The El Partido in Lewisham, southeast London was located at 8-10 Lee High Road and was a popular spot for young Jamaicans and local mods.
There is a gig for The Spectres (who later morphed into Status Quo) who played here on 10 February 1964 and every Monday (see very top) which reveals that the club had originally operated under different management and closed sometime during 1964. It looks like the club re-opened on 12 December with The Beasts playing that evening.
The excellent Transpontine website notes that King Ossie Sound played at the club regularly. Other guests included Jamaicans Jimmy Cliff and The Duke Reid Sound.
Local R&B outfit, The Loose Ends, who cut two singles for Decca, were also house band at some point in late 1965.
I have started a gig list and would welcome any additions plus any memories of the venue, which was closed down in April 1967.
12 December 1964 – The Beasts
19 December 1964 – The Loose Ends
26 December 1964 – The Beavers
27 March 1965 – Tony Knight’s Chessmen and Mankinde
28 March 1965 – Duke Lee
31 March 1965 – The Hubbubs
1 April 1965 – Group Survival
2 April 1965 – The King Bees
3 April 1965 – The Loose Ends
4 September 1965 – The Eyes
9 September 1965 – The Duke Lee Sound System
10 September 1965 – The Loose Ends (upstairs)
10 September 1965 – Duke Lee (downstairs)
11 September 1965 – Duke Lee (upstairs, first session)
11 September 1965 – The Loose Ends (downstairs, first session)
11 September 1965 – Lou Johnson, Sonny Childe, The Loose Ends and Duke Lee (second session)
16 September 1965 – The Mixed Feelings (upstairs)
16 September 1965 – Duke Lee (downstairs)
17 September 1965 – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays and Duke Lee
18 September 1965 – Duke Lee (upstairs, first and second session)
18 September 1965 – The Artwoods (downstairs, first session)
18 September 1965 – The Artwoods and The Loose Ends (downstairs, second session)
South East London Mercury has The Loose Ends with Lou Johnson on the above date
22 September 1965 – The Changing Times (upstairs)
22 September 1965 – Duke Lee (downstairs)
23 September 1965 – The Plain Facts (upstairs)
23 September 1965 – Duke Lee (downstairs)
24 September 1965 – Memphis Chucks (upstairs)
24 September 1965 – Duke Lee (downstairs)
25 September 1965 – Guy Darrell (upstairs, first session)
25 September 1965 – Duke Lee (downstairs, first session)
25 September 1965 – Guy Darrell, The Loose Ends and Duke Lee (second session)
26 September 1965 – Duke Lee Sounds
29 September 1965 – The Minor Birds (upstairs)
The Minor Birds morphed into Mr Mo’s Messengers in 1967
29 September 1965 – Duke Lee (downstairs)
30 September 1965 – The Sons of Fred and Duke Lee
1 October 1965 – Duke Lee
2 October 1965 – Jesse Fuller, The Spectres and Duke Lee (first session)
2 October 1965 – Jesse Fuller, Loose Ends, The Spectres and Duke Lee (second session)
The Spectres later morphed into Status Quo
3 October 1965 – Duke Lee
6 October 1965 – Kiko 6 and Duke Lee
7-8 October 1965 – Duke Lee
9 October 1965 – Dave Anthony’s Moods, Next of Kin and Duke Lee (first session)
9 October 1965 – The Loose Ends, Dave Anthony’s Moods, Duke Lee and Next of Kin (second session)
10 October 1965 – Duke Lee
13 October 1965 – Creeper’s Blues and Duke Lee
14 October 1965 – Diddley Daddies and Duke Lee
16 October 1965 – The Stormsville Shakers and Duke Lee (first session)
16 October 1965 – The Stormsville Shakers, Duke Lee and The Minor Birds (second session)
17 October 1965 – Bo Diddley and Duke Lee
20 October 1965 – Long, Short and Tall, Duke Lee and The Loose Ends
21 October 1965 – Under-mined and Duke Lee Sounds
22 October 1965 – Duke Lee Sounds
23 October 1965 – The Loose Ends and Duke Lee (first session)
23 October 1965 – The Loose Ends, The Minor Birds and Duke Lee (second session)
24 October 1965 – Duke Lee
27 October 1965 – John Brown’s Bodies and Duke Lee
