DUNDEE LASSIES MEET AMEN CORNER - 1968

Here's a cosy wee scene from 1968 - pop group, Amen Corner, are cornered by 3 Dundee fans, Sheena Doig, Pat Brown and Dorothy Patterson.
The band were regulars in the charts in the late 60's, but this photo was taken a year before their only #1 hit "If Paradise is...", a classic piece of pop in my opinion.
Amen Corner were in town in March 1968 for a gig at the Top Ten Club. 
Despite the group's success, they split around 1970ish and vocalist Andy Fairweather Low (far left) went solo. 

THE NOLANS - CAIRD HALL - 1981

Here's a cute wee review from the pages of Cranked Up featuring The Nolan Sisters at the Caird Hall in 1981, and was written by local lass, Lorna McCulloch, aged 12.
3 lucky lassies were plucked out of the audience and got to go up on stage to sing along with the group. I'd imagine the trio knew all their songs and dance routines off by heart, like most girls that age seem to with pop music!

DANCE FACTORY POSTERS - 1986

This image is a nice wee reminder of the kind of thing Dundee youth looked out for back in the 80's.

Posters splattered about on grubby walls. It was one way to keep track of what was cooking in the clubs anyway.

This batch here were captured in Feb '86 in the Seagate, and the main ones to keep an eye on then would have been the yellow & red Dance Factory posters advertising their forthcoming gigs at Fat Sams.

Some of the acts listed are, The March Violets, The Housemartins and Hipsway. 

THE HEADBOYS - SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME - 1979

So, formerly called Badger, The Headboys have now added Bob Heatlie (from Edinburgh) on sax to the line-up and once more commence releasing records. Their debut "The Shape Of Things To Come" came out in the Summer of 1979. It was a hit in the UK and USA becoming one of the many "new wave" records that were on the increase in the mainstream pop charts at the time.

You can watch the lads perform this single on Youtube.

They also released an album the same year and extracted another couple of follow-up singles from it, but they didn't receive the same amount of attention. Around the beginning of the 80's the band split, with Calum Malcolm going on to work with well know Scottish act The Blue Nile.

Here below is their summer single...

BADGER - STEPPING STONES - 1977

Formed in Dundee in the mid 70's, it didn't take too long for Badger to get their material down on vinyl, releasing 2 singles in 1977.
This one here was the bands debut 45. The A-side is a track called "Biding My Time" - I, however, have opted to showcase the B-side "Stepping Stones", which in my opinion is the stronger composition.
Group members were - Lou Lewis (guitar/vocals) - George Boyter (bass) & Davy Ross (drums) - Calum Malcolm (from Edinburgh, Keyboards/vocals).
Then later in 77/78, the band changed their name to The Headboys and again released a few records with a bit of success in this transformation.
In November 1979, The Headboys then released this old song "Stepping Stones" again, only this time as the A-side of the single!
Meanwhile, here is the crackly original Badger version to tune into...

JOHN LUNAN ON DRUMS

This is Dundee drummer, John Lunan, in action at the groovy looking Fairmuir Social Club in the 70's.

He has, however, been drumming in Dundee for over 4 decades, ever since he got his first kit out of Watt's in the old Wellgate.

His first gig was a residency along at the Station Hotel in Carnoustie in the mid 60's, and from then on he has been hitting the skins for a variety of bands over the years.

Some of his local groups in the 60's & 70's were The Jacques, Third Edition, Hunters Key (with Jim Kelly) and Kookie & co.

It wasn't only locally he played though, he has also toured around the UK and beyond. One fabulous job he had was when he joined, Joint Effort, and found himself on a 2 year cruise around the Mediterranean.

The amount of local bands are too numerous to recall, but it's not only local acts he has performed with, some of the more famous names he has worked with include - Billy Connolly - Lonnie Donegan - Mike & Bernie Winters - The Troggs - Chris Barbers Jazz Band - The Swinging Blue Jeans - Mike Berry - Freddie & The Dreamers - The Glitter Band - Dave Berry - The Bachelors - Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders, and a good few more.

Latterly, he was in Ringer, who played regularly at Tramps nightclub and who went on to perform at The Cavern in Liverpool for a Beatles convention.

And so his drumming came full circle, ending with the sound of the 60's that kick-started his career in the first place. Only as recently as last year has he had to call it a day because of a knee problem.

Just a few years short of a half a century in the biz, which is pretty good going by anyones standard, and as a consequence he knows just about every musician from the Dundee area personally!

Needless to say, I've had quite a lot of my Retro music info from him!!

SLEAZ BAND DEMO #3

Sleaz Band demo number 3...

SLEAZ BAND DEMO #2

Sleaz Band demo number 2...

SLEAZ BAND DEMO #1

A rare compilation of unheard demo tracks by Dundee act, Sleaz Band, was unearthed recently.
20 tracks in total, all of which were recorded during the 1969 to 1974 period.
Although the Sleaz Band did release a proper record in 1974, none of the demo tracks made it onto vinyl.
Sleaz Band seemed to share the same musical arena as bands like, Jo Jo Gunne, SAHB, Geordie, Blackfoot Sue etc - not quite full-on rock and not overtly commercial pop, but all lurking around the same in-between territory in the early/mid 70's.
Don't know why Sleaz Band didn't hitch on board the road to success, they certainly supported many big names and so would have been in touch with plenty influential contacts in the biz - but sometimes that's not always what the bands themselves are looking for.
Perhaps they just enjoyed the booze more than the biz!
Anyway, I'm gonna put up 3 of their demo's, all if which are untitled.
Here's the first of the batch...

TEENBEAT - FIRST EPISODE - 1963

A couple of press items about a new music show that started up on Grampian TV on 6 March 1963 - called Teenbeat.
Dundee had quite a big role in it as Andy Lothian was the host, singers Tony Vincent, Sheila Mitchell & Johnny Hudson were all local too and Dundee act The Mystery Men were the resident band.
The show usually showcased a couple of big name stars each week and on this first episode, Vince Eager and The Barron Knights were the main guests.
Dundee also got in on the act with local dancers demonstrating how to do the Twist & the Madison.

Click items to enlarge.