The Artists – 1972

1st January 1972
THE PIONEERS

The Pioneers received another tremendous welcome when they returned to the New Market Discotheque. Many of the songs associated with the group were included in the programme and they also sang their latest single “Give And Take”

The break-up of Jimson Weed, Bridgwater’s longest running beat group and the end of dances at the Blake Hall under the banner of College Promotions was officially disclosed over the Christmas period. The College Promotions venture placed emphasis on hard rock attractions and began in late August with a bill comprising Blonde On Blonde, UFO and T2. Rodney Stoodley, who was involved in the project said the series had been discontinued because of a fall-off in attendances. But he added the same people intended to revert to pop dances at the same venue about the middle of February for the Commercial Carnival Club….(5th January 1972)

Bill Bailey and The Rockets (alias Hook of Taunton) return to the 23 Crowd Discotheque on Saturday following their incredible gig there in December. Previous Psyco guests – Gift of London – scored with their versatility, polish and excellent sound system….(18th January 1972)

Death of College Promotions rock concerts at the Blake Hall already being regretted. UFO, one of their prize signings, were the subject of a half page article in the NME recently – and it’s being forecast that this will be UFO’s year…. (18th January 1972)

This year has started in a record way for television and recording artiste Carol Lee Scott. She has just had her first disc, an L.P., released. Called “Carol Lee Scott And Friends”, it was recorded live at the Valley Club in Charlton, South London…(1st February 1972)

Hook’s return to the Sydenham Community Centre was a further success for them…. (1st February 1972)

Reggae fans will be delighted to hear that Desmond Dekker is coming back to Bridgwater’s New Market Discotheque on Saturday. His appearances at the venue have always been welcomed, so he is assured of a warm reception once again this week. Mr. Dekker has a string of top hits behind him, including “007”, “It Mek”, “Israelites” and “You Can Get It If You Really Want”. His recording company, Trojan, recently issued a new 45-er, “Licking Stick”, which is already proving popular in discos. Watch out for this number during his gig on Saturday….(1st February 1972)

5th February 1972
DESMOND DEKKER

During an interview prior to going on stage, Desmond told me that he would be going into the recording studios later this month to lay down some tracks with the charts in mind. He confessed that he had been neglecting his recording work just lately in favour of club and ballroom engagements around the country – and the failure of his latest 45-er, “Licking Stick”, to reach the Hit Parade had prompted him to secure studio time. Desmond and his band will undertake their first tour of Africa in June. It will be spread over two months and going with them will be Greyhound, The Pioneers (another favourite New Market attraction) and Bruce Ruffin.

11th February 1972
THE SENSATIONS

At Bridgwater’s Psyco discotheque on Friday, Sensations, a London pop harmony group will be appearing. They record for MCA and most of you will have heard their latest single on the radio – “Let’s Get A Little Sentimental” The following night sees an all-record edition of the Community Centre’s 23 Crowd Disco with two special extras – an exotic go-go dancer and a colour film of last year’s Bridgwater Carnival….(8th February 1972)

So let me get this straight, your hard earned money would have given you a scantily clad female gyrating in front of a backdrop of the Bridgwater version of The Black & White Minstrels… Interesting.

15th February 1972
A hint that groups may be booked more regularly again for Bridgwater’s New Market Discotheque has been given by the disco’s organiser, Terry Clare. He said he had been noting that patrons seemed to want a return of live entertainment. It was a sign he welcomed, so long as groups offered value for money and gave audiences what they wanted. Already two live shows have been presented at the New Market Discotheque this year, and Saturday sees the third – another visit by Greyhound, who previously appeared at the venue last Autumn when their “Black And White” single was in the Top Ten. Now, of course, this happy outfit have a new hit to coincide with their gig. Their reggae version of “Moon River”, the theme from the film “Breakfast At Tiffany’s”, reached Number 12 in the list of best sellers. Previously associated with Danny Williams, who scored with the ballad some 10 years ago, and more recently with Andy Williams, it has now become Greyhound’s song. In fact, their individual treatment of the number so impressed it’s composer, Henry Mancini, on a visit to London in December that he ordered copies of the disc to take home with him. Greyhound will be coming just two weeks after a well supported appearance at the New Market by their Trojan stablemates, Desmond Dekker and The Aces.

19th February 1972
GREYHOUND

Greyhound were in fine form and offered a lot of soul music in the James Brown vein as well as reggae. Material included “The Letter”, Ronnie Dyson’s “When You get Right Down To It”, “54-46 Was My Number” and, of course, “Black And White” and “Moon River”.

26th February 1972
JIMMY RUFFIN

Jimmy Ruffin was quite a coup for the Newmarket. The older brother of Temptation David, as kids the siblings both sang in a gospel group called The Dixie Nightingales. In 1961 Jimmy joined the Motown stable but was drafted into national service. Upon leaving the army in 1964, he was asked to join The Temptations but after the Motown chiefs heard his younger brother, David was given the job instead. Relying on a solo career which included stints recording for some of Berry Gordy’s smaller labels like Miracle and Soul, Ruffin failed to make his mark. In 1966, he heard a song that was earmarked for The Spinners and persuaded the writers that he should be given the song instead. “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted” not only gave Ruffin a huge hit, reaching No 6 in the States and No 8 in the UK, it also became his signature tune, the one song that he was most well-known for. He followed it up with a variety of other, smaller, hits but the last of these occurred in 1969. With the USA seemingly uninterested in his career, Ruffin turned his attentions to the UK. In 1970, he enjoyed no less than 3 Top 10 hits in this country – “Farewell Is A Lonely Sound”, “I’ll Say Forever My Love” and “It’s Wonderful (To Be Loved By You)” and in a poll conducted by one of the UK’s music magazines, he was voted the top international singer. Unfortunately, apart from a re-release of “Broken Hearted” in 1974, Ruffin struggled to find an identity at Motown, primarily as other artists on the label succeeded in achieving success with songs Ruffin had originally recorded (he was, for example, the first person to cut The Temptations “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep”). He eventually left Motown, and recorded for both Chess and Polydor. In 1980, he returned to the UK top 10 with the Robin Gibb-produced “Hold On To My Love”. Collaborations with both Paul Weller and Heaven 17 kept his profile reasonably high but apart from a brief period as a DJ for a UK radio station and some sterling charity work, Ruffin’s legacy centres around “that” song. In 2014, Ruffin y died in Las Vegas at the age of 78.

Jimmy Ruffin was Mr. Professional at Bridgwater’s Newmarket Discotheque. The Tamla Motown star had the audience cheering and applauding every number during a memorable one hour gig. Accompanied by Smack, a British eight-piece with an excellently arranged brass section, he sand all his hits, including “It’s Wonderful”, “Farewell Is A Lonely Sound” and “What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted”.

