The 1960s: Rock Roots
In 1964 the club moved a short distance to what became its most famous venue at 90 Wardour Street. Here, almost every major rock band of note played over the next 25 years on the tiny stage. Residencies during the late 1960s alone included Alexis Korner, Cyril Davies, Chris Barber, The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, The Who, King Crimson, Yes, Jethro Tull, The Jimi Hendrix Experience & Pink Floyd (who played on Sunday afternoons as part of the Spontaneous Underground club). To find out who was playing on any given night, you could just call in at the 'Ship' pub a few doors away. In 1964 Moody Blues manager/producer Alex Murray used a homemade studio in the garage at the back of the club to produce the classic 'Go Now' single which shot to #1 at Christmas 1964 and film the first ever UK pop video promo. The development of Marquee Studios was largely financed by profits from this record.
The Rolling Stones returned to the club 26 March 1971 after an eight year hiatus to film a television special.
Club owner Harold Pendleton launched the National Jazz Festival in 1961 in Richmond. This was the precursor to the Reading and Leeds Festivals.
Read more about this topic: Marquee Club
Famous quotes containing the words rock and/or roots:
“Don’t say, don’t say there is no water
to solace the dryness at our hearts.
I have seen
the fountain springing out of the rock wall
and you drinking there.”
—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)
“The Plains are not forgiving. Anything that is shallow—the easy optimism of a homesteader; the false hope that denies geography, climate, history; the tree whose roots don’t reach ground water—will dry up and blow away.”
—Kathleen Norris (b. 1947)