Once described by founding keyboardist Tony Banks as “never fashionable”, Genesis sold as many as 150 million albums, an almost unfathomable amount, with a musical repertoire that ranges from deeply philosophical and existential concept albums to extremely catchy love songs.

They were deeply influential, inventing several sounds and musical techniques in London Studios that would become incredibly influential on the future of rock music and music in general. 

Both tapping and sweep picking, sounds that would be fundamental building blocks of electric guitar playing, thanks to Eddie Van Halen and Yngwie Malmsteen, were both innovated on the same Genesis song, 1973’s Dancing With the Moonlit Knight.

With that in mind, here are just a few of the places that must be visited on a Genesis-themed tour.

Putney Hospital

Not to be confused with the Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability, Putney Hospital is actually based on Putney Common in what is now the Borough of Wandsworth in south-west London.

It is where Phil Collins, the drummer and later lead singer of Genesis, was born. He was one of just two notable members of Genesis who were born in London, along with the Pimlico-born guitarist Steve Hackett.

Whilst Phil Collins was not a founding member of the band, with Peter Gabriel being the first lead singer and John Silver being the first drummer, Phil Collins’ exceptional skill both as a drummer and a vocalist would make him a central lynchpin of the band and a driving force of pop music in general in the 1980s.

Phil Collins is just one of three recording artists alongside Paul McCartney (with Genesis) and Michael Jackson (with the Jackson 5/Jacksons) who sold over 100 million records as a band member and a solo artist.

Regent Sound Studios

Based at 4 Denmark Street, Regent Sound Street is perhaps more famous for launching the careers of The Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix. It was also technically the unsung studio where Genesis recorded their first album, From Genesis To Revelation.

Originally published by now-disgraced music producer Jonathan King, he aimed to create a Monkees-style pop band with a thin veneer of credibility. 

Songs such as Silent Sun were recorded there, but whilst the album was a flop, it galvanised the band, particularly its then core of Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford, to write more complex music.

Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club

One of the most beloved underground clubs in London, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club was Genesis’ home for a six-week residency, where they got attention from the early progressive rock band Rare Bird.

They recommended the band to John Anthony, the Artists and Repertoire lead for Charisma Records, which got the band the deal which allowed them to record their first true album.

Trident Studios

Based on St Anne’s Court in Soho, Trident Studios was another legendary recording studio where The Beatles, Queen, Elton John, David Bowie and countless other bands recorded some of their biggest hits.

Trident was Genesis’ home throughout most of the 1970s, where two of their most formative albums were recorded.

The 1970 album Trespass was the album which formed their unique progressive rock song, with the album-closing The Knife becoming their signature song and a live staple for decades, even after the band radically changed their style.

They would also record 1971’s Nursery Cryme, featuring the band’s first epic song, The Musical Box, which became the album which would lay the foundation for some of their most defining traits as a prog rock band.

Finally, 50 years ago this year, A Trick of the Tail was recorded, which was their first album without longtime vocalist Peter Gabriel and featured songs such as Dance on a Volcano, the title track and Ripples, proving the band could survive without their frontman.

Epping Forest

Straddling the border between Essex and Greater London, Epping Forest was notable in Genesis Lore for being the subject of one of their most popular songs, The Battle of Epping Forest.

Based on a gang war but largely fictionalised, it was an encapsulation of how such a wonderful and evocative city caught the imagination of musicians. 

Island Studios

Also known as Basing Street Studios, Island Studios was where Genesis recorded Foxtrot, Selling England By The Pound, and some of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, thanks to its mobile unit.

It was closed in 2013 and has since been converted into luxury flats.

The Town House

Whilst Genesis never recorded there, several alumni changed the course of music at The Town House studios on 140 Goldhawk Road, Shepherd’s Bush.

It was where Peter Gabriel recorded many of his early solo albums, most notably the album Melt and the song Intruder, which established the famous “gated drum reverb” sound that would become synonymous with 1980s music, thanks to its extensive use by Phil Collins in the same studio for his early studio work.

The post Where Should You Visit On A Genesis Private Tour Of London? appeared first on Yellow Moon Tours.

Credited as one of the best electric guitarists to ever play, Mr Hendrix’s impact on rock music from the moment he touched down in London in 1966 to his untimely death in 1970 was immediate, dramatic and unprecedented, comparable only to the Beatles in the same period.

From effectively stringing his guitar upside down, playing two guitar parts at the same time or turning undesirable amplifier feedback into the distorted sound of heavy metal, Jimi Hendrix forged a path for the future of music as we know it.

The best way to experience the Jimi Hendrix Experience is through a private tour of the places, famous, unknown and infamous, that weave the tale of the greatest guitarist of all time.