Portrait’s lead singer was mobbed by fans and dragged offstage at the end of the group’s performance at Bridgwater Sydenham Community Centre’s Psyco Discotheque. Lads gave another polished programme and also delighted those at the 23 Crowd Disco. (21st March 1972)

Professional group by the name of Gift have been booked for Psyco this Friday with London outfit Blue appearing the following night at the 23 Crowd… (21st March 1972)

There was a band called Blue who signed to RKO Records (owned by Robert Stigwood) and who featured ex-Marmalade man Hughie Nicholson and guitar whizz-kid Jimmy McCulloch. But, that Blue, despite the fact they were formed in the early 70’s, would not appear to be this Blue. This Blue were from London, whilst that Blue hailed from Glasgow. That Blue were formed in 1973, one year after this Blue’s Sydenham appearance. Glad we cleared that up.

It has been announced that coloured American songstress Tami Lynn will be returning to the venue on Saturday. Her recording of “I’m Gonna Run Away From You” was a smash last year.

25th March 1972
TAMI LYNN

Blue and and Gift gave enjoyable performances at the Sydenham Community Centre, but Tami Lynn attracted a smaller audience to the Newmarket Discotheque, Bridgwater, than expected.

At last a folk club has been re-established in the area. It is based at the Ring O’Bells, Ashcott, and is being held every Saturday with a top line-up of guest artistes. Man behind the venture is Derek Blackmore of the Bell Hotel, Banwell, who has been running a folk club there at the Globe Inn, Wells, for some while (recently the Wells club switched to the Sheraton Hotel). The Ashcott venture is already proving very successful, with people from many parts of the West Country attending. The club has got off to a flying start by featuring such well-known artistes as Cliff Aungier, Isaac Guillory, the brilliant guitar player from the United States, and Malcolm Price….. 11th April 1972

London group West Coast Consortium appearing at Bridgwater’s Sydenham Secondary School on Friday for the Psyco Disco and on Saturday for the 23 Crowd Disco....11th April 1972

15th April 1972
THE WEST COAST CONSORTIUM

Advertised as follows; “Over 21 and still with it? Then join the “in” set at Sydenham. Meet and mix with top quality groups”. Makes it sound like a Lonely Hearts Club. What’s it like to be washed up at 22? As for the entertainment, they were not from sunny California or San Francisco but London. They were originally called Group 66 and were initially a covers band until they started writing their own material. A close harmony 5-piece in the style of The Four Seasons or The Beach Boys, they changed their name to XIT, before signing to Pye Records where they became The West Coast Consortium. In 1969, they achieved a No.22 hit called “All The Love In The World” under the truncated title of Consortium but future singles, including another 3 45’s released in that same year, failed to gain success. The only exception was 1971’s “Melanie Cries Alone”, which reached No.13 in the Portuguese singles chart, but back in the UK, their lack of chart action proved to be their undoing. Changes of personnel coincided with a heavier music style but after an album, entitled “Rebirth”, was recorded in 1975 but never released, they disbanded.

West Coast Consortium followed the safe Hit Parade trail when they appeared at the Psyco and 23 Crowd Discos of Bridgwater’s Sydenham Centre. Not the strongest of groups to play there personality wise, but generally fair enough for dancers. This Friday, national attraction The Sensations, of “Let’s Get A Little Sentimental” fame, are back at at Psyco.

29th April 1972
THE PIONEERS

Two major concerts, one for reggae fans and the other for lovers of folk music, will be held in the Bridgwater area on Saturday evening. Trojan recording artistes The Pioneers return to the town’s Newmarket Discotheque, while internationally acclaimed folk singer Jake Thackray of “Braden’s Week” fame, has been booked to appear at the folk club being run by Derek Blackmore at the Ring O’Bells, Ashcott. The Pioneers, top favourites with New Market patrons, will be undertaking one of their last gigs in this country before embarking on a South African tour. And it will be a special Trojan night, with Trojan discs played throughout the evening. In addition, the company’s promotion manager, Brian Hayes, will be attending to give away Trojan singles, L.P.s, T-shirts and medallions. Springing to fame with “Long Shot Kick The Bucket”, The Pioneers are regular chart entrants. Their biggest seller to date is, of course, “Let Your Yeah Be Yeah”, but they also did well a few weeks ago with a revival of Jimmy Cliff’s “Give And Take”. Their new record is the Sam and Dave speciality, “You Don’t Know Like I Know”.

The Trojan night at Bridgwater’s Newmarket Discotheque was a great success, with everyone clamouring for the free Trojan T-shirts, medallions, long playing records and singles which were given out during the course of the evening. And there was plenty of attention too, for The Pioneers, who were making another of their popular appearances at the venue and kept the audience happy.

Jake Thackray is one of the most idiosyncratic performers to be seen, even in an era when the norm is so unpredictable. In 1967, he was quietly teaching in Leeds and in his spare time writing songs which were occasionally broadcast. One of these songs was heard by record producer Norman Newell, who made a selection from the 60 or songs Jake had written and recorded an album. In 1968, he made his debut on television in a Beryl Reid series and this really was the start of a great snowball. He began doing concerts for colleges and universities, and commercial television invited him to do a children series. This kept him busy for three months and then, with a gap of only two days, he went into the first series of “Braden’s Week”. The fan mail started to pour in. Jake continued in “Braden’s Week” during 1969, heavily interspersed with recording a second album, making numerous appearances at folk clubs and doing cabaret dates of every sort. In October, there came an important turning point in his career. He gave a one-man show, consisting entirely of his own material, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton. The audience response was exciting and word travelled fast. Jake had arrived as a solo performer. Festivals started next, commencing in Belfast and Newcastle. In 1970, much the same pattern followed – except that the number of engagements quadrupled, he appeared on American and British television simultaneously, and his concerts became bigger. He figured on the same bill as Louis Armstrong, holding a 900-strong audience in the palm of his hand. Recently, Jake had spent a lot of time writing for a new album, filming television specials and appearing up and down the country. His one-man show has developed, and every theatre he has performed in wants him back.

