Rock n Roll Island: Where Legends Were Born BBC4

[Tom Waits For No One]

Tonight on BBC4 at 21:30 (or half past nine in the old money)

I wonder if Pete The Pick will be featured?

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=11053&p=3810127#p3810127



"Award-winning documentary that celebrates the incredible musical history of Eel Pie Island - the epicentre of rhythm and blues in south west London in the 1960s.
In its heyday, the likes of The Stones, The Yardbirds, The Who, David Bowie, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall, Long John Baldry and many others cut their teeth at the venue before becoming legends of the music industry.

Interviewed guests include Rod Stewart from The Faces, Top Topham from The Yardbirds, Mick Avory from The Kinks, Steve Hackett from Genesis, Dave Brock from Hawkwind, Andy Bown from Status Quo, Martin Turner from Wishbone Ash, Phil May from The Pretty Things, Don Craine and Keith Grant from The Downliners Sect, Geoff Cole from the Ken Colyer Band, Bob Dwyer from The Southern Stompers, Cleo Sylvestre from Honey B Mama, Blaine Harrison from The Mystery Jets, Paul Stewart from The Others, Sam Cutler, former tour manager with The Stones, as well as numerous fans known as Eelpilanders and island resident and inventor Trevor Baylis.

Combining these interviews with original black-and-white images and archive footage from the era, the documentary explores the unique experiences of the people who either played at the Eel Pie Island Hotel or went there to listen to music and dance on the famous bouncing dance floor.

Cheryl Robson, who created the project, says, ‘You can feel the incredible fondness for the Eel Pie experience when talking to those who actually went there. There was definitely something in the water in south west London, which affected all those who went, played, sang or danced. The energy was infectious.’

Narrated by actor Nigel Planer, who was once a resident of Eel Pie Island."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000gp1k

[Tom Waits For No One]

Well that was jolly good.

[Charlie O.]

Was our Pete in it?

[Tom Waits For No One]

He was listed as one of the researchers.

[Charlie O.]

Fair enough!

[Tom Waits For No One]

Apologies for the brevity of the last post Charlie, posting from my phone and in a hurry.
It was an interesting watch, check out the iPlayer link, hopefully you will be able to get it in the States.

[Charlie O.]

No apology necessary! I will try to check it out later...

[Rayge]

Growing up in north-east London, the south-west was terra incognita for me, and I never got close to visiting, but I was aware of the scene, and the people in it, from the early 1960s when I first started reading the music weeklies, Fascinating documentary, but what I most got out of it was simply what a really nice bunch of sorted and chipper-looking old guys (all older than me!) they had on there. And Mick Avory stringing some good words together: he was never allowed to speak in Kinks interviews. I somehow missed the doco last night, so thanks very much for the heads up here, Kev.

[frimley_greener]

This old codger cut his teeth on the Island.....strange days:)

[Deebank]

I'm sure my father in law told me he used to go to the trad events there and perhaps the Stones et al too.

Sadly he's no longer with us so I can't ask him.

[The Modernist]

Did they go into the wild beatnik jazz scene they had there in the very early 60s?

[Rayge]

Did they go into the wild beatnik jazz scene they had there in the very early 60s?

Yes, they did; from there all the way through to the metal days.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

Thanks for posting, I missed this.
Will look it out today.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

Good watch. The last part of the doc in the here and now with the old guys trying to hang onto it was a bit sad.
Like most happenings it was about the there and then and when the moment passes it's gone forever.