Birmingham Bits

[michelej1]

These are mentions I found of Christine in her hometown newspaper.

Birmingham Evening Mail, July 17, 2007

BYLINE: Jim Curry

BODY:


HERE'S another two to add to the list for the Walk of the Stars.

Stevie Winwood, who is still massive in the States.

And being from Moseley village myself, there is one very famous lady who hardly ever gets a mention - Christine McVie, real name Christine Perfect, who was of course one of the big stars of Fleetwood Mac, and came from Moseley.

Jim Curry, Moseley

[michelej1]

Birmingham Post, May 16, 2005

HEADLINE: PUPILS RETURN TO THEIR BELOVED BRUM SCHOOL

BYLINE: BY JASBIR AUTHI

HIGHLIGHT:
Diane Soobray, Jane Chapman and Anne Clifford, who were in the Class of 61 (below right). Jane and Anne are seen in the second row centre and Diane is in the second row from back centre; Bob Ball (student 1930 -33), Barbara Ball (31-34) and Muriel Reay. Below: Barbara is second from right centre row, and Muriel Reay is right centre row

BODY:
Former art pupils travelled from as far afield as Australia yesterday to attend a reunion at one of Birmingham's leading schools.

Nearly 400 pupils from the prestigious Moseley Secondary School of Art caught up with old pals and fondly reminisced about their time there.

The school was once regarded as a hotbed of creativity and budding artists from all over the city were sent there to develop their talents between 1901 and 1976.

It's glittering alumni include Christine McVie, lead singer of Fleetwood Mac, Peter Phillips, who was one of the four founders of the 1960s pop art movement, Trevor Beattie, the brains behind the eye-popping Wonderbra and **** advertising campaigns and members of Birmingham band UB40.

Despite it's flourishing reputation, the school was closed in the '70s by the Labour Government and the Grade ll star-listed building soon fell into disrepair.

It was later acquired by the British Association of Muslims who partly renovated it and turned it into a community centre.

[michelej1]

Birmingham Post, May 21, 2002

HEADLINE: ART: EDDIE AND JENNY BACK ON THE ROAD

BODY:
Husband-and-wife musical team Eddie Matthews (trumpet) and Jenny Miller (piano and vocals) make a return to both their home city and jazz roots with an appearance at Ty's Jazz and Spice this Saturday.

After their marriage in 1963 they set up one of Birmingham's most popular jazz clubs at The Junction in Harborne. In the 70s, after the 'Eddie Matthews Jump Band' they formed the resident trio at the celebrated Opposite Lock club, where they backed visiting American jazz giants, such as Eddie Lockjaw Davies and Kai Winding, and got to know world-class musicians like George Shearing and Dudley Moore.

During the 1980s, in order to raise the money to educate their sons Will and Ben at Rossall School, Lancashire, famed for its music department, Eddie and Jenny had to turn their back on jazz and form a dance band for weddings, parties and occasional radio and TV appearances.

Though Eddie took early retirement from lecturing at Hall Green College in 1986 and he and Jenny left Harborne for a 15th century cruck house in the Welsh hills, the 'Jenny Miller Band' has remained very active around the Midlands and London - frequently with Will on bass and Ben on drums. Recent venues have included Claridges and the Tower of London.

They still enjoy belting out pop and rock'n'roll and Jenny and Eddie have decided to squeeze in some jazz gigs as well.

'We've had plenty of jam-sessions in our music room with ex-Birmingham friends like Steve Winwood and Christine McVie, and Theo Travis has dropped in a couple of times,' says Eddie. 'But it's great to be playing jazz to an audience again.'

'Our next goal,' says Jenny, 'is to start writing and arranging in order to create 'Jump 2', the 2003 successor to the Eddie Matthews Jump Band of the 60s'.

The Jenny Miller/Eddie Matthews Jazz Quartet plays Ty's, Stratford Road, Sparkhill, this Saturday. Bookings 0870 066 0869 (daytime) and 0870 066 0868 (evenings). Further details at www.tys-jazzspice.co.ukSir Charles Mackerras, who has done more than any other conductor to champion Janacek's operas in Britain, will conduct a rare performance of the Czech composer's The Cunning Little Vixen at Symphony Hall next month.

The former musical director and conductor emeritus of Welsh National Opera directs the company in a concert performance of the magical and much-loved score on June 8, with Juanita Lascarro making her debut in the role of the Vixen.

[michelej1]

Birmingham Evening Mail, April 5, 2002

HEADLINE: M2: MUSIC - DAVIS CAN'T BEAT BRUM! STILL RUNNING: Spencer Davis is bringing his band to 'home town' this Sunday, along with The Troggs and The Yardbirds

BODY:
ALTHOUGH now resident in the US, Swanseaborn guitarist Spencer Davis still regards Birmingham as his home. Currently at the tail end of a two-month UK tour along with fellow Sixties survivors The Troggs and Yardbirds, the roadshow arrives in Brum on Sunday.

'We played Wolverhampton last month, which was all right, but I think people are waiting for us to get to Birmingham because I think we're still regarded as the homeboys,' reports Davis. 'I'm looking forward to Symphony Hall.'

