The 2i's Coffee Bar was a
coffeehouse
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...
at 59
Old Compton Street
Old Compton Street is a road that runs east–west through Soho in the West End of London.
History
The street was named after Henry Compton who raised funds for a local parish church, eventually dedicated as St Anne's Church in 1686. Th ...
in
Soho
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 develop ...
, London, that was open from 1956 to 1970. It played a formative role in the emergence of Britain's
skiffle
Skiffle is a genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, country, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a form in the United State ...
and
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
music culture in the late 1950s, and several major stars including
Tommy Steele
Sir Thomas Hicks (born 17 December 1936), known professionally as Tommy Steele, is an English entertainer, regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star.
After being discovered at the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho, London, Steele reco ...
and
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 s ...
were first discovered performing there.
History
Founding and ownership
The name of the 2i's derived from earlier owners, brothers Freddie and Sammy Irani, who ran the venue until 1955.
[ Musicstorytellers: People With 2i’s]
Retrieved 24 October 2013 It was then taken over by
Paul Lincoln
Paul Lincoln (born James McDonald Lincoln; 3 May 1932 – 11 January 2011), better known by the ring name Dr. Death, was an Australian professional wrestler and promoter.
Professional wrestling career
After leaving high school, Lincoln bega ...
, an Australian
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
known as "Dr Death", and Ray Hunter, a wrestling
promoter and professional wrestler known as Rebel Ray Hunter. They opened it as a coffee bar on 22 April 1956.
[ 2 I's Coffee bar, The Birthplace of British Rock]
Retrieved 25 October 2013 Tom Littlewood, previously its doorman and a
judo
is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...
instructor, became its manager in 1958.
[ According to Brian Gregg, former bassist for Johnny Kidd & the Pirates and ]The Tornados
The Tornados (The Tornadoes in North America) were an English instrumental rock group of the 1960s that acted as backing group for many of record producer Joe Meek's productions and also for singer Billy Fury. They enjoyed several chart hi ...
, Lincoln's interest in the property was initially less to do with the coffee bar and more to do with the storeys above it, which provided temporary accommodation for foreign wrestlers who Lincoln and Hunter were promoting.
Features
The basement of the coffee bar had live music making use of a small, 18-inch high stage. Lincoln and Hunter started putting on skiffle
Skiffle is a genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, country, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a form in the United State ...
groups; the first resident group were the Vipers
The Vipers were an Irish new wave group of the late 1970s. A live act fronted by Paul Boyle and virtuoso guitarist George Sweeney, they toured with The Clash and The Jam.
Their debut single "I've Got You"/"No Such Thing" (Mulligan LUNS 718) w ...
, who included Wally Whyton
Wallace Victor "Wally" Whyton (23 September 1929 – 22 January 1997) was a British musician, songwriter and radio and TV personality.
Biography
Born in London, England, Whyton grew up listening to jazz, blues and folk music, and learned to play ...
. According to the band's washboard player John Pilgrim, they secured the residency after Whyton entered the 2i's when it started raining during a set the band were playing on the back of a lorry nearby during the Soho Fair. Within a couple of weeks the band's performances at the venue had begun to attract a large following through word of mouth.Larry Parnes
Laurence Maurice Parnes (3 September 1929 – 4 August 1989) was a British pop manager and impresario. He was the first major British rock manager, and his stable of singers included many of the most successful British rock and roll singers of t ...
and Don Arden
Don Arden (born Harry Levy; 4 January 1926 – 21 July 2007) was an English music manager, agent, and businessman. He managed the careers of rock acts such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Air Supply, Small Faces, The Move, Black Sabbath ...
.[ In November 1957 Good arranged for an episode of the ]BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
'' to be broadcast from the 2i's, with Tommy Steele as host. The broadcast is particularly notable for launching the career of Adam Faith, who appeared as vocalist with the then resident band, the Worried Men.
The coffee bar allowed standing room for about 20 people, and had a serving counter with an espresso coffee machine, orange juice dispenser, and sandwich display case. The coffee bar was run by Jon Vickers-Jones who was the assistant manager. He would help with setting up the stage area for the musicians and would often record them rehearsing on a Grundig Tape recorder. A door at the back led to the manager's office, and a narrow stairway led down to a "dismal and dark cellar about the size of a large bedroom, lit by a couple of weak bulbs. At one end was the small 18-inch stage made of milk crates with planks on top of them. There was just one microphone, left over from the
, and some speakers up on the wall." The stage area can very briefly be seen in Rank Studio's 1959 episode "Coffee Bar", from their ''
drummer Brian Bennett.