Frederick Heath
Encyclopedia
Johnny Kidd was an English
singer and songwriter
, the front man for the rock
band Johnny Kidd and the Pirates
. He was one of the few pre-Beatles
British
rock and roll
ers to achieve world
wide fame.
Kidd was born Frederick Heath in 1935 in Willesden
, North London
. He began playing guitar in a skiffle
group circa. 1956. The group, known as "The Frantic Four" and later as "The Nutters", covered primarily skiffle, pop and rockabilly. Simultaneously Heath was proving to be a prolific writer; penning up most of 30 songs in over three months. Heath's 31st song would prove to be the group's break.
In 1959 Heath and his band were given a recording test for their first single, a rocker titled "Please Don't Touch
". A contract with HMV
quickly followed and the group were then informed during the session that their name "Freddie Heath and the Nutters" would be changed to Johnny Kidd and the Pirates
. "Please Don't Touch" would reach the low twenties of the music charts. Although it is not as well known as Kidd's later song "Shakin' All Over
", it is a stand-out among other British rock songs of the time. Unlike Billy Fury
or Marty Wilde
, Kidd does not sing in an imitation voice of Elvis Presley or one of his American contemporaries. The song also bears a smooth harmony and contains no clear references to the rockabilly
style.
Kidd's most famous song
as a composer was "Shakin' All Over", which was a #1 UK hit and the bands finest hour in 1960. Kidd's own version didn't chart outside of Europe, but two cover versions did: The Guess Who
topped the Canadian charts (and hit #22 US) with their 1965 version of "Shakin' All Over", and in Australia, Normie Rowe
topped the charts with it later the same year. The song was originally to be a B-side to the Ricky Nelson
cover "Yes, Sir That's My Baby". Kidd was told that a self-penned song could be used and together with The Pirates the new number was written in the basement of the Freight Train coffee bar the day prior to recording. In addition to Kidd (vocals), Alan Caddy
(guitar), Clem Cattini
(drums) and Brian Gregg (bass) session guitarist Joe Moretti
was called in by Kidd and Caddy to play lead guitar. It was Moretti who created the songs signature sound by sliding Brian Gregg's cigarette lighter up and down the fret-board of his guitar.
"Shakin' All Over" was a UK no 1. It has been covered
by The Who
on the classic Live at Leeds
album
. Iggy Pop
also included it on his solo album Avenue B. Other covers have included Vince Taylor and the Playboys, the rock group Humble Pie
and The Swinging Blue Jeans
. The fact that the song continues to be covered some 50 years after its first recording is a testimony to Kidd and the Pirates.
"Shakin' All Over" marked the peak which Kidd would not reach again. Future records did not fare as well in the charts. In 1961 Cattini, Caddy and Gregg left the band and would later play for Joe Meek
in The Tornados
. Kidd now assembled a new band of pirates. Johnny Spence was now added to bass, Frank Farley to drums and later Mick Green
would become guitarist. The band now toured extensively throughout England and into Europe. Adopting a more Beat
influenced style the group released their last hit "I'll Never Get Over You" in 1964. The four piece band would prove to have a profound effect on another touring band at this time. Watching Kidd perform in the center front of the stage, with Farley directly behind him on drums and Spence and Green flanking him on either side, inspired Roger Daltrey
the then guitarist of "The Detours" to lay aside his own guitar, dismiss his own groups' singer and concentrate on vocals. This allowed rhythm guitarist Pete Townshend
to concentrate more on playing lead. In time a stage act had also emerged with Kidd and the Pirates dressed as actual Pirates. Kidd would don an eye-patch and carry a cutlass which he would swing around on stage, damaging the wooden framework, and high kick in time with the music of the band. By 1964 the "British Invasion
" was taking shape and Kidd was left in the shadows. Kidd had another new group by this stage "The New Pirates" but recordings had now become covers of R&B and Pop songs. By 1966 it would seem that Kidd was on the verge of a reemergence but this was soon to be cut short.
