Happy Xmas !

The Times-"True Blue Brotherhood" -live at The Living Room 28.1.84

 

Having spent a very enjoyable Friday afternoon being interviewed by Neil Taylor for his new book,I came across a letter from Alan Mcgee asking for a copy of my recording of The Times gig for the then forthcoming "Alive In The Living Room" l.p.....

 

 

  

The Times never made it onto the album,but heres a track from the set-True Blue Brotherhood.The sound isn't great but hey its The Times....

 

and here's the set list for the rest of the gig....

 

GBS TOP TENS

 One of the things amost every fanzine ever written has had in common was the Top Ten. Provided by either the editor or one the bands interviewed inside it would be a list of the tracks that they were listening to tracks they wanted you to listen to,tracks that they were listening to that they wanted you to know they were listening to... you get the picture?

well GROOVYBLACKSHADES was no different.

    

 

 

 

"A Scene In Between" by Sam Knee review

So.....it's sort of like this....a while ago I was asked by "A Scene In Between" author Sam Knee if he could use some of my photos in his,then forth-coming,book. I spoke to a few friends,made up my mind and then did bugger all about it.

So....here I am looking at a Press PDF of Sam Knee's new book "A Scene In Between",writing a review thinking "FUCK IT! I could've had my photo's in there!".

(Sam has asked me for some photos for future books.I've listened to a few friends and said yes.)

Anyway,the book.....

 

With punk (and "post-punk"now almost completely documented,indexed,cross-referenced,filed,stamped,briefed,de-briefed,and numbered, and with its sounds and styles totally absorbed into the cultural DNA (one direction-say no more.) it was probably time for a spotlight to fall on what has become known as "indie".A strange time,between the end of  post-punk and the start of "baggy", when the charts had Duran Duran and the New Romantics, punk rockers posed for tourists in the Kings Road-"giz a quid?", and one of the top TV programmes was about a school for the performing arts.

 

Because the majority of the photos involve bands,I have to keep reminding myself that this book is about the FASHION of that period,about the way a disparate group of people,spread across the UK, who slowly came together to create a scene/genre/sub-culture/whatever, actually dressed.

 

From photos of a young Orange Juice,taken in 1980,looking every inch like Echo & The Bunnymen fans through JAMC's black jeans and jumpers,and fuck-off boots,on through Tw**(sadly not quickly enough though),to the stripey topped, bowl-cut My Bloody Valentine, and I didn't even mention the previously unseen photos of an early Smiths gig.

There are interviews with Stephen Pastel and Amelia Fletcher,David Conway and Lloyd Johnson of THAT famous brand of leathers and a simply unbeliveabe amount of unseen pictures.

It seems that reviews of books have to have a pic of a page in them,to show you what it looks like,but to use almost any of the pictures in this book would be wrong. That's because they are UNSEEN you idiots. They derserve to been seen in properly printed book form,not as a jpg on a blog.

 

However  the following page is ok,because they have been seen elsewhere,indeed at first glance I thought I might've taken them myself,but seeing as they were contributed by a certain J.B Brouchard,who was stood next to me that night.....

 

 

 

 

As I said above,this period seems ripe for a bit of another look at,what withc the publication of Alan McGee's autobiography,the resurgance of interest in bands from that time and so on and so on...

 

There's enough style and fashions tips and pointers in this book to last  a good few seasons yet,so I woud imagine that you might see a return to the Cuban Heel and roll-neck top any day soon....

 

 

(its just the sort of thing a 1st year student at the Uni of Westminster might want to take a look at x)

 

 

You can get it HERE

 

 

 

 

 

circles

Dan Treacy(TV Personalities) and Edward Ball (Teenage Filmstars/The Times) start a label called "Whaam!" hoping to release the back catalogue of 60's band The Creation .

Alan McGee starts a label called Creation ,named for his love of the band and inspired entirely by Whaam!.

The Creation reform and sign to Creation.

Their album is produced by Joe Foster,(former TVP,Slaughter Joe,Biff Bang Pow).

"Filling The Gap Between Life and Art"

Any Takers?

With the forthcoming publication of Sam Knee's "A Scene In Between" book of photos etc from the mid 80's indie scene, and having been approached by 2 people requesting the use of some of my photos in future books,as well as enquiries about my Mixers recordings and artwork I spoke to a friend who suggested doing a book of my own. So...


