The Teds subculture came from England, where it developed in London in the early 1950s and swept the island, thereafter. The fashion was long jackets (Drapes), tight trousers (drainpipes), crepe-soled shoes, slim jim ties, and a waistcoat. Topped off with a Tony Curtis hairstyle – a quiff, with a Ducktail at the back. King Edward VII (reign 1901-1910) was the namesgiver to Britain´s first youth subculture. On September 23rd 1953 the Daily Express Newspaper shortened Edward to Teddy, added the Boys – hence the name for these youngsters – Teddy Boys. “In terms of English Teenagers Teddy Boys were the start of everything: Rock & Roll and coffee bars, clothes and bikes and language, jukeboxes and coffee with froth on it – the whole concept of a private teen life style, seperate from the adult world.” (Nik Cohn) Rock & Roll and the Teds became entwined, and would forver remain strongly connected. In the lean years of Classic Rock & Roll, the mid-1960s when the British groups had swept American Rock & Roll out of the jukeboxes, radio and the charts: The Teds organized, like the North Finchley Rock & Roll Preservation Society, met in back rooms of pubs and appeared once more in their fineries – the velvet drapes and spangled waistcoats and righs, and their hair, or what was left of it, still thick with grease, and sideburns which would make ´General Sideburn´- the alleged namegiver for it, proud. Sitting in corners speaking of Eddie Cochran, or James Dean and Mamie Van Doren, remembering a bygone age, when men were men and died as they lived …
Over sixty years on – The Ted cult has become international – Teddy Boy Rock & Roll bands such as Lou Cifer & The Hellions or Crazy Cavan & The Rhythm Rockers keep the Rock & Roll flag flying. Otto Fuchs explores the music, lifestyle, and history of this British subculture in Volume 6 of “Keep On Rockin´” on Radio Orange.