The Scotch Of St James

After being spotted by the then-girlfriend of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, Linda Keith, whilst playing at New York’s Cheetah Club, he was quickly spotted and signed by Chas Chandler, the original bassist for rock group The Animals.

This brought him to London on 24th September 1966, when he would not only sign with both Mr Chandler and Michael Jeffery, the former manager of The Animals, but he would also play an unplanned set at the hidden nightclub and music venue The Scotch of St James the same night.

He joined the house band on stage and immediately set himself apart from everyone else, wowing the elite of the rock music scene of the time, but also wooing the author Kathleen Etchingham, who would become the inspiration for songs such as Foxy Lady and The Wind Cries Mary.

A month later, Mr Hendrix, along with bass guitarist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, would play their first ever concert as the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Royal Polytechnic Institution

Now known as the Regent Street campus of the University of Westminster, the Royal Polytechnic Institution was an important venue in the early history of many legendary London bands, but it is known as the place where Jimi Hendrix changed rock history.

At the time, the biggest band in the UK was the supergroup Cream, consisting of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce, with Mr Clapton in particular being considered the greatest guitarist in the country.

A week after Jimi Hendrix touched down, he corrected the record in one of the most amazing concerts never recorded.

On 1st October, 1966, Jimi Hendrix asked if he could play with the band, playing Killing Floor by Howlin’ Wolf, a blues song that Eric Clapton simply could not play at the time.

The entire set stunned the audience, which included a young Nick Mason from Pink Floyd, as well as Mr Clapton himself, immediately changing the landscape of the London rock and blues scene.

23 Brook Street, Mayfair

Whilst Jimi Hendrix lived around London for four years from 1966 until 1970, his rigorous touring schedule meant that he did not have a regular home until 1968, when he moved into the flat owned by Kathy Etchingham at the top of 23 Brook Street, now commemorated by a Blue Plaque.

The building is now home to Handel Hendrix House, a museum that celebrates the influence both he and legendary composer George Handel had in the city in two adjacent houses.

Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club

Still one of the most famous and influential venues in London, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club was also where Jimi Hendrix played on stage for the last time on 16th September 1970.

The concert itself, where he jammed with the then-new band War (most famous for the song Why Can’t We Be Friends), was quite surreal, with Mr Hendrix far less theatrical and flamboyant than he had been throughout his career.

Regardless, it was still loved by the crowd, and there was a rumoured plan for Mr Hendrix to join the progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake and Palmer to form HELP, but tragedy struck two days later.

Samarkand Hotel

On 18th September 1970, Jimi Hendrix passed away at the age of 27 at the Samarkand Hotel in Lansdowne Crescent, due to an overdose of barbiturates, although the precise details and time of death remain disputed to this day.

Regardless, the building has remained an important landmark in the history of British music, given that one of its biggest influences spent much of his final day there.

Where Were Jimi Hendrix’s Albums Recorded?

All three studio albums released by the Jimi Hendrix Experience whilst he was alive were recorded in various studios around London, all of which have become little landmarks in their own right:

• Are You Experienced – Recorded at De Lane Lea in Soho, CBS Studios at 104 New Bond Street, and Olympic Studios in Barnes.
• Axis: Bold as Love – Entirely recorded at Olympic Studios in Barnes.
• Electric Ladyland – Whilst parts were recorded at Record Plant Studios in New York City, it was also recorded at Olympic Studios in Barnes and Mayfair Studios (then Rymuse Studios) at 64 South Molton Street.

The post Where Can You Visit On A Jimi Hendrix-Themed Tour Of London? appeared first on Yellow Moon Tours.

However, for all these great buildings, the myriad of famous people who have lived in the capital and the huge number of statues and monuments, many visitors are pleasantly surprised at how much natural beauty can be seen in a metropolis of nine million people.

Not only does London have some large green open spaces, especially (but not exclusively) in its Royal Parks, it also has some of the finest horticultural treasures you could wish to see.

Private tours of London focused on these can show you this wonderful element of London and they do not all need to wait for the spring and summer, although that is certainly the best time to see the capital in full bloom.

Not only does London have some wonderful gardens, but some great horticultural events.

What London Gardens Are Great To Visit At Any Time Of The Year?

Kew Gardens has to be one of the first ports of call in London for anyone fascinated by the world of plants and flowers. Located in the west of the capital, its importance is such that it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Among the remarkable features of Kew Gardens are:

·       Over 50,000 plants, with one of the most diverse collections in the world

·       The Princess of Wales Conservatory, a year-round indoor greenhouse attraction featuring plants in microclimates matching everything from the desert to the tropics

·       The Carbon garden, the newest at Kew, which reveals the importance of plants and fungi in balancing the ecosystem

·       The Alpine House, which replicates the conditions needed for mountain plants to flourish

·       37 acres of woodland

The fact that much of Kew Gardens is under glass in controlled environments means it is a year-round, all-weather attraction, although of course, if you plan your trip to London for the spring or summer, you can enjoy some glorious floral colours.

