Newsletter No. 7 July 2001 ‘Til I Waltz Again With You For various reasons, the group went their separate ways and Tony enjoyed a brief spell with Tony Vincent the Rock'n'Roll All-Stars before reforming his own group as Rock Mobile with Les Bailey on drums 7 th July 1946 to 5 th July 1994 and Terry Glasse back again on bass. In the mid- seventies, while playing The Fountain at Tooting, Tony announced to the other two that he was changing the name to CSA and a legend was born. You may have seen CSA at the Old Tigers Head in Lee Green, Hackney Hospital, The Adam and Eve in Hackney, The Castle in Tooting, The Telegraph in Brixton Hill, The Fountain in Tooting, The Gun in Croydon, the United Ex-Services Club in Carshalton, or Croydon Football Club in South Norwood among many other venues. You may have been on one of the many Rockers Reunion Tony Collick, known to everybody as Tony Runs or the Annual Party where CSA almost Vincent, the best loved milkman in the south died always played. two days before his 47th birthday. Three days earlier marked the passing of a Rock'n'Roll legend The venue I most associate with CSA was the – CSA played for the last time at the Magpie’s Leslie Arms, Addiscombe on Thursday and Nest on Bromley Common. Sunday nights (Thursday was Country and Sunday Rock'n'Roll). Admission on both these For those who don’t know, Tony Vincent was the nights was free, as were most of CSA’s gigs (a lead guitarist and singer with a band called CSA. penny or two on a pint covered costs) and an That last statement may be factual but it falls far enjoyable evening was guaranteed. No matter short of the facts. Tony was the band – an how many times or for how long he performed, accomplished vocalist and a supremely versatile Tony always seemed to enjoy himself on stage guitarist, he played with a multitude of musicians and his enjoyment was contagious. but no matter who accompanied him, the sound was always pure CSA. He also liked to let others enjoy themselves by getting up on stage and joining in – one of the Brought up in Worcester Park, he started playing most common sights was Big Al with his sax guitar before he was ten. In the early sixties he reeling about the stage – I’m sure Tony only let formed a band with Doug, Terry and Dick who, him on stage so he could steal the roll-up from after various alternatives (The Manxmen, Tony behind his ear. Big Jim was encouraged to form and The Pontiacs) settled on the name The The Starlighters by Tony after a few times behind Orbits. The band recorded ‘Lonesome Me’ with the mike with him. He even started his nephew Dave Allen before he moved on to other things off on a musical career by persuading him to play and then they continued to play local clubs and one night at the Leslie Arms. pubs. Did anybody see them at the Marlborough Hall, Wimbledon in November 1963 (admission One thing that was often absent at these pub gigs 3/6d) or Cheam Cricket Club in December 1964 was applause. Tony appeared neither to need nor (admission 4/-)? An early high spot was winning want encouragement. As soon as he finished one the Merton and Morden Beat Groups number he was into the next (with occasionally a Championships, which led to Tony writing and momentary pause for a swig of his pint or a draw recording ‘I Can’t Deny’ in 1965. on his roll-up) all the way through to the end of the set. 'Tales From The Woods' 7 - 1 Often wearing his trademark T-shirt with “Bass Player and Drummer Wanted” emblazoned across it, Tony would appear with a variety of assistance - Les Bailey, Johnny Blunt, Pete Gammon, Terry Glasse, Johnny Angel, Basil, Randy, Liam, Ginge – the list goes on and on. One had to feel sorry for these guys as Tony would often change a tune H halfway through and they just had to keep up. He used to test his drummers by speeding up and Did you buy ‘Stockade’? If so and you’ve got the slowing down as the mood took him. On occasion only copy in existence that doesn’t jump, can I he would throw in a new song he had learnt borrow it please? without warning the rest of the band. He was just having fun doing what he loved. Tony’s skills on the axe were remarkable – he could play a Shadows number with just a drummer and bass guitar but you would swear there were a lead and rhythm in there somewhere too. He could do things