Reviews


NORMAN BEAKER - THE OLDER I GET... THE BETTER I WAS Okay, we know this is not new (1997 actually) but we hear that Norman is thinking about 'possibly' recording a new CD as his fans are beginning to nag him for something new.. over to you Pam and the fan club. Meanwhile we thought we'd dust this one off at the office...Norman is often seen out and about in support of Chris Farlowe at gigs and festivals in the UK and all over Europe. Even recently on live TV broadcast from Germany with Chris during Paul Jones' "This is Your Life". It has been too long since Norman gave us a new album. "The Older I Get..." is totally self composed and very easy to like. There's the lovely, gentle almost country feel to "Lies like a River", the near funk of "Too Much Too Soon", "New Version of You" features sax/organ in timeless sound combination. "Two People" with plaintive guitar and keyboard could play over and over, one for the slow dance floor this and lyrics to match the body warmth! "Let the World Take The Blame" has a catchy, repetitive rhythm line with neat harp overlay and Norm's own brand of guitar soloing. This is cosy blues, neat, under played, no over blown guitar solos here, no super hero of the fret board just a true professional doing what he does best. I'll play this again later over dinner with candles and my lady. "Make Her Feel a Woman Again". ah yes, we'll see to that....an extremely pleasing album. So come on Norman - its studio time!!!!!! (or we'll set Pam Henderson on you....)....'D' BLUES MATTERS 2001
RUBY TURNER - GUILTY The soul diva is following in the footsteps of Bonnie Raitt and Koko Taylor with this collection of blues and soul chestnuts. The idiom is well worn, and one suspects, a bit redundant. The third listen or thereabouts persuades otherwise: that's when Ruby's voice really connects. Turner achieves a subtle balance between feistiness and tenderness, between the soul-stirring and sensitive. The production - courtesy of Norman Beaker, a Godfather of the Stockport R'nB scene - is loving and tough too, and stays the right side of unpretentiousness. CITY LIFE 1998
PHIL GUY - PHIL GUY This is a good album, side one being a BBC recording made in Stockport in 1986 with side two live from the 100 Club, 19 May 1985. I had to play it twice to get into the groove; however I got there and I like the album. Side one had Norman Beaker on second guitar, Lenni on sax, Dave Bainbridge keyboards, Kevin Hill bass, and Tim Franks drums: a good band. Phil lays into 'I Once Was a Gambler', followed by a rocker 'Love is Like Quicksand''. 'Texas Flood', the Larry Davis number is next and has excellent guitar including 'freak out' at the end. Lastly, 'Tina Tu', the famous Slim Harpo number (Phil played on the original version) is a strong powerful rendering, with a nice solo from Lenni. Side two is recorded live at the 100 club with a solid band including Professor Eddie Lusk on Hammond and piano and Fred Barnes, bass. This is a solid blues album. Thank you Phil Guy. Let's have more like this. BLUES REVIEW JULY1988
MODERN DAYS LONELY NIGHTS #1 Released on the London based JSP blues label. This is Beaker's first studio album - often a mistake for many blues artists. Not this time. Stockport's Norman Beaker shows, one more time, why he is one of the best respected blues guitarists on the circuit. He has captured his live atmosphere and transferred it to vinyl without a second thought. And is it impressive?…is the Pope catholic? If playing the guitar well was a crime, Norman Beaker would go down for life. MESSENGER NEWSPAPER - JULY 1988.
