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John Carter

My hometown hero John was born John Sheakspeare in Birmingham 1942. He teamed up with fellow Brummie Ken Lewis (Hawker)(they loved their writing pseudonyms in those days!) in the 50’s forming a skiffle band and they started writing songs inspired by the likes of Buddy Holly.

With a move to London a brief stint as Carter-Lewis And The Southerners which although uncharted, demonstrated their excellent songwriting skills, having a initial success with Mike Stearn’s ‘Will I What’ featuring 60’s blue eyed soul girl Billie Davis.

The combination of strong close harmonies honed through their experience as singers and amazingly commercial writing of pop songs soon got them noticed and they began writing. Despite having Jimmy Page as their guitarist for a short time, the success never happened in mainstream. In 1964 they met Perry Ford (Bryan Pugh) who worked as a sound engineer in a studio in Denmark Street. This added a third harmony and they started writing and recording demo’s which resulted in a single for PYE Records “What more do you want’ under the name of the newly formed Ivy League.

Their break came when Herman’s Hermits recorded ‘Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat?’ giving them a number 1 billboard hit in the US (A smaller hit in the UK recorded by Goldie & The Gingerbreads).

Their harmonies were also in demand providing backing vocals on ‘I Can’t Explain’ by The Who.

Their second release  "Funny How Love Can Be", became a UK Top 10 hit. Further hits followed, including "That's Why I'm Crying" and "Tossing and Turning", which reached #3 in the UK chart in1965.

The original trio released just one album, 1965's This is the Ivy League – panned in the music press as disappointing, with its excessively wide spread of musical styles and material but demonstrating the creative skills as writers – before both Carter and Lewis left the group. Carter departed in January 1966, with Lewis leaving about one year later. The duo then set up a production company called Sunny Records

Following the release of their fifth single, John Carter was replaced by friend Tony Burrows (later of Edison Lighthouse, White Plains, Brotherhood Of Man and the Pipkins) other members of the band Neil Landon went on from the Flowerpot Men to join 'Fat Mattress (Noel Redding’s outfit formed post Jimi Hendrix Experience).

The Ivy League had one further hit without their two accomplished songwriters before being transformed into the 'Flowerpot Men' hitting #4 in the UK with its single "Let's Go To San Francisco" & ‘summer of love’ in 1967 with messrs Carter and Lewis fulfilling the roles of songwriter/ managers but little interest in touring again.

The New Vaudeville Band was a group created by songwriter Geoff Stephens in 1966 to record hisnovelty composition "Winchester Cathedral", a song inspired by the dance bands of the 1920s and aRudy Vallee megaphone style vocal. To his surprise, the song became a transatlantic hit that autumn, reaching the Top 10 in the UK and rising to #1 in the U.S. Global sales of the single were over three million, with the RIAA certification of gold disc status. The track also won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Song in 1967. The lead vocal was sung by John Carter who had sung on the demo of the record, which Stephens decided to keep for the commercial release. An initial long play Album was also issued in late 1966 by Fontana Records titled: Winchester Cathedral. The band were managed by Peter Grant (Later to manage Led Zeppelin).

In 1968 they featured in a cameo appearance in one of my all time favourite films ‘The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom’’ starring Shirley MacLaine and Richard Attenborough (Also featuring a wealth of British character actors and those destines to become legends in their own right such as Barry Humphries & John Cleese)

Starting early 1968 Carter's writing output under a variety of names, styles and recording project names with changing line ups became more and more confusing. Songs intended for The Flower Pot Men were released as Friends, Haystack and Dawn Chorus, only to be re-released in this century as The Flower Pot Men.

The 1970s saw Mary Hopkins became runner-up in the Eurovision Song Contest with "Knock Knock Who's There", which Carter had written with Stephens. Under the name John Shakespeare.

In the following years Carter released records under many names: Stamford Bridge (# 48 with "Chelsea"), Kincade, Scarecrow and Stormy Petrel. He also released a single as The Ohio Express, an American bubblegum group renowned for not playing or singing on most of their records. The hit came with "Beach Baby" by First Class in 1974.

After two First Class albums Carter started concentrating on writing advertising jingles. Among his work are commercials which demonstrate their genius, for the generation who grew up with them in the 70’s, by the ability to sing along to them after hearing them for the first time in 30 years. His Advertising jingles formed the backdrop of my youth with British adverts for Vauxhall, British Caledonian and Rowntree. (remember rowntrees tots?) and Birds Dream Topping are instantly recalled.

