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Post by wonder49 on Jan 4, 2011 20:27:45 GMT 1
Borrowed a Merle Haggard LP from Cal early 70,s, somehow it was placed on top of a hot TV,where was I going to get a replacement only one thing to do, bus to Merthyr and off to Cardiff , brainwave have look up the Arcade to my surprise there was one in the window, bought said LP. Down to the Kings for a celebratory pint .That was really an amazing shop . Managed to straighten the original and still play it.
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Post by cantaff on Jan 11, 2011 16:27:20 GMT 1
Hi Guys Check this out Gwanwyn Festival, A call for old Welsh rockers to reunite at Festival. bbc.co.uk
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Post by calford on Jan 11, 2011 19:56:11 GMT 1
Wonder49, do you mean my Ol Man Cal Ford? He always loved Haggard, although a huge Cash man. Not many people realise that his biggest love was for the music of Jimmie Rogers.
Anyway, everyone else, Hope you all had a great Christmas, especially all you Jehova's. My internet has been down along with my phone line and sky tv since boxing day, we had a cold and white christmas down here in Solva West Wales. Its all back up today thankfully. Im off out tonight doing a gig with 70's Darts frontman Bob Fish, I'm playing lead for him while he plays an Autoharp. He is fantastic and still has a great voice. We are appearing on the Bath Bluegrass and Roots Music Festival in May, along with my Band and a guest Mandoline player from Nashville and our new regular fiddle player. Cant wait.
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Post by wonder49 on Jan 12, 2011 5:40:57 GMT 1
Yeah did mean your,e old man,met up many times around the country circuit.
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strat
Full Member
Posts: 32
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Post by strat on Jan 13, 2011 12:09:37 GMT 1
hi all lets get back to storys of merthyr boys on the road here's one memory to start off. when the bystanders played the swansea area which was most nights (remember when dances had live bands)after the gig if we didnt go to hals for a curry we used to go to a allnight petrol station in llansamlet i dont know the name of it but it was known to all as griffs after the guy who worked there, we played a gig at swansea uni and on the bill was davy jones and the lower third who in another life turned into david bowie we took them to griffs they loved it and called there every time they were in the area, at any time you would find the bystanders the jets the eyes of blue the corncrackers and the ivys(later to become marmalade) in griffs There was a guy who called in now and again he deliverd bulk milk deliverys to the aberdare valley he was known to all as ken the milk you had to watch him like a hawk because if he left before you he would not let you pass him dont forget no duel carrageway then and our commer van wasn't a speed wagon but we used to get him in glynn neath at the lights we used to line up like a grand prix start and we always got him before glynn neath bank thank god i have more tales like the time we slept in lord sutchs house but that is for another time so come on lads tell us your adventures because our lives then and now to a point are one big adventure
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Post by wolfman1 on Jan 13, 2011 14:40:41 GMT 1
Hi Strat. Ah great memories of 'Griffs'petrol station,do you remember what he had a very impressive collection of in his desk drawer?. cor,Ken the milk,forgotten all about him. The Ivey's became Badfinger by the way,do you remember The Fleetwoods?,The Harts bought our first van off them,nice band,& great guys (The Fleetwoods that is!). I have a vivid memory of leaving your flat in Streatham the morning we left for Germany,both of us heading down the motorway,then you pulling off,& us both waving at each other. Remember everyone meeting up in the Indian in Swansea after gigs,think it was called 'The Rose Of India',we were on there one night & Barry Hammett (he was in local group The Primitives) came in all in a state. it seems Mick Green hag left Johnny Kidd to join Billy J Kramer,so Kidd being in dire straits (wonder why someone has'nt used that name!) offered the temporary gig to Hammett,& he desperately needed a Telecaster (standard equipment to play with Kidd!),& would I sell him mine,of coourse my reply,being p'd off that he'd got a job I would have killed for,& the fact that I knew he was'nt as good as me!,was that he should 'remove himself from my company!. Anyway,he lasted about a month in The Star Club,then had the push because Johhny Wieder ( later with Family) was on his way over to take over. Still bugs me to this day that it could have been me instead of him,Kidd & The Pirates being one of my idols. Yep,this is just what we need,someone like Strat to kick the tales off & to spark the memories off. Keep em comong lads!. cheers, Wolfman
