|
|
Post by Mevrouw Bee on Oct 23, 2020 1:41:26 GMT
Should we just start an RIP thread? Sigh... Found out on a Hollies Facebook group that Derek Quinn, guitarist for Freddie and the Dreamers died. Can't find anything in the news yet. Anyway, had a bit of a Hollies connection in that he also used to be the guitarist for the Fourtones. They shared this photo here from 1961...Quinn's on the far left...I think y'all can figure out who's on the far right...  |
|
|
|
Post by Malc on Oct 23, 2020 5:58:19 GMT
Shocked and saddened...
I exchanged messages with him only a few days ago and he had been helping research on my upcoming book. I guess I'll never get to hear all of that Fourtones acetate he told me about...
RIP DQ
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Oct 25, 2020 12:55:17 GMT
sad news indeed - Derek was only just 'suggested' to me as a 'friend' on facebook too !
Freddie, Bernie, Pete, now Derek...I think that only leaves rhythm guitarist / keyboardist / vocalist Roy Crewdson as the one surviving member of Freddie and The Dreamers original hit making line up still with us - yes ?
I've never read any kind of serious history of the band - CD booklets and album notes always went on about the 'clowning' etc so any kind of band history is scarce
I recall seeing them on 'Little Big Time' years ago doing a version of John Lennon's song 'Run For Your Life' when Roy was absent from The Dreamers line up, whether he'd left by then or was just absent from that edition of the show I had no idea
anyone any info on The band's history ?
whatever RIP Derek !
|
|
|
|
Post by baz on Oct 25, 2020 13:43:33 GMT
I've never read any kind of serious history of the band - CD booklets and album notes always went on about the 'clowning' etc so any kind of band history is scarce I recall seeing them on 'Little Big Time' years ago doing a version of John Lennon's song 'Run For Your Life' when Roy was absent from The Dreamers line up, whether he'd left by then or was just absent from that edition of the show I had no idea anyone any info on The band's history ? Sadly, the fact they were never taken at all "seriously" even during their heyday suggests we're very unlikely to see Freddie and The Dreamers be given any kind of respect. I think the current view of them is as some trivial lightweight band which I can understand but is unfair as they were pretty big in their UK heyday of 1963-1964 then had that surprising belated burst of success in the States in 1965 before cabaret and seaside revues beckoned which kept them going as did many TV appearances. My personal fave of theirs is undoubtedly "A Little You" - great song. Then there's their performance at the 1964 NME Pollwinners... that whole "Send Me Your Loving"/"Short Shorts" routine is beautifully delivered and never fails to make me laugh... can imagine they suffered a fair few stage injuries and there's a classic one captured in the 1965 NME gig... watch when Freddie picks up the faulty mikestand... it ends up whacking him in the most sensitive spot producing a yelp and a chuckle from Pete Birrell! Unfortunately, on the other hand there's their movie "Cuckoo Patrol" which they made in 1965 which was so embarrassing it was left on the shelf before being sneaked out as a B movie support feature in 1967! |
|
|
|
Post by gee on Oct 25, 2020 14:05:30 GMT
yeah no one ever takes them seriously at all it seems, certainly not music writers
BUT...
you try clowning about, falling over backwards, and doing silly little dancy routines in time with others...whilst playing a guitar and singing backup vocals !!
whoever helped out in the studio - and some session guys must have been in ten places at once - the fact is Freddie and his Dreamers made some delightful beat boom era pop records, some memorable ballads, a few jokey numbers and the handful of BIG chart hits alongside Beatles, Hollies, Stones, Tremeloes, Animals, Searchers, Kinks, Who, Dave Clark Five the merseybeat lot etc...
plus their 1963 and 1964 LPs were essentially serious albums pretty much as good as most other bands were in those years too before they headed off to singalong parties and the world of Disney songs etc
and they could boast of Doing The Freddie on 'The Ed Sullivan Show'
here on 'Sunday Night at The London Palladium'
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Oct 25, 2020 14:19:22 GMT
And live on 'Beat Beat Beat' in 1966 - note the balding Roy Crewdson by now has a hairpiece !
Interesting that The Dreamers sound instrumentally exactly as the studio recordings and here on 'Run For You Life' Derek Quinn has no problem handling The Beatles guitar lines...
