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'TURNS'
Page updated 27 March 2013
Welcome to this page of memories, which
highlights just a few of the many entertainers I worked with through the 1970s
when launching my solo career in London and overseas. Known as 'turns' up North and I have kept
in touch with a few of them over the years although a few of these very talented
people are sadly no longer with us. We are still like 'ships in the night' and
often pass each other on the road or find ourselves on the same show which is
really great, although the golden days of clubland have been dying off over the
last few years but there is a growing return to variety in recent years.
Sadly, many of the 'new' entertainers have not had the opportunity to learn
their craft by 'treading the boards' of the legendary Northern clubs which were
often a challenge! Noisy audiences, busy bars plus distractions of the
'concert secretary' who would often cut into the entertainer's act with
announcements for 'bingo, hot pies' and many more daft interruptions! They
were quite a training ground for any artiste and comedy based acts had the
toughest job, but those of us lucky enough to be able to sing had some chance of
scraping through the night!
There was a camaraderie in those days - a
legacy from the previous days of variety (American Vaudeville) when
artistes would travel all over the UK and appear at various theatres. Many
of them would work a full week at the same venue on a bill full of different
acts, often twice nightly and only doing a few minutes onstage. They had loads
of spare time during the day so usually mixed with fellow acts to kill some time
in the 'digs' (theatrical B&B) unless they had to be out of the place during
the day, due to battleaxe landladies! Many of them took up golf to pass more time or just spent more
time in pubs and cafes chatting to fellow 'pros' and swapping stories, gossip and
generally networking. They mostly travelled by train in those days,
unlike the later years in which entertainers criss-crossed the country by car
and van etc, using better roads and vehicles, so often meeting up at motorway
service stations or greasy spoon cafes!
I hope you will enjoy these shared memories and I will update
this page as and when I discover any more information. Who knows - you may
even find yourself on this page or maybe have some connection and I would
welcome any input you wish to share. Just e-mail me in the first instance
and then I might be able to amend any of these entries accordingly. I have
lost track of a few of these fellow 'turns' and it would be good to learn of
their whereabouts. Some of these photos have not scanned too well and I
also have a few more pictures to add in the future but I guess that this page
will attract some input when people discover it by surfing - this has happened
on my other webpages based on the Southampton music scene. I will update
this page from time to time so please pass by again as it (hopefully) grows into
an insight link to the 1970s showbusiness scene.
........................................................................................................
Back in August 63, I bought a great record
called 'That's What I Want' (Decca) by the Marauders from the Stoke on Trent
area although it only reached no. 43 in the UK charts! In 1974, whilst in Corfu
on my summer season I was pleased to meet up with an original member of that
group who was now well into his own solo comedy career, as well as singing plus
great guitar work. Les Bryan, who had also just appeared on television's
smash hit series of The Comedians, which launched many careers of top club
comics and he was kept busy all over the place as well as working overseas.
This promotional photograph (early 70s) shows
more of the musical side of his profile:
Les Bryan
This next photograph shows the comedy side and
I think it's one of the best examples of a very funny man - it still makes me
smile to this day!
I have kept in touch with Les over the years
and he has spent most of the last few years on the cruise ships, travelling all
over the world. We met up some 3,000 miles away back in 1998
when ending up on the same ship on a Caribbean cruise job and had some great
laughs and reminisces. His act is a great mix of very funny droll comedy
delivered in a laid back manner plus some terrific guitar work which provides a
real variety act that appeals to all ages. You can also find Les on Facebook as
he has finally got round to 21st technology so looking forward to hooking up
with old pals from the music business and other 'turns' who will have shared a
stage across the years. The Marauders discs have become 'collectable' and still
fondly recalled in his old Potteries stamping ground before he went solo and
working with many top stars in the business - Les should write a book!
PS: Girls- he is now single again! (July
2010)
........................................................................................................
Another very funny man came to Corfu in the
shape of Irish comedian Pat Mooney and this photo shows his well known green
suit!
Pat Mooney
Pat also starred in 'The Comedians' and had been
working solid ever since, the last few years on the cruising circuit with great
success. One of his opening lines is about the green suit when he
mentions "I was bending over to tie up my shoelaces and some chap started
playing golf on my back!" I recall that he nearly collapsed
with laughter when I met him for the first time and explained that his surname
was also a very disgusting Greek swearword which caused more laughs amongst the
locals when I told them about it. His act was good solid standup gags,
delivered with great Irish charm mixed with blarney as well as a very friendly
guy to work with. He was the same on and offstage, unlike some artistes I
have appeared with over the years and a shining example of what mainstream
comedy is all about.
21st November 2008
I had an e-mail from Jon Anton - another well
established 'turn' who has worked with many of the acts featured on this page
and he found it whilst surfing on hearing the sad news that Pat Mooney has just
passed away. Here is an article from the Irish Times:
Tributes paid to veteran comic
By Maeve Connolly
21/11/08
TRIBUTES have been paid to veteran Irish stand-up
comedian Pat Mooney who has died in England.
Mr Mooney died in hospital after an illness and his ashes are to be
brought back to Ireland for burial following his funeral on Tuesday.
He was in his seventies.
Mr Mooney, whose real name was Tom Smith, was from Stockman’s Lane
in west Belfast and rose to fame in popular 1970s TV show
The Comedians in which he made more than 50 appearances alongside
acts such as Frank Carson, Roy Walker, Tom O’Connor and Bernard
Manning.
He also had his own show for a time on BBC Radio Two called Mooney’s
Monday Magazine and in his trademark green suit cut a distinctive
figure on the comedy circuit.
The Belfast man made a dozen appearances on The Good Old Days, a BBC
show which ran for three decades.
In later years Mr Mooney entertained tens of thousands of people
enjoying cruises and a spokesman from Parker Entertainments said he
would be “sadly missed”.
“He was the consummate professional and a true family entertainer,”
Colin Parker said.
“He never offended and always judged his audience to perfection
leaving them in fits of laughter.
