An out of print book about Huddersfield rock and roll bands is being imported from Thailand courtesy of a Witchdoctor.
And the price? English tea and ginger biscuits.
Copies of Roger Mallinson’s well-researched book Do You Want To Be In A Group are hard to come by. It took Roger several years of interviews and work to compile what is a comprehensive history of Huddersfield rock and roll groups – they were groups, not bands back then – between 1957 and 1963.
During that period, Roger was a member of The Strangers, and he was aided in his research by Graham Rushworth, who was with Denny and the Witchdoctors, as well as several other groups.
The major rock and roll music makers of the period are all included: almost 50 groups are covered – everyone from The Cadillacs to The Phantoms, in the days when the places to go included The Sheridan Rooms and The Tahiti Two.
The book came out nine years ago and sadly, since then, Roger has died but the interest remains.
Graham says: “We are still getting requests for copies.”
Among those wanting to get their hands on one is Emmy award winning composer Richard Hartley who wrote the music for The Rocky Horror Show. Not many people know this, but Graham tells me Richard used to be in The Witchdoctors.
Dennis “Denny” Morris is now 81 and has lived in Thailand for about the last 15 years.
“I talk to him on Skype all the time,” Graham says. “He’s dyslexic but he teaches Thai kids English at a school.”
It is Denny who has agreed to supply copies and post them to the UK.
“All he wants is to be paid in English tea and ginger biscuits,” says Graham.
It seems appropriate that Denny is the lynch pin of the operation as Graham says that he was the mentor for many of the musicians who grew up and developed in the town more than 50 years ago.
“He couldn’t sing and he couldn’t play very well but his enthusiasm and personality and knowledge of music was fantastic. His contribution to the local music scene was immense.”
Denny played bongos with the Birdland Quintet jazz band in the mid 1950s. He opened the Be Bop Club above Burton’s which later switched to rock and roll and The Witchdoctors was formed.
They played the Antibes Jazz Festival in 1963, worked US bases across France, played for petrol money at a concert organised by a Paris gangster and recorded for the French Barclay record label. Later, a line up that included Richard Hartley, toured France again. This time they had to pawn their watches to get home.
All the stories are there in the book which is priced at £15.
“I’ve got the blessing of Roger’s family to do this and no one is making any money out of it,” says Graham. “As long as we can cover the postage and copying costs and provide Denny with a good cup of tea.”