Another indoor garden is something very different, being situated high up in a skyscraper. This is the Sky Garden, located in the ‘Walkie Talkie’ skyscraper in the City of London financial district. Here, amid all the steel and glass towers, are floral blooms ranging from agapanthus to red hot pokers.

Why Is Chelsea A Centre of London’s Horticulture?

Outside, you can enjoy a particular treat in Chelsea’s Physic Garden, the oldest botanic garden in London, dating back to 1673. It contains over 4,500 plants and was created to serve London’s apothecaries with medicines.

Chelsea is also home to the biggest horticultural event in the UK, the Chelsea Flower Show. Held in the grounds of the Royal Hospital, this year’s edition will take place.

The event will feature several special gardens created temporarily on various themes, while you can also encounter all manner of plant experts who can share their horticultural knowledge, something you could make good use of back home.

Which London Parks Have Great Gardens?

London’s Royal Parks contain some fine gardens of their own that you can enjoy.

·       St James’s Park contains some beautiful flower beds in season, as well as some wonderful trees

·       Regent’s Park features the stunning St Mary’s Gardens, home to 12,000 roses, as well as the beautiful Avenue Gardens. Plans are being developed to create a new garden dedicated to the memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

·       Hyde Park has a beautiful rose garden, which opened in 1994 and features two fountains and a pergola. The pergola was established in 1994, but the fountains are much older.

·       Kensington Palace Gardens lives up to its name, with highlights including the Victorian Flower Walks.

·       Greenwich Park contains a rose garden, a flower garden and a huge herbaceous border, at 400 metres, the longest in London

·       Richmond Park features the ‘secret garden’ of the 40-acre Isabella Plantation with its year-round colours and the beautiful 12-acre Pembroke Lodge Gardens

It is not just the royal parks where you can see some great gardens, either. Golders Hill Park on Hampstead Heath has a beautiful walled garden, while Holland Park in west London is home to the Kyoto Garden, donated by the Japanese city’s Chamber of Commerce in 1991.

London is not just a city of big buildings and busy streets, but green spaces, stunning gardens and Britain’s biggest gardening event. When even one of the skyscrapers has its own garden, there can be no doubt that this is a city that values its greenery and a myriad of other natural colours.

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However, while many people associated with London in some way found fame (or were born into it), they all, like everyone else, ended up shuffling off this mortal coil (to quote former London resident William Shakespeare). 

And while Shakespeare himself isn’t buried in London, a great many famous people are.

That means you can spend some fascinating time looking around London’s cemeteries, many of which are peaceful and often very attractive places, discovering a multitude of resting places of those who made a big mark during their lifetimes.

Which London Cemeteries Have Famous Graves?

London has several particularly notable cemeteries where some famous people rest. They include:

·       Highgate Cemetery

·       Brompton Cemetery

·       West Norwood Cemetery

·       Golders Green Crematorium

·       Bunhill Fields

These graveyards are mostly quite near the heart of London, apart from Golder’s Green Crematorium. While the nature of the disposal of remains there means there are no full-size graves, there are extensive memorial gardens and a columbarium, where famous names range from psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud to Who drummer Keith Moon.

Highgate Cemetery is open until 17:00 each day and its most famous ‘resident’, complete with a bust displaying his unmistakable bearded features, is Karl Marx. You should not miss the ‘Egyptian Avenue’, a spectacular ivy-covered stone mausoleum.

Which London Cemetery Is A Royal Park?

Brompton Cemetery in west London not only rivals the grandeur of Highgate, but is unique in being the only London cemetery to be designated as one of the city’s royal parks.

Among the 200,000 people buried there are Emmeline Pankhurst, who campaigned for women to get the vote in the early 20^th century, as well as Dr John Snow, the man who discovered that cholera was spread in water. 

John Wisden, after whom a famous yearbook on the sport of cricket is named, also lies here.

The architectural and sculptural elements of these cemeteries are almost as fascinating as the roll-call of people buried there. South of the Thames, West Norwood has the claim to fame of being the world’s first Gothic Revival cemetery. 

Among the most notable graves here is that of sugar merchant Henry Tate, founder of the Tate Gallery.

Back in central London, many people would miss the rather more modest little cemetery at Bunhill Fields near the ‘Silicon Roundabout’ of Old Street. 

But it is here that some major figures in 17^th and 18th-century English literature were laid to rest, including John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe and William Blake. 

Also in central London, St Pancras Old Churchyard contains the graves of architect Sir John Soane and writer Mary Wollstonecraft. This graveyard has its own curious sculpture, a cluster of very thin gravestones surrounding the Hardy Tree.

