I am writing between five and t en thousnd words a day for Mkeneyan A Handbook For An Amazing City and loving every letter (Including tyhe typo's).
See what you think of this chapter. To help you I have enlisted the help of YouTube so you can LISTEN and READ.
We Built This City On Rock And Roll – a great hit from 1985 sung by Starship but what city is the song all about ?
Satus Quo may have opened Live Aid in July 1985, the biggest concert the world has ever known but they also played Bletchley Youth Centre.
But Milton Keynes not only hosted mega stars like Status Quo, Billy J Kramer and Chicory Tip, it produced its own. Indeed, as I will later explain, without Milton Keynes many of the pop legends we still listen today would never have played a single note.
In Wolverton, North Milton Keynes, you will find The Radcliffe School. This is named after one of our former members of parliament John Radcliffe. The John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford is also named after him. We are going back a bit here, John Radcliffe was born in 1650 and left us in 1714. He was our MP from 20th March 1690 to 11th October 1695. A bit before rock and roll !
But never mind too much about that, I want you to come back with me to 1986. Nip over to YouTube and type in The Radcliffe Rollers Steel Band, Saturday Superstore. 1986. John Radcliffe were you rocking ‘n rollin’ ? I was !
How the Radcliffe Rollers never became an international pop sensation I will never know. That l lad singing I Just Called To Say I Love You, Stevie Wonder he tops your pops doesn’t he ?
We built this city on Rock and Roll, YOU BET WE DID !
What was the very first vinyl single you spent your pocket money on ? (If you were born after vinyl then you have my sympathy.) Come on then what was it ?
I spent my six shillings and nine pence on African Waltz by Johnny Dankworth and his orchestra. I had my pocket money tightly held in my hand as I went with my Mum on the number 29A ‘bus to Lewis’s Department Store’s record department in Birmingham City Centre. My little boy’s mind was in a quandary, I could not decide if I should buy Rubber Ball by Bobby Vee or Hats Off To Larry by Del Shannon. I only had six and nine, not thirteen and six so I could not buy both. Then Destiny stepped in and I came home with African Waltz by Johnny Dankworth.
Destiny ! Two decades later I would move to Milton Keynes where lived Johnny Dankworth. Seven years after that I would get married to the love of my life who grew up and lived just down the road from Johnny Dankworth. Johnny Dankworth and his wife Cleo Laine. each a giant of music in their own right but together they gave more music to Milton Keynes than San Francisco could imagine in its wildest dreams.
Cleo Laine’s vocal range exceeds three octaves. She is the only female performer to have received Grammy nominations in the jazz, popular and classical music categories.
They lived, indeed Cleo still does live, in The Old Rectory Wavendon, just along the road from where the Milton Keynes Development Corporation had its headquarters.
WAP. What WAP ? Wavendon All-music Plan. This was something the duo set up in their back garden. Today it is the internationally famous Stables Theatre.
Where would Milton Keynes be without John Dankworth and Cleo Laine ?
Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Laine jazz musicians ? Not rock and roll. Stop splitting hairs, when it comes to building our city on Rock and Roll this husband and wife duo are rock solid foundation stones.
My name is David but I write under the pen-name of Max Robinson. When it comes to playing music I wear the headphones of The Geriatric DJ. On 22nd March 2020 I published an e-book The Fantasies Of A Geriatric DJ. Then later in the same year, on 5th September I published both as an e-book and in paperback format Pip Diamond The Prince Of Rock And Roll. A central character in both stories in Elvis Presley.
It is said that Elvis Presley never came to Great Britain. What was it Samuel Langhorne Clemens said: It may be history, it may be only a legend, a tradition. It may have happened, it may not have happened: but it could have happened.
Mark Twain, allow me to add a couple of my own words to your philosophy. It may be history, it may be only a legend, a tradition. It may have happened, it may not have happened: but it could have happened. WHO CARES !
You will find within Crown Hill Milton Keynes a road named after The King of Rock and Roll. Actually it’s a WAY – PRESLEY WAY.
Here are a few others to be found within this designated area of our city’s rock and roll.
Armstrong Close (Lois Armstrong) Atwell Close (Winifred Atwell) Bolan Court (Marc Bolan) Chevalier Grove (Maurice Chevalier) Cochran Close (Eddie Cochran) Cogan Court (Alma Cogan) Fury Court (Billy Fury) Hendrix Drive (Jimmy Hendrix) Holly Close (Buddy Holly) Joplin Court (Scott Joplin) Lennon Drive (John Lennon) Marley Grove (Bob Marley) Mercury Grove (Freddie Mercury) Monro Avenue (Marylin Monro) Orbison Court (Roy Orbison) Valens Close (Richie Valens) and Presley Way (Elvis Presley)
There are many more, go and check them out for yourself. We built this city on Rock and Roll,
The song which has been recorded more than any other is Amazing Grace which was composed in Milton Keynes. In my opinion and that of the Geriatric DJ by far the best version of all is by The King of Rock and Roll himself, Elvis Presley.
