FredC said:
G'day Fred, here's a bit of old stuff, back in 1953 I was recieving tuition, ten bob a lesson, from a one "Reg Clamtree", he played up in town, don't ask where, he wouldn't say, maybe didn't know. One of his other pupils was a one "Johny Scrivens", he too became a drummer up in town, don't ask where he wouldn't say, maybe didn't know.
Johny Scriven had a magnificent track iron that he used to flash around on, his parents were rich, this bike was a fancy lugged job with sprints and tubs, but I can't remember what make, I just knew I wanted one of them.
My parents couldn't afford one of them so I just rode my bitsa bike and could always whip his grass on my old bike, which ****** him off so he stopped talking to me and we drifted apart. Eventually I bought on hire purchase a brand new "Dawes Clansman" with three speed Simplex, I was a baron?
Reg Clamtree's idol's were, I'm only guessing of the authenticity of the names, "Gene Krupa and Lionel Hampton", I seem to remember he had vynil 33.3rpm records that he played on a radiogram and would drum to in time to. He would sit and listen, beat time on his knees, shut his eyes and get lost like he was on something, maybe he was, but he knew how to do it, and had a kit of "Premier Drums"? (Red Pearl and Chrome) set up in his flat in Romford Road at Forest Gate, East London.
Reg insisted that I never touch a pig skin until I was proficient at the parra didle, (l.r.ll.r.l.rr) the standard roll, (ll.rr.ll.rr.ll.rr) etc., the flam and of course the drag.
He insisted I only ever practise on a rubber pad with military sticks, he gave me a set of exercises to do daily, which involved holding the sticks in both hands, and twisting the sticks until one hand was inside out to the other then reversing the exerecise, then I had to shake my hands he said as if I had hot water buning them. I did this religiously ever day and practised dilligently, however mother didn't like the constant noise, as she put, one day while at work,(Goldberg The Tailors) my sticks and pad disappeared.
Anybody seen my sticks and pad, silence?
Father says in a "Father to Son" chat, "do you think drumming is a very good job, it's usually night work in smokey halls, not very nice people"....."I'll leave the decision up to you son". By the way I think you pad and sticks went out to the dustbin yesterday, Mum was getting nervous about the tapping noise?
Fred I could have been a contender? Cut off in me prime? I could have been your hero? Oh the shame of it, what more can I say.
At the moment I'm in the process of making a set of Bongo's, I've made a pair of "Fibre Glass" tapered tubes, with lookalike wood veneer outsides, now all I have to do is devise a set of clamps and get a piece of pigskin for the faces?
Then I can drive my missus mad just like I did my old Mum? TBC
