One of their fans was a young wanna-be blues singer and harmonica player named Robert Plant. The Seven Stars pub in Stourbridge hosted blues nights with Sounds of Blue becoming regular performers. Stan bought me a Freddie King album and that was the beginning of my absolute love for the blues". Christine said "I didn't have a clue as to what to do on piano. Their guitarist was Chuck Botfield who went on to form The Rockin' Berries.Īfter her graduation from art college, Christine Perfect played in a vocal duo with Birmingham University graduate Spencer Davis and they became regulars on the Birmingham folk and blues circuit, busking and often appearing at the Golden Eagle pub on Hill Street (see The Spencer Davis Group).Īndy Silvester who was a friend from art college asked Christine to join the Sounds of Blue line-up. With an eye on becoming a teacher, Christine later attended Moseley College of Art where she played piano in a skiffle group called "The Bobcats". Peters College of Education in Saltley, Birmingham while her mother Beatrice was a professional psychic and faith healer!Ĭoming from a musical family, Christine learned to sing and play piano at an early age. Her father Cyril Percy Absell Perfect, was a concert violinist and lectured at St. Piano player and vocalist Christine Anne Perfect was born born Jin Bouth, Lancashire and grew up in Bearwood, Birmingham. Then Phil Lawless took over on bass and Christine switched to piano, Chris Wood played sax." "That was the beginning of my absolute love for the blues" On bass and harmonica sometimes was Christine Perfect, and Andy Silvester played rhythm guitar. Stan Webb recalled "We did some of the Shades Five circuit, but the main thing was this one gig on a Sunday at Dudley Liberal Club, every Sunday for a year and it was absolutely packed. Chris Wood then joined Jim Simpson's jazz influenced band called "The Kansas City Seven" (see Locomotive) and later became a founding member of the highly acclaimed and internationally successful Traffic. By March 1964, he was performing with Sounds Of Blue although he left the following year before they went over to Germany as Chicken Shack. The Sounds of Blue line-up included Andy Silvester on rhythm guitar and saxophonist Chris Wood who lived in nearby Cradley Heath.Ĭhris Wood had attended Stourbridge Art College in 1963 and learned to play the flute before later graduating to saxophone. By this time, Webb was heavily influenced by American blues and R&B music. It was local blues singer David Yeates who convinced Stan Webb to join his group called "The Sounds Of Blue". I took it home and listened and thought, I don't believe this!" And that's when I first got 'Freddie King Sings'. Went up there on a Saturday, they had all these American records playing, covers all over the ceiling. He recalled "I started hearing all the blues stuff at this record shop called 'The Diskery' that was wonderful. If you didn't do those, you weren't anyone!"Ī record shop in Birmingham on Hurst Street changed Stan's outlook on music. ![]() He recalled in an interview "Shades Five was my first crack at being a professional musician working for Mrs Regan in Birmingham doing the Old Hill Plaza, the Plaza in Handsworth, and The Brumbeat Cavern. Like many local groups at the time, they found regular bookings on Joe and Mary Regan's famous West Midlands circuit of venues. Stan Webb began to earn money in his first professional band called "Shades Five". He started playing guitar during the "skiffle" craze of the late 1950s and formed his first group in 1962 called "The Strangers Dance Band" with whom he played instrumental versions of the hits of the day at pubs and youth clubs. He was born in Fulham, London on Februand moved to Kidderminster with his parents after leaving school. Talented guitarist Stan Webb is regarded by many as one of the great un-sung heroes of British blues music. ![]() "I started hearing all the blues stuff at this record shop called The Diskery" ![]() ![]() She joined the group before they found world-wide fame as one of the most successful bands of the 1970s. The group made their name during the "British blues revival" of the late 1960s.Ĭhristine Perfect went on to marry John McVie of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. Early members included lead guitarist/vocalist Stan Webb, vocalist/pianist Christine Perfect, bass guitarist Andy Silvester, and saxophonist Chris Wood. John Glassock bass guitar (joined in 1970)Ĭhicken Shack evolved from a Stourbridge based band called "Sounds Of Blue" who were performing in the West Midlands area by 1964. Paul Raymond piano, organ (joined in 1969) Andy Silvester bass guitar (left in 1971)Ĭhristine Perfect (McVie) vocal, piano (left in 1969)
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