I just saw the other thread on the greatest rock song ever. What about with a Geordie connection? I nominate White Heat. Best songs "Funny Suits", and "Nervous Breakdown". Any of you ever go to Balmbra's in late 70's to see them? Later became Loud Guitars. What's happened to them now? Also The Squad - "Lonely Tonite" - great song. Cumberland Arms in Tynemouth. Also Last Exit - used to watch them at the Playhouse (Sting's jazz band) Junco Partners

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001

Answers

Anybody remember them?

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001

Nah - name rings a bell, but never saw them Barry.
The Animals played some rock-ish music, but postly pop-ish stuff that might be called country rock these days.
'After Midnight' were around in the 80's - canny musicians, who have recently reformed playing Clapton/Cream/Yes tribute stuff - decent show if you get the chance to see them.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001

Used to go and see the Junco Partners at the Cooperage early 1980s. One of the singers was a head teacher and the other was called Ronnie Barker as far as I can remember.

Don't remember them playing with Sting :-)

Got a single by them somewhere

-- Anonymous, June 19, 2001

White Heat - Newton Park Hotel shit hot when they were resident, Bob Smeaton now in TV production. Juncos rememeber them vaguely through some hazy alcoholic nights. Greg Burman used to do some pretty good James Brown covers down at the Quay Club ........... this was when the Toon rocked most nights, saw Hendrix, The Who, The Move, Geno, John Mayall with Clapton, John Mayall without Clapton, Yardbirds with Page AND Beck, Spencer Davis etc. etc. etc. all within a very short time. But best Geordie Band ????? Success wise got to be the Animals, followed by Lindisfarne (I know "folk singers") can't class Dire Straits as "Geordies" but for pure "Rawk success" gotta be Brian Johnson (4th Tyne Dunston Sea Scouts) later of Geordie - AC/DC Got a real soft spot for "Busker" and "Im coming home Newcastle" something I will never do again......sadly

-- Anonymous, July 18, 2001

Animals - House of the Rising Sun. (Or does the song have to be written by a Geordie?)

Best Song by a Geordie in modern times is Jimmy Nail's Big River which is peerless.

-- Anonymous, July 18, 2001

The Gamblers from Prudhoe area in the early 60s. Used to play Ashington's Harmonic hall dances on a Saturday and were Billy Fury's backing group for a while before his tragic death. Ah the memories of my youth!

-- Anonymous, July 18, 2001

My mate put together a one gig only band in the Broken Doll and opened up with the seminal "No Smoking On The Metro". Quality.

-- Anonymous, July 18, 2001

Hey HtB your post brought back some memories. All over me keyboard, yukk. No really.

I saw some of the names you mentioned at the Quay Club too. How did that place ever get a fire certificate? Last time was one of the Mayall lineups, with Mick Taylor I recall. B@st@rd bass player went off with my girlfriend. I never went back. Took immature delight in the fact that he seems never to have been heard of again in the music business though.

Animals = country rock??? Not in a million years, surely. I think it used to be called "R&B" :-))

-- Anonymous, July 18, 2001

Bobby,
Was that the A side to "Stand clear of the doors, please"?

-- Anonymous, July 18, 2001

Bobby, I hope your mates band did "Closest Thing To Hebburn", "3 steps to Hebburn" or "Hebburn Must Be Missing An Angel". Pehaps they covered some Clash classics like "(Daddy Was A) Bankfooter" and "I Fought The Pelaw". Or The Monkees "Last Train To Palmersville". Anything by Bad Manor

-- Anonymous, July 18, 2001

Clarky and Whitley Babe - They considered doing "Hebburn is a Place on Earth", "Stairway to Hebburn", and "Bicycles Are Not Allowed On The Metro"

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

And this is a band that disappeared without trace?

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

The old classics are worth a look too.

Hebburn... I'm in Hebburn... And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak....

I'll just put on my old size nines and, er, slope off then

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

And for the kids:

Can you show me how to get,

How to get to Chester-le-Street

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Whitley Babe - I hope to get at least get my old mate up to my new residency in Northumberland (well, I have his guitar amp so I guess he'll pop by at some stage). Also have another mate who plays drums, so there may be a resurection of the abortive band named "Barse" (qv Viz 'Roger's Profanosaurus').

Tracks to include - "Wark on By", "Wark on the Wild Side", "Warking in a Winter Wonderland", "Warking on the Moon", "Wark This Way", "These Boots Were Made For Warking", "Wark Like A Man"...ad nauseum...

Remember, this record is not available in any shops

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001