Silk Disco and Promotions and Lightshow

Silk Disco and Promotions was one of the biggest of its kind in Coventry from 1968 to at least the early 80's.

This young, well organised team sustained their activities for well over a decade and much of the provision of discos and band venues came from this team.

As far as I know, Silk began about 1968 and consisted DJ's Jim Twyneham (AKA Jim Silk) - later an engineer at Horizon Studios and DJ on Radio Mercia, Graham Wood (later a co-founder of Sunshine Agency) with technical support from John Coles ( later celebrated Two Tone photographer responsible for some of their iconic images), Paul Taylor, Paul Riley and Steve Whittle.

NEW Information July 2016 - Thanks to Dennis Cotter and help from John Coles and Jim Twynham, I've been informed an earlier Silk DJ not previously included here. His name was Steve Miles who also worked at J J Cash Ltd. Steve was with Silk disco 1968 to 69.

In 1973, in the Coventry Evening Telegraph's On the Scene (colour supplement), Nichola Gorringe reported - " So what i admire about Silk, the mobile disco that operates in and around Coventry, was the hint of subtlety.

Jim Twyneham

For a start the lighting was really effective. A modern specious area at the Trocadero, Weston Hall Hotel, Bulkington, was transformed into something cosy and personal.

Silk are no amateur outfit. they are a bunch of level-headed semi professionals who are setting out to perfect their own form of entertainment.

They have been operating for three years. The name Silk is associated with the Plough Club (London Road), Circles (West End Working Men's Club - where they promoted such bands as Caravan)., the Locarno promotions, Arthurs at the Humber Hotel, Humber Road and more recently Chums at the Bear Inn, high Street and the Trocadero.

Two of the original entertainers - Jim Twyneham, who is 23 and Graham Wood 21, are still there. Twenty four year old Paul Taylor joined in January 1971 at about the same time as Paul Riley (21) was brought in to improve the lighting effects, which until that time had been slightly unsophisticated due to lack of equipment. Jim and Paul Taylor and Graham Wood are the outfit's DJ's. Their roadies / technicians are John Coles and Steve Whittle. All live and work in Coventry.

Jim, who is a local government officer, told me: "The reason we set up in the first place was because we were dissatisfied with entertainment in general in the area. We wanted to introduce some creativity into Coventry."

Since then Silk have done over 200 mobile bookings and their impact on the area can be judged by engagements over the next two months. They have only five days free of bookings this month and 10 in February.

Silk at the Trocadero Bulkington 1973

Running a disco is an expensive business. But by pooling their resources and ploughing everything back into their show they have been able to buy over £10,000 worth of equipment, including records, during the last three years.

What type of music do they play? "Anything and everything from Caravan to Glenn Miller. Everything we think people would like to hear. We have no musical prejudices" Jim said.

Silk present shows at the Trocadero on Monday and Tuesday evenings each week and run a heavy underground session at Chums on Thursday evening. On Friday and Saturday they have mobile bookings such as 21st birthdays, weddings, and so on, with Sundays and Wednesdays reserved for occasional bookings.

A note of warning to potential disco operators from Jim.."Don't start unless you are sure you want to make a go of it. Be conscientious and willing to please and, above all, be kind to the public because they are your income - they keep you going."

Pictures by David Trinder.

From the Plough club in the early 70's Jim Silk (Twyneham) had a distinctive red car with Silk as part of the registration.

Chums advert from Coventry Evening Telegraph 1974

Advert in Hobo Magazine 1974

Along with some of the pictures, this was the text for the Cov Telegraph On the Scene Supplement.

For ad in Hobo magazine. Thank you Mr Silk!

Via Pete Chambers

Advert in Hobo Magazine 1974

Bill Jackson - Photographer, friend of Martin Barter - both regulars at the Plough Club 1971

From Cov Telegraph

John Coles more recently with John Bradbury of The Specials

Graham Wood

Photograph thanks to Sue Long (then Graham Wood's girlfriend)

Photograph thanks to Sue Long

Photograph thanks to Sue Long

Gentle were a Derby heavy rock band. I had put them on at the Umbrella Club in 1970 and after they played the Plough Club with Silk Disco and a few other Cov gigs of the time.
Some of the other bands i remember at the Plough Club (Near the Chaterhouse - London Road) were Music Box (Rob Armstrong and Colin Armstrong and Pip) / Dando Shaft and many more.

Sad News - A Tribute to Jim Twyneham who passed away in 2017

John Sillett leads tributes to Coventry City's 'Voice of Highfield Road' Jim Twyneham.

Coventry Telegraph BY ANDY TURNER 20:34, 5 JUL 2017

View here

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/john-sillett-leads-tributes-coventry-13287781

Sunshine Music Agency 1974

Sunshine Music Agency  (SAM) - 1974

A Coventry Music Agency and Record Production team.

