Cant mention the Monotones without mentioning their great arch rivals at the time who were called The Whirlwinds, later renaming to The Force Five because of a name clash with another band. All the members of the band have kept in touch and playing re-unions were arranged in 2001, 2007 and most recently in August 2010 which involved Adrian and Bob travelling from Australia where they both now live. Not without a continent and ethnicity change , I too went to westcliff high school and left in 1960. Anyway, you must be pretty ancient by now, did you stay with Julie? However, following the article graffiti started to appear around the school such as Jim for headmaster and What Would I Do without Jim. I still play in a 70s Rock band and a duo in the North East of England http://www.chevrons74.co.uk I am the one with the long hair playing guitar and keyboards, I am still running Tim Gentle Music, but now mainly as an online store. I used to run a little garage business in Southend and frequently attended The Elms and other venues where you played. In 1973 we cut our last disc as The Treetops, a song arranged by Harry Robinson and produced by Bob Barrett, Life is getting Better. Brian arranged for us to record What Would I Do which he had co-written with Pete at Pyes Marble Arch studios. I have to stop me now from getting carried away: let me say so: In this year I saw them ALL. Yes,I remember those steam-driven amplifiers.we probably diced with death every tme we plugged in but somehow we even survived the wet field eventsthose bands at Glastonbury have it easy! Could have done with Lionels help to simply carry the amp around! I emailed him and still have his reply on file and we agreed that if ever I was in Sydney I would look him up. Watta ya mean what relationship .. what we have stryck up a relationship, now that is worse than I thought!!!! Favorite. At the school actually more or less. rutland regional medical center trauma level; ac valhalla store codes; kssa council of superintendents; oven baked french dip sandwiches; sammy gravano son; tiffany's nightclub wimbledon. Firstly, its great to see some comments relating to the band. These cloths were weighted by a twelve foot length of heavy timber and unfortunately I let a rope slip and the back cloth dropped like a stone. I said I was trying to listen to the group, he said Its no good trying to listen out here, you had better come inside and took me in the hall to meet you all. tiffany's nightclub wimbledon. In early 1966 we auditioned for a residency at the new Mecca Tiffanys which was due to open in April of that year. I know that the former band members throughout the early years will be sad to know that he has passed away. Brian knows I am looking for some visuals and so I hope he wont mind me getting in touch in this way! I knew Gus at Westcliff High but he didnt play bass for us. If youre interested Jim is broadcasting 2 interviews with BBC Essex recalling our period as The Treetops. Adrian went on to play with the Mustangs (which included Phil Thomas, Mike Reed, Roger Dupuy, Keith Chesher). Subscribe. Apparently in May 1967 Pink Floyd gigged there. We each had a large and loyal following, and basically shared venues like The Elms, The Halfway House, The London Hotel and The Cricketers. Anthony R got battered by Terry B cos Anthony battered Terrys brother in. Lionel became our Bouncer at the Elm for Thursday evenings. However, on the positive side that we can now afford reliable equipment we could only dream about in the early 60s, when much of our gear was home-made, including the bass guitar built by Pete Stanleys dad, which Mick subsequently replaced with the Burns Vista Sonic Bass he still plays today. Brian organised a regular Monday night gig in north London at a pub called The Sparrowhawk. Jim, I also have what seems to be the 12inch 15ips NAB copy master tape of Tim Gentle & His Gentlemen and The Monotones recordings at Regent Sound Studios in Denmark Street in 1964, the songs on the tape are, Someones in the Kitchen With Dinah, Somethings Hurting Me, So Sad, When Will I be Loved, The Fix, 1st take, The Fix 2nd Take, Heaven Fell Last Night, Let Him Go, Little Roses, Words of Love, Ive Been Thinking About You, and Thats My Song. I had Somethings Hurting Me and the US only When Will I Be Loved 45 and always wondered who they were! Anybody got anecdotes or info on them? It possessed more lumps than a giant toad! Hi I have just found your website it was lovely to read your story of the group and where you all ended up after Tiffanys Wimbledon closed, I was a waitress in the 70s there and have very fond memories of the group it was a great place to be and very much an eye opener for me. Pat Kirby ( always known as Paddy because of his Irish background) was selling Hi Fi in a local shop and