Bernie's Roots
Lee's Roots
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"THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED"
Not everybody is aware of what this lyrical phrase actually represents. It’s a line from Don McLean’s famous 1971 song, “American Pie,” and for one musician in particular he dedicated it to Buddy Holly due to his unfortunate accident along with J.P. Richardson, The Big Bopper (Chantilly Lace) and the extremely young Ritchie Valens (la Bamba) on the 3rd February 1959. When all three plus the pilot perished on that fateful day, when the single engine plane ploughed into a field in a snowstorm killing all four.
Buddy Holly had chartered a Beechcraft Bonanza to take him and his new Crickets band (Tommy Allsup and Waylon Jennings) to Fargo, North Dakota. J.P Richardson, The Big Bopper came down with the flu and didn't feel comfortable on the bus, so Waylon Jennings gave his plane seat to him. Ritchie Valens had never flown on a small plane and requested Tommy Allsup's seat. They flipped a coin, and Ritchie Valens called heads and won the toss. The four-passenger Beechcraft Bonanza took off into a blinding snow storm and crashed into Albert Juhl's corn field several miles after takeoff at 1:05 A.M. The crash killed Holly, Valens, Richardson, and the 21 year-old pilot, Roger Peterson. That was the day the music died.
For myself, Bernie Hodges, the news of these talented musicians dying came as a big shock. In that same year I took over as bandleader of “The Southerners” Founded by my brother “Freddie” two years previous. The name had actually come from an American Civil War film. So, this was just the start of my long career as a Rock’n’Roll musician and now today, a Songwriter/Producer.
I suppose the start of my musical career happened when I was so moved by this new sound even to the point of just sitting down watching my older brother and his fellow musician friends playing away in the front-room of our home in Cardiff. South Wales. After they had practised they would go to the local haunt and leave all the instruments laying around.
Curiosity, obviously got the better of me, and I could not resist the thought of wanting to feel the sensation of touching the strings of an electric guitar.
The year was 1956 and there I am watching each practise and learning the shapes of the chords. My brother “Freddie” finally ventured out into the world of Rock’n’Roll and certainly heading for stardom. Being able to play a staggering three chords I was brought into the band, (1957) approaching the tender age of just 13 years old.
At about that time I was presented with a “Hofner Club 40” electric guitar. Amplifiers seemed so expensive I set about making my own cabinet with a 12” speaker. It might sound very basic but, that’s how things were done in those days.
The next big step was the first gig, stepping out in front of a “live” audience I remember the room filled with hundreds of eyes and had the impression that they were all looking at me, how wrong could I have been yet, at that time no one could convince me of anything different. So with a combination of fear and excitement I stood tall and got the job done.
About two streets away from my home lived “Dave Edmunds” ( Saber Dance - I hear you knocking – Baby I love you, - to name but a few ), along with his brother “Geoff ” both were guitarists and from time to time we used to bump into each other on our travels. Dave and I joined forces a few years later and worked together on the local club circuit.
Song-writing was very strong on the list of things to accomplish and I remember sending off to a company in London via the Melody Maker Music Magazine an idea for a song which I had recorded directly onto a “reel-to-reel” tape machine, and around two weeks later, there it was, manuscript in hand. Words could not express the wonderful feeling I had inside. It was a dream realised !
Throughout the 50’s the band were working in and around the South Wales area.
1960 arrived and having the idea of broadening our horizons, I wrote a letter to a certain "Mr Tom Littlewood” at the famous “2 i’s“ coffee bar in London explaining that we were on a U.K. tour and had a few dates available.
The line-up at that time was.
Bernie Hodges (Bass)
Dave Timothy (Rhythm Guitar)
Keith Davis (Lead Guitar)
Paul Talbot (Drums).
Dave Shuttler (Vocalist)
The club, situated in the Soho area was famous for the discovery of such artistes as; Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Marty Wilde, Tommy Steel, just to name but a few. A couple of weeks went by and sure enough I received a letter from Mr Littlewood himself. The dates and the fee were confirmed. So there we were, on our way to play in the famous “2 i’s” coffee bar. In those days we had no motorways heading for the bright lights so the trip seemed to take forever.
There were two things that struck the funny side of my humour ! Firstly, I noticed a light above the lead singers microphone, This used to flash on and off indicating that Mr Littlewood was tired of the person singing and it was time to change the vocalist but, it happened to be anyone in the audience that thought he or she could sing ?
Secondly, the stage was built onto the wall of the “London Underground” and it was all hands on the gear as the underground trains passed, the whole place shook hence the expression; “Shake Rattle and Roll” it was certainly that for us !
After the London gig I started listening and learning the style of “Chet Atkins” and today I still enjoy playing in the Atkins style. Around this time, unfortunately for us our lead guitarist “Keith Davis” left the band to do his national service in the R.A.F. Picking up the pieces was yet another Cardiff born musician, “Mickey Gee” Mickey later had success with three Welsh major artistes; “Tom Jones – Dave Edmunds and Shaking Stevens”.
1963 brought about the playing partnership of yours truly and “Dave Edmunds” in a club called the “Checkmate” situated in Caerphilly, South Wales. Planning on an early night we rushed for the last train but missed it by seconds. Before heading off in the direction of Cardiff,
Dave asked if I had a pocketknife ? We were both hungry and no money in our pockets, and nothing open at that time of night. Dave proceeded to force a metal draw of a chocolate machine outside the local café bar “Bernie’s”. (absolutely no relation). There we were, like two scavengers picking away at this bar of chocolate. Thinking back on all those times, it’s funny to think that Dave went on to have probably some of the biggest successes that came out of the “Rockfield Recording Studio’s”.