What Famous People Are Buried At Westminster Abbey?

Of course, to see the final resting places of some famous people in London, you won’t be visiting a graveyard at all.

Westminster Abbey has many of the most famous figures in British history entombed within its walls. The list includes more than 3.000 people, among them are the following:

·       Politicians such as British prime minister from 1945-51, Clement Attlee, his foreign secretary Ernest Bevin, plus John Bradshaw (the judge who signed the King’s Death warrant at the end of the English Civil War),

·       Famous scientists including Sir Isaac Newton, Ernest Rutherford, Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking and William Herschel, the astronomer who discovered the planet Uranus, along with his son and fellow astronomer John.

·       Actors such as Sir Henry Irving and Laurence Olivier

·       Composer George Frederic Handel

·       The engineer Thomas Telford, famous for his bridges

·       The author Charles Dickens

·       Explorer David Livingstone

Who Was Laid To Rest In St Paul’s Cathedral?

Westminster Abbey is not the only cathedral you can visit to see famous tombs, as St Paul’s Cathedral has its own list of very notable people. These include:

·       Ethelred the Unready, the 11th-century Saxon King

·       Poet John Donne

·       Christopher Wren, the architect who designed the modern St Paul’s, which, like much of the City of London, was rebuilt to Wren’s design after the Great Fire of 1666

·       Horatio Nelson

·       The Duke of Wellington (prime minister and victor at the Battle of Waterloo)

·       Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin

·       Artist Joseph Turner

The array of different famous people who are buried (or have their ashes interred) in London is huge. Alongside the fascination of seeing their resting places is the chance to see some extraordinary architecture and fascinating sculpture. 

The combination of these three elements makes a tour to see the graves of the famous in London a memorable experience.

The post Whose Resting Places Can You See In London Cemeteries? appeared first on Yellow Moon Tours.

Whilst heavily indebted to American music, particularly blues rock, the Rolling Stones formed in London, recorded many of their albums, performed many of their most memorable shows and faced some of their most memorable controversies within the confines of the M25.

Unlike many of their contemporaries, such as The Beatles and Pink Floyd, The Stones are still going strong to this day and have been for over six decades. 

However, whilst there are some huge landmarks that the Rolling Stones have either posed next to or played in, there are some particularly interesting and unusual places that document the early years of one of the world’s most fascinating rock bands.

Ealing Jazz Club

Based in West London, Ealing Jazz Club was a pioneering early venue in London as it began to embrace blues and later rock and roll music, but even as it transitioned into becoming The Red Room nightclub, its most enduring legacy is as the birthplace of the Rolling Stones.

In March 1962, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards first jammed with Brian Jones, Ian Stewart and Charlie Watts, all then of Blues Incorporated, and would play their first gig with their most iconic lineup a year later at the same venue.

As with many venues from that era, its influence lasted far longer than the club itself, which was founded in 1959 and was all but wound up by 1966, the British rock sound that was born there having spread throughout London by then.

It became a casino and later a nightclub, although its legacy has been immortalised thanks to a blue plaque.

The Marquee Club

One of the most important venues in history, The Marquee Club was initially founded as an Oxford Street jazz and skiffle club in 1958, but it would quickly bring in rhythm and blues and later rock acts.

Whilst it proved to be the place where countless bands would cut their teeth, including Led Zeppelin, The Who and Queen, it is perhaps best known as the place where the ‘Rollin’ Stones’ played their first ever concert on 12th July 1962.

It would move from Oxford Street to Wardour Street in 1964, which would lead to the venue being the home of the Progressive Rock revival of the 1980s, where Metallica and Guns N Roses would both play their first UK concerts, and Wham would film one of their more memorable music videos for “I’m Your Man”.

It would move again to Charing Cross Road in 1988, again to what is now O2 Academy Islington in 2001, before moving one more time to Leicester Square in 2004, where it would stay before The Marquee closed for the last time in 2008.

Regent Sound Studios

Based at 4 Denmark Street, London, Regent Sound Studios was an affordable recording studio that became a pivotal part of Tin Pan Alley, and has recently reopened as a celebration of a pioneering era of rock music in London.

Whilst David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix both famously recorded there, perhaps no band was as linked to Regent Sound as the Rolling Stones, who recorded their first hit single in a room insulated using egg cartons.

Blaises Club

Based at 121 Queen’s Gate, Kensington, Blaises was a club housed in the basement of the since-demolished Imperial Hotel, but it was a hotbed for musicians and record executives during the late 1960s.

However, it was also the origin point for one of the most lurid sagas surrounding the Rolling Stones, where, according to an expose by the News of the World newspaper that led to a libel lawsuit, a member of the band was overheard talking about taking illegal substances.

