So often we read about famous musicians coming our way but what about the warm-up acts, the local heroes, boys and girls too often forgotten about.
And they were the ones who packed out the halls, clubs and pubs. They were our friends and boy, could they play.
Now they are being remembered in the brilliant book The Anglian Beat which has taken author Kingsley Harris many, many years to produce.
Author Kingsley Harris with his book The Anglian Beat (Image: Kingsley Harris)
In this first book of its kind he looks back at the bands, groups and soloists across our region who entertained us during the frantic 50s and swinging 60s, and tells their story.
Kingsley has also found some great photographs which will raise great musical memories in many homes across our region. And you may spot grandpa or grandpa.
The brilliant Jailbirds from Norwich who kicked off as an award winning skiffle group in the 1950s (Image: Jailbirds Photo Collection)
It is fascinating to discover just how many acts there were, with so many members moving around from one group to another…and the names were great.
Last time we looked at acts with names beginning with A and ended with G so let’s hop abroad the amplifier and continue our jive back in time to remember some more of the music-makers.
Popular Great Yarmouth beat band Great Uncle Fred, formerly known as The Millionaires with their fans. They went on to make a record with Decca. Left to right, Tony Collier, Brian Roberts, Dennis Ward and Terry Rouse (Image: Newsquest Archive)
H: Habit (Norwich), The Hallucination (King’s Lynn), The Hangmen (Norwich), Hard Line (Downham Market), the Harmonics (Beccles), The Harmony Four (Mattishall), The Hartbeats (King’s Lynn), The Hawaiian Beats (Lowestoft), The Heartbeats (Norwich), The Hi-Jacks (Norwich), The Hobos (Lowestoft, and the Hucklebucks, not forgetting Ricky Lee, (Norwich).
White shirts and ties for The Hi-Jacks who played in the grand final of the Great Beat Competition at the Norfolk Showground in 1965 (Image: Newsquest Archive)
I: Impi (the name means an armed body of men in Zulu), The Incrowd (Oulton Broad), Influence (Norwich), The Intervals (Lowestoft), The Invadors (Norwich.
J: The Jack O Diamonds (Norwich), The Jack Rogers Orch (Norwich) The Jacquards (Norwich), The Jailbirds (Norwich), The Jay Dee Ensemble (Wymondham), Jay Lane (Lowestoft), Just Us (Norwich), and a certain band that you may well have heard of….the one and only Jaywalkers with the great Peter Jay.
Looking good! Then Norwich band who went by the name of Just Us (Image: Newsquest Archive)
The early days. The Jaywalkers with, left to right at the back, Mac McIntyre, Johnny Larke, Peter Jay and Lloyd Baker. Front row, Tony Webster and John Cole (Image: Jay Family Collection)They were formed at Norwich City College in 1960 and were one of the best and most popular bands around, touring with the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys and making regular TV appearances.
In the book Peter explains how he went from his home in Yarmouth to Norwich to study Television Production. He was walking down a corridor one day and noticed two big lads wearing leather jackets heading straight for him.
“At first I thought I was ‘for it’ and tried to move across the corridor, but they switched sides as well and were still heading in my direction.
“When we met, one said, ‘Are you Peter Jay’? Hesitantly I said yes. ‘You play the drums, don’t you?’ Yes. ‘Do you want to play in our band: we rehearse in the theatre room every lunchtime?’
“I think I said yes immediately, more out of relief,” recalled Peter.
And so it came to be that Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers arrived on the music scene. What a great band with some talented musicians, remember “Big Boy” Pete Miller?
The much-loved Kriptones who played the last night of The Firs speedway stadium in Norwich during 1964 and reformed for the Evening News Golden Years gigs (Image: Cunningham Family Collection)
The Anglian Beat. An Account of East Anglian Bands of the 50s and 60s featuring more than 1100 local acts, costs £30 and is available on eBay and Amazon or from info@musicfromtheeastzone.co.uk
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