Keef Trouble
Encyclopedia
Keef Trouble is an English
composer
, singer and musician
.
, London
, from 1968 to 1972. He is a founding member of the still performing British
country
-blues
band
Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts
as vocalist, guitarist
, and player of the Zobstick, (also known as the Lagerphone or Monkey stick
,) and electric ironing board. Commercial success came in 1972 under the guise of Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs
with Seaside Shuffle with fellow band
members Graham Hine, John Randall, and Jona Lewie
(of Stop the Cavalry notability). This record
became a hit
in Europe and Australia, and reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart
.
Trouble is also part of the folk rock
band The Okee Dokee Band, writing much of its original material. This band plays throughout West Sussex
and Kent
, and is a regular feature at the Broadstairs Folk Week.Broadstairs Folk Week - Home He has produced two albums of his own: Oasis and Kix 4 U, for Sun House Records. He has collaborated with Tony O'Malley
TONY O'MALLEY - LIVING IN THE BUBBLE..., previously from the bands 10cc
, Kokomo (band)
and Arrival
, recently writing the lyrics
for O’Malley’s Mr. Operator and Naked Flame. O’Malley has also contributed to Trouble’s recordings, as have artists such as saxophonist Mel Collins
, (Roxy Music
, Rolling Stones, The Grease Band
), guitarist Neil Hubbard
, and vocalists Dyan Birch, Paddy McHugh, and Frank Collins
. In 2008 Trouble produced the Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts' album Keep on Moving. Co-producer and audio engineer of Keep on Moving was Pete Ker, another long-standing associate of Trouble, who produced The Motors, Man, and Arthur Brown (musician)
, co-writing Brown’s Fire.
. In 1986, the first recordings of Trouble’s compositions Oasis and Mix ‘n’ Mingle for the album Oasis took place at Lewie’s home studio in Streatham
, with keyboard musician, arranger
and composer
Tony O’Malley
, and guitarist
Neil Hubbard
; engineered by Pete Ker, producer for Arthur Brown
and co-writer of Brown’s Fire. Trouble had secured a 45rpm single record deal with Rodd Buckle (Habana Music) for the release and distribution of Mix ‘n’ Mingle. Due to master tape release difficulties through financial disagreement caused at the Lewie studio, lateness in the production of the product caused the record deal to fall. Through the intercession of Tony O'Malley, who had co-composed Mix ‘n’ Mingle, and Neil Hubbard, the Lewie studio finally relinquished the tape of Mix ‘n’ Mingle, but not of Oasis. After the Lewie studio refusal to release Oasis, Ker re-recorded the song at a professional recording studio
, Ferry Sound, for free.
'You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties,' from Trouble's lyrics book
I’m no good at chatting up I always get rebuffed
Enough to drive a man to drink
, I don’t do no washing
up
I always leave the stuff piled up, piled up in the sink
But you’ll always find him in the kitchen at parties
You’ll always find him in the kitchen at parties.
Me and my girlfriend
we argued, she ran away from home
She musta found somebody new, now I’m all alone
Living on my own, what am I supposed to do
You’ll always find me in the kitchen at parties.
I met this sexy thing, she laugh and talk with me
She was into French cuisine
, but I aint no cor-don-blea
This was at some do in Palmer’s Green, I had no luck with her
You’ll always find me in the kitchen at parties.
In 2010, the Trussell/Lewie 'You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties' was used by Ikea
to advertise its kitchens. The advertisement was made by the Mother London advertising agency
and featured the London group Man Like Me.
, the ‘Zob Stick’ as a term has a definitive and recent origin. In the late 1960s Trouble built a percussion instrument that he used in his blues
band Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts
. He invented a name for it: ‘Zob Stick;’ its use being termed ‘zobbing.’ It was largely based on the traditional folk music
instruments the Monkey stick
, ugly stick
and the more commonly termed, Lagerphone (Australian.) After constructing his version of the instrument, the term ‘zob’ was used because of its risqué connotation as UK naval slang, this suggested by fellow Brett Marvin band member, and ex-seaman, Jim Pitts. The instrument caused amusement when it was introduced in performance in France
, where ‘zob’ has a similar meaning.
