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This day-by-day diary of Bakerloo’s live, studio, broadcasting, and private activities is the result of three decades of research and interview work by Bruno Ceriotti, but without the significant contributions by other kindred spirits this diary would not have been possible. So, I would like to thank all the people who, in one form or another, contributed to this timeline: Terry Poole, Clem Clempson, Keith Baker, Mick Capewell, John H. Warburg, Raymond Malik, Rainer ‘Ryd’ Carstensen, Klemen Breznikar, George Northall, Jim Simpson, Al Atkins, John Hinch (RIP), Alan Walsh, Bob Dawbarn, It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine, Melody Maker, Record Mirror, Evening Post and News, Coventry Evening Telegraph, Sunday Mercury, Lichfield Mercury, Ron Pearce, Runcorn Weekly News, Sounds, The Birmingham Post, Colin Malam, Tamworth Herald, Birmingham Evening Mail, Stafford Evening Sentinel, Staffordshire Newsletter, The Kensington News & West London Times, Northern Echo, Cambridge Evening News, The Surrey Advertiser County Times, Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Beat Instrumental.
September 1966
The story of Bakerloo begins in Tamworth, a market town and borough in Staffordshire, when the Pinch, a blues and soul trio heavy influenced by Cream, was formed by drummer John Frederick Hinch (b. Saturday, July 19, 1947, Lichfield, Staffodshire - d. Thursday, April 29, 2021), a 19-year-old trainee building inspector of 98 Gala Lane, Lichfield, bassist Robert ‘Bob’ Broadhurst, a 18-year-old soft drinks salesman of 51 Mythe View, Atherstone, and singer-guitarist Dave Mason, a 18-year-old carpenter of 11 Jonkel Avenue, Wilnecote. Dave Mason and Bob Broadhurst had already played together in a couple of other local bands, first Johnny Silver and the Cossacks (1963-64), and then the Spirits (1964-65). John Hinch, instead, was a former member of a band called This Generation.
The story of Bakerloo begins in Tamworth, a market town and borough in Staffordshire, when the Pinch, a blues and soul trio heavy influenced by Cream, was formed by drummer John Frederick Hinch (b. Saturday, July 19, 1947, Lichfield, Staffodshire - d. Thursday, April 29, 2021), a 19-year-old trainee building inspector of 98 Gala Lane, Lichfield, bassist Robert ‘Bob’ Broadhurst, a 18-year-old soft drinks salesman of 51 Mythe View, Atherstone, and singer-guitarist Dave Mason, a 18-year-old carpenter of 11 Jonkel Avenue, Wilnecote. Dave Mason and Bob Broadhurst had already played together in a couple of other local bands, first Johnny Silver and the Cossacks (1963-64), and then the Spirits (1964-65). John Hinch, instead, was a former member of a band called This Generation.
THE PINCH #1 (SEPTEMBER 1966 - APRIL 1967)
1) Dave Mason guitar, vocals
2) Bob Broadhurst bass
3) John Hinch drums
1) Dave Mason guitar, vocals
2) Bob Broadhurst bass
3) John Hinch drums
The Pinch #1, 1966/67 - from left: Dave Mason, Bob Broadhurst, John Hinch
Monday, March 6, 1967: ‘Students Rag Week - Beat Group Competition,’ Hall, Tamworth College of Further Education campus, Croft Street, Tamworth, Staffordshire
The Pinch and four other local groups took part in the beat group competion that was held in the Hall of the College of Further Education on Monday night, at the start of the third annual students’ rag week, where 300 students and friends danced to high-powered beat music and the players themselves competed for cash awards. The show was held to raised funds to be divided between the Save the Children Fund and Lady Hoare’s Thalidomide Appeal. Judged by 14 students representing all full-time courses of the college, each of the competing groups were chosen by a draw from the 13 who accepted the conditions and entered, played for 40 minutes. Scoring was based on the quality of music and singing, dress and presentation and speed and organisation. Bonus points were scored if the group took less than 10 minutes to set up their equipment and move it from the stage afterwards ready for the next group to takeover. Penalty points were deducted if it took more time. Needless to say, the Pinch won the first prize (£18). Their 14 numbers were received enthusiastically.
Friday, March 10, 1967: Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Corporation Street, Tamworth, Staffordshire
Also on the bill: The Umpteenth Time. One show, from 8pm to 12 midnight.
Friday, March 17, 1967: The Crow’s Nest Discotheque, The Jolly Sailor (public house), Tamworth, Staffordshire
Late March 1967
In the last week of the month, an official of a recording company who’d watched the trio with interest for some time, saw them in practice at Tamworth Youth Centre.
April 1967
Bob Broadhurst left the Pinch and at that point Dave Mason switched to bass and the band hired a new guitar player named David Adrian ‘Clem’ Clempson (b. Monday, September 5, 1949, Tamworth, Staffordshire), a 18-year-old of Bailey Avenue, Hockley, who’d a full time job at Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth and who’d played with a “rival” band called Harwell Reaction (formerly known as the Vipers), which disbanded after Clem left. “The guitarist in The Pinch, Dave Mason, came to see me and asked me to join the band. His plan was that he would switch to the bass, so I joined him with John Hinch on drums,” confirms Clem Clempson. “Clem was a nickname that started in school. I think I was four when I was given a toy piano and began playing tunes on it that I’d heard on the radio,” also says Clempson. “I guess I got my first guitar around 1963 and formed The Vipers with some friends in 1963/64, playing Beatles songs and other chart stuff in the local Working Men’s Clubs. But I only began taking the guitar really seriously when I heard the Bluesbreakers [with Eric Clapton] album [in 1966] and realised that was what I wanted to do!” “I started playing piano when I was about four and that lasted for eight years,” also recalled Clempson in an interview with Ray Telford for Sounds (December 9, 1972). “I was doing a course with the Royal School of Music in Birmingham and that lasted until I got to a stage where I couldn’t go on any further without going to the Royal School of Music full-time and at that time I was only 13 or something so it was completely out of the question. After that, I kind of lost interest for a while because there was no challenge and so I turned to football but I soon lost interest in that, too, because I started getting hankerings to get back into music. One day [in 1966] I bought the Bluesbreakers’ LP with Eric Clapton playing on it, and the guitar playing on that just blew my mind. That’s when I took up guitar. I formed a group with some friends and it was the usual scene of learning to play together, the only thing was, though, only two of us actually learnt to play and the others didn’t so that group never lasted very long.” “I’d been playing piano since I was five, and took up guitar about three years ago,” recalled Clempson in another interview with Alan Walsh for Melody Maker (January 11, 1969).
THE PINCH #2 (APRIL 1967 - JULY 1967)
1) Dave Mason
2) John Hinch
3) Clem Clempson lead guitar, slide guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals, harmonica, harpsichord, piano
1) Dave Mason
2) John Hinch
3) Clem Clempson lead guitar, slide guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals, harmonica, harpsichord, piano
Friday, May 5, 1967: ‘Lichfield Greenhill Bower Dance,’ The Guildhall, Bore Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire
Also on the bill: Much Ado About Nothing. Reportedly, more than 150 people attended the dance show. “The Guildhall gig was a very special gig that I’ll always remember because it was then that I accidentally found the guitar sound I’d been searching for, which was the sound that Eric Clapton had on the Bluesbreakers album,” explains Clem Clempson. “In those days of no internet it was very difficult to find information about equipment and techniques etc. I was using a Vox Beatlemaster amplifier which was very loud, and in the kind of places we were playing I couldn’t turn it up very high. But on the Guildhall gig our set was quite late, and we went to the pub before the show and had a few beers, so I was feeling quite ‘uninhibited’ by the time we went on stage, and as the Guildhall was quite a big room I turned my amp up to full volume, and… that’s when I discovered how Eric got his sound! Simply by playing with the amp cranked up! It was a real Eureka moment, and because I’d had a few drinks I wrote it down in my diary and put it in my guitar case to make sure I didn’t forget about it!” “The support band Much Ado About Nothing were from Lichfield and the singer was a guy called Dave Lindsay; we became good friends, going to a lot of gigs together (he had a car!!),” also recalls Clempson.
Saturday, May 13 or 20 or 27, 1967: The Steering Wheel Club, 7 Maiden Street, Weymouth, Dorset
“One of the first gigs I did with them, and also the first gig I ever played outside the Tamworth area, was at a club in Dorset on the south coast, called the Steering Wheel,” recalls Clem Clempson. “That was definitely with Dave Mason on bass, we drove down in his old blue van, and a friend of ours from Tamworth College drove down in his car and pulled a caravan for us to spend the night in after the gig. That was in May 1967, I know the date because ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ had just been released and every time I hear that record it brings back the memory of that trip, very exciting times for me!”
Spring 1967: The Crow’s Nest Discotheque, The Jolly Sailor (public house), Tamworth, Staffordshire
Spring 1967: Hall, Tamworth College of Further Education campus, Croft Street, Tamworth, Staffordshire
Friday, June 30, 1967: Dordon Youth Centre, Kitwood Avenue, Dordon, Warwickshire
One show, from 9pm to 11:30pm.
July 1967
After only a couple of months or so since Clem Clempson joined the band, Dave Mason left the Pinch and was replaced by a new bass player named Terence William ‘Terry’ Poole (b. Sunday, April 17, 1949, Marston Green, Warwickshire), a 18-year-old from 19 Chesterton Way, Leyfields, Tamworth. “We started gigging around the Tamworth area, but before long there was a fight between John and Dave, and John told me he knew a great bass player called Terry Poole and invited me to continue with the two of them,” recalls Clem Clempson. “I was introduced to Terry about a year ago in a Birmingham discotheque. We found we had the same taste in music and decided to form a group,” also recalled Clempson in another interview with Alan Walsh for Melody Maker (January 11, 1969). “I passed the eleven plus in 1960 and attended Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Tamworth where I started playing guitar in 1961,” recalls Terry Poole. “Then in 1965 I went into further education at Sutton Coldfield School of Art and Nottingham College of Art & Design becoming a graphic artist. I funded my further education with summer jobs and playing gigs in and around Birmingham. While I was at art school I was invited to join The Pinch by John Hinch.” “I met Clem when we were both 17,” also recalls Poole. “He was a fantastic child prodigy pianist who discovered the guitar in his early teens ad set about mimicking Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton with tremendous dexterity. Last but not least, he had a van and so we had transportation.” “The early rehearsals were mostly in spare rooms of pubs and youth clubs in and around Tamworth,” added Terry Poole in an interview with Klemen Breznikar for It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine website published on September 29, 2012. The band started off playing pure blues à la Muddy Waters and also Tamla Motown stuff, but later they moved on to a more progressive approach, mixing blues with jazz-influenced material and even the better type of contemporary pop. “For example, as well as blues numbers, we do things like our own version of [The Beatles’] ‘Eleanor Rigby’ as well as more jazz-based numbers like Milt Jackson’s ‘Bag’s Groove’ and Ray Charles’ ‘I Believe To My Soul’,” said Clempson to Melody Maker. “When I joined we did more Cream and Hendrix cover versions too,” recalls Terry Poole.
Also on the bill: Much Ado About Nothing. Reportedly, more than 150 people attended the dance show. “The Guildhall gig was a very special gig that I’ll always remember because it was then that I accidentally found the guitar sound I’d been searching for, which was the sound that Eric Clapton had on the Bluesbreakers album,” explains Clem Clempson. “In those days of no internet it was very difficult to find information about equipment and techniques etc. I was using a Vox Beatlemaster amplifier which was very loud, and in the kind of places we were playing I couldn’t turn it up very high. But on the Guildhall gig our set was quite late, and we went to the pub before the show and had a few beers, so I was feeling quite ‘uninhibited’ by the time we went on stage, and as the Guildhall was quite a big room I turned my amp up to full volume, and… that’s when I discovered how Eric got his sound! Simply by playing with the amp cranked up! It was a real Eureka moment, and because I’d had a few drinks I wrote it down in my diary and put it in my guitar case to make sure I didn’t forget about it!” “The support band Much Ado About Nothing were from Lichfield and the singer was a guy called Dave Lindsay; we became good friends, going to a lot of gigs together (he had a car!!),” also recalls Clempson.
Saturday, May 13 or 20 or 27, 1967: The Steering Wheel Club, 7 Maiden Street, Weymouth, Dorset
“One of the first gigs I did with them, and also the first gig I ever played outside the Tamworth area, was at a club in Dorset on the south coast, called the Steering Wheel,” recalls Clem Clempson. “That was definitely with Dave Mason on bass, we drove down in his old blue van, and a friend of ours from Tamworth College drove down in his car and pulled a caravan for us to spend the night in after the gig. That was in May 1967, I know the date because ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ had just been released and every time I hear that record it brings back the memory of that trip, very exciting times for me!”
Spring 1967: The Crow’s Nest Discotheque, The Jolly Sailor (public house), Tamworth, Staffordshire
Spring 1967: Hall, Tamworth College of Further Education campus, Croft Street, Tamworth, Staffordshire
Friday, June 30, 1967: Dordon Youth Centre, Kitwood Avenue, Dordon, Warwickshire
One show, from 9pm to 11:30pm.
