The stones at the o2

[cockroach]

Jim

I think Ray might have played the lead on Hippy Hippy Shake on the record.. I have an old video tape of the 1964 and 1965 NME Poll Concerts, and the SBJs played that tune live..you can certainly hear Ray's Strat above all else.

The solo is a pretty straight copy of that on the original Chan Romero record anyway...

[JimN]

I think Ray might have played the lead on Hippy Hippy Shake on the record.. I have an old video tape of the 1964 and 1965 NME Poll Concerts, and the SBJs played that tune live..you can certainly hear Ray's Strat above all else.
The solo is a pretty straight copy of that on the original Chan Romero record anyway...

The Chan Romero record is insipid and nowhere near as good as the hit version by the SBJs!

From what I remember of their glory days, Ray Ennis (the lead singer, who is still with the group) played a cherry Gibson ES-335 and Ralph Ellis (who was the lead guitarist) played a sunburst Stratocaster. Bassist Les Braid had a sunburst Jazz Bass. If it was one of the group playing the solo on the record, it would have been Ralph rather than Ray.

There was a TV doc a few years ago where Ralph recounted how he quit the group in 1966, making way for one of the best-regarded Liverpool guitarists of the era: Colin Manley (formerly of the Remo Four). Ralph said he put the Strat away in its case under the bed and didn't play it again for many years. He became a door-to-door insurance agent (the man from the Pru). Although I didn't appreciate it at the time, if Ralph was able to play like on that solo, his early retirement was a real loss to British music.

[cockroach]

Apologies Jim, I meant Ralph (Ray/Ralph, Ellis/Ennis...OK, I confess I got the names confused- come on , I turned 63 last week, the old memory gets a bit misty sometimes)

Chan's recording may not have been as forceful as the SBJ cover (subjective opinion- but 'insipid'? that's a bit harsh...), but the fact remains that it was the original -as was the guitar solo-it was good enough for a lot of Liverpool groups to cover- including the Fabs for a start... give some credit where it's due please!

[JimN]

Nah... sorry John, but this is something I've said several times in the past: the composers of both Twist And Shout and Hippy Hippy Shake (assuming them still to be living) should turn in the general direction of Liverpool each evening and utter a few prayers of thanks.

Neither the Isley Brothers' version of T&S nor Chan's version of HHS were anywhere near good enough to become the massive hits they were in the hands of the Beatles and Swinging Blue Jeans respectively. Those composers' pensions were created in Abbey Road No 2.

Judge for yourself (and compare with the definitive versions):





Original simply isn't always best. If it were, Hoagy Carmichael would be regarded as a better singer than Bing Crosby.

[Mike Honey]

Totally agree about the originals not always the best. Just a point Jim that Ray Ennis hasnt played with the SBJ since 2010. his place was taken by Alan Lovell, who at one time was the guitarist with 'Rocking horse' the house band for flying Music tours.

mike

[JimN]

Just a point Jim that Ray Ennis hasnt played with the SBJ since 2010. his place was taken by Alan Lovell, who at one time was the guitarist with 'Rocking horse' the house band for flying Music tours.
mike

Really? That must mean that there are no original members left.

Sad situation.

[Mike Honey]

Sadly Les Braid (bass) died in 2005, and was replaced by Pete Oakman (who had played with alan in Rocking Horse) Peter is probably best known as the writer of joe Browns 'Picture of you'; Pete was a Bruvver for years. Although I've lived in france for 12 years I still keep in touch with the SBJ,brilliant live band to this day!!

mike

[cockroach]

Jim and Mike

I understand your opinion here, but at that stage(late '50's- early '60's) there was just not the calibre or sheer volume of songwriting and playing for rock'n'roll, pop etc in the UK and elsewhere at that time, as there was in the USA (that all changed later of course- Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richard etc etc) but in those times hardly any Brits wrote good enough tunes- nor were there many good rock players.

OK, there were British writers such as Ian Samwell, Jerry Lordan, Gordon Mills, Bruce and a few others, with the best of the few good players with a rock feel around then- Hank, Tony Sheridan, Joe Moretti, Jim Sullivan, Jet, Licorice, BB, Tony Meehan- in fact members of the Shads, the Pirates, the Tornadoes and the Wildcats.

BUT...nearly all their material for records and live shows was covers of US material.

The original records may not be as good in your opinions as the later British covers, but please do not put down the people who created, originated, wrote and played that classic music...

I'm a Brit myself by birth and I understand our pride in the Fabs, Shads and every other Brit band or artist who subsequently made it in the business and artistically, at home and throughout the world. I'm not a great lover of all things American by any means (apologies to Donna!) but the Americans back then invented it, perfected it and influenced the whole world of modern music back then. And without them, there would be NO British rock'n'roll (or skiffle!!)

[JimN]

John, I'm not knocking American music or recordings in general. Just the ones which were well-surpassed by better-known (and better-performed) UK cover versions in later years. And that's only if you can call that "knocking" (in reality, I'm just making the comparison, which speaks for itself).

No-one did better versions of Buddy Holly's stuff. Elvis left all competitors trailing in his dust, as did Little Richard and Jerry Lee. Even Americans from the later pop period (I'm thinking of Del Shannon, Bobby Rydell, Bobby Vee, etc) were hard to equal.

But none of that applies to the Isley Brothers' version of Twist And Shout or Chan Romero's own Hippy Hippy Shake. Those songs would never have been such big world-wide hits had it not been for the Beatles (who even recommended HHS to the SBJs).

[Mike Honey]

Yes, wot 'e said!

mike