King Mojo Club 1967

[Fred Benson]

Fabulous article......remember it well, but names? Bluddy useless at 'em, feel embarrassed, but it's a sign of getting on I suppose. Have met up with a few of Donny folk over past couple of years, so good to see them, we should have a Mojo reunion!........still got my membership card!  xx

[Guest ShaneH]

Club 60 is still very much a venue. A few Sheffield lads I sort of know through friends open it up for cool invite only parties quite regular. Been in many times over the last few years. 

Its not not changed by all accounts. Incredible part of the Sheffield music scene. Today I've been to watch Wednesday play with the son of Dave Memmott who was the drummer in Joe Cockers first bands. He has some great stories about those days. Dave joins us at the football occasionally. 

It's been a fascinating read so far. Well before my time but I'm enjoying it! Cheers. 

[Alleyoop]

Cheers John

[Alleyoop]

Yes Shane, Club 60 still there. Not far from the fantastic Shakespeare - former King Bee venue and soon to be home to "Birth of the Cool" night.

By the way Fred did you see that scan of the Attic flyer that mentions you that I posted on the Mojo fb page a bit ago.

John Marriott

[Guest ShaneH]

Yeah John. I'm a King bee regular. Will be supporting Pow Wow too

I'm the organiser of the Joe Dutton event at Yellow Arch on Sunday 1st May which isn't far from those venues. Plenty of King Bee/Pow Wow tunes for that event! 

Im sure we will have met before. 

[Roburt]

Went to (s)Waggy's do @ the H&J on Friday (thanx to Martyn / hullsoul) and Audrey was there. We got chattin & she reminded me of a private club we used to go to in Bentley (Dony) ..... it would have been about 65 and the place was an old (largish) brick shed. It was called the 'Garden Party' and was owned by the dad of one of the lads. I believe he (the lad) was an art student coz the place was decorated well. I seem to recall it had a wooden floorboard floor and so was a decent place to dance (though only being 15 yrs old guess the knees didn't mind any flooring back then). Music policy was soul & more soul (Sam & Dave, Motown, Atlantic, etc.) and we used to go whenever it was open (3 / 4 nites a week). Even seem to recall having a membership card though it was 'word of mouth' only & you had to know someone there to get in.

[Roburt]

The book on the Esquire & Club 60 gets mentioned earlier ... there's a new version of this out & it seems to be much changed from the original version .....

[Alleyoop]

Were coming along on the 1st May Shane. looking forward to it

John

[Roburt]

A photo of the Hull crowd outside the Mojo at a Sunday alldayer session .... think this is the photo I refused to be on .... frisell, frassle, drat ....

[Roburt]

I'm told that there's a Mojo Reunion do this Saturday @ the Earl Of Doncaster (in Dony obviously)   .... but my head has been turned by a young(ish) lady in Worksop & so I'm already committed to a do over there (22 mile drive each way -- how quick could we do that ?).

 

[Roburt]

Some photos taken inside the Esquire Club Sheffield ....... 

[Fred Benson]

Sadly can't get to 'The Earl' on Saturday, leg still in a pot so can't get about easily........

[Roburt]

And so it came to pass, the great and famous King Mojo All-Nighters had to stop!  A wailing and crying as never heard before over took Britain's Mod Populous ... and at the last one, Saturday XV April MCMLXVII multitudes of all creeds gathered ............

REMINDER: King Mojo Reunion nite @ Earl Of Doncaster tomorrow ......... seems that "I'll Be There .." afterall .....

 

Edited April 8, 2016 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Met a few old mates last night in Dony ... Iggo, 'Sugar' Kane, Cliff Sirs, Audrey, Hilary & many more ... we talked old times & no doubt were very boring people to be around !! 

[Fred Benson]

Yep...really gutted missed this...would have been great to have met up with everyone.....ahh well, maybe another time..

[Roburt]

I didn't make mention of it in my article coz it doesn't really relate to the Mojo or other allniters back then ... BUT in 67 we made a few longer 'soul related' trips as well. After the 1st 'LAST' niter at the Mojo (15th April), we were initially at a loose end on Saturday nights. Some of us would shoot across to Hull as that city always had a great night life scene (port & all that). So Frid / Sat / Sun 21/22/23rd April were spent in Hull & it's 2 soul discos (The Discotheque on Whitefriargate & the Gondola on Little Queen St). BUT we were bored by the next weekend (when some of the Hull lads came thru to Dony) & so organised a trip down to London for the 6/7th May.

