Where were the South East London mod clubs?
A friend (Mick H.) has told me that he used to go El Partido club in Lewisham (8-10 Lee High Road) in the 1960s, a place he remembers being frequented mainly by young Jamaicans as well as some local white mods. King Ossie Sound played out there regularly. Other guests included Jimmy Cliff and the Duke Reid Sound System from Jamaica (both in 1966) and Bo Diddley in 1965.
George Austin recalls at Ska2Soul: 'music was a mix of Ska, Blue Beat and American Soul/Motown. The Club was on two floors, it had a small stage and very low ceilings just the place for live acts. Usually with two sound systems, one on each floor. Upstairs Duke Reid played with his home made sound system tucked away in a small corner, it was a large box, stood about chest height, which housed the amp with a single record deck on top. It had a selection of small lights on the front. The sound was turned down at the end of each record as it was removed and replaced with another disc, a large record box stocked with the latest sounds stood by the side, it's lid open displaying the contents. Speakers stacked up to the ceiling in each open room, pumping out the sound, using about 200 watts. The smell of hash in the air people dancing everywhere'.
There was also the Savoy Rooms in Catford (75 Rushey Green), originally a 1950s ballroom and known in the 1960s as the Witchdoctor. In the 70s it was renamed Mr Smiths, and I've also seen it referred to as the Black Cat - a later incarnation? The Rolling Stones, The Who (April 1966) and Desmond Dekker (1969) all played there. There is a delightful poem called The Savoy Rooms by Marie Marshall, in which she recalls being 'thirteen trying for sixteen in the court of the mohair miniskirt'. In March 1966, a man was shot dead in the club in a gangland battle involving members of the Richardson gang (including Frankie Fraser)
I've also seen mention of the Glenlyn ballroom in Forest Hill (15 Perry Vale - later Crystals Snooker Club) - the Kinks, Stones, Byrds and The Who all played there too.
Interested if anyone's got any memories of these or other places - happy to host any scanned photos, flyers or newspaper clippings people may have lying around too.
See related posts:
The Who in South London
The Mistrale Club in Beckenham - 1960s/1970s
The Green Man in Blackheath - 1960s jazz, r'n'b and Manfred Mann
The Fellowship Inn in Bellingham
Soul City record shop in Deptford
A friend (Mick H.) has told me that he used to go El Partido club in Lewisham (8-10 Lee High Road) in the 1960s, a place he remembers being frequented mainly by young Jamaicans as well as some local white mods. King Ossie Sound played out there regularly. Other guests included Jimmy Cliff and the Duke Reid Sound System from Jamaica (both in 1966) and Bo Diddley in 1965.
George Austin recalls at Ska2Soul: 'music was a mix of Ska, Blue Beat and American Soul/Motown. The Club was on two floors, it had a small stage and very low ceilings just the place for live acts. Usually with two sound systems, one on each floor. Upstairs Duke Reid played with his home made sound system tucked away in a small corner, it was a large box, stood about chest height, which housed the amp with a single record deck on top. It had a selection of small lights on the front. The sound was turned down at the end of each record as it was removed and replaced with another disc, a large record box stocked with the latest sounds stood by the side, it's lid open displaying the contents. Speakers stacked up to the ceiling in each open room, pumping out the sound, using about 200 watts. The smell of hash in the air people dancing everywhere'.
There was also the Savoy Rooms in Catford (75 Rushey Green), originally a 1950s ballroom and known in the 1960s as the Witchdoctor. In the 70s it was renamed Mr Smiths, and I've also seen it referred to as the Black Cat - a later incarnation? The Rolling Stones, The Who (April 1966) and Desmond Dekker (1969) all played there. There is a delightful poem called The Savoy Rooms by Marie Marshall, in which she recalls being 'thirteen trying for sixteen in the court of the mohair miniskirt'. In March 1966, a man was shot dead in the club in a gangland battle involving members of the Richardson gang (including Frankie Fraser)
I've also seen mention of the Glenlyn ballroom in Forest Hill (15 Perry Vale - later Crystals Snooker Club) - the Kinks, Stones, Byrds and The Who all played there too.
Interested if anyone's got any memories of these or other places - happy to host any scanned photos, flyers or newspaper clippings people may have lying around too.
