The Iron Door

admin · Post by **admin** » Sun Apr 22, 2001 7:28 am

Chris: Did you see the Searchers perform at the Iron door before and after Tony Jackson? If so would you please comment on any obvious difference in style that may have been associated with Tony's departure and Frank Allen's introduction to the group. Also did Tony Jackson appear along with the Vibrations at the Iron Door?

scouser · Post by **scouser** » Sun Apr 22, 2001 9:41 am

The Searchers were in their original incarnation - with Tony Jackson when I used to see and play on the same bill with them, at the Iron Door. Frank Allen had not yet left Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers, a really hot London band. Incidently, I never saw Tony with the Vibrations, anywhere.

Any differences in style to me were more based on, and biased by, my familiarity with the original group, all home-grown Liverpool lads. I first met Frank when he was with Cliff Bennett & the rebel Rousers, at the Star Club in Hamburg, in 1962. At that time, I always thought of him as being rather quiet as opposed to a 'front-liner'.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Apr 25, 2001 1:54 am

Chris: Do you recall what Tony had for a bass and amplifier during the Iron Door days? I have heard that he "made" his own bass. Failing information with regard to Tony's instrument and amplifier, would you please comment on his playing style.

admin · Post by **admin** » Sun Jun 03, 2001 8:35 am

There has been a recent update to the Iron Door article posted today. Your comments including additional information in the form of text or photos is always welcomed.

scouser · Post by **scouser** » Wed Jun 06, 2001 3:53 am

I don't ever recall seeing Tony Jackson playing a homemade bass. As far as his playing style I would have to say that he was a solid bass player. I think that I mentioned - maybe not here, but on some Board - that Tony played with the Undertakers for a couple of weeks.

This was after I inadvertently shot our bass player/lead singer, Jackie Lomax, in the head (that's another story...) It was in 1964 and we were on the British charts, with "Just A Little Bit". Jackie was, understandably "under the weather". The Searchers were not booked at the time so Tony went out on the road with us and helped us finish the south of England part of our tour.

I enjoyed playing with Tony. He fit in as well as could be expected at such short notice. One good thing was that most of the Liverpool groups shared the same repetoire - the songs of artists such as Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Solomon Burke, The Ikettes, Buddy Holly et cetera - so the learning curve was quite short.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Jun 06, 2001 4:18 am

Thanks Chris. May I take this opportunity to publicly thank your for your contributions to this Forum and especially for the wealth of new information that you have provided with respect to the old Iron Door Club. That you have a Searchers' connection makes this information even more special and interesting.

scouser · Post by **scouser** » Wed Jun 06, 2001 5:34 am

Peter,

No thanks is necessary. I enjoyed those wonderful MerseyBeat times and through your Forum, and others like it, I have a chance to enjoy them all over again. Besides, there is a need to document everything the way it really happened. History has a way of being rewritten, if we are not careful.

I am going through something like that right now with allmusic.com, regarding album credits. It seems that the advent of the CD has given free reign to the record companies to embellish and change the information (in some cases) that was on the original LP. There are 7-8 albums missing from my biography and a few more with the wrong credits.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Jun 27, 2001 8:23 am

Recent updates have been made to the Iron Door article posted to The Liverpool Project. The Iron Door played an important role in the early stages of the British Invasion and was the venue for many Searchers' performances as well as other groups and artists including but not limited to, The Beatles, Gerry and The Pacemakers, The Animals, The Undertakers and Cila Black. Additional information is always sought with regard to the Iron Door especially photographic information documenting the events in the 1960s.

einar · Post by **einar** » Mon Sep 10, 2001 4:33 am

Well, Peter challenged me to visit Temple Street, when I made Liverpool 2 weeks ago. After I had befriended the map a little bit, it wasn't hard to find. In fact, not more than 3 or 4 minutes walking from the Cavern. "Temple" is a smaller street leading between the more "mainly" streets Victoria and Dale. It's narrow, and could never allow two-way traffic, I should think. "Temple" consists of: New buildings, old buildings and no buildings. Newer buildings are situated near the corners to Victoria and Dale. Entering from Victoria, the first "gap" is where one single building used to be. This gap is unused. The next gap on the right is much larger, and this include the space where the Iron Door (no. 13) used to be. It is fenced in, and a sign tells it's a "private car park". It looks today as it does on the picture following "Part 6" of Peter's impressive Iron Door story. -But the site is more tidy today: No pipes, and even not many cars either! On the opposite side, there's another big gap. This is partly developed, and I could spot a garage port leading underground. If this gives access also to underground facilities on the "Iron Door" side of Temple, I can't say. I would guess not, as the capacity would be huge, and the jam caused during come and go-hours probably uneatable!
Question then is what is left of the underground part of the houses: The ground floor construction ("deck") is probably still there, with what was beneath it still intact? So maybe, being a cellar/basement club, the Iron Door may still be there in one form or the other??
Visiting the "Beatles story" permanent exhibition down at the Albert Docks, I found the Iron Door described as "rugged and active", a "big high cavern".
Looking across the parking lot, you can see the back of the old warehouse buildings in the parallel (too many l's?) in Stanley Street. An informant told me that the houses that used to be in Temple Street, looked quite like those in Stanley Street.
This is how near I got to the Iron Door!

Einar

admin · Post by **admin** » Sun Nov 11, 2001 2:17 pm

Einar: With regard to your Iron Door comments above: Quote:This is partly developed, and I could spot a garage port leading underground. If this gives access also to underground facilities on the "Iron Door" side of Temple, I can't say.I guess this means that you will have to continue your mission further during your next visit. We need an Iron Door Mole to get to the bottom of things. Will you be able to unearth some more facts? I hope you don't cave in to the pressure. We need someone with a real nose for music history. Could you get digging on this?

admin · Post by **admin** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 4:07 am

The Searchers' Iron Door recordings are anticipated by all fans in the next couple of days. Should you have a copy in your possession, please do write a review of this historic event that set the stage for the Searchers' success in the charts.

mygeneration · Post by **mygeneration** » Sun Apr 07, 2002 8:43 am

Like John McNally said, its surprisingly good considering it was a sort of home-made effort. I'd recommend it.

tim · Post by **tim** » Mon Apr 08, 2002 7:13 am

I have reviewed it for the Spring issue of the Appreciation Society magazine and then it may get posted on the official Searchers website.

david · Post by **david** » Sat Apr 13, 2002 6:29 am

Continuing on with the History lesson my wife and I recently visited a "Sixties" Exhibition at the provincial museum in Edmonton, Alberta.The exhibition featured 60's music and fashion artifacts including a record shop complete with album covers displayed in the front window the way record shops used to be.It was good to see the Searchers represented with their "Sugar and Spice" album cover along with some very distinguished icons of 60's pop culture.Photographs by Mike McCartney were also on display in a separate area.His subjects were mainly family and scenes from his native Liverpool and very little on music which was a surprise given his connection to older brother Paul and what must have been his vast access to music groups of every description at the time.Therefor another bonus was a shot of the Searchers taken as they were recording a TV spot to be shown in America .To be precise the photo was of Chris Curtis and Frank Allen.From the caption under the photo it appeared that Chris Curtis and Mike McCartney were on nodding terms.

admin · Post by **admin** » Sat Apr 13, 2002 8:57 am

David: I really appreciate your comments. Thanks for these observations. Did you get the chance to take a photo of the photo? Did Mike have anything to say about The Searchers?