Eel Pie Island Roll Call (page 2)
1967 (cont’d)
Wed. Jan 25th – Alex Harvey with The Mox (£40) from both contract and payment letter
Alex had parted company with his previously ever-present Soul Band by tonight, having become disillusioned with the lack of success of his ‘showband’ outfit, and keen to try something new, which, of course, was rather in vogue at this point in the 60s. Just who was / were The Mox? I have found a reference to ‘The Giant Moth’, an outfit Alex toyed with, I guess, in 1967, when things were going lysergic-shaped and this may have been an early outing for the line-up that included two members of Kilmarnock’s Anteeks, along with Mox. Peter Davis references “the extraordinary Mox” in his article “Rockin’ Around The Town” (reproduced in “The British Beat Explosion” which was produced as part of this project in 2013), but I had so far found nothing on the character, other than that he played harmonica, though thanks to Alan Iorr, who has pointed me in the direction of John Neil Munro’s “The Sensational Alex Harvey Band” biog, drummer George Butler from the aforementioned Giant Moth has described Mox as playing anything “that extracted wind”, and looked like Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, owing to his long red hair and beard
Sat. Jan 28th – Ken Colyer’s Jazzmen (£40)
Sun. Jan 29th – The Laymen (£10)
Sun. Jan 29th – The Gass (£40)
This relatively exorbitantly remunerated outfit featured Bob Tench on guitar and vocals, later to feature in a Jeff Beck line-up, and become a Streetwalker with Family’s Chapman and Whitney. In 1969, Gass were recruited by Jack Good to be the backing band for his stage production of “Catch My Soul”. Tench is still to be seen at the Bull’s Head in Barnes with Papa George these days
Wed. Feb 1st – Blues City Shake Down (£10)
Peter Ross featured in this outfit on harmonica, and went on to work with Caleb Quaye’s Hookfoot, as well as with Richard Thompson: five years later he would team up with ex-T2 guitarist prodigy Keith Cross and release “Bored Civilians” as Cross & Ross. This album has been reissued in 2014
Wed. Feb 1st – Brian Auger, the Other Thing with Duelly [sic] Driscoll (£45)
Clearly Steampacket are no more, but is this the line-up that would be responsible for “This Wheel’s On Fire” the following year? Otherwise, what exactly is ‘the Other Thing’? In any case, top marks for the typo for Julie Driscoll, who was not exactly unknown in these parts by this time. Not only that, but they were namechecked in a review in the following week’s ‘Beaver’ as “Bill Ogre’s Trinity”. Tsk!
Sat. Feb 4th – Brian Green New Orleans Stompers (£25)
When the Rank Organisation’s cameras came calling in 1967 to film one of their “Look At Life” documentaries (in this case, subtitled “Who Needs Eel Pie Island?”), it was Brian Green’s Stompers who were on stage. Was that tonight?
Sun. Feb 5th – The Battery (£10)
Sun. Feb 5th – John Mayall Blues Band [sic] (£65)
Wed. Feb 8th – The Footprints (£10)
Wed. Feb 8th – Graham Bond Organization (£60)
Sat. Feb 11th – Spencer’s Washboard Kings (£40)
Sun. Feb 12th – Cross Ties Blues Band (£10)
These featured ‘Lonesome’ Dave Peverett and Chris Youlden who went on to join Savoy Brown (featured here in their own right) while ‘Lonesome’ went on to form Foghat, who became rather big on the other side of the pond
Sun. Feb 12th – The Herd (£40)
Wed. Feb 15th – New Soul Concern (£10)
Wed. Feb 15th – Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (£45)
Sat. Feb 18th – Collie’s Rhythm Aces (£30)
Sun. Feb 19th – John Bryan Fraternity (£10)
Sun. Feb 19th – David Essex and Mood Indigo (£45)
Seven years before making anyone a star and topping the charts, Essex was doing the rounds with Mood Indigo
Wed. Feb 22nd – Apostolic Intervention (£10 but “NOT PAID” as “did not intervene” according to AC’s payment letter)
One of whom ‘did not intervene’ was a young Jerry Shirley on drums, who would later find employment in Steve Marriott’s Humble Pie
Wed. Feb 22nd – The Artwoods (£45)
Sat. Feb 25th – Alan Elsdon’s Jazz Band (£40)
Sun. Feb 26th – Chicago Line Blues Band (£10)
This outfit came out of The Bo Street Runners, who I remember seeing win a “Ready Steady Win” competition on TV intended to unearth the new Beatles: Ron Wood’s Birds could only come fifth out of six bands! That band became a limited company, went bust, and thus the name became the property of HM’s Official Receiver, hence this new identity. Tim Hinkley and Mike Patto would later team up with Ollie Halsall to form the respected but unsuccessful Timebox, and later progressive heroes Patto, though not with drummer Viv Prince, once of the Pretty Things, whose future lay elsewhere
Sun. Feb 26th – The Locomotive (£40)
The original line-up of The Locomotive featured Chris Wood, who by this time had gone on to bigger things with Traffic, and drummer Mike Kellie who joined The VIPs, who became Art, who then became Spooky Tooth, and who later turned up in The Only Ones of “Another Girl Another Planet” fame in 1978. The Locomotive would have their own minor hit a year after tonight with “Rudi’s In Love”.
Wed. Mar 1st – Five Proud Walkers (£10)
Following the Damascene experience of supporting Pink Floyd, the Walkers had become Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera a mere four months after tonight, appearing in their new guise here the following year
Wed. Mar 1st – The Pink Floyd (£75)
Still employing the definite article at this point
Sat. Mar 4th – Spencer’s Washboard Kings (£40)
Sun. Mar 5th – The Battery (£10)
Sun. Mar 5th – The Artwoods (£65)
Wed. Mar 8th – The Tribe (£10)
The Tribe included future members of such diverse acts as The Bonzo Dog Band (Dennis Cowan) and The Sweet (Frank Torpey)!
