Where I live rock history is all around me, the church were John first met Paul is 5 minutes away, the house George was born in is up the road, Penny Lane is literally down the road. All lovely but I like the mundane, so who lives in the street that The Rubettes drummer was born in or around the corner from the bass player in Doctor and the Medics. Can anybody look out of the window and see the house Sonias cousin lives in ? Oh thats me again !
Mundane rock links
During the milltown Brothers’ brief flicker of fame I lived in the same street as their drummer. No autographs, please.
And I once had a manager who was the former girlfriend of the drummer from Budgie.
Rhod Gilbert used to live on my street. As did Euros Childs (Gorky’s) and Dr Who writer Steven Moffat. They’ve all moved away now though. The neighbourhood has gone down to be fair.
When I was but an infant, I lived next door to a family whose daughter was (allegedly) knocked up by that there Paul Rodgers. The house is no longer there, having been long demolished and replaced by a (tragically small) car park. A couple of years ago it held a tent, which served as a police incident centre for a murder nearby.
To clarify. Our house is no longer there. The house next door still is.
The flat next door houses half of Wang Chung (he says he’s Wang).
My mate Mark’s band (name forgotten – he was in so many!) supported Wang Chung (I think they were still Huang Chung in those days) in Norwich in the early-mid eighties.
I live in the house that the drummer from Embrace lived in (must admit though I’ve never listened to them). Louis Jones (Spectrals) lived three doors up.
Black Lace were created just a spit and a stone’s throw away from here
Is that mundane enough?
My girlfriend at school lived over the road from an ex-member of the Pretty Things.
I was conceived in the house next door to where those Small Faces boys lived in Pimlico. Where they lived when they wrote ‘wouldn’t it be nice to get on with me neighbours’.
Don Airey from the Purps drinks in one of the two pubs in cycling distance from my house. Eddi Reader once borrowed my woolly hat when she grazed her head on some backstage scaffold. I watched Chris Difford’s debut solo performance with Robbie Williams’ manager. Boo Hewerdine dropped a Mars bar on the passenger seat of my car.
I have lots more of this quality.
Off you go then, chief.
I, for one, am all ears.
Not so mundane actually. I lived in a flat in West London that Joe Meek lived and recorded in back before he moved to Holloway. I didn’t know this. I used to have a 16 track studio set up in the back room, where I pissed about experimenting with reverbs and delays and funny synths. Probably the same room he recorded in.
Quite glad it wasn’t the flat in Holloway mind…
How could I forget? I’ve seen Clive Gregson in his underpants.
I wish I could forget, mind.
I once had a brief but very pleasant fling with a girl who once lived in the flat above Tim Bricheno (ex All About Eve). So she said, anyway.
And I played cricket as a young man with Ian Paice’s nephew. Super chap.
well… CS Lewis was born about 20 yards from my house, round the corner (there’s a blue plaque)… Cyprus Avenue (of Van Morrison fame) is 5 mins walk away; Hyndford Street (ditto) is a few minutes further on… former Topic recording artiste and guitarmeister Colin Reid used to live a few doors down from me… Duke Special still lives a couple of streets away… One occasionally bumps into dance guru David Holmes and moustachioed soukl man Foy Vance in local cafes… Van haunts local cafes too, but I’ve never encountered him in one personally (though I did encounter Ian Paisley, who lived on Cyprus Ave, in one)…
Well I lived in Popes Lane in Ealing in that London as a child, and just up from us lived John Entwistle, while a few doors the other way was Sid James, admittedly not a pop sensation… Also my Dad owned the pharmacy near Acton Town station and Mrs Ox used to come in the shop and annoy my Dad with the size of her dogs, who wrecked the place. John stayed at home I presume.
My wife grew up in Iver, near Pinewood Studios. She says Sid James lived there (mid 70s?) As did Tom and Miriam Stoppard. Hardly Stellar Street though.
In another life, I used to occasionally sell groceries to the American who ran The Farm studio for Genesis and Joan Armatrading used my wheelie bin once.
“the size of her dogs”. That’s a new one on me. I shall use it carefully.
“Dugs”, shirley?
I once showed Jimmy Destri around my rented apartment in Brooklyn. It wasn’t the most salubrious part of town so I was a bit taken aback that he was there at all. He showed up with his youngish partner and a tiny baby. He took an interest in my home studio and we chatted quite a bit. He was pretty charming actually, but his partner seemed a little too keen to impress on me that I was in the presence of greatness.
