ARTIST THAT APPEARED AT THE TWISTED WHEEL

1963 - 1964 - 1965 - 1966 - 1967 - 1968 - 1969 - 1970+

If you see a it's a You Tube link to the artist, click for videos.

For a great nostalgic ‘ Life and Times around the Mod scene’ see http://jackthatcatwasclean.blogspot.com/

Brazennose Street Twisted Wheel Artists Appearing.

26 Bazennose Street was the address of the first Twisted Wheel Wheel.

Brian Rae; photographed  items artists for Roger Eagles magazine R&B Scene

DJ’s;   

Geoff  Mullin:  Pop: Beatles Stones etc -  27 jan 1963

Pete Van Dort: Pop: Beatles Stones etc

In early64  - Roger Eagle:  Black American Music Period: Blues Ska Surf and Soul MOD Soul UK groups etc he also played the original of rock and roll the black artists who the others copied… i.e.

Neil Carter

Roger Fairhurst

 (Both mates of Rogers) R n B and soul fans…

Although 63/64 is referred to as the R&B and Blues period its clear that a great deal of Soul music was popular right at the begging of the Twisted Wheel in Brazennose street its clear from seeing what the early groups were playing, covering and releasing : mainly versions of Stateside Black American Soul and R&B.

John   Cohen

Bobby Derbyshire - Bobby Dee

Very influential in the movement to full scale Soul

Still Deejaying and promoting soul acts.

Barry Turner

Paul Davis  1967 -    Quintessential Soul Period

Brian Rae

Brian Phillips N/Soul period 69/70

Phil Saxe (mate of Paul Davis)

Rob Bellars

Les Cockell   70 -  N/Soul

REFERENCES – Memory, Friends/Wheel-goers/Manchester Evening News/ Wheel Flyers.

FULL LIST OF MINOR AND EARLY ACTS IN 63/4/5 see CENtral 1179

February 1963 The Twisted Wheel opened’ with local live act as the main attraction plus The Hellions it was  The Karl Denver trio.

http://www.billyfury.com/wider_world/karldenver/

The remnants of the Dossers still frequented the Wheel in their frayed cut off bell bottom jeans, duffle coats, girls put little bells (xmas) on their jeans. Eventually the dosser left for the Cavern Club and Heaven and Hell.

Early groups on at the Wheel were: Locals - Wayne Fontana, The Hollies, Red Hoffman and the Measles, The Black Cat Bones, The Dakotas, The Marauders Herman’s Hermits, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. Others from wider afield, Manfred Mann, The Four Pennies, The Animals, Victor Brox Blues Train, The Undertakers, Swinging Blue Jeans. The Four Most, Blues Incorporated.

In Manchester there was a seam of Blues appreciation, the Free Trade Hall had several American Blues acts.

Roger the Wheel DJ hung out at The Cona and the Town Hall Tavern Pub in Tib Street, by night a black American music fanatic, by day a worker at Kellogs in Trafford Park.

Wayne Fontana did a version of Um Um Um Um Um and certain blues folks at the Wheel checked out the original: Major Lance!

Ready Steady Go; started in August 63….on ITV: dances and styles influenced the Wheelgoers, early days guys wore Beatle boots, and even collarless Beatle suits, then black polo necks, with bell bottom jeans.

Carnaby Street Styles and especially looking at the crowd at RSG influenced the styles at the Wheel. By Christmas 63 it was becoming Mod throughout 64 it became thoroughly Mod however Manchester mods loved Blues and at Christmas Eve 64 Sonny Boy Williamson appeared live at the Wheel .

By mid 64 the hippest clothes were ice blue dyed waiters jackets, button down Ben Sherman shirts, lightweight Italian knitted cardigans, straight legged slacks, and Desert boots.  Worn alternatively with the main dress code, suits of course and an extra influence was from Sean Connery in DR No and his Italian mohair weave blue grey suit!

Roger played; Dylan records at the Wheel, and loads of Blues, R&B and Soul and rolling stones and Beatles too.

Every night he played: Smokestack Lightening – Help Me – My Babe – Green Onions Soulfull Dress –  Hi Heel Sneekers -  Night Train -AND ‘It Wont Be long – from the Beatles second LP.

Odds and Ends

Rogers R&B Scene magazine was sold in the coffee bar at the club.

The coffee bar was at the front top level.

Wheel owners applied for a drinks license, but it was refused probably as the club was targeted as bad place by (Mckay) the cities religious chief constable.

Often Saturday night early sessions had different acts on usually with local bands, sometimes the main All-nighter act would do both.

Vacant states vacant minds, coming down after an All-nighter the weary Soul Mods of Manchester would move to the Station and other notable early morning cafes.

May 1964 Whitsun MOD riots at Clacton, Margate, and Brighton. The day begins with the Licozadwe advert then proceeds to the sequence in Quadrophenia…it was a TV news and  newspaper coverage it inspired Manchester scooter Mods to invade Blackpool and have a riot, long before the Clash got the idea for a White riot!

Granada TV covered the Blues scene and they had Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters then later The Motown Review all at CHORLTONVILLE a station in Chorlton . (link to CHORLTONVILLE)

Cathy Mc Gowan was Mod so too was Sandie Shaw, and dancer Sandie Seargent on RSG. (Cathy married Mr Ball of Radio 2 Sunday a.m. and singing fame.)

In 67/8 the gangster look and style came ‘in’ overcoats hats, even spats the lot inspired by Elliott Ness and Frank Nitty…on the TV show The Untouchables.

For more about the Twisted Wheel See – The Manchester Soul Website

http://manchestersoul.co.uk/msoul/index.html

The book – THE MANCHESTER WHEELERS - http://lagondwanaland.com/SoulPublications/Book/Manchester_Wheelers/index.html

Also the Title: CENtral 1179  a book about the ‘Wheel’ by Keith Rylatt & Phil Scott)

Central 1179 was the telephone number of the Brazennose Street Twisted Wheel

Ivor Abadi’s - WHEEL WEBSITE - http://www.thetwistedwheel.com/

Little known Wheel notes:

The Twisted Wheel used to open most nights of the week and it also opened the top floor as a café during the week, for office workers to get sandwiches teas and coffee’s. Also served were hot meals – Welsh Rarebit was the most popular – Cheese on toast!

The Timebox were a favourite group of one of the girls who worked in the Twisted Wheel Café – she would play their versions of our Soul music!