Wed. Mar 8th – Savoy Brown Blues Band (£30)
Fri. Mar 10th – Chaos Blues Band (£10)
Fri. Mar 10th – The Little Joe Set (£45)
Sat. Mar 11th – Keith Smith Band (£30)
Sun. Mar 12th – Doctor K’s Blues Band (£10)
Featured one Ashley Hutchings on bass at this point, before he left to form Fairport Convention later in the year, as well as one Geoff Krivit on guitar, who it appears was one of those substitutes employed by John Mayall in 1965 when Eric Clapton went AWOL to Greece
Sun. Mar 12th – Champion Jack Dupree and Five Proud Walkers (£50)
Wed. Mar 15th – Worrying Kynde (£10)
Wed. Mar 15th – Jimmy Cliff and the Shake Down Sound (£30)
Sat. Mar 18th – Steve Lane Southern Stompers (£25)
Sun. Mar 19th – Mike Stuart Span (£35)
While Mike Stuart Span were paid accordingly, the contracted Black Cat Bones were not, with the payment letter explaining that there was “no fee payable to the Charlie Brown Clowns as they did not appear”!
Wed. Mar 22nd – The Footprints (£10)
Wed. Mar 22nd – The Artwoods (£45)
Sat. Mar 25th – Bill Nile’s Goodtime Band (£35)
Sun. Mar 26th – Locomotive (£10) Payment letter quotes Locomotive @ £10, rather than the contracted The Stalkers
Sun. Mar 26th – Carl Douglas and the Big Stampede (£40)
Yes, this is Carl Douglas some seven years before he took up Kung Fu Fighting. As if to redress the balance in credibility terms, as recently as 2014, a retrospective CD, “Crazy Feeling”, has been released, comprising his material around this time, to good reviews from the music press. “Carl Douglas are OK” according to the payment letter!
Wed. Mar 29th – John Bryan Fraternity (£10)
Wed. Mar 29th – The Pink Floyd (£75)
The following week would see the Floyd on Top Of The Pops for the first time unveiling “Arnold Layne”
Sat. Apr 1st – Spencer’s Washboard Kings (£40)
Sun. Apr 2nd – The Artwoods (£65)
Wed. Apr 5th – Freddy Mack and the Mack Sound (£60)
A larger than life character, Freddy Mack was unsuccessfully trading punches (legally) with Jack Bodell less than two years before tonight, being a light-heavyweight contemporary of Floyd Paterson, no less, and who travelled to the Helsinki Olympics as Paterson’s ‘alternate’ (also having sparred with the then Cassius Clay). He also got to carry Elizabeth Taylor into Rome in “Cleopatra” in an occasional movie stint, and has a small part in The Sex Pistols’ “Rock And Roll Swindle”, but at this point he was fronting an ever-changing line-up of British jazz and R&B musicians that are far too numerous to detail here. Indeed, for his LP, self-effacingly entitled “The Fantastic Freddy Mack Show”, he drafted in Island stalwarts The Artwoods, not that that stopped it flopping. He managed to avoid deportation back to the US, and ended up north of the border, being heard regularly as a DJ on various Scottish radio stations. Also, if you remember the TV ad for K-Tel’s “Superbad” compilation album in the 70s, well Mack was ‘Mr Superbad’. An impressive CV!
Sat. Apr 8th – New Sedalia Jazz Band (£35)
Sun. Apr 9th – Down and Oute [sic] (£10
Sun. Apr 9th – The Locomotive (£40)
Wed. Apr 12th – Chaos Blues Band (£10)
Wed. Apr 12th – Amboy Dukes / Checkmates? (£35)
Nothing to do with Detroit’s red-blooded Ted Nugent’s boys, this lot were from Nottingham.…..or Reading, more likely. That’s Amboy Dukes, of course, and that’s what’s typed on the contract, but annotated in biro with “Checkmates” (Emile Ford’s backing band), so who was actually on view tonight? Meanwhile, I’ve unearthed a payment letter which states Amboy Dukes were paid for tonight
Sat. Apr 15th – Ken Colyer’s Jazzband (£40)
Sun. Apr 16th – Dr K Blues Band (£10)
Sun. Apr 16th – Free At Last (£45)
By this time Alexis Korner’s outfit featured one Marsha Hunt on vocals, who, having married Soft Machine’s Mike Ratledge to enable her to get a visa extension in the first place, took this job to earn her fare back to the US. She didn’t use it for that, but joined Ferris Wheel a year later before becoming the poster image for the musical “Hair”. She went on to a modelling career, relationships with Marc Bolan and Mick Jagger, and ultimately became a novelist, but I remember her best for her reading of Dr John’s “I Walk On Gilded Splinters” which got her on Top of the Pops in 1969
Wed. Apr 19th – McGregors Engine (£10)
A ‘Luton supergroup’, apparently, but who numbered both Mick Abrahams on guitar, and Clive Bunker on drums within their ranks, both of whom would soon feature in a combo called Jethro Tull
Wed. Apr 19th – The Anzacs (£30)
Sat. Apr 22nd – New Sedalia Jazzband (£25)
According to payment letter, the New Sedalia Jazzband were paid for tonight rather than the expected Gothics
Sun. Apr 23rd – The Battery (£10)
Sun. Apr 23rd – Savoy Brown Blues Band (£30)
Wed. Apr 26th – Syrian Blues Band (£10)
Wed. Apr 26th – The Artwoods (£45)
Sun. Apr 30th – The Naz (£10)
Not to be confused with The Nazz of early Alice Cooper, or The Nazz of Todd Rundgren. However, it may be a very early outing for Keith Emerson’s new combo, The Nice. Apparently they were calling themselves The Naz when they started backing PP Arnold, and it was at her suggestion that they renamed themselves The Nice. Unfortunately, I have The Naz playing on the island back in September 66, which may have been too early to have been Emerson’s outfit if both dates apply to the same group. Still, you never know. Unfortunately, this all may be academic, as there is no mention of The Naz in the relevant payment letter
