RAPIERS ARE GO!

Readers Write

A smattering of applause, musings and general horn-tooting for our shiny new RAG! blog. Ta very much.

Tony Rivers: I just checked it out and it's very good, great stuff and nice pix.

Barry Gillam: Great job with the Totton report, it looks great. I phoned Ann Green to tell her but she doesn't have easy access to a computer at the moment. But she will have a look when she can and I'm sure you will hear from her in due course.

Keith Bateman: A real labour of love. Congratulations on the result of what looks like a lot of work. Great links too. I haven't been able to get to see the lads lately but I'll be catching up with them at Shadowmania.

Dave Lawes: Totton story and photos look great, even showing off my holiday tan!

Mr. Lawes in fine fettle

Somerset Saturday

A last-minute-nobody-told-me booking took The Rapiers westward ho! to Somerset yesterday and the confines of the Brean Leisure Park to entertain owners of caravans there. Lucky campers!

The affair led to an "encounter with these fantastically dressed girls", reports Nathan J. Hulse. "Tracey and Zoe [sorry, gents, no last names] were part of the entertainment team and agreed to an impromptu photo at the end of another great show."

Flower power in Brean Sands

Bedazzled Down the Ace

While we're in a decidedly Ace frame of mind, let's replay a tres fab episode from Dudley Moore and Peter Cook's "Not Only... But Also" mid-'60s British TV series, required viewing for satirists everywhere.

As touted in a July 2006 Rapiers Update!, think mock French-travelogue down the raunchy, monochromatic North Circular in London (real Rapiersland), which our narrator says "winds eetz circuitous way from 'arlesden in zee west to 'ackney in zee east".

Luckily, we pop in at the original Ace, totted up as "Cafe Fred". Bon appetit!

Road to Half Moon Bay

Next weekend sees the Ace Cafe London-sponsored "Ride With the Rockers" burning up the Calfornia coast from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and points north almost 400 miles to Half Moon Bay, the seaside hamlet (28 miles south of San Francisco) where I grew up, learned to play "Walk, Don't Run" and stole my first kiss.

Ace owners Mark and Linda Wilsmore are jetting over for the two-day event, 3-4 May, which culiminates at the hotsy totsy Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay for the annual Legend of the Motorcycle Concours d'Elegance, showcasing 150-200 of the finest pre-1976 motorbikes from around the world.

Too bad The Rapiers ain't on display as well.

Not just leather boys, mods welcome too

Post o' the Week

Dear Greg:

Thanks for the Joe Brown clip. It reminds me of one evening at the Ansells brewery in Birmingham when Joe played with Keith Powell. I was backstage and actually got to hold Joe's Gibson (the one in the clip) as we talked to him for some time.

Joe got really pissed off when the Bruvvers were doing the warm-up before he went on. They really preferred jazz and started doing jazzy stuff on stage. Joe knew that it might be OK in London (very sophisticated, you know), but the Birmingham bunch liked their rock 'n' roll a bit more basic.

Colin Wood, ex-Valet
Melbourne

P.S. Do you know why Joe was able to bend his strings so much? He used two top E strings (one as a top E, the other as a B) and then used thinner strings all the way down to a fifth string as the low E. This also explains why his sound was so "thin"—the strings were slack as elastic.

Keith Powell and The Valets, Colin far right

"Wipe Out" in Spain

Ho-dads, I draw your attention to our Rapiers TV Widget wotsit thingie on the right nav bar. Now added in rotation is this wobbly but pounding clip of our John attacking the surf standard "Wipe Out" at a Madrid nightclub last December.

Cowaunga interruptus: Just as the drum solo climaxes, our poor videographer's battery life or camera phone storage peters out. Fun City nevertheless!

Seated in Bromsgrove

Didja know you can adopt a seat in Bromsgrove's artrix auditorium? That's where Jet Harris and The Rapiers bring their "Me and My Shadows" show to local Warwickshirans on 6 May.

For £200, the theatre will affix an inscribed plaque to the seat of your choice, presumably in perpetuity.