 I am wondering if there might be some publisher out there who might want to use the collection of unseen photos from the birth of the scene that became known as Creation Records.
I have photos from 1982(The Pastels in Glasgow) to around 1984/5(most of the bands I saw at the Living Room or Room at the Top, like The Times,TV Personalities,June Brides,Jasmine Minks,Nikki Sudden,Biff Bang Pow etc),

as well as other bits,accumulated over that period,things like letters from Alan McGee,Stephen Pastel,The Legend,Grant Morrison,Nikki Sudden, various gig hand bills,cuttings from NME,Sounds,Melody Maker etc with singles,albums,live reviews of those very bands.

Any takers?

18000 hits !

18000 hits 0n this blog.!!!!! Wow!!!!! Alice Cooper's I'm 18 seemed kinda right......
Thank You
X

"We Came Alive In The Living Room...Part 2..

15th Oct 1983 

 

There were a lot of strikes going on back in the early 80's. and power-cuts were becoming common place again. On the 15th October the TV Personalities were due to play at The Living Room,at The Adams Arms in Conway Street.

This was one  of the nights for a power cut!  

 

Undeterred,the club moved downstairs  the Living Room moved downstairsi nto the bar  itself, and with acoustics and a battery amp, sets by candle-light were the order of the evening.Jowe Head, Nikki Sudden, ,Jed Dmochowski,the Jasmine Minks,,all played,with this set from the TVPs as a closer. The sound is dodgy,epescially after Three Wishes,when I had to turn  the tape over and move the cassette recorder!

So here in all its Here. in all it'sramshackable glory is the sound of the people who would influence indie music for at least the next few years,and in some cases forvever,having a pub sing-a-long to their favourite tvps songs,and a couple of others!! Three Wishes was THE song during the year-hear the Living Room regulars belt it out here-along with inprovised percussion of beer-glasses,tables and anything else that came to hand.

 

TV Personalities live at The Living Room,Adams Arms,London 15/10/83

1.Part-Time Punks

2.I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives

3.Bike

4.Picture Of Dorian Gray

5.Three Wishes(part)

6.14th Floor

7.Where's Bill Grundy Now?

8.Smashing Time

9.unknown song

10.La Bamba

11..Painter Man(part)

(recorded on a hand-held walkman)

From the Paul Groovy Archive.

the who odds and sods

I haven't been able to listen to any music on my way to and from work for the last couple of weeks thanks to an ear problem. All better now,so last night I let my trusty shuffle setting  decide what album I should listen to.
This is what it gave me:

 

Not a choice I was going to argue with-this is a great album.A stop-gap collection of outtakes and rarities put together by John Entwistle it may be , but it also provided the original home for some fantastic Who songs,from the tongue-in-cheek  humour of Postcard,with its reference to The Who's ill-fated tour of Australia/New Zeland with the Small Faces,to the majestic and beautiful Pure and Easy, via the very first single I'm The Face and an anti-smoking song! I loved the artwork as well-the cut-out sleeve,the Braille, the insert with typical Pete Townshend track by track notes-the whole thing was a great artifact before you even got to the music!

 

At the time of its release, The Who and Ken Russell were filming Tommy in and around Portsmouth.One location was the Wesley Central Hall in Fratton (the rally where Sally Simpson gets kicked in the head).

 Did I think of bunking off school and getting in to watch The Who? Too fucking right!!  Well the bunking off bit went ok,but getting to watch was a bit harder-finally manged it in time for the last couple of mins filming after being there all day.

I hung around after most people had left,and saw the Almighty Keith Moon getting into the Rolls Royce parked outside.The car only then went and got stuck at the traffic lights outside the Co-op (now The Bridge Centre),so  I was able to get his autograph.

Worth the detention for bunking off I think!

 

5-6-7-CREATE!

"Why sell it when you can give it away"- I think that was a lyric in a Desperate Bicycles song,but even if it isn't it sums up what I did with my fanzine Groovy Black Shades. I would give it away at gigs and run into shops like Virgin,when it was in The Tricorn Centre or HMV, when it was just about the music maaaan! and leave a bundle of copies of the latest issue on  the counter.

