Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek: West Hampstead's Musical Heritage Remembered

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Those are employed impressively throughout the rest of Side 1 as the band rip through that Herman cover. I described Lee’s guitar playing as dizzying. I’ll do that again. It’s bonkers, but we are once again treated to rotating solos — guitar, guitar, guitar, organ, then bass, guitar, guitar, guitar.

Finally, it’s the drummer’s turn for the spotlight. Ric Lee never lets up throughout the Summertime intro to his signature solo Shantung Cabbage. The physically and musically impressive solo draws enormous applause from what really seems to be a “musician’s audience.” But the truth is the solo is enjoyable and impressive to anyone, regardless of their musical knowledge, taste or ability. Incidentally, the two Lees are not related. October 1967 – Redcar Jazz Club, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Skyliners (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book) After leaving school in 1958 Dusty answered an advert for a female singing trio called the ‘Lana Sisters’. Then in 1960 she joined her elder brother Dion (who became Tom), and Reshad Field, to form The Springfields, a pop-folk trio. In 1963 she began her solo career with ‘I Only Want to Be with You’, which reached Number 4 in the charts. Her most famous songs were ‘The Look of Love’ which was featured in the Bond film ‘Casino Royale’ (1967) and ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ (1969). In 1998 she was awarded an OBE. Dusty was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1994 and she died in March 1999. December 1966 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with The Apex R&B All Stars (Cambridgeshire Times) John Mayall brought many future stars through his various bands He Appeared 33 times and did much to foster interest in blues nationwide.April 1964 – Fender Club, Kenton, Middlesex with Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Harrow Observer & Gazette) March 1967 – The Cavern, Liverpool with The Fix and The Klubs (Fabulous 208/Phil Thompson’s Story of the Cavern book) Colin was ‘The Grand Vizier’ of parties in Fawley Road where he lived from 1961 to 1964. He died in 1999 and Steve Voce wrote a wonderful obituary in The Independent. During May, Dave Greenslade briefly left to join Julian Covey & The Machine as they support John Lee Hooker on a UK tour but returned to The Thunderbirds soon after.

May 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire with John McCoy’s Crawdaddies (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette) May 1965 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, London (Geoff Williams research: Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek book) December 1966 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Bromwich, West Midlands with New Street Station and Barmy Barry (Birmingham Evening Mail/Express & Star) Situated next to Decca Studios, KK was a favourite drop-in before or after work for music stars, notably Tom Jones, Lulu, and Mike Smith of the Dave Clark Five. Eric Burdon often dropped in, particularly when Georgie Fame or Zoot Money were appearing, sometimes accompanied by other members of the Animals. The surprise visit which passed into legend was the one made by Jimi Hendrix whose manager Chas Chandler, formerly of the Animals brought him in one night when John Mayall was topping the bill. Jimi was never booked, but he was invited to jam with the John Mayall band, and that night's crowd was ecstatic. Individual memories of Klook's Kleek abound, some of them misted by time but all of them enthusiastic [5]. The proximity of the club to Decca also helped a new group to test their proposed single on a live audience. On 29 September 1964, the interval band, the Moody Blues, performed Go Now.In 1968, U.K. four-piece blues band Ten Years After were busy gigging in support of their self-titled debut album — one of the first electric blues albums from Britain, the beginning of a surge of such acts which continue to stand as some of the greatest blues acts of all time on either side of the Atlantic. That list includes Fleetwood Mac, Jethro Tull, Long John Baldry, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Cream, Savoy Brown and those Led Zeppelin guys. February 1969 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with Dream Police (Folkestone & Hythe District Herald)

February 1966 – Marcam Hall, March, Cambridgeshire (Beat Instrumental) Advertised as Markham Hall so just needs confirmation/Boyfriend magazine has the band at Leascliff Hall, Folkestone on this dateAugust 1967 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette) March 1967 – Nottingham Tech College, Nottingham with Robert Hirst & The Big Taste, Our Young and The In Crowd (Nottingham Evening Post) September 1966 – Beat Festival, Scunthorpe United Football Ground, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire with Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames, The Troggs, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, The Ram Jam Band, The Creation, The Mindbenders and The Fenmen (Grimsby Evening Telegraph) Formed in late 1959, Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds comprises the following line-up by spring 1963: October 1966 – Gaumont, Sheffield with The New Animals, Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, Eyes of Blue