"This could be a unique gift for a loved one or for somebody special you would like to remember," the artrix site explains.

"Maybe you're feeling creative and would like to write a little ditty or an entertaining message for the thousands of people who will see it. For local businesses it's also a unique and memberable way to advertise."

In situ marketing, anyone? For details, ring 01527 572795.

Winkle-Picking

For toe-tapping live performance, The Rapiers insist on classic British winkle-pickers—erm more Teddy Boy-style than Chelsea Boy-style—like these original Denson and Menns models, finely choreographed by Colin Pryce-Jones for our photo shoot.

Colin's w-p collection full circle

"All mine are 1960s originals and three pair are still in brand new shape," he says. "Finding mint 1960s winkle-pickers these days would seem as hard as landing a mint Meazzi echo unit (drum style of course)."

Fancy a search? I've seen our shoe subjects spelt up and down, hyphenated or no, or runalltogether: Winklepickers, Winkle Pickers, winklepickers, winkle pickers. Colin prefers winkle-picker, let's leave it at that.

Googling does turn up two immediate sources for retro footware fashion: Beatware of Liverpool and Underground England. Step to it.

Not Rapiers certified: Chelsea boot a la Beatles

Remembering Tommy Bruce

The Rapiers, Jet Harris and Billie Davis plan a taste of their "Me and My Shadows" stage show at the Tommy Bruce Tribute Luncheon, which remembers the beloved '60s singer best known for his gravelly voiced revival of "Ain't Misbehavin'", a top 3 smash in 1960. Tommy passed away last July at the age of 68.

He was a "dear friend", said Colin Pryce-Jones. "I had backed Tommy over four decades, both with The Rapiers and in other bands, and he always amazed me with that wonderful voice and his enthusiastic repartee."

The Heritage Foundation will donate profits from the luncheon—27 May at London's Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane—to the Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex and Macmillan Nurses (Watford). Tickets are £59 each. Ring 01494 714388 for booking details.

Scheduled attendees include Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman, singers Helen Shapiro, Brian Poole, Wee Willie Harris, Mike Sarne and Danny Rivers, plus songsmith Barry Mason ("Delilah", "Here It Comes Again", "The Last Waltz"), who helped launch Tommy to stardom (and, might I say, a fine gent whom I had the pleasure of kibitzing with at a performance of "Telstar: The Joe Meek Story" in London's West End two summers ago).

Long-time Rapiers pal and occasional depping drummer Mac Poole is also confirmed.

Heritage Foundation: Working for a good cause

OT: A Joe Brown Minute

Singer and guitarist Joe Brown is a national treasure, boasting a mighty big CV that clocks in at skiffle, rock, country, blues, folk, bluegrass, Music Hall and West End musicals.

By far, my favorite Brown era is 1961-1962, the last deep breath before Beatlemania, when he and his Bruvvers fashioned melancholy, rhythmic gems like "A Picture of You", "Sally Ann" and "The Other Side of Town". Inspired!

Watch this live performance of "It Only Took a Minute" on 1962 British TV and tell me George Harrison wasn't inspired by Joe's guitar licks when it came time to record "I Saw Her Standing There".

John Tuck Spotlight

Joining a four-drummer attack on "Wipe Out" reminiscent of the percussion battle in the off-the-wall 1965 film "Gonks Go Beat", John Tuck took centre stage at Saturday's "'60s Extravaganza in Aid of Papworth Hospital" charity benefit at Wood Green Indoor Arena in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire. One of John's comrades was the legendary Clem Cattini, founder of The Tornados, there for the cause, too.

Speaking of Tornadic activity, the evening saw more Joe Meek stars like Paul Neon and The Saints, The Honeycombs and John Leyton, the latter backed by The Rapiers, who also supported Billie Davis.

An eyewitness account by the esteemed Ralph Gowling follows almost immediately.

Photos courtesy Nathan J. Hulse

The Rapiers Rock 'Em Raw in Godmanchester
By Ralph Gowling

This was The Rapiers in storming form with an exciting, biting, raw sound that rocked the 1,000-plus crowd who turned out for the Papworth benefit.