I can forgive Mike for suggesting that Jake was a “folk singer” but Thackray was way more than that. His suggestion that he was “idiosyncratic” is probably closer to the truth though unique is another word that springs to mind. The reason for thinking he was in the folk bracket is probably down to his simple live musical accompaniment of guitar and vocals, with occasional help from other musicians. But the style that he most closely resembled isn’t quite so well-known. Thackray has always cited a performer called Georges Brassens as his greatest influence. Brassens was a major exponent of chansonnier, which translates roughly as “poet songwriter”. A chansonnier can sing a funny song, sing a serious song, declaim a poem or tell a story – all of them at once if needs be (The Independent). Jake has also been described as a “Northern Noel Coward”. My first introduction to him, as a pimply 12 year-old, was via the program “Braden’s Week”, which mixed satire, serious news items regarding consumerism and entertainment. Thackray’s ribald songs about the “Bantam Cock”, the bawdy tale of the shagged out tenant (“The Lodger”) and a song about the opposite sex and their propensity to natter (“On Again! On Again!”), were frequently hilarious and possibly just a bit too bawdily “advanced” for a young whipper-snapper like me but I loved it just the same. Despite his popularity, there were quite a few dissenters who didn’t like the cut of his jib. He’s been called a misogynist on more than one occasion and after just one appearance, the BBC received several letters asking for him to be replaced. But Thackray won his audience over and enjoyed a great deal of success via countless television appearances, with a regular slot on “That’s Life!” (“Braden’s Week” successor) and performances on both The David Frost Show and Frost Over America. Away from the screen, and with his albums selling in smaller quantities, Thackray had a successful career on the live circuit but was very picky as to the type of venue that he would play. He was uncomfortable playing in large venues (despite making one appearance at the Royal Variety Performance) and preferred more intimate settings, which would explain his appearance at Ashcott. However, Jake, sadly, began to suffer from internal mental demons beginning with his dislike for performing at all. “I’d never liked the stage much and I was turning into a performing man, a real Archie Rice [the hack music hall comic in John Osborne’s “The Entertainer” played by Laurence Olivier,) so I cancelled gigs and pulled out”. This coincided with a chronic lack of confidence (which good friend Ralph McTell described as “catastrophic”) and eventual retirement in the 1990’s along with a slow decline into alcoholism and in 2000, bankruptcy. Thackray died of heart failure, aged 64, on Christmas Eve in 2002.

Thankfully, since his death, and mainly due to the exploits of a small group of fans called The Jake Thackray Project, his career has been re-evaluated and he now, quite rightly, enjoys the kind of profile that he deserves. His admirers include Jarvis Cocker, Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys, comedian Jon Richardson, Mike Harding, Cerys Matthews, Morrissey and Jasper Carrott. It’s not really surprising that the likes of Cocker, Turner and the Mozza should be fans of Jake. They certainly share Thackray’s witty wordplay and, to a lesser extent, the ability to find the absurd in every day situations. Thackray was certainly an acquired taste. Too vulgar for some, too outspoken for others, he was never afraid to air his opinion in song with the upper class in particular a regular target for his witticisms. The misogyny tag still sits uncomfortably when discussing his material but he was an exceptional wordsmith with a wonderful sense of comic timing despite the fact that he never liked being told his songs were “funny”. But they were. Gloriously so.

2nd May 1972
BIG SYDENHAM LINE-UP
Beat groups are coming back into favour with discotheque audiences. After two or three years of all-disco dances flooding the market, young people throughout the country are once again showing a preference for the excitement of live sounds. Locally the trend is most evident at Bridgwater’s Sydenham Centre, which has always offered a fair helping of live entertainment, even during the pop group slump. Throughout the Winter, the number of groups booked into dances for the Centre’s weekly Friday Psyco and three-weekly Saturday 23 Crowd Disco’s has been steadily increased, and it’s now got to the stage where they will be appearing almost every week in future. Warden Roy Brogan secures professional groups who can present good cover version of hits old and new, as well as some rock and roll in the case of the 23 Crowd, which attracts a full house. He has just announced a line-up stretching into July and still growing. It’s topped by Rescue Co. No.1, the outfit whose recording of “Life’s Too Short” on Mickie Most’s RAK label nudged the charts towards the end of last year. They have been signed for the Centre’s Psyco disco on Friday 7th July, and for the 23 Crowd Disco the following night. The rest of the date sheet for the Spring and early Summer period is as follows; 12th May, Brownhill Stamp Duty from London; 19th surprise group; 26th and 27th Buttons, from Birmingham. Then on the 16th and 17th June there’s Alice, a London unit who have broadcast on Radio 1 and on the 23rd June the return of the most popular group at the Centre – Portrait.

In Brackets, a six-piece reggae band from the West Indies who are on their first visit to this country and will be cutting a disc soon can be seen at Bridgwater’s Newmarket Discotheque on Saturday. The disco’s organiser Terry Clare, has revealed that he intends to put on groups at the Newmarket virtually every Saturday, so the swing back to live entertainment is growing fast there too. Desmond Dekker is confirmed for the discotheque 20th May.… (2nd May 1972)

6th May 1972
(IN BRACKETS)

A band that was advertised as “Direct From The West Indies – Raggae at it’s best!”. Regardless of the typesetting slip that seemingly invents a brand new genre of music, I have absolutely no idea about this group, their origins, or whether they recorded any material or not.

In Brackets were given an enthusiastic reception at the town’s Newmarket Discotheque. The Jamaican artistes not only featured reggae, but soul and even Latin-type music in the Santana tradition.

Still none the wiser……

Brownhill Stamp Duty, a London group will be coming to Bridgwater on Friday for the dance at the Psyco Disco of Sydenham Centre.…Sensations attracted a smaller audience than expected, but were just as good as last time….(9th May 1972)

12th May 1972
BROWNHILL STAMP DUTY

Sydenham may have been busy booking a host of groups at the Community Centre but not a lot of them have made a lasting impression whilst some (see next band) started off as obscure, and stayed that way. I do however have a little information regarding Brownhill Stamp Duty. They were from Southampton, a city that provided the Top Twenty Club with a lot of artists during it’s formative years. They were the successors from a band called Ricky Brown & The Hi-Lites and their claim to fame, at the time of making their Bridgwater debut, was that they released a version of The Fab Four’s “Maxwell Silver Hammer” for Columbia in 1969. After appearing at the Community Centre they signed to Pye and released three further singles in 1973 and 1974, one of which was a cover version of Eddie Holman’s “Hey There Lonely Girl” and another was the curiously named “Kyrie Eleison”. End of story.

Pieces Fit, a London aggregation, make their first visit to Bridgwater on Friday when they appear at the Psyco Disco……(16th May 1972)

Going for something a little different, the 23 Crowd Discotheque at Sydenham Centre, Bridgwater, offered patrons a display of those insinuating dances from the South Seas. Two girl dancers, one Polynesian and the other Burmese, told the story of each dance and at the end invited people to join in. There was such an overwhelming support for the disco, once again, that within an hour of opening the doors, the “House Full” notice had to be put up…..(16th May 1972)

Desmond Dekker is back at the Newmarket on Saturday to delight his legion of fans. Chances are that he may be introducing anew single to follow “Licking Stick”….(16th May 1972)

20th May 1972
DESMOND DEKKER

This gig was announced as “The Last Appearance Of” which suggested they wouldn’t be booking him again. …….but it was quickly followed by “Before African Tour”. Maybe they thought he wouldn’t be coming back.

27th May 1972
THE MIXTURES

The Mixtures seem to have satisfied everybody at the Newmarket Disco. Despite a smaller than hoped for turn-out, those present enjoyed the very polished and surprisingly versatile concert by the “Pushbike” stars who, in turn praised the crowd for the way they were received. As a result of this evening, the Disco’s organiser, Terry Clare, is now seriously considering the booking of more pop acts.

