Codolar was a short lived recording studio on Middle Pavement, Nottingham.

The studio manager was Bill Moseley who had been in the successful Nottingham beat group “The Beatmen”.

The managing director was Clive Gamble. Also working there was Evelyn Schultz (Clive’s fiancée) and George Perry, an assistant.

Clive Gamble had been running a mobile Discotheque from 1965 to 1968 under the name of “Sounds on Location” and using a DJ name of Ray Philips.

Local groups were recorded there for inclusion on Radio Nottingham’s music programme called “Scene Around”. Eventually Radio Nottingham would get their own recording facilities but until then they used Codolar studio.

Groups that recorded at Codolar were Woody Kern, Whichwhat, Sons and Lovers, The Clockwork Toys, Carls Fables, Mosaic Sunset, Peppers Machine, The John Smith Affair, Three’s a Crowd, The Silhouettes (Derby) & The Koncords.

Clive recorded to tape but there was facility to cut an acetate. Here is one by Nottingham blues rock group Woody Kern.

The Silhouettes

This was the 60’s group from Derby that became “Our Dog Winston” in 1970 and not the Nottingham group of the same name and same time period.

The lads were all keen “Derby County” football fans and in tribute to their heroes they wrote 5 short songs to release as a single. They used Codolar studio in Nottingham and while hard to date was probably made in 1968. While the majority of the recordings at Codolar were eventually released on bigger labels like Beacon and PYE the catalogue number CG-100 might suggest this record was the first of Clive Gamble’s own endeavours. A photograph of The Silhouettes outside a studio door with the sign “QUIET PLEASE RECORD” must be at Codolar studio as the group have said themselves that this was the only recording session that ever did.

Jaded Lemon

Jaded Lemon were a short lived four piece group in 1969 who recorded at Codolar studio and released and very small run of a single (200) called “Car Park / A Child’s Lullaby” and was described as a demo disc released on “Round Records”.
They were led by Geoff Ellis who wrote the songs. Geoff was from Bulwell in Nottingham and was a teacher at Whitemoor junior school and was represented by Mr Neale of Sutton-in-Ashfield. His band mates were all from the Birmingham area. Read more and hear the single on the Jaded Lemon page.

Sons and Lovers

Nottingham show group recorded at Codolar. Their record “Happiness is Love” was recorded their and released on Beacon records. Read about the group here.

Newspaper cuttings

At the Oval Inn, Sutton-in-Ashfield they held a regular “Group Talent Competition” during April and May of 1968 with the winners appearing on Radio Nottingham’s “Scene Around” programme. Some of the groups listed in the ads that may have got to record include:

Pitiful Souls, Harry Griebbessoh, Sting Band, The Expressions, Whiskey Mac, The Marzipans, Disraeli Gear, The Screams, The Small Hours, Bead-A-Row Walk, Silhouettes, Dynamic Detours, Lambs of the World, Mark Bristol Five, The Diary, Phase Four, The Trip, The Hairless Wonders, Sugar Machine, Soul Machine, Middle Earth, The Mint, Outer Limits, Nine Degrees of Frost,

Others that may have recorded at Codolar include the duo Melvyn Romane and Judy Darnell, Michael Blount and probably plenty of folk artists.

Nottingham group Whichwhat recorded at Codolar and the master tape of “In the year 2525” produced by manager Phil Smith was sent to Beacon Records.

Clive Gamble married Evelyn Schulz in July 1969. Clive went to work in the USA during the seventies and eighties before returning to Britain.

Clive had been gigging with his mobile Discotheque in 1965.

Here are many of the ads for the Group Talent Competition at the Oval.