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The British are coming! The British are coming!
Don’t think: Paul Revere and the Revolutionary War.
Think: a British Invasion of another kind, the kind that American bands like Paul Revere & The Raiders faced when English groups like the Beatles, Rolling Stones and The Animals landed on U.S. soil in the 1960s.
Think you know all about that invasion? Find out when John Timmons and David Timmons present a program on the topic at 7 p.m. July 27 in the conference room at Mount Sterling Public Library.
The brothers from Mount Sterling drew quite a crowd last year with their presentation on the Beatles. People came from all over Madison County to hear the trivia and see the memorabilia John and David have collected over the years.
“We ended up staying an hour past our scheduled time last year because people had so many stories and memories to share about concerts they’d been to and albums they like,” John said. “We take on the dual roles of presenters and facilitators.”
This time, John and David will focus on the time period of 1964 to 1967, looking at how British bands influenced American music and how band memberships intertwined to form new bands. They will compare the “happy pop” sounds of groups like Herman’s Hermits and The Dave Clark 5 with the “harder rock” sounds of bands like The Kinks.
They will show television footage that chronicles the British Invasion, including videos of band recording sessions. They’ll talk about current affairs and pop culture of the times. They’ll discuss the fact that musicians from that era continue to perform today. And they’ll share a large helping of their own personal stories related to the topic.
Some of David’s favorite anecdotes center on The Who, a band he revered so much, he got caught in cords in a home band jam session when he tried to jump over amplifiers like his role model, Pete Townshend from The Who.
The Kinks are another favorite.
“When The Kinks were in Columbus for a concert, the drummer had the flu. Urban legend has it that a guy from London, Ohio, filled in,” said David, who attended a Kinks concert at Miami University in 1981, where he learned that the Davies brothers insisted on eating M&M candies before performances.
One of John’s favorite British Invasion stories is about an album acquisition. He and David liked the Rolling Stones song, “Stupid Girl,” which appeared on the flip side of a 45 with the song “Paint It Black” in 1966. The only time “Stupid Girl” ended up on an actual album was as part of an Australian limited edition in 1968. John and David found a copy at a Dayton record store.
Expect to hear tidbits like these and much more when the Timmons brothers invade Mount Sterling on Friday.
For more information about the British Invasion program, call the Mount Sterling Public Library at 740-869-2430.