I’m pretty sure this gig was never advertised in the Mercury beforehand so I guess we can suggest that it took place after Desmond Dekker’s 4th visit at the venue though it’s just possible it could have been on the 13th of the month instead. Strange choice considering the recent trend of booking soul and reggae bands. The Mixtures were actually Australian. They signed to CBS in 1969 but achieved success in their native country the following year on the smaller Fable Records. Due to a Radio dispute down under, which resulted in all records released on major labels being banned from the airwaves, The Mixtures cover version of Mungo Jerry’s “In The Summertime” was more successful in their home country than the original, reaching No.1 and staying in the top spot for 6 weeks. One imagines that the band and their manager had a lightbulb moment, hence the recording of “The Pushbike Song”, which even the band admitted is effectively “In The Summertime” but with different words. It not only became their 2nd No 1 hit in Aussie but also reached No.2 in the UK in 1971. After that, further success was largely confined to their country of birth with the singles “Henry Ford” and “Captain Zero” obtaining some success though the latter’s major claim to fame is that it features Brian Eno on synthesiser. (How on earth he got involved with the band is anybody’s guess). The group disbanded in 1976.

In the 6th June edition of the Mercury, Mike not only gave us the lowdown on a new single by a future attraction but also gave plugs for a trio of concerts that were as far removed from each other, musically, as was humanly possible. These were as follows; On the 10th June at the Bridgwater Arts Centre, the jazz band The Mike Osborne Quartet (a band led by future Brotherhood Of Breath group member Osborne), The Syd Lawrence Orchestra (an unashamedly English version of the Glenn Miller Band about 25 years too late) at The Classic Cinema on 21st June and finally, on the 12th July also at the Classic, the winsome Liverpudlian folk group The Spinners who by 1972 were in the middle of a 7-year stint as hosts of a hugely successful BBC series.

Autumn, who are coming to Sydenham Centre three weeks on Friday, have released a follow-up to their hit of last year, “My Little Girl”. Called “Not The Way That She Looks”, it’s a warm close harmony rock-ballad effort with concerto piano and string prevalent in the score. Doesn’t have the impact of their other single (and therefore unlikely to reach the charts), but nevertheless a very pleasant record from the Pye studios….. (6th June 1972)

13th June 1972
FOLK CLUB OPENING IN BRIDGWATER
The main news this week is that Bridgwater is to have it’s own folk song club again after a lapse of several years. It opens at the Arts Centre on Thursday, 13th July with a concert by “name” artiste Nigel Denver and local floor singers. Behind the project are John Buxton and Stuart McKinlay, of Bridgwater, who decided to form the club after reading in Pop Topics that Arts Centre officials were keen to hear from anyone who wanted to start up a new venture at the theatre. The club will meet every Thursday at the Arts Centre, except during August, when the theatre is to be redecorated, and whenever there is a prior booking. Ralph McTell, of “Streets Of London” fame, and Jonathan Kelly have already been secured for “specials” later this year and many other top artistes are being contacted, with Malcolm Price, Fred Wedlock and Rosemary Hardman just some of those likely to be signed. Explaining why they had taken the decision to start the club, John said “There has been a tremendous revival in folk music and we know there are many folk enthusiasts in Bridgwater. Although there is a folk club at Ashcott, a lot of people cannot attend because they do not have their own transport and there are no buses to get them home”. He stated that there would be an annual membership fee of 75p, enabling members to attend club nights at 15p and “specials” at a reduced admission charge. Price for non-members at club nights will be 30p. But there is an important point to bear in mind. We had a folk club in Bridgwater some while ago, but it folded up after attendance drained away. Let us make sure the same does not happen in this case. Here are two people genuinely intent on providing a major outlet for folk music fans on a long-term basis. But as with all folk clubs, it’s success – and lifespan – will be determined by the support it receives. Local floor singers are wanted, so please attend. And even if you only wish to be a singing member of the audience, do turn out in force because the more who go along, the bigger the bookings will become.

Alice Band were a surprise last-minute capture for the Psyco Discotheque at Bridgwater’s Sydenham Community Centre. The group, one of the most powerful and lively to be seen at the Centre for several months, had been undertaking a tour of the West Country and were able to take in this extra date on their way home to Maidstone. Their repertoire, consisting mainly of good old ravers, was warmly appreciated by a fairly large audience. This Friday, Psyco presents Alice (no relation). They are a London unit who have broadcast on Radio 1…(13th June 1972)

Most popular group at Bridgwater’s Sydenham Centre – Portrait – make yet another welcome return visit there on Friday for the Psyco Discotheque dance….(20th June 1972)

Alice were judged one of the best groups to appear at Sydenham Centre. Although the Friday night attendance was on the low side, Saturday’s 23 Crowd resulted in another full house and the audience were very appreciative of the boys polished performance, which incorporated a commendable Beatles medley. It is hoped to bring back the group, but it won’t be before November time because the attraction of other prior commitments. The most important of which is a 10-week tour of Morocco….(27th June 1972)

20th June 1972
Of the four seasons of the year, by far the most interesting two are Spring and Autumn. Refreshingly unpredictable, they bring subtle winds of change which fill one with renewed zest and vitality. Five young musicians from Brighton had just these thoughts in mind when they formed a group under the name of Autumn – and on Friday you can see exactly how they capture the spirit of the season in music when they appear at Bridgwater’s Psyco Discotheque (Sydenham Centre). The Pye recording artistes released their first single, “My Little Girl” last year and after exposure on “Top Of The Pops” made it a hit, the former semi-professional aggregation turned fully pro. There are five members in the unit; leader Ron Shaughnessy on rhythm guitar, John Court (lead guitar), Peter Cramer (bass), Dave Charlwood (drums) and led vocalist Keith Parsons. All five sing, Peter Cramer writes and their ambition is to become Britain’s top vocal harmony group. The outfit have been together for two years. Prior to that, two members came close to making it in other groups but were dogged by bad luck. Peter and Dave were members of Shades, who signed a contract with Joe Meek, who recorded such names as the Tornados, Heinz, The Honeycombs, John Leyton and Mike Berry. But Joe was to die shortly afterwards. Autumn, who love sending themselves up, issued their second Pye disc, “Not The Way That She Looks”, a few weeks ago, and the record, which was reviewed in this column at the time, has been played by Tony Blackburn as a chart-bound sound.

23rd June 1972
AUTUMN

Autumn’s ambition obviously outweighed their talent and staying power. It’s all very well suggesting that they wanted to be “Britain’s top vocal harmony group” but one play of 1971’s “My Little Girl” reveals a band stuck in a time-warp that is already a good 5 or 6 years out of date. It’s 60’s vocal harmonies and pleasant middle of the road pop already sounds terribly dated by 1972 so perhaps it’s not surprising that this single, one of 6 they appear to have made for Pye Records, was the closest they got to success. It would appear that “My Little Girl” was written by Tony Rivers of Castaways fame (who played the Top 20 in 1966) and it may or may not have been a cover version of a single released by Harmony Grass, another vocal group that featured Rivers in it’s line-up. As for the follow-up, even Tony Blackburn’s endorsement couldn’t bring it any success.

