The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #20801 Message #3177992
Posted By: GUEST,Pete
28-Jun-11 - 06:54 PM
Thread Name: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
Great thread, thanks for the memories. I used to work at the Witches Cauldron in Belsize Lane NW3 during the 1960s, on the coffee machines and on the door. Also worked in a late night place called the Moon and Sixpence run by a wonderful Indian aptly named Mr Wise. I knew Mox really well - he used to crash at my place on a regular basis; usually coming in through the window in the early hours of a morning. He carried his harps in a small battered leather doctor's bag, and his toothbrush was tied round his wrist. He played often with a mate of mine, John Lamont - who was a regular down the Witches. Other singers and groups who frequently played there were Alexis Korner, Jo-Anne Kelly, Champion Jack Dupree, Martin Carthy, Teddy Brown (also known as Johnny Christian), the Frugal Sound - who had a small hit with the Beatles' Norwegian Wood, Hampstead Ray Charles and the Jet Set, the 2 of Clubs (Bob Grant and Don), C-Jam Blues. I remember Savoy Brown playing there, and Duffy Power. The Witches used to close quite early - after midnight, and everyone used to peel out to the Moon and 6d - and if the mood was right the musicians and singers jammed together along with anyone else who wanted to join in - like Rod Stewart when he first turned up on the streets of London well before joining the Faces, and a singer called Jimmy Justice. I liked Klooks Kleek in West Hampstead- heard some great music there; Graham Bond's band, Long John Baldry, and a special evening when Jimi Hendrix dropped in on a John Mayall's Bluesbreakers' night and took up his guitar and played! Anyone else out there from the Witches days and nights?