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| A WEST MIDLANDS BAND WITH A BIG FOLLOWING |
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| BULLION FEATURED BRUNO FROM THE ORIGINAL JUDAS PRIEST |
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| THEIR STAGE ACT WAS EXPLOSIVE |
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| DRUMMER WAS THE LEGENDARY PETE BOOT, LATER TO JOIN BUDGIE |
Sunday, 26 September 2010
BULLION - LINKS TO JUDAS PRIEST AND BUDGIE
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
BRINSLEY SCHWARZ at SALFORD TECH SU - 1972
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| BRINSLEY SCHWARZ CONTRACT TO PLAY AT SALFORD TECH |
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| DATE OF GIG, 27th OCTOBER 1972 - MY BIRTHDAY. I'D LOVE TO BE 26 AGAIN! |
BRRM BEAT
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| no, not the legendary paper BRUMBEAT, but a special issue brought out for the Birmingham Super Prix street race held in the late 1980's |
BLUES CONCERT AT BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL
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| BUDDY GUY, JUNIOR WELLS & GATEMOUTH BROWN at BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL |
Sunday, 22 August 2010
REVEREND GARY DAVIS at HENRY'S BLUESHOUSE 1971
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| REVEREND GARY DAVIS at HENRY'S, BIRMINGHAM, 1971 Reverend Gary Davis was born in 1896 in Laurens County, South Carolina. Blind from an early age, he grew up as a guitar prodigy in a musical culture, absorbing a wide variety of styles. In his teens he played in a string band with the legendary Blind Willie Walker that performed the blues, ragtime, jazz, country, and dance tunes popular at the time. In 1935, Davis recorded 14 brilliant gospel tunes in New York City for ARC (American Record Corporation), only to disappear from the scene, disenchanted with the recording business. For the rest of the 1930s and 1940s, he survived on the edges by playing wherever he could, traveling with the tobacco industry around the Raleigh/Durham area with other musicians, many of whom were also blind. Wherever there were refreshments or a little cash flowing, the musicians would be there trying to pick up some change. During this time Davis befriended Blind Boy Fuller, teaching him many songs as well as his standard-tuning style. During the 1940s, Davis moved to New York City, where he lived until his death in 1972. (www.erniehawkins.com) |
MORE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THIS GIG, ONE OF THE REVERENDS LAST, WILL BE POSTED LATER
EXCLUSIVE BLUES CARTOONS AVAILABLE AT THE CARTOONSTORE
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
BE BOP DELUXE - EARLY BROCHURE
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| BE BOP DELUXE BROCHURE, EARLY 70's |
Be-Bop Deluxe was founded in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England, by Bill Nelson in 1972. They never played bebop music, but instead came out of the blues-based British rock scene of the late 1960s. At first they were compared to the more successful David Bowie, but Nelson never tried to copy Bowie, and appears to have disliked comparisons or being pigeon-holed. This artistic restlessness eventually led him to disband Be-Bop Deluxe altogether and pursue less commercial paths of expression. (Wikipedia)
EMILE FORD SIGNATURE
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| ON A SLOW BOAT TO CHINA? THIS SHOWS HOW OLD I AM - ONE OF THE GREATS OF THE LATE 50'S, EARLY 60'S WITH A NICE SIGNED ALBUM THE CARTOONSTORE |
Thursday, 12 August 2010
GEEZER BUTLER - BLACK SABBATH
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| GEEZER - BLACK SABBATH |
I don't have many photographs from the Sabbath early days, but this is a nice snapshot of Geezer from around 1970
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
TAKING THE BISCUIT
King Biscuit Boy has played with artists like Muddy Waters, Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin, and his fans include Keith Richards and Paul McCartney
Biscuit was the first Bluesman brought over by Big Bear after I joined the company. Amazing harp and great capacity for alcohol.
KING BISCUIT BOY - FIRST UK TOUR
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| RICHARD NEWELL AKA KING BISCUIT BOY |
Richard Newell grew up in Canada listening to the blues. He learned to play the harmonica as a teenager and joined the Barons in 1961, releasing a single called "Bottleneck." In 1966, Newell left the band (then renamed Son Richard and the Chessmen) to join the Midknights, but then began playing with Ronnie Hawkins, who nicknamed him King Biscuit Boy. After playing with Hawkins for two years, he joined Crowbar and released Official Music (as King Biscuit Boy & Crowbar) in 1970. He recorded solo material sporadically throughout the '70s and '80s (including 1982's Mouth of Steel and Richard Newell A.K.A. King Biscuit Boy in 1988). Poor health due to alcoholism stunted his career through the 90's and on January 5, 2003 Newell succumbed to the disease at his home in Hamilton, Ontario.
http://www.kingbiscuitboy.com/
NORMAN HOOD CARTOONS
Monday, 9 August 2010
DOCTOR ROSS - GREAT ONE-MAN-BAND
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| DOCTOR ROSS - THE HARMONICA BOSS |
Isaiah "Doc" Ross was a throwback to a bygone era; a true one-man band, he played harmonica, acoustic guitar, bass drum and high-hat simultaneously, creating a mighty racket harking back to the itinerant country-blues players wandering the Delta region during the earlier years of the 20th century. He toured and recorded for Big Bear in the early 70's, and was accompanied on this album by the great Bob Hall.