4th July 1972
Rescue Co. No.1, whose recording of “Life’s Too Short” nudged the charts towards the end of last year, come to Bridgwater this week for appearances at Sydenham Centre’s Psyco Disco on Friday and the 23 Crowd Discotheque the following night. Formed about 10 months ago, this London-based group are kept busy touring clubs, R.A.F. camps and colleges from one end of the country to the other. There are five members in the outfit and they line up as John Cook (on organ), Malcolm Green (drums), Dennis Doel (lead guitar), Ray Maher (rhythm) and Steve Talbot (bass). Previously they were with various local groups in London and John and Malcolm used to be in Octopus. All sing and the unit have also written a number of songs, although for gigs the boys wisely keep to the formula of performing material that is well known to audiences. Ray told me from his London home that they were looking forward to coming to Bridgwater, and he seemed pleased on hearing about the healthy rock and roll revival at the 23 Crowd, for the group include old rock favourites in their repertoire. One disappointment, however, has been the failure of their follow-up disc to reach the charts. Called “I Want To Save You” and issued on the Jam label (“Life’s Too Short” came out under Mickie Most’s RAK banner), it was tipped by many, including myself. But unfortunately, the BBC have given the record very little exposure although it has also been heard on Radio Luxembourg and was the last pick of Terry Davis on Radio North Sea International three weeks ago. Now, Rescue Co. No. 1 are planning their next 45-er, which will also be released on Jam – and they must be hoping that it will be a case of third time lucky for that elusive big hit.

7th July 1972
RESCUE CO. NO.1

Octopus were a prog rock band who supported both Cream and Yes during their short time together but despite rubbing shoulders with some of the big boys, they were never able to secure a recording contract though drummer Malcolm Green later turned up in the New Zealand band Split Enz. A web-site called Music News.com however mentions that Rescue Co. No.1 (a dumb name for a band if you ask me) were formed from the ashes of a group called Orange Air. As Rescue No 1 they released singles on a number of labels (including RAK, DJM and Jam) but the radio hit “Life’s Too Short” is pretty much all they are remembered for. “Alan Freeman once played the song twice on his radio show – so smitten was he with the track!” the web-site enthuses. Not enough to secure world domination I’m afraid. The band cut some songs under the pseudonym called Scarecrow and it’s up to Music News.com to complete the story. “The band toured the UK including support slots with Christie and released a steady stream of pop, glam singles but the elusive Hit never happened and by 1975 it was all over and the band split”. An album of their collective endeavors has been issued by the excellent re-issue label Cherry Red Records entitled “Life’s Too Short – The Singles Anthology 1971-1975”, but do they warrant a significant write-up in the Mercury considering their meagre output? Probably not. The problem is that despite suggesting otherwise, the Newmarket Discotheque were seemingly going through a barren period, which meant that it was up to the Psyco disco to provide us with live concerts that are worth discussing (unless you are a fan of the Syd Lawrence Orchestra or The Spinners of course….)

On the 11th July 1972, Mike’s “Pop Topics” column devoted itself to The Spinners forthcoming appearance at The Classic cinema, with a lengthy article regarding their history and detailed descriptions of the 4 group members. Elsewhere a brand new venture looks promising as the focus of attention swings towards the Bridgwater Arts Centre.

The night after The Spinners concert there will be another important date for folk fans when a new folk club opens at Bridgwater Arts Centre. Full details of this venture were given in Pop Topics some weeks ago, but it’s worth reiterating the appeal for a good attendance. Nigel Denver tops the bill, and a number of local floor singers will also be appearing…

Finally, a date for pop music enthusiasts is Friday at Bridgwater’s Psyco Discotheque when Contraband will be on the stage… (11th July 1972)

The new Bridgwater folk club, which was launched on Thursday at the Arts Centre, shows great promise. A comfortable number of people attended and a happy time was had by all. Guest Nigel Denver from Scotland proved a worthy opener for the venture, his spontaneity and reputation for being so amazingly unpredictable keeping the audience on their toes and helping to break down inhibitions. As of this week the club – which is run by John Buxton and Stuart McKinley of Bridgwater – will meet at the Market House Inn, High Street, every Thursday. Stuart explained that the move was being made because it was felt that a smaller venue would be more suitable, but he added that it was still hoped to hold concert dates at the Arts Centre…..(18th July 1972)

Turnout at Bridgwater’s Psyco Disco for the gigs by Portrait, Autumn and Rescue Co. No.1 could have been better. All three attractions gave satisfactory shows. Portrait introduced their forthcoming single, which will probably be titled “She’s Just A Friend Of Mine” and is a lively up-tempo beat opus; Autumn put across a strong harmony act; and Rescue Co. were polished and included their discs “Life’s Too Short” and “I Want To Save You”, incorporating rock and roll for the Saturday night 23 Crowd session, which again drew a capacity crowd…..(18th July 1972)

More fans attended Bridgwater’s Psyco Discotheque when Contraband appeared than for several weeks past. The London-based aggregation, who had travelled up from Exeter, did a valid gig but generally concentrated on less familiar material than some of the groups who have guested at Sydenham lately. This Friday Psyco welcomes Electric Bath, also from London…… (25th July 1972)

Top favourites at the Centre, Portrait, have just released their single “She’s Just A Friend Of Mine”, referred to in this column last week. It’s on the Bell label and the boys are singing it under their new name, Hobnail…….(25th July 1972)

An evening of live entertainment provided solely by local beat groups has been called for by Bob Keirle, manager of Sioux, the four-piece outfit launched earlier this year….If Bob can find a suitable venue for his venture it could well mean them getting more of a look-in on the scene in future.…..(1st August 1972)

Bridgwater’s new folk club is settling in nicely at the Market House Inn, High Street….During the course of the evening Bob Ormrod, assistant Arts Centre secretary, played an excellent set with Mike Scott on blues harp….(1st August 1972)

P.Taylor (Bridgwater) Ltd., Eastover, appointed one of the national ticket agencies for the rock and roll gala which is taking place at Wembley Football Stadium on Saturday. Among the stars are Bill Haley & The Comets, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and Billy Fury….. (1st August 1972)

The Newmarket Discotheque, Bridgwater, is staging a free and very successful Sunday night disco dance throughout the Summer…..(1st August 1972)

8th August 1972
A record which has been earning a fair amount of attention is the heavy rock single “Standing In The Road” and on Friday at Bridgwater’s Psyco Discotheque, Sydenham Centre, patrons will be able to see the artistes who made the disc – Blackfoot Sue. Hailing from Birmingham, the group are no strangers to to the venue for they played there a while ago under the name Gift. There are four musicians in the outfit, all of whom have had the usual apprenticeship working in local semi-professional groups. Identical twins Tom and Dave Farmer, on bass and drums respectively, met up with guitarist Eddie Golga. All three are from Castle Bromwich and they were soon joined by Alan Jones from Warley, also on guitar. The decision to change the name of their group was taken a few months ago when the boys considered they were ready to work professionally. “Standing In The Road”, a self-penned number, incidentally, is their first single on the Jam label and it was produced by Noel Walker, who has been responsible for producing records by such artistes as The Fortunes, Shirley Bassey and Amen Corner. This will be the last Psyco dance before a short holiday break. Normally the Community Centre is closed throughout August, but this year the closure will last only a fortnight. The Psyco Discotheque, which returns with an all-record evening on 1st September, has featured more groups than ever before during this current series, the most well-known attractions being Rescue Co. No.1, who also record for the Jam label, and August. Most recent guests at Psyco, Electric Bath from Shaftesbury, Dorset, did two good sets and showcased popular, generally heavy material associated with acts like Status Quo, Savoy Brown and The Rolling Stones. Their coloured lead singer has a strong voice.