somebody told me about him. When I left Tiffanys I went to New York and ended up working for United Nations joined UNICEF which spawned a fantastic career as an aid worker working all over the world culminating in 10 years in China in the 80s. Tiffany's was a nightclub that was at the end of the road from where I lived. Best regards to all. Colombia DB8934 1972 Gypsy/Life Is Getting Better. My wife spotted the letter from Jim Eaton in the Southend recorder, November 19th, 2010. We stayed with Mecca for eight years adding a female vocalist to our line up and we won several awards as the best Mecca band. Once again, sincere thanks to Chris Bishop for his website which allows us all a wander down memory lane. Ran a Vespa and was much sought after by the ladies. Both bands used to play regularly at St. Clements Church Hall and other places but St. Clements brings back fond memories of the Mums and Dads dropping their kids of at St. Clements to see what was usually 4 or 5 bands on in one night, only coke and crisps were served and the place was always packed. Visible. After a few months I noticed all the dust on my band trousers, it was gradually falling apart and that was the end of our Hawaiin session. Its amazing that you still keep in touch with him and Pete. My e-mail address is jimboeat@hotmail.com All the best Mike, Regards, Jim. As last year, the fourth round singles matches will be spread across two days, and the Gentlemen's and Ladies' singles matches will be mixed through the quarter-finals. Former Life Enrichment Coordinator at Bulverde Assisted Living. Incidentally,I remember I Remember [apologies] was chosen as an A side by The Three Bells,a UK soul girl trio but have had no luck in tracing it. Pleased that you were able to respond. )Hopefully I shall be visiting family in Chalkwell and Leigh-on-Sea in the next few weeks and endeavor to take a nostalgic look down memory lane at the beecroft ( as long as they,re not hung in the ladies!! London had a great many criminal gangs including The Krays and The Richardsons. I used to go and see these guys at All Saints church hall in whetsone ( london) where they played many times and was a member of their fan club (free autographed photo). Sorry for my faulty English part of it got lost through age, haha. Finally, can anyone remember an excellent guitarist who used to play with Pete Willsher in a cafe on the Southend East sea front. Another very good group was Mickey Law and the Outlaws. The bass player was a guy called Gus Chesney and the band played the local pub circuit, places such as the Elms Hotel in Leigh on Sea and the Cricketers at Southend. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly. I arrived this time just a few days after he passed away,he had phoned me the day before saying he was looking forward to my visit. Congratulations on your worthwhile and fulfilling career and we would like to read your book when you publish. . Have had contact with Pete but love to hear from you. I joined them around 1966 on guitar- I was playing a Harmony H75 when I joined & changed shortly to a Gretsch Tennessean. 'Three young men with woman outside Tiffany's night club, (believed to be on Shaftesbury Avenue) London c.1974. Thought I would let you know that since the hay-days of the 60s, the band continued to meet up after Tiffanys. Our first group consisted, it seemed, of anyone who could sing, strum, bang or blow an instrument. All the best, Jim Eaton. Played pool at the BrickSaw loads of mates from skool.Had 2 Martinis came home at 11.00 pm. Brian informed us that our days as resident band at Tiffanys were probably numbered. Unfavorite. First came across him at WHSB Sports day when he putt the shot for a school record, throwing the shot far further than the existing record. After a very pleasant email exchange with Jim, the landlord of the Elm, way back, was of course ROY and not TED Hughes. Is Brian still in this world? Thanks for the kind mentions on this page. This of course meant giving away some of my earnings, clearly a situation that could not go on. Of course I also caught up with Mark as I try to do most years. Click on the image for a larger version: Hi Adrian, Sorry for the delay in answering, but have just returned from another couple of months in Sydney where once again I caught up with Nigel ( Mark Loyd) He is doing well and can be contacted via his company website http://www.popset.com.au Hope this finds you well in Queensland and you did not suffer during the awful floods. I think one of our patients at the gimcrack has a coat like the one you mentioned. Go on leave a comment you know you want to .If it is rude, offensive or the like I have the magic finger of delete.. (I have decided to call the boy Sam as it would have been my choice of boys names if I had a son, seems as