rapiers are go!

Rapiers Are Go Now

Two years running, The Rapiers have been invited to play the Heritage Foundation's Annual Summer Ball in London, an honour as the the organisation's aim:

"... is to combine paying tribute to Britain's wealth of talent who have bought pleasure and joy to millions through their performances or technical skills with raising funds for good causes through our charity The Arts and Entertainment Charitable Trust.

Last year's ball remembered the late Tommy Bruce. 

Three Saturdays ago at the Grosvenor House Hotel, besides supporting Jet Harris, Colin Pryce-Jones, Nathan J. Hulse, Dave Lawes and John Tuck became (early) Moody Blues for a night, backing singer and guitarist Denny Laine on—what else?—Go Now, a staple of '60s British Invasion radio. "I only learned it that day," says Nathan.

[NB: Bee Gee Robin Gibb is the Heritage's 2008 president... On its immediate agenda, the organisation is in discussion with [London] Westminster City Council to erect a memorial Blue Plaque in tribute to late Who drummer Keith Moon. All for it!]

'60s BLACK TIE NIGHT: From left are Denny Laine, Jet Harris, Colin Pryce-Jones and Bill Kinsley of The Merseybeats.

GUITAR SALUTE: Dave Lawes, Jet Harris, John Tuck and Colin Pryce-Jones support a good cause.

Some Things Just Stick in My Mind

DORSET STOP FOR "MAMS": "Now in its fifth fantastic year", Me and My Shadows drops by the Weymouth Pavillion on 8 November, notes Nathan J. Hulse, "a location we don't get to that much". Box office: 01305 783225. [Shimmering night shot of Pavilion from Dorsetbays Flickr Photostream]... SHADS 2009?: William Hooper says he heard Jet Harris say a Cliff and The Shadows reunion next year is down to Shadow Bruce Welch, "all the others are for it". At Pipeline 2008, I, too, overheard Bruce mention "we might do something", interpret that as you will... BEC ON MEND: True blue Rapiers fan Brian E. Clark is back home from a Luton hospital, recuperating after a medical scare. Well wishes to you, Brian... NUMBER OF THINGS: My favourite business from the 2008 Annual General Meeting of the Joe Meek Society: Newsletter No. 125 for March/April 2004. Alas and alack, that issue found itself incorrectly numbered 124, making the latest edition actually No. 150, not No. 149. One member says "the mistake was made over four years ago and we should let things remain as they are". No, sir, says another, update now. Issue remains open with "comments welcome". Compulsive me says "rectify".

Two Cracking Views of "Me and My Shadows"

After a rough patch at work and home, it's finally time to catch up on my Rapiers reports.

From the inbox I spy William Hooper's summary on Me and My Shadows in early June at the Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, fired off in his no-nonsense, Jack Webb-esque cadence: 

"A packed house saw The Rapiers get the show off to a cracking start with Shadoogie. Superb version of The Savage, vocals for Baby My Heart and Dance On. The Songbirds back Billie Davis for Johnny Burnette's Dreamin' and Bobby Darin's Dream Lover. Her hits follow: Angel of the Morning, Tell Him and I Want You to Be My Baby, finishing with Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? After the interval Jet Harris is on with The Man With the Golden Arm. Into Jet Black and Gonzales. Talk of Tony Meehan and into Scarlet O'Hara. Jet is playing as good as ever: Nivram, Sleepwalk, Apache, Applejack. The Songbirds join Jet for Duane Eddy's Dance With the Guitar Man to great effect. Theme for Something Really Important, Diamonds, FBI with all the kicks!"

[NB: Bookmark William's Cliff Richard site, it regularly touts Rapiers and Jet doings.]

In the post came June's The Beat with contributor Graham Hunter's ace take on MAMS from Edmonton's Millfield Theatre in May. Nice to know our lads "sound wonderful" and "look so smart" among other attributes.

Smart man, Graham.

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Rapiers Rock the Highgate

The scene: A tony Highgate, London mansion with "more marble than a marble factory" off a private road (with barrier and guard), a stone's throw from The Bishops Avenue, "where even a lottery win wouldn't pay for a house".

