F
oot Tapping Records
celebrated its 100th
release after just a decade
in business. Before the end of the
second, the stable can now proclaim
itself ‘the UK’s largest rockabilly
record label’. Now there’s something.
Back at its inception in 2002, for those
outside of the rockin’ contingent at any
rate, it might well have seemed a foolhardy
undertaking. Particularly when the wider
musical output that year was about as
insipid as it comes. A brief look over the
shoulder fi nds a proud nation’s charts
domineered by swathes of manufactured
fl uff , from perpetual stool-dwellers Westlife
to 10-piece boyband Blazin’ Squad. It was all
depressingly milk-and-water.
But in June that year the heavens
sundered and – timed to perfection –
salvation returned to the building. A Little
Less Conversation, originally a B-side, shot
to the top of the UK charts. Yes, it had been
coaxed gently into the noughties by Dutch
DJ Junkie XL, but rock’n’roll was back.
Not such a foolhardy undertaking after
all. Of course,the rockin’ underground
has always been humming
along under its own steam, but both above
and below ground, it appeared the time was
ripe for rock. That spirit was embodied
in the plans of two Big Beat obsessives,
step-brothers Clive Duffi n and Colin Bell.
From the incredibly un-rock climes of a
leafy hamlet in Hampshire, Foot Tapping
was born, with the intent to serve up some
of our isle’s fi nest, freshest talent.
Theirs is now a blossoming organisation
that boasts its own studio (see boxout),
bustling music distribution website,
MusicKing.co.uk, and a roster stacked with
talent. Duffi n and co are enjoying this well-
earned apotheosis thanks to hard graft,Q&A
DARREL HIGHAM
Right up there amongst the UK’s fi nest
rockabilly guitarists, Darrel Higham has
wowed us all with his enviable ability with
a Gretsch, but he’s also an essential part of
the Foot Tapping family. Over the years, he’s
helped to source, encourage and produce new
talent, as well as providing many high points
in the label’s catalogue...How would you describe
your relationship with
Clive and the label?
Clive and I have always
done everything on a
handshake. Whatever the
deal, whatever the
project, it’s all done on the
basis we’re great friends.
If it wasn’t for him, I would’ve quit music a
long time ago. I owe him a great deal and I like
to think I’ve done my bit to help with the label
and studio. I think he feels the same. We’ve
worked extremely hard to make both label and
studio as professional as possible, and with
Graham Dominy taking over the sessions as
engineer/producer, we all make a great team.You’ve cut a
fair few albums for Foot Tapping.
Which ones stand out?
My personal favourite is Bop Machine, but the
Ricky Nelson tribute remix comes pretty close
and A Monochrome Dream is an album I’m
very fond of, too. Bop Machine was recorded
early last year in about three days. I wanted to
record an out-and-out rockabilly
album and try to make it sound
fairly authentic. Adam Miles has
been playing bass for me for
nearly 17 years, so it was great
to have him onboard, as well as
Rob Tyler back on drums. I’ve
known Adam since he was about
13 and he’s one of my closest
friends. I’d be lost without him
next to me onstage! Rob played on our fi rst
Enforcers album for Foot Tapping, Urban
Jamboree, with Mick Wigfall on bass. I’ve
always been a fan of his drumming since
I heard the Dave Phillips & The Hot Rod Gang
LP, Wild Youth, when I was a young teenager.
So I was thrilled when he agreed to join The
Enforcers and play on Urban Jamboree. Thatalbum came about because we were supposed
to back another artist at Mick’s studio, Sweet
Georgia Browns, but the artist didn’t show up
for the session, so we decided to record the
same songs and release it as our own album!Is there anything in the pipeline?
I’ve just released a new Christmas CD. I decided
in the fi rst lockdown to fi nally write a bunch of
rock’n’roll and rockabilly Christmas songs and
record a fun album. I was inspired by my
daughter Violet, as she’s still at an age where
Christmas is exciting, but it’s always been an
ambition of mine to write a whole album of
rockin’ Christmas songs. Imelda joined in for
a duet and I even persuaded Violet to sing
a song, a version of Brenda Lee’s I’m Gonna
Lasso Santa Claus! The duet with Imelda was
very much an after-thought because the song
(Forgive Me On Christmas Day) was not written
as a duet. It was only after I’d recorded it
that I had the idea of a duet by a couple
apologising to each other for forgetting to do
their assigned jobs leading up to Christmas!
You can fi nd Darrel Higham’s music at
darrelhigham.bandcamp.comLabel Story: Foot Tapping Records