Rick Hardy's GuestbookReturn to main
page
From:
From: Geoff Email: mailto:geoffgibbs01@btinternet.com
Posted on: Saturday, February 22, 2003, 07:41 PM
Hi Rick, your
guestbook is now up & running. (expect lots of cranky entries!)
From: Chas McDevitt Email: mailto:skiffle@onetel.net.uk
Posted on:Wed Feb 26 21:39:05 2003
Here's your first cranky
message. If only you had come back to England from Germany instead of swanning
off to Thailand and the far east, we might have the Rick Hardy celebration tour
to look forward to, instead of Paul McCartney's!
From: Mary (Lowther) Jabbour Email: mailto:maryjabbour@yahoo.com
Posted on: Thu Feb 27 06:13:06 2003
Hello Rick, I am so glad I
found your website and its various other links. You have amazing recollection of
that period and it should not be wasted. We all had a great time in the late
50's and early 60's at the 2I's, little did we realise its final impact on the
music industry. I am particularly looking for Keith Lardner, lead singer with
Les Hobeaux, if anyone knows of his whereabouts please let me know. Cheers Rick,
let's hope your Guestbook is the start of something. Mary
From: Anne Email: mailto:anniew@shaddow42.fsnet.co.uk
Posted on: Thu Feb 27 14:15:24 2003
Hello again, hope it works
this time! Lets hope this is a link up for lots of old "Two-Eyesers". Re Chas's
message - Paul who???
From: John B Bowskill Email: mailto:JohnBBowskill@aol.com
Posted on: Sat Mar 8 12:10:58 2003
Having played at the Top ten
club in Hamburg in 1965,I recently re-visited the Reeperbahn during a business
trip. Although it is now 35 years ago I managed to find the Building now called
the Goldern Stars.It brought back memories of Ian Hines,Jackie Lynton, Peter
Eckhorne the owner and Ricky the doorman.Memories cannot be taken away. What an
experience it was!
From: Rick Hardy Email: mailto:rickhardy@cwctv.net
Posted
on: Sun Mar 9 01:23:52 2003
Dear John Bowskill I tried to send en email
to the address you left. As it is just a case of me clicking on I can't see that
it was me! Please check it. Thanks.
From: Rockin' Henri Email: mailto:rockandroll@home.nl
Posted
on: Wed Mar 12 22:33:01 2003
I guess you are one of the very few
originals of those good ol' 50's/early 60's having an own website with great
story and wonderful pictures ! Hope that you will get lot's of reply to this
great site (especially for those fans involved in the British yesterday's rock
& roll scene !). Bye, Rockin' Henri, http://dutch.rockabilly.nl/
From: Hans Olof Gottfridsson Email: mailto:hans.olof.gottfridsson@kau.se
Posted on: Wed Mar 19 15:09:16 2003
Hi Rick, What a great home
page you have! I must also take the opportunity to thank you for all the help
you have given me in the research for my upcoming book about British Beat in
Hamburg. Being one of the pioneer rock musicians going to Hamburg your help has
been invaluable. I greatly respect your knowledge and only wished we had gotten
in touch sooner. That way I could have avoided many of the mistakes I made in my
earlier books. Hans Olof Gottfridsson /Author of the books: 'The Beatles From
Cavern to Star-Club' and 'Beatles Bop - Hamburg Days' KARLSTAD UNIVERSITY,
SWEDEN
From: Bill Mielenz Email: mailto:mielenzsales@cs.com
Posted
on: Thu Mar 20 16:36:44 2003
Rick Hardy has finally set history stright!
Before reading the content of this website I had no idea that The Jets had ever
exisited. I am very grateful to Rick having set about to correct the history of
English rock bands in Hamburg, Germany and at the 2I's in London. Thank you Rick
for helping us historians to know the facts. Sincerely, Bill Mielenz.
From: Bernd Matheja Email: mailto:bernd.matheja@t-online.de
Posted on: Thu Mar 27 00:34:01 2003
Hi Rick, that's an ace site
and very welcome to post a sky-high THANK YOU for piles of help you gave me. In
my book "1000 Nadelstiche" (as early as August 2000) your story about the early
Hamburg days remains an invaluable highlight. I am sure it is an appreciated
source for many fans and writers to learn the TRUTH about what REALLY happened.
Keep well, good friend! -And I DO mean it!!!!
From: Nigel Email: <>
Posted
on: Thu Apr 24 14:08:42 2003
Great history! I wish I had been around.
