On the Trail of The Beatle Who Vanished: The Recording Studios

Back on the Tube, I found myself in St. John’s Wood, an upscale London neighborhood that houses EMI’s Abbey Road Studios. The place made famous by The Beatles, Pink Floyd and many more. Crossing the magical zebra crosswalk that The Beatles used for the cover photo of their album Abbey Road, I made my way over to this venerable old studio. 

It was easy to envision a very nervous, yet determined Jimmie Nicol striding up the stairs, with his friend John Hodkinson in tow, moving through the throngs of newsmen into Studio 2 for his rehearsal/tryout with The Beatles. A 20 minute session that would change his life forever. At the end of the audition, John Lennon said to Nicol, "You're in." What happened before and after that momentous occasion will be revealed in detail with the release of The Beatle Who Vanished, coming soon.

From one studio to another, I traveled to where Decca Studios used to be located at 165 Broadhurst Gardens. This was scene of The Beatles January, 1962 recording test where Decca A & R man Dick Rowe famously turned down the group for a record contract. Many a bootleg has been released from the Lost Decca Sessions.

A few years later, this studio was the place where Brian Epstein brought his protégé Tommy Quickly to record “You Might As Well Forget Him”. One of many recording dates Jimmie Nicol would play in the first half of 1964 before becoming a deputy Beatle. Today, the building looks every bit the same as it did in the 1960s, with one exception. Rock and Roll has died at this site only to be replaced by Opera! The studio is long gone, but today the building serves as the location housing the English National Opera. Give me the Kinks any day! Oh well, I guess that is what they call progress. 

Decca Studio today

Next stop, the former Pye Studios. Pye was the place where, among other things, Nicol  recorded his own Jimmie Nicol & the Shubdubs singles and his famous Ska records with Cyril Stapleton and Chris Farlowe under the fictitious band name The Beazers. Their night club hit song was called The Blue Beat. Take a listen back to swinging 1964.

 

Walking through London’s famous Marble Arch to get there, I was not surprised to find Pye studios gone. 

This is valuable upscale real estate located in the heart of London tourism. Pye has now been turned into a huge, upscale Gentlemen’s Casino that takes up the entire block on Bryanston Street. 

Pye Studios building today

Eddie Kramer and Jimi Hendrix at Pye 1960s

Next time, the Rock And Roll Detective meets and has lunch with a Beatle in Kensington! Is it The Beatle Who Vanished? Stay tuned.

2011 (C) Rock And Roll Detective(r), LLC.
To sign up for book release information on The Beatle Who Vanished, email:
jimberk@yahoo.com

On The Trail of The Beatle Who Vanished: The Live Gigs



The 2 I's Coffee Bar in the late 1950s.

 When Jimmie Nicol first ventured into the heart of London to start his professional career, the first place he went was to the birthplace of British Rock and Roll. No, not Liverpool's Cavern Club. That came later in history. Rather, he went to the place where every young musician wanted to be discovered; the 2 I's Coffee Bar.

The 2 I's became the place where young baby boomers would go to stay out late, drink coffee, and listen to the juke box and live music being played by Britain's first wave of Rock and Roll in the 1950s.

The Soho section of London exploded with the music of jazz, skiffle, R&B, Trad Jazz, and Britain's own version of Rock and Roll. The 2 I's, opened in 1956, saw the birth of the first generation of Britain's rock stars including: Georgie Fame, Tommy Steele, The Vipers, Vince Eager, Colin Hicks, and ultimately a young drummer named Jimmie Nicol. It was here that Nicol heard about auditions for Colin Hicks & His Cabin Boys. He passed the test with flying colors. It would be his first regualar band, and led to his first experiences touring and recording.

Today, the 2 I's Coffee bar is no longer in operation, however, the building survives and is honored by a plaque for being the official birthplace of British Rock and Roll. On the second day in London, I traveled to this

hallowed spot to view what remains. I went to 59 Old Compton Street. It was easy to find and upon arrival, I looked in the vacant space and saw the stairs leading down to the club, imagining the tiny room crammed full of teens, hopped up on coffee and a new, wild form of music being played by the likes of Tommy Steele, Vince Eager and a young drummer who would sit in with anybody… Jimmie Nicol. Here is where Jimmie Nicol performed his first professional live gigs. Jamming with a Who's Who of future rock stars.

