Creek Crosby

The Beginning (1980)

1980 – The boycotted Moscow Olympics – the senseless slaying of Johnny Moondog from Liddypool – the debut of the Rubik's cube.

Cultural events all but, one nascent event, tucked away in Hilltop Crescent, Gourock PA19, saw Gerry McDade hotfooting it round to his pal and schoolmate, Jim Ward in the summer of that year to see if he could tune his guitar.

'Wardy' was the Gourockian Menuhin – a burgeoning maestro of the violin but, he knew his way around the six-string as well and, having tuned the geetar to perfection, he asked Gerry if he knew any songs?

Gerry blushed (rare in itself, even now) and debuted his version of Creedence's 'Proud Mary'.

Flushed with his mastery of four chords, Gerry asked Jim if he could play a bit of lead…and was duly blown away.

From then on in, it was jamming time and Wardy pulled a few budding wannabes around to Hilltop to see where this baby could go.

James PJ Harte, soon to handle the band's affairs (especially after a rendition of his guitar work), was posing with a bass and Raymond 'Jazz' Jack was equally posing with a superb looking saxophone.

There was no name, as yet, why would there be but, the nucleus was forming.

The Formation Years (1981-1984)

One of the seminal moments of 1981 happened when Gerry introduced the boys to the punk/rockabilly purity of USA boppers, Stray Cats.

'Runaway Boys' was the first song they all heard but, it was upon hearing the Cats' anthem, 'Stray Cat Strut' that changed it all.

Wardy mastered the licks, Gerry remembered the lyrics and with Jazz Jack and Jas. PJ Harte dropping from the scene, fresh, bopping blood was to be found in the form of 'Jumping' Johnny White on rhythm and Jim 'Thunderstix' Duncan on drums.

The boys lapped up the new rockabilly scene with a particular emphasis on Greenock's Numero Uno band, 'Shakin' Pyramids' and their seminal first album, 'Skin 'Em Up'.

By now, they had a sound, albeit, roundly copied(!) and were searching for a look and a name.

It was the early 1980s. Bands were calling themselves avant garde titles like 'A Flock of Seagulls', 'A Cubist Influx' and 'A Pile O' Shite'.

The boys wanted something that harked back to doo-wop times, smart haircuts and over-the-top names like 'Flash Cadillac & The Continental Kids'.

And thus, was born, 'Creek Crosby & The Crewcuts'.

The First Gigs

Practice sessions followed as CC&C honed their craft, their sound, their look.

Gigs were hard to come by at 17 so the guys would set up on the patio adjacent to Gerry's house and play at the crossroads- this was 'patio rock'.

April 1982 and Pope John Paul II came to the aid of the band.

Well, not personally, obviously, however, the Polish Pontiff instigated a charity to introduce irrigated water systems to third world countries and a massive charity swing took hold.

Realising that, in a catholic secondary school, the only way to be allowed to play the 'devil's music' was to dress it up in some innocuous attempt to raise some dosh for His Holiness, the boys were allowed to debut live as Creek Crosby & The Crewcuts in the school theatre for a special lunchtime gig.

And so, as the Greenock Telegraph continues to say, the boys 'took to the stage' and bopped for the regulation 30-minute spot.

It wasn't quite 'Lunchtime at The Cavern' but the lads played well, Gerry wore a Hawaiian shirt for the 'On The Beach' number, James PJ put in a memorable cameo performance as a dancer and a princely sum was raised for JP's irrigation fund.

Even now, somewhere in the vast swathes of Peru, there is a sparklingly clean, freshwater system coursing through a village with a tiny plaque, bearing the inscription 'donated by Creek Crosby and the Crewcuts'- 1982'.

The Farewell Spectacular

Fuelled by both the gig and the rank enthusiasm of a packed crowd looking for something to do and get out of the rain, the boys tore on regardless.

In 21st century parlance, the boys were all 'leavers' in 1982 and so the swansong was decided, this time denuded of the pretence of raising money for a worthy cause, to play a 'farewell' gig back in the school theatre at the closure of their pre-yooni academic careers.

This time, it was to be a spectacular 'happening' and so with the unasked-for help of renegade art teacher (aren't they all?) Diarmird Hannan and his pupils, a stage was dressed a la Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

A huge mural, created by Johnny hung on the back wall, Thunderstix was placed precariously on what can only be described as a school dinner table with his kit, looking down from upon high at the multitudes and surrounded by paper decorations.

As the gig began, the boys 'took to the stage' – the dry ice poured out from a secret location, the boys struck up the chords and Gerry descended from the ceiling on top of a glitter ball in platform boots...

...actually, no, he didn't but, he had, at least disposed of the Hawaiian shirt.

Another momentous gig followed, kindly extended by an extra ten minutes and the lads were hurried out of the theatre from the screaming teachers, sorry, throng and bundled into a black van from whence they made their exit from both high school and, in Gerry's case, education.

The Local Scene (1982-1984)

The boys were now free to pursue a life of musical freedom and for the next two years they gigged locally whilst dreaming of the moment one of them would be able to pass a driving test and hire a transit van even to go to Largs.