The occasion: A blow-out, no-expenses-spared 50th birthday party thrown by an Arabic family a fortnight ago.

The entertainment: Those well-known Hafla stars The Rapiers, depping for an unnamed (and famous) Middle Eastern band, waylaid by last-minute work permit problems.

"After a main course dinner and various entertainment, we played right inside the house, which had a full stage set up, full PA, monitors, etc.," reports an impressed Nathan J. Hulse. "Our 30-minute show was received quite well, especially when you consider that most of the guests were flown in from the Middle East for the occasion."

Fine, but what of the superior supping?

"Obviously the food was traditional Middle Eastern, which meant Colin had nothing!" says Nathan. "But Dave and John managed to eat well, while I sipped free champagne."

HIGH LIFE: Colin Pryce-Jones and Dave Lawes survey the Highgate lifestyle.

Post o' the Week: Surf Expert Knows Shadows

[Posted by one M. Overberg ("Surf Guitar 71") in October 2007, this gushing five-star "Return of The Rapiers" review on Amazon.com, subtitled "The Shadows Reborn", caught my eye only this week.]

This is easily one of the greatest British Instrumental and Beat Stomping bands ever. The tone is there, the echo is there, The Shadows are there.

The Rapiers originals are sometimes better than The Shadows. Quite simply these guys tapped into the early '60s sound of British Music pre-Fab Four. They nailed it and this is great. Formidable players. Colin Pryce-Jones is Gear: so is the rest of the band for that matter.

If you love The Shadows and haven't hear this, shame on you. They run rings around any band emulating The Shadows today.

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Surf's you right! Needless to say, it's always fab when a fellow Yank surf music fanatic publicly states his appreciation for the over-the-pond sound of Shadowdom.

Racing Along London's North Circular

Were I to recommend one stop for the Full English Experience I'd point the anglo-inclined toward Mark and Linda Wilsmore's Ace Cafe, a black-and-white nirvana for leather-clad rockers, great grub, Carlo Little tribute nights, Mod 'n' Mini Meets (next one: 3 July) and other petrol-fueled mayhem.

Natch it's a dead cert hang-out for Rapiers; Dave Lawes memorialised the place on Breakfast at the Ace, from 1987's Return of The Rapiers.

They call it "The Cult of the Ton-Up Boy"—wild wild youth testing speed, reflexes and nerve over asphalt.

Oi! "Breakfast at the Ace" soundtracks more moto-imaging, courtesy YouTuber JohnnyRazor60.

Looks, noise and speed. From Bike Channel.com, Ace co-owner Mark Wilsmore and devotees explain what makes a cafe racing machine.

Remembering Wayne Nicholls, 1967-2005

Come a Lot Closer to Move It Baby

Who was English rocker Simon Scott? Bruce Eder, of the All Music Guide, tells us:

Simon Scott and The LeRoys (soemtimes spelled Le Roys) were a surprisingly retro signing to Parlophone Records for 1964. Their sound was decidedly '50s, but they had a certain amount of credibility as well, having appeared on the same bill as The Rolling Stones several times in 1963, and were a support act on the kickoff of The Stones' 1964 package tour of England, alongside Mike Berry and The Mojos. Their singles, Move It Baby b/w What Kind of Woman and My Baby's Got Soul b/w Midnight, never charted, and Scott and the band were history by 1965.

Never charting is no sin.

For the mighty majestic Move It Baby still left an impression on a young Colin Pryce-Jones, more disposed to its rockin' charms than the Merseybeat strangling the pop charts at the time.

Colin remembered it when he turned Rapier.

As he told Pipeline Magazine shortly after recording the track for 1991's Return of The Rapiers: "For 1964 the sound was way out of step, it would probably have been a hit a couple of years earlier. It's a record that both Brad [Dallaston] and I had in our collections. It started our purely as a stage number, something a bit different for the real fans. We had a good reaction to it so we decided to record it. It's one of those lovely early English sounds, a great record that was just thrown away at the time."

Hearing MIB live at the 25th Anniversary celebrations was a real gas. Alas, I didn't capture the performance on video. But our lads' recording is in rotation on our MySpace page.

