Throughout the 1960s
and ‘70s John was a major feature on the English south coast’s folk music scene.
On occasions he, Kelvin Message and other musicians would perform together at the end of a club evening. Kelvin has commented that John's heavily blues-influenced guitar style was so versatile that he was doing the work of three musicians at once. It was
reading
this site’s profile of Kelvin
that led John to get in touch from Germany. ‘It brought back a lot of memories,’
he said.
John explained that in the first half of the 1960s he was performing in
the UK as a solo guitarist and singer as well as playing in a duo with Rod
Machling. During this period Johnie (as he was then known) also founded several
‘roots music’ venues in East Sussex.
John says that he started the ‘Country &
Gospel Club’ at ‘The Heart & Hand’ pub in North Street, Brighton. The club was
born out of necessity due to overcrowding as punters were coming in increasing
numbers, both to hear the performers and in some cases to play informal guest
spots too. Among the growing audience were some famous, or soon to be famous,
names. Says John: ‘[O]n a Saturday evening, I and a few others would have a song
session in the pub… It was often visited by such well-known names as Wizz Jones,
Long John Baldry, and many others including, on the very odd occasion, a certain
Rod Stewart and his hangers-on.
'(It) became so crowded that I managed to persuade the landlord to let us
use the empty room upstairs. That was an instant success.’ However, recalls
John, this ‘also became so crowded that we had people standing on window sills
and down the stairs. Once again, we didn't need to book guests as there were
many 'names' just dropping in for a floor spot.’ When there was a spot available
that is. Wizz Jones played a guest spot, as did several other major league folk performers such as
John Renbourn
(subsequently part of The Pentangle; he was ‘a good friend of mine’ commented
John), and Nic Jones (‘another very good friend and an excellent guitarist and
traditional singer’ who tragically ‘had a bad car accident and had to give up
the guitar’). Also taking turns at John’s club were the renowned banjo player Pete Stanley, whose diverse plaudits later included work with Bryan Ferry; and
John Pearce, the folk performer who had his own BBC guitar tuition programme in the
1960s.
Eventually says John, the landlord, surprisingly perhaps, ‘got so fed
up with the overcrowding and being overwhelmed with business that he gave us
notice to quit.’ John recalls being shocked at the time, but now observes: ‘[I]t
… gave me the motivation to move to a bigger place and to start organising as a
folk club proper.’ John approached the landlord of ‘The Stanford Arms’ at
Preston Circus in Brighton. John knew the place as a ‘stop-off on Saturday
mornings for a game of cribbage and couple of pints of Guinness after work. I
knew there was a large and empty room upstairs. The landlord agreed to let me
start the club up there….and, after a couple of weeks of (distributing) flyers’
and of growing interest due to ‘word of mouth’, on a Sunday night John began
hosting what would become another highly successful version of his Country &
Gospel Club.
Modestly, John says that ‘[L]uckily…(it was) an immediate success.
We tried to work on the basis that everybody who played there ….could expect the
same treatment as anybody else. There were no 'superstars' and everybody had the
same chance to perform, should they wish. I also featured some of the Brighton
street musicians when and if they were willing and needed a few bob. Very soon
though, because of overwhelming attendance, we had a need to book 'names' as
special guests in order to take the pressure off our regular (‘resident’) floor
singers…. This is where Brian Golbey first came in (see picture below of John,
on banjo, performing with Brian (fiddle), circa 1963). John says of Brian, he
was ‘[O]ne of the (few) Brits to win a Nashville country award for best singer.’
John remembers that ‘We guested a few times at the Sidley Folk Club and also at
the Nelson Folk Club’ (at the eponymous Hastings pub) during this period.
Soon after John had begun running the Country & Gospel Club at ‘The Stanford’,
he brought in Rod Machling to help with the organisation of what had also become
a much in-demand venue. Together they formed a successful musical partnership
too. Rod was ‘an excellent guitarist and singer,’ notes John. ‘We were booked
(to play) at many of the folk clubs….from Portsmouth to Crawley to Hastings.’
