C Gillian McCain Archives
The Fang's dug into her vast archive of found photos and pulled out another classic image. This week's found photo brings us back to Brighton Beach, England, summer of '64, although the only information on the back of the snapshot reads: "Our Gang They're The Greatest We Love'm All Scrufty or What?", this gang of mods, all hopped up on Dexedrine, are surely ready to mix it up with the a pack of rockers, and then head out to the discotheque
to dance all night to Stax/Volt and Blue Beat 45's. I'm sure they arrived by Vespa. The U.S. never really had much of a mod movement (although we've always had plenty of bikers as we call 'em, still do). In fact the mod movement in the U.S. probably peaked around 1999. But the clothes and the haircuts in this photo say it all, these kids had real style (style, as opposed to fashion cannot be bought, it must come from within). Can anyone identify any of these lads?
BTW: an excellent site for Mod musical ephemera is Anorak Thing, last time I looked they had some excellent footage of the Action posted.
i'm sure some arrived by Lambretta as well. Lambretta's were sleeker and faster, but not as reliable as Vespas. Great photo.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a couple of Small Faces in there.
ReplyDeleteThat's not the Yardbirds??
ReplyDeleteThe lad on the far right looks like Andy Summers, but I don't think this is Zoot Money's Big Roll Band.
ReplyDeleteUltra-cool kids!
ReplyDeleteGreat shot! Doesn't look like any Yardbirds to me, but damn, you'd never see any American kids that well-dressed on the beach at any age. PA, you may be right.
ReplyDeleteCheers for the plug of my blog Anorak Thing, keep up the good work! I love seeing old pics like this!
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