MODERN DAYS LONELY NIGHTS #2 This studio album is a showcase for a band playing true contemporary British blues. Norman Beaker, who composed all the songs, has written about emotions and problems that people experience here and now - love, rejection, social injustice etc, with not a word about sharecropping, steel mills or riding the rods. In doing so he has not allowed himself to be constricted by conventional blues-format arrangements. OK there is a 12-bar or two but the majority of the songs have an individual approach that is really quite refreshing. When making a deliberate attempt to break free of a sometimes limited musical form there is a temptation to go too far in terms of complexity. Norman Beaker has restrained himself well and the results are offerings that sound difference but at the same time, natural. Such a project can come to grief in many ways, not least by using musicians who are not up to it. I am pleased to say that the whole band perform with that apparently effortless competence that is the mark of really professional players. Norman Beaker himself on vocals and guitar, leads the band well and allows ample space for his sidemen to show their mettle. Kevin Hill on bass and the drummer, Tim Franks work as a rhythm section should - holding it all together tightly and when required to, altering the whole mood by changes of emphasis, as during the piano and sax solos on the title-track . In charge of the keyboards id Dave Bainbridge, who on the basis of this album at lead, prefers using organ/synth for backing and piano for his refined style of solos (the right way round, in my view). The saxophonist, Lenni, plays a workmanlike part, filling in the riffs and blowing the occasional and all too short solo, Tony Whalley and Ian Brooks (trumpets), Helen Watson (added vocal) and John Brett (slide guitar) all guest on the album but mostly play only subsidiary roles. This album shows that the British blues scene is capable of producing good quality, well arranged material that derives its substance from life and love - exactly the things that inspired the originators of the music. Albums such as this encourage the belief that blues can be successfully home grown and that we do not have to rely on the USA for material, however good to reinterpret. BLUES REVIEW MAGAZINE - JULY 1988
BOUGHT IN THE ACT Still on the local scene, the Norman Beaker Band is featured to great effect on a new cassette. 'Bought in the Act'. The tape was recorded at a recent gig in Leeds, and manages to capture the excitement of a live performance I a way that studio recordings seldom do. 'Bought in the Act' features the regular members of the Band - Dave Bainbridge (keyboards). Lenni (saxes), Kevin Hill (bass),and Tim Franks (drums) - but above all emphasises the power and authority of Norman Beaker, who is undoubtedly among the front rank of blues singers in this country. I suppose it's a case of the prophet in this own land: there is an unfortunate tendency to take people like Norman for granted, just because he's here and doing the odd gig or two. But make no mistake, this is a very good band, and an excellent singer, with real guts and personality oozing from every track. The overall sound is reminiscent of the back-room-of-a-bar acoustics which give so much character to the Chicago blues band recordings of the 60's: turn it up high and you really feel that you're in the room, with the band right in front of you. The Norman Beaker Band itself has in the last couple of years developed into one of the north-west's most valuable assets. Norman himself is a Manchester lad, from Longsight. "I never really wanted to be a blues player", he says modestly "I just found I could do it". The current band developed out of his involvement with the much acclaimed No Mystery but is more of a reflection of Norman's own musical personality - "the nice thing is", he says, "that it is a band we are pround of and a band that other musicians and audiences are proud of too". I'll go along with that, and I think you will too when you hear 'Bought in the Act". THE ARTFUL REPORTER - JUNE 1986
TAXMAN'S WINE The first single by No Mystery the Manchester R 'n' B band couples two numbers by its vocalist-lead guitarist, Norman Beaker. 'Taxman's Wine' has every chance of popular success if it is given radio plays. It is both strong in conception with lyrics that strike home, and in execution with a performance that has the sort of hook that imprints itself on the sub-conscious. However, the number on the reverse of the record (Jungle Telegraph WS001S) 'Doubt You Lord' with its haunting atmosphere is the track most likely to appeal most to blues addicts. CHRIS LEE, MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS - AUGUST 1981