“People loved talking to Pat and hearing his numerous stories of
working around the world, his work on The Comedians television show
and on the many cruise ships where he was always a favourite,” he
added.
Frank Carson who was both a friend and contemporary said Mr Mooney
had many friends in showbusiness, including veterans such as Bruce
Forsyth and Jimmy Tarbuck.
“He was a very kind and generous man and there will be very many of
us at his funeral. We will make it a good day, there won’t be any
tears,” he said.
Mr Carson, who turned 82 earlier this month said he was “a senior
citizen of the teenage group” when he met Mr Mooney as he started
his career at the age of 16 in Belfast.
The pair would try out new material together at a sailor’s home near
Albert Street in the city and ended up working together on numerous
occasions in their professional life.
“We had some wonderful times and worked in Hong Kong on two
occasions for a week at a time,” Mr Carson said.
“Pat could have held the record for going around the world because
he worked on cruises for 30-odd years and told me he had gone around
the world 25 times.”
copyright Irish Times.
http://www.irishnews.com
........................................................................................................
Another star of 'The Comedians' came out to
entertain the (mostly) British holidaymakers - Dave Butler from the Bristol area
and another great guy to work with. His act was delivered in that
lovely West Country burr with good gags plus tales of country yokels and much
more. Sadly, he passed away a few years ago, but his memory lives on and
can be seen on rare recordings of the television show that made him famous.
Dave Butler
........................................................................................................
When I first moved up to London in 1972, and
started to get paying gigs, I often appeared at Top Rank Bingo Clubs. Many
of them were converted cinemas and theatres, so it was good experience to appear
in such large venues although most of the audience were only there for the bingo
and often resented any entertainers who dared interrupt their evening
flutter! I was managed by Garry Brown of Cheam - one of the most respected
agent/managers in the business as well as one of the main bookers for the Cunard
Shipping Line and much more. Garry was assisted by Eric Galloway and this
agency later arranged my auditions for Butlins and then my overseas work with
Thomson Holidays. I recall working at the Top Rank Kilburn and appearing
with one of the most unusual speciality acts, who topped many a major bill
throughout the Forties and Fifties as well as being a big radio star.
Leslie Welch - the Memory Man!
This genial Cockney had the most amazing
memory and specialised in sporting trivia whereby he could reel off thousands of
statistics about football, cricket, horseracing and much more. He
just stood onstage and talked about various aspects before accepting
'challenges' from the audience who would shout out all kinds of questions to
which Leslie would normally answer immediately plus adding even more facts and
figures for good measure!
........................................................................................................
1975 was a great year for Welsh singer Tammy
Jones who appeared on television's top rated talent show- Opportunity Knocks and
winning six weeks in a row! She also notched up the highest viewers' voting
figures ever and her cover version of the Frank Sinatra hit "Let Me Try
Again" reached number 5 in the UK charts.
Tammy came out to Tunisia and topped the bill
at the Sahara Beach hotel, with a great act of popular songs and tinged with a
C&W feel which she later developed. As with all visiting
artistes, I used to help with the musical side of the show and rehearsing the
acts with the resident band of Italian musicians. I had to rewrite some of
the arrangements as European musicians use the tonic sol fa notation as opposed
to our chords such as 'A,B,C' etc but we generally managed to get through most
of the music side of it all. I acted as M.D. standing by the keyboard
player and making sure that the other musicians followed the main score, often
by following my cues and shouted instructions (in French and Italian!)
Unfortunately, when it came to Tammy's big
finale - the much anticipated hit song of 'Let Me Try Again' it was a case of
'trying again' after a bad start! For some reason the band had somehow lapsed
into a different tempo, despite my count-in of this fairly straightforward 4/4
timing song. I stopped the band, then brought them back into play
and Tammy, bless her, just grinned and carried on to tumultuous applause as she
sang her heart on that terrific ballad. The audience had realised the
problem, but like a true pro Tammy just got on with it and left the stage to a
standing ovation then back for an encore. In fact, she was quite upset
over this unexpected hiccup but it never showed onstage and everybody admired
her for this.
If you want to learn more about this talented
lady, then click on the photo below where you will find that she has never
stopped working and lived in New Zealand for many years but now back home in
North Wales. We have had recent contact
and shared a few memories of her headlining years following the 'OpKnocks'
breakthrough and she is now looking to make a fresh start with UK tours etc so
watch out for her!
Tammy Jones
Click on image above for her own website or:
http://www.tammyjones.co.nz/
........................................................................................................
Corfu 1974. Like many countries
back in the Seventies, they were not used to seeing variety entertainers and the
locals were often bemused by some of the more unusual artistes who appeared at
the hotels and clubs in the area. One of my fondest memories was
when the most amazing hypnotist was flown out to work his skills on a room full
of holidaymakers.
Edwin Heath promo card - try it!
We held this show in the main restaurant of
the Roda Beach Hotel Corfu and the general manager was a terrific Greek chap-
Aris Voutsinas (known as 'Mr Harry') and he and his staff had never seen a
hypnotist in action before, so I kept quiet about what was to happen!
Edwin Heath was one of the finest exponents of
stage hypnotism although he did have a serious hypnotherapy practice in Northern
Ireland where he was based. After my own 'warm-up' comedy vocal spot, we
then arranged a row of chairs along the front of the stage area before I
introduced Edwin who walked up to the microphone to give a short talk about the
subject of this mysterious craft, the name derived from the ancient Greek word
of 'hypnos' (sleep) He then went into the mass induction trial in which
members of the audience were asked to lock hands and listen to his softly spoken
suggestions that resulted in many guests being unable to unlock their fingers that
were firmly 'stuck' together! The Greeks couldn't work out what was going
on by this time as they watched the audience and those that were 'under the
influence' The waiters and kitchen staff just stood open-mouthed at what
was going on as they tried to work it all out.
