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FeaturesYou are in: Coventry and Warwickshire > Entertainment > Music > Features > Does Godiva Rock? Indeed she does!  Author Pete Chambers Does Godiva Rock? Indeed she does!Coventry music expert Pete Chambers tells us why he decided to write his book Godiva Rocks, an amazing chronology of the Coventry and Warwickshire music scene, from Adorable to The Wild Boys. We’ve all got a book in us, they reckon, but Coventry music enthusiast Pete Chambers did a lot more than just dream about penning the best thing since Harry Potter.  Coventry's greatest, The Specials Pete turned his 20 year-dream into reality at the end of October when Godiva Rocks was published – his anthology of the best music to come out of Coventry. Ten months of solid research, plus a stack of memorabilia and memories to plunder, has produced a cracking encyclopaedia including all notables on the local music scene, from the arrogant Adorable to The Wild Boys. To pen such a tome is a hefty task to take on, particularly when information on Coventry and Warwickshire’s biggest industry players can be tricky to track down, but according to Pete it was a “labour of love”. Pete’s background in music journalism had given him a prior in-depth knowledge of the local music scene. He wrote extensively for the Coventry Weekly News and the now-defunct Brum Beat, concentrating on what was happening in local clubs. It was while working on Brum Beat that the first germ of an idea to create the book was born. “I started writing a column called Coventry Charters, which looked at bands from the area that had made the charts. The editor never seemed to have the space to include it but I carried on writing it to keep up momentum.”  King on Top of the Pops It was only a matter of time, then, before an entire book was created. It took ten months in all to write the final draft, which features – Pete stresses – a lot more than just 2-Tone. “There have been loads of books about 2-Tone and although I’m a big fan, I wanted to cover all the other different music that was coming out of Coventry, not just the 80s ska and 60s beat groups. “We go right back, covering some classical and jazz but it majors on the pop side.” Coventry kid Pete has also included a host of information on the city’s thriving bhangra scene and points out that the last two chart entries from Cov acts were by Asian artists: Panjabi MC and Stereo Nation.  Bhangra pioneer Panjabi MC In fact, rock fan Pete has a soft spot for Bhangra and has been a devotee for many years. “I used to go to work with bhangra tapes and my mate would ask what the heck it was, but it’s just dance music and people like Slinder Pardesi (a Coventry musician) do it brilliantly.” The area took off as a music force when Rugby’s Mighty Avengers reached number 46 in 1964 with So Much In Love but it wasn’t for a while that the Coventry sound was really born. Pete argues that there have actually been three Coventry sounds – the beat sound of the 1960s, the frantic ska-punk of the 70s and 80s and the bhangra sound of today. If you want to lump it in one, though, the ska of the 2-Tone era really sums up Coventry’s cultural melting pot.  Coventry's Hazel O'Connor The angst of the beat era, punk and rock was melded with the sounds of Coventry’s ethnic population to create something that had never really been heard before. That has continued and Pete has a nod to many artists currently gigging, many of whom have adopted the mix of styles and sounds for their own. Among the greatest aspects to the book are the sound bites provided by the artists included. The likes of Paul King, Horace Panter, Hazel O’Connor, Jerry Dammers, Lieutenant Pigeon, The Sorrows lend their voices to the tome, adding memories and anecdotes from their history.  Pete Waterman, music guru and Cov Kid “It was great speaking to some of these people. I knew some of them but hadn’t spoken to all of them before and they had some great stories to tell. They respected my idea for the book and said I was keeping the music alive, which was quite humbling,” said Pete. As well as bands that actually hail from the area, Pete has included bands that have had an affect on the area, from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones, and people who have had an influence on the scene like Pete Waterman and Larry Page of the Orchid Ballroom (The Colly) who managed The Kinks and The Troggs). Pete is particularly proud that so far, he hasn’t missed anyone out. “People have said, ‘have you got so-and-so in there?’ and so far, I’ve included them all. “Obviously, things are evolving and changing all the time but it was up-to-date when it was published.” Godiva Rocks is priced £5.99 and is available from various outlets including: Ottakas in the Precinct, Midnight in Coventry Market, Browns in Earl Street, Armstrong’s Books in Earlsdon, Hunt’s in Rugby, The Jailhouse, Central and Stoke Libraries, Spinadisc Rugby, The Nags Head and the Entertainment Exchange in Nuneaton, Portland Books and the Pump Rooms in Leamington. last updated: 29/05/2008 at 16:06 Have Your SayDo you have a favourite band or singer from Coventry's past? Whether it was The Pickwicks, The Mighty Avengers or The Specials and King, let us know! Robin Hill/drums/amsterdam sept 09 Christopher Sidwell Alan Rider (Adventures in Reality fanzine) MODIE ALBRIGHTON Stuart Booth John Bradley Keith Jaynes Peter Every Kathy Cherry steve cutts
Paul Strudwick Tony lynch, drummer in the wild boys Alan (ex-Adventures in Reality fanzine) Rikk ALLSOPP (Drummer) Estelle Dee Hasty dempsey Christopher Sidwell Pete Chambers Rob Lapworth Dave Bloor ALEX EASTON John Kennedy Jnr. Ianbluz Vyk mick cole Rick Barker Steve Kavanagh Mike Byrne not quite right Steve Lakin Mr Whibble Kelly Danbridge not quite right Igraine Barry Kingsbeer Dave Swincoe Gina. Vic Flange Nic Bullen (ex-Napalm Death) Annette Hall (Nestorenko) Sweety Steve Guest Pete Henderson Dave Pepper Pete Chambers (the author) Kevin Jones Dave McCormack Col Tretheway Stevo Niall Carson Andy B clive jackson Rod, Dublin Stuart MacLean Adrian Hofman Ian Dowdall Shiloh Noone Lee Cobham Frances Sanders William Tray Lisa Garret Steve Teers (Human Cabbages & Urge) Andy Rothwell Paul K Steve Kavanagh Louise D. Mojo Morgan. Mike Howe Mike Lapworth Barry Dyson Mike (Furious Apple) Stuart Knapper (Riot Act and Modern Zoo) modie albrighton andy black MOJO MORGAN FOM THE HOOCHIE COOCHIE BAND. paul gardner,pee wee paul TONY MOJO MORGAN Fabio Steve Douglas Tony Rogers Lucio modie TONY MOJO MORGAN WAYNE SHORT Paul Hitchins TONY MOJO MORGAN Paul Hitchins HOOCHIE COOCHIE BAND = TONY MOJO MORGAN Bob Jones Steve Corringan Joe Kerrigan Ray Harrison tony mojo mogan nathan the travelling riverside blues band Kerry Farely Stefanina Hill John Taylor now living in Blackpool. robert lapworth Nick Farrington tom duffy barbara Chris from Coventry usman, from foleshill John Russolo Jake Dilsley Peter Davis Cai Davies Steve Weston from Rugby Martin Nike Martin Nike Kathy Obeng-Boateng Kathy Kohler You are in: Coventry and Warwickshire > Entertainment > Music > Features > Does Godiva Rock? Indeed she does!
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