The beat goes on after 50 years for pop legends

Oct 11 2007 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

Dr Mike Jones, Liverpool University's Institute of Popular music

Rare recordings featuring the likes of Bob Dylan, Buddy Holly and The Beatles – plus photographs, and interviews – are among the pop memorabilia being dusted off for an event this weekend.

Researchers are delving into archives at the University of Liverpool to reveal 50 years of musical history in the city – alongside early film and television footage.

The material will be displayed and discussed in experts’ talks at the Pop in the Archives event at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall this Saturday.

Dr Mike Jones, from the university’s Institute of Popular Music, will introduce the David Friedman collection, which contains meticulous records of the UK pop charts from the 1950s and 60s.Š

The material, housed in the Recorded Sound Collection at the university’s School of Music, includes rare music magazines and concert programmes detailing the lives and careers of rock and roll stars like Buddy Holly.Š

Dr Jones will also discuss “bootleg” recordings donated by Arthur Critchley, a music collector from Bootle.Š

The collection, originally put together by Ron Clough from Sheffield, contains jazz records made from tape recordings of radio and television programmes from the early 1950s to the late 1960s, and is believed to be a unique example of music piracy during this period.

Dr Jones said: “The collections tell us about how people interact not just with the music itself, but with music items and the work of musicians.Š

“It is fascinating to read old concert programmes and to hear radio broadcasts that we thought had been lost forever.Š

“David Friedman, for example, was a dentist from Leeds who had old music material scattered all over his house, but it was in excellent condition and gave us a rare glimpse into the practice of collecting itself.”

Other speakers at the event include Marion Leonard, from National Museums Liverpool, who will outline the role of archives in bringing to life The Beat Goes On, a major exhibition at Liverpool World Museum in 2008 which will look at the history of Merseyside music from venues such as the Cavern to Creamfields and from artists such as Billy Fury to the Zutons.

The Beat Goes On will run from July 12 2008 to November 1 2009.

The first exhibition of its kind, it will showcase the region’s vibrant music scenes over the past 60 years, exploring and celebrating Liverpool’s musical identity, its success and its continuing evolution, drawing together material from record companies, institutions and private collectors.

Also speaking at Pop in the Archives will be Marion Hewitt, from the North West Film Archive, who will look at music on screen with some remarkable scenes.

It includes footage of The Beatles in 1962 with Pete Best on drums, as well as a film of Roxy music fans in the late 1970s.

Jan Hargreaves, from the Museum of Science and Industry, will examine the importance of the late Tony Wilson’s record label Factory to the city of Manchester as well as his nightclub the Hacienda – set up as an alternative platform for new bands.

Pop in the Archives is organised by the University of Liverpool’s Centre for Archive Studies. It will be held on Saturday at the Philharmonic Hall, Rodewald Suite, at 2pm. Š

To book tickets contact Michelle Alexander on 0151 794 2414 or m.alexander@liv.ac.uk.

vickyanderson