Recently by Bev Bevan

Ok, here's how I was spending some time during the first two weeks of March in days of yore.

1963
A fairly quiet couple of weeks gig wise for Denny Laine and the Diplomats, averaging a show every other night, with shows at the Handsworth Plaza, Wednesbury Youth Centre, Coleshill Jazz Club, Wednesbury Conservative Club, the Forum Ballroom in Pennsnett and our Monday night residency at the Adelphi Ballroom in West Bromwich.

Checking some old diaries, here's what I was up to during the last two weeks of February in days gone by.

3rd week of February

1963
Some local gigs with, ( my first professional group ), Denny Laine and the Diplomats at Wednesbury Youth Centre, Coleshill Jazz Club and a Friday night double header at Cadbury's Social Club in Bourneville then the Shirley Annexe Youth Club in Solihull.

Here are some of my diary notes from various 2nd weeks of February over the years.

1963
A busy week for Denny Laine and the Diplomats, with several gigs around the Midlands --- The Manor House Youth Club in Aldridge, Knowle Village Hall, The Brum Beat Tavern in Birmingham city centre, The Staffordshire Volunteer Pub in Woverhampton and the rather posh Regency Club in Warwick.

1968
Recording at Olympic Studios near London, finishing off The Move's debut album and put down a version of Eddie Cochran's "Weekend", featuring Trevor Burton on lead vocals. Also a gig at Southlands College in Wimbledon.

1969
Rick Price made his Move stage debut on a short tour of Ireland, then back to London for photo shoots for magazines "Top Pops" and "Fabulous 208". A TV show in Leeds, miming to "Blackberry Way" and gigs in Stafford and Chippenham.

1971
I opened my "Heavyhead Records" shop in Sparkhill, Birmingham. Celeb guests at the grand opening were John Bonham , Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Jeff Lynne, Rick Price and Raymond Froggatt.

1973
ELO tour of Scandinavia ended with shows in Odense and Copenhagen. The Ferry back to Harwich a lot smoother voyage than the one going out. Drove to London to appear on BBC TV shows "Top of the pops" and "Crackerjack", to promote new single "Roll over Beethoven".

1974
ELO recording at De Lane Lea Studios in London, plus a gig at Canterbury University.

1976
On a three month tour of the USA and Canada with ELO. In Los Angeles to appear on nationwide TV rock show "Midnight Special" and performed "Evil woman", "Strange magic" and "Nightrider". Also a gig at the Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento and two sold out shows at Winterland in San Francisco.

1977
In the States with ELO and a great thrill to play for the first time at the legendary Madison Sqiuare Gardens in New York City. After show party guests included World heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier, Monty Python star Eric Idle and guitar hero Peter Frampton. On then to Philadelphia and two sold out shows at the Spectrum.

1978
ELO's Australian tour continues with second and third nights at a beautiful amphitheatre in Melbourne,. Next stop Adelaide and a big show there at the cricket ground to a crowd o around 20,000.

1982
On a European tour with ELO . Great gig in Amsterdam to 10,000 strong crowd and presented after the show with gold albums for the "Time" LP. Short drive the next day to Brussells and another sell out. On to Frankfurt for two shows there, with lots of American servicemen and women amongst the audience.

1983
I was invited to the Lyceum in London to present Best Group award to Duran Duran at the BBC Rock and Pop Awards. Chatted with fellow Brummie Toyah Willcox, Ultravox's Midge Ure, newscaster Sue Lawley, singer Mari Wilson and DJ's Dave Lee Travis and Mike Read.
Next day I played in a celebrity squash match in Diss, Norfolk , along with Jasper Carrott and Leonard Rossitter.

1984
On tour in the USA with Black Sabbath. Flew from Houston to Dallas to play a show there , then it was an old turbo prop flight to get to Beaumont, Texas, Next stop was Little Rock, Arkansas for a concert to around 4,000 noisy fans. Three flights the next day - Little Rock to Dallas, Dallas to Memphis and Memphis to Orlando, Florida.

2005
Gig at the Metropole Hotel in Birmingham for The Bev Bevan Band with special guest Roy Wood, singing half a dozen Move numbers.

2006
Bev Bevan Band gig at Saga 106.6 fm gig in Kegworth, hosted by David Hamilton.

2007
Bev Bevan Band gig at Cox's Yard in Stratford upon Avon.

2008
"Bev Bevan's Move" gig at JB's in Dudley,( next to the zoo. ).

1963
Pretty busy week with Denny Laine and the Diplomats with gigs at the Shirley Annexe Youth Club, the Handsworth Plaza, the Staffordshire Volunteer Pub and Bishopstoke Memorial Hall in Southampton, plus an appearance on local TV on "Midlands Today".

1968
Some recording with The Move at Advision Studios in London, a gig at Leeds University and an appearance on BBC Top of the Pops to promote our new single "Fire brigade".

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.

Hi everybody !

Here's a "Christmas themed Pop Quiz" to keep you amused over the festive period.

Starting in January there will be a new look "Dear Diary" blog chronicling my exploits and adventures in the world of rock and pop music over the years - from starting out in 1963 with Denny Laine and the Diplomats right up to the present day.

Happy Xmas !

Bev.

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Teen Beat Vol 1 & 2 (Ace)

INSTRUMENTAL records were hugely popular in the late 50s and early 60s, and regularly hit the pop singles charts on both sides of the pond.

The most successful instrumental group in the UK, by a country mile, was The Shadows, who scored a dozen top ten smashes between 1960 and 1964.

These two 30-track CDs, however, feature American-made instrumentals from that rock'n'roll era.

Volume One is the stronger collection of the two, boasting Lonnie Mack's driving version of Chuck Berry's Memphis Tennessee, The Ventures' Walk Don't Run, and B Bumble and The Stingers chart-topper Nut Rocker.