WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC WERE YOU AND MODS GENERALLY LISTENING TO?
Original Mods in the 60s listened and danced to mainly Black American artistes. That was seen as the real thing, it was fairly snobbish really. British bands in the main got their material from this source and even the early Beatles and Stones records are peppered with covers of American R&B classics. Very early Motown (pre- Supremes, Four Tops) records were particularly desirable to Mods, things like “Money” by Barrett Strong, “Shop Around” by the Miracles, “Please Mr. Postman” by the Marvellettes and the Contours original “Do You Love Me“. James Brown records (pre-funk) were always popular particularly “I Don’t Mind” “Night Train” and “Please Please Please“. Also American blues artists like Jimmy Reed and John Lee Hooker would regularly be played in Soho mod clubs. Very few British artistes were held in high esteem. There were many excellent British Mod bands playing the clubs at that time. Most of them never had hit records and disappeared into oblivion but as I said before their sets were largely made up of US Soul/R&B classics. This included the so called biggies such as the Who and Small Faces, whose stage acts back then didn’t include the hit 45’s.. They saved that material for pop package tours, doing the clubs was so very different. Mod bands that spring to mind include The Action, The Eyes, The Chasers, Scrooge And The Misers, who went on to become the Attraction (no, nothing to do with Elvis Costello) and the great Johns Children with whom I played, albeit very briefly. Their drummer Chris Townson walked out after a European tour, I got to replace him for about 3 weeks! Unfortunately for me he decided to come back! Chris had depped for Keith Moon on a Who European tour, that tells you how good he was. I had no chance! Chris was still a friend of mine right up until his sad death in February 2008. as is Andy Ellison, the lead singer. Johns Children re-formed for a performance at my Steve Marriott Memorial Concert in London in 2001.
By 1967 Mod turned into psychedelic Mod. The bands were no longer playing the R&B classics and the style was now very firmly influenced by what as going on in San Francisco. Incidentally one of the very best live acts on the London scene at this time was Winston’s Fumbs led by ex Small Face Jimmy Winston. Don’t let anybody fool you that he couldn’t play, this band really cooked!
What a lot of people don’t realize is that many of the 70’s superstars had roots in 60’s mod. Rod the Mod we all know about but David Bowie, Marc Bolan, David Essex (yeah, David Essex was the drummer in a very cool mod outfit called Mood Indigo) and even Status Quo were strutting the stages in their peacock suits! Check out pictures of Quo from 1968 with Rossi sporting a Marriott haircut!
As for songs about the London mod scene well you’ve got the fairly obvious Kinks “Dedicated Follower Of Fashion” and the Small Faces “Here Come The Nice” but much more importantly check out the REAL mod anthem which has to be “London Boys” by David Bowie from 1966. An autobiographical account of pill-popping Soho in the mid sixties.
WAS THE MEDIA’S IMAGE OF MOD AT THE TIME CORRECT?
Far from it. The media were influenced by what they read in the newspapers and Mods and Rockers fighting on beaches was all that the press were interested in That type of headline sold papers. There were two types of Mods really. The first (and the one I would associate with) were Faces. Faces were very vain and would never even contemplate a fight for fear of damage more to their clothes than themselves. Blimey! I wouldn’t even sit down in an empty railway carriage for fear of losing the crease in my trouser! There was no way that a Face would scuff their shoes by kicking a tin can let alone another person. The second type of Mod were more Scooter boys than Faces. This was more street level and these guys were always happy to cause a riot! Real Faces disassociated themselves with the second type but it was the second type that the public would ultimately associate Modernism with.
"Please note from the 1966 pic that I sent, my dedication to the cause of copying Steve Marriott. I had wavey hair but used to have it straigtened (a perm in reverse) to get the effect"
WHICH BANDS/ARTISTS DID YOU SEE PERFORM LIVE IN THE 60’S?
Recently I was telling somebody that I got to see all the major players from the 60’s and 70’s live but thinking back on it now I overlooked the fact that I never got to see the Kinks play. Of course, I rated them very highly and still do in fact I don’t think I know anybody that doesn’t like them. Ray Davies was a real wordsmith and just about all the self penned singles and most of the albums were real classics. The Kinks were very much part of that whole Carnaby Street set of the mid sixties. Particular favourite numbers of mine are “Waterloo Sunset”, “Set Me Free”, a wonderful b side called “Where Have All The Good Times Gone” but most all the truly wonderful “Lola”. A song about a guy who picks up what he thinks is a gorgeous looking woman in a Soho bar only to find out that “she’s” a transvestite! Ray Davies writing is certainly right up there with, not only the best from that era but, the all-time greats. Other than the Kinks I saw all the leading British bands and lots of American ones. I even got to see Blues legend Howlin Wolf in a pub in Dagenham!!
WHICH WERE YOUR FAVOURITE MOD VENUES?
Favourite venues eh! I loved the Wardour Street Marquee. Very intimate atmosphere where the only drink on sale was Coca Cola (well it was back in 65/66). I saw many bands there that went on to superstardom including the Who, Small Faces, Cream and Jimi Hendrix Experience. Also saw the first gigs from Humble Pie and the Faces in there. I loved the Scene club just off Great Windmill Street in Soho. That was pretty elitist and very snobby and owned by the guy that ran Radio Caroline. You’d only ever hear original American artists in there, with the possible exception of Georgie Fame, Chris Farlowe or Zoot Money. That was where I first met Pete Meadon, a fast talking, over the top sort of guy who managed the Who in the early days as well as working with Andrew Loog Oldham and the Rolling Stones. Pete was a mate, perhaps more of an acquaintance really. He was a bit of a pain and the type of guy you went out of your way to avoid if you could. He died young and has now achieved legendary status amongst Mods. Dieing before your time is certainly the way to achieve that! Other groovy clubs of that era include Tiles in Oxford Street, Billy Walkers Uppercut Club (he was a famous boxer) in the East End and the fantastic Lotus Club in Forest Gate. There were also some great venues near to my home in Romford such as the Wykeham Hall and Willow Rooms, tiny places but very atmospheric.
WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON TODAYS LIVE SCENE?
I’m not really clued up enough on today’s bands to answer this one really. I hear a lot of 60’s influence in some of the new guitar bands but a lot of the mod bands that I’ve been associated with over the past ten years or so including a lot of the bands that play Conventions for me are probably more influenced by the Jam than say the Small Faces or Who but there again the Jam got their influence, well a lot of it anyway, from the 60s. So I suppose it goes around in circles really. Going back to the original question though, in my mind none of the current crop make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as say, the Small Faces and Who did (and still do), they’re now part of my DNA!
NICE, I think so…….
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