Rock's Diamond Year

David Sinclair was born on October 24, 1952. He was educated at Eltham College, London and at Warwick University, where he graduated in 1975 with an honours degree in Politics. He played drums in London Zoo and TV Smith's Explorers then worked as a BBC TV researcher on programmes including Wogan and The Rock'n'Roll Years. He became pop critic at The Times in London in 1985 and has contributed to Rolling Stone, Billboard, Q and Kerrang! He is the author of Tres Hombres: The Story of ZZ Top (1986); Rock On CD - The Essential Guide (1992, updated 1993); and Wannabe: How The Spice Girls Reinvented Pop Fame (2004). His parallel career as a singer, guitarist and songwriter continues with the release of his album, Hey, on Critical Discs/Proper, available from record shops and online at www.indiestore.com/davidsinclair Ralph Brookfield trained as a molecular physicist, worked as a freelance writer and software engineer, ran his own software business then became a director of technology in the digital television industry until 2012. Since then, he has pursued his passions of writing and music which he combines in his songwriting, playing regularly with his band in the Ealing area, the crucible of RnB music in the UK, where he also manages and promotes grassroots music. He is married, has two grown-up children, and is a founder member of the infamous Hanwell Ukulele Group. Alistair Young is co-founder of the Ealing Club Community InterestCompany established in 2011 to highlight the music heritage of Ealing, Acton, Hanwell and Southall and to inspire the musicians of the future.Back in March 1962 the Red Room was the home of the EalingBlues Club and is the place where electric blues music was first regularlyplayed in the UK, providing a venue for a generation of musicians who becamefamous around the world such as the Rolling Stones, The Who and Cream.The Ealing Club also played a part in creating the sound ofrock. A Sunday night in 1963 saw the first public performance ever to use theclassic 'loud' Marshall JTM45 guitar amplifier, designed and built in nearbyHanwell.Gina Way is the co-owner and manager of the Eel Pie Club, the home of Richmond Rhythm & Blues, in Twickenham. She books the bands, looks after publicity, deals with memberships and accounts, and updates the website and Facebook. She also co-produces an annual 1940s show, Big Band Blitz, and organises other events such as balls and entertainment for clients. She has been interviewed by the BBC and has written for 'The British Beat Explosion: Rock n Roll Island' and other music-related publications. Writer on blues in the UK, reviewer for magazine 'Blues In Britain' and 'The Dub'

"...gives insight into the Big Bang of rock music and why it was centered around southwest London suburbs in the 60s. Highly recommended." - Mark Dezzani, DJ, Radio Caroline; “With its title as a reference to the 60th anniversary of British r’n’b in Ealing and other parts of suburban London, this nostalgic paperback is a nod to eager performers of the music and the vibrant places where it thrived.” – Russell Newmark, The Beat Magazine; “The amount of information included within these pages is nearly mindblowing, so this book is a must-read if you’re interested in music history. Even though you’ll stumble upon many famous artists and bands while reading Rock’s Diamond Year, you’ll notice how each author primarily focuses on the stories about clubs… I adore how the authors thought about that particular detail” – Djordje Miladinović, Thoughts Words Action; the goal of “Rock’s Diamond Year” is to serve as a guide to London’s swinging landmarks, and as such this book works perfectly." - Dmitry Epstein, DMME