The Fleur De Lys Singles Box Set

The Fleur De Lys were in the thick of the swinging sixties music scene. Held in high regard by their rock star contemporaries and adoring public alike, but frustratingly fame and fortune never called. Initially formed in 1964 as a beat band, surviving through the excesses of psychedelia, before evolving into a Stax tinged soul outfit, their output was constant and outstanding. Whilst finding time to record under pseudonyms (Rupert's People, Shyster and Chocolate Frog), become the backing band for the late soul sensation Sharon Tandy, and fulfil commitments as in-house session band for the UK Atlantic label, The Fleur De Lys released seven 45s over a five year period; these singles are considered holy grails amongst record devotees. As part of the seminal Rare Mod series from Acid Jazz Records, the seven 45s are presented as one deluxe collection for Record Store Day and elsewhere soon after, I Can See The Light: The Fleur De Lys Singles Box Set. Including for the first time Wait For Me the original b-side to their debut single Moonbeams, the song that was mysteriously replaced with a Jimmy Page instrumental. Also including The Fleur's version of The Who's maximum R&B hit Circles, freakbeat classics Mud In Your Eye, I Can See A Light, Liar and Gong With The Luminous Nose, plus the soul stomper Stop Crossing The Bridge. Presented in replicated Immediate / Polydor and Atlantic Records house bags with matching labels, the box contains a fully illustrated 32 page booklet with sleeve notes from critically acclaimed author Paul ‘Smiler’ Anderson and The Fleur De Lys drummer, Keith Guster. 

Singles:

1. MOONDREAMS / WAIT FOR ME. 

2. CIRCLES / SO COME ON.

3. MUD IN YOUR EYE / I'VE BEEN TRYING.

4. I CAN SEE A LIGHT / PRODIGAL SON.

5. GONG WITH THE LUMINOUS NOSE / HAMMERHEAD.

6. STOP CROSSING THE BRIDGE / BRICK BY BRICK.

7. YOUR JUST A LIAR / ONE GIRL CITY.

The Skateboarding Mods are back!

'We are the Skateboarding Mods... we are the Skateboarding Mods … we are ... we are ... we are the Skateboarding Mods.'

       So, sang the feather-headed faces on the hills, slopes and skate places of England's grey and concrete land. The skateboarding modernist scene famously peaked in 2012 when crews of sharp skaters formed into mod squad crews; some even sponsored skateboard events, riders and races ; but what are they doing now?

The skateboard clothes industry cottoned onto the skateboarding mod culture pretty quickly, sharper cut sk8 threads appeared more frequently on the racks, and sixties graphics adorned the shoes and shirts of skate-park dwellers as skaters embraced the tidier lines of the skateboarding mod image, rather than the generic scruffy sk8-punk look that had become tired and clichéd. Many skateboard components developed similar clean-cut styling, wheels, and decks especially; but the mod teams and crews have taken a back seat of late. We tracked down some of the original mod skaters to investigate.

Probably the most well known skateboarding modernists were the Blackheath Pandas; Jason Danger, (not his real name), a late-comer to the group, admitted that he only purchased a skateboard to be accepted by his Panda peers.

       He said, when inebriated..'I carried it around, looked sharp and that, but never actually road the thing. Their f**king lethal'. Jason is no longer a member of the Blackheath Pandas.

Rob The Mod, a Panda who has competed in official UK slalom skateboarding races commented on the potential hazards of the sport. 'I've had a couple of 'offs' I crashed on my first race, cracked a rib. I was wearing my favourite Onitsuka Tiger Nippon 60 trainers, they look book but have bad grip on the board. I slid off the deck.... I won a prize for the 'best bail'.

      Vans, the traditional sk8ters shoe of choice (currently celebrating their 50^th year) have introduced a number of 'mod friendly' designs, cool suede's and chukka boots, to help prevent skateboarding mods, such as Rob, from similar injury.

Founder members of the Self-Proclaimed British Skateboarding Association have also embraced the slalom skateboarding culture, racing internationally as well as competing in domestic events. The spBSA have evolved from a simple skateboarding mod crew to a skateboarding mod business, launching a slalom specific skate company, Slalomskateboards.com. Based on retro design and mod friendly imagery, the multifunctional hybrid slalom deck, simply called The One (a nod to the pea-cockery and one-upmanship essential in becoming a mod 'face') looks set to introduce some modernist style into this seasons slalom races.

So, dig out that old Fred perry, turn up your 501s, grab yourself some waffle sole chukks boots and race those slalom skaters on the sharpest new skateboard in the pack; you too, can be … The One.

Skateboarding Mods - the story continues

The one ‘retro’ inspired lifestyle movement that can honestly claim to speed ever forwards without fear of imploding under its own elitist gate or completist snobbery - is that of the Skateboarding Mods.

Since initial articles in magazines and blogs and the subsequent debates on internet blog-casts, the scene has grown from strength to strength alongside ever evolving extreme sporting technologies with parallelled advances in retro-styling of equipment and clothing. Quality products crafted with the modernist eye for style, super sleek long boards, stable, stream line and quick down hills. And terrifyingly twitchy slalom boards that soar down the same steep inclines whilst swerving through plastic cones, not for the faint hearted.