See related posts:
The Who in South London
The Mistrale Club in Beckenham - 1960s/1970s
The Green Man in Blackheath - 1960s jazz, r'n'b and Manfred Mann
The Fellowship Inn in Bellingham
Soul City record shop in Deptford
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42 comments:
Did you see the flyers section on that site? Well worth a look: http://www.georgwa.demon.co.uk/60flyers.htm
I remember the "Witchdoctor' night club in Catford well. Sunday nights were a big thing there. We'd take hours getting ready. Steve Maxted the resident DJ did all sorts of wierd things like sticking pins into his skin and eating raw eggs! The music was great and we'd dance all night to Mo town etc and be really tired at school the next day. Does anyone else remember going there?
The mid sixties - The Glenlyn Ballroom (more a dive than a ballroom!) in Forest Hill was the place for Mods to go at the weekend. All the sixties bands played there. It was usually packed out (Not much health and safety in those days.) It was like dancing around in your darkened front room - you could touch the bands they were so close and the 'flourescent' lights illuminated anything white so we make sure that we wore our Mary Quant white collars and cuff dresses (the girls). There were purple hearts available but few took any, we just enjoyed those halcyon days and if we were lucky we might get a lift home on the back of a scooter of a mod boy.
Also the Bromley Court Hotel in Bromley Kent was a hot spot for sixties bands. The Animals, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames.
Fond memories!
Further out there was the Black Prince hotel at Bexley which was very much on the live r&b circuit. There's a photo in one of the Kent soul CDs of Solomon Burke signing autographs there. And Dave Godin came from Bexleyheath where he started his Tamla Motown Appreciation Society.
Thanks for the memories, keep 'em coming. If anyone got photos/tickets/flyers from these places we'd love to put them up.
Dave Godin also a record shop in Deptford, see Soul Ciyt
I worked at the Glenlyn Ballroom 1963-4. Very nice for dancing drinking and bingo. Jimmy Tippett was chief of security. Stones, Who, Cilla Black etc
I used to go to the El Partido in the mid 60's and also The Penthouse in Bromley, later called Peyton Place. I went to the Witchdoctor a couple of times on Sundays but didn't feel welcome there, coming from Sidcup. The Black Prince was a great place to go Sunday evenings as a 'come-down' venue
My brother John used to own the El Partido, and I worked on the door. My mate from Jamaica, Earl was the resident DJ and a real good mover on the dance floor. Mickey, a talented artist designed the place. I remember in those days it was R and B, purple hearts and coke lol. We were all mods, suede jackets and Lambrettas. Good fun days and I will never forget those good times at the El Partido.
Thanks Peter, that's priceless. Can you remember any of the tunes they used to play there?
Use to go to Bromley Court Hotel 1967? on my scooter with chrome side panels Saw Cream J Mayall/P Green
When I got Beano Bluesbreakers LP I thought I was in heaven!
Also used to go to club in Bellingham/Catford
Saw Fleetwood Mac and they had ska music Can anyone tell me what it was called? I remember flourescent lights
Also went to Black Prince to see Ten Years After (Alvin Lee)
Remember driving there once through one foot of flood water!!
Good to hear from you Markfor. Not sure about the last place you mentioned - could it have been the Mistrale club in Beckenham Junction?
No not Mistrale club
I think it was in Bellingham (near Catford) Used to play Ska music and we wore tonic suits
Lights were ultra violet so any white clothing would glow in the dark!
The Brockley boys were always at the Glenlyn , brothers Micky ,George and Peter Morgan, John Pinder, Tom GEORGE . Alan and Peter Randall , The Mods of the day .The Daily Mirror ran an exclusive and Peter Randall was top ,front page 175 Tv Lambretta owner photographed in news article of the Mods and Rockers.Peter died in 1985.Also Alan Aspinal and many others.What memories they are.
I remember The Stones at the Glenlyne, dirty rollneck tag shirts . I shot the Sheriff was one of the songs at the time and so was ," Oh Carolina." There was a little coffee bar around the corner called "The Alpine I Think.??. Very popular 1963/4
Markfor ? was it the Tigers head.?
When I came to Brockley in the '70s, Desmond Dekker lived in Harefield Road, a house with a couple of knackered Land Rovers in the front garden. In todays Brockley that would make him a social pariah.
feel free to join the Original Modernists 1959 - 1966 FB page ... loads of stories https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_128414570531663
mario said...
