Like buses, you don't see a Six Degrees for ages, and then we do two in a week!
It seemed worthwhile though; there were several Pete Townshend related anniversaries this last week, and it seemed only right that we give him the Six Degrees of Kevin Shields treatment too.
There is a distinct 60s flavour to this one - stick with us as we meander our way through various musical connections from the flamboyant Mr Townsend, to the shoe gazing Kevin Shields.
First up, last week saw Pete Townshend reach the respectable age of 78 - he was born on 19 May 1945 in Chiswick. HIs father, Chris Townshend, was a professional alto saxophone player with the RAF dance band, The Squadronaires; his mother, Betty Dennis, was a singer with the Sydney Torch and Les Douglass Orchestras.
The second recent anniversary came this week, as 43 years ago, on 23 May 1970, one of the seminal live albums was released. The Who had released Tommy in 1969, and had been touring the album around the United States. The live performances they were putting in, were much more hard rock than the rock opera that you heard on the album. They had taped many of the shows with a view to a live album, but Townshend instructed engineer Bob Pridden to burn all the tapes, something he later reportedly said was, "one of the stupidest decisions of my life." They laid on two UK shows to make new recordings. The tape from a show in Hull didn't come out well, and the band were left with the performance at the University of Leeds on 14 February 1970, as the one they went with, becoming Live At Leeds. The original album had just six tracks, including an almost 15 minute version of My Generation.
The Who: Substitute (live at Isle of Wight) - https://youtu.be/doETiUZOkL4
The Live At Leeds album included a cover of Shakin' All Over, a massive hit for Johnny Kidd & The Pirates in 1960. The story goes, that since the song had been covered by a band called the Guess Who? - many people had got confused between them and The Who, and so, expected The Who to be playing Shakin' - so eventually they just did! Johnny Kidd said of the song (in language that suggests he could have ended up getting a job writing for The Sun newspaper):
"When I was going around with a bunch of lads and we happened to see a girl who was a real sizzler, we used to say that she gave us 'quivers down the membranes.' It was a standard saying with us referring to any attractive girl. I can honestly say that it was this more than anything that inspired me to write Shakin' All Over."
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates: Shakin' All Over - https://youtu.be/n327ncoU_ZU
The drummer with The Pirates was Clemente 'Clem' Cattini, who had previously worked with English rock n roll pioneers Marty Wilde and Billy Fury. After his brief early 60s tenure as a Pirate, he went on to be part of legendary producer, Joe Meeks, house band. With John Leyton and Don Charles, they morphed into the Tornadoes, who had an international smash hit with Telstar in 1961. From 1965, Cattini became a much in demand session drummer, whose list of clients includes - The Kinks, Dusty Springfield, the Bee Gees, Donovan, Jeff Beck, the Hollies, the Yardbirds, Joe Cocker and Barry Ryan. In the 1970s he also worked with Cliff Richard, Alvin Stardust, Bay City Rollers, the Wombles and Brotherhood Of Man. It is said that he drummed on at least 42 UK number one hits (including Telstar, Shakin' All Over, Tears and (Is The Way To) Amarillo! He was also reputedly on Jimmy Page's shortlist of drummers, when he putting together the band that would become Led Zeppelin.
Barry Ryan, with his twin brother Paul, had a string of UK chart entries, with songs like Don't Bring Me Your Heartaches. After Paul moved into the background, Barry continued as a solo artist and had a smash hit (#2) in 1968 with the epic track, Eloise. By the 1970s, he'd left the music business behind to take up photography. This gave him a forty year career, doing work as a fashion and portrait photographer. He had work published by Italian Vogue, Ritz and Zoom, and had six photos purchased by the National Portrait Gallery. His portrait photos included politicians like Thatcher and Reagan, and musicians like Sting, McCartney and Bjork.
There have been more than a few covers of Eloise over the years, but the one I first remember hearing was by The Damned, when they were well into their gothic phase. Building on the success of 1985s Phantasmagoria, they released their version as a non-album single in January 1986. It is a song lead singer Dave Vanian had been considering recording since at least 1980. It was released at the same time as another version of it, by former Far Corporation member, Robin McAuley. McAuley felt the Damned version had 'no chance of making it into the charts' - it made number 3 in the UK... Ryan himself later said, "I like the Damned's version best, it's even better than mine." The song was recorded at London's Eel Pie Studios in November 1985.
Which is the better version? You decide....
Barry Ryan: Eloise - https://youtu.be/-D24yIYiVBc
The Damned: Eloise - https://youtu.be/b31L4P7G5j8
Eel Pie Studios, at the Boathouse in Twickenham, on the banks of the Thames, had been owned and used by Pete Townshend, but was run as a commercial studio from 1981. As well as Townshend and The Who, other acts recording there over the years included Roger Waters, A-ha, Motorhead, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Thin Lizzy and the House Of Love.
The House Of Love recorded their 1992 album Babe Rainbow at Eel Pie. They had formed in London back in 1986, by singer / guitarist Guy Chadwick and guitarist Terry Bickers. By 1987, they had signed for Creation Records, releasing the single Shine On. It didn't even make the Top 100 the first time around, but a re-recorded version in 1990, gave them a number 20 hit. They also recorded debut album House Of Love on Creation, before signing for Fontana, and confusingly releasing a second album called House Of Love.
The House Of Love: Shine On - https://youtu.be/rxUv79hejRU
We all know who else signed with Creation Records around this time? Yes, the following year, 1988, saw My Bloody Valentine sign for the label, take ages to record Loveless and pretty much bankrupt them. MBV's main man? Kevin Shields!