David Sinclair

Alistair Young

Ralph Brookfield

Richard Luck

Charlotte Banks

Gina Way

Pete Clack

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. The Rolling Stones, the Who, Rod Stewart, Pink Floyd, The Faces, David Bowie and The Yardbirds are amongst the many acts who performed on the London club circuit at venues such as The Ealing Club, The Crawdaddy Club, The Bull's Head, The Half Moon, The Ricky Tick, The Marquee, The 100 Club, 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. 60 years on from 1962 and 'ROCK'S DIAMOND YEAR' will celebrate the UK's unique contribution to what has become a global music form. The initiative is led by The Ealing Club Community Interest Company' set up to champion West London music heritage while inspiring new music opportunity for the future. www.rocksdiamondyear.com WRITERS Introduction by Ralph Brookfield The Ealing Club by Alistair Young The Eel Pie Island Club/Eel Pie Club, Twickenham by Gina Way The Crawdaddy Club, Richmond by David Sinclair The Ricky Tick Club, Windsor by Pete Clack The Half Moon Club, Putney by Nina Jackson The Marquee Club, Soho by Charlotte Banks The 100 Club by Richard Luck

Celebrating London's Music Heritage

Rock's Diamond Year

In the 1990s, Manchester hosted the most exciting British music movement since the Two-Tone explosion of the '80s. The home of legendary acts such as New Order and The Smiths, the early '90s saw Manchester give birth to great groups like The Happy Mondays, James and The Stone Roses. Blending the attitudes of The Fall and The Buzzcocks with cutting edge sampling techniques and the occasional chemical, these bands created the superb 'Madchester' sound. Of course, no sooner had the apple cart been upset than the scene began to suffocate under the weight of impostors. You need look no further than Primal Scream and Oasis to see that not all that was great about baggy died along with regional institutions like Factory Records and The Hacienda. The Pocket Essential Madchester profiles all the major bands of the time, together with the groups that influenced them and the swines that ripped them off. The book also pays tribute to important local figures like impresario Tony Wilson and DJ Mark Radcliffe and doffs its cap to Michael Winterbottom's ambitious attempt to transfer the story to the big screen, 24 Hour Party People.

From New Order and The Smiths to Primal Scream and Oasis

The Madchester Scene

Richard Luck

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