The pub on the bellingham estate catford was the fellowship arms. i remember the flourescent lights that made everything white stand out ,ultra violet lights thats what they were. Many a good time there , always frequenting the king alfred and the tigers head. Great venues all within a stones through.
Oh My God! I've just googled Glenlyn, Forest Hill and came upon this forum. What memories it brings back! I used to live there and my mate and I used to stand outside the Glenlyn when the big bands were on as we were only 13 and couldn't get in at the time but I remember Cilla Black, The Kinks, The Who playing there. I also used to go up to Soho to the Marquee and saw great acts (at lunchtime would you believe!) like Small Faces, The Animals and Stevie Wonder. At 14-15 we used to go to the Penthouse/Peyton Place in Bromley and the Saturday lunchtime sessions in Tiles in Tottenham Court Road. They only served coke in those days! As we got to 16-18 (late '60s) we frequented the Apples & Pears in Bermondsey (first of the disco pubs), The Tigers Head (saw Marmalade there), The Fellowship Inn, Bromley Court Hotel (Geno Washington, Georgie Fame), The Mistrale. We also used to frequent The Alpine coffee bar in Forest Hill. Our school was in Catford so it was opposite the Witchdoctor / Mr Smiths - lots of violent goings on there! I also remember a dance competition on Ready Steady Go where a black guy (great dancer) won from El Partido. Keep bringing on the great memories everyone.
Another 1960s place I mentioned here before was The Green Man on Blackheath Hill, where Manfred Mann played early gigs (more about it here.
Would love to know more about the guy from El Partido dancing on Ready Steady Go. There might even be some film of it out there somewhere. I did come across this great clip from the programme of people dancing to 'Bread and butter' by The Newbeats in 1963: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRThvmg4FJE
I saw Long John Baldry with Rod Stewart singing at the Bromley Court Hotel, the main mod dance hall I remember (I was a mod!) was The Orchid in Purley, now a gym I think.
Nobody has mentioned the Ram Jam Club in Brixton.
The Animals played there on the opening night and Geno Washington and the Ram jam Band were the resident band there.
This was the most atmospheric place i can remember.
Based on 2 flors above the gas showroom at 390 Brixton Road.
First floor was the stage, dancing and a bar. The next flor was a disco with another bar.
Cheers Bob. You could scan the ticket, or take a photo, and email it to me as an attachment and I will then post it (transpontine@btinternet.com) Neil
The Pub in Bellingham with the UV lighting was the Fellowship Inn next to Bellingham Station. I used to work there helping out the guy who ran the Disco there. He was John Hoppy.- he also ran the Surrey Rooms by the Oval, The Falcon in Falconwood too. This was an evening job for me as I was at school still. This job (for me) was the bees knees. Good money (30 bob a night), free beer, tons of girls and great music - primarily Motown. I had to open up in the evening and my first job was to get the UV Flourescent lights working. When they were first turned on they would just flicker. The trick was to wipe them with a wet mop whilst turned on - life on the edge eh?
I'm going to try and upload a freebie photo of a ticket to the disco - I have one left. I used to stand outside S E London stations giving these out during the evening rush hour.
Great Days
Just to let people know I have now done a separate post all about The Mistrale club in Beckenham
Have posted in more detail on The Fellowship Inn here
It's been great to look at all your posts. I lived in New Cross and used to frequent the El Partido in Lewisham and the Savoy in Catford all the time. Dancing to black Rhythm and Blues and Ska blocked on something to keep me up all night.
I met up with Dave Godin around 1964 and with David Nathan ran Soul City Records on Deptford High Street and Monmouth Street in the West End.
Dave had the most phenomenal collection of R&B singles. He turned me on to hundreds of songs.
Great to read about these times from you all.
Robert Blackmore
Good to hear from you Robert. I actually posted a picture of Deptford Soul City here:
.
Any old SE London tales you've got always welcome here.
I worked at the Glenlyn in the days when it was used for Bingo, then in the nights when it was a dance hall. When the Rolling Stones played, they let everyone in, opening the back doors as the crowds became too much, so they spilled out and had to come back to the front doors again. Happy days, with Jimmy Tippett, a guy called Jack and others whose names are now a distant memory.
