Geno Washington

Event information

Soul Incarnate

Oh Geno! A man so gifted Dexys Midnight Runners even wrote a song about him. Don't miss this one!

Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band had two of thebiggest selling U.K. albums of the sixties.  Amazingly both of these were live albums. Hand Clappin', Foot Stompin', Funky Butt Live was in the album charts for 48 out of 52 weeks in 1966, only The Sound of Music and Bridge Over Troubled Water sold more copies that year. U.S. soul acts rarely visited the UK and, having come over as a part of the U.S. Airforce and stayed, Geno became our soul man.

His level of touring and the high energy of his gigs was, and still is the stuff of legends (as further immortalized by the 80's hit Geno! recorded by Dexy's Midnight Runners). During his sets the beat was continuous with almost every song segueing into the next. Hit followed hit, the beat was continuous and the soul audiences could not get enough of him. With the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Cream and Pink Floyd as your warm up bands the pressure was always on.

Eventually, having made Pye Records and numerous managers and club promoters millions, he decided he had to rest. The only way to do this was to go back to the 'States to escape the constant demand for the live show. He had worn out the sixties and the mighty Washington batteries needed recharging. Back in the U.S. and relative calm, life was very different.

Although he did dabble in the studio with the likes of The Beach Boys, Geno was starting to ask himself, 'What was it all about'. Consequently most of the seventies were spent reflecting on the sixties; rock 'n' roll, Vietnam, peace, love and life in general and Geno became, what he calls a student of the mind. He studied various forms of meditation and hypnotism (not many people know that Geno is an excellent speaker and a member of the Guild of Hypnotists). Such spiritual meanderings were abruptly halted though when, in 1980 Geno! (the Dexy's hit) went to number one in the UK charts. Dexy's singer Kevin Roland was talking in interviews of a mythical sixties soul performer who ravaged the land to the chants of Geno! Geno! Geno! to a new generation and offers of tours and appearances eventually persuaded our soul man to head back to Blighty and back on the road.