Blog Home Uncategorized tiffany's nightclub wimbledon. Glad there are people who remember those great nights at the Elms etc.. Jim Eaton. It was designed to be a demo studio and we quickly gained a reputation for quality recordings. We now had a lead singer !! As an extra bonus, she could play the piano! The Locarno was closed between 1929 and 1934. Thats great to hear you had a reunion recently,its something we are unable to do following the sad loss of our drummer Gary,but Jim and I sat in with the band at my daughters wedding..brave of them!but I think the audience reaction,though biased,convinced them it was worth taking the risk. The Atalanta Ballroom, Woking. We were however, building on our success with Mecca, which resulted in the award of a number gold cups for best band on the circuit. Glad to hear you are well, Regards, Jim Eaton. Mark had been living in Sydney, Australia where he ran a successful event/management company. tiffany's nightclub wimbledon. 1966 saw more changes in the band. So many of us have been driven nearly crazy for years trying to identify that song from that very (repetitive) scene. I never did get over the fear of doing it again.I only found out yesterday of Bashers death and was really sorry to hear it. TUNNEL 267, 267 The Broadway, Wimbledon, SW19 1SD +44 (0) 208 540 0080 . This was even more horrendous than our last name and thankfully it didnt last too long. A nightclub striptease is seen in its initial stages, revealing the stripper's bare back. I still play in a 70s Rock band and a duo in the North East of England http://www.chevrons74.co.uk I am the one with the long hair playing guitar and keyboards, I am still running Tim Gentle Music, but now mainly as an online store. knew right away that it had been Brian Alexander of the MONOTONES but even he never heard of that title. As we got further into the evening we were able to perform songs we were more used to including material by The Mamas and Papas, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Byrds and The Beach Boys. Jim Eaton : Jim replaced me as rhythm guitarist when I left for University and was 10 times a better player than I was. 31.74.04.1001. Watched Gangsters & listened to Stevie Wonder, Sex Pistols etc. 152. I was invited to join The Treetops in the late-seventies as keyboard player. We had just began to get together, as he lived just around the corner from me. After nearly 45 years,today I finally tracked down and met up with Jim Eaton at the Elms only to be greeted with the tragic news that Mark Lloyd had lost his fight with cancer.As a singer myself with another local group and who was frequently invited as guest singer with the Monotones in Marks absence, I admired him tremendously and counted him as a good friend.He was supremely talented with a powerful voice, capable of singing anything from good old rock and roll to ballads and everything in between. Problem was, how could a then little known group fill the venue, on a Thursday evening when it was in any case competing with the London? I was fortunate to meet up with Jim again at The Elms the day after Nigel died. Brian was so accommodating and encouraged anyone and everyone who played anything to be involved. I remember Lionel from the Estuary Gym, as I trained there. I should also say that in the 1960s, Keith (who had a recording studio at the time) produced records for the brilliant local guitarist Pete Willsher, who is mentioned elsewhere on this site. Originally, there was Maxine & Geoff singing, Rod Nolan on drums, Ian on bass (for a short while), Richard Bainbridge on sax, John Spinx on Vox Continental organ later we added baritone sax & trumpet. 1964 saw the release of our second record Its Great which once again took us back to Regent Sound studio for the recording session. We were engaged at one point, but I got fed up and went off to the States, lost touch. Brian, true to his entrepreneurial character went on to open two further clubs to add to his portfolio of businesses. So you come from Liverpool originally - this is worse than I thought.I will have to completely reassess our relationship now.Seeing the Sex Pistols mentioned reminded me I was at college with Malcolm McLaren and little Helen who was in the 'Great Rock and Roll Swindle'. I remember Gary always getting out his drum sticks betwen classes and giving a drum solo on his desk. Places like Tiffanys are sadly missed but great memories. I will, however, contact Jim who has a daughter in Australia that he visits. I have asked him to add any comments to this web page to bring everyone up to date on his life since leaving The Treetops. This was to prove important in the future as he was adept at seeking new opportunities and with Pete as lyricist wrote several of our initial recordings. Toeing the line in all white, players find ways to stand out at Wimbledon. As such, the Wimbledon Foundation, the official charity of the Club and The Championships, has