Customer Reviews

Johnny Kidd Memorial

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Test your knowledge of rock 'n' roll history: what was the premier rock 'n' roll band in England before the Beatles? Okay, the answer is subjective, but let me make the case for Johnny Kidd & the Pirates. The short version would be to say that this group was the Who before the Who were the Who (in fact in their early days the Who played on the same bill with the Pirates). Johnny Kidd (born Frederick Heath) started off with a skiffle group, just like the Beatles, and eventually formed the group known as Johnny Kidd & the Pirates with Alan Caddy on guitar, Tony Docherty playing rhythm guitar, and drummer Ken McKay, which was signed to EMI.

The group had one hit, "Shakin' All Over," which is considered the first international rock classic. But it was their first record, "Please Don't Touch," that is more representative of their style. We are talking R&B-based rock for the original compositions counterbalanced by some less than stellar covers of recognizable standards like "Doctor Feelgood" and "Your Cheating Heart." The best way to describe Johnny Kidd's vocals is that he signs exactly like every parent who worried that rock `n' roll was the devil's music feared. Ironically, "Shakin' All Over" was originally the B-Side for a lame cover of "Yes Sir, That's My Baby," but somehow disc jockeys were able to tell which was the better song and the result was rather eye-opening in terms of what could be produced by an English rock `n' roll band. Historically, I can make the argument that Kidd and Caddy were the first standout singer and guitarist duo fronting a band. Before Jagger and Richards, these two were the guys.

Unfortunately, the group's nickname served as a liability because they insisted on dressing up as pirates on stage (pause for a moment and reflect in horror on the Beatles taking the same approach). All reports are that they put on a wild stage show, but as long as the lead singer was wearing an eye patch it had to undercut their credibility. Add to that the fact the EMI did not know what to do with the group, which underwent almost constant changes in membership until 1966 when Kidd was killed in a car crash. This explains why the first of the two albums on this CD is called "The Johnny Kidd Memorial Album." It is not a question of making a case for which of the two albums is better, that one of "Your Cheatin' Heart," because the clear division is between the raw rock `n' roll of the original compositions and the covers. The latter just do not sound as true. From a historical perspective Johnny Kidd and the Pirates are the road not taken and you can only wonder what would have happened if they found a savvy manager like Brian Epstein or a first class producer like George Martin.

The two records put together on this Johnny Kidd CD are not from a UK origin as it seems to be understood. Both were prepaired by a french fan named GEORGE COLLANGE, co-operating with french label Pathe Marconi which issued them first (C 062-04422 in May 1970, and 2C 062-04731 in 1971 for the 2nd one). I'm sure of this because I (Serge Dumonteil, aka Stevie Dixon) contributed to the titles compilation on the 1st one, with my friend Jacques Grimbot. And another friend Yves Chantereau (aka Roll Chanty !) drew the J.Kidd portrait which appeared on the "Memorial Album". Which is the best of the two as it is said in the other review which is quite relevant.
(Sorry for my rough english)
SD

Early British Rock 'n' Roll had one uncompromising act in Johnny Kidd &
The Pirates. In this day of Johny Depp, maybe Kidd didn't screw up that
bad with his moniker. He sure didn't with his music. When others went for the softer side, Cliff Richard, Billy Fury, Adam Faith and even Marty
Wilde and Tommy Steele, Kidd rocked on.

So he did covers, so what. At times his versions were better than the
American ones. Not knocking the U.S. originals but Kidd made them his own.
The Who owes a lot to "Shakin' All Over" just to name one tune. If the
British TV series "Top Of The Pops" tapes are still around, I hope they
get released. But those tapes were probably taped over, those cheap BBC
idiots who are probably now knighted for their frugality.

Enough remorse...we still have these recordings. Kidd rocks!