This version of John Brown’s Bodies were from Hammersmith and weren’t the same Brighton group that had Keith Emerson
28 October 1965 – Next of Kin and Duke Lee
29 October 1965 – Marshall Scott Etc and Duke Lee
30 October 1965 – The Hamilton Movement and Duke Lee Sounds (first session)
30 October 1965 – The Loose Ends, The Hamilton Movement and Duke Lee (second session)
31 October 1965 – Duke Lee
3 November 1965 – Blues Roots, Duke Lee and The Loose Ends
4 November 1965 – Deacon Louis GP and Duke Lee
5 November 1965 – Duke Lee
6 November 1965 – Bobby King & The Sabres and Duke Lee (first session)
6 November 1965 – Bobby King & The Sabres, The Movement and Duke Lee (second session)
7 November 1965 – Duke Lee
10 November 1965 – The Nature’s Boys and Duke Lee
11 November 1965 – Lawlors Legs and Duke Lee
12 November 1965 – Duke Lee Sounds
13 November 1965 – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays and Duke Lee (first session)
13 November 1965 – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays, The Movement and Duke Lee (second session)
14 November 1965 – Duke Lee
17 November 1965 – The Links, The Fetish Crowd and Duke Lee
18 November 1965 – Sounds Anonymous and Duke Lee
19 November 1965 – Duke Lee
20 November 1965 – Guy Darrell, Winds of Change and Duke Lee (first session)
20 November 1965 – The Loose Ends, Guy Darrell, Winds of Change and Duke Lee (second session)
21 November 1965 – Duke Lee
24 November 1965 – The New Jump Band and Duke Lee
25 November 1965 – Two Squared and Duke Lee
26 November 1965 – Duke Lee
27 November 1965 – The Panics and Duke Lee (first session)
27 November 1965 – The Loose Ends, The Panics and Duke Lee (second session)
28 November 1965 – Duke Lee Sounds
1 December 1965 – Group Survival and Duke Lee
17 December 1965 – Duke Lee Sounds
18 December 1965 – The Frank Sheen Sound and Duke Lee (first session)
18 December 1965 – The Loose Ends, The Frank Sheen Sound and Duke Lee (second session)
19 December 1965 – Major Lance (with Bluesology) and Duke Lee
22 December 1965 – The Templars, The Cardinals and Duke Lee
24 December 1965 – The Loose Ends, Duke Lee and The Frank Sheen Sound
25-26 December 1965 – Duke Lee
31 December 1965 – Duke Lee
22 January 1966 – Simon Dupree & The Big Sound and Duke Lee
23 January 1966 – The Exciters and Duke Lee
26 January 1966 – The Just Blues, The Wild Set and Duke Lee
28 January 1966 – Lee Dorsey and Duke Lee
29 January 1966 – Deakin Lewis and Duke Lee
30 January 1966 – The Drifters
11 February 1966 – Doris Troy (with Bluesology) and Duke Lee
12 February 1966 – The Panicks and Duke Lee
13 February 1966 – Duke Lee
16 February 1966 – Duke Lee and various groups
18 February 1966 – Inez and Charlie Foxx
25 March 1966 – Wilson Pickett with King Ossie Sounds (Wilson Pickett didn’t show)
26 March 1966 – Time Box, The Raisins and King Ossie Sounds
1 April 1966 – Don Covay and King Ossie Sounds
8 April 1966 – Jimmy Cliff (backed by New Generation?) with The Raisons, King Ossie Sound and Duke Reid
9 April 1966 – The New Jump Band with The King Ossie Sound
10 April 1966 – Don Covey with The King Ossie Sound
11 April 1966 – Owen Gray and Jackie Edwards with The Raisons and King Ossie Sound
22 May 1966 – The Charmers (with Carl Douglas)
11 June 1966 – Carl Douglas & The Charmers
18 June 1966 – The Partizans
4 August 1966 – Jimmy Cliff
2 September 1966 – The James Royal Set
24 September 1966 – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
1 October 1966 – Timebox
15 November 1966 – The Iveys
6 January 1967 – Duke Lee
7 January 1967 – The Soul Trinity
13 January 1967 – Duke Lee
14 January 1967 – The Mellow Notes
20 January 1967 – Duke Lee
21 January 1967 – Ossie Layne & The Red Hot Band
4 March 1967 – Alan Marsh(all) & The Loose Ends
Sources:
Southeast London Mercury, Marmalade Skies website, Melody Maker and poster
Copyright © Nick Warburton. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author.