(A copy was picked up from The Regal clothes shop in London by a guy from Gosport,who told the singer of a local band about it, leading to my  meeting long time pal and comrade in noise Stephen Clarke-weird huh? rather cool though)

Anyway here's 3 that cover 1982-1983. one day I will get them scanned and try and decipher the typing and put them up here. til then.....





Issue No.5-Interviews with The Pastels & The Direct Hits. I gave these away at a Pastels hosted "Spontaneous Happening" in Glasgow and at the first nights at The Living Room.

















Issue No. 6-Interviews with Ed Ball of The Times,and Jowe Head,as well as bits on The Mixers Direct Hits and Nikki Sudden.Also had articles written by The Creation Cowboy(aka Alan McGee) and The Legend. Mainly given away at Living Room gigs.
















Issue No.7-massive Nikki Sudden interview,bits on The Times,The Psstels,Barracudas,Nikki Sudden,Jasmine Minks,Biff Bang Pow. Also articles by The Creation Cowboy,The Legend,Batman(aka Grant Morrison) and Kevin P (Writer supreme).

"We came alive in the Living Room..."

as the man described by Noel Gallagher as "The 2nd best song-writer in Britain" once sang. Thing is, Noel, if Edward Ball is 2nd best,who is No.1 ?

(All together now.. "You are No.6")

....sorry,where was I? Oh yeah, Here's some snapshot memories of years ago. Some of The Pop Art Visionaires live at The Living Room,at The Adam Arms.

On   the 4th June 1983  The TV Personalites,played at the Adams Arms pub,in Conway Street,London. The gig was in a room above the pub, usually used as a meeting place for "Dingles Folk Club",but tonight home to an evening  listed in the N.M.E as  "Here Comes The Summer".
             
Now,people who should know,like say, Alan McGee,(whose "Communication Blur" fanzine was promoting the event), and the guy who wrote the Creation Records story, say that the Living Room's first night was headlined by The Nightingales.  They are probably right.

Thing is it doesn't matter whether "Here Comes The Summer" was a trial-run the week before The Nightingales, or was the week after,or whatever. (Makes for a good legend though-TVPs opened AND closed The Living Room's original home-and one that I'm going to stick to-"if in doubt-print the myth" I think I read somewhere).

It's place in music history is secured forever (well indie music anyway) as the night Alan McGee,fanzine writer,gig promoter,guitarist with 3 singles under his belt,and founder of Creation Records, met Joe Foster,aka Joe From Hendon, a Missing Scientist,and playing guitar in fellow Pop Art Visionary Dan Treacy's TV Personalities.

That history records that the meeting went as follows:

Joe: "You Alan?"
Alan: "Yeah"
Joe: "You owe me £5 for the taxi."

Soon Joe would be producing the bands that Alan was signing to Creation,starting the ripple that one day in the distant future (weirdly it would be almost 10 years to the month) lead to the musical tidal wave that was Oasis.


But back to the 4th June:  there were other bands there that night-Miles Landesman,cosmic legend from the Splash Of Colour era band Miles Over Matter, 12 Cubic Feet-including diy cassette artpop/freak out Paul Platypus in their ranks,with the final slot going to Alan's friend,a man who loved the TV Personalities as much as Alan,and The Ramones more than anything else on earth ,and wrote passionately about music that moved him in "Communication Blur",  The Legend and His Swinging Soul Sisters.







Anyway here's some blurry pictures of the night that sort-of changed the World. It was certainly a night that changed mine but that's a story for another time.

and you can hear a lo-fi recording off the TV Personalites set that night HERE

GBS-12-30 Years Ago Today-4.6.83 by Groovyblackshades on Mixcloud

Theft,Violence and Black Sabbath's Vol.4

I was reading about the Black Sabbath "reunion" album in last months Mojo the other day,and it reminded me of an incident that happened back in 1974.

