Great memories of seeing John Mayall and his band at St. Albans in the late sixties… That concert was especially memorable because Mick Taylor joined the band then.
2 Likes
I never saw him, but have enjoyed some of the music.
Same time, as nobody else at school was much interested in the blues I caught a train into Glasgow alone to witness a performance by a truly professional band for the first time. Probably expected Clapton but found myself instead close enough in the club setting for a possible Glasgow kiss with a teenage Taylor only a year older than I was. The quality of Mayall’s band(s) set a standard only matched by the Mothers of Invention in Newcastle City Hall a couple of years later and, oddly, donkey’s years later catching by chance a touring evolution off the original Crickets.
3 Likes
Unquestionably a very important musician in my musical history. I saw him at the Cross Hands, Brockworth in the days when they played very small venues. Great atmosphere.
2 Likes
Saw him at the Manchester Free Trade Hall in April '69, just before Mick Taylor left to join the Stones. My ticket cost four shillings (20p ) which was more than twice as much as it cost to watch United in the Stretford End.
2 Likes
One of my favourite Mayall albums here:
The Blues Alone
3 Likes
From memory my first ever album purchase was either ‘Looking Back’ or ‘A Hard Road’ by John Mayall. I cant remember which but the stand out track for me was ‘So Many Roads’.
Great blues artist.
1 Like
Mine was A Hard Road, opened my eyes I can tell you.
1 Like
I never saw Mayall but in London, in '68/'69/'70+ all his proteges gigged in the back rooms of pubs and universities.
I saw 2/3 of Cream at The National Jazz and Blues Festival at Kempton Pk racecourse in '68. Ginger Baker had a duet/drum battle with his mentor Dick Seaman. After Seaman’s kit had been cleared a figure stepped round the side of the back line, unannounced, plugged in and started to jam with Ginger. A tall figure in an electric blue velvet suit … E.C. They played for about 20 mins and then the man in the electric blue suit unplugged and disappeared.
It was at this gig that Jeff beck’s band was booed off stage on account of the dreadful vocalist - Rod Stewart.
I lived for a time 5 mins walk from a club called Klook’s Kleek, the back room of The Railway pub on West End Lane, West Hampstead. All the ‘blues boom’ bands played there. Graham Bond recorded ‘Live at Klook’s Kleek’ with Baker, Bruce, Heckstall-Smith …
One memorable gig was Mick Abraham’s [post Jethro Tull] ‘Blodwyn Pig’ featuring Keith Harley on drums. At the intermission, Abrahams announced that Hartley was very sick, throwing up all over the band room and the drums were now to be played by Aynsley Dunbar.
I saw Dunbar’s ‘Retaliation’, the original F/Mac with Peter Green/John McVie and Mick Fleetwood in the refectory of the uni where Mason, Wright and Waters formed P/F.
Hughie Flint, the drummer on the ‘Beano’ album, had earlier been approached by a friend of mine to drum for his band. “Sorry man. Your band’s not good enough”
My mate got the same reaction from another drummer he tried to recruit “Not good enough, man” This was Mitch Mitchell …
As a starting-out photographer shooting live gigs was the standard way in, so I got to see most of the bands, native and US, that played London. This led on to becoming connected with the recording scene.
Happy Daze.
3 Likes
Klooks Kleek , another memory!
I saw The Pretty Things - what an inspired name - at a pub, Red Lion? in Leytonstone. And the original Fleetwood Mac at Cheltenham Town Hall. Those were the days.
1 Like
I came to John Mayall via a slightly unconventional route – a friend at school was raving about this band that had dispensed with a drummer! The Turning Point became one of the albums I continued to listen to and draw great pleasure from for many years (especially Johnny Almond’s incredible saxophone solos), along with Jack Bruce’s Songs for a Tailor and Fleetwood Mac’s Then Play On. But I went on to enjoy all of Mayall’s work from Blues Breakers right up to about USA Union and Back to the Roots. I was fascinated that as a jobbing graphic designer he designed all his own album covers (which explained why they were mostly a bit workmanlike). One thing that always bothered me however was his voice, piercingly shrill and a long way from any of his Chicago Blues heroes…!
4 Likes
Great memories above. Last time I saw him was at his 75th? concert celebration in Liverpool (Echo arena - sound so much better than Manchester arena) Even Chris Barber ( not given enough recognition and thanks for bringing the forgotten blues singers over to UK to revive their careers and thrill us with the “real thing”) performed with him plus MT and EC plus many other- brilliant night.
2 Likes
I agree. I never rated Mayall himself as a singer or guitarist. He just happened to assemble a series of bands with great players.
As for the ‘Beano’ album - my study-mate at school bought this album but I was snooty about it. I was into the real thing - Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Otis Span …
The problem was that the record player was my mate’s. He played the Mayall but would not allow me to play Williamson …
Phil May was one of the rockers that made up a large part of the regulars at The Warwick Castle pub, Maida Vale. Another regular was local resident D. Gilmour.