Britain's lethargic start to Rock & Roll.

Round about 1957 the youth of this nation began to be aware of Elvis and others in the USA who were succeeding with new music suited to a younger generation,unfortunately British music was in the iron grip of the Establishment.

Spearheaded by the musicians Union, Proper musicians were accepted provided they could pass tests in music reading,modulating and proficiency in playing.

Amateurs were not allowed to encroach on the territory of MU Members.Britain had no infrastructure to present,record or indeed provide backing music for untrained upstarts trying to muscle-in.The USA had long been familiar with Country music, Blues, etc and had developed a whole range of support facilities to back them up.The money men,impresarios etc didn't want strutting youngsters upsetting their regular customers who were breadwinners and family folk. When Cliff made inroads into entertainment territory they quickly shunted him off into films with lacklustre music because they just didn't know what to do with him.(Elvis eventually suffered the same fate).It took the sudden impact of the Beatles in 1962 to knock them off their perch and let in the real rockers.

Our band played as support to the Beatles at Liverpool Empire just after their first real successful record, the theatre held about 2500 but outside there were 100,000 young people who would have paid to get in if they could.No one had put on a stadium tour or a festival so a lot of head scratching was done. The Establishment came crashing down and eventually we got the likes of Bowie, Mercury etc.

The industry was still controlled from London and without London representation Groups from the provinces got left behind so it meant giving up the day job get down to London where the work was being dished out and you could get decent musical equipment that was unavailable elsewhere.

Well, having been around during all the early days you mention, and doing a bit too, I do not get the point of your post after all these years. Is this a delayed conspiracy theory or what? The music industry then was full of sharks and perhaps still is. Why are you singling out the Musicians Union, in particular, is it some bad personal experience? People from our generation know that American artists could not bring their musicians with them in the late 50's, but it worked both ways right? And folks like Larry Parnes, Jack Good etc. controlled the British pop scene, but we were still a 2nd rate musical entity then and it was not the fault of the Musicians Union, and no I have never been a member, by the way. Oh and I might add, it was the groups from the "provinces" that actually changed everything, and there were union members involved, especially in the studios.

In the eighties Paul McCartney did a film with Chevy Chase called "Spies Like Us". A song was released into the charts off the back of it; the video couldn't be shown in this country because in it Chevy Chase was simulating playing instruments and at the time non professional musicians were apparently not allowed to be seen on screen /simulating/playing musical instruments.

In the eighties Paul McCartney did a film with Chevy Chase called "Spies Like Us". A song was released into the charts off the back of it; the video couldn't be shown in this country because in it Chevy Chase was simulating playing instruments and at the time non professional musicians were apparently not allowed to be seen on screen /simulating/playing musical instruments.

If that rule existed then it must have been removed a year later when he pretended to play a trumpet in Paul Simon's 'You Can Call Me Al' video.

If that rule existed then it must have been removed a year later when he pretended to play a trumpet in Paul Simon's 'You Can Call Me Al' video.

Yes indeed. I actually think that video was a tongue in cheek dig at that archaic rule.

Was that video shown in Britain at the time?

In the eighties Paul McCartney did a film with Chevy Chase called "Spies Like Us". A song was released into the charts off the back of it; the video couldn't be shown in this country because in it Chevy Chase was simulating playing instruments and at the time non professional musicians were apparently not allowed to be seen on screen /simulating/playing musical instruments.

Paul Simon did this one, that was shown. It was on Top Of The Pops:

In the eighties Paul McCartney did a film with Chevy Chase called "Spies Like Us". A song was released into the charts off the back of it; the video couldn't be shown in this country because in it Chevy Chase was simulating playing instruments and at the time non professional musicians were apparently not allowed to be seen on screen /simulating/playing musical instruments.

It's the same in movies, if you are an extra you can be seen but not heard. Only Equity members can have speaking parts, been on two movie sets in the 80's and 90's and it is a hard and fast rule. Documentaries are different however, for obvious reasons.