Sun. Apr 30th – Jesse Fuller (£110)
Wed. May 3rd – 1-2-3 (£10)
This gig came in the midst of a number of Saturday headline dates at The Marquee, and they were apparently a ‘protoprog’ act that got nowhere, but featured a radical revision of “Sound of Silence” in their set. David Bowie, no less, described them in an interview in 1967 as “three thistle and haggis voiced bairns [who] had the audacity to face a mob of self-opinionated hippies with a brand of unique pop music which, because of its intolerance of mediocrity, floated, as would a Hogarth cartoon in Beano”: he has a way with words, that Bowie. In any case they evolved into Clouds and would again appear on the Island in 1969
Wed. May 3rd – Heart and Souls (£30)
Sat. May 6th – Alan Elsdon Jazz Band (£40)
Sun. May 7th – Chicago Line Blues Band (£10)
Sun. May 7th – The Artwoods (£65)
Wed. May 10th – The Coloured Raisins & King Ossie Show (£40)
Sat. May 13th – Spencer’s Washboard Kings (£40)
Sun. May 14th – The Foundations (£10)
From being paid only £10 for tonight, to hitting number 1 with “Baby Now That I’ve Found You” some five months later sounds like a somewhat meteoric rise
Sun. May 14th – The Herd (£40)
Wed. May 17th – Freddy Mack Show (£60)
Plus “lighting demonstration”, according to AC’s ‘List of Bands for May‘
Sat. May 20th – Bill Nile’s Goodtime Band (£35)
Sun. May 21st – The Battery (£10)
Sun. May 21st – Lucas and the Mike Cotton Sound (£50)
Wed. May 24th – Down and Outs (£10)
Wed. May 24th – The Artwoods (£45)
Sat. May 27th – Collie’s Rhythm Aces (£30)
Sun. May 28th – The Stalkers (£10)
Sun. May 28th – Savoy Brown Blues Band (£30)
Wed. May 31st – Black Cat Bones (£10)
Wed. May 31st – Jesse Fuller (£60)
Sat. Jun 3rd – Spencers Washboard Kings (£50)
Sun. Jun 4th – Dr K Blues Band (£10)
Sun. Jun 4th – The Amboy Dukes (£40)
Wed. Jun 7th – The Battery (£10)
Wed. Jun 7th – Cock a Hoop (£25)
Sat. Jun 10th – Keith Smith Climax Band (£30)
Sun. Jun 11th – Blues City Shakedown (£10)
Sun. Jun 11th – The Artwoods (£65)
Wed. Jun 14th – The Freddy Mack Show (£75)
Sat. Jun 17th – Mike Daniels Delta Jazzband (£35)
Sun. Jun 18th – Ten Years After (£10)
Sun. Jun 18th – Carl Douglas and The Big Stampede (£40)
Wed. Jun 21st – Dr K Blues Band (£10)
Wed. Jun 21st – The Artwoods (£45)
Fri. Jun 23rd – Carl Douglas and The Big Stampede
As this is a Friday, this is possibly a dubious entry, especially as Carl Douglas had played here only five days before, but never rule out that ‘local college syndrome’. In any case, both dates were advertised in “Fabulous 208” magazine, of all places
Sat. Jun 24th – Ken Colyer Jazzmen (£40)
Sun. Jun 25th – A.Q. Blues Band (£10)
Sun. Jun 25th – Herbie Goins and The Nightimers (£75)
Wed. Jun 28th – John Lee Hooker (£75)
With John Lee’s Groundhogs now disbanded, at least temporarily, this really is the John Lee Hooker. I have found a reference to Pink Floyd appearing on the Island tonight, but a combination of the facts that “See Emily Play” had been released only two weeks before, and that John Lee Hooker was booked as a headline act, suggest that The Floyd were absent tonight, though they were here a week later. That other source must just be a week out. As for John Lee Hooker, AC delayed payment as he only appeared for “half of the performance” – subsequent payment letter pays him £50
Sat. Jul 1st – Steve Lane Southern Stompers (£25)
Sun. Jul 2nd – Black Cat Bones (£10)
Sun. Jul 2nd – Ten Years After (£25)
The fastest guitar-slinger in town comes to the Island, with Alvin Lee still two years away from his Woodstock apogee
Wed. Jul 5th – The Battery (£10)
Wed. Jul 5th – Pink Floyd (£100)
While Pink Floyd played three times on the Island during 1967, it is not clear which particular instance flummoxed local author Judy Astley, when she turned up to find the walls of the ballroom adorned with lots of white sheets. She didn’t get a proper reply from Arthur Chisnall when she asked him, but the answer would be revealed when the band came on, accompanied by their revolutionary light-show. I suspect the Floyd preferred the idea of projecting said light-show onto a ‘clean’ surface, which the cartoon-infested walls certainly wouldn’t have been
Sat. Jul 8th – Spencer’s Washboard Kings (£50)
Sun. Jul 9th – The Stalkers (£10)
Sun. Jul 9th – Alex Harvey Soul Band (£35)
While the contract implies Alex has his Soul Band back, it seems more likely that this is another appearance by The Giant Moth (see January 25th), as he persevered with them until he was co-opted into the backing band for the Hair musical, lured by decent money and regular work
Wed. Jul 12th – Syrian Blues Band (£10)
Wed. Jul 12th – The Rogues Gallery (£30)
Sat. Jul 15th – Bill Niles Band (£35)
Sun. Jul 16th – Bruno’s Blues Band (£10)
Bruno’s Blues Band evolved into Steve Miller’s Delivery, under which name they would appear on the Island in 1970
Sun. Jul 16th – The Heart and Souls (£40)
Wed. Jul 19th – Ruby Jaines (£10)
Wed. Jul 19th – Savoy Brown Blues Band (£35)
Sat. Jul 22nd – Eric Silk Southern Jazz Band (£25)
Sun. Jul 23rd – The Freddy Mack Show (£75)
Wed. Jul 26th – Harvey Struart [sic] Blues Band (£10)
Wed. Jul 26th – The Family (£35)
Leicester’s finest, in their original line-up, with Roger Chapman’s bleating to the fore, no doubt
Sat. Jul 29th – Alan Elsdon’s Jazz Band (£40)
