Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: David C. Carter
Date: 14 Jul 06 - 06:25 PM

Seems like a lot of people here were in the same places at the same time.I played a few times in The Moon And Sixpence with a friend of mine.The Witches Cauldron and the Loft,in Belsize park were also part of that time.
Used to see the Yardbirds/The Downliners Sect/Georgie Fame,Zoot Money & the Big Roll Band,all that stuff going on in town.
And it didn't cost much either.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 15 Jul 06 - 04:03 AM

Used to see the Yardbirds/The Downliners Sect/Georgie Fame,Zoot Money & the Big Roll Band,all that stuff going on in town.
And it didn't cost much either.

Sounds like Klooks Kleek in West Hampstead, happy days! I was chatting about the old Witches Cauldron in Belsize Park just last week

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: David C. Carter
Date: 15 Jul 06 - 04:29 AM

Anybody know Vanity Fair,Hampstead?Good place to meet before going off to crash a party!
Thanks for reminding me about Klooks Kleek.
As you say Kevin..
Happy days!

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 15 Jul 06 - 04:56 AM

Last night BBC4 tv repeated the John Martyn piece from Folk Britannica broadcast earlier this year, quite a few mentions/shots of Les Cousins.

RtS

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Micca
Date: 15 Jul 06 - 10:12 AM

I always remember John Martyn doing a S**t-hot version of Djangos "Nuages" in between acts, so to speak, at Les Cousins about 1970 or thereabouts

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Nigel Paterson
Date: 15 Jul 06 - 05:29 PM

After The Halliard had recorded "It's The Irish in Me" in one afternoon session in a North London studio (liberally lubricated by the record company), we went on to a local pub & finished up at some ungodly hour at Les Cousins, where we were invited to sing. We were subsequently thrown out for being too rowdy!
                               Nigel Paterson.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 15 Jul 06 - 07:44 PM

I think it was Derek Brimstone who played the piano boogie woogie style at Les Cousins. He used to wear a little trilby hat in those days as opposed to the big one he wears nowadays. Possibly the hat and the fact that he was a little older than most of us, made you think he was the manager.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Rick S
Date: 30 Jul 06 - 03:49 PM

Just found this thread - I remember accompanying Mike Cooper up to Cousins one night when he had a gig there - he had Stefan Grossman's 12-string to return, as well as his own 2 Nationals to carry, & needed a roadie; as well as Mike, that night, there was Al Jones, Duffy Power, & I think Sam Mitchell - Cooper also ran a fine club in Reading, where we got to see most of the bigger acoustic-blues names of the time, good memories to have..

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Jul 06 - 04:26 PM

would that be the Shades coffee bar with Derek Hall? - at the back of Hellas's store somwhere round there. the Shades is an Indian restaurant these days. i did a sentimental journey to Reading las year.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 30 Jul 06 - 04:45 PM

It's a strange thing, but Il Cooper was just posting from Rome on fRoots.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 30 Jul 06 - 05:21 PM

Was Duffy Power the one that used to recite the Lord Buckley story 'The Naz' ?

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Rick S
Date: 31 Jul 06 - 04:42 AM

Hey,Drummer - ah, the Shades - I also did a trip back some years ago, it was still standing (morphed into an Indian restaurant);oh yeah, Derek Hall - master guitarist, should have been up there with Davy Graham et al (I still have the Kennet-label EP he did with M Cooper, somewhere), best ragtime player I ever heard, waay better than the likes of R McTell, would love to know what became of him - The Elephant (located in the Market Place), that's the club that MC ran, got to see JoAnn & Dave Kelly, Jug trust, Tony (TS) McPhee & many others; other remembered clubs; the Crown, & later on, the White Horse (down on Caversham Road) where I first overcame my nerves enough to get onstage with a guitar - many fond memories..

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: The Sandman
Date: 31 Jul 06 - 05:58 PM

AND WHAT HAPPENED TO RON GEESIN

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 31 Jul 06 - 06:10 PM

Gosh I booked him a few times, he was contemporary of mine we went to schools about 100 yards apart in Hamilton. One of the weirdest off-the-wall pianists I ever met. Don't know where he went though.
Giok

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 31 Jul 06 - 06:16 PM

I've seen his name on tv and film credits - though I can't remember for the life of me which ones.

Derek Brimstone has one or two stories about Ron. One called THE ULTIMATE GIG.

Another involving the time Ron was a witness to a traffic accident.

You better ask derek.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: The Sandman
Date: 31 Jul 06 - 06:26 PM

Yes I remember a story that he was doing a gig in a restaurant, and nobody was taking any notice of him. so while he was doing his set, he went outside the window and leered in at the eaters, waved them goodbye, they thought it was part of the act and continued to ignore him. then wondered where hed disappeared too. meanwhile hed gone home to bed. nice one.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 31 Jul 06 - 06:36 PM

He did a gig at the Dungeon Club in Tower Bridge road which was run by Cliff Aungier, and Ian Grant the BBC producer of Country Meets Folk was involved in it too. He had the piano in one 'cell' and would play a few chords on it, pluck the strings manually from the front, and then rush down into a lower dungeon and bang a pot lid on the floor while singing something totally unintelligible, Crazy guy.
Giok

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 01 Aug 06 - 04:50 AM

I believe that Ron lives down in Sussex and has a studio doing mastering/re-mastering etc among other things. He used to do work for the Flyright stable of record labels, maybe still does.

