My Musical Roots

An Early Start

Born in 1949, my earliest memories of music are listening to the radio to such programmes as The Goon Show (with music by Max Geldray, Ray Ellington and the Wally Stott Orchestra), The Billy Cotton Band Show (Wakey Wakey!), Forces Favourites (one of the first request shows on the radio) and of course Radio Luxembourg which was the main source of late night listening. My own particular favourite of the 1950s was Perry Como – Catch A Falling Star was the first 78 single I ever listened to on a Dansette record player - both borrowed from one of my sisters in 1959. We also delighted in the late 1950s TV music programmes, which included the 6-5 Special, Oh Boy, Drumbeat and Juke Box Jury.

The Heyday

In the early 1960s I was listening to all the groups and solo singers around at that time and buying singles which I shared with school friends.  The Mod groups were particular favourites (despite me riding a motorbike!).  I can recall going to Central Avenue Primary School to a dance dressed in a leather jacket, only to be frightened off by a large gang of Mods on their Lambrettas. I also remember witnessing mini riots between Mods and Rockers at Hunstanton and Skegness. Early 1960s music TV was a great time for me, watching such classics as Thank Your Lucky Stars, Stars and Garters, Sunday Night at the London Palladium, Top of the Pops and a myriad of shows by artists such as Cliff Richard, Des O’Connor and Lonnie Donegan.

The live music scene in Peterborough in the 1960s was dominated by the Corn Exchange, which doubled up as a skating rink but staged such groups as Sounds Incorporated, The Bachelors, Fourmost, Wayne Fontana, Mersey Beats, Freddie & the Dreamers, Billy J Kramer, the Swinging Blue Jeans, the Hollies, Georgie Fame, and the Rolling Stones on 21 September 1963).

My first real experience of live music was at the Embassy to see Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, Freddie & The Dreamers, Dusty Springfield and Dave Berry (November 1963), Gene Pitney and the Hollies (March 1964), Herman’s Hermits, Billy Fury and Wayne Fontana (November 1964), and the Small Faces (22nd October 1966).  In April 1964 I saw the Kinks and Hedgehoppers Anonymous at the Peterborough Palais.  Further tours came to the ABC in Peterborough and I saw Gene Pitney again, this time with Amen Corner, Simon Dupree, Status Quo and Don Partridge in April 1968.  I've since seen Gene Pitney on three further occasions, the last being a few days before he passed away in 2006.

Around about 1966, I developed a taste for blues music when I bought Bluesbreakers by John Mayall which led me on to such artists as Fleetwood Mac, Alvin Lee, Savoy Brown etc. Despite this, I apparently missed two major music events in the local region; the BBQ Concert which took place in Spalding on 29th May 1966 (featuring Jimi Hendrix and Cream) and the Whittlesey Barn BBQ Concert & Barndance on 2nd-3rd June 1968 (John Mayall, Donovan, The Move, Amen Corner, Fairport Convention and Fleetwood Mac).  By the late 1960s, my taste had moved to rock and I was buying albums by bands such as Groundhogs, The Nice, Ten Years After and Jimi Hendrix.

A New Direction

In the late 1960s/early 1970s, I was also trying to get into [doing] discos and organised a few (very unsuccessful) gigs in local pubs and hotels with some mates.

Also at that time I worked part-time with my sister Joan, helping her run the bar at the ballroom in the Angel Hotel, Wentworth Street, Peterborough and this began my long term association with Steve Allen, his club Cloud Nine and Chris Kirk, a Sunday night DJ who sounded like a cross between Whispering Bob Harris and John Peel.

Steve had been around for some time running discos and then opened what was probably the first live music ‘club’ in Peterborough.  Cloud Nine opened on 14 September 1969 with the first billed artists advertised to appear on 27 September.  The band playing on opening Sunday was Juicy Lucy and the following Sunday it was Free.  On the odd occasion, Steve allowed me to run the decks (normally on a Saturday night).

During the time I worked there, I saw some excellent bands, many of which became my firm favourites over the years, such as:

10 January 1970 – Skatalites

11 January 1970 - Steamhammer
18 January 1970 - Daddy Longlegs
24 January 1970 - Demon Fuzz
25 January 1970 - Rare Bird
1 February 1970 – Clouds
4 February 1970 - Jimmy Ruffin
8 February 1970 - Van Der Graph Generator
22 February 1970 - Radha Krishna Temple
29 February 1970 - Tea and Symphony
8 March 1970 - John Dummer Band
15 March 1970 - Trader Horne
22 March 1970 - Crazy World of Arthur
12 April 1970 - Groundhogs
15 April 1970 - Doris Troy

3 May 1970 - Atomic Rooster

24 May 1970 - Kevin Ayers
31 May 1970 – Comus
7 June 1970 - Quintessance
14 June 1970 - Audience
21 June 1970 - Climax Chicago Blues Band
5 July 1970 - Stray

12 July 1970 - Curved Air
19 July 1970 - Argent
9 August 1970 - Carol Grimes and Delivery
14 August 1970 - Bram Stoker & Slow Dog
23 August 1970 - Skid Row
6 September 1970 - Atomic Rooster
18 October 1970 - Caravan
22 November 1970 - Mighty Baby
5 December 1970 - Alan Bown
13 December 1970 - Pete Browns’ Piblokto
22 December 1970 - Warhorse
2 January 1971 - Spencer Mac
3 January 1971 - Quiver
10 January 1971 - Skid Row
17 January 1971 - Trapeze
24 January 1971 - Patto
14 February 1971 – Genesis
21 February 1971 - Barclay James Harvest

Steve Allen also provided bands for the East of England University 

Students’ Union and I was lucky enough to be invited to see 

the Who on 5th December 1970, 

An All-Nighter Show on 18th March 1971 featuring Quiver, Egg, Bronco, Lindisfarne, Stoned Rose and Orpheous (tickets 80p) and 

Yes, supported by The Groundhogs on 15th May 1971 (entry was 75p).

A New Life

In early 1971 I joined the Army and, along with my family , spent the next 20 odd years in the UK, Germany, Belgium and Cyprus (plus a short stint in Bosnia, Italy, Norway and Canada).   My interest in most things music continued, including running a mobile disco for a few years plus taking the opportunity of attending a number of gigs whilst abroad, notably Deep Purple, Joe Cocker and the fabulous Rory Gallagher (on 12 January 1973).

I’ve continually revisited my early musical roots including classical, jazz/rock/ blues and psychedelic sounds and, along with my brother Phil, have now got into the blog scene to discover more of the delights of the 60s and 70s, my musical formative years.  We regularly go to local gigs in particular to The Stables in Milton Keynes and the Derngate, Northampton to watch mainly tribute bands and some original artists who are still around which has a great intimate atmosphere for concerts.

Have also more recently got involved in local community radio starting with Finedon Radio (now Northants Radio) and more recently Beat Route Radio, the local community radio station for Rushden and the Nene Valley.

At Finedon Radio I presented "The Sensational Sixties Experience" 

in which I included music, jingles, comedy and ads from the period which was great fun.

At Northants Radio I presented Friday Love Songs which morphed into the Classic Rock Show for a couple of years and also stood in for other presenters from time to time.

You can find some recordings of my shows on my Mixcloud channel at:

https://www.mixcloud.com/steve-thatcher2/ 

In 2022, I stood down from radio duties to concentrate more on community work, especially supporting The Royal British Legion (both my local branch in Finedon, Northamptonshire and the County Office).