Despite technical problems aplenty throughout the night that frustrated the artists, the crowd still loved rolling back the years, packing the dance floor and singing along with gusto on some of the hits when invited to have a go. Rapiers leader Colin Pryce-Jones set a fast and furious pace to the band's set because the show had got behind schedule, with hardly a pause for breath between numbers. The crowd lapped it up even more. Even two young girls of about 10 squeezed onto the edge of the dance floor to bop the night away.

There was talk backstage about The Rapiers doing some of their old familiar "rock-it-to-them" numbers but Colin seemed to be driven Meek- and Spector-style for a new sound. Bassist Nathan J. Hulse stepped up to the mic to deliver the "Roll Over Beethoven" of all rockin' rollers. It was gutsy and full of feeling, the guitars and drumming propelled it with real power. "Apache"—delivered with perfection—had that extra bite that sent shockwaves of delight through the audience.

The fireworks were still to come. Colin has always loved Brian Poole and The Tremeloes, so he unleashed Neil Ainsby on a full throttle "Do You Love Me". Neil has the chest of a near Pavarotti (not the girth!) and from somewhere round those parts came a truly storming vocal. The band were all fired up as a unit. It was all cylinders go.

"Wow!" said somebody in the audience in stark tribute.

Pre-show: Colin Pryce-Jones shares a point with John Leyton, then keeps a safe distance from the bevvies

Yet there was more to come when Billie Davis appeared. There was no keyboard to recreate the big sounds of her hits and she had planned to do only one number, "I Want You to Be My Baby". What followed was a revelation. You could have closed your eyes and imagined her back up on stage supporting The Rolling Stones with that formidable beat group The Leroys.

But this was today and this was "Tell Him". They'd only decided to do it three hours earlier. The dance floor was heaving as Billie and The Rapiers, with some splendid vocal backing from stylish new Songbird Julie, put the rock into "Tell Him". It was raw and fiery. Then came "I Want You To Be My Baby". John Tuck's drumming always stands out on this one but this night he was pounding the skins with that extra edge. It's a stomper of a number and the dance floor began to vibrate.

The show closed with John Leyton and The Rapiers. The technical problems mounted but John and the band triumphed over all. These days John can almost win over an audience with his patter alone. For such a nice and gentle man backstage, it is always fascinating to see him rocking it up on stage.

"Johnny Remember Me". Yes, the Godmanchester crowd will—that raw sound that had them bopping till they nearly dropped.

Post-show: John signs, Neil Ainsby looks positively Johnny Kidd-ish

The Ace Look

Be like Colin Pryce-Jones!

At last check, our merry lad had the good sense to be a card-carrying member of London's Ace Cafe, entitling him to discounts on grub and cool, England-made, Ace-branded merchandise like crockery, badges, keyfobs and scarves.

Imagine the envy of men and women everywhere when you pull out your own Ace Club card.

White is the new black

Floored by the Ace

Stable Rapiers

During 11 days in May, Milton Keynians can revel in a '60s pop stream at the famous Stables hall. Your tour starts with jazz great Sir John Dankworth (1 May), takes in British Invasioners Ray Davies (2 May) and Gerry Marsden (5 May), then concludes with Jet Harris and The Rapiers' "Me and My Shadows" party (11 May).

Which would you choose?

Stables Fact: Mr. Dankworth with wife and lifetime singing partner Dame Cleo Laine founded the venue in 1970, imbuing it with a strong educational vision, which "encourages people of all ages, levels of ability and backgrounds to participate in music-making activities". For an in-depth chronicle, order "The Stables: Inside Story" by Kate Barrett and Monica Ferguson.

World class music

Rapiers Backyard

Edmonton is Rapiers turf, ground zero for our rockin' lads. So it's nice to see "Me and My Shadows" taking over the local Millfield Arts Centre next month.

