Teddy Boys and the Nineteen Fifties
Go on, I dare you to admit you can remember those days! You would have to be at least 50 to really remember the 1950’ s really well. I regret to say I can! Regret? no, I’m only joking, I love looking back on those heady days. I was young, yes, seriously! In ‘54 when I was 13, thirteen??? (it all seems a life time ago now), my first brush with Rock ‘n’ Roll was hearing Joe Turner’s Shake Rattle and Roll, Little Richard followed next, then it seemed an avalanche of artists cascaded onto the scene! Bill Haley, Elvis (The King), Chuck Berry (wasn’t he something else?) Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, The Coasters, The Platters, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, where do I stop? There are literally hundreds, if not thousands more that I can’t list here, as it would protract this article beyond reason! However, that doesn’t mean they were lesser artists for not getting a mention here, as we all know, there were many more who were brilliant in their field, and who deserve the same plaudits as those mentioned above!
The dress code. Oh yeah, the more flamboyant you were, the more you were noticed! Powder blue drape below the knee, black velvet collar and cuffs, black tapes sewn into “s” shaped pockets (breast and side), and finished with an ice blue silk lining! Tight black trousers with 14” bottoms (or jeans shrunk on in a hot bath for 2 hours), were held up with the famous studied belt. Usually black leather, with a brass or silver buckle, it was adorned with brass studs all the way around. Of course, we can’t forget the waistcoat! Paisley, what else? No seriously, most self respecting Teds wore Paisley, with various patterns and colours. My favourite was the “U” cut front, as it showed more of your shirt for one thing, and looked nicer with high collar drape. I still have a photo of me in a pink drape, one my parents didn’t know about, well, if they’d known they would have frowned a lot - at least!
Shoes! Oh yeah… they were the most important item on the agenda when you were out shopping. I remember one pair I bought (can’t remember where), they were black suede, the vamp and sides were interlaced with white piping, and finished with large silver buckles. Commonly known as brothel creepers, yes, there was blue suede as well, the other popular shoe was the Eaton Clubman. On Saturday nights at the Glen, our local dance hall, you literally danced the night away, and if you were lucky…”Come on Queenie, let’s shake it!”
Teddy Boys started in the mid fifties, and except for a small number of “die-hards”, by 1961 they had largely died out, and were replaced by the Italian “mod” look with very short jackets; we called them “Bum freezers” because of their lack of anterior coverage during the winter months! Quite a number of the remaining Teddy boys, mostly Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochrane fans became “Rockers”, and rode around in gangs on fast motor bikes, commonly known as "Rockers", and wore black leather jackets and tight blue jeans; usually frequenting their favourite coffee bar or pub. I was both, and didn’t hang up my drape until the early ’70’s, as a married man other factors become more important, and family is everything, but there are still Teds around to this day in the United Kingdom, frequenting social clubs where they relive the fabulous 50’s, and still dance to the music of yesteryear, and often to live bands. I’ve been to a few of them, and I must admit, with the bands I’ve seen. their prowess as R & R bands is bloody excellent! At 65 I still love listening and dancing to “our” music!
Phil Phoenix.