We met up as usual on the Saturday nite (drinks in the Coffee House & then Danum), we killed time till the early hours & caught a Kings X bound train at 3am. Early arrival Sunday in London. Down to Petticoat Lane (clothes & record buying). Then up the West End in the afternoon (think we got some decent 45's -- UK Major Lance singles, etc.) down the Kings Rd. Night time found us heading to the Saville Theatre (owned by Brian Epstein & the Beatles) to see Garnett Mimms live. Then an early exit from the theatre, dash across London to catch a late train home to Dony.

SEE RELATED BITS BELOW  ............

 

Edited April 19, 2016 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Another montage of Mojo / Stringfellow related bits .........

... the Fantastics had just changed their name from the Fabulous Temptations & had appointed Stringers as their new UK manager. If the big Queens Hall show had been held around 7 / 8 weeks earlier, Stringers would no doubt have had the Topics on as well (they had just been touring the UK as the Impressions). 

 

Edited April 24, 2016 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Stringers appears in this clip ... talkin' bout King Geno & the King Mojo .... 

 

[Roburt]

A section from the 'Alan Bown Set' book ............  

[likealaff]

On 3/31/2016 at 17:59, Linda Pidd said:

Hello Pop, wonderful to hear from you, have been remembering old times since this site was brought to my attention just yesterday. Amazing that so many of us still hold onto our love of the times, memories,old mates and of course the music.   I still very close to my lovely Karen and Roy, we don't get together enough but FB is a great link.  Goole is blessed with a group of soulies who have upheld the local scene and welcomed old and new into the fold . We have some dedicated followers who work hard at Keeping the Faith,  we are never short of great music and organised dance nights.  We have music forums and of course Goole Scooter Club . Don't know what the Canadian soul scene is like but over here it is in revival and lots of younger soulies coming through. I love it! like you my dear old friend.. I have some photos of when you , Roy and Dave Jennings came over to Jersey.. I will try and hunt them out. Not enough hours in the day !! Been off work a couple of weeks but back on Monday & moving house shortly. Will keep in touch, hope you and your family are all very well. I have let Karen & Linda Farrar know and will get this link to them . Take care. Xx

Well, I guess I'll have to stop calling you "Broughie"........great to hear from you....how long has it been ? 20-25 years ? I still keep in touch with Dave, Mac, Dek /Sue Wynne. I see you're still dancin' in Goole. Not much of a scene n Toronto, bits and bobs here and there. In fact , the only place to consistently hear good music is in my basement ! However, having said, in the late 90's I hooked up with four other ex-pats to put on "soul nites" around town which turned out to be quite popular. .There are 3 other parts to this on YT, but this one seems to be the most viewed, can't think why. A couple of the guys were ex Wigan/Blackpool who tried to "educate" the folks with the NS stuff. but did'nt have much success.I was quite happy to do my Stringfellow impression and play anything that filled the floor. We even had the local Guinness rep. sponsor us. Limey's and free beer ??   Big mistake !!  Still, a good time was had all round.Getting back to the topic, a couple more names for Roburt,s list...........Digger, Rocky, Linda Mitchell from Donny. Two sisters from York, Jackie and Sue. I see Charlie from Goole is mentioned.He and I share the same birthday. I recall being in the Leger bar one time with the pints of D.D lined up. Hilda says" it's your birthday...how old are you? we replied "18"  she says "18 ???? ...you've been coming in here 2 years !!! "            see you on FB

 

[likealaff]

1 hour ago, Roburt said:

A section from the 'Alan Bown Set' book ............  

Where do you get all this stuff ?   Roburt...........Mac now reveals you as John Smith  ... we last met in a Las Vegas Tex-Mex restaurant !  here'a thought....if you and Ace records do manage to get a Mojo CD out, will there be a CD release party ??

[Roburt]

With a name like John Smith (& me being very late to join this site), I had a struggle to find a name not already taken, so I corrupted my middle name (Robert) as my ID.

Seems there will not be a Mojo CD as Ady thinks there aren't enough 'under-used tracks' that could feature on it. 

 

So, I guess this is where we met then .......... the night that Lou Ragland organised for me (& the visiting Brits) ........