I slowly drifted into the scene of residencies where I backed many, many well known artistes and then one day performing for a local charity event I happened to meet a young talented singer by the name of; “Lee Curtis”.
The rest is just. ROCK ‘n’ ROLL…
Please enjoy your stay with us. Bernie Hodges.
"NOTHING RHYMED"
A grand total of £5.00 per week was my reward for working a 12 hours day, six days a week. After paying my keep it left me with just £1.00 in my pocket. Rather than go out and have fun with my friends I took out a credit on a Philips Stereo Hi-Fi player and after grafting all day in the kitchen I’d sit down in my bedroom and listen to my new record collection. (All of 3 disks).
The very first disk I had ever bought was; “The Devils Answer / Atomic Rooster, then Tokoloshe Man / John Kongos
and For Once in my Life / Stevie Wonder” a gift from a friend.
I’d spend hours listening to those records and over the weeks that followed I built up quite a good collection and to this day remains here in the TMS recording studio.
It was difficult trying not to sing along to the songs and it suddenly hit home that I was beginning to like this idea. So, I set about working at my new challenge. Each night I would arrive home from work, I’d have something to eat and then go straight to my bedroom and practise. The more I sang the more I wanted. The schedule I planned was to sing 3 hours per night Monday to Friday and Saturday and Sunday a nine-hour day. Making that a total of thirty-three hours per week and I worked everyday for five years. The only thing I had on my mind was music and considering I only had a result of 10 out of 100 for my school music exam it amazed me that I was taking this kind of interest?
Arguments at home arose from time to time about my job. “Nothing Rhymed” but, even though my job was suffering, my singing was getting better! I remember my father walking out of my bedroom in fits of laughter shouting, “my son a singer, that’ll be the day”? After that I bought books on the subject of vocal training techniques and music theory books to learn about scales etc, etc…
“My Father was my determination but he never realised that”!
I was deeply encased in my own little world of music after that, then in 1971 came the release of; Stevie Wonder’s first solo album “Music of my Mind”. I got hooked on this album and up to 1975 I didn’t sing along to any other recording. During this period I not only sang the melodies of the songs but also tried to re-create all the instrument sounds such as the synths – drums – backing vocals even down to the sound effects. (For any young hopefuls reading this, bear in mind this is an easy way to find your own style).
In 1973 I moved to Caerphilly and met up with “Ron Reader” and we would chat away during the day about all sorts of subjects but, unknown to myself Ron at that time was already playing gigs and from that moment I felt like a young apprentice serving his term. I took on board all the advice he could give, and I value that to this day.
“That is something you just cannot buy”.
Talent competitions were everywhere in our region so it was decided to go ahead and enter one. The very first talent competition was held at “The Nelson Social Club” in South Wales. I used to go from time to time to watch the heats and to study the other acts. Then one weekend it was my turn to go into the arena, (so to speak)?
I had picked out two Stevie Wonder songs, “You are the sunshine of my life and Superwoman”.
The ceiling line helped tremendously at the back of the room for the first song, and then, introducing the second song through a trembling voice the organist and drummer started the next song. Only this time I decided to go for broke and I took my eyes away from the line at the back of the room and slowly looked upon the audience? BIG MISTAKE!
At first it wasn’t too bad but then suddenly, fright took over, completely, the whole of my body started shaking and twitching whilst my hands were uncontrollable and I had great difficulty in putting the microphone back in it’s stand, the MD rushed over and through a trembling voice I gave my apologies and rushed into the dressing room where I burst into tears but, these tears were in fact the tears of joy because even if I didn’t finish, I sang and did it in front of a live audience!
A few weeks had elapsed and I headed off for yet another competition. Realising all my faults and putting into practise all the mistakes from my first experience I went along with the promise in mind that I would complete the duration by singing all three songs. The moment had come and feeling a little shaky I got up on that stage and gave my best. That night I was rewarded with a 3rd prize and a place in the following heat. I felt on top of the world and was treated like a real star by the people of the audience!
The next step in this story was around the time I met “Bernie Hodges”. The same night sat in the audience were a young couple, “Patricia and John O’Brien” Patricia was a fan of “Gilbert O’Sullivan”, like myself, and I happened to have in my repertoire a song of his called “Alone Again (Naturally)”.
After my performance I was invited to their table for a drink and it was then that Patricia mentioned that if ever I needed a helping hand with anything, I just had to call. The same night I met a drummer “Dave Lewis” from a local group called “Chapter Four”.
Dave was out for the evening looking for a new singer, to replace the current singer in the group? Unknown to myself at the time, it turns out that the singer I would be replacing was in fact a 3rd cousin and I had no idea that he was in a band or even a singer.
I went for the audition and got the job and started working straight away. It was a great experience and it took my mind away from those talent contests. I stayed with “Chapter Four” for approximately nine months. The reason for leaving this band was quite simple, the bandleader promised that we would write and record songs but nothing was ever done?
Shortly after I telephoned Patricia for her much needed help, telling her that I was leaving the band and was in need of putting together a new repertoire. Well, the time went by and the friendship became stronger and then “Patricia” informed me of the national talent contest in the T.V. Times magazine. So it was decided to go for it, and rather than do it alone, Patricia and John were added to the venture, and the missing link was Bernie?
