The Official Website
The dvd of all my autographed photographs was originally compiled for my family, but as I later learned it could be of interest to the membership of the Joe Meek Society. I spoke to Mark Newson after sending him a copy and he asked if I considered offering it to members so I suggested a figure of £5.00 each of which I would donate a £1.00 back to the JMS.
The dvd consists of 107 pictures each displayed with a number at the bottom which then fades out. The booklet contains information relating to all the pictures although most are obvious some are more obscure hence the number reference.
I enjoyed my time with the various bands which was between 1960 and 1980. My first band was called Whirlwinds later the Atlantics, our singer was Ray Walsh later changed to Jamie Lee by our record producer Joe Meek with whom we recorded In The Night and Little Girl in Blue. the band lasted three years and folded in 1963 after we had been in France playing for the American Base of NATO at Camp de Loge in Poise, Seine et Oise for the 1st S graders club. I joined other bands mostly local West Yorkshire area. lst- Phil Fame and the Deacons, The Four Sabres, Green Tamourine, Denny and The Witchdoctors a show band. While with the Witchdoctors we met up with Heinz and The Wild Boys we were the support group, during a talk back stage Heinz said he was not happy with current drummer, so I said joking I will play for you and he, to my surprise said give me your details and I will be in touch. I thought nothing would happen but I got a shock when I was invited to join the band for rehearsals in a north London pub. I went down and joined the band and was out on the road the next week. I shared a flat with Brian Woods the bass player
we are still friends to this day. We all met at the flat and we kept the equipment there as well. That was our base really, being 284 Holloway Road we were handy for the studio for recordings. The times we had together were great, Heinz was a great friend to us all and we had some laughs together. Heinz was also up for practical jokes, he had been fishing one time and he used the van, when he came to pick us up we all said the van stank, Heinz was laughing and we found that he had in fact caught a 4 foot Tope and hidden it under the bench seat and it was high to say the least. we ended up tying it to the back step of the van and Heinz drove off towing this thing down Harrow Road. Well you know the result, it started to fall apart, not a pretty sight, we ended up telling Heinz to pull in, he did into a filling station, we quickly untied the thing and drove off. Never found out the result of that escapade.
I eventually gave my notice and came home on compassionate grounds. I did however get Heinz at our front door asking me to do a tour of Scotland with them as they were stuck, so I went and came home after the tour and went into industry as a pipefitter in which I retired from. During the 70’s I joined a band in Bradford called Reddy Teddy 60’s Rock and Roll, a great outfit to play with. After I finished in 1978 I decided that enough was enough and stuck with my job until as I said earlier I went into retirement.
I sincerely hope that you enjoy the disc and also the brief history of my journey.
Thank you Neil
The Order of the Photos with a little background information.
1 Neil at Home in 1961 prior to the group
2 Larking about in our local pub
3 Our first gig at a gala held by Low Moor Alloy Steel Bradford
4 Ray Walsh
5 The Atlantics
6 Rock across the Channel on M.S.Daffodil 1963 Atlantics with far left Mick Underwood 3rd from left Ritchie Blackmore
7 Jamie Lee and the Atlantics
8 Doncaster back stage with Jimmy Crawford
9-13 Are all of Reddy Tedd
14-16 Heinz and the Wild Boys Thames Television 1965 with Tom Jones and Adrienne Posta actress.
17 Studio pose
18-20 Taking time out while on the road
21 Brian and Barry rehearsing at Gainsborough
22 Bradford Textile Hall side view on stage
23-28 are from up Scotland Gou rock and Holy Lock for border Television
29-31 are Heinz
32 Tour members playing football in Cardiff on the Dusty Springfield Tour
33,34 Heinz
35 backstage in Morley
36 Heinz and family members, Mum Heinz, his wife Della and his sister, also Brian and Paddy our Roadie
37 Heinz and Neil backstage Morley
38 Scotland Neil Heinz and Jess Conrad
39-55 are a look into the programme pages ofThe Tour
56,57 The Zombies
58 Dusty Springfield
59 Marty Wilde
60 Shane Fenton aka Alvin Stardust
61 The Fentones
62 Dave Berry
63 Miki and Griff
64,65 Frank Kelly and The Hunters
66, The Saints who were Heinz backing group
67 Jimmy Crawford
68 The Settlers
69,70 Micheal Cox
71 Duffy Power
72 Nelson Keene
73 Vince Eager
74 Barry James and The Strangers Showband
75 Adze Cuttler and The Worzels
76 Alec Winstone and the Flintstones
77,78 The Master Himself the Great Joe Meek. A Legend of The Music World
79 Gala Poster
80 Cyril Davies and The Rhythm and Blues Allstars
81,82 Dave Sutch another great guy, sadly missed
83 with the Savages
84 I was laid on the dressing room floor at a local club and Dave stood over me wielding that axe
85 The Great Carlo Little another legend
86 The Savages on stage at Morecambe Floral Hall
87 The Yeadon Town Hall near Leeds
88 Chas Hodges of then The Outlaws and of course later Chas and Dave
89,90 The Outlaws who backed Mike Berry. Left to right are Ken Lundgren, Ritchie Blackmore, Mick Underwood and Chas Hodges. The Rugadug Bass Guitarist.
91 Carl Simmons
92 Mike Wayne
93 Johnny Cannon
94 Les Ford and the Counterbeats a Doncaster Band
95 The Beat Men
96 The Shades
97 The Spirits
98 Danny Davis
99 Terry Sexton and The Shakes from Bradford
100 Tony Victor from Bradford
101 Jerry Lee Lewis in the white mac on board M.S.Daffodil destination was the Olympia Paris, most of the artists on the boat were going there. We were going to play at the NATO base
102,103 Nero and The Gladiators
104 The Fleerreckers
105 Neil with girl fans outside Sofia Gardens, Cardiff where the tour was appearing
106 Comfort a Halifax based band
107 Neil at the Drum Kit
End Credits