Freddie Starr At The Iron Door Club

Discuss the early days of the Club with the manager.
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Freddie Starr At The Iron Door Club

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Geoff: I understand that one Frederick Fowell, used to perform as a musician in the clubs in the early days, before he became better known as a comedian.

Further, I have heard that he did perform at the Iron Door Club in the early 1960s.

Are you able to comment on his performances at the Iron Door, that is assuming that my information is accurate.
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm

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Post by tony_carey »

A musician in what capacity Peter?
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Post by admin »

Perhaps "singer" may have been a better choice of words, Tony. What I had in mind were his days with Freddie Starr and the Midnighters in the early 1960s.
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm

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Post by 13_temple_street »

I first set eyes on Freddie Fowell in 1961,we had booked Howie Casey & The Seniors for one of the lunchtime sessions at the Iron Door,a terrific band,along with the band were two singers Derry Wilkie & Freddie Starr.
The next few weeks & months Freddie was a regular visitor at the club.He started singing on stage with the groups that were booked for the lunchtime sesssions,he persuaded me to ask the groups at lunchtime to stay on the stage after the club closed,it was during this period he started to perfect his act with the impersonations, that were to make him a household name.He did not at this time have a backing band,I decided to form one for him .
Bruce McGaskill and Tommy Hughes the founder members of the Swinging Bluegenes were friends from the 50s,together we established a band to back Freddie,called The KANSAS City Five.
The Kansas City Five was a swinging band,they rehearsed every night after the club closed with Freddie until they were satisfied they were ready to perform in public.
I arranged for them to play at the club every Tuesday,no admission to none members,admission for members FREE.
We soon reached capacity crowds of 2,000 plus, for a short while we opened up the First Floor,in the end for safety reason we had to drastically reduce the number of people we allowed in.Freddie,s confidence along with the Kansas City Five were on high,so much so they asked me to start getting bookings around the area,the first booking was at Qaintways in Chester to make a good impression I bought Freddie his first made to measure Mohair suit,KC5 were also kitted out.It was at this period that Freddie asked me to manage him so we duly drew up the documents for both Freddie & The Kanas City Five to sign.
One of the venues we hired on a regular basis was an Edwardian style hotel built on the beach in Southport,we used this Hotel to promote jazz bands mainly bands from London.I decided to see how Freddie & the Kansas City Five would go down in The Birkdale Palace Hotel.
Whilst sketching out the layout for the posters to advertise the event at Southport it suddenly struck me that Freddie Fowell wasn't really a show biz name I suggested this to Freddie,I said would you like me to choose a name for you,no said Freddie I'll go away and think about it.The next day Freddie had decided on the name he wished to be called by FREDDIE STARR.
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Post by 13_temple_street »

Bruce McGaskill was highly intelligent chap a founder member of the original Swinging Bluegenes.Bruce worked his socks of to get bookings for the Bluegenes I used to see him in the early hours of the morning going into different venues in the 50s to promote the band.Apart from being an excellent musician he was also a brilliant sound engineer and,as a result,went on to be a high tech roadie for a number of big groups,including Eric Clapton.
Allegedly Eric Clapton gave Bruce a Ferrari motor car as a leaving present.Bruce sold the car and invested into The Average White band becoming their manager.Bruce dropped dead in an Americian Department store in LA some years ago.
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Post by 13_temple_street »

As far as I am aware Freddie never mastered playing the guitar,on one occasion in is quest to emulate Elvis Presley he did in fact take a guitar on the stage to use as a prop,he also insisted I take him to a hairdresser to have his hair dyed black,this ended in disaster,the result was totally disapointing,Freddie went on the stage that night, the next day, I returned with him to the ladies hairdresser who bleached his hair.
Freddie was totally committed to his act even to the timing of the band,everything had to be just right,if it wasn't he rehearsed until he was satisfied.
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Post by royclough »

Freddie's first single was called Who Told You with Peter Gunn Locomotion on the flipside. The former must be one of the shortest singles ever lasts about 1 minute 20 seconds.

At this stage he was billed as Freddie Starr and The Midnighters, so where this a totally different band Geoff.

In the late 60's Freddie appeared on a TV talent show called Opportunity Knocks, a early version, in my view, of America's got Talent etc.

Public had to write in rather phone in, probably because in 60's in UK you were probably considered affluent if you had a phone.

He was billed with The Delmonts though at this stage and was a comedy act, he won for about 6 weeks on the trot, then went solo.

Never cared for him as a solo performer to be honest he became a fairly offensive blue type comedy act and I personally never cared for him, though his act with Delmonts was not bad.
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Post by 13_temple_street »

I encouraged Freddie from our very first meeting in 1961,it was obvious he was talented,we realized from the outset that if he was to succeed as a solo performer he had to develop an act other than being just a singer,he had no inclination to play any instrument,so we decided he concentrate on the impression's.
I have to agree with you Roy,as the pressure built up to stay on top he became more outlandish with his material,so much so that I refused to attend any of his shows or watch him on the television.