July 1967
After only a couple of months or so since Clem Clempson joined the band, Dave Mason left the Pinch and was replaced by a new bass player named Terence William ‘Terry’ Poole (b. Sunday, April 17, 1949, Marston Green, Warwickshire), a 18-year-old from 19 Chesterton Way, Leyfields, Tamworth. “We started gigging around the Tamworth area, but before long there was a fight between John and Dave, and John told me he knew a great bass player called Terry Poole and invited me to continue with the two of them,” recalls Clem Clempson. “I was introduced to Terry about a year ago in a Birmingham discotheque. We found we had the same taste in music and decided to form a group,” also recalled Clempson in another interview with Alan Walsh for Melody Maker (January 11, 1969). “I passed the eleven plus in 1960 and attended Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Tamworth where I started playing guitar in 1961,” recalls Terry Poole. “Then in 1965 I went into further education at Sutton Coldfield School of Art and Nottingham College of Art & Design becoming a graphic artist. I funded my further education with summer jobs and playing gigs in and around Birmingham. While I was at art school I was invited to join The Pinch by John Hinch.” “I met Clem when we were both 17,” also recalls Poole. “He was a fantastic child prodigy pianist who discovered the guitar in his early teens ad set about mimicking Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton with tremendous dexterity. Last but not least, he had a van and so we had transportation.” “The early rehearsals were mostly in spare rooms of pubs and youth clubs in and around Tamworth,” added Terry Poole in an interview with Klemen Breznikar for It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine website published on September 29, 2012. The band started off playing pure blues à la Muddy Waters and also Tamla Motown stuff, but later they moved on to a more progressive approach, mixing blues with jazz-influenced material and even the better type of contemporary pop. “For example, as well as blues numbers, we do things like our own version of [The Beatles’] ‘Eleanor Rigby’ as well as more jazz-based numbers like Milt Jackson’s ‘Bag’s Groove’ and Ray Charles’ ‘I Believe To My Soul’,” said Clempson to Melody Maker. “When I joined we did more Cream and Hendrix cover versions too,” recalls Terry Poole.
THE PINCH #3 (JULY 1967 - DECEMBER 31, 1967) / BAKERLOO BLUES LINE #1 (JANUARY 1, 1968 - JULY ?, 1968)
1) John Hinch
2) Clem Clempson
3) Terry Poole bass, vocals
1) John Hinch
2) Clem Clempson
3) Terry Poole bass, vocals
Saturday, July 15, 1967: ‘The Warwickshire Club Youth Centres Annual Dance,’ Dordon Youth Centre, Kitwood Avenue, Dordon, Warwickshire
One show, from 9pm to 11:30pm.
Sunday, September 17, 1967: The Ringway Club, 140 Bromsgrove Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Friday, September 29, 1967: ‘Dance,’ The Guildhall, Bore Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire
Also on the bill: The Roy Norton Trio. The show lasted from 8pm to 1am.
Fall 1967: Locarno Ballroom, Hurst Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Manager Jim Simpson, a former trumpet player with another local rock band called The Locomotive, spotted the Pinch playing in one of the numerous beat competitions in the Birmingham area. “Jim was one of the judges at a competition for bands at the Locarno Ballroom in Birmingham,” confirms Clem Clempson, “we finished second, and Jim set up a meeting with us to discuss managing the band. He also took us to an Indian restaurant, the first time I’d ever eaten Indian food and the beginning of a lifelong love of Indian cuisine.” “All the other groups were playing soul music, and though we didn’t in fact win the contest, Jim was sufficiently impressed to sign us up,” also recalled Clempson in a interview with Beat Instrumental, a London based monthly music magazine, published in March 1969. “I think it must have been because we were playing the music we wanted to, rather than what we thought we could make most money out of.” “By the way, there was a write-up about the beat competition in the main Birmingham newspaper, I think the Birmingham [Evening] Mail,” also recalls Clempson. “I remember it well because it mentioned the dexterity of the guitarist, and it was the first time my abilities as a guitarist had been mentioned in print. I was very proud of it.”
Monday, January 1, 1968
The Pinch turned professional and changed their name to Bakerloo Blues Line. “We considered ourselves pro from the beginning of the new year, commiting 100% to the band and more gigs and money were regular,” recalls Terry Poole. “It was around that time that I decided to give up the job at Reliant, so yeah in theory I turned ‘pro,’ although we weren’t making any money yet!,” points out Clem Clempson. “About the new name, to my recollection it was definitely our manager Jim Simpson who suggested it,” adds Clempson. “He’d just returned from a trip to London and that’s where he got the idea. It didn’t have any special meaning, it just sounded cool!” “Actually the name was MY invention, and I am 100% sure about it,” points out Terry Poole. “You know, I had spent a lot of my childhood vacations with my family in London and was very familiar with the tube network, a long way from Tamworth where I was educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School.” “I had an aunt and uncle who lived in central London near Edgware Road Tube Station which is on the Bakerloo Line,” continues Poole. “I stayed there with them and my cousins so I knew London quite well and so when the ‘underground music’ movement started in the mid sixties I felt that the name of an underground railway station would be a good name for our band as most people would have known the name Bakerloo.” “I can only tell you what my recollections are, if Terry has a different recollection about who suggested the name I can’t say which is the truth,” concludes Clem Clempson. Anyway, by then the trio lived in a farm cottage called ‘Pooltail Cottage’ on Pooltail Lane, Freeford, near Lichfield, a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, where they were the sole occupants and can rehearsed any time of the day or night. “That’s right. We had a good friend called George Falconer who worked on the farm and lived in a house on the farm,” recalls Clem Clempson. “Terry and I moved in and set up our gear and were able to rehearse any time we wanted as the house was very isolated. John continued living in his parents’ home in Lichfield. George was mostly a friend but he often helped us on gigs and thought of himself as our ‘road manager.’ But he worked full-time on the farm and was allowed to live in the cottage. He let us stay there rent-free, but the farmer who owned the cottage didn’t know about it!”
One show, from 9pm to 11:30pm.
Sunday, September 17, 1967: The Ringway Club, 140 Bromsgrove Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Friday, September 29, 1967: ‘Dance,’ The Guildhall, Bore Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire
Also on the bill: The Roy Norton Trio. The show lasted from 8pm to 1am.
Fall 1967: Locarno Ballroom, Hurst Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Manager Jim Simpson, a former trumpet player with another local rock band called The Locomotive, spotted the Pinch playing in one of the numerous beat competitions in the Birmingham area. “Jim was one of the judges at a competition for bands at the Locarno Ballroom in Birmingham,” confirms Clem Clempson, “we finished second, and Jim set up a meeting with us to discuss managing the band. He also took us to an Indian restaurant, the first time I’d ever eaten Indian food and the beginning of a lifelong love of Indian cuisine.” “All the other groups were playing soul music, and though we didn’t in fact win the contest, Jim was sufficiently impressed to sign us up,” also recalled Clempson in a interview with Beat Instrumental, a London based monthly music magazine, published in March 1969. “I think it must have been because we were playing the music we wanted to, rather than what we thought we could make most money out of.” “By the way, there was a write-up about the beat competition in the main Birmingham newspaper, I think the Birmingham [Evening] Mail,” also recalls Clempson. “I remember it well because it mentioned the dexterity of the guitarist, and it was the first time my abilities as a guitarist had been mentioned in print. I was very proud of it.”
Monday, January 1, 1968
The Pinch turned professional and changed their name to Bakerloo Blues Line. “We considered ourselves pro from the beginning of the new year, commiting 100% to the band and more gigs and money were regular,” recalls Terry Poole. “It was around that time that I decided to give up the job at Reliant, so yeah in theory I turned ‘pro,’ although we weren’t making any money yet!,” points out Clem Clempson. “About the new name, to my recollection it was definitely our manager Jim Simpson who suggested it,” adds Clempson. “He’d just returned from a trip to London and that’s where he got the idea. It didn’t have any special meaning, it just sounded cool!” “Actually the name was MY invention, and I am 100% sure about it,” points out Terry Poole. “You know, I had spent a lot of my childhood vacations with my family in London and was very familiar with the tube network, a long way from Tamworth where I was educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School.” “I had an aunt and uncle who lived in central London near Edgware Road Tube Station which is on the Bakerloo Line,” continues Poole. “I stayed there with them and my cousins so I knew London quite well and so when the ‘underground music’ movement started in the mid sixties I felt that the name of an underground railway station would be a good name for our band as most people would have known the name Bakerloo.” “I can only tell you what my recollections are, if Terry has a different recollection about who suggested the name I can’t say which is the truth,” concludes Clem Clempson. Anyway, by then the trio lived in a farm cottage called ‘Pooltail Cottage’ on Pooltail Lane, Freeford, near Lichfield, a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, where they were the sole occupants and can rehearsed any time of the day or night. “That’s right. We had a good friend called George Falconer who worked on the farm and lived in a house on the farm,” recalls Clem Clempson. “Terry and I moved in and set up our gear and were able to rehearse any time we wanted as the house was very isolated. John continued living in his parents’ home in Lichfield. George was mostly a friend but he often helped us on gigs and thought of himself as our ‘road manager.’ But he worked full-time on the farm and was allowed to live in the cottage. He let us stay there rent-free, but the farmer who owned the cottage didn’t know about it!”
Bakerloo Blues Line #1, Pooltail Cottage, around spring of 1968 - from left: John Hinch, Clem Clempson, Terry Poole
Melody Maker (October 5, 1968)
Saturday, February 10, 1968: The Elbow Room, 146 High Street, Aston, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Sunday, February 11, 1968: The Dungeon Club, 6 Stamford Street, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
The band was advertised as ‘The Greatest Show in Town Bakerloo Blues Line.’ The show lasted from 2pm to 11pm.
Evening Post and News (February 9, 1968)
Friday, February 16, 1968: Ritz Ballroom, York Road, Kings Heath, south Birmingham, Worchestershire
Friday, February 16, 1968: The Ringway Club, 140 Bromsgrove Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire
The band was advertised as ‘The Bakerloo Blues Line (Recording Stars).’
Saturday, February 17, 1968: The Elbow Room, 146 High Street, Aston, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Friday, February 23, 1968: Bull’s Head, Bankhouse Road, Hanford, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Friday, March 15, 1968: The Elbow Room, 146 High Street, Aston, Birmingham, Warwickshire
The band was advertised as ‘Midland’s Finest Blues Band.’
Saturday, March 30, 1968: The Elbow Room, 146 High Street, Aston, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Melody Maker (March 30, 1968)
Friday, April 5, 1968: ‘A Super All Nighter,’ Fabulous Impsella Club, (in the basement area of) Chateau Impney Hotel, Droitwich Spa, Wychavon, Worchestershire
Also on the bill: The Sensational Pele Nero. The show lasted from 9pm to 7am.
Saturday, April 6, 1968: The Hobmoor (pub), Fastpits Road, Yardley, east Birmingham, Worchestershire
The show started at 8pm.
Saturday, April 13, 1968: Carnaby Club, Red House (pub), 483 Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry, Warwickshire
Coventry Evening Telegraph (April 13, 1968)
Sunday, April 21, 1968: Mothers, 187 High Street, Erdington, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. One show, from 8pm to 12 midnight.
Sunday Mercury (April 21, 1968)
Friday, May 10, 1968: The Elbow Room, 146 High Street, Aston, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Birmingham Evening Mail (May 6, 1968)
Wednesday, May 15, 1968
Bakerloo Blues Line signed a five-year contract with the Jim Simpson Agency at Birmingham in conjunction with dee jay Tony Hall Enterprises of London.
Wednesday, May 15, 1968: Milton’s Cellar Bar, Milton’s Head Hotel, at the junction of Milton Street and Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
The band was advertised as ‘Blues Train Sensation - Birmingham’s Top Blues Group.’
Evening Post and News (May 15, 1968)
Saturday, May 18, 1968: ‘Beat Dance,’ The Co-Operative Ballroom, Lincoln, Lincolnshire
The show lasted from 7:30pm to 11:30pm. Also on the bill: Freedom Suite.
Sunday, May 19, 1968: Crystal Ballroom, Brunswick Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
The show lasted from 6:30pm to 11pm. Also on the bill: The News, The Odd Men, The Systems Four, The Blue Thunderbirds.
Saturday, May 25, 1968: New Inn (pub), 29 Longford Road, Coventry, Warwickshire
Friday, May 31, 1968: Festival Hall, Hodgkinson Road, Kirby-in-Ashfield, Ashfield District, Nottinghamshire
One show, started at 8pm. Also on the bill: Mickey’s Monkeys.
Saturday, June 1, 1968: Town Hall, 39-40 Market Place, Loughborough, Leicestershire
One show, started at 8pm. Also on the bill: The Rondos.
Evening Post and News (May 24, 1968)
Sunday, June 2, 1968: ‘The Big Beat Disc Scene,’ The New Pink Flamingo, 33-37 Wardour Street, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
The ‘Bakerloo Line,’ as they were advertised, made their London debut tonight. Also on the bill: The Toni Rocket Show, Toni Rocket and Cleo. One show, from 7:30pm to 11:00pm.