From: Alex The Almost Email: mailto:alex.wharton@btinternet.com
Posted on: Tue Jun 10 12:11:23 2003
Hi Rick, Someone sent me a
link to your site... Well done - good site!
From: Rockin' Henri Email: mailto:rockaroundmeerssen@home.nl
Posted on: Sat Oct 4 02:36:34 2003
Thank you for your great
interview with me at RTME-radio in Meerssen (near Maastricht, south of
Netherlands) and the great Johnny Cash recordings you did there...... Seems BBC
also was listening to RTME, now that you've been contacted for that TV-special
about Cliff, wow, fabulous ! Rockin' Henri RTME and co-editor rock & roll
magazine Boppin' Around
From: John Fuhrman Email: sjfuhrman@cox.net
Posted on: Sun
Feb 15 02:19:42 2004
I was doing a search and found your site..it is
wonderful and I look forward to passing it around to some other Brit Rock fans.
When I found your site I was in the process of trying to find out more about
a singer named Joe Brown. He sang the last song (See You in My Dreams) at the
Concert for George last year at the Royal Albert Hall. We've been big fans of
the English music scene since the " Invasion" in the '60's and thought I had
heard of most everyone....this fella was terrific and we'd like to find out more
about him...any ideas where we can track down some info or his cd's? I figure if
he was given the final song with the likes of Paul and Ringo and Eric behind him
he must be someone of history and stature in the music biz! Thanks, in
advance,
John Fuhrman Las Vegas
From: John Bryce, Toronto Shadows Club Email: mailto:johnb@torontoshadowsclub.com>
Posted on: May 19 16:36 2004
Hi Rick: I'm off to London in a few
weeks for The Shadows final performance at the Palladium and was looking up the
address of The 2i's (I hear they've put up a plaque). That's how I found myself
on your site. What a find!! It's great ... some wonderful nostalgia there and
terrific pictures. I'll be delighted to add your address to our links page. I'm
sure a lot of our members will get a kick out it. http://www.torontoshadowsclub.com/
Best
wishes John Bryce, Toronto Shadows Club
From: Geoff
Posted on: Wednesday, January 12, 2005, 12:55
AM
There was a problem with the guestbook,
but now seems ok $%&^7*7$334$4$4^**!
From: rib
Posted on: Thursday, January 13, 2005, 07:48
PM
thingy
From: Betty Email: mailto:bettieboo@jerseymail.co.uk
Posted on: Sunday, January 23, 2005, 11:41 AM
What a lovely nostalgic read, I am at
the scene, and remember you Rick, very well, along with Tony Sheridan, Tony
Harvey, Bobby Whiteman, to name but a few. You took a photo of us all at a
party, which I would love to see, it was in 1958!! Good luck and thanks for the
memory.
From: Betty Email: mailto:bettieboo@jerseymail.co.uk
Posted on: Tuesday, January 25, 2005, 06:53 PM
Hi Ricky, I do not recall where the party
was except possibly Chiswick but I do know you gave the photo to a sunday paper,
who printed it on the front page, stating it was a going away party for Vince,
Vince was there, Tony Meehan, Johnny Foster, Sammy Samwell, along with a few
othrs, I too have a few photos, I will let you see, Paul Lincoln, W.W. Harris
and I have one of Tony Harvey singing on stage with Vince Taylor that I took,
along with the one of you, that you signed on the back, along with Brian Bennett
and Liquorice (Bless)Also photos taken at a party in South-end, where Bobby
Woodman and Stan dressed as women, remember!!!! Betty
From: Nicholas Meyrath Email: mailto:nick@reflex.at
Posted on:
Wednesday, February 23, 2005, 09:06 PM
Hi
Rick, I am a friend of your brother Pete's ans was a tremendous Beatles fan. I
did not realize till now that there was a "preamble" to their "Star Club" gigs
in Hamburg! Did you ever play in Glasgow?
From: Alf Dole (pearly king) Email: mailto:shadow64@hotmail.com
Posted
on: Saturday, March 12, 2005, 12:30 PM
Hi Rick do you remember me Alf Dole
pearly king i played the spoons with you at epsom a few year ago. all the best
seeyou soon Alf
From: The Gnu
Posted on: Tuesday, April 05, 2005, 10:56
PM
The guestbook looks good to me!
