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When Birmingham Was Still Great


Happy Jack

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50 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said:

They probably still have them in former soviet union, sell by date 1970, in a big warehouse somewhere.. 

Don't doubt it. Next to the Walls 'Heart' and Space Rocket' ice-lollies, the Shell 'Man in Flight' coins and the Esso, 'Engerland -World Cup 1970 coins.

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Just now, snorkie635 said:

Don't doubt it. Next to the Walls 'Heart' and Space Rocket' ice-lollies, the Shell 'Man in Flight' coins and the Esso, 'Engerland -World Cup 1970 coins.

I tried to spend a world cup coin for sweets once, didn't get away with it unfortunately.. 

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Just now, snorkie635 said:

And you were 48 at the time. 🙂 

Actually mid 30s... Some place I worked had a batty old dear who ran a canteen tuck shop type operation, we regarded it as fine sport doing stuff like that, and changing the price list board with the little push on letters, to say daft stuff... Vegeburger became Vegebugger,  that kind o' thing.. 

shakinghead.gif

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30 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said:

Actually mid 30s... Some place I worked had a batty old dear who ran a canteen tuck shop type operation, we regarded it as fine sport doing stuff like that, and changing the price list board with the little push on letters, to say daft stuff... Vegeburger became Vegebugger,  that kind o' thing.. 

shakinghead.gif

Abject ageist grannyism. The young generation today. I have no idea. Hang, flog, etc. 

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On 16/07/2023 at 11:10, Waddo Soqable said:

Bill Haley & the Comets is a bit of an odd one too I'd have thought, for the time.... 

 

On 16/07/2023 at 11:44, Waddo Soqable said:

Yes totally.. that's surprising, you'd have thought they'd be thought of as very "old hat" by then, and it was kind of a bit before "retro" became a thing. 

 

 

And ... back to Page #1.

 

Here's a review from 1977 (not rock'n'roll but deffo retro doowop):

 

Darts1977.thumb.jpg.82859db40885448fc998e952a046e65d.jpg

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2 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

 

 

And ... back to Page #1.

 

Here's a review from 1977 (not rock'n'roll but deffo retro doowop):

 

Darts1977.thumb.jpg.82859db40885448fc998e952a046e65d.jpg

Ah, the Nashville at West Ken. I can remember playing there at least once, if not more, those old venues kind of all merge a bit after so long! 

Certainly by 77 there was a kind of "retro" 50s RnR thing going on. Being of the punk persuasion myself I obviously witnessed and participated, first hand in the various punch up rivalries with the latter day "Teds" who were mainly a bunch of nasty bigoted little scrotes I'm sorry to say, so I'm a bit jaded about the 50s revival of that period to say the least ! 

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Picture the scene. It's August 1979, my mate Will knows a dealer who we've agreed to meet in the public bar at The Nashville.

 

We're at one of the chest-high 'planks' that ran along the North End Road frontage with our beers, waiting for yer man to show, and we realise that the place is filling up with tribes.

 

London was really tribal in those days ... punks, skins, Teds, neo-mods, football hooligans on a Saturday, you name it, and the tribes never, ever mixed.

 

Will had the self-preservation instincts of a lemming so he flagged down a passing skin and asked him how come?

 

"Great new band on tonight, mate, Madness. You gotta see them!"

 

Will and I looked at each other. Madness? Never heard of them. We scored half an ounce of Lebanese and left ...

 

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I'd imagine Bill Haley's profile in the UK would have been raised by the Wembley London Rock n Roll festival in 72. There's really funny footage of Dr Feelgood backing Heinz on YouTube, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bill Haley played also. Malcolm McLaren was there, it would have been in the 'Let it Rock' era of his shop.

Retro was about to hit big, Bowie doing Pinups, Ferry's covers album. The MC5 also with back in the USA.

It is funny, and hard to imagine now, all the style tribes that existed back then.

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On 17/07/2023 at 19:51, Happy Jack said:

 

 

And ... back to Page #1.

 

Here's a review from 1977 (not rock'n'roll but deffo retro doowop):

 

Darts1977.thumb.jpg.82859db40885448fc998e952a046e65d.jpg

I’d have loved to have seen Darts back then. Apparently they’re still going but not sure how many originals still in the band now.

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2 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

I’d have loved to have seen Darts back then. Apparently they’re still going but not sure how many originals still in the band now.

Saw them a few times around this time, great band with brilliant vocals. Seem to remember one of their

vocalists died not long ago, so sadly not the full original line up around if they’re still touring.

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8 hours ago, casapete said:

Saw them a few times around this time, great band with brilliant vocals. Seem to remember one of their

vocalists died not long ago, so sadly not the full original line up around if they’re still touring.

Bob Fish has gone but other singers still there - worth it!

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On 17/07/2023 at 23:00, Waddo Soqable said:

Ah, the Nashville at West Ken.

I worked there in 1986 for 6 months, though it was the Three Kings by then! There were 13 bar staff on a Saturday night, and 'twas completely rammed, but there was no  live music.

We got paid £1.90 an hour, and I remember the landlord asking after one busy shift if we wanted to stay for a drink afterwards. Most of us agreed, then he insisted we paid for our drinks! We didn't stay next time he asked. 

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Birmingham has always been great, and inspired so many famous songs

 

Harborne To Run

Close To The Edgbaston

Sutton Coldfields of Gold

No Jewellery Quarter

Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Selly Oak Tree

 

I'm sure there are many others you'll be able to remind me of

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