Sun. Jul 30th – The Last Word (£10)
Sun. Jul 30th – The Tomorrow [sic] (£30)
Despite a great pedigree, featuring future Yes guitarist Steve Howe, Tomorrow were rather overshadowed commercially by singer Keith West’s involvement with the Teenage Opera project, which in itself merely yielded that single ‘Grocer Jack’ chart hit
Wed. Aug 2nd – Craig King & The Midnight Train (£10)
Wed. Aug 2nd – The Heart and Soul (£40)
Sat. Aug 5th – Spencer’s Washboard Kings (£50)
Payment letter has Spencer’s Washboard Kings receiving £50 rather than The Gothics Jazz Band who had been booked for £25
Sun. Aug 6th – The Black Cat Bones (£10)
These proto-Free bluesmen evidently impressed Champion Jack Dupree, as they apparently backed him on a Blue Horizon-label album “When You Feel The Feeling You Was Feeling” the following year. Paul Kossoff and Simon Kirke then left to form Free, and the remainder, plus replacements and latter-day vocalist Peter French became Leaf Hound in 1970
Sun. Aug 6th – The Freddy Mack Show (£75) from payment letter
Wed. Aug 9th – Fairport Convention (£10)
This would be the original Fairport’s line-up with Judy Dyble on vocals
Wed. Aug 9th – Root and Jenny Jackson with the Hightimers (£30)
Root Jackson is cited as an inspiration by acts such as Mica Paris, Jamiroquai and Soul II Soul. With cousin Jenny, he toured with people like Percy Sledge and Ben E. King, and later formed the Black Music Association in the UK
Sat. Aug 12th – The Gothics Jazzband (£25) from payment letter
Sun. Aug 13th – Hopscotch (£10)
Those Scots of St James have recruited another, Hamish Stuart, and become Hopscotch, but they’re still not the Average White Band yet
Sun. Aug 13th – The Artwoods (£65) from payment letter
Wed. Aug 16th – The Battery (£10)
Wed. Aug 16th – The Web with J. L. Watson (£30)
J.L. Watson was the obligatory black US singer recruited by The Web to reinforce their soul outfit credentials
Sat. Aug 19th – Bob Wallis Storyville Jazz Band (£30)
Sun. Aug 20th – The Chickenshalk [sic] (£10)
Following their debut at The 7th National Jazz & Blues Festival at Windsor exactly a week before tonight, Christine Perfect had not yet joined Stan Webb’s Chicken Shack, for it is they, despite the misquoted name, at this point, prior to hitting gold with “I’d Rather Go Blind” in 1969, whereupon she left, forming her own short-lived band – with original Yardbird Top Topham, incidentally – and then joining hubbie John McVie in rival blues outfit – at that time, obviously – Fleetwood Mac. Meanwhile, Stan became famous for having the world’s longest guitar lead, as he’d venture out amongst the crowd, still soloing away
Sun. Aug 20th – Champion Jack Dupree (£40) from payment letter, but band list for August has CJD & Velvet Opera as backing
Wed. Aug 23rd – John Jefferson Group (£10)
Wed. Aug 23rd – Sweet and Sour (£25)
Sat. Aug 26th – Collie’s Rhythm Aces (£30)
Sun. Aug 27th – Morgan’s Roots (£10)
Sun. Aug 27th – Ten Years After (£25)
Wed. Aug 30th – Down and Outs (£10)
Wed. Aug 30th – The Artwoods (£45) as per band list for August
This appears to be the final Artwoods appearance at Eel Pie Island. Later in the year, they would undergo an ill-advised makeover to become St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, trying to cash in on the brief ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ fashion that sprang out of that year’s hit movie. Under that name, they released a version of “Brother Can You Spare A Dime”, and that was it
Sat. Sep 2nd – Steve Lane Southern Stompers (£25)
Bob Dwyer, trombonist with the Stompers, is still plying his trade with his Bix and Pieces band
Sun. Sep 3rd – Savoy Brown Blues Band (£35)
Wed. Sep 6th – Mr. Soul and The Transaxion (£10)
Wed. Sep 6th – Heart & Souls (£40)
This looks to be final payment letter from AC
Sat. Sep 9th – Spencers Washboard Kings (£50)
Sun. Sep 10th – Aynsley Dunbar (£35)
Wed. Sep 13th – The Artwoods (£45)
Sat. Sep 16th – Humber Jug Band (£10)
Sat. Sep 16th – New Sedalia Jazz Band (£25)
Sun. Sep 17th – Ten Years After (£30)
Wed. Sep 20th – Freddy Mack Show (£75)
Sat. Sep 23rd – Red Onion Jazz Band (£40)
Sun. Sep 24th – The Artwoods (£65)
Wed. Sep 27th – The Darlings (£30)
Sat. Sep 30th – Ken Colyer (£40)
Eelpiland as run by Arthur Chisnall ceased to operate in September 1967, probably closing its doors from September 6th, meaning all contracts after that date (above) were not honoured (but are included for posterity), and jazz would never again feature. Owner Michael Snapper allowed it to reopen in May 1968, initially presenting gigs put on by “Southbank Artistes”, then Richmond Arts Workshop (organised by Grenville Sheringham, after he’d seen an interview in the local paper with Michael Snapper, in which Snapper had expressed his wish that the Hotel be put to community use, and hence rented the place for the Arts Workshop, with the subsequent gigs being organised to cover the Workshop’s costs), before it was renamed Colonel Barefoot’s Rock Garden in 1969 when Caldwell Smythe took over its running, but records of who played at the venue in its new guise are hard to come by, other than some surviving posters, and individual testimonies that name-check The Who, The Nice, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, and, again, Pink Floyd. Again, thanks are due to Nick Warburton and his site for the bulk of the next two years’ entries.
