Erdington
Mothers as it is today. The club was the top floor above both shops.
This was a favourite haunt of mine,
and a significant part of Brum Beat life,
including my own.
The club opened 1968 and closed 1971.
In this time over 400 acts performed there,
incuding many ‘Super Groups’
Here are just a few:
Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, Family
Alvin LeeOther bands were like an ‘who’s-who’
Taste, Liverpool Scene, Fleetwood Mac, Edgar Broughton Band, Traffic, Free, Roy Harper, Blodwyn Pig, Strawbs, Fairfield Parlour, Quintessence, Steppenwolf, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, Jon Hisemans Colosseum, Nice, Tyrannosaurus Rex, The Who, Fairport Convention, King Crimson and hundreds more.
Pink Floyd recorded part of their album Ummagumma at Mothers on 1969-04-27.
John Peel, who was present, was moved to say,
Quote:
In a moment they unfold sonorous layers one on the other in a sinfonico bang; to another block, incredibly melancholic sounds that are intersected between them as plants of dying galaxies lost in time corridors and space. The Who performed Tommy and Traffic’s world debut took place at Mothers along with fledgling rock bands like
Black Sabbath playing some of their earliest gigs there.What they said:
John Peel:Quote:
People are amazed to hear that for a few years the best club in Britain was in Erdington. Roy Harper:
Quote:
Oh blimey – that was the first club outside London that meant anything at all and that’s why there’s been this long association with Birmingham. I played there about six times between 1968 and 1970. I have always enjoyed playing here. Mother’s was acclaimed as one of the most significent
Progressive Rock clubs in historyI had the pleasure of meeting John Peel at Mothers,
it is a meeting, I will treasure all my life.Here is the blog from my web-site;-
Quote:Thursday, January 04, 2007
John Peel, A Pint and Me!!
It was in February 1969, that I met John Peel, at ‘Mothers’ a club, in Birmingham’s, Erdington High Street.
John, who had written the sleeve notes for the 1969 Velvett Fogg Album, had been playing tracks off the album constantly on his radio shows.
He was in Birmingham, visiting the club, which was renowned for its
Progressive music acts.
I was there the same evening as John and I introduced myself,
and he and I had a couple of pints, and discussed both his sleeve notes, and my participation in the album.
It is a night, I will of course, remember.On the sleeve notes John Peel commented “There is a lot of good music on this record. Remember Velvett Fogg – you will hear the name again.”
Keith Law
Here’s a piece posted by
Stircher on The Birmingham History Forum
Re: Mothers Club ErdingtonQuote:
I worked as a bouncer for Mothers AKA The Carlton AKA Carlton Johns Agency. It is not widely known but Mothers was a huge stepping stone for Brum Groups. Groups looking to make it in the music scene were allowed to play at Mothers for free by way of an audition. If they went down well, they would be booked to play at all the peripherals for a proper fee. John Singer was the owner and he had a team of about twelve managers or partners. I am not sure about that side of things. These twelve were in charge of Different venues around Birmingham. I said I worked for Mothers, that is true but I was mostly at these outer venues. I worked at ‘The Sydenham’ in Small Heath, ‘The Station’ in Selly Oak, ‘The Hollybush’ in Quinton and ‘The Bull’ in Hay Mills. I did the odd night here and there at Mothers and saw some great names there.
Here are a couple of posts from The Birmingham History Forum
Roy C..
Isle of manQuote:
I was at mothers when the “Fairies ” were playing and John Bonhan was in the audience Pissed. And he had a drumming “Battle” with the “Fairies” drummer and came second….There were socks and under-pants thrown in to the audience from the end of drum-sticks…Say no more……..Also there when Floyd recorded Umma Gumma and they did “Careful with that Axe Eugene” absolutely the best performance I seen there….walked back to Sheldon afew times at Christmas….
Ps I have still got my “Mothers” Membership card..Alberta
bacons endQuote:I used to go to the Carlton in the late 50s.
No live bands then just a bloke putting vinyl recorders on the record player.
It was the ‘place to be’ in Erdington 1950s along with the Milk Bar a couple of doors away and the Coffee Bar further up towards the Green.Oh to go back to the days of fluorescent coloured socks(for girls and boys)
Compiled by Keith Law
The predecessor of Mothers in Erdington. Our aim to build a complete list of gigs at the Carlton Ballroom. Here’s a start but we need your help!
Soft Machine, Sam Gopal Dream 03/02/68
Plastic Penny 11/02/68
Celebrating Birmingham's Popular Music History
There Are Currently 14 Comments for this Post
I went several times and certainly saw Roy Harper. Best gig was a mixed bill, with 2 stages. First stage had Jimmy Powell & The 5 Dimensions, with Rod the Mod as second singer. The main stage had what had been the late Cyril Davies’ Blues Band with Long John Baldry singing. The set ended with Rod Stewart joining them on stage, and then a (nationally) unknown Steve Winwood getting onstage and as far as I was concerned blowing all the vocalists away.
Wish I’d been there when Fairport Convention did their last gig before crashing on the way back to London, causing the deaths of Martin Lamble and Richard Thompson’s girlfriend.
My old bass player Carl was a glass collector there, He met the Who by taking a few bottles of Brandy backstage before they performed TOMMY..Plus my old keyboard player played with JIMMY POWELL at the club..amazing stuff..I myself ?.way too young.
DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE TABLE FOOTBALL MACHINE @ MOTHERS, IN THE ROOM @ THE BACK OF THE STAGE.MY GIRLFRIEND & MYSELF OFTEN PLAYED WITH SOME OF THE BANDS BEFORE THEY PERFORMED. I REMEMBER WE BEAT ROBERT WYATT & MIKE RATLEDGE & THEN WE BEAT HUGH HOPPER & ELTON DEAN.( ALL SOFT MACHINE ).THIS WAS ON THE NIGHT THEY RECORDED FACELIFT FOR THERE ALBUM THIRD.WHAT SOUNDS MIKE RATLEDGE GOT OUT OF HIS ORGAN!!!!
I was at the club on the night that Martin Lamble was killed on the drive back to London. Other memories are not so sad – The Who playing ‘Tommy’, Pink Floyd recording ‘Ummagumma’, Soft Machine recording ‘Thirds’, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Canned Heat, Led Zeppelin, Moby Grape, Country Joe And The Fish, The Bonzo Dog Band, Family, King Crimson and dozens of others, celebrated or obscure. The Home Of Good Vibes indeed.
Went to Mothers many times betwwen 1969 and 1971. Saw too many to remember but the ones that stick out – Bonzo Dog, Rory Gallagher, Sabbath, Roy Harper and Edgar Broughton. I’ve left the best till last – Fairport 2 November 1969 doing the Leige & Leif album – the first and last time i believe. Those were the days.
I virtually live in Mothers between 68 and 71, I was there when Floyd recorded and when Clapton played. Highlights were Bonzo Dog and Spirit from the States, Rory Gallagher would always bring the house down and never did a bad show. When Mobey Grape did an all nighter there the bass player was so out of it he forgot to go off stage when they finished and just stood there playing obliviously.
Lots of people would indulge in what was then called in the press ‘idiot dancing’ (seen at many festivals at the time) and appear stoned, but it was the euphoria of the place that made you high and only occasionally other substances.
Even though I lived the other side of the city and had to catch 2 all night buses to get home I would brave snow, (on Christmas Eve once) and rain to see the best acts.
Once great bands would cut their teeth playing venues like Mothers, where do they go now?
I wish that I had kept the typewritten flyers that you picked up on the way in – a Who’s Who of Rock music.
The Faces had a ‘lock-in’ after their gig, so we were mixing with Rod and Ronnie Lane – superb. I remember squeezing past Roger Daltrey’s Corvette to get in to see The Who.
Keith Emerson playing ‘America’ stabbing his organ – John Peel playing Steve Miller Band’s ‘Sailor’ LP before watching the Liverpool Scene.
How much was it to get in? 25 shillings?
These gigs are all from the Birmingham Evening Mail:
9 December 1966 – The Way of Life (with John Bonham on drums)
21 March 1967 – The Wages of Sin
1 April 1967 – Neat Change and The Wages of Sin
25 April 1967 – Band of Joy (assuming Robert Plant was on vocals)
9 February 1968 – Spooky Tooth (double nighter with Elbow Room in Aston)
17 February 1968 – Traffic
I have a flier from ‘Mothers, The home of good sounds. Proudly present the only Midlands appearance of The Grateful Dead……. ‘ dated October 11th (no year), i cant find any reference to this concert on dead archives. Did it happen? can anyone shed light?
Sent by Irene Finglas
remember going with my older sister and her friend to mothers erdington to see procol harum.
I was only 14 years old at the time but managed to get in, and remember my shoes sticking to the carpet……got absolutely smashed on 2 halves of their cider and haven’t been able to touch the stuff from that day to this. It was such an intimate place and looking back, can’t believe how close we were to them when they were performing. Went backstage afterwards and got their autographs on huge posters, sadly lost long ago. I returned many times to mothers and saw some great bands up close and personal…..you would never get that close to bands today.
Great memories.
I remember in the mid 60′s going regularly to the Carlton Club, it was above Burtons the tailors shop. We used to go on a Tuesday night where both stages would have a top act, The Moody Blues and the Move for the fantastic price of 1 shilling. The club was a fantastic intimate venue, unlike today. I remember seeing Georgie Fame there and leaning on the corner of his piano while he was singing. Venues like this will never be seen again, the bands and acts today demand large auditoriums with thousands in the crowd. We used to queue up down the alley at the side of the club for maybe 10 minutes to get in. Fantastc memories.
I remember seeing Led Zeppelin at Mothers on their first tour early 1969. We queued in the alleyway at the side for about 1 hour. It was so loud that my girlfriend was physically sick! I also remember John Bonham’s wife being a little worse for wear on the metal staircase outside.
One other memory was the late John Fahey, legendary Americana guitarist on his only UK tour. Great days.
I have vivid memories of Jethro Tull playing there on a regular basis. Ian Anderson would usually kick off with “My Sunday Feeling” and perform with his trademark one legged stance playing flute and wearing his old overcoat. Great Days! Other favourites were Family, with Roger Chapman hurling lemonade into the audience and occasionally the pint pot as well. Colleseum, 10 Years After, Traffic and so many more graced that small stage. Sadly missed but always happy memories for this now pensioner.
I believe that John Mayall played there at least once