I was a 13 year-old school kid at the Southern Grammar School (on the Eastern Road in Portsmouth-now home to Portsmouth College and where my daughter Daisy-Mae has just finished her A-Levels as it happens..). Fuck knows how I got there. I somehow passed the 11-Plus,got taken away from all my mates,and ended up in a school where I knew NO-ONE. I was the son of a Dockyard joiner from Fratton,sharing desk-space with the off-spring of the middle-class managers and so on from the more affluent areas of the city like Bedhampton, Farlington etc. To say I felt out of place was an understatement. In fact I hated it so much that  after 2 weeks I bunked-off for SIX weeks straight.
 (I got caught of course-and back then the use of the cane was commonplace....the Headmaster even used to take a short run-up before that swishing sound signaled the start of the pain to come.And just like in "If..." you had to say thank you,otherwise you were beaten some more.Luckily for me,it had been banned by 1976 when I organised a walk-out of half the school in protest at the suspension of a fellow pupil for streaking-that pupil went on to form a band that were mainstays of the fledgling early punk scene in Portsmouth,The Precautions).Anyway back to the Sabbath...

Now,we used to change classrooms for each subject,and our History lessons were in a room used by 5th formers. For weeks I kept seeing this album, Black Sabbath Vol.4 , in the desk that I sat at.I knew about Black Sabbath,I read the music press every week, so,by about the fourth week,and with it still in the desk,I thought that it had been forgotton about.I decided that it was coming home with me.
Next History lesson came around,I go to the desk,checked that it was still there,and, at the end of the lesson,took it out of the desk,shoved it under my blazer, and away I went.

This was on a Friday. On the Monday, during the morning break, I was sitting on the Berlin Wall (old secundrians will know about that!) when it seemed like the world went dark. I looked up to see half-a-dozen of the 5th year looming over me.The owner of the album, and a few of his mates, had come to say hello....they said Hello a few times-using both left and right hands,before I found myself on close terms with the bushes that grew there...

The album was returned to it owner the next day,who said Thank You in the usual way (the blood stopped coming from my nose after about half an hour).

I never even played the bloody thing either!!!

xx

GBS11-"Do You Believe In Art"-An Aural Soundtrack

 

No Paul Groovy's Head this week due to combination of night shifts and  doubles and a pair of dodgy headphones so here's one I prepared earlier....you could call it a  sort of soundtrack to "Do You Believe In Art" Part 1... play it all the way through and follow the first years of the

 Pop Art Visionairies.

 

 This is what it sounds like:

GBS 11-"Do You Believe In Art"-An Aural Soundtrack by Groovyblackshades on Mixcloud

  

And this is what it looks like: 

Television Personalities-Posing At The Roundhouse

O Level-Everybody's On Revolver

The Teenage Filmstars-We're Not Sorry

Reacta-S.U.S

The Times-This Is Tomorrow

TV Personalities-David Hockney's Diaries

Missing Scientists-Big City Bright Lights

The Times-This Green And Pleasent Land

TV Personalities-Say You Won't Cry

Slaughter Joe-I'll Follow You Down

The Times-When The Talking Had To Stop

 
 



Heroes Inspirations and  Friends- Here's to the Pop Art Visionairies.........

X

GBS10-Paul Groovy's Head #3

Its ere.....a weekly trip through my head-what has been worming through my ears into my brain over the past week....

You know the drill -Click on the link below-Press PLAY and PLAY LOUD...whilst you do something else-if you don't like a song,don't worry there'll be another a
long in a few minutes...ENJOY....

GBS10-Paul Groovy's Head #3 by Groovyblackshades on Mixcloud

and heres a tracklisting:
The Doctor-Prelude  The Doctor of The Medics fame
Babyshambles-Delivery My favourite Babyshambles song
The Music Explosion-A Little Bit o'Soul Still listening to the Nuggets box set
The Brogues-I An't No Miracle Worker as you can hear.. The Lyrics-So What and here...
The V.I.P's-Need Somebody To Love  the great Paul Shurey RI.P was in these..
Mood Six-She's Too Far (Out)  and these.
Miles Over Matter-Park My Car  which led me onto this track from A Splash Of Colour-Come on Miles...get togther with Joe and sort out a compilation on Poppydisc..
Aztec Camera-Oblivious because I heard it for the first time in years this week.
City Limits- RnR or as I-tunes says they are called Nincs and a track that might be called RnR but as its all in what looks likes Polish,who knows.Strange as they are from Portsmouth and this is from their debut e.p-check them out-
Night Of Treason-Skate City another great track from my favourite album of 2012 Gentlemen and Hooligans...
Big Audio Dynamite-Harrow Road(ska mix) and the sun is shining...
John Lydon-Sun  so Here's Johnny...
Julian Cope-Las Vegas Basement and to close a moment of beauty from Julian's Peggy Suicide

See ya next week


paul
x

GBS 09-Paul Groovy's Head No.2

If its Wednesday then it must be time for.....