good a name as any). As you know I played with The Monotones / Treetops at The Elms and Tiffanys in Wimbledon in 1965/66 and Mark was a good friend and a great chap. A fairly decent snooker player.I never did manage to beat him. He did however guest back with us whenever possible and we would be billed as Mark Lloyd and The Monotones. I still have his recording of Someones In The Kitchen With Dinah Keep well, Jim. They didnt sellalcohol in that bar but they had an over 18s bit so guess where me and my mates ended up? Bev phonedSam phoned. Best wishes, Colin. I know that Dad on a regular basis trawls the internet finding it hard to believe that kind people still purchase Monotones records from e-bay! See more. You were my English teacher. But I do know we each received a handsome reward of 25 guineas [for young viewers a guinea was 1 and 1 shillingfor younger viewers thats 1 and 5 pence! Mark had been living in Sydney, Australia where he ran a successful event/management company. Regards and Best Wishes Pete Stanley ( The Monotones ). We were travelling in a convoy of three VW mini-vans each carrying about six pupils. As a child with my bro and sis, I had great fun watching Dad, Jim and Brian play at Brians partys, where even the Alexander (3) and Eaton (2) kids used to get on stage and drum/strum/vocalise too. That certainly brings back memories. This had been made for him by his Dad, who had a tiny shop in West Street, Prittlewell: which all self-build fanatics of Strat look-alikes repaired to for machine heads, pick-ups and other bits. we use to go to the broadway pub in them days before we came to tiffinys . The Mustangs. knew a guy called Phil, who played in a local group. You will remember that Pam ( Sandys best friend ) was my long time on/off girlfriend who used to help with carrying amps etc! Tunnel 267 is open straight after work through till the late hours. ]Going back to the beginning,in 1959,when I asked my Dad for a guitar he replied Ill make you one.He was a first class furniture maker and thought he could apply his skills to making a musical instrument.He did just that but although it looked good every time I re-tuned the strings the neck bent and eventually they were half an inch away from the frets.I believe he thought my interest would be short-lived but he went on to make speaker boxes and amplifier cases and the bands first roadie was my brother-in-law.it was a family affair!To my Mum and Dads credit they gave their blessing to my quitting a secure job with Barclays Bank to play guitar full-time.Im sure Dads skilled fingers were crossed behind his back!When we speak of school friends I cant overlook the person who taught me my first chords,namely Dave Munday who sadly died in his teens.The memories start filtering through,despite the effects of alco-ziemerand I hope to contribute more anecdotes in the future. Violence. However, I managed to talk my way into a sales job and eighteen years later in 1998 I retired as managing director of that company. I was lucky enough to meet my wife there . Hi Colin,I was interested in your submission re the monotones.I still see Nigel each year in Australia and regularly see Brian and Pete.Most of your article was correct with the exception of Gus Chesney. I have asked him to add any comments to this web page to bring everyone up to date on his life since leaving The Treetops. With regard to the Regent Sound tape. I met Nigel Basham (who later changed his name to Mark Lloyd ) during a performance of a school play. I recall someone threatening to put that whistle somewhere where the sun doesnt shine if they heard the tune one more time! Regards Judi. 616. I last saw Mark when I was travelling by train from Lowestoft to London in 1986. I have found where Tims business is and will try to make contact. He is still in the entertainment industry but retired from singing a few years ago. Went to his house. When we arrived on the first day, a very officious commissionaire at the studio gates, checked his artistes list and told us that we were male small partscertainly no good for our street credibility !! Obviously so traumatic my mind switched off at that point but I do know that from that performance on I was relagated to singing background oohs and aahsand I imagine Brians infamous twiddling with knobs was him turning down my microphone! Mecca saw these wins as a cause for celebration at the club and were told to play one special night dressed in tennis gear. Would love to know if they can be downloaded from anywhere. I still fly a fair bit working as a shipping and port consultatnt so the music I listen to is mainly that of the Pacific which is interesting in itself! Good band and nice guys . Trust life has been good for you too we are set to continue to travel for a while with 10 grand-children