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LINE-UPS OF ROCKET 88 : BOB HALL SPEAKS
THE ROCKET 88 TREE
As based on the information provided via email by Bob Hall on 5 April and 15 June 2001.Thank you, Bob.
THE BOB HALL BOOGIE WOOGIE BAND
12 June 1977
Bob HALL, piano, vocals
George GREEN, piano
Ian STEWART, piano
Charlie WATTS, drums
Colin SMITH, trumpet
John PICARD, trombone
Al GRAY, tenor saxophone
Nick DEAN, bass guitar
This line-up played Bob Hall’s farewell concert at the Arts Centre, Swindon, on Sunday 12 June1977. The concert was entirely recorded on Ronnie Lane’s mobile studio and some tracks appeared as “JAMMIN’ THE BOOGIE” by “The THE BOB HALL / GEORGE GREEN BOOGIE WOOGIE BAND”. This LP was released in the UK on Black Lion (BLP 12146) and Germany (Interchord, INT 147.008) in 1978. It was later reissued as a bootleg CD in Germany. Charlie appears on all the tracks.
Bob Hall comments: “Eddy, I don’t have any diaries for this period so what I can tell you is all guesswork. Originally this was my farewell concert so I don’t think the band had a name. In fact I played the first half of the concert either solo or with George/Stu on second piano, bass and drums, because we didn’t have enough brass arrangements for a whole evening. The name “The Bob Hall / George Green Boogie Boogie Band” was probably coined for the Black Lion album”.
BOB HALL’s SWINDON SKIFFLE GROUP
1 February 1978
Bob HALL, piano, vocals
George GREEN, piano
Ian STEWART, piano
Charlie WATTS, drums
Colin SMITH, trumpet
John PICARD, trombone
Dick MORRISSEY, tenor saxophone
Dave GREEN, bass guitar - Jack BRUCE in July 1979
John FORTE, guitar - replaced by Alexis KORNER Dec. 1978
The one-off event turned out to be a success and lead the band to book further concerts at the Swindon Arts Centre, the first of which took place on 1 February 1978. The line-up changed slightly. Dave Green, a childhood friend of Charlie’s replaced Nick Dean on bass and Dick Morrissey replaced Al Gray on tenor sax. .
This basic line-up carried on till 1981, changing the band’s name a few times along the way. Important line-up changes occurred when Alexis KORNER replaced John FORTE’s place and Jack BRUCE would sometimes take over from Dave GREEN.
Says Bob Hall: “Around December 8-15, 1978 the band played Dingwall’s, London, with Alexis KORNER (guitar & vocals) as new member replacing John Forte. The band appears to have been billed as Bob Hall’s All Star Band. The same band but with Jack BRUCE on bass played Bracknell Jazz Festival in July 1979 and Riverside Studios, Hammersmith (again Dave Green).
This line-up also did a concert with Cousin Joe PLEASANTS as a guest artist, probably on May 24, 1979. The bass player is not mentioned but was probably Dave Green. We also did at least one concert with Jimmy WITHERSPOON (The Crucible, Sheffield, 1979), but I don’t have any information on this at all!”
Bob remembers the band continued through 1980 and 1981: “The band also played The Venue in Victoria, London on more than one occasion. I have a review from January 1981 but Charlie was not in the band that night. The band with Charlie played the Bracknell Jazz Festival twice (1979 and 1980). On the second occasion, it was called The Bob Hall Boogie Woogie Big Band”.
ROCKET 88 no. 1
1980 – 1981
Bob HALL: piano, vocals
George GREEN, piano
Ian STEWART, piano
Charlie WATTS, drums
Colin SMITH, trumpet
John PICARD, trombone
(unidentified), tenor saxophone
Jack BRUCE, bass guitar
Alexis KORNER, guitar & vocals
Danny ADLER, second guitar & vocals
Somewhere in 1980, the band adopted the name that we know best of all: ROCKET 88.When this name came into use, Bob Hall cannot recall exactly.
Bob Hall: “The band, as Rocket 88, played The 100 Club in Oxford Street in June 1980 where the line-up was Alexis, Jack, Charlie, George, Stu, myself, Colin, John and an unidentified tenor. Danny Adler (later with Bob Brunning’s De Luxe Blues Band – ed.) was on second guitar and vocals. In January 1981 the band, as Rocket 88, played The Half Moon, Putney, but I’m not sure Charlie was there as only Jack is mentioned”.
ROCKET 88 no. 2
1981
Bob HALL, piano, vocals
George GREEN, piano
Ian STEWART, piano
Charlie WATTS, drums
Colin SMITH, trumpet
John PICARD, trombone
Hal SINGER, tenor saxophone
Don WELLER? Tenor saxophone
Jack BRUCE, bass guitar
Alexis KORNER, rhythm guitar, vocals
This line-up toured Germany in 1981 and a gig at a Hannover club was used for the self-titled album on Atlantic. Charlie played al of the German gigs. Hal Singer did one in London and was one the album sessions.
The band also played a number of major festivals o the Continent (such as Woodstock revisited at the Olympiahalle in Munich, Germany) and was a big draw at London clubs like The Venue and Dingwalls. The band folded for a while because of the illness of Bob Hall, who was in charge of organising and booking the gigs.
ROCKET 88 no. 3
1982
George GREEN (?), piano
Ian STEWART; piano
Colin SMITH: trumpet
John PICARD: trombone
Willie GARNETT (?), tenor saxophone
In 1982, Ian Stewart continued Rocket 88 as a jazz band at a low level without the participation of Bob Hall, Charlie Watts, Jack Bruce and Alexis Korner. When Bob Hall had recovered, both Alexis Korner and Ian Stewart were dead and John Picard was using the name Rocket 88 for his own band. Bob then concentrated on the Deluxe Blues Band with old mate Bob Brunning and became increasingly involved with The Blues Band.
DISCOGRAPHY feat. Charlie WATTS
THE BOB HALL / GEORGE GREEN BOOGIE WOOGIE BAND: “Jammin’ the Boogie”
LP released in the UK (Black Lion, BLP 12146) and Germany (Interchord, INT 147.008) in 1978. It was later reissued as a bootleg CD in Germany. Charlie appears on all the tracks.
TRACKS:
Rocket 88 -I’m In A World Of Trouble -Barrelhouse Boogie -Foo Woo - Great Western Boogie -Shufflin’ The Boogie - Swanee River Boogie - Why I’m Leaving You - Too Late For The Now - Jammin’ TheBoogie.
ROCKET 88: Rocket 88
LP, Atlantic, 1981, ATL 50776
TRACKS
Rocket 88 – Waiting for the Call – St. Louis Blues – Roll ‘Em Pete – Swindon Swing – Roadhouse Boogie – Talking About Louise.
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