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The Cat's Whisker
The Cat's Whisker was a coffee bar situated at 1 Kingly Street, Soho, London, during the mid-late 1950s. It offered London youngsters Spanish dancing, live rock 'n roll, and skiffle.chasmcdevitt.comwww.chasmcdevitt.com. It saw the invention of a new style of 'dancing' known as hand-jive, dancing using hand gestures only as there was no space to maneuver in the crowded basement. The venue was closed in 1958, owing to overcrowding. History The Cat's Whisker coffee bar was started by entrepreneur Peter Evans (restaurateur), Peter Evans, and was one of the first to have a jukebox. It was located in the middle of Soho at the corner of Kingly Street and Beak Street, between Carnaby Street and Regent Street, around the corner from the toy store Hamleys. It attracted large crowds, including ice skating champions, international rugby players, journalists and students, for espresso (priced at a Shilling (British coin), shilling per cup) and music. The venue was situated in the heart of Wes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and is the third-top-selling artist in UK Singles Chart history, behind the Beatles and Elvis Presley. Richard was originally marketed as a rebellious rock and roll singer in the style of Presley and Little Richard. With his backing group, the Shadows, he dominated the British popular music scene in the pre-Beatles period of the late 1950s to early 1960s. His 1958 hit single "Move It" is often described as Britain's first authentic rock and roll song. In the early 1960s, he had a prosperous screen career with films including '' The Young Ones'', '' Summer Holiday'' and '' Wonderful Life'' and his own television show at the BBC. Increased focus on his Christian faith and subsequent softening of his music led t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Music Venues In London
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect of all human societies, a cultural universal. While scholars agree that music is defined by a few specific elements, there is no consensus on their precise definitions. The creation of music is commonly divided into musical composition, musical improvisation, and musical performance, though the topic itself extends into academic disciplines, criticism, philosophy, and psychology. Music may be performed or improvised using a vast range of instruments, including the human voice. In some musical contexts, a performance or composition may be to some extent improvised. For instance, in Hindustani classical music, the performer plays spontaneously while following a partially defined structure and using characteristic motifs. In modal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King's Road
King's Road or Kings Road (or sometimes the King's Road, especially when it was the king's private road until 1830, or as a colloquialism by middle/upper class London residents), is a major street stretching through Chelsea, London, Chelsea and Fulham, both in west London. It is associated with 1960s in fashion, 1960s style and with fashion figures such as Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood. Sir Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists, Blackshirt movement had a barracks on the street in the 1930s. Location King's Road runs for just under through Chelsea, in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, from Sloane Square in the east (on the border with Belgravia and Knightsbridge) and through the Chelsea Design Quarter (Moore Park Estate) on the border of Chelsea and Fulham. Shortly after crossing Stanley Bridge the road passes a slight kink at the junction with Waterford Road, where it then becomes New King's Road, continuing to Fulham High Street and Putney Bridge; its wester ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Angus Steak Houses
Angus Steakhouse is a restaurant chain of steak houses in central London. In 2001, there were about 30 outlets; five remain open as of July 2020. The name reflects Aberdeen Angus, a common breed of beef cattle. Some restaurants still retain the former trading name, "Aberdeen Steak Houses", on their signage, as of September 2016. History Aberdeen Steak Houses was started in the early 1960s by Reginald Eastwood (born c.1913), who had started in business aged 15 as an apprentice butcher. Eastwood's vision was for a more modern version of the earlier chop-house grills, and was influenced by American steak houses. The décor was opulent, with plate glass windows and red velour banquettes. Menus included trendy dishes like prawn cocktail and Black Forest gateau. ''The Good Food Guide'' of the 1960s listed the restaurants. Eastwood and partner Thomas Beale floated the company on 6 February 1964.''Time & tide business world'', vol.45, p.xcv In 1965, the Kaye brothers' Golden Egg cafete ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Photographers' Gallery
The Photographers' Gallery was founded in London by Sue Davies opening on 14 January 1971, as the first public gallery in the United Kingdom devoted solely to photography. It is also home to the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, established in 1996 to identify and reward photographic talent and innovation, and the Bar-Tur Photobook Award. History Founder and director Sue Davies established the original home of the Photographers' Gallery in a converted Lyon's Tea Bar at No. 8 Great Newport Street in London's Covent Garden. Initially free to the public, the gallery offered a dedicated space for photography and photographers—the first of its kind in the UK. The inaugural exhibition on 14 January 1971 was ''The Concerned Photographer'', an exhibition first shown in New York and curated by photojournalist Cornell Capa. In 1980 the Gallery acquired a neighbouring space at No. 5 Great Newport Street, extending its exhibition spaces and providing room for a bookshop and café. It w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soho Nights
