Most days in relation to Kernow Beat I'm asked 'who are you'? and 'why are you doing this?' (in very polite ways I might add), which invariably leads into questions about 'why 60s music?', so for those who of you who don't know (and for any of you who might be interested) let me introduce myself.
My name is Richard Prest, I'm in my 30s, so you don't need to be a mathematician to work that I wasn't around in the 60s and was only a wee nipper in the 70s. A fan of music for as long as I can remember I became serious about music in my late teens when I 'discovered' Hendrix, The Doors, The Stooges and The Velvet Underground. University and London introduced me to a world of new music and I started writing my own fanzine, interviewing bands writing record reviews, etc about obscure and long forgotten (sometimes with good reason) indie, rock and punk bands. Then while working a record stall in a market in Luton I discovered 60s garage rock through the legendary Back From The Grave compilations. This led me down the path I'm still following. As I delved further and further into increasingly obscure 60s music I became disinterested in modern music, the sounds and styles emanated from the 60s and 70s being far more exotic and exciting.
Becoming more and more interested in obscure 60s sounds led me to search out long forgotten and little remembered American garage and psychedelic singles, as well as exploring the mod, RnB and psychedelic sounds of the UK, Europe and beyond. A few years back I began posting many a lot of my collection on my blog - http://www.peachfuzzforest.blogspot.com - Many of the sound clips have now gone, but the posts are still there. I'm also a big fan of folk, folk rock and all manner of guitar music from the golden period in music.
My love for both music and Cornwall naturally led me to The Onyx, one of the biggest bands to come of the county in the 60s. Tamaris Khan is well known amongst psychedelic rock fans, as are several of the bands early Pye singles. After speaking with the late Al Hodge I got in touch with Tony Priest, Mike Black-Borow, Steve Cotton, Roger Dell and Dick Bland. Before long www.the-onyx.co.uk was created and a CD of previously unreleased material hit the shops in the form of ‘Kaleidoscope of Colours’.
Having amassed a wealth of information about other Cornish bands I began to realise just how vibrant the music scene must have been here in Cornwall at the time, with a myriad of bands and an amazing ‘who's who’ of named bands visiting the county. While the likes of Liverpool, Manchester and London have all been written about to death nobody had undertaken a project to research and write about Cornwall in the 60s and 70s.
So up sprung Kernow Beat, which hopefully goes some way to show just how exciting the music scene was in Cornwall in the 60s and 70s. I don’t work in the music industry, I can’t sing and I can’t play a musical instrument, this project is a labour of love and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do putting it together!
Richard
Kernowbeat makes front page news!
Kernowbeat featured on the David White Show, Radio Cornwall
And also on "Show Me Them Now" on Falmouth's Source FM
Finally a bit of shameful self promotion.....
As well as writing about music I'm also an avid Record & Music Memorabilia Collector (not a dealer I might be quick to add!). So if you have any records sitting in your loft gathering dust or are looking for a bit of a clear out, or extra cash, please drop me a line - cornwall60s@yahoo.co.uk - If you are in Cornwall I'm happy to pop out and see you. I buy single items and complete collections. Pop, Rock, Psychedelia, Folk, Blues, etc. (you can keep yer James Last and brass band LP's though I'm afraid!) - I pay cash!
