Richard'sRendezvous: Live music then and now

You sometimes hear the idiom ‘variety is the spice of life,’ or even ‘music is the spice of life’ and always has been even though there are some individuals who never listen to it or even like it.

Well, to each his own and that’s absolutely fine.

Going back to the late ‘50s and very early ‘60s, I remember the dance bands. There were no pop groups in the early and mid ‘50s here to speak of, and these dance band combos of six or seven musicians played in our local hotels where sweethearts and married couples went along to have a drink and a dance.

I recall the Stardusters and one or two others.

During that time, we also had Latin American music trios and quartets, like Los Trovadores and Los Romanceros.

They were the main ones that I remember. They played acoustic guitars and sang in three-part harmony arrangements which they performed very well. Not unlike the South American combos like Los Paraguayos and Los Panchos. They were great and so were the local outfits too.

In those early days, there were no discos and disc jockeys. Events were held in places like El Patio Policia, Humphries and other venues. Verbenas were held in the summer wherever there was an open area.

Moving into the ‘60s, and with help of Radio Gibraltar and juke boxes set up in bars and some other places, the pop hits of the day were heard and enjoyed.

I remember frequenting Tony’s Ice Cream parlour which was near Gache Opticians in Main Street. There they had a juke box with all the songs in the hit parade: songs by Elvis, the Platters, Little Richard, Del Shannon, Paul Anka, Cliff Richard, Tommy Steele and so many others.

So, pop music was really beginning to take a hold of youngsters especially, who delved into forming their own home-grown pop groups.

We were inundated with hundreds of Services personnel on the Rock during that time – hundreds of soldiers, airmen, and sailors boosted by the arrival of Royal Navy warships visiting the Rock. So the advent of pop groups locally was nigh.

First, we saw groups formed on the visiting destroyers, frigates and other ships. They would play in different venues around town and a couple of these groups were formed by those servicemen stationed here. I remember an army group led by a black guy called Andy from the resident battalion and, in particular, an RAF group called Terry and the Checkers who were very good.

As far as disc jockeys are concerned, there is a massive difference between then and now: in the ‘60s and ‘70s, DJs were either on radio – preferably with a good radio voice, playing vinyl records, keeping people listening with casual chat between songs on the two turntables and keeping the flow – and doing much the same in the clubs, perhaps with less chat.

Today’s DJ/ producers are completely different and tend to spend time in a studio writing and producing original non-vocal music and at live performances using digital software and advanced computer programmes which certainly get the crowds attending even at massive festivals – some of them tour the world and become as famous and rich as some top pop stars.

They mix their edited stuff from track to track and keep the music going at the same tempo and offer a completely different performance to that provided by their namesakes of a few decades ago – like night and day or chalk and cheese. It’s like two distinct worlds.

So, as far as live pop and dance music is concerned, pop groups began to emerge in the very early ‘60s of which I was part!

In fact, it was then that The Diamond boys came to be.

Albert Hammond and I formed this group after he and I had been singing together, as a duo, for a few months in late ‘59.

We were the first Gibraltarian pop group on the Rock. Shortly after, The V Brothers came on the scene, followed by The Silhouettes, The Wanderers, The Moonlight Son and a number of others.

In those days groups just played cover versions of the latest hit songs and, I think it’s true to say, the only self-penned songs were performed by us and were written by Albert Hammond who was already composing original material.

At the same time, dance bands were still appearing also: The Modernaires had been up and running for some time and The Terriers came on the scene also providing dance music at venues around town. They were more orientated towards tangos, paso dobles etc and not as pop-py as the pop groups.

What a contrast to what’s on offer today. Nowadays groups play mainly original material although some covers may be included and they offer a completely different style to that of days gone by.

So that was definitely then and this is certainly now. Different styles depicting the times in which we live.

Let’s go with some observations: a couple of them that need repeating as the dry weather continues with still no rain, at the time of writing.

There are some places that need seeing to badly.

Big stains on the pavements at Campion Park coming from Mid Town and leading to the kids’ play park and the entrance to the Leisure Centre and they are increasing in other places too.

We locals take some views for granted and this is a popular view taken by many tourists as they look up towards the Rock and Library Street from Main Street.

This one is a bugbear of mine. No.6’s facade has been getting a paint job giving it an even smarter look – pity about the shiny cannon on either side of the entrance which remain covered. It would provide the cherry on the cake by a very elegant entrance.

A couple of repeats there that need repeating... see you in a fortnight!