Turning our attention now to the people who'll be behind the decks at this years Franklin Fest - y'know, that thing that happens in-between the acts. I caught up with Tony Twoeyes / Two-Eyes / 2i's, and blimey, can he talk!...
Debbie: How old were you when you first got into music, and started to collect records?
I blame Noddy Holder... I was about 9 years old and I was really into Slade. I bought everything I could by them…
My first record was 'Sally' by Gerry Munro that I had heard at my nan's house and I loved it so much singing it all he time that my Mum and Dad bought to for me. I played it to death along with the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang soundtrack LP and other records my parents owned, mainly compilations that featured tracks such as 'Bonnie & Clyde' (Georgie Fame) and 'Hello Goodbye' (The Beatles). I am sure those LP's did not feature the real artists.
However, I grew up listening to T-Rex, Gary Glitter, Alvin Stardust and Elvis but I never had any of the records as they were too pricey my mum used to buy 'Hot Hits' and 'Top of The Pops' compilation LP's for me (budget compilations featuring cover versions of the latest chart hits housed in 'cheesecake' sleeves that for some reason I can still vividly remember!).
But I really got into Slade when I was 9 and spent my pocket money, Christmas money etc. on every Slade record I could find 'Skweeze Me Pleeze Me' may have been the first. I also listened to a lot of The Shadows, Bill Haley and a few Rock and Roll compilations LP's my Uncle had given me. One a day I was in the local library and saw a Little Richard compilation featuring what I thought was (actually a Bobby Marchan tune) a Slade track "Get Down and Get With It' I was surprised… what was Little Richard doing covering a Slade tune? I borrowed it and took it home stuck it on my battery operated Dansette… I was hooked! The next week I borrowed an Amos Milburn LP; a Clifton Chenier LP; anything that looked like it was Rock and Roll. That was about '78/'79.
I was also listening to Blondie, Abba (sssh) but hated the most 'pop' music as it was shit. Queen and Dire Straits were big at the time, a lot of my mates were fans, but they just bored me to tears. I mean 'Sultans of Swing' FFS...
I started to buy stuff by Blll Haley, Buddy Holly (Buddy Holly Lives LP was a life changer!), the Elvis Sun stuff and listening to a radio show on Fridays (Cruising on Capital Radio) on a radio cassette machine I had got from a friend at school (an unwanted bat mitzvah present). I also found a pirate station 'Radio City' that played Rock and Roll records for four hours every Sunday. I recorded the shows and whilst at school I overheard two Rockabillies were talking about 'Reet Petite' by Jackie Wilson. I think I rather surprised them when I said I had it on tape, and surprised them even more when I said I had the Johnny Burnette Rock'n' Roll Trio LP (still the best Rockabilly LP ever) that I had got from my cousin Phil who had 'gone Mod'.
These Rockabilles (Robin and Jim) took me to The Royalty in Southgate. I was floored. The place was full of Teddy Boys and Rockabillies, strolling and bopping to music I loved but had never heard. There was a record stall there selling reissue singles of blues, boogie-woogie, jump blues, Doo-Wop, boppers, strollers, jivers and 'bum huggers'.
Debbie: How long have you been DJing?
I started DJing with Robin (who now runs the Rhythm Riot and Atomic festivals) on a Sunday night in a pub in Kentish Town, we called ourselves 'The Real Rock Drive' (after a Bill Haley track) and played what we liked (and what we had bought that week). I was still at school about 16 years old so that'd be 1980-ish. I spun Rosco Gordon, Amos Milburn, Smiley Lewis and as much Doo-Wop as I could afford from the Chicken Shack stall in Kensington Market. Then my mate Tim's brother started a band, The Sting-Rays. They were into wild music from beyond 1959! One of the band, Alec, gave me a compilation that had 'Talk Talk' by The Music Machine. A friend of theirs, Ski, played me 'Psycho' by The Sonics. Tim bought me Nuggets (the ultimate garage/psych compilation LP) for my 18th birthday present (it cost £18.00 one pound for each year!) this would be in 1982. I started playing garage punk and psychedelia at our Sunday nights, and I jumped on 'the bus' as they say!
Debbie: have you ever played a bad set?
I haven't ever played a bad set but I have played sets where there isn't much reaction. The worst idea was probably one night spinning records in chronological order from (something like) '55 to '75! It was worth a try! The best nights were at an all-nighter I used to do in Old Street in London (the 'Creation') where I would spin stuff like Sun Dial, Silly Wizard, The Stooges, Human Instinct, Slim Harpo and Brian Auger after each other for 7 hours without a break!! Always a packed dance floor I used to get money and other things thrust into my pocket all night to keep me going!
I never actually plan a 'set' but I have a few tunes that work well together so they tend to get spun in some kind of order. When the dance floor is full I always have tracks ready to keep people moving or to change the pace if people start to look tired! I always have a selection of records I think people possibly won't know but should and a selection of classics. I don't think anybody who comes to The Franklin has ever gone the night without hearing me spin 'Goo Goo Muck' by Ronnie Cook & The Gaylads it's a totally obscure tune until you've heard it for the first time, then it's a classic!
Debbie: Do you wish people would dance more during your sets at The Franklin? (I, for one, do!)
I sure do!
Debbie: What's the most you've ever paid for a record?
My wife will read this so I will say £20.00 (hehehe). Actually £70.00 for an absolutely mint condition Small Faces 'I Can't Make It' French EP that had been owned from new by a friend of mine, Jesse. I am lucky that most of my 'now known to be rare' stuff was bought for 50p - £2.00 from car boots, Camden Market, Brick Lane and charity shops. At that time there were record shops everywhere and prices would vary enormously from one shop and another. I turned down a mint copy of the Birds 'Birds' 45 'cos it was too pricey at £10.00 (but bought mint copies of The Sands 45 'Listen To The Sky' and two Tinkerbells Fairy Dust 45's with my £10.00 note).
Debbie: How did you get involved with the Franklin R'N'R Club?
I've known Calvin for years, and have many mutual friends with Eleanor and Angus. I have collaborated with Angus doing 'Land of 1000 Dances', 'Friday Night at The Parlour' (where I met Colin and Eleanor) and other projects.
Debbie: If you could take 3 records only to a desert island with you, what would they be?
'Going All The Way' by The Squires (ATCO) Garage-Punk/Folk-Rock classic
'Sincerely' The Moonglows (Chess) Doo-Wop ballad
'Queen Majesty' The Techniques (Treasure Isle) Killer Thriller Rocksteady.
Debbie: And lastly… just for fun - are you just a fusty old Mod?
To misquote PW… I have never been a Mod, I am not a Mod and will never be a Mod.
Thanks to Tony for the chat, and then some ;)
Tickets for the Franklin Fest can be found here tickets-scotland.com