From: Anne Waters Email: mailto:anniew@shaddow42.fsnet.co.uk
Posted on: Wednesday, April 06, 2005, 12:48 PM
Anne Goff is looking for Helen Brown
(04/04/2005 21:16:45) (Goff was my maiden name, it is now Waters) Am trying to
find Helen Brown who ran the UK Johnny Cash fan club in the early 60s. She had a
brother Chris and two sisters, Susan and Jackie. She originally lived in Purley,
then the family went to the Hopbine inn at Brenchley, then to the New Inn
Sidley. I know Helen married and moved to the States, but would be grateful if
anyone can put me in touch with her or any of her family. I think her mother and
stepfather's surname was Smallwood.
From: dean smith Email: mailto:deansmith851@msn.com
Posted
on: Monday, June 06, 2005, 12:33
AM
hi,great page but can you help me
obtain a song by les hobeaux called dynamo.i been after it for years but no
luck,also i wasnt around in 1950s or 1960s as i wasnt born...
From: Mark Hanau Email: mailto:aimulti@aimultimedia.com
Posted on: Friday, July 22, 2005, 10:43 PM
Great web site. At the age of seven or
eight i was an honary member of the 2i's. My father had a flat on the second
floor of 59 Old Compton Street and one night Lord Sutch came up and painted his
signature on a wall. I first went to the 2i's with a beatnik friend of my
mothers. Soho was wild in those days. In the same block as the 2i's has a sex
shop (only five feet wide. In the back room (about 4' x 5') they sold illigal
Olympia Press pornography. Two door down was Heaven and Hell (a brothel
nightclub). It was owned by a gangster who later produced Roman Polanski. The
first ever sex cinema in London was opposite the club. I would love to hear from
anyone who visited the2 i's or has any photographs from the club. I am writing a
book on the early rock scene in London (2i's, Whisky, Macarbre, Flami
From: Jim Branson Email: mailto:jbranson01@hotmail.com
Posted on: Monday, July 25, 2005, 12:16 AM
Rick, Don't know if you remember or
not,but I talked to you a few years back about trying to find Colin (Melander)
Crawley). After you put me in touch with him, he came here to North Carolina
& visited with me and my wife. We corresponded for a few months, but then he
was off to Spain and I haven't been able to contact him since. Do you still have
an address or phone number for him. If so, please contact me.
From: s osullivan
Posted on: Saturday, September 24, 2005,
09:47 AM
very interesting great stuff
From: alex the almost
Posted on: Friday, October 14, 2005,
04:06 PM
Good luck with the new computer
Rick. Keep on rockin', but lose a bit of weight!
From: Tamer Aksoy Email: mailto:taksoy1@hotmail.com
Posted
on: Sunday, October 16, 2005, 04:07
PM
Very nice to have met you and your site
was quite pleasant to view.
From: jean thomassen Email: mailto:jeanthomassen@hotmail.com
Posted on: Wednesday, November 02, 2005, 02:10 PM
Very interesting website and nice to
hear from someone who knew the great Vince Taylor in better days. Kind regards
Jean Thomassen
From: Mags Email: mailto:inthoughtsofyou@btopenworld.com
Posted on: Sunday, November 27, 2005, 01:52 PM
What a brilliant site, I really enjoyed
reading all about you and your experiences. Love the photos, do you have any
with Billy Fury?
From: Peter Rees Email: mailto:peter.rees@ntlworld.com
Posted on: Tuesday, December 20, 2005, 05:33 PM
I was given your site address by
Sheila Waters as I was looking for information on Terry Dene. I believe he
was/is one of the most neglected of the British Rock'Roll pioneers. Can he be
contacted?
From: Rick Hardy
Posted on: Friday, December 23, 2005,
07:39 PM
Maybe. I'll contact you directly.
From: Michel Email: mailto:billdogblue@yahoo.com
Posted on: Friday, January 20, 2006, 03:38 PM
Hi Rick I would to know if the band
when you play with Clay Nicholls was Clay Nicholls & the Blue Flames ? Thank
you Regards
From: Michel Email: mailto:billdogblue@yahoo.com
Posted on: Friday, January 20, 2006, 03:42 PM
Hi Rick I would to know if the band
when you play with Clay Nicholls was Clay Nicholls & the Blue Flames ? Thank
you Regards
From:
Posted on: Friday, January 20, 2006, 03:43 PM
From: Darren Vidler Email: mailto:lindajune@tiscali.co.uk
Posted on: Sunday, February 05, 2006, 01:02 PM
Hi Rick, Great to meet up with you on
Friday and to hear all those memories of 2i's etc. I wish I was old enough to
have been there. Wally Whyton told me it wasn't as good there in the Mid
Sixties?, was it 1966 it finished Regards Darren Vidler
From: Rick Hardy
Posted on: Friday, February 10, 2006,
12:28 AM
Hi Darren, The Two Eyes finally
closed its doors in 1967. That is a fact.