After they’d played such a gig they’d often return to one of Brighton's coffee
bars, such as The Lorelei in the Lanes, ‘for another session of music into the
early hours.
'We had many fans and a programme that offered everything from
Rod's serious protest songs and humorous Music Hall numbers, to my Old Timey
American banjo mountain songs and Mississippi guitar blues. Also…we included a
certain amount of country and bluegrass too … This gave us a vast and hugely
interesting programme to choose from.’
From performing his own slots at ‘The
Stanford Arms’, John acquired the nickname ‘The Reverend Winch’. He explains
this seemingly unlikely moniker: ‘At this time I used to sing a lot of Gospel
songs, which were not only very popular but, more importantly, (they were)
centred on audience participation. The evening often began and ended with people
standing on the chairs and everybody was singing their hearts out as though it
was a service in a deep south black Baptist church.’ John stresses that his
good-humoured nickname was not indicative of any deep religious motivation on
his part.
John says that after the huge success of the Brighton ‘Country &
Gospel Club’, ‘[W]e decided to start a second club in Eastbourne. I already knew
of ‘The Dolphin’ pub because one of my relatives used to go there and had told
me about the large room at the back…. Again, the landlord agreed to its use, and
so began the Eastbourne branch of the ‘Country & Gospel Club’.
‘I will never
forget (our) opening night,’ says John. There were, he recalls, 97 female
college students ‘and (just) five men including ourselves.’ Both clubs, he says,
were held on a Sunday night and so they had to share out the available guest
singer and resident spots accordingly. While running ‘The Dolphin’ and Brighton
music clubs, says John, ‘[T]hey both became exceptionally well-known on the
scene, from London to the south coast, and we had many a top class guest, with
whom we often became really good friends.’
Asked to list some of the major names
that appeared at ‘The Dolphin’ and ‘The Stanford Arms’ branches of his ‘Country
& Gospel Club’, John mentions some of the biggest names in folk and blues. Among
them were Bert Jansch; leading UK blues and pop performer Long John Baldry (with
whom Elton John first cut his musical teeth); The Levee Breakers (featuring
singer Beverley Kutner who famously later teamed up with John Martyn); Tom Paley
from The New Lost City Ramblers, Dave Evans (an ‘amazing guitarist, says John),
John James, Johnny Duncan (an American bluegrass and country singer who, John
notes, had a skiffle hit with 'Last Train to San Fernando'), Johnny Silvo,
Caroline Hester, Julie Felix, and (as at ‘The Heart & Hand’) Wizz Jones, John
Renbourn, John Pearce, and Pete Stanley.
After two years of ‘total success’,
John says ‘[T]he whole thing had become a bit too much. Rod, myself and Brian
Golbey (who'd also taken on some organisational duties) decided to take on board
another couple of friends who were willing to do some of the donkey work, which
included bookings from various agencies, standing on the door on club nights,
organising residents, singers, posters and flyers, etc, etc. At this point Rod
and I decided to quit the clubs and to leave everything to a so-called folk
committee to run them. I had also at this time started taking bookings to
perform as a duo with Brian Golbey, which included BBC shows and club gigs along
the south coast.’ John recalls that he and Brian recorded extensive sessions for
two BBC national radio programmes in the early to mid-1960s; one of which was
‘Sounds of the Night’.
‘After a while, owing to personal reasons, I stopped
playing with Brian and I continued as a solo act, working the southern folk
clubs (with bookings obtained) through a London agency.’
In 1978 John
released his first record, a
three track EP on Joe Stead’s ‘Sweet Folk and Country’ label
(formerly known as ‘Sweet Folk All’). John’s own song, ‘Little Woman’ was on
Side 1, with his arrangement of ‘Come on in My Kitchen’ and a cover of the
Rolling Stones’ ‘Lady Jane’ on Side 2 (see pic below). (As a singer, guitarist and banjo player,
Joe Stead was a major name on the UK folk scene.)