The Trouble Zob Stick construction uses a pole that is covered with the usual partially nailed-in rattle-capable beer bottle caps. A circular solid wooden ring, edged with bottle caps, is added near the top of the pole, with a hand grip section beneath. All the wooden parts are brightly painted. At the bottom a boot, supported by an internal wooden block, is added, with a metal spring attached to the sole. The spring serves no musical purpose but has comedy potential. Half way up the pole is a sleeved-on metal tube for greater volume and a crisper percussive sound. The Zob Stick is rhythmically bounced on the floor and the metal sleeve hit with a wooden stick. The stick itself, (usually an adapted hockey
stick because of its durability,) is serrated to achieve a scraping sound effect when necessary. Although the resultant construction is heavy, requiring strength for continual use, this weight gives it a volume and ‘clout’ that the traditional Monkey stick
might not match, especially in a live and loud band situation.
A Keef Trouble / Malvern Hostick composition
, ‘Hello Mum’ had been recorded professional
ly at Ferry Sound
in the early 1990s under the pseudonym
and subsequent stage-name ‘Dougie Damone.’ The recording
was released
in the UK and sold as a 7 inch vinyl single and greeting's card for Mother’s Day in 1992 under the CoverHit label, eventually featuring Trouble himself as Dougie Damone. In 2008 the song
was revived and reproduced as a video.
's Greater London Radio where he talked about his time with Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts
(April 14, 2002):
"It was blues
singer Jo Ann Kelly
, sadly no longer with us, who helped and encouraged the Bretts. We were all art students —still at school in '68, even before Ry Cooder
got going properly!"
"Everything was 'Orange Bicycle' and 'Technicolor
Yawn', so we became Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts as a reaction against the prissy flower power
movement."
"Quite incredible really, we ran the 'Blues Club' on Sunday afternoons at Studio 51 in Great Newport Street, London
- the Rolling Stones had done it before and Jo-Ann handed it on to us. It was, of course, run by Pat and Vi —Ken Collier did the Jazz in the evenings."
"Howling Wolf came down one afternoon and jumped up to jam. Ronnie Watts and the Blues Federation had brought him over from the United States
. I got him to autograph one of his albums — he signed his real name, Chester Burnett! Then he quizzed me, concerned about whether he'd received his rightful royalties
or not. The giant bottle of whisky
he was holding looked like one of those miniatures in his hands! He was 6 foot 7, you know!"
"By then, Jo-Ann Kelly had recommended us to London
deejays Mike Raven
and John Peel
, who'd both played our album on national radio. We performed a live session for John Peel
at the BBC
, which brought our music to a far wider audience."
"We supported our hero, Son House
, at Euston Town Hall
in London — he sported the
customary big bottle of whisky!"
"Arthur Big Boy Crudup played with us at Studio 51. He's the guy who wrote 'That's All Right (Mama)
,' Elvis Presley
's first hit, and he played that song all night long! 'that's alright mama, that's alright for you......' Mind you, he musta been sixty-years-old, even then!"
"And Fred McDowell
at the Bridge House near the Elephant and Castle
, we backed him, too."
"The band signed up to Robert Stigwood
's Agency in 1970 and toured the U.K. supporting Eric Clapton
's Derek & the Dominoes."
"In 1972 the band scored a huge hit with 'Seaside Shuffle,' which got to No. 2 in the U.K. charts under the guise of Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs
. In those days it was weird. Anything with a commercial edge was frowned on, so we went under different names, apart from when we played the blues."
This interview with further information about Keef Trouble and 'Oasis' found here.Keef Trouble | Oasis | CD Baby
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, singer and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Keef Trouble: Career
Trouble studied at The Slade School of Fine ArtSlade School of Fine Art
The Slade School of Fine Art is a world-renownedart school in London, United Kingdom, and a department of University College London...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, from 1968 to 1972. He is a founding member of the still performing British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
-blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts
Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts
Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts, formed in 1968, is now an occasionally performing British pub and club blues band. Band members Jona Lewie, Graham Hine, Keith Trussell, and John Randall are perhaps better known for their record Seaside Shuffle which reached #2 in the UK charts in 1972 under the...
as vocalist, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, and player of the Zobstick, (also known as the Lagerphone or Monkey stick
Monkey stick
The mendoza, mendozer, monkey stick or lagerphone, is a traditional English percussion instrument, widely used in folk music. The origins of the name are not known but it is believed to stem from an association with one of the many Gypsy, Spanish and Italian buskers who were popular in London in...