2000's Norman Beaker Band, Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne- April 2008 Hitmakers, Royal Spa Centre, Royal Leamington Spa - March 2004 Norman Beaker Band, Nantwich Jazz and Blues Festival - April 2001 Chris Farlowe and The Norman Beaker Band, Woodford, Cheshire - 10 March 2001 Chris Farlowe and The Norman Beaker Band, Robin Hood, West Midlands - 2 March 2001 1990's Norman Beaker Band, Todmordon - October 1999 Norman Beaker Band, Raikes Hall Hotel, Blackpool - 15 May 1992 Chris Farlowe and The Norman Beaker Band, Raikes Hall Hotel, Blackpool - 1996 5th Alexis Korner Memorial Concert, Buxton Opera House, Derbyshire - 3 May 1998 1980's No Mystery, Band On The Wall, Manchester - 18 December 1980 Street Talk, Cobden's Place, Stockport - 4 December 1982 Norman Beaker Band, Band On The Wall, Manchester - 5 March 1985 Norman Beaker Blues Band, Old Vic Tavern, Nottingham - 5 February 1987 Norman Beaker, Kite Club, Blackpool - May 1988 1970's No Mystery, Band on the Wall, Manchester - 16 August 1977 Norman Beaker, Dave Lunt, Victor Brox, James 'Little' Booker, Lake Hotel, Manchester - 19 October 1977 Louisiana Red With Norman Beaker Blues Trio, Elizabethan, Belle Vue, Manchester - 3 November 1977

NORMAN BEAKER BAND THE TIVOLI THEATRE, WIMBORNE 19TH APRIL 2008 On the Saturday morning John & I set off on the 115 mile journey to Wimborne. It was pouring with rain but we didn�t mind, we were going to a Norman Beaker Band gig and that was all that mattered. We were walking round Wimborne in the afternoon and just happened to find ourselves on a footpath behind The Tivoli Theatre ! We could hear the band doing their sound check so finding the stage door ajar we popped in to say hello. Supporting the NBB tonight was Blues solo artist David Bristow who John & I have seen several times. He performed a selection of his own material, written from the heart and sung with a great deal of feeling and emotion. Check out his website: www.bristowblues.co.uk. No words can adequately express how much John & I enjoy a NBB gig. This was our third visit to The Tivoli Theatre, a superb venue with excellent acoustics and a convivial atmosphere. The band's set list read like a Norman Beaker Cocktail. He sang �No Reason To Believe In Me�, �Modern Days, Lonely Nights� and �That�s Unnatural� from his �Into The Blues� CD, unfortunately this album is deleted but occasionally you might find a secondhand copy !! �A Little Hollywood� and �Let It Be Me� can be found on the �the older I get ... the better I was� album and �Option On You Baby�, �You Can Talk�, �When The Fat Lady Sings� and �The Guitar Don�t Lie� (sung by Chris Farlowe) on Norman�s latest CD �Who�s he calling me him?� Norman also sang �Ain�t No Big Deal� and �My Foundation� which is often sung by Chris Farlowe at gigs, some unreleased material �Look What You Made Me Do�, �Tale of Blue City� and a particular favourite of mine �Time & Tide�. He sang a fantastic solo of �Love Her Like The Sky�, which he said was his latest release for �youtube�. Norman finished the gig with a Clarence Edwards number, �Driving Wheel� but before singing it he introduced the band, Dave Baldwin on keyboards, John Price on bass guitar and his new role of backing vocals, which he was obviously enjoying and Steve Gibson on drums. We called for encore which was reciprocated with a beautiful slow ballad �Love Me Tonight Or Let Me Go�. It was good to meet fellow Beaker fan, Jilly and during the gig Norman referred to Jilly & me as the �Beakerettes�, who hold fan club meetings in a phone box round the corner ! Thanks Norman, John, Dave & Steve for an outstanding gig ( one of the best ). On that note I will finish as I have done before with the title of one of Norman �s songs �Here�s To The Next Time�. PAM HENDERSON

THE HITMAKERS (THE NORMAN BEAKER BAND WITH CHRIS FARLOWE, DAVE DEE, CHIP HAWKES AND CLIFF BENNETT) ROYAL SPA CENTRE, LEAMININGTON SPA - FRIDAY 5 MARCH 2004 John & I arrived at the venue early in the hope of meeting up with Norman before the concert. We spotted Cliff Bennett and Chris Farlowe through the stage door, managed to get Chris' attention and he came and said hello. It wasn't long before Norman came up from the dressing room and we joined him and Dave Dee in the Newbold Bar across the road for a drink and a chat, after which we made our way back to the theatre to purchase a programme and Chris' new CD "Rock'n'Roll Soldier - Anthology 1970-2004" before taking our seats in the front row! The Norman Beaker Band for this tour consisted of Norman on guitar, Dave - keyboards, Paul - drums, Damian - sax, Russell Milton (who plays in Damian's band Akasha) on bass, and Bob Lovett from the Rebel Rousers on trumpet. Chris was the compere for the evening and first introduced Cliff Bennett. He sang 'Knock On Wood', 'One Way Love' and then asked the audience if we knew what the B-side of that single was; he said the prize was dinner with Chris Farlowe but unfortunately I didn't know - in fact, no-one did! It was 'Slow Down' which he sang followed by 'Got To Get You Into My Life'. He gave a terrific performance even if he did have to take a short break between songs to get his breath back and, as he said, to wait for 'the lights to come back on'! Dave Dee took us upto the interval with 'Legend Of Xanadu', 'Hold Tight', 'Zabadak' and 'Bend It' and also included a medley of 'In Dreams', 'Pretty Woman' and 'Needles & Pins'. During the break we renewed acquaintances with Bob from the Rebel Rousers and were introduced to Russell Milton, the bass player, at the bar. Chip Hawkes opened the second half of the show with a cover of Soul Asylum's 'Runaway Train' from a new album which also features the other artists in the show. This was followed by the Tremeloes hits 'Even The Bad Times Are Good' & '(Call Me) Number One', and Dave Dee joined him for 'Silence Is Golden' as a tribute to the late Alan