Re El Partido in Lewisham. My mate Neil Arnold and I were the resident weekend sound system for much of 1966 (three nights a week – Friday allnighter from (I think) 10pm, Saturday allnighter, Sunday evening until 1 am. From (if my memory serves) the end of 1966 Neil ran it on his own for a few months until (as you rightly say) it was closed down after repeated drug raids. It had become a major mod hangout during 1965, which is how we came to the notice of the management.
Much of this time is a blur 50 years later. If you can get accurate memories from those involved, you’re doing well, but if I’m not wrong Neville The Enchanter also played as the regular sound system for a while before 1966.
I was a regular Friday and Saturday nights and loved the ‘Partido….I remember the Herd playing there but you don’t seem to have a record of that….yeah loads of plain clothed coppers towards the end that spoilt it for us so rather than the ‘Partido and up West we went straight up to the West End…do you remember Lloyd and Pappy?
Yeh knew pappy well , don’t remember him at the El Partido but certainly from the Apples and Pears old Kent road , and the Experience days .
Bit late just found this site, names Michael Brooks from Lee Green. Remember a one armed guy named Pappy, brilliant at snooker! Above Burtons.
After the El P. It was off to the Blue Rooms to come down as if i remember.
Done the same,absolutely brilliant night’s. Never will forget the feeling.
Lloyd at a The el Partido I remember well.
1967 to 1968 if my memory is good is when I would normally walk from The Alpine at forest hill to Lee road with the help of hearts
Bob Hodges with All Night Workers has missing dates from his diary for The New Jump Band:
24 December 65
31 December 65-1 January 66
15 January 66
19 March 66
25 March 66
30 April 66
9 April 66 – this is listed on the list above with King Ossie Sound but is not on Bob Hodges list
I WAS THE MANAGER THERE FOR A YEAR OR TWO, MY BROTHER JOHN WAS THE OWNER, HE DIED OF CANCER IN 2002. WAS THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE, JUST GREAT. HOPE SOMEONE REMEMBERS ME OR MY BROTHER AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. deptford44@yahoo.com to contact me. Cheers peter rollins
Hi Peter,
I hope you don’t mind the message but I believe that my late father (Alan Herring d. 2005) was very good friends with your brother John often talking about him. My Mum (Gill – now remarried) and Dad both spent a lot of time at El Partido so it was particularly interesting to read some of the comments about the club and it’s history.
Steven
I remember playing there sometime in the mid 60s playing tenor sax with my band The Soul Society.
Loved the “Elbo”. Mate Paul and his older brother Nick introduced me to it 64/65. Hated going out into the sunlight on Sunday morning. Now 57 years ago…where did that go?
Our band, Phaethons Brethren, played the occasional all-nighter at the El Partido after finishing our regular Saturday night gig at the Noah’s Ark in Deptford. Not too far to travel but a pain getting all our gear up the narrow stairs. Happy days indeed.
Thanks Peter. Happy to do a short entry on the band if you can provide line up and photos.
Does anyone here remember a band called the Daygoes (not the Australian band)? A friend of mine lives next door to a guy who says they played as some form of support to Bo Dudley. I’ve found the gig and the listed support but unfortunately there appears to be an unknown band on that listing. Wondered if it was them and if anyone remembers ever seeing them. A long shot, I know but worth a shot. TIA to anyone that can help.
I met my huband there in the mid 60s, we married in November 1964, and god willing we will make our 60th wedding anniversary next year. It was a great club and we both knew Johnny Rollins.