And here's Mr. Scott's original blast:

Plus its nearly-never-ever-heard flip-side:

Rapiers Are Meek

Blowing back the mists of time shrouding Holloway Road in North London comes a Rapiers and Joe Meek video double play starring Dave Lawes, Brad Dallaston, John Tuck and Colin Pryce-Jones, venues unknown, dates unknown (but sometime between 1987 and 1992).

First unveiled: Green Jeans, a rocked-up treatment of the traditional Greensleeves, originally fashioned by producer Meek for The Fabulous Flee-Rekkers on Triumph Records, 1960. Rapier Fact: GJ led off Side 2 of Straight to the Point, The Rapiers' 1985 debut LP [OffBeat/Ace Records, WIK40].

Next up: A surprisingly polite, guitar-driven version of the most successful rock 'n' roll instrumental in the cosmos, Telstar, launched into No. 1 chart positions on both sides of the Atlantic by Meek's house band The Tornados in 1962. Rapier Fact: Telstar was recorded for Rapiers Vol. 4 EP [1986, Twang RA004].

Wipe Out in Waterlooville

Raised on first-wave US surf music, I have endured enough Pipelines, Misirlous and Wipe Outs to last a lifetime of instrumental curl riding. So the latter seahorse's regular place in Rapiers setlists pretty much forces me to stifle a yawn; however, that doesn't mean I ain't tom-tom mad about John Tuck's Big-Drums-from-Edmonton sound, technique and panache on The Surfaris' 1963 calling card (methinks John probably heard the UK cover the same year by producer Joe Meek's Saints first).

So marvel at the tight camera action below (anyone else detect a dash of Gene Krupa during the solo?), captured at a one-off, early-Rapiers reunion at Waterlooville, Portsmouth, December 2005, with Roger Cover, Dave Lawes and Colin Pryce-Jones setting the table. Way cool mood image above by lensman Stefano Rivoir.

Some Things Just Stick in My Mind

MAMS HOT TIX: Noting strong advance sales for the 8 June Roses Theatre show in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, a Rapiers insider suggests the Me and My Shadows tour "looks to be gathering momentum again". Fab news considering the impact of rising petrol prices. Laugh, you UKers, but I'm paying $4 per US gallon in San Francisco for the first time... 25TH HUZZAHS: Lost in the Silver Anniversary hoopla in March were these well wishes from Liverpool's Shakers: "Please pass on our congratulations and best wishes to Colin and the boys for their anniversary gig. Wish we could have been there but we have a busy weekend, too. Hope it all goes well and we'll be there in spirit!"... IOW WITNESS: "Managed to catch The Rapiers show on the Isle of Wight on 18 May," emails Neil2726. "As ever the guys were in top form with Jimmy Jemain as Cliff. Nice spots from Billy Davis and John Leyton—made a great evening in front of a very enthusiastic crowd!"... SAVAGE DISTORTION: No wonder Colin Pryce-Jones winces at the thought of video recorders capturing every live note, good and bad, for posterity. Case in point: this low-fi example from the Thameside Theatre audience spawns a heavymetalkerrrraaaangshadowssound. Funny, though, to hear Colin sending up Dave Lawes, who, we're told, "made a fortune on the stock market" after he left the band in the early '90s and upon his return in 2005 "bought us a new set of strings each".

Rapiers Sing Shadows @ Shadowmania

I can't fathom the exact years, maybe 2003, 2005 or 2006, but the event and venue are absolutely Shadow Bruce Welch's annual Shadowmania and the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey. In the aural honeypot: keen coverings of two overlooked Shadows vocal recordings, courtesy Neil Ainsby, John Tuck, Nathan J. Hulse and Colin Pryce-Jones.

That's the Way It Goes, written by Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch for 1964's Dance With The Shadows LP, "could have given anything on the current beat-scene a run for its money", opine Malcolm Campbell, Les Woosey and Rob Bradford, authors of A Pocket Guide to Shadow Music [Idmon Publications, 2006]. Agreed.