Blakely. He also sang a song from a new album which he said will be out either early summer, mid summer or even Christmas! Chris Farlowe closed the show and was, of course, the highlight of the evening for us. He performed 'Handbags & Gladrags' (written for him by Mike D'Abo), the Small Faces hit 'All Or Nothing', 'Ain't No Big Deal' (from the "Farlowe That!" album), 'Standing On Shaky Ground' and, naturally, 'Out Of Time'. This was an extremely enjoyable concert. Norman was thoroughly enjoying singing the '60s songs although he said he wasn't old enough to remember them first time round, ha ha!! We spoke to Chris, Cliff, Chip & Dave in the foyer afterwards and then joined Norman and the boys, along with tour manager Danny Townsend, for a drink in the Newbold Bar. We are now looking forward to seeing Chris & the N.B.B. at Alexander's, Chester on 1st April and meeting up with our good friends Pam & Adrian. PAM HENDERSON
NORMAN BEAKER BAND 5TH NANTWICH JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL, CROWN HOTEL - 15 APRIL 2001 We were particularly looking forward to this event. The NBB are so busy backing Chris Farlowe that to see them on their own is a rare treat. They are five exceptionally talented musicians and Norman has been singing and playing the blues for more than three decades. The audience was a bit sparse to begin with probably owing to the fact that "The Spencer Davis Group" were on at the Civic Hall, but during the evening the venue filled up. They started with "Love Me Baby" and "How Blue Can You Get" followed by a song written by Norman who stated "everyone said it couldn't be done live, this is just to prove they were right!". We have listened to "Cross Me Off Your List" many times on CD and Norman and The Band certainly proved tonight that it can be performed live. The next song "Tina Nu" is on Phil Guy's vinyl album "I Once was A Gambler" on the JSP label, when the NBB backed him in 1986. This was followed by Norman's guitar solo on a Peter Green song 'The World Keeps on Turning' which lead into 'Sitting on Top of the World'. A short break and Norman was back introducing 'Southbound Train' as written by Big Bill Broonzy and in Norman's own words "performed by Little Norman Beaker". Then followed 'Break It Down' from his CD 'Into The Blues'. He announced that 'A Little Hollywood' was from their latest album not their last! (come on Norman it's time for another one!) Next he sang 'Same Old Blues' which is on Norman's cassette 'Bought In The Act' (as is Southbound Train). He then sang a Clarence Edwards song 'Driving Wheel'. Norman then reminded us that we were at a Jazz and Blues Festival and sang a jazz number, but I didn't catch the title. The next song was 'I Can't Be Satisfied' followed by a Bob Dylan Song 'Highway 61'. We enjoyed a rare bass solo by John Price followed by a brilliant Tim Franks drum solo, then one by one he was rejoined by Norman, John, Dave and Lenni. They went off stage to the audiences applause and calling for more: they soon came back with an encore of 'I Just Wanna Make Love To You' and Norman had us joining in. If you haven't seen this highly professional band we recommend you do! Check out Norman's website: www.normanbeakerband.com PAM HENDERSON - BLUES MATTERS
CHRIS FARLOWE AND NORMAN BEAKER WOODFORD, CHESHIRE - 10 MARCH 2001 The Norman Beaker Band opened for Chris Farlowe, with 'How Blue Can you Be' and he continued with another slow blues number. Then 'The Voice' himself came on stage to tremendous applause and went straight into 'Blue As Blues Can Get'. Followed by 'Lonesome Road' with a great sax solo by Lenni. By now the crowd were all on their feet singing and dancing to the Small Faces 'All or Nothing', a great version if not better than the original, Keeping the tempo up with 'Shaky Ground' Chris chatted with the audience between numbers. Slowing the pace down they did 'Tough On Me Tough On You', 'Stormy Monday' and 'Handbags and Gladrags'. Then he stunned the audience into silence with 'If You Could See Me Now' before rocking the place with 'Don't think I Will' continuing with 'My Best Friends Girl' and 'Gangster of Love'. Then came the most requested song in the world (?) 'Out of Time' which gets better with age like a good wine. The audience clapped and stamped their feet than they came back on with 'Cry To Me'. Chris introduced the band giving them all the opportunity to show their individual talents. Once again Chris Farlowe and Norman Beaker showed why they are one of the best live bands on the circuit!! RAYON AND LUCY - BLUES MATTERS
