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

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!

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/

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?

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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.

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!!! 

LINK HERE 

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!!!!

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!