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| STICKER FOR TWO BB ALBUMS, EARLY 1970's |
Thursday, 29 July 2010
EARLY BLUES STICKER - DR ROSS & MICKEY BAKER
Unused advertising sticker for two Big Bear Records releases dated around 1975
Doctor Ross was an amazing one-man band and Mickey Baker one of the greatest rock'n'roll and R&B session guitarists, also chart-topping with 'Love Is Strange' (as Mickey & Sylvia). An absolute gentleman, he was even pleasant after being struck on the head by an errant ball at Lichfield Pitch & Putt couse, Staffordshire, when we attempted to introduce him to golf!
SPECIAL GIFTS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Monday, 26 July 2010
BEAT MONTHLY 1964
Beat Monthly No 9, January 1964.
Such lovely clean-cut boys. Ole Billy J and the Daks front this rare mag.
We have a limited number of 60's stars on sale at the Cartoonstore
BIG BEAR NEWSPAPER - FEB 1970
NUMBER 3 OF THE BIG BEAR PAPER. A FRONT PAGE ADVERT FOR 'WARM DUST' - (NOT REALLY A FRONTLINE PROG BAND, BUT INTERESTING IN THAT THEY FEATURED PAUL CARRACK, LATER OF MIKE & THE MECHANICS)
SABBATH GIG ADVERTS ON THE INSIDE AND LOTS OF BLUES RELATED STUFF.
www.bigbearmusic.com/
CARTOONSTORE - GIVE US A CLICK!
Sunday, 25 July 2010
BIG BEAR NEWSPAPER - JAN 1970
AN INTERESTING PROMOTIONAL NEWSPAPER FROM JANUARY 1970 FOR BIG BEAR, THE LEADING AGENCY IN BLUES AND ROCK OUTSIDE (AND PROBABLY INCLUDING) LONDON
INTERVIEWS WITH HOWLING WOLF, BIG WILLIE DIXON AMONGST MANY OTHERS
BIG BEAR ARTISTES INCLUDED BLACK SABBATH, LOCOMOTIVE, TEA AND SYMPHONY, THE DOG THAT BIT PEOPLE, INDIAN SUMMER, HANNIBAL
CARTOONSTORE
www.bigbearmusic.com/
Friday, 23 July 2010
THE END OF THE LEVI SET!
ALTHOUGH I WAS OFFICIALLY MANAGER, IT WAS A FRIEND, PHIL SMITH, WHO WROTE A LETTER TO MIKE VERNON AT DECCA EARLY IN 1967. AMAZINGLY WE GOT A POSITIVE REPLY, AND A LETTER FROM MIKE VERNONS OFFICE
AS OUR BOOKINGS BETWEEN FEBRUARY 20th AND 28th 1967 WERE APPROXIMATELY NIL, WE QUICKLY ARRANGED AN AUDITION IN THE WORKING MENS CLUBROOM IN THE TINY VILLAGE OF WALL, NEAR LICHFIELD IN STAFFORDSHIRE, WHERE MY PARENTS KEPT THE LOCAL PUB. MIKE VERNON WAS INSTANTLY IMPRESSED BY JEREMY, AND WITHIN A DAY OR TWO WE WERE ASKED TO PLAY IN THE INTERVAL AT A CLUB IN BIRMINGHAM CALLED 'LE METRO', UNDERNEATH THE ARCHES OF SNOW HILL RAILWAY STATION, THIS WAS TO BE ONE OF THE LAST GIGS THAT PETER GREEN PLAYED WITH JOHN MAYALLS BLUESBREAKERS, AS HE WAS IN THE FINAL STAGES OF SETTING UP HIS NEW BAND.
MORE MEMORIES AT THE CARTOONSTORE
THE LEVIS LAST STAND?
One month after Mike Vernon visited Wall Village Hall in 1967 and saw the band live, they played the same venue as 'The Broomdusters'. This hand-drawn original of a flyer for the gig gives the hint with the 'Lavi Seat' reference top left. The 2/6d admission price (including free drinks!) equates to 12 1/2p today. As Jerry was drafted into Fleetwood Mac very quickly, I guess this wa the very tailend of the Levi Set story?