,) and electric ironing board. Commercial success came in 1972 under the guise of Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs
Terry Dactyl and The Dinosaurs
Terry Dactyl and The Dinosaurs was an English novelty band, that issued a few recordings in the early 1970s. The band name was especially created for Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts to promote the hit single "Seaside Shuffle"; band members being Jona Lewie ; Keef Trouble ; Graham Hine ; John...
with Seaside Shuffle with fellow band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
members Graham Hine, John Randall, and Jona Lewie
Jona Lewie
Jona Lewie is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.-Career:Jona Lewie joined his first group, The Johnston City Jazz Band, while still at school in 1963, and by 1968 had become a blues & boogie singer and piano player...
(of Stop the Cavalry notability). This record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
became a hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in Europe and Australia, and reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Trouble is also part of the folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band The Okee Dokee Band, writing much of its original material. This band plays throughout West Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
and Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and is a regular feature at the Broadstairs Folk Week.Broadstairs Folk Week - Home He has produced two albums of his own: Oasis and Kix 4 U, for Sun House Records. He has collaborated with Tony O'Malley
Tony O'Malley (musician)
Tony O'Malley is a British composer, singer, arranger, and keyboard player. He was the keyboardist for Arrival who had a #8 UK hit with "Friends" in 1970, and the hit "I Will Survive", written and arranged by fellow Arrival member Frank Collins...
TONY O'MALLEY - LIVING IN THE BUBBLE..., previously from the bands 10cc
10cc
10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians -- Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme -- who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the "10cc" name...
, Kokomo (band)
Kokomo (band)
-Career:Formed in May 1973 by ex-members of the pop group Arrival , Kokomo's ten-piece line-up became: Dyan Birch , Frank Collins , Paddy McHugh , Tony O'Malley , Alan Spenner , Neil Hubbard , Mel Collins , Jody Linscott , Terry Stannard and Jim Mullen...
and Arrival
Arrival (band)
Arrival was a London-based close-harmony pop-rock band featuring singers originally from Liverpool. Following its appearance on Maynard Ferguson's 1970 UK television special and two chart hits, "Friends" and "I Will Survive", the band was booked to appear at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970.After...
, recently writing the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
for O’Malley’s Mr. Operator and Naked Flame. O’Malley has also contributed to Trouble’s recordings, as have artists such as saxophonist Mel Collins
Mel Collins
Mel Collins is a British saxophonist and flautist and session musician.He has worked in a wide variety of contexts ranging from R&B and blues rock to jazz, but is perhaps known for his work in progressive rock, as with King Crimson, Camel and the Alan Parsons Project.-Career:Collins has worked...
, (Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
, Rolling Stones, The Grease Band
The Grease Band
The Grease Band was a rock band that started out as Joe Cocker's backing band. They recorded two albums in the 1970s. They are probably most widely known for their performance of The Beatles song, "With a Little Help from My Friends", with Joe Cocker at the Woodstock Festival in 1969...
), guitarist Neil Hubbard
Neil Hubbard
Neil Hubbard is a British guitarist who performed with Juicy Lucy , The Grease Band, Bluesology, Joe Cocker, Roxy Music, Kokomo, B.B. King, Kevin Rowland, and Tony O'Malley; and played on the original 1970 concept album, Jesus Christ Superstar....
, and vocalists Dyan Birch, Paddy McHugh, and Frank Collins
Frank Collins (composer-singer)
Frank Collins is a British composer, singer and arranger who was a leading light with the bands The Excels, Arrival, and Kokomo...
. In 2008 Trouble produced the Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts' album Keep on Moving. Co-producer and audio engineer of Keep on Moving was Pete Ker, another long-standing associate of Trouble, who produced The Motors, Man, and Arthur Brown (musician)
Arthur Brown (musician)
Arthur Brown is an English rock and roll musician best known for his flamboyant, theatrical style and significant influence on Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel, Marilyn Manson, George Clinton, Kiss, King Diamond, and Bruce Dickinson, among others, and for his number one hit in the UK Singles Chart and...
, co-writing Brown’s Fire.
The recording of Oasis and Mix ‘n’ Mingle
Trouble’s association with Jona Lewie goes back to 1969 when they were both members of Terry Dactyl and the DinosaursTerry Dactyl and The Dinosaurs
Terry Dactyl and The Dinosaurs was an English novelty band, that issued a few recordings in the early 1970s. The band name was especially created for Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts to promote the hit single "Seaside Shuffle"; band members being Jona Lewie ; Keef Trouble ; Graham Hine ; John...
