Having worked right through the weekend (including two hours last night after a bibulous Mexican dinner with Teh Matriarch and the Fam) I've got a sudden Hole in the Schedule that MUST be filled with Music. (What, not enough initial caps?)
I'm headed for the Loft, and not coming down until I've got four minutes of something presentable. I'm thinking something orchestral, but the mood may change before I get home.
These polesmokers can do without me for an afternoon.
Meanwhile, here's a vid-clip that The Admirable Morrish sent me from the Pathé News archives, in response to the Gaylords post. I don't have the British Beat book with me right now, but these guys really-o, truly-o existed. By all acounts, they actually rocked pretty hard. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you -- The Snobs! (Click image to play)
Lookit them toffee-nosed white people clapping on one and three! Drives me bananas, that.
Later edit. Here's the Snobs' listing in British Beat:
Despite the toffee-nosed implications of their name (and outfits), the bewigged Snobs of Croydon could rock with the best of 'em, filling dancehalls and ballrooms around the country with a vivacious, boot-stomping brand of decidedly British rock. No better evidence is needed than their one release, the raucous "Buckle Shoe Stomp," [I believe that's the first song they play in that newsreel, a pretty naked cop of "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues"] issued on Decca in 1964. Colin Sandland (lead), Eddie Gilbert (drums), John Boulden (rhythm) and Pete Yerrell (bass) were originally known as The Apostles, and got their break by hooking up with future royal toastmaster Ivor Spencer, whe became their manager. Spencer renamed them and arranged cabaret gigs in London for the group. The Snobs were huge in Sweden and Denmark and even had a huge single release, "Giddy Up a Ding Dong," exclusive to Scandinavia, but perhaps the most interesting part of the Snobs story is the fact that they visited the United States in April 1964, hot on the heels of the Beatles. The wide-eyed combo appeared on the Red Skelton Show, played some Hollywood parties, and even got to record with maverick producer Gary "Alley Oop" Paxton (sadly, the Snobs' chunky version of "Love Potion Number Nine" never saw the light of day.) The group called it quits the following year, having packed a lot of activity into a brief career.I'd gladly sacrifice a gonad to hear "Giddy Up a Ding Dong," that's all I'm sayin'.
11 comments:
Break a leg.
Yo, that fukkin' SNOBS song sounds like a natural for Th' Harridans.
"Welllll they're a stompin' and a stompin' at the stomp joint down the street..."
How awesomne (french) would it be to hang out at a "stomp joint"?
I remember once th' cops showed up and you had to do the stomp joint.
You've opened up a giant can of worms, amigo mio. First of all, here's a link to an MP3 of Giddy up Ding Dong.
But it gets better.
This from the Kinks mailing list:
"Some time ago a Dutch Kinks-fan received an MP3 from an American Dave Berry fan called Ding Dong. It should be a song from an acetate by The Ravens. As there were some doubts about this (the acetate is not mentioned in Doug Hinman's Kinks-bible) the song was sent to Doug as well. Although Doug didn't know about the song, he was almost convinced that the singer was Dave Davies."
But wait....there's more! Could this be an early, hitherto unknown Dave Davies track? Much frantic and breathless fanboy discussion ensues...only to be squelched at the source:
By Dave Davies (Dave) on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 09:55 am:
You cannot be serious. Guilty before proven innoncent eh? No and No. Straight in the trash WITH IT!.
THANKS
DAVE
Ah, well....ya still gotta love them internets!
Fun stuff, Neddie.
Reminds me of Boston's own Upper Crust who also don powdered wigs but can still rock. (The shtick can start to wear thin, however.)
I saw them open for Tenacious D (again with the shtick but it was a fun gig).
These guys got NOTHIN' on the Conscious Bugs, NOTHIN' I tell ya...
Excuse me while I find my nagsziy.
Rox: Much frantic and breathless fanboy discussion ensues.
Those people crack me up. They need girlfriends.
Loved Pete Quaife's comment: "I admit that the voice is very Dave Davies but HE'S SINGING IN TUNE! THAT should have been your first clue that it wasn't Dave!"
Thanks a bunch for the MP3. It will be a treasured addition to the Collection.
Kevin: Are The Upper Crust still in circulation? I remembered them from the late Nineties -- there was some (extremely) minor controversy here in Washington because one of The Upper Crust's members was a Clinton speechwriter who had to keep his rockin' and snobbin' under his periwig for fear of appearing Less Than Serious.
I still vaguely remember a quote from the article, something on the order of "Due to the superiority of our breeding and blood, the upper classes shall always rock more steadfastly than the common stock."
I like to yell that at sucky opening acts at club gigs: "Rock more steadfastly!"
The Upper Crust appears to have undergone some personnel change since then.
Crikey! That Snobs drummer is so laid back he makes Charlie Watts look like Keith Moon! The vocals seem a bit too Sarf London to be proper Snobs - were they being deliberately ironic?
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iqaiys - where mac people tie up their boats
Fine and dandy, and leg-breakable, alright. But would one of you musically learned people explain to me why I could drive for an hour through the hills of Tuscany and Umbria almost beside myself with the sheer joy of The Steve Miller Band's greatest hits? And whatever happened to them? (I may have to do some research and post on the subject.)
icjxbaac, because I've been listening to The Joker once too often.
I'm very much looking forward to The Night Of The Gonad Sacrifice. Can we expect a torchlit procession first, followed by orgiastic dancing, and then presentation of the Blessed Scrotum to a group of hand-picked maidens wielding sharpened stones? Let the revels begin.
I knew I remembered Giddy Up A Ding Dong from somewhere. It was a UK hit for The Sensational Alex Harvey Band in, I think, 1974.
Hey watch the 'Snobs' comments! Colin Sandland's a friend of mine from the home country of South Africa. He really matured well after those heady young days as a Brit Rocker. If anyone knows his whereabouts now (somewhere in the USA). Tell him to contact me in Naples Florida. Look me up at Willowood Home Design LLC. Keith Hannon
The 2 songs are versions of their
UK Decca 45, Buckle Shoe Stomp/Stand and Deliver
(Decca F 11867)
Both sides have been included on
See For Miles label CD compilations, now OOP.
Giddy Up a Ding Dong, originally by Freddie Bell & the Bell Boys, was featured in the 1956 film ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK, and later placed in the British Top 10 in 1957.
Tommy Steele and Alex Harvey later covered it.
Colin Sandland lives in Sarasota, Florida. Facebook member along with Eddy Gilbert.
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