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Thread: Teddy Boy Rock'n'Roll

  1. #1
    Call Me a Cab mike's Avatar
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    Teddy Boy Rock'n'Roll

    Pardon me if this is a bit off topic, but these are people who absolutely love their suits and are well worth a mention.

    I'm curious how many people here are familiar with the English subculture of Teddy Boys?

    They predate Rock'n'Roll by a few years. They're commonly referred to as the 1st teenagers, post-WW2 kids with nothing to do living in bleary war-torn England. Similar to the Zoot Suit concept of America but did things their own way. They adapted the older form of the establishment and well-to-do gentleman by way of edwardian era 3 piece suits & brothel creepers. They sported long drape coats and close cut trousers called drainpipe trousers. They often wore western ties, sometimes loud sometimes matching vests and often loud socks. When rock'n'roll began, they embraced it and held on to it for dear life. They were the only group of people that never turned their back on it, they took in our tired, weary and broken 50's musicians when the rest of the world turned to whatever was the next hip thing. They nurtured what they loved and supported it and continue to do so, in many cases over several generations of families! Today you can go do a Ted club or weekender in England, or through Europe, and see every age bracket there. Often with tattoos up to their ears and balding but wearing impeccable 3 piece Teddy Boy suits, because they don't grow up, they love what they love and why complicate it. Over the years you can see the style adapting with the times somewhat, what began with blue, black, charcoal and burgandy in the 50's took on more 70's color schemes as the years went on and further fit the era it existed in during the 80's. They began to become a pop culture joke as you can buy teddy boy wigs for british fancy dress parties but today there's been a return to darker colors as the pictures below illustrate the changing times. Although there has always been the core people involved and breathing life into it along with an ever expanding group of die hard fans of the essential pillars of real Rock'n'Roll.





    some 70's rock'n'roll revival era pictures..



    I'll look around for some original 50's teddy boy pictures but you begin to get the idea perhaps..?
    I may have a great hat, but I don't let it go to my head.

  2. #2
    I'll Lock Up
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    Quite a few discussions of Teddy Boys and Girls here.

    Just a few

    http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=3485

    http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showp...4&postcount=71

    http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=8202

    and its been mentioned in how suits are cut threads a whole bunch more times.
    They say ignorance is bliss, but it really just means you failed to learn.

  3. #3
    Call Me a Cab mike's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Miss Neecerie
    Quite a few discussions of Teddy Boys and Girls here.

    Just a few

    http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=3485

    http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showp...4&postcount=71

    http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=8202

    and its been mentioned in how suits are cut threads a whole bunch more times.
    ooh yeah look at that you're right well ok, still three cheers for teds!
    I may have a great hat, but I don't let it go to my head.

  4. #4
    One Too Many Warden's Avatar
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    With the Christmas tunes been shown on the pop TV Channels, I found myself thinking how smart 1970s pop band 'Mud' looked in their Teddy Boy suits.



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  5. #5
    Call Me a Cab mike's Avatar
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    I think the cartoonish nature of them became pop culture for a while but it's not the case anymore, most people wear really classy looking ones in my opinion, look at the picture of the young-ish guy on his own in sun glasses above as an example.

    I'm sorry my pictures of me and my drapes aren't really focused on the clothes, pictures usually happen drunk in the middle of the night but they are all I have so...here ya go..
    Me in a 70's rock n roll revival full suit, I think it was appreciated

    same suit -slightly- better shot of it...

    Real classy 3 button charcoal gray drape coat, which can be dressed up or down

    I had a removable collar and a clip on the back to keep my tie in place, but i was three sheets to the wind



    And if you are interested in bands that are the pillars of this music, it would be Crazy Cavan, Freddie Fingers Lee, Matchbox, Vernon & the GI's, CSA and many more. Most of which still play and most of which still look great in their drape suits! Recent bands, check out Lou Cifer & the Hellions, Furious, Black Raven, Foggy Mountain Rockers, Rockabilly Mafia and many more...

    Also, this isn't a teddy boy suit, but somewhat similar. I brought Reverend Beat-man, a mock-tv evangelist/one man r'n'r band from Switzerland to NYC to play. Yes he has a bible around his waist, he makes people get down and kiss 'the bible belt'! Here's a picture of us just prior to showtime...
    I may have a great hat, but I don't let it go to my head.

  6. #6
    Call Me a Cab imoldfashioned's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mike
    I brought Reverend Beat-man, a mock-tv evangelist/one man r'n'r band from Switzerland to NYC to play. Yes he has a bible around his waist, he makes people get down and kiss 'the bible belt'!
    Oh, I'll bet he does!

    Thanks for posting these photos, they're really great. I especially like this one:



    Everybody looks great and I love the incongruity of the beach chairs. Love the guy on the far left especially, with the striped socks, and this guy:



    He's got some serious hair there (you can tell that girl thinks so)!
    The time to make up your mind about people is never--The Philadelphia Story

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    Call Me a Cab reetpleat's Avatar
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    Here is a question. does this exist at all in the US? I have spent time in LA, SF, SEattle and Portland and have never seen it. Not even in Viva Las Vegas, although I might have just missed it there. I know the Reverend Horton Heat and Brian Setzer wear teddyish stuff, but real teds?

    do they mix with the rockabilly or punk scenes, or rockin' or mods. or swing or anything else? Or do they keep to themselves.

    What about Japan or Europe?

  8. #8
    Call Me a Cab mike's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by reetpleat
    Here is a question. does this exist at all in the US? I have spent time in LA, SF, SEattle and Portland and have never seen it. Not even in Viva Las Vegas, although I might have just missed it there. I know the Reverend Horton Heat and Brian Setzer wear teddyish stuff, but real teds?

    do they mix with the rockabilly or punk scenes, or rockin' or mods. or swing or anything else? Or do they keep to themselves.

    What about Japan or Europe?
    100% never made it to the colonies! Which I think, is part of the appeal. They don't mix with other groups in England and Europe really, it's very self sufficient. And the best thing is they dont' seem to ever fall out of it. Some of these guys are 70 years old, are tattooed all over their faces and have pictures of themselves as Teds on stage with Gene Vincent in the 60's. The dedication I think is marvelous.

    10 years ago I was told to "Go back to kings road you filthy punk rocker!" by a drunk 60 year old ted at the Tennessee Club in London! As a NY psychobilly tourist, I was as proud as proud can be! hahah what a culture shock! actually there were a ton of stories about that.

    They don't really mix with neo-rockabillies and are separate and distinct from even non-ted rockabilly fans. They're got their own Edwardian Societies. It's really pretty fascinating. Although ofcourse we're really grouping people into stereotypes but for the sake of an overview description, this may do.
    I may have a great hat, but I don't let it go to my head.

  9. #9
    One Too Many
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    Teddy Boys are a typical example of a genre that starts out as a genuine sub-culture and decends into parody. I don't believe that anyone who wasn't there in the middle 1950s can really appreciate the impact that this particular fashion had on British society that was only five years out of clothes rationing and ten years away from a war.

    I remember seeing Teddy Boys being pelted with horse manure (yes, we had delivery horses in those days) by outraged citizens. I recall my father saying with genuine grief that we may as well have lost the war because of what young men were wearing... all that effort and the sacrifice of millions of lives wasted. I think a lot of people really believed that sort of thing.

    Me? I had drainpipes, a bootlace tie and a drape jacket stashed away at a friend's house...

    Alan

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    I'll Lock Up BellyTank's Avatar
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    In New Zealand, we had "Bodgies and Widgies".

    Looking with my good ear peeled.

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