Edited April 27, 2016 by Roburt

[likealaff]

That's correct, we were down making our usual donations to the casino and got wind of this, and came along.....had you been doing a tour ? what year was this ?..... in the 90's ?  I recall the guy from the Platters.......   I half expected the answer from Ady. I guessed that most of the tracks played would be too costly . I have, in the past tried to persuade Martin Kopple, (who lives not far from me) when he was involved with Goldmine to put out a Mojo CD just for posterity if nothing else .Maybe Mr Stringfellow could finance the project  !      Mac tells me he had a cracking time @ the Earl.........anyone take any photo's ??

[Roburt]

I (with the help of Bernie O'Brien, Lou R & Nancy Yahiro) set up the trip for numerous UK soul fans ... we headed straight to Vegas (via in-direct flights .. but that's another story). Spent about a week in Vegas visiting soul shows in various Casinos  -- Isley Bros, Touch of Silk, Bobby Wade & Emperors (Imperials really) plus more. Visited some record shops + recording studios, etc. Went to Motown Cafe (after letting them know we were coming) & was filmed by LA News crew. Spent time with Lou, Freddie Empire & more. Shot over to LA for a show Nancy organised (with Brenda Holloway & Nth Calif Mod Soul Band) then held big live show in Vegas (with about 15 soul artists in attendance). Quite a few US based fans also attended (Greg Tormo & more). After about 8 days, everyone headed home (though Dave Leedham headed off to spend time in LA with an old mate & the wife & I visited our son in Hoboken -- where Greg Tormo was kind enough to take me to a big NY record show). So, all in all, we had a great time. BTW, it was February 98 when the trip took place. 

Edited April 28, 2016 by Roburt

[Roburt]

likealaff, were you a Mojo goer back in the mid 60's ... if so, where did you live back then ??

[Guest roggert]

regarding stringys records and where they came from ,kath who worked in the mojo also worked as a buyer for wilson peck during the week and there was an america connection - a youth from chicago sent all the latest releases from the states! one night the aforesaid chicago lad turned up in a cape and top hat -the yank version of what mods wore, he had given the mojo a start on other clubs boogaloo baby by tommy and neve and an acetate of ike and turner stomper beauty is just skin deep !!

 

[Roburt]

Another soul related night that springs to mind took place a few weeks before 1967 kicked in ....

Radio London (the pirate stn) organised a UK tour for (mainly) British R&B bands, with Georgie Fame & his Band topping the bill. The main mod attraction (by that date) was Geno Washington & The RJB, even though Chris Farlowe, Eric Burdon & New Animals, Eyes of Blue & Butterfield Blues Band (from US) were also on the bill.

Anyway the tour played a number of Yorkshire / Lancs dates in late October 66  .......

RADIO LONDON tour Oct / Nov 66 -- Georgie Fame: Sat Oct 22nd, Odeon, Leeds;  Sun Oct 23rd, Gaumont, Doncaster; Tues Oct 25th, Odeon, Manchester; 
Weds Oct 26th, Odeon, Liverpool; Thurs Oct 27th, Gaumont, Sheffield. 

The Dony crowd attended the Sunday night (23rd Oct) show @ the Dony Gaumont and we were rewarded with having Pete Stringfellow as the compere that night (the Radio London DJs who normally acted as show compere's all being busy in London that day / night). Can't remember much about the show though (the brain cells are dying fast). 

I do remember that in that October, Georgie Fame's (& Bobby Hebb's) "Sunny" was high on the pirate stn charts (Radio London & Caroline) + Geno Washington's "Que Sera Sera" was on the R. London chart along with 45's by Eric B & Animals, Chris Farlowe, Shotgun Express, Alan Bown ("Emergency 999") & Jimmy James & V's ("Ain't Love Good, Ain't Love Proud"). Also on the charts were tracks by the 4 Tops, Temptations, Ike & Tina, Lee Dorsey, Johnny Wyatt & Robert Parker with Billy Stewart, Dean Parrish, Jackie Edwards, Mitch Ryder things also getting spins.  

Edited May 1, 2016 by Roburt

[likealaff]

On 4/29/2016 at 08:47, Roburt said:

likealaff, were you a Mojo goer back in the mid 60's ... if so, where did you live back then ??