Sometime in the late 1970s, says John,
‘[A] friend offered me two tours in Bavaria, Germany. They (were) very
successful and in the early 1980s this gave me the idea to move to Germany on a
permanent basis.’ In fact in 1981 John put out an album on the German Brutkasten
label entitled ‘I Am A Free and
Travelling Man’. It featured ‘Little Woman’ and 10 other self-penned songs. (The artwork is featured below © Brutkasten) The
track ‘Free & Travelling Man’ spoke of the freedom of the road, a belief
expressed on the LP’s back cover on which John writes simply ‘Keep free and
travelling.’ (John’s home-recorded performance of the song, from 2001, can be
heard
here
After many years of gigging in Germany, John says that the 1990s brought a personal shift. ‘I
returned to England with my wife, who had started studying at Greenwich Uni.’
For the next decade, says John, they were based in St. Leonard’s, East Sussex,
which was part of a thriving local music scene. ‘I started playing regularly
with a new partner there,’ he says, and together they performed under the name
of the Yazoo Brothers and as a skiffle band called the Yazoo Skiffle Company.
‘We also had a fun, Cajun-style band, that sometimes performed (in local pubs)
as The Tower Road Alligators...’
In September 2020 John wrote on the
SMART music site
of Hastings music impresario Alan Esdaile, ‘I remember well George Street Hall
(in Hastings) and doing gigs (on the same bill as) SoulXpress as if it were
yesterday. Also, (I recall) my own very long and mad stint of (playing) Sunday
mornings at ‘The Standard’ (or)… at ‘The Nelson Folk Club’, in the days of Wilf
the landlord, (with) Jeff Coates and Bruce Astly hammering away in ‘The Nelson’
on a Sunday morning session. I used to play banjo then, which was kindly lent to
me for the session by Ron Harrison who sometime during the session, and after a
few pints….burst into a great version of ‘Shoals of Herring’. Those were the
days when there were still a few herring in Hastings waters. SoulXpress were one
of the best of the Hastings groups (along with) Tich Turner, Stallion, Chris
Sayer and many more. Hopefully Barry, Lenny, and the others are still alive and
kicking. Unfortunately some have left us, but I shall never cease to be amazed
that there were so many good musicians and so much live music in such a small
town.’
John is very pleased to still be playing live. He told me: ‘I
am still playing the odd blues gig with a German guitarist partner, and hope,
with luck, to carry on for another few more years.’ Or, as he commented on the
SMART website, ‘I’m 78 now, an old geezer, but still as mad and still playing...’ Reflecting
on all that had happened over his musical career, he says, ‘Actually, there are
so many stories that I could probably go on for hours about those days. Many fun
days, many good friends.’ John is pictured below (with Peter Gall (left) and Gerald Stegmiller (right)) performing at a festival in the German village where he
now lives.
John says he hopes that this article will add a ‘bit of interest’ to the
more musically open and inclusive side of the Sussex folk scene that ‘was often
a bit dominated by the traditional side of folk music,’ he says. ‘What a lot of
people seem to have forgotten …is that a great many old folk songs from the
British Isles went to America in the sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen hundreds
and, much later, returned to Britain in a slightly (altered) form. It was often
stated, with a slight tinge of standoffishness, that we (me, my partners and
friends) were singing ‘American songs’ as opposed to the purists who only sang
‘English’ or … ‘Sussex’ songs. There was sometimes a definite border drawn
between the two. However, as I so often stated in the folk club days, I don't
think it really matters who sings what, as long as they enjoy it, and, if there
is one, the audience enjoys it too.’
John is still drawing in audiences and is
still a fine musician and singer. As in the sentiment he inscribed on his album,
he’s also still ‘keeping free’. The travelling that went with that freedom took
John a long way from where his musical journey began, but he remains very
connected to his diverse musical roots.