From: Patricia Email: mailto:pmx12led@hotmail.com
Posted
on: Friday, February 10, 2006, 09:25
PM
Hi...just logged on to your
website..great!!! I use dto go to the 2's..regularly..it was brilliant..down in
the smokey basement I was about 15. Also does anyone remember the Macabre coffee
bar? the ashtrays were skulls, I still have one..with the address on it!!!!!
From: Rick Hardy
Posted on: Saturday, February 11, 2006,
01:13 AM
The Two Eyes finally closed in 1967.
From: Ian Smith Email: mailto:mr.iansmith@btinternet.com
Posted on: Wednesday, March 08, 2006, 03:21 PM
Hi has any bodie heard of a chap,
called Big Beat Kris, He is mad about the history of the 2i's, and some of the
photo's he has are out of this world.
From: Rick Hardy
Posted on: Wednesday, March 08, 2006,
04:13 PM
No. I've never heard of him. But I'd
like to see his photos.
From: Ian Smith Email: mailto:mr.iansmith@btinternet.com
Posted on: Thursday, March 09, 2006, 08:59 AM
Hi his e-mail address is
rockinbigbeat@btinternet.com I think he has met you and Wee Willy Harris, and
Brian Gregg, in a cafe in Camberwell South london, Well that's what he claims
anyway. Ian
From: Rick Hardy
Posted on: Friday, March 10, 2006, 12:19
AM
Yes. I remember him now. All the photos he
has were taken by me and are my copyright. Some time back I sold reproductions
to a man who was the franchise holder of a restaurant that used the old 2.I's
premises. That was in 1994. He wanted to turn the cellar into a sort of Rock and
Roll museum and put the photos on the wall. Later when the restaurant went bust
the pictures were found and got into your friend's possession. He can't do
anything with them because the copyright is mine for at least 75 years after I
am dead! Just because you find an old song copy of a Beatles song doesn't mean
you own the song! All my photos are with the agency 'Music Pictures,Com' and you
have to pay to use them. Regards, Rick Hardy www.rickhardy.co.uk
From: Sandy
Posted on: Friday, March 10, 2006, 07:12 PM
Ooh, handbags at dawn eh?!!
From: Ian Email: mailto:mr.iansmith@btinternet.com
Posted on: Tuesday, March 14, 2006, 05:44 PM
Hi, Yes I was a bit confused, in the
content of Ricks reply, but It has been cleard up now, and it has been delt
with, Kris owns the photo's but not the copy Rights, so as he owns them he
should be able to use them, no ?
From: Rick Hardy
Posted on: Wednesday, March 15, 2006,
04:01 PM
No. I'm afraid he can't use them. The
law on the copyright of photographs is quite specific.
From: Ian Smith Email: mailto:mr.iansmith@btinternet.com
Posted on: Thursday, March 16, 2006, 12:38 PM
Hi Rick, You are of cause very right,
and to any body there here is a link, that confirms, it. Kind regards Ian
www.copyrightservice.co.uk/protect/p16_photography_copyright
From: maureen ridley Email: mailto:mo.art@talktalk.netmaureen
Posted on: Wednesday, April 12, 2006, 10:02 PM
Ifirst went to the Cats whiskers coffee
bar then to the 2'is wnen I first went to the 2'is someone called Fred sang
there,Iwould be interested to here anything about him, or the Cats whiskers.
From: Rick Hardy
Posted on: Thursday, April 13, 2006, 10:40
PM
Hi Maureen, The 'Fred' that you remember
was undoubtably Freddie Lloyd who sang for a short time with the Worried Men and
later joined the Vipers. He then went to Hamburg (after me, so I didn't meet him
there) first as a singer and then as a booker for the Top Ten Club on the
Reeperbahn. I next met up with him many years later when he was an area manager
for a stage lighting company. He retired to Spain some years ago with his German
wife Monica, but he no longer lives in Malaga and no one knows what happened to
him. Can anyone help? Kind regards. Rick
From: Ian Best. Email: mailto:ian.best@hotmail.co.uk
Posted on: Wednesday, April 19, 2006, 09:30 PM
Great site. Why no Jet. Can't you get the
original line up back together for one last time, while it is still possible.
