, Hebb Cats and continued to compose songs and perform until incapacitated by his illness.

Nick Simper's account of working with Bobby.

Bobby's website and his personal blogspot dated August 2007.

Associated Press report.
 


Dave Christian, Luxembourg DJ
10th July 2010

Much-loved 208 DJ Dave Christian has died in hospital aged 61. John Peters writes:

"Dave was a good friend and in the 70s we did gigs together and I would often visit Luxy where he tried to get me on board. When I last spoke with him some time back, he said that he was not in perfect health.
 
Typical of Dave – right to the end, sending endless lists of jokes... I'll miss him."
 
John

Friends have posted tributes on the Radio Today website. A photo of Dave at the 2008 208 Reunion is here.


Bernie Andrews - pioneer producer
17/08/1933 – 11/06/2010
"A great man, a true maverick and a one-off, who paid lip service to nobody."
Peter Young pays tribute to the Top Gear producer, who died recently.

After John Peel’s initial appearance on the first ‘Top Gear’, the BBC management told Bernie never to book him again, but he’d already booked him! If Bernie hadn’t fought to have John Peel on ‘Top Gear’, Peel might have suffered the same fate as Mike Ahern.
 
Bernie was also much loved by The Beatles whose BBC sessions he produced. Apparently when Andy Peebles met John Lennon in New York for the interview which turned out to be his last, the first thing Lennon said to Peebles was, “How’s Bernie?”
 
I met Bernie at various receptions in the 70s and early 80s. He used to listen to my ‘Night Flight’ programme and we had several entertaining conversations. He hated the BBC with a passion. I think this stems from being taken off ‘Top Gear’ and being forced to work on projects that he had no interest in. He went from a programme he loved, to producing the likes of ‘The Frank Chacksfield Hour’."

Bernie later worked on Anne Nightingale’s Request Show and The Top Forty. But I think ‘Top Gear’ was his baby. He started the show on The Light Programme in 1964 with Brian Matthew. The show ran on Thursday nights from 10pm – Midnight, and quickly became the hippest thing on the BBC.
 
I reckon the then bosses became quite alarmed by this radical show, and it was taken off the air after 6 months. It briefly became a 1-hour show on a Saturday afternoon, but that too didn’t last long. Bernie was one of the very few people working for the Corporation at that time, with a true ‘pirate’ attitude. In its original pre-Peel incarnation, ‘Top Gear’ championed all the cutting-edge UK bands of the time and also played lots of soul and Motown – a far cry from ‘Parade Of The Pops’ and Bob Miller and The Millermen!

Click here to read a Beeb memo to Bernie regarding a Led Zeppelin trial recording session in 1969

Guardian tribute by Annie Nightingale



What Would Ye Do Without Them, ye Knees, ye Knees?

Cari Wilkins wrote:
"I found these in a museum in York in an exhibition about medieval surgery. Good to know that even centuries ago, they knew that you kneed your knees!"



"Three miles offshore is where freedom thrives"
Lawrence 'Laz' McLuskey from Glasgow, aka 'Bubblegum Lemonade', has penned 'Caroline Lives for the Radio', a musical ode to Radio Caroline that many of us offshore fans will be able to relate to. It seems Laz is something of a Sixties fan as he chose the Bubblegum Lemonade name from the title of a 1969 Mama Cass album.


Peter Alexander Greenlaw Quaife – Kinks' founder
31/12/1943 - 23/06/2010

Pete Quaife, bass guitarist and co-founder of the Kinks has died after suffering from kidney problems for many years.

In the early Sixties at William Grimshaw School, Muswell Hill, he became friendly with Ray Davies and they founded the Kinks, with Ray's brother Dave, performing their first gig at a school dance. Pete was with the band between 1963 and 1969 and played on all their hits.

A hot contender for the greatest number of weeks spent in the Fab Forty, the Kinks enjoyed no less than five Fab Forty Number Ones, had three of their singles selected as Radio London Club Disc of the Week and one album chosen as Album of the Week. Every single they released entered the Radio London Top Ten. 'Tired of Waiting For You' was in the first-known Fab Forty and hit #1 in February 65. 'Everybody's Gonna Be Happy' made #8 in April 65 and 'Set Me Free', #4 by the end of June. 'See My Friend' made #4 in August, while the 'Well Respected Man' EP secured the #7 slot in October. 'Till the End of the Day' hit #1 in January 66, followed by another #1 'Dedicated Follower of Fashion' in March 66. The Kinks' #1 hat-trick was completed with 'Sunny Afternoon', chosen as Disc of the Week in May and #1 by June. In October 66 'Face to Face' was picked as Album of the Week and the following month 'Dead End Street' (acknowledged by Pete as a favourite Ray Davies song) became Disc of the Week. It held the #2 slot for two weeks running in December. Finally, 'Waterloo Sunset', chosen as Disc of the Week in April 67, reached #1 in May.

