Tuesday, February 14, 2012

John Bradbury / Coventry Wall Of Fame 31/01/12

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

WHEN you put the number 13 together with a Friday you expect bad things to happen.

But that wasn't the case for three shining lights of the city music scene last week.

Ska drummer John 'Brad' Bradbury, singer Vince Hill and producer Roger Lomas became the latest names to join Coventry's Music Wall Of Fame.

Their induction took the number of plaques on the wall to a baker's dozen.

Other famous faces who have already been honoured include Selecter duo Neol Davies and Pauline Black, Specials star Lynval Golding and Hazel O'Connor.

Music historian Pete Chambers, who came up with the idea for the Wall of Fame last year, told the Coventry Telegraph: "Coventry has got such a fantastic and varied musical history so it is great to be able to celebrate it with this wall.

"There are a lot of musicians in Coventry, not just from the 2-Tone era, who have been around through the decades and have put Coventry on the musical map.

"This wall is a way of putting their names on our own map in the city and making sure they are not forgotten."

Vince Hill is the velvet voiced legend who went from Hen Lane to perform at some of the world's finest theatres.

His signature hit Edelweiss - a version of the song from the Sound of Music - reached number two in the UK charts in 1967 and made him a huge TV star.

John Bradbury is best known as the drummer with Coventry legends The Specials, but the soul aficionado also created Race Records.

He also led his own troupe, JB's Allstars, playing Northern Soul before The Specials reformed.

Roger Lomas is less of a household name but the former Sorrows and Dodgers member holds two unique honours which made him more than a match for his esteemed colleagues.

Not only was he responsible for the very first 2-Tone recording, but he is the only Coventrian to earn a Grammy for producing the album Jamaican E.T. for the legendary Lee 'Scratch' Perry.

He has also produced records for The Selecter and Bad Manners.

Pete said: "Vince was quite emotional about the whole thing and loves the way Coventry remembers him.

"As for John Bradbury, this is his home. He grew up just around the corner in Stoke, it is where he came from and where he was brought up so it means so much more to him.

"He was really chuffed to be added to the wall. It is great to have Roger on the wall now too.

"He is of course the only man in Coventry with a Grammy award and he was very delighted to be at the event."

A crowd of supporters gathered at the unveiling of the new plaques at the 2-Tone Village off Walsgrave Road, in Ball Hill.

Members of the public can now nominate the next names they would like to see on the wall.

And from tomorrow it is easier than every before, because you can vote at any one of the city's 17 libraries. You can also have you say online at www.2tonecentral.co.uk.

The final decision will be made by members of the steering group and the next names will be added on March 23.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Neville Staple / Coventry Skinhead Reunion

These 1970s skinheads got together in Coventry recently. Filmed by Adam Evans, edited by Phil Mutton, produced by me. They reminisced about a fight against a group of black rude boys in 1972 led by a young man called Neville Staple who would go on to be the front man in The Specials. His friend Trevor Evans helps Neville remember a big fight against skinheads in a Coventry park. The skins also remember the fight, though less happily.

Produced by Tony McMahon

Skinhead reunion in Coventry from Tony McMahon on Vimeo.