Really glad I found this site! All the memories that become more important as i rapidly age!
Loads of gigs at loads of venues, highlights;
Magnum…..Railway, and nationwide
Mean St Dealers…Railway
Sticky….Railway
Orphan…..Railway / Mercat Cross
Flying Doctors..Selly Park Tavern
I still have a number of tapes recorded on a hand held plonked down on the shelf at the back of the pub, plus my prized copy of Bent Needles ( I waz there!!)
We’re all doing OK – great to hear you all remember Saturday nights at the Railway.
MSD’s singer James is now in Cornwall still singing, Bob Boucher and John Wilson play together regularly in the ’44’s’, Nigel playing with bands and composing and producing, Mark and Jimmy also still gigging.
I was at school (Camp Hill) in the 60s with Mark Bristow, who for many years remained a close mate. Sadly I’ve lost touch with him and would love to hear how he is. I was later (as the drummer) in a band called No Spring Chicken with Bob Boucher on bass, and a great player he was too. Don’t know what happened to him either. Slender Loris have I think re-formed; at one time I knew their bass player and songwriter Martin Berry really well. Don’t know if this is documented elsewhere on the site, but Jim Simpson was the Dealers’ drummer; he later played with Magnum (following in Mickey Barker’s footsteps) and another name band whose name escapes me at the moment. I was Jim about 3 years ago; just as bloody youthful as ever somehow! Snitch (Nigel Darvill?) later toured with Fine Young Cannibals. I think it was John Wilson as well in the Dealers’ lineup, brother of Bob Wilson from the Steve Gibbons Band.
Wow, its great to see all of these memories of the Railway and Barrel Organ still alive and well! ha ha.
I was only a wee lad at the time, but loved every minute, from the ‘humping of the gear’ (Removal of the P.A. from A to B) as James would phrase it, to helping myself to the odd beer whilst no one was looking.
Great childhood believe me, i feel a lucky dude to have been brought up in this atmosphere.
Anyway, James along with my mother and sisters took up residence in Newquay (Cornwall) 22 years ago, and he is still bangin out the vocals around here and there with a variety of muso’s.
Im not sure about the rest of the band. I met Marc a few years ago down in Newquay whilst he was visiting James, but Bob Boucher, Jimmy Simpson, and Snitch i dont know, as i moved myself out of Brum at the same time as James and my mom went to Newquay
Once again thanks for reminding me some great memories.
(P.S Just checked my vinyl collection and Bent Needles is safe n sound)
Hi all I wonder if anyone can help me. I am looking for any member of the 80’s band Assassin, its is very important i get in touch with Keith, phil, john, anyone that was in the band with Brett Dainter. Anyone else that knows Brett please get in touch through my e-mail would like to hear from you.. thank you for all your help Tracey and Kerry Dainter
Yep, ‘The Railway’ was an awesome place to play. Age is catching up on me now but some of these names are familiar, particularly Gary Crisp (Hi Mate!)… We were Assassin and we played Friday nights at ‘The Railway’ over a couple of years or more in the 1980s. I have just uploaded some songs (poor quality recording) to YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/Assassin if anyone wants a listen to remind yourself of us.
Hope everyone who came to our gigs and all the bands who played there (many of who I saw and loved) are all doing well
Mean Street Dealers were a fabulous band, spent many a night in their company, at the Railway, the Barrel Organ in Digbeth (I think probably as Hooker) and latterly as School Sports at the Golden Lion in Solihull.
James Langston had a fabulous voice, sort of a tortured tremulous Roy Harper if I remember rightly, particularly evident on a track called Scream, I think this was a School Sports number, actually. Langston was formerly in very esteemed company in a highly collectable ’60’s prog/folk band called Tea and Symphony who’s vinyl (Asylum For the Musically Insane in particular, and Jo Sago, both now on CD but rare) was highly prized and very expensive, with Gus Dudgeon, Bob Lamb and Clem Clempson (Humble Pie, Colliseum, Dylan, Jack Bruce, see wiki). MSD also had the great Mark Bristow on guitar, Bob Lamb (who was everywhere in Brum in the 70’s) on bass, Snitch, Dave Wilson (on drums I think). A (live) album and a single is all that exists, so far as I know but I have a fabulous tape of the Sports at the Lion from around ‘76 (I’d just learned to whistle loudly and I practiced at their gigs, ha!). No idea where or what became of them but I loved ‘em.