11th August 1972
BLACKFOOT SUE

The Blackfoot Sue story is a surprisingly short one. Despite the success of the aforementioned “Standing In The Road”, a curious hybrid of Slade, Status Quo and John Kongos, they only managed to dent the Top 40 on one other occasion when “Sing Don’t Speak” obtained the No 36 slot in December 1972. Consequently they have always been regarded as “one hit wonders” with their biggest hit reaching No.4 in the same month as their Sydenham appearance. Despite releasing several more singles and two albums (a third remains unreleased) that is the sum total of their output and they split in 1977. However, this was a band who never knew when to quit it seems, reforming under a different name, not once, but twice. In 1979, now called Liner, they cut an eponymous album for Atlantic Records with Arif Mardin producing and scored two Top 50 hits in the UK with songs from the LP. Then in 1979, they returned as a trio called Outside Edge, and made a further 4 albums in that format. Finally re-forming under their original name, they played their final gig at the London Astoria in 1999.

Bill Clifton will be in concert this Thursday at Bridgwater Folk Club (Market House Inn). Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, but now living in England at West Hoathly, Sussex, he specialises in traditional country music and traditional American ballads…..(8th August 1972) Clifton was responsible for organizing one of the first bluegrass festivals in the USA at Oak Leaf Park in Luray, Virginia on 4th July 1961.

15th August 1972
With Bruce Ruffin’s latest single “Mad About You”, still riding high in the charts, the management of Bridgwater’s Newmarket Discotheque have announced that the reggae star will be appearing at the niterie on Saturday evening. He will join a long line of major reggae attractions to have performed at the Newmarket, including Desmond Dekker, Greyhound and The Pioneers. It is hoped that there will be a large attendance. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, 24 years ago, Bruce Ruffin was educated at Wolmers High School in Kingston and sand in the school choir. At the age of 14 he continued to sing as an amateur while studying to become a dental technician and in 1964 was given the opportunity of singing in a professional capacity in the Jackie Wilson Show. He carried on with his dental studies while singing professionally at weekends and had a number of records released. His first Jamaican hit was “Long Time About Now” in 1968, which was followed by several others. Then in late 1970 he joined Stevie Wonder on a tour of Jamaica, during which they became very good friends. Stevie influenced him so much that he decided show business should be his life. Bruce’s career took a further turn for the better when he recorded the Jose Feliciano song “Rain” and came to London last year with a view to promoting it. His first appearance outside Jamaica was on “Top Of The Pops” in April 1971, and the result was a smash with “Rain”. Now, with “Mad About You” proving that he is no flash in the pan in the U.K. charts, the future looks bright for the young man who might have made dentistry his profession instead of cutting pop records.

19th August 1972
BRUCE RUFFIN

Ruffin has reggae history as he began as a vocalist with Byron Lee & The Dragonaires before joining The Techniques in 1967. They were formed in 1962 and after shifting their musical emphasis from ska to rocksteady, enjoyed a string of hits in Jamaica during 1967 and 1968, some of which Ruffin wrote. Bruce decided to branch out and went solo in 1969 but it was the 70’s that proved to be his most fertile period, most of which is described in Mike’s piece above. Having covered Paul Simon’s “Cecilia” it was another cover version that gave Ruffin’s career some momentum with Jose Feliciano’s “Rain” reaching No 19 in the UK charts. The follow-up “Mad About You” continued Ruffin’s chart success, peaking at No.9 and from now on Ruffin concentrated on “reggae crossovers”, which were effectively commercial pop songs with a reggae beat. By the 1980’s Ruffin began to concentrate on publishing and writing as opposed to performing and eventually gave up making music to concentrate on law becoming a legal consultant to other reggae artists. Ruffin, now at the ripe old age of 73 is currently the CEO of BRM Music.

29th August 1972
The organiser of Bridgwater’s Newmarket Hotel Discotheque, Terry Clare, has announced that he intends to increase the frequency of “live” shows now the Summer season is drawing to a close. Already, negotiations are in progress for the return of Jimmy Ruffin and it is hoped to arrange for him to appear at the venue in the early part of October. Terry also revealed that in drawing up plans he was taking into account the fact that the charts were being influenced by more progressive groups. He was speaking following a gig at the Newmarket by Bruce Ruffin, who is being kept busy touring clubs, ballrooms and cabaret spots as a result of his “Mad About You” record success (a song he wrote over ten years ago). Bruce took the stage after a warm-up session by his five-man backing outfit, who played tight, funky soul music. But it was obvious that the crowd wanted to hear reggae and the choice of more soul for his opening numbers didn’t help matters. It was not until he ventured into “Songs Of Peace” and his hit of last year, “Rain”, that the audience really began to respond. With some fine brass embellishments, he then swung into Donnie Elbert’s setting of “Where Did Our Love Go” followed by a rather time-consuming routine in the James Brown tradition in which he introduced each member of the group. The star ended his hour-long show with “Mad About You” and, to cries of “More!” from out front, the firm disco favourite “Are You Ready”. All in all, a polished, well-rehearsed set.

In action again after the holiday break, Bridgwater’s Sydenham Centre launch a new season of Friday discos and Sunday teenyboppers’ dances next weekend. There will be no group on Friday, but Brownhill Stamp Duty are back the following week…..(29th August 1972)

19th September 1972
A concert of special appeal to followers of hard rock music takes place at Bridgwater and District Arts Centre next week, when the fast-rising outfit called Thrust will be appearing. The band’s visit precedes their first tour of the States this Autumn, during which they will be playing alongside heavyweights Humble Pie and Stateside favourites The J.Geils Band. Thrust are based in London and consist of Tim Rice (organ and vocals), Phil Edwards (drums) and Peter Billam (bass and lead guitar), who split from that highly-praised attraction Continuum to for their own unit about six months ago. “We felt we had progressed perhaps as far as we could go in the band” explained Tim. “We’re now essentially a group who are constantly exploring and improvising on various musical themes”. Peter added: “Our basic aim is to complement contemporary rock music with the relevant dynamics from the roots of other forms of music. Our music envelopes hard rock, blues and classical etchings, but alongside this we consider audience participation absolutely essential. We like to feel it’s a two-way involvement”. On the programme with Thrust, who are in the process of recording their first L.P. with their new line-up, will be pianist and guitarist Juliet Lawson, who sand with the now defunct Wooden House rock band and also has an album on the way (set for November release). Completing the bill for presentation at the Arts Centre will be another guitarist, Ian Blair.

