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Tuesday 22 February 2011

Web Page 913




First Picture: The EP shown was issued in 1962 as the third volume in a series that began in 1960, with his first EP release "Adam's Hit Parade"

Second Picture: Valentine cards from the 1960’s .





Adam Faith

Terence Nelhams, Adam Faith was born on 23rd June 1940 in Acton and died on 8th March 2003 in Stoke-on-Trent. During the British "coffee bar" pop music phenomenon of the late 1950s two artists reigned supreme one was Cliff Richard and Adam Faith was the other.

While Cliff has shown astonishing staying power the young Adam Faith had a run of hit records in a comparatively short time before he retired from singing. In the seven years between 1959 and 1966 he made the UK chart 24 times. Both his UK chart-toppers, "What Do You Want?" and "Poor Me" lasted only two minutes; both featured the strings of John Barry's orchestra, both were written by Les Vandyke (alias Johnny Worth) and both featured the unique delivery with the word, "baby" pronounced "bybeee" which became Adam Faith's early "gimmick"

"Poor Me" is also notable because the John Barry arrangement contains an early indication hidden in the background of the "James Bond Theme". For a time Adam Faiths’ continued success rivaled that of Cliff Richard and in a short period of time he appeared in three films, Beat Girl, Never Let Go and What A Whopper!, and made a surprisingly confident appearance on BBC TV in December 1960, being interviewed by John Freeman in the serious programme Face To Face. Many adults were shocked to find that, during this conversation, he admitted to having pre-marital sex and also owned up to listening to Sibelius and Dvorak. His career continued until the dawn of the Beatles and in the meantime songwriter Chris Andrews fed him with a second wave of infectious beat group hits, most notably "The First Time" and "We Are In Love". By the mid-60s the requests for him to appear became less and less and he eventually gave up singing and went into repertory theatre and in 1971 became an acting star in the UK television series Budgie.

He survived a near fatal car crash in 1973 and released ‘I Survive’ a year later. Additionally he had moved into record production and had produced records for Roger Daltrey and Lonnie Donegan and was also managing Leo Sayer.


He continued his acting career and his two supporting actor roles in Stardust and McVicar brought him critical success. For a number of years he was a successful financial consultant, although in the 1990s he was persuaded to return to the stage with ‘Budgie’ and ‘Alfie’ and to UK television as Frank Carver in ‘Love Hurts’ and the situation comedy ‘The House That Jack Built.’

He became a partner in the ill-fated satellite venture The Money Channel and was bankrupted in 2001. He also continued to work on the perimeter of the musical world and his final album was released in 1993. While he readily admitted that his vocal range was limited, his contribution to popular music was significant in so far as he was the first British teenager to confront a hostile world of respectable parents and adults, and demonstrate that pop singers were not all "layabouts and boneheads".

In a long and varied career during which he wrote two autobiographies, he died of a heart attack in March 2003 just after appearing in a play in Stoke-on-Trent. His funeral was on 19th March, with a host of celebrities paying their respects.

The chapel at Kent and Sussex Crematorium in Tunbridge Wells, saw more than 100 friends and family, including his wife Jackie and daughter Katya, gather for the cremation. Unusually, a wicker coffin, covered in flowers, was used for the service. Adam's agent, Alan Field, explained the unusual choice. He said "Jackie wanted something different and a bit special. She heard about a firm in Somerset which made them, and she thought they were beautiful".

Celebrities including Zoe Wanamaker, Michael Parkinson, Leo Sayer, Sandie Shaw, and Roger Daltrey were present, as well as Max Clifford and Terry Venables. After the ceremony Michael Parkinson said: "It was not jolly, that would be the wrong thing to say, but we had a few laughs. It was a service of remembrance. " Roger Daltrey said: "I will miss him. He was a one off. He was a good mate." Terry Venables - who wrote the 1970s TV drama ‘Hazell’ said: "I've known him so long. We go back many years. It's such a shock. I spoke to him a few days before and he was fine, his usual self. A small group of his fans also attended his funeral.