1968
Wed. Jul 31st – Spice
Wed. Jul 31st – Spooky Tooth
Wed. Aug 7th – Spice
Wed. Aug 7th – Blossom Toes
The year before this, Blossom Toes came out with “We Are Ever So Clean”, a quintessentially English psychedelic album on Giorgio Gomelsky’s ill-fated Marmalade label (Gomelsky being the man behind The Crawdaddy club in Richmond, of course). Guitarist Jim Cregan would become the man behind the wonderful acoustic solo on “(Make Me Smile) Come Up And See Me” in 1975, and thereafter plied his trade with Rod Stewart’s post Faces ensemble: as such, he still plies his trade now with a bunch called Apart From Rod, who specialise in that material, albeit minus Mr Stewart
Wed. Aug 14th – Juniors Eyes
Wed. Aug 14th – Skip Bifferty
Geordies from the frozen north who became Heavy Jelly, initially a “Time Out” joke, but two of whom, Micky Gallagher and John Turnbull, became a pair of Ian Dury’s Blockheads
Wed. Aug 21st – Jade Hexagram
Blessed with a suitably ‘1968-styled’ moniker, this outfit had a strong following in Europe, leading to them playing at The Playboy Club in Berlin, and at the 1967 Gothenburg Teenage Fair, which was apparently quite a big deal, Swedish-wise, though they were deported the day after, following their hiring of a lady who went further than only going topless on stage, and who turned out to be the daughter of the Mayor of Copenhagen
Wed. Aug 21st – The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
While Arthur played here a couple of times, there was at least one occasion when his headgear set the stage curtains alight, You can guess during which number, but you can hear Alan Winter’s recollection over on the “Listen!” page under “Your Memories”. Carl Palmer is by now occupying the drummer’s stool
Sat. Aug 24th – David Booth
Billed as David Booth and His Canned Sound, so a DJ maybe, though “plus guest group”
Sun. Aug 25th – Gethsemane
Billed as a “Blues Night”, and having ditched the obviously unwieldy moniker “In The Garden Of Gethsemane”, this much catchier named crew featured future Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre
Wed. Aug 28th – East Of Eden
Wed. Aug 28th – The Nice
Local author Judy Astley remembers Keith Emerson doing the dagger trick, sticking them into his keyboards, thus jamming them into ‘play’ mode, then ending up off the stage, having to run round the side to get back on, and being prevented doing so by some sort of steward, who, on hearing the organ still playing, refused to believe Emerson was the organist in the band. Incidentally, one of those daggers may well have been the Hitler Youth one gifted to Emerson by then roadie Lemmy
Wed. Sep 4th – The Action
Sun. Sep 8th – Dynaflow Blues
Mel Wright from Dynaflow Blues contacted us during the project with this info and the fact they were paid the grand sum of £10 for their efforts: his lot were responsible for starting The Blues Scene nearby at The Crown in St. Margarets on a Saturday night, where occasionally Paul Kossoff and Simon Kirke sat in. Tonight, however, regular blues-harpist Chris Elvin had left, so Duster Bennett stepped in. Most of the Dynaflow Blues band came out of Shakey Vick’s Big City Blues Band, and while guitarist Rod Price’s next venture was with Black Cat Bones and three decades with Foghat, Mel’s next venture, The Nighthawks, appeared on the Island sometime in the following year
Wed. Sep 11th – The Moody Blues
This is no longer The Moody Blues of “Go Now” fame, but in the process of becoming those of “Nights In White Satin” fame
Sat. Sep 14th – Gracious
Wed. Sep 18th – The Downliners Sect
Wed. Sep 18th – Family
Wed. Sep 25th – Village
A short-lived venture led by Peter Bardens, who had played with Mick Fleetwood and Peter Green in The Peter B’s, Rod Stewart in Shotgun Express, and would later do more successful things with prog outfit Camel
Wed. Sep 25th – Eclection
Sat. Sep 28th – Gracious
Wed. Oct 2nd – Terry Reid
More famous, possibly, for being the vocalist who didn’t sing in Led Zeppelin, Reid nevertheless has been an undervalued artist for most of his career
Wed. Oct 2nd – Joe Cocker & The Grease Band
This gas fitter from Sheffield is about to become enormous, albeit with a little help from his friends
Sat. Oct 5th – Gracious
Sun. Oct 6th – John Thomas Blues Band
Wed. Oct 9th – Freedom
Wed. Oct 9th – Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera
Elmer Gantry had previous at Eel Pie Island as vocalist with The Five Proud Walkers, and surfaced some six years after tonight in an ersatz Fleetwood Mac, formed to fulfil a contractual tour that the originals were unable to do because of their internal shenanigans, which ended in legal chaos when audiences failed to recognise any bona-fide Mac members on stage. This outfit then evolved into Stretch, one-hit wonders, whose “Why Did You Do It?” was precisely about that experience. Jon Papworth, whose band The Stumble supported Velvet Opera, probably tonight, recalls how Elmer Gantry’s ‘fancy’ band-van’s driver mistook the high tide that evening as merely covering an equivalent bit of road, rather than the slipway that was actually concealed: cue ‘fancy’ van nosediving into the additional depth, and several velvet-clad musos escaping from the rear door, now at 90 degrees to its normal position! I imagine those velvet togs were rather ruined by old Father Thames…
Wed. Oct 16th – July
July produced one of the most sought-after British psychedelic 60s albums, having started as a skiffle band in Ealing in the early part of the decade, and after embracing R&B as The Tomcats, during a relocation to Spain scoring an unlikely series of four charting EPs, performed in Spanish no less, where they were known as Los Tomcats, strangely. Even stranger, that Spanish material was released in 2016 as “Running At Shadows: The Spanish Recordings 1965-66”
Wed. Oct 16th – Colosseum
His days of The Graham Bond Organization long behind him, sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith returns with Jon Hiseman’s progressive jazz-rock pioneers
Wed. Oct 23rd – David Booth
Wed. Oct 23rd – Proteus
Wed. Oct 23rd – Gethsemane
Wed. Oct 23rd – The Alan Bown!
Wed. Oct 30th – Proteus
Wed. Oct 30th – East Of Eden
While gaining an atypical hit record with “Jig-a-Jig” a full three years after tonight, violinist Dave Arbus is arguably more famous for his contribution to The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” just after that. Perhaps tonight was the start of that fruitful relationship
Wed. Oct 30th – The Who
Today’s entries are from a particular poster advertising this gig specifically. Despite Pete Townshend having lots of local history, Arthur Chisnall never booked The Who, fearing an invasion of scooter-borne Mods, but they did appear at Eel Pie Island during the ‘post-Chisnall’ era, when Townshend used the gig to try out some material he’d written for an ‘opera’ to be called “Tommy”. Witnesses suggested he stick to the three-minute single formula!
Wed. Nov 6th – The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown
Wed. Nov 13th – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
1969
Fri. Feb 7th – Ian Whitcomb with Turnstyle
Ian Whitcomb had hit the heady heights of #8 in the American Billboard charts in 1965 with “You Turn Me On”, where he remained thereafter as nothing he did sold in the UK. When he did return to the UK, he embarked on a successful writing career, but tonight he has Turnstyle in attendance
Fri. Feb 7th – The Pretty Things
At this point, The Pretty Things would have been promoting the previous year’s epic “S.F. Sorrow” album to no commercial avail, leading to guitarist Dick Taylor’s departure a few months later. Unfortunately, despite the poster in existence that confirms this date, Jackie Elvy contacted our Facebook page to tell us that she arrived on a freezing night for this one, only to be told that the gig had been cancelled, as the band couldn’t get their gear over the bridge, due to the ice. So maybe that explains why Phil May reckoned they never played on the Island!