He became a household name appearing in front of the Queen on numerous occasion's on the Royal Variety Shows.

The Midnighters were an entirely different band to the Kansas City Five.
The Midnighters played many times at the Iron Door as Gus Traverse and the Midnighters.
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Re: Freddie Starr At The Iron Door Club

Post by hamilton_square »

Recently came across this old black and white photograph of Howie Casey and the Seniors [circa late 1961 or early 1962] featuring the aforementioned Freddie Fowell who must have been all of 19 years old at the time.

Image

Pictured in an obviously happy mood are …

Saxophonist, Howie Casey in his trademark pork-pie hat
Bespectacled bass guitarist, Lou Walters complete with girlfriend for company
Laughing back-up vocalist, Freddie Fowell with his hands on the shoulders of kneeling lead guitarist, Brian Griffiths
Smiling lead vocalist, Derry Wilkie with his arm round Freddie Fowell’s shoulder.
And, leaning up against the door arguably the most powerful, if not the loudest of beat drummers around Liverpool at that time, Frank Wibberley

I suspect the photograph was taken round about the same time that Howie Casey and the Seniors released their one and only album, Twist at the Top, on the Fontana label during February 1962. Whenever it was, it must have been on the cold side because everyone in the photograph is wearing a top coat.

Image

Beatles fans note that Love Me Do on the Parlophone label didn’t come out until October 5th of that year … some seven months later. So, Howie Casey and Seniors can lay claim to two Liverpool group firsts of that era. First to play Hamburg and first to see the inside of a London recording studio.

While Twist at the Top quickly sank without a trace and Howie Casey & Seniors went their different ways not long after. The album had something of a second lease of life when in 2002 it was re-released in CD form on the small German-based Bear Family label … the up tempo title track, Twist at the Top, having recently found its way onto You Tube.



For me, Twist at the Top gives something of a flavour of the burgeoning power guitar playing of Brian Griffiths that was to become such a driving feature of live Big Three performances following the departure of Adrian Barber in August 1962. At his best, Brian Griffiths could certainly motor along when called upon to get into top gear. While arguably there might have been a few guitarists around in Liverpool at the time who were perhaps more technically gifted than Brian Griffiths, nobody could match him when he was powering along in full throttle mode.
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Re: Freddie Starr At The Iron Door Club

Post by 13_temple_street »

Thank you Peter for posting the rare photograph of the Howie Casey and the Seniors, I had the privilege of seeing this band on several occasions, during this period the band released three singles and an LP, Twist at the Top with Freddie Fowell on vocals,the band split up in mid-summer 1962. Brian Griffiths joined the Big Three filling the vacancy left by the departure of Adrian Barber who was now the stage manager at the Star Club in Hamburg. The Big Three Johnny Hutchinson,
Johnny Gustafson and Brian Griffiths were now with new manager Brian Epstein, who secured the group Tv work and recording deals.Brian Griffiths and Johnny Gustafson departed from the group and formed a new band called The Seniors
along with drummer Ian Broad, this new group went on to play in Germany.
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Re: Freddie Starr At The Iron Door Club

Post by hamilton_square »

Many thanks Geoff and as always, nice to hear from you.

I understand that Howie Casey is still with us and happily living in retirement in the Poole area (for non-UK readers that’s a town in the English county of Dorset). And, if his recorded birth date of 12th July, 1937 is correct, then his next birthday will be his 74th. It appears, at first sight, that the passing years have been fairly kind to Howie, if the below group photograph is anything to go by.

Image

Pictured are Howie Casey (in the white shirt) together with his wife, Shelia. Making up the rest of those assembled are Liverpool music historian and BBC Radio Merseyside presenter, Spencer Leigh and a Beatles tribute band from the Czech Republic.

Also, happened to come across THIS recent newspaper article in the Bournemouth Daily Echo commemorating what would have been John Lennon’s 70th birthday. Some half-way through the article, Howie and Shelia Casey contribute their thoughts.

Shelia Casey was one half of the McKinley Sisters, an Edinburgh born singing duo who reportedly were one the supporting acts on the bill of the first British tour that the Beatles headlined. I can only speculate that Howie and Shelia’s paths first crossed in Hamburg. Where, following the break-up of the Seniors, Howie Casey had a fairly long stint playing with Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes and the McKinley Sisters performed for a while at the Star Club.
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Re: Freddie Starr At The Iron Door Club

Post by 13_temple_street »

Peter; You have not lost your touch, once again a very informative follow up to your Freddie Starr article.I enjoyed the Echo article re-the McKinley sisters.
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Re: Freddie Starr At The Iron Door Club

Post by nortega »

Freddie Starr - Peter Gunn Locomotion


I had to look that one up. I like the two breakdowns. Fun track.
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Re: Freddie Starr At The Iron Door Club

Post by admin »

Geoff: This is just excellent. Do you recall the performance?
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm

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