This would, through a complex web of events, lead to the infamous Redlands bust in 1967, where police raided Keith Richards’ house and later charged both him and Mick Jagger with drug offences.

Marlborough Street Magistrates Court

Now the Courthouse Hotel, Marlborough Street Magistrates Court was the place where Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were convicted for the Redlands bust, which led to considerable controversy surrounding the harshness of the sentence and eventually a successful appeal.

Where Will A Rolling Stones Tour Of London Take You?

• The Ealing Jazz Club, where The Rolling Stones first played together.
• The Marquee Club, where they played their first show as The Rollin’ Stones.
• Regent Sound Studios, the first studio the band recorded in.
• Blaises Club, which would spark the infamous Redlands Bust that changed the band’s fortunes. 
• Marlborough Street Magistrates Court, where half of The Rolling Stones would be infamously convicted.

The post Where Should You Visit On A Rolling Stones London Tour? appeared first on Yellow Moon Tours.

This area is colloquially known as the ‘Square Mile’, but it is in fact a tiny bit larger than that, at 1.12 square miles to be precise. Nonetheless, a lot is crammed into this area, not just in terms of its buildings or the important things that happen, but also a deep and rich history that dates back to the very beginnings of London itself.

Indeed, the area today has a unique status that suggests either something unusual or just very special has taken shape here, things that beg some interesting questions:

·       Why is it administered separately from the 32 London Boroughs?

·       Why is there a Lord Mayor of London who isn’t the same person as the mayor of Greater London?

·       What is the London Wall About?

·       How did this area become one of the world’s great financial centres?

There is much to discover about the City of London that answers all these questions, much of which can be illuminated by a private tour around the district.

When Was The City Of London Founded?

The City of London today is largely the same area where London was founded as Londinium by the Romans in about 50 AD. The tidal Thames was an ideal location for a port. Among the major events of the early years was the attack by the Iceni tribe, led by Queen Boudica in 60 AD, which sacked the city.

Unlike Colchester, which was also sacked, a rebuilt Londonium did not immediately gain a wall. This followed much later, around 190-225 AD. The partially-ruined wall can be seen today and followed across the City, although it was later repaired and rebuilt in places by the Saxons and Normans.

What Can You See Of Roman London?

There is plenty to see of Roman London in the City. Among the best attractions are:

·       Billingsgate Bath House

·       The Roman Amphitheatre below the London Guildhall complex

·       The Roman Basilica

The Roman occupation of Britain ended in 410, but the City did not fall into ruin. Instead, it remained a significant port. But, by late Saxon times, nearby Westminster had been established as an equally, if not more important, location, with the establishment of the Abbey making it an ecclesiastical seat of influence close to the economic centre.

This was extended further by the Normans, with the Palace of Westminster and royal residences making it a political seat of power as well.

What Is The Lord Mayor’s Show All About?

A curious effect this had on London that lives on to this day concerns the Lord Mayor of the City. When various barons got together and forced King John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215, limiting the King’s power and granting various rights, one of the provisions was that London should always be allowed to elect its own Lord Mayor. 

This is one of the very few provisions of the Magna Carta that still remains in law and one element of it is that the office of mayor is permitted as long as the office holder makes an annual trip upriver to Westminster, to pledge loyalty to the monarch.

This event, known as the Lord Mayor’s Show, is a grand parade and well worth seeing every November.

How And When Did The City Become A Huge Financial Centre?

Part of the Mayor’s role was to run the City’s financial district, with its own police force. Down the centuries, the commercial hub became a financial one, with the formation of the Bank of England in 1696 confirming the City’s place as the economic centre point of the country. Two years later, the nearby London Stock Exchange was founded.

The Bank is based on Threadneedle Street and has its own museum.

While the financial status of the City has long been established, the architecturally eclectic skyscrapers are a relatively new feature, none being built before the late 20^th century.

Other great sights in the City include Christopher Wren’s monument to the Great Fire of London in 1666, as well as many buildings he designed afterwards. The most notable is St Paul’s Cathedral with its grand dome, one of 51 churches he designed in the City. Some of these are fine architectural treasures.

Local planning rules restrict some developments to prevent the view of St Paul’s from being obscured by new developments.

The City of London is a very small place, but it is the oldest and perhaps most significant part of London, with a rich history and an ongoing importance that vastly outstrips its tiny size and population.

The post What Can You Discover In London’s ‘Square Mile’ Of The City? appeared first on Yellow Moon Tours.

A case in point is a very significant time in the modern history of London: the Second World War. Not only was the British war effort commanded from London and many famous parliamentary speeches delivered, but the city endured a notorious extended campaign of bombing by the German Luftwaffe, known as the Blitz.