Sat. Feb 8th – Van Der Graaf Generator (from http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/vdgglive.htm )
Sat. Feb 8th – Pegasus
Fri. Feb 14th – Edgar Broughton
Fri. Feb 14th – Juniors Eyes
Later this year, guitarist Mick Wayne guested (amongst others) on David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” single and I think all of the Eyes were on Bowie’s resultant eponymous first album
Fri. Feb 14th – Roy Harper
Sat. Jul 26th – Hawkwind Zoo
Sat. Jul 26th – Stray
The Hotel was closed (again) at this time, but Grenville Sheringham had rented it to house the Richmond Arts Workshop. Both Hawkwind Zoo and Stray rang Sheringham wanting the chance to play at the Island. Despite not knowing them, Sheringham agreed, they played for free (to Sheringham), and the gig acted as Sheringham and three friends’ 21st birthday party, with about 400 punters turning up. I guess this persuaded the Arts Workshop to continue to put gigs on for fundraising purposes
Thu. Aug 7th – Spice (from www.uriah-heep.com/newa/giglists.php )
It seems likely that Caldwell Smythe’s tenure as Colonel Barefoot himself started at this point
Fri. Oct 3rd – Mighty Baby
Mighty Baby evolved from the ashes of The Action, who appeared here early in 1968
Fri. Oct 10th – Grope
Fri. Oct 10th – Stray
Fri. Oct 17th – Medicine Hat
Could this have actually been Medicine Head, purveyors of an album called “Dark Side Of The Moon” before someone else was?
Fri. Oct 17th – Steve Miller’s Delivery
Nothing to do with “The Joker” provider of later years
Fri. Oct 24th – Hawkwind Zoo(from http://www.hawklord.com/hw/HWgiglist.html )
Hawkwind have yet to find their “Silver Machine” and go “In Search Of Space”, but they are led by Eel Pie Island habitué of the early 60s Dave Brock (who schooled a young Eric Clapton in some early guitar chords back then). According to the ‘pooterland’ site (see below), they are actually billed as Hawkwind Zoo tonight: it would be a wee while later that they dropped the “Zoo” tag
Fri. Oct 24th – Stray
Fri. Oct 31st – Snake
Fri. Oct 31st – If
I suppose you could argue that If represent the return of Jazz to the Island, but their Jazz-Rock leanings are probably a million miles from the Trad arbiters of yore, though Dick Morrissey and his tenor sax had been here with his quartet back in August 1966, playing with Jimmy Witherspoon
Fri, Oct 31st – Egg (£3 as per Caldwell Smythe)
(from http://calyx.perso.neuf.fr/bands/chrono/egg.html – site since closed)
Tricky time signatures from these Canterbury progsters, who I much preferred to their overblown oppos, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and who were led by Dave Stewart (not the Eurythmic one) who had chart success with both Barbara Gaskin and ex-Zombie Colin Blunstone in the 80s. As Caldwell Smythe recalls paying Egg only £3, that suggests they were support to If tonight
Wed. Nov 5th – Rapture
Wed. Nov 5th – Clouds
Fri. Nov 7th – Tara’s Harp
Fri. Nov 7th – Pete Brown’s Piblokto
Pete Brown was Jack Bruce’s lyricist, but evidently his vocal style didn’t impress his own band, The Battered Ornaments, as they sacked him the day before they played on the bill at Hyde Park, supporting the Stones. However, he bounced back with Piblokto, who featured respected Scots guitarist Jim Mullen
Wed. Nov 12th – Fat Daughter
Wed. Nov 12th – Alexis Korner (£75 as per Caldwell Smythe)
Caldwell Smythe was managing Alexis Korner at this time
Fri. Nov 14th – Tobias Wragg
Fri. Nov 14th – Warm Dust
On the heels of If’s jazz-rock leanings come Warm Dust, who weren’t to set the world alight, but did feature Paul Carrack, later of one-hit wonders Ace, and later credits with stints in Squeeze (notably “Tempted”) and Mike & The Mechanics, Mike Rutherford of Genesis fame’s spin-off band
Wed. Nov 19th – Strawberry Blues
Wed. Nov 19th – Virgin Hearse
Wed. Nov 19th – Radha Krishna Temple
“Hare Krishna Mantra” strains from George Harrison’s Buddhist buddies, supported by someone called Virgin Hearse? Wow! Former lead guitarist Keith Simpson has been in touch to point out that Virgin Hearse were a blues/rock group from Oxford, and not a person, which I may have implied! They did a couple of demos for Polydor and EMI, but that was it
Fri. Nov 21st – Train
Fri. Nov 21st – Battered Ornaments
Pete Brown’s former band featured Chris Spedding, a respected session guitarist who would number TV appearances as a greased-up biker for “Motorbikin'”, as well as that of one of The Wombles in full Womble gear. Variety, as they say…
Wed. Nov 26th – Tara’s Harp
Wed. Nov 26th – Greatest Show On Earth
The name doesn’t appear to have worked in their favour, particularly, though they did get to #1 in Switzerland with “Real Cool World” in 1970. However, they did feature within their ranks bassist extraordinaire, Norman Watt-Roy who, of course has featured in Ian Dury’s Blockheads line-up since “New Boots And Panties”, and also currently is working with Wilko Johnson
Fri. Nov 28th – Hawkwind Zoo
Fri. Nov 28th – Mandrake
Or Mandrake Paddle Steamer to give them their full name
Sat. Nov 29th – Nemesis
Sat. Nov 29th – Amazing Gas Medicine Show and Junk Band
Wed. Dec 3rd – Old Nick’s Train Set
Wed. Dec 3rd – Edgar Broughton Band
Fri. Dec 5th – Cochise
Fri. Dec 5th – Andwella’s Dream
Responsible for one of the most valuable albums around: despite failing to sell on its release, “Love And Poetry” commands about £1000 these days, in mint condition, of course. And mine is!!
