MARCH 2022

GLENDA COLLINS

Good news for Glenda Collins fans. it’s been stop and start getting her album done for obvious reasons but here is the first single from the album second chance. It’s called ‘Too Sad To Cry’ (one of my songs) The album could still take a while to come out, with Summer being the earliest as it’s still only half way done. At least this single will keep you going. Sadly the single is only on download at Itunes, Amazon and all good download stores. Here is an excerpt from it.
https://music.apple.com/us/album/too-sad-to-cry-single/1614933433

From: Russell Brennan

AGM AGENDA

The minutes of previous meetings are also available to view under the AGM Section, should members need to refresh their memory on past meetings.

THE JOE MEEK SOCIETY

AGENDA FOR THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

To be held in The George Hotel, Newent, Gloucester, GL18 1PU

At 11:30 am on Saturday 2^nd April 2022

1. Society Chairman: Welcome and opening remarks.

2. Apologies for absence.

3. Approval of minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on the 6^th April 2019 at The George Hotel, Newent, Gloucestershire

(a copy of the minutes may be obtained from the Society website – www.joemeeksociety.org or on request from the Secretary.

5. Discussion on matters arising from the above minutes.

6. Report by the Chairman.

6. Presentation by the Treasurer of the Accounts for the year ended 31^st March 2022 with discussion of ongoing subscription rates, and a proposal for their adoption. (copies of the Accounts will be available at the meeting).

7. Reports by (or on behalf of) committee members :-

Secretary – David Nevols

Thunderbolt Editor – Rob Bradford

Membership Secretary – Andy Knott

Back issues – Steve Nash

Website Admin. – Rob Humphreys.

8. The Joe Meek Society Hall of Fame nominations.

9. Election of members of the Management Committee.

10. Amendments to the Society’s constitution. (copies of The Constitution are available on the Society website. Some additional copies will be available at the meeting.)

11. Discussion on the future of The Society. Proposed by David Nevols

12. Date and venue for next year’s Annual General Meeting.

13. Any other business and comments or questions from the floor. (The Chairman will decide whether any specific issues raised are appropriate for discussion at this meeting).

14. Society Chairman: Closing remarks and farewell.

    ---

Lucky’s Lost Meek Radio Show

At the printers now!!!

Our long awaited AGM is due to be held at The George Hotel, Newent, Gloucestershire, on Saturday 2^nd April 2022, starting at 12:00 midday. This will be the first attended AGM since 2019 due to the COVID 19 pandemic.

If there are any issues or topics you would like to put forward for discussion within the agenda, please contact us as soon as possible using the “Contact us” message page on this website, giving your name, membership number and details of your enquiry.

We hope you will be able to attend the meeting in order to fully explain your item and answer any ongoing questions. AGM attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions under “Any Other Business” although immediate answers may not be given should the topic require further research.

David Nevols

Secretary. The Joe Meek Society

Don’t forget folks, the Joe Meek Society will be holding their AGM and live entertainments day on 2nd April 2022, PLUS the unveiling of the Joe Meek bust at 2pm. The live music will kick off with myself on the decks at 18:30pm with George Buddy, Shy, Bobby Rio and Cliff & The Stereos following on until midnight. Of course all of this is Covid dependent but as it stands, everything is in place and ready to go, so please make your overnight booking asap and hopefully we’ll see you all there for the annual gathering that’s been missed by us all for the past 2 years. If you are a JMS member, you’ll enter the evening for free, for non JMS members it will be £10 on the door..

IMPORTANT!
Do you plan to attend our 2022 AGM in Newent on 2nd April?
Please email the JMS to let us know if you will be attending. Also, give your membership no. and if you will be bringing guests.
Email:  joemeeksociety@gmail.com

**HERE WE GO FOLKS**

The long awaited event will be back. Of course, the situation could change at any time but we’ve set the date and everything has been booked for our return to Newent in Gloucestershire.
Please book your overnight rooms in advance as it’s on a first come basis. There are various B&B’s in the area but staying at the venue is a good advantage. The Red Lion and The Black Dog are only a two mins walk from The George Hotel. There are various B&B’s in the area but staying at the venue is a good advantage. The AGM kicks off the event at 12:00 midday and if a Joe Meek tour of Newent is requested on the day, then we’ll certainly have one. All Joe Meek Society members enter for free to say thank you for your patience over the past 3 difficult years. Get booking folks, it’s gonna be a Meektastic 12 hours in the birthplace of our legend. Pete.
(the event agenda may change if there’s any future additions)

PAYMENT FOR NON-MEMBERS – PAY TEN POUNDS TO PAYPAL email joemeeksociety@gmail.com

***HERE WE GO FOLKS***
The details of all the daytime activities for our return to Newent on 2nd April 2022. This must not be missed so book your overnight rooms. The daytime agenda kicks off at midday and the live evening entertainments kicks off at around 6:30pm. Times may vary during the afternoon due to the magnificent events throughout the day. The Mayoress of Newent will be present for the unveiling of my Joe Meek bust so make this event one not to be missed.
The George Hotel only had two rooms available for 2nd April when I left there yesterday but there are other B&B’s in the area if you cannot stay at the venue.

