Twenty Yards Behind \/ Keep It Out Of Sight \/ All Through The City \/ Cheque Book \/ Oyeh \/ Bonie Maronie \/ Tequila<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i192.photobucket.com\/albums\/z149\/pengy1966\/pengy1966%20stuff\/KYPP935.jpg\")
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Uploaded\u00a0on this day,\u00a0May 1st, the International Workers\u2019 Day and also the beginning of the pastoral summer season celebrated in the celtic Beltane\u00a0festival are Canvey Island\u2019s finest musical export to the U.K and the rest of the world, Dr Feelgood.<\/p>\n
Dr Feelgood had a rough sound and a rough look.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This band of toughs\u00a0who would not have looked out of place holding sawn off shotguns\u00a0during a bank blag in an episode of\u00a0 The Sweeney, one of the better TV dramas\u00a0\u00a0from the mid 1970\u2019s, performed quick chaotic three minute R & B garage thrashers from the pubs and clubs of the day.\u00a0 A choppy guitar sound that cuts through the R&B basslines like a hot knife in butter, tight Keith Moon inspired thumping drums, and a manic leaping frontman (plus his harmonica) adding to the mix.<\/p>\n
Dr Feelgood\u00a0were spitting\u00a0in the faces of both the stadium performing prog rock bands and the\u00a0glam rock\u00a0movement in the early 1970\u2019s, many years\u00a0before the Sex Pistols claimed similar scalps through some year zero\u00a0style P.R. at the beginning of 1976.<\/p>\n
This debut LP and the two LPs that followed, \u2018Malpractice\u2019 and \u2018Stupidity\u2019 are well worth getting hold of for some prime examples of aggressive speed induced mid 1970\u2019s British R&B that is not a million miles away from the sounds of \u00a0those bands that were part of the original Eel Pie Island and Crawdaddy Club\u00a0scene over a decade earlier,\u00a0some of\u00a0those bands\u00a0were to become the forerunners\u00a0of the emerging mod scene of 1964.<\/p>\n
Text below courtesy of drfeelgood.org.<\/p>\n
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Canvey Island, Essex, was an unlikely birthplace for Britain\u2019s finest R&B band. Its bleak industrial skyline set against the cold waters of the Thames estuary, keeps it from inclusion in most holiday brochures, but in the 1960\u2019s it was home to teenage friends Lee Collinson, Chris White and John Sparkes.<\/p>\n
The trio shared a strong interest in music, and with like minded friends, formed a skiffle band which would doggedly play outside pubs and clubs in the Canvey area until they were invited in to play a couple of numbers.<\/p>\n
The band\u2019s name would change almost as quickly as their line-up, but the day that White and Collinson went to see Howlin\u2019 Wolf at a gig in Ilford was to have a profound effect on them both.<\/p>\n
Soon after, Collinson started learning to play harmonica.<\/p>\n
Time passed, and whilst Collinson and Sparkes continued to play together in an outfit called The Pigboy Charlie Band, White went to Drama School and, having changed his name to Chris Fenwick, began to enjoy a number of acting parts in films and notable TV programmes of the day.<\/p>\n
The Pigboy Charlie Band continued to suffer line-up instability over the months and following a chance meeting with an old acquaintance recently returned from a trip to India, John \u201cWilko\u201d Wilkinson, the pair invited him to join the band.<\/p>\n
Wilko agreed, but all parties decided that a name change was well overdue, and after a number of suggestions, the name \u201cDr Feelgood\u201d was agreed upon, after a well-loved Johnny Kidd and the Pirates version of a blues standard.<\/p>\n
Whilst the band began to attract a degree of local interest, it was their old friend Chris \u201cWhitey\u201d Fenwick who was to provide the band with their first foreign engagement.<\/p>\n
Fenwick had made the acquaintance of a Dutch promoter whilst at a wedding in Holland, and, already practised in the art of role-playing, had passed himself off as a \u201cwell known English DJ\u201d who just happened to know a great little band who were \u201cready to go\u201d.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately the band were not quite \u201cready to go\u201d as their drummer at the time was on home leave from the Army, and was unprepared to suffer the consequences of going AWOL to join them.<\/p>\n
Wilko suggested an old friend, John Martin, might be interested.<\/p>\n
John Martin (nicknamed \u201cThe Big Figure\u201d for his striking profile) was a professional \u201cold school\u201d drummer from a musical family. He had already cut his teeth playing with numerous bands in the Essex area, but had slid into an unsatisfying role playing drums with a number of \u201ccovers\u201d pop groups, in addition to a permanent position with local band, Finnean\u2019s Rainbow.<\/p>\n
Martin agreed to help out, and with a cheap, but dangerously un-roadworthy, second hand van, Chris Fenwick, and Dr. Feelgood sailed for Holland.<\/p>\n
The run of five gigs proved to be the turning point for the band, and whilst on route back to Canvey Island, all agreed that, almost by accident, they had the makings of something, which should be pursued at all costs.<\/p>\n
Collinson changed his name to Lee Brilleaux, and with Chris \u201cWhitey\u201d Fenwick at the managerial helm, things were about to change\u2026 and fast.<\/p>\n
After their second trip to Holland, Southend resident, Heinz Burt, the former bassist with 60\u2019s outfit The Tornados, contacted the band.<\/p>\n
Heinz had long since reverted to a day job selling advertising space in the local paper, but continued to supplement his income by occasional appearances on the revival circuit.<\/p>\n