 

So,time for Paul Groovy's Head No.2 and still no mic. Maybe that's not such a bad thing. Here's yor track-listing so press play,turn it up and get on with something else.....

click here and play loud!! 

 

The Barracudas-"The Best Years of My Life"-says it all really.

 

The Undertones-"Here Comes The Summer" -a bit of sun and we all go mad....

The Balloon Farm-"A Question Of Temperature" - a Nuggets classic,as is..

The Chocolate Watchband-"Let's Talk About Girls", and..

The Litter-"Action Woman"

 

Night Of Treason-"My Town"-kicking off a section that has  3 more great Portsmouth bands like.

Red Letter Day-"More Songs Above Love And War" 

Emptifish-"Aint't Home"

The Green Hornets-"Geraldine"

 

The Times-"From Chelsea Green To Brighton Beach"-listen to find out why I chose the next 3...

The Jam-"Down In The Tube Station At Midnight"

The Clash-"White Man(In Hammersmith Palais)"

Dexy's Midnight Runners-"Burn It Down"

 

Television Personalities-"She's My Yoko"-one of my favourite tvps songs from the last album "A Memory Is Better Than Nothing" to close the show....

 

See you next Wednesday...

 

 

 

 









THE WILD SWANS FRIDAY 24TH MAY

Steve's got another gig coming up....

 

Hi Cygnets,

THE WILD SWANS Raw Folk Rock acoustic duo will be flying out of Winchester, and swooping down this FRIDAY 24TH MAY on THE ABBEY HOTEL, 11 CHURCH STREET,

ROMSEY SO51 8BT, from 9pm onwards.

An old style British pub, in the heart of Romsey, serving real ale, with car parking at the rear.

Swamp brothers Steve and Brian Swan, from the Mississippi delta swamp land, will be playing raw stripped down blues, folk and pop, with acoustic, and electric guitars, harmonica, banjo, stomp box, tambourine, Jack Daniel maracas, claves, and even a kazoo!

"Are you ready to flock & roll to the sounds of The Wild Swans".

If you haven't grown your flight feathers by Friday, we will keep you informed of other venues will will be swooping down on during the year.

Hope you can make it for a great flight out.

Steve, and Brian Swan xx

Open Mic Night in Memory of Tom Graham.

Those of you who live in Portsmouth/Gosport/Fareham area  should get yourselves down to The Three Tuns in Gosport on Tuesday 21st May. Pinky from Night of Treason is hosting an Open Mic Night in Memory of Tom Graham.

 

 

As Pinky says on the Facebook Events   page (where you can also get directions!) Tom was" A local musician, brilliant guitarist, supporter of young music & bands, ex punk, great character..."

All equipment is provided PA,four mics,full drum kit,bass/guitar amp-.. and only availible for one night there will be a limited edition CD of new song 'You were a Punk Rocker'...- only 20 copies , this cd is on sale for one night only!!!

GBS008-Paul Groovy's Head mixcast

Ok, here's the thing...this show was put together with idea of me voicing the links between some of the tracks-hey just like a real d.j-however....my mic isn't working so I can't record to the PC so no links....
All is not lost though. It gives me an excuse to write a new blog with the track listing and maybe stuff about the tracks(or maybe not!!),so I have uploaded it sans Groovy and it sounds GREAT...
So treat it like a radio station..TURN! IT! UP!  and get on and do something else-what that is is up to you.....
So now just click here..


