lebeatbespoke4

THE EXCELLOS (UK)

The band came together as a result of a shared passion for 1950's rockin' blues, Influenced by artists like: Elmore James, Little Walter, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Frankie Lee Sims, Slim Harpo, Tarheel Slim, Lazy Lester and countless other blues artists from the 50's and early 1960s. Other notable influences are Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Charlie Feathers, Sam Phillips, Bob Dylan.

The band members are:
Vocals ,Harmonica,guitar: Craig Shaw
Rhythm guitar and double bass: Adam wakefield
Drums: Trev TC Collins
Rhythm guitar:  Paul Sheahan

We have been friends for many years and we have all been in and around the London  Rockin' Scene for the best part of thirty odd years , we came together initially for a Jam session approx six months ago,we realised we had hit upon  a sound that we all liked and recognised as a strong rockin' blues style reminiscent of the 1950's blues artists so we decided to do a few gigs for fun.

We have all been in bands before: Adam wakefield,Craig Shaw,Paul Sheahan, were all founder members of the Rockabilly band the Bopshack stompers, this band are still gigging today. Craig Shaw is also currently gigging with his own band The Illuminators and they  have just released their first album. Trev TC Collins was previously the drummer in Rockabilly band The Western bops. We formed the Excellos  because we all share a passion for rockin' blues music, we play music to dance to and hope that people will enjoy it?! As Dr Ross says sling that doctor over here, I got the boogie disease !!! 

MIKEY COLLINS (GLASGOW)

Been into the whole mod way of life since a very young age and like lots of people in my age group it was through being a fan of The Jam. I was always into buying records but probably started collecting seriously from the age of 17-18. I'm not into the tag of being a DJ, I just buy the records that I like and have done for many years and tend to be a fan of all the classic tunes. I've got a wide taste in music but favour soul and r'n'b but also collect funk, beat, ska etc. First experience of playing in a club was at the Polish Club in Glasgow in the late eighties. I've spun records at clubs up and down the country and had a few guest spots in Europe since then. I'm co promoter and resident DJ at Scotlands Premier Mod Club, Friday Street in Glasgow (last Friday every month). Also resident at Soul Sunday every week with live band The Five Aces (formerly Boogaloo Investigators). Highlight of the year north of the border is always the Glasgow Mod Weekender which once again takes place this year between 29th June - 2nd July. I enjoy watching football (Glasgow Celtic), and fine wines and art galleries (aye right!!!). Looking forward to playing at Le Beat Bespoké 4 as I always enjoy my time in London and have many good friends there to catch up with.

Some tunes that I've been playing over the past few months, in no particular order, include:

1. Bro Robert - Alcohol (Jo Ann)
2. Barbara Redd - I'll Be Alone (S.P.Q.R.)
3. Juggy - Oily - (Sue)
4. Hal Frazier - After Closing Time (Reprise)
5. The Chandlers - Your Love Makes Me Lonely (Col Soul)
6. Gloria Scott - What Am I Gonna Do (Casablanca)
7. Jean Wells - What Have I Got To Lose (Calla)
8. Jo Ann Henderson - Baby Please Don't Go (Phonograph)
9. Donna Colman - Your Loves Too Strong (Avin)
10. Tony Colton - I Stand Accused (Pye)

MIK PARRY n GAV ARNO (POW WOW)

MIK
Mik is both shy and almost retiring, and likes nothing better than a night in with his
pipe and slippers in front of the gogglebox, and a good early night!

CURRENT PLAYS :
Tip Top Modernist Sounds on the rare but quality side

Willie J Charles - Feelin kinda lonesome (Glad-hamp)
Bill Mcafee - I don't know why (Galaxy)
Rod Andrea - if it's loving you want (cobra)
Jack Hammer - Ode To A Discotheque (Polydor)
Johnathan Capri - Gonna build a mountain (Ox-bow)

GAV
In First became a Mod in 1984 via the usual school route of the time. Started going to do's & rallies in 1988. In the early 1990's me & 3 friends started organising Mod do's under the banner of 'Hipster Image RnB Club'. Mid 1990's became resident DJ along with my good mate Mike Parry at the Leadmill in Sheffield under the club name The Sound Suite & later Shaken not Stirred playing 60's funk, boogaloo etc. that lasted approx 6 years. Then became resident at Sheffield Brighton Beach with Gav Needham. Started doing the Pow Wow Club with Mike & Steve Millington in January 06.
Always looking for new tunes & collect most genres of Mod music. Really hard to have a top 10 but here are 10 of my current plays in no particular order:

