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The Pickwicks
Did this fabulous Coventry beat group lose out on chart success because their singles were released with their B sides better than their A sides? Pete Chambers Investigates.
Tony Martin and His Echo Four, had been playing the local and national circuits, including a prime show at Coventry Theatre supporting Brian Poole and The Tremeloes. Local impresario Larry Page spotted them and so began the image building. Out went the black suits and ties in came the ‘Mr.Pickwick’ frock coats, breeches, top hats and even stick-on whiskers! It was March 1964 and The Pickwicks had completed the transformation with the following line-up of John Miles (vocals and lead guitar), Alan Gee (rhythm guitar), Tony Martin (bass) and Malcolm Jenkins (drums).
With a residency at The City’s Orchid Ballroom and a diary full of bookings Larry Page secured a Decca recording contract for his boys. Johnny Miles insisted their first single was a re-make of the old classic “Apple Blossom Time” (The 1920’s Fleeson & Tilzer song that had been recorded by The Andrews Sisters amongst others). This was no ballad though, instead it was given the big beat treatment. “I was always influenced by the drums and bass sound that Johnny Kidd and the Pirates achieved”, revealed John Miles. “Our drummer Malc was a big guy so he could hit the skins with a lot of power”. Indeed such was the style of Malcolm Jenkins, John was to hear a band long after The Pickwick days playing live, without seeing their drummer he recognised Malc just by the sound of his drumming style! “Apple Blossom Time” was completed in just three takes and “I Don’t Want To Tell You Again” picked for the B side. Apple Blossom was a good song, “I Don’t Want to Tell You Again”, however, was a great song! It was a product of that time. Akin to the multi part harmony’s The Beatles were doing on the likes of “She Loves You” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand”. Johnny’s fabulous pop-beat voice was more than good enough to be heard on the charts, but “Apple Blossom Time” was the chosen single and “I Don’t Want to Tell You Again” never got a look in.
Towards the end of 1964 the Pickwick Papers image had been dropped, mainly due to the fact that they couldn’t get the costumes cleaned quickly enough. John Miles again, “It was so hard to find a cleaner who knew how to clean and press all the ruffs and frills, when we eventually did find one, it took about a week to get them back, so it was easier to just give them up”. They were more than just an image though, anyone who has ever witnessed them will know what a top flight freakbeat unit they were. Much in evidence on their second single “You’re Old Enough” with “Hello lady” on the flip. On hearing these two tracks you kinda’ start looking yet again for which is the A side and which the B. “You’re Old Enough” is a good enough song sung well, but it’s a ballad in the style of Freddie and The Dreamers “I Understand”. Now the B side, that’s what The Pickwicks were all about. “Hello Lady” (recorded in just one take) positively rocks along in a 12 bar boogie style. John Miles’s lead vocals are spot on dirty and gritty, freakbeat at it’s very best. I talked to John about the way the single was released, saying I couldn’t understand why “Hello Lady” was consigned to a B side. I felt that had it been an A side then Coventry may well have had another hit band. “You are right of course”, explains John, ” We pleaded with the management at Decca to flip the whole thing, but they were adamant and look what happened”. What happened was like it’s predecessor it failed to chart.
Despite the lack of hit parade success the band continued to play up and down the country, one such concert at Bradford’s Fat Black Pussycat Club was more memorable than most. Johnny Miles takes up the story. “We were on stage at this smallish club, doing our usual thing, when suddenly Tony Martin started going wild, he was leaping about with his bass still playing. I was knocked out I though Tony’s well into it tonight, this was pre-Hendrix but he was doing all his kind of stuff, going mental. It turned out though that that he had leant against some heating pipes at the back of the stage and burnt the skin off his neck, but like a good trooper he had continued to play”!
In 1965 they switched labels to Warner Brothers releasing the now highly collectable single “Little By Little” (not the Rolling Stones song) with “I Took My Baby Home” (a Ray Davies/Kinks song) on the B side. Yet again in my opinion a mistake, both songs were good but “I Took My Baby Home” was by far the catchier of the two. Now as I said this single is highly collectable, because all over the Internet it is claimed a certain Jimmy Page played guitar on the track. Although a great session man the future Axe-person for Led Zeppelin never played on this or any other Pickwicks record, it was a guy called Harry Friar. So that’s just lopped £50 off my copy of “Little By Little”.
Before 1966 The Pickwicks had split up, with Malcolm Jenkins joining The Ray King Band and Tony Martin joining Roger Lomas in The Clouds. Johnny went on to work with The Kinks and with his idol Johnny Kidd, “He was a lovely man, I never heard him criticise anyone, such a talent”.
In 1988 whilst visiting a relation in Myton Hospice, John Miles saw a face he barely recognised. It was Tony Martin. “We sat and talked about the old days, it was so good to see him again. I went back a few days later with Alan Gee our Rhythm guitarist, we took our guitars along and sang “Apple Blossom Time” with Tony one last time, it was magical but so very sad. A month later Tony was gone, but he will never be forgotten”.
Pickwicks Trivia
For more Backbeat information go to www.covmusic.net
You can hear Pete Chambers on Bob Brolly’s Friday Show every
fortnight from 3.00 p.m. on BBC WM: Coventry & Warwickshire