Tuesday, June 4, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Bakerloo Blues Line started a Tuesday weekly residency at Henry’s Blueshouse, a music venue opened that same night by their manager Jim Simpson. “Together with Jim we decide to create our own blues club where we could play our music and gather a fan base,” recalls Terry Poole. “We rented the upstairs function room at the Crown and called it Henry's Blueshouse. All sorts of musicians turned up for impromptu jam sessions including Cozy Powell, Robert Plant, John Bonham, Rory Gallagher, and Earth (later to be renamed Black Sabbath).” “I rented this pub every Tuesday just as a showcase for Bakerloo Blues Line,” confirmed Jim Simpson. “I rented the upstairs room of the pub and I put the band on, looked at the door take and paid the band and marketed it … they didn’t use words like that in those days. And that’s how it started. There was no place to work at all … we were the first progressive club outside of London. I don’t know how true it was because I was sure it was happening elsewhere … so there wasn’t that much work around in those days.” “It was named after a dog,” added Simpson. “Henry was a dog … a very glamorous Afghan hound.”
Sunday, June 9, 1968: ‘The Big Beat Day,’ Crystal Ballroom, Brunswick Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
The show lasted from 6:30pm to 11pm. Also on the bill: The News, Chocolate Mist, Systems Four, The Blue Thunderbirds.
Tuesday, June 11, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Wednesday, June 12, 1968: ‘U.F.O., Happening Night,’ Mothers, 187 High Street, Erdington, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Spooky Tooth, Plastic Wonders, Hyperion & Amoeba, plus light shows, poster & magazine, stalls & living people. The show lasted from 8pm to 12:30am.
Thursday, June 13, 1968: Le Metro Club, 201 Lively Street, side of Snow Hill station, Birmingham, Warwickshire
The show started at 8pm.
Friday, June 14, 1968
Today’s edition of The Lichfield Mercury daily newspaper reported that “Tony [Hall] was so impressed with the band that he immediately started work on promoting an L.P., which should be released in mid-September on a major E.M.I. label. Already six tracks have been written for the album, some by the boys themselves, and others by Lichfield song-writer Alan Williams - all the tracks will be either original or ‘obscure’ traditional Blues numbers.”
Friday, June 14, 1968: Walsgrave Hotel (aka The Walsgrave), 382 Walsgrave Road, Coventry, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Bobby Ash. The show, which lasted from 8pm to 11:45pm, was presented by Baccurat.
Coventry Evening Telegraph (June 14, 1968)
Tuesday, June 18, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Terraplane Blues Band, Tea & Symphony, plus Blue Disc Sounds by deejay Rick Savage. The show lasted from 7:30pm to 11:45pm.
Melody Maker (June 15, 1968)
Wednesday, June 19, 1968: The Plaza (ballroom), 189 Rookery Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, Staffordshire
Also on the bill: The Exchequers, D.J. Dave Terry. The show was presented by Uncle Bod.
Thursday, June 20, 1968: The Elbow Room, 146 High Street, Aston, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Friday, June 21, 1968: Large Hall, Students Union, Huddersfield College of Technology campus, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Also on the bill: Edisons Phonograph D.J.
Sunday, June 23, 1968: Downstairs ballroom, Crown & Cushion (pub), on the corner of Birchfield Road and Wellington Road, Perry Barr, north Birmingham. Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Lady Jane and The Royaltee (Upstairs ballroom), plus 3 D.J.s. in the couples discotheque: Al Copone, Steve Reo, Dave Freeman.
Tuesday, June 25, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Climax Chicago Blues Band (filled in for the early advertised Tea & Symphony).
Melody Maker (June 22, 1968)
Tuesday, July 2, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
The show lasted from 7:30pm to 12 midnight. Also on the bill: Champion Jack Dupree, Tea and Symphony (cancelled), Pink String and Sealing Wax (cancelled), plus film show. “We backed him [Champion Jack Dupree], he was a great character and showman,” recalls Terry Poole.
Melody Maker (June 29, 1968)
July ?, 1968
Bakerloo Blues Line added a singer and rhythm guitar player named Gary Butcher, a 19-year-old who was discovered by Terry Poole while he was playing blues guitar in a Nottingham cellar club. Garr also played harmonica in a style inspired by blues legend Little Walter, who Gary had backed up once. Needless to say, Gary went to live with his new bandmates in their farm cottage. “Being a huge fan of Steve Winwood I always felt we needed a strong singer who could really sing blues, which Gary could very well,” recalls Clem Clempson.
BAKERLOO BLUES LINE #2 (JULY ?, 1968 - AUGUST 8, 1968)
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
3) John Hinch
4) Gary Butcher backing vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
3) John Hinch
4) Gary Butcher backing vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica
Saturday, July 6, 1968: The Ringway Club, 140 Bromsgrove Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Supposedly Gary Butcher’s first gig with Bakerloo Blues Line.
Tuesday, July 9, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Tea & Symphony, plus films, plus guests, plus records. The show started at 7:30pm.
Supposedly Gary Butcher’s first gig with Bakerloo Blues Line.
Tuesday, July 9, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Tea & Symphony, plus films, plus guests, plus records. The show started at 7:30pm.
Melody Maker (July 6, 1968)
Tuesday, July 16, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Keef Hartley Band, D.J. Rick Savage, plus films. The show started at 7:30pm.
Tuesday, July 30, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Tea & Symphony.
Saturday, August 3, 1968: The Factory, The Opposite Lock Club, 30 Gas Street (off Broad Street), Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Tim Rose, plus D.J.s, plus Fun, plus Light Show, plus In People.
Saturday, August 3, 1968: Rectangle Blues Club, British Legion Club, Lichfield, Staffordshire
The Bakerloo Blues Band played in the newly opened Rectangle Blues Club, the first and only blues club in Lichfield opened by Phil Barker and Colin Richardson.
Tuesday, August 6, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Tea & Symphony, plus Guests, Films, and People.
Thursday, August 8, 1968: Le Metro Club, 201 Lively Street, side of Snow Hill station, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Supposedly Gary Butcher’s last gig with Bakerloo Blues Line.
Friday, August 9, 1968
The today issue of The Lichfield Mercury daily newspaper reported that “now reduced again to a trio, after the departure of fourth man Gary Butcher, the Bakerloo Blues Line are working hard on their first LP, which is being arranged by former EMI man Tony Hall in London.” “Butcher sang gravelly blues tunes for about a month… completely unsuitable for the direction of travel so we fired him,” explains Terry Poole. “He wasn’t really a very nice guy and Terry and I decided we were better off without the trouble he was causing,” also recalls Clem Clempson. “He had some kind of superior attitude which we didn’t like.”
BAKERLOO BLUES LINE #3 (aka #1) (AUGUST 9, 1968 - NOVEMBER 30, 1968)
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
3) John Hinch
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
3) John Hinch
Bakerloo Blues Line #3 (aka #1), 1968 - from left: Clem Clempson, Terry Poole, and John Hinch
Tuesday, August 13, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Champion Jack Dupree, plus Films.
Friday, August 16, 1968
The today issue of The Lichfield Mercury daily newspaper reported that “at the moment they are working on their first long-playing album under the guidance of Tony Hall.”
Friday, August 23, 1968: 76 Club, 76 High Street, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire
Tuesday, August 27, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Melody Maker (August 24, 1968)
Saturday, August 31, 1968: Mothers, 187 High Street, Erdington, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Duster Bennett. The show started at 8pm.
Monday, September 2, 1968: ‘Annual Bank Holiday Jazz and Blues,’ Arena Theatre, Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Bakerloo Blues Line played the afternoon show on the second day of this 2-day (September 1-2) annual festival held in the open air Arena Theatre and organised by a joint committee of members of the Cannon Hill Arts Club and the Musicians’ Union. Also on the bill: The Graham Collier Dozen, Mike Westbrook Concert Band, Barry Whithworth Quintet, and Chicken Shack.
Tuesday, September 3, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Tendency Jones, plus Guests, plus Discs, plus Films, plus people.
Friday, September 6, 1968
The today issue of The Lichfield Mercury daily newspaper reported that “manager Jim Simpson told the ‘Mercury’ this week that the band, who are currently working on an LP under the guidance of dee jay Tony Hall, will be backing the great Champion Jack Dupree on an album to be released later this year on Blue Horizon. They also have plans for cutting their first single, but titles are not yet available.”
Tuesday, September 10, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Champion Jack Dupree, plus Films, plus Blue Sounds on Disc, plus Blueshounds.
Friday, September 13, 1968: The Roundhouse, 100 Chalk Farm Road, Chalk Farm, London Borough of Camden, Greater London
Bakerloo Blues Line appeared on the first day of this 2-day (September 13-14, from 9pm till dawn daily) benefit for The Neighbourhood Service, presented jointly by Blackhill Enterprises and Institute of Contemporary Arts. Also on the bill: The Small Faces, The Action, Barclay James Harvest, Skin, Pete Drummond, Sly and The Family Stone (canceled), Love Sculpure, Joe Cocker, Simon’s Plastic Dream Machine. Lights by Moonlight & Sun.
Melody Maker (September 14, 1968)
Sunday, September 15, 1968: Mothers, 187 High Street, Erdington, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Tyrannosaurus Rex, DJ John Peel (MC). One show, from 8pm to 12 midnight. John Peel was so duly impressed by Bakerloo Blues Line that, after came back to London and told producer Bernie Andrews about them, he invited the band to appear on his popular BBC radio programme Top Gear a week later. “He was a fantastic guy,” recalls Terry Poole about the late John Peel. “It was great to meet John Peel, and of course that meeting led to a big improvement in the band’s situation – we immediately started playing all the great blues clubs around the country and making decent money for the first time,” also recalls Clem Clempson.
Melody Maker (September 14, 1968)
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Sunday Mercury (September 15, 1968)
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Tuesday, September 17, 1968: ‘Bluescene,’ Clouds, 72 London Road, Derby, Derbyshire
Also on the bill: Skip Bifferty, Erskine’s Cool Record Sounds.
Thursday, September 19, 1968: ‘Blues Party 68,’ The Golden Torch (aka The Torch), Hose Street, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Also on the bill: Chicken Shack, Idle Race. The show, which lasted from 8pm (or 8:30pm) to 1am, was presented by A.E.I. (Associated Electrical Industries) Apprentices Association.
Evening Sentinel (September 17, 1968)
Friday, September 20, 1968
The today issue of The Lichfield Mercury daily newspaper reported that “a change of style and a change of name for the Bakerloo Blues Line, one of Lichfield’s best-known groups. They have now changed from their blues image to concentrate on the more sophisticated sounds of contemporary music, with numbers such as Eleanor Rigby, and have contracted their name to the ‘Bakerloo.’ Work on their first single is still progressing, and an LP is planned for later this year.” Although it was announced that the band shortened its name at that point, the change became officialy only later in January 1969. “Music wise we were just being experimental,” recalls Terry Poole. “And we shortened the name to take the word ‘blues’ out of it so that we wouldn’t be labeled just as a blues band, There were so many others around at the time using ‘blues.’” “We originally called ourselves the Bakerloo Blues Line because we wanted to let people know that we were basically a blues-oriented group,” recalled Clem Clempson in a interview with Beat Instrumental, a London based monthly music magazine, published in March 1969. “However, this was a year ago, and we aren’t now an exclusively blues band. I suppose you could say we do about 30 per cent of traditional blues in our repertoire; the rest is a mixture of all sorts of things: jazz, rock, and so on. There was also a group called the Picadilly Line, which sounded rather too similar, though I believe they have now broken up.”
Tuesday, September 24, 1968: ‘Top Gear,’ BBC Radio One, Studio One, 201 Piccadilly, St James’s, City of Westminster, Greater London (recorded date)
Bakerloo played in order: ‘Rock Me,’ ‘Don’t Know Which Way To Go,’ ‘Smokestack Lightnin’ (with a long guitar workout with quotes from Cream/Eric Clapton’s tracks ‘Spoonful,’ ‘Cat’s Squirrel’ and ‘Steppin’ Out’), and ‘Eleanor Rigby.’ The episode with Bakerloo’s performance was aired on Sunday, October 20, from 3pm to 5pm, and also featured Bonzo Dog Band, Idle Race, and Tim Rose. “It was recorded at the BBC Paris Studio in London and aired at a later date. I sat in the grounds of Tamworth Castle and listened to it on a transistor radio, it was a dream come true!,” recalls Clem Clempson. By the way, according to The Lichfield Mercury daily newspaper dated October 11, the band played at the famous Marquee Club while in London that week. However, they were not billed in any shows there so I could guess that, if the news was true, they filled in and/or were added to the bill at last minute. “I don’t recall playing at the Marquee that week,” points out Clem Clempson.
Tuesday, October 1, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
The show started at 7:15pm. Also on the bill: Brandy Tears, plus groovy movies and discs. Reportedly, John Peel was in the audience tonight.
