Chris Barber’s contribution to the UK’s contemporary music scene is immeasurable. Not only did he help to popularise traditional jazz with his own bands, but he was a huge influence on numerous British stars, including Mark Knopfler, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Van Morrison, and gave many of them their first gig, as the [...]
Journal entries about Carnaby Street
Berne Williams’ (The Authentics) Memories, Part 6
The Authentics were always fighting a losing battle, because of Giorgio Gomelsky’s negative attitude toward us. We even got to the point where Jackie DeShannon, whose song ‘Needles And Pins’ had just been a No. 1 hit single for the Searchers, wrote a single for us and co-produced it with Jimmy Page, but Giorgio never [...]
Berne Williams’ (The Authentics) Memories, Part 5
At the time, nobody ever thought that pop music was going to become what it now is. Because it was a bit radical and it was kids who liked it, all of the rock/blues musicians thought that by the time we were thirty, it would be over, we’d be back in ordinary jobs and music [...]
Berne Williams’ (The Authentics) Memories, Part 4
1964/5 was an amazing time and Soho was a great place to be. There was a little Italian café just off Wardour Street where they did a mushroom omelette for 3 shillings and 9 pence [approximately 19p] and we were all broke, so you could go in there on a lunchtime and you’d see Rod [...]