Subject: RE: Jackson C. Frank memories
From: GUEST,Curtis Delisle
Date: 21 Nov 06 - 11:59 AM

I am directing a documentary on Jackson C. Frank's life and was curious to hear any and all stories for the film. If anyone here has something of substance to add to the project please contact me at:
[e-mail]
Sincerely,
Curtis Delisle

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 21 Nov 06 - 08:13 PM

Try derek Brimstone

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Malc Cooper
Date: 07 May 07 - 04:55 PM

Looking back to a post from Countess Richard in 2003 I can confirm that I remember Judith Piepe.

Judith was a social worker with close Church of England ties (I was never too sure who paid her) and she had a flat in the East End of London. The flat was a home from home for some of the singers who appeared at Cousins (including Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel).

Judith used to invite people at Cousins to church on Sunday morning at St Annes (Soho) which was the province of Father John Hester.

In the imortal words of Max Boyce "I know because I was there" :-)

Regards

Malc

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 07 May 07 - 05:50 PM

Hello Malc Cooper, I'm trying to remember if I remember you, it's so long ago.
Yes, I went along to St Anne's with Judith Piepe once or twice.
On other occasions some of us went to her flat for breakfast.
Last news I had was from someone who had met Stefan in New Zealand who said Judith had sadly died.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 May 07 - 06:35 PM

Ron Geesin collaborated with Pink Floyd in 1969

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 07 May 07 - 06:44 PM

Al Jones.... for about five minutes he had a folk club in Exmouth, with a beautiful Yamaha PA system. There was an article about him in that magazine Fred Woods used to run. Folk Something.....sorry its gone. Only met him the once, just as I was staring out as a singer mid 70's - he seemed a nice guy.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 08 May 07 - 07:08 AM

Al Jones: Swimming Pool, issued on Weekend Beatnik, a label run by fRoots.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 08 May 07 - 08:44 AM

Fred Woods magazine was originally called, IIRC, Folk & Country but later Folk Review.

Loads of back issues in a box in the storeroom.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Eldronzo
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 07:37 AM

Where was the Witches' Cauldron in Belsize Park? Obviously, I was there, because I cannot recall its exact location.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Jim Knowledge
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 11:39 AM

I `ad that Martin Windsor in my cab once. `e was a strapping great bloke then. I said "Where to, Martin?"
`e said "Les Cousins club"
I said "I didn`t know they was `aving you as well tonight. I thought that Red Sullivan was doing the gig all on `is own"
`e said " That`s right. So `e is. I`m the bouncer!!"
Whaddam I like??

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 11:46 AM

Good question Eldronzo, I spent a lot of time there, and in the Indian restaurant next door but even looking at multimap I'm having a bit of difficulty remembering.

I've got a feeling it was along Ornan Road where it meets Belsize Lane.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Eldronzo
Date: 11 Aug 08 - 10:29 AM

Someone who lived in Belsize Square around that time - late 1960s/early 1970s - tells me that the Witches Cauldron was "almost opposite the Belsize Tavern". If that is so, then I suppose it was on the site of what became Conrad's Bistro or of the restaurant to the right of it, or both. I forget the name of the other restaurant; perhaps it was called the WC...
   The two restaurants shared the same proprietor, a
formidable Ulsterwoman called Daphne, who ran it with her toyboy Joel, a deserter from the French army. They also shared the same kitchen and the same chef, 'Elvis', but not the same prices. Conrad's Bistro had an upstairs section, and the whole of the cellar area, so the other place was quite small in comparison. These two restaurants were there when I first went to Belsize Park in 1970 and still operating in the late 1970s, so I presume the WC preceded that...

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 11 Aug 08 - 10:43 AM

The Witch's Cauldron was well before 1970. Mid 60's as I remember and long before Kevin Sheils should have been allowed out on his own. My recollection is that it was close to the Belsize Tavern, that it served up bowls of spaghetti and that Martin Carthy was usually there.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 11 Aug 08 - 11:19 AM

Yup I think you are right Diane, you must be almost as old as me mate.

JM

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 12 Aug 08 - 03:24 AM

You're right Diane, I should have been home in bed.

Happy days, passing my Dad as he set off to work as I ambled home from my nights out!

The Belsize Taven was/is on Belsize Lane I believe, so my first thoughts were fairly close.

Mind you, some say I still shouldn't be allowed out on my own!

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Sep 08 - 02:01 PM

I used to go to the Witches Cauldron back in the 60's. It was a coffee shop/eaterie and a whole bunch of us hung out there. Downstairs was a cellar club where groups used to play, I think it might have been next door to the Cauldron. We all just drank coffee in those days.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 03 Sep 08 - 02:14 PM

People forget about 1960's food. Wall's s and k pies. spaghetti meant Heinz on toast.

