elIq ttvl,w R()ff'N R0H. STAGE SHOW! IL i!F-qf ..,.€ iir tirlll.ilir -r'' BEFORS'ffi(0[vlING GLAi-I-ERA SMRALVIN' STARDUSI HF IfiJAS SHAHE FEHI0.II,IION OF THE EARLY'605. ONE OF THE ODDEST DOUBLE IDENTITY IWI$S IN ROCK'N'ROLL Hl ST0RY lS EXPL0RED BY' JEREIIY' lsfiA[, .. $fllr{ i*By .J3* e It!@I *ur . &tA[ &6r ffs* **{y,$ ai :#ay 1}* !d*xt6e g t was almost blind luck that an struck down by the rheumatic fever from il obscure singer-songwriter named which he had suffered as a child.'Tohnny il Bernartl Jewry hit the pop big time and I were really big mates," recalled il when he reinvented himseiias Jewry. "I waiked over to his house for a S Alvin Stardust in 1973. But it wes an rehearsal one day and he wasn't there. t even wilder and more tragic fluke His mum said'He's very ill, he's been a decade earlier that found him flonting taken into hospital'. Two days later, I TI l Shadows rivals the Fentones, and rockin' went round and she said'He's died'. We f I I just g out with the likes of Cliff Richard, Marty completely fell apart." I I Wilde, Tommy Steele and Joe Brown. At first the young musicians - Jerry ! I T Born on 27 September 1942 in Wilcock and Mick Eyre on lead and T I Musweli Hill, Bernard William Jewry rhythm guitars, Bill Bonney on bass and 3/ moved with his family to Mansfield, Tony Hinchcliffe on drums - were so I Nottinghamshire. By the late I950s he shocked that they wanted to disband. was obsessed with the rock'n'roll sounds But Theakston's grief-stricken mother of Elvis, Gene Vincent, Littie Richard and implored them to continue, using his Eddie Cochran, regularly attending rock stage name in honour ofher son, so road concerts, and even meeting Buddy Holly manager Jewry became lead singer under backstage in 1958. It was while appearing Theakston's professional moniker. with his own trio, The Jewry Rhythm Not only did Shane Fenton and the Band, in a talent contest at Mansfield Fentones keep their appointment with Palais that he met another group ofteen the BBC, they won their coveted Saturday hopefuls called Johnny Theakston and Ciub appearance, proving so popular the Tremeloes, formerly the Beat Boys. that they became a regular fixture on The group made him their road manager, the show as well as beinpl inundated even allowing him to join them on stage with live bookings. "We started getting on vocals once in a while. tours with people like Billy Fury Marty As the l960s dawned, Theakston Wilde, Joe Brown and Dickie Pride," decided on a name change, calling himself said Jewry. "Billy was bigger than Cliff, after the title character of the classic and Joe was our own Eddie Cochran. I Holly,wood western Shane and suddenly realised we were in the music a local printing company called Fenton's, business." The programme's musical with the band being rechristened the director, Tommy Sanderson, took over as Fentones. They were going over big in live their manager, eventually getting them a venues across Nottinghamshire, which recording contract with EMI's subsidiary encouraged them to record a demo tape label Parlophone Records. for submission to the BBC in the hope of Parlophone was not the giant it would landing a radio slot. Incredibly, the band become after signing The Beatles. was invited to audition for the nationally Founded in Germany in 1896, it had broadcast music showcase Saturday Club. evolved into a leadingjazz label in the "Radio was big in those days - 25 to 30 192Os, but by the early 196Os it was part of million listeners a week," Jewry told Electric & Musical Industries Ltd (EMI), Cherry Red TV in 2009.'After two shows, and regarded as the poor relation to you're a household name." EMI's other imprints, which boasted such But while the band were au,aiting their high-profiie acts as Cliff Richard, The audition date, Theakston was suddenll' Shadows and Johnny Kidd & the + E I g * \ 't::"' [: E E EI trF fi, a tE E El E m EI il E: s EI \l I x \# -s4 ,,# 6- .t:: ..n"j #- -d: ''..-*f-':.';ilf t!l::a:: r' Piratcs. But ir.r 1950, buclding proclucer comprositions by Jervr1,, nou. knor'vn as Cleorgc Martin joined the company after Shane Fenton. Spurred b1, their modest studyir.rg at thc Lluildl"rall School of N.