Inside A Musical Mind Across The Pond

Guest author and JLG365 friend Andy Thomas takes us on a trip through his musical mind in this exclusive two-part retrospective.

The earliest memory I have of music, goes back to the age of five or six, when I can remember my sister playing singles with her friends in our living room. We are talking about songs like “Baby Love” by Dianna Ross & the Supremes, “In The Year 2525″ by Zager & Evans and “Michelle” by the Overlanders, just to name a few. There was plenty of Cliff Richard on the Columbia label, as well as numerous artists on the Decca label and others. The first single that was ever bought for me was “Morningtown Ride” by the Seekers, alas I have not got it now.

For my 10th birthday my brother bought me two albums that I believe were instrumental in creating my roots and setting the tone for my life ahead. The albums were Machine Head by Deep Purple and an album by the Doobie Brothers. This would signify that my musical roots come from rock and over the decades evolved into the many different sub genre’s that are associated and they will become apparent later on.

Other rock bands that I fell in love with around this time were Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Santana. I remember nipping next door to my Uncle & Aunts and putting on Trick of the Tail by Genesis which he had in his collection. My brother initially and later a friend called Neil are the ones that firmly entrenched me in loving rock music. When Physical Graffiti came out by Led Zeppelin I played it at every opportunity, it used to send me, especially “Kashmir”. No one in the house at night, the flames of an open fire would be high and I would turn the light off and sit on the floor in front of the fire and let the music take over me.

At high school at the age of 11, I used to stand outside the 6th form common room and listen to the music they had playing, a lot of Yes as I recall along with the usual. I had a competition with someone at school to see who could name the most rock bands, certainly made use of two exercise books, I believe he won in the end though.

Also in the early 70’s I fell in love with Melanie Safka, such lovely songs and a great voice and to this day she still remains my all time favourite female artist. Glam Rock came along with the likes of Slade, Sweet, Mud, Suzi Quatro, T. Rex and many more besides, I loved them all and they also played a significant part in my early years.

I met Suzi Q in 1990 at a gig in Bognor Regis, West Sussex. She came back out and had a chat after she had changed from her performance outfit, it lasted around 10 minutes as I recall, my friend Kev was also over the moon to finally meet her, as he missed out about 14 years earlier if my memory serves me right. I loved the drumming in “Daytona Demon”by Suzi Q and I made my own drum kit by having three piles of books and over turned enamel plates that I took when camping and I used two pencils as drum sticks.

I was also introduced to classical music in the early 70’s and I recall when Dad bought Carmina Burana one Friday afternoon. There was just me and Dad in and he put Carmina on and turned up the volume to a high level, I was in awe, wow what a sound, its been my favourite now for what must be at least 35 years. Another piece I used to play a lot was “Prince Igor” by Borodin, reckon I was into that “Gothic” nature before It had been labeled.

The 70’s was a decade that brought so many changes musically and also for life in general. So many memories associated with the music of that era and mostly happy I might add. The first punk rock single I bought was “Pretty Vacant” by the Sex Pistols, cannot remember exactly when I when I got it, but I do know it was before July 1977. I can remember a hot day and only I was home, so I opened the bay windows and let the whole village hear this new sound that I embraced straight away.

In the July of 1977, I moved from Worcestershire in the Midlands to Sussex by the Sea, Hove actually. A new life was about to begin, musically, educationally and socially. I joined a youth centre in 1978 and this opened my eyes to a lot of the great punk songs that came along. It is where I first found Siouxsie & the Banshees, Sham 69, Buzzcocks, The Clash and many many more. All had their tales to tell in their own unique way, such energy and passion from these bands is what gripped me back then and its never loosened in 30 years. In fact from late 1980 when I first became friends with Kevin the musical grip of punk tightened also bringing into my life other genre’s of music such as Ska & Reggae. We very soon embraced what can only really be described as Goth music, in the forms of Bauhaus & Sisters Of Mercy and many more besides came along in the pursuing months.

In 1981 I saw so many bands, such as Siouxsie & the Banshees, Stiff Little Fingers, The Undertones, The Birthday Party, UB40, The Selecter, Madness and more. I can remember at the Siouxsie gig being about 10 rows back and having to rescue a young woman from getting crushed between me and another, she had fallen, unable to keep up. At the SLF gig, I was put on a mates shoulders as you do, was just for a very short time. The Undertones gig saw me lose a shoe very early on which resulted in me pogo-ing on one leg for the whole gig about 6 rows back.

Listening to the John Peel Radio One show four nights a week for 2 hours a time brought many many independent bands recognition that they may well have never got, this also increased ten fold the bands that I got to like such as The Violators, Gym Slips, Rubella Ballet, Action Pact and as I said many many more.

The early and middle 80’s was a roller coaster ride where music was concerned, going to see bands locally and in London, getting home about an hour before it was time to set off for work, it happened more than once. Kev’s Mum (bless her) used to wait up for us and it was not uncommon for us to be eating a sausage sandwich at 2am, or in Kev’s case, a Peanut Butter and Marmite sandwich. We also used to go and see a local band called Going Straight on a Monday night at the New Regent in Brighton where they had a regular spot. The band would never go on to about 11.30 and we had work next day. Awwww what memories.

More genre’s of music also came along in the early 80’s such as Psychobilly, Industrial and German Underground music. Punk was still very strong for me and on October 19th 1982 Kev and I went and saw Vice Squad, I was already in love with Becky Bondage. Absolutely brilliant gig, I was down the front right up against the stage looking up at Becky, I could not move for the hoards behind me.