Edwin then invited a few people up onto the
stage, then sat them down before a rapid hypnosis induction upon them all and sending them
fast asleep in their chairs. At this stage, I was standing by the Greek band who
were also confused by what was going on and I was ready to give them various
cues for music that accompanied each part of the act. I suddenly felt a
presence by my side in the shape of 'Mr Harry' whose eyes were popping out of
his head in amazement. He said "David - what's up with these
people?" I tried to usher him away and whispered "They're
asleep.." to which he replied "What's up - don't they like the
show??"
I collapsed with laughter and tried to regain
my composure and get on with the show which was now reaching the part where
otherwise 'normal' people would be dancing round like ballerinas, playing
instruments, getting hot, cold and fruity with each other! The Greeks were
now in a major state of confusion but loving every minute of this act - some of
them were crossing themselves, convinced that they were witnessing some form of
'black magic' as Edwin steered his 'subjects' through a rollercoaster ride of
different emotions and antics. When they were brought round from their
hypnosis, they had no idea of what they had been up to and it was left to their
friends and family to tell them along with any photographs taken! Edwin
also helped a few people give up smoking although it normally needs a few
intensive sessions of this unusual therapy to have a long lasting effect but it
can work wonders with some people.
........................................................................................................
Another 'spesh' act arrived in Corfu and later
in Tunisia in the form of a lovely entertainer by the name of Trevor Little -
his stage name jokingly contradicting his large frame!
Trevor Little
Trevor was another very experienced
entertainer who had worked the variety circuit- known as 'T.V.s Comedy
Balloonist' and appearing on many top shows. He was a great comedian as
well as being able to manipulate balloons into all manner of strange shapes, so
appealed to all ages. I kept in touch with him for some years after, and
visited him and wife Joan in Barnet where they lived for many years. We
swapped loads of gags and laughs for ages and I found him to be one of the
nicest people you could meet as well as recommending me to a few London based
agents when I was living there. Trevor sadly died a few years ago and I
have fond memories of his very funny act, including the line when he got stopped
by the police on routine breathalyser patrol and was asked to 'blow in the
bag' Trevor replied "Sure- what do you want - a dog, a snake a
giraffe.....?" He was also in demand on the after dinner speaking
circuit as a great storyteller apart from his gift in balloon modelling.
Although he mainly worked a family act, Trevor
could also crank it up and often appeared on 'Gentlemens Evenings' where they
expect stronger material and he went down very well on these shows too. I
recall asking if he used any of his balloon moulding act on these nights and he
replied "Yes - but I use condoms instead!!" He also mentioned
never having done his act on radio -funny man and much missed.
........................................................................................................
EDDIE BUCHANAN
A very versatile entertainer who had learnt
his trade in his native North East with a great voice mixed with very funny
stand-up comedy. Again, bringing real variety to any stage and he enjoyed
his visit to Corfu, which made quite a change to the Newcastle club circuit.
Once again, another entertainer who is no longer with us as he passed away a few years ago and at a fairly young age. Like
many artistes, one who could have made it big but never had the lucky break that
might have seen him become more well known - but that's showbusiness! He
was a regular guest artiste on the Benny Hill TV show and these old series are
still being transmitted around the world despite the pathetic PC brigade being
'offended' at the alleged 'sexist' style - they can all get stuffed!
January 2010
I had a surprise e-mail from Paul Rice who
discovered this page and kindly sent me a couple of great images to add to Eddie
Buchanan's 'tribute' right here.
Eddie Buchanan was well respected and made
some great recordings for CBS under the wing of top producer Nick Risi, who has
kindly given permission to reproduce this studio photograph:
Note: Left to Right on Photo:
Ted Taylor (Musical Associate-Benny Hill
Show)
Eddie Buchanan (Vocalist-Entertainer)
Steve Taylor (Studio Engineer)
Paul writes:
"Nick Risi was introduced to Eddie by Ted
Taylor (Musical Associate of the Benny Hill Show) and produced 13 Titles
with Eddie, which included a few duets with Eddie's wife Susan Wilson, who
also had a very good singing voice. During Eddie's Recording Sessions with
Nick over a period of 2 years, one single was released of 'You Are My
Special Angel' on Pinnacle Records in 1976. All the produced tracks are
owned by Nick Risi who produced in the mid 1970's under Dino Record
Productions.
However, Eddie's best recordings have
never been released as singles such as 'Living It All Again' (this could
have been a hit record) 'Blue on Blue' 'Going Nowhere' 'Step By Step Loving
You' 'World of Surprise' and 'Engagment Waltz'. There was some interference
from a new agent at that time, so Pinnacle decided not to release any
further singles.
Nick Risi was an independent record
producer in Los Angeles in the 1960's Two singles of Pat Powdrill (Solo
Artist and Ikette) are now popular in the Northern Soul Stations 'DO IT'
'Together Forever' (written by Barry White) 'I Can't hear You' and 'They Are
The Lonely' Released on the Downey Label. Nick also produced Jane Canada
(Crusader Label), Micky Mint (Pinnacle Label), Chris Morgan & The Togas in
the USA (Challenge Records Label)."
......................................................................................................................
No - not Charlie Chaplin!!
Ronnie Collis
Ronnie was another versatile act and covered
comedy as well as a nice little routine with a tribute to one of the
greatest clowns of all time as above. With a flickering strobe effect, he
captured the visual aspect of Charlie Chaplin with a mix of the funny walk and
little slapstick routine that was also enjoyed by the Greeks in the
audience! A universal appeal and another nice chap to have known. Like Pat Mooney, we also had some laughs with
Ronnie as (yet again) his surname is very close to another Greek swearword and
I'll leave it to you to find out!
........................................................................................................
Michael Bailey
Another terrific act that appealed to foreign
audiences as well - Michael Bailey, one of the UKs top magicians who has
appeared all over the world and on many top television shows. Slick magic
tricks and illusions mixed with very funny patter went down very well on his
show as well as entertaining a few hotel staff with close-up magic throughout
the daytime. They were gobsmacked and amazed at these card tricks,
disappearing objects and much more. You could see many of them cross
themselves, thinking that these 'powers' came from a heathen source!