The husband of a woman I work with played in Bruce Springsteen’s high school band.
in my local pub i drink with a man who says he went to school with bob dylan although, to be fair, i suspect he might be lying.
Of course he’s lyin’ – Dylan was an orphaned hobo who skipped school for an itinerant life on the road. Thought everyone knew dat.
Tina Charles (who loved to love, but whose baby loved to dance) used to live in the next street to us.
William Morris once lived in a big posh house across the road from me, where I lived as a little boy. It was called ‘The Red House’, and the road was called ‘Red House Lane’. It’s very nice. And I probably played football on a Sunday morning in Danson Park (jumpers for goalposts, etc) with Andy Townsend. Hasn’t got much to so with rock n roll, I’m afraid.
Here’s some stuff about the Red House:
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/red-house/
All I would add is that in time I’m talking about, Bexley Heath was NOT in London. It was in Kent. These things are important.
This architectural significance, did it distract you from the fact that you grew up next door to Kate Bush?
I didn’t grow up next door to kate Bush, but her father was my Grandmother’s GP. My dad said she was a nice girl.
When I posted this blog. I hoped Black Lace would get a mention, Hubert Rawlinson, I thank you sir.
Glad to be of service!
I once worked with someone who had been the bass player on a Tina Turner tour. She didn’t pay very well.
I once met Alison Moyet’s bass player at a party, then again a week later at a Bjorn Again gig.
Don’t know anyone from Black Lace, but my best man’s related to one of Showaddywaddy.
My next door neighbour’s nephew is the drummer in Buzzcocks.
There was somebody at our wedding who once went out with that screechy bloke out of The Darkness.
I”ve menioned this before but I once stood up Annie Lennox. For some reason she refused the next time I asked her out.
Not content with that, I then when on to have an incident with Ckare Grogan involving a 99. For some reason after I graciously wiped the ice- cream off her coat (which took nearly ten minutes) she refused my offer of buying her a drink.
I was sitting in my flat in Muswell Hill one day when a crazed Irish hippy appeared at the door. “Does Van Morrison still live here, the fucker owes me five quid”?
A 99??
You wiped the “ice-cream” off her coat?
Must we fling this filth at our pop kids?
*takes cold shower*
*and now another*
The plane that appears in the video for Paul McCartney’s “Spies Like Us” was previously stationed at the RAF base my father worked at as a fireman.
…a little-known fact which nonetheless clearly inspired the Fab One’s groovy pseudonym.
A friend-from-work of my wife’s (whose band played our wedding, very graciously learning “Our Tune” (You and Me Song by the Wannadies) for the occasion) used to be in a band who were bottom of the bill for Bon Jovi at Milton Keynes.
Sadly, I can’t claim that I know someone who knows someone who knows Alan McGhee quite well…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0dYs1ovUCA
When I was supposed to be helping our local community in the Lower Sixth (think it was called Civics or something) I was actually playing snooker at a snooker hall owned by the bass player from Splodgenessabounds,
@freddy-steady did you buy two pints of lager and a packet of crisps?
Oh James, thank you!
No, he couldn’t get served…
I’ll get my coat…
I used to have a client who, variously, wrote the bass line for Radio Africa, played on a Tim Finn album, toured with Joan Armatrading and is one of two bass players in Paul Young’s hobby band (they don’t have two bass players at the same time, that would be silly). He’s done other stuff too but doesn’t play professionally any more. We’ve almost lost touch although I spoke to him a few weeks ago. He’s a project manager for a big rock n roll video company now so still involved in music.
Thus condemning Ned’s Atomic Dustbin to the trashcan of historic ‘stupid’
Didn’t know NAD had two bass players. Amazing what you learn here.
May have mentioned this before, but a band I was in in the early to mid-70s was once tapped to open a concert at a small university for a band named Aerosmith, which had just released its first album. The gig was cancelled because – as the booker explained – “we couldn’t sell any tickets. Nobody knows who they are….”
Lisa Stansfield’s sister’s boyfriend bought my old flat.
I hope Nigel Blackwell is reading. His next album is practically writing itself here.