. In 1986, the first recordings of Trouble’s compositions Oasis and Mix ‘n’ Mingle for the album Oasis took place at Lewie’s home studio in Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, with keyboard musician, arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Tony O’Malley
Tony O'Malley (musician)
Tony O'Malley is a British composer, singer, arranger, and keyboard player. He was the keyboardist for Arrival who had a #8 UK hit with "Friends" in 1970, and the hit "I Will Survive", written and arranged by fellow Arrival member Frank Collins...
, and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Neil Hubbard
Neil Hubbard
Neil Hubbard is a British guitarist who performed with Juicy Lucy , The Grease Band, Bluesology, Joe Cocker, Roxy Music, Kokomo, B.B. King, Kevin Rowland, and Tony O'Malley; and played on the original 1970 concept album, Jesus Christ Superstar....
; engineered by Pete Ker, producer for Arthur Brown
Arthur Brown (musician)
Arthur Brown is an English rock and roll musician best known for his flamboyant, theatrical style and significant influence on Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel, Marilyn Manson, George Clinton, Kiss, King Diamond, and Bruce Dickinson, among others, and for his number one hit in the UK Singles Chart and...
and co-writer of Brown’s Fire. Trouble had secured a 45rpm single record deal with Rodd Buckle (Habana Music) for the release and distribution of Mix ‘n’ Mingle. Due to master tape release difficulties through financial disagreement caused at the Lewie studio, lateness in the production of the product caused the record deal to fall. Through the intercession of Tony O'Malley, who had co-composed Mix ‘n’ Mingle, and Neil Hubbard, the Lewie studio finally relinquished the tape of Mix ‘n’ Mingle, but not of Oasis. After the Lewie studio refusal to release Oasis, Ker re-recorded the song at a professional recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
, Ferry Sound, for free.
Keef Trouble and 'You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties'
For the lyrics and title for the Top 10 hit You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties, Lewie added a new story-line ending to the final verse: Done my time in the kitchen at parties.'You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties,' from Trouble's lyrics book
I’m no good at chatting up I always get rebuffed
Enough to drive a man to drink
Drink
A drink, or beverage, is a liquid which is specifically prepared for human consumption. In addition to fulfilling a basic human need, beverages form part of the culture of human society.-Water:...
, I don’t do no washing
Washing
Washing is one way of cleaning, namely with water and often some kind of soap or detergent. Washing is an essential part of good hygiene and health....
up
I always leave the stuff piled up, piled up in the sink
Sink
A sink is a bowl-shaped plumbing fixture used for washing hands, for dishwashing or other purposes. Sinks generally have taps that supply hot and cold water and may include a spray feature to be used for faster rinsing...
But you’ll always find him in the kitchen at parties
You’ll always find him in the kitchen at parties.
Me and my girlfriend
Girlfriend
Girlfriend is a term that can refer to either a female partner in a non-marital romantic relationship or a female non-romantic friend that is closer than other friends....
we argued, she ran away from home
She musta found somebody new, now I’m all alone
Living on my own, what am I supposed to do
You’ll always find me in the kitchen at parties.
I met this sexy thing, she laugh and talk with me
She was into French cuisine
French cuisine
French cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from France that has developed from centuries of social change. In the Middle Ages, Guillaume Tirel , a court chef, authored Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of Medieval France...
, but I aint no cor-don-blea
This was at some do in Palmer’s Green, I had no luck with her
You’ll always find me in the kitchen at parties.
In 2010, the Trussell/Lewie 'You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties' was used by Ikea
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
to advertise its kitchens. The advertisement was made by the Mother London advertising agency
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
and featured the London group Man Like Me.
Keef Trouble and the ‘Zob Stick'
Although it is now an accepted, and probably the most commonly-used, name for this type of instrumentMusical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
, the ‘Zob Stick’ as a term has a definitive and recent origin. In the late 1960s Trouble built a percussion instrument that he used in his blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
band Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts
Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts
Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts, formed in 1968, is now an occasionally performing British pub and club blues band. Band members Jona Lewie, Graham Hine, Keith Trussell, and John Randall are perhaps better known for their record Seaside Shuffle which reached #2 in the UK charts in 1972 under the...