Sunshine came close to putting Coventry music in the charts some 4 years before Two Tone. Set up initially to promote 'A Band Called George's' single NCB Man on the Bell Label, the agency planned its own Coventry record label and much more..

The Sunshine Agency  Management (SAM) opened its office at 132, Gulson Rd. Coventry early in 1974.

Sunshine was initially formed by DJ's Craig Ward and Graham Wood as an agency to handle the affairs of  A Band Called George whose single for the Bell Label looked set to rock the charts in 1974. However the agency grew to cover a wider remit offering management, agency, publicity, promotions, discos, road crews, entertainment consultants, disco hire and equipment, recording .

Soon Craig and Graham formed a production team to record the songs of  Bob Young (of a Band Called

Sunshine HQ 132 Gulson Rd Coventry (Green spot)

George) and advertised in the local press for bands and artists to record Bob's songs).

Sunshine teamed up with Monty Bird of  Bird Sound Recording studio at Snitterfield, near Stratford,  in which they had a half-share) which meant that bands under their management had free and unlimited recording time there to make demos.

Pug Ma Ho (later called Smack) recorded Bob's Misunderstood and the Earthquakes (later known as Mad Cat Molly) recorded Dancing to the Music.

The Coventry Evening telegraph wrote " So SAM looks good news for local groups who feel they are good enough to get themselves represented on disc. And it could develop into a major record producing concern based in Coventry"

This was some 4 years before Two Tone burst on the scene in 1979.

During 

the early part of 74,  I (Trev Teasdel) typed up Hobo No3 in the Sunshine Office, thanks to Craig Ward. It was a good place to be based at that time, being fairly central and having the support of Craig Ward who managed Sunshine. Lots of local musicians came through it's doors so it was a useful place to find out what the bands were up to musically and get wind of developments on the music scene. Although hobo was typed up at Sunshine, the magazine was independent of Sunshine and so was free to report on other agencies and bands not managed by them.

A Band Called George

Among the musicians that came through the doors was Bob Jackson (formerly of Indian Summer). Bob

was playing with Pete Brown at the time who had written those classic lyrics for Cream such as White Room and Sunshine of your Love. Bob was even going to show some of my poems published in Hobo to Pete at one stage. I don't know if he did but nothing transpired from it. I was an admirer of Pete's work with Cream and Jack Bruce so that was a nice thought. Craig Ward did some record reviews for Hobo.

Sunshine ran a number of discos including Becketts in Nuneaton and even a folk night at the Pilot in Radford with regulars Bob Young and singer songwriter Gill Darbey . They also promoted Mr Badgers in Atherston at the New Swan.

Sunshine managed Pug-ma-ho who changed their name to Smack! and A Band Called George who

recorded a single NCB Man released on the Bell label. The single didn't make it as the miners strike escalated and the timing was wrong. You can hear NCB Man on the band's My Space (click here A Band Called George My Space - ). Margo of Smack! went on to record with Mud as a backing singer. Smack records a single too - Miss Understood - written by Bob Young for Bell Label. Mad Cat Molly was another Coventry band who recorded a single for the Bell Label with a Bob Young composition - Dancing to the Music.There will be more about the bands in the forthcoming band directories. Other bands they managed included Mad Cat Molly, Gill Darbey - singer songwriter - Walrus Gumboot - Monster Magnet - Earthquakes. They also offered to book any band in the country loads cheaper than anywhere else.

Sunshine ceased to be sometime in 1975 but it was an exciting period in Coventry's musical history. The loss of air play for NCB Man was a major blow to the plans of Sunshine but had it been the major hit they and the record company thought it would be - who knows how that would have affected the status of Coventry area music on the national and international stage, some years before Two Tone! Sunshine certainly had the energy, songs and ideas to follow through.

Bird Studios Ad in Hobo Magazine Summer 1974

Here are the entries in various issues of HOBO -

Sunbird - Hatching (From Issue No 3 Feburary 1974)
"Bird recording studios at Snitterfield, not far from the land of Shakespeare, has been converted into an 8 track stereo unit and will re-open at the beginning of February. The rates of recording there will remain the same as they were for the previous 4 track - for the first six weeks of opening. The rates at the moment are £4 an hour inclusive of editing. Copy tapes 50p, sur-charge of £1 for use of the master tape. For discs (albums) 6 cost around £9 and a 1000 cost 75p each. This is a 24 hour service. Session musicians can be supplied on request with of course additional charges.

Plans for the future are quite ambitious and include producing their own group equipment at cheap prices and their own record label, in conjunction with Sunshine. The label will occur if they can overcome the problem of distribution."

from Hobo Issue 4


"The Sunshine Music agency was formed about 3 months ago by Craig Ward, Bob Young and Graham Ward (of SILK fame) and are always on the look out for groups and artists that are available for work here and abroad. They also have a musicians register for musicians looking for bands and vice versa. They also have half -shares in the Bird Studios in Snitterfield. If you wish to know more about it then you are welcome to pop in for a chat and a coffee. Address in the Classified ads."