The Next stop was just around the corner and down the street.

The coming of age of the Blues; Soul and R&B scene in the early 50's and 60's, was when the Flamingo club in London put on shows at its venue from midnight to Dawn.

The Flamingo in the 1960s.

A fixture since Jeffrey Kruger first opened its doors in September 1952, the club from its inception became the hot spot - the hottest spot for music fans of all ages and classes with visitors standing in line for the club to open coming from all over Britain and Europe to spend an evening at the Flamingo.

In the spring of 1964, Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames were holding court at the Flamingo with their hot live mix of R&B and jazz, jamming through the night for a mixture of bohemians and US Servicemen. Members of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who were frequently seen in the audience of what was the hottest live club act in London at the time.

In May of 1964, the Blue Flames drummer became ill. Bass player Tex Makins suggested to Fame that they get Jimmie Nicol to replace him. Quickly, Nicol was in the group as their drummer. This was a big move for Nicol, but not as big as the one that would come next as Fame led to "fame" for the young drummer. But that story will have to wait until the release of The Beatle Who Vanished.




Jimmie Nicol and Tex Makins jamming with Georgie Fame - May, 1964.















Today, sadly the building is used as an inexpensive Chinese fast food restaurant. There are no plaques and no indications that this once proud building housed the hottest live rhythm & blues band in London’s swingin’ sixties.



Wardour Street, London. The former Flamingo club

Next time, the Rock And Roll Detetive will hunt down the recording studios where Jimmie Nicol recorded in London.

If you would like to get on the mailing list for release information of the book, The Beatle Who Vanished,  you can email me at: jimberk@yahoo.com
(c) 2011 Rock And Roll Detective (R).

Newly Discovered Beatles Birthplace - Outside of Liverpool !!

The Beatles, John, Paul, George, Stu, Pete, Chas and Ringo (did I leave anyone out?) were all born in the greater Liverpool area. Only one Beatle, temporary Beatle Jimmie Nicol, was born elsewhere. Now, for the first time, the Rock And Roll Detective has located and documented his birthplace in the Battersea neighborhood of London.

Born on August 3, 1939, Jimmie Nicol lived in a row house that was newly built in the shadows of the great Battersea Power Station. You may recall Pink Floyd's Animals album portrayed a photograph of this famous location.

The first day in London, I thought it best to start at the beginning; namely, Jimmie Nicol’s birthplace home as listed on his birth certificate. So I took the Tube to Clapham Common and walked about two miles to 93 Silverthorne Road in Battersea.


Jimmie's Home is the door on the right.

The row houses where Nicol grew up were still in very good condition, considering they dated back to the 1930s and 1940s. A new neighborhood has sprung up with young mothers pushing their babies in prams. This is quite a change from the war torn, bombed-out city in the throes of rebuilding, when Nicol came into the world.

Since no has ever located and documented the birth place of Beatle Jimmie Nicol, I felt proud marking the spot. Not quite climbing Mount Everest, but it is fun to add new facts to the history and lore of The Beatles. This would be the only Beatles birth place located in London. 

Next time, the Rock And Roll Detective heads out in search of the 2 I's Coffee Club, where Nicol got his start along with Britain's first generation of rock and rollers in the 1950s. Also, we visit the Flamingo club where Jimmie briefly became the drummer of Georgie Fame & the Blues Flames, before being snapped up by the Fab Four!


If you are interested in being put on an email list to receive the first release date information on the book The Beatle Who Vanished, send me an email at: jimberk@yahoo.com .
(c) 2011 Rock And Roll Detective (r). All Rights Reserved. 

On The Trail of "The Beatle Who Vanished" - in London

The Spotnicks circa 1967. Bad hombre Jimmie Nicol on the far left.

This is one of the last know public photographs taken of Jimmie Nicol, a drummer who started his career in London 1957. He is barely known except as a the guy who sat in for Ringo Starr in June 1964, as The Beatles were forced to start their first World Tour without their regular drummer.