spread between Wellington (NZ), Queenstown (NZ), Melbourne and closer to home (Lake Macquarie) at Manly, Sydney. Saw Bev there.Went to party at 4.00pm. and The Elms was responsible for many a hangover!! I also manage a band called The Hitmen http://www.thehitmen.eu with Mick Avory drummer from the Kinks and Eric Haydock original bass player with The Hollies. My organist, Tony Edwards was persuaded to leave me and form his own group, which he did. This was the first of many recording sessions at the studio made famous by The Beatles. SoundCloud Tiffany's Nightclub Rotherham 1974 by the glummer twins published on 2016-02-07T16:36:35Z . Characters drink and smoke in scene . Vogue sold a couple of records locally and soon dissolved. There is still plenty of Monotones and Treetops memories that sit proudly at their home, so if anyone had anything they may be tucked away that I could get for Dad it would be a pleasure to hear from you (Autographs of the band recently went for 5 on e-bay! Read 'Wimbledon Arcade' - a nostalgic memory of Wimbledon in our Share Your Memories online community. Nama kecamatan ini diambil dari nama Pasar Minggu yang ternama tersebut. I became friends with Brian and we found we had two common interestsguitars and girls. We played The Great Room at the Grosvenor Hotel in Park Lane. He said that he had some friends back home who strummed a few tunes together and I was invited to join in. Hi De Hi Jim Well I think weve gone full circle.We started the band by rehearsing in Brians garage [his parents and gran must have been glad it was at the bottom of the garden!] and came across this. Lionel subsequently joined the Essex police force, reaching the rank of Inspector and, during his early years of service, became national police weight-lifting champion; not such an overweight lump after all! We went to a greek club after work called the Clubmans Club in Chinatown or varied it by going in the Portland Lodge, not forgetting the hours we spent in Nicks all night cafe. Cinderella Rockerfellas. Early Years. I believe these can be found on i-tunes too, to download) Dad and Jim still meet up, plus other good friends from Tiffanys including Pam, Pat, Eileen and Danny. Kodepos. Hi Jamie, Sounds like you had a great time with Mark during your recent visit to Sydney. We also ran dances at the Southend Cliffs Pavilion and would support invited hit parade bands and solo artists who did guest appearances. Favorited. I much more got into American pop. Hi Rod, Yes, I am still around but fast approaching my 107th birthday, you cheeky sod. Awesome. RocknRoll, I gave you all the (best) years of my life well yes. Ian is now an eminent ceramicist. They called themselves JONAH AND THE WHALES, me being paternal (??) Went to Tiffanys. I remember them well and the plethora of delightful ladies to whom I owe a debt of some gratitude. All this was fairly dreadful by todays standard, bur remember this was before Clapton/Hendrix and Bert (Play in a Day) Weedon was a demigod. If you are ever in Australia look me up the only Payze in NSW! I formed another group in Southend, afterwards and we used to practice on Sunday mornings at the Shades: which is how I came to know Rob Trower. hehehe) In answer to your question,I am retired (66yrs)having spent the last eighteen years looking after Officers at a military unit.However I still chef occassionally at various venues when asked and I make and decorate wedding cakes from home,so kept busy. He heard our run through and suggested that perhaps he could play the piano on the recording, which he did. With thanks to Stephen Gent for this memory of Wimbledon Contact Stephen Gent . Places like Tiffanys are sadly missed but great memories. Dear Brian: I wrote the following some time ago. He always had time for everyone. setup with a Watkins Copycat tape driven echo device turned up to infinity such that it did not really matter what notes he played, it was just white noise at a volume setting that made your ears bleed. The audition took place at The Lyceum in The Strand in front of a couple of attractive young women sent by Mecca head office. I took on another organist, but this time someone who could sing as well. I am also ex-Westcliff High School (1955-1960) and was for a time in the same class as you, Jim, and Andrew Rainbow who has corresponded recently. best concrete pond sealer; mortal kombat 11 kronika fight; teacup poodle wyoming. Went to the Midnight Lounge = quite good. Tiffany's. 506 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. Im either a blood-stained ghoul on Halloween Night or a schoolboy in short trousers [a la AC/DC]!And the revealing story of Brian in tennis shorts will haunt me every time the umpire calls for new balls!! My excuse is that it adds to the nostalgic atmosphere and if like me you lament