I only found this out when I tried to put together a playlist on Spotify taken from a book borrowed from Norwich Library. “Hotel California” by Barney Hoskyns looks at singer-songwriters in the LA Canyons from 1967 to 1976.
This is an area of the arts that has always fascinated me – the hippie presence in the USA from the late sixties and the dream that at times became a nightmare. The culture of Woodstock, the Greenwich Village scene in New York and the West Coast America scene based on the summer of love, San Francisco, LA and the Beat Poets.
I have no real idea where my interest in this area of music history emanates from as I have always been very much a part of the establishment, although there’s a small part of me that is and wants to be a rebel.
“Hotel California” covers the canyon scenes in California where bright and breezy kids got together to produce some of the greatest music and songs known to mankind. The likes of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Brown, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Graham Nash, The Byrds, The Eagles and many many more. Laurel and Topanga Canyons just outside Los Angeles are the main focus of the book.
For me one of the most interesting aspects of the time is how a dream was destroyed by the reality of capitalism. Young bucks striding for freedom, for free love and the real essence of sex, drugs and rock n roll were sucked into a scene dominated by violent and often less than lucid characters, willing to use them as a means to a pay cheque. The reality of the situation never really lived up to the dream, but it did produce some great music.
So when I was trying to put together as many tracks from the books playlist as I could I found virtually none of the Young tracks were available. Later found out why!
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I have been promising for a few days to talk about a few of my current writing projects.
First and foremost I am writing a biography of British singer-songwriter John Howard who has a fascinating story to tell. John has provided me with masses of notes and the whole thing is likely to end up more as an autobiography with myself acting as editor rather than writer.
John was on the verge of hitting the big time in the early 1970s. He had a three record deal with CBS. Unfortunately things turned sour very quickly despite good response to his first album “Kid in a Big World” (which incidentally is the title of the book). The following two albums were shelved. John has a unique insight into what it was like to be a struggling singer-songwriter in swinging London and the book looks at the music business, his life in general and what it was like to be a gay man in an era when homosexuality was . It’s also a book about redemption and finally making it on his own terms as John is recording more and busier than ever.
I am also helping to edit another book for a friend of mine which looks at the lives of parents and guardians looking after children with severe conditions – either mental or physical. I will tell you more about this at a later date.
A few years ago I helped another friend with a biography he was writing about the guitarist and singer Tony Sheridan. This in many ways is a strange book as Sheridan was a complex and rather strange character.
The book is written by Alan Mann who is an authority on early rock music and who has also written books about Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. He went to school in Norwich with Sheridan and they continued their friendship into adult life. Sheridan agreed initially to co-operate 100 per cent with Alan on the book and answered a series of questions before changing his mind and threatening to sue Alan if anything was published.
That left Alan in something of a quandary. Should he publish and be damned or should he take a more pragmatic approach. Bearing in mind he had signed documents from Sheridan agreeing to the book, it was eventually decided to produce something that was a series of questions, followed by Sheridan’s answers and finally Alan’s own comments. Sheridan died a couple of years ago and, as far as we know, “The Teacher- The Tony Sheridan Story” is the only biography available on a character who played an important if minor part in the history of rock music.
Despite coming from Norwich, Sheridan got into the music business through working in London. He then moved to Hamburg in Germany where he met up with a British band who were on the verge of a breakthrough themselves. As a result Sheridan sang lead vocals on the Beatles’ version of “My Bonnie.”
Back in Liverpool the Beatles were beginning to gain a reputation and record shop owner Brian Epstein (later to become their manager) was asked by a number of youngsters for the song. He looked into it and imported a number of 45 rpm singles. So in many ways Sheridan was instrumental (if you’ll pardon the pun) in the Beatles breakthrough. Alan’s book is still available at £9.99 including post and package. Just e-mail me on [email protected] if you want a copy.
I am currently the editor of a quarterly magazine for the Norfolk Family History Society. This involves editing copy, designing pages and writing articles. I like to come up with original articles and facts that might not be known too well. This was the case when I came across a blue plaque on a wall running alongside John Lewis’ store in Norwich. It was in remembrance of Pablo Fanque, and there hangs another Norwich-Beatles connection.
Fanque was born William Darby in a workhouse on the present John Lewis site. He became the country’s first black circus owner and owned the best circus in the land. He was later immortalised in the John Lennon song “For the Benefit of Mr Kite” which appears on the classic Beatles Album “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Lennon was rummaging around an antiques’ shop when he came across a poster advertising a circus “For the Benefit of Mr Kite”. He turned the words on that poster into the well known song. Despite all that not a lot of people know that Pablo Fanque was born in Norwich. He had a fascinating life and I will be putting my article on this web site shortly.
My other writing projects for 2016 all surround sport – my other passion in life. I am currently chair of Hethersett and the Meltons Sports Association, development officer of Hethersett and Tas Valley Cricket Club and assistant secretary (and formerly chair) of Hethersett Athletic Football Club. Working with a number of other people we are looking to produce a number of books in 2016.
The first will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hethersett Hawks Cycle Speedway Club, the second the 25th anniversary of Hethersett Athletic Football Club, the third will be a history of Hethersett Cricket Club stretching back over 150 years and the fourth a book on the London Olympic legacy in our village.
Well that’s about all for today. Tomorrow I will list some of what I refer to my guilty pleasure songs. Pop songs I shouldn’t like but which I do.