2 other bands from Brum to check out are Slender Loris (who’s 12 inch and 7 inch singles are wonderfully obscure now, sadly and much prizedby me), and another band who played the Barrel Organ regularly, whose name I forget but had as their drummer one Mickey Barker who went on to drum with Magnum.
Mickey, and your uncle Tony Naylor, all of MSD/Hooker/School Sports and Slender Loris, wherever you are, hats off to you all, I wish you well. Julian
Great nights at the Railway and from memory jam packed and sweaty (Pity bands I was in didn’t get quite as many?). I have recently got hold of a copy of Bent Needles and it brought back happy memories. Ne good to hear whar Mark, James etc are up to?
Fantastic nights at he railway, didn’t know it had gone. The lab assistant at my school played bass, that’s how we got into them. Mark Bristow was an excellent guitarist, surprised he never found a bit of fame.
I agree with Steve P, great nights at the railway ! pitty it`s just an open space now. Anyway, at least I can say I`m on the ” Bent Needles ” L.P, you can just about hear me shouting out in one of the bands quieter moments.
I hope the boys are well and doing their own thing. They gave us brummies some realy Bostin` times.
Saw these guys many times at the Barrel Organ – what great music and entertainment. I also saw them in their incarnations as Hooker and School Sports – attended BRMB’s Lark in the Park too. Happy memories. I have their Bent Needles LP and Japanese Motabikes single which I cut recently to CD to remind me of the great songs. After all these years though, I didn’t know that singer James Langston was also in a band called Tea and Symphony (thanks Record Collector!). Sadly, the internet is lacking in details of what became of the members and where they all are now.Hope they’re all doing just fine in whatever.
16 Comments on “Mean Street Dealers”
July 17th, 2010 at 11:41 am
Really glad I found this site! All the memories that become more important as i rapidly age!
Loads of gigs at loads of venues, highlights;
Magnum…..Railway, and nationwide
Mean St Dealers…Railway
Sticky….Railway
Orphan…..Railway / Mercat Cross
Flying Doctors..Selly Park Tavern
I still have a number of tapes recorded on a hand held plonked down on the shelf at the back of the pub, plus my prized copy of Bent Needles ( I waz there!!)
May 30th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
We’re all doing OK – great to hear you all remember Saturday nights at the Railway.
MSD’s singer James is now in Cornwall still singing, Bob Boucher and John Wilson play together regularly in the ’44’s’, Nigel playing with bands and composing and producing, Mark and Jimmy also still gigging.
All the best
John W
May 11th, 2010 at 12:14 am
I was at school (Camp Hill) in the 60s with Mark Bristow, who for many years remained a close mate. Sadly I’ve lost touch with him and would love to hear how he is. I was later (as the drummer) in a band called No Spring Chicken with Bob Boucher on bass, and a great player he was too. Don’t know what happened to him either. Slender Loris have I think re-formed; at one time I knew their bass player and songwriter Martin Berry really well. Don’t know if this is documented elsewhere on the site, but Jim Simpson was the Dealers’ drummer; he later played with Magnum (following in Mickey Barker’s footsteps) and another name band whose name escapes me at the moment. I was Jim about 3 years ago; just as bloody youthful as ever somehow! Snitch (Nigel Darvill?) later toured with Fine Young Cannibals. I think it was John Wilson as well in the Dealers’ lineup, brother of Bob Wilson from the Steve Gibbons Band.
April 5th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
Wow, its great to see all of these memories of the Railway and Barrel Organ still alive and well! ha ha.
I was only a wee lad at the time, but loved every minute, from the ‘humping of the gear’ (Removal of the P.A. from A to B) as James would phrase it, to helping myself to the odd beer whilst no one was looking.
Great childhood believe me, i feel a lucky dude to have been brought up in this atmosphere.
Anyway, James along with my mother and sisters took up residence in Newquay (Cornwall) 22 years ago, and he is still bangin out the vocals around here and there with a variety of muso’s.
Im not sure about the rest of the band. I met Marc a few years ago down in Newquay whilst he was visiting James, but Bob Boucher, Jimmy Simpson, and Snitch i dont know, as i moved myself out of Brum at the same time as James and my mom went to Newquay
Once again thanks for reminding me some great memories.