CHRIS FARLOWE AND THE NORMAN BEAKER BAND THE ROBIN HOOD, WEST MIDLANDS - 2 MARCH 2001 We hadn't seen Chris and the Band for seven months so it was good to meet up with Norman (singer/guitarist), John Price (bass), Lenni (sax), Dave Baldwin (keyboards) and Paul Burgess (drummer) in the bar before the gig. Norman and the Band started the set with two blues songs then Chris came on stage to rapturous applause. He sang a mixture of old and new songs culminating with his No.1 classic 'Out Of Time' and an encore of 'Stormy Monday Blues' that he recorded in 1965 under the pseudonym of Little Joe Cook. We spoke to Chris after the gig and told him we could see him again on Wednesday at; - Huntingdon Hall, Worcester (7 March). This splendid Grade II listed building was built as a chapel in 1773; a unique venue for a unique singer and fabulous band! Norman started the first set with a BB King number 'How Blue Can You Get'. The first three songs Chris sang are on the 'Lonesome Road' album; 'Don't Wanna Sing The Blues No More (which Chris wrote), 'Lonesome Road' and 'Tough On Me, Tough On You'. Then he sang Steve Marriotts 'All or Nothing' and Handbags and Gladrags' (written for him by Mike D'Abo), finishing the set with '(Standing On) Shaky Ground'. The second set began with Norman singing 'Love Me Baby'. Chris came back on stage with a catchy number 'Cry To Me' off the new Glory Bound Album. 'Guitar Don't Lie' allowed us to enjoy Norman's brilliant guitar solo followed by 'My Foundation' written by Norman beaker. Then 'Stormy Monday Blues' and 'Loving Arms' and before Chris sang 'Out Of Time' he wished yours truly a Happy Birthday, which made my day and for an encore we enjoyed 'Miss You Fever'. Alexander's Jazz Theatre, Chester (8th March). Another enjoyable gig; two similar sets although every Chris Farlowe performance is unique in some way. At Alexander's we spent the evening in the company of Pam and Adrian who run the www.chrisfarlowe.co.uk website. PAM HENDERSON - BLUES MATTERS
NORMAN BEAKER BAND TODMORDEN, LANCASHIRE - OCTOBER 1999 They call it Stormy Monday, but the blues played by the Norman Beaker Band at Scaitcliffe Hall was more of a smilin' Sunday! Beaker, whose pedigree is second to none, gave an appreciative audience two first class sets of impeccably played music, the first in traditional blues vein, the second with a more soulful, even funkier feel at times, writes John Greenwood. Mixing high quality self-penned originals with a healthy selection of blues classics such as 'Walking Blues', Beaker and band were in good humour throughout. Beaker and fellow guitarist Andrew Shelley played crisply and clearly throughout, the latter turning in some fine slide guitar work on Muddy Waters' "I just Can't Be Satisfied". As the band got funkier, attracting a smartish movement of feet towards the dance area, material adapted included a snatch of "Green Door" of "I Just Want To Make Love To You" which allowed the band to stretch out. A skin-tight rhythm section, a superb sax player and two guitarists of the highest calibre produced blues music of the highest quality, You couldn't have wished for more. TODMORDEN NEWS
5TH ALEXIS KORNER MEMORIAL CONCERT BUXTON OPERA HOUSE, DERBYSHIRE - 3 MAY 1998 A wonderful building set in glorious countryside hosting a tribute the British 'Godfather of the Blues', Alexis Korner. What more could you wish for? The evening kicked off with Nine Below Zero founder member, harpman mark Feltham, playing a stirring rendition of the theme to the 'Old Grey Whistle Test' before the compare for the evening, Whispering Bob Harris, took the spotlight to explain what the memorial is all about and introduce the first act, Aynsley Lister. A young man from Leicester, Lister performed a good set in the SRV mould. Still in his early twenties and already having worked in the US, Lister showed some good chops and with a little more musical maturity will be a name to watch out for. The house-band for the evening, The Norman Beaker Band, were next up playing a good set of the blues, the standout being 'The Guitar Don't Lie. Beaker's guitar, heard through most of the evening, and the sax of Lenni were particularly enjoyable. The Yardbirds' Chris Dreja and Jim McCarty were joined by Beaker and Feltham as they played a mixture of Yardbirds originals and blues that went down very well. Especially good was 'Good Morning Little Schoolgirl' with Feltham, whose performances during the evening deserved the 'Man of the Match' award, playing a stormer. For the following set, Noel Redding, former bass player with Jimi Hendrix, was joined by Eric Bell and John Cogham of Thin Lizzy and Status Quo respectively. Playing one song associated with each musician, namely 'Caroline', 'Whiskey in The Jar' and 'Stone Free', along with a song by the move, all three showed flashes of what used to be. Although I never actually managed to see the set, what I could hear from the Animals' John Steele and Hilton Valentine, was extremely good, especially one of my all-time favourite songs 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood'. Time for a break and raffle. Promoter and co-organiser of the event Harry Lee introduced actor Bruce Jones, best known for his role as Les Battersby in Coronation Street, to draw the tickets. Jones spent the next twenty minutes or so reducing the audience to hysterics of laughter with his antics. Great stuff!! Nest was what turned out to be the most popular set of the evening. As soon as Bernie Marsden walked on to the stage, his third appearance at this event, the crowd cheered. The former Whitesnake guitarist was tonight in his 'Green and Blues' guise, being joined by an all star lineup of fellow former Whitesnake man, Micky Moody, Tony Ashton on key, Mark Feltham, bass maestro Colin Hodgkinson and drummer Tim Franks. In a set lasting about 45 minutes the band played a varied set of blues and rock. Standouts included and acoustic version of 'I Ain't Gonna Cry No More Today' and a guitar-less version of 'One Room Country Shack' sung by, and starring Ashton. Feltham played some