CHECK OUT THE CARTOONSTORE FOR GREAT GIFTS
Thursday, 22 July 2010
LEVI SET GIG FROM 1966
Rare survivor from 1966, a letter booking the Levi Set to appear at Holy Cross Church Hall in Lichfield, Staffordshire, on Friday, 9th December. Note the playing times - 9pm till midnight with two ten-minute breaks. The group also had to supply the records to be played in the breaks. The fee - 75% of total door receipts. I have no idea how much that would have totalled - I suspect not enough to buy a couple of pints in todays money! How much would you pay nowadays for 3 hours of Blues and Rock'nRoll from a tight little band featuring a Rock Hall of Fame inductee.Thursday, 15 July 2010
THE LEVI-SET AS A FOUR PIECE
Thanks to Pete Howell, who pointed me to Wikipedia for this early band info -
The Levi Set Blues Band were an English rock band formed in 1965 in Lichfield, Staffordshire. The lineup was Jeremy Spencer on Hammond organ, Dennis Tuckerman on electric and slide guitar, John Charles on bass and Ian Charles on drums. They existed for two years until the band disbanded when Spencer joined Fleetwood Mac. They had residencies at The Place in Stoke and The Metro in Birmingham. Heavily influenced by the blues music of Elmore James, they attracted a cult Mod following throughout their two years playing together
The four-piece band was before my time. I think the residency at the Metro (actually Le Metro) is overstated, as I'm pretty sure that the only time they played there, certainly as a three-piece, was when they played in the interval for John Mayalls Bluesbreakers. There is an interesting comment on the Hanley Place website, which I attach below....
Dennis Tuckerman
At The Place 1964-5, We (The Levi Set Blue's Band) had a residency at the Place for those 2 years. Founder Members were Jeremy Spencer (Hammond Organ), Dennis Tuckerman (Lead & Slide Guitar), Ian Charles (Bass) & John Charles (Drums). What a great 2 years that was.
We were all still at King Edward VI's Grammar School in Lichfield, 16/17 years old. We played mainly Elmore James with a few 'Keep on Running' etc. covers.
Some say Fleetwood Mac began with Peter Green, others say it started here. All 4 of us are still around, I'm in touch with Jeremy . I play once a year in our band called 'One Night Stand' if you want to recapture the music of that era and that Band, myself (Guitar & Vocals) along with Rob Aston (Guitar), Jack Tuckerman (Drums, Guitar,Vocals)& Andy Gray (Bass, Guitar).
If our old Manager from Shenstone is out there anywhere please get in touch!!!
At The Place 1964-5, We (The Levi Set Blue's Band) had a residency at the Place for those 2 years. Founder Members were Jeremy Spencer (Hammond Organ), Dennis Tuckerman (Lead & Slide Guitar), Ian Charles (Bass) & John Charles (Drums). What a great 2 years that was.
We were all still at King Edward VI's Grammar School in Lichfield, 16/17 years old. We played mainly Elmore James with a few 'Keep on Running' etc. covers.
Some say Fleetwood Mac began with Peter Green, others say it started here. All 4 of us are still around, I'm in touch with Jeremy . I play once a year in our band called 'One Night Stand' if you want to recapture the music of that era and that Band, myself (Guitar & Vocals) along with Rob Aston (Guitar), Jack Tuckerman (Drums, Guitar,Vocals)& Andy Gray (Bass, Guitar).
If our old Manager from Shenstone is out there anywhere please get in touch!!!
I guess the manager Dennis is referring to is Pete Riley (?) but any information about the four-piece Levis would be interesting. The old brain is faltering a bit now - this is all so long ago!!!!
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
LEVI SET BLUES GROUP - PRE- FLEETWOOD MAC
THE LEVI SET CONSISTED OF IAN CHARLES (DRUMS), HIS BROTHER JOHN (BASS) AND A YOUNG LAD CALLED JEREMY SPENCER ON LEAD GUITAR, HARMONICA AND PIANO. THEY PLAYED UPBEAT CHICAGO BLUES, AND JEREMY SOON MASTERED THE THRILLING SLIDE RUNS OF ELMORE JAMES TO PERFECTION
THE LEVI SET - PRE FLEETWOOD MAC
My first introduction to Blues came through the Beatles! I loved the early versions of Chuck Berry and Muddy numbers, and was interested enough to seek out the recordings by the original artistes.Three friends had formed a group playing - mainly - Elmore James stuff, and of course I had to try and get involved. They were, for the time, remarkably good but the focal point of the Levi Set was singer/slide guitarist/pianist Jeremy Spencer. This Birthday card (sarcastically kiddified) was one of Jeremy's first ever autographs, I guess!
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