- Interview
- Summary
- Transcript of interview [still in development]
- Keywords
- Supporting documentation
Interview
Interview of Geoff Long (JBP/LY/1) conducted on the 11th June 2024 at Auntie Social by Katie Waring. In the interview the participant talks about his time working as an apprentice chef in Lytham in the early 1960s. Also talks about his first experience of using a jukebox as a young boy; being in a band as a teenager; and the history and development of jukeboxes.
Note: Wake Week’ was a holiday period in parts of England and Scotland. Originally a religious celebration or feast. From the industrial revolution, especially in northern England and the Midlands, the wake week was a week when the factories closed, and workers all went on holiday, usually to local seaside towns which continued into the 20th century.
Summary
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| 00:00:00-00:00:11 | Introduction about participant including name. |
| 00:00:11-00:00:47 | Information on Leigh, Lancashire where he was born and grew up. |
| 00:00:47-00:02:22 | His apprenticeship, training and work experience in the catering industry, including catering for events for royalty and notable people. |
| 00:02:22-00:03:42 | His experience working in catering as an apprentice at the Ship & Royal Hotel, Lytham in early 1960s. |
| 00:03:42-00:04:57 | Memories of Lytham when working as an apprentice, social activities when not working (walking & visiting Blackpool on his day off). |
| 00:04:57-00:07:48 | First memories of using a Juke box at the age of 11 on a church school trip to Deal, Kent in a café on the promenade (1950s). Costing 6d to play a song (shilling to play 3). Teddy Boys showing him & his friend how to use the juke box. Leading to music becoming part of his life. |
| 00:07:48-00:09:04 | Music he was interested in: early rock n’ roll favourites including Bill Haley & the Comets; Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard. Later acts Buddy Holly, Cliff Richard, Marty Wilde. First record: Elvis Presley’s ‘All Shook Up’. |
| 00:09:04-00:10:00 | Visits to Blackpool as child with parents during ‘Wake Week’. Going to shows with parents at Opera House to see traditional acts (Alma Cogan, Eve Boswell, Yana). Later at 14/15 watch rock n’ roll acts: Cliff Richard, Adam Faith, Emile Ford, John Barry Seven. |
| 00:10:25-00:11:14 | First concert without parents around 1962 at Manchester Palace to see the Shadows & Frank Highfield. Traveling in later life to various concerts all over. |
| 00:11:14-00:11:59 | Impact of using the juke box at 11 on his interest in music. Way to access music when didn’t have record player. |
| 00:11:59-00:14:10 | Memories of juke boxes in coffee bars and clubs in the north west. Mostly in Bolton: [La Locanda?] coffee bar and Beachcomber Club. ‘House of the Rising Sun by the Animals most popular juke box song at Beachcomber. |
| 00:14:10-00:15:03 | Memories of visiting grandparents in Weymouth. No real difference between culture in north & south seaside town. |
| 00:15:03-00:16:05 | Memories of visiting arcades. Playing one arm bandits; horse racing game; food available. |
| 00:16:05-00:17:56 | How seaside towns had changed since the 1960s. Developments in Blackpool & Lytham. Shorter breaks. Entertainment in Blackpool is driven more by alcohol. |
| 00:17:56-00:23:40 | Memories of living in a hotel during work experience in Lytham. Chef he worked under. Working 5 ½-6 day weeks. Working under pressure. Story of apprentice who made too many chips. |
| 00:22:40-00:00:24:02 | Later catering career. Working in [Edge Hall] Hotel, in Alderley Edge. Food the hotel produced. |
| 00:24:02-00:25:46 | Music in the kitchens (mainly radio). Listening to Radio Luxemburg and Caroline. Early days of Radio 1. Radio stations he listens today which play his era of music. |
| 00:25:46-00:33:15 | Buying music. First record player bought by parents (dansette). Started buying one record a week & started studying the music. Introduction of Skiffle music in late 1950s (Lonnie Donegan). Early 1960s instrumental music (The Shadows, The Vulcans). |