Ray Davies dedicated his set from the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury on June 27th 2010 to his old friend Pete, telling the crowd, "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him". The set also included tracks from Pete's favourite Kinks album, 'The Village Green Preservation Society'.

Interviewed for the sleevenotes of the 1966 Pye compilation 'Well Respected Kinks', Pete talked of the band's early days:

"We didn't really have a name for the group. It depended on who secured the booking. If Ray got the date, the group was 'The Ray Davies Band', if I got it, 'The Pete Quaife Band'."

He had also discovered that he had an enterprising sibling.

"Last week I arrived home to find my kid brother Dave had been selling my shirts to fans as souvenirs. He'll end up just like me - only richer."

On the Kindakinks website, Dave Quaife writes:

"Many people have asked in what way they can celebrate the life of my brother, Pete Quaife. Pete's partner Elisabeth will be excluded from any inheritance (not married) so I think it is appropriate to raise money to lessen the burdens she will undergo from losing Pete - her sweetheart and loved one for many years. Elisabeth has supported Pete through many difficult times, not the least the special care and love she gave Pete with his regular dialysis sessions 3 times a week, and the loving, nursing during the last days of dear Pete's life.

I have set up a PayPal account with donations being used firstly for Pete's funeral costs, wake and gravestone. The amount left over will be donated to an applicable, registered dialysis research fund."

Pete's funeral was held in Denmark on Tuesday, July 13th.

The Kindakinks site has many links to published tributes.



Friars Phases out with a Bang
The last-ever Friars Aylesbury gig before the demolition of the Civic Centre building that hosted so many memorable Friars gigs, took place on Friday June 4th. It was headlined by Paul Weller, with local hero John Otway supporting. (Who else would they have asked to do the job?) It is hoped that the end of the Civic Centre does not mean the end of Friars and that Phase Four of the Club will be staged in the new Aylesbury Waterside theatre, opening in the Autumn.

Closet Keith Skues fan and hard-working Friars Webmaster, Mike O'Connor, has posted a huge gallery of photos on his site. He wrote:

A very sad night in so many ways – the last Friars Phase Three gig and the last event in the Civic Centre. The building is being demolished very soon and it will be missed. Roll on Phase Four.

Along with Genesis in 1980 this was the most in-demand Friars gig ever, and what a way to go! This was a brilliant and emotional night and John Otway and Paul Weller played sets as hot as the temperature in the hall.

John Otway was presented with a special award to keep company the FA Cup he had been given by Friars back in 1979. Paul Weller also received an FA Cup to go with his other one awarded for his appearance with The Jam in 1980. Earlier this year, his mantelpiece had been enhanced by NME's Godlike Genius Award, but that was topped when Paul received the Friars Heroes Award from David Stopps.


Syd Barrett book proposed
Cari Wilkins writes:

There's a book planned for publication this autumn on Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett and his creative work. If enough people register interest (note that by doing this you're not committed to buying the book), it will be published.
 
The book will contain some photos of early Floyd/Barrett/Technicolor Dream published for the first time and taken by my brother Steve over forty years ago! Before now, I think it's only been me and a couple of others who've ever seen them. You can see a few in this video trail – Steve's are the ones with the 'www.barrettbook.com' watermark running through them.
Enjoy... and please register!

Reviewer Col Turner says:

This promises to be the ultimate book on Syd Barrett, his life and times.
The inclusion of many unseen photos of Syd and the Floyd (including the band at UFO, at the launch of IT at the Roundhouse, and the London Free School concerts at All Saints Church) is reason enough to make this a must, but when you consider that the Syd Barrett estate will benefit from the book’s sale it makes this an essential buy!


Keefers recommends remarkable video
Radio Caroline's Keefers has sent a link to an amazing live performance of the Fab Faux (motto: 'nothing is real') from New York City playing most of the second side of the Abbey Road - an album originally recorded by a popular band from Liverpool.

The session was originally recorded for The Howard Stern Show on Sirius Radio and only the audio had been broadcast previously. Band website.


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