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.keat@ntlworld.com



You Write:

Steve Writes: Hi Peter, the lower age limit for a paper Boy/Girl was 13, possibly for insurance purposes? I worked from the newsagent on the Havant Road near the Sunshine Inn, the name of the shop eludes me now, was it Bryants?

My round could have been one of the longest, the opposite side of the Havant road going as far as Old Rectory road to the right. Then all along to the left to Farlington Ave, then right up to the lower part of the Naval Estate. I pushed my bike most of the way up delivering papers as I went. The ride down was great though, plus I had finished!
I delivered to Mr Jones our arts and craft Teacher, who also lived in Farlington Ave then.

Christmas was a treat as I had many good tips from some of the wealthier customers, all helped towards buying Christmas presents.
Regards to all, Steve


News and Views:


It may just be a rumour, but it's been reported that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will perform along with digitized big screen images of George Harrison and John Lennon at the Hollywood Bowl next August 27. The event would benefit breast cancer and world peace charities.



On this day 20th February 1960-1965


On 20/02/1960
the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was EMI's last coarse-groove 78 rpm record was issued

On 20/02/1961
the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 20/02/1962
the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Unknown Sean Connery cast as 007 in Dr No.

On 20/02/1963
the number one single was Diamonds - Jet Harris & Tony Meehan and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Liz Taylor films Cleopatra.

On 20/02/1964
the number one single was Diane - Bachelors and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Steptoe & Son (BBC) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Malcolm X visits Cassius Clay's training camp.

On 20/02/1965
the number one single was Tired of Waiting For You - The Kinks and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Tuesday 15 February 2011

Web Page 912



First Picture: The Green Shield Stamp Shop




Second Picture: Southsea Woolworths 1951

1950's - Going Shopping


Going to the Shops in the 1950's was an event. I never liked going to the shops especially when my father was abroad and I had to go to Drayton or Cosham with my mother. I could never understand why she took so long to make her mind up in shops. So there were two types of shopping; a walk down to the Village (Drayton) or a bus ride to Cosham for bigger thing's or to Portsmouth or North End for even bigger things like clothes etc.

However some things we did not have to go and buy it came to us by Van to the House. Milk, bread, fish, vegetables, ice cream and paraffin But there were things you would have to go out and buy toilet rolls, meat, medicines and the like, I also remember popping out to the local shop, Mrs Bannisters in Lealand Road, with the Ration Book (I still have mine you never know!!).

Going to 'the big shops' in Cosham was a really good treat because this meant a bus ride! Getting on a Southdown or Corporation bus at South Road and getting off at Spur Road at the top of Cosham High Street was very exciting for a small boy. The Cosham then was pretty much the same set up as it is today, the only exception being that there were no charity shops and no supermarkets until Fine Fare opened
One lasting memory was going into Mary’s Milk Bar at the bottom of the High Street next to the Essoldo; the place later changed its name to The Palm Court, her Mum would have a cup of coffee and me a glass of milk and a cake was always atreat of the day.

When we went to North End and into Melanie’s I was always fascinated by the cash system they used a system of vacuum money tubes. The Cashier Sales Assistant would place your cash in a little steel tube 'thingy' which was then fed into a vacuum pipe which was went around the store through the ceilings at great speed as well, once it reached the other end, a Cashier would write the receipt, sort out the change and whiz it back down to the shop floor. For a youngster this was fantastic to watch and if you were lucky enough to go to Will Browns’ shop you had even more fun as their system was similar but worked on a system of rails and wires and not vacuum.

Cosham had a Timothy Whites & Taylors also a Boots (big competition), a Woolworth where you could buy cheap cover versions of records. I used to like the old style Hardware Stores where they sold everything from a screw to a Kettle and they had draws upon draws of weird shaped 'things' which you didn't have a clue what they were for! The Assistants always wore Brown overalls and you'd NEVER find anyone without a shirt and tie. The same went for the seed merchants Dipman and Malpas.
Another 'smell' which lingers on is that of the Cold Meat counter in David Greigs at the top of the High Street. The combination of Ham, Tongue and Corned Beef all neatly laid out on the Counter with the swooshing noise of the manual slicing machine behind. the counter made your teeth go on edge with fear of the Chap taking off a finger! The same thing happened nearer home in Pinks in Drayton.