Brownhill Stamp Duty returned to Sydenham Centre, Bridgwater, under the first group booking for the venue’s new season of pop dances. Once again, they impressed with a selection of hits from the recent past and rocking oldies, including numbers associated with Neil Sedaka and The Beatles. Both Psyco and 23 Crowd audiences saw the aggregation, who recorded a single for Pye recently…….19th September 1972

26th September 1972
All is ready for the concert at Bridgwater Arts Centre on Thursday by progressive group Thrust. It promises to be an interesting programme, given by three musicians with much experience. Drummer Phil Edwards was born in Wrexham in 1948. His group baptism was with Kingsize Taylor and The Dominoes and he has done session work with Dionne Warwick, sister Dee Dee and Donnie Elbert. In addition he has worked with Steve Peregrine Took (formerly in T.Rex), Graham Bond and Continuum. Tim Rice (organ) is a native of Gordonsville, Virginia, and the same age as Phil. He moved to Britain in 1961, later attending the Royal College Of Music, majoring in composition and organ. He also played in Continuum and in the harmony group Happy Days. Lead and bass guitarist Peter Billam is 23. He gained a first in physics at Imperial College (London University) and was a member of various aggregations on the college circuit. Appearing with Thrust will be the guitarist and pianist Juliet Lawson, whose roots are very much in the theatre. In 1969 she left Wimbledon Art School after studying theatrical design and joined the Royal Court Theatre for one year as student stage managerial assistant designer. While there, she finished her first play “Cabbage”. At Easter 1970, she made her first appearance as a singer with Wooden House, a rock band. By the time it had disbanded, early in 1971, she had started to write her own songs and begun to play both the guitar and piano. During the Summer of 1971, Juliet settled in to writing and playing seriously and was later joined by another guitarist, Ian Blair, who is also on Thursday’s bill. Since last Autumn, Juliet has, among other things, performed at a variety of college and concert venues, including the Lanchester Festival. She has broadcast on B.B.C. Radio London’s “Breakthrough”, B.B.C. Radio Birmingham and has recorded for B.B.C. 2’s “Late Night Line Up” and Radio 1’s “Sounds Of The Seventies”.

Interesting how little information there is on Thrust, despite the fact that Mike Guy gave them not one, but two write-ups in his “Pop Topics” column. In fact I have managed to find more about the band that they came from, Continuum but they were not the band that took to the Arts Centre stage in September 1972. Continuum was conceived in Holland by Hungarian multi-instrumentalist Yoel Schwarcz in 1967. They released their self-titled first album in 1970 with Side Two a side long suite in four parts composed by non-band member Richard Hartley and based on the poetical work of Lord Byron. Thrust bassist Peter Billam and “respected” keyboard player Tim Rice (who, incidentally, is NOT the “Jesus Christ Superstar” songwriter recorded the first side of the “Autumn Grass” album, released in 1971. The band continued to tour after the release of “Autumn Grass”, but the proverbial musical differences emerged, and founder Schwarcz decided it was time for him to move on. The remaining members kept the band going for a further few months, but when it became clear that their efforts were futile, they disbanded. Thrust emerged from the shadows of Continuum but despite Mike suggesting that they were about to record their debut album, I haven’t found any evidence that it was ever released.

Of far greater interest is Juliet Lawson. At various points during her early career, the “NME”, “Guardian” and “Record Mirror” all agreed, that she was the UK’s answer to Joni Mitchell. A 1973 edition of ‘Record Mirror’ predicted ”She will be one of the Superstars of ‘74, alongside Cockney Rebel, Linda Ronstadt, and Bachman Turner Overdrive”… So what happened? Juliet Lawson released her debut album, Boo, in November 1972 on the Sovereign record label. It was extremely well-received but despite the critical acclaim, and the rosy outlook predicted for her, the album simply fell through the cracks and consequently so did Juliet’s career. She continued to work sporadically, writing songs for ‘Chips Comic’ the first children’s programme commissioned for Channel 4 back in 1982 but subsequent work occurred only sporadically. There was a short musical play, ‘Flowers from Detroit’, in 1988, a 2nd album entitled ‘The One That Got Away’ in 1992 and a one woman show, ‘Throw It On the Water’, in 1999. Her last studio album, ‘Where I’m Coming From’, was produced and released in 2002. That is, on average, new material every 5 years. In an interview conducted with journalist Owen Peters, Lawson suggests that the erratic nature of her output was simply down to “life getting in the way”. In fact the more one delves into the interview the more one gets the impression that Lawson, however talented she might be, may be proud of the work that she has created, but isn’t too bothered about promoting her back catalogue and doesn’t necessarily regard a full-time career as a necessity. Having heard “Boo” (an album that in 2024, Mojo Magazine included in it’s “Buried Treasure” series) the Joni Mitchell comparisons are inevitable if only because Lawson would have been one of many female artists from that period who were saddled with that unhealthy suggestion who could never get close to Joni’s genius. But the material suggests a promising if unfulfilled talent that, for whatever reason, never bloomed into a successful artist. Lawson is also a longtime painter with resident exhibits at Eagle Gallery in her native Bedford. In October 2021, her works exhibited at London’s Finsbury Business Centre.

Local space rock group Nulli 2 have written a four-part opera called “The Adoration Of The Universe” which they intend recording early next year. They want to use Air Studios, London, which they consider offer the most advanced phasing and stereo facilities and which have been used by such groups as Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper and The Groundhogs. The opera – likely to be performed in Bridgwater for the first time later this year – contains a libretto expressed in poetic form. All told the opera is long enough to fill one side of an album which the group are hoping to sell to a record company under the title “Journey Into Darkness”…..(3rd October 1972)

Donny Osmond made an early appearance in the Bridgwater Top Ten. Polydor, who release the Osmond’s discs on the M.G.M. label, have persuaded the G.P.O. to allocate a special line for the Osmond’s Information Service. This service will operate initially from next Sunday to 30th November, the period covering the group’s British visit, and will give latest information on where they are playing. The number, 01 499 6241, will be available 24 hours a day….(3rd October 1972)

Fans of contemporary pop music have another date at Bridgwater Arts Centre when the venue presents David Bedford and Lol Coxhill on Saturday evening. David through met Lol Coxhill through playing in Kevin Ayres and The Whole World. The scope of Lol’s recent work is immense, from modern jazz with Centipede to folk music with Shirley Collins…..(3rd October 1972)

7th October 1972
DAVID BEDFORD & LOL COXHILL

7th October 1972
THE UNTOUCHABLES

As it turns out, the Lol Coxhill/David Bedford gig was not the only music concert that Bridgwater offered on Saturday the 7th October as “The Untouchables” became the first band to benefit from the Newmarket’s decision to re-introduce live music on a weekly basis (see below). The problem is, who were they? There were several groups who used this name but it does not appear that any of them were the aggregation that rocked up at the Newmarket on this particular evening. There was a ska band from Los Angeles, but they didn’t form until 1981, a Dr.Feelgood inspired group from Bristol who apparently first appeared in 1978 and many other bands who appeared under that name. But as for this lot……no-one is telling, least of all our regular “Pop Topics” man.

