1964 And All That

The 14th of January 1964 changed my life??? that was the day the Stones came to town………..

I was a fifteen-year-old spotty adolescent at the time with an admission ticket to see The Rolling Stones at The Granada on Westgate Mansfield – price of ticket 11s 6d!!! – which swallowed up my paper round money……..

The show

The Show was part of a major tour featuring The Ronettes, The Swinging Blue Jeans, Marty Wilde and the Wildcats, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, Dave Berry and the Cruisers with The Stones headlining Major package tours such as this were all the rage a mixture of home grown talent with the added attraction of an established recording group from the USA all for 11s 6d – about 57 pence.

The provincial tours used small ballrooms and cinemas as venues and were given names such as this one titled “Group Scene 64” this type of venue was very small compared to what is expected today everybody had a good seat and wasn’t that far from the stage in such a Picture House as they were called then. Everybody in the Theatre felt the raw energy of the Dartford version of U.S.Rhythm and Blues that night.

The Granada

For readers who do not remember The Granada it was were Primark is now.

I have been to many many gigs since then but nothing comes close to this distant memory – I have to add I’ve not seen the Stones since which makes the Granada show special.

Last bus home

Did I mention that I had to leave as the Stones set ended to make sure that I caught the last bus home – cool or what……….

The set list from that night was; Come on/ Mona/You Better Move on/Roll Over Beethoven/I Wanna Be Your Man.

Beatles visit

I had missed the early Beatles visits to the Granada – that is for other correspondents to share, but as the quote goes “The Beatles want to hold your hand – The Stones want to burn your Town down” appealing to a fifteen year old oik……

The music scene

The music scene in Mansfield at the time consisted of the Palias de Dance on Leeming Street / The Disc-upstairs at The Eight Bells and the sadly missed at the time Flamingo Café on Clumber Street – where you could hang out until really late.

Trips to the All Nighters at the Dungeon on Stanford Street in Nottingham were a must to see the very best in recording acts from the States appearing in the UK for the first time Edwin Starr/Ben E King and Clyde Mc Phatter etc were among many others seen there.

Buying vinyl

Back in Mansfield recording buying was done at a RECORD SHOP not as today people buying records at the same time as their cheese!!!

Syd Booths and Valances (who had a listening booth!!!) were emporiums to visit… incidentally the only format was vinyl – lovely smell – singles were 6s 8d.

The only place were you could buy Levi 501’s and Lee Riders Gold Label jeans was a small gents outfitters on Church Street where the Nat West bank is now – can’t recall the name – they were the real originals and priced at 32/6d [£1.62½] and 30/- [£1.50] respectively

Around this time the only radio station that played the US import sounds of soul and r n b was Radio 390 The Mike Raven Show if you wanted to hear Joe Tex / Don Covay / Rex Garvin  etc this was the place for your dial to be on…this was before Soul adopted the Northern prefix – bah…

Whilst all this was happening I had started an apprenticeship in Engineering but that is another story for another day………still collecting vinyl though……………………….

 

 

Comments about this page

  • The guy who was DJ upstairs in the Eight Bells Disco (late 60’s) was named John Hamilton. He replaced an earlier DJ named Sean McEwan (?). John played a fantastic range of mostly soul and Tamla, but also some Ska records such as Al Capone. Most of this music was never ever played on UK radio. The disco was known as a hang-out for Mansfield’s mods, and could occasionally be a little rough. Mods also visited the Dungeon in Nottingham, and the riverside clubs there: the Brit and the Boat. I still own the original heavy loudspeakers from the 8 Bells disco, which I bought from John long ago to use with guitar amp.

    By Peter Burrows (26/03/2019)
  • Two  memories from that concert

    1. The announcement half way through that the Stones were delayed and so the Ronettes would appear before the Stones. Effectively the Stones were now the headline act. 

    2. Mick Jagger sitting on the edge of the stage while singing “You Better Move On” wearing a grey crew neck  lambswool jumper. Made sure that one of those  formed part of my school uniform from then on.

    Feel priviledged to have been part of it all

     

     

    By Ruggy (07/11/2014)
  • I remember  the Granada, early 60s  going to the kids club Saturday morning watching  kids movies , cartoons,  seems like there was thousands of kids my age . 

    Gary Noble Australia 

    Regards all

     

    By Gary Noble (13/05/2014)
  • i was a student at Mansfield School of Art 1962/65. I saw the Stones /Ronettes concert. I remember Brian Jones appeared to nod off during a number , Mona ?, and slid down a pillar at the side of the stage. Keef hoisted him back on his feet, while the others continued to play. I recall Mick looking on disapprovingly, while playing maracas. The Ronettes were incredible.

    By David Templeton (26/01/2014)
  • I have loved reading the good times that went with Mansfield in those great days. I went to some of those shows at the Granada and they were all good times, also the disco at the old Eight Bells, I remember a black guy I think his name was Solomon but not sure - just so many memories to fall back on the lovely days gone by.

    By ron (06/09/2013)
  • Plaza…. Built 1930. The Organ Installed..1936. Changed Name to Granada…1942. Demolished. ?

