George "Porky" Peckham

Portland Studio 1978

George Peckham at Apple Studio

The legendary George Peckham, record cutter for some of the finest groups for some four decades. Peckham is a lacquer-cutting and mastering engineer and has an illustrious career that includes work on The Beatles, Genesis and Led Zeppelin catalogue, as well as helping on the engineering aspects of those artists' work. Better known as “Porky”, as in "A Porky Prime Cut", which is written in the dead/wax lead-out grooves of almost every Punk, Post-Punk and New-Wave record from the late 70's onward that was pressed in the UK. In melodic Scouse Peckham explains:
'''It was a nickname I got in Liverpool during the '60s, cos of all the old slagbags I used to chase and the ale I put away. I was brought up in and around Liverpool and up to the Sixties I played with pals trying to learn guitar and to form a group."
Singer and guitarist with the Brian Epstein-managed 60s’ beat combo The Fourmost, Peckham left the group to work for Epstein's rather more famous charges The Beatles when they opened the Apple studio in 1968.
'The problem the lads were having was, they found they'd record something in the studio and it would sound completely different, really weak. So I said they should do an acetate on vinyl and log the information then transfer the spec when they cut the master.'
Obviously impressed by this rather technical-sounding jargon, The Beatles offered Peckham the position of chief Apple cutter and Porky was born.
'Before you make the final positive,' adds Peckham, 'you have to put a matrix number in the middle, because as far as the factory is concerned it's just another disc. Then I sneak on the old “Porky Prime Cut”...'
Originally, 'Porky' was a reference for the pressing plant should they need to contact the cutter.

'That was the main reason I wrote Porky on The Beatles' records but I was scared to put any weird stuff on their records because their fans were that crazy about them that they'd read something into it.'
He is widely recognised as among the most accomplished in the business, responsible for producing the master discs from which countless vinyl records have been pressed over the last 40 years. His master discs, and the records produced from them, often bear either the motto "A Porky Prime Cut" on the run-off groove of their record.

Later, these signatures varied and often contained cryptic messages. Some examples of signatures are:
  • Porky
  • Porkys
  • Porky Prime Cut
  • Porky Primed
  • Primed
  • A Porky Prime Cut
  • A Porky ‘Oh yes’ Prime cut
  • A Porky Prime Er-Er-Er Goldfish I Think
  • A Porky Prime sniff sniff cut
  • A Porky Prime Tango
  • A Portland Porky Prime Cut
  • A Lively Porky Prime Cut
  • A Porky Prime Cut F' Da Lads
  • A'Nudder Porky Prime Cut
  • Yes A'Nudder Porky Prime Cut
  • Pecko
  • Pecko Duck
Some of the messages include:
‘Ooh George, You’re Such A Dark Horse Luv George.’
‘ONOTHIMAGEN YERRITIZ LA!’
‘Learning How To Love You’, ‘PECKO.’
Found on various George Harrison Apple releases

'A Bunch of Stiffs'
Stiff Records Compilation

'Taking no prisoners'
Archie Brown and The Young Bucks

"Porky Likes To Pokey With Okey Cokey"
"Happy Xmas To All My Readers, Porky"
Slade
One of his most technically demanding achievements was the so-called "three-sided" album, The Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief in 1973.

"Matching Tie And Handkerchief was a bit of a bastard. Mike Palin came down and said he wanted to cut this one track with a double groove so you put the record on and depending which groove the needle fell into, you'd get one of two tracks. Ten goes that took. A right bugger of a red eye job. I think I wrote, 'Dear Mum, Please Send Another Cuppa Down, Still Cutting The Python LP, Love Porky XX' on that one.'
In 1978 he joined the Portland Studios team to work for Chas Chandler on his Barn productions., his first cut being Rock 'N' Roll Bolero (released 27/10/1978). He stayed as their cutter through Portland's sale, their comeback and up until they signed with RCA. His last Slade cut seems to be the live album, Slade On Stage, in 1982 although he can be found again on the 1991 'Radio Wall Of Sound' single.

1981 UK Lock Up Your Daughters Porky Acetate.


Nowadays, George has retired from the music industry but he is selling some of his own personal memorabilia on eBay.



He is also writing his life story, having worked with so many famous names from the 60’s onwards, his comical nature and love of life, lived to the full, this book will be full of humorous stories from his times in Liverpool. His antics in Hamburg during the 60’s and his narrow escape from the many gangsters and unbelievable situations they got into, his many years working in Apple studios in London and, of course, his parties and nights out with the stars many of which have been and indeed still are close personal friends. His stories offer deep insights into the swinging 60’s and a small taste can be found at Mersey Beat: The George Peckham Story.

