The eleventh #MuralMemories recording with #UntoldHull and @shipsinthesky63 comes from Danny Foster. Danny described himself as a Mod and told us how he, and his photographer mentor Alan, used to blag themselves into clubs to take pictures of bands. Danny then met a DJ called Rikki Dobbs who also booked bands for the Skyline and invited Danny and Alan to photograph gigs there, including the group Amen Corner, fronted by vocalist and guitarist Andy Fairweather Low who later worked with Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Roger Waters. Another group Danny photographed was Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon. Johnny bought many prints from Danny and asked him to shoot album covers for his soul band. Danny however, had a good job at a local shoe manufacturers, C Rosens & Sons on Hessle Road, so turned down Andy’s offer although now regrets this. Other groups Danny photographed include The Fantastics, Sweet Sensations, The Rival, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, and Tamla Motown singers Edwin Starr and Marv Johnson. Danny especially liked photographing the soul groups who played in the ballroom with their team choreographed dance routines. He also photographed bands in other clubs around Hull including The Four Tops, The Drifters, and The Ronettes, one of Danny’s favourite bands. Danny also recalled going to the Skyline ballroom as an audience member. One night in particular stood out to going to see Showaddywaddy play, when the lead singer, Dave Bartram, jumped up onto the table Danny was at, and started dancing in his fetching teddy boy brothel creepers. Danny also remembered Rosen & Sons having work ‘dos’ at the Skyline ballroom, and also enjoyed watching the spectacle of the ballroom dancers in the main Skyline hall. Danny described the Skyline gig interiors  as being fairly plain but that it was the music that counted, “it wasn’t where you was, it was the music you were listening to.” Danny said he was a mod and went to gigs on a scooter. It sounds like he cut a fine figure wearing cuban heeled shoes with almond toes and a centre seam, a button-own collar shirt with a brass stud fitted into the collar behind the tie, a three button Italian-cut suit with 13 inch drainpipe trousers, and a knitted tie. In fact Danny still has his knitted ties to this day, including the one he wore to see the Beatles in Hull. As Danny was on the front row during this gig he said, “when John Lennon shook his head his sweat would fly over me…his DNA is still on my tie as I’ve never washed it.”

Transcription

The transcription for this recording will be available soon.