In The 50's, Who Was The Resident Band At...


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OK, since you guys like trivia so much, here's one for you. :P Who was the resident band at The Astoria Ballroom during the 1950's?

And what was their best known song?

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would that be Ken Mackintosh by any chance?... :huh:

after doing some searching I've come up with this info..

Ken Mackintosh

and it looks like the hit of the day was 'the creep' ?? .. :huh:

apparently he's still gigging today in his 80's, which is nice to see.

the only time I ever frequented the Astoria would be around the mid sixties for a works Xmas party, in those days it was called the Sherwood rooms.

the pic below is circa 84.

NTGM003781.jpg

courtesy www.picturethepast.org.uk

ilko..

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Nice try, but try again! :P I'll give you a hint, look to the sky for the band's name.

And the song, it's the name of a woman and a state in the US :rolleyes:

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I can't believe I stumped you! This one is courtesy of my Mom, just so ya know! :D

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And no, it's not an Ambrosia sky, but there is a dusting of stars. ;) Come on, I all but gave it to you there! The "Mr. Smith" thing is a hint to the band leader. About the song, it's a southern state y'all, and by the way, is it peach season? :rolleyes:

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All right guys, I'll give you till the end of the day (your time) then I'll ease your mental anguish! :blink:

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as a matter of interest, whereabouts exactly was the Astoria ballroom situated in the 1950's?..

I assumed in my posting it was the 'Astoria' on greyfriar gate, but in the 1950's it would have been known as the sherwood rooms.. so maybe I have that wrong too!

and was the song in the hit parade at the time?

btw:..

you'll have to make these quizzes a bit more easier than this ya know!, us Brits have only got small brains .. too many of these and we'll all be suffering from cranial disfunction syndrome! :blink:

ilko..

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Well, that picture you posted looks just like what my mom described (on a corner, steps infront) I also know it had a rotating dance floor :blink: All I know about the band is the name of the leader, the band, and their best known song. What is the hit parade? :huh: Remember, I'm just a yank and this was WAY before my time! I was born in 1970!

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The only ballroom I know with a rotating dance floor was the Palais on the corner of Parliament street.

It could be at midnight they all jhad revolving dance floors??

The Palais had steps to the front as well!

A :P

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Well, leave it to my mom to give the wrong information!! She must have got the rotating dancefloor confused with the Palais. Anyway, the answer was Don Smith and the Stardusters. Their best known song was Georgia. They were a local band that played at The Astoria Ballroom every night unless they got a headliner. :rolleyes:

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That could definately be them, my mom is getting a bit old,(She just turned 72) she may have gotten Ron and Don mixed up. :rolleyes: But she says she's positive about the Stardusters name. :)

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Ilko

this info is hosted on, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey site.

& they look like yanks to me?

Were they an American band Cali?

It was only ten years after the war?

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:unsure: OK, you're asking way too much information about these guys now! Remember, this is all mom's info, and I wasn't even born for another 20 odd years!! :blink:

I'd call and ask her, but she's out and about right now. She's stuck in the dark ages, not only does she not own a computer, she is also lacking in the cell phone department! :P

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after posting these replies, I mentionioned all this info to a friend, who remembered the band and confirmed that it was indeed Don Smith and the Stardusters.. he also mentioned the Locarno ballroom and the Elizabethan rooms as being possible venues for the band..

I remember the names Locarno and Elizabethan rooms, but Can't recall their location.. any ideas?? :huh:

ilko.. ..

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Thank goodness someone was finally able to confirm this! :P I was starting to feel a bit silly thinking I had led you all down the merry path to nothing!! :lol:

I'll ask my mom about those other 2 when I call her. :)

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  • 1 year later...

:Vampire: Dam! i missed this one, sugar..

B) The Palais last Sunday evening in the rain...now called OCEANA..

!rulez! Notice too the amount of road furniture. It feels when you are crossing the road like you are in a cattle market with all those barriers..

post-9-1143643180.jpg

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