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was developed from farmland by Henry VIII in 1536, when it became a royal park. It became a parish in its own right in the late 17th century, when buildings started to be developed for the upper class, including the laying out of Soho Square in the 1680s. St Anne's Church was established during the late 17th century, and remains a significant local landmark; other churches are the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory and St Patrick's Church in Soho Square. The aristocracy had mostly moved away by the mid-19th century, when Soho was particularly badly hit by an outbreak of cholera in 1854. For much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation as a base for the sex industry in addition to its night life and its location for the headquarter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Picture Post
''Picture Post'' was a photojournalistic magazine published in the United Kingdom from 1938 to 1957. It is considered a pioneering example of photojournalism and was an immediate success, selling 1,700,000 copies a week after only two months. It has been called the UK's equivalent of ''Life'' magazine. The magazine’s editorial stance was liberal, anti-Fascist and populistHulton, Archive – History in Pictures History of ''Picture Post'' by the Archive Curator Sarah McDonald, 15/10/04. Accessed March 2008 and from its inception, ''Picture Post'' campaigned against the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany. In the 26 November 1938 issue, a picture story was run entitled "Back to the Middl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptations of existing texts, or biographies, notably of composers of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Russell began directing for the BBC, where he made creative adaptations of composers' lives which were unusual for the time. He also directed many feature films independently and for Film studio, studios. Russell is best known for his Academy Awards, Oscar-winning film ''Women in Love (film), Women in Love'' (1969), ''The Devils (film), The Devils'' (1971), The Who's ''Tommy (1975 film), Tommy'' (1975), and the science fiction film ''Altered States'' (1980). Russell also directed several films based on the lives of classical music composers, such as Elgar (film), Elgar, Song of Summer, Delius, The Music Lovers, Tchaikovsky, Mahler (film), Mahler, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1888, Pemberton sold Coca-Cola's ownership rights to Asa Griggs Candler, a businessman, whose marketing tactics led Coca-Cola to its dominance of the global soft-drink market throughout the 20th and 21st century. The drink's name refers to two of its original ingredients: coca leaves and kola nuts (a source of caffeine). The current formula of Coca-Cola remains a closely guarded trade secret; however, a variety of reported recipes and experimental recreations have been published. The secrecy around the formula has been used by Coca-Cola in its marketing as only a handful of anonymous employees know the formula. The drink has inspired imitators and created a whole classification of soft drink: colas. The Coca-Cola Company p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Bag O'Nails
The Bag O'Nails was a live music club and meeting place for musicians in the 1960s and situated at 9 Kingly Street, Soho, London, England. Bands and other musicians who played and socialised there included Georgie Fame, Jimi Hendrix, Bobby Tench, The Gass and Eric Burdon. The venue also hosted an early gig by the Jimi Hendrix Experience and others frequented the venue including Tom Jones, The Who and The Animals. After the Beatles' recording sessions in London, their roadie Mal Evans, personal assistant Neil Aspinall and Paul McCartney would eat at The Bag O'Nails and it was one of their favourite venues. McCartney met his future wife Linda Eastman at the club on 15 May 1967; Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues met his future wife Ann Marie Guirron there as well. Another event is recorded in Mal Evans's memoirs: "January 19 and 20: I ended up drunk in The Bag O'Nails with McCartney and Aspinall".Mireille Strasser met Peter Noone (Herman's Hermits) at The Jimi Hendrix Experience ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chas McDevitt
Charles James McDevitt (born 4 December 1934) is a Scottish musician, one of the leading lights of the skiffle genre which was highly influential and popular in the United Kingdom in the mid-to-late 1950s. Biography McDevitt was born in Eaglesham, Glasgow, Scotland. His family moved to Camberley, Surrey, when he was a child. As a teenager he taught himself the banjo, and began corresponding with blues artists including Josh White. He also joined a local Dixieland jazz group. By 1955, he had moved to London, and began playing with the Crane River Jazz Band. At the same time, he formed a small skiffle group, which busked and performed in coffee bars and jazz clubs in Soho. It won a talent contest, organised by Radio Luxembourg. In late 1956, whilst recording the song "Freight Train" – written by folk blues singer Elizabeth Cotten – for Oriole Records, studio owner Bill Varley suggested they should add a female singer. As a result, folk singer Nancy Whiskey was invited to jo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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