Michael has also been president of the Magic Circle of Great Britain and one of
the most respected entertainers in this field as well as being a much sought
after adviser for film and television companies amongst many more spheres of
entertainment.
........................................................................................................
Wout Steenhuis
Wout Steenhuis - one of the finest
multi-instrumentalists in the world! This friendly Dutch entertainer
was well known throughout the Sixties all over Europe and was a firm favourite
with UK audiences too. He played a variety of instruments but mainly
guitars and was a joy to work with as well as impressing the resident musicians
who backed our shows overseas.
He also taught me a few more Dutch phrases,
which I have never forgot and still trot them out when the situation arises!
........................................................................................................
Charlie Williams
One of the funniest entertainers and star of
'The Comedians' who sadly died recently and is much missed by many fans.
Black comedian with the broadest Barnsley accent and cheeky grin as he knocked
out loads of gags - many of which would have the modern day PC brigade in fits
of revolution, unlike Charlie's audiences who were always in fits of
laughter! He was a joy to meet and to to work with, as well as spending
time in chatting to so many holidaymakers through the whole week.
His show packed the main showlounge and I
still recall his opening line "Eeeh - I like it over - it's full of
darkies!!" Funny funny man and the perfect example of defusing any
racial differences by making fun of it all - isn't it strange how tastes have
changed thanks to the political agendas and media manipulation that has helped
divide people. Charlie was a great ambassador and did much more for
our diverse culture than any of the trendy lefties who keep spouting on about
this brand of comedy. I recall having a good chat with him about this very
subject and he just laughed it off in his customary fashion and straight talking
no nonsense Northern way.
........................................................................................................
Another very funny black comedian, from the
same TV show paid a visit and loved every bit of it.
Sammy Thomas
Trademark cigar and a great Northern accent in a similar style to Charlie Williams but with a different cheeky personality that had people in stitches.
I understand that Sammy passed away in 2010 so another great 'turn' has left the
stage.
........................................................................................................
The DeMilles
A real 'spesh' comedy double act featuring
'Reuben the Strong Man' assisted by wife Beryl. Another superb act
from the days of variety and very funny to see how this muscleman was upstaged
by his sidekick as she was the one that tore up telephone books and bent iron
bars! Reuben is sadly no longer with us and I still laugh to think
of watching them in action as well as meeting up a few years after working with
them overseas.
........................................................................................................
Barry Craine
Barry Craine - a very versatile all rounder
with comedy, songs and much more. Also a recognisable face on many TV
adverts over the years - I'm sure he looks familiar to you!
........................................................................................................
Betty Smith
Betty Smith - a real trouper
who had played saxophone with many top
bands as well as carving out a solo career. Lovely lady with a great
personality and played some great music in between some funny patter as well -
you rarely see such variety acts these days. She was a
great musician and funny with it - very well known respected artiste who worked
with many of the top stars throughout the 60s/70s and beyond.
........................................................................................................
Ivor Owen
Ivor Owen - a very funny comedian of the
'old school' variety era from Essex. Good stand-up comedy plus the ukelele
kept audiences laughing over the years and his son Danny Owen has had a very
good career. Ivor also recommended that I join Equity back in 1975 and
acted as a reference too!
........................................................................................................
John Morgan- talented
keyboard/vocals from the West Country.
If you can't read his autograph - a lovely
quote:
"May the goats never propagate on the
tombs of thy ancestors"
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................
Johnny More - One of
the top impressionists from TVs
"Who Do You Do" Very slick act and
worked all over the world
Johnny 'Legs' Burton
A very funny comedian from the North East with
a great mobile face that had them laughing as soon he walked onstage!
Very infectious comedy style and a really nice chap too. I was working in
Minehead back in 2005 and discovered that the venue was managed by Johnny's
daughter! She gave me his phone number and Johnny was gobsmacked to hear
from me after so many years. He was also well chuffed to know that he joined
this list of artistes with whom I worked back in the Seventies. Sadly
Johnny has now passed away and it's been nice to have had e-mails from a few of
his family who are pleased to see that John is still remembered by many 'turns'
who worked with him.
........................................................................................................
Alvis & O'Dell
Tunisia 1975 - Can you imagine what a stir
this great double drag act caused when they arrived! The locals had seen
nothing like it, although the country has always been a fairly relaxed place in
stark contrast to many Arab states! This hilarious London duo had the
audiences in stitches and they really had to water down their usual material as
used on the drag scene around the capital. Likewise - they were followed
by another couple of funny drag guys know as:
The Dumbelles
These two caused a riot around the hotel and
local Arab markets, cracking gags and camping it up to the limit! It was
also a new experience for many holidaymakers of all nationalities who were not
used to drag acts at that time back in the Seventies but were soon won round by
these funny guys and larger than life personalities. Often went walking on
the beach in full drag and certainly startled a few Arabs!!
........................................................................................................
Bob Monkhouse
People often ask me "Who is your favourite
comedian?" Tough question as I like different types of comedy but the much
missed Bob Monkhouse reigns supreme for me and many other entertainers. I
was lucky enough to have worked as a support act when he appeared at Butlins
Pwllhelli during my summer season in 1973 and met him a few years later when I
appeared as a winning contestant on "Wipeout" which he hosted. Great guy -
very friendly and helpful but no longer with us.
........................................................................................................
Roy Castle
Again - another billtopper throughout the 1973 Butlins season and one of the nicest people in the business. Great all
rounder with gags, trumpet, drums and much more. I did a few early cabaret
spots in the main show lounge on several big show nights apart from my own
lounge gig at the Coronation Bar (see other pages) and Roy often popped in for a
quiet drink before his late show. He was very complimentary as regards my
solo vocal comedy act which covered the whole evening and we managed a few chats
in between. Roy was a victim of passive smoking in the old smoky clubs of
yesteryear, not helped by his musical act which needed massive intakes of breath
to blow the trumpet and other instruments. He died from lung cancer
as a direct result, and I've often thought myself lucky not to have had the same
problems after a lifetime in the business, although we have just seen a total
ban on smoking in public places. Sadly too late for the dear Roy Castle.......
