SteveAJones Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 (edited) Re .Shenstone Teacher Training College 1968. I thought I might save a bit of petrol money by emailing Worcester Archives to see if they would check The Bromsgrove Messenger for any Obstweedle gigs during the relevant period. This is the reply- Thank you for your enquiry regarding Obstweedle and their possible appearance at Shenstone Training College in July 1968. The Bromsgrove Messenger was the only local newspaper during that period and would have covered college stories. However, I have searched the period from the end of June through to the first week of August and have not found any reference to Obstweedle. Not the best result..it just means that I will have to get over there at some point and check for myself..it's quite easy to miss stuff..unless of course someone on here lives in the area and has a hour to spare :-) I can only encourage you to continue, Chris. I doubt very much anyone else is willing to give it a go as it's very time consuming and oft for not, as you know. Edited August 8, 2009 by SteveAJones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocoboy Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 I can only encourage you to continue, Chris. I doubt very much anyone else is willing to give it a go as it's very time consuming and oft for not, as you know. You've twisted my arm Steve ..I'll put it in my things to do book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocoboy Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 A hint at the end of Listen?- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquamarine Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Sounds like it . . . Hey, I remember the Applejacks! (Not that fondly, but still. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widget Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 A hint at the end of Listen?- February 1967 - would coincide with the time Robert Plant was in, then out, of the first unstable line-up of Band of Joy. Then weeks later set up a second version with Plant wearing full face paint and hippy regalia. Meg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocoboy Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 February 1967 - would coincide with the time Robert Plant was in, then out, of the first unstable line-up of Band of Joy. Then weeks later set up a second version with Plant wearing full face paint and hippy regalia. Meg Midland Beat appeared monthly at this time so the Listen "news" was probably old hat by then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocoboy Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Went to Birmingham archives today and after looking for my bits and pieces I started wading through the Birmingham Evening Mail starting at January 1966..fruitless until I found this. From BEM dated Saturday 16th April 1966- All the info you need for a good night including 'bus info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquamarine Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 And a bargain at four bob! Excellent excavating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Went to Birmingham archives today and after looking for my bits and pieces I started wading through the Birmingham Evening Mail starting at January 1966..fruitless until I found this. From BEM dated Saturday 16th April 1966- All the info you need for a good night including 'bus info. Nice find Blocoboy! Worth the trip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocoboy Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 Copy of the original advert to follow but here's a date for anyone taking notes. Sunday July 28th 1968 Foseco Sports + Social Club. Tamworth. Robert Plant and The Band of Joy. From the Tamworth Herald. Copies of the original ad have to be ordered from Tamworth Local Studies..it's a strange system..I have a couple of 'Nbetweens ads on order from a few weeks ago..the reason they are not ready?.."Jackie has been off".amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widget Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 That's interesting. 28th July. Plant has gone from Obs-Tweedle to Band of Joy in a space of a few days. Look forward to seeing the ad as always bloco. Meg Copy of the original advert to follow but here's a date for anyone taking notes. Sunday July 28th 1968 Foseco Sports + Social Club. Tamworth. Robert Plant and The Band of Joy. From the Tamworth Herald. Copies of the original ad have to be ordered from Tamworth Local Studies..it's a strange system..I have a couple of 'Nbetweens ads on order from a few weeks ago..the reason they are not ready?.."Jackie has been off".amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocoboy Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 That's interesting. 28th July. Plant has gone from Obs-Tweedle to Band of Joy in a space of a few days. Look forward to seeing the ad as always bloco. Meg The date is only a few weeks before the 1st LZ gig isn't it. Do you think the gig may have been booked as BOJ but played by Obstweedle or is my lack of knowledge showing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 The date is only a few weeks before the 1st LZ gig isn't it. Do you think the gig may have been booked as BOJ but played by Obstweedle or is my lack of knowledge showing? First New Yardbirds (Page, Jones, Plant, Bonham) gig was 9/7/68. It is just days before Jimmy went too see Bonham perform and only several days before their first formal rehearsal. I do think it may have been booked as BOJ but played by Obs' tweedle. Jimmy himself said when they went to see Plant perform for first time he was "in a band called Obs' Tweedle or Hobbstweedle or something" and we know that was several days before this date. Perhaps the promoter/venue felt BOJ would pull a bigger crowd than a new unknown band, which is the same discrimination Led