1)  not to any all-nighters......  just a couple of week nights after school    2) Intake

[Roburt]

9 hours ago, likealaff said:

1)  not to any all-nighters......  just a couple of week nights after school    2) Intake

I was a Sprotboro lad mesen, went to night school @ Granville Rd Tech College (above Sheffield Midland Stn) but attended Sunday nites @ the Mojo initially then started going to the niters there. Great place; great crowd, great atmosphere !!

A picture of where the Mojo used to be; the club stood back from the road where the white block of flats now stand. 

[Guest roggert]

On 30 March 2016 at 19:24, Roburt said:

Went on-line to see if I could find any pics of the Favorita Coffee Bar where we all used to meet & hang out till time to catch the bus up into north Sheffield .... no photos to be found but did pick this wisdom up ............

..... anyone go to La Favorita in the mid 60's on Carver Street (think it's a fashion shop now). Think it was one of the few places you could hang out listen to Motown and the such like  ......   ..........   I can remember drinking "hot lime" with a drop of sugar in it.It was served in a pyrex glass with a stainless steel holder. Might try one again just to recreate old times. Saturday afternoons used to be good, putting your order in to the shoplifters (Angie and friends), Levis for 50p, tab collar shirts from smc. Then getting "blues or bombers” for the all-niter at the Mojo from your local pusher or the lads from Peterborough.

hot limes were the cheapest drinks served! the little indians that ran it would bring the drinks to you . a freckled girl  named angie would come in and take orders for clothing she would then go around shoplifting to order on saturday afternoons. the derby and notts lads would go to the cafe in atkinsons on the high street  . big sean from peterbro always had a girl friend that worked for s.k.f laboratories very useful in those days!!!!! i am loving the memories your posts are bringing back ,the characters and long forgotten names .

 

 

[likealaff]

On 5/2/2016 at 05:32, Roburt said:

I was a Sprotboro lad mesen, went to night school @ Granville Rd Tech College (above Sheffield Midland Stn) but attended Sunday nites @ the Mojo initially then started going to the niters there. Great place; great crowd, great atmosphere !!

A picture of where the Mojo used to be; the club stood back from the road where the white block of flats now stand. 

I had a similar time ,went to the Polytechnic on Pond St and Shirecliffe college in Attercliffe  66-69........ You mention "great crowd"....that's the thing I recall most , the kids I hung out with.  I've done a bit of travelling ( hit the road in 1970 ) But I never came across such a bunch of genuine people.  ( Yorkshire folk ) Getting back on topic, another place I recall  was a "country club" called the Side Saddle ( think I only went once )  someone brought "Al Capone" & " Guns of Navarone" (may have been Cliff Sirs )......which was played endlessly !!

[Roburt]

6 hours ago, likealaff said:

I had a similar time ,went to the Polytechnic on Pond St and Shirecliffe college in Attercliffe  66-69........ You mention "great crowd"....that's the thing I recall most , the kids I hung out with.  I've done a bit of travelling ( hit the road in 1970 ) But I never came across such a bunch of genuine people.  ( Yorkshire folk ) Getting back on topic, another place I recall  was a "country club" called the Side Saddle ( think I only went once )  someone brought "Al Capone" & " Guns of Navarone" (may have been Cliff Sirs )......which was played endlessly !!

Yes, remember the Side Saddle well .... the Sth Yorks mod clubs all played some ska as well as the soul.

I was out (in Dony) with Cliff Sirs only a couple of weeks ago (@ the Mojo revival night). He's a great guy.

[Alleyoop]

Bit belated reply to Roggerts comment above. Don’t know anything about  any  woman from Pecks or a youth in a top hat and cape (sure it wasn’t the Duke of Earl paying a visit?)  but the Chicago records Stringfellow played – Tommy and Cleve you mentioned, the Alvin Cash album, Billy Stewart  “Teaches old standards new tricks” etc album and  the Billy Butler stuff definitely all came from Mike Ward from nearby Grenoside rather than Chicago.

Main reason for writing however is to remind people of the Mojo/mod charity night in Sheffield this Friday night (3rd June) at the Niagara Club, Niagara Road, S6 1LU. Loads of Mojo favourites being played by 5 djs along with R&B sounds from the citys fantastic King Bee and Birth of the Cool nights. 7.30 -1.00, a fiver on the door.