increased its Coronavirus Fund to 1.5m (from 1.2m). Characters drink and smoke in scene . Of course I also caught up with Mark as I try to do most years. And my eight year old son Theo, has started playing guitar and already has done a few small gigs with another eight year old drummer Sam, and is very proud of being thrown out of a pub we were playing in, because he was still there after 9 oclock, he feels very Rock & Roll, such fun. I joined them around 1966 on guitar- I was playing a Harmony H75 when I joined & changed shortly to a Gretsch Tennessean. Gary Nicholls was our replacement drummer, Brian on lead guitar and general group management, Pete on bass guitar, Mark as lead vocalist and myself, having dropped the ridiculous name of Thurston Crane, on rhythm guitar and shared lead vocals. Its worth checking out his website on http://www.popset.com.au, Dont Worry Baby/ I Remember. It was originally a cinema I believe in the 50s, then it was a nightclub called the Moulin Rouge. Never buy anything from his cousin Mike, it will be your downfall. Recently met Rodney Clark & shall soon see him & Peter Trout (facebook friend) in concert. I have spoken to Mark and he told me you made him feel pretty old by calling him your great grandfather when in fact you are his great nephew ie. Went to town with Sam at 2.00 pm. Would love to hear from you if you have the time. As a result of this he decided to create a club of his own, took over a large Chinese restaurant in Hampton Court and re-created a mini Tiffanys called Alexanders. When I collected it from the Elms to take on the gig, it was all covered in beer stains and quite battered, so I spent the next day cleaning it all up and gluing back the bits of covering that had come off the amps, an when I returned it you all thought I had brought back someone elses gear. If youre interested Jim is broadcasting 2 interviews with BBC Essex recalling our period as The Treetops. It features 9 tracks by The Monos, 6 by Mark and 12 of The Treetops. Whats more he was tone deaf and couldnt hold a note to save his life! My e-mail address is jimboeat@hotmail.com All the best Mike, Regards, Jim. The manager was Gordon Hall (I was his girlfriend, and I smashed up his E-type jag!) It is the Mark Punter Show on 11th and 18th June and usually around 13.30 . I had forgotten he was the bouncer at the Elm. 56. Hi I have just found your website it was lovely to read your story of the group and where you all ended up after Tiffanys Wimbledon closed, I was a waitress in the 70s there and have very fond memories of the group it was a great place to be and very much an eye opener for me. Bit too much weight for the dear old boy to lift now, though. Going back to my nightmare.I have to confess that having written the words Somethings Hurting Me,I decided to leave the band in 1966 so that Rod could sing Rag Doll with you for the Tiffanys audition and I knew he wouldnt survive being called Un Garconand it would only be a matter of time.Well,in fact there was No Waitingand Brian came knocking on my door..to be continued !!! This was our first meeting at the Ilford Palais with Andrew Loog Oldham, later to become the Rolling Stones Manager. (Hmmmmm!) Christ Stevens and his brother, Graham still play: Douggie the lead guitar was the only bloke I knew who actually then owned a Baby Binson disk echo. I ended up working there in the box office at Alexanders until 1976. The lead roll in the film, titled The Best Legs in the Business was played by Reg Varney. I performed a number of songs by The Coasters such as Charlie Brown and Girls, Girls, Girls during which I remember clucking like a chicken as a solo! As ex-WHSB I too have lots of memories of those days generally, and of our association with the Monotones, mainly Nigel and Brian. Kudos to you, Mr. We eventually bought a couple of Selmer Selectortone amps and a Watkins Copycat echo unit.proper gear! In October 1966 The Beach Boys released the iconic Good Vibrations and I recall we rehearsed this number for hours and hours. In the 1960s the band were regulars at The Elms, The Halfway House in Thorpe Bay and the Kursaal Ballroom but we also played all the yacht clubs in the area and many times at the Cliffs Pavilion. Brian arranged for us to record What Would I Do which he had co-written with Pete at Pyes Marble Arch studios. In April 1966 we opened the new Tiffanys club and started a new phase in our career with a new name, The Treetopsbut thats another story to follow. Another tale. It will include The Monotones, Paramounts, Procol Harum, Mickey Jupp, Dr Feelgood, Kursaals, Eddie and the Hot Rods (who Ive already written a book on), Alison Moyet and so on, through to present day acts. With a line-up of Brian Alexander on lead guitar and backing vocals, myself on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, Rod Clarke on bass guitar and lead vocals, Mark Lloyd on lead vocals and vibes and Pete Trout on drums we felt ready