Groups At The Iron Door

Discuss the early days of the Club with the manager.
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lyle_from_minneapolis
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Post by lyle_from_minneapolis »

That's funny you ask that, Geoff, because for decades now I always wanted to have fronted a band called The Strangers. Sounds suitable for a 60's group, doesn't it?
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13_temple_street
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Post by 13_temple_street »

Yes very 60s Lyle ,think my choice would be
"THE KINKAJOOS".
It would be interesting to read other peoples group names.
Also another subject that interest's me is what music people listen to when they are posting on the forum at the moment I am listening to Little Walter(Dog)1965.
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Post by j_gary »

"Kinkajoos"? You would have to be good. Irish folk music perhaps?

Years ago I was in "Family Portrait", which morphed into "Family Torture". Lead singers fault.

Current three piece comprised of Gary (me), Scott and Greg. Called ourselves "Me, Harold And Dean". Has to do with the conversation style of our drummer and his two buddies.

Geoff, I cannot listen to music and type at the same time. That would help explain my playing as well.
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lyle_from_minneapolis
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Post by lyle_from_minneapolis »

Right now? Velvet Underground, "Pale Blue Eyes". But these days, these ipod days, the entire collection just keeps shuffling...
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sowhat
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Post by sowhat »

Well, to be true, i wasn't born until late 70s, but if i were there in the 60s, our band (i think) would be called "The Whatevers". Or, perhaps, "The Perhaps". I dunno.
Currently listening to - nothing, but the latest song on my computer player sounds like "Hey, mama, hey, mama, there's so much i wanna say, mama..." (somehow - as it often happens - i don't remember who sings itImage).
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lyle_from_minneapolis
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Post by lyle_from_minneapolis »

Image

So this is a kinkajoo... I was wondering where that one came from.
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admin
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Post by admin »

Mark: You can read about the Kinkajou Club here.
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm

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13_temple_street
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Post by 13_temple_street »

Having now seen the fierce looking animal you have posted Lyle, I am inclined to think again for a band name,for years I thought the Kinkajou was a night bird.
It's interesting that Peter has posted the Kinkajou Club,I was there on that opening night of the club, as described by Bob Percival,this club was situated at 17, Slater Street,Liverpool.1.
I had a long connection with these premises,I acquired the lease, and opened an art studio, Slater Art Studio's Ltd.
I moved in a couple of years before Alan Williams opened The Jacarander which was three doors down the Street.
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hamilton_square
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Post by hamilton_square »

Question for Geoff Hogarth

Re – The Dennisons, whom, if my long-term memory serves me correct hailed from Wavertree, and in particular the eventual fate of their dynamic lead singer, the slightly built Eddie Parry. A few years ago I sadly learnt that he died at a relatively young age. The Dennisons played at, amongst other Merseyside venues, the Iron Door Club on numerous occasions being that I was there for a fair few of them. I’d be very grateful [Geoff] if you, or anybody else for that matter, could possibly bring me up to belated speed as to the circumstances of Eddie Parry’s passing.

For all you UK Soap Opera fans who may not already be aware of the TV claim to fame of the Dennisons former drummer - Google the name of Clive Hornby.

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“The only group that emulated the Shadows were the Remo Four, they were very popular and always immaculate onstage they were all terrific musicians and I seem to remember the lads doing a dance routine.”

Geoff – you remember correctly, the Remo Four’s stage choreography when doing instrumental numbers was a near steal from the Shadows – there were certainly no rough edges visible when they were performing.

-------------------

Mark Kaufman asked Geoff Hogarth

“Who was your favorite band at the time, circa 1961 or 62? Was it the Beatles or were you a Searchers or Big Three guy?”

If you [Mark] were asking me that question then:

---The Beatles for tightness and harmony – even at this early stage of their development they had the range of repertoire plus the confidence to be that bit different at times.

---The Searchers for style and musical ability – John McNally’s 12-string guitar sound was unique at the time.

---The Big Three for belting drive and volume – being that they’d put together their own heavy-duty sound system that made the quality of their live performances above the norm.

---Faron’s Flamingos for the sheer infectious nature of their performances – they were absolutely exhausting to watch – you really got your money’s worth when they were on stage.

---The Undertakers if one wanted to listen to more than just guitars and drums – saxophone players were very thin on the ground in Liverpool groups back then – to be honest, if I’d have been wearing a skirt and nylons instead of pants and Cuban heeled boots then more than likely I’d have been stalking Jackie Lomax (and not Pete Best) around the clubs.

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Post by admin »

Peter: Welcome to the Iron Door Club Forum. It is great to have you comment on the Club during these days. I certainly hope you will share more of your experiences.
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm

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lyle_from_minneapolis
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Post by lyle_from_minneapolis »

Yes, thanks Peter. Sharing these sorts of observations is incredibly interesting, much more enlightening and fresh than anything we're likely to read in books about this era.

Do you still live in Liverpool?
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13_temple_street
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Post by 13_temple_street »

DENNISONSImage
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Post by 13_temple_street »

Peter this advert was placed in the Liverpool Echo November 9th 1962.This is not the first date the Dennisons appeared at the club This is the first decent advert I could find.
You may have travelled from Birkenhead to this gig in 1962.
Eddie Parry died in 1995,he quit playing with the Dennisons in 1965.The band eventually broke up in 1967.I think they recorded "Walking the Dog" for possible Decca and maybe other recordings.
I lost track of Eddie and the rest of the band in mid 1960.
I enjoyed reading your comments on the bands and in the main agree with you.
Adrian Barber made the Coffin Speakers in the basement of the house where he lived,they were approx five to six foot high approx two foot wide.I purchased about seven of these monsters from him.
I purchased them for different groups who paid me back when I gave them a booking.
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Post by admin »

Geoff: Were these coffin speakers used in the Iron Door by these groups? I would be interested in a further discussion of these speakers should you consider that there is anything more to say.