His TV writing credits span the mainstay of family entertainment from the 70’s providing memorable themes. See the huge list on IMDB

His last shot at a hit single was in 1979 as Starbreaker with "Sound of Summer".

In more recent times Carter has been managing the marketing of his back catalogue through Sunny Records, releasing many songs that were never released at the time of recording.

John – If you are ever available for an interview or back in Birmingham, let me know. You are my hero!

Buy an excellent John Carter compilation here

'14th Floor' - from the band XOVA (pr. Cross Ova) New Reggae for the 21st Century offers a new, exciting & much needed face lift for the genre. Urban grooves, catchy very commercial. A band with social themes behind many of their tracks, this one centered on the experiences of single mothers in inner city ruts. I came up with a concept around guardian angels watching over her and the countless 'invisible' inner city population in need of a helping hand. I enjoyed making this video. We had just two days to get the filming done and as usual...I delivered!

My little boy has begun to show his interest in my music. I bought him a little keyboard and he does a great impersonation of Keith Emerson (No Daggers!) and occasionally a touch of Little Richard (Feet) but he really likes the sound of my guitar and especially the Ukulele - I hope it continues without too many breakages!

The place where we create is unique, sometimes evolving as a reference based ecosystem which has layers, sections or distinct areas that can chart our creative evolution.

There seems to be an obsession with those who are non apparent creative’s to ‘de-clutter’ it becomes a mantra which usually follows periods of inactivity in their work. The problem is when they start to try and impose it as good practice in all areas or ‘activity’.

My creative processes are so varied that I cannot safely say there is a method, model or ideal space. Equally my creative environment and circumstances often dictate the creativity itself.

I noticed this when I had a civil service job after my degree (well you had overdrafts to get you through University in my time).

My 6 years studying art and having the luxury of a daily creative studio had lulled me into a state of mental and physical stretching. I could literally ‘swing a cat’ and not hit the canvas!

Having studied commercial art and design for four of those years, I was well organized and disciplined when I began my two year degree in the polar extreme of Fine Art. From early on my time had been organized around client briefs, schedules and the golden rule of all creativity (usually overlooked by those trained to not consider what happens when you leave education -  institutionalized) It’s what you leave out that you have to learn.

When I began working in the office job – BAM! No space, no time and not inspiration.

Having been born into a family of artist’s I was lucky not to have the constraints placed on me by some parents whereby drawing and painting, music, writing etc  is something you do as a hobby and I was always encouraged by my Mother (An art student of the sixties) to pursue my creative development.

The biggest factor was the creativity itself, I had always pursued all of them with equal passion. I chose not to ‘study’ music as at that time it was a very academic path leading to orchestral work – not for someone who had grown up listening to Motown, Zeppelin and The Beatles etc. But played in may bands since the age of 15 as singer, guitarist, bassist, keyboard or anything else I could get my hands on to learn to play.

In some ways I adapted quickly to my new environment where adults behave like frightened rabbits when the boss is around – or worse, like school children telling tales to teacher to make themselves look good. Wow was this a culture shock!

My approach to painting has always been a slowly evolving process and 90% of the time was preparing myself mentally for 10% activity. Mind you the 10% activity could be three days non stop with little sleep!

So what to do when you have no time? No space and when you do get home, eat and sit down it’s time to sleep? I adapted – and writing became my number one creative outlet. Sitting in café’s, people watching with a little notebook and pen – spending my lunch breaks (That’s what I mean about the school mentality) furiously scribbling my thoughts, ideas and poetry. I became schizophrenic in my two worlds. Like a quick change into the superman outfit as I left the office – becoming someone else entirely.

Circumstances change, jobs change and my creativity changes. There aren’t many areas of creativity I haven’t worked in over the last 20 years and I continue to evolve as the creative tools and culture evolves.

So the spaces also evolve. Clean, tidy and comfy café’s are great for my writing. Large open high walled studios for painting or music and my attic space has become the hub for my video and sound production.

It’s not written in stone – a small rented flat in Moseley was the place where I wrote loads fantastic music. It just seemed to lend itself to it for no apparent reason. It was no different to the last rented flat – but had a ‘feeling’ about it.

With this in mind I decided to take some snaps of my creative space in the attic and document my current environment. Organised chaos it may look like, but it’s my space. For this period of time anyway.  

So we got some snow at last and just the chance to make a snowman - or what turned out to be Jesamine's Snow Lady!

Actually I had a few snap opportunities today - here's are some more

Actually I had a few snap opportunities today - here's are some more

Made me laugh today when I caught a glimpse of this at the top of probably the tallest building in Birmingham. Just above it was the sort of space I was after.