It Started in Rochdale - the 1970s music scene

Chris Hewitt (right) with the late John Peel in 1979

A CD celebrating the 1970s Rochdale Music and Arts scene, 'It Started in Rochdale', provides an audio tour through the local 70s scene. The CD features commentary from the late, great blind guitarist and keyboard player from Wardle, Tony Crabtree, a member of the band Local Heroes, who along with other local bands have a song on the CD - bands such as Blinder, The Potential Victims, The Mudanzas, Surinder Khabbra (aka Sinders), Untermensch, Howard the Duck, Wilful Damage, Accident on the East Lancs, the Prankseters and of course Tractor.

Chris Hewitt, manager of the eponymous Tractor, whose Tractor Music also co-owned Cargo Studios on Kenion Street with Peter Hook of Joy Divsion/New Order, with equipment bought and provided by the legendary John Peel. Joy Divsion recorded the tracks Digital, Glass, Atmosphere, Ice Age and Dead Souls in 1978/79 in the studio. 

Chris Hewitt said: "The Studio was a hub for bands in the 70s and deserves to be recognised for its contriubtion to an important musical era. There is a campaign to get a blue plaque on the old Tractor Music/Cargo Studios/Suite 16 Studios building in Kenion Street, Rochdale. Please write in to Rochdale Council's Chief Executive to say you support Rochdale and Heywood's musical heritage being on the tourist map."

Touchstones Rochdale recently launched its new season, under the banner of I Love the 70s, and has a series of dazzling exhibitions and events exploring the 1970s arts scene. Chris Hewiit has been helping provide material and information and 'It Started in Rochdale' is available from the Touchstones.

Click on the  links to hear tracks from the CD:

The Mudanzas - 'Insomnia Sublime' featuring Eddie Kledjys

• InsomniaSublime.mp3

Potential Victims - 'Reality'

• Reality.mp3

Local Heroes - 'Waste of a Nation'

• WasteOfANation.mp3

The Mudanzas - 'Insomnia Sublime' featuring Eddie Kledjys: The Mudanzas were a Rochdale band formed around 1975. Band members included Martin Greenwood, keyboards and vocals, Frank Szakeley, guitars and vocals, Michael Collinge, bass and Tony Petrillo, drums. The Mudanzas spent time gigging around the Manchester area gaining local radio airplay on Piccadilly Radio, now known as Key 103. Classed as a progressive rock band they encountered difficulties with the arrival of Punk and broke up in 1979.

Potential Victims - 'Reality': Potential Victims were formed by a group of punks from the Syke area of Rochdale. The band were formed after the mum of one of the band members brought home a ten watt practice Amp and a guitar. After this initial inspiration the band raised cash to buy more equipment by ripping off Rochdale's derelict Cotton Mills and making over 200 visits to the local scrap yard. Their sound is a mix of thrash punk interspersed with anti-war chanting.

Local Heroes - 'Waste of a Nation': Local Heroes were formed in 1979, they were an amalgamation of two other local bands Physical Wrecks and Cry Tough, bringing together a glam rock sound. Members included John Kay, guitar and vocals, Colin Schofield, drums and Ken Park, bass and vocals. The band found favour with Manchester DJ Mark Radcliffe who liked their demo tape, recorded under the name of Beans and the Toasties, so much that he later played a session from the band on Manchester's Radio Piccadilly. It was this brief taste of fame and fortune that prompted the band to change their name to Local Heroes.