He suggested that the band became his backing group for a few gigs, and, with the chance to play still all too rare for the band\u2019s liking, they agreed.<\/p>\n
The union was short lived, but culminated in a memorable appearance alongside Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley and MC5 at the Wembley Rock\u2019n\u2019Roll Festival in 1972.<\/p>\n
As the band returned to work the local circuit throughout the following year, a change was occurring within the capital\u2019s live music scene.<\/p>\n
Almost in defiance of the popularity of increasingly larger venues, the \u201cPub Rock\u201d scene was starting to gather momentum, hosted by a number of increasingly crowded London pubs.<\/p>\n
The band quickly developed a reputation as a no-nonsense, \u201cin yer face\u201d act, who\u2019s gritty \u201canti-fashion\u201d appearance and stage antics caught the attention of the music press.<\/p>\n
In an article in the NME, journalist, Charles Shaar Murray, famously likened their act to \u201cHiroshima in a pint mug\u201d<\/p>\n
By 1974, the band\u2019s reputation secured them a contract with United Artists, and following tours with Brinsley Schwarz and Hawkwind, the band\u2019s first album \u201cDown by the Jetty\u201d was released in January the following year.<\/p>\n
Throughout early 1975, the band toured with Kokomo and Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers on the Naughty Rhythms Tour, before returning to the studio later in the year to record their second album, \u201cMalpractice\u201d released in October.<\/p>\n
A year later, the timely release of \u201cStupidity\u201d the band\u2019s first live album, saw it rocket to the number one spot after only a week in the album charts. For the time being, at least, Dr Feelgood could do no wrong. Sadly though, oblivious to all but the band, dark clouds were massing on the horizon\u2026.<\/p>\n
The relentless UK touring schedule, an unhappy American tour, and the constant demand for Wilko to produce more songs had lead to a deep rift between him, and the rest of the band.<\/p>\n
Feelings worsened, and following a disagreement to use the, ironically named, Lew Lewis track \u201cLucky Seven\u201d on the bands fourth album, \u201cSneaking Suspicion\u201d Wilko took the decision to leave the band.<\/p>\n
The virtually unknown, John \u201cGypie\u201d Mayo from an\u00a0Essex\u00a0jazz funk band based in Harlow, was recruited as a replacement, and throughout 1977\u2019s hectic tour schedule, quickly established himself as a worthy replacement, gaining critical acclaim from both the rock media and an anxious fan base.<\/p>\n
The departure of band\u2019s only songwriter, however, would mean that, for their next album, \u201cBe Seeing You\u201d the help of a few old friends would be required.<\/p>\n
With Nick Lowe producing, and lyrical inspiration from Larry Wallis (ex-Pink Fairies) the album was released in September that year.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrivate Practice\u201d followed a year later, and from it, the single \u201cMilk and Alcohol\u201d was to prove the bands biggest selling single. Written by Nick Lowe and Gypie Mayo, it tells the tale of the near disastrous events of the band\u2019s \u201creal life\u201d encounter with the LAPD on route back to their hotel after a John Lee Hooker gig<\/p>\n
Another live album \u201cAs it Happens\u201d was released in June 1979, and a further studio album \u201cLet It Roll\u201d followed in September.<\/p>\n
The following year, the band turned, once again, to Nick Lowe to produce the album \u201cA Case of The Shakes\u201d which featured the song writing talents of Lowe, Larry Wallis and former Brinsley Schwartz keyboard player, Bob Andrews.<\/p>\n
The album was something of a return to core values for the Feelgoods, and was duly noted by the music press, describing it as \u201cTheir best album for years\u201d<\/p>\n
The band set about continuing their gruelling tour schedule across the globe, but the lengthy periods away from his young family began to take their toll on Gypie Mayo.<\/p>\n
On stage, he had proven himself to be a worthy replacement for Wilko, and off stage, had shown a flair for fast-living excess that matched any of his bandmates.<\/p>\n
Eventually, however, Gypie Mayo decided that it was time to concentrate his attentions towards his family and, once again, the band set about the difficult task of recruiting a new guitarist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"She Does It Right \/ Boom Boom \/ The More I Give \/ Roxette \/ One Weekend \/ That Aint The Way To Behave \/ I Don\u2019t Mind Twenty Yards Behind \/ Keep It Out Of Sight \/ All Through The City \/ Cheque Book \/ Oyeh \/ Bonie Maronie \/ Tequila Uploaded\u00a0on this day,\u00a0May […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-links-downloads"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/killyourpetpuppy.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/killyourpetpuppy.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/killyourpetpuppy.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/killyourpetpuppy.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/killyourpetpuppy.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4197"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/killyourpetpuppy.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4218,"href":"https:\/\/killyourpetpuppy.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4197\/revisions\/4218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/killyourpetpuppy.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/killyourpetpuppy.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/killyourpetpuppy.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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