Previous post: day 1 in London sightseeing…
A rock ‘n roll tour was day 2’s activity. Kel and I set out from The Belgrave Hotel to Pimlico Underground Station, where we intended to take the tube to meet our tour guide, Lee.
Unfortunately, the station was closed, gates pulled together and chained! We ran into a young woman, Holly, on her way to work, who walked with us to Victoria Underground Station about ten minutes away. Along the way, she said stations could close because of an escalator malfunction. Imagine a Washington, D.C. Metro station closed because of issues like a broken escalator—half the stations wouldn’t be available.
We met Lee on time for the walking tour of Soho and Chelsea. We saw so much that I couldn’t write about it all here, so I’ll post highlights. If you’re in London, take the tour yourself—it’s worth the time.
First off was the building where Ken Coyler, a trumpeter, played skiffle interludes after returning from New Orleans. Doesn’t sound terribly rock ‘n roll, but skiffle influenced several famous musicians (members of The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd, and more) or they began as skiffle groups. Follow the skiffle link to learn more.
This innocuous doorway was once Gooseberry Studios where Led Zeppelin conducted their first-ever rehearsal.
Many members of musical groups like The Stones, The Beatles, The Who, and others came to The Flamingo Club to hear performances. Brian Jones and Paul McCartney heard The Byrds play in 1965. The Mod subculture centered here. After it closed, it became The Temple where Genesis and Queen performed.
Off topic—we visited where TV was first demonstrated.
We came to Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, which is still operating today, including having a house band. Jimi Hendrix’s last public performance was here. Several live albums from Ella Fitzgerald, Buddy Rich, Dream Theater, and Van Morrison were recorded here.
Next up was MPL Communications, which is the offices of a holding company for Paul McCarney. In the picture below, a The Beatles tour was in progress. We stood quietly to hear what their guide was saying. In the window of the second picture, is the back of a statue from Wings Greatest album. It was photographed in the Alps for the cover.
The Carlisle Building (no 18) was a place where Tony Kaye and Peter Banks, both from Yes, lived.
We made our way to Trident Studios, which is now offices but has a storied history, from David Bowie recording Ziggy Stardust to The Beatles recording Hey Jude. Numerous other artists recorded here, including Yes, Golden Earring, and Genesis. I’m leaving out notable artists—it’s worth reading the link above. Funny thing, the entrance today is still on a cobblestone alleyway.
In the studio, there was a red phone. Lee, our tour guide who played bass in this studio when he was a teenager, said that they used the phone to call out. They never received calls on the number because no one knew it. One call rang through, though, and it can be heard at the end of David Bowie’s “Life on Mars.” The telephone on the song is the red phone below, which today sits in window facing the street.
The Great Frog provides rock ‘n roll jewelry to many famous musicians. At one time, Joan Jett and Neil Peart (Rush) worked there.
We stopped at a Starbucks to sit a few minutes and have lunch. By the way, if you want a bagel in Europe, you’re out of luck. I only found one at Zurich Airport on our last day. However, several Starbucks had a delicious pre-packaged chicken and cheddar sandwich on herb bread that hit the spot while we were on the go and pressed for time.
Not too far away was the building where The Beatles played their rooftop concert at the Apple Records headquarters. It’s funny—I’m sure people for blocks around could have heard it, but very few people would’ve seen it, mostly Apple employees who made their way to the roof and others on roofs of nearby buildings. It’s worth following the link above to read about the concert.
Now, we hit the driving part of the tour. First up was Battersea Power Station, which used to provide London with electricity until finally decommissioned in 1983. While it was involved in a handful of pop culture projects, its link to rock ‘n roll in Pink Floyd’s album cover for Animals.
Then we stopped at a building that started out in 1796 as Wright’s Diary. Notice the cow’s head on the building. In 1964, two sound engineers, Geoff Frost and John Wood, bought it for a recording studio because the slate-lined walls would act as soundproofing. This building became Sound Techniques Ltd where Pink Floyd, T-Rex, Elton John, The Who, and more recorded.
Next up, was Freddie Mercury’s house. If you look closely at the photo below, you can see the top of the house and trees inside the walled property. Freddie also owned the house next door but eventually gave it to Elton John.
We made our way to Jimmy Page’s house. The day before, Lee conducted a tour where Jimmy was at the gate with two maintenance workers discussing repairs. Lee couldn’t believe no one wanted to go and say, “Hi.” Even though I’m not the biggest Led Zeppelin fan, I would have.
On the way to our last stop, Abbey Roads Studio, we slowed down past the house in the photo. It’s Emma Watson’s house (Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter films). We couldn’t stop because of the guard outside who looked like he could play defensive back on an NFL team. Apparently, Lee stopped once and the guard chased the van on foot. Yes, one car is a Porshe, and the other is a Bentley. That’s Harry Potter money!
Then we closed out the day at Abbey Roads where Kel and I walked across the crosswalk The Beatles made famous. Other than that, it’s no different than the thousands of crosswalks in London.
This tour was a blast! If you’re going to be in London and have a day to spare, I recommend Lee at www.rocktours.co.uk.
I’m an author living in northern Virginia with a wife and a cat. In the late ’80s, I worked on the International Space Station project. I recently retired from managing a group of software engineers to focus on writing science fiction and speculative fiction. Learn more.