How did Nicol get this gig? Why was he the only drummer that could have saved The Beatles from embarrassment or worse breach of contract actions, as they traveled to Holland, Denmark, Hong Kong and Australia without Ringo Starr? And what happened to Jimmie Nicol after The Beatles, when he left The Spotnicks in February of 1967 and vanished into Mexico without a trace?

The Rock And Roll Detective wants to know. This week, The Rock And Roll Detective travels to London to follow the clues of drummer Jimmie Nicol, before the trail ran cold.

Stay tuned for further developments...

Rock And Roll is Alive and Well... Just ask Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters!

Apparently, we were premature in wondering if Rock And Roll would burn out or fade away. Indeed, the Foo Fighters have brought it back with a vengeance on their new hit ROCK AND ROLL album Wasting Light. The Album debuted at #1 in 12 countries around the world this month. If you buy the special CD version at Best Buy, it comes with an actual piece of the analog tape used in the recording process.

Wasting Light was produced by Butch Vig, who has produced some of rock's greatest albums including Nevermind (which you can read about in the book, Nirvana: Nevermind (Classic Rock Albums))
 
as well as Garbage, Siamese Dream [Vinyl], 21st Century Breakdown, Dirty and many more.

 

Perhaps the best thing about the Foo Fighters bringing back rock and roll with a Bang, is their reference to The Rock And Roll Detective blog in their latest email to fans...

WASTING LIGHT AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE… #1 DEBUT IN 12 COUNTRIES 

"From the bottom of our hearts, thank you everyone. I can't wait to answer the 'Is rock and roll dead' question now…"






2011 (c) Rock And Roll Detective (r) All rights reserved. www.rockandrolldetective.com

Collector's Corner - Stories of Rare Relics from Around the World

This edition of the Rock And Roll Detective blog focuses on rare recordings and memorabilia from around the world.

YESTERDAY
First up is a piano used by Paul McCartney to debut a newly written song, Yesterday, for his entertainer friend Alma Cogan. After writing the song, McCartney was unsure if he had subconsciously copied another song, so he played it around London for his friends. The piano is about to go on the auction block.

You can read the full article about this famous piano, its history and the amazing auction estimate here:

I Believe In Scambled Eggs


McCartney Sings Original Lyrics to Yesterday. 

If you've heard Macca tell the story once, you've heard it a million times. Now, Jimmy Fallon gets Paul to sing the original lyrics to this famous tune.




And when it rains McCartney it pours.

The Lost McCartney Christmas Album
A portion of the recording Paul McCartney made as a Christmas present for his other three Beatles in the mid 1960s has surfaced as a new, previously unreleased bootleg. Titled: Unforgettable - The Paul McCartney Christmas Album, it is purportedly John Lennon's copy. Being John, he used the tape to record over for his own projects, which is why the bootleg is a mash up of both Lennon and McCartney projects.

McCartney described the Christmas concept in a 1995 interview:

"Yes, it's true... It was called Unforgettable and it started with Nat King Cole singing Unforgettable. It was like a magazine programme, full of weird interviews, experimental music, tape loops, some tracks I knew the others hadn't heard; it was just a compilation of odd things... I have them to the fellas and I guess they would have played them for a couple of weeks."

If you would like to see the review in greater detail, you can check out:

http://www.bootlegpedia.com/en/product/HMC_011

Happy Collecting and don't forget to check out the new tab at the top of the blog to stay up on the latest developments of the new book coming out at Rock And Roll Detective Publishing.




2011 (c) Rock And Roll Detective (r) 

Is Rock And Roll Dead?

Hey hey, my my/
Rock and roll can never die/
There's more to the picture than meets the eye/
Hey hey, my my...

Song: My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue) (Album Version) 
Artist: Neil Young.



Has there ever been a lower point in history for Rock And Roll? The Rock And Roll Detective went in search of evidence that this musical genre is still alive. What he found is that Rock And Roll is on a respirator in intensive care.