I Only Want to Be With You, penned by Marvin, Welch, Brian Bennett and John Rostill, kicked off 1966's Shadow Music LP with "plenty of clout and jangly guitar work", to quote Campbell, Woosey and Bradford. Our lads' use of vintage white Burns guitars, favoured by The Shads back in the day, lends that extra drop of authenticity.

Neil Ainsby on Lead Voice

A man on a Merseybeat mission, Neil Ainsby channels his idol John Lennon when it's Mach Schau! time for throat-shredding vocalising, as on dance floor favourites Do You Love Me? and Dr. Feelgood with Brad Dallaston, John Tuck and Colin Pryce-Jones, live sometime between 1993 and 2001.

Rapiers Revive the Classics: Duckpond & William Tell

Behold a musical lesson in how to bring down a house.

If the 2008 Dave-Neil-Nathan-John-Colin Rapiers "at the gallop" on The William Tell Overture took your breath away, then hang on to the nearest standing stone as you gape at a super-caffeinated 1987-1992 Dave-Brad-John-Colin Rapiers segueing from Saturday Night at the Duckpond into Rossini orbit. In a word, wow!

Rapiers Toast to Billy Fury

Speaking of never-to-be-forgotten Billy Fury, here's bassist Roger Cover leading the first-generation Rapiers through a sprightly cover of Do You Really Love Me Too? (Fool's Errand) at a one-off reunion, Waterlooville, Portsmouth, December 2005.

Now reverse your time clock, swap out Roger for Brad Dallaston and you have The Rapiers Mk. II, circa 1987-1992, name checking Billy on Nothin' Shakin'.

Video Triple Play: Nothin' Shakin' But Billy Fury

Was Billy Fury (1940-1983) the greatest British rock 'n' roller? Heck, this shooting star from Liverpool had the looks, the voice, the songs, the moves, the quiff.

Just ask and Colin Pryce-Jones will talk up Billy's stormin' "Nothin' Shakin'", released amid the Merseybeat 1964 tidal wave, as a proof point for his pre-eminence in British music. No wonder The Rapiers for years featured it in their sets.

"Nothin' Shakin' (But the Leaves on the Tree)" on "Ready Steady Go!", cheekily edited by the YouTube poster to feature '50s dancers not "RSG!" mods and modettes on cutaway shots.

As Stormy Tempest doing The Who's "Long Live Rock" in "That'll Be the Day" (1973) with David Essex, Keith Moon and Ringo Starr.

A photo montage set to Billy's "Do You Really Love Me Too? (Fool's Errand)", covered by The Rapiers on their debut LP "Straight to the Point".

Standing Ovation at Thurrock

Colin Pryce-Jones acknowledges the warmth of the Thameside Theatre crowd after the finale of Me and My Shadows in this nicely composed foto courtesy attendee Ronald Thompson.

Post o' the Week: A Dedicated Follower of Ted Fashion

Dear Rapiers:

I remember you from the [Enfield] Three Crowns Pub days. Wot a great band. I'm honoured!

Teddyboy Paul
London

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"Only proper '50s Edwardian Ted suits for me, Kats and Kittens," insists style-conscious T. Paul, usually found "loitering around '50s rockin' clubs in London Town", to quote his MySpace digs. By "honoured", this Daddy-o, who lists Saturday Night and Sunday Morning's Arthur Seaton as a personal hero (smart man), means he's chuffed to join our ever-growing Rapiers MySpace Friends List.

Wings Over Essex

Moody Blues founder and former Wings guitarist Denny Laine watched Jet Harris and The Rapiers' packed Me and My Shadows Thursday at Thurrock's Thameside Theatre. "I thoroughly enjoyed it," said the Birmingham rock legend.

"He came along as a long-time friend of Billie Davis," reported Ralph Gowling. "Thameside is a bit off the beaten track by UK standards, so it was amazing he took the trouble to get there. Not only did he stay for the whole show, but he also stayed around for about an hour afterwards chatting to Jet, Billie and co. and posing for pics."

