Fifty years ago next Friday...

[RayL]

Rob,

Actually, t'was I who got me 'G's and 'T's mixed up!

Having now checked with that fount of all instrumental knowledge (Trev Faull's A Collector's Guide To 60s Brit-Pop Instrumentals), here's what it says on P.20
"Johnny Gray was nicknamed 'The Gash' and played a rasping saxophone"

Continuing from Trev's book there is a rather mysterious entry
The same year (1958) he took The Chief's Apache (no connection) and made it a stomping war dance of sax, brass and guitar. The beefy backing was the work of Ken Jones and His orchestra

Now, does he mean that this was another tune called Apache and not the one written by Jerry Lordan? Or by The Chief does he mean Bert Weedon (who might be reckoned The Chief of session guitar players at that time) in which case he IS talking about the Lordan tune.

I feel an email to the mighty Mr Faull coming on!

Does anyone have a copy of Apache by Johnny 'The Gash' Gray (apart from Trev Faull, whose Stylus has played just about every rock instrumental that has ever been recorded)?

Ray

[Arpeggio]

"Apache" by Johnny 'The Gash' Gray (with the Ken Jones Orchestra) is a completely different 'toon' to Jerry Lordan's masterwork and was released in 1958 (April?). Jerry Lordan began to write songs in 1958 - but a little later. His very first effort was "A House, A Car & A Wedding Ring" - recorded by Mike Preston (with Joe Meek at the controls) Decca F 11053 - August 1958. I believe that Jerry composed "Apache" sometime during late 1959. As to the mysterious 'Chief' - I don't know. Now, that will have to be a question for the redoubtable "Mr Instrumental" Faull.

Bests, Rob

[audreyk]

As you say, Rob, it's a different tune. Here's a link - just for interest:



Best wishes
Audrey

[RayL]

Thanks, Audrey.

For all the Johnny Gray fans joining in on kazoo, it's in the key of E minor.

Ray

[Pinner Fan]

I believe these Spot That Tune photgraphs were taken by Harry Hammond and are now in the V + A.

There are others of Jet from that 'session'.

[Keith Bateman]

Yes, that's right Frank. Harry took some terrific photos of the period. I have two books of his:- "Pop People" (ISBN 0-283-99016-3) and "Halfway To Paradise" by Alwyn W Turner and published by the V & A (ISBN978-1-85177-553-8).

This link will take you to the collection http://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?listing_type=imagetext&offset=0&limit=15&narrow=0&extrasearch=&q=harry+hammond&commit=Search&quality=0&objectnamesearch=&placesearch=&after=&after-adbc=AD&before=&before-adbc=AD&namesearch=&materialsearch=&mnsearch=&locationsearch=

Keith

[Martin Page]

Both the Spot The Tune and Name That Tune programmes concluded with the final contestant having to guess the name of a tune by listening to the 'middle bit'. In the early eighties one of the songs was Blue Star, which of course I guessed correctly. On reflection, I can't think what part of Blue Star constitutes the middle bit...

Martin.

[JimN]

And just how did Jet and Decca Records know that it was young Robert Bradford's birthday, eh?

JN