Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)

Subject: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners RIP
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Feb 17 - 11:28 AM

Very sad news that Tony Davis passed away on Friday 10 February.

A short obituary and tributes appear on: http://www.jazznorthwest.co.uk/tjd.htm

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners RIP
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 14 Feb 17 - 05:44 PM

Farewell, Tony.

Thank you for all the memories.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 15 Feb 17 - 05:10 AM

I know it's not cool to like The Spinners, but I thought they wwere great.

Strangley, when Tony sang lead I thought his voice had no charcacter but his harmony singing was great.

His high part on Wimoweh used to be terrific.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 15 Feb 17 - 05:53 AM

yes and he was a pretty fair whistle player. strangely enough the Dingle Regatta thread made me think of him automatically.

i'm very sorry he's gone.

when The Spinners played our college back in '67 - me and my mates thought they were very unhip. we were all McTell/Jansch fans. When i got round to opening my own stall as a performer, i found Spinners albums a fantastic repository of material. i grew to respect their achievement as popularisers and interpreters of folk music.

the breadth and depth of their music made me a late fan and i went to their concerts a lot in their last years as a gigging entity. only then i realised all too late what a fantastic opportunity to talk and learn from them i had turned my nose up at when i was a dumb kid of 18.

And for that very reason i find it so painful to read that thread about the folk awards - people of all ages are making the same destructive mistakes that i did as a stupid adolescent - rejecting and disparaging other approaches and understandings of folk music.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 15 Feb 17 - 06:57 AM

Sad news. The Spinners certainly introduced folk music to a large number of people, me included ... sitting in Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall at the age of 16.... quite a few years ago!
Derek

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: Leadfingers
Date: 15 Feb 17 - 07:56 AM

Interesting that Tony moved into Jazz after The Spinners - I moved into Folk from Jazz .

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: Leadfingers
Date: 15 Feb 17 - 07:58 AM

The Spinners introduced SO many people to traditional music .

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: GUEST,keith price
Date: 15 Feb 17 - 08:44 AM

Tony was into Jazz before folk.

R I P Mr Davis.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: Raggytash
Date: 15 Feb 17 - 08:50 AM

Tony and the Spinners brought folk music into the houses of a multitude. They are often disparaged but in reality they are owed a huge debt.

Thank you Tony RIP

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 15 Feb 17 - 09:16 AM

I saw this on Facebook this morning, brought back many memories of concerts in the 1960s and 1970s.
RtS

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: Peter the Squeezer
Date: 15 Feb 17 - 02:28 PM

There are a lot of modern day folkies (including myself) who were introduced to the pleasures of traditional music through the TV broadcasts each Christmas by the Spinners.

RIP & thanks, Tony.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: GUEST,Peter Cripps
Date: 15 Feb 17 - 04:18 PM

Sitting with my wife one evening long ago in an absolutely packed Cheltenham Town Hall, with The Spinners on stage, and the whole audience singing their hearts out, I suddenly understood what folk music is really about! It is not about 'performance' but about 'joining in' The audience were entertaining The Spinners!

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 16 Feb 17 - 06:39 AM

well to be honest - there was a lot of skill in those apparently effortless performances.
looking back, there was nothing sloppy or casual about their approach.

you didn't find The Spinners forgetting their words, giving less than full committment to the performace, having nothing to say introducing songs.

I remember the late barrie Roberts telling me that as young men, two spinners had tried to meet Woody Guthrie. i can't remember if they went, but the people around Woody thought they were too young and would be adversely affected by seeing their hero in such an awful physical state.

you may not have admired the packaging they came up with - but you're talking about a lifetime committment. And that deserves enormous respect from us all.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 16 Feb 17 - 06:45 AM

The Spinners were a very important part of the folk world. This is sad news. My condolences to all who know and love him. I have added his name to the "In Memoriam" thread.