The thing about very young kids today saying, after watching some old 50's film', "was it all in black and white then?", couldn't be further from the truth. I remember it in full technicolor. Again, I think an effect of post-war times wanting to be 'new' and 'escape' was rife wherever you looked. Colour was 'in', especially in women’s clothing because it was about this time that they had just started to wear flower patterns.

Needless to say, everyone had a Milkman then, every morning you'd hear the Float pull up and "Milko" being called halfway up the drive. You got to know them very well and on Christmas morning they'd always get a 'wee dram' and a small monetary tip for their kindness through the year.Newspaper Boys were the same, although they were early birds and really were boys. I can't remember any age limit and they would do a good couple of hours biking around before school during sun and snow!
Shops and their Keepers were part of the Community as was the local policeman and the Postman. Everyone knew each other and everyone would say Hello as they past each other by.

Walking along the Shops could take ages because you stopped to chat with so many people.

Shops were then really a Trade and the people in them were often there the whole of their working life's - a far cry from today.

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.keat@ntlworld.com



You Write:

Jonathan Such Writes:
Hi Everyone,


I have made an enormous effort to get fit following the shocking death of my early mentor to marathon running and great friend Cavin Woodward. He was an enormous inspiration to me back in the 70's. I have decided to go over to the UK in September 2011 and run the Great North Run in memory of Cavin. I hope to raise money for the Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) at the same time.

Please have a look at the attached web page and consider a contribution. http://www.justgiving.com/Jonathan-Such If you would be so kind as to pass this e-mail on to some folk you know who have an interest in running....please do.

Another Occasional School Report from my site 9 years ago:

Dancing


There must be very many amongst our number who still literally go quite cold with fear or maybe terror, when inadvertently they hear the far off the distant strains of ‘Wheels Cha Cha’. Me for one! What is even sadder, is that I still remember that it was performed by Max Harris and the Stringalongs, and was recorded on the Fontana label. In those far off days if you really wanted to put in extra dancing practice the record could be bought from RA Fraser Ltd on the Havant Road in Drayton for 3/4d. How do I all know this? I worked in the store part time after school, in the holidays and on Saturdays and I actually sold the record to some of our number, no names after all these years, who sheepishly came in to buy a copy. Steve Carter also worked there for a time and I am sure Steve will relate the same story. But what was the purpose of those dancing lessons? And who went? Was it an attempt to give us teenagers some form of social grace? Despite careful teaching there were some of our number whose feet seemed to have a mind of their own and one or other, and occasionally both partners, ended up on the floor in a very undignified scramble. Griff tells me this happened to him and Ros and it certainly happened to myself and Carol Page. Who were the instructors and where did they come from? I do not remember them being from among the normal school staff, and was there ever a School Dance when we could show off our newfound skills? Here my memory fails me but hopefully someone out there will remember and remind me of a prestigious school event that I have somehow forgotten. All this before the glamour days of the School Proms which are held now! Is it my imagination or during those lessons did we change partners for each different tempo of dance, I tend to think so, I remember tackling the Quickstep with Jenny Taylor but other dances I think I was partnered by other girls, but I cannot remember who they all were. How quickly one forgets events, but the steps that I learnt all those years ago are still emblazoned in the back of the mind, I can still ballroom dance when required, although I was never very happy with the Foxtrot and I would still rather not tackle that particular dance unless I was actually pushed. And the Cha Cha Cha, well the less said about that particular Latin American dance the better. What do you remember about those dancing lessons? Who went ? Would you care to share your memories with the rest of us? If so send me an E Mail so we can all relive your experiences, both good and bad. It was probably a very good thing that photographs were not so plentiful in the early 1960’s as they are now, otherwise I am sure we would have had some very interesting pictures to show.

Peter


News and Views:


Donovan was presented with a lifetime achievement distinction at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards on Monday February 7th.

On this day 13th February 1960-1965


On 13/02/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was French test first atomic bomb in Sahara desert

On 13/02/1961 the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 13/02/1962 the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 13/02/1963 the number one single was Diamonds - Jet Harris & Tony Meehan and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Liz Taylor films Cleopatra.