This comment is from musician Pete Sadler, who I’ve also written about on this site (see http://oldfolkrebels.blogspot.com/2017/11/regrets-ive-had-few-musical-life-and.html )
ReplyDelete“I'm ashamed to say that I recognise most of the names in the article, having been on the bill with some and having booked another, but I haven't heard of John Winch. It's a shame that he had to go abroad to perform instead of being here to stop the movement’s decline. He seems to have been a powerhouse in the South of England in organising the folk and blues scene. However, I know exactly how he must have felt towards the end of his time here - there just wasn't the support from folkies to keep going. A very informative, in-depth article Neil. Very well done.”
Alhough traditional folk isn't strictly my kind of thing, this well-researched and very well-written brings back intriguing memories of Hastings and Sussex at a time when the local pubs and clubs were lucky enough to have such great musicians perform on a regular basis. I recall frequently seeing John and Beverly Martyn, Peter Knight and Liam Gennockey (of Steeleye Span), fiddle player Gary Blakely and many others in and around this scene in the 1960s and 70s. The energy and commitment needed to run a successful music network can't really be underestimated. Thankfully there is still a vibrant folk music scene in the South East, which one hopes will survive the current pandemic, and which owes in significant degree its existence to the tireless work of musicians like John Winch. Thanks as ever Neil for a great profile.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Pete Sadler and Keith Rodway for your observations, especially as they come from two people who were, to a greater or lesser extent, on the inside of the folk scene at its height. Your joint appreciation for the work of performers like John is well expressed. I am also envious of the range of musical talent that you were exposed to, Keith, in the south east alone, especially as we are talking about being up close and personal and not the massed ranks of concert stadia. Thanks again for the (acoustic) feedback.
ReplyDeleteThis comment was made by photographer Tim Vine https://www.facebook.com/tim.vine1/photos
ReplyDelete"Interesting, and as I would expect from your good self, well written, well researched informative piece…have never heard of the dude……am aware there have been many talented musicians over the years, doing what they do to small and appreciate audiences without ever hitting the ‘big time’……perhaps this is the purest way of deriving enjoyment from their art …sounds like an interesting dude with many a good yarn to tell re the paths he has crossed over the years ….more power to your quill Mr P." (Tim Vine)
I enjoyed reading about the social & musical connecting threads between the artists described. And the connecting potential of 21st century blogging: John Winch reading about Kelvin Message and then writing to you, which feels kind of equivalent to someone strolling across a bar, pint in hand, to say "I've just been told you know an old mate of mine.." It was also pleasing to see remarks about how much 'donkey work' there is in organising events that can often look, to the audience, as if they 'just happen.'
ReplyDeleteMany thanks to you, 'Someone', for posting this excellent and really perceptive comment. It reads like you know what it's like to be on the stage and watching from off it. Much appreciated.
DeleteGreat article, Neil, really informative and well written. Thank you! David
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot David. Really appreciate your supportive comments.
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ReplyDeleteThanks Michael for your appreciation of my "blogged article", but, strangely, I don't want you to use my site about obscure folk musicians as a platform to sell magic mushrooms.
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ReplyDeleteWhilst I found Lilian Wale's intervention in the above debate about my profile of musician Johnie Winch fascinating, I'm afraid it lacked some key ingredients to make it relevant to the precise topic in hand
ReplyDeleteThanks for meeting John Winch many times in Nürnberg al the times. He always was a best friend, my music-mentor. Thank you very much. Keep well or in German Dialect...XUND BLAIM
ReplyDeleteThanks Arthur. If I can find an email address for John, I will send your comment to him.
DeleteGreat post! You really captured what makes him such a special artist!
ReplyDeletePlease check out Asher Ben-Or. Asher is very similar to artist profile you spotlight on your blog.
Thanks. Asher seems like an interesting guitarist
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