with a guitar that other, more famous, players wouldn’t dream of. Fame, however, didn’t seem very high on Tony’s list of priorities – “I’d rather be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in an ocean” was his response when I asked why, followed by “I’ll have a Jack Daniels, thanks.” Who was Tony – a tall, lean guy, big smile, thick rimmed glasses, beard (sometimes), ‘tache (sometimes), swathed in tattoos, roll-up jammed Lee Wilkinson pictured in Los Angeles in the strings of his Gretsch Tennessee with recently, there to accept a ‘Grammy’ on behalf TONY VINCENT on the neck, “Oh shit!” whenever of the eponymous KW for his fastest growing he hit a bum note, a lover of guns and Canada, in house satirical magazine. Lee was pleased singing his own version of ‘White Lightning’ – to meet up with two of his heroes, Phil Silvers ‘White Powder’ and an all-round nice guy. He has and Jerry (not Lee) Lewis. been and will continue to be missed. What can I say Kats and Kittens, I am deeply The funeral was a massive affair. Hearses full of touched. In fact I’d go so far as to say that I am floral tributes, a seemingly endless line of cars more touched now than I have ever been in my and a phalanx of motorcycles as far as the eye life. To know how much you folks care, for ‘Tales could see followed his body to the cemetery. The From The Woods’ to be voted the fastest growing crowd was twenty or thirty deep around the grave, Rock'n'Roll satirical in-house magazine in the all of whom had been totally silent whilst the entire world. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go to Los service was carried out. The coffin was lowered Angeles to collect this esteemed award because I into the ground, draped in a Confederate flag and was preoccupied in Marrakech working as artistic CSA was finally laid to rest. Then it was all back adviser alongside film director Fouad Mikrat (as to Carshalton for a Rock'n'Roll piss up to see reported in these pages in the June issue) on the Tony off in the way he would have wanted to be forthcoming feature film based on the life of Eddie remembered. Sheldon and Sue. I am eternally grateful to ‘Tales From The Woods’ reviewer Lee Wilkinson for A song (‘The Rock'n'Roll Man’) was written for accepting the Grammy on my behalf. So may I Tony by a close friend shortly before he died and express my gratitude through these pages and I the chorus goes a long way to summing up this promise to buy a pint for each and every one of great Rock'n'Roll man: - you at the next gang meet up. If life is a song and we each write a line Footnote: Sue is much overjoyed by all the interest created as is Eddie himself and wishes The most we can ask for is try and make it rhyme she could come back to England to meet Eddie We all leave a legacy for better or for worse again and all you loyal ‘Tales From The Woods’ readers. Sadly, as a wanted terrorist she can And the Rock'n'Roll man wrote a verse never set foot in Europe again but Sue has promised faithfully to write her story in a future edition of ‘Tales From The Woods’. 'Tales From The Woods' 7 - 2 Winkles in the Mud - Tony Wilkinson The Darwin Awards were recently brought to the attention of this illustrious Stateside Trip Reviews tome. These awards are for those individuals who contribute to the survival of the species by eliminating themselves Wilson Pickett from the gene pool before they have a New Orleans Heritage Festival chance to breed. Most recent honourees Acura Stage - Friday 4th May are: Five piece wind section, lead guitar, bass, drums, 1. A young Canadian, searching for a way to get keyboards, three girl back-up singers, several drunk cheaply, as he had no money with thousand people packed from the main stage and which to buy alcohol, mixed petrol with milk. stretching back to the horizon, for the vintage soul Not surprisingly, this concoction made him ill, man. and he vomited into the fireplace in his house. The resulting explosion and fire burned his So what did we get? Well not a lot as it happens. house down, killing both him and his sister. Started off well enough, his very tight, professional 2. A 34-year-old white male found dead in the band kicked off the proceedings with ‘You’re So basement of his home died of suffocation, Sweet’, lead guitar man taking on vocal duties.