Notts Music Archive
A history of groups and musicians from Nottingham, the County and the wider East Midlands region in the mid to late 20th Century
Champion Jack Dupree and the Colin Staples Blues Band, Beat-Club, German TV 1971
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01 I’m Going To Bremen To Get On The Radio
02 What Did I Say
03 Boogie Woogie
04 Drinkin Wine
05 Bring Me Flowers When I’m Living
06 I’m Going To Bremen To Get On The Radio (2nd Version)
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The Colin Staples Blues Band were from Nottingham, UK.
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Colin Staples: vocals, guitar, harp
Mick Dale: lead guitar
Paul “Beano” Summers: piano, slide guitar
Steve Hurd: bass
Paul “Jamso” James: drums.
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This incarnation of Colin’s band were around from 1969 to 1972. They were Champion Jack’s backing band for a year or more. Champion Jack visited Nottingham a good few times playing the likes of the Dancing Slipper as early as 1960, the Gallery, the Boat and the Imperial. One of the staples (pardon the pun) of the blues. William Thomas “Champion Jack” Dupree was a boogie-woogie pianist and singer.playing a barrel house blues. New Orleans born, as a child he learnt piano in an orphanage. He served in WW2 spending a couple of years in a Japanese prison. He got his name from his early career as a boxer. He moved to Europe in 1960, married a girl in Halifax in the 70’s. After his divorce he was living in the anarchist-occupied Freetown Christiania, in Copenhagen. His colourful life was mirrored by his clever way with words and his carefree approach to playing.
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In 1971 Champion Jack Dupree was going to appear on the German TV programme Beat-Club and asked Colin to come over and play on the session. After a gig in London Colin and his band dossed down at the airport and got an early flight to Berlin. Most of the day was spent for the camera’s and less for the sound. After about eight hours Colin and the band were back on a flight home. ‘I’m Going To Bremen To Get On The Radio’ was aired by the programme at the time and possibly ‘What Did I Say’ but the others songs have only surfaced in 2026 on the Beat-Club YouTube channel.
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Colin Staples, himself a local legend of the blues is still playing regularly to this day.
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Read some of Colin’s history here.
Watch all the performances on YouTube
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01 I’m Going To Bremen To Get On The Radio
02 What Did I Say
03 Boogie Woogie
04 Drinkin Wine
05 Bring Me Flowers When I’m Living
06 I’m Going To Bremen To Get On The Radio (2nd Version)
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