..GBS008-Paul Groovy's Head

The Elastick Band-Spazz-ok as an opening track its not going to get me a job at ExpressFM is it?May not be politicaly correct but its a cracking song.
The Media-Back On The Beach Again-B side of their 2nd (and last) single South Coast City Rockers.Local heroes-saw them countless times at the Railway and The Rotary Club
.The Chords-British Way Of Life-Mod Revival classic from a band that deserved more
Night Of Treason-On Clockwork Orange Street-1st track from them in the show-from my favourite album of 2012 Gentlemen & Hooligans.
Morrisey-Irish Blood English Heart-I only own one Morrisey album,You AreThe Quarry,and I like this song-can't help but agree with the old boy sometimes..
The Stooges-Loose-imagine if I was at ExpressFM-" Welcome To Drive-Time-there's massive traffic jams in Fratton Road and this is The Stooges..."
or Alternative TV-Another Coke-"Morning..."..
Night Of Treason-Violette-another from the Treason boys-this time the tale of a Wartime Heroine...
Nikki Sudden-Green Shield Stamps-Do you remember Green Shield Stamps?A great song from a much-missed talent and friend..
The Seeds-Pushin' Too Hard-A rock and roll classic along with
13th Floor Elevators-You're Gonna Miss Me.
Night Of Treason-Gentlemen and Hooligans-title track from the debut album.Hopefully they'll be making a new one soon.
Carbon Silicon-Big Surprise-MickJones & Tony James return with my favourite song of the past month.

Back next Wednesday with what ever goes through my Head between now and then,as well as some of my favourite Portsmouth/Gosport bands like The Green Hornets,Emptifish,Red Letter Day and more in a slot called "My Town" X

another WILD SWANS (Steve Clarke) gig...

From my long time friend...

 

Hi Cygnets,

Greetings to you all.

THE WILD SWANS acoustic duo will be flying high next Sunday 12th May, for a lazy Sunday afternoon early evening session from 5pm onwards at THE ALBION PUB, 2 STOCKBRIDGE ROAD, WINCHESTER. SO23 7BZ.

A great little old traditional pub in the heart of ye olde Winchester, Once the campaign headquarters of Screaming Lord Sutch's Monster Raving Loony Party!

Swamp brothers Steve and Brian Swan, from the Mississippi delta swamp land, will be playing blues, folk and pop, with acoustic, and electric guitars, harmonica, banjo, stomp box, tambourine, maracas, and even a kazoo!.

If you haven't grown your flight feathers by Sunday, will keep you informed of other venues will will be swooping down on during the year.

Hope you can make it for a great flight out.

Steve, and Brian Swan xx

Wild Swans (Steve Clarke) Gig

a message from my Pop Art Experience/Sequin Junkies compadre....

Hi Cygnets,

Greetings to you all.

THE WILD SWANS acoustic duo will be flying high next Saturday with an evening session from 9pm on 4th May at THE RUNNING HORSE, ALRESFORD. A great little old traditional pub in the heart of ye olde Alresford village.

 

Swamp brothers Steve and Brian Swan, from the Mississippi Delta, Uncle Sams country, will be playing blues, folk and pop, with acoustic, and electric guitars, harmonica, banjo, stomp box, and even a kazoo!

"Are you ready to flock & roll to the sounds of The Wild Swans".

If you haven't grown your flight feathers by Saturday, will keep you informed of other venues will will be swooping down on during the year.

Hope you can make it for a great flight out.

Steve, and Brian Swan xx

sshhhh......

 

 

SECRET

                   Johnny Hatch-Bass, Vocals                   Steve Kirk-Drums
                                                                           
                                GROOVYS 

                                       Stephen P.Clarke -Guitar, Vocals           PauV Groovy- Vocals                    

                        November 2013

SEQUIN JUNKIES ON FREESEEDEEFIVE-out now!!

                                        Was thrilled to get these through the post yesterday.

The latest in Topplers Records "FreeSeeDee" series,featuring tracks from Phones Sportsman,Jowe Head,Steve Treatment as well as gems from Sterling Roswell,Alt Dubh,and,Exedra(featuring  Jeremy Gluck of (The Barracudas no less),and more...

 

...including,I am proud to say,the debut CD appearance of Sequin Junkies "Here Come The Freaks", which was previously only available as part of a limited edition download-only EP. I am proud to have a track among my friends and inspirations and heroes (and I still get a buzz out of hearing them)

 

Yours for a visit to the Topplers Records website and the cost of postage. Browse around whilst you're there you might find some things you like.....

 

.