Rock's Diamond Year

Celebrating Rock's 60th Birthday, from the formation of the Rolling Stones and the heyday of the British Invasion to the spawning of the Reading Festival, this book explores the music history of the London clubs that were the engine rooms for British rock n roll. Many of the now legendary British rock bands honed their skills and developed their stage acts performing on the London club circuit at venues such as The Ealing Club, The Crawdaddy Club, The Marquee, The 100 Club, The Half Moon, the Ricky Tick, The Bull's Head and the infamous Eel Pie Island Hotel. We revisit the days when Eric Clapton was God and Rock ruled the world. Play it Loud!

Why is 2022 'Rock's Diamond Year'?

On March 17th 1962, Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies started the EALING BLUES CLUB. The first UK gig devoted to 'electric blues music'. Musicologists agree that this event was the catalyst that would define British Rock music. The Ealing Blues Club sparked a musical revolution that grew further at Twickenham's Eel Pie Island and Richmond's Crawdaddy Club, 3 venues that were vital in the careers of: The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds / Eric Clapton, The Who, Cream and many more.

Elsewhere in 1962 there were rumblings of a cultural shift with The Beatles, Dusty Springfield, The Animals, Marshall Amplification and many others setting the tone for what became the UK's most significant cultural export... Rock & Pop Music.

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CONTENTS

Introduction by Ralph Brookfield

The Ealing Club by Alistair Young

An Adolescence in Music by Robert Hokum

The Eel Pie Island Club/Eel Pie Club, Twickenham by Gina Way

The Crawdaddy Club, Richmond by David Sinclair

Ignition - Giorgio Gomelsky by Cheryl Robson

The Bull's Head, Barnes by Pete Feenstra

The Ricky Tick Club, Windsor by Pete Clack

The Half Moon Club, Putney by Patrick Humphries

The Marquee Club, Soho by Charlotte Banks

The 100 Club, Soho by Richard Luck "...gives insight into the Big Bang of rock music and why it was centered around southwest London suburbs in the 60s. Highly recommended." - Mark Dezzani, DJ, Radio Caroline