Obscure Bands Of The 50's & 60's

The Deltones were a Croydon-based Rock and Roll band that evolved out of a skiffle group called The Discord Skifflers.
The group is notable as having two fantastic guitarists in their line-ups: Jim Duncombe and Jeff Beck.
Modelled themselves on Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps, they were first known locally as the Blue Caps, backing various Vincent's impersonators such as Johnny Del (real name Derek Burchall), Cal Danger and Ricky Sarsted (before he topped the British charts as "Eden Kane" with "Well I Ask you"). Their original lead guitarist Jim Duncombe was regarded as the ultimate Cliff Gallup disciple (1). Duncombe started to play Neopolitan Mandoline with Rod Lyward & the Hot Rods, and then switched to electric guitar with The Hi Fi Rock’n'Roll Band. By late 1960 he left to visit Hamburg with Sonny Stewart & The Dynamos. Strangely, this is the guy that Rod Lyward had recruited in his latest version of The Hi Fi's who stepped into his shoes: an art school student of sixteen called Jeff Beck (2). But his condition for joining the group was they had to take his school friend John Owen on Rhythm guitar (4).
The band was managed by Roger Jarvie who was very skeptical the first time he saw Beck... with a long cardboard box under his arm (3).
In late 1961, Johnny Del left to join The Crescents, their main competition (4). The Deltones thus became an instrumental band, covering the Shadows hits (5). They auditioned for BBC radio's Saturday Club, playing a rendition of "Cherry Pink Apple Blossom", and financed their own private disc which was recorded at R.G. Jones Studios in Morden (6), Surrey. They also made private recordings during a practise session, which included "Apache", "Sleepwalk" (one of Jeff's favourites even then) and "Driftin' " (7).
They later backed American bluesman Memphis Slim at the Eel Pie Island.

Bass player George Clarke and drummer Mick Godfrey joined Jim Duncombe to play in Germany with his new band, The Continentals in late 1962 (8).
Meanwhile Jeff Beck ended up joining Johnny Del (9) in The Crescents as a replacement for their more oriented Blues lead guitarist Ed Hamilton, just before they changed their name to The Nightshift and appeared at the 3rd National Jazz & Blues Festivals, at the Richmond Athletic Grounds, Surrey.
Beck brought Clarke in The Nightshift for the 4th Richmond Jazz & Blues Festival, on 7 August 1964.

Cal Danger recorded a couple of singles for Fontana records, which were produced by Joe Meek in 1962: “Teenage Girlie Blues” and “Restless”. Danger wasn't related to the late Tony Dangerfield, who also worked with Joe Meek, recording "I've Seen Such Things" in 1964, and was the bassist of Screaming Lord Sutch's Savages for more than 3 decades.
Ricky Sarsted topped the British charts as "Eden Kane" with his 2nd release, "Well I Ask you" in August 1961.

Their Story by Bassist George Clarke

"My first meeting with Jim Duncombe was around 1957 / 58. At the time I was working as an apprentice at a company called Trojan Engineering in Croydon, which had an apprentices club which was allowed to use the works canteen for recreational purposes. My parents had bought me a Stewart accoustic guitar which I was attempting to learn to play and eventually Jim came into the picture and suggested we form a group with him on lead guitar and vocals and me on rhythm guitar. Not being very good, I recall trying to play along on the E string using single notes and eventually Jim asked me to get a bass guitar and play that instead. As we improved, I think Mick Godfrey came in on drums and we started playing at local pubs, with our best gig at the Park Lane Ballroom in Croydon. We were joined by a pianist, Ernie Able who played rock and roll like a maniac! For some reason he didn't stay with us for long.
After a while, Jim came to me and told me he was leaving the band and handed me a piece of paper with a name and address on it and suggested I went to see him with a view to becoming Jim's replacement.
As it happened, the address was familiar to me as I grew up in Wallington and the address was close by.
The name on the paper was... Jeff Beck. I went to see him and asked him if he would like to join the band.
We had a chat about his favourite music, and, like Jim, he idolised Gene Vincent and Cliff Gallup, so he fitted in a treat. More to the point, we fitted in with him!
We styled ourselves on the Blue Caps to the extent of wearing blue suits, white shoes and blue caps. Needless to say, our repertoire was strictly Rock and Roll and we were at the time, known locally as the Blue Caps.
During the following years we played at some of the main dance halls in the area and established a regular weekly booking at the Dowgate Hall in Tonbridge, Kent.