This means that war history in London includes places famous for their events, as well as various museums and memorials. There are even some famous sites that have wartime connections that not everyone knows about.

What Are The Most Important Sites Associated with WW2 In London?

Among the most obvious places to find out about the war in London are:

·       The Imperial War Museum

·       The Churchill War Rooms

·       The Cenotaph in Whitehall

·       HMS Belfast

·       The RAF Museum

·       The National Army Museum in Chelsea

The Imperial War Museum speaks for itself, featuring artefacts and information on all wars, not just the Second World War. The Cenotaph is also not just about the 1939-45 conflict, as it is a memorial to the fallen in all wars, being established after the First World War. It is there, on Remembrance Sunday each year, that the act of remembrance is carried out.

However, the Churchill War Rooms are a place of specific significance. This was the secret underground headquarters in Whitehall from which Winston Churchill and his government conducted operations during the war.

Preserved as it was in the 1940s, the war rooms provide a fascinating insight into what living and working there was like. The facility was established just before the war, amid growing fears that efforts to prevent another major conflict would not succeed (which turned out to be justified). It was situated below a reinforced building in Whitehall to make it bomb-proof.

It includes the Churchill Museum, which features various artefacts about the man himself, who had a varied political career with various twists, turns and even two changes of party allegiance before he became Prime Minister in the heat of the crisis in 1940.

What World War 2 Warship Is Based In Central London?

HMS Belfast offers a different insight, as it saw action in the war. Launched in 1938, this cruiser was involved in the naval blockade of Germany and saw direct action in instances such as the Battle of North Cape in 1943, which saw the sinking of the German battleship Scharnhorst.

The RAF Museum in Hendon is particularly noteworthy because of the Battle of Britain. Not only does it contain many British aircraft from the war, such as a Spitfire and a Lancaster Bomber, but also the German Messerschmitt BF 109 and a Stuka dive bomber.  American visitors may be particularly interested in the P-51 Mustang and the Boeing B-17 Fortress.

While these are some of the most obvious war-related sights to see, there are many other, less obvious places to visit.

What Other Famous London Sites Have Wartime Links?

For example, you would normally visit Buckingham Palace because of an interest in the royal family. But the Palace itself was among the buildings hit, even though the prime target for German bombers was the docklands in the east of the capital. This happened on several occasions.

This may have actually been advantageous for the royals, as they were seen as being able to empathise with members of the public all over Britain who had suffered bomb damage to their own homes.

Other famous places with wartime connections include Bushy Park in south-east London, where General Dwight Eisenhower had his headquarters as the plans for the D-Day landings were finalised. The building is long gone, but the site is signposted.

That is not the only American connection with D-Day to be found in London, as there is a memorial chapel to US servicemen who took part in the landings in St Paul’s Cathedral.

What London WW2 Sites Are Worth Seeing?

Some places associated with the war are not well known, but well worth seeing.

·       The Churchill and Roosevelt Statue on New Bond Street

·       The anti-aircraft gun at Mudchute Farm children’s play area in Canary Wharf (no longer loaded!)

·       The Animals in War Memorial in Hyde Park

·       The Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park

·       The Women of World War 2 Memorial in Whitehall

·       Winston Churchill’s statue in Parliament Square

This long list of sites, from a warship and museums to memorials and anti-aircraft guns in kids’ play areas, shows that London has a huge array of sites connected with the war that a dedicated tour can encompass.

The post What Are London’s Most Important World War 2 Sites? appeared first on Yellow Moon Tours.

Some of these, such as Queen and David Bowie, were born here and started their trek across Denmark Street’s Tin Pan Alley, whilst other bands such as The Beatles and Black Sabbath moved from elsewhere but made their home in the capital for many years.

Deep Purple were a little bit of both, as whilst they were an international supergroup whose most famous song was about a fire that burned down a casino in Montreaux, Switzerland, they spent many of their early years in the London music scene as a headquarters for what was amongst the most chaotic stories in the history of rock music.

Known at one point as the “loudest band” in the world, Deep Purple were the archetypal heavy metal band, both on stage with their innovative combination of heavy metal and classical music, but also the intra-band turmoil and chaos behind the scenes.

Here are some of the Landmarks that were pivotal to those early days.

304 Holloway Road

Whilst Deep Purple have rather famously had dozens of members, two of the most critical to the band’s early career are keyboardist John Lord and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, both of whom would establish Deep Purple’s then-unique sound.

Mr Blackmore first broke through with The Outlaws, the house band of record producer Joe Meek’s studio on Holloway Road, in 1962. He would even live in a flat nearby for several years to ensure he was close by for recording sessions.

After Joe Meek’s life ended in tragically violent circumstances caused in part by his mental health issues, Ritchie Blackmore would be invited to join a band then known as Roundabout, before becoming Deep Purple in 1967.