Thursday, October 3, 1968: The Black Horse (pub), Bristol Road South, Northfield, south Birmingham, Worchestershire
The show was presented by Mike Carroll.
Tuesday, October 8, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Pegasus.
Friday, October 11, 1968
The today issue of The Lichfield Mercury daily newspaper reported in the ‘Wanted to Rent’ section that “Bakerloo require room/hall for rehearse. Daytime only.” Apparently, by then the band was kicked out from the farm cottage after the owner found out that Terry Poole had painted psychedelic stuff on the lounge wall. “As an art student I felt it was my hippie duty to re-decorate the farm cottage, bring it up to date,” recalls Terry. “Not to everybody’s taste, but we all liked it. Couldn’t understand why we were all evicted.” “When we had to leave Pooltail cottage I went back to live at my parents home, and as I recall we used various rehearsal facilities after that,” also recalls Clem Clempson. “The story about painting the walls and getting kicked out may be true, it sounds familiar.”
Monday, October 14, 1968: ‘Union Bluesbill ’68,’ Bournbrook Hotel, 561 Bristol Road, Selly Oak, south-west Birmingham, Worchestershire
The show started at 7:30pm. Also on the bill: Snakedrive Bluesbrain, plus discs by The Underworld with Breakway Film People, Midland Arts Labs.
Friday, October 18, 1968
The today issue of The Lichfield Mercury daily newspaper reported that “Lichfield blues band the Bakerloo last week signed a two-year contract with the Harold Davison [sic] Agency. In true story book style, the band were spotted by a Davison [sic] talent scout after an appearance at London’s famous Marquee Club, and immediately offered the chance of a lifetime. Their contract commences in the near future.” “That can’t be true, I don’t know where they goy that information,” points out Terry Poole. “I don’t know where the Lichfield Mercury got all this information!,” also says Clem Clempson. “We may have been booked for some gigs by the HAD – it’s possible because they were a booking agency, whereas Jim Simpson was our manager, not our agent, and Tony Hall was only involved on the recording and publishing side.”
Tuesday, October 22, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Friday, October 25, 1968: Mothers, 187 High Street, Erdington, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Erskine T on Vibrations.
Melody Maker (October 26, 1968)
Wednesday, October 30, 1968: Mayfair Ballroom, Newgate Street at Low Friar Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland
Also on the bill: Cupids Inspiration.
Sunday, November 3, 1968: Nottingham Boat Club, Trent Side, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Also on the bill: DJ John Peel.
Evening Post and News (October 30, 1968)
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Evening Post and News (November 2, 1968)
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Tuesday, November 5, 1968: Top Rank Hanley Suite, on the corner of Cheapside and Albion Square, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
The show, which lasted from 7pm to 11pm, was presented by Mel’s Mighty Music Show.
Friday, November 8, 1968: ‘Blues Night,’ Great Hall, University of Aston campus, Aston Street, city centre of Birmingham, Warwickshire
The show was held in aid of the Birmingham Press Club Ball. Also on the bill: John Lee Hooker and The Groundhogs (filled in for Champion Jack Dupree who was down with bronchitis and unable to appeared), Tea & Symphony, D.J. Micky Dunne.
Wednesday, November 20, 1968: unknown venue, West of England College of Art campus, Bristol
Also on the bill: Fairport Convention. The show lasted from 8pm to 12 midnight.
Friday, November 22, 1968
The today issue of The Lichfield Mercury daily newspaper reported that Bakerloo “still have a debut single and LP in the pipeline.”
Friday, November 22, 1968: Mothers, 187 High Street, Erdington, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Black Cat Bones. The show started at 8pm.
Tuesday, November 26, 1968: ‘Blues Night,’ Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
Also on the bill: Jethro Tull. One show, from 7:30pm to 11:00pm.
1968: unknown recording studio, Birmingham, Warwickshire
“Bakerloo’s first ever recording session was with John Hinch on drums,” recalls Clem Clempson. “Jim Simpson booked us into a small studio in Birmingham where we recorded a song written by Norman Haines from Locomotive, called ‘Champagne Bottle.’ It was terrible, we never got a deal for it to be released and it was soon forgotten.”
Saturday, November 30, 1968: RAF (Royal Air Force) station, Cranwell, Lincolnshire
John Hinch’s last gig with Bakerloo Blues Line. He left for “personal reasons, although there was no disagreement within the group,” said John to The Lichfield Mercury daily newspaper (December 20, 1968). “I was just getting tired of all the travelling. We used to travel over 1,000 miles a week, and that’s not much fun when you drive all the way from Newcastle-on-Tyne one night to Southampton for the next.” “There’s not much chance of seeing John in another outfit, either,” also reported the newspaper. “Last week-end he was making final arrangements to start a new job - not in any way connected with the pop world.” “Everyone was broke in those days and couldn’t afford very much at all. I think John had a job in Lichfield and didn’t want to turn professional. Can’t say I blamed him,” explains Terry Poole. “He was finding life on the road difficult and it was agreed that it would be best if he quit the band,” also recalls Clem Clempson.
John Hinch around November 1968 when he left Bakerloo
Wednesday, December 4, 1968: unknown venue, University of Exeter campus, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon (cancelled)
According to Terry Poole’s diary, the band cancelled their scheduled gig at the University of Exeter and spent the day rehearsing in their practice room. At this point, I could assume that they had just hired their new drummer and preferred to rehearse with him for a day or two before playing a live gig on the spot. By the way, the new drummer was Tony O’Reilly (b. 1947), a former member of Yes, the Koobas, and the Thunderbirds.
BAKERLOO BLUES LINE #4 (DECEMBER 4, 1968 - JANUARY 8, 1969)
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
3) Tony O’Reilly drums
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
3) Tony O’Reilly drums
Bakerloo Blues Line #4, 1968/69 - from left: Tony O'Reilly, Clem Clempson, Terry Poole
Friday, December 6, 1968: ‘Tramps Ball,’ Room One, Old College, Bishop Lonsdale College of Education campus, Uttoxeter New Road, Derby, Derbyshire
Tony O’Reilly’s debut gig with Bakerloo Blues Line. Also on the bill: Nashville Teens.
Saturday, December 7, 1968: Dunelm House, New Elvet, Durham, County Durham
Starting with this gig, Bakerloo Blues Line hired a new road manager named John ‘Jinks’ Jeffries. “He had a prosthetic leg because of a serious motorcycle accident. A lovely guy who we later found out was gay, because of the clubs that he frequented on our bookings in London!,” recalls Terry Poole.
Monday, December 9, 1968: Institute of Further Education (?), London (?)
Tuesday, December 10, 1968: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
Also on the bill: Led Zeppelin. One show, from 7:30pm to 11:00pm. “I thought John Bonham was amazing, he was the drummer we really wanted for Bakerloo!,” recalls Clem Clempson.
Melody Maker (December 7, 1968)
Friday, December 13, 1968: ‘Dance,’ unknown venue, King Edward IV School, Upper St John Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire (cancelled)
The gig was announced in the The Lichfield Mercury daily newspaper dated November 1, but I suppose it was cancelled because it was not mentioned in Terry Poole’s diary.
Saturday, December 14, 1968: unknown venue, Arnold and Carlton College of Further Education campus, Digby Avenue, Mapperley, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Tuesday, December 17, 1968: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Wednesday, December 18, 1968: unknown venue, University of East Anglia campus, Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk
Friday, December 20, 1968: unknown venue, Monmouth College campus, Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales
Saturday, December 21, 1968: unknown venue, South Birmingham Technical College campus, Bristol Road, Birmingham, Warwickshire (cancelled)
Sunday, December 22, 1968: Ship & Rainbow, 480 Dudley Road, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire
Tuesday, December 24, 1968: Durham Town Hall, Market Place, Durham, Durham County
Saturday, December 28, 1968: The Magic Village, Cromford Court off Market Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester
The show lasted from 7pm to 7am.
Monday, December 30, 1968: ‘Super Star Jam Session,’ Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Advertised as ‘Bakerloo Line, Clem Clempson.' Also on the bill: Pete York, Norman Haines, and many more surprise guests. The show lasted from 8:30pm to 12:30am. “We had the Bakerloo Line, Earth, two of the Locomotive, Peter York - who used to be Spencer Davis’ drummer - and a trombonist, Ron Hills, who works with the Mike Westbrook big band,” recalled Jim Simpson in an interview with Bob Dawbarn for Melody Maker (January 11, 1969). “It went so well that the following week the customers kept aksing why there wasn’t a jam session. Another thing about these sessions is that there seems to be an interest in horns again - today’s generation is becoming aware of tenor saxes and flutes.”
Tuesday, December 31, 1968: ‘Giant New Year’s Eve Blues Night,’ Mothers, 187 High Street, Erdington, Birmingham, Warwickshire
The show lasted from 7pm to 3am (or from 8pm to 2:30am). Also on the bill: Savoy Brown Blues Band, Jethro Tull, John Peell (MC).
Thursday, January 2, 1969: Bull’s Head, 1283 Coventry Road, Yardley, east Birmingham, Worchestershire
Also on the bill: DJ Dave Terry. The show, which started at 8pm, was the last one with Tony O’Reilly. “Tony lived in London and had a beautiful girlfriend with an apartment in Grosvenor Square in Mayfair, and wasn’t too keen on touring and being away from London and its social life,” explains Terry Poole. “I liked Tony, he was an outstanding drummer and was sorry that life on the road was no longer of any great interest to him. Again, couldn’t say I blamed him!” “He was an alcoholic and it created a lot of problems which we got tired of dealing with,” also points out Clem Clempson.
Wednesday, January 8, 1969
Terry Poole in his diary wrote: “trip to London reff. Tony O’Reilly.” What he means? I could assume that if Tony was still in the band that day, that was probably his last day with the band because the next night the band played their first gig with their new drummer Pete York, formerly of the Spencer Davis Group. “He approached us and asked to join,” recalls Terry Poole. “Pete was an outstanding musician, completely dedicated to his drum kit. He practised for hours every day. He drove to our bookings separately to us so that he could continue drumming with one hand and driving with the other! I never fancied being a passenger with him. Pete lived in London and was in great demand as a session percussionist, even playing triangle or tambourine when it was required.” “Pete stepped in to help us out after we fired Tony, but it was never intended that Pete would be a permanent member,” points out Clem Clempson.
BAKERLOO BLUES LINE #5 (JANUARY 9, 1969 - JANUARY ??, 1969) / BAKERLOO #1 (JANUARY ??, 1969 - JANUARY 26, 1969)
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
3) Pete York drums
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4) Bill Ward drums (filled in for Pete York on January 18)
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
3) Pete York drums
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4) Bill Ward drums (filled in for Pete York on January 18)
Thursday, January 9, 1969: Adelphi Ballroom, New Street, West Bromwich, Sandwell, Staffordshire
Pete York’s debut gig with Bakerloo Blues Line.
Friday, January 10, 1969: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
Also on the bill: Village. The show lasted from 7:30pm to 11pm. “I was there that night,” recalls their future drummer Keith Baker, “and in the break I went into dressing room and asked if they needed a drummer as I felt I could do a better job than the drummer they had! Two weeks [sic] later they contacted me, had auditioned and was hired!”
Pete York’s debut gig with Bakerloo Blues Line.
Friday, January 10, 1969: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
Also on the bill: Village. The show lasted from 7:30pm to 11pm. “I was there that night,” recalls their future drummer Keith Baker, “and in the break I went into dressing room and asked if they needed a drummer as I felt I could do a better job than the drummer they had! Two weeks [sic] later they contacted me, had auditioned and was hired!”
Melody Maker (January 11, 1969)
Saturday, January 11, 1969
An interview with Clem Clempson by Alan Walsh was published in the today issue of Melody Maker, a popular British weekly music magazine. In the article it was reported that Bakerloo “are due to start work next week on their first album” and that they “hope to include [their own version of The Beatles’] ‘Eleanor Rigby’ on the album.” And Clempson said “We don’t know yet which label it will appear on. It is being produced by Tony Hall’s THE Enterprises and when it’s completed, it’ll be offered for release to a major company.” “We’d like to do our own arrangment [of ‘Eleanor Rigby’], do it in a sort of jazzy style, with a jazz orchestra,” added Clempson. “We also hope to include a few jazz things as well as bluesy stuff.” Eventually, however, the band never recorded ‘Eleanor Rigby’ because “we just decided it wasn’t such a great idea after all!,” points out Clem Clempson fifty years later.
