January 2010 Archives

Here's some diary notes from various "last weeks of January" over the years...

1963
Plenty of gigs with Denny Laine and the Diplomats --- Coleshill Jazz Club, The Plaza Ballroom in Handsworth, Bentley Heath Community Centre, The Staffordshire Volunteer Pub in Wolverhampton and the Kingsgate Theatre in Stoke on Trent.

1969
Two TV shows to promote The Move's latest hit single "Blackberry Way" -- "Top of the Pops" and kiddie's favourite "Crackerjack". Also had a meeting with The Shadow's Hank B Marvin to see if he might be interested in replacing the departing Trevor Burton in The Move, but he declined.( To be honest it was more of a publicity stunt than anything else). Couple of gigs too, at a club in Norwich and at The Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, London.

This is what I was up to at this time of year in, days gone by.

A few "Third weeks of January" dary entries .

1963
With Denny Laine and the Diplomats did gigs at Wednesbury Youth Centre and the Frank Freeman Dance Club in Kidderminster.

1966
First ever rehearsal for The Move, formed when all five of us "Moved" from various Birmingham groups - Roy Wood left Mike Sheridan and the Nightriders, Trevor Burton left Danny King and the Mayfair Set and Carl Wayne, Ace Kefford and myself left The Vikings.1969
Busy week. The Move flew from Heathrow to Amsterdam to appear on a Dutch TV pop show, along with The Tremeloes, Love Affair, Marmalade and Timebox. Back to London the next day to record BBC TV "Top of the pops", with "Blackberry Way" at number 16 on the charts. Next day flew to Hamburg and played the legendary Star Club along with The Tremeloes. On to Bremen and a double header, The Jaguar Club and The Tambourne Club. Trevor Burton announced to Carl Wayne, Roy Wood and me that he was quitting the band. Following night was an appearance on German TV pop show "Beat Club", along with Status Quo and The Tremeloes.

Here's the second of my weekly blogs taken from the second week of January between 1963 and 1990.

1963

With Denny Laine and the Diplomats and taking our peroxide blonde hair, mock crocodile skinned suits and silver painted winkle picker shoes to gigs at The Gospel Oak pub in Hall Green, The Queens Head pub in Erdington, the Co-Op Ballroom in Nuneaton and two consecutive nights at The Regency Club in Warwick.

1969

The Move on BBC Top of the Pops with "Blackberry Way", which had climbed to number26 on the UK charts.

1971

A week of going to see other bands performing on stage - Kenny Rogers and the First Edition and two days later Jon Hiseman's Coliseum, both at The Belfry in Wishaw, plus The Raymond Froggatt Band at "Sloopy's" nightclub in Birmingham.

1972

Some ELO rehearsals at Roy Wood's house in Rosemary Hill Road, Sutton Coldfield, plus a photo shoot at EMI in London.

1973

ELO rehearsals at the Old Moselians Rugby Club in Solihull, plus a gig at Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone.

1977

Shopping for stage clothes in Los Angeles at "Bojangles" and "Nudies". Flew from sunny LA to icy Dallas for rehearsals, then back to Los Angeles. Checked into one of my favourite hotels, "Chateau Marmont". Found time too for a day at "Disneyworld" in Anaheim.

1978

Rehearsals in Los Angeles for ELO "Out of the Blue" tour, at one of the Hollywood sound stages. Mick Fleetwood, former Turtles, Flo and Eddie and Bob Welch all stopped by to say hello.

1990

Honoured as one of the "100 Famous Brummies" at Birmingham Council House. Procession of vintage cars through the streets and me and my wife Val shared an old Bentley with newscaster Sue Lawley and her husband.

Other inductees at the lavish banquet on the evening included Jasper Carrott, Roy Wood, Toyah Willcox, The Moody Blue's John Lodge, Raymond Froggatt, ex British boxing champion Johnny Prescott, politician Robert Kilroy-Silk, Warwickshire and England cricketers Bob Willis and Denis Amiss, comedian Don McLean and former FA Cup winning Aston Villa captain Johnny Dixon.

Hi everyone! Happy New Year!

So here we are in Two Thousand and Ten - 2010. Start of a new year and the beginning of a new decade, too.

Starting now is my new-look Dear Diary blog, where I check out some of my diary entries from various years gone by.

Hope you will enjoy this trawl through the world of rock and pop music, as seen through my eyes over the past 45 years or so.

So here we go, looking at what was occurring in the first week of January.