Worth a look...BBC4 Mods and Rockers

[Two Types]

Dave Vanian was always a good guy, after the Damned he had the band The Phantom Chords who had a very 60's sound in the Joe Meek style with hints of rockabilly too.

If I remember correctly, The Phantom Chords recorded their stuff using all original fifties/sixties instruments, amps and recording equipment - just to make sure they got the right sound.

 

[aswatland]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this Time Shift documentary. Thanks for alerting us to it Paul. It was interesting to hear how the media over dramatized the skirmishes between Mods and Rockers at Clacton in 1964 and subsequently tried to incite violence. I agree it was nice to see Lewis Leathers featured as their jackets, especially the Bronx and Lightning, were seen as very desirable by Rockers. I did not spot any original Irvins, but did see several 1950s inferior "copies" that could be obtained from Pride and Clarke.

 

[rocketeer]

In 1911 Indian took 1st and 3rd in the Senior TT. They would have taken 2nd, but Charlie Collier was disqualified for taking on fuel on the course, which was forbidden. Also in 1911 Jake De Rosier raced the best English rider Charles Collier, at Brookland, Jake won two of the three races. Don't forget Calvin Rayborn II on his Harley XRTT at the 1972 Trans Atlantic races, where he won three of the six races. He would have made it four, but without factory support, his old worn engine packed it in with him leading! No one at those races will ever forget Cal, who proved Americans could turn right, and even in the rain! [video=youtube;IZ3upMyNu80]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ3upMyNu80[/video]

Some great vintage TT info there Steerman, I would think he was not the only one cheating. I had heard of Cal Rayborn though not sure what he rode at the time, think he was mentioned in Hot Rod but they only had a single feature at the time for bikes. Just watched a great program on 500cc bikes in the 80s, lots of great American riders but they were always on Jap bikes.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this Time Shift documentary. Thanks for alerting us to it Paul. It was interesting to hear how the media over dramatized the skirmishes between Mods and Rockers at Clacton in 1964 and subsequently tried to incite violence. I agree it was nice to see Lewis Leathers featured as their jackets, especially the Bronx and Lightning, were seen as very desirable by Rockers. I did not spot any original Irvins, but did see several 1950s inferior "copies" that could be obtained from Pride and Clarke.

Amazing what bike jacket dealers ask for those Pride & Clark 'Irvins'. To be honest the skins were very fragile, most tearing quite easily and the taping on most I have seen being plastic rather than leather. Personally I would not buy one for a collection as they look rubbish(imho) though I have a black 'D1' type with recently done leather replacement tapes and pockets.

Most of those guys were youngsters, riding before family matters took over but the efforts they put in to riding look just as daring as todays bikers even though the tyre technology and handling characteristics in many cases were a lot to be desired.

 

[Stearmen]

Yes, unfortunately Harley has not been much on 500cc bikes and smaller. The last time they won the 250cc World Championship was in 1976, Walter Villa aboard his Aermacchi which Harley owned at the time! He also won the championship in 74 and 75.

 

[Edward]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this Time Shift documentary. Thanks for alerting us to it Paul. It was interesting to hear how the media over dramatized the skirmishes between Mods and Rockers at Clacton in 1964 and subsequently tried to incite violence.

Just a few short years later, the same journalists would be in Belfast and Derry, offering a couple of quid to local kids if they'd throw bricks at the police for the cameras....

The classic academic text on the moral panic the press stirred up over the Mods and Rockers remains Stan Cohen's Folk Devils and Moral Panics , first published in 1972, though i think he brought out a revised second edition just a few years ago, not long before he died. I have a notion that Stan actually invented the term moral panic. It's a cracking book on the history of the mod -rocker 'war', as made up by the media. A small number of nice photos in the middle, if memory serves - though I'm currently 5,000 miles and a half dozen boxes of books away from my copy.

 

[havocpaul]

And repeated by the gutter press in 1976 after the infamous Sex Pistols Bill Grundy interview, in the following days the papers were basically saying that all punks were children of the devil and should be stamped out (literally). So every meat head reading this saw it as a call to arms and we became easy targets. It continued and in 1977 NME ran a famous cover that sais "1977, this definitely is NOT the summer of love.." listing attacks on band members and punks as it seemed everyone was out to get us. It was scary a lot of the time as you didn't know who or wear you'd get randomly attacked. Even at the gigs it was bad, the Vortex club took over from the Roxy as the punk venue in 1977 however, the bouncers (back then not licensed as today, usually ex-cons, squaddies, thugs) saw it as a job that paid a little cash, free booze and the chance to beat up the crowd.

 

[nick123]

I didn't get to watching the BBC documentary, but watched this one today:
http://caferacersunited.com/mods-vs-rockers-documentary-sixties/

 

[Edward]

If I remember correctly, The Phantom Chords recorded their stuff using all original fifties/sixties instruments, amps and recording equipment - just to make sure they got the right sound.

That's how I heard it too. The project was a real labour of love for Vanian - I'm told by insiders that he's always very enthusiastic if engaged in conversation about that project. (Not that he doesn't love the Damned too - it's screamingly obvious they're all having a blast onstage.)

Amazing what bike jacket dealers ask for those Pride & Clark 'Irvins'.

File under "it's old, so it must be worth big money". Not to mention so many of them being pass off - unwittingly or otherwise - as the real thing...

Most of those guys were youngsters, riding before family matters took over but the efforts they put in to riding look just as daring as todays bikers even though the tyre technology and handling characteristics in many cases were a lot to be desired.

Though on the flipside, bikes were less capable (the speeds some of the later Japanese bikes can do made them downright dangerous for those daft enough to push them), there was less traffic on the roads - and what there was was overall slower moving and, crucially, had more of an understanding of how to drive around bikes... My opinion - second hand, admittedly - has long been that in many ways it was much safer to be a biker back in the Sixties than it is now, for all the advancements in safety gear for the Power Ranger generation.

It was scary a lot of the time as you didn't know who or wear you'd get randomly attacked.

Mn. I remember especially reading about Johnny Lydon getting knifed by some morons who fancied themselves Brenda's most loyal subjects.

Even at the gigs it was bad, the Vortex club took over from the Roxy as the punk venue in 1977 however, the bouncers (back then not licensed as today, usually ex-cons, squaddies, thugs) saw it as a job that paid a little cash, free booze and the chance to beat up the crowd.

Sadly that sort of thing still goes on, at least in Belfast... one of my undergraduate students a few years ago spent six months in traction and had to resit final year after an extremely severe, unprovoked beating at the hands of a couple of that type. I wodner if it isn't apt to be worse over there now that sort can't get their jollies by joining the paramilitaries so easy. (Mind you, those having turned into organised crime more than anything long ago, they're the ones running half the venues to begin with...).