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Rock 'N' Roll Bolero

UK, 6th October, 1978
Barn Records - 2014 127

This was a change in direction for the band, merging a bolero with rock and roll (and it worked!), but again, despite radio airplay, the single failed to chart in the UK. It was a highly valued release amongst fans for its excellent B-side, 'It's Alright Buy Me', unavailable elsewhere until 2007, 'B-Sides' compilation was released.

German Picture Cover of "Rock 'N' Roll Bolero".

B-Side Track mispelled on Rear Cover...






Belgium - Barn - 1978.

Cleethorpes Bunnies 1978

Cleethorpes, August 29th, 1978


Tuesday night at Bunnie's Nightclub in Cleethorpes. Noddy Holder has a broken nose, courtesy of Desmond Brothers, delivered the night before at the Stoneleigh Club in Porthcawl, Glamorgan.
"We played a place down in South Wales last night and eh, if you can see all me black eyes and bruises... One of the Bouncers decided to use me as a punch-bag. He eh, he beat the fucking shit out of me.... broke me nose and everything. But eh, the show must go on."
Noddy Holder
In actual fact, one punch had floored Holder. Brothers had been waiting in the wings when the group had come off stage. Holder had shouted at the security through the PA for getting too rough, as can also be heard in the Randwick recording from 1973. He said to Brothers:
"You're a big boy aren't you, picking on people half your size..."
to which Brothers replied:
"I'll see you later and show you how big I am."

Daily Mirror: Wednesday 30th August 1978

Burning In The Heat Of Love
is included in the set and Something Else is performed with Jim's solo spot being somewhat messy. It's great to hear how it evolved before he got it in the right order as played at the Reading Festival 2 years later. Also on the agenda is Dizzy Mama as a prototype, Pretty Mama.

Dave has a go at being a 'guitar hero' at the end of Gudbuy T' Jane, lots of noise and feedback but the end result does not impress. He has a solo spot where he plays the old Santos & Johnny classic, Sleepwalking. This harks back to Dave's roots, when he first picked up a guitar. He was inspired by The Shadows, who covered this in the 60's and I'm confident that Dave used to play it with The Vendors.

The band also sing Happy Birthday to roadie, J.J. and there's also a hint of American accent in places. The recording quality is far from perfect but this is a great gig to hear for the fans. It shows the evolution of the band, during the so called 'Lean Years' at a particularly low point, yet still they play with that same ferocity despite Holder under Doctor's orders.


  • Hear Me Calling
  • Get On Up
  • My Baby Left Me
  • Take Me Bak 'Ome
  • Burnin' In The Heat Of Love
  • Everyday
  • Something Else
  • Pretty Mama
  • Gudbuy T'Jane
  • Walk On
  • Mama Weer All Crazee Now
  • Get Down & Get With It
  • Sleepwalking
  • Cum On Feel The Noize
  • Happy Birthday JJ
  • I'm A Rocker
  • Far Far Away (fade)
The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Cleethorpes 29-08-1978.rar Filesize: 122.28 MB




In the July of 1979, the group appeared at the Crown Court in Cardiff where, ex-policeman, Brothers was sentenced to three months in prison.


Daily Mirror: Tuesday 3rd July 1979


Daily Star: 3rd July 1979
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Another recording from the vaults of Slade In England, deep in the bowels of Castle Greywolf. I think the photos were taken by Steve Flinders


Poland 1978

Poland, Summer 1978


Hi Mick,

I've been trying for a long time to complete Polish dates but I have no reliable source to make it for sure. Press cuttings f.e. are saying they played the town of Bydgoszcz on 31st July but in fact they were in Bydgoszcz on 30th July - and this is confirmed. Through all these years I had no information about the gig in Swinoujscie near Szczecin but just recently I've found a fan, Jan Krok, who was there and took colour photos. Jan was in the army then (a military sailor at Swinoujscie base). He does not remember the exact date though.

I'll try to do my best to ask everybody here once again and try to find through the press, journalists, etc new sources and maybe I succeed one day.

