In terms of popular music, the 1960's is regarded as the benchmark to which all other decades are compared, despite the fact that very little of enduring note occurred in the decade's first three years. The Twist? A passing phenomenon and typical of the way that the music industry encouraged obsolescence. It could be seen in the careers of America's and Britain's rock icons, Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard, who were clearly steered away from rock'n'roll and towards what was termed "family entertainment".
At the end of 1962, The Beatles arrived and conquered Britain, but it would take over a year with three flop singles and a dormant album before the USA would capitulate to the Liverpudlian charmers with the pudding basin haircuts, but when Beatlemania gripped America, it heralded the longest period of world rock influence that Britain has yet experienced.
Where was the Dungeon Master at the very time the music world exploded? Well folks, right in there with it, I was in my teens and keen on getting a slice of the action. I played rhythm guitar with a few lads of my own age and we called ourselves THE MUSTANGS. We never really made it anywhere though, a few gigs at some local church halls playing to giggly 12 year old girls gave us the confidence to audition for the local pubs. "Sorry," was the general reply. "Keep trying lads but don't give up your daytime jobs just yet."
Job wise, unlike today, things could not be better for young folk, there was jobs chasing people. I remember the very hot month of July 1962 when I walked out of no less than five different jobs, collected my pay and moved on to another only to do the same. August 1963 was a great month for me, I passed my driving test and brought my first car, a 1955 Chevvy Impala, albeit a left hooker. Wow, was this a real piece of heavy bird pulling shite or what? (See the piccy elsewhere on this page)
There she sat in my parents driveway all waxed and polished with two tone red and cream shiny paintwork looking the bee's knees and the interior looked even better with all white LEATHER upholstery. Electric aerial, windows, seats, RECORD PLAYER and a commodity only seen today in very expensive cars, AIR CONDITIONING!
Yes Crypties, that was a real mean piece of kit, Blow yer modern day Ford Escort XR3i or Sierra Cosworth, my Chevvy despite of weighing nearly two tons with her 5.3 litre lump could piss the 7 second quarter mile, no joke! Fuel consumption? Don't even dare to ask! I did do a check one month and it blew my mind, or was it my wallet? 12 mpg or LESS... Mind you folks 5 star petrol was only half a crown a gallon in them days, yeah 12p per gallon.. eat yer hearts out!
Meanwhile whilst me and a car load of mates were out burning rubber and chasing girls the revolution began as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones independently began to find a fast growing audience for their live performances of songs by Chuck Berry. Blues, rock'n'roll, R&B, call it what you like was what they played before they started writing their own songs.
Between 1964 and 1966 dozens of British groups made fortunes, both here and in the States, some like the Dave Clark Five and Freddie & The Dreamers doing better in the USA rather than at home.
My Chevvy blew up, my wallet was empty from trying to fill up its gas tank, I brought a "sensible" vehicle, a '57 Standard 8. I even got myself a steady job and a girlfriend and sat back and enjoyed the decade.
An apocryphal statement frequently quoted in the 1990's suggests that anyone who claims to remember the Sixties could not have lived through the decade. This is plainly incorrect as Sixties influences in fashion and music are arguably even more prevalent today than they were in the decade in which they first appeared. If this were not so, why would I have written this article and why would we have featured a RETRO edition of THE CRYPT?