Lyons individual fruit pies in a box, with a bit of paper wrapped round.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Ron Fox
Date: 07 Oct 08 - 10:32 AM

I've just been playing the first Savoy Brown album which got me thinking about "the Witches".I am sure they used to play there & there was a guy called "Moxy" who played a mean harmonica,ring any bells anywhere?

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Will Fly
Date: 07 Oct 08 - 10:39 AM

Mox was a fantastic harmonica player with long red hair and a long red beard. He usually had a bandolier of harmonicas strapped around him. As I recall (and I jammed with him a couple of times), he used to hang around and look for somewhere to stay after a gig - no fixed abode. Last time I saw him he was playing with the Alex Harvey Band (Lancaster University Summer Ball 1968).

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Oct 08 - 11:03 AM

He also used to be seen around the 'Bag 'O Nails' in Kingly St, which runs parallel to Carnaby Street. He either worked for, or was friends with, a guy who ran a boutique almost next door to the club too.

JM

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: David C. Carter
Date: 07 Oct 08 - 11:19 AM

Mox Gowland lives here in France about 60 kilometers from me.
He sometimes plays with a Bluegrass band,and I sometimes do a few things with them.
He and I used to knock around Hamstead in those days.
We were great friends,still are.
He's still got that red hair,but no beard now!
That reminds me,I got to call him.

David

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Will Fly
Date: 07 Oct 08 - 02:29 PM

That's great news - I thought I'd never hear of Mox again - he just seemed to drop out of sight. Regards to him from all the old Cousins groupies.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Fleggy
Date: 07 Oct 08 - 02:42 PM

I new Moxy, we used to play in the early 70s as a duo in Earls Court at a late night cafe just for tips and spare ribs; he had a belt with a load of blues harps in different keys and played a bass flute, enormous thing it was; he replaced me with Isaac Guillory which really pissed me off because I needed the money, being a starving student at the time. The red hair was waist length and he had a matching moustache; his name came from wearing moccasins. I remember offering him a gig in a pub which he refused because there was not a proper stage; OK I'll stop rambling now.........

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,RON FOX
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 05:31 AM

Great to hear that Moxy is so well remembered & still going strong.He played with Alex Harvey eh? didn't know that,the Sensational Alex Harvey Band were one of my favourites from the era,a sad loss.But what about SAVOY BROWN at the "Witches Cauldron" does no-one remember them there? They were contemporary with Mox.I must point out that I was very,very, young at the time.
RON FOX

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Peter Billam
Date: 04 Nov 08 - 05:18 PM

I just discovered this great thread. Al Stewart lining up an all-nighter when Simon and Garfunkel were playing the Royal Albert Hall, and Paul Simon calling in about 3am to sing a couple of his new songs, like Save the Life of my Child which sounded so rich, so dramatic, so strong and even, so beautiful, that I could barely believe he was just a voice and guitar like everyone else - a Martin, but other people played Martins - or Davey Graham's all-nighters when he just got back to London from Greece, playing Monk, Indian ragas, blues, Bulgarian shepherds' bagpipe tunes, old English, every imaginable style, with Roy Harper calling in about 3am wearing a green and orange check three-piece suit and battered top hat, singing his asylum song Committed, chorus: life is such monotony without a good lobotomy; everything new, or unsuspected combinations of old things showing that they worked too. Right place right time, great to be there then.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,John Field
Date: 27 Dec 08 - 12:06 PM

Great thread.....going back to the Ballads and Blues in Rathbone Place....anyone remember the Malcolm Price Trio ? They played there a lot in the early 1960's, and I was with them on banjo for a couple of 1964 gigs in that club.....I played with them for about a year in 1964......John

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Micca
Date: 27 Dec 08 - 01:25 PM

Guest Peter billiam, funny you should mention Roy harper, i remember him from those times too, he wrote one of the most memorable(in a song callled "Nobodys got any money in the summer") and weird lines ever....
" ....and looking No cleaner than a Chinese wrstlers jock strap cooked in chip fat on a greasy day..."

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 27 Dec 08 - 03:50 PM

that track was on the CBS sampler The Rock Machine Turns You On. Along with Moby grape, tim Rose, The Zombies.....

It was about twelve bob when a real album was about 32/6d

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 27 Dec 08 - 05:18 PM

I seem to remember Paul Simon complaining in 'Cousins'about his record company releasing 'The Sound of Silence' when he was in the UK. Then it did well in the charts, so somebody did a parody, called, 'The Sound of Finance'

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 27 Dec 08 - 05:32 PM

I seem to remeber The Bachelors having the main hit with it.

there was a band called the Tea Set or somesuch and they nearly aced S and G with Homeward Bound which was paul and artie's breakthrough single in England.

i saw the The Tea Set at Boston Gliderdrome the week they made no 48 in the charts with Homeward Bound.

Whtever happened to the Tea set. they played those early electro acoustics.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 27 Dec 08 - 05:50 PM

Burns electro acoustics!

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousin's, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 05:29 AM

Le Macabre was indeed in Meard Street, number 23.