BrunoBass Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 (edited) I found a couple of photos recently which I thought I’d share, I don’t know if they might be of interest to any of you. It’s my dad, Martyn Gibson, who played bass in the early sixties, before marriage and fatherhood took over. Dad played in a band in Stafford from 1963 to 1965, initially they were called The Countdowns, later The Sneakers, and they played originals and covers, a bit of RnB (Ray Charles etc). They played all around the Midlands. They supported Johnny Kidd and The Pirates, and often played with a band from Leicester who went one to become some of Showaddywaddy. My dad’s first bass was (possibly) a Hagstrom PB-24-G; from my research they were also branded Kent and Selmer but he can’t remember and the headstock isn’t visible in order to identify it properly, but as The Beatles became popular he splashed out on a Hofner 500/1. The shop in Stafford (H.E.Parkes & Sons of St Marys Gate, Stafford) ordered it direct from Hofner in Germany with a hard case for forty pounds (or guineas, he can’t remember). How I wish he’d kept it! He had a Vox amp (didn’t everyone then?) but he can’t remember exactly which model. Edited April 12, 2018 by BrunoBass 35 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madshadows Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Great photos 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 What great pics and memories for you 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Priceless... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Nice. There is something for me about those old B&W photos that is hard to recreate with modern, digital photography. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naxos10 Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Great memories there BrunoBass. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Very cool pictures. I have pics of my Dad in the 60s where he was drumming around Portsmouth / Southsea area. I'll save them for Drumchat! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yank Posted April 13, 2018 Share Posted April 13, 2018 Cool pics! His name was Martyn Gibson and he played a Hofner? Priceless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted April 13, 2018 Share Posted April 13, 2018 2 minutes ago, Yank said: Cool pics! His name was Martyn Gibson and he played a Hofner? Priceless! thats enough to inspire me to change my name to rickenbacker and play exclusively fender Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted April 13, 2018 Share Posted April 13, 2018 Great pictures. I regret not keeping more of my own. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicbassman Posted April 13, 2018 Share Posted April 13, 2018 I was gigging pretty solidly throughout the early '70's in various bands, but have very little photographic evidence. Similar story for other musos of that era I know. Such a shame, I really regret this now. Why no pics? - well, buying a roll of film and then having it developed was quite a big deal financially, and there were usually other more important things to spend gig money on - like food, and petrol for the Transit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicbassman Posted April 13, 2018 Share Posted April 13, 2018 1 minute ago, musicbassman said: Why no pics? - well, buying a roll of film and then having it developed was quite a big deal financially, and there were usually other more important things to spend gig money on - like food, and petrol for the Transit. ............and platform shoes................... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinehead Posted April 13, 2018 Share Posted April 13, 2018 That's a very cool pic. Frank. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cestrian Posted April 13, 2018 Share Posted April 13, 2018 (edited) My Dad played tea chest bass in the Coney Island Skiffle Group. They were on the bill at The Cavern on its opening night. No connection with Coney Island. They were from The Wirral. Edited April 14, 2018 by Cestrian 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreadBin Posted April 13, 2018 Share Posted April 13, 2018 Mine was in a band called 25 Views of Worthing. He played the bass. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cestrian Posted April 14, 2018 Share Posted April 14, 2018 9 hours ago, Cestrian said: My Dad played tea chest bass in the Coney Island Skiffle Group. They were on the bill in The Cavern on it’s opening night. No connection with Coney Island. They were from The Wirral. And here’s a publicity shot of the aforementioned: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted April 14, 2018 Share Posted April 14, 2018 Most pictures of the band's in the 60s will be posed "publicity" shots. In those days film was slower. This ment shutter speeds would have been very slow in the dim light on stage, so blurred pictures. In the 70s I was taking pictures of stage acts and stage lighting may appear bright to our eyes, but compared to daylight it's dim. Flash photography was also difficult in the early days. I remember disposable flash bulbs! They were pathetic compared to today's flash guns. Good pictures here. It's great to see them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrunoBass Posted April 14, 2018 Author Share Posted April 14, 2018 2 hours ago, Cestrian said: And here’s a publicity shot of the aforementioned: Fantastic 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreadBin Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 My mum sent me this... Late 60s AFAIK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 @BrunoBass yes definitely a Hagstrom or one of its rebadged variants - I got one second hand in the early 80s with a Futurama logo on it. The whole front of the bass is a single piece plastic molding, you can see the screws holding it on. The body would have been plywood covered in textured vinyl. Red and pale blue were the most common colours. Nice looking Burns guitar being sported by the guitarist on the right in the second photo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 1 hour ago, BigRedX said: @BrunoBass yes definitely a Hagstrom or one of its rebadged variants - I got one second hand in the early 80s with a Futurama logo on it. The whole front of the bass is a single piece plastic molding, you can see the screws holding it on. The body would have been plywood covered in textured vinyl. Red and pale blue were the most common colours. Nice looking Burns guitar being sported by the guitarist on the right in the second photo. And a sweet Hofner Verithin like @dad3353 's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 On 13/04/2018 at 21:45, BreadBin said: Mine was in a band called 25 Views of Worthing. He played the bass. That name rings a bell from my youth. Was there a connection to 64 Spoons, or the Watford area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikNik Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 2 hours ago, BreadBin said: My mum sent me this... Late 60s AFAIK Couple of early Orange amps and a slave up there..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreadBin Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 1 hour ago, MoonBassAlpha said: That name rings a bell from my youth. Was there a connection to 64 Spoons, or the Watford area? He was in the Watford area - Rickmansworth iirc. I haven't heard of 64 spoons though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 1 hour ago, MoonBassAlpha said: And a sweet Hofner Verithin like @dad3353 's 'sept mine are red. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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