RIP

Peter

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: GUEST,keith price
Date: 16 Feb 17 - 07:56 AM

Al, Mick Groves and Tony did see Woody in hospital but he was unaware of them.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 16 Feb 17 - 01:17 PM

They were of their time, and did nothing but good for the music. So no time for disparagers & Tony was a great influence on many, with no
distinction between the traddies and the folkies- he had more sense.
The Spinners were regular guests at the Marsden Inn in South Shields & always filled the place in the mid sixties.
And they would always find time to play for nothing at the town's High School 'after school' folk club, inspiring many youngsters, including Bob Fox.
Does anyone do that now?    RIP Tony

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: Howard Jones
Date: 17 Feb 17 - 04:36 AM

The Spinners were a big influence on me when I first became interested in folk music, but I'm now ashamed to say I rather looked down on them once I'd moved on the more hard-core stuff. It was only later that I again began to appreciate their musicianship and rapport with their audience. They made it all look too easy.

Like most folkies of that era, I owe them a massive debt of gratitude. RIP and thanks for the music.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 17 Feb 17 - 05:35 AM

I used to love watching the Spinners Christmas show every year when I was young, and that was my introduction to folk music.

I first met Tony when, with Beryl and Eunice, he organised the first international maritime festival in the UK for the tall ships race in Liverpool in conjunction with the garden festival, and the last time I met up with him he reminded me of the time I literally turned green.

RIP Tony.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: banjoman
Date: 18 Feb 17 - 11:05 AM

I still have my membership card for the Spinners club at Gregsons Well. Sad to hear of Tony's death.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: GUEST,addison
Date: 22 Feb 17 - 01:08 PM

An obituary for Tony Davis is on the Guardian website.

Tony Davis Obituary in The Guardian

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Feb 17 - 01:19 PM

The Spinners did more good than harm, and Tony was an important part of their success.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: GUEST,Young Buchan
Date: 22 Feb 17 - 11:56 PM

Something important that Tony and the gang contributed to which hasn't been mentioned yet is the mid-60s BBC children's programme Dance & Skylark which first introduced me to Stan Hugill. The Spinners were presumably there as the popular bait to catch an audience - but their name allowed them to use Stan every week to talk the Real Sailor stuff.

For other things, but especially for that:thank you, Tony.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 24 Feb 17 - 09:30 AM

Better late than never.
Obit in today's Daily Telegraph. Here

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: GUEST,Kathy Inglis
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 07:37 AM

Fri. 24.02.17.It's been a long, quite emotional day today, having attended Tony's funeral in Warrington. He had a really good send-off. Ushered in by a real-live New Orleans Jazz Band - just what he wanted! The service was well attended, with the three remaining Spinners - Hughie, Mick, and John, and their wives, and Cliff's eldest son, Cliff Jr. Both the folk and jazz music communities were well represented, the chapel was full with people standing in the aisle. One of Tony's daughters did a eulogy - full of love and humour, and Hughie, Mick and Johnny got up to sing Amazing Grace, with Mick and Hughie sharing Tony's 'calling' duties between them, and the whole congregation singing in harmony. That set me off, it was absolutely beautiful.

We filed out of the chapel to the strains of a very early Spinners' recording of The Leaving of Liverpool, and were met outside by the New Orleans Jazz Band, which was made up of members of Tony's Jazz Band and a few others. I got a couple of minutes of it on my phone, but, so far, can't get it up of FB.

Then spent a couple of hours in the company of one Bernard Cromarty who very kindly gave me a lift to the 'wake' and then to Warrington train station for home. Met up with a few old friends, and was very touched that they remembered me, particularly Tony's wife Beryl, and Cliff Jr. A fitting farewell to someone who, along with his bandmates, befriended me when I first came to England, encouraged me in my music and who I will always remember with affection. God bless Tony Davis.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: GUEST,ancient.mariner74-79
Date: 20 Apr 17 - 06:57 AM

The first time I saw them "live" was at our Youth Club in Helston, Cornwall. They were playing in Cornwall and stopped off to do a session at the Club. Tony seemed to be the spokesman, but they were all very friendly.

Later in my Merchant Navy days, Liverpool was my home port with Ellerman Papyani Line and again I found myself in a local folk club that was the Spinners home and was lucky enough to see them play there. Wonderful memories of a group of very likeable gents!

Subject: RE: Obit: Tony Davis ex Spinners (1930-2017)
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Apr 17 - 11:59 AM

They were very good to a lot of people in the folk world, including some of the so called 'hard stuff' artists, who they were always generous towards and frequently kept solvent via support act billing when they didn't really have to. I know Tony Rose for one was very grateful for their support.
I have fond memories of them individually playing in sessions all over the UK and Tony was always game for a tune or two. A genuine good bloke, RIP.