The building itself still exists, currently a series of flats above a Ruyam Food Centre, with a Blue Plaque commemorating the “Telstar Man” who “lived, worked and died” there.

25 Newman Street

Much like The Beatles did with Apple and Led Zeppelin did with Swan Song, Deep Purple eventually formed Purple Records in 1971, based at 25 Newman Street, now the home of a Scandinavian sports bar.

Newman Street was an ideal location for Deep Purple’s management at the time, and a lot of press releases, interviews, photography sessions and band meetings were held in this building.

When Deep Purple split up for the first time in 1976, the building became the home of the Oyster Records imprint for Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow and the Ian Gillan band, but eventually the building was sold.

Rainbow Theater

The Rainbow Theatre, now an Evangelical Church, was a fascinating former cinema that was converted into one of the most important music venues in London in the 1970s, up until 1982.

One of Queen’s most celebrated early live shows took place there, but possibly the most impactful concert to take place there was by Deep Purple on 30th June 1972.

The concert became somewhat legendary and led to a Guinness World Record for the loudest band in the world, an accolade that other bands would strive for decades later.

Handwell Community Centre

In 1969, Deep Purple formed what would become known as their most famous lineup, nicknamed Mark II by fans and the music press. However, the band was also at a crossroads.

Whilst the band performed an entire album with a philharmonic orchestra at John Lord’s request, Ritchie Blackmore wanted to move the band towards a much heavier sound, and Henwell Community Centre in Ealing was one of the few places in London that would let them be as loud as they needed to be.

The result was Deep Purple In Rock, one of their most beloved and celebrated albums, developing the sound that would be perfected on later albums such as Fireball and Machine Head.

Which Other Notable London Landmarks Are Connected To Deep Purple?

• Cadogan Gardens, South Kensington, where the original Mark I incarnation of Deep Purple started writing music together.
• Royal Albert Hall, where the group would perform Concerto for Group and Orchestra with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
• Brixton Academy, the only London stop on their huge Machine Head tour, as well as one of the last venues Ritchie Blackmore played with the band.
• 13 Second Avenue, Acton Vale, was one of the early residences of the whole band before their first tour of the United States in 1968.
• The Speakeasy, 48 Margaret Street, is a former nightclub where Deep Purple played their first concert in their Mark II incarnation.
• Gaumont State Cinema, then the biggest cinema in England, was where the Mark III incarnation of the band performed Live In London in 1974, the only officially released full UK show, and even then, it took nearly a decade.

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Even if you focus purely on music groups that have made London so vibrant and full of life over the years, the gritty riverside image of London presented by The Clash is very different to the technicolour vibrancy of The Beatles’ forays into the capital, which itself is at odds with the almost alien London depicted by David Bowie and his cast of personae.

One of the best intersections of the various artistic, cultural and social sides of London can perhaps be found with the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, a group that began at a Regent Street polytechnic school and ended on the banks of the Endless River Thames.

Here are some of the most important sights you need to visit on a Pink Floyd-inspired tour.

University Of Westminster, Regent Street

Part of the University of Westminster since 1992, 309 Regent Street was home to the Royal Polytechnic Institution, the first of its kind to open in London. Its tearoom was also where Pink Floyd started to coalesce in 1962.

Roger Waters met Nick Mason there, and they started to play in a loosely formed student band called Sigma 6 alongside Richard Wright.

Following several lineup changes and a huge number of names such as the Screaming Abdabs, the Meggadeaths and the Tea Set, the final quartet of Mr Waters, Mr Mason, Mr Wright, and the younger guitarist Syd Barrett would come together as the Pink Floyd Sound in 1965.

A plaque now stands on the wall of the building that allowed all of this to happen.

The UFO Club

Analogous to The Roxy of the 1970s and the Blitz of the early 1980s, the UFO Club on Tottenham Court Road was a short-lived but incredibly influential venue that shaped the counter-culture movement in London and made Pink Floyd an underground sensation.

Pink Floyd’s unique mix of R&B standards and rather surreal and abrasive psychedelic rock meant that some venues adored them and others hated them so much that they refused to pay them.

The UFO Club had Pink Floyd as the house band and allowed them to play around with their elaborate makeshift light shows, particularly with the increasingly flamboyant performances of frontman Syd Barrett.

Unfortunately, Pink Floyd’s stint at the UFO was short-lived due to their extremely fast rise to prominence, and the UFO Club itself became a victim of its own success.

Much like The Roxy, a salacious article harmed its reputation, it constantly lost money, and an ill-fated move to the bigger Roundhouse (which Pink Floyd also played a lot) led to its closure after just nine months.

Sound Techniques

Based in an old dairy factory and now a block of flats, Sound Techniques was initially the home of the British folk-rock movement, where Nick Drake recorded Pink Moon and his other two highly influential albums.

