The E.B.C. Archives -
Original articles written by Ray Ennis
and first published in The Beat Goes On magazine

For over six years, Ray Ennis of The Swinging Blue Jeans enthralled sixties music fans with his monthly article published in The Beat Goes On magazine about the antics of the legendary Elbow Bending Club. Now, with Ray's permission, we are re-running these articles on the web.

What is the Elbow Bending Club? Well, no-one really knows except for the members themselves - and membership is restricted to 60s performers and other carefully selected people from within the business!

You can guarantee not missing each new edition by completing the Netmind box on the
main Swinging Blue Jeans page


THE ELBOW BENDING CLUB
&
THE DANGEROUS DANISH DINNER

Being members of the EBC is on the whole a very pleasurable experience, but there are times when its very testing. One such occasion springs to mind in Denmark on one of the many Swinging Blue Jeans trips to that wonderful country.

Two very youthful promoters, who were responsibIe for the SBJ's invasion into Scandinavia were Neils Wenkins an~ Knud Thorbienson. Neils had always promised to take us to his parents home for a typical Danish meal and in 1966 he did just that. He informed us on the way that his parents did not speak English, but he would translate if need be.

The house was in the suburbs of Copenhagen and on this pleasent summers evening looked stunnIng, also the thought of downing a few Carlsbergs made it even better. We were welcomed at the door by Mr & Mrs Wenkins and along with Neils his brother Henry and their girlfriends there was quite a gathering for the meal. We were ushered through to the garden and presented with a crate of Carlsberg which we gratefully accepted and proceeded to get stuck in!

When we eventually sat down to the meal we were feeling quite mellow from the effects of the Carlsberg and looking forward to something to eat. The table was a sight to behold with a large array of cutlery and china flowers everywhere and the obligatory bottles of Carlsberg plus wine and some strange looking bottles which were to prove our downfall, the dreaded schnapps!

The way the meal is served is somewhat different to Britain, in that where the starter opened the nutritional onslaught, followed by the main course then dessert.... all washed down with gallons of vino, over there it was all of a rather more genteel affair.

The host i.e. Neils father gave a speech to welcome us (in Danish) which his son duly translated he then proposed a toast thats when we discovered the dreaded schnapps!. We all had to stand and with a cry of Skol had to down the drink in one. The lads were looking at me and indicating that I should make a reply so I stood up and thanked them on behalf of the SBJ's during which our glasses were suitably recharged. I ended my toast with a rather British "Bottoms up" and we all downed the dreaded liquid in one go again, it seemed the toast "Bottoms up" clearly tickled old Mr Wenkins as he had no trouble getting his tongue round it and thereafter kept leaping to his feet shouting "Bottoms up" , to which we had to stand up and down another schnapps in one! It's important to mention that we'd seen off two bottles of the lethal brew before the first course arrived. Schnapps does not have an immediate affect on you, it's very sly, and after an hour or so it creeps up behind you and slugs you across the back of the head with a baseball bat! We made it through the first course (soup I think) then the wine started flowing as did the verbal diarrhoea.

Old Mr Wenkins was in full flight now and his cries of bottoms up became more frequent, by this time we couldn't respond standing up so we downed them in one from the sitting position!.and passed wind. Hopefully you can bear with me because the rest of the story is a bit of a blur as I was now on auto pilot but I seem to remember Les "Thumper" Braid sliding down his chair and coming to rest in the strawberry gateaux which, when served everyone except Thumper declined.

At this point I was trying to sing Danny Boy using one of the empty schnapps bottles as a micron while Thumper was accompanying me on table mat and spoons, then I must have passed out as I can't remember for the life of me what anybody else did. I also could not tell you what the rest of the meal consisted of but it deffinately had carrots and tomatoes in it! The reason I know is somehow we were transported back to our hotel , miraculously found our rooms and upon awaking the next day I was lying on the top of the bed fully clothed in my Mohair suit, tab collar shirt with knitted tie, winkle pickers and there nestling on my shoulder were the carrots and tomatoes!

We have since partaken of the dreaded schnapps on numerous occasions, but not with such dire consequences.

PS - I have suggested to my Idol Dave Berry that he should try singing through an empty schnapps bottle to improve his vocal sound, but Im now reliably informed he already does, although Marthy says "Bols" which I take it means Dave uses Bols gin bottles!.
Main EBC Page

You can email Ray Ennis by clicking here