for the night. I understand you know my father Elliott Burchmore, I am trying to reach him. Required fields are marked *. Yes Matt,Ive got a lot to thank Tiffanys [and The Treetops] for!I wouldnt have met your Mum and it would have brought reality to our record Without the one you love.Instead,I could say Life is getting better'[a bit late to be plugging our records! This caught the attention of the headmaster who informed me that I was probably in the wrong job, he was right and I left. Sam phoned at 3.50 but I wasnt in.I phoned him at 6.00pm.He came round at 7.15 pm & went at 11.15pm. We did several local promotional appearances and a number of photo shoots in London. thanx in anticipation, Pete Day. We all clubbed together and risked our wages on a huge (for us) ad in the local Southend Standard: and, thank goodness, it was a sell-out. Not without a continent and ethnicity change , I too went to westcliff high school and left in 1960. seabrook grays harbor county, wa, united states I left to go to work at Tiffany's in London Great days . It was originally a cinema I believe in the 50s, then it was a nightclub called the Moulin Rouge. Billy, if you contact Chris, the webmaster, will pass along your info to me or Jill so Rod and I can get in touch. The group were Banned: but invited back after a week or two, however the deal was different. The club closed in 1997 and was demolished 18 months later, with a block of nondescript red brick flats now on the site - called The . THE TREETOPS.More personal memories by Jim Eaton. Read 'Wimbledon Arcade' - a nostalgic memory of Wimbledon in our Share Your Memories online community. MeatBasedPlants 6 days ago. In the article about the band for The Southend Standard Jim Eaton also noted their appearance on Ready Steady Go, Thank Your Lucky Stars and Juke Box Jury, clips Id love to see if they still survive. But all the other rocknrollers came thanks to the plugging by the new English groups. Firstly, its great to see some comments relating to the band. We would usually finish with our version of Who Wears Short Shorts by Freddie and the Dreamers, at the end of which we all dropped our trousers. Dear Jim, please do give me your email address under jonas43@email.de, so I can send you more information. I dont go to South end very often now but was there last year and showed my husband some of my old haunts and told him about the White all and the London inn. You can get in touch with Rod via Jill. I am also ex-Westcliff High School (1955-1960) and was for a time in the same class as you, Jim, and Andrew Rainbow who has corresponded recently. Hi, I have just heard off the sad passing of dear Nigel my thoughts are with his family, I worked with Nigel,Jim,Brian at Alexanders night club as well as being a regular at Tiffanys Wimbledon. Finally during the year Pete Stanley also decided to leave to concentrate on his business. Did Peter really steal me away? With the addition of Martha we could now tackle new material, which now included five part harmonies. I am easy to find as the only Payze in NSW! He also had an ear fetish, which was just too annoying. During this period we built up a small following of fans who started to follow us about. I used to love the end term dances with the Monotones playing. Wonderfull to have found this site. Our stage was set into a cave with a door at the back leading to the dressing room. Nigel was renamed as Mark Lloyd and I was given the ridiculous name of Thurston Crane! Normally these sessions took place in the mornings, and after a late previous night at the club some of the higher notes were a little difficult. Pat Kirby ( always known as Paddy because of his Irish background) was selling Hi Fi in a local shop and somebody told me about him. Just a final few memories to add of my time at Alexanders before I got a proper job. Hi Jim, My memories go back to when I was a teenager at school, and going home, having to pass The Elms, I could hear a group practicing, and having just taken up the drums at that point, stopped and tried to look under the rotating front door of the dance hall at The Elms. See: http://www.ian-gregory.co.uk/. Somebody did a website on me a couple of years ago. We had a lot of fun and accomplished a lot during my tenure with The Treetops and I have many fond memories from that time. They like a good tale at AFC Wimbledon; their remarkable history is full of them. If you contact Peter, he has my email address and I would appreciate a hello. Its surprising what you suddenly remember at 3 in the morning whilst spending a pennyand not always the good things.in fact a bit of a nightmare from a performance at The Elms!! Although I was never in a band, I followed the Southend groups around the local venues and it was great to be reminded of them The Elm, The London, The Palace, Whitehall and Snakes Lane, Eastwood. Gary, our drummer, was replaced as he wished to concentrate on his printing apprenticeship.