JIH - THE SHADOW TO FALL LP - 1986

Jih, is local singer, Grant McNally, plus a team of musicians who varied & changed, most of which having a strong Dundee connection.
This album "The Shadow To Fall" is also closely linked to The Associates, with band members, Howard Hughes and Steve Reid playing on this recording.
In fact, Billy MacKenzie has shared material with Grant (and vice versa), both having sung each others songs. Billy also sang backing vocals on Jih's singles, as well as doing some production work. Billy's brothers, John & Jimmy, have also been involved with the band.
Grant did seem to favour local talent too when it came to performing live.
Regarding the album, it received a favourable review in Cut magazine back in Feb 1987, which is what's on display above.
Although there are quite a lot of melodic songs on the album, I've opted for a track (below) called "This Is My House", which is just a little bit edgier!

 

PSYCHOBILLY GIGS - CLUB FEET - 1984

 

Around 1980, the music scene spawned a new mongrel breed - Psychobilly - the result of punk mating with rockabilly!!
The Cramps were brilliant at it. The Meteors were UK's top exponents of it, but King Kurt actually managed to get a hit record into the pop charts with it. Quite a feat because it was pretty much kept an underground scene till then. But yep, their track "Destination Zululand" did get into the top 40 in 1983.
Live psychobilly gigs were wild, sweaty, messy affairs, with lots of diving onto & off the stage, beer getting chucked about, shambolic behaviour in general - the bands as well as the crowd. Always great fun though!
And of course, who could forget those magnificent hairstyles!!
Anyway, the scene was fully formed by the time King Kurt and The Meteors performed at Club Feet in 1984.
2 separate gigs, the top item being a local flyer for King Kurt, and the cutting under it being tour dates for The Meteors taken from an old Melody Maker music paper I have.
Incidentally, a couple of years earlier, I saw The Meteors play in Edinburgh. They were the support act to The Cramps. A great night it was too. But not only that, it just so happens that The Meteors were staying at the same B&B as me, and next morning after the show we all had breakfast together in the wee dining room!

INVERCARSE HOTEL ALBUM - 1973

No, you're not imagining it! It is indeed an album called "Music Live From Invercarse Hotel", released in 1973.
The LP is shared by 2 acts - the A-side has the East Coast Jazz Band, and the B-side has the John Huband Trio.
I'll touch on the B-side a little later, but for now, following on from the previous post, here is a sample of the East Coast Jazz Band in action.
Don't let their formal dress fool you as they get decidedly funky on this track, a version of the Stevie Wonder hit "Superstition". Giving AWB a good run for their money too!
The line-up is the 73 one as listed earlier, with the addition of George Cabrelli on vocal.

 

EAST COAST JAZZMEN v EAST COAST JAZZ BAND

I'm gonna need a bit of help sorting out this muddle with names!

The top picture is documented as being the East Coast Jazzmen, taken in 1968.

The picture below it is documented as being the East Coast Jazz Band, taken in 1973.

That was the easy bit!

From this, I deduced that, probably after a change in line-up, they just changed their name from Jazzmen to Jazz Band. Seemed logical to me.

However, after a wee bit of homework, I discovered that it was Andy Lothian who first formed the East Coast Jazz Band in 1958. The East Coast Jazzmen had a residency at the Invercarse in the 60's and the East Coast Jazz Band had a residency there too, in the 70's.

When I put both versions into Google for more info, both names crop up in equal measure and both appear to still be on the go!

So, are they the same outfit, who choose to change their name according to which style of music they play - ie, Jazzmen = "Trad jazz", Jazz Band = "Modern jazz"?

Are they 2 separate entities?

Are they perhaps just called East Coast Jazz, with the "Men" and "Band" an irrelevant addition?

If someone can supply the answer to that, it would be much appreciated, as I'm starting to develop a nervous twitch and may need to book myself into Liff soon!!

Anyway, both pictures were taken at the same spot in the Invercarse.

Top, 1968 line-up is - Jimmy Wallace - Ron Elder - Dave Fimister - Andy Tully - Harry Morrison - Les Cameron - Dave Moodie.

Below, 1973 line-up is - Jimmy Wallace - Dave Fimister - Doug Gow - Les Cameron - Ron Elder - Harry Morrison - Brian Rose.

Thanks to Mike Gallacher for the top photo.