best regards. Ian Best
From: Rick Hardy
Posted on: Friday, April 21, 2006, 11:45
AM
Hi Ian. A few years back we did a combined
Jets/Beatbrothers reunion in Hamburg and played a few gigs. As well as myself,
Colin Melander and Tony Sheridan were there. As Jimmy Ward has disappeared (most
probably passed away) and the rest of us are scattered all over the world it is
difficult. But thanks for your interest. Rick
From: Owen Adams Email: mailto:adamsowen@hotmail.com
Posted on: Sunday, April 23, 2006, 09:31 PM
I missed out on the 2Is as I was only
born in 1971. But I was raised on rock 'n' roll and I really feel the British
scene in the 1950s needs more documenting. We hear many eulogies to US rock 'n'
rollers and Lonnie Donegan, but many other skifflers and rock'n'rollers have
been neglected from the annals. Trying to find UK music from the pre-Beatles era
is tricky, but some of the stuff I am unearthing is fantastic - notably Vince
Taylor's Brand New CRest of message: My main point is, I am researching a book
about the British music scenes (trad and modern jazz, skiffle, blues, blue beat
and rock 'n' roll) in the Fifties and more pertinently gathering material
specifically about the 2Is, its special atmosphere, the goings-on and the music
for a magazine feature to mark its 50th anniversary. I'd be grateful if Rick
could get in touch and I'd love to hear from anyone else who has distinct
memories of the 2Is.
From: Rick Hardy
Posted on: Tuesday, April 25, 2006, 09:50
AM
Hi Owen, Thanks for visiting my site and
your interest in the music. I would just like to point out that the influence of
Lonnie Donegan can not be underestimated. Without him, skiffle as a major
musical style would not have existed, and without skiffle many individual
artistes such as the Beatles, the Shadows and Mark Knopfler etc would possibly
have never been inspired to take up the guitar. In America they had Country
music to mainly encourage ordinary white people to take up instruments and
Rhythm and Blues to do likewise with black music lovers. Here in the UK it was
mainly just down to one person, Lonnie Donegan.
From: Mike Warner Email: mailto:mike@mikewarner.com
Posted
on: Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 12:09
PM
Hi, Fascianting. Your story (esp. the
part about the US-Clubs) reads like a carbon copy of mine... It's so greta to
find those great masters, like you, with the help of today's technologies. Rock
on !
From: Brian William Maisey Email: mailto:BWMaisey@aol.com
Posted on:
Thursday, June 08, 2006, 09:10 AM
It took
an Arm to find this site, if you sell a leg what does an old patriot like me
find then ? I shall study your site with typically scrutinising exactness, you
might be the person I'm looking for, your credentials are excellent. Thanks a
million for that chat with my Sister Christine and just maybe we will meet up
one fine day either in your vicinity or small world as it is in my vicinity.
Best wishes fröm Erlensee Brian William Maisey
From: maureen ridley Email: mailto:mo.art@talktalk.net
Posted
on: Thursday, June 15, 2006, 10:05 PM
I
had a friend in the 50's I new from the cats whiskers coffee bar. ,we both went
out with boys in the group,which was called Leon Bells Rockers. her name Terry
Welling I saw in the newspapper that she married someone that Mickie Most sang
with I his name may have been Colin Terry sang at the caberet club in London
near Oxford Circus.Thank you for the picture of Fred from the 2i's.
From: Rick Hardy
Posted on: Thursday, June 22, 2006, 08:18
PM
Hello Maureen, a girl called Terry who sang
at Murray's married the bass player Grian Grieg. Could this be the one you
mentioned? I'll mention it again. Please wait at least 24 hours after leaving
your message to see it in the guestbook. Don't blame me, blame the server. Rick.
From: Betty Email: mailto:bettieboo@jerseymail.co.uk
Posted on: Tuesday, July 25, 2006, 07:23 PM
It is such good news about the 'Blue
Plaque' being placed on the site of the 2i's, at long last. Well done Rick.
From: Geoff Gibbs Email: geoffgibbs01@btinternet.com
Posted on: Tuesday, July 25, 2006, 21:23 PM
I was wondering what Rick was doing up
a ladder in Old Compton Street late the other night!.
From: Simon Spillett
Posted on:Just checked out your
website. Fantastic stuff! Good to know that your part of Brit-Music history is
documented for everyone to see.
All the best Simon Spillett
www.freewebs.com/simonspillett
From: Rick Hardy Email: mailto:prof100@cwctv.net
I am honoured
that such a great jazzman as yourself should be so complimentary.