Kidd died aged 30 in 1966, in a motor car accident on the A58, Bury New Road, Breightmet, near Radcliffe, Lancashire
. The car in which he was travelling as a passenger had a head-on collision with one driven by Peter Metcalfe and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Helen Read, who also died in the accident. Pirates' bassist Nick Simper
, who later became an original member of Deep Purple
, was also in the car with Kidd but he suffered only some cuts and a broken arm.
Kidd was cremated
at Golders Green Crematorium
, London.
In hindsight Kidd was both musically and visually important for the Rock music genre. Long before the likes of Paul Revere and the Raiders and Alice Cooper
and other such performers dressed up for a performance Kidd and his contemporary Screaming Lord Sutch
were already doing so. Kidd and the Pirates were a transitional band. In a time before bands like The Rolling Stones
, The Yardbirds
and The Animals
Kidd was recording music that placed increased emphasis on electric blues and R&B. His records circa 1961-64 included Willie Dixon
's "I Just Want To Make Love To You
" Bo Diddley
's "I Can Tell", Willie Perryman's "Dr Feel-good" and Richie Barrett's "Some Other Guy
". These are songs that are not sung in imitation of the original recording artists but instead Kidd tries to put his own stamp upon the song. These were the types of changes that would become more crucial as British Blues
gained more ground in the early 1960's.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, the front man for the rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band Johnny Kidd and the Pirates
Johnny Kidd and the Pirates
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates were an English rock 'n' roll group led by singer/songwriter Johnny Kidd. They scored numerous hit songs from the late 1950s to the early 1960s, including the rock & roll classics 'Shakin' All Over' and 'Please Don't Touch', but their influence far outshines their chart...
. He was one of the few pre-Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
ers to achieve world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
wide fame.
Kidd was born Frederick Heath in 1935 in Willesden
Willesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
. He began playing guitar in a skiffle
Skiffle
Skiffle is a type of popular music with jazz, blues, folk, roots and country influences, usually using homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a term in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, it became popular again in the UK in the 1950s, where it was mainly...
group circa. 1956. The group, known as "The Frantic Four" and later as "The Nutters", covered primarily skiffle, pop and rockabilly. Simultaneously Heath was proving to be a prolific writer; penning up most of 30 songs in over three months. Heath's 31st song would prove to be the group's break.
In 1959 Heath and his band were given a recording test for their first single, a rocker titled "Please Don't Touch
Please Don't Touch
Please Don't Touch! is the second solo album by English guitarist Steve Hackett, and his first after leaving Genesis in 1977.The album featured several guests including R&B singer Randy Crawford, American folk icon Richie Havens, the drummer and vocalist for the progressive rock band Kansas , Frank...
". A contract with HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
quickly followed and the group were then informed during the session that their name "Freddie Heath and the Nutters" would be changed to Johnny Kidd and the Pirates
Johnny Kidd and the Pirates
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates were an English rock 'n' roll group led by singer/songwriter Johnny Kidd. They scored numerous hit songs from the late 1950s to the early 1960s, including the rock & roll classics 'Shakin' All Over' and 'Please Don't Touch', but their influence far outshines their chart...
. "Please Don't Touch" would reach the low twenties of the music charts. Although it is not as well known as Kidd's later song "Shakin' All Over
Shakin' All Over
"Shakin' All Over" is a rock and roll song originally performed by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. It was written by frontman Johnny Kidd and reached #1 in the United Kingdom in August 1960...
", it is a stand-out among other British rock songs of the time. Unlike Billy Fury
Billy Fury
Billy Fury, born Ronald William Wycherley , was an internationally successful English singer from the late-1950s to the mid-1960s, and remained an active songwriter until the 1980s. Rheumatic fever, which he first contracted as a child, damaged his heart and ultimately contributed to his death...
or Marty Wilde
Marty Wilde
Marty Wilde is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate American rock and roll, and is the father of pop singers Ricky Wilde, Kim Wilde and Roxanne Wilde.-Career:Wilde was performing under the name Reg Patterson at London's Condor Club in...
