You weren't here when the Teddy Boys arrived on the scene in the Fifties…London doesn't remember them with any fondness...Those crepe-soled shoes they wear, they had razor blades sunk in the toes. No, London doesn't remember the Teds with any fondness.
This quote, attributed to a friend of Jerry Hopkins (author of the infamous No One Here Gets Out Alive) is a succinct distillation of how people now view the first wave of Teddy Boys: volent, racist malcontents wearing long out of date clothing whose love of the fledging rock n roll movement laid the foundation for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones (i.e. better things).
Like all narratives that seem too simplistic, there’s much more to the story than that. And Max DĂ©charnĂ© (former drummer for the highly underrated Gallon Drunk) is determined to set the record straight.
Growing up in post-war Britain (particularly the East End of London), the birth of the teenager as a marketing concept coincided with the growing concern about their morality due to teen violence. As a result, the term “cosh boy” (which first appeared in print in 1950) quickly became associated with juvenile delinquency. However, in a foreshadowing of the moral panic about Teds, a cosh could be anything from a knotted hankie containing loose change to genuine coshes. Coupled with the simple fact that youths felt it necessary to carry something to protect themselves (even in 1950) and we start to see the formation of a folk villain.
By the early 50’s, there had been a revival in Edwardian fashion (because the fashion industry loves nothing more than recycling old crap and presenting it as modern) and working-class kids were spending a fair bit on Edwardian suits. Add in the DA’s (duck’s arses) for haircuts and the Teddy Boys were born. Quickly replacing the cosh boy, Teds were loud, crude and violent. Throw in the arrival of rock n roll (particularly ‘Rock Around the Clock’ by Bill Hailey and the Comets) and we have the birth of the real 1950’s (once described by Lux Interior as the height of culture in the Western world).
All of this makes for an enthralling and fascinating read. Going through contemporary news, Décharné clearly had a blast writing this book and his enthusiasm rubs off on the reader. What is a genuine surprise is the revelation that the Ted look actually predates the arrival of rock n roll in Britain by a year or so. Beforehand, cultural commentators of the day seemed to be unsure of what the youth were actually listening to.
Unsurprisingly, there are very few first-hand accounts of Ted life. Apparently, some were approached for comment but, owing to their age, chose not to discuss anything with DĂ©charnĂ© as it was a long time ago and any teenage misbehaviour they’d prefer to keep to themselves. This is a genuine shame as it would be fascinating to read such recollections from people in their 80’s/90’s about being involved in such a subculture.
Where things turn sinister is the chapter about the Notting Hill riot in 1958. One reviewer has criticised Décharné by arguing that he downplays the extent of the involvement of certain Teds in the riot, passing most of the blame onto Oswald Mosley and his supporters. While I would strongly disagree that the author does this, I can see how a casual reader would come to such a conclusion as the chapter ends rather abruptly (as if there is nothing else to discuss).
On top of the points made by DĂ©charnĂ© in the book, it’s important to remember that such a youth subculture would have thousands of members. By sheer weight of numbers, there will be scumbags in there who are simply following the latest fashion trend. Therefore, it’s a sad reality that there were Teds involved in the riot, but they did not dominate the anti-immigrant segment (indeed, one revelation is that in a 2003 BBC documentary about the riots, footage of Teds from the 70’s was decolourised and placed without comment in the narrative to illustrate their involvement).
As time wore on, the Teddy Boy look subsided, and the Beatles (all former Teds) took over the world. The rock n roll revival in the late 60’s/early 70’s would see a new generation of Teds emerge before they slowly metamorphosed into psychobilly and punk rock (Malcolm and Viviene ran a shop called Let it Rock before Sex plus look at this photo of John Lydon). Nowadays, the dominant image of a rock n roller is that of a quiffed up greaser in a leather jacket and Teds (even second-generation ones) have put away the brothel creepers in favour of listening to country music and going to see cover acts walking their way through once incendiary songs.
But listen to those early recordings from Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Carl Perkins and Chuck Berry. Despite them being nearly a century old, they still sound fresh, vibrant and raw. It’s no wonder that a generation of British youth, having come of age post WWII and seen the devastation of the Holocaust and Hiroshima, latched onto it for dear life.
Altogether now:
I'm gonna raise a fuss, I'm gonna raise a holler/About a-workin' all summer just to try to earn a dollar/Every time I call my baby, try to get a date/My boss says, "no dice son, you gotta work late.
Max Décharné, 2024, Teddy Boys: Post-War Britain and the First Youth Revolution. Profile Books. ISBN-13: 978-1846689789
⏩ Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist.
The rock n roll revival in the late 60’s/early 70’s would see a new generation of Teds emerge before they slowly metamorphosed into psychobilly and punk rock
ReplyDeleteNot true on any level........Teds stayed Teds...Rockabillys like barn dance music and PSYCHOBILLY: A Cancer on Rock 'n' Roll<----I don't agree with the title of the documentary...
This is a genuine shame as it would be fascinating to read such recollections from people in their 80’s/90’s about being involved in such a subculture.
I know a few original rockabilly's/Teds from the 50's....My daddy was 16 in 1956 and has original rocknroll records... and most of my friend's fathers etc were the same age buying the same records and we all have first-hand accounts. Maybe Max Décharné was asking the wrong people the wrong questions........
Nowadays, the dominant image of a rock n roller is that of a quiffed up greaser in a leather jacket and Teds (even second-generation ones) have put away the brothel creepers in favour of listening to country music and going to see cover acts walking their way through once incendiary songs.
Not true on any level....
And as die hard rockabilly, I didn't see any mention of Teddy Boy music...Basically the Marty Wildes, Johhny Gentles, Dickie Prides, Duffy Powers...<---Ted music . But I did notice The Killers name, Carl Perkins, Chuck and Little Richard.....<---none are classed as Ted music
and.....I'm gonna raise a fuss, I'm gonna raise a holler/About a-workin' all summer just to try to earn a dollar/Every time I call my baby, try to get a date/My boss says, "no dice son, you gotta work late.
Eddie was a rockabilly....Rockabilly music and Ted music might sound the same to the untrained ear but they are worlds apart....