Hi Ian,
So sorry to hear that you are not well.
I have many great memories of your time with Bluesville {and The Alpine Six and The Action}. Myself and 2 pals Viv Kennedy & Trevor Murray ran the R&B Club at Longford Lawn Tennis Club, Monkstown, back in the Sixties, as well as promoting concerts in and around Dublin.
In 1963, we put on an R&B show at St Anthony’s Little Theatre and this was Bluesville’s first public appearance. Deke & Mick were in the audience and as Bluesville was tearing up the place, Deke said to me, “That’s the kind of band I want to be in”. The Rhythm section was from The Crickets showband with which Barry Richardson played. Around this time Deke invited me to come and see The Alpine Seven who were playing in a hall on the South Circular Rd. A couple of weeks later, Mick & Deke had talked their way into Bluesville, bringing you and the Bass player from The Alpine Seven.
From then on in, we booked Bluesville for several shows, at Longford LTC, The Crystal Ballroom and The Marian Hall in Milltown. I recall Bluesville playing one Sunday night At Longford LTC, having spent several hours recording in the Eamonn Andrews studio in Abbey Street with Jerry Dennon from the American label Jerden Records. ‘You turn Me On’ which you, Mick, Deke and the others including Ian of course recorded at that time, became a top ten hit in the USA.
Eventually Barry Richardson, finished his studies at Trinity, Ian Whitcomb left for the States to promote his career which was launched big-time by ‘You Turn Me On’ now on Tower Records and you and Peter Adler formed a new band The Action, which played for us at least once at the R&B Club at LTC. I remember your drumming which was very precise & professional, but still maintained a great feel. Was the Alpine Seven your band?
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- TED CARROLL
