History

YouTube: Plebeians Jazz Club 1967

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Thanks to Richard King for flagging up this clip of the Plebeians Jazz Club in Halifax in 1967.

The footage was apparently filmed by some students back in '67, showing a typical night at the mod club of the day (in Halifax that is). The film was funded by the BBC and apparently still sits in the BBC archives in its entirety.

In the meantime, enjoy the clip here, with The Impressions playing in the background…

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7 Comments

  1. Christine Davis

    Is ther anyone out ther who remembers why the Plebians Jazz Club was called a jazz club,in the early 60’s jazz bands played down there,
    Ed O’Donnell & The White Eagles, we danced a dance called the stomp and danced in a circle to the jazz, we didn’t need booze or anything else the music of Ed O’Donnell was enough! We wore black and were called beatniks!

  2. Andy Tyacke

    I remember Ed O’Donnell when I was a student in Leeds in the mid-60’s and he performed as Club Casey and I seem to remember him at the Moorside Working Men’s Club, Woodhouse – although memory may be a little hazy regarding venue after all these years. Certainly O’Donnell was a weekly fixture in our social life for some time until we left Leeds in 1972. Ed was great! It was a great time and place for jazz fans and followed a year in Birmigham where we regularly went to see the Second City Jazz Band.

  3. John Spruce

    Saturday night was always Jazz Night and some Blues. Who remembers Wynder K Frog And Victor Brox

  4. kathryn gordon

    When I started going to the Plebs in 1962, Saturday night was trad jazz night and Wednesday was more modern jazz. When the Liverpool sound hit the scene, Fred/Paul introduced a pop music night on Sundays. However, the Britpop was heavily laced with American soul. The jazz was eventually phased out, starting with the Wednesday modern night.

  5. Barry Lambert

    I was one of the students involved in ‘filming’ at the club. It was actually a BBC youth documentary & filmed by the BBC hence the professional quality. One of our lecturers at Bradford Art College had friends working for the BBC & they contacted him asking for ideas for the film with regard to covering off northern teen culture. Myself & a fellow student suggested they film at Plebs. Whilst the BBC were filming much to the horror of the production crew there was a (non fatal) stabbing at the club. The documentary also featured us in a ‘discussion group’ at the lecturer’s house. I remember the finished film being disappointing. It didn’t demonstrate any understanding of the Mod culture or general teen culture of the time. Much of it featured a relatively unknown London band, possibly The Action (my memory could be letting me down on that). I would love to see the documentary in its entirety again.

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