Thanks for the advert Geoff. Timeline updated accordingly for your review.
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm

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hamilton_square
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Post by hamilton_square »

Mark – If I’m assuming correctly from your chosen username, you hail from the twin USA cities of St Paul and Minneapolis then I'm sure you will understand the dividing influences of flowing water. Being in your case that of the Mississippi and in my case that of the Mersey. While I wouldn’t have expected you to have guessed from my username of Hamilton Square where precisely I was located some 40 plus years ago - a point that Geoff Hogarth immediately picked up on when he wrote that I may have travelled across from Birkenhead. If I am to be geographically correct it wasn’t in Liverpool but a short 20-minute (Pier Head-to-Woodside) ferry ride away in the quaint little Cheshire village of Birkenhead [that’s something of a local in-joke that hints at the cross-river relationship between the two locations].

Now, I’m sure you [Mark] will correct me if I’m wrong but am I right in saying that Minneapolis has come to dominate St Paul in certain perceptions of the general population. I’m thinking something akin to a big-brother-little-brother complex and the resulting sibling rivalries that have a tendency to develop within families. For in my opinion, that’s very much the scenario that’s broadly perceived to exist between Liverpool (big brother) and Birkenhead (little brother).

Although, the wider areas of Liverpool and Birkenhead are now referred to as Merseyside, historically, because of county boundaries and the natural division of water, this as not always been the case. In a North American context, substitute ‘County’ or ‘Shire’ for ‘State’ boundaries. For back in those days Liverpool was in the county of Lancashire while Birkenhead, on the opposite side of the Mersey, was in Cheshire. For many of us on the then Cheshire side of the river, while adopting the same distinctive Liverpool or ‘Scouse’ accent, disliked being generically referred to as ‘Scousers’ due to the way we spoke. However, in the general scheme of things there was (and still is) not really a lot we could (or can) do about it. But, even to this day, when talking to fellow Brits from other parts of this island for the first time. I find myself correcting them when they say I must be from Liverpool by the way I speak – no, I tell them, I’m from the other side of the river. Then, to further verbally underline such a statement. If they then go on to invaribaly ask me if I support either Liverpool or Everton football [soccer] teams, I make a point of saying, Tranmere Rovers. Who, for non-UK aficionados of English football, are a Birkenhead based club competing in a lower division of the football league than Liverpool and Everton.

So, Mark, in answer to your question – do I still live in the Liverpool area, the answer is no. For in 1985 I escaped, so to speak, when I accepted an offer from my then employer to up-sticks and move 200-mile South to London. I’ve since retired from being a wage-slave and currently while away my time in the Buckinghamshire village of Beaconsfield which, if one is familiar with the area, is not far from the much larger town of Slough and a mere 30 miles from Central London along the M40 motorway corrider. For extended family reasons, I still from time to time travel back by train to Merseyside. However, the Liverpool of all those years ago has long since gone and bears absolutely no comparision, except that of fading memory, to the Liverpool of today.

Though, I’ve never had the remembered privilege of meeting Pam Beesley, her detailed and evocative description of the IDC, as it was sometimes commonly referred to, posted elsewhere on this forum, ticks many a box with me. However, we do appear to part company in one respect – the venue’s enlargement to accomadate more patrons. While at the time I do remember that alterations did cause a for and against split within the ranks, even back then, I could follow the enconomic reasoning for doing it.

I’m sure Geoff Hograth will correct me if, from the distance of some 43 years my exact recall of dates concerned are a little off. It’s the summer of 1964 (possibly August). A Beatles clone-like German quartet that went by the name of The Rattles had newly released an album (or LP / long-player as it was known as in those vinyl days) called “The Rattles Twist At The Star Club” and were on a short UK performance tour in an effort to boost sales. They were booked to do a mid-week evening gig at the by now enlarged IDC and to the best of knowledge, it was an all-ticket affair.

I well remember, it was a cool daylight evening and the queue to get in stretched all the way along Victoria Street. To such an extent that when my friends and I tacked onto the end of it we were more closer to Mathew Street and the Cavern than we were to Temple Street and the IDC. When we eventually got in, the place was packed to the rafters. If Geoff Hogarth says he could squeeze near 2,000 into the club then I for one am not going to call him a liar – the place was heaving with bodies.

Albeit a long-shot, I wonder if Geoff Hogarth can still recall who was supporting The Rattles on the underbill. Although, I’m almost certain she didn’t take the stage that night, I can remember seeing Millie (Small)*, of “My Boy Lollipop” fame, at some point of the proceedings. She could well have been in Liverpool doing another gig at the time.

*Millicent Dolly May Small – born October 6th 1942, Jamaica – My Boy Lollipop released as a UK single in the March 1964 – reportedly first UK ‘bluebeat’ style recording - reached number 2 in the charts.

I have to be honest and say that The Rattles didn’t impress me when compared with similar British talent they were then in competition with. Over-hyped comes to mind as possibly an apt description. So much so, they quickly disappeared back to Germany and resulting obscurity.

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Peter (Admin) - I can’t speak about other groups that eventually came by way of Adrian Barber’s “Coffin” amplifers. But, I recall that those used by the Big Three were visibly fitted with oversized wheels at their base to facilitate ease of movement in and out of venues. Remember, no roadies in them days – they did all the humping themselves – in more ways than one, if you catch my drift.
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