On This Day 08/12/1963 Johnny Kidd and the Pirates

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On this day, 8 December 1963, rock ‘n’ roll band Johnny Kidd and the Pirates played Cardiff’s Gaumont Theatre in a package that included headliners Billy J Kramer, The Caravelles, The Fourmost, Houston Wells, Tommy Quickly, The Marauders with Ted King as compère.

The promoter for the tour was Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

Kidd's most famous song as a composer was "Shakin' All Over", which was a No. 1 UK hit in 1960. Kidd's own version did not chart outside of Europe, but two cover versions did: The Guess Who topped the Canadian charts (and hit No. 22 US) with their 1965 version, and in Australia, Normie Rowe topped the charts with it later the same year.

"Shakin' All Over" marked the peak which Kidd would not reach again. Future records did not fare as well in the charts. In 1961, Cattini, Caddy and Gregg left the band and would later play for Joe Meek in The Tornados. Kidd now assembled a new band of Pirates. Johnny Spence was now added to bass, Frank Farley to drums and later Mick Green would become guitarist.

The band now toured extensively throughout England and into Europe. Adopting a more beat-influenced style, the group reached the No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart with "I'll Never Get Over You"; and split chart action with The Searchers with "Hungry for Love" (No. 20) in 1963; both songs were penned by Gordon Mills.

In time, a stage act had also emerged with Kidd and the Pirates dressed as actual pirates. Kidd donned an eye-patch and carried a cutlass which he would swing around on stage, and high kick in time with the music of the band. By 1964, the British Invasion was taking shape and Kidd was left in the shadows.

On This Day 31/05/1960 Conway Twitty

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On this day, 31 May 1960, American country music legend Conway Twitty played the Gaumont Theatre in a show that featured other American stars, Freddie Cannon (Way Down Yonder In New Orleans), Johnny Preston (Running Bear) plus Brits, Wee Willie Harris, known as "Britain's wild man of rock 'n' roll", Chris Wayne and the Echoes and Tony Crombie. The compère was Don Arden, father of Sharon Osbourne.

Twitty was best known as a country music performer. From 1971 to 1976, Twitty received a string of Country Music Association awards for duets with Loretta Lynn. He was inducted into both the Country Music and Rockabilly Halls of Fame.

Twitty was known for his frequent use of romantic and sentimental themes in his songs. Due to his following being compared to a religious revival, comedian Jerry Clower nicknamed Twitty "The High Priest of Country Music", the eventual title of his 33rd studio album. Twitty achieved stardom with hit songs like "Hello Darlin'", "You've Never Been This Far Before" and "Linda on My Mind".

Twitty topped Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart 40 times in his career, a record that stood for two decades until it was surpassed by George Strait, and topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart once with "It's Only Make Believe". He wrote eleven of his Billboard Hot Country Songs chart-topping hits.

On This Day 13/05/1957 Tommy Steele

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On this day, 13 May 1957, original British rocker Tommy Steele & The Steelmen played the first of a week of concerts at Cardiff’s Gaumont Theatre. Also included on the bill were Freddie Bell & The Bellboys, Paul & Peta Page (The puppeteers) and The Trio Raisner (Sensational French harmonica group). It was described as "Britain's First Ever Package Show" like the American Style Package Shows.

Steele's first single, "Rock with the Caveman", was one of the first British rock and roll hits, reaching number 13 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1956. He promoted the single with his first television appearance, on bandleader Jack Payne's BBC series Off the Record, and quickly became a national teen idol.

Steele's success saw him dubbed "Britain's Elvis", though his appeal has been characterised as less provocative than Presley's. A 1957 concert review by Trevor Philpott of Picture Post described Steele's act as possessing "not a trace of sex, real or implied", whilst Stephen Glynn has written that Steele's voice "was genial before threatening, his stage demeanour more playground skip than bedroom thrust".

Steele's live performances were marked by frenzy from the teenage audience. His first album, Tommy Steele Stage Show, was recorded at a London concert the night before his twentieth birthday and issued in March 1957.

"Doomsday Rock", Steele's second single, failed to chart after its apocalyptic theme drew controversy. His third, "Singing the Blues", reached number 1 in January 1957, staving off a recording by Guy Mitchell for one week.

Steele was among the first British pop stars to be heavily merchandised, with tie-in sweaters, shoes and toy guitars. Only a few months after his first chart presence, the singer was filming his life story; The Tommy Steele Story (1957) featured twelve new songs, written hastily by Steele, Bart and Pratt, that expanded the singer's repertoire to incorporate ballads and calypso music.

The film's soundtrack was the first UK number one album by a British act, and the hit single "A Handful of Songs" received the 1958 Ivor Novello Award for Most Outstanding Song of the Year, Musically and Lyrically. By the end of 1957, Steele had bought a four-bedroomed house in South London for his parents and was reported to be earning more than British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.

REVIEW - Western Mail - 12th May 1957