CURRENT PLAYS :
1. Otis Blackwell - Let the Daddy hold you - Jay-Dee
2. Nat Wright - Run Sonny Run - Petal
3. Joyce Bond - Mrs Soul - Airborne
4. Young Jessie - Brown Eyes - Vanessa
5. Suzy Jane Hokom - Need all the help I can get - MGM
6. Al Pinckney - Coasting - Pa Go Go
7. Marvel & the Blue Mats - Dance called the Motion - Dynamic Sound
8. Shardells - Black Crack - Music Forum
9. Saxie Russell - El Monkey - Ran-Dee
10. Ambertomes - Clap Your Hands - Rayjack

CHRIS DALE (CATFORD)

Catford ‘Chris’ Dale has been a long respected fixture on the British Modernist Scene for many many years. A decent chap indeed and not one to "push himself to the fore"! Little is known about him apart from his strange hobby of collecting doormats? He drives a Rolls Royce and likes a good curry!

CURRENT PLAYS :
Don’t really like compiling lists these days, theres lists everywhere! Just come along and have a dance and a listen!

SPEED (UK)

Initially inspired to “do something” by ‘79 Mod Revival at the tender age of 14, Speed went on to attend practically every significant U.K. Mod event from the mid. ‘80s to the present day. A keen, if not unhealthy, interest in the more obscure and exotic British Beat / R&B, Psychedelic and (‘sixties) Rock records, made it inevitable that he would be asked to D.J: this he has been doing for more than 15 years, initially with the “Rhythm & Soul Set”, but most notably for the “New Untouchables”, with whom he’s been a member of the D.J. team since ‘day one’. Speed has played at most of the “Mousetrap” allnighters in London, and has been a ‘fixture’ (he doesn’t dance much!) at U.K. weekenders / rallies too. He has also made regular appearances at many London club nights and parties over the years, and indeed is better known socially in the South than in his Nottinghamshire hometown. Apart from the club scene, Speed’s interests include working on his Lambrettas, smoking for England and being quiet. 
When not playing music, he releases it, working most hours of most days (since 1999!) for Circle Records, who have the pleasure helping to produce the Le Beat Bespoké series of albums.
Responsible for a few of the more ‘unusual’ dancefloor hits, Speed still makes time to play the older / classic sounds. It will give him great pleasure, no doubt, to meet-up with you all, and to play both yours and his own record choices, at what will no doubt be another very special event!

Film:  Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

Book:  Suedehead – Richard Allen

Five Favoured Sounds                                             
The New Colony Six – You’re Gonna Be Mine                               
The Music Machine – Double Yellow Line
The Yardbirds – Stroll On
Find The Hidden Door – The Misunderstood
Big Bird – Eddie Floyd

 

PID (UK)

1st dj'd in late 80s 88 i think it was, cause no one else wanted to .The outrigger with dj Tony Reynolds had finished and there was nowhere else so took up resedency at a pub called the turks head on sundays playing mainley latin, jazz & soul. That lasted about 6 months before moving to a place called Synatras on tuesdays, sometimes would have the odd band on. Steve Craddocks & the boys played there a few times as did JTQ. From there it was onto the Royal George in Digbeth a basement r&b club. had some good nights down there. I was at the george for about 3 years till about 92 around this time that I started djing for the Untouchables. Easter on the pier in Hastings, went on my scooter, took about 3 days to get there I think. Great rally that was.Back then most djs on the mod seen were expected to play a mixed bag you know a bit of beat, soul, jazz, blues, latin, etc and thats how I have stayed, jack of all trades master of none so to speak Still djying for the New Untouchables. Back in brum I DJ for squeek at his looking back nights at the Windsor and most recently at club sweat in the 60s r&b room. Heres a few toons i've been playing recently. ps remember if you want to look smart never wear what you feel comfortable in!
Cheers Pid...

CURRENT PLAYS :
jimmy mcgriff - jungle cat
moss tolbert - money in my pocket
erma franklin - i dont want no mamas boy
ted taylor - miss you so
clarence wheeler & the enforcers - mighty burner

LITTLE CARL (Rockin’ the UK)

DJing since the age of 14 when asked to guest at a club in Luton. Brought up on Rock 'n' Roll through parents that were regulars on the scene from the 60's.
Had  residencies in local clubs in the early 90's including the Horn Of  Plenty in St. Albans in 1993. That year got my first 'London  Break' through Jerry Chattabox at the Camden Workers. From there had regular stints at the 'Tennessee' and co-run the 'Rocknrollabillyblues' club in north London.  This led onto working at many clubs run by Mouse (Dingwalls), Cosmic Keith (Boston Arms), Jerry Chattabox (Rockabilly Rave) and others. Currently a regular DJ at London's Hillbilly Hop,  Ace Cafe London and Dingwalls Rock 'n' Roll Club in Camden.  Also DJ weekender's the Rockabilly Rave, Hemsby, Speedfreaks in the UK and Great Shakin Fever in Portugal and Viva Las Vegas in the USA.
A DJ who plays music from bands that are on the scene today right back to the classic floor-fillers. Favours all Wild Rock 'n' Roll, Rockabilly, Blues and Instumentals!