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Oct 25, 2020 14:29:23 GMT
Another later number in 1967 - with thanks to Peter
|
|
|
|
Post by johnt on Oct 25, 2020 15:46:41 GMT
I've been looking through my old concert programmes and I've found this one from 1964 (I think) which shows that Freddie and The Dreamers topped the bill on this package tour, ahead of The Hollies. This was probably Tony Jackson's first tour since leaving The Searchers. The Four Pennies and Marianne Faithful were also on the bill. ps. I didn't go to this one!   |
|
|
|
Post by The Dude on Oct 25, 2020 16:49:43 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by stuball on Oct 25, 2020 17:13:45 GMT
Sadly, the fact they were never taken at all "seriously" even during their heyday suggests we're very unlikely to see Freddie and The Dreamers be given any kind of respect. My personal fave of theirs is undoubtedly "A Little You" - great song. The constant larking about on stage, plus Freddie's mugging and giggles, put paid to the group ever being taken seriously, despite recording some fine material. I suppose it's hard to maintain a fan base when you appeal, in the main, to 11-year-olds. Agree 100% re 'A Little You'. A great performance and a fabulous song! I remember reading years ago that 'A Little You' had been peddled to Tom Jones, among others, and given the thumbs down. Can't see why, as it's a fabulous tune, and it subsequently received a lovely performance from Freddie. |
|
|
|
Post by baz on Oct 25, 2020 22:33:16 GMT
yeah no one ever takes them seriously at all it seems, certainly not music writers BUT... you try clowning about, falling over backwards, and doing silly little dancy routines in time with others...whilst playing a guitar and singing backup vocals !! whoever helped out in the studio - and some session guys must have been in ten places at once - the fact is Freddie and his Dreamers made some delightful beat boom era pop records, some memorable ballads, a few jokey numbers and the handful of BIG chart hits alongside Beatles, Hollies, Stones, Tremeloes, Animals, Searchers, Kinks, Who, Dave Clark Five the merseybeat lot etc... Precisely. That's why they command my respect because when one watches the footage of them in action - and there's a fair amount of it - I admire their choreography and keeping it constantly interesting and amusing visually. The 1964 NME footage though was the one that truly turned my head as it showed they had immaculate timing and having the three guitarists collapsing on their backs at the same moment... that's physically punishing and the reaction from the crowd says it all. They certainly put in a ton of time and work to produce such impressive results. Freddie Garrity was an interesting one as he was a bit older than most of others involved in the Beat scene and he knew he looked geeky. However, he did own a distinctive and good voice but had he and the Dreamers had tried to be "straight" they would never had gotten anywhere so the clowning and humour worked in their favour, turning a disadvantage into a strong one which served them well for some time. I have read that indeed session men played on virtually all the records but one of The Dreamers - can't remember which one - said he was allowed to sing with Freddie on "A Little You" and that was one of his fondest memories. Their final single during their original run, "Susan's Tuba" had Freddie backed by Hotlegs as it was one of their many Strawberry Studios recordings before becoming 10CC and that wasn't a bad piece of bubblegum pop. A pity a YouTube clip of them performing it on "Hope and Keen's Crazy House" is missing in action as it was strange seeing them all with chunky sideburns and some facial fungus in full glorious colour. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2020 22:45:03 GMT
A live performance of Cliff Richard's 'Bachelor Boy' in '68, enjoy!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2020 8:26:20 GMT
Performing 'Susan's Tuba' in 1971 (thanks Baz!)
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Oct 26, 2020 14:45:54 GMT
Interesting to see the later three piece line up of The Dreamers there, with the faithful Pete Birrell on bass guitar and note the absent rhythm guitarist as I recalled from 'Little Big Time'
'Susan's Tuba' was released on the Philips label I believe
This was a good one as well
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Oct 26, 2020 14:48:14 GMT
Their Paul Anka penned UK hit 'I Love You Baby'
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Oct 26, 2020 14:54:03 GMT
enjoying that belated, brief, but nonetheless but very real USA success
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Oct 26, 2020 15:06:34 GMT
The word is that session players featured on their recordings - how much we can only guess however The Dreamers most certainly COULD play and Derek Quinn was a decent guitarist while Roy Crewdson also played keyboards too
Their live sound is very close to the recordings so any session players used clearly were making The Dreamers own group sound, maybe records were cut with session players to save studio time whatever, it does look as if they were quite capable of doing it for themselves and reproducing the recorded sound live
here at the 1965 NME Poll Winners concert they show they could perform live without any problems besides doing all the zany clowning about
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Oct 26, 2020 15:14:36 GMT
A Little You - live version 1965
note here drummer Bernie Dwyer has 'borrowed' Graeme Edge's drumkit - so the credit is to 'The Moody Blues' !
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Oct 26, 2020 15:34:30 GMT
Freddie and the guys in colour ! - complete with clips and fan reactions to The Beatles inserted !
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Nov 15, 2020 14:50:46 GMT
After doing two decent 'beat boom' LPs Freddie and the guys did next 'Sing A Long Party' (1965) and then an LP of 'Disney' film songs in 1966 and many assumed they were finished as a serious songs recording band after 1965...
However in 1967 they produced an often forgotten LP 'King Freddie and His Dreaming Knights' issued on Columbia in mono only
whilst two weaker comedic songs (tracks two and three on 'side two') were included the rest of the album was surprisingly straight in style and featured some fine songs such as this one 'Children'
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Nov 15, 2020 15:00:26 GMT
Also included besides a nice version of Paul Simon's '59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)' was a fine updated version of the old Joe Brown hit 'A Picture of You'
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Nov 15, 2020 15:05:35 GMT
Freddie sings...Simon and Garfunkel
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Nov 15, 2020 15:19:32 GMT
I believe it's bass player Pete Birrell featuring on lead vocal here on this cover of a Little Richard song from their debut LP in 1963 which reached no.5 in the UK album chart that year.
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Nov 15, 2020 15:30:13 GMT
Their sound was evolving from the rock & roll covers / comedy songs / straight pop to a more involved instrumental sound featuring Roy Crewdson on keyboards plus the contributions of session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan on some (not all) tracks while Derek Quinn was a decent guitarist plus provided harmonica and woodwind instruments too
'Playboy' from 1966 was not a bad single at all, with a more 'driving' sound ...however their very look always dictated that comedy had to come first in their act which was inevitable of course but musically somewhat of a pity as to this day few music writers take their recordings seriously, I can't ever find a proper historical overview of the group so a book on their story seems unlikely in the forseeable future
however their music speaks for them...
|
|
|
|
Post by gee on Nov 15, 2020 18:24:48 GMT
In the absence of any official music books here is Freddie and The Dreamers story
told by Freddie himself in 2004.....
|
|