Sat. Dec 20th – Wishbone Ash
At this point, Wishbone Ash had only been together for two months, but their novel use of twin lead guitars held them in good stead when their first album was released just a year after tonight. They’d peak in 1972 when “Argus” was voted Melody Maker’s album of the year
Sat. Dec 20th – Audience (both above from http://www.saxmusicplus.com/audienceareback.com/69-05.html )
Round about now, Audience, meanwhile, were commissioned to write the film score for the critically acclaimed East End Skinhead flick, Bronco Bullfrog
Entries for 1969 otherwise obtained from www.garagehangover.com courtesy of Nick Warburton and itself sourced from Melody Maker and Mick Capewell’s Marmalade Skies, or from http://www.pooterland.com/index2/chronikles/1969/1969.html (Oct 3rd to Dec 5th apart from the first Hawkwind and Egg entries, which I knew about already) as spotted by Phil Emerson.
The following were due to appear in 1970 according to contemporary posters, unless otherwise indicated:
1970
Fri. Jan 23rd – Eire Apparent
Belfast Boys who must have thought that they’d cracked it, having their only LP produced by Jimi Hendrix, and also including him playing on it: unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way
Sat. Jan 24th – Van Der Graaf Generator
A darker progressive band than most, but typifying a prevalence of musically intricate, but commercially unsuccessful outfits at this time. The number of different line-ups is impossible to detail here, but the constant Peter Hammill has consistently been quoted as an influence on all sorts of folk
Sat. Feb 14th – Principal Edwards Magic Theatre (from http://s335571041.websitehome.co.uk/Pe/site/gigs70.asp )
Probably the most crowded the stage has been in years for this 14-strong performance art collective
Tue. Mar 3rd – Little Free Rock (from http://www.illingworth70.freeserve.co.uk/lfr_giglist.htm )
Fri. Apr 3rd – Easy Leaf
Fri. Apr 3rd – Little Free Rock
Sat. Apr 4th – White Lightning
Sat. Apr 4th – Mott The Hoople (£115 as per Caldwell Smythe)
This is Mott when they were a jobbing rock band, years before Bowie gifted them a lifeline. According to Caldwell Smythe, the place was totally packed out for this one
Fri. Apr 10th – Genesis
Fri. Apr 10th – Jan Dukes De Grey
Differing fortunes for tonight’s double bill: while everyone knows about Jan Dukes De Grey and their 1971 opus “Mice and Rats in the Loft”, whatever happened to Genesis? Seriously though, Jan Dukes De Grey were bonkers enough to insist that they needed to be seated, cross-legged in a meditation tent in order to be recorded properly, a whim which producer David Hitchcock indulged them, though not to any discernable difference to his ears, whereas, of course, anyone who witnessed Peter Gabriel’s increasingly unhinged stage outfits in his latter Genesis days may have been inclined to think he was just as bonkers. Whatever, this looks to have been Genesis’ second ever gig, with their third at nearby Twickenham Tech in Egerton Road: they got £5 for the Island gig (though Caldwell Smythe disputes this, stating that all support bands got no more than £3 an appearance, as he was being offered money by bands’ managers to put them on), and £50 from the college one. Either way, you can see where the money was in those days!
Sat. Apr 11th – Cracious [sic]
I assume this is meant to be Gracious!, whose exclamation mark was added into their name when their first album cover was being designed this year
Sat. Apr 11th – East Of Eden
Fri. Apr 17th – White Lightning
Fri. Apr 17th – Taste
Rory Gallagher brings his Irish blues-rock trio to town, and though they would split up shortly after the Isle of Wight Festival in August – where this scribe witnessed them come back for at least five encores – Rory forged a respected career for years after
Sat. Apr 18th – Stray
Stray had the dubious distinction of being managed by one Charlie Kray at some point, but guitarist Del Bromham holds the distinction of being one of very few musicians to have played on the Island, as well as the present-day Eel Pie Club, as he does regularly with his Blues Devils
Fri. Apr 24th – Smile
An early outing for Brian May and his homemade guitar before global superstardom some years later
Fri. Apr 24th – Climax Chicago Blues Band (£125 as per Caldwell Smythe)
Sat. Apr 25th – Shades
Fri. May 1st – Principal Edwards Magic Theatre (from http://s335571041.websitehome.co.uk/Pe/site/gigs70.asp )
Sat. May 2nd –East Of Eden (from http://www.digitdesign.macmate.me/eastofedentheband/GIGS.html )
Fri. May 8th – Little Free Rock (from http://www.illingworth70.freeserve.co.uk/lfr_giglist.htm )
Fri. May 15th – Tiny Clanger (from advert)
Fri. May 15th – Black Sabbath (£250 as per Caldwell Smythe)
(from http://www.setlist.fm/venue/eel-pie-island-hotel-london-england-63d6d667.html )
A matter of weeks after tonight, Black Sabbath went into the studio and dashed off “Paranoid” in about 20 minutes flat, as an afterthought for their new album, and look what happened after that. According to Caldwell Smythe, there was a good crowd present for this
Sat. May 16th – Nemesis (from advert)
Sat. May 16th – Shy Limbs (from advert)
Shy Limbs had featured Greg Lake in their line-up, but he’d departed a year or so earlier for King Crimson
Fri. May 22nd – Writing On The Wall (from http://www.writingonthewallband.co.uk/gigs.html )
Willy Finlayson came south from Scotland with Writing On The Wall, and has been hereabouts ever since
Fri. Jun 5th – Metropolitan Grease Force
Fri. Jun 5th – Alma Mater
Fri. Jun 5th – Wild Angels
These were a retro rock’n’roll outfit, harking back to the 50s, perhaps obviously. The year before, they’d backed Gene Vincent on his comeback tour
Sat. Jun 6th – Ginger Johnson’s African Drummers
If you’ve ever seen “The Stones In The Park” film, the drummers that came on stage during “Sympathy For The Devil” were this lot
Sat. Jun 6th – Little Free Rock
Sat. Jun 6th – Edgar Broughton (£150 as per Caldwell Smythe)
This bunch of hairy underground merchants had unbelievably charted with their rallying cry, albeit at #31, “Out Demons Out”. According to Caldwell Smythe, again a good crowd was in evidence for this
Fri. Jun 12th – Black Velvet
Fri. Jun 12th – Thunderzone
Apparently these are White Lightning from the April gig guide. Not only that, but it is also Caldwell Smythe’s band, and apparently Chris Blackwell of Island records fame came to see them, and promptly offered a three LP deal, as well a spot down the bill for a US tour, all of which was scuppered by the band’s (unnamed) “ego-tripping lead guitarist, and his idiotic Harley Street doctor / employer / advisor”: obviously went down well with Caldwell.