University student Davis formed The Spencer Davis Group while in Birmingham during the mid-Sixties, a band at the forefront of the British R'n'B movement, and scoring a string of pop hits.

'But I wouldn't call the Spencer Davis Group a pop group,' he says. 'It was a band that was very much steeped in a rhythm and blues concept, like The Animals were in the beginning.

'We were an R'n'B quartet that just happened to have chart hits like Keep On Running and Somebody Help Me, which were blues influenced. They weren't full of pop hooks. Gimme Some Loving and I'm A Man were straight blues and have been covered by many people.

'Nobody has been more amazed than I am of how those songs have endured, and they've been used in loads of films - Days of Thunder, Striptease, The Big Chill, Notting Hill, and commercials too. 'They actually play Gimme Some Loving during the half time in American Football - you'll often hear that. A couple of years ago, ZZ Top even played it during the World Series andyou could see all the cheerleaders dancing to it, which was quite a trip actually.' Despite his US residency, Spencer still keeps in contact with a few of the names from the old Brum beat scene, including former group members, the Winwoods.

'Some of my friends from the city have moved on, like Christine Perfect. She ofcourse joined Fleetwood Mac and became Christine McVie. We hung out together in the early days and still see each other.

'I've recently seen Denny Laine, who is living in the States, and I saw Jeff Lynne when Steve Winwood came over to do a kind of Traffic reunion at the House of Blues in LA.

'Me and Jeff got up on stage and jumped up and down with him. And Muff Winwood even came to the Watford show on this tour.'

Tickets for The Spencer Davis Group, The Troggs and The Yardbirds at Symphony Hall on Sunday are priced pounds 16.50 and pounds 14.50 and are available from the box office on 0121 780 3333.

[michelej1]

Birmingham Evening Mail, February 13, 1998

HEADLINE: BRUM BEAT ON ROCK N' ROLL MAP

BODY:
MIDLAND artists have made their presence felt on a new map launched and designed to guide tourists through Britain's rock and roll highlights.

International reggae favourites UB40 are included alongside the hairier, noisier side of the city's music scene in the shape of Aston-born heavy metal specialist Ozzy Osbourne.

Duran Duran, who played their first gigs in the now-closed Rum Runner nightclub in Birmingham city centre, are also included as well as Fleetwood Mac keyboard player and former Birmingham Art College student Christine McVie.

Dexy's Midnight Runners

Bringing the guide up-to-date are Moseley-based Ocean Colour Scene but there is no room for Wolverhampton's 70s rockers Slade and no mention that top -selling 80s band Dexy's Midnight Runners hail from West Bromwich.

Among the other Birmingham artists featured are The Beat, Black Sabbath, Fine Young Cannibals, Judas Priest, Bitty McLean, The Move, ELO, Jeff Lynne, Nick Mason from Pink Floyd, Steel Pulse, Toyah and Steve Winwood.

The map is available free from British Transport Authority offices.

[michelej1]

By the way, a question which comes up a lot is what SYW songs did Christine play on. One Birmingham article (which had already been posted in the Blue Letters Archive some time ago http://bla.fleetwoodmac.net/index.ph...v2&id=809&c=18) said that she played on Murrow Turning Over in His Grave and Bleed to Love Her.

I think we figured she was on BTLH, but I don't know if I knew about Murrow.

Michele

[Gailh]

Originally Posted by michelej1

By the way, a question which comes up a lot is what SYW songs did Christine play on. One Birmingham article (which had already been posted in the Blue Letters Archive some time ago http://bla.fleetwoodmac.net/index.ph...v2&id=809&c=18) said that she played on Murrow Turning Over in His Grave and Bleed to Love Her.

I think we figured she was on BTLH, but I don't know if I knew about Murrow.

Michele

I can hear her voice on Bleed to Love Her and Steal Your Heart Away but I don't know about any songs she played keyboards on.

Gail

[macfan 57]

It's been years since I listened to anything on SYW, but doesn't "Murrow" have a keyboard on there?

Chris herself mentioned that she was on BTLH & "Steal Your Heart Away". She probably didn't remember if she was on any other songs since it was so long ago since she had worked on Lindsey's songs for his solo album.

[michelej1]

There was a Birmingham Post article from 2003 in which Peter Green said Christine wrote some nice songs, but I put that in the Peter Green forum.

Michele

[David]

Originally Posted by michelej1

By the way, a question which comes up a lot is what SYW songs did Christine play on. One Birmingham article (which had already been posted in the Blue Letters Archive some time ago http://bla.fleetwoodmac.net/index.ph...v2&id=809&c=18) said that she played on Murrow Turning Over in His Grave and Bleed to Love Her.

I think we figured she was on BTLH, but I don't know if I knew about Murrow.

Chris played keyboards on many of the songs on GIFT OF SCREWS, but the question is what was ported over intact from her to the Fleetwood album. I think John Run had a player list posted at one point (for the Fleetwood sessions).

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by David

I think John Run had a player list posted at one point (for the Fleetwood sessions).

Here's what John Run posted. I re-posted it in the LB Forum a while back -- I think when "She Smiles Sweetly" was being discussed....


Lindsey Buckingham: Korg Triton 7, Yamaha Motif 8 keyboards -
What's the World Coming To, Murrow, Thrown Down, Running Through The Garden, Silver Girl, Bleed to Love Her, Everybody Finds Out, Say Goodbye and Goodbye Baby.

Stevie Nicks: additional keyboards - Running Through The Garden and Silver Girl

John McVie: "black keys" - Illume and Everybody Finds Out

Additional Musicians:

Sheryl Crow: Hammond organ & backing vocals on Say You Will; backing vocals on Silver Girl

Jamie Muhbarec: Hammond organ on Come

Christine McVie: piano & backing vocals on Steal Your Heart Away; backing vocals on Bleed To Love Her

Dave Palmer: piano on Steal Your Heart Away

John Pierce: additional bass on Steal Your Heart Away

John Shanks: keyboards on What's The World Coming To and Peacekeeper

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

Here's what John Run posted. I re-posted it in the LB Forum a while back -- I think when "She Smiles Sweetly" was being discussed....


Lindsey Buckingham: Korg Triton 7, Yamaha Motif 8 keyboards -
What's the World Coming To, Murrow, Thrown Down, Running Through The Garden, Silver Girl, Bleed to Love Her, Everybody Finds Out, Say Goodbye and Goodbye Baby.

Stevie Nicks: additional keyboards - Running Through The Garden and Silver Girl

John McVie: "black keys" - Illume and Everybody Finds Out

Additional Musicians:

Sheryl Crow: Hammond organ & backing vocals on Say You Will; backing vocals on Silver Girl

Jamie Muhbarec: Hammond organ on Come

Christine McVie: piano & backing vocals on Steal Your Heart Away; backing vocals on Bleed To Love Her

Dave Palmer: piano on Steal Your Heart Away

John Pierce: additional bass on Steal Your Heart Away

John Shanks: keyboards on What's The World Coming To and Peacekeeper

What are the "black keys" that John plays on Illume and Everybody Finds Out?

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

What are the "black keys" that John plays on Illume and Everybody Finds Out?

The black keys on a piano. You knew that, right??

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by vivfox

The black keys on a piano. You knew that, right??

Aha! The obvious! I missed it ;-)

[michelej1]

Birmingham Evening Mail, March 11, 2000

HEADLINE: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? STAN WEBB (OF STAN WEBB'S CHICKEN SHACK)

BODY:
MIDLAND-BASED blues band Stan Webb's Chicken Shack had two UK top 30 hits in 1969 -I'd Rather Go Blind and Tears in the Wind - and two top ten albums - Forty Blue Fingers Freshly Packed and Ready To Serve and OK Ken?

Since then Stan, who lives on the outskirts of Kidderminster, and his group have enjoyed chart success and much acclaim in Europe, particularly Germany.

'I knew the blues boom in the UK would come to an end so I turned my eyes abroad,' says four times married Stan.

'Our track Poor Boy was recently voted one of the top 50 best blues songs of all time in Germany.'

Before Chicken Shack, Stan was a member of the Blue 4, Sound Five and the Sounds of Blue.

Sounds of Blue included Birmingham -born Christine Perfect, later to find fame and fortune as Christine McVie in Fleetwood Mac, Andy Sylvester and future Traffic saxophonist Chris Wood.

Stan and Andy formed the core of the original Chicken Shack which enjoyed a long residency at Hamburg's Star Club before returning to England in 1967.

Christine joined later and it was her moving vocals featured on Tears in the Wind. She left the band shortly afterwards.

'If it wasn't for us Christine would probably now be a housewife in Milton Keynes,' says Stan.

'She didn't really want to join our band and had to be persuaded to do so.'

Following success in the charts, album releases included 100 Ton Chicken, Accept and Imagination Lady.

'At the time of Imagination Lady we were a trio and it was really heavy, blues -based rock,' Stan recalls. 'It went down a storm and helped us establish roots in Europe.'

Various Chicken Shack line-ups have come and gone during the years with Stan taking occasional years off.

'I do that for the sake of my own sanity,' he explains. 'Music is not the be all and end all. There are other things that are as enjoyable! I never go and see other bands if I can help it because, in the main, they bore me.'

The current Chicken Shack line-up features Stan on guitar and vocals, Gary Davies on guitar, Jim Rudge on bass and Bev Smith on drums.

Things are really busy for the quartet right now on both the performing and recording fronts.

'In a couple of months we're playing in Belgium, Holland, Spain and Germany and on July 1 we'll be at the Robin R'n'B Club in Brierley Hill,' says Stan.

'Then later in the year we're off to the States for a club tour.

'As for recording, I've had a bit of writing block for the past couple of years but I'm loosening up now. I'm writing stuff for a new album and Jimmy Lea from Slade is also composing some songs for us.

'As we've not yet got enough material for an album we're planning to put out a single, which is quite unusual for us.'