the passing of visual, hands-on music collections, at least you will have a solid version to hold and feel ! I hope you can help. I occasionally bump into the sister of Nigels girlfriend at the time, Sandra and she had a video of Nigel singing on Oz TV still signing Jezebel would you beleive. Just a final few memories to add of my time at Alexanders before I got a proper job. I used to love the end term dances with the Monotones playing. Mark Lloyd and Jim Eaton singing the EverlysWhat Would I Do was the first of four singles they released on Pye in 64 and 65. This was a radical change, as we decided to replace Pete with a Hammond organist who played pedal bass.welcome to Tony Edwards. where is tony kornheiser now / kalawao county treasurer / tiffany's nightclub wimbledon. The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), which runs Wimbledon, imposed a similar suspension. This was great opportunity for us and many other artists to be heard on national radio. Someone (Probably Brian: he seemed to specialise in knowing more strange characters than even me!) This cant be the same Monotones that do The Book of Love, or could it? I was at WHSB with Pete Stanley, Brian Alexander, Ian Middlemiss, Richard Vousden, Paul Dunning, Jim Eaton, Nigel Basham and many others. Legendary long-time pop veteran @tiffanytunes wrings in the holiday season with her newest album "Shadows," featuring singles "You're My Everything" and "I Like The Rain" out now. Glad to hear that your Mum is still around, perhaps next time you visit you could look us up. Hi Judy, Good to hear from you. Later, I opted out as my career was more important. Had to hide from this mate of Sams so he could not get a taxi with us (oh how tight is that? I took a gig at Surfers Paradise and decided to stay there on the 22 miles of glorious beach where the traffic wardens walked around in gold bikinis! I often stayed with him and his parents as I didnt live in the Southend area. Been trying for some years to make contact but recent events have really prompted me to up the anti. Wonderfull to have found this site. Gary played a brilliant drum solo during The Shads number Little Bee which gave the rest of us a chance to get to the bar. Seems like riding a bike, you never forget.Believe it or not, I have only just sold a load of my gear that I used use at the Elms. Somehow, I was introduced to Brian Alexander, as Paul Dunning was leaving the Monotones and they needed a bass player: bit of a challenge as Id actually never played bass, only lead and rhythm. Hans-Jrgen Klitsch, THE German authority on sixties Pop or Beat music who got my singles from that time for his archive and research (he should be professor on that and in America, even England, he would!) It was time to find another place to rehearse and learn new numbers. After Gordon left Tiffanys we had a selection of managers until we left in 1974. I was most interested to read your memories and the other contributions on this site. We were engaged at one point, but I got fed up and went off to the States, lost touch. Jubilation/The Shark Club. Our favourite gigs were those we did for The Miss World Ball at The Lyceum. Bit too much weight for the dear old boy to lift now, though. The greatest respect for Gary Brooker and Procol Harum, one year earlier than I at WHSB. Although we didnt make it bigtime or cut any records, unlike the Monotones or Force Five, we had good steady work with three or four gigs every week and had a great time which I wouldnt have missed for anything. This website has brought us back in touch with so many old friends which is really great, maybe we could touch base sometime at one of the old venues. To read the full history of the group and its change to the Treetops, read through the comments below. They said it would be raised at their next AGM but to date have had no response. Having compiled a home-made CD of all our recordings for my most loyal fans, namely my kids, Matt, Chris and Chloe and their families, it occurs to me that some people logging onto this website may be interested in obtaining a copy. The Monotones had two U.S. releases on the Hickory label, one of which, When Will I Be Loved / If You Cant Give Me All was not released in the UK. As ex-WHSB I too have lots of memories of those days generally, and of our association with the Monotones, mainly Nigel and Brian. I was working in an estate agency at the time and I will always remember the look of horror on the face of my boss, who turned up one evening and had no idea I was in a group!! I also worked at the Lyceum on the Miss World gigs, by that time I had formed a dance group with two other girls, we were called The Revolution. R.I.P Bash and entertain the great manager in the sky with your rendition of Jezabel. On a Sunday night it was the under 