........................................................................................................
Ken Dodd
The most amazing act in the business and still
at it after so many years with legendary shows all over the UK. His stage
act often lasts for 3/4 hours of nonstop comedy and songs etc.
Quite an eccentric character on and offstage but one of the funniest acts you
could wish for.
........................................................................................................
photograph courtesy Thames Television
Ken Rose-Opportunity Knocks 1975
I first met Liverpool comedian Ken Rose back
in 1981/82 as he was one of the regular visiting cabaret acts at the Royal Lido
Ballroom in Prestatyn North Wales where I was the resident comedian/compere.
Very funny guy and known as 'The Man in the Suitcase' which has also been
mirrored in my own act as I carry a load of props and gimmicks that keep the
audience guessing at what might come next!
Great stand-up patter man and very visual act
which then launched into his well known 'German' routine as seen above.
Thanks to the emergence of PC (yawn) this type of act would be difficult in
these modern times as it might 'offend' certain people! Many will recall
how Freddie Starr's hilarious routine as a phoney Hitler had everybody laughing
in the aisles just a few years ago and was only an act - part of the
inter-racial banter that has gone on for centuries. Ironically, very few people
seem to forget that Basil Fawlty's 'German' episode was, and still is one of the
funniest acceptable clips some 30 odd years later! There is also a
widespread knowledge that Freddie 'borrowed' Ken Rose's routine from the Sixties
although several acts have featured similar ideas - not forgetting fellow
Scouser Stan Boardman who also established himself with his cheeky Scouse humour
plus having a go at 'dem Geeermans' Back in the 80s, I also included a
Freddie Starr 'Adolf' routine and never had any problems with it - even from the
odd German in the audience!
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS- SPOT THE FOREIGN SPY!
Paper Lace (light suits) with Carlo Santana in black
Next to Ken on the right is 'poet' Pam Ayres and singer Tony Monopoly
Ken Rose 'retired' from the comedy game a few
years ago but now runs a very successful entertainments agency in the North West
so bringing years of experience into play as he knows exactly what the client
wants. His website:
http://dev.kenrose.co.uk/
His son Bernard is a well established
professional commercial photographer and has a superb website with loads of
terrific Liverpool photos and much more:
http://www.bernardrosephotography.co.uk/home.php
..................................................................................
VALENTINO
Some years ago I bumped into a fellow 'turn' on a few
Eastern Mediterranean cruises as guest comedian on the usual 2 week turnaround
basis. Sailing out of Limassol Cyprus and enjoying the shows plus some great
port visits in Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. I also met some
wonderful passengers including a guy and his wife Lynne who stood out from
the crowd in their manner and chic clothes - I guessed 'showbiz' people and we
got on really well. I have kept in touch with them ever since. What amazed me is that there are so many talented artistes who some how never
get 'discovered' or make a bigger name in the entertainment game. However-
many of them have very successful careers in other countries and happen to have
known and worked with several artistes mentioned on this and other webpages so I
asked if I could add the name of Valentino to my 'Turns' page so here it is!
Stage name of Valentino and started off as very young Irish musical protege by the
name of Jackie Farne who has had an incredible career- especially in Las Vegas
where he appeared alongside some of the biggest names in the game as well as
being good pals with many of these real stars.
Jackie should write his own book as he has
travelled the world with his unique talents on the keyboard and unique upgraded
electronic accordion (Cordovox) which both featured innovative sounds as well as
being delivered as real stage show. He sent me a few of his many publicity
photos and write-ups so enjoy reading about this extremely talented individual.
Then you'll probably think along the same lines as me- how come so many mediocre
'acts' seem to make it big, with very little talent. It's all down to a
mixture of hype, promotion and underhand ways to 'push' some artistes onto an
unsuspecting TV audience. Only a few years ago- the 'ordinary' public used
to sit on their sofas and watch talented people on their TVs. Sadly- these
days one has talented people sitting on their sofas and watching 'ordinary'
people make prats of themselves thanks to that dreaded heading of 'Reality TV'.
Reminds me of a good story when a particular 'unknown' comedian came offstage
after a terrific show that had the room in stitches and was at the bar having a
well deserved drink. A chap comes up and congratulates him on a great show
and says "Why the hell aren't you on the telly?" Comic: "I
can't cook.........."
VALENTINO with just a few of his many LPS
and gold discs (USA)
Around The World With
Valentino; Contrasts; The Best Of Valentino; Anniversary; To The One I Love;
Valentino – King of The Music Live in Las Vegas.
International entertainer Valentino is one of the
entertainment industries most colourful performers, and here is his story…
"Just when I thought I’d seen and heard everything,
along comes a musician with an act and a sound so awesome, so incredible, so
spectacular it just knocked my socks off. Nobody looks like him, plays like
him or sounds like him. Ladies and gentlemen it gives me the greatest
pleasure to introduce you to the incredible talent and musicianship of
Valentino"…............................ Sammy Davis Jnr introducing
Valentino on stage in Las Vegas.
Irish-born Jackie Farn won 'Opportunity
Knocks' at the age of eleven. His very first professional engagement was at
the age of sixteen at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin on The Joseph Locke
Show. He made his British TV debut on The Val Doonican Show for the BBC.
Also on the same show making his first TV appearance was another Irish
entertainer, the comedian Dave Allen. Other TV shows followed including The
Black and White Minstrel Show, Crackerjack, International Cabaret from the
Talk of The Town, with Kenneth Williams, and appearances on The Wheeltappers
and Shunters Club, with Bernard Manning and Colin Crompton.
........................................................................
Jackie recalls: "I was born in Mullingar,
County Westmeath. When I was about ten I won the junior section of the very
first All Ireland Accordion Championships in 1953. Ivor Benyon was the
adjudicator. Until then I was self-taught on the accordion. The winner of
the Adult section of the competition was Vincent Campbell then became my
teacher. I was part of the showband era. In fact I was on the same show when
the Waterford Show Band did their very first gig In Waterford. They had only
just formed and of course they were the very first showband and started the
whole craze. That show was organized by Peter Walsh, who later went on to
manage The Tremeloes, Marmalade, Chicago, and many other bands. (It was
Peter who later organized the camel stunt down Regent Street in London many
years later!).