What we do know for sure:
  • Slade were in Poland from 24 July 1978.
  • They landed back at Heathrow 16 August 1978.  
  • (see Dave Kemp photos)
  • First gig was in Sopot - 24 July - Monday
  • Last gig was in Wroclaw - 13 August Sunday
They played:

Sopot - 24 and 25 July
Kolobrzeg 27?
Szczecin - 28 July
Swinoujscie - 29?
Bydgoszcz - 30 July
Poznan - 1 and 2 August
Hala Sportowa, Łódź - 3 August
Warszawa - 4 and 5 August
Krakow - ???
Tarnow - 9 August
Katowice - ???
Opole - ???
Wroclaw - 13 August

Ticket from Sopot (first gig in Poland).
Szczecin



Assumptions:
I have a source saying they played also the town of Kolobrzeg but there's no date. It could have been between Sopot and Szczecin or Swinoujscie.

Świnoujście











Slade themselves said they played Gdansk also but it might be mistake cause Sopot is very near to Gdansk. There are 3 linked towns one there: Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia - we call them Trojmiasto (Tri-town).
Poster from Bydgoszcz.

Somoeone told me years ago they played Gdansk - Hala Oliwia but I have no other source to confirm but if they did it it could have been just after Sopot gigs on 26th July - then Kolobrzeg (27), Szczecin (28- this is definite) and Swinoujsce (29) - assumptions only.



Friday - 4th August - Torwar, Warszawa. 
Warszawa is the Polish name of Warsaw. Torwar is the name of the venue they played in Warsaw. There were two gigs at Torwar in Warsaw - 4th and 5th August 1978. (I witnessed both) First (Friday) was far better, last encore was Cum On Feel The Noize and I was just in front of stage, 5 metres from mister Holder (security kept us in distance from stage).


There are photos taken by Grzegorz Zielinski who sadly passed away in 1985. Grzegorz also filmed (with no sound) about 1-2 minutes of this gig (last notes of Hear Me Calling) with a 8mm camera. I've seen this film many times but sadly after Grzegorz's  death we all lost contact with his parents and nobody knows if the film still exists and who owns it.



Saturday 5th August - Torwar, Warszawa
The Saturday show included M'Hat M'Coat as an encore just after Mama Weer All Crazee Now and before the last one Rock'nroll Medley which was played before COFTN on Friday. Sadly I met friends who persuaded me to sit with them at the very end of the hall using small opera-glasses to see them better. It was one of my biggest stupid moves in my life! I had a place in front of stage and I moved at the end of the hall.


Earlier, before this gig, I met Slade personally for the first time in my life. It was at Forum Hotel in Warsaw. First I met Nod and Don having a coffee together with two girls inside, then Jim, just after he came down and left the lift and Dave at the end when everybody was in the bus waiting for him. I had my first autographs in my "Slade in Flame" notes book and never again used the pen they used to sign!


I did not speak English back then so I had no chance to chat with any of them but Noddy screamed "Hooray, hooray" when a newlywed couple appeared in front of the hotel and IT WAS THIS VOICE live and kicking just one metre from me!


Don was very friendly to us fans, I've noticed it.



I don't know who the photographer was on this day, all I know is that he wasn't a Slade fan.


The magazine, Synkopa, was released after the tour - it is stated in first sentence that Slade WERE touring Poland and there is a photo taken from one of the Warsaw's gigs. We don't know particular date but it was a monthly magazine (or maybe quarterly?).






The cutting with wrong dates (some of them were wrong) is from the newspaper called "Sztandar Młodych" (The Banner of the Young) - communistic paper for young people (a little bit "freedom of speech" in it) and it was released before the tour (stated at the end of first paragraph that Slade WILL tour Poland). Still we don't know the proper date of release.


Black and white is from Warsaw 5th August) and probably the author of those two pics I've sent you earleir is seen on this one.
Opole

The colour one is the most mysterious photo we have. It was sent to us with a description "Slade in Kalisz 1978". Kalisz is a small town on the way from Poznan to Warsaw (closer to Poznan). Kalisz WAS NOT on the list of places Slade played in Poland but you never know (like Swinoujscie).
Poznań
If they were in Kalisz it should have been between Bydgoszcz and Poznan but it's only my assumption. Otherwise it is not a photo from Kalisz but from somewhere else.




Four tickets from 1978 - fronts and backs. Two of them were mine (bilet Torwar)
Pio Walecki





two more pics from Warsaw gig - 4 Aug 1978.


The author Grzegorz Zieliński (passed away back in 1985) added a paper stamp of Polish Slade Fan Club to both pics.

The third one with Nod's face is interesting because of the metal badge Slade Fan Club lying on the photo. This badge was the one ot the only three copies made for Grzegorz, Paweł Gosk and me back in 1981. I wore my copy on my leather jacket and lost it somewhere in between The Trumpet and The Robin 2 in 2008

Kraków