 

The original skateboarding- scooter- clubs that emerged at the spearhead of the scene have grown in size and number, some of them merging into hybrid skate-crews who travel around Europe and the UK to attend ‘Free rides’, weekend gathering around specially closed hills and steep graded super smooth tarmac roads, the better for long fast runs. One such ‘fellowship’ of scooterist skaters is The Blackheath Pandas alignment with The Croydon Scooter Club. Big Wave Dave (Croydon) and Dick D’mage (Panda) are both members of the highly exclusive Self-Proclaimed British Skateboarding Association

 An organisation dedicated to skate safety and encouragement of recreational skating,

spBSA website philosophy reads ‘The British Skateboard Association is the first and best officially self proclaimed, non profit making, organisation of skateboarding based activity throughout the United Kingdom. Fuelled by an unbridled passion for the operation and aesthetic of the beautiful be-wheeled objects, the BSA is an unrivalled inspirational driving force within the sport. Experts in their own fields, BSA Team members both inspire and encourage high end skate athleticism as well as nurture and support safe recreational riding. Honed by practical flair, worldly experience and the rigorous entry criteria that team members must satisfy to qualify, physically and philosophically skilled, the pinnacle of incredible honours won and a symbol of excellence and verve, the BSA ride at the forefront of urethane based action’ (spBSA 20012).

The spBSA are proudly sponsoring the only British race this season sanctioned by the IGSA (International Gravity Sports).

 The Bo Peep ‘Crash n’ Burn’ ^.

Considered one of the most challenging races in Europe, Big Wave Dave is a contender in the men’s downhill category as well as being involved with the events complicated organisation. The need for Speed is urgent.

 

The world record top speed at ‘stand up’ downhill skateboarding is currently held at a lapel rippling 80.83 mph, a more relaxed 40mph being the norm on the informal and fun Free rides. At competition level however the teams take over, time for the echelon in skate athleticism to shine, fearless and svelte, leather clad in full face helmets, resplendent with team sponsor logos, a blur of corporate business, the bitter sweet consequence of a modern, successful and fast expanding sport.

From scooters to skateboards, skateboarding mod to skating modette, take a tip from the sharp skating in-crowd clique, pad-up, strap-up and look good when your shredding the road.

The skaters featured in the photographs included in this article are experienced athletes riding under strict supervision on closed roads. Always wear a helmet !

 

Skateboarding Mods

'Skate Sharp' 
 

Guy Joseph

The aesthetic of a skateboard is as important to a Skateboarding Mod as the style of their shirt collar or cut of their trouser. Elegance of line, nostalgic ride and classic shape, individuality of skateboard defines a Skateboarding Mod’s image. 
 
Jump aside! Skateboards are the new Lambrettas.
 
The fickle tribalism of punk, two tone and mod revivalism coincided with the later days of the seventies skateboard craze. As many self-conscious teenagers swapped their Benjy-Boards for bondage trousers or Pacers for parkas, considering them incompatible with youth culture cool, a few feather headed skateboarders kept true to two causes and skated by day whilst attending Jam gigs by night. Thus was born the skateboarding mod. 
 

Mod on retro-board

Despite sharing a close association with the anti-establishment mood often associated with the skate subculture, these initial skateboarding modernists never infiltrated the music or fashion worlds as successfully as their scruffier contemporaries: skate punks and indie-kid skaters. A hole in the knee of ones bespoke mohair never looks book. This small scene, as a result, faded into folklore, lost but for the odd obscure pub quiz question or the half- remembered beer stained reminiscence of middle-aged polo shirt enthusiasts.

The recent, vibrant and much hyped, Skateboarding Mod revival is the culmination of two positive reactions. Firstly, an eye for sixties styling by professional skateboarders such as Flip Skateboard’s own Geoff Rowley, whose taste in imagery has influenced his own line of skateboard decks and wheels. Targets, scooters and swinging Carnaby graphics adorn his product range and are objects of desire in their own right. A fresh batch of clean-cut skaters, moved by Rowley’s direction, is dressing accordingly. 
 

Romain

Secondly, a wave of the original 79 skaters paying premium prices for the perfect recreation of their childhood ride (ebay auctions in Kryptonics wheels, Alva decks and ACS trucks achieving top quid bids). 

Once a skateboarding mod always a Skateboarding Mod.
 
Small pockets of these retro skaters plus the new converts are congregating into exclusive Skateboarding clubs, akin to the scooterist scene of yore.
 
Brian ‘mind my trucks’ Hall of ‘The Blackheath Pandas’, a regular mid-week chapter of Skateboarding Mods, says ‘We prefer two styles of board, the old seventies skateboards or fast and stable longboards for cruse-ability, a nod towards the scooter. And of course the sharp image is the same on or off a board. No hoodies.’

Blackheath Pandas

Despite the Pandas dress code, indie skaters aren’t completely shunned. The music can unite.
Chris Driveby (Skateboarding Mods Facebook group): ‘Some indie-skater bands wouldn’t sound out of place in the sixties. Arctic Monkeys etc., angular guitars and lyrics based on life in the suburbs, sound familiar?’ 
 
Skate-rophenia - It’s a way of life.
 
Ed Piller, record producer and Powerflex Fives fan: ‘Skateboarding Mods hunt for the appropriate ‘stylish’ components like vinyl hunters seek specific labels, it’s gotta be accurate, it has to look right.’
And what about ruining your suit? Panda Guy Joseph considers the matter: ‘Don’t fall off.’
 
You heard him: ‘Suit up and skate.’

 


  Richard Searle (Double Breasted magazine June 2010)  



PART 2. The Skateboarding Mods story continues here