By this time we had collected a rhythm guitarist, John Owen who was a friend of Jeff's and a singer, called Derek Burchall. Somewhere along the line we changed our name to The Deltones, Del being a nickname for "Derek".
Because we had established ourselves locally, in order to improve our sound, Jeff bought a Fender Strat, John a Telecaster and I bought a Fender Precision Bass. Jeff frequently used John's Telecaster as it had more treble than the Strat.
Our amplifiers left a lot to be desired, but we probably didn't know that then!
One thing we did buy was a Watkins Copy Cat, but the tape kept breaking so eventually we bought a Binson Echorec, a vast improvement.
I think, at the time Jeff was very much into Cliff Gallup and also Scotty Moore with some Les Paul thrown in.

During the life of the Deltones, we met up with another local singer by the name of Ricky Sarsted, better known as Eden Kane.
We auditioned with him to become his backing group, but at the time we were not into doing dance steps, and Jeff was adamant he wasn't going to do it, so it didn't go any further. We did, however back Eden at local events, some of which were entirely unsuitable for a rock group with a lead guitarist who played with so much treble it would cut your ears off at 50 metres!!
Eden became established and we continued on our merry way.

Another stage in my association with Jeff was the arrival on the scene of a character named Cal Danger who modelled himself on Gene Vincent, complete with limp, black leathers and a similar hairstyle.
On one occassion we were late due to the fact that the van carrying our gear had two punctures on the way there, the first being easily dealt with by fitting the spare wheel, but we had to get the second puncture repaired which is what made us late. Del was still with us at this point. Needless to say, the hall manager was not happy and our manager who I think was Roger Jarvie said to him "pay us more and we'll be on time" The manager's response was to inform, us that this would be our last booking; ie we were sacked!

A while later either Roger Jarvie or his friend unbeknown to the band, phoned the Dowgate Hall manager under a false name and asked him if he would like to book Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps at his venue. Naturally, he said yes.

We played the gig with the lights in the hall off, ostensibly to promote "atmosphere", but in truth, the main reason was to prevent any-one getting a good look at "Gene" - Cal Danger. The evening was a great success and we went down well with the crowd.

Next came a phone call to our manager asking if he had Gene Vincent on his books, the upshot being we were booked to play in Newmarket which was about 90 miles away from my home.
It transpired that the rest of the group, including the manager were asked to meet up with the promoter in London, which they did. Upon arrival Roger Jarvie was approached and asked if Gene Vincent was in the van, to which he replied in the affirmative. At this point, I think the group was arrested, as the promoter was Don Arden, the real manager of Gene Vincent in the UK. I missed all the excitement cause I was not in the van with the rest of the group !! I had gone to Newmarket straight from work on my own.

To conclude, we were ordered to attend the The Old Bailey to face charges of deception. The press were all over us so we were sort of basking in the glory, but we didn't have to go in and all that happened was that we had a restraining order placed on us never to wear blue caps etc..
Cal Danger broke down and was in a sorry state and the press walked away!

Some of our best gigs were at venues such as Eel Pie Island where we backed Memphis Slim.
I am not sure what happened from there on with the Deltones. Jeff may have left the band or I may have just drifted away... I recall getting involved with a group called the Nightshift at the Richmond Jazz Festival..."

Notes
(1) Jim Duncombe
"About 1957 after a dispute I left the Hi Fi’s and joined “The Deltones”. We rehearsed at the Trojan Works in South Croydon on Thursday nights and Jeff Beck used to come along to watch. I’m the ultimate Cliff Gallup disciple and could play some of his soli and had made an Echo Machine from an “Elizabethan” tape recorder.Jeff couldn’t wait to play over it."
Jeff took my place when I left the Deltones to join “Sonny Stewart & the Dynamos”.

(2) Jim Duncombe (from his website)
"So a guy called Jeff Beck a friend of my school days, attended all our rehearsals. Later Jeff filled my place as lead guitarist and became a famous musician himself.
I can't really remember how Jeff and I first met, so I'll start with the "Deltones" rehearsals at the "Trojan" works. Jeff appeared there with his friend Ian Buisel. I was lead guitar with The Deltones....and I had made was the first "Tape Echo" unit in the UK.

The Echo consisted of an "Elizabethan" tape recorder with a second reply head glued onto the deck to give the same delay Gene Vincent's early albums had... Jeff and I used to jam together at the rehearsals and occasionally, somewhat reluctantly, I'd let him plug into my Echo box.
Jeff may have been about 16 or 17 then and the year could have been 1959/60.

I remember that Sonny Stewart asked me to join his band "Sonny Stewart & The Dynamo's".
Jeff took my place with "Derek Burchall & The Deltones" and I last saw him play with them at Saint Margaret's Hall in Putney. He had progressed amazingly and had a (Watkins "Copy-Cat" I believe) echobox. They played Gene's "I've Got to Get to You Yet" and it sounded too good."

(3) Jeff Beck, Crazy Fingers (2001) - Annette Carson p.14-15
It was while playing the Burns that Beck made the next significant move in his career, which involved approaching a band that had quite a following in the local area (South of London): they were called