O/T - The Spotnicks in England 1962/63

[hoffers]

Hi all,

I'm currently researching and writing a booklet about The Spotnicks' UK career and would dearly love to hear from anyone who saw the group live in the UK in 1962/1963.
Any info regarding dates, tracks played and your memories of those gigs will be much appreciated.

PM me if you can help.

Thanks
Tony H (Hoffers)

[bec]

I saw the Spotnicks perform at the Majestic Ballroom , Mill Street, Luton sometime in 1963.
Unfortunately Bo Winberg was not with them, for some reason, and they had a substitute lead guitarist
(name not remembered) who played mainly jazzy/bluesy numbers eg. No yaga daga blues.
Perhaps somebody else on here may know who the substitute was.
We were not treated to a version of Orange Blossom Special at all, which was somewhat of a disappointment.

[hoffers]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the info.
It was probably Bruce Baxter who stood in for Bo Winberg who was ill at the time.
Although they didn't play Orange Blossom Special at the gig you attended, Bruce could play the tune having learnt it from the record and not realising it had been recorded slowly and speeded up.

Regards
Tony H

[chronikman-ch]

Hi Tony
Article "Spotnicks Returning" in NME 818 14.September 1962 (sorry I miss this item)
hmr

[keithmantle]

Hi Tony have sent you a pm. Keith. if you google Spotnicks at the Gaumont Wolverhampton and then Helen Shapiro Beatles programme, there is a poster of the concert late 63

[keithmantle]

Hi Tony, Have sent a pm, in the mean time the show at the Gaumont Wolverhampton was on Dec 11th 1963, topping the bill was Bobby Rydell,Helen Shapiro,The Spotniks,The Trebletones,The Chants,Ann Field,and Special guests The Searchers, Bruce was the lead and did play OBS on his Guild X175 Manhattan as per record without studio manipulation !!. Keith

[ecca]

Hi Tony, Have sent a pm, in the mean time the show at the Gaumont Wolverhampton was on Dec 11th 1963, topping the bill was Bobby Rydell,Helen Shapiro,The Spotniks,The Trebletones,The Chants,Ann Field,and Special guests The Searchers, Bruce was the lead and did play OBS on his Guild X175 Manhattan as per record without studio manipulation !!. Keith

Not necessarily so Fatfoot !

http://www.loti.com/sixties_music/The_Spotnicks.htm

[keithmantle]

What part was incorrect ??

[hernando]

Try the bit ecca has highlighted in italics...

[ecca]

In 1962, following their success with High Flyin’ Scotsman and Orange Blossom Special, they toured England and were guests on many of the radio and television shows there, such as “Thank Your Lucky Stars” and “Saturday Club.”

The producers of “Saturday Club” wanted The Spotnicks to play Orange Blossom Special live in the studio, not knowing that the guitar solo was impossible to play live. The original recording, featured on The Spotnicks first LP – Out-A-Space – had been recorded using a slow version of the lead, which was then speeded up on the recording.

So The Spotnicks used the same approach for their “live” appearance. Bo Winberg recorded a slowed down version to tape, speeded it up and hid the tape deck behind an amplifier. At the correct moment he pressed the “play” button for the speeded up version and the rest of the band played live to the tape lead. No-one noticed.