Category: Rock ‘n’ roll/pre-Beatles era

PETER & THE PERSUADERS

ALAN BENNETT – bass, LONNIE COOK – gtr, GRAHAM COOPER – gtr, PETER GROCOTT – vox, DAVID IONS – drums, Stoke-on-Trent was this band’s home patch and they specialised in cover versions of late fifties rock’n’rollers like The Wanderer, which was included on their four track EP released in 1965. Other tracks were Oh My Soul, LONNIE’S Wine Glass Rock, and Cross My Heart, which was written by JACKIE TRENT, which was an uncharacteristic excursion into beat-pop territory.
DAVID IONS went on to become general manager of DJM’s publishing branch

LEGENDARY LONNIE

Legendaty LonnieLEGENDARY LONNIE has been writing and making music since the 1950’s. In the 1970’s he gained notoriety with his single release on Charly Records – Wine Glass Rock.
After cutting his musical teeth playing solo and duo around the pubs and other venues in Stoke on Trent in the early 50’s LONNIE joined his first band THE ROCKLANDERS.
Then, in the late 50’s/early 60’s came CARL MAN & THE CANDYMEN, PETER & THE PERSUADERS in the late 60’s, and early 70’s LONNIES FEW, and in the 90’s SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE. He now fronts THE LONNIE COOKE BAND.
Worked for Blood Lloyd records in Stoke town centre in the 1970s, later ran the shop as his own business.
LONNIE has played and recorded with Ritchie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Screamin’ Lord Sutch, Demon, Lieutenant Pigeon, THE SUTHERLAND BROTHERS, Clem Cattini (Tornados, Johnny Kidd) and even the infamous wrestling star Big Daddy with his Titanic Survivors. He has also featured on many record labels including Charly, EMI, Nervous, Rebound, Anagram, Barclay, Fast Tracks, Carrere, Satril, Virgin and the very collectable Oak label.
His own compositions (numbered in hundreds!) include Ration Book Boogie, Devil’s Guitar (covered by Guana Batz and charted in several European charts), Wine Glass Rock, Begging Bowl Blues, Constipation Shake and The Elephant Dance.
The Sunday Best programme on BBC Radio Stoke ran for more than seventeen years with LONNIE in the DJ’s chair putting ‘hot biscuits on the stove’.
Also stood for parliament for Lord Sutch’s Monster Raving Loony Party.
LONNIE has also been doing shows recently for new station Witch FM, based in Crewe, Cheshire and is currently writing his life story for publication. In 2001, a greatest hits package “Twice As Old As Time” was released. Interview here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/articles/2008/09/15/legendary_lonnie_feature.shtml
LONNIE’S single ” Knock me down pick me up” has been remixed and reissued by Fast Tracks Records. Available worldwide from April 2010.