Magazine: It’s only Rock n Roll...

As I said last month, It’s only Rock n Roll but the 2i’s coffee bar still stirs memories and the tapping  of the feet.

One of the owners of the 2i’s Coffee Bar was Paul Lincoln. Paul was heavily involved in encouraging skiffle and rock'n'roll. In 1956, he and Ray Hunter opened the 2i's coffee bar in Old Compton Street, Soho, where there was an admission charge of sixpence for each of two evening houses. Paul Lincoln was the first to realise the profits to be made from all-teenage package shows consisting of nothing but rock'n'roll and skiffle without tired music-hall acts slowing down the evenings.

When the enormously popular BBC programme Six-Five Special was broadcast from the 2i's, Lincoln was interviewed and, said the journalist Fraser White, "his voice rang with a sacred softness that made him sound like the Billy Graham of the teenage movement".

Among those who appeared on the bill were  the early British rockers Terry Dene and Wee Willie Harris. Terry has fond memories of his days at the famous coffee bar. Prior to his music career Terry Dene  worked in the  HMV record store in Oxford Street.

"When I was still working at the HMV store we used to get all the new releases and I recall the first Presley disc  and I thought  - yes that's what I want to do.
 

We did a Christmas concert at work and most of the executives got drunk -  I did a  number  helped by  one of the sale assistants who played  drums and  Brian Gregg at that time on Harmonica.  The executives didn't take much notice but later when I  was discovered they said -' why didn't  we get you signed  and I said  'well you had your chance but you ignored me."

Having met Brian Gregg who later  became my bass player, he said to me one day  'Why don't you come to Soho'. I was young so I was shocked and nervous  and I remember saying something like  ' don't gangsters go there '. He assured me  it was not as bad as that and you could get a good cup of coffee for sixpence.   We went  and I started making friends and singing the odd bit in the 2 i's.  After a few weeks Paul Lincoln asked  me to  be sure to be there at the end of the week as he had some agents coming down.”

Brian Gregg had been a professional bass player for eight or nine years then, having joined his first professional band Les Hobeaux around 1958.   He was also in a band with Tommy Steele and used to play the bass guitar for The Vipers  and  The Blue Flames.

“The bar itself was cramped to say the least - just inside the door there was  a juke box which hammered out stuff like Blueberry Hill and A Whole Lotta Shakin Goin' On'. I remember there  was a Gaggia coffee machine and high stools  around the bar. I particularly remember some of the guys that also played there  including Tommy , although I don't think he actually played there much. Then there was Chas of course and The Vipers - oh and you did not forget Wee Willy Harris.

I remember one occasion when I was with Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent and we went to  Larry Parnes place for a drink. Larry had gone out of the room and  Eddy turned to  us and  said ' Hey man do you think that guy is a fag?'

There was a guy who worked at the coffee bar I remember called Big Roy - he weighed about 32 stone. He used to help out in security. One night we were in the sister club in Gerrard Street  and there were a few of us. Tommy Steele and I were discussing names  - I was just starting up at that time  and trying to decide on a name  - things like Terry Wills and the Woodbines.   Mickey Most turned and  suggested Dean. I said yes but I'll change the spelling to Dene.  Suddenly there was this huge banging and shouting . Apparently there was a gang with axes and clubs outside trying to get into the club and I remember Big Roy just stood behind the door so they could not open it. Well he was heavy.
 
There were a lot of  'arty' businesses springing  in the area , alongside  a few older and  well established businesses. There was an agency  for film extras in Archer Street and many of us used to go and  try and get some work. Myself and Micky Most got a day filming  for 'Joan of Arc' - I think we got £3--50 per day.  We were broke so we  stayed all  night on Euston Station  then got on the train by hopping over the barrier without tickets.

On the set I fell asleep in one of the houses  and I remember Otto Preminger was shouting  at people to take their glasses off. "This is another time in history".
I was woken up by someone shouting "she's burning".
Jean Seagers - on the set as ' Joan' was actually getting singed because the wind had changed.

Anyway it all worked out ok. The day finished and we all went  back on the train -- without tickets.  Micky had the idea that if we walked backwards  off the train and up the platform as if we were seeing somebody off,  to the barrier at Waterloo we would get away with it. Sounds crazy  - but it worked.”

In June 1957 Terry Dene was the biggest name on board the  'Rock across The Channel' trip. This was a Rock Roll day trip  to Calais and back, and was the first of many such "riverboat shuffles".  A bit more on that next month.

IN MEMORY

It is hard to believe that almost a year has gone since Jet Harris died. I had the priveliege of meeting  several times  and about a month before he died I was on the phone to him.
He told me he had  just been diagnosed with a new cancer but  “ I am going to fight it like hell” was his comment .
Although he learned to play clarinet as a teenager, he made his own four-string double bass to play in a jazz group and later graduated to a professionally made double bass. In 1958, while playing jazz with drummer Tony Crombie and his group the Rockets, Crombie got a Framus bass guitar for Harris, making him one of the first British exponents of the instrument. He subsequently was given by Cliff Richard the first Fender Bass (red) guitar in the UK in 1960 soon after Hank Marvin received his Fender Stratocaster (red) guitar. Both instruments were used in The Young Ones film while The Shadows played 'The Savage' (showing the famous Shadows' walk) to an invited audience of teenagers.
He played in several groups including the Vipers Skiffle Group and the Most Brothers before, in 1959, joining Cliff Richard's backing group the Drifters, who later changed their name to The Shadows at Harris's suggestion
Clem Cattini- arguably the best drummer in the business who has been on over 40 number one hits bought Jet his first amplifier.  Clem recalled,
 “I was  in the  2 i's one night  and he looked very upset.   He said he'd got a new job  but could not do it unless he had an amp. So we went to Denmark Street  (Tin Pan Ally) and I bought him a big red one for £75-00 - a lot of money in those days. Then off he went with Cliff.   I think he still owes it to me. “

 Ah well,  as they say  --  till next month  -  Keep on Rockin.

ANDREW INGS