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| The Bluetones in 1961 at The Pioneer Club |
Let's go
back, waaaaay back, to 1961 when Elvis was at the height of his fame and no one
outside Liverpool had heard of The Beatles.
In St
Albans the biggest band of the day was The Bluetones, a skiffle outfit formed
by Jim Rodford and his mates from The Pioneer Club.
Jim
played an old tea chest, it was impossible to buy a double bass back then.
He says:
“Like many young men in the ’60s we listened to American rock ’n’ roll and
Lonnie Donegan and tried to copy that, and skiffle music started us all off.“
So naturally when his younger cousin Rod Argent wanted to start a band it was
to Jim he turned.
“Rod
used to come and watch The Bluetones perform, and in ‘61 said he wanted to form
a band, so I took them to the club and set them up. That was the very first
time The Zombies played together and then they went on to conquer the world“,
he says.
“I
remember they won a rock contest at Watford Town Hall and the first prize was a
recording session at Decca and Rod wrote ‘She’s Not There’ for it and it went
straight to the top of the American charts.
“That
was all because of The Pioneer Club“.
Jim had
turned down Rod’s request to be in the band because “I was in the biggest band
in the area, so why would I want to play with some young kids?“ He says he
never regretted it as he went on to join the Mike Cotton Sound and then formed
Argent with Rod, recording the original version of God Gave Rock and Roll To
You, and then he joined The Kinks as their bass player and toured the world.
Born in
St Albans, he met his wife at The Pioneer Club and still lives in his hometown,
but says The Bluetones “scattered everywhere” after the band broke up.
But the
grandfather of four will be reuniting with three of the original members Bill
Bennett, Andy Jenner and Chris Davies for the first time since 1961 for a
special one-off performance as The Rodford Files to mark the great history of
the club that has helped shape him and so many other young artists.
Jim
says: “The industry has changed so much and it’s made live performance that
much more precious.
“With
shows like X Factor you start at the top and the only way is down, but I’ve
been going 50 years and am still building a following through doing live
shows.“
He says
of MusicCity: “It really encourages bands to get out there and do it.
“There is a thriving music scene here being supported by local people and that’s what it’s all about“.
The father
of three will be performing at the event after coming to the end of a special
anniversary tour with The Zombies, with Rod on keyboard and son Steve Rodford
on drums, which he says is the best line-up he’s ever played with. This is
quite a claim, since the 72-year-old was bassist with legendary band The Kinks
for 20 years.
“I’m
still in touch with Ray and see him at the fan conventions, but Dave has been
ill so has kept a low profile.
“I’m
pretty sure there will be some sort of reunion this year for the 50 years since
You Really Got Me, but Ray and Dave have never got on well or agreed on things,
so I just let them get on with it“.
A
special an exhibition of The Pioneer Club is being held at the Museum of St
Albans, running until March 30, and will trace its history and include
memorabilia from famous artists.
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