cracking harp on Little Walter's 'Juke' with Marsden contributing some telling guitar. Moody showed why he is one of Britain's premier slide guitarists on a couple of Robert Johnson numbers and Hodgkinson, with just keyboard and drum accompaniment, played a superb virtuosi bass solo leading into 'San Francisco Bay Blues'. Altogether a marvelous set leaving the crowd wanting much more. I missed sets by Colin Blunstone ad the only acoustic performer of the evening, Tom Robinson, but by all accounts they both went down well. The finale, Ashton's 'Resurrection Shuffle' sung by the man himself, had the stage creaking under the combined talents of Marsden, Robinson, Moody, Feltham, Hodgkinson, Beaker and Franks (apologies if I have forgotten anybody). The massive jam with most of the participants taking solos was a fitting end to a glorious evening's entertainment. Considering the fact that most of the sets were unrehearsed, this event could have turned out to be a disaster. Instead due to the quality of the performers, the lack of egos and no small effort of everybody involved in the organisation, the 5th Annual Alexis Korner Memorial Concert turned out to be an unqualified success. There is talk of making next year's gig a two-day event. Keep your eyes peeled in Blueprint for details. STEVE COOKE - BLUEPRINT
CHRIS FARLOWE AND THE NORMAN BEAKER BAND RAIKES HALL HOTEL, BLACKPOOL - 1996 With half a dozen, mostly minor hits to his credit some 30 years ago, it would be perfectly understandable for the name of Chris Farlowe to have long been consigned to the footnotes of rock memorabilia or at best that tricky sixties question at the end of a pub pop quiz. But that would be to ignore the fact that one of those hits smashed its way to No. 1, still holds its own in the 'Songs We Can all Sing the Title Line from Hall of Fame' and most importantly - proved that British blue-eyed soul was sellable. The song was Mick Jagger and Keith Richards 'Out of Time' and the year was 1966 - which meant Farlowe charted well before such fellow UK soulsters as Long John Baldry, Joe Cocker and Rod Stewart. But while their careers took off - two of them into stadium -sized superstardom - Farlowe's surprisingly faltered. Thirty years on and strapped into tight black denims, he is understandably thicker of frame and slightly thinner of hair, but fortunately the voice remains undimmed. Last year he teamed up with new British blues hero, Norman Beaker for the album 'Lonesome Road' and now Farlowe has renewed that partnership to tour selected venues with the band. Thankfully, he has avoided the soft option route of belting through his past hits - only 'Out of Time' remains from the glory days and even that is saved for the encore - in favour of two well balanced acts of traditional and contemporary blues. But for its pristine decorations, Upstairs at the Raikes must have made him wonder where the last three decades had gone, in just such a room he will have once led his fledgling Thunderbirds. However, for all its intimacy, the Raikes room has established a national reputation and with the always popular Beaker to break the ice, Farlowe's obvious initial edginess soon vanished as he slipped neatly through the likes of 'My Foundation', Lonnie Mack's 'Tough on You' and the Nashville flavoured 'I don't Want to Sing the Blues No More'. But it was the a interpretation of John Hiatt's 'Have a Little Faith in Me' which made the night unmissable - the Beaker band fusing perfectly with Farlowe's smokey vocals, the capacity audience, hanging on every word and note. Out of time? Certainly not for a good few years yet. ROBIN DUKE
NORMAN BEAKER BAND RAIKES HALL HOTEL, BLACKPOOL - 15 MAY 1992 Mick Schofield who runs the very active and well supported Blackpool Blues Club, works hard for the blues in the north-west as does the extremely popular singer and guitarist Norman Beaker, so it seemed this gig needed checking out. Doubly so as the band were billed in the local paper as 'the UK's best modern blues band'! … Well, that might not be merely hype. It depends on what you mean by modern of course, but the tight playing of the rhythm section and the smooth cushion of Dave Bainbridge's electric keyboards bought to mind the music of Robert Cray or Joe Louis Walker, though Norman's own playing is nothing like those two. On this evening his guitar work seemed to occupy a point somewhere between vintage Buddy Guy and Alligator period Albert Collins, with a dash of mid-sixties British blues boom thrown in (from the time before the excesses became too established). His vocals do the job and the experienced sax man Lenni provides fruity solos (with some welcome bebop tinges) and is a good visual counterpoint to Beaker. The band as a whole also have the admirable merit of not taking themselves too seriously. There was a good mix of original and borrowed material: Beaker's 'Modern Days, Lonely Nights' ("the only song where I really have to sing" as Norman announced it) fitted snugly alongside well-played standards such as Eddie Boyd's 'Five Long Years' or the powerful 'Driving Wheel', with its jagged, forceful, raw guitar. Robert Johnson's 'Walking Blues' was an energetic band performance, though featuring an impressive few minutes of Norman playing completely solo and managing to avoid being self-indulgent by continually cranking up the excitement level. Needless to say, Norman and the band could do no wrong and they left the stage to wild applause and genuine demands for an encore, which were granted, although all the windows had to be shut first so as not to annoy the neighbours - it was late. Are they the UK's best modern blues band? Well, that's very subjective, of course and depends on just how exactly you choose to define it - but I could certainly see (and hear) what the copywriter was getting at. Why not check them out and decide for yourself? NORMAN DARWEN
