Express and Star, Thursday, June 21, 1973.

Carl Dene was a mainstay of the DJ roster at the Catacombs from its opening until 1969 when he and Mr Dobson had a falling out. When the club re-opened in September '72, I recall he retuned to do a few sessions but my recollection is that after that, Alan Day had the Thursday slot until he left, which I thought was after this date. Clearly, my recollection leaves something to be desired.

Can't believe the sex discrimination that went on back then, 'Gents over 21 and Girls over 18'

But more to the point, who was "Chunky Phil"? 🤔

1 hour ago, Supercorsa said:

Can't believe the sex discrimination that went on back then, 'Gents over 21 and Girls over 18'

But more to the point, who was "Chunky Phil"? 🤔

Phil Sumner, great bloke and dj, mobile like everyone else at the time, lots of bookings including our youth club St.Giles ( Sammies ) even did the all nighters there, worked in Sundown Records on Lichfield St. Wolverhampton....got all the new releases, much in the way Ian Dewhirst wouldve done in the 70's, very knowledgeable bloke and a good laugh, lived in Sedgeley, not far ftom Dudley.

Even had the honour of doing a spot at Manchester Ritz all dayer when Neil and Richard ran it first time.

18 minutes ago, Agentsmith said:

Phil Sumner, great bloke and dj, mobile like everyone else at the time, lots of bookings including our youth club St.Giles ( Sammies ) even did the all nighters there, worked in Sundown Records on Lichfield St. Wolverhampton....got all the new releases, much in the way Ian Dewhirst wouldve done in the 70's, very knowledgeable bloke and a good laugh, lived in Sedgeley, not far ftom Dudley.

Even had the honour of doing a spot at Manchester Ritz all dayer when Neil and Richard ran it first time.

A bit vague that Rob 😂

7 minutes ago, Jessie Pinkman said:

A bit vague that Rob 😂

Well, he wasn't a porn star, thats for sure, even with the nickname ' Chunky ' 🤣🤣 when i was at Wolvo polytechnic, spent literally every lunchtime....and Saturdays at Sundown, its inital premises had a basement room....thats where phil wouldve been....all those new releases getting played at Mecca mid 70's you could hear them in this shop, he was on the ball in that respect.

 

Carl would more than likely have known him as well, probably bought records off him same as many of the other well known west mids djs...Wolvo had its places the same as Birmingham did.

18 hours ago, Supercorsa said:

Can't believe the sex discrimination that went on back then, 'Gents over 21 and Girls over 18'

But more to the point, who was "Chunky Phil"? 🤔

 

16 hours ago, Agentsmith said:

Phil Sumner, great bloke and dj, mobile like everyone else at the time, lots of bookings including our youth club St.Giles ( Sammies ) even did the all nighters there, worked in Sundown Records on Lichfield St. Wolverhampton....got all the new releases, much in the way Ian Dewhirst wouldve done in the 70's, very knowledgeable bloke and a good laugh, lived in Sedgeley, not far ftom Dudley.

Even had the honour of doing a spot at Manchester Ritz all dayer when Neil and Richard ran it first time.

Rob,

Chunky Phil was Phil Simner, not Sumner. (There was a Colin Sumner, and I think maybe you got the two names mixed up).

Yes, I also have fond memories of him from the basement of Sundown, formerly Graduate records in Broad Street, in the early mid seventies. Wonderful times, Saturdays only to start with in '73, and by late '74 i also went there on random week days, depending on free periods at school. During this period Sundown moved to the corner of Lichfield Street.

He'd often keep any new release UK demos on one side for me, and I can remember getting the Tymes (Ms Grace), Exciters (Reaching), the UK RCA Beverly Ann EP, and many other UK demos. Occasionally a US new release demo would also appear from under the counter, but the majority were UK.

He also delivered to my house in Bradmore an early copy of the US release of The Fabulous Zing LP just before he went up the road to the Bradmore pub to DJ.

He sold up sometime in the late seventies and I bought his MGM Bok To Bach from him. I was also offered Billy Harner Inst, but never took it!  I spent a full day going through his records at his home, but could only afford one or two others, as B2B had almost crippled me at £20.00.

Some years later, he was the manager of a record shop on Dudley Street (the name escapes me). A great guy, and a massive influence as a youngster in the my early soul days.

14 minutes ago, Mick Holdsworth said:

 

Rob,

Chunky Phil was Phil Simner, not Sumner. (There was a Colin Sumner, and I think maybe you got the two names mixed up).

Yes, I also have fond memories of him from the basement of Sundown, formerly Graduate records in Broad Street, in the early mid seventies. Wonderful times, Saturdays only to start with in '73, and by late '74 i also went there on random week days, depending on free periods at school. During this period Sundown moved to the corner of Lichfield Street.

He'd often keep any new release UK demos on one side for me, and I can remember getting the Tymes (Ms Grace), Exciters (Reaching), the UK RCA Beverly Ann EP, and many other UK demos. Occasionally a US new release demo would also appear from under the counter, but the majority were UK.

He also delivered to my house in Bradmore an early copy of the US release of The Fabulous Zing LP just before he went up the road to the Bradmore pub to DJ.

He sold up sometime in the late seventies and I bought his MGM Bok To Bach from him. I was also offered Billy Harner Inst, but never took it!  I spent a full day going through his records at his home, but could only afford one or two others, as B2B had almost crippled me at £20.00.

Some years later, he was the manager of a record shop on Dudley Street (the name escapes me). A great guy, and a massive influence as a youngster in the my early soul days.

Hi Mick,

 

Sorry, couldnt remember his surname correct. I went to his house once, i think i bought some tunes off him too. Yes the first shop stood on Lichfield street just across the road from the Grand theatre, but a bit further up from the coop building,  then moved to the corner of Lichfield and Stafford st...thats when it became Sundown i think ( used to be Graduate records, there was also one in Walsall ). When he djed at Sammies or any other dj for that matter, and particularly the all nighter they were invited to take part, and everyone else used their equipment!😁 Phil's was pretty top notch for the time as well, Citronic i think.

This thread is about Carl...who hasn't commented or maybe isnt aware of it, instead we're talking about someone totally unrelated to the Catacombs ad.

 

Well, this thread has gone in an entirely different direction to what I envisaged but nonetheless it's not been without interest.

A UK Bok to Bach for £20 caught my eye as did the reference to the record shop at the top of Broad Street. As I recall the 'northern' stuff was downstairs and I bought a copy of The Charge by the TKOs there at some point.

With regard to Carl Dene's Thursday night slot at the Catacombs, he's just posted on the club's forum that he did a couple of Thursdays around that time. How that didn't register with me at the time, I do not know.

I think the classic photographic reference to Carl, which i'm sure many will have seen, is the one of him with his girlfriend, stood facing each over on the parapit of the Mander Centre, bit of a hair raising balancing act but, our generation did stuff like that, as easily as climbing trees ( without any aids like today's elf n safety regs ). Bkack and White pic too...can't beat retro!.

Personally, and despite being familiar with the name back then, ive never met him. 

Interesting DJ double act...

27 minutes ago, Torch56 said:

Interesting DJ double act...

Who's he with?, sorry for asking.

Jeff Astle.

8 hours ago, Torch56 said:

Jeff Astle.

Brilliant!, great player was Jeff...top company that night then, wherever it was😉👍 i would never have realized West Brom's legendary striker was a soul man, he obviously had taste..god bless him.

After Carl finished his spell of Thursday nights in 1972 Alan Day had a more prolonged run behind the decks playing the sounds. A busy man: by this time (November) he was doing Saturday nights at the Catacombs and the Torch.