___________________________________________________________

AGM 2020-2021

The minutes are now available to read in the AGM Minutes section

PATRICK PINK (ROBBIE DUKE) RECORD COLLECTION

EXCLUSIVE !!!

The Society’s “Radio Library” has laid dormant for many years and many members will have never had access to it… Until now….!

The library contains over 100 shows from the 60s to present day and also such gems as Joe’s own vocal demos and autobiographical recordings. These were all transferred digitally in 2012 and will shortly available to hear in full via our website.

Please note this is a bonus feature to all Joe Meek Society members and is available to those members only.

If you are already a member of JMS and have not registered on our website for access to the exclusive content, you need to contact us with your name and a one word user name of your choice plus a 7 digit (mixed characters) password of your choice – email all that with your membership no. to joemeeksociety@gmail.com

If you are not a JMS member, you can join instantly via our website, for £18 per year which includes 3 bumper issues of our Thunderbolt magazine through your door (slightly higher rate for rest of the world due to postage)… or just £10 a year worldwide to join and receive Thunderbolt magazine digitally.

Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy this upcoming exciting bonus!

*IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT*

Hello everyone, there has been a change to the Joe Meek Society website and the following announcement by Cherry Red Records, they have insisted that all updates and information be exclusively available to the Joe Meek Society and it’s members.

During the estimated 18 month period before any release of material on CD, any information released and concerning the content of the tapes will ONLY be available to members.
All current members will be available to achieve full access but you must first register via the website.

Existing members there is a link in the menu when you can register. If you are not currently a member of the Joe Meek Society and would like to join, please visit the website and the log in/register link is on every page.

Your annual subscription entitles you to three issues of our Thunderbolt magazine with exclusive news, interviews, CD releases and Joe Meek events, together with full access to the JMS website which will keep you updated on the progress of the Tea Chest Tapes.
So join us and join in”.

Kindest regards,
The Joe Meek Society Committee.

Fantastic news for all lovers of 60s Music / History of Sound Recording / Joe Meek / RGM etc.

Rob Bradford writes…..This is a huge project which I shall be directly involved with:

CHERRY RED ACQUIRES JOE MEEK’S LEGENDARY ‘TEA CHEST TAPES’
Cherry Red Records have acquired legendary producer Joe Meek’s ‘Tea Chest Tapes’ – a near mythical collection of almost 2,000 reels that contain a vast amount of the producer’s work.

In the early 60s, Meek had a string of UK No 1s, including Telstar, which was the first song by a British artist to top the US charts. Meek pioneered numerous recording techniques in his studio flat (304 Holloway Road in North London). Following Meek’s death in 1967 the tapes passed on to Cliff Cooper, who worked with the producer when playing bass with the Millionaires and went on to found Orange Amplification.

The fabled quarter-inch tapes got their name because they were contained and sold in 67 tea chests. Amongst the recordings are previously unheard songs by David Bowie’s first band The Konrads, recordings by Billy Fury, several songs by Tom Jones, and unheard material from The Honeycombs, Heinz and John Leyton (who had a UK No 1 with Meek).

The Konrads can be heard playing an old Charlie & Inez Foxx song ‘Mockingbird’. This is widely thought to be Bowie’s first studio recording. Also included are mastered recordings of Mike Berry, Glenda Collins, Michael Cox, The Cryin’ Shames, The Outlaws, Screaming Lord Sutch and The Tornados – recordings which have languished in the vaults for five decades and should finally now see the light of day.

Further the tea chests contain demo recordings of (among others) Ray Davies, (who wrote some songs for The Honeycombs), Georgie Fame, Jonathan King, Alvin Lee, Gene Vincent, Rod Stewart, Steve Marriott and an early line-up of the band who became Status Quo. Finally it is said that there is also a demo tape of a certain Mark Feld, who later found fame under the name Marc Bolan with his band T. Rex.

Cherry Red plan to work closely with Alan Wilson at Western Star on the tape digitization and mastering side, as well as Pete Rochford and the Joe Meek Society to bring these amazing sounds to an audience who have been waiting patiently for many years.