[usic chart shou,ings, the groul.r embarked on and Dlama anrl working briefly frrr the a tour thlt inclucled Liverpool's Cavern ::Lr|]g ,,irti:lit::llli:: BBC's classical music clcpurtment. When Club, headlining a biii that inclucled the label boss Oscar Preuss letired in 1955, nascent Beatlcs. T\r'o months later the,v lr r\ 1':-:., Martir-r became top ciog at Parlophone. releasccl lt's All Over Now, peakecl : l'r.' "vhich Most of Martin's work had been at #29, rvith the Jcu,ry co-rvrite l4lhy rl,itl'r nor.elty acts, proclucing recorcls Little (]irl on the R-side. by comedians such ;rs Pcter Sellels, At this time in the rock business, . .:r.::r&:.iiarrr Bernard Cribbins, Brucc Forsyth and emphrisis was placed on the lead singer, Peter Cook and Dudlel' N{oore, along rvitl-r u.hich rneant that, u,hile Parlopl-rone MOR artists such as Cleo Lairre, .lohnn1, gru( )lr)c(l Shl rl(' Fcn to ll's pop inl :lit-(' i n Dar-rku,orth, Humphrey Ll,ttelton and anticipation of a solo carccE l-ris bircl<ir-rp; N{att X{unro. Ilr.rt he hacl errjo,vccl success bar-rd could experiment ir-rclepender-rtl1i u,itl'r \Arally Wh).ton's Vipcrs skiffle gror.rp Tl-re rcsulting instrumeutal single, ?he and the Temperance Scven, and was Mexican/Lover's Guitar, reached +41 on ,,I reatly to take on a rock'n'ro11 band. the charts. re1lisecl r,e.r1, quickll, just In the sumnrer of t961. Shane Ferrton hou. goocl tl-re bancl r'r,as," said Jer'r.r',v. and the Fentor.res joinecl Martin at Abbey "The1,had all bcen taught by big-band Roacl studios. The hrst choice for their musicians ancl could reacl and pla-v ver1. debtrt single, Flve Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue, lr,'ell. It u.as fabulous for n-rc to stand in \ ras soon relegated to 13-sicle status in front of such great musicians." favotrr of the srnoulclering 1'nt A Moodlr Reu r-rited, Sl-ranc' anrl the Fentones' , :r+=iii:. Guy, penned by Britisl.r songrvritcr Jerry Jnne 1962 release, Cindy's Birthddy, \\'as Lorclan, u.ho had u'rittcn Apachc for The a co\rcr of An-rerican T\r star Johnnv Shadorvs. Nine rnonths before thc Fab Crau'ford's US hit. It peaked at #19, and Four signerl with Parlophone to lr.ork this u,ould be the l.righest chart position u.ith GeorEie N4artin, Shrrne Fenton and the gr-oup r.vould attain clurir.rg tl'reir brief the FL.ntones hit the ainr.aves. assault on the LiK c1.rarts. The flipsicle, Itls I'nt A Moody Guy u,rs a hit, stal,ing on Gonna Take,\4ogrc, perfolmed in flcdgling- the charts fol eight u,ecks and leirching clirector Nlichae I \\iinnet"s Bi1l.v Fu11, #22. ^lt rvas like Disner'," Jeu'r1' rvould movie P/a.v It Coo1l, u.as co-u-rittcrt iry letel enthuse. "To hc;r pt'o musit intt Cliff Iticharcl's producer Norrie Prrarnor. u'as everv bo_v's dream. \\'e had an old, Three months later, tl-re Fentones release.'l battcled Thirrnes van and u.e u'er-e a1l their second instrumental single Ihc piled in the back rvith thc gear to pla-r'a Breeze And I, backed r,r,itl.r t1.re Wilcock- gig in Stoke-on-Trent. \\re u.ere lister-ring Evre composition Just -Ftrr Jerrv. 'l'he tutt. Lr-rxcmbourg ar.rd st:rllecl :rt spending oull'orre u,eek or to Radio thel'pla1'ed =48, Moody Guy; u.e all r'vent'Stop the van, it's the chlrt. us!'Evervonc packed in their davjobs." Tl.rc bar.rcl's u,eak chart placings belied TI.re follou,-up single, I'Iia/k Al,av, theil huge populaliq' and consitlcrable also writtett b1, Lordan, spent fi\,e recolcl sales. "\\'e had tlinor Top 30 l-rits. r.veeks on thc'cl-rart, peirking at #.38 in but u'e still had big sales lrecause ever), N{arclr 1962. The flipsicle, Fallert Leaves u'eek u.e \\.el'c on the rariio plaf ing to 25 On The Ground, u'as the fir'st of n-rany rnill i on l istenels," Jer'vry later expl ained. t n :t ''Peoplq e would still be buying a record six months afterwards, so even if it wasn'r in !' ed rhe Top 30 anymore it was still selling a few thousand each week." Yet despite solid songs penned by esrablished writers or band members, and played by top-drawer musicians, plus numerous film, radio, TV and live appearances. (including their own regular Swing Along With Shane radio show). Shane Fenton and the Fentones had failed ro carve themselves a lasting niche like Billy Fury, or Cli[iand The Shadows. Tlreir next two singles, Too Young For Sad Memories/You're Telling Me (the first penned by Larry Parnes scribe Lionel Bart) and lAln't Got Nobody/Hey Miss Ruby, didn't chart at all.