Joe Meek

[GoldenStreet]

There's a new Joe Meek 2CD compilation from Jasmine - mainly vocal stuff, but a few interesting instro items are included.

http://www.jasmine-records.co.uk/acatal ... d-726.html

Bill

[John Boyd]

From a quick perusal of the track list it seems to be just another release of previously available tracks, including the instros.
Surely somewhere there must be more un-released Meek instros.
Cheers,
JB

[RayL]

Surely somewhere there must be more un-released Meek instros.
Cheers,
JB

That somewhere is wherever Cliff Cooper (former Meek artist and CE of Orange amplifiers) has got the 'Tea-Chest Tapes' stored. These are the reels and reels of audio tape that were gathered up when Meek's studio equipment was auctioned in 1967. Put (initially) in tea-chests for storage, they were bought by Cooper, who has resisted all calls to release them. A few years ago they went up for auction but apparently did not reach a satisfactory price and the sale was withdrawn.

Who knows what might be on these tapes? Of The Shadows, it is known that both Jet and Tony and (check me, Rob?) Brian B visited Meek's studio at 304 Holloway Road and Meek was never slow to press record if he heard a sound that might have potential for a hit record.

At various times both The Outlaws and The Tornados were Joe's session musicians so unreleased material by them is a good possibility, but Joe auditioned many, many bands who never made it as far as a recording contract so all sorts of sub-clones of more famous bands are likely to have dragged their gear up the flights of stairs, played a couple of tunes and then be told "OK, lads, I'll let you know" before the tape was put aside and then into storage on the third floor.

The Tea-Chest Tapes represent the best chance of 'hidden treasures'.

Ray

[Arpeggio]

Ah yes.....the legendary 'Tea Chest Tapes'. Ray is broadly correct - except that the year when everything was initially auctioned off was 1968 and not 1967. Over 3,000 tape reels were left at 304 Holloway Road. It's a complex story - but Joe Meek's business and financial affairs were in total chaos at the time of his death. Not surprisingly, the Shenton family wanted everything moved out of the rented flat - cum - studio as quickly as possible. Everything in the offices / studio part of the flat was earmarked as assets by the Official Receiver / Liquidator as being 'goods' to be sold off in order to pay some of Joe's many debtors.

But the Meek family (mostly brothers Arthur & Eric - with other relatives and friends to help) was allowed to clear out everything of Joe's from the third floor. This included c. 1,200 or so (it's difficult to be exact) tape reels which happened to be stored there. As I've said on other sites & places at different times.....Joe's brothers were farmers and country men. They knew nothing about the music business and simply did not understand the significance of the tapes. The result? All but a small handful of the c.1,200 reels that they took away are lost forever. They gave away about 200 or so reels to orphanages and schools in the Newent / Gloucester area (to be either wiped or recorded over). As this was nearly 46 years ago.....it's pretty safe to assume that they have long since vanished without trace. Of the other 1,000 or so.....sad to say (apart from a very small number now mostly in the possession of Sandra Meek - Williams)....they were all taken to a huge 'Reclamation and Waste Site' (viz: council tip) in Gloucester some time during the 1980s. The reason was that they had been stored in rickety, unheated outdoor barns, dilapidated sheds and outbuildings for over 25 years. The result was that those tapes literally crumbled to dust.

The remaining 1,863 reels (this can be verified because Meek Expert Alan Blackburn played through the whole lot during 1982 - 1983) are all still in the possession of millionaire Cliff Cooper. It was a labour of love for Alan (who wasn't paid a single penny to do the job - which took him nearly 2 years to complete) Blackburn - who had to hand over all of his notes and files at the end of his task. The problem is....this was long before photocopiers and computers etc. Nowadays, even Alan admits that he simply can't remember everything that he heard over 30 years ago now. But he does recall that there were 'a lot' of unreleased insrumentals. Quite a few by the Outlaws and the Tornados have sneaked out onto CD. There are unreleased tracks - eg "Blue Tango", "Kicking Around", "Pork 'n' Beans", "Ghost Stage" and 'Armenian Folk Tune' by the Outlaws - "The Phantom Hussar" (aka "Dick Turpin"), "Pandora's Box" and "Death Train" by the Tornados. "Alvin's Tune" and "Husky Team" (by a pre - fame TYA), "Wells Fargo" (Geoff Goddard) and many, many more.
Certainly the Krew Kats recorded for Joe Meek - but Brian Bennett can't recall exactly what (& Big Jim is no longer with us to ask). Jet Harris & Tony Meehan also had a brief stint at Joe's. Again - Jet & Tony are sadly no longer with us....but Jet (when I did ask him) simply couldn't remember what they recorded there. John Rostill recorded there with a group which included guitarist Bruce Baxter. They definitely recorded at least two instrumental tracks - but Bruce Baxter couldn't recall the titles. There are obviously lots more instrumentals hidden away in those infamous tapes. Exactly how many & who by....perhaps we shall never know.

Bests.....Rob

[John Boyd]

Does millionaire Cliff Cooper not want to make even more money by making this material available?
Surely there would be worldwide interest in genuinely un-released Meek material.
Or am I just being a dreamer?
Cheers,
JB
(A Meek fan wishing to add to his collection)