On 13/02/1964 the number one single was Needles & Pins - Searchers and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Steptoe & Son (BBC) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions

On 13/02/1965 the number one single was You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - Righteous Brothers and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Web Page 910



First Picture: The Beverly Hillbillies




Second Picture: The type of TV we watched it on!!


The Beverly Hillbillies


The Beverly Hillbillies was one of my favourite television shows. The show made its debut in 1962 and lasted almost the whole of the 60’s. and was one of the most popular and successful American television sitcoms in history. One of the reasons for this was its catchy, singable theme tune (“Come and let me tell you a story about a man called Jed ………..”The song was written by Paul Henning, the creator / producer of The Beverly Hillbillies and performed by bluegrass artists Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. It went to No 44 on the music charts in 1962, the first year of the original running of the series.

The Beverly Hillbillies depicted every person’s dream that one day they will hit it rich by a stroke of good fortune or luck. It was a story about a poor, struggling country family that hit it rich when the father, while hunting and found oil. The critics got it wrong. They expected the show to be a flop but the show quickly became a success soon after it started. The sitcom won a number of Emmys and was constantly in the Top Ten each week during most of the seasons it was shown. The show starred JD Clampett, played by Buddy Ebsen, who was the patriarch of the family.

Jed was an unassuming and mild-mannered man, who was not at all interested in living the lifestyle of the rich and famous. His family members, with the possibly exception of Jethro Clampett’s activities, preferred the hillbilly lifestyle and fought to keep it that way. Jed basically tried to manage the family’s sudden fortune and keep the family together by giving advice on a number of situations each member found themselves in. He had the most trouble controlling Granny and Jethro’s “wild” ways. Next was his mother-in-law, Granny, played by Irene Ryan. She was funniest character in the show. Granny, was a tough, scrappy grandmother that didn’t take any mess from the more “civilized” characters in the show. She fought long and hard to keep the family from becoming too civilized. She cooked up tasty country meals for the family and others who would often balk at the ingredients.

Every young mans delight was Elly Mae Clampett, played by Donna Douglas; she was Jed’s animal loving daughter, she was a pretty, pert blond with the most amazing short shorts. But this hid a character that was as tough as the beef Granny cooked. Elly Mae looked sweet and innocent but she could fight and often would win fights with several guys she came across, including her cousin, Jethro Clampett.

Jethro Clampett was played by Max Baer, Jr. Jethro was often getting into some sort of minor trouble with either girls or get-richer schemes. Unlike his cousin, Elly Mae, Jethro’s IQ was far from high.

The family had little in the way of modern inventions, although they did own a television, they had very little concern about materialistic values and would scoff at certain items and what they saw as excess. Although the family lived in a nice mansion, they kept most of their old possessions and grew their own food.

There were a couple of other main characters in the show. One was Mr. Milburn Drysdale, played by Raymond Bailey. Mr. Drysdale was a greedy banker who constantly tried to get Mr. Clampett to invest his money so he can make more money, not so much for himself, but for Mr. Drysdale. Granny would sometimes suggest to Mr. Clampett to remove their money from Drysdale’s bank, which was a threatening and devastating thought for Mr. Drysdale. The series also featured Mr Drysdales wife Margaret. The other character was Mrs. Jane Hathaway, played by Nancy Kulp, she was Mr. Drysdale’s level headed secretary who had the daunting task of calming down and reassuring Mr. Drysdale. She would often have to calm and reason with Granny as well and she definitely had an eye for Jethro. I always thought the show very funny and the very down to earth characters are what made it a success. In 1971 the show was cancelled because of resulted CBS' desire to erase its image as a "rural network and to become a major player within the American TV Networks.

With the show ending 40 years ago it is therefore unsurprisingly that there are only two of the original actors still alive, these are naturally, the youngest two Max Baer Jr (Jethro) who is planning to build a Beverly Hillbillies mansion and Casino in Douglas County complete with fake oil rig and a restaurant featuring Granny style cooking. The other is Donna Douglas (Elly May) who later went on to star with Elvis Presley in “Frankie and Johnny”.
A film version of the Beverley Hillbillies was made in 1993 with none of the original cast but could not pick up on the success of the original TV series.