I lived and still do, 3 doors away from Clint Boone’s 1st marital home ,and watched as his good self and his beautiful bride were whisked back and fore to the church in a very upmarket carriage and horses and thereafter occasionally saw him taking his children out for walks
TV weatherman Bert Foord lived around the corner from our family home in the early 70s. He was the equivalent of Michael Fish now. Imagine a big star like that living in a normal suburban street!
A mate of mine has a duo with a bloke from Caravan, and my accountant looks after a famous Afterworder who’s written more succesful songs than most, plus he takes care of half the Bristol music scene. And some drummers.
I had a threesome with Elton John and Carol Vorderman.
I used to share a knackered old house on Narrow Street in Limehouse in the early ’90’s. Long before the re-vamp which transformed the area into a posh suburb. In my day it was grimy and grim. Nevertheless, just a little way down the same street lived Dr David Owen, Sir Ian McKellen and Chris Evans. I would see them all pootling about. Once, memorably, I walked passed Sir Ian to see him dressed in thick brown brogues, tweed suit and overcoat, lemon scarf, brown leather gloves and a lovely Homburg hat. He winked.
Later on I moved to Berkshire, which as many of the Thames Valley mob know is a BBC celebrity-type enclave. Before our daughter arrived Mrs B and I would frequent a nice Indian restaurant in Cookham. I’ve often been sat adjacent to Chris Rea.
In other news, for a short period in 1984, I was Terry McDermott’s postman.
That nice Van Morrison gave me a cheery smile and a thumbs up as he clambered into the back of his limo with a leggy blonde lady as he made his exit from his gig at the Cornwall Colosseum
George Formby used to live round the corner from me. The windows still sparkle and the lamp-post leans slightly.
Ah, but has it turned out nice again?
Not today.
I think I may have mentioned this previously – Freddie Mercury’s mum lives round the corner from us. She doesn’t acknowledge us.
If I lean out of my window, I can almost see the crazy golf course that was once, allegedly, owned by the Spear Of Destiny’s Kirk Brandon. Beat that.
My sister has just reminded me that when I was a kid Ken Dodd ran over my foot in his car, no injuries, as he was doing about 3mph but he gave me half a crown because i was crying ! Ask your parents what half a crown was. Sonia`s cousin says hello.
Err my turn
-A mate of mine smoked Buddha sticks with Little Feat back in the Lowell George era
-I’ve smoked spliffs with Thomas Mapfumo
-Another mate, who comes from New Jersey, had Springsteen and the E Street band play on a boat for their office Xmas party
-Oliver Mtukudzi stayed in my flat
I once had a conversation with Mike D’Abo about the metaphysical poets.
Nice guy. Mad as a tea-cosy, mind.
I used to play in a band with the brother of the drummer from Big in Japan hitmakers Alphaville.
Nicko McBrain, my bass-playing mate Martin and I once witnessed some miscreants trying to steal a JCB from a building site opposite Nicko’s house late one night back in the early ’90s. The thieves got it started up but couldn’t get it moving, so they scarpered, leaving it’s engine running.
Nicko called the police but wouldn’t leave his name. When the cops arrived we were all careful not to be seen at the window as we didn’t want to spend the rest of the night being interviewed. Me and Martin didn’t want to leave while the cops were there for the same reason. The police couldn’t figure out how to turn the JCB’s engine off, so we were stuck there till about 3AM while someone from the site was summoned to turn it off and secure it.
The drummer of Fairground Attraction, Roy Dodds used to live in my parents basement flat in Bristol. Tenuous or what!
One of my friends at school had a big brother, who played drums in a band with Roy Babbington….
I was also at school with Alan Thompson, fretless bass player well known to members of this parish as John Martyn’s electric bass foil – at the time he played guitar like a cross between Steve Hillage & John McLaughlin….
I once exchanged a word or two with Brian Robertson in Macormack’s guitar shop in Glasgow….
May have mentioned all this before…I used to travel on the bus to music lessons with Chris Copping out of Procul Harum. It obviously stuck a bit better with him than me.
I was in a one-off charity band at school with Dave Mattacks out of Fairport and everything else besides.
I went to a christening in Bolton where Lee Starkey was the godmother. That’s Bongo’s daughter.