10th October 1972
DISCO STARTS WEEKLY LIVE SHOWS
There are to be live shows every Saturday night from now on at Bridgwater’s Newmarket Hotel Discotheque. The disco’s organiser, Terry Clare, announced in the Summer that he intended increasing the number of group bookings, but his plans – finalised last week – are even better than expected. In addition to national attractions there will be a fair helping of regional groups, with admission price kept down to 35p for these smaller bands. Terry said the aim of the venture was to give value for money and he explained that his decision to concentrate more on live entertainment again was in response to many requests. The move illustrates that the scene has now virtually turned full circle. After a long period during which disco-only sessions reigned supreme, young people are declaring that they want something more than just a load of records played without a break all evening. It is a fact that pop fans from Bridgwater travel to venues elsewhere to see name groups, some patrons of the Newmarket Disco included. Now, they will have a regular line-up on their own doorstep. The idea is to cater for as wide a musical taste as possible to reflect the varied nature of today’s trends. Appearing this Saturday are the five-piece coloured West Country outfit New Enterprise.

London group Blue performed at the Psyco Discotheque following a tour of Spain and Morocco. The lads sang “Can’t Stop Thinking About My Baby”, “The Locomotion” and other winners old and new, but the audience was not large enough to mirror the standard of their act…..(10th October 1972)

14th October 1972
NEW ENTERPRISE

Plans have at last been completed for a concert in Bridgwater by local groups. It has been fixed for Friday, 8th December, at the Town Hall and will run for four-and-a-half hours from 7.30 pm. Appearing will be Sioux, Name and Nulli 2 who will each be on stage for about 60 minutes. In addition, a disco and light show will keep the evening moving while the groups change over. It is a long while since local groups have had the opportunity of playing together and if they go down well it could mean that dance promoters in the area may feel more inclined to give them a greater share of work once again… (17th October 1972)

Untouchables and New Enterprise displayed professionalism in the first two of the regular Saturday concerts lined up for the Winter at Bridgwater’s Newmarket Hotel Discotheque…..(24th October 1972)

31st October 1972
GROUPS WITH NEW DISCS IN TOWN
Two groups to watch, with singles due for release during the Winter, appeared on consecutive nights at Bridgwater’s Sydenham Centre. Psyco patrons saw Mandarin Kraze, while Saturday’s 23 Crowd welcomed Time Dynasty, both evenings proving interesting. Mandarin Kraze are an experienced, professional outfit, with a strong vocal harmony style and a repertoire of popular numbers that keep the toes tapping. Formed in Southend-On-Sea about five years ago, they line up as Martin Lyon (drums), Tony Search (bass guitar), the two founder members. Michael Greenland (lead) and John Wicks (rhythm). All sing and the personnel has remained unchanged for the last couple of years. Before going on stage, Tony spoke of their achievements to date, besides their plans for the immediate future. The lads have had quite a few records released during the past two years on the President and Carnaby labels. Although they haven’t toured abroad, one of these discs, “Hey Juanita”, recorded under the name of The Secrets, sold well in France. They will use the name for their next 45-er, “See You In September”, to be issued on Spark. By coincidence, this latest aim at the Hit Parade is the same composition that launched their former label President, when it was recorded by The Symbols (who once played at the Newmarket Hotel Discotheque). The group, who have been heard on the Tony Blackburn and Jimmy Young Radio 1 shows, are perhaps best known for their valid handling of Beach Boys material, and with “California Girls” and “Barbara Ann” they certainly excelled. Other goodies included “Say You Don’t Mind”, “Wigwam Bam”, “Maggie May”, “Look Wot You Dun”, “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” plus “Good Old Rock N’Roll”. Time Dynasty gave the 23 Crowd their “heaviest” evening yet, but people stayed on the dance floor. There were capable versions of “Crossroads” and “Sunshine Of Your Love” by Cream, with “Born To Be Wild” and “Jeepster” also among the highlights. The foursome are more of a teenage draw, though. During their first set they sang “Play The Fool”, a nagging, medium-paced slice of contemporary rock which they are hoping will be available in January on the Jam label – banner for another guest group at Sydenham, Blackfoot Sue. It’ll be their first waxing. Phillip Brown (main vocalist) was a friendly and informative link man, his spirited singing being supported by full-blooded but not overpowering instrumental work from Peter Brown (lead guitar), Nigel Shannon (bass) and Alan Gordon (drums). Like Mandarin Kraze, this group – originating from Portsmouth – have also been on the road for around five years and used to be a three-piece, Phil doubling on drums until Alan joined 18 months ago.

I’m not sure about their alter-ego The Secrets, but Southend’s Mandarin Kraze were apparently a constant presence on the early seventies gig circuit, which was enough for them to release 3 singles on as many record labels. Their first, “How Long Does It Take To Explain” emerged on Carnaby in 1970, with the follow up, the curiously titled “Blink Bonny Bluabara” landing on President in 1971. The single that Mike alludes to in his “Pop Topics” article eventually appeared on Spark in 1973.  Their records are quite hard to track down these days and as for “See You In September”, it’s a cover of a 1959 single by The Tempos, and seems to position them slightly towards Bay City Rollers territory. There would be no further Mandarin Kraze singles and they eventually disbanded in 1976. As for Time Dynasty, they signed to DJM Music in 1973 and eventually changed their name to Hector. If the Mandarins channelled their inner Rollers then Hector were certainly influenced by Noddy Holder and his Slade chums. Their image was a strange hybrid of glam, 70’s bovver boys and Dennis The Menace. Hector painted freckles on their faces, had a giant catapult on stage with which to fire Smarties at the audience, and shared the stage with an oversized rocking horse for singer Phil Brown to “have a rocking time on”. Bass player Nigel Shannon designed the stage wear – platform shoes, black velvet jumpsuits and striped leggings. They only issued two singles, “Wired Up” and “Bye Bye Bad Days” before folding in 1975.

Looking ahead to a concert next month, I hear tickets are already going for the evening with Jake Thackray at Bridgwater Arts Centre on Saturday, the 18th. If you missed the opportunity of seeing him at Ashcott Folk Club earlier this year, don’t miss him this time. Tickets are 50p and 40p.