Pete Townshend - (who he?) - 2 through 5
Pete got this a bit rearranged before I could get to the post last night, breaking what was a segment of Chapter One into four additional chapters.
Two through Five deals with Pete's parents Cliff and Betty Townshend.
A history and photos of The Squadronaires:
http://www.maybole.org/Notables/mcquater/squadronaires.htm
Click here to watch The Squadronaires performing in 1951 (good close-up of Cliff!). Click on the Download Video link. There is an option to download a free preview.
http://tinyurl.com/yrzbla
An ex-Squadronaire recalling Cliff complaining about Pete and his friends: http://www.jazzprofessional.com/ronspages/squads.htm
There's a guy with a website where he collects Cliff, but I can't find it right now. If I do, I'll post it here.
Funny that Cliff was in Owsley's British fascist movement and the reason was the "Uniforms." Link to Modism? Wonder if there was any problem about that when Cliff joined the RAF? Is that why he didn't fly? Probably for the best, of course. Wouldn't want him to go missing, only to return years later and shoot Betty's lover right in front of Pete! A "deaf, dumb and blind" Pete is hard to imagine. Hell, a non-talking Pete is hard to imagine!
Turns out Billy Nicholls' dad, also named Billy Nicholls, was in Cliff's band. Here's an interview where Billy Nicholls fils mentions his dad:
http://www.geocities.com/mikegriffiths6/Billy_Nicholls_Email_Interview_1.html
Two through Five deals with Pete's parents Cliff and Betty Townshend.
A history and photos of The Squadronaires:
http://www.maybole.org/Notables/mcquater/squadronaires.htm
Click here to watch The Squadronaires performing in 1951 (good close-up of Cliff!). Click on the Download Video link. There is an option to download a free preview.
http://tinyurl.com/yrzbla
An ex-Squadronaire recalling Cliff complaining about Pete and his friends: http://www.jazzprofessional.com/ronspages/squads.htm
There's a guy with a website where he collects Cliff, but I can't find it right now. If I do, I'll post it here.
Funny that Cliff was in Owsley's British fascist movement and the reason was the "Uniforms." Link to Modism? Wonder if there was any problem about that when Cliff joined the RAF? Is that why he didn't fly? Probably for the best, of course. Wouldn't want him to go missing, only to return years later and shoot Betty's lover right in front of Pete! A "deaf, dumb and blind" Pete is hard to imagine. Hell, a non-talking Pete is hard to imagine!
Turns out Billy Nicholls' dad, also named Billy Nicholls, was in Cliff's band. Here's an interview where Billy Nicholls fils mentions his dad:
http://www.geocities.com/mikegriffiths6/Billy_Nicholls_Email_Interview_1.html
posted by Brian in Atlanta at 3/08/2007 06:22:00 AM
4 Comments:
Brian,
That was me that had the Cliff site at geocities, but they removed it within the past year due to inactivity on my part. I have so much Cliff shite (including Squadronaire fan club newsletters from 1947 that mentions Billy Nichols leaving the band to be with his wife who was getting ready to give birth - to Billy Nichols probably. The newsletters also mention Pete a couple of times), but just never took (had) the time to update site. I also started putting together a new site, but never completed that as well.
The links you mention are great and there may actually be (or were) a few other mentions of Cliff on the web in interviews with the old-time musicians. It is a shame that Cliff's musical contributions have always been simplified as being a member of the Squadronaires. In reality he was a great musician and played with many of the big name groups during his career as well: George Shearing (sp?), Kenny Graham, Ted Heath, Vic Lewis, Joe Daniels and his Hotshots to name a few....
I am glad Pete has taken the time to research this and to also put it in HIS biography and postings.
-Bill
Thanks for writing in Bill. I knew I'd seen that site before and was going through everything on Google looking for it!
Cliff could really throw down as that video clip shows. I wonder if Pete and his dad made any private recordings together? I believe they performed together on a South Bank Show special once.
Hi Brian,
Not sure - can you preview the close-up of Cliff Townshend or do you have to actually purchase the d/l to see this?
Thanks! (awesome links!)
- Lucy.
Lucy,
There's a selection for 128k that you can choose to "purchase" for a cost of 0.00.
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