Saturday, January 11, 1969: Van Dyke, Exmouth Road, Plymouth, Devon
Thursday, January 16, 1969: The Factory, The Opposite Lock Club, 30 Gas Street (off Broad Street), Birmingham, Warwickshire
The band was advertised as Bakerloo Blues Line. Also on the bill: Locomotive, Earth, Tony Hall (MC). The three bands on the bill, all managed by Jim Simpson, ended the show all together with a late night jam session under the ad-hoc name of Big Bear Ffolly (sometime spelled as Big Bear’s Ffolly), a name Simpson came up with and where ‘Big Bear’ was the nickname given to him by John Peel (and that Simpson used as name for his own label and management company too), and ‘Ffolly’ where “the double ‘F’ is deliberate,” explained the manager in an interview with the Birmingham Evening Mail daily newspaper (February 18). “It is the musical symbol for double forte. It is a musical joke no one yet appears to have got.” “Jim Simpson, manager of The Locomotive, is planning Britain’s answer to the Kazenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Chorus [sic] [actually Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus], that amalgamation of American groups who stormed into the pop parade with the catchy ‘Quick Joey Small,’” also reported a previous issue of the Birmingham Evening Mail (January 29). “Jim’s reply is Big Bear Ffolly featuring The Locomotive and Birmingham groups Bakerloo and Earth, aided by solo singer Roy Everett. They displayed their talents recently at Birmingham’s Opposite Lock Club and the result was such that ace promoter Tony Hall has taken a big interest in their future development. The ‘Ffolly’ put on a five-hour show of a happy mixture of, for want of a better description, pop-blues. The highlight was a tri-drum ‘solo’ by Bakerloo’s Pete York - late of the Spencer Davis Group - Locomotive’s Bob Lamb and Earth’s Bill Ward. Big Bear Ffolly seem to have all the makings and material for a first-class album.” The Big Bear Ffolly were also described by Tony Hall as “a sort of contemporary pop Jazz At The Philharmonic,” in an interview with Bob Dawbarn for Melody Maker (January 11, 1969). “We are lucky in that none of our musicians has the head-in-the-sky potential pop star attitude. They are all good musicians who want to become better musicians.” “We’ve only had one joint show up to now, but the idea is extremely promising,” said Clem Clempson in a interview with Beat Instrumental, a London based monthly music magazine, published in March 1969. “There are four bassists and three drummers and many more on stage at once.” “It was Jim’s idea, he put together a short tour with all the bands he was managing. It was fun!,” also recalls Clem Clempson.
Birmingham Evening Mail (Jnauary 13, 1969)
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Big Bear Ffolly, January 16, 1969
Big Bear Ffolly, January 16, 1969
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Friday, January 17, 1969: High Hall, The Vale student village, University of Birmingham campus, 37 Church Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Saturday, January 18, 1969: unknown venue, Newcastle University campus, Newcastle upon Tyne
William Thomas ‘Bill’ Ward, drummer of Earth (later Black Sabbath), filled in for Pete York tonight (“Pete must have been ill,” recalls Terry Poole). “Bill Ward helped us out on a couple gigs. Earth was our support act for quite some time, so Bill was available to sit in when he wasn’t gigging with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osborne,” explains Terry Poole.
Sunday, January 19, 1969: Nottingham Boat Club, Trent Side, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Also on the bill: Tim Hollier. The show lasted from 7pm to 12 midnight.
Evening Post and News (January 15, 1969)
Evening Post and News (January 16, 1969)
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Evening Post and News (January 17, 1969)
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Evening Post and News (January 18, 1969)
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Tuesday, January 21, 1969: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
The show lasted from 8pm to 12 midnight.
Wednesday, January 22, 1969: ‘Alexis Korner’s Rhythm & Blues,’ BBC World Service (radio programme), BBC Maida Vale Studios, 120-129 Delaware Road, Maida Vale, City of Westminster, Greater London (aired live)
“I worked on numerous events with Alexis Korner in the early 1970’s, he was a very kind and unique bluesman, a wonderful guy, and we became great friends,” recalls Terry Poole. “I got to know Alexis quite well, he was a wonderful man and a great help to a lot of young musicians like ourselves. I don’t really remember much about the radio show and as far as I know no recording exists,” also recalls Clem Clempson.
Thursday, January 23, 1969: Le Metro Club, 201 Lively Street, side of Snow Hill station, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Friday, January 24, 1969: ‘Midnite Rave - Part. 2,’ Lyceum Theatre, 21 Wellington Street, City of Westminster, Greater London
Also on the bill: Joe Cocker, Gun, Love Sculpture, Spencer Davis, Aynsley Dunbar, Tony Hall (MC). The all-nighter show, which lasted from 12:30am to 7am, was presented by the Student Body of Brunel University London.
Melody Maker (January 11, 1969)
Saturday, January 25, 1969: unknown venue, University of London University College campus, Gower Street, Bloomsbury, London Borough of Camden, Greater London
Sunday, January 26, 1969: The Golden Torch, Hose Street, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Pete York’s last gig with Bakerloo Blues Line. The show lasted from 7:30pm to 11:30pm (or 12 midnight). “Pete left because he wanted to do more work playing on jingles for adverts in London,” recalls Terry Poole.
Monday, January 27, 1969
Bakerloo hired as “ad-interim” drummer Bob Lamb of the Locomotive. “Bob joined us for a couple of gigs,” recalls Terry Poole. “A good musician and a proper Brummie. He later become a record producer for Duran Duran, UB40, Steve Gibbons and many other Birmingham bands.”
BAKERLOO #2 (JANUARY 27, 1969 - JANUARY 30, 1969)
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
3) Bob Lamb drums
Monday, January 27, 1969: unknown venue, University College of Wales campus, Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire, Wales
Bob Lamb’s first gig with Bakerloo.
Tuesday, January 28, 1969
“Birmingham practice” wrote Terry Poole in his diary. “Could have been in Henry’s Blueshouse,” recalls Poole. “More than likely auditioning drummers.”
Thursday, January 30, 1969
“Routine for L.P. Birmingham” wrote Terry Poole in his diary.
Thursday, January 30, 1969: Club Lafayette, Thornley Street, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire
Bob Lamb’s second and last gig with Bakerloo.
BAKERLOO #3 (JANUARY 31, 1969 - FEBRUARY 1, 1969)
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
3) Bill Ward drums
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
3) Bill Ward drums
Friday, January 31, 1969: University College of Swansea (?), Swansea, Galles
Bill Ward of Earth (later Black Sabbath) played for the second time with Bakerloo as “ad-interim” drummer.
Saturday, February 1, 1969: Marshall Hall, Sheffield Hallam University campus, 42 Collegiate Crescent, Bromhall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Bill Ward of Earth (later Black Sabbath) played for the third and last time with Bakerloo as “ad-interim” drummer.
Bill Ward of Earth (later Black Sabbath) played for the second time with Bakerloo as “ad-interim” drummer.
Saturday, February 1, 1969: Marshall Hall, Sheffield Hallam University campus, 42 Collegiate Crescent, Bromhall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Bill Ward of Earth (later Black Sabbath) played for the third and last time with Bakerloo as “ad-interim” drummer.
BAKERLOO #4 (FEBRUARY 2, 1969 - FEBRUARY 6, 1969)
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
Tuesday, February 4, 1969: Trident Studios, 17 St Anne’s Court, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
Clem Clempson and Terry Poole started recording Bakerloo album today. “We recorded the album at Trident Studios, just around the corner from the Marquee club,” recalls Terry Poole. “Gus Dudgeon produced the LP and all the tracks were recorded in two or three takes as the cost of the studio was £30 an hour a small fortune in those days. For some ‘acne & ego’ reason we didn't have a drummer at the time of the recording date and I believe that ‘Drivin Bachwards,’ the first and only track that we recorded that day, was covered by a London session drummer who was a friend of Jerry Salisbury (the trumpeter on that track). I don’t remember his name but I do remember he worked in a drum shop in London. Clem patiently showed me the base line for this piece as unbeknownst to both him and me I was an undiagnosed dyslexic, hence unable to read sheet music.” “The main memory [about the session] is that it was my first real experience of recording, and there was a lot to learn!,” also recalls Clem Clempson in an interview with Klemen Breznikar for It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine website published on August 15, 2012. “It was the first [sic] production by Gus Dudgeon, who had engineered some of my favourite albums, including the legendary Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton. I played my ’58 Les Paul goldtop through a Laney stack.” Speaking about Clem’s guitar, Melody Maker once reported that the guitar was formerly owned by Wes Montgomery, and which was given to Clem by American guitarist Thornel Schwartz. “I don’t know where that story about it being previously owned by Wes Montgomery came from, I bought it from a friend called Tony Crosby after he found it in a Birmingham music store when he was visiting Terry and me for a few days,” points out Clem Clemps0n. “I also remember Clem's Gibson Les Paul guitar was bought for him by the Pinch from Ringway Music, a small music shop on Colmore Circus in Birmingham, run by a very well known guitar player named Pete Oliver,” also recalls Terry Poole. “No more than £200 at that time. As Clem was a massive fan of Eric Clapton and Clem being such a brilliant young guitarist himself the Pinch's booking money paid for the Les Paul. You can tell Clem .. I don't want my share of the sale price!!!” “I was prepared to concede that perhaps Terry’s memory, helped by his diary, was more reliable than mine, but his story about how I got my Les Paul is complete rubbish, and you can tell him I said that!!,” says Clempson. “I already told you the real story, but just to add a few details: A guitarist friend of ours called Tony Crosby, who was studying in Nottingham was visiting us for a few days at Pooltail Cottage. During his visit Terry and me had to go to a meeting in Birmingham with Jim Simpson, and Tony asked us to drop him off at Ringway Music so he could try out some guitars while we were at our meeting. When we went back to pick him up after the meeting he had bought a 1958 Les Paul which had just come into the shop, and I was absolutely devastated because it was my dream to own a Les Paul! He paid £300 for it, not “no more than £200” as Terry claims. And the shop was not on Colmore Circus, whatever that is, but The Ringway, which is why it was called Ringway Music! Anyway, luckily for me a few weeks later Tony said he would be willing to trade the Les Paul for a Gibson SG plus a Marshall amp, because although he had a Les Paul he had no amplifier to play it through. At the time I was playing a Gibson 335, so I immediately traded that in for an SG at a shop in London and travelled directly to Nottingham to complete the deal, and at last I had the guitar of my dreams! I still have it by the way.” “I bought it [the Les Paul guitar] in 1968, but I don’t remember what gig I first played it on, but I think one of the first was at the Marquee,” also recalls Clempson. “The amplification was all by Laney,” also added Poole in an interview with Klemen Breznikar for It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine website published on September 29, 2012. “I played a Fender Jazz base and Clem played a Gibson Les Paul… Keith Baker’s drum kit was made by Premier.” By the way, the above mentioned ‘Drivin’ Bachwards’ written by Clem Clempson and Terry Poole, uses Bach’s ‘Bouree In E Minor’ as its main theme (as did Jethro Tull’s ‘Bouree’), hence the ‘Bachwards’ pun. “I’d been practicing that piece on classical guitar and thought it would be interesting to play with the band,” explains Clem Clempson.
Thursday, February 6, 1969: Trident Studios, 17 St Anne’s Court, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London (cancelled)
Clem Clempson and Terry Poole cancelled their scheduled second recording session for Bakerloo album probably because they dont’t want to use a session drummer again, but they want to wait until they would hired a new drummer.
Thursday, February 6, 1969: ‘Jam Session,’ Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London (Bakerloo cancelled)
Bakerloo were advertised to play at the Marquee tonight, from 7:30pm to 11pm, along with Locomotive, Earth, Roy Everett, Tea & Symphony, plus Tony Hall and John Gee as emcees. However, the gig was not mentioned in Terry Poole’s diary so I could assume that they did not show up probably because they were without a drummer at that time. Anyway, the other bands (all managed by Jim Simpson) did performed and, as usual, they possibly ended the show with a “non-stop jam session” under the ad-hoc name of Big Bear Ffolly.
