Managing the Bands

(cont.)
   

Clayton SquaresHere is some other background information to the group who worked over an eighteen month period from 1960 to 1962 with a set that varied from forty five minutes to two hours. They also occasionally performed all night sessions at Shebeens.

The group was paid cash after completing a booking, a minimum of £3 to £5, shared between four in the group, myself and a driver/bodyguard. At their peak during 1961 they worked approximately four nights per week, as most groups did, if they were lucky.

They played covers of, mainly, Chuck Berry numbers and obscure B sides, gleaned from records and adapted to their untrained ear. None were educated, including myself; especially no one had musical education. Lots of sounds were picked up in the clubs dotted around Princess Avenue/Road, Stanhope Street and along Upper Parliament Street (Shebeens).

Vinnie Tow, the leader, had great difficulty operating beyond Liverpool 8. He developed a solo act, playing locally. He really needed professional management, but none was forthcoming. He and I had lost touch by 1963. Drummer Dave Preston played for other Mersey groups, as did Robbie Eccles and Paul Pilnick.

They broke up some three months after I moved on to develop the Clayton Squares. We drifted apart when I found the already-named Clayton Squares practicing in a pub somewhere near the junction of West Derby Road and Sheil Road. I wanted 'my sound'. Coincidentally, I found them during a mid-morning while the cleaners were in.

Mike EvansThere were three of them that day. I impressed them with my Cavern connections. They were Terry Heinz on lead guitar and vocals, a German Irish Scouser, an incredible blues singer and Sibelius fan. He looked like a mixture of Lennon, Brando and Dean. The girls were madly in love with him - it was his gravelly voice that I built the future of the band on. There was Bobby Scott on drums, an English Scouser. He was a reasonably competent drummer, similar to Ringo. There was another guy who was not at all impressed and left immediately. I don't remember his name. However, both he and Terry had an amazing vocal harmony quality, similar too and topping the Everly Brothers sound, by far.

When I brought Terry and Bobby through to my Huskisson Street basement to rehearse and develop, I sought out various musicians to create the sound that was in my head. I wanted and got, a unique blues rock sound. I also secured rehearsal space and time for them at the 'Everyman' basement bar. The theatre was under-developed at the time we used the space.

Amongst the musicians who came through to audition was Mike Evans, an alto saxophone player who had potential. He was allowed to join the group and in turn introduced us to the beat poets - Adrian Henri, Roger McGough, John Gorman, Brian Patten and Mike McGear. 

Including various combinations of the above people and others we worked through the whole rock/blues and beat poet scene, locally and nationally. 

We strayed from my original sound idea into a world that was 'not us' and especially not mine. We entered the world of 'happenings', led by the poets. We played at colleges, campuses and a Granada TV arty show broadcast from Didsbury, Manchester. One venue in particular springs to mind: Padgate Teachers Training College in Warrington. In short, I left the scene abruptly for personal reasons, coupled with a few professional differences. Mike took over the reins. The dynamics of the group were forever altered. Bob Wooler continued to manage them. Thereafter, their development became a mystery to me. My own personal and family problems took precedence over music development and I returned to 'normal daily work' in my trade.

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