Consider the fact that in 2010, not a single Rock And Roll record finished in the end-of-the-year Top 25. Does anyone over the age of 35 believe the next Beatles, Stones, or Who are named: Arcade Fire, Kings of Leon or Linkin Park? One of the clues to Rock's demise can be found in the lack of compelling releases in the last few years. Of course, this dearth of good new rock bands has also created gaps that are filled by other music forms such as hip hop, country, and others. Listen to TV commercials that used to copy rock music forms, and today you will hear hip hop and Acid-created drum beats filling in the background sound.

A check of the music stores selling guitars and drums in our towns found further evidence of Rock's demise. Notice that the independent stores are going out of business and only the giant corporate franchise stores remain.Some may also blame educators and politicians for cutting out arts programs, but they never wanted guitars, basses and drum kits in their "concert bands'' and orchestras" anyway.

Follow the footprints, and they end up on the doorstep of the major record labels. When major labels ignored the digital revolution and failed to latch onto early digital sharing sites, they lost a valuable opportunity to keep their money-printing operations going. Instead, they laid off executives who had the experience to sign and nurture new bands into the next big act. Then they released many great bands from their rosters. These are the moves of accountants who lacked any musical vision or understanding of how to cultivate new Rock And Roll music. They simply did what they always do for a corporation making widgets and losing money; cut expenses to the bone and layoff everybody.

Meanwhile, some top artists, such as Paul McCartney and Paul Simon, have proactively jumped to smaller boutique labels that are more attentive. While still more established artists have pursued social media marketing on their own to push new releases with mixed results. Not many multi-platinum record awards are being awarded to artists anymore. Going "gold" is now a challenge. We hear of vinyl making a revival, but The Beatles's Abbey Road was the top selling vinyl record in 2010, 40+ years after its release. This record helped The Beatles become the best selling vinyl artist in the US last year.

DNA evidence can be found on another culprit called Radio. Having merged into huge conglomerates in the 1990s and 2000s, radio is now run by "bean counters" who review computer demographic profiles to program their music. Sorry, the results of their surveys have determined no one wants to hear new rock (unless it is Green Day or Foo Fighters) or even classic rock. So they have been slowly closing down those formats in U.S. cities and moving to the newest flavor-of-the-month genre. Radio failed to break even one major rock album in 2010. When was the last time that happened? The gap is widening between the number of people a top rock-radio hit can reach in the U.S. versus a "pop" hit on Top 40 radio. A number one rock-radio hit reaches just 12 million listeners, whereas Top 40 radio reaches 81 million people.

Finger prints can also be traced to MTV and VH1, which also fail to break new bands these days. Oh that's right, no room for music on a music television channel, when we have to squeeze in dysfuntional reality programs like Jersey Shore and list the Top 25 biggest Hollywood scandals around the clock.



Lest we forget the Apple ipod factor. The advent and popularity of iTunes has spawned a new generation of music fans who only buy one song from an artist before moving on the next one. 
The album format has effectively been destroyed, further limiting the amount of record sales and publishing royalties for the starving artist. And the RIAA has rubbed out even more fans by suing them for hundreds of thousands of dollars for illegal file downloads.

Touring and playing the big rock festivals seems to be the last bastion of earning money for rock bands. In 2010, Bon Jovi, Roger Waters and the Dave Matthews Band were the top earners on tour. But what about the lesser known bands? It seems possible to survive solely on the road, hitting the clubs, visiting the college radio stations and waiting for the big summer fests. But that is not the easiest way to make a living.


Hopefully, 2011 will breath some new life into the dying body of Rock And Roll. Not fake, corporate Rock And Roll as portrayed on American Idol or Glee, but smokey-bar, down in the beer tent rock. New releases are expected from R.E.M., Radiohead, Foo Fighters, the Strokes, U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paul Simon, Garbage and more.



The Rock And Roll Detective is hoping this is merely a down cycle and not the end. This year, go out and buy at least one LP or CD every month. Forget the downloads, the sound quality is not as good, and the format sucks for long term archiving (according to the Smithsonian Institute). Support an artist who is making his living writing and playing music for your enjoyment. Check out music by a band you have heard about, but haven't heard, like the Bandallamas Eye to Eye. And if you meet a rocker, buy him a beer.



2011 (c) Rock And Roll Detective(r)
For more information about the Rock And Roll Detective's services or to contact him,
head over to: www.rockandrolldetective.com