Celebrating Birmingham's Popular Music History
Celebrating Birmingham's Popular Music History
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Hi could you give me some information on how to obtain A show at Pebble Mill Studio with Ricky Cool AND The Iceburgs it was recorded i think in the early 80s I was on that show.
Thanks Phil
Hi Phil.
Just read this.
If you’re referring to “This Is Ricky Cool”, I made an audio recording. I thought it was late 70s, but I could be wrong.
My favorite Ricky Cool incarnation was as the Rialtos with a more tougher Bluesy and more humourous show. Have a couple of singles from that period one of which was a great version of Oscar Brown Junior’s appropriately titled ‘But I was Cool’. Always went down well live. Remember the guitarist as the splendidly monickered Ernesto Del Pap.
One place I remember seeing them at was the Billesley pub!
I think they also went out under the names of Tricky Dicky and the Wildcats, and Brent Ford and the Nylons! I remember them playing a catholic church centre on Kings Heath High St. in the 70s.
Hey Nigel
I remember Brent Ford and The Nylons…John Mostyn on vox?
I might be wrong but I think my old man, James Langston bought me my first drum kit from you around 1975 for £30 🙂 A blue marble colour…pre-international size shells…just a shot in the dark.
Russ
Yes Russ, he did; it was a Broadway kit; I lived in Rectory Lane, Castle Bromwich at the time and he called around just before Christmas to see if I wanted to sell it – which I did!
I remember seeing Ricky Cool and the Rialtos playing with Robert Plant at The Golden Eagle pub in Hill Street. I was a barman there at that time and the band stayed on for a private drink until the early hours.
Must have been in 1981 but I do not remember exactly.
Phil, was this the Revolver show with Peter Cook hosting and featuring Les Ross as the guy in charge of the burger bar? If it was , it was an incredible show
you can catch up with Ricky Cool & the Hoola Boola Boys on his website http://www.rickycoolandthehoolaboolaboys.com/
Ricky Cool and the Icebergs used to play at the Barrel Organ in Digbeth on a Saturday night, 1976 ish.
Ricky had a host of tall tales and used to relentlessly take the pi55 out of his band.
I recall guitarist Danny and pedal steel player “Shirtmaker and raconteur Stuart Johnson” who never spoke.
Brilliant stuff. YOU’RE RIGHT IM LEFT SHES GONE !
Yes, and lunchtime gigs as well. I saw them in the same year, complete with sombreros, and have the photos to prove it.
Great band, who introduced me to Louis Jordan and a lot more.
Well rember Ricky Cool and the Iceburgs playing at the Golden Lion in Fulham Broadway (circa late 70′s) The played every other Saturday night. Great, great band.
Ricky cool stayed in a flat I had in Islington 1982/3. The band did golden lion, dublinn castle and other pubs. He was a geography teacher at the time.and was marking books Sunday a.m before returning to brum
Hello, just a Little contribution from overseas (Germany). I remember Ricky Cool and the Icebergs from the mid 70’s playing at the Fighting Cocks in Birmingham / Moseley many sunday evenings It was named “Big Ears” – and the performances were brillant – Top musicianship and a Good portion of English Humor. They played for example a Song called ” The Bunny Hop” (I Hope the Titel is correct). Later they played also more than Once at the Barrel Organ near the city centre of Brum. And I still have a cassette with a BRMB-Radio Show with Ricky Cool where he tells about his Musical Life all around ” Old Hill”. It is so funny! Just Great! Years later I went to a show wirh Ricky Cool at the 100 Club in London. Cheers, Wigbert Gerlin
… obviously I was so interested to write to the Birmingham Music Archive about Ricky Cool that I even forgot to spell my own name correct until the very end – it is not Gerlin, but Gerling. Sorry. But that is of much lesser importance than the mind wandering back to the mid 70’s in Moseley/Birmingham. Ricky Cool not only presented sunday for sunday good, very good and often excellent musicians at the pub called “The Fighting Cocks” (and played there himself many times), but he also organized right there an event called “New Faces”. About 20 bands from all over Birmingham an the surrounding Midlands were invited to show their musical skills in the large rooom above the pub. I was there in 1976 and remember well the performances of young bands and the annoucements of Ricky Cool. He was part of the jury situated at the right end of the stage – giving notes and comments after every performance.
SAW RICKY AND THE ICEBERGS IN THE 70S AT THE LAFF WOLVES. NEXT TIME I SAW HIM WAS WITH THE HOOLA BOOLA BOYS WHEN I BOOKED THEM FOR A GIG I ORGANISED A FEW WEEKS AGO IN MY OWN VILLAGE OF HIGHLEY,BRIDGNORTH, ANOTHER GREAT NIGHT.
The “Big Ears”-Night at the Fighting Cox in Moseley was every sunday Night. And I remember with pleasure not only the Performances by Ricky Cool and his Icebergs – they were great, I can confirm -, but also spectacular appearances by Slender Loris and for instance John Dowy & the Big Girl’s Blouse (with the latter I can’t guarantee for the spelling, though). The Place was always packed and People very much liked what they saw … and heard!
Ricky Cool was my CSE Technical Drawing teacher at Bewdley High School in 1979/80.
I didn’t pass.
Didn’t matter though, CAD/CAM software came along and made the whole thing a waste of time.
Also chums with Mike Sanchez and Ian Jennings at the time.
Keep rocking guys.
Ricky was my CSE Tech drawing teacher at the same time as you, Arthur.. 1979/80. I didnt pass either! Redundant skill by then. We knew it and so did the teachers! Yeah, I knocked about with Mike Sanchez, Ian Moone, Ian Jennings anfd his bro too.
It was intended to be a one-of event at the Golden Lion in Hill Street (now part of the Post Office). Having seen RC&I at the Barrel Organ, I promoted an event – which was a 300 ticket sellout in 77. SO I got the taste for it, and had a few more bands there, including the first gigs for the Specials. All down to Ricky Cool
Or even the Golden Eagle
The first time I saw Ricky Cool was even before all of the above events – he had an acoustic(ish) trio known as Mick Alex and Trix. Trix was Ricky of course, playing harp and singing. As far as I can remember, Mick and Alec played guitar and bass respectively. I saw them several times in this guise at a free folk club which took place on Monday nights at the Roebuck pub near Alcester. IThey were brilliant even then! Later saw them at the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath among other places, and just last year saw him at the Jinney Ring Blues Festival – he’s better than ever.
… er, sorry, it was Alec, not Alex.
I also have a photo somewhere of the youthful Trix jamming on stage, somewhere in Moseley, with the band I was playing in at the time – the Knees Up Band, with Chris Rust and various other characters. I also remember John Dowie and the Big Girls Blouse – brilliant!!
My Dad took me to see Ricky Cool & The Icebergs in an underground cellar beneath a pub in Bewdley – can’t remember what it was called. Top night, though. Recall it was a Thursday night residency in the days when The Flying Doctors did Thursdays at the Selly Park Tavern. Always a tough choice…
I saw Ricky and the in crowd and Bev Bevans Zing Band at the palace Theatre Redditch on Saturday. Both bands were great.
I was the sax player with Ricky Cool & the Icebergs.I’m still alive & kicking.
Spider!