Fantabulously, the marketing department got the promo just right: "The Rapiers... rate as one of the world’s fiercest, hardest working and classiest combos on stage..."

The original Posh and Becks

It's Gonna Take Magic

The Rapiers waxed this Shane Fenton hottie for their debut LP, "Straight to the Point", but jettisoned it before release. Wisely, when Fury reissued the album on CD in 1994, they included an outtake.

Meanwhile, here's an utterly swinging Shane and The Fentones twisting up said number (with Billy Fury's help) outta the flick "Play It Cool".

Post o' the Week

Dear Greg:

I have become a great fan of The Rapiers. I first heard them on FM Radio and fell in love with their music. I bought their "1961" CD from Amazon, but my favourite number, "FBI", is not on it. Can you tell me where I can get a CD with that particular instrumental? Anyway, The Rapiers are great and I wish them all the luck in the world!

Leonora Pinto

[GO: No dice on "FBI", Leonora. Content your head and ears with The Shadows' nigh-impossible-to-improve original. But what's this chatter about "FM Radio"? Erm, is there a new station on the air, satellite or ether? Do tell.]

Van Royale

"Victoria."

That's what Janet Pryce-Jones nicknamed The Rapiers' ailing, now decommissioned Renault transport. "As in Queen Victoria, because she was so faithful despite miles and age!"

From a 1996 Sunday Mirror feature

Open Mic Night Moves

Bognor favourite son Neil Ainsby is packing up his mid-week jam party from the Junction to the Railway. "Not the Railway Club," he cautions, "but the Railway Pub, formerly known as the Railway Emporium and the Waiting Room."

Got that?

Same arrangements, PA and back line await extroverted singers and bands hankering for their 15 minutes of stage fame. "It's a right old hands-on affair," Neil says. Bring guitar and pipes each Wednesday along to 49-51 London Road. For details ring 01243 828 015.

Totton: The Encore

Ho, hum. Another "zonking" rock 'n' roll show hosted by Southamptonians Ann and Colin Green, another sell-out at the 300-capacity Empire Hall. Can you say habit forming?

Our man on the ground, Barry Gillam, who regularly pounds a path to each Rapiers to-do within a 50-mile radius of his Bournemouth home, didn't let the side down a fortnight ago. He snagged photos of our lads' latest Totton affair, rated the performance and even took attendance.

Black suits, red Fenders

"We arrived at the Empire Hall at 6:15 anticipating another long queue like the one we found when The Rapiers backed Jet Harris there last October," said Barry. "We wanted to make sure we got seats for ourselves and members of the South Coast Shadows Club. By 6:40 the queue was tailing around the car park when a coach party of 30 employees from a Salisbury bus garage arrived.

"The doors opened at 7 p.m. and the place was full by 7:30 when The Rapiers with Dave Lawes on rhythm guitar started their first set. We heard all the usual Shadows material as well as plenty of other numbers to fill two 45-minute sets, all played at their superb standard. Sound quality was excellent.

"FBI" in action

"My Rapiers highlight was hearing 'Green Jeans' [recorded for their debut LP 'Straight to the Point'], which Colin said they hadn't played for 'about 20 years'. Brilliant!

"Mike Berry and The Outlaws (with ex-Shadow Alan Jones on bass) were excellent and on stage for over an hour playing their usual Buddy Holly numbers among many others."

Ever-dapper Mike Berry

Here Barry apologised for dispensing with a set list ("I was just enjoying the evening too much to make notes"), but made up for the gaffe by acknowledging a bit of who's who in the crowd.

"It was nice to see more than locals at the show. For example, I noticed Theo and Rogier, from Holland, who had come over for the Pipeline Convention in London the following day. Rogier plays rhythm guitar in the band Pipeline 61. Others also had traveled a long distance just for the evening, proving what an international draw The Rapiers are."

And what of our hostess and organiser?

Said Ann Green: "Although I'm biased, I can honestly say the whole evening was a zonking success. So much so that everyone wants me to do a repeat. Depends on how long it takes me to get over this one!"

Colin and Ann Green