Recording revives memories of band

AN OLD record bought for 20p in a Swindon second hand shop released a flood of memories for a man who set up the town’s first recording studio.

The credits on the back of the disc, a seven-inch EP by a band called Reaction, list the producers as E Ludford and T Alderton, and the recording location as Tudor Studios.

‘T Alderton’ was Terry Alderton, and his fate is unknown, but E Ludford is veteran Swindon drummer, talent contest organiser and record producer Ted Ludford, who lives near the town centre and works as an accountant and auditor.

He was a member of Swindon band Hear No Evil, which competed in TV talent shows New Faces and Opportunity Knocks. A recording of the band’s self-penned ballad, Two O’Clock In The Morning, was a favourite slow number at the Brunel Rooms nightclub.

When we told him about the record, which was bought by a curious member of the Adver’s staff, he said: “I was just gobsmacked when you phoned up. When you said Reaction, I thought ‘Blimey – Tudor Studios’. They were quite central to the studio. They recorded there, they played at our opening night and I later became a member.”

The studio was founded in 1978 after Ted became interested in recording. He joined forces with a neighbour, Terry Alderton, and the two sank about £3,000 into equipment. In 1978 a family home in Swindon could be had for £10,000 or less, so this was a big investment.

The studio’s first location, Eastleaze Farm, is now part of the West Swindon housing development. Tudor moved to a town centre building on what is now the site of the Sir Daniel Arms pub in about 1979 and closed after Terry relocated away from the town in 1981.

Tudor was used for recordings by acts ranging from punk bands to brass bands. Ted remembers a young XTC rehearsing there, although they made no recordings.

Reaction had been formed in 1972, and by 1980, when their EP was recorded, the line-up was a female lead vocalist known simply as Eirwen, Bryan Stratton on keyboards, Roger Saunders on lead guitar, Dave Strange on bass and Dave Lee on drums. The musicians also sang close harmonies with Eirwen.

Bryan liked the band, and had previously recorded a live set at the Piccadilly pub – now the Messenger – in Covingham. Reaction were regulars on the cabaret, holiday camp and nightclub circuit in an era when it was still possible to make a decent living in this way.

The EP consists of four cover versions of popular songs. Disco band A Taste of Honey’s Boogie Oogie Oogie is followed by Billy Joel’s My Life. The B-side opens with Nights In White Satin, the Moody Blues song written by Swindonian Justin Hayward, followed by He Was Beautiful, which added lyrics by Cleo Laine to Stanley Myers’ Cavatina, best known for the John Williams version used as the theme to the film The Deer Hunter.

It was a diverse set and deliberately so. Ted said: “Reaction were consistently doing summer seasons, and what bands playing holiday camps used to do is make records and sell them to the holidaymakers.

“This was a promotional EP for them to take to the holiday camp and sell to the punters. It was a way for them to make some extra money.

“I can’t remember how much it cost to make a record, but they probably had 500 copies pressed.”

We would love to hear from members of the band or any other band who recorded or rehearsed at Tudor Studios.