Top 5
1 Do me no wrong – Pat Cupp
2 Matchbox - Carl Perkins
3 I'm coming home – Carl Mann
4 Nervous Breakdown – Eddie Cochran
5 Psycho – Sonics

THE GOOD TIME CHARLIES

The Good Time Charlies were formed from the ashes of 60’s Garage kings The Green Hornets and Link Wray/Dick Dale lovers TV21 in the autumn of 2000. They formed through a love of The Ramones, The Supersuckers, The Rolling Stones and 60’s Garage rock and they have been on a mission to rule and not suck ever since. The following years have seen The Good Time Charlies release 3 albums, a self titled debut, “It aint rocket science” and “Gentlemen Letting off Steam”. The debut album was released on their own label in 2002, it was recorded by Mark Pennington of The Caravans in his own basement studio. The 2nd “ It aint rocket science” was recorded in Reading over 2 weekends, one in the summer whilst being plagued by wasps and again in the winter with snow everywhere. It was released on the French label Zero Control from Toulouse and thanks to this saw The Good Time Charlies travel to the land of Jaques Dutronc to play their “best gig ever” in Toulouse and 5 nights in a row as part of the Printemps de ville in Bourges. They have since been back to France 4 times each time better received than the last. When they are not working day jobs for “the Man” they have managed to play with some cool bands MC5, Jet, The D4, The Warlocks, Gold Blade, UK Subs, The Mooney Suzuki and Patty Hurst Shifter. In 2007 The Good Time Charlies  released their 4h  LP ( Pillars of the Community ), on Not on your Radio records, it was recorded from May/Dec 2006 in Portsmouth and they will be turning up late to a venue near you soon! Be nice to them, they do respond well to petting and in return they will punk Rock n roll your world!

MARK RAISON (MR SHAKE)

I've spent two-thirds of my life wandering the mod path with frequent detours down its side streets and dark alleys. From an enthusiastic youth to a still-enthusiastic-but-harder-to-tell chap, I've dabbled in all parts of the scene. From writing fanzines 'Round Midnight and Something Has Hit Me; to promoting bands; attempting to manage bands; singing in the mighty garage combo The Electric Fayre; putting on clubs including Freak Scene, Magic Bus, The Carousel Club, Orange Sunshine,and Shake!; writing sleevenotes for Reg King releases on Circle Records; and, in fitter times, tucked away the odd goal for the New Untouchables and Lovejoys football teams. I'm currently dragging my box of R&B humdingers around the UK and Europe to spread some Monkey Magic. Expect some current biggies, lesser-known beauties, a fair sprinkling of semi-forgotten babies and all-time classics. I also like the poetry of Charles Bukowski and dislike the taste of cheese.

Five tunes out the current box:

The Dippers - Goin' Ape
Sugar Boy Williams - Little Girl
King Coleman - Black Bottom Blues
Aretha Franklin - Tighten Up Your Tie, Button Up Your Jacket
Jesse Pearson - I Got A Feelin' I'm Fallin'

ADY CROASSDEL (UK)

Ady Croasdell aka Harboro Horace was an aspiring mod in 1966 when he fell in love with music of all kinds. Though mainly going to underground and psychedelic gigs, he loved black music (initially country blues) and heard classic Stax, Atlantic and Motown singles played at the local dances where his Market Harborough mod/skinhead gang went. An "Old Soul" all nighter in a disused railway station in the middle of the countryside (not even near the village), which he happened on by chance in 1969, lead to a love and interest in Mid-60s soul sides. He started collecting, then dealing (records not pills), then promoting then DJing, then record compiling for Kent in 1982. He has run the 6TS at the 100 Club soul all nighters for 28 years and the 6TS Northern Soul weekender for 15. www.6ts.info

Top 5 current spins:

Luther Ingram - Oh Baby Don't You Weep

Jackie Day - Get To Steppin

Ben E King - Gettin' To Me

The Quotations - I Wanna Thank You baby

JJ Barnes - It's Alright To Cry