| 00:33:15-00:36:62 | Playing in his own band (bass guitar then vocalist) in the early 1960s. First song ‘Move it’ by Cliff Richard, other rock n’ roll songs they played. |
| 00:36:62-00:38:55 | Memories of Wigan Road Methodist Church Youth Club. Friends with Georgie Fame who went to the same youth club. How Georgie Fame was discovered by Larry Parnes. |
| 00:38:55-00:40:35 | General feelings about teenage culture in the 1950s/1960s and its impact. Less pressure than on teenagers today. How 1960s was a brilliant time to be young. |
| 00:40:35-00:42:57 | Opinions on going to concerts today. Preference for small venues. Going to see Albert Lee in theatre in Lytham. Watching old bands at Platform in Morecambe. Concert by Rolling Stones at Anfield. Costs of tickets for concerts today. |
| 00:42:57-00:45:35 | Commercialisation of music. Merchandise sold at concerts today. Difference for people in bands today from the 1960s. Bands playing for the love of music not the financial gain. Cost of hiring bands for local festivals. |
| 00:46:35-00:47:35 | Coffee bar culture. Visiting the La Canva Coffee shop in Lytham with his friends when he was an apprentice. Difference between coffees shops today. |
| 00:47:35-00:48:25 | Clubs with Jukeboxes (bands played later). Had bands from late 1960s. Bands he saw at the Clubs: The Who, The Beatles. |
| 00:48:25-00:51:32 | Bands which would talk to crowd after the finished playing. More distant nowadays. Meeting the Hollies; meeting Ben Waters who played as a support guitarist for several bands. Older generation of acts appreciated meeting fans. Elton John playing in Leigh. |
| 00:51:32-00:52:24 | Summary of topics already covered and names of acts he remembered listening to as a kid. |
| 00:52:24-00:56:20 | How juke boxes changed from the 1950s-1990s, including introduction of CDs. Number of songs on the early juke boxes. Wurlitzer Juke boxes. Ditchburn Juke boxes. Juke boxes being sold on ebay. Firms still making and hiring out juke boxes. Issues with moving juke boxes. |
| 00:56:20-00:57:04 | About the Jukebox he owns: number of records; how often he changes the songs. |
| 00:57:04-00:57:40 | Impact of the introduction of vinyl 45 records on the Jukebox. |
| 00:57:40-00:59:20 | Troubles servicing his own jukebox and find engineers in the local area. |
| 00:59:20-01:00:20 | Technology of the juke box and how it works. |
| 01:00:46-01:03:05 | How jukeboxes became rare in the 1970s. How people could buy music easier than before. Effect of downloaded music. Drop in production of vinyl records after introduction of CD. Revival of popularity of vinyl records. |
| 01:03:05-01:04:10 | His own music collection. Owns every top ten single from Jan 1960-Dec 1969. 999 songs which were in the top ten during that period. |
| 01:04:10-01:07:03 | How the charts have changed. How charts were based on sales & some of the top selling singles. Number of records sold by The Beatles during their career. Song writers, such as Paul McCartney & Nobby Holder making money every year from song writing credits. |
| 01:06:36- 01:07:03 | Inviting project team to come to look at his record collection & juke box |
Transcript
00:00:00-00:00:00
Transcript will be added once completed.
Keywords
Places: Blackpool; Leigh; Deal, Kent; Bolton, Lancashire; Morecambe; Weymouth
Venues: The Ship & Royal, Lytham; La Canva, Lytham; Beachcomber, Bolton; La Canva, Bolton; Blackpool Opera House
People: Paul McCartney; Nobby Holder; Ben Waters; Elton John; Albert Lee; Larry Parnes; Georgie Fame; Marty Wilde; Cliff Richards; Lonnie Donegan; Frank Highfield; Alma Cogan, Eve Boswell; Yana; Adam Faith; Emile Ford; Gene Vincent; Eddie Cochran; Elvis Presley; Chuck Berry; Little Richard; Buddy Holly
Organisations: The Hollies; The Who; The Beatles; The Rolling Stones; Wigan Road Methodist Church Youth Club; The Shadows; The Vulcans; The Animals; John Barry Seven; Bill Haley & the Comets
Subjects: jukeboxes; coffee houses; music; history of music; arcades