[www.thisistamworth.co.uk]

The Beatles weren't the only superstars to rock Tamworth

THE 1960s was undeniably a golden era for British popular music.

It exploded from among the country's teenage youths who, inspired by the likes of American stars such as Bill Haley, Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, picked up guitars and began forming small groups to perform songs made famous by their heroes.

The church halls, village halls and small town theatres in which they performed had previously been the sole territory of strict tempo dance bands, or occasional skiffle groups.

But 'beat' music was the new craze.

Often comprising lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar and drums, these home-grown groups had been brought up on a diet of skiffle and rock and roll in the 1950s – but now their songs could be heard on juke boxes all over the world.

They could also be heard in Tamworth – often playing their hits live on stage.

Pounding their distinctive 'beat' at weekly dances at the town's Assembly Rooms, the most famous of all the groups, The Beatles, performed here on February 1, 1963.

But they weren't the only artists of international stature to play at the swinging Corporation Street venue.

Throughout 1963 and 1964, a stream of famous names performed on the Assembly Rooms' stage.

The Hollies, The Fortunes, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, The Rocking Berries, Peter and Gordon, Marty Wilde and the Wildecats – all appeared at the town's top live venue.

Perhaps the most exciting show ever staged in the town came courtesy a group who were destined to become one of the world's greatest rock bands – The Rolling Stones.

They appeared at the Assembly Rooms on December 2, 1963 – just 10 months after the Beatles' famous gig.

The performance they gave that night was arguably the most memorable of all the shows staged by local promoter Vince Baker.

A former pupil of the Mercian Boys' School, Vince had been a talented amateur boxer. But his astute eye for business led him to recognise that hits of another sort could be quite lucrative.

Indeed, he had an uncanny knack for spotting up-and- coming stars of the future. And by booking them months in advance, he realised that by the time they came to Tamworth they may well be riding high in the hit parade.

He will forever be remembered for bringing The Beatles to Tamworth, but his scoop in bringing The Rolling Stones to the Assembly Rooms was of no lesser importance.

The Herald review of the Rolling Stones' show fairly drips with praise for the five-piece London band.

It is safe to assume that the anonymous reporter was impressed with the five-piece line-up of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts.

Earlier in the day, the band had dropped into the Monica Cafe in Church Street (now Bonds), as well as the Old Stone Cross pub for something a little stronger.

It was there that lead singer Mick Jagger, having been pinned in by crushing fans, 'relieved' himself against the bar, an act for which he was unceremoniously thrown out and banned from the pub.

Vince Baker's big-name shows led to a wave of top-star appearances from the likes of The Swinging Blue Jeans, Emile Ford and the Checkmates, The Four Pennies, Dave Berry and the Cruisers, The Applejacks, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes and The Zombies.

Often, their records – 45rpms; EPs and LPs – were available in A W Green's Church Street record shop (the town's premier place for buying records) when they made their Tamworth appearances.

Other groups such as Carl Wayne and the Vikings, Denny Laine and the Diplomats and Robby and His Merry Men were to evolve into some of the great bands of the sixties, The Move, The Moody Blues and the Fortunes, respectively.

One night in April 1963, Gerry and the Pacemakers were booked to perform their current Number One hit How Do You Do It? at the Assembly Rooms. But a booking mix-up meant the town centre venue was unavailable.

Vince, never to be outdone, hastily switched the show to Wilnecote Parish Hall where Gerry proved a big hit with fans.

'The Tamworth fans made the lads so welcome that they didn't want to leave", he told the Herald. "Although they were only on for 25 minutes, Tamworth got better value for money than Walsall where they arrived late, played one number and left for Liverpool."

Single artists such as Eden Kane and Billy Davis also made occasional appearances at the Assems, as did Kenny Lynch and Shane Fenton, who went on to achieve greater fame as Alvin Stardust in the 1970s.

Even top American performers, who were finding it difficult to break the British stranglehold of the charts at that time, came to town.

Big Dee 'Swinging On A Star' Irwin and Buddy Holly's legendary backing group The Crickets gave memorable performances when they appeared here.

The shows usually consisted of a headline artist, supported by three or four support groups.

These included the likes of Gerry Levene and the Avengers, Mike Sheridan and the Nightriders, The Falcons, Faron's Flamingoes, The Marauders, Bern Elliot and the Fenmen and The Emperors.

All had all made records and TV appearances, but hadn't succeeded in denting the upper reaches of the charts.

There was also plenty of local talent on view from a host of groups such as The Three Spirits, Johnny Silver and the Cossacks, The Blackouts, The Four XXXXs and the Fortune Tellers.

Throughout 1963 and '64 the big name groups kept coming, but during the early months of 1965 the once seemingly endless conveyor belt of top names dried up.

Groups were now more professionally run by managers and agents, who were not going to let them perform in Tamworth for £75 or £80 when they could demand a far greater fee by appearing on one of the many multi-star package shows that toured the country's big theatres.

Tamworth Borough Council didn't help matters either, when they more than doubled the price of hiring the Assembly Rooms.

And when Vince Baker was refused permission to increase the pre-booking from three to six months, he began to stage more and more events a Atherstone Memorial Hall

Vince emigrated to Australia many years ago, but the swinging shows he staged in Tamworth and Atherstone will live long in the memories of all those local teenagers – now in their sixties and seventies – who can put hands on hearts and truly say – 'I know, because I was there'.