NORMAN BEAKER KITE CLUB, BLACKPOOL - MAY 1988 Party night at the Kite was a fitting climax to a memorable year. Norman Beaker and John Brett produced one of the best of their superb performances at the Squires Gate venue. Guests Tim Franks and Chip O Connor joined in a stunning second half, all the more remarkable as the quartet had never played together before. If there is a better blues or rock guitarist in Britain at the moment than Beaker, I would be amazed. Saturday's birthday blues brought one brilliant solo after another. Jeff Beck once said he always stuck to his Strat because it showed any Joe could play the same without a bank of guitars to assist. He modestly ignored the need for 'any Joe' to be breath-takingly good. Step up Any Joe Beaker. From slow blues to straight rock he has masterly control and power and an identifiable style of his own. Brett was also at his best, especially on slide guitar. And his marvelous rhythm-on-bass technique was never better. With the quartet, song piled on song, each one a joy. Franks gave us magnificent drums solo, O' Connor (standing in for Kevin Hill in Beaker's band) some thoughtful and delicate bass. There was a fair bit of musical horseplay and self indulgence, but it was a party and it all added up to an excellent night. JEREMY GOMM
NORMAN BEAKER BLUES BAND OLD VIC TAVERN, NOTTINGHAM - 5 FEBRUARY 1987 One of Britain's most sought after exponents of the music form, the Norman Beaker Blues Band, took the Old Vic Tavern, Fletcher Gate, by storm last night. Their style was punchy, straight ahead stuff in the contemporary Chicago idiom featuring classic numbers by Big Bill Broonzy, Lowell Fulsome, Buddy Guy and Freddy King. Original material by Norman produced some interesting variations from the strict 12-bar format. Norman's guitar was fluent with a rasping upper register, which grew more intense as the evening progressed. Lenni on tenor sax had a hard job cutting through the electronics while the youthful Dave Bainbridge on keyboards showed plenty of talent with some accomplished solos. A solid rhythm was delivered by Kevin Hill on bass and some particularly steady drumming from Tim Franks. Lowell Fulsome's material suited the band best and they came over well on 'Automobile' and 'Oh Well. Oh Well' ALAN JOYCE, NOTTINGHAM EVENING POST
NORMAN BEAKER BAND BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER - 5 MARCH 1985 After a flirtation with other idioms, Norman Beaker is back doing what he is best at - playing the blues. His stinging guitar and crying vocals were heard to good effect with his current band at Manchester's Band on the Wall on Saturday night. And at last the group is carrying his own name instead of some amorphous title like Street Talk. Perhaps now his talent will receive more recognition. Norman Beaker is one of the few British bluesmen to write original material although he seems unduly reluctant to include much in his programme. The explanation for this is his belief that audiences prefer a predominance of numbers with which they are familiar. So he surreptitiously slips his own compositions in between standard fare. Saturday's repertoire one of his most catchy efforts, 'Man Without a Friend' which was more satisfying than some of the standards covered. Of the established blues which he included , Eddie Boyd's Five Long Years and Bobby Bland's Further on up the Road were well suited to his plaintive vocal style. Both performances had striking authority. The latest lineup of the singularly named Lenni on saxes, Kevin Hill on bass and Tim Franks on drums was effectively augmented by keyboards player Dave Bainbridge whose 'churchy' style gave many numbers a soulful warmth. His approach has the sort of gospel feeling usually associated with the Ray Charles School. CHRIS LEE, MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS
STREET TALK COBDEN'S PLACE, STOCKPORT - 4 DECEMBER 1982 Street Talk struggled with a largely uninterested audience at Cobden's Place in Stockport on Saturday. But by the end of the night they had turned desultory applause into fairly enthusiastic whistles and shouts. The original band was firmly entrenched in the blues but the current quartet under the leadership of guitarist/singer Norman Beaker has spread its stylistic net to embrace a much wider range of idioms. The blues is strongly in evidence and very effective in Beaker's 'Modern Days and Lonely Nights' - but the main pulse has become rock orientated. With only a couple of exceptions the whole of the programme was from its leaders pen. Most of the numbers welded a nice line in observations on modern life to uncomplicated but fetching tunes that received appropriately unsentimental interpretations. The spread of material tested the limitations of Beakers voice but he coped well and its rough edge proved a positive asset. His guitar work, which rarely strayed from the blues in feeling if not in form, was the ideal compliment. The ensemble sound was fleshed out by the alto and tenor sax of Lenni, best known for his playing with Sad Caf�. CHRIS LEE, MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS - 6 DECEMBER 1982