. He invented a name for it: ‘Zob Stick;’ its use being termed ‘zobbing.’ It was largely based on the traditional folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
instruments the Monkey stick
Monkey stick
The mendoza, mendozer, monkey stick or lagerphone, is a traditional English percussion instrument, widely used in folk music. The origins of the name are not known but it is believed to stem from an association with one of the many Gypsy, Spanish and Italian buskers who were popular in London in...
, ugly stick
Ugly stick
The ugly stick is a traditional Newfoundland musical instrument fashioned out of household and tool shed items, typically a mop handle with bottle caps, tin cans, small bells and other noise makers...
and the more commonly termed, Lagerphone (Australian.) After constructing his version of the instrument, the term ‘zob’ was used because of its risqué connotation as UK naval slang, this suggested by fellow Brett Marvin band member, and ex-seaman, Jim Pitts. The instrument caused amusement when it was introduced in performance in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where ‘zob’ has a similar meaning.
The Trouble Zob Stick construction uses a pole that is covered with the usual partially nailed-in rattle-capable beer bottle caps. A circular solid wooden ring, edged with bottle caps, is added near the top of the pole, with a hand grip section beneath. All the wooden parts are brightly painted. At the bottom a boot, supported by an internal wooden block, is added, with a metal spring attached to the sole. The spring serves no musical purpose but has comedy potential. Half way up the pole is a sleeved-on metal tube for greater volume and a crisper percussive sound. The Zob Stick is rhythmically bounced on the floor and the metal sleeve hit with a wooden stick. The stick itself, (usually an adapted hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
stick because of its durability,) is serrated to achieve a scraping sound effect when necessary. Although the resultant construction is heavy, requiring strength for continual use, this weight gives it a volume and ‘clout’ that the traditional Monkey stick
Monkey stick
The mendoza, mendozer, monkey stick or lagerphone, is a traditional English percussion instrument, widely used in folk music. The origins of the name are not known but it is believed to stem from an association with one of the many Gypsy, Spanish and Italian buskers who were popular in London in...
might not match, especially in a live and loud band situation.
Keef Trouble and Dougie Damone.
A Keef Trouble / Malvern Hostick composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
, ‘Hello Mum’ had been recorded professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
ly at Ferry Sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
in the early 1990s under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
and subsequent stage-name ‘Dougie Damone.’ The recording
Recording
Recording is the process of capturing data or translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, which is often referred to as a record or, if an auditory medium, a recording....
was released
Release (music)
In the music industry, a release is usually a term referring to the creative output from an artist available for sale or distribution; a broad term covering the many different formats music can be released in, and different forms of pieces .The word can also refer to the event at which an album or...
in the UK and sold as a 7 inch vinyl single and greeting's card for Mother’s Day in 1992 under the CoverHit label, eventually featuring Trouble himself as Dougie Damone. In 2008 the song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
was revived and reproduced as a video.
Interview Extract from Greater London Radio
Keef Trouble on LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Greater London Radio where he talked about his time with Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts
Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts
Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts, formed in 1968, is now an occasionally performing British pub and club blues band. Band members Jona Lewie, Graham Hine, Keith Trussell, and John Randall are perhaps better known for their record Seaside Shuffle which reached #2 in the UK charts in 1972 under the...
(April 14, 2002):
"It was blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
singer Jo Ann Kelly
Jo Ann Kelly
Jo Ann Kelly was an English blues singer and guitarist. "To many American performers", an obituarist wrote, "Jo Ann Kelly was the only British singer to earn their respect for her development of what they would be justified in thinking as 'their' genre".-Life and career:Kelly was born in...
, sadly no longer with us, who helped and encouraged the Bretts. We were all art students —still at school in '68, even before Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
got going properly!"
"Everything was 'Orange Bicycle' and 'Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
Yawn', so we became Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts as a reaction against the prissy flower power
Flower power
Flower power is a slogan used by the American counterculture movement during the late 1960s and early 1970s as a symbol of passive resistance and non-violence ideology. It is rooted in the opposition movement to the Vietnam War. The expression was coined by the American Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in...
movement."
"Quite incredible really, we ran the 'Blues Club' on Sunday afternoons at Studio 51 in Great Newport Street, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
- the Rolling Stones had done it before and Jo-Ann handed it on to us. It was, of course, run by Pat and Vi —Ken Collier did the Jazz in the evenings."
