Mod to Suedehead

Southlondongent · Nov 21, 2010

...a good visual source of hard-Mod/proto-skin style is the 1967 Stevenage-set film 'Here we go round the Mulberry Bush'. There is a scence at a church (!) dance with the Spencer Davis Group and the kids in the crowd (who were all real locals) all are dressed in that style.

Check it out from 6:40 onwards - the kids in the background

..

Also a couple of questions I have are: where exactly did the very short hair with long sidies originate from? The earliest example I have seen of this is a couple of fellas in the '66 Otis Redding RSG special....

Wicked clip....

Man-of-Mystery · Nov 21, 2010

Originally Posted by Southlondongent

...a good visual source of hard-Mod/proto-skin style is the 1967 Stevenage-set film 'Here we go round the Mulberry Bush'. There is a scence at a church (!) dance with the Spencer Davis Group and the kids in the crowd (who were all real locals) all are dressed in that style.

Check it out from 6:40 onwards - the kids in the background

..

Also a couple of questions I have are: where exactly did the very short hair with long sidies originate from? The earliest example I have seen of this is a couple of fellas in the '66 Otis Redding RSG special....

Wicked clip....

You just reminded me that I saw the Spencer Davis Group live, and Chris Farlowe too. Unfortunately never Otis Redding, but I did see that edition of Ready Steady Go when it was broadcast. Any self-respecting mod would have sold his left arm to get into that gig!

The short hair with long(ish) sides, as far as I recall, stemmed from the "French crop", but I can't recall precisely when it came and went.

Ancillotti · Nov 21, 2010

I gather that Skinhead girls didn't come about as a named entity until "Skinhead" went over-ground in the summer of '69, but I reckon that as the lads begun this new style their female contemporaries would've initially been mods and then developed their look through '68 and early '69 until a name change was all that was required. (I've seen 'Here we go Round the Mulberry Bush' and I can see where it was going, but it's still quite loose that early)
Can anyone describe that look in greater detail: hair, clothes, connections with the male cropheads. MoM?

C3PLOS · Nov 22, 2010

You are exactly right! Spencer Davis Group and Chris Farlowe must have been amazing!

I have a copy of the 'Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush' LP, but haven't heard it in ages... may have to put it on this week.

Also, a little background on myself: I'm also from Southern CA, but moved away back in '92. Never thought I'd be on a skinhead thread (to be honest), but a lot of posts here have been very informative!

Man-of-Mystery · Nov 22, 2010

Originally Posted by Ancillotti

I gather that Skinhead girls didn't come about as a named entity until "Skinhead" went over-ground in the summer of '69, but I reckon that as the lads begun this new style their female contemporaries would've initially been mods and then developed their look through '68 and early '69 until a name change was all that was required. (I've seen 'Here we go Round the Mulberry Bush' and I can see where it was going, but it's still quite loose that early)
Can anyone describe that look in greater detail: hair, clothes, connections with the male cropheads. MoM?

It would be a good idea to scroll back through this thread and see the handful of posts I have made earlier, rather than have me go into it again. But their look was very sexy, very sharp, very feminine (even though they borrowed some items from guys' fashion) and based around the highly-tailored mohair suit (jacket and mini skirt).

Man-of-Mystery · Nov 22, 2010

Originally Posted by C3PLOS

Spencer Davis Group and Chris Farlowe must have been amazing!

When I saw Farlowe I remember that this band's electric supply suddenly cut out in the middle of "Handbags and Gladrags", but the PA for the vocals was still live. He kept singing unaccompanied until three quarters through the song, when the band's electricity was restored, and he was still singing in the right key. He got massive applause for that!

milosz · Nov 22, 2010

Originally Posted by Southlondongent

Wicked clip....

The girl dancing next to Otis... damn.

Little Queenie · Nov 22, 2010

I've been reading this thread for ages and have found found it fascinating, but am not sure if I'm allowed to post on here as it's about men's fashion?

I'm a skinhead girl, very into the traditional '60's skinhead look. I'm interested in the time it was changing from mod into skinhead, but can't find much information about this.

Southlondongent, I really enjoyed your post about your mum and dad - it would be great to see some photos, if they don't mind of course!

Man-of-Mystery, really liked your photos. Earlier in the thread you mentioned wanting photos of original skinhead girls, not sure if this is what you had in mind? I believe it's from 1969 in Epping - does that seem about right?

Man-of-Mystery · Nov 22, 2010

Originally Posted by Little Queenie

Man-of-Mystery, really liked your photos. Earlier in the thread you mentioned wanting photos of original skinhead girls, not sure if this is what you had in mind? I believe it's from 1969 in Epping - does that seem about right?

Hi Queenie, and thanks. That's a very familiar pic and has been on this thread before. You're absolutely right about there being very little info about this particular era. The only thing that could help would be if someone had snaps out there and could scan them and post them.

I wonder if you're game for this: Get some photos done of yourself and allow me (and anyone else from back then) to make suggestions as to how to "tweak" the look for an authentic late 60s style. What do you think?

Southlondongent · Nov 22, 2010

Originally Posted by Man-of-Mystery

You just reminded me that I saw the Spencer Davis Group live, and Chris Farlowe too. Unfortunately never Otis Redding, but I did see that edition of Ready Steady Go when it was broadcast. Any self-respecting mod would have sold his left arm to get into that gig!

The short hair with long(ish) sides, as far as I recall, stemmed from the "French crop", but I can't recall precisely when it came and went.

SDG are one of my favourite bands of that era. Wen't downhill somewhat when Winwood left, but still did some decent stuff.

Yeah French Crop with sideburns was my default hairstyle for most of the 90's kind of Ian McClagen circa '66, sometimes a shorter or longer variation

loempiavreter · Nov 22, 2010

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Skip to 6:21 (and maybe the bit slightly before that, the lot who get wrapped up) to see the "new cropped haired mods" complain about the psychedelic festival (and the lack of decent girls).

This one is from the part 2 of 14h technicolor dream, not sure if they are, but I see the black kid with parting dancing to The Flies actually having fun, but his his friends have a sheepskin and suits (in the first picture).

Not sure if these are part, like the one on the right is to far off to see clearly, but something reminds me of skinheads but not sure...

Southlondongent · Nov 22, 2010

Little Queenie;3822240 said:
I've been reading this thread for ages and have found found it fascinating, but am not sure if I'm allowed to post on here as it's about men's fashion?

I'm a skinhead girl, very into the traditional '60's skinhead look. I'm interested in the time it was changing from mod into skinhead, but can't find much information about this.

Southlondongent, I really enjoyed your post about your mum and dad - it would be great to see some photos, if they don't mind of course!

Ta, Little Queenie. I don't think any of us would object to you posting on here!!

My folks only have literally a handful of photos stuck in a box at their gaff. I'll do me best...

Man-of-Mystery · Nov 22, 2010

@ loempiavreter

You're going to have to put the YouTube ref as a url in the text of the post, I think.

Man-of-Mystery · Nov 22, 2010

Originally Posted by Southlondongent

My folks only have literally a handful of photos stuck in a box at their gaff. I'll do me best...

Gent, I crawled all the way through my attic for my pics!

Get Smart · Nov 22, 2010

Originally Posted by Man-of-Mystery

Gent, I crawled all the way through my attic for my pics!

and the results were well worth your efforts. great to see "new" pics that arent the standards that you see in books and internet that everyone references.

along with his Suedeheads article, Alex R also did one on the French Cut which might be of interest here

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