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.keat@ntlworld.com

Helen Writes:-

Hi Peter
It's great to see the old picture of Hilsea Lido and more especially the rare photo of the Blue Lagoon on your Manor Court blog page.

Hilsea Lido Pool for the People are the community trust that has taken over Hilsea Lido and the Blue Lagoon from Portsmouth City Council on a 99 year lease.

One of the things that we are very keen to do is to create an historical archive of the site and photos are very useful. In addition we currently have a small exhibition at Portsmouth City Museum and have organised a couple of exhibitions on site, we are keen to continue doing this and would love to be able to use your photos in the future. Please let me know whether this would be possible. Any more photos you may have of Hilsea Lido, the Blue Lagoon or the immediate area would be of great interest to us.

In addition, I met Colin Woods yesterday, you may be aware that he is a member of The Renegades (big in Pompey in the 60s I believe). Colin is very keen to organise a fundraising event for HLPP featuring The Renegades and hopefully the Cadillacs at the Blue Lagoon. I will let you know should this develop !!

News and Views:

Did you know that the first woman to get a Commercial Pilots licence worked for Channel Airways when they flew out of Portsmouth. However they would only let her fly on the Isle of Wight route!


On this day 6th February 1960-1965

On 06/02/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 06/02/1961 the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.


On 06/02/1962 the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions

On 06/02/1963 the number one single was Diamonds - Jet Harris & Tony Meehan and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Liz Taylor films Cleopatra.

On 06/02/1964 the number one single was Needles & Pins - Searchers and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Steptoe & Son (BBC) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Plans agreed for Channel Tunnel.

On 06/02/1965 the number one single was You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - Righteous Brothers and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Web Page 908




First Picture: Dylan and Donovan



Second Picture: 1960’s poster


Donovan


Born Donovan Philips Leitch in Glasgow on May 10, 1946, Donovan was part of the British folk scene and the British Music Invasion in America. As a child, Donovan was vaccinated with the polio vaccine and contracted polio the disease and treatment left Donovan with a limp but the public never knew this. In 1956, his family moved to Little Berkhamsted and here influenced by his family's love for Scottish and English folk music he began playing guitar at 14. He enrolled in art school but dropped out soon afterwards, determined to live as a beatnik he went on the road. In 1963 after a trip to St Ives he spent several months playing in local clubs, learning the cross-picking guitar technique and writing his first songs.
In 1964, he spent the summer in Torquay where he took up busking. In late 1964, he was offered a contract by Pye Records, and recorded a 10-track demo tape which included the original recording of “Catch the Wind”. While recording the demo, Donovan befriended Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones who was recording in a nearby studio. He also met Brian Jones's ex-girlfriend Linda Lawrence and this on-off romantic relationship lasted for the next five years. She exerted a huge influence on Donovan's music but refused to marry him and moved to the US for several years in the late 1960s but eventually did marry him on 2nd Oct 1970 at Windsor registry office.

In the first week of May 1965, Donovan met Bob Dylan, then touring the UK, in Dylan's suite at the Savoy Hotel. The music press had made much of Donovan's alleged copying of Dylan and the supposed rivalry between the two of them. They actually liked each other and Dylan mentioned Donovan in his song “Talking World War Three Blues”. In an interview for the BBC in 2001 to mark Bob Dylan's 60th birthday, Donovan acknowledged Dylan as an important influence early in his career whilst distancing himself from the "Dylan clone" allegations.

In late 1965, Donovan signed with Brian Epstein. Mickie Most was the nominal producer of all Donovan's recordings in this period, although some of the recordings were self-produced.

By 1966, Donovan had shed the Dylan influences and become one of the first British musicians to adopt a flower power image. “Sunshine Superman” being one of the first psychedlic pop records, the arrangement included a harpsichord and sitar and also contained unmistakable references to LSD.

By late 1966, after American contractual problems had been resolved, Donovan signed a $100,000 deal with Epic Records and started recording in the CBS studios. Although folk elements were still prominent, the album showed the increasing influence of jazz and American psychedelia.