Often went to all of those venues. One of the big favourites at the Savoy was Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers.
Anyone remember a club in a crypt at Charing Cross - called Coffee Annes or something?
Used to frequent the Glenlyn from 1963. The Detours (later The Who) were the resident Monday night band before they changed name and made it big at the Marquee club in Wardour street.
Girls dancing around their handbags; ankle-swinging sand jeans dyed different colours two or three times a week.Mum was a busy lady!
Saw the Stones and The Kinks there amongst others.
The Apples and Pears in Bermondsey was another haunt as was Witchdoctor / Mr Smiths at Catford where three of us got picked by Cathy McGowan to be dancers on RSG. My RSG resident dancer's badge was my proudest possession :-)
The Glenlyn Ballroom was a hangout for a little while, I worked at T R Roberts (Builders) Ltd. in Devonshire Road next door to Dickie Dears! A bunch of us went to the Glenlyn to see The Rolling Stones. I was told there were 900 people in there that night. I remember having to buy 3 rounds at a time because of the queue at the Bar! Nearly sure Sounds Incorporated played there and Cilla Black too Later, Fish & chips at the Chippie opposite the Ballroom on the corner of Perry Rise. This forum brought back Happy memories! Thanks Guys
What was the name of the gig venue in Bellingham in the 80s? I think it was above a pub and remember seeing Hank Wangford there.
wow!! a few memories here. I lived in Devonshire Road during the sixties and went to almost all of the clubs mentioned in this forum. Even worked at the Alpine Coffee bar, sure would like to know who dollybird is. Regarding the club at Charing Cross, it was in the crypt of St Martins and the Coffee Ann was a little coffee bar in a courtyard off of Whitcomb street Soho
Good to hear from you Clive, don't know if you still live in the area but there's a newish coffee place in Forest Hill (St Davids Coffee House) I think in the place next door to where the Alpine Coffee Bar was. I was talking to the guy who runs it, who like me is very interested in the music and scenes of the 1960s. I know we'd both like to know more about the Alpine and other local places so get in touch if you fancy a 21st century coffee in Forest Hill.
just trying to find the date that the stones played the Savoy catford..I threw my blue eye shadow at Mick and my friend fainted in the crush, she was crowd surfed across the the stage where they put the fainted girls...not fair!! Also danced to bands and records at the Golden slipper over the pool hall over Burton's near the Clock Tower Lewisham and the Rivoli Brockley. Jive jive jive!! And yes the Tiger's Head and plenty of live bands...wonderful stuff, frayed bell bottoms, stripy nautical tee shirts and the Hippy Hippy shake.
I believe the Rolling Stones played at the Glenlyn Ballroom in Forest Hill on 3 January 1964, and at the Savoy Ballroom in Catford on 9 May 1964. I am going to write some more about this as there are obviously some great stories.
Hi.I have just been reading all the comments on this blog. I was a regular at the Elpartido .In early 1964 the club was allways empty until they intoduced The soul sound discoteque,the dj played the latest motown and soul singles.Then in late 1964 groups started to play there.The resident group were The Loose Ends.Many groups played there including John Mayalls Bluesbreakers,Chris Farlowe and The Thunderbirds,Carl Douglas.Sometimes visiting blues musicians played there including Bo Diddley and T.Bone Walker who signed my entrance ticket which I stiil have.In 1965 the top floor was opened where the Duke Reid Sound SYstem had a residency there on Sunday and Wednesday night. On Saturday he played allnighters With the massive home made speakers he played the latest ska sounds from Jamaca and the latest R&B and soul from the U.S.A.Here is a small list of songs that he played.Busters All Stars.Under arrest,dont throw stones.Trip to mars,Burkes Law,10 commandments of Man.The Skatalites,Guns of Navarone,Ball of Fire,Dick Tracy(all ska tracks)I remember he would allways play Slim Harpos Baby Scratch My back and Edwin Star Stop here on Sight.All the records were in a large home made chest ,most of the titles on the records were scrathed out to prevent rival sound system operators knowing what they are playing,which still exists today among Nothern soul enthusiasts
Thanks John, great memories. If you've got any old tickets or flyers from that time it would be good if you could scan or photograph them and send to me (transpontine@btinternet.com) and I can put them up here.
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