(P.S Just checked my vinyl collection and Bent Needles is safe n sound)
April 2nd, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Hi all I wonder if anyone can help me. I am looking for any member of the 80’s band Assassin, its is very important i get in touch with Keith, phil, john, anyone that was in the band with Brett Dainter. Anyone else that knows Brett please get in touch through my e-mail would like to hear from you.. thank you for all your help Tracey and Kerry Dainter
January 11th, 2010 at 11:22 pm
The band Mickey Barker drummed with was I think, Zoo Q. Gary Crisp, is that you, brother of Steve?
Used to see Surface and Orphan a lot down at the Railway too, happy days.
December 16th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
3rd time… oh how bad is this
http://www.youtube.com/1986Assassin
December 16th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Whoops, sorry, the link to YouTube is http://www/youtube.com/1986Assassin, see told ya, its my age
December 16th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Yep, ‘The Railway’ was an awesome place to play. Age is catching up on me now but some of these names are familiar, particularly Gary Crisp (Hi Mate!)… We were Assassin and we played Friday nights at ‘The Railway’ over a couple of years or more in the 1980s. I have just uploaded some songs (poor quality recording) to YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/Assassin if anyone wants a listen to remind yourself of us.
Hope everyone who came to our gigs and all the bands who played there (many of who I saw and loved) are all doing well
December 12th, 2009 at 1:48 am
Correction, Bob Boucher on bass, not Bob Lamb, silly me, getting too excited with my reminiscences, who can blame me? Cheers.
December 12th, 2009 at 1:38 am
Mean Street Dealers were a fabulous band, spent many a night in their company, at the Railway, the Barrel Organ in Digbeth (I think probably as Hooker) and latterly as School Sports at the Golden Lion in Solihull.
James Langston had a fabulous voice, sort of a tortured tremulous Roy Harper if I remember rightly, particularly evident on a track called Scream, I think this was a School Sports number, actually. Langston was formerly in very esteemed company in a highly collectable ’60’s prog/folk band called Tea and Symphony who’s vinyl (Asylum For the Musically Insane in particular, and Jo Sago, both now on CD but rare) was highly prized and very expensive, with Gus Dudgeon, Bob Lamb and Clem Clempson (Humble Pie, Colliseum, Dylan, Jack Bruce, see wiki). MSD also had the great Mark Bristow on guitar, Bob Lamb (who was everywhere in Brum in the 70’s) on bass, Snitch, Dave Wilson (on drums I think). A (live) album and a single is all that exists, so far as I know but I have a fabulous tape of the Sports at the Lion from around ‘76 (I’d just learned to whistle loudly and I practiced at their gigs, ha!). No idea where or what became of them but I loved ‘em.
2 other bands from Brum to check out are Slender Loris (who’s 12 inch and 7 inch singles are wonderfully obscure now, sadly and much prizedby me), and another band who played the Barrel Organ regularly, whose name I forget but had as their drummer one Mickey Barker who went on to drum with Magnum.
Mickey, and your uncle Tony Naylor, all of MSD/Hooker/School Sports and Slender Loris, wherever you are, hats off to you all, I wish you well. Julian
November 24th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Great nights at the Railway and from memory jam packed and sweaty (Pity bands I was in didn’t get quite as many?). I have recently got hold of a copy of Bent Needles and it brought back happy memories. Ne good to hear whar Mark, James etc are up to?
October 25th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Fantastic nights at he railway, didn’t know it had gone. The lab assistant at my school played bass, that’s how we got into them. Mark Bristow was an excellent guitarist, surprised he never found a bit of fame.
October 12th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
I agree with Steve P, great nights at the railway ! pitty it`s just an open space now. Anyway, at least I can say I`m on the ” Bent Needles ” L.P, you can just about hear me shouting out in one of the bands quieter moments.
I hope the boys are well and doing their own thing. They gave us brummies some realy Bostin` times.
August 10th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Saw these guys many times at the Barrel Organ – what great music and entertainment. I also saw them in their incarnations as Hooker and School Sports – attended BRMB’s Lark in the Park too. Happy memories. I have their Bent Needles LP and Japanese Motabikes single which I cut recently to CD to remind me of the great songs. After all these years though, I didn’t know that singer James Langston was also in a band called Tea and Symphony (thanks Record Collector!). Sadly, the internet is lacking in details of what became of the members and where they all are now.Hope they’re all doing just fine in whatever.
June 24th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Wow what great Friday and Saturday nights were had at The Railway in Curzon Street Birmingham watching the band,happy days.
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