Clem Clempson and Terry Poole started recording Bakerloo album today. “We recorded the album at Trident Studios, just around the corner from the Marquee club,” recalls Terry Poole. “Gus Dudgeon produced the LP and all the tracks were recorded in two or three takes as the cost of the studio was £30 an hour a small fortune in those days. For some ‘acne & ego’ reason we didn't have a drummer at the time of the recording date and I believe that ‘Drivin Bachwards,’ the first and only track that we recorded that day, was covered by a London session drummer who was a friend of Jerry Salisbury (the trumpeter on that track). I don’t remember his name but I do remember he worked in a drum shop in London. Clem patiently showed me the base line for this piece as unbeknownst to both him and me I was an undiagnosed dyslexic, hence unable to read sheet music.” “The main memory [about the session] is that it was my first real experience of recording, and there was a lot to learn!,” also recalls Clem Clempson in an interview with Klemen Breznikar for It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine website published on August 15, 2012. “It was the first [sic] production by Gus Dudgeon, who had engineered some of my favourite albums, including the legendary Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton. I played my ’58 Les Paul goldtop through a Laney stack.” Speaking about Clem’s guitar, Melody Maker once reported that the guitar was formerly owned by Wes Montgomery, and which was given to Clem by American guitarist Thornel Schwartz. “I don’t know where that story about it being previously owned by Wes Montgomery came from, I bought it from a friend called Tony Crosby after he found it in a Birmingham music store when he was visiting Terry and me for a few days,” points out Clem Clemps0n. “I also remember Clem's Gibson Les Paul guitar was bought for him by the Pinch from Ringway Music, a small music shop on Colmore Circus in Birmingham, run by a very well known guitar player named Pete Oliver,” also recalls Terry Poole. “No more than £200 at that time. As Clem was a massive fan of Eric Clapton and Clem being such a brilliant young guitarist himself the Pinch's booking money paid for the Les Paul. You can tell Clem .. I don't want my share of the sale price!!!” “I was prepared to concede that perhaps Terry’s memory, helped by his diary, was more reliable than mine, but his story about how I got my Les Paul is complete rubbish, and you can tell him I said that!!,” says Clempson. “I already told you the real story, but just to add a few details: A guitarist friend of ours called Tony Crosby, who was studying in Nottingham was visiting us for a few days at Pooltail Cottage. During his visit Terry and me had to go to a meeting in Birmingham with Jim Simpson, and Tony asked us to drop him off at Ringway Music so he could try out some guitars while we were at our meeting. When we went back to pick him up after the meeting he had bought a 1958 Les Paul which had just come into the shop, and I was absolutely devastated because it was my dream to own a Les Paul! He paid £300 for it, not “no more than £200” as Terry claims. And the shop was not on Colmore Circus, whatever that is, but The Ringway, which is why it was called Ringway Music! Anyway, luckily for me a few weeks later Tony said he would be willing to trade the Les Paul for a Gibson SG plus a Marshall amp, because although he had a Les Paul he had no amplifier to play it through. At the time I was playing a Gibson 335, so I immediately traded that in for an SG at a shop in London and travelled directly to Nottingham to complete the deal, and at last I had the guitar of my dreams! I still have it by the way.” “I bought it [the Les Paul guitar] in 1968, but I don’t remember what gig I first played it on, but I think one of the first was at the Marquee,” also recalls Clempson. “The amplification was all by Laney,” also added Poole in an interview with Klemen Breznikar for It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine website published on September 29, 2012. “I played a Fender Jazz base and Clem played a Gibson Les Paul… Keith Baker’s drum kit was made by Premier.” By the way, the above mentioned ‘Drivin’ Bachwards’ written by Clem Clempson and Terry Poole, uses Bach’s ‘Bouree In E Minor’ as its main theme (as did Jethro Tull’s ‘Bouree’), hence the ‘Bachwards’ pun. “I’d been practicing that piece on classical guitar and thought it would be interesting to play with the band,” explains Clem Clempson.
Thursday, February 6, 1969: Trident Studios, 17 St Anne’s Court, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London (cancelled)
Clem Clempson and Terry Poole cancelled their scheduled second recording session for Bakerloo album probably because they dont’t want to use a session drummer again, but they want to wait until they would hired a new drummer.
Thursday, February 6, 1969: ‘Jam Session,’ Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London (Bakerloo cancelled)
Bakerloo were advertised to play at the Marquee tonight, from 7:30pm to 11pm, along with Locomotive, Earth, Roy Everett, Tea & Symphony, plus Tony Hall and John Gee as emcees. However, the gig was not mentioned in Terry Poole’s diary so I could assume that they did not show up probably because they were without a drummer at that time. Anyway, the other bands (all managed by Jim Simpson) did performed and, as usual, they possibly ended the show with a “non-stop jam session” under the ad-hoc name of Big Bear Ffolly.
Melody Maker (February 8, 1969)
Friday, February 7, 1969
Back home in Birmingham after three days in London, Bakerloo hired another famous drummer, Poli Palmer (b. John Michael Palmer, Tuesday, May 25, 1943, Evasham, Worcestershire), formerly of Ian Matthews’ Southern Comfort, Blossom Toes, Deep Feeling, and The Hellions. “Poli had a unique drumming style, he also played the vibraphone,” recalls Terry Poole. “I think Jim Simpson found him.” “I guess Poli was recommended by someone, possibly Jim Simpson,” also recalls Clem Clempson.
BAKERLOO #5 (FEBRUARY 7, 1969 - FEBRUARY 10, 1969)
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
3) Poli Palmer drums
Bakerloo #5, February 1969
Saturday, February 8, 1969: unknown venue, Loughborough University of Technology campus, Epinal Way, Loughborough, Leicestershire
Poli Palmer’s first gig with Bakerloo.
Monday, February 10, 1969: ‘Top Gear,’ BBC Radio One, Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, City of Westminster, Greater London (taping date)
Bakerloo played in order: ‘Big Bear Ffolly,’ ‘This Worried Feeling,’ ‘The Last Blues’ and ‘Driving Bachwards.’ This was Poli Palmer’s second and last gig with the band (he later went to play with Eclection and then Family). “It just didn’t work out between us,” explains Clem Clempson. Anyway, Bakerloo’s performance was broadcasted on Sunday, February 16, from 3pm to 5pm, on a episode which also featured performances by Moby Grape, The Strawbs, and Caravan. Bakerloo’s performance was repeated on another episode of the show broadcasted on March 30.
BAKERLOO #6 (FEBRUARY 11, 1969 - FEBRUARY 12, 1969)
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
Wednesday, February 12, 1969: Concourse Building, The College of Building and Commerce’s Cauldon Campus, Stoke Road, Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire (Bakerloo cancelled)
Bakerloo were advertised to play at the College of Building and Commerce tonight, from 8pm to 12 midnight, along with Locomotive, Earth, Roy Everett and The Blues Hounds, Tea & Symphony, and plus Tony Hall as emcee. However, the gig was not mentioned in Terry Poole’s diary so I could assume that they did not show up probably because they were without a drummer at that time. Anyway, the other bands (all managed by Jim Simpson) did performed and, as usual, they ended the show with a “non-stop jam session” under the ad-hoc name of Big Bear Ffolly.
Bakerloo were advertised to play at the College of Building and Commerce tonight, from 8pm to 12 midnight, along with Locomotive, Earth, Roy Everett and The Blues Hounds, Tea & Symphony, and plus Tony Hall as emcee. However, the gig was not mentioned in Terry Poole’s diary so I could assume that they did not show up probably because they were without a drummer at that time. Anyway, the other bands (all managed by Jim Simpson) did performed and, as usual, they ended the show with a “non-stop jam session” under the ad-hoc name of Big Bear Ffolly.
Stoke-on-Trent's Evening Sentinel (January 29, 1969)
Thursday, February 13, 1969
Bakerloo finally hired, through Jim Simpson who found him, their definitive drummer, Keith William Baker (b. Friday, April 19, 1948, Sparkbrook, Birmingham), formerly of the Midlands Youth Orchestra. “I started playing drums in 1957, and since around 1963 I played in numerous bands around Birmingham, first one was The Mustangs, The Belvederes, Skin Deep, Brum Five, Cock-A-Hops, but can’t remember order though!,” recalls Keith Baker. “]Keith] was just what we’d been looking for – a drummer with a great rock feel and attitude but also the chops to play more adventurous stuff!,” explains Clem Clempson in an interview with Klemen Breznikar for It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine website published on August 15, 2012. “A gentle giant and the perfect drummer for Bakerloo,” added Terry Poole about their new drummer.
BAKERLOO #7 (FEBRUARY 13, 1969 - SEPTEMBER 7, 1969)
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
3) Keith Baker drums
1) Clem Clempson
2) Terry Poole
3) Keith Baker drums
Bakerloo #7, 1969 - from left: Clem Clempson, Keith Baker, Terry Poole
Bakerloo #7, 1969 - from left: Clem Clempson, Terry Poole, Keith Baker
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Bakerloo #7, 1969 - from left: Clem Clempson, Terry Poole, Keith Baker
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Friday, February 14, 1969: unknown venue, Aston University campus, Aston Street, Central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Keith Baker’s first gig with Bakerloo.
Saturday, February 15, 1969: Trident Studios, 17 St Anne’s Court, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
Second recording session for the Bakerloo album.
Monday, February 17, 1969
“Practice” wrote Terry Poole in his diary.
Tuesday, February 18, 1969: unknown venue, University of Manchester campus, Oxford Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester
Thursday, February 20, 1969: Trident Studios, 17 St Anne’s Court, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
Third recording session for the Bakerloo album.
Thursday, February 20, 1969: Adelphi Ballroom, New Street, West Bromwich, Sandwell, Staffordshire (cancelled)
This show, where the band was advertised as Bakerloo Line, was probably cancelled because did not appeared in Terry Poole’s diary at all. “Maybe we got stuck in London,” points out Terry Poole.
Friday, February 21, 1969: unknown venue, University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire campus, Cardiff, Wales
Saturday, February 22, 1969: Students’ Union, Student Central and J B Priestley Building, University of Bradford campus, Richmond Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire
The band was still advertised as ‘Bakerloo Blues Line.’
Monday, February 24, 1969
“Practice” wrote Terry Poole in his diary.
Tueasday, February 25, 1969: Trident Studios, 17 St Anne’s Court, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
Fourth recording session for the Bakerloo album. The last one according to their manager Jim Simpson, who also said that eight tracks (six orginal written by Clempson and Poole, plus two covers) were recorded for the album (although when it was later released in August only seven appeared on it, so one (a cover) remained unreleased and it was a cover of ‘Georgia On My Mind’ by Ray Charles sang by Clem Clempson). The album was produced by Gus Dudgeon.
Tuesday, February 25, 1969: ‘Blues at Clouds,’ Clouds, 72 London Road, Derby, Derbyshire
The band was still advertised as Bakerloo Blues Line. Also on the bill: Erskin’s Sounds. Reportedly, 140 people attended the show.
Friday, February 28, 1969
The today issue of the Staffordshire Newsletter weekly newspaper, announced that Big Bear Ffolly “are soon to appear on BBC-2’s ‘Colour Me Pop.’” However, neither Bakerloo or any other bands (Locomotive, Earth, Tea & Symphony, and Roy Everett) ever appeared on that television show. “Maybe hype from Jim Simpson,” points out Terry Poole.
Friday, February 28, 1969: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
Also on the bill: Earth. The show lasted from 7:30pm to 11pm.
Melody Maker (March 1, 1969)
Thursday, February 28, 1969: Adelphi Ballroom, New Street, West Bromwich, Sandwell, Staffordshire (cancelled)
This show, where the band was advertised as Bakerloo Line, was probably cancelled because did not appeared in Terry Poole’s diary at all.
Saturday, March 1, 1969
The today issue of Melody Maker reported that “Tony Hall predicts that the Bakerloo Line album will be the ‘best bloody blues this country has produced’ - red blues, eh?”
Saturday, March 1, 1969: unknown venue, University of Keele campus, Keele, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
Tuesday, March 4, 1969
“Practice” and “Digbeth Civic Hall” wrote Terry Poole in his diary. I could assume that the band reheased at Digbeth Civic Hall, 78 Digbeth High Street in Birmingham. “More than likely yes,” points out Terry Poole.
Friday, March 7, 1969
Regarding the above mentioned Bakerloo album, the today issue of The Lichfield Mercury daily newspaper reported that “three major recording companies have, apparently, expressed an interest in the record and negotations are expected to be completed within the next ten days, when a release date will be announced.”
Saturday, March 8, 1969: unknown venue, University of Liverpool campus, Liverpool, Merseyside
Sunday, March 9, 1969: Peterlee Jazz Club, Argus Butterfly (pub), York Road, Peterlee, County Durham
The band was still advertised as Bakerloo Blues Line. Also on the bill: Groove Soul Band. The show, which lasted from 7:00pm to 10:30pm, was promoted by Dave Richards and Brian Stoker.
Tuesday, March 11, 1969: 'Jam Session,' Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
One show, from 7:30pm to 11pm. Also on the bill: Earth, The Locomotive, Roy Everett, Tony Hall (MC).
Melody Maker (March 8, 1969)
Wednesday, March 12, 1969: Students’ New Union Building (former Assembly Rooms), Staffordshire College of Technology’s Beaconside Campus, Tipping Street, Stafford, Staffordshire
Bakerloo played at a four-hour package blues show (8pm to 12 midnight) in aid of Rag Week presented by Stafford Colleges Rag Committee. Also on the bill: Tea & Symphony, The Locomotive, Earth, Roy Everett & Blues Hounds. As usual the five bands ended the show all together with a “non-stop jam session” under the ad-hoc name of Big Bear Ffolly. This was the last gig with John ‘Jinks’ Jeffries as road manager.
Stoke-on-Trent's Evening Sentinel (March 10, 1969)
Friday, March 14, 1969: Ritz Ballroom, Starleys Hotel, Cliff Cottage Road, Bournemouth, Dorset
The band was still advertised as ‘Bakerloo Blues Line.’
Friday, March 14 - Saturday, March 15, 1969: Trident Studios, 17 St Anne’s Court, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
Fifth and sixth recording session for the Bakerloo album. “I guess those sessions were for mixing etc,” says Clem Clempson.
Tuesday, March 18, 1969: The Place, 67 Bryan Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
The band was still advertised as Bakerloo Blues Line. The show lasted from 8pm to 1am.