In the days when Milton Keynes had a radio station, Horizon Radio, that was located in Crown Hill.
What have Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson and David Bowie all got in common ? (Apart from the fact that they are dead.)
They all played The National Bowl in Milton Keynes. Sometimes it is called the Milton Keynes Bowl but that is not right, it is The National Bowl. In its heyday it was second only to The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Today it is a shadow of its former self hosting a weekly car boot sale and a car auction. That’s not down to a failure within the site but quite simply we do not today have music of the quality Freddie Mercury and Queen, David Bowie and Michael Jackson gave to us. Brian May of Queen, a biodiversity champion, wanted to stage a concert similar to Live Aid in support of climate protection. Perhaps he could have staged it at The National Bowl in Milton Keynes, but he gave up on the idea as there simply are not the bands around today who could draw such a crowd.
I haven’t measured it but I estimate my home is about two miles from the National Bowl. When concerts from Queen, Bowie and Michael Jackson were performed I could sit in my garden and enjoy the music free of charge.
When David Bowie performed there was traffic chaos within Milton Keynes grid road system, so many people attended the carefully designed H and V roads could not cope. It was an incredibly hot day, water was sprayed across the crowd to keep the fans cool. It could not, however, turn down the heat of Bowie’s cool music.
Cliff Richard, the Peter Pan of pop music, did not play the National Bowl but he did play Bletchley Leisure Centre. I went to listen to him. His hit Wired For Sound came at a time when vinyl was being replaced by cassette tapes and through which you could listen to it on the move. Cliff recorded the video for this track in Central Milton Keynes.
Sadly this has been removed from YouTube. It was a great piece of filming. I used to joke it could never happen today. I could not happen perhaps because at eighty-one years of age he has probably retired from roller skating. The underpass where he skated was to become part of Milton Keynes Tent City. Beyond that I doubt the production team would be able to afford the parking charges !
It may be history, it may be only a legend, a tradition. It may have happened, it may not have happened: but it could have happened. WHO CARES !
During World War Two Wilton Hall was a social and entertainment centre for those cracking codes and so on. I have tried to start a legend. Did Vera Lynn The Forces Favourite play Wilton Hall ? Never mind Berkley Square, did a nightingale sing in Bletchley Park.
It may have happened, it may not have happened: but it could have happened. But if it did happen it will still be covered by The Official Secrets Act.
Leon Disco. In the 1970’s and 1980’s its twin deck was a local legend. Some think I founded Leon Disco but that is not true, it was all down to Leon School Headmaster David Bradshaw.
Originally he hired a local mobile disco to perform in the Lower School Hall every Tuesday evening. He didn’t exactly rock and roll but he loved pop music. When I joined the teaching staff in 1976 he told, told me not invited me, to be a part of it. When the last track was played my job was to turn on the lights and make sure all the kids made an orderly exit. Headmaster Bradshaw ? His job was to sweep the floor. How many headmasters today would run a weekly disco and how many would know what a broom is for ?
This was all very well but Headmaster Bradshaw decided to take things to a higher level. The school lunch hour was actually an hour and a half. He came up with the idea that a lunchtime disco would keep the kids out of mischief. He handed over a wedge of cash and said to me: Here’s the money, Go and buy the equipment and make it happen.
Indeed it did happen. I took Headmaster Bradshaw’s funding to MAN Music in Duncombe street an exchanged it for a disco twin-deck. MAN Music = Marshall and Nun, Marshall being the son of Jim Marshall The Lord of Loud,
When David Bradshaw retired his headmastership was taken over by Bruce Abbott who allowed the disco to continue. He introduced to the curriculum a subject PSE – Personal and Social Education. As Head of Year Nine I invited a gentleman to come and speak to my students about a brand new charity he was working to set up. That charity was Willen Hospice. He inspired those teenagers so much they had me take an idea to Mr Abbott. Could we have a sponsored twenty-four hour disco to raise money to help Willen Hospice happen.
Leon Disco has gone down as a legend in Milton Keynes with Willen Hospice today a living legend.
Life is a Disco so Dance
A prolific writer I may be, I am probably the most prolific Amazon Authors. What I am not is a best-selling writer. I will not be remembered as an author, not never no way but I would like to be remembered as a philosopher.
In December 2021 I published an e-book PLATO I AM NOT I’M ONLY ME within which I share my own personal life maxims. In January of that year, also in e-book format, I published MILTON KEYNES A DISCO FOR A NEW CITY. Within both I speak of my snipped of philosophy LIFE IS A DISCO SO DANCE.
Within our building this city of rock and roll what track shall I request the DJ to play ?
It has to be D.I.S.C.O. by Ottawan.
What track would you like to play ? Let’s ask a few Mkeneyans for their favourite tracks.