NO MYSTERY BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER, 18 DECEMBER 1980 There is little justice. A fortnight ago Alexis Korner and Colin Hodgkinson packed the Band on the Wall, Manchester, playing a blues-based programme that at best was interesting but rarely convincing. Last night, No Mystery attracted considerably fewer people to the same venue and gave a blues performance of controlled power and conviction. They were immediately impressive in the first set, comprising mainly standard material from sources ranging from Robert Johnson to Eddie Boyd. The quartet had a relaxed feel rarely achieved by British blues bands and particularly in the slower numbers, gently built emotional and rhythmic tension. The sort of overkill that usually mars performances by home-grown groups was avoided altogether. A nice balance was maintained between Norman Beaker's guitar and Balis Novak's organ- those that have heard Balis on piano in a jazz context would be surprised by him deft, economic, riffing blues style. The second set contained a few originals, notably 'Moments' and 'Funny How Time Lets You Down', the latter a most attractive blues ballad that could easily become a standard in the manner of 'Need Your Love So Bad'. No Mystery can be heard again at the Band on the Wall tonight, tomorrow, Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve. CHRIS LEE - MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS
LOUISIANA RED WITH NORMAN BEAKER BLUES TRIO ELIZABETHAN, BELLE VUE, MANCESTER - 3 NOVEMBER 1977 Belle Vue successfully launches a series of weekly blues concerts last night with a memorable performance by visiting American Louisiana Red. Working with the resident group, Norman Beaker's No Mystery he played a generous and varied programme. After a short solo acoustic guitar set playing what these days seem to fashionably termed folk blues, he joined the band on harmonica in a collection of hard driving instrumentals, But the best was yet to come. He switched to electric guitar and with judicious use of a wah wah pedal combined with mellow side style playing proceeded to spellbind with blues which managed to combine the best of rural and urban characteristics. The audience responded demonstratively, bringing Red back for encore after encore - he was on stage for more than two hours and the concert overran past midnight. It was a rewarding night marred only by excessive amplification, which caused balance problems and sound distortion, notably of Reds singing.
NORMAN BEAKER, DAVE LUNT, VICTOR BROX, JAMES 'LITTLE' BOOKER LAKE HOTEL, MANCHESTER - 19 OCTOBER 1977 New Orleans came to Manchester last night in the person of James 'Little' Booker. A riveting solo performance at the Lake Hotel, Belle Vue showed that his records have never done him justice. None has captured the atmospheric magnetism of the singer, pianist and organist. His-blues drenched voice raised goose pimples. Given the Booker treatment even ballads like Come Rain or Come Shine emerged as blues - in quality if not in form. His piano playing was equally stunning. Rarely have I heard a pianist with out a rhythm section achieve rhythmic sock which characterised Bookers work. Praise too to Victor Brox and the Norman Beaker Blues Trio who opened the show with a well-paced well-played programme of blues standards. For Bell Vue, presenting the blues for the first time, the evening was a real triumph musically if not economically. And with better advertising I am certain that it would also have been a financial success. The venue has now been offered to Louisiana Red. It is to be hoped this option is taken up for Red is unique, a comparatively young blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player working in the Mississippi idiom of two decades ago CHRIS LEE, MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS
NO MYSTERY BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER - 16 AUGUST 1977 No Mystery, the Manchester quartet which recently signed a deal with Sonet appeared last night at the Band on the Wall, Smithfield. Having descried themselves previously as a Chick Corea - influenced group, it was something of a surprise to hear them play an uncomplicated, mainly blues based rock programme. This included Taj Mahal and John Mayall numbers plus a couple of blues standards, Five Long Years and Stormy Monday. When taxed about this incongruity leader Norman Beaker explained that he was playing to please an audience which he considered to be a rock crowd. There was some justification for his tactics. For the more basic the music, the more the patrons liked it. And at the end of the evening when the group launched into Chuck Berry's rock anthem, Johnny B Goode, a cheer went up and about a third of the audience swamped the dance floor. Enthusiastically received versions of Dust My Broom and No Particular Place to Go followed. CHRIS LEE, MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS