The Anacondas Skiffle Group story: some prehistoric events before the Third Ear Band (part 2/3).

(For reading the first part of the story click HERE)

Our story about the very first known band involved Glen Sweeney is now focused on the Croydon area, where the young Glen (born Gordon) moved his first steps in the music business. In the absence of direct witnesses, it's the local press to guide us in this account...

The period is first half 1957-beginning 1958, the band The Anacondas Skiffle Group - a non-professional six musicians band who's playing in the Croydon area and becoming soon a sort of local heroes. In their repertoire there are songs as "Frankie and Johnny", "Green Back Dollar" and the teenagers favourite "Puttin' on the Style".

Local news reports inform us that on April 12, 1957 the Anacondas play at the Park Lane Jazz Club of Coydon, located at the Park Lane Ballroom, with on the same bill the Dick Charlesworth Jazzband (Croydon "Times and County Mail", 12 April 1957).

Three days later, on Monday 15 April, for the Bank Holiday Monday they are at the same club playing with two other bands, Seth Marsh Jazzband and Saffron Valley Band.

 

On May 11, the Anacondas play at the Streatham Baths for the Communist Party (!). It is announced by "The News" (the Streatham local newspaper) the day before.

 

 

In June, the Croydon Jazz Club, sponsored by the local Croydon "Times and County Mail" newspaper, launches a competition for young skiffle bands called "The Amateur Skiffle Group Competition" in which eight bands participate. 

The event is featured by the "Times and County Mail" on the 14th in an article entitled "Winning skifflers will receive cup and cash":

 

It's June 22, 1957. That night at the Croydon Civic Hall, in front of about 800 young fans, it's really the Anacondas who win. 

It is reported in the Croydon "Times and County Mail" a week later on June 28 with an extensive report:

 

 

On the same page, an article goes into the facts of the evening:

 

The effect on press and public is immediate, and from then on they will be invited often to play in the surrounding area.

 

A rare photo of the band with Glen Sweeney sitting front center.

 

(to be continued)

no©2023 LucaChinoFerrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)

The Anacondas Skiffle Group story: the Stone Age of Glen Sweeney and the Third Ear Band (part 1/3).

Historiographical Background

It is well known that Glen Sweeney's musical beginnings date back to the 1950s and were consummated in the area of Croydon, Surrey, where he was born in 1924.
The percussionist rarely went into the details of that season, preferring by far to gloss over the period when, in the early 1960s, he moved in search of his fortune to London, where he found work as a busker, dishwasher, and clerk in antique stores in Soho (in one of those stores he met, his colleague, Carolyn Looker, a lifelong companion). Turner in modern jazz groups first, free jazz later, without great fortunes, playing in "terrible places" (his words), "strange clubs that I'm sure were run by white slave traders. I used to play with a pianist and bass player. I always had a quartet that was "rehearsing" but they always collapsed before they actually got off the ground." (1)

As for his beginnings, almost nothing. A few vague words even to Carolyn or lifelong friend Steve Pank. I also attempted to elaborate on his early musical experiences with him, but he considered them irrelevant, of little interest. Only a hint of militancy in a Skiffle band, where he played washboard. Aptitude confirmed in interviews with the press, to which he would simply say, “like most people on the scene today, I started with Skiffle in a very suburban basis. I was washboard king of Croydon and that sort of area. But that died one weekend when there were about 5,000 skiffle groups and only eight gigs.” (2)

Or, in what is probably the longest and most in-depth interview, provoked by interviewer Nigel Cross:“(…) I as totally into the scene – jazz drums – when a couple of guys I knew did an interval at a club I was hanging out at and their washboard player cracked up under the strain. I immediately leapt in, sussing I simple it must be and became moderately famous overnight because it was only local talent; it wasn’t difficult to do. (...)”

 

The Anacondas: Glen Sweeney to the far left.

Cross: Tell me more about the Anacondas band?

Sweeney: “It came and went. One of the high spots was residency at the Driftbridge Hotel in Reigate, because it was local. We used to play there every Sunday and pull a decent crowd, because we were ethnic skiffle – we played the actual band’s numbers. This was were I met Ginger Baker – we were doing the interval when Ginger was playing with some trad band – Charlesworth – after we’d done out set, and Ginger came up to me and threatened to do me over for doing all his band’s numbers! After that I really got to know the guy and he was great! What happened with Skiffle was – one Saturday or Sunday it ended! I’ve no idea what happened – I think the scene got so full of Skiffle groups that it just killed itself.” (3) 

 

 

New materials surfaced!

When by now the history of the Anacondas seemed dead and buried, destined for absolute oblivion, in January 2023 thanks to the Facebook pages dedicated to the band by friend Mirco Delfino (https://www.facebook.com/third.ear.band/), Chris Shields, Sweeney's nephew, came forward and posted an old photo of the Anacondas, apparently colorized from the original black-and-white, and a business card of guitarist and leader John Hall on the back of which are listed (with writing that looks like Sweeney's) the names of the musicians: 

 

John Hall - guitar and vocals

Alan Carder - harmonica 

Norman Strong - guitar

Colin Burrons - banjo

Gordon (Glen) - washboard 

Roy Bance - tube bass 

 

Only clue, the nephew's comment: "Old picture of my uncle, on washboard, first band he had. They won the Tommy Steele skiffle group cup."

 

 

Notes: 

(1) "Me and my Music. Glen Sweeney: Third Ear Band", in
"Disc & Music Echo", 11 April 1970.

(2) As above.

(3) N. Cross, "The Return of the Acid Prankster. Glen Sweeney tells the Third Ear Story", in "Unhinged", Summer 1990. 

 

 (to be continued)

Read part two at: 

https://ghettoraga.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-anacondas-skiffle-group-story-some.html

 

no©2023 LucaChinoFerrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)