Before this, Pink Floyd recorded their first few songs, including Arnold Layne and See Emily Play, in Sound Techniques before being signed to EMI and using their famous Abbey Road studios for their debut album, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn.

Chelsea Cloisters

Pink Floyd’s initial fame and attention would be thanks to their enigmatic frontman, Syd Barrett, but by 1967, his mental health had started to break down, which whilst it helped his reputation as a troubled, tormented genius, had started to cost the band tour dates and risked their future as a band.

They brought in David Gilmour to act as an additional guitarist on stage, but when attempts to make Mr Barrett a Brian Wilson-style songwriter failed, Syd was kicked out of the band.

His last main residence in London from 1973 to when he moved back home to Cambridge was Chelsea Cloisters, an affluent set of apartments where he lived largely in isolation following the release of the double album Syd Barrett until his royalty money ran out by the end of the decade.

Battersea Power Station

Before it became a major shopping and fine dining location, Battersea Power Station was a largely abandoned industrial building that would eventually become the central focus of the cover to the Pink Floyd albumAnimals.

The old industrial building with a floating inflatable pig between the two chimneys made Battersea Power Station a cultural landmark and contributed in no small part to the building not being demolished but instead repurposed asa mixed-use leisure venue.

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Alongside Iron Maiden and Deep Purple, Motorhead were one of the pillars of a new wave of British heavy metal that primarily emanated from London’s underground, and only a private tour can take you through the uniquely chaotic places and events that shaped one of the most gnarled foundations of the capital’s rock scene.

Here are some of the foundational, unusual and fascinating parts of London that shaped the legend of a band that did everything louder than everyone else.

Kensington Market

Whilst Motorhead had many members, the single constant was Ian Kilmister, known to the world by his nickname ‘Lemmy’, allegedly because he kept asking people to lend him money, and the story of Motorhead is in many respects his story.

He was born in Stoke-On-Trent, but hitchhiked his way to London in 1967 after his previous Manchester-based band, The Rockin’ Vickers, lacked enough ambition.

He wound up working as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix, but when he left for America, Lemmy ended up working around Kensington Market, then a haven for bohemian and hippie counterculture.

It was at this point that he had a chance meeting with Michael “DikMik” Davies, a member of the band Hawkwind, and following several nights of excess, he ended up being convinced to join the band as a bassist in 1971, despite having never played the instrument.

He would shape the band’s early sound and even sing the lead on Silver Machine, but following a string of erratic behaviour and an arrest on the Canadian border, the band kicked him out in 1975.

Marquee Club

One of the most important music venues in London, the Marquee Club was where Motorhead was truly formed, ironically just after the band’s supposed “farewell show”.

Motorhead formed in 1975, just after Lemmy had been kicked out of Hawkwind, and was named after the last song he wrote for the band.

However, after two years of limited success, living in squats and having been named the “best worst band in the world” by the New Musical Express, the band was ready to call it quits on April Fools’ Day 1977.

However, Lemmy happened to know Ted Carroll, the founder of independent record label Chiswick Records, and when he failed to get a mobile recording unit to the Marquee to record this final concert, he gave them the chance to record a single at Escape Studios.

That single became their eponymous debut album, recorded at Escape and finished at Olympic Studios, which managed to spend a single week in the UK Albums Chart.

Wessex Sound Studios

Formerly a church hall and later sold to a residential development company, Wessex Sound Studios was where Motorhead’s baffling breakthrough was recorded.

Following a year of chaos, the band found some stability, with a consistent lineup of Lemmy, Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor (no relation to the darts player of the same name) and “Fast” Eddie Clarke.

This song turned out to be a cover of the rock and roll staple Louie Louie, which led to an appearance on the BBC show Top of the Pops that made it to number 68 on the UK Singles Chart. 

This cover track and this studio saved the band once again, with Bronze Records extending their contract from a single song the founder described as “about the worst” he had ever heard to a six-year record deal that would carry the band through their golden age.

Barnet

After both Overkill and Bomber, Motorhead hit the big time with Ace of Spades, by far their most successful album, which peaked at number four on the album charts.

Whilst recorded in Rickmansworth, the famous cover photo of the band dressed as heavy metal cowboys on a sandy dune was not actually taken in the United States but on top of an industrial sand pit in Barnet on a day so miserable that the cover artist had to composite in a blue sky.

Hammersmith Odeon

Whilst ironically not the location where the number one hit live album No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith was recorded, it was a critical venue for the band.

The Hammersmith Odeon (now the Eventim Apollo) was where Motorhead had their first breakout as a live act supporting Blue Oyster Cult, but became a home away from home for the band, eventually releasing a live album there, Better Motorhead than Dead, in 2007.

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