    By alan curtis (23/07/2013)
  • I have loved reading everyone’s stories about the Granada, I was to young to go and watch the Stones and Beatles and Dusty. I was only a child in the 60’s, but remember Saturday morning pictures very fondly - the stage curtain all lit up, amber turning to red. The stage lighting on the Circle Balcony and the wonderful surround sound Quality, I thought I was at the London Palladium. For a little lad that lived in a tiny terraced house with a tin bath, I was impressed. And they would call your ticket number and You’d win some chocolates and invited to do some dancing on stage between films and the ‘follow spot’ would land on some one every few moments to embarrass you in a fun way. Such great memories of my child hood.  I was heart broken when they demolished it, the ABC didn’t seem to have the same atmosphere or personality as the old Granada. Regards Michael..

    By michael skinner (30/06/2013)
  • I too saw the Beatles at the Granada and still have the tickets for the Crystals/Joe Brown show somewhere. But one Music Scene has been missed out – The Parochial Hall on Brunts Street. A lad nicknamed “Stem” with whom I was at QEGS put on S.T.E.M. Productions with local bands and also some big names like Gene Vincent and the Outlaws, The Beachcombers, etc. They were great dances.

    By Ian Thomas (11/05/2013)
  • My mum Emily worked as an usherette at the Granada in the 60s so my brother and I used to get tickets for most of the concerts. We had some great times. She also worked as a waitress in the restaurant upstairs so most weeks dad would take me to Mansfield on the bus from Rainworth and meet mum when she finished work. We would have our tea in the restaurant and then go into the cinema for a good nights entertainment. Happy days. I can still picture the doorman in his uniform but I can’t remember his name.

    By pete higgins (18/12/2012)
  • I have just started to edit and remaster recordings I made in the late 1960s of the Wurlitzer organ, played by Mike Slater in the Granada theatre. A very impressive sound.

     

    By Keith Pritchett (12/12/2012)
  • Many happy memories of the Granada. I have the strangest reoccurring dreams of wandering through this building but enough of that. I can remember a concert there and two of the acts were Screaming Lord Sutch and the Temperance Seven. My claim to fame was saying Hi to Paul McDowell, lead singer with the Temperance Seven at the side of the chippy. He got out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, then asked if I’d like one. So I did, and that’s my claim to fame. I can remember the doorman on the same day collaring an over eager girl fan who tried to gate crash the stage door. His comments? Somewhere along the lines of Stupid bloody lasses….think he was referring to them all he he he. Happy days. You don’t get this sort of fun in or out of Primark!

    By Allan Ward (23/09/2012)
  • The Granada concerts were brilliant, half a dozen great acts (and some not so great) on the same bill and on just down the road. A memory that always stays with me when the Stones came is at the end of their spot and they were coming back onto the stage to receive the applause half the audience were already heading for the exit, probably to catch the bus, so Mick Jagger turned on his heels and ushered the rest of the band off the stage promptly. Sure that wouldn’t happen to them in many other venues in their career!

    By Nigel Wolden (26/01/2012)
  • I was only a nipper but remember my Mum and Dad, Sandra Hardy and Geoff Hodgkinson coming back from these shows ecstatic. I attended the Granada for Saturday Matinees from ’66 to about 70? It was then ‘wrecked’ to put up Littlewoods and Linneys.

    By Jon Hardy (formerly - Tracey Hodgkinson) (01/04/2011)
  • Ahh….Happy nights at the Granada ! The girls used to congregate behind the locked gates at the side of Granada and in the alley at the side of the Black Boy. When anyone walked in the empty area all the girls would scream and ask for an autograph. One guy in a tight suit with a frilly neckerchief came over and signed a book then walked back in. Then everyone tried to read it to see who it was ….it turned out to be Dave Davies of the Kinks. My sister also had all the Beatles signatures on a Park Drive cigarette packet tray – but she later sold it ……for ten shillings !! I have great trouble in convincing my grandkids that I saw – live – the Stones, Beatles, Dusty Springfield, Manfred Man, Shadows, Billy Fury, Adam Faith, Gene Vincent, Del Shannon, Kinks and many many more.

    By Bob Wilson (21/02/2011)
  • Hi, in reply to the gent who wrote about the Granada cinama, I was an usherette there for many years and I was working there when the Beatles made there first appearance as young lads but old enough to drink as myself and a couple of other usherettes went across the road to the Eclipse Pub with the beatles and had a drink together, gosh they were the days, I think working there were some of the best years I had, as for your mention of the projectionists, Ken (chief) Fred and Mike, I knew them well, I have been in touch with Fred and he was highly delighted and would like to get in touch, As for Ken unfortunatly not with us any more, thanks for the memories, Granada Fan,EL

    By Eileen L (15/02/2011)
  • If the Usherette who left a comment and is to shy to leave her name would like to submit this again and include her email address we can then consider publishing the comment. Please Note:- While we do not publish peoples email address we editors do need it in case we need to make contact.

    By Editors (07/02/2011)
  • Worked at the Granada in the projection box with Ken (chief ) Fred and Mike Dickinson in the 60’s lots of good memories, remember Austin the chef in the restaurant those where the days. No two for ones though. Think the chippy was run by Dougie many a fish and chip supper from there. Last pop show I think was Peter Frampton and The Herd, Tremeloes, and the Kinks I almost fell off the stage into the pit when moving the microphones. Hi Ken, Fred and Mike .

    By stevey cee (11/10/2010)
  • When I went to plaza(granada) we qued up the yard which is now Savers and got a bag of chips from chip in yard which came out on Stockwell Gate. In later years when I was tech. school at bottom of CHESTERFIELD ROAD we went upstairs at Granada for 2 course meal for 1 shilling and sixpence(1/6d)

    By ARTHUR WRIGHT (17/07/2010)

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