From: "Dik de Heer" Date: Thu Apr 22, 2004 1:29 am Subject: This Is My Story : Crazy Cavan CRAZY CAVAN and the Rhythm Rockers (By Shaun Mather) As they sing on the title track of their 1989, "How'd you like your music, rough, tough and ready". A simple line that sums up the greatest Teddy Boy band of all time, Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers. Over the last four decades they've built up an enormous following across Europe, with a non-compromising style of hard rocking rockabilly, with a couple of gentle ballads that work equally fine. They're the Status Quo of the rocking scene, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The story started in Newport, South Wales during the 60's when Cavan Grogan, Lyndon Needs, Terry Walley and Gerald Bishop formed "Screamin' Count Dracula & the Vampires", but a lack of transport stunted their progress. By 1968 Gerald had been replaced by Brian Thomas and Don Kinsella, as they became "The Sundogs". They quickly built up a strong following thanks in no small part to the dynamics of Cavan on vocals (he looks the complete Teddy Boy hero) and Needs on lead guitar and backing screams! It was 1970 when the band became "Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers", with the legendary line-up of Cavan, Needs, Walley, Mike Coffey and Kinsella, who was eventually replaced by Graham Price (and sometimes Steve Vincent). They looked as hard as they sounded, and that's hard. Coffey was the brother of Breatless Dan Coffey, the legendary editor of Boppin' News and one of the first British guys to raid American stores and warehouses for '50's singles to export back home. The early '70s were instrumental in the band forming their own Crazy Rhythm sound and getting their name known. In late 1973 they formed their own Crazy Rhythm label and issued their first single. Now there have been some legendary debut singles throughout time, but Teddy Boy Boogie and Bop Little Baby is up there with the best. The top side is a menacing, rumbling classic, strolling with a heavy back-beat and lyrics to gladden the heart of any ducktailer. The single sold out quickly as did an EP the following year, featuring a great quartet of soon to be classics, Teddy Boy Rock 'n' Roll, Rockabilly Star, Wildest Cat in Town and Little Teddy Girl. They turned professional in 1975 and have remained one of the hardest working bands ever since - travelling the length of breadth of the continent to perform their relentless crazy rhythm. On 26th February 1976 they signed with Joop Visser's Charly Records who later that year were to go to number three in the charts courtesy of Hank Mizell's Jungle Rock. Some brilliant singles have come out over the years, none better than "My Little Sister Got a Motorbike" which he wrote in homage to his sister who was one of the first girls in South Wales to have her own BSA. Amazingly the group has stayed the same (in terms of music, attitude and personnel) for the last thirty years. When the rockabilly revival of the early 80's saw young rockabilly bands hitting the UK charts, unfortunately the band were overlooked. With the exception of Matchbox, the bands tended to be young and good looking. Perhaps Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers were just that bit too mean and dangerous for Top of the Pops. It was different story on the continent though, where they enjoyed chart success in the likes of Finland, Germany and France. Selected Discography: Albums 1975 Charly CR30156 Crazy Rhythm 1976 Charly CRL5001 Rockability 1977 Rockhouse 7510 Our own way of rockin' 1978 Rockhouse Live At The Rainbow 1978 Charly CR30174 Red Hot 'n' Rockabilly 1979 Charly CR30203 Still Crazy 1981 Charly CFM101 Teddy Jive (10" LP) 1982 Charly CFM40014 Hey! Teenager 1983 Charly Live At Picket's Lock I (10", France) 1989 Crazy Rhythm CRCD02 It's Wild, It's Weird, It's Crazy 1989 Crazy Rhythm CRLP02 Rough, Tough 'n' Ready 1996 Big Beat BBR00040 Rockabilly In Paris 2000 Crazy Rhythm CRCD05 Rollin' Through The Night 2003 Raucous RAUCD125 Wildest Cats In Town 2003 Crazy Rhythm CRCD 10 Cool and Crazy Rockabilly Singles 1973 Crazy Rhythm CR01 Teddy Boy Boogie/Bop little baby 1974 Crazy Rhythm CR02 (EP) Teddy Boy Rock 'n' Roll/Rockabilly Star/Wildest Cat in Town/Little Teddy Girl 1976 Charly CS1010 Knock Knock/Get Yourself a Band 1976 Charly CS1021 Sweet Little Pretty Thing/Stompin' Shoes 1977 Charly CS1026 My Little Sister Gotta Motorbike/Teddy Jive 1977 Charly CEP118 (EP) Boppin 'n' Shakin/Stompin Shoes/Knock Knock/My Little Sister Gotta.. 1981 Charly CYS1076 Rockabilly Rules OK!/Trouble Trouble 1996 Crazy Rhythm CR03 Rock To The Rhythm/Wake Me Up 1996 Pollytone PEP102 Put a Light in the Window/Crazy Little Teddy Girl Solo Albums 1982 Magnum Force MFLP018 Cool Schooldays (Lyndon Needs) 1991 Welcome WRLP9107 Saddle Tramps (Crazy Cavan and friends) 1998 Crazy Rhythm CRCD02 Guitar Crazy (Lyndon Needs) More info: http://www.rockabilly.nl/cavan/