Ted
..don't go thereStarted in 1960 playing in The Exclusive Brethren, Coventry rock band playing Yardbirds, Chuck Berry, Downliners Sect, Muddy Waters stuff.
Turned to the dark side in 1966 and formed Sneaks Noise with Jon McIntosh. Learned the craft at the Heart of England Folk Club, Fox and Vivian, Leamington alongside such luminaries as June Tabor, Polly Bolton, Kev Dempsey, Martin Jenkins, Rod Felton, Rob Armstrong: the standard was just a bit good!!.
Went to University and became a founder member of Keele Rapper (1970) and ran the Keele Folk Club for two years. Helped revive the Keele Folk Festival which had become iconic during the middle sixties but declined following the great folk rock/acoustic wars of 1969/71.
Upon return to Midlands in 1974 formed accapella group The Somerville Gentlemen Singers with Barry White and Larry Smith (1974), and the giant folk choir The Fenny Compton Coke Shovellers.
Took up instruments and transformed The Somerville Singers into the Somerville Gentlemens Band (1976) with Martin Cole, Phil Ferrar and Jem Patterson, and played all the major festivals during 1978-1980, developing a ceilidh band format which used jazz and ska elements in trad dance music 20 years before anyone else thought of doing so. Ted is a Coventry Kid and recalls tremendous jam sessions at Chris and Jerry Dammers house in the early sixties (Jerry went on to form The Specials).
Somervilles broke up in 1983 when Phil moved to Harrogate, and Ted joined Peeping Tom full time (he had been a semi-permanent member for the previous year). Played with the Peepers until 1991 when the increasing demands of work and a young family brought his resignation and the start of Steamchicken.
Played on:
Far from Home: Somerville Gentlemens Band
Click for a sample track
Heres Looking at You: Peeping Tom
Click for a sample track
Lark Rise to Candleford: Peeping Tom
Looking Back 25: Peeping Tom
The Mrs Ackroyd Rock and Roll Show: Les Barker
Somerville gents 1977 to 1983, Peeping Tom 1983 to 1991. Depped on bass, harmonica and melodeon with various bands including Peeping Tom (post 1991), Aardvarkk, Five Minutes to Midnight, Rum Elk. Also founded the Crum Family Band and helped produce 50% of the personnel by dint of dedicated effort and application. Played in Les Barkers Rock and Roll Show (he even wrote a song about me!!)
Band Members
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Ted |
Matt |
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Bill |
Will |
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| Andrew | Mandy |
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| Simon | |