, Kidd does not sing in an imitation voice of Elvis Presley or one of his American contemporaries. The song also bears a smooth harmony and contains no clear references to the rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
style.
Kidd's most famous song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
as a composer was "Shakin' All Over", which was a #1 UK hit and the bands finest hour in 1960. Kidd's own version didn't chart outside of Europe, but two cover versions did: The Guess Who
The Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
topped the Canadian charts (and hit #22 US) with their 1965 version of "Shakin' All Over", and in Australia, Normie Rowe
Normie Rowe
Norman John "Normie" Rowe AM was a major male solo performer of Australian pop music in the 1960s. Known for his bright and edgy tenor voice and dynamic stage presence, many of Rowe's most successful recordings were produced by Pat Aulton, house producer for the Sunshine Records, Spin Records and...
topped the charts with it later the same year. The song was originally to be a B-side to the Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
cover "Yes, Sir That's My Baby". Kidd was told that a self-penned song could be used and together with The Pirates the new number was written in the basement of the Freight Train coffee bar the day prior to recording. In addition to Kidd (vocals), Alan Caddy
Alan Caddy
Alan Caddy was a guitarist, arranger, record producer and session musician.He was born in Chelsea, London and educated at Emanuel School, and the Royal Academy of Music...
(guitar), Clem Cattini
Clem Cattini
Clem Cattini , is an English rock and roll drummer who was a member of The Tornados before becoming well known for his work as a session musician...
(drums) and Brian Gregg (bass) session guitarist Joe Moretti
Joe Moretti
Joe Moretti is a British guitarist renowned for his work on seminal UK rock n' roll records such as Vince Taylor's "Brand New Cadillac" and Johnny Kidd & The Pirates' "Shakin' All Over"...
was called in by Kidd and Caddy to play lead guitar. It was Moretti who created the songs signature sound by sliding Brian Gregg's cigarette lighter up and down the fret-board of his guitar.
"Shakin' All Over" was a UK no 1. It has been covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
on the classic Live at Leeds
Live at Leeds
Live at Leeds is The Who's first live album, and is the only live album that was released while the group were still recording and performing regularly. Initially released in the United States on 16 May 1970, by Decca and MCA and the United Kingdom on 23 May 1970, by Track and Polydor, the album...
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...
. Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
also included it on his solo album Avenue B. Other covers have included Vince Taylor and the Playboys, the rock group Humble Pie
Humble pie
To eat humble pie, in common usage, is to apologize and face humiliation for a serious error. Humble pie, or umble pie, is also a term for a variety of pastries, originally based on medieval meat tripe pies.- Etymology :...
and The Swinging Blue Jeans
The Swinging Blue Jeans
The Swinging Blue Jeans were a four piece 1960s British Merseybeat band, best known for their hit singles with the HMV label; "Hippy Hippy Shake", the follow-up, Little Richard's "Good Golly Miss Molly", and "You're No Good", a Clint Ballard song that provided a change of pace and furnished the...
. The fact that the song continues to be covered some 50 years after its first recording is a testimony to Kidd and the Pirates.
"Shakin' All Over" marked the peak which Kidd would not reach again. Future records did not fare as well in the charts. In 1961 Cattini, Caddy and Gregg left the band and would later play for Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
in The Tornados
The Tornados
The Tornados were an English instrumental group of the 1960s that acted as backing group for many of record producer Joe Meek's productions and also for singer Billy Fury. They enjoyed several chart hits in their own right, including the UK and U.S. Number One "Telstar" , the first U.S...
