Fivepenny Piece
Encyclopedia
Fivepenny Piece are a five-piece band
, originally formed in 1969 in the area of East Lancashire
around Ashton-under-Lyne
and nearby Stalybridge
in Cheshire
. The band met and performed on Wednesday nights at Ashton's Broadoak Hotel, which gave them their original name The Wednesday Folk in 1967.
in 1968, which led to a contract with the Noel Gay
agency, a recording contract
with EMI
, and their new name.
The band's original members all hailed from the Ashton/Stalybrige area. Many of their mostly self-penned songs reflected their roots, using Lancashire dialect
, with references to the mining
and weaving
trades, the mills and factories
, and the Lancashire characters who lived in the area. But there was another side to the group's music, perhaps best described as more pop
oriented. The band's music is most often categorised as folk
, though many felt that is too limiting a description.
The original personnel were John Meeks (born 24 March 1937, Stalybridge, Cheshire) guitar
, vocals); John's sister Lynda Meeks (born 3 August 1947, Stalybridge) (vocals); brothers George Radcliffe (born 9 August 1937, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire) (bass
, vocals) and Colin Radcliffe (born 19 January 1934, Ashton-under-Lyne) (guitar, vocals); and Eddie Crotty (born 24 February 1942, Stalybridge) (guitar, vocals). Meeks and Colin Radliffe wrote most of their best-known songs, although Crotty also penned several. The unofficial sixth member of the band was the drummer Phil Barlow, who accompanied them in many of their concert
s and on their album
s.
During the band's 1970s heyday they released over a dozen albums for EMI and then Philips
, and reached the Top 10 in the UK Albums Chart
with their LP King Cotton
. They performed many times on national television, and had their own BBC Television
series, The Fivepenny Piece Show.
By the early 1980s the group had reached an impasse, and John Meeks' departure was followed soon afterwards by Lynda's. With John's replacement Trevor Chance (born 1 March 1942, Gilsland, Cumberland) and Andrea Mullins (formerly of the Caravelles), the band continued until 1985 when they broke up.
The band later reformed, and played occasional gigs with various personnel, including the Lancashire folk singer and comedian Bernard Wrigley
- Crotty and George Radcliffe continued to play in the band, along with Mullins.
George Radcliffe died at the end of 2002, whilst Eddie Crotty, the sole surviving original member, died in hospital on 11 April 2009, aged 67 years.
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, originally formed in 1969 in the area of East Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
around Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
and nearby Stalybridge
Stalybridge
Stalybridge is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 22,568. Historically a part of Cheshire, it is east of Manchester city centre and northwest of Glossop. With the construction of a cotton mill in 1776, Stalybridge became one of...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. The band met and performed on Wednesday nights at Ashton's Broadoak Hotel, which gave them their original name The Wednesday Folk in 1967.
Career
Their break came when they entered and won the Granada TV talent show New FacesNew Faces
New Faces was a British television talent show popular in the 1970s and 1980s, presented originally by Derek Hobson. It was produced by ATV Network Limited for the ITV Network. The first run of the show was from 29 September 1973 to 2 April 1978 and was recorded at the ATV Centre, Birmingham...
in 1968, which led to a contract with the Noel Gay
Noel Gay
Noel Gay was born Reginald Moxon Armitage. He also used the name Stanley Hill professionally. He was a successful British composer of popular music of the 1930s and 1940s whose output comprised 45 songs as well as the music for 28 films and 26 London shows...
agency, a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, and their new name.
The band's original members all hailed from the Ashton/Stalybrige area. Many of their mostly self-penned songs reflected their roots, using Lancashire dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
, with references to the mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
trades, the mills and factories
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
, and the Lancashire characters who lived in the area. But there was another side to the group's music, perhaps best described as more pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
oriented. The band's music is most often categorised as folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, though many felt that is too limiting a description.
The original personnel were John Meeks (born 24 March 1937, Stalybridge, Cheshire) guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals); John's sister Lynda Meeks (born 3 August 1947, Stalybridge) (vocals); brothers George Radcliffe (born 9 August 1937, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire) (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals) and Colin Radcliffe (born 19 January 1934, Ashton-under-Lyne) (guitar, vocals); and Eddie Crotty (born 24 February 1942, Stalybridge) (guitar, vocals). Meeks and Colin Radliffe wrote most of their best-known songs, although Crotty also penned several. The unofficial sixth member of the band was the drummer Phil Barlow, who accompanied them in many of their concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s and on their album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s.
During the band's 1970s heyday they released over a dozen albums for EMI and then Philips
Philips Records
Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
, and reached the Top 10 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
with their LP King Cotton
King Cotton
King Cotton was a slogan used by southerners to support secession from the United States by arguing cotton exports would make an independent Confederacy economically prosperous, and—more important—would force Great Britain and France to support the Confederacy because their industrial economy...
. They performed many times on national television, and had their own BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
series, The Fivepenny Piece Show.
By the early 1980s the group had reached an impasse, and John Meeks' departure was followed soon afterwards by Lynda's. With John's replacement Trevor Chance (born 1 March 1942, Gilsland, Cumberland) and Andrea Mullins (formerly of the Caravelles), the band continued until 1985 when they broke up.
The band later reformed, and played occasional gigs with various personnel, including the Lancashire folk singer and comedian Bernard Wrigley
Bernard Wrigley
Bernard Wrigley is a singer, actor and comedian. He is sometimes known by the nickname "The Bolton Bullfrog"....
- Crotty and George Radcliffe continued to play in the band, along with Mullins.
George Radcliffe died at the end of 2002, whilst Eddie Crotty, the sole surviving original member, died in hospital on 11 April 2009, aged 67 years.
Chart albums
- Making Tracks (1973) - UK UK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#37 - King Cotton (1976) UK #9