I toured just about all the ballrooms in
Ireland after that. When I was at school in Westland Row in Dublin I started
a Ceilidh band (called the Jackie Farn Trio) and we did lots of gigs playing
for dances in and around Dublin and recorded an album for the Eamonn Andrews
Studios in Dublin".
........................................................................
Jackie first burst on to the entertainment
scene at the very beginning of Irish television (RTE) when he introduced the
Cordovox to Irish audiences. The first instrumentalist to appear on Irish
television, he soon clocked up over 200 appearances. Sell out tours of Irish
ballrooms soon followed, and also appearances with Jimmy Shand and the late
American C & W singer Jim Reeves. The Jackie Farn fan club was then formed
by a group of teenage fans which quickly swelled to twenty two thousand in
it’s first year.
He then headed to London where be became
the very first instrumentalist to appear at the famous Astor Club in
Berkeley Square where he appeared six times in one year. He also became the
first male artiste to appear at the famous Paul Raymond Revue Bar in Soho.
The following years saw him perform in summer seasons at Blackpool, Great
Yarmouth and Torquay, with Val Doonican, Freddie and the Dreamers, Frank
Ifield and Arthur Askey, as well as Sunday concerts with Shirley Bassey,
Gracie Fields and Tom Jones. World tours soon followed with appearances at
all the major venues including the London Palladium, Royal Albert Hall,
Royal Festival Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Las Vegas and the Maple Leaf Gardens in
Toronto, with such famous entertainers as Frank Sinatra, Engelbert
Humperdinck, Sammy Davis Jnr., Bob Hope, Liberace and The Beatles.
When he signed as a recording artiste for
E.M.I. Jackie had a ‘name transplant’ and became known as Valentino. Two LPs
followed with E.M.I. and he then released a Quadrophonic album under the Pye
label. The following year he set up his own record company which produced
twelve albums. He had massive success which resulted in three gold, three
silver and three platinum discs. Over the years he has had many custom-made
instruments including his famous four channel 'Synthaccordion' his
Quadraphonic surround sound Elkavox, and his amazing white electric piano,
which was custom made for him in Japan by Yamaha.
Recently interviewed on BBC Essex radio he
said: "Showbusiness has to be the greatest job in the world. Over the years
I have had the pleasure of entertaining and becoming friends with Dukes and
Earls, Kings and Queens, politicians and film stars and some of the greatest
entertainers in the world. I have such mixed emotions when I hear a record
on the radio by someone like Liberace or Dusty Springfield. I’m sad they are
no longer with us but immensely proud to have worked with them and known
them as a good friend. I’d known Dusty since the days when I was a Butlins
Redcoat at the Metropole Hotel in Blackpool and she was working on the North
Pier in a group called The Springfields. Little did I realize then when I
met her that she would become a world class star on her own.
I was first introduced to Liberace while I
was a student at Dublin University studying for my Bachelor of Music degree
and my teacher Dr. John F. Larchet took me to the Theatre Royal in Dublin to
see Liberace in concert. After the show he took me backstage to meet the
great man. Up until then I wanted to be a musician. After seeing Liberace
perform I wanted to be an entertainer. He helped me with my career and
introduced me to many influential people in the music industry in America.
Not only was he the highest paid and greatest entertainer in the world but
he was the nicest person as well. I never heard him say a bad word about
anyone and I’ve never heard anyone who knew him say a bad word about him.
That says it all really.
"Not only have I had the thrill of working
in some of the most fabulous venues like the Prince Of Wales Theatre and The
Theatre Royal Drury Lane but also the White House in Washington. I did a
benefit concert there once and Frank Sinatra was the guest of honour in the
audience. There wasn’t a band so all the acts had to be self-contained. At
the end of the show all the acts were lined up on stage to meet President
Carter and the audience started cheering and asking for Frank to sing a
song. He came up on stage and I suddenly realized that I was the only one
there to play for him. He looked at me and said ‘My Way, in D’. I started
playing the intro thinking ‘I’d better get this right otherwise I’ll end up
with a horse’s head on my pillow in the morning!’. Anyway it went great and
the audience went crazy when Frank had finished. He said "Listen folks, next
time I go on tour, forget the Count Basie orchestra, I’m taking this guy
with me" pointing to me. It was one of the proudest moments of my life and
the start of a long friendship".
"No two weeks are ever the same in this
business. One week I would be doing a performance at the London Palladium
and the next week I’d be working for the government entertaining the R.A.F.
on the tiny island of Gan in the Indian Ocean. I’ve worked in a circus ring,
in a boxing ring and even in a field but the most unusual gig was when I
worked for the United Nations entertaining the troops in the Congo in
Africa. All the cinemas and theatres had been burned down or looted so the
only place to do the show was on out in the open on a runway with the troops
sitting on the ground while we did our show under the wing of an aeroplane
to shade us from the sun".
"But no matter where the venue is all that
matters is playing my music and making people happy. The largest audience I
have ever worked to was during a tour of Canada when I worked the Maple Leaf
Gardens to 23,000 people. The smallest audience was when a Saudi prince
booked me to perform my show just for him. He had seen me on the TV show
Blue Peter demonstrating one of my latest electric accordion and telephoned
the B.B.C. after the show to ask to speak to me. It was the weirdest thing,
just him sitting there and me doing a one and three quarter hour show for
him. As it happened it went really well, and was a financial pleasure as
they say!. I told this story once to Liberace and he said he had a similar
experience before he was famous. He was working in a small hotel playing
piano in the lounge bar when a TV producer came to see him work. As luck
would have it there were just two people in the audience that night. Lee
thought it would be a disaster but afterwards the producer offered him his
own TV series. He explained that the average TV viewer was just one or two
people sitting at home in a bed-sit watching the television. So if you could
come across to just one or two people successfully then you had what it
takes to entertain the whole world."