Fri. Jun 12th – Deep Purple (£325 as per Caldwell Smythe)
Ritchie Blackmore and chums are only two months away from their huge “Black Night” hit, and tonight represents a return to Eel Pie Island for keyboard wiz, Jon Lord, last seen here with The Artwoods. Unless there was an earlier date by Deep Purple, it would be this one that Caldwell Smythe reckons he lost heavily, given the payout: poorly attended?
Sat. Jun 13th – Junction
Sat. Jun 13th – Semper Vivum
Sat. Jun 13th – Gypsy
Fri. Jun 19th – Rapture
Fri. Jun 19th – Free
I can only imagine the place is rammed for this one: “All Right Now” was at this point heading up the charts for the first time. Well, it would have been, had they appeared, but for precisely that reason, Free pulled out of tonight’s gig, presumably having larger fish to fry. While that is from Alan Winter’s personal testimony, and he did share a place with Simon Kirke, then again, John Marks recalls seeing Free twice at the island, the first time for 2/6 (or 12 and ½ pence in new money) but that the entry was ramped up for this one precisely because of their chart success, causing consternation to Paul Kossoff, as Free were not getting paid any more. Caldwell Smythe further muddies the waters by confirming that Free did not show for this one tonight, though he did pay them £250 on another occasion when it was packed out
Sat. Jun 20th – Bone
Sat. Jun 20th – Steve Miller Delivery [sic]
Steve Miller’s Delivery, as they should have been billed, contained a number of musicians associated with the ‘Canterbury Scene’, also including saxophonist Lol Coxhill, and Miller himself appeared in a later line-up of Caravan, having, interestingly, guested on yesterday’s (scheduled) headliners Free’s debut, “Tons Of Sobs” in 1969
Fri. Jun 26th – Tiny Clanger
Fri. Jun 26th – The Amazing “Shades” (£30 as per Caldwell Smythe)
Amazingly, Shades have become just that, and acquired additional quotes around their name since April. Then again, as they were good buddies with Caldwell Smythe, who gave them regular gigs on the Island, I guess that would help to elevate their status
Sat. Jun 27th – Blood Son
Sat. Jun 27th – East Of Eden
This was a busy night according to Caldwell Smythe, though as they had three dates here in just over two months, it’s not certain whether his comments apply to tonight: maybe all of them?
Fri. Aug 7th – National Head Band
Fri. Aug 7th – Noir
Sat. Aug 8th – Ginhouse
This lot won the 1970 Melody Maker Talent Contest: much good it seems to have done them
Sat. Aug 8th – Stackridge
Sat. Aug 15th – Fusion Orchestra (from www.fusionorchestra.com/history.html )
Fri. Oct 30th – Little Free Rock (from http://www.illingworth70.freeserve.co.uk/lfr_giglist.htm )
Sat. Nov 14th – Fusion Orchestra (from www.fusionorchestra.com/history.html )
Following auditions for a front man on vocals, the impressive Jill Saward was recruited, and tonight was only her second gig with Fusion Orchestra. She would later achieve chart success with Shakatak
Sat. Nov 21st – Quintessence (from http://www.mooncowhq.ch/Quintessence/chronology.html )
Indian trance and Eastern mantras land on the Island, direct from Notting Hill Gate
As I point out, perhaps obviously, there are a number of gaps in this roll-call, and certainly the presence of a contract for an artist for a given date is no guarantee the date was fulfilled, though it seems that Arthur Chisnall was fairly rigorous in updating contracts to reflect such changes, and of course, the same principle applies to poster-driven information. Naturally, if anyone out there can help fill in some of the blanks, please do not hesitate to get in touch, through the Contact page on this site.
Pete Watt
Site Admin
April 2014
Postscript: Various folk have got in touch since we put this page up, giving us personal reminiscences, but invariably, they hadn’t been as much of an anorak as I have been, in meticulously recording when they occurred. Nevertheless, Simon Fallon remembers The Bee Gees, and them performing “New York Mining Disaster 1941”, and David Mansell remembers playing on the island with The Shades Of Blue, as support to John Mayall, and that it was the night the film crew from Berlin were in evidence, and as Mayall was so late, the crew filmed The Shades instead: I’d love to get a fix on that date! Other names mentioned by Island-goers but with no substantiating dates are Stubby Kaye, Buck Clayton, George Chisholm, The Dutch Swing College (!), Muddy Waters, Zoot Money, Jimmy Reed, Sonny Boy Williamson, The Grebbels, Sour Milk Sea and Third Ear Band.
Keep them coming, folks!
Additionally, since we opened a pop-up Eel Pie Island Museum at Twickenham Library in June 2015, visitors have included someone who I didn‘t catch who played in The Sugarshacks, supporting The Downliners Sect; Jon Papworth, whose The Stumble racked up 28 weeks as a support band in 1968, backing the likes of the Nice, Crazy World of Arthur Brown, and Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera; Adrian Hawkins, whose band Horse played in 1970 previewing their album “For Twisted Minds Only” (which coincidentally was re-released in 2016). Trevor visited the Museum, telling tales of managing an outfit called Them: unfortunately an Irishman over in Belfast had the same idea, and fared rather better, so this Them became Themselves. As usual, none of the aforementioned can supply dates, so they get an honourable mention here instead! John Marks remembers Peter Green doing a farewell gig for the commune (1970?), outside the hotel, with Hell’s Angels in attendance as the obligatory security, with them peppering skinheads’ scooters across the reach on the Ham side with powerful catapults.
September 2015
In December 2016, Caldwell Smythe got in touch, and while he was unable to provide dates, he did submit a list of bands he remembered, together with amounts paid (in some cases). A number of these are already detailed in the Roll-Call, but additionally Caldwell cites Atomic Rooster (£150), Caravan, Keef Hartley Band, Junior’s Eyes, The Idle Race, Juicy Lucy, Love Sculpture, Rare Bird, The Strawbs, Uriah Heep (very busy), Tuesday’s Children, Yes (£125, and packed out), Spooky Tooth (£175 and a good crowd), and Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation (£175 and busy). Further appearances by bands who played during the Chisnall era, such as Family, Fairport Convention (£200 and very busy) and Savoy Brown Blues Band (£125) are mentioned as well as a busy night when John Peel brought his record collection along.