MIKE BARRY Former mayor of Milton Keynes and one time programme controller of Radio CRMK and mentor to my writing this book. TEXT TO ADD
DAVIS HOPKINS Another mentor and mayor of Milton Keynes, mayor during our city’s fiftieth year. David you are a great music fan so what would you choose ? TEXT TO ADD
IAIN STEWART and BEN EVERETT which songs do you rock and roll to ? TEXT TO ADD
For our ancient Fenny Poppers let’s play BOOM BANG A BANG by Lulu.
And for former mayor and boss of Taylors Dairies, David Taylor this is for you NO MILK TODAY by Hermans Hermits.
Sorry former may Brian Baldry I have to play this for you THE WHEEL ON THE BUS GO ROUND AND ROUND .
Sam Crooks, another member of the Milton Keynes Chain Gain and mentor of my writing, what can we play for you ? TEXT TO ADD
We built this city on Rock and Roll. As we celebrate Milton Keynes being awarded its city charter our very first Milton Keynes City Mayor Amanda Marlow what can we play for you ? TEXT TO ADD
We built this city on rock and roll. You bet we did ! But without Mkeneyan Jim Marshall aka The Lord of Loud there would right across the world be but a tiny fraction
Jim Marshall Lord of Loud
Once upon a time in Queensway Bletchley was a music shop run by a certain Jim Marshall. That was on the ground floor, upstairs Jim ran a drumming school. From this grew Marshall Amplification producing music amplifiers used by the greatest band ever to give us music. Marshall Amplification, of course, still celebrates music to this very day.
I have talked a bit about my philosophy and life maxims, Jim Marshall’s was TURN IT UP TO ELEVEN. On all Marshall amplifiers the volume control goes not to ten but eleven. Jim became known as The Lord of Loud. Without him, without Marshall Amplification there would be but a fraction of the rock and roll upon which to build our city.
If you go to the Hollywood Walk of Fame you will find Jim Marshall’s name on the pavements. Thrust me you will, I have been there and I have seen it. What a fitting accolade to Milton Keynes the city built on rock and roll.
Jim was a very generous and community minded man, when it came to money for music projects his philosophy was: The answer is yes, now how much do you want ?
Jim Marshall was a great supporter of Leon School’s music department headed by Daphne Capp. Jim passed away in April 2012, Daphne is still very much with us and is a dear friend. Her late husband Don played the organ at my wedding.
One of Daphne’s projects which Jim Marshall supported was the school’s performance of Jim Wayne’s War Of The Worlds which packed the sports hall in Bletchley Leisure Centre. If it had played on the stage of The National Bowl it may well have attracted a bigger crowd than Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson and David Bowie put together.
Within my YouTube channel I have a collection of tracks which I have grouped under the title If it aint vinyl then it aint music. And within my life maxims there is LIFE IS LIKE A VINYL RECORD – IF IT DOES NOT CRACKLE YOU ARE NOT PLAYING IT ENOUGH.
Be patient, I am coming to the point in a moment.
Go to YouTube and ,listen to Groovy Kind Of Love. Go for the Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders version.
What is groovy and what is the point ?
Groovy means fun, happy, special and more. In the Swinging Sixties groovy was a word in every day use. The grooves were to be found on vinyl records. The point ? That was the tip of the diamond stylus on the record player which took the music from the grooves and out into the loudspeaker.
In Water Eaton there used to be a factory STYLUS SUPPLIES MOUNTINGS which made the bits for record players to play the music. Another foundation stone upon which the City of Rock and Roll we know as Milton Keynes was built.
Did you know that Bon Jovi did a photo shoot at Bill Billings Peartree Bridge Dinosaur. Nip over, take your silly smart-phone with you and listen to Livin’ On A Prayer while you pat the dinosaur’s head.
Using that silly smart-phone you will be dipping into satellite technology, you will probably have used a sat nav in your car to drive you to Peartree Bridge. When you say bye-bye to the dinosaur head to Whaddon Way in West Bletchley.
Telstar was the world’s first telecommunication satellite launched by NASA on Sunday 10th June 1962. A fabulous British pop group The Tornados celebrate with a vinyl single Telstar, obviously named after the satellite. On Whaddon Way a pub opened calling itself The Satellite. We built this city on Rock and Roll.
Are you a fan of the ballet ? I am. Slip down to Furzton Lake, Milton Keynes very own Swan Lake. Wouldn’t it be nice if all cities were like Milton Keynes – wouldn’t it be amazing if all lakes were like Furzton.
When The Centre MK opened Milton Keynes Shopping Management decided it would release a seven inch vinyl record and try to get it into the charts. You’ve Never Seen Anything Like It – The Central Milton Keynes Shopping Song. It was a bit of fun but as for its chart position, somewhere near the bottom of the Top Ten Thousand I think.
The National Bowl Milton Keynes, the beautiful television advert which we have today come to call The Red Balloon Advert had its final scene filmed in there. That final scene ending with the iconic words Wouldn’t it be nice if all cities were like Milton Keynes.
Wouldn’t
it be nice if all cities were like Milton Keynes – Wouldn’t it be nice if all cities
were built on rock and roll like Milton Keynes.
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