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strat
Full Member
Posts: 32
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Post by strat on Jan 13, 2011 16:55:48 GMT 1
wolfie you are right about the rose of india the hal was the curry house in streatham and of course you are right about the ivys pity about the gig with kidd i would have been proud to be able to say i know one of the pirates what bragging rights that would have been in company
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Post by wolfman1 on Jan 15, 2011 1:55:29 GMT 1
Does anyone have any memories of my first band The Crescendos when they were called 'Nicodemas & The Night Riders?,at one gig at the Castle cinema,our drummer Eddie (Robert Edwards) took a bow at the end of the set,got to near the edge of the stage,being blinded by the spots,& fell into the organ pit!. poor sod,everyone thought he'd gone for good,only to emerge minuntes later crawling back on stage!,& brought the house down with applause!. Ed,wherever you are,I wish you could get on this site,your one of my best chums & my fave drummer of all time,you knew what I was going to play before I played it!. Come on lads,let's get the site going again this year. hey Bluesman47,your memorie's as good as mine,fill in some gaps!. Cheers Y'all' Wolfman
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Post by bluesman47 on Jan 15, 2011 20:10:40 GMT 1
Not being as affluent as the guys of the great Metropolis of Merthyr, being peasant villagers of the lower valley, we could not go to such heights as a Hofner, way beyond our means. Anyway what i would like to ask is what was your first instrument? Mine was a Broadway , weel known as the catalogue guitar purchased by my brother on a weekly basis and passed on to me.Also came with a red and white valve amp which distorted like hell and I wanted hank marvin sounds coming out.(little did we know that the sound would be in vogue years later) My brother however bought a Hofner V3(was I jealous?) and a Slemer Truvice... just to rub it in...it was a beautiful red. Anyway to cut a long story short years later my father used the Broadway to light the fire and I lent the amp to Cedric Bowen... SO CEDRIC...!! bLUESMAN
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Post by bluesman47 on Jan 15, 2011 20:11:27 GMT 1
SLEMER??
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Post by wolfman1 on Jan 15, 2011 20:30:48 GMT 1
Ah the SLEMER TRUVICE!,what an amp,sounds like the one you had was made in China!, Probably the shape of things to come!. I think your old man showed great taste lighting the fire with that Broadway!. I remember playing Ken Arthurs a couple of times,I should have saved time & smashed my fingers with a hammer to start with,a sentiment that's been echoed by others many times!!. My Futurama felt like a 56 Black Beauty after that Broadway. Keep em coming chaps!. Wolfman
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Post by bluesman47 on Jan 15, 2011 22:46:15 GMT 1
yeah wolfman I play guitar like I type
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strat
Full Member
Posts: 32
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Post by strat on Jan 16, 2011 13:56:38 GMT 1
never had time to learn to play well i was to busy taking care of other peoples guitars but since i returned to normal life the first guitar i bought was a epiphone les paul with i still love my next was an american strat have also got a few acoustics a gibson j50 a epiphone a fender and a 1950 hohner a ukalele and i have just bought a electric acoustic bass guitar so im busy learning this at the moment so good times to come when all you lot get your thinking hats on and relate your adventures on the road to the rest of us
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Post by bassman on Jan 16, 2011 23:24:43 GMT 1
Well i have to butt in here there was an english boy at school with me ,cant recall his name his father bought him a s/hand broadway two in cherry red ,it had four old pennies stuck on the head stock and he swore it came from a guy called Lionel Morton, apparently his father worked with him, before the band had a hit with Julliette. Anyway as i recall the guitar had a fabulous tone and the pickups ,which looked like snuff boxes were very loud ,we compared it to a 1960 strat that eventually was owned by Graham Williams (Racing Cars) and they had twice the volume.
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Post by wolfman1 on Jan 23, 2011 19:23:18 GMT 1
I believe the bass player you mean would be my old bass player in The Cheating Harts Jeff (Jethro) Lewis,he did live in a cottage in Heolgerrig at that time. hope this is of use,I feel I must know you if your a local?. anyway welcome to the site,great to see new blood,cheers, Wolfman
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