When asked by the radio interviewer what
his ambition was Valentino replied: "My ambition is always to have
ambition".
The world’s press has hailed him as "the
world’s greatest keyboard entertainer", "Liberace with a Guinness flavour",
and Tommy Kane('Raising Kane') of the Stage and Television To-Day wrote "One
of the greatest thrills for any critic is to witness an entertainer who is
supreme at his or her craft. Such an entertainer is Valentino". After his
one man show in Las Vegas he was hailed by the Vegas press as the "King of
the Music", a title he has used ever since for his show.
Valentino- the Fifth Beatle? Their first
tour - Dublin
Recent mail from Jackie(Jan 2011)
The BeatlesWe played cinemas in
those days and had to arrive early afternoon otherwise we would never get
near the place. The crowds were unbelievable and the screaming was something
else. You couldn't hear the music, drowned out with the screams. As soon as
the curtain came down at the end of the concert all of us (the Beatles and
the whole cast) were quickly bundled into the back of a Post Office van and
driven a breakneck speed away from the cinema to a hotel. During the tour I
got to know their manager Brian Epstein very well. He said I was wasting my
time in Ireland and advised me to move to the UK. He promised to use me on
his shows if I did. Shortly after I moved to London and true to his word he
booked me for loads of concerts, among them several at The Prince of Wales
in London with Dusty Springfield.
Next time I met up with the 'Fab
Four' was when I made my very first L.P. for EMI at Abbey Road called
Valentino on Studio Two in Stereo with a forty piece orchestra and the Mike
Samme Singers with various famous conductors including Alan Ainsworth,
Robert Farnon and Brian Fahey. I arrived at the session really early in
order to practice and get used to the beautiful concert grand piano they had
at Studio one. When I opened the studio door there was a thick "fog" hanging
in the air. It smelled rather strange to an innocent young chap like me. In
the monitor room were The Beatles and their recording manager George Martin
as well as an engineer. They had been recording all night and were listening
to some of the tracks they had recorded. I sat for ages listening and
chatting. It was only in later years that I realised I had been fortunate
and privileged to hear some of their most famous tracks before anyone else
in the world ever did.
As it happened I was doing a
Beatles number on my album called 'All My Loving 'interwoven with a Beatles
medley arrangement that I had arranged. So I played it to them. They were
tickled pink and most impressed as at that time no-one had done anything
like that before with their music. I still remember the twinkle in Paul's
eye and the big grin on his face when he heard how I had interwoven so many
of their tunes together around the main song All My Loving. He was really
chuffed.
Later the members of the orchestra
began to arrive for my session. The opened all the studio doors and went
around waving their sheet music in the air trying to get rid of the strange
"fog". They later told me it was one of the "happiest" sessions they had
ever experienced! It's worth noting that we recorded the whole album in one
day, three hours in the morning, break for lunch and three hours in the
afternoon. Nowadays they can sometimes take years!
Met up with them lots of times over
the years. The last time I saw John was four months before he was murdered.
Lyne and I were with our American agent Phil Shapiro in his office at West
57th Street in New York when he mentioned that John was just over the road
in another building so we all popped over and had a chat for over an hour.
Little did we know....
Thats it for now, hope it is of some use.
Cheers for now,
Jackie.
I am indebted to Jackie for sharing just a few
of his amazing memories and please return to this page now and then for updates
plus more fascinating glimpses into the world of showbusiness.
June 2012
Had a message from Jackie who had just been
told that one of his many TV appearances was on You Tube. Great clip from
the very popular 'Wheeltappers and Shunters Club from 1975- a studio mock-up of
a Northern Working Mans Club featuring many super 'turns'. The 'compere'
was Bernard Manning who introduced each act- not always favourably but kept
'clean' for family viewing-unlike his own legendary Embassy Club on a Manchester
bombsite! He was assisted by the 'concert chairman' played by the very
funny Colin Crompton sat in his box, cloth cap, fag in hand and ringing the big
bell to 'keep order' etc.
Go to this great clip to see a little of
Valentinos' amazing talent- he also featured an incredible high tech keyboard
with many innovative sound effects that resulted in standing ovations all over
the world and especially in Las Vegas where he was based for many years.
http://youtu.be/tKamV1ETdX4
October 2012
At last-you can read more about one of our
great 'unknown' entertainers on his new website:
www.kingofthemusic.com
Be amazed by the sounds and innovations that have taken Valentino around the
world plus many of the real 'superstars' that he has worked with.
..............................................................................................................................................................
JOHNNY MANS
Another great 'turn' in the 1970s was a good
looking young comic by the name of Johnny Mans, whose appearance on 'Opportunity
Knocks' launched him into much bigger things and a great career that took him
all over the UK and overseas. He was one of the many 'turns' booked by Thomson
Holidays at that time and more or less a 'paid' holiday in return for a couple
of shows in the resorts that I had been placed 1973-1975 in Tunisia and Corfu.
Some 'name' acts were paid a slight fee on top of the holiday or had extra
family/friends added on so it was great way to see British artistes in
action in this way. In fact, I take some of the credit in the whole idea of
visiting artistes- leading to decades of 'flybacks' plus the ever growing cruise
market that sees UK entertainers flown out to all corners of the globe to join
massive liners in various ports. I was the first professional resident
entertainer booked by Thomson Holidays via my then manager/agent Garry Brown who
was also the main booker for Cunard ships and much more over many years.