Wednesday, March 19, 1969: unknown venue, Bolton Institute of Technology campus, Bolton, Greater Manchester
Friday, March 21, 1969: Bluesville ’69 Club, The Manor House (pub), opposite Manor House Tube No.4, Manor House, London Borough of Hackney, Greater London
Saturday, March 22, 1969: unknown venue, Reading College of Technology campus, Kings Road, Reading, Berkshire
Tuesday, March 25, 1969: unknown venue, University of Exeter campus, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon
Wednesday, March 26, 1969: Grand Cinema, Christchurch Street West, Frome, Somerset
Thursday, March 27, 1969: The Concorde Club, Bassett Hotel, 111 Burgess Road, Southampton, Hampshire
Friday, March 28, 1969: unknown venue, South Birmingham Technical College campus, Bristol Road, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Thursday, April 3, 1969: Bay Hotel, 16 Whitburn Bents Road, Sunderland, County Durham
Monday, April 7, 1969: Bay Hotel, 16 Whitburn Bents Road, Sunderland, County Durham
Friday, April 11, 1969
Regarding the above mentioned Bakerloo album, the today issue of The Lichfield Mercury daily newspaper reported that “eight major record companies have expressed an interest in the Bakerloo’s first long-playing album, manager Jim Simpson said this week. The album, as yet unnamed, was completed only a few weeks ago in a private London studio, and contain eight tracks - six of them penned by the trio. Changes in line up, and delays in recording sessions have been responsible for holding up the record, which was originally scheduled last year. But now both the group and manager are satisfied with the result, and confident of a success. Before the LP is actually released - they hope within the next few weeks - the Bakerloo will undertake a two-day engagement in Belgium, which begins tomorrow (Saturday), and also a number of other promotional bookings throughout the country.
Saturday, Aprl 12, 1969: unknown venue, Ravels, Antwerp Province, Belgium
Also on the bill: Earth. “As for Belgium , we there for 4 days , so probably played at the Hotel itself in Turnhout,” recalls Terry Poole. “I can't remeber the name of the hotel at all. Guess realy. I do remember both us and Earth played at a strange venue ..seemed that it was an old Air Craft Hanger.” “Belgium still a fog,” adds Poole. “Keith may remember the venue and Air Craft Hanger from 2nd World War. I seem.to remember an Air Strip and us and Earth setting off back to England in our own group vans. So sorry about Belgium we only drank beers and not too much of that unlike Earth.”
Sunday, April 13, 1969: unknown venue (open air concert?), Brussels (?), Belgium
Also on the bill: Earth. “I remember playing the open air festival in Belgium,” recalls Clem Clempson, “it was the first time I’d ever been out of the UK. Earth were in the same hotel and we had a blast! I don’t remember doing a second gig.”
Tuesday, April 15, 1969: The Place, 67 Bryan Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
“Returning from Belgium via London to pick up petrol money from Tony Hall ‘s office in Soho London. Driving up to Stoke on Trent to play The Place …then completely exhausted attempting the drive back to Tamworth with no sleep at all since Belgium,” recalls Terry Poole. “Keith shook me as the van veered across the motorway and I recovered my senses and pulled over. Only Keith and I were awake and Clem and George knew nothing of the drama. I will never forget it.”
Sunday, April 20, 1969: Kimbells Ballroom, Osborne Road, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire
Monday, April 21, 1969: Cooks Ferry Inn, Angel Road, Edmonton, London Borough of Enfield, Greater London
The band was advertised as Bakerloo Line.
Melody Maker (April 19, 1969)
Wednesday, April 23, 1969: Athletic Club, Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales
Thursday, April 24, 1969: The Penthouse, 35 St. Nicholas Street, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Saturday, April 26, 1969: unknown venue, Brixton School of Building campus, 138 Ferndale Road, Brixton, London Borough of Lambeth, Greater London
Thursday, May 1, 1969: Trident Studios, 17 St Anne’s Court, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
Seventh and last recording session for the Bakerloo album. Probably just a mixing session by Gus Dudgeon.
Saturday, May 3, 1969: unknown venue, University of Sheffield campus, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Monday, May 5 - Tuesday, May 6, 1969
Bakerloo rehearsed at Birmingham Arts Centre.
Thursday, May 8, 1969: The Cambridge Union Society, University of Cambridge campus, 9A Bridge Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Also on the bill: Jon Hiseman’s Colosseum. The show started at 8pm.
Friday, May 9, 1969: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
Also on the bill: 2001. The show lasted from 7:30pm to 11pm.
Melody Maker (May 10, 1969)
Tuesday, May 13, 1969: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Dog House.
Thursday, May 15, 1969: unknown blues club, Oxford, Oxfordshire
Friday, May 16, 1969
Regarding the above mentioned Bakerloo album, the today issue of The Lichfield Mercury daily newspaper reported that “there is still no further information as to which label the much heralded record will appear on. It was way back before Christmas when the first, leaks of information reached us. Then there were delays, and negotiations, and more negotations, and then, believe it or not… negotations. No-one can really dispute the fact that this group has talent, and are quite capable of producing good sounds on stage and probably on record. But why all the hoo hah about this particular album? Would it not have been better to wait until contracts had been signed, recording completed, and the disc actually rolling off the presses before making announcements? Anyway, enough said about the mysterious album. For the Bakerloo seem to be doing very nicely, anyway. They’ve recently returned from a short trip in Belgium, and are continuing to accept a wide range of bookings. And apart from the regular ‘live’ work, Clem Clempson and Terry Poole are taking on quite a lot of session work in London studios. Recently they backed Tamworth’s ‘singing greengrocer’ - not my description - Roy Everett, who left a well-known group to take over a business, and is now hoping to get back to showbiz. His debut as a solo singer ‘Happy Birthday Blues,’ which, incidentally, I have the pleasure of hearing over the phone the other week, is released next Friday on Parlophone.” “I certainly backed Roy on that record, along with Aynsley Dunbar on drums and Victor Brox on keyboards,” explains Clem Clempson. “I didn’t remember that Terry was there but if he remembers it he must have been!”
Friday, May 16, 1969: The King Alfred (pub), 11 Saxon Road, Winchester, Hampshire
Saturday, May 17, 1969: unknown venue, Stevenage, Hertfordshire
Sunday, May 18, 1969: Pennycliffe Blues Club (aka The Pennycliffe Club), Coombe House, Coppice Lane (off Chester Road - 1 minute Town Centre), Brownhills, Staffordshire
The band was advertised originally as ‘Bakerloo’ and then as ‘Bakerloo Blues Line!’ Also on the bill: Dog House Band, Lightnin’ Tonsils. The show, which lasted from 8pm to 12 midnight, was presented by Bathroom Promotions.
Lichfield Mercury (May 9, 1969)
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Tuesday, May 20, 1969: Henry’s Blueshouse, upstairs function room at The Crown Hotel, 65 Station Street (corner of Hill Street and Station Street), back of New Street Station, central Birmingham, Warwickshire
Also on the bill: Dog House.
Wednesday, May 28, 1969: The Cat Trap Club, next to Bedford Arms Public-House, 13 Bedford Street, Norwich, Norfolk
Friday, May 30, 1969: Lewis Carroll Building (Block AC), Stag Hill campus, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey
Saturday, May 31, 1969: Dunelm House, New Elvet, Durham, County Durham
Thursday, June 5, 1969: Blues Attic, in a room above the Swan Inn, Oxford Road (near Banbury Cross), Banbury, Oxfordshire
Saturday, June 7, 1969: unknown venue, University of Southampton campus, Southampton, Hampshire
Sunday, June 8, 1969: The Angel Lounge (bar), Angel Hotel, High Street, Godalming, Surrey
The show was presented by The Mad Gin Mill.
Monday, June 9, 1969: Cooks Ferry Inn, Angel Road, Edmonton, London Borough of Enfield, Greater London
The band was advertised as Bakerloo Line.
Melody Maker (June 7, 1969)
Thursday, June 12, 1969: The Concorde Club, Bassett Hotel, 111 Burgess Road, Southampton, Hampshire
Friday, June 13, 1969: unknown venue, Brighton College of Art and Crafts campus, Brighton, East Sussex
Saturday, June 14, 1969: unknown venue, Farnborough College of Technology, Boundary Road, Farnborough, Hampshire
Sunday, June 15, 1969: Wharf Hotel, Holt Fleet, Worcester, Worcestershire
Wednesday, June 18, 1969: Rambling Jack's Blues Club, Railway Hotel, Station Road, Bishop’s Stortford, East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire
Thursday, June 19, 1969: Locarno Ballroom, Frogmore Street, Bristol
The band was still advertised as Bakerloo Blues Line. Also on the bill: Chicken Shack. The show lasted from 7:30pm to 11pm.
Friday, June 20, 1969 (?)
Bakerloo finally signed a recording contract on the newly formed E.M.I.’s “Harvest” label. “We were signed up by EMI records and the Harvest Label became the brand for ‘underground progressive music’,” confirms Terry Poole in an interview with Klemen Breznikar for It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine website published on September 29, 2012. “Tony Hall Enterprises and Jim Simpson of Big Bear Records were the management. They were responsible for the recording contract with EMI.” “I remember signing the contract at Jim’s house and receiving £200 each as an advance, which I spent on buying my first car, a Riley Elf,” recalls Clem Clempson. “I bought it from a friend of George Falkoner who owned a garage.”
Friday, June 20, 1969: unknown venue, University of Leeds campus, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Saturday, June 21, 1969: Working Men's Club, St. John’s Avenue, Newsome, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
The band was still advertised as Bakerloo Blues Line. The show started at 8pm.
Sunday, June 22, 1969: Nottingham Boat Club, Trent Side, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Monday, June 23, 1969: unknown venue, Exeter Technical College campus, Hele Road, Exeter, Devon
Wednesday, June 25, 1969: Newcastle City Hall, Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne
Thursday, June 26, 1969: Central Hall, 21 Montagu Street, Kettering, Northamptonshire
Friday, June 27, 1969: Seaburn Hall, Whitburn Hall, Sunderland, County Durham (cancelled on arrival)
The band was still advertised as Bakerloo Blues Line. Also on the bill: Champion Jack Dupree, Hell’s Teeth, Black Cat Bones, Dr. K’s Blues Band, Keef Hartley.
Saturday, June 28, 1969: Dunelm House, New Elvet, Durham, County Durham
Sunday, June 29, 1969: Spot Club, Centre of Sound, Masefield Drive, Tamworth, Staffordshire
Also on the bill: D.J. Dave Stuart.
Thursday, July 3, 1969: ‘Dance,’ Cambridge Guildhall, Market Hill, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
The band was advertised as Bakerloo Line. Also on the bill: P.P. Arnold, Clouds, plus discotheque. The show lasted from 9pm to 2am.
Friday, July 4, 1969: unknown venue, Worcester College of Technology campus, Worcester, Worcestershire
Monday, July 7, 1969: Dartington College of Arts, Dartington Hall, Dartington, Devon
Friday, July 11, 1969
Bakerloo’s first and only single, ‘Drivin’ Bachwards (J.S. Bach, Trad Arr. Clempson, Poole) / Once Upon A Time (Clempson, Poole)’ (HAR 5004), should’ve have been released in the UK today but at last minute it was shelved for reasons non one remembers. However a one sided (Drivin’ Bachwards) test pressing exists. It came from the record collection belonging to Malcolm Jones who used to be label manager at Harvest back then.
Friday, July 11, 1969: unknown venue, Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire
Monday, July 14, 1969: Cooks Ferry Inn, Angel Road, Edmonton, London Borough of Enfield, Greater London
Tuesday, July 15, 1969: The Place, 67 Bryan Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
The show lasted from 8pm to 1am.
Friday, July 18, 1969: Blues Loft, in the upstairs room at the Nag’s Head, London Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
The band was advertised as Bakerloo Line.
Melody Maker (July 19, 1969)
Saturday, July 19, 1969: Winter Gardens, Grange Road, Malvern, Worcestershire
The band was advertised as 'Bakerloo Blues.' Also on the bill: Liverpool Scene, King Crimson. One show, from 8pm (or 8:30pm) to 11:45pm.
Melody Maker (July 19, 1969)
Wednesday, July 23, 1969: ‘Alexis Korner’s Rhythm & Blues,’ BBC World Service (radio programme), BBC Maida Vale Studios, 120-129 Delaware Road, Maida Vale, City of Westminster, Greater London (taping date)
Thursday, July 24, 1969: Blues Factory, The Opposite Lock Club, 30 Gas Street (off Broad Street), Birmingham, Warwickshire
The band was still billed as ‘Bakerloo Blues Line.’ The show lasted from 8pm to 12 midnight.
Saturday, July 26, 1969: Mothers, 187 High Street, Erdington, Birmingham, Warwickshire
The band was still billed as ‘Bakerloo Blues Line.’ Also on the bill: King Crimson, D.J. Pat B. The show lasted from 8pm to 12 midnight.
Thursday, July 31, 1969: The Concorde Club, Bassett Hotel, 111 Burgess Road, Southampton, Hampshire
Friday, August 1, 1969: Il Rondo, Silver Street, Leicester, Leicestershire
Wednesday, August 6, 1969: ‘Radio One Club,’ BBC Radio 1, The Place, 67 Bryan Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Bakerloo appeared on this episode of Radio One Club, a radio music programme broadcasted live from 12 noon to 2pm from Monday to Friday.
