Playing at the Top Rank Suit Sunderland in
March 1969 The Amen Corner. A Welsh R&B-tinged pop band of
the '60s featuring singer Andy Fairweather-Low, organist
Blue Weaver, guitarist Neil Jones, bassist Clive Taylor,
saxophonists Allen Jones and Mike Smith and drummer Dennis
Bryn. They scored the first of their six British chart hits
with "Gin House" in the summer of 1967. If Paradise Is Half
as Nice, went to number one in early 1969. Fairweather-Low
pictured below had become a teenage heartthrob. Biggest
Hits, If Paradise Is Half As Nice, High Into The Sky, Bend
Me Shape Me. Andy Fairweather-Low now plays alongside Eric
Clapton, it's not a new experience for guitarist Andy, who
has been with Eric since 1992. Andy joined Eric,s band for
their recent concert tour of Japan in 1997; and contributed
to Eric's 1992 acoustic album Unplugged. Among other greats
that he has worked with are George Harrison and Van
Morrison.
Below is the Wearside top ten for the 14th of January 1964
1 Glad all over The Dave Clark Five
2 I Want to hold you hand The Beatles
3 Hippy Hippy Shake The Swinging Blue jeans
4 Twenty Four hours from Tulsa Gene Pitney
5 I only Want to be with you Dusty Springfield
6 Stay The Hollies
7 Swinging on a star Big Dee Irwin
8 I'm the one Gerry and the Pacemakers
9 Needles and pins The Searchers
10 Don't blame me Frank Ifield
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac played at the Lacarno Sunderland in
May 1969, the early Fleetwood Mac which did not have Stevie Nicks
and Christine McVie. At that time Fleetwood Mac was an all male
blues band with a guitarist by the name of Peter Green who would
hold a legendary status among guitar players the world over. The
same reverence was held in reserve for Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton,
Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Mick Taylor. They sold boatloads of albums
in the U.K. and the world over, but the blues years were forgotten
by many. Many fans who discovered Fleetwood Mac in the mid '70's did
not even realize that they sprang from blues roots. Oh Well Part 1,
it became the first single ever to become a number one single all
over Europe. Albatross reached the number one spot in the UK in
1969. Four years later it was released a second time as a single.
This time it reached number 2.
Below is the Wearside top ten for the 19th March 1964
1 Little Children Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas
2 Bits and pieces The Dave Clark Five
3 Just one look The Hollies
4 Not Fade away The Rolling Stones
5 Anyone who had a heart Cilla Black
6 I think of you The Mersey Beats
7 Boys Cry Eden Kane
8 Needles and pins The Searchers
9 That girl belongs to yesterday Gene Pitney
10 Candy Man Brian Poole & the Tremeloes
The Fortunes
Other visiting big names of the time to come to
Sunderland were the The Fortunes, with there harmonies much in
evidence in their three hits of the 60's. Emerging as a vocal trio
in Birmingham and evolving into a five-piece, they had Roger Cook
and Roger Greenaway to thank for many of their bigger successes
through to the 70's. Caroline was a minor hit but given much
greater prominence after pirate ship Radio Caroline adopted it as
their own. You've Got Your Troubles and Here It Comes Again
followed. Their 70's hits included Storm In A Teacup, Here Comes
That Rainy Day Feeling Again and Freedom Come Freedom Go.
Below is the Wearside top ten for the 4th of September 1961
1 Jonny Remember Me John Leyton
2 You Don't Know Helen Shapiro
3 Reach for the Stars Shirley Bassey
4 Well I Ask You Eden Kane
5 Romeo Petula Clark
6 Marcheta Karl Denver
7 That's My Home Mr. Acker Bilk
8 How Many Tears Bobby Vee
9 Cupid Sam Cooke
10 Don't You Know It Adam Faith
