Torch56

Carl, pictured here with Jeff Astle, at Dudley Liberal Club, date unknown.

First official mention I can find of Farmer Carl as DJ, spelt here with a K. Carl would go on to be the regular DJ at the Catacombs, along with Alan S, having been recruited from the Chateau Impney in December 1968. Carl left the roster later in 1969. Clem Curtis was lead singer with the Foundations when they recorded, 'Baby, now that I found you.' and 'Back on my feet again.' Herbie Goins recorded, 'No 1 in your heart.' which I had assumed would have been played in the Catacombs' early days. However, Carl Dene tells me that was not the case. Copies going for around 200 pounds currently on Popsike. Herbie's group also made appearances at the Twisted Wheel around this time.

Catacombs attendees circa 1971/2 Top right, Dave Preece. Came from Cannock. I have a distinct memory of him hitting the dance floor with some gusto when Sally Sayin' Somethin' came on. He had a good ear for a sound; in the summer of 1973 he extolled the merits of Satisfy Me Baby when I happened to bump into him in the Mander Centre. Next to Dave, Pete Tilsley from Stockport. Black Ben Sherman with Twisted Wheel badge on the breast pocket, Skinners jeans; a serious devotee of the scene.

Express and Star, November 29th, 1968. He of Green Door fame. Blue Max is a name synonymous with the Catacombs but before he joined that roster he DJ'd at the Connaught in 1971. The playlist was not exclusively northern but I do recall hearing, Festival Time, Billy Harner, Run Baby Run, Los Canarios, and Doris Troy, amongst others. In 1973 a coach left the Connaught on Friday nights bound for Whitchurch for an evening session that was well attended with punters from Stoke and the north-west, as well as Wolverhampton. 'Countdown' and 'Working at the Go Go' were both examples from a playlist that has rarely been bettered. The venue played host to northern soul again in the late 80s when one of the hotel's smaller rooms was utilised. Doug Banks was a popular sound then, as I recall.

Here's a Twisted Wheel flyer from June, 1969.

Express and Star, Friday, November 28th, 1968. Root 'n' Jennie Jackson made numerous appearances at The Twisted Wheel throughout its Whitworth Street existence. Jenny was more often spelt with a Y but this was not the first time that misspelling featured in Catacombs' adverts, nor was it to be the last. Another interesting feature of these early adverts is the emphasis on live acts rather than records. Later on this situation was to be reversed. In my time the only live acts to perform did so in the autumn of 1972. From memory I think I recall Major Lance, Fontella Bass, and Bob and Earl. If I'm honest, none of them made any impression on me and I just wanted the records back on. I do recall that as Major Lance was performing, Max had 'You Don't Want Me no More' cued up and ready to go. I was not one of the crowd calling for the Major to prolong his live appearance. Heresy, I know.

Express and Star, Saturday, November 23rd, 1968.

Fairly sure Guy played Paper Moon on Terry Christian's show on Radio Derby, late 80s.

After the postponement of the opening night a week earlier, here's the Express and Star advert for the actual event. The House of Lords has been replaced by Ossie Layne, who has been written about in another thread. The Saturday session was to feature Mike Raven as was originally intended.

As can be seen above, Ossie Layne was the main attraction at the opening of the Catacombs back in 1968.

This was Mike Raven's theme tune and introduced his R and B show on Radio One on Sunday evenings between 1967 and 1971. After the postponement of the club's advertised opening, Mike eventually made his Catacombs' debut on Saturday, November 23rd, 1968.

Things not going to plan. CATACOMBES? With an E? "Circumstances beyond our control"? Mr Dobson would not have been pleased.

Express and Star, Thursday, November 14th, 1968.

Mike Raven, number 16 in the above photograph, was earmarked to be the first named DJ at the Catacombs on Saturday, November 16th, 1968. The opening of the club was delayed by a week and consequently Mike made his initial appearance at the club on Saturday, November 23rd. The securing of Mike's services was something of a coup for Steve Dobson, the club's owner, as he was a high profile Radio One DJ, as can be seen in the image above. He was given a slot at 6pm. on Sundays to present his R and B show and this ran through to 1971, when I first heard it. That year saw a number of reissues and I recall him reviewing, Someday We're Gonna Love Again and Festival Time, amongst others. The uncanny resemblance to Vincent Price was not entirely coincidental. He had a fascination with the occult and appeared in a number of horror films in the early 70s. Sadly, Mike passed away in 1997 and was buried on Bodmin Moor, in a grave he had dug himself. The subsequent obituaries in a number of esteemed publications did not mention his Catacombs' connection, but it was further evidence that this particular Radio One DJ was no Smashy or Nicey.

Carl Dene who, as Farmer Carl , was one of the first Catacombs DJs has just referenced this advertisement in The Catacombs Club Soul Club Facebook page.

Advert taken from the Express and Star, Monday, November 11, 1968.

I have no recollection of the record being played before that last morning, neither as an 'ender' nor as an item in a main spot. It did get plays, from what I heard, earlier in 1971, but I was not there to hear it. From conversations I had with attendees, who saw that night out to the bitter end, the choice of Walter Jackson as the final record was a major talking point. Opinions were not particularly negative, nor particularly positive. It was more that it was an unusual choice and it certainly resonated with them, and has gone on to be an integral part of the folklore surrounding the event. I can't recall there being specific records at the Catacombs that marked the end of the session, apart from a small period in 1973 when Max would play Jimmy Radcliffe to end the session. I remember this clearly since he was playing that year's Pye reissue, rather than a Stateside original. I was surprised by this given the plethora of top sounds he had in his box at that time. The clearest memory I have of an 'ender' record is that played by Richard Searling at Va Vas in August of that year when Fats Domino's 'It Keeps On Raining' brought proceedings to an end at 7 am. After 6 hours of Ben Aiken, Alice Clark, Duke Browner, et al, it seemed like particularly thin gruel. The Catacombs opened in November 1968. Between that date and July 1974, thousands and thousands of records were played at that venue. To select that record as the final play was some accolade to the song's message and to the era that was about to end.