Wednesday, August 6, 1969: The Speakeasy Club (aka The Speak), 48 Margaret Street, Marylebone, City of Westminster, Greater London
Friday, August 8, 1969: Bay Hotel, 16 Whitburn Bents Road, Sunderland, County Durham
Friday, August 15, 1969: unknown venue, Devizes, Wiltshire
Saturday, August 16, 1969: Roundhouse, Lodge Avenue, Dagenham, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Greater London
The band was advertised as Bakerloo Line.
Monday, August 18, 1969: Showboat Social Club, 61 Wilson Street, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire
Saturday, August 23, 1969
The today issue of Record Mirror reported that “Bakerloo upset that Harvest haven’t released their album yet - now scheduled for September 5.”
Wednesday, August 27, 1969: Toby Jug, 1 Hook Rise South, Tolworth, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Greater London
Friday, August 29, 1969
Bakerloo’s first and only album, ‘Bakerloo’ (SHVL 762; Side A: Big Bear Ffolly (Clempson, Poole) / Bring It On Home (Willie Dixon), Drivin’ Backwards (Bach, Arr. Clempson, Poole) / Last Blues (Clempson, Poole) / Gang Bang (Clempson, Poole, Baker) - Side B: This Worried Feeling (Clempson, Poole) / Son Of Moonshine (Clempson, Poole)), was released in the UK (and later that same year in Germany and Europe). The album was produced by Gus Dudgeon for Tony Hall Enterprises, and engineered by Barry Sheffield. “I was attending Nottingham Art School whilst playing in Bakerloo, so I also had the idea of including the Bakerloo tube logo on our album sleeve,” recalls Terry Poole in an interview with Klemen Breznikar for It’s A Psychedelic Baby Magazine website published on September 29, 2012. “[About the tracks,] ’Big Bear Folly’ [was] a chance for us to show that we were in tune with jazz. ‘Bring It on Home’: We loved the blues and so we paid tribute to our blues hero’s. ‘Drivin’ Bachwards’: Clem’s great talent on show as a classical musician. ‘Last Blues’: more tributes to our blues heroes. ‘Gang Bang’: jazz jazz jazz. ‘The Worried Feeling’: I enjoyed writing these lyrics and Clem was really soulful on this track. Fabulous blues guitar playing, we were both only 19 year old! Probably my favourite track. Amazing. ‘Son of Moonshine’: this was our grand finale live festival track. Progressive blues rock at its best. One take only in the studio. Hard to believe isn’t it!! ‘One upon a time’ … I completely forgot this one, only when Repertoire Records released this as a bonus track on the Bakerloo CD did it come back to me. Quite interesting, and not too bad for a single of ‘The day’.” Anyway, the album was reissued several times over the years, sometimes with bonus tracks. For example, a German reissue from 2000 has ‘Once Upon A Time’, which was originally scheduled to appear as the flipside of the band first and only single back in 1969, and an alternate take of ‘This Worried Feeling,’ while a Japan reissue from 2013 also has ‘Georgia’, a first take of a blues instrumental titled ‘Train’, and ‘Son Of Moonshine Part 1’ (alternate take). About ‘Gang Bang,’ the only original written by Clem and Terry with also Keith, the latter says “because I was heavily involved in this track.”
album back cover
side 1 label
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album cover
side 2 label
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album ad (1969)
Melody Maker (album review) (September 6, 1969)
Runcorn Weekly News (album review) (September 4, 1969)
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Evening Post (album review) (September 13, 1969)
Record Mirror (album review) (September 13, 1969)
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The Birmingham Post (album review) (October 11, 1969)
2021 reissue back cover
2021 bootleg reissue
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2021 bootleg reissue
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Friday, August 29, 1969: Il Rondo, Silver Street, Leicester, Leicestershire
The band was advertised as Bakerloo Line.
Monday, September 1, 1969: ‘Annual Bank Holiday Jazz and Blues,’ Arena Theatre, Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Bakerloo Blues Line played for free on the second day of this 2-day (August 31-September 1) annual free festival held in the open air Arena Theatre and organised by a joint committee of members of the Cannon Hill Arts Club and the Musicians’ Union. Also on the bill: Tea & Symphony, Locomotive, Black Sabbath, Boss White, Sampson, Slightly Museum, plus a surprise performance by an unnamed ad-hoc drum trio featuring Bob Lamb, Pete York and Bill Ward Reportedly, 1,500 people attended the Monday show.
Thursday, September 4, 1969: Club Lafayette, Thornley Street, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire (Bakerloo cancelled)
Also on the bill: John Peel. I guess Bakerloo cancelled their appearance at last minute because the gig was not mentioned in Terry Poole’s diary.
Saturday, September 6, 1969: Students Union, Huddersfield College of Technology campus, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Sunday, September 7, 1969: The Angel Lounge (bar), Angel Hotel, High Street, Godalming, Surrey
The show was presented by The Mad Gin Mill. Terry Poole and Keith Baker’s last gig with Bakerloo. “It was a mutual decision to dissolved the band as my recollection is that Clem was already rehearsing with another band (Cozy Powell and Dave Pegg) but we all parted as friends on good terms,” recalls Keith Baker. “I had certainly become friends with Cozy and Peggy before Bakerloo split up, and we were probably talking a little about doing something together, but we definitely didn’t start rehearsing together until after the split,” points out Clem Clempson. “We had some kind of disagreement about the direction of the band but I don’t remember what the problem was now,” also recalls Clempson. “I wanted to move to London as a session musician,” recalls Terry Poole. Anyway, after Bakerloo, Keith went to play with The Daddy (pre-Supertramp) and Uriah Heep, while Terry went to form a band called May Blitz, and later would play with Rupert’s People, Stone Feather, Graham Bond, and Vinegar Joe, among others.
Monday, September 8, 1969: Cooks Ferry Inn, Angel Road, Edmonton, London Borough of Enfield, Greater London (cancelled)
The band was advertised as Bakerloo Line.
Melody Maker (September 6, 1969)
September ??, 1969
Clem Clempson reformed Bakerloo with Dave Pegg on bass and Colin Flooks, aka Cozy Powell, on drums. “I wanted to work with Peggy and Cozy, we didn’t plan to continue as Bakerloo but there were a couple of gigs that were booked and Jim tried to persuade me to do them,” recalls Clem Clempson.
BAKERLOO #8 (SEPTEMBER ?? - SEPTEMBER ??, 1969)
1) Clem Clempson
2) Dave Pegg bass
3) Cozy Powell drums
1) Clem Clempson
2) Dave Pegg bass
3) Cozy Powell drums
September ??, 1969: unknown college, Stoke-on-Trent (?), Staffordshire (?)
Cozy Powell and Dave Pegg’s first and only gig with Bakerloo, as well as Clem’s last with the band which disbanded for good right after. “I only remember doing one gig with Peggy and Cozy, at a college in the midlands somewhere and it was one of the best gigs I’d ever done! We were excited about the prospects for our new band!,” recalls Clem Clempson. “What happened was that after Bakerloo split I started to form a group wih Cozy Powell and Dave Pegg but that really just lasted for a few weeks because we couldn’t see any future in what the band was into,” also recalled Clem Clempson in an interview with Ray Telford for Sounds, a UK weekly music newspaper, published on December 9, 1972. “Really, we were in the same position as Bakerloo were when they split, you know, stuck in Birmingham with no money and no real management but, again it turned out best for everybody concerned.” “I got a phone call from Jon Hiseman asking if I would be interested in joining Colosseum, and although I was very sorry to give up the plans with Peggy and Cozy it was too good an opportunity to turn down,” also recalls Clempson.
Sunday, September 28, 1969: Groovesville, Wake Arms, Epping Road, Upshire, Waltham Abby, Epping Forest District, Essex (cancelled)
Cozy Powell and Dave Pegg’s first and only gig with Bakerloo, as well as Clem’s last with the band which disbanded for good right after. “I only remember doing one gig with Peggy and Cozy, at a college in the midlands somewhere and it was one of the best gigs I’d ever done! We were excited about the prospects for our new band!,” recalls Clem Clempson. “What happened was that after Bakerloo split I started to form a group wih Cozy Powell and Dave Pegg but that really just lasted for a few weeks because we couldn’t see any future in what the band was into,” also recalled Clem Clempson in an interview with Ray Telford for Sounds, a UK weekly music newspaper, published on December 9, 1972. “Really, we were in the same position as Bakerloo were when they split, you know, stuck in Birmingham with no money and no real management but, again it turned out best for everybody concerned.” “I got a phone call from Jon Hiseman asking if I would be interested in joining Colosseum, and although I was very sorry to give up the plans with Peggy and Cozy it was too good an opportunity to turn down,” also recalls Clempson.
Sunday, September 28, 1969: Groovesville, Wake Arms, Epping Road, Upshire, Waltham Abby, Epping Forest District, Essex (cancelled)
Melody Maker (September 27, 1969)
Friday, October 3, 1969: Blues Loft, in the upstairs room at the Nag’s Head, London Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire (cancelled)
October or November 1969
Clem Clempson joined Colosseum and at that point Bakerloo’s manager Jim Simpson, who had titled (allegedly) to the name, put together a totally new version of Bakerloo with Adrian Ingram on guitar, a black singer named Roland Alex Boyce, aka Kirk St. James, formerly of Hair musical in Paris and also frontman of a band called Kirk St. James and Wild Silk, George Northall on sax, Jack Griffiths on bass, Bill Hunt on organ and french horn, and John Parkers on drums. By the way, according to Al Atkins, later of Judas Priest, Adrian Ingram chose him as the band lead singer but he was soon kicked out of the band by Jim Simpson (both Simpson and Ingram did not recall at all any involvement of Atkins with Bakerloo).
BAKERLOO #9 (OCTOBER or NOVEMBER 1969 - JUNE 1970 (?))
1) Adrian Ingram guitar
2) Kirk St. James vocals
3) John Parkes drums
4) George Northall sax
5) Jack Griffiths bass
6) Bill Hunt Hammond organ, french horn
1) Adrian Ingram guitar
2) Kirk St. James vocals
3) John Parkes drums
4) George Northall sax
5) Jack Griffiths bass
6) Bill Hunt Hammond organ, french horn
Saturday, November 15, 1969
The today issue of Melody Maker announced that “It’s not the end of the line for Bakerloo.” “We are forming a new group under the same name,” says their manager Jim Simpson. “It will be bigger, better and more exciting than the original group.” The magazine added that “the new Bakerloo are not expected to make their first appearance until January. The line-up has been provisionally fixed with the exception of an organist.”
1970: ‘unknown title,’ TV Show, unknown venue, unknown city, Germany
Wednesday, May 6, 1970: Stadt Rendsburg, Neumünster, Germany
Saturday, May 9, 1970: aula, Nikolai-Knabenschule, Flensburg, Germany
Thursday, May 14, 1970: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
Also on the bill: Black Sabbath.
June 1970 (?)
George Northall was replaced by Cliff Williams on tenor sax and clarinet. At that point Bakerloo changed its name to Hannibal.
The today issue of Melody Maker announced that “It’s not the end of the line for Bakerloo.” “We are forming a new group under the same name,” says their manager Jim Simpson. “It will be bigger, better and more exciting than the original group.” The magazine added that “the new Bakerloo are not expected to make their first appearance until January. The line-up has been provisionally fixed with the exception of an organist.”
1970: ‘unknown title,’ TV Show, unknown venue, unknown city, Germany
Wednesday, May 6, 1970: Stadt Rendsburg, Neumünster, Germany
Saturday, May 9, 1970: aula, Nikolai-Knabenschule, Flensburg, Germany
Thursday, May 14, 1970: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London
Also on the bill: Black Sabbath.
June 1970 (?)
George Northall was replaced by Cliff Williams on tenor sax and clarinet. At that point Bakerloo changed its name to Hannibal.
HANNIBAL (JUNE 1970 (?) - 1971)
1) Adrian Ingram
2) Kirk St. James
3) John Parkes
4) Jack Griffiths
5) Bill Hunt
6) Cliff Williams tenor sax, clarinet
1) Adrian Ingram
2) Kirk St. James
3) John Parkes
4) Jack Griffiths
5) Bill Hunt
6) Cliff Williams tenor sax, clarinet
Wednesday, September 30, 1970: Henry’s Blueshouse, Station Hotel, High Street, Brownhills, Staffordshire
Hannibal, although still advertised as Bakerloo, played on the opening night of the new location of the Henry’s Blueshouse. One show, from 8pm to 12 midnight.
Hannibal, although still advertised as Bakerloo, played on the opening night of the new location of the Henry’s Blueshouse. One show, from 8pm to 12 midnight.
October 1970
Hannibal’s first and only album, ‘Hannibal,’ was released in the UK.
Wednesday, December 23, 1970: Magic of Ju-Ju, Clouds, 72 London Road, Derby, Derbyshire
The band was advertised as ‘Ex-Bakerloo Hannibal.’
1971
Hannibal disbanded.