"Howling Wolf came down one afternoon and jumped up to jam. Ronnie Watts and the Blues Federation had brought him over from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. I got him to autograph one of his albums — he signed his real name, Chester Burnett! Then he quizzed me, concerned about whether he'd received his rightful royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
or not. The giant bottle of whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
he was holding looked like one of those miniatures in his hands! He was 6 foot 7, you know!"
"By then, Jo-Ann Kelly had recommended us to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
deejays Mike Raven
Mike Raven
Austin Churton Fairman , who used the name Churton Fairman but was more widely known under the pseudonym Mike Raven in the 1960s and early 1970s, was a British radio disc jockey, actor, sculptor, sheep farmer, writer, TV presenter and producer, ballet dancer, flamenco guitarist and...
and John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, who'd both played our album on national radio. We performed a live session for John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, which brought our music to a far wider audience."
"We supported our hero, Son House
Son House
Eddie James "Son" House, Jr. was an American blues singer and guitarist. House pioneered an innovative style featuring strong, repetitive rhythms, often played with the aid of slide guitar, and his singing often incorporated elements of southern gospel and spiritual music...
, at Euston Town Hall
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
in London — he sported the
customary big bottle of whisky!"
"Arthur Big Boy Crudup played with us at Studio 51. He's the guy who wrote 'That's All Right (Mama)
That's All Right (Mama)
"That's All Right" is the name of the first single released by Elvis Presley, written and originally performed by blues singer Arthur Crudup. Elvis' version was recorded on 5 July 1954, and released on 19 July 1954 with "Blue Moon of Kentucky" as the B-side...
,' Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's first hit, and he played that song all night long! 'that's alright mama, that's alright for you......' Mind you, he musta been sixty-years-old, even then!"
"And Fred McDowell
Fred McDowell
Fred McDowell known by his stage name; Mississippi Fred McDowell, was an American Hill country blues singer and guitar player.-Career:...
at the Bridge House near the Elephant and Castle
Elephant and Castle
The Elephant and Castle is a major road intersection in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is also used as a name for the surrounding area....
, we backed him, too."
"The band signed up to Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood is an impresario and entertainment entrepreneur who relocated to England in 1954...
's Agency in 1970 and toured the U.K. supporting Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
's Derek & the Dominoes."
"In 1972 the band scored a huge hit with 'Seaside Shuffle,' which got to No. 2 in the U.K. charts under the guise of Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs
Terry Dactyl and The Dinosaurs
Terry Dactyl and The Dinosaurs was an English novelty band, that issued a few recordings in the early 1970s. The band name was especially created for Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts to promote the hit single "Seaside Shuffle"; band members being Jona Lewie ; Keef Trouble ; Graham Hine ; John...
. In those days it was weird. Anything with a commercial edge was frowned on, so we went under different names, apart from when we played the blues."
This interview with further information about Keef Trouble and 'Oasis' found here.Keef Trouble | Oasis | CD Baby
External links
- Keef Trouble on video
- Tony O'Malley
- http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/xj7xn_JackSlipperProductions_frank-collins-singer-composer-and-aKeef Trouble interviews Frank Collins (composer-singer)Frank Collins (composer-singer)Frank Collins is a British composer, singer and arranger who was a leading light with the bands The Excels, Arrival, and Kokomo...
] - http://www.dailymotion.com/JackSlipperProductions/video/x6b54e_andy-newmark-an-interview_musicKeef Trouble interviews Andy NewmarkAndy NewmarkAndrew "Andy" Newmark is an American musician, best known as a popular session drummer, and for playing with the funk band Sly & the Family Stone from 1972 to 1973....
] - http://www.dailymotion.com/JackSlipperProductions/video/x6aeev_neil-hubbard-an-interview_musicKeef Trouble interviews Neil HubbardNeil HubbardNeil Hubbard is a British guitarist who performed with Juicy Lucy , The Grease Band, Bluesology, Joe Cocker, Roxy Music, Kokomo, B.B. King, Kevin Rowland, and Tony O'Malley; and played on the original 1970 concept album, Jesus Christ Superstar....
] - The Lagerphones Page Keith Sayers, Canberra, Australia.
- Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts Web Site featuring Keef Trouble and the original 'Zob Stick.'
- The Freedom Boot The Groanbox Boys, London, United Kingdom.