Zeppelin encountered shortly afterward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocoboy Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 First New Yardbirds (Page, Jones, Plant, Bonham) gig was 9/7/68. It is just days before Jimmy went too see Bonham perform and only several days before their first formal rehearsal. I do think it may have been booked as BOJ but played by Obs' tweedle. Jimmy himself said when they went to see Plant perform for first time he was "in a band called Obs' Tweedle or Hobbstweedle or something" and we know that was several days before this date. Perhaps the promoter/venue felt BOJ would pull a bigger crowd than a new unknown band, which is the same discrimination Led Zeppelin encountered shortly afterward. I got a little confused for a moment..gig was 9/7/68..then I realised you are a colonial..it should,of course,be 7/9/68 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 ...then I realised you are a colonial... Am I? If you label me you negate me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widget Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 The date is only a few weeks before the 1st LZ gig isn't it. Do you think the gig may have been booked as BOJ but played by Obstweedle or is my lack of knowledge showing? Wait and see what the whole advert says. It's quite possible. Meg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swandown Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 I would be very surprised if Robert actually played that gig on 7/28/68. Most reports state that he had gone to Jimmy's boathouse by that time. I wonder if this lineup of the BoJ was the one that John Hill referenced here. Or maybe Robert was hedging his bets -- reforming the Band Of Joy while simultaneously auditioning for Jimmy Page's new band? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widget Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 I would be very surprised if Robert actually played that gig on 7/28/68. Most reports state that he had gone to Jimmy's boathouse by that time. I wonder if this lineup of the BoJ was the one that John Hill referenced here. Or maybe Robert was hedging his bets -- reforming the Band Of Joy while simultaneously auditioning for Jimmy Page's new band? Given that Page had only just met Robert on the 20th, and asked him to come down, this date (28th) may have been a previous booking prior, since the time span is a week or less. Intriguing though. Was Robert considering leaving Obs-Tweedle to restart up BOJ prior to Jimmy meeting him? I hope the ad sheds more light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocoboy Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Given that Page had only just met Robert on the 20th, and asked him to come down, this date (28th) may have been a previous booking prior, since the time span is a week or less. Intriguing though. Was Robert considering leaving Obs-Tweedle to restart up BOJ prior to Jimmy meeting him? I hope the ad sheds more light. I don't think it will..the only thing I have left off is the tag line "Scene 68"..remember the gig was a bread and butter appearance at a social club in the wilds of Staffordshire with a limited advertising budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikezep61 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Given that Page had only just met Robert on the 20th, and asked him to come down, this date (28th) may have been a previous booking prior, since the time span is a week or less. Intriguing though. Was Robert considering leaving Obs-Tweedle to restart up BOJ prior to Jimmy meeting him? I hope the ad sheds more light. Meg, I believe Blocoboy's research confirmed that Jimmy and Robert didn't meet on 7/20/68. He found an ad that showed that Obs-Tweedle played the Connaught Hotel in Wolverhampton on 7/20/68 (so it wasn't the "teacher training college near Birmingham" where Page saw Plant for the first time). Blocoboy also dug up ads for 7/22, 7/27/ & (now) 7/28. All that being said, the basic premise of your comment is still true. Hopefully an ad will eventually be found for the gig that Page first saw Plant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocoboy Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 No joy with the BOJ ad from Tamworth yet ..but..hopefullly this lot may be of interest.- Express and Star dated Thurs 10 March 1966..anybody got a copy of the poster Dated Friday 18th March 1966..I've never come across a group called Stop!Look!Listen! so it might be a case of some clever advertising Tuesday 15th March 1966- Saturday 19th March 1966..more clever word play- Saturday April 9th 1966. Monday 25TH April 1966 Saturday 7th May 1966 Sunday 12th June 1966 Saturday 11th June 1966. The Guernsey dates would be a good find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Hopefullly this lot may be of interest.- (edited) Absolutely. Positively. Astonishing. I can't wait to piece all of this into the existing chronological record. Wouldn't it be something if one of those promotional posters - a real one - turned up 40+ years after the fact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocoboy Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Just found this..Thursday 5th March 1966..I had it for the Jim Lea piece and then noticed the Listen article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widget Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Cheers Bloco, job well done. Just found this..Thursday 5th March 1966..I had it for the Jim Lea piece and then noticed the Listen article. Meg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledded1 Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Cheers Bloco, job well done. Meg If anyone knows the date and venue of the planned booking in Stoke let me know cos its my home town and I might be able to check any newspaper cutings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.