‘I first met Cliff Cooper at the Classic Rock Awards 6 years ago so the process of Cherry Red acquiring the Tea Chest Tapes has taken its time. But we are so proud to now be the custodians of this unique library. Over 1,800 ¼ tapes with such a diverse range of artists, some superstars, and some almost completely unknown. The work that lies ahead is massive; baking, then cleaning up, then digitalisation, then clearing rights, then deciding how best to release the tracks. But, as always, we relish the challenge.’
– Iain McNay, Chairman Cherry Red Records
–
“I am so pleased to pass on to Cherry Red Records the tape collection of Joe Meek, which have been carefully stored and untouched for over 50 years.
I feel, as I have been the custodian of this collection, which may have otherwise been separated and lost.
Passing them to Cherry Red Records will be the perfect home for these original analogue recordings where they will be selected, carefully digitally mastered and released for the pleasure of future generations.
Joe was a legendary and innovative genius in music recording and production and rightly takes his place in the evolution and history of music”
– Cliff Cooper

As a lifelong Joe Meek enthusiast, the very mention of words ‘The Tea Chest Tapes’ have always stirred mixed emotions within me: Excitement – wondering what treasures may lay within. Amazement – that they still exist and of course Fear. These near-mythical reels containing Meek’s life’s work, could have deteriorated beyond repair.
Having now inspected and even tested some of these tapes, I am happy to confirm that they are in first class condition. Cliff Cooper has been an excellent custodian and has ensured that this important chunk of British music history has survived for more than half a century. I’m thrilled beyond words to hear at last the contents of these tapes and to be part of the restoration project. Who better than Cherry Red records to treat this project with the attention to detail and respect that it deserves?
– Alan Wilson, Western Star

It comes with GREAT pleasure to hear that Joe Meek’s T-Chest tapes have been bought and will now be given a new lease of life after 50+ years of being in storage. The Committee and all it’s members of the Joe Meek Society will be thrilled to hear that all of Joe’s tapes will, in time be available to enjoy as it’s been many decades of anticipation and much patience in the hope of their release.
On behalf of myself and the Joe Meek Society, I would like to give special thanks to Cliff Cooper, Cherry Red Records and Alan Wilson for making our dream possible.
– Pete Rochford Chairman of the Joe Meek Society.

The remarkable, unique tape archive (1, 800+ reels) of legendary 60s producer Joe Meek. A veritable musical / historical treasure trove of popular music history and recorded sound. Thanks to Cherry Red Records, the contents will gradually become available to music fans and collectors.

– Rob Bradford, ‘Thunderbolt’ Magazine Editor, The Joe Meek Society

To purchase go to our Merchandise link

  NEW TRIUMPHS ALBUM AVAILABLE

THE TRIUMPHS – MEEK AND WILD

CD 24 Tracks with 12-page booklet

1. Meeksville 2. Telstar 3. Runaway 4. Husky Team 5. North Wind 6. Eye Of The Storm 7. Wild Wind 8. M25 9. Green Jeans 10. All Shook Up 11. Wipeout 12. Here Come The Good Times 13. He’ll Only Hurt You 14. Loneliness 15. Sunday Date 16. Dreaming Of You 17. Heart Of A Teenage Girl 18. Teardrops Fall Like Rain 19. Big Jim 20. The Coalman’s Lament 21. Night Of The Vampire 22. Jack The Ripper 23. Little Sister (Live) 24. Have I The Right (Live) This is The Triumphs’ tribute to the work of famed record producer Joe Meek. Joe recorded many styles of music and ‘Meek and Wild’ offers a ‘jukebox’ full of great sounds, both vocal (15 tracks) and instrumental.(9 tracks).

In addition to popular chart toppers like Telstar and Have I The Right, the spotlight also falls on rarities such as Ray Dexter’s The Coalman’s Lament and, from the Tea Chest tapes, Geoff Goddard’s Here Come The Good Times. There are five original tracks, all inspired by the work of Joe Meek.

The Triumphs (Rob Bradford, Trev Faull, Ken Ledran and Ray Liffen) have as their special guest Dave Kaye, who recorded with Joe Meek. One of Dave’s tracks is He’ll Only Hurt You, a powerful ballad which he recorded with Joe, but which was never released at that time. Now you can hear it in a brand new arrangement with Dave backed by The Triumphs.

The album’s 12-page booklet includes descriptions of all the tracks and pictures of the band with many of the original Joe Meek artists that they have had the privilege of working with, including Clem Cattini, Dave Kaye, Malcolm Lenny (The Packabeats), Ray Dexter, Bobby Rio and Danny Rivers.

UK £9.99 including postage and packing Europe £12.50 including postage and packing Americas, Africa, Asia £13.50 including postage and packing Australia, New Zealand £13.80 including postage and packing

Go to The Triumphs web site to purchase securely through 

Now also available on-line at Bim Bam Records and Leo’s Den

Other methods of payment:

Pay by cheque (drawn on UK bank) made payable to ‘R. Liffen’ and sent to 24 Dalmeny Road, Carshalton, SM5 4PP U.K Pay manually Paypal to rayliffen@compuserve.com

The album is also available as a digital download at many outlets including

I Tunes UK          I Tunes US               Amazon.com         Amazon.co.uk            Google Play and also Spotify

BACK ISSUES OF OUR NEWSLETTERS

All our Newsletters are still available as back issues and they have now been reduced to 10p (plus postage) – the same price as digital copies. Special rates available if you buy in bulk. There is a lot of information in these – especially the early ones edited by John Repsch and he used to answer letters in these too. Contact us if you are interested in back issues.