My parents were once at a wedding reception at the same table as Kate Robbins. She’s related to Thumbs, int she. Besides being something of a songstress herself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iDmCQ8asvM
I only found out earlier this year from my brother that he appeared in a Bananarama video. He’s the harassed studio manager, which is what he was at the time. He likes Claude Achille Debussy and Sergei Rachmaninov and this was a most unlikely cameo.
That’s a really really good song. Always liked it,
This single is in my local Oxfam, in a strange 3D/holographic cover if you want a memento. I’d never heard of it until you posted it.
Rock’n roll veteran Jerry Williams had a summer job in the grocery store I work in, before he became Jerry Williams and was plain Erik Färnström, packing potatoes in the basement.
I seem to mention this every time we shift house but a mate of mine once tried to buy a used car off the Minogue family. He says it was so long ago Kylie was known as “Danni’s sister” Both girls were home when he popped in.
My wife is related to the drummer in The Feeling. She’s explained how to me at least twice but I keep forgetting and dare not ask again. I’ll be attending said drummers mother’s birthday party later in the year.
I live close to Cropredy so occasionally bump into the Farirports that still live in the area; Chris Leslie’s daughter and my step daughter are friends. The same step daughters god parents live in the same village as Kirsty Young. I once attended a SDP meeting with Steve Hillage and had to buy him a coffee as he had no cash on him.
Another one I’ve posted before, before I bought my house in Norfolk it was viewed (and rejected) by infamous Word cover star Dido – my nickname at school was Dydo, how weird is that?
Ric Sanders played fiddle at a school fete for the morris side I was in, and then Gordon Giltrap played with the musicians in the pub after.
My kids went to Tumble Tots with Geezer Butlers, and then my daughter went to college with Tony Iommis daughter.
Charlie Watts lived next to one of my schoolfriends, and used to send him all their new records.
I was in a school play with Michael Praed.
Nigel Kennedy (and Brix Smith) opened the research lab in the Chest Medicine ward where I worked. (His step-dad was a consultant there.
Blimey, how I’ve mixed with the stars!!
Oh, I went to school with Nicholas Parsons daughter.
Dad went to the school as Stuart Adamson, albeit at different times. Also Ian Rankin.
My school educated JJ Burnell, Steve Smith of the Vapors (allegedly) and Terry Jones of Python. Loads of distinguished people, but none as cool as JJ
My mum is quite friendly with the mum of that bloke out of the Blue Nile.
In between jobs, I did agency work in Brighton and spent a day or two working alongside a Long Tall . I can’t remeber who but I do remember buying Nanci Griffiths’ “Lone Star State of Mind” while I was there, which didn’t help the Long Tall Texan any.
Feck. I wish there was an edit feature on replies. Texan.
In between jobs, I did agency work in Brighton and spent a day or two working alongside a Long Tall Texan . I can’t remember which one he was but I do remember buying Nanci Griffith’s “Lone Star State of Mind” while I was there, which didn’t help the Long Tall Texan any.
Hitting the back button isn’t the answer.
My sister rented flat from John Illsley out of Dire Straits.
If he’d paid the mortgage, he’d be getting money for nothing.
I am distantly related to former Take That japester Robbie Williams.
Justin Sullivan (Slade the Leveller) of New Model Army was on the same course as me at Uni.
I once had a drug and drink crazed threesome with Pixie Lott and Chrissie Hynde.
One of the above is not true……
The mother of lovable Suffolk mop-top Ed Sheeran makes bracelets which she donates to the local St. Elizabeth Hospice shops. I hear they sell rather well.
I regularly see Arthur Brown in Waitrose.
Jeremy from the Levellers used to walk his dog past my house most days (15 yrs ago).
I used to hang out with one of the Reynolds Girls, Aisling. She wouldn’t talk about it and would deny it if asked.
A friend of mine lives next door to Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney and Portlandia). I can confirm her house has a bird on it. Another friend lives near Issac Brock (Modest Mouse), who was often to be seen in a somewhat refreshed state.
I was on a ferry between some remote islands in Thailand, as was Kim Wilde. She was a) Tiny and b) Horribly sunburned.
I went to the same school as Heppo – and probably knew some of his contemporaries in the boarding house, as he is 5 years older than me, I believe. He was not a boarder, by the way.
I had a mate who lived in the flat below Bobby Gillespie at the height of Screamadelica. He said he was a noisy bastard, blasting out The Who and The Rolling Stones albums at ungodly hours but always very apologetic when taken to task on it.