1974-76 Portsmouth teds, Shazam and ‘Tommy’

The Houndogs 1973 became Shazam 1974- who lasted till at least 1978 (down to a 4-piece in 1977). Pete to prison in 1978, reformed it for only 3-or-4 gigs in 1979. Prison again for Pete soon afterwards. Rock Therapy came out of the remaining members.

opening act for shaky and sunsets in 1977

1977 rude EP which fell through (Paul Barratt’s idea), paul haines has copy of tape

On a 1973 pic:

Shazam Rock & Roll They were a motley bunch back then lol. Chris ChristopherHill dressed like a pimp, Paul Emery looking like a hippy at least Kevin Smith looked smart.lol

Kevin Smith Odds are that Pete was singing a Gene Vincent number …. Never could get the others to Teddy Boy status!! ????

Louis Barrell When Shazam took off, we put Chris Larry, Paul,into DA hair style, dress up into. Drape jackets… lol

“Pete and the clapper boys were already often dressing in a more ’50s American than ’50s British style well before 1976 ended and Crazy Cavan was also dressing like this at this time too.” Marc Fenech 1996 pt.2

2002 https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.music.rockabilly/VV-2QHHkCzQ

Steve Butcher You just made my day Moosh.
I used to watch Shazam back then In the St. Mary’s and until I moved
over to the states 5 years ago still used to what’s left of Shazam,
now called ” Rock Therapy ” ( Pete, Paul and now Connie ).
I’m going back to Pompey In Feb for my birthday and their playing at
the do we’re having.
You probably know some of the people I do. I used to knock about with
John Dewhurst, Dave Murphy, Gary & Dave  Jubber and know Gary White,
Lennie Walton, Nobby, Robbie Knight and all that lot.
I remember coming back from the Isle of Wight in 78-79 with Pete
Saville after watching Crazy Cavan when he decided he needed a drink
whether the bar was closed or not. So he proceded to demolish the
shutters and get behind the bar and help his self to the whiskey etc
etc.
I ended up with a bottle of JD and just got away as the police were
everywhere at the dock when the ferry arrived but I managed to slip
away. Pete got caught If I remember rightly but then he did do some
severe damage that night and as you probably remember nobody would go
anywhere near him. Where are you now ????
I will tell Andy about this when I speak to him next and thanks again
for bringing back some great memories.
E-mail me any time at pfcs…@home.cm or pfcs…@cox.net as I will
be changing over In the next couple of days.
Hope to hear from ya.

Steve Butcher.

Paul Emery

teve
Glad you replied to this because it was your mention of Shazam on this
board that led me to post my orginal note. I am in the states (Boston)
as well but I have been here since 1979. I’m glad that Andy and Paul
are still plugging away. I found a picture of Rock Therapy somewhere
on the web. Did you manage to veiw the movie on the website? I
recently got a copy of it sent over from the UK…it was shot when Day
by Day came to the pub. I have also been in touch with Larry Clarke
and Chris Hill from those days. Somewhere there must be a ton of
photos of the band because I remember one of the teds, tall guy with a
hare lip used to be the projectionist at the Tatler strip club/porn
cinema…took a ton of shots. He’s in the movie right at the beginning
walking along with Pete. When you see Andy and Paul tell them I said
Hi and mention to Andy that I still feel guilty about getting him
kicked out of his Dad’s house…also there are some early recordings
of Shazam on tape out there…there was this big guy called Tiny I
think who recorded us on the Isle of Wight, he roadied for us for a
while then Pete stabbed him in the head with a fork and for some
reason he didn’t want to hang out with us any more…in fact now I
recall that incident was the reason Larry and I quit the band…they
all went to an Indian restaurant after Shazam played at a Ted
wedding…Pete put away a ton of rum and blacks and attacked Tiny in
the restaurant. [This must have occurred in early 1976 – see Marc Fenech article 2] I remember a couple of Ted pubcrawls, did you go on
these? There must have been about 100 teds strolling down the streets
from the St Mary’s trying to get into each pub on the way…I think we
got kicked out of each and every one, without being served until we
got down to southsea…we got a police escort as well. I have a ton of
stories about Pete and often wonder where he is these days, hopefully
safely locked up somewhere.
Regards Pau

Stev Butcher responding to Paul Emery

*********** I’m In San Diego so anytime your down this way drop me a
line and we’ll have a couple of shants.
Saw the film clip and loved It so am trying to put It on a disc so I
can watch It every now and again for a laugh.