Twas not to be but, in May 1984, the boys finally adopted a bass player, the supremely talented Eddie Follan and there were two highly acclaimed, triumphant live gigs in the Gourock mecca of Janey's Nightclub – the most sophisticated venue on the west coast – a feature with pictures in the 'Entertainment' section of the Greenock Telegraph, a review by revered fanzine, 'Slow Dazzle' and then...and then...just when it seemed that it was all about to take off...

...the boys took off on their own separate ways.

Work and life took over and although 'Jivin' Jamesy was wont to host jam sessions in local boozers, Gerry was happy to knock out 'Suspicious Minds' and his version of 'Stray Cat Strut' as the glib tongue at any number of parties, it was only really Johnny and Eddie who kept the musical faith in a succession of bands. Even 'Thunderstix' focused more on the thunder than the stix.

The Reunion (2012)

And so it came to pass that, in one of Johnny's many collaborations and bands, there was a gig at the Cafe Continental in Gourock at which Gerry was wont to attend.

It was a joyous reunion between he and Johnny followed up by a DM or PM, whatever you ascribe to, from the latter asking GerBear if he fancied getting a wee jam together with the 'Jivin' one.

Thus, the three boys rocked up at Red Eye Studio in Clydebank in February of 2012 to relive the good times. Gerry even brought a guitar – but, naturally, there it lay, unused.

The lads found their collective bopping feet running through the classics, enjoyed it and, of course the next step was to see if the Thunder was still in the Stix.

It was and now we had a group again. This time Dr W was on the lead, Johnny was on bass, Dunc was thundering the stix which left a gap for rhythm guitar – which was duly filled by Dr W as well....

No point in jamming/rehearsing without a gig to look forward to so, on a 'Hot August Night' (courtesy Neil Diamond), Creek Crosby and The Crewcuts 'took to the stage' at the Cafe Continental.

It was a school reunion on stage and a school reunion in the crowd as a swaying, heaving, happy throng joined in on 'Stray Cat Strut', 'Move It' and other staples from the lads.

The Evolution (2013)

The Race was now On for more gigs and then, one night, something seismic happened.

During the soundcheck for another Cafe Continental gig, Gerry played rhythm on acoustic guitar for close to a minute.

It was enough to excite Dr W who stated how good the sound was with that beefier quality.

He proposed to think about adding it to the band which excited and terrified Gerry in equal measure.

The call came one day from the leader of the pack when Dr W said that he wanted to add another guitar to the sound.

Gerry mulled it over and it was on the tip of his receding quiff to say "Great, but I wouldn't want to play all the songs (small mercies)" when Dr W asked the question...

"How would you feel about bringing Joe McShane into the group?"

There was a momentary stunned silence from the vocalist followed by a lusty "Yes. Brilliant idea as long as the other boys agree."

'Railroad Joe'- ie rich enough to OWN an actual railroad – duly signed a contract and he was in.

The boys hit the road playing gigs across the country but, next up the big one.

It was time to go into the studio and record an EP.

The Recordings

Lincoln Continental (2016)

The 'Lincoln Continental' EP hit the streets in 2016.

The track list comprised:

• Move It (Samwell)
• Shakin' All Over (Kidd)
• I Can Tell (Feelgood)
• (You and Your) Lincoln Continental (White/McDade)

Yup, the boys had not only released their first EP-it even featured an original song by Johnny and Gerry, partly about the joy of "Cruising on Cornhaddock Street".

Ashtray's Full, Bottle's Empty (2018)

The next EP comprising:

• Ashtray's Full, Bottle's Empty (McShane)
• There's No Hope On Hope St. (White)
• Let Bourbon Dull The Pain (White)

The boys' second EP, released in time for the Christmas market, was completely self-penned featuring two Johnny originals and the first writings of Railroad Joe.

Sadly, this was to be Johnny's swan song(s) as he opted to bid farewell to his life as a Crewcut, grow a beard etc etc

Ryan McCready was brought in on bass/harmony, at first to bring the average age of the band down to a Radio Two demographic, but his mastery of both instruments soon became a feature of the essential CC sound.

The Covid Years

Like most of the world and, especially the business of show, the by-now renamed and apparently grown-up Creek Crosby were forced into lockdown.

The dropping of 'The Crewcuts' was a democratic decision by the band although Gerry took one of his legendary huffs from which he only emerged from after Dr W applied his general balm about him being the 'best front man in the history of rock 'n' roll' and, despite masses of evidence to the contrary, the bold Gerry swallowed that guff!

Post-Covid

Post-Covid, the boys are back and Creek Crosby rock abroad again with more gigs and hopefully more recordings in the pipeline.

45+ years on and the boys are still looking better than Gerry's Hawaiian shirt although, let's be honest...how hard could that actually be?

There have been a few bass players – even, on occasion the odd stand-in drummer (thanks, Steven) but as the saying goes...

"There have been PREtenders...there have been CONtenders but there's only ever been one Creek Crosby."

The story continues...