18s disco (I cant believe they had a night for under 18s the day before school). ]However they did broadcast a pretend band playing Its Great and Anymore on No Hiding Place which was a very tame 60s version of The Bill.And how can we forget the Juke Box Jury when the panel reviewed Its Great and Tommy Trinder,an octogenarian music hall entertainer quipped they may think its great but I dont,and voted it a Miss.Well I would like to point out that his version of Champagne Charlie is for sale on ebay for 4.99.A copy of Its Great is on Musicstack for 26 not to mention a copy of What Would I do for 228!!!! The Championships 2023 will be played over 14 days, this marks the second year that play on the Middle Sunday is part of the intended schedule. Jim also sent the photos seen here with this comment: I have attached some photos of The Monotones in the early sixties and also some of The Treetops (our new name when we joined Mecca at the Wimbledon Tiffanys). Unlike the Monotones who were all Grammar School boys the Whirlwinds were working class boys from nearby Canvey Island, not the most salubrious of places to live in as it was flooded in 1953 and over 100 people died. Then would then alert the rest of the clubs staff to man their pre-appointed stations. Hi Chris, So good to hear that someone remembers us!! In 1964 this type of show was not recorded but went out live. Probably true to say that it was in part Pete Stanleys sound that inspired me to buy an Epiphone Rivoli when I was playing with the Right Attitude. You must be 107. Either way , if it were available , Im interested in buying that copy . I have a few demo tracks of Jim, Ron and I, and a few special photos of Alexanders beautiful waitresses! Mecca gave it an 80,000 facelift and Tiffany's was born. Thanks for all the memoriesthat was great! So if you go onto http://www.themoodyblues.co.uk/rod.htm You should find a section on the Monotones. When I left I went into business and officialy retired in 1999 and moved back to Southend where all the treetops went to school together. I read your information above What about your final rendition every evening MONEY !! I was looking for something in my archives (I must organise them one day!) He used to be billed as Britains Strongest Teenager at local fetes and carnivals. All images supplied by Colin Bell. They would need to be of high-ish resolution, probably not copied from the Garage/Treetops website. Still, I am glad to have fond memories, of not only helping the Monotones on the early path, but also being somewhat instrumental in putting the Elm on the local map as a live gig venue. July 16, 2022 by Alan Esdaile. Nigel went to OZ in 1977 and I still visit him every year, he runs an event management company and still keeps busy although suffering a few health problems at the moment. As a result of my earlier posting I was contacted by his son in law from the USA who told me that Nigel now lived in Sydney and at that time we lived in Australia too. 1. Great to find your site, which I stumbled on accidently. (just remember I type how I see it!!!). Adrian Philpott, The Mustangs, Queensland Australia. Affectionately known as The New Conti, the New Continental opened in 1967 when the old Conti club in Oxford Road was demolished. I left in 1961 to go to University to read Engineering as I could not see that music was a profitable career. Brian stopped playing with the group as his businesses were commanding so much more of his time. 3/26/2008. Such fantastic memories..you will probably remember my brother Tim Gentle of Tim Gentle and his Gentlemen. The manageress told us that the room was needed for business and told us to wait in the hall, it was only then we realised we had booked into a brothel! It also meant we were chosen to play at many prestigious gigs. Dundee's largest nightclub was given a new lease of life last year when it was taken over and turned into 1980s and 1990s themed Club Tropicana and Vogue. We met up with Rod Clarke, who replaced me temporarily in 1965 and he was able to put names to so many faces [ my memory fails me too often these days ]now where was I.ah yes, if you have time [ no excuse as youve retired ] check out his CV at http;//www.themoodyblues.co.uk/page46.htm..Im always impressed by those who made music their life. Most of the tracks were converted by Jims good friend John Corless, a computer expert, and the remaining few by myself, which explains the occasional sound of a stylus hitting the vinyl! You opened our entry into your website as a result , for which we have always been grateful . She destroys her apartment and throws her cat against the wall. Enoch Power sold pet food (Fido Meat) in the arcade next to Tiffany's night club / disco and Wimbledon Theatre. MeatBasedPlants 6 days ago. FaRaFEIT marathon; former exams