The British Beat Explosion

Best Blues Book 2014 by Blues Matters magazine. Have you heard about Eel Pie Island? Anyone with an interest in the history of UK rock n' roll is familiar with The Cavern Club and the role that Merseyside played in the story of the British Beat scene. But on a far-less-celebrated, but no less significant path, over a small bridge onto an island in the middle of the Thames, Eel Pie Hotel, another great 60s club night, played host to acts that would later make a global name for themselves. The Rolling Stones, Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart, Pink Floyd, The Small Faces, David Bowie and The Yardbirds are amongst the many acts who performed at the legendary Eel Pie Hotel during its 50s and 60s heyday, as did jazz greats like Ken Colyer, Kenny Ball and Acker Bilk, as well as more avant-garde performers like Ivor Cutler. But how did The Eel Pie Club become such a popular venue? What motivated its founder, Arthur Chisnall to create a space where young people could enjoy the music they wanted to, in an environment free from the usual constraints? Why has this thriving West London scene been omitted from rock history when its influence has spread far and wide? Recently, bands like The Mystery Jets have paid homage to Chisnall's fabulous club, playing gigs on the island that launched careers and cemented rock's infamous relationships. The latest incarnation of the Eel Pie Club is alive and well. This book traces the origins of a scene that is long overdue for recognition.

Table of Contents

Introduction: the Music Scene 6 of the Late 1950s and Early 1960s Zoe Howe 1. Eelpiland: How It All Began 32 Michele Whitby 2. Rockin' Around the Island 68 John Platt Rockin' Around the Town 80 Peter Davis 3. Island Voices 92 4. Eel Pie at the Cabbage Patch 122 Gina Way 5. The Magic Goes On 138 Zoe Howe Pictures 156 Resources 158

Peter Davis was born in August 1921. He joined an infantry unit after school, deferring a scholarship to Cambridge until after the War. In 1942 he joined the SAS. This book tells of his experiences in Sicily and Italy in 1942 and 1943. He went on to be promoted to Captain and following a skirmish in France in 1945, was awarded the Military Cross. After the War, he took up his scholarship and was granted a Master of Arts degree. He married and moved to South Africa. Peter was murdered on 4 March 1994 and this remains an unsolved crime. Editor Details: Paul Davies, the author’s son, has resettled in the UK after many years in South Africa.