DUNDEE CHARITY ALBUM - 1978

To coincide with Rag Week 1978, the University brought out this LP to help the fund raising campaign.
"Dundee Folk" is an album of various artists from the folk scene, including - Aileen Carr - Fair Game - Chris Davies and a few others. It was recorded in Dundee and is on the Better Bacon Records label.
The sound sample I have chosen is by a band called Dingly Dell, who hail from just across the bridge, and it's a traditional folk song about the Dundee whaling ship "Balaena".

RAG WEEK FUN - 1977

There were no shortage of volunteers for this particular fund raising escapade for Rag Week 1977 - The Pram Pub Crawl!
A total of 19 teams took part in the event that year.
The "baby" in the pram had to drink a pint in each of 9 designated pubs in town, while the 3 money collecting "pram pushers" were only allowed half a pint per pub. Well we couldn't have their drink driving endanger the public!
I only have one of the lassies names in the picture - Frances Webster - 2nd left, pushing pram. Anybody recognise the others?
Cue Reeves & Mortimer - "You can't give a baby booze!!"

RAG WEEK POLITICS - EARLY 60'S

A bit of politics crept into this Rag Week procession in the early 60's.
The "Ban The Bomb" symbol was a regular sight in 60's youth culture, and accompanying this particular parade were additional messages pinned to the car making sure their point was getting across to the public. One says "YOU CAN'T VACCINATE CHILDREN AGAINST NUCLEAR TESTS". Another has "JOIN US ON THE ALDERMASTON MARCH".
The location looks like the bottom of King Street to me.

RAG WEEK GLAMOUR - 1968

Adding a touch of glamour to Rag Week 1968 were these 6 finalists in the University beauty contest.
They are - Gillian Pairman - Jeannie Alexander - Muriel Harris - Eileen Walker - Ann Keillar and Robin Swanney.
Not sure if there was one eventual overall winner, or all 6 shared the limelight!

THE GLADMAG - 1968

The Gladmag was a Dundee University publication, sold to the public to help raise funds during Rag Week.

This one here is the 1968 one.

Inside, there is a special message from the Queen Mother, who sends her good wishes for the campaign.

I take it they didn't send her an advance copy of the Gladmag cover!

A lot of students in the 60's did adopt leftist politics, but there is not much of a mention of it in the magazine's contents, it being a light-hearted publication. So the material is mainly a mix of amusing stories & observations, loads of cartoons and lots of local ads.

RAG WEEK - FIRST DAY COVER - 1968

This First Day Cover was issued on 15th April 1968 to mark the start of the Dundee Students Charities Campaign - or "Rag Week" as it is known as.

I remember we went along as a family to the ones in the 60's (when I was primary school age) with our chosen location to view the procession being Princes Street. All the floats and students in fancy dress, rattling their cans collecting pennies from those of us who lined the streets. It was quite entertaining for a young school kid, but trying to chuck coins onto the passing floats was a bit hit & miss, although there were always plenty of student foot soldiers nearby to do the mopping up!

THE ORIGINAL BOWLING ALLEY - 60's





When Dundonians of my generation talk about the Bowling Alley, it's usually on the subject of drunken nights out at the Tech Students Union disco, or discussing the bands we saw play there, but it's sometimes forgotten that the reason it was called that in the first place is because the premises was once an actual Tenpin Bowling Alley.

You can see in the photo above, taken in the 60's, that the original Bowling Alley premises was in the exact spot as the Students Union we used to visit in the 70's & 80's - the same doorway and stairwell on the corner of Guthrie Street.

The advert showing the interior, appeared in the Tele on 18th August 1966, a significant date because that's when the Tay Road Bridge opened, hence the references in the ad.

From the image, it seems to have been a popular place in its time, and although I have not been to this version of the Bowling Alley, I guess that it could be the same floor space which later became the disco dancefloor in the 70's.



DUNDEE'S EXOTIC MURALS - 1970'S

Back in the mid 70's, it was decided that an area around Tannadice Street needed cheering up a bit, so they got an artist to paint large murals on the gable end of 2 buildings on Wolseley Street and Court Street.
The pair depicted 2 exotic semi-abstract jungle scenes and were the work of Robert McGilvray, done in 1976.
The one with the large orange bird flying is called "Intro" - Court Street.
The one with the giraffe neck is called "Outro" - Wolseley Street.
Not sure how long they lasted because although the buildings are still there, they're back to being blank walls again.