Advert from the April 1974 issue of Hobo that never came out owing to us rejecting the printing quality -

Sunshine
Management : Walrus Gumboot; SMACK; A Band Called George.
Promotions : Mr Badgers - New Swan, Atherstone & Mr Badgers in Bournmouth. Becketts - Nuneaton - Thurs, fri, sat, Sun, Mon.
Manufacturers : Group and PA equipment / Disco equipment. Cheapest prices imaginable!

Ring Craig Ward on 23020 / 23644 daytime. Also sole booking agent B.S.S.

Hobo (Coventry music and Arts Magazine) also reported on A Band Called George, Madcat Molly / Earthquakes and Pug ma Ho / Smack and other acts promoted by Sunshine.

From Hobo No 3 February 1974 - Small ad
"Sunshine Agency - 1st floor 132, Gulson Road Coventry 23020 / 23644. Agency for Smack, A Band Called George, Gill Darbey, Earthquakes, Pug Ma Ho, Monster Magnet, Walrus Gumboot and any band in the country, loads cheaper than elsewhere!"

Comments from the Original post on Vox / Typepad

Thanks for the memories! (By Craig Ward)

"Not sure who wrote this but they remember more than I do! We were young, well-intentioned and full of

Craig Ward as he is today

ideas and dreams. We thought we were on the verge of something really big when we signed A Band Called George to Bell Records who were without doubt the biggest singles label at that time. The deal was for 3 singles with an option on an album if any of the singles was successful.

We were SO confident NCB Man would be HUGE. Everyone who heard it thought so. We could have signed with any label. EMI and Rocket both made firm offers, and RAK were about to confirm an offer when we signed to Bell.

The idea was to plough back any of the profits from the single back into establishing our own label which would have been solely for Coventry and Warwickshire acts.

Graham Wood

About a week after the NCB Man single was released, I remember getting a phone call from Dick Leahy, MD of Bell Records saying "we've got a hit on our hands". This was based on overwhelming feedback from the disco and club dj's who'd been sent demo copies.

Shortly afterwards, though, the Markham Colliery disaster occurred when a lift broke and the safety devices failed to work, killing 18 miners. It also killed any chance we had of getting the all-important airplay.

The single was re-released a few months later, but the momentum was lost and it disappeared without trace. By this time the band had dissolved and alas, the last two contracted singles were never recorded.

Thanks for all your efforts on this page, I don't know how long its been here, but I've only just found it!

Kind regards and keep up the great work!"
Craig Ward

Craig Ward did some reviews for Hobo magazine, while i was based there - original manuscripts submitted for the magazine..

Craig Ward also produced some 'Sunshine Bullsheets' for bands they promoted like SMACK and Walrus Gumboot.

Mad Cat Molly (The Earthquakes) did a version of Bob Young's Dancing to the Music. They were also associated Q Artistes.

A Band Called George

From the original layout for the Bird recording studio, produced by Craig Ward

Beckett's Disco Nuneaton - Promoted by Sunshine and Dream Disco and lighting.

Sunshine also ran Folk n Things at the Pilot, Burnaby Road.

Comments from Hobo Vox blog




Where are you Graham Wood - I want to say hello and catch up on the last 40 years!

Posted by: Sue Long | 02/18/2012 at 06:16 PM



Thanks for the memories!

Not sure who wrote this but they remember more than I do! We were young, well-intentioned and full of ideas and dreams. We thought we were on the verge of something really big when we signed A Band Called George to Bell Records who were without doubt the biggest singles label at that time. The deal was for 3 singles with an option on an album if any of the singles was successful.

We were SO confident NCB Man would be HUGE. Everyone who heard it thought so. We could have signed with any label. EMI and Rocket both made firm offers, and RAK were about to confirm an offer when we signed to Bell.

The idea was to plough back any of the profits from the single back into establishing our own label which would have been solely for Coventry and Warwickshire acts.

About a week after the NCB Man single was released, I remember getting a phone call from Dick Leahy, MD of Bell Records saying "we've got a hit on our hands". This was based on overwhelming feedback from the disco and club dj's who'd been sent demo copies.

Shortly afterwards, though, the Markham Colliery disaster occurred when a lift broke and the safety devices failed to work, killing 18 miners. It also killed any chance we had of getting the all-important airplay.

The single was re-released a few months later, but the momentum was lost and it disappeared without trace. By this time the band had dissolved and alas, the last two contracted singles were never recorded.

Thanks for all your efforts on this page, I don't know how long its been here, but I've only just found it!

Kind regards and keep up the great work!
Craig Ward

Posted by: Craig Ward | 04/06/2012 at 07:03 PM