EDWARDS

HANDS OFF – with former South Shields singer & songwriter Vincent J.Edwards

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Now living in Ulm southern Germany, Vinny Edwards (Back Where We Started From, Love Hit Me, I Can’t Turn Back Time) spends time watching the sunset over the river Danube while recalling his youth living in South Shields.

In the music video for his song Hands Off are photographs of Vinny and his mates heading home after a night out at local club The Majestic, South Shields.

“They were fun nights listening to great dance music. We’d also pop in for a couple of pints in The Marine pub on Ocean Road near to where I was born. Most of the lads in the picture were around 17 year old and worked in the shipyards.” recalls Vinny.

The single was recorded by Vinny and the Survivors however a previous band he was in called The Invictors are pictured in the video playing in La Strada club, South Shields in 1963.

“The Invictors played every Sunday lunchtime. The atmosphere was like a posh workingmen’s club”.

Hands Off is a change from Vinny Edwards usual output of pop and Northern soul. 

“It was a sort of protest song – the Government, war, politics, the same rubbish news as people are protesting about today really. I wrote and recorded the song in the late 70s at PYE studios. The single was released in the UK on PYE records. It also got a European release on the Hans label and was in Germany, Belgium and Holland. Yeh happy days, loved that time. I’ve still got roots in South Shields. My brother has an allotment in Westoe. He sends me photos. They have great sunsets as well”.

Link to ‘Hands Off’ >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYluCqVg4wA

Alikivi   September 2025

I CAN’T TURN BACK TIME with Vincent J. Edwards

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South Shields born Vinny Edwards has featured on this site a few times. Type his name in the search bar for previous write ups about his time in the music biz including international chart hit Back Where We Started From which reached #2 in the USA and #8 in the UK. Recently he got in touch and told me another story about one of his songs.

I was living in a flat in Wandsworth in London when I wrote and recorded I Can’t Turn Back Time in 1967. It was my second solo single for United Artists after The Answers broke up. We recorded the A and B side The Lively One at Olympic studios within three hours can you believe!

The B side was used for a commercial for Texaco petrol in the UK and USA. I Can’t Turn Back Time was played mostly on the pirate radio stations London and Caroline. I believe it charted on both stations it also broke into some Northern Soul charts.

In America it was released under the name Tim Love on the Ascot label so I would not be confused with the American actor Vince Edwards who played Dr Ben Casey in the TV series. It was just after this I changed my name to J Vincent Edwards. The ‘J’ I took from Jarra or Jarrow if you were posh.

Later there were two more records on United Artists – County Durham Dream and Aquarius then along came the musical ‘Hair’ and a new record company CBS. They were crazy happy days for a 22year old lad from South Shields’ Ocean Road school.

Link to the American release on the Ascot record label of ‘I Can’t Turn Back Time’

>>> https://youtu.be/79W6RtoJjDM?si=IGSL09KbaSvNN57v

Alikivi   September 2025