 

 

John Marriott  

Edited May 30, 2016 by alleyoop
adding picture

[Samplat]

On 5 May 2016 at 08:33, Roburt said:

Yes, remember the Side Saddle well .... the Sth Yorks mod clubs all played some ska as well as the soul.

I was out (in Dony) with Cliff Sirs only a couple of weeks ago (@ the Mojo revival night). He's a great guy.

I remember going to the side saddle. It was on a Sunday night and it was somewhere between Hatfield and bawtry . I remember getting to a sharp right hand corner and Turning left to get there 

g

a

[bobkayli]

Have this poster on my wall. Does anyone know anything about the concert?

seems to be at the city hall.

 

Sorry poster didn't come thru. It is for a Jr walker concert under the mojo logo at the Sheffield city hall. Cost ten Bob to get in.

[Alleyoop]

Do you mean the Jnr walker poster that Fred Perry have used in an advert. If so, it is from a concert put on at the City Hall by Stringfellow after the Mojo had closed.

 

John

[bobkayli]

Do you know where I could find a copy of the advert? Sounds interesting.

[Roburt]

The poster for that City Hall Jnr Walker show is illustrated in the book on the 'Art of the Mojo' by the guy who did the decorating @ the club + all the venue's (Stringers) posters ......... (BOOK was available on Amazon ... 'Pop Art of Sheffield's King Mojo & Beyond'. I got a copy a few years back).

The poster looks just like a typical Mojo Club poster but states the venue was the City Hall Ballroom (it was green with text in black & some white -- group's name).

My scanner's bust but I can take a photo of the poster & put it up here if there's any interest in it.

 

[Alleyoop]

Bob, the advert is on the wall of the Fred Perry shop behind Kendals on Market Street in Manchester. You could actually pretend it really was 1968, get somebody to distract the staff , and swipe it. A common ocurrence in Sheffield in those days.

[Roburt]

I had a Mojo Club poster (for a niter with a live act). Pasted it up on the inside of a built-in wardrobe in our 1st house in Dony (Hexthorpe) back in 69.

Of course, we moved & the poster remained stuck on that bedroom wall (doooh) .... 

[Roburt]

Here's that poster ........... 

[Roburt]

Another 'non-Mojo' Mojo poster ....... again this was a night staged @ Sheffield City Hall as a protest against the City Council trying to have the club closed down. It took place on Thursday 22nd June 67 after Stringers had halted the niters in an attempt to head off the Council. I think him booking a Council owned venue for this 'anti-closure gig', was intentional.

 

Edited June 9, 2016 by Roburt

[bobkayli]

[bobkayli]

Hopefully this time my photo will load. Two obvious differences from the copy shown above, plain white background but also mine has a name and address printed in the bottom right corner. Colin Duffield living in Sheffield .

[Roburt]

I couldn't say which is the original of the Jnr Walker posters. The one that appears in the Mojo artwork book is the green one though. 

Just about all of those City Hall Mojo shows were staged mid-week (though I can't confirm the date of the Jnr Walker gig). Coz of this, the out-of-town niter goers didn't usually attend them or even see the posters which were only hung up around Sheffield itself.

I did however attend two reunion shows, one held in Sheffield (ironically @ the Leadmill,originally the Mojo's rival club, the Esquire). This was held sometime in the early to mid 80's & Geno Washington was the live attraction (Richard Searling was asked to DJ but it being midweek couldn't get across after work to do it). I was pictured in the local Sheffield newspaper with Stringers at that event.

The 2nd concert was staged in London (@ the Hippodrome / ex- Talk of the Town) in 1985 and starred Edwin Starr, Jimmy James & Vags, Chris Farlowe, etc. I ended up dancing on the stage & singing along with Chris Farlowe that night.

 

[Roburt]

The Alan Bown Set were always a popular draw at the Mojo ....

 

[Roburt]

After the club itself had actually shut .... 

Clyde moved to the UK sometime around October 1967 ( I think) ... anyone know the accurate date ??

Edited July 12, 2016 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Another Mojo club gig .... 

[Alleyoop]

Further to Roburts comment about Clyde and Ben E performing together at the Kings Hall, they did actually appear together at the Mojo itself.  I'm remember from somewhere a photo of both of them plus Stringfellow on stage taken from roughly where I was stood on the night. Could have imagined it, it was so long ago now but I'm sure I have seen one.

[Roburt]

A UK band's Mojo gig .....