FLYOVER - THE HAMMERSMITH HUSTLE

                                           

                                               ''Keep Movin', Keep Movin', Keep Movin', Keep Movin'
                                                Keep Movin', Keep Movin', Keep Movin', Keep Movin'!''
                                       
         

                                                 ''Down London town with the noise 'n' bustle,
                                               We've got a dance, it's the Hammersmith Hustle!''


THE HAMMERSMITH PALAIS was a large DANCE HALL situated in a working class neighbourhood in WEST LONDON. Built in 1910 as Roller Skating Rink and converted to host ballroom dancing in the '20's, the venue weathered countless musical trends and was drawing crowds in excess of 2,000 for it's SATURDAY NIGHT DISCO during the mid seventies when songwriter/producer MIKE FINESILVER hit upon idea of a dance number with a distinctive LONDON flavour

Queuing to get into the Palais on a saturday night in '73

Finesilver had co-written the hit ''FIRE'' for THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN in the late 60's and went on to found PATHWAY STUDIOS with partner PETER KER. In early '76 he set about recording this cheeky tribute to ''THE HUSTLE'' by VAN McCOY In the tiny 8-TRACK STUDIO. He choose the name FLYOVER for the studio band {on account of a flyover running close to the venue} and ROCKET RECORDS pressed it on '45. It failed to set the world alight, but was presumably spun at the venue itself. Does anyone remember hearing it?

                                              Dancing around the handbag on a Saturday night

During the next couple of years the studio became synonymous with the early PUNK/NEW WAVE movement and the likes of THE DAMNNED, SHAM 69, SQUEEZE and MADNESS recorded there. One band that didn't were THE CLASH, but they recorded their own tribute to the venue ''WHITE MAN AT THE HAMMERSMITH PALAIS'' at BASING STREET STUDIOS up the road in Notting Hill around mid '78. Pathway continued to operate untill the mid 90's and The Palais finally shut it's doors in 2007 and was demolished in 2012

                                                                    ''Alright my son?

                                                                    Yeah! Lovely init'?

                                                                    Just keep on dancing''


 FLYOVER - THE HAMMERSMITH HUSTLE

FLYOVER - THE HAMMERSMITH HUSTLE {Part Two}

RAY BURDIS AND FLINTLOCK - I HATE ROSLA

''I Hate ROSLA, I Hate ROSLA
The Raising Of The School Leaving Age''

''From When I was 14,I used To Sit And Dream
Another Year To Go And I'll Be Working
They Gone And Raised The Age,Another Year To Go
A Year In This Prison Camp,Oh No!''

RAY BURDIS was a familiar face on UK TV during the mid to late 70's,often playing characters that were 'A Little Bit Lively'.The working class Londoner was one of the first pupils to attend THE ANNA SHEER DRAMA SCHOOL in ISLINGTON when it was founded in 1968.The school was set up to enable disadvantaged children to find a way into acting.It's reputation grew rapidly and it was soon supplying actors for the stage and screen.

In 1975 actors from the school were enlisted to write and perform in the TV show YOU MUST BE JOKING.the program featured topical and satirical sketches,news items and live music from a semi professional pop group FLINTLOCK.All the performers {apart from one presenter,JIM BOWEN} were teenagers and the brash and informal style of the show was cutting edge for it's time

FLINTLOCK performed as a self contained unit and as a backing band when the presenters sang satirical songs.One of the most memorable of these was ''ROSLA'',a song about the recent rise in the age that teenagers could legally leave school.The number with it's 'shouty' vocals and 'unmannered' playing prefigures the DIY PUNK sound of THE DESPERATE BICYCLES by a couple of years



Burdis continued to dabble in music and formed the PUNK/METAL band GREAT BRITISH HEROES the following year.The band were part the LONDON 'NEW WAVE' scene and played at venues like THE ROXY,THE NASHVILLE and THE ROCKGARDEN.A 7'' single was recorded for LIGHTNING RECORDS in 1978,but was withdrawn before release



Ray quit the band shortly after to concentrate on acting.He continued to act in Film and TV and went onto produce and direct

PETER BLAKE - CLEVER DICK

This POST GLAM NEW WAVE POP gem appeared in 1977 as the B-SIDE to a PEPSI-COLA related novelty song by actor PETER BLAKE.The A-SIDE: ''LIPSMAKIN' ROCK 'N ROLLIN''' was recorded as the follow on to a popular UK TV commercial which featured the actor playing a FONZ type ROCKER in a retro 1950's DINER

The record sold 125,000 copies,reaching number 39 in the UK HIT PARADE and allowing Blake to perform the top side on British TV shows 'Top of the Pops' and 'Magpie'

The records B-SIDE was SOMETHIN' ELSE entirely:The raunch of EDDIE CHOCRAN coupled with the swagger of CHRIS SPEDDING over a highly kinetic group sound featuring raucous ROXY MUSIC saxophone blasts and pounding GLITTER BAND Drums.The song has one foot in the departing sound of GLAM and another in the oncoming sound of THE NEW WAVE.Perfect for it's time and still a treat when heard today!