Other marvy highpoints noted by Mr. Gowling:

• "Audience was incredibly enthusiastic—lots of people clapping with hands held high and whistling."
• "Jet's Nivram got a particularly thunderous reaction."
• "Billie did a new number, Fire and Rain, which got lengthy and loud applause."
• "Jet praised Colin P-J: 'In my opinion he is on a par with (Hank) Marvin.'"

YOU BETTER GO NOW: Nathan J. Hulse, John Tuck, Billie Davis, Denny Laine, Colin Pryce-Jones at the Thameside Theatre, down Essex way. Photo by Ralph Gowling.

Sunday Date at Medina Theatre IOW

Say, what's in the soil and air on the Isle of Wight? Seems the natives can't get enough of That Shadows Sound. Fortunately, The Rapiers are more than happy to oblige this spring and summer of anniversaries.

"50 Years of Cliff 1958-2008" blares the flyer touting next Sunday's island soiree at the IOW's Medina Theatre with Jimmy Jemain, John Leyton, Billie Davis.

Of note, JJ's Cliff Richard impersonation rings so true that some skeptics think he mimes his act. "Make no mistake, every song is live and sung to perfection," counters a Medina promo. Trust me, I've seen the man sing—he's the real deal.

Some Things Just Stick in My Mind

AW, ROCKER: Glad to hear from guitarist Andy Wren, one of the redwoods of the British Rock 'n' Roll scene over the past two decades. This hep cat's run in combos with Rapiers family ties like Jet Black, The Avengers and Robb Storm & The Persuaders, even depped as a Rapier rhythm guitarist for a night. "My current band is the hardcore rock 'n' roll/rockabilly quartet Slim Slip & The Sliders," he notes on his MySpace hangout. He also plays lead guitar in a Buddy Holly tribute band, Marc Robinson & the Counterfeit Crickets. I first met the personable Mr. Wren just before he and a reunited Jet Black rocked the roof at the Wayne Nicholls Memorial Concert, July 2005, Potters Bar... BUS STOP: The Routemaster used for the Walkers Crisps advert "is at a coach builders in Leicester being converted into a tour bus", says a YouTube poster... 59 CLUB: Tommy "Dizzy" Roe, Billy Joel, Ventures lead guitarist Nokie Edwards, Sonny Curtis of The Crickets, actor Albert Finney, poet Dante. What do I have in common with these creative lights? A May 9 birthday, yessiree.

Isle of Wight Endless Summer

Buckets of new Rapiers gigs are packing the 2008 Datebook—including a four-week Monday residency (28 July to 18 August) at the IOW's Shanklin Theatre. Wow! Factor in another show with (local island celeb) Jet Harris on 16 August at the Bembridge Coast Hotel and you'll be glad to ferry cross the Solent all summer long.

Post o' the Week: Racket-Making Conquerors of the American Midwest Like What They Hear

Dear Rapiers:

Cheers for the Simon Scott and Mike Berry tunes on the [Rapiers MySpace] jukebox. On My Mind may just outdo the original! Oh yeah!

The Conquerors
Minneapolis, Minnesota

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The Conquerors, a.k.a "Minneapolis' Sexiest 4some", have been "confounding critics, audiences and themselves for the better part of a dozen years" with their garage rock sounds. Adds their cheeky MySpace bio: "The Conquerors convene only when convenient for the individually cantankerous, curmudgeonly, callous & cocky members. Their justified & ancient leader, Keith Patterson, is so riddled with aches and pains that it is a miracle when he leaves the house, if ever. Periodically he is strapped to a gurney and transported to a secret location; upon arrival a painful device called a Bison is strapped on him and he is then barely enabled to participate in the ritual racket-making."

Meeting 2 Beatles All Those Years Ago

Speaking of The Fab Four—by the way, check Neil Ainsby's swell note answering yesterday's Beatledom post—I retrieved these two brushes with fame from the Rapiers archives.

Top: Brad Dallaston and Colin Pryce-Jones join Sir Paul McCartney at a UK Buddy Holly festival (but lucky Neil does the gabbing with Macca). Bottom: Dave Lawes, Roger Cover, John Tuck and Colin surround a very dapper George Harrison at a Ferrari racing team soiree in the mid-'80s, photo courtesy Olivia Harrison.