This followed my successes at two Butlins seasons at Bognor and Pwllhelli in
1972 and 1973 before going to Tunisia in the autumn of that year (see my 'Early
Years' webpage via Site Map)
There were a great couple of Thomson directors
- Phil Morrell and Brian Bament, who met with me to gain an insight into the
variety side and the club acts working across the UK. After picking my
brains and listening to my suggestions, they then organised various agents to
book suitable acts who were flown out to the resorts. Most were very good
professional acts, whilst others were less than satisfactory but maybe not
'vetted' enough. My job was to act as comedian/compere and produce a
full evening show , working with resident bands- a mix of Italian, French and
local musicians in Tunisia and Corfu. I had to rewrite some of the UK
musical arrangements- mostly guitar parts in the 'do-re-mi' style as opposed to
our 'A B C' form of notation but the keyboard players were good sight readers
for the main parts. We rehearsed the musical sides of any artiste's act
and after my own warm-up set and/or supporting artistes, I introduced the main
act then jumped behind the keyboard player, acting as M.D. as I was able to read
basic music and frantically conducting the band through each bar of the song!
The comedians had little problems with the stand-up side but needed the musical
side to be right and we generally scraped through on every show, with a few
hiccups, restarts etc but the audience were well aware of how it all worked and
very impressed with the foreign bands that enjoyed this new experience.
Luckily, my basic French, Greek and even Arabic came in handy as we backed each
artiste and I communicated with the musicians- a few swearwords flew about the
stage on the odd occasion but few picked them up.........
Back to Johnny Mans-like many of these
artistes on this 'Turns' page, I kept in touch with quite a few over the years
after I had settled back in the UK in 1975 and Johnny was then gradually moving
into the management side as the club scene and TV outlets were slowing down for
variety artistes. He is now one of the leading names in the business and
just take a look at his own website to see the wealth of big names that he has
been booking or managing in recent times- including the late Norman Wisdom, Max Bygraves
and many more but sadly having many of these big talents pass away.
Prepare to be amazed..............
http://www.johnnymansproductions.co.uk/
I recently asked Johnny about his incredible
collection of photos taken over the decades as he has worked with or booked so
many stars, and I thought it would be good to share a few on this variety page
that offers a flavour of a 'golden age' before the doom and gloom of
'alternative' comedy and music came creeping in during the Eighties etc.
Many a 'new' younger act sneered at 'mainstream' artistes but maybe this was
just youthful arrogance, generation gap and a lack of respect. The older acts
had learnt their trades and often travelling all over the place including the
tough Northern Club circuit- a great training ground that no longer exists. Most
'new' comics seem to fast track from a university background, via Edinburgh
Fringe or straight into TV where their peers become producers so quite a 'cosy'
way to make the big time. Anyway- enough of this- lets enjoy a few more
great images and memories from Johnny Mans and I will add more info on these
photos in the near future as I need to have another long phone chat with him!
Just for now- basic captions but many do not need any words as the stars
are instantly recognisable.....
A young Johnny Mans and 'proper' job as a
Royal Mail Telegram Boy!
Butlins with Al 'Matchstick' Dean
1970s promotional photo
.......................................................................................................................................................................
Then moving into management with many of the
top names in showbusiness as below:
Jackie Trent and Tony Hatch 'Mr & Mrs Showbiz'
Hinge and Bracket
Our Cilla
Larry (Shut that door) Grayson
Jim 'Nick Nick' Davidson
Stephen Lewis ('Blakey') On The Buses
Roger De Courcey and Nookie Bear
Matt Monro
Syd Wright ('Fool at the Xylophone) Matt
Monro
Clinton Ford
Robin Gibb (Dusty Springfield Heritage plaque)
Coronation street stars 'Frank Foster' (Andrew Lancel)
'Dennis Tanner' (Philip Lowrie)
Des O'Connor
Mike Read David 'Diddy' Hamilton
3 'legends' ! Danny La Rue Johnny Mans
Norman Wisdom
One of many charitable organisations that
Johnny Mans is associated with.
He also publishes a great Variety magazine
'Encore' - available as hard copy or by .pdf download, as well as a very
cost-effective way to advertise!
ENCORE Xmas 2014 issue
http://www.johnnymansproductions.co.uk/
............................................................................................................................
Many of my webpages are focussed on my
Southampton 60s music background and you may have read some of them by now?
If not- take a look via the Site Map link and I have recently had an e-mail from
Paul Puig who started out with London based 60s bands then into the 'cabaret'
scene of the 70s followed by acting work etc. he married a Southampton girl and
has been living in the area for the last few years. He naturally
discovered my website through the music side and this is his mail plus more
great photos.
I began playing the guitar and singing in the early 1960’s when I was still
at school. I formed my own band and performed my first gig in 1963. In 1966
I embarked upon a six month tour of Spain with a band called Lee Grant and
the Capitals, where we had a hit record and performed on Radio Barcelona.
Over the years I have worked with several more bands of my own and other
people’s. I had a record release in 1969 under the name of Norman Conquest.
In the 1970’s I performed in cabaret, working with my own acts and with The
Voyagers. During this period we toured extensively throughout the U.K.,
Europe, The Middle and Far East and Australia. We toured with Bob Monkhouse
for two years. We performed in many theatres, including The London Palladium
and The Victoria Palace with most of the established stars of the era such
as, Tommy Copper, Norman Wisdom, Frankie Vaughan, Harry Secombe etc., and
some visiting American artistes such as Jack Jones. We also performed on
Radio and TV.
I have also tried my hand at acting and have had parts in programmes like
Rumpole of the Bailey, East Enders, The Bill etc. and in several plays
including: Loot as Inspector Truscott, Blood Brothers as Mickey and
Caucasian Chalk Circle as Azdak the Judge.
In recent years I have rather let my musical career slip as from 1998 I was
working in TV production on The Bill where I was in charge of all on screen
vehicles, appearing in the show at times, until it’s demise in 2010.
I am a Londoner and moved to Southampton in 2007. Paul Puig
Norman Conquest (Paul Puig)
The Voyagers
Paul Puig Jason Carol
Voyagers On Variety Tour- Dora Bryan at
piano
L-R David Jacobs ? Paul Puig
Carol(Voyagers) Larry Martyn Patrick Cargill,Jason (Voyagers) Kenneth
McKellar, Dickie Henderson
PGP- supplying vehicles for 'The Bill' etc
.................................................................................................................................................................
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