On 9 February 1967, Donovan was among the select group of guests invited by The Beatles to join them at Abbey Road Studios for the final orchestral overdub session for the Lennon-McCartney collaboration “ A Day in the Life “, the grand finale to “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

In mid-1966, Donovan became the first high-profile British pop star to be arrested for possession of marijuana and his use of LSD is referred to in many of his lyrics. Public attention was drawn to his marijuana use by the TV documentary, A Boy Called Donovan, broadcast in early 1966, which showed the singer and friends smoking cannabis at a party thrown by the film crew. However, it appears that the Drug Squad were already planning to target many British pop stars, and Donovan's arrest proved to be the first in a long series of busts. The arrest got a great deal of publicity, and in early 1967 he was the subject of an exposé by the News of the World. Although Donovan's was not as sensational as the later arrests of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, because of the charges he was refused entry to the US until late 1967.
Donovan developed a strong interest in eastern mysticism. In early 1968 he was part of the group that travelled to India to spend several weeks with the Maharishi Yogi. The visit gained worldwide attention thanks to the presence of the Beatles.
Donovan's next single, released in May 1968, was the psychedelic “Hurdy Gurdy Man”. Donovan actually tried to get Jimmy Hendrix to play on the recording, but he was on tour and unavailable.

After another US tour he again collaborated with Paul McCartney, who was producing Post Card, the debut LP by the Welsh singer Mary Hopkin who covered three Donovan songs. Paul McCartney returned the favour by playing tambourine and singing backing vocals on Donovan's next single, “Atlantis” which was released in late November that year.

After a split with Mickey Most Donovan disappeared, to Greece, re-emerging six months later to begin work on his next LP which came out in late 1970 and was a marked departure from his earlier work. Stripping the sound back to a rock trio format, he dubbed the sound, "Celtic rock".

The punk era (1977–1980) had provoked a backlash in Britain against the optimism of the hippie era, of which Donovan was considered a prime example and his fortunes with the public and the media suffered.

In November 2003, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters and in May 2004, he played "Sunshine Superman" at the pre-wedding concert for the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark. In 2005, his autobiography The Hurdy Gurdy Man was published and in the following year he played a series of British festivals and two dates at Camden's Jazz Café, London.

In January 2007, there were concerts in the US and here at home and a planned release of a new album. However, he subsequently announced that the tour had been cancelled and the album release delayed. He indicated that he is in good health but gave no reason for the cancellation but later in the year he opened a Transcendental Meditation University in Scotland.

Donovan and Linda have two children Astrella Celeste and Oriole Nebula and he had two children with his 1960s American girlfriend Enid Stulberger, and both have entered the acting profession: his son, Donovan Leitch Jnr and his daughter lone Skye.

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.keat@ntlworld.com



You Write:


I Write:

Some time ago, through some quirk of the Internet I managed to contact the 1960’s American star Bobby Rydell. We have corresponded for some time and he is now happy to pass on news about his activities.

Bobby has returned from a successful tour of Australia. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from UNICO (Unity, Neighbourliness, Integrity, Charity, and Opportunity.) at the organization's national convention July 31 in Hershey, Pennsylvania



News and Views:


The Lubbock, Texas city council was informed that an estimated $155,000 has been raised to renovate the home of Crickets drummer Jerry Allison where the group's hit, "That'll Be the Day" was written. The home had been moved from its original location and there are now plans are to move it again to the car park of the Buddy Holly Centre. The idea, if approved, could begin early this year.



On this day 30th January 1960-1965



On 30/01/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was North by Northwest. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 30/01/1961 the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Oral contraceptive made available in UK.

On 30/01/1962 the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions

On 30/01/1963 the number one single was Dance On - The Shadows and the number one album was Out of the Shadows - Shadows. he top rated TV show was The Prime Minister (All channels) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Composer Poulenc dies.

On 30/01/1964 the number one single was Needles & Pins - Searchers and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 30/01/1965 the number one single was Go Now! - Moody Blues and the number one album was Beatles For Sale - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Sir Winston Churchill's funeral.