************ Wasn’t his name Brian ?? I remember the geezer but can’t
remember his surname.

********* I spoke to Andy yesterday and I don’t think you have to
worry about that anymore as he couldn’t even remember what you were on
about for a while. He just laughed and said he’s gonna stick a fork in
your neck next time he see’s you. :o)))

********* Do you remember the other ‘ Tiny ‘ so called because he
actually was.Probably one of the smallest Teds in the world until he
put his creepers on that is.

********* Yea did a couple of pub crawls but mostly through North end.
The ” Thatched House ” , ” Whitehall” , ” Shaftsbury and all that lot
always had a ton of Teds in. Then there was the fair of course…….
In that write up you did you mention something that all the old Teds
say now and again. Once you were a Ted that was It 24 hours a day or
you were a plastic. Good thing about back then was the different gangs
about. You had Teds, Skins, Punks then the stupid Mod revival.It was a
right laugh.
Pete Saville was last heard of In Bournemouth which sounds a little
too tranquil for him but maye it’s doing him some good, I doubt It but
you never know.
I’ll take some pics at my birthday bash as a few of the lads will be
Tedded up that day so I’ll take some pics of the band and some of the
old boys and I’ll send them on to you.
Contact me off list and I’ll e-mail you when I get back.
pfcs…@cox.net

Take It easy Moosh.

Steve.

July 2011 on Pompey Pop

Pete Presley, former singer with Pompey 70s rock n roll band Shazam, re-surfaced at the recent Admiral Drake Drakefest [i.e. Drakefest 2011] to sing two songs with his old Shazam mates Paul Haines and Andy Stechman, in the reformed Rock Therapy – www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pOfwR-_EvU.

2016-10-02 Paul Emery FBcomm

This one is interesting, I can see my drums in the bottom right corner so this is an early gig. The background doesn’t look like the St Mary’s Arms so I’m inclined to think this could be a shot from The Havelock where it actually all began. We did a few gigs in this pub then Pete got locked up and the band took a break. When he got out, he convinced the current resident band at the St Mary’s, Leo and the Renaldos, to retire and Shazam began a 3 night a weekend residency. Now that’s the way I remember it, it was a long time ago tho.

2016-07-23 Paul Emery FBcomm

Mr Stevens is looking a little too shakey, maybe Pete had a word in his ear. In the early days Shazam opened for Shakin Stevens and the Sunsets at HMS Collingwood.

Danny Rowlands, replacement drummer in 1976.

*

Robbie Knight (aka 57Wildone) see Facebook and a few YouTubes

*

The film Tommy (1975)  was shot in Portsmouth in summer of 1974. It is a Ken Russell film which is almost all you need to know CONTINUE. Pete Townsend and the Who supplied the music which tells you all you need to know about the music. The only good reason to watch the film for us is the part the Portsmouth teds play in the film as extras. Pete Presley gets quite a lot of attention CONTINUE.

Fire at Gaiety on Pier, when filming Tommy. It broke out during filming for Ken Russell’s movie of The Who’s rock opera, Tommy. The Gaiety had been converted into a holiday camp ballroom of the early 1950s. /  Co-stars Oliver Reed and Ann-Margret were dancing a quickstep as a small band mimed the music. / Other couples danced with them and Portsmouth teddy boys – the only extras who were wearing their own clothes – provided a backdrop for the stars.

• Pt. 1 (see 9:38-13:46 for Oliver Reed welcoming holidaymakers and teds to the holiday camp then off-duty as a ted)
• Pt. 2 (see 28:24-29:16 for the longest scenes in ‘Tommy’ of Pete Presley and the Portsmouth teds playing one-armed bandits while smoking at the arcade and being converted supernaturally by mystic powers of Roger Daltrey’s Tommy on a hang-glider to better things such as dancing leading to some criminally overcut scenes of teds bopping on the pier in the summer sunshine. At 35:51-36:07 there follows a scene where Pete Presley is shown among the followers buying Tommy tat. Finally at 41:38-41-40 a briefest flash of  Pete Presley in regulation Tommy-worshipper white tee-shirt is seen assaulting Oliver Reed as Tommy’s worshippers revolt against their messiah)

The Bulldog Breed was filmed in August 1960 at Beaconsfield Studio and on location in
Portsmouth and Weymouth. The movie was Wisdom’s eighth for Rank. Reed can be glimpsed as a
Teddy Boy in the cinema, but don’t blink or you’ll miss him! He would report co Bray Studios the
following month to film The Curse of the Werewolf and would return co Weymouth as a star the
following spring for The Damned.