DUNDEE ROCKETS - MID 80'S

Also in May 2009, I posted the only picture I had of the Dundee Rockets, dating from the early 80's, which was a poor quality monochrome image.

Well here is a proper one of the team from the mid 80's, in full colour and autographed!

Thanks to Stuart Betty.

KINGSWAY ICE RINK - 1989

The previous picture of the old Ice Rink I put up last year (May 2009), didn't have the main entrance in the image. So to make up for it, here is a cracker of the doorway taken on 3rd March 1989.
Photo by Neale Elder

THE OVERGATE - 1987

A nice summer shot of the Overgate, taken on 6th July 1987.
If you click onto the large version, you may even be able to recognise someone you know in amongst the shoppers!
Photo by Neale Elder

REFORM STREET - 1983

An ordinary, everyday scene of folk going about their business along Reform Street on 3rd December 1983.

The most prominent shop sign on view is the one for Wimpy, who also have the "Restaurant Open" sandwich board on the pavement.

Some of the other shop signs down the left are - Sixty Minute Cleaners? (it says 2 hour on the sign!) - Elena Mae (cameras) and the Cairds canopy.

The Christmas decorations in the city square are up as well.

Across the road you can see the main entrance to newsagent R.S.McColl. This is where, in 1984, I started to indulge in a magazine called "The Great Artists". It was one of those which built up into an encyclopedic collection, featuring a different artist each week. I was on the dole during this period so it was a bit of a luxury item for me! I did, after nearly 2 years, complete the set, and surprise surprise, I still have all 96 of the magazines, a sample of which can be seen above.

Nowadays I can afford proper books!!

Reform St photo by Neale Elder

PRINCES STREET - 1984

Although Princes Street was a place I was very familiar with, it being on the bus route into town when I lived in Craigie, I completely forgot all about that Camping Store until I saw this picture. It's the largest premises there too!
I zoomed in to see if I could read any of the fly posters on the boarded up windows, but they are all just a wee bit fuzzy to make out when enlarged, however, I'm pretty certain the black & orange ones are for the Dance Factory.
On the way home from clubbing, having to trek back up Princes Street on foot, a popular stop-off place for some grub was The Hot Dog, run by Alec & Betty. Mince rolls, burgers and so on, with the place conveniently open till 4.00 am!
This is dated 18th September 1984.
Photo by Neale Elder

LOWER WHITFIELD - 1986

This is how I remember Whitfield, the 80's being the last time I was there.

It's difficult to get a similar angle on Google Street View for a comparison, but I reckon this was probably taken around the Murrayfield Place area, looking over to the shops in Whitfield Drive. You can make out the building that is the Library & Learning Centre, just at the base of the tower block.

Not sure if the Whitfield Bar is in shot.

Most of the "flat roof" look has since disappeared or been redesigned. So much so that I've been told that some Whitfield residents now refer to it as being the West Ferry!

They must have redesigned the map while they were at it!!
Whitfield was also featured in a 1 hour TV documentary in Feb 1981, as its construction was under investigation by the Dept of Architecture at Dundee University.

This image was taken on 8th March 1986.

Photo by Neale Elder

PITKERRO ROAD - 1985

Another snowy scene from 30th November 1985, taken this time at the bottom of Pitkerro Road.
It's also another example of buildings in shot no longer existing.
The premises, front left, and the tower block, front right, have disappeared. As have the 2 multi's in the background.
From what I've established it's only the group of Fintry houses, top left, that remain, alongside that brown building (school? church?), which is nowadays out of view hidden behind trees.
If you click onto the large version, you'll see some kids sledging, centre of the picture.
Photo by Neale Elder

KINGENNIE TERRACE - 1985

Beh goad, this is a pretty bleak image of Mid Craigie's Kingennie Terrace... and it's just how I remember it!

In the 70's, I used to visit friends who lived in Blacklock Crescent in Linlathen, which meant having to pass this part of Mid Craigie on my way up and down Pitkerro Road.

Words like grim, desolate, stark, scary, would spring to mind and I never really felt safe until I reached back onto the Kingsway, where I'd let out a big sigh of relief knowing that I made it without getting jumped by the Mid!!

This picture was taken on 30th November 1985.

None of the buildings in shot exist anymore, all gone, even the street name has changed to Kingennie Court, which now has individual houses with bonnie gardens.

Photo by Neale Elder