. Kidd now assembled a new band of pirates. Johnny Spence was now added to bass, Frank Farley to drums and later Mick Green
Mick Green
Michael Robert "Mick" Green was an English rock and roll guitarist who played with Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas.-Biography:He was born Michael Robert Green, in Matlock, Derbyshire...
would become guitarist. The band now toured extensively throughout England and into Europe. Adopting a more Beat
Beat
-Film:*Beat , the smallest unit of dramatic action in a play*Beat , a film about writer William Seward Burroughs*Beat , a 1998 Japanese film*Directorial beat, an exchange of behavior between characters in a screenplay...
influenced style the group released their last hit "I'll Never Get Over You" in 1964. The four piece band would prove to have a profound effect on another touring band at this time. Watching Kidd perform in the center front of the stage, with Farley directly behind him on drums and Spence and Green flanking him on either side, inspired Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
the then guitarist of "The Detours" to lay aside his own guitar, dismiss his own groups' singer and concentrate on vocals. This allowed rhythm guitarist Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
to concentrate more on playing lead. In time a stage act had also emerged with Kidd and the Pirates dressed as actual Pirates. Kidd would don an eye-patch and carry a cutlass which he would swing around on stage, damaging the wooden framework, and high kick in time with the music of the band. By 1964 the "British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
" was taking shape and Kidd was left in the shadows. Kidd had another new group by this stage "The New Pirates" but recordings had now become covers of R&B and Pop songs. By 1966 it would seem that Kidd was on the verge of a reemergence but this was soon to be cut short.
Kidd died aged 30 in 1966, in a motor car accident on the A58, Bury New Road, Breightmet, near Radcliffe, 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...
. The car in which he was travelling as a passenger had a head-on collision with one driven by Peter Metcalfe and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Helen Read, who also died in the accident. Pirates' bassist Nick Simper
Nick Simper
Nicholas John Simper is a bass guitarist, best known as a founding member of Deep Purple.-Biography:...
, who later became an original member of Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
, was also in the car with Kidd but he suffered only some cuts and a broken arm.
Kidd was cremated
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
at Golders Green Crematorium
Golders Green Crematorium
Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000, and was opened in 1902 by Sir Henry Thompson....
, London.
In hindsight Kidd was both musically and visually important for the Rock music genre. Long before the likes of Paul Revere and the Raiders and Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
and other such performers dressed up for a performance Kidd and his contemporary Screaming Lord Sutch
Screaming Lord Sutch
David Edward Sutch , also known as "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", or simply "Screaming Lord Sutch", was a musician from the United Kingdom...
were already doing so. Kidd and the Pirates were a transitional band. In a time before bands like The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
and The Animals
The Animals
The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
Kidd was recording music that placed increased emphasis on electric blues and R&B. His records circa 1961-64 included Willie Dixon
Willie Dixon
William James "Willie" Dixon was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. A Grammy Award winner who was proficient on both the Upright bass and the guitar, as well as his own singing voice, Dixon is arguably best known as one of the most prolific songwriters...
's "I Just Want To Make Love To You
I Just Want to Make Love to You
In 1961, Etta James recorded the song for her debut album At Last!. Her rendition also served as the b-side to her hit "At Last." In 1996, Etta James' version became popular in the UK after featuring in a Diet Coke ad campaign. As a result, the single was re-released there...
" Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
's "I Can Tell", Willie Perryman's "Dr Feel-good" and Richie Barrett's "Some Other Guy
Some Other Guy
-Other recorded versions:The song was very popular in Liverpool's Merseybeat scene. Both the original and the version by fellow Merseybeaters The Big Three are part of John Lennon's jukebox...
". These are songs that are not sung in imitation of the original recording artists but instead Kidd tries to put his own stamp upon the song. These were the types of changes that would become more crucial as British Blues
British blues
British blues is a form of music derived from American blues that originated in the late 1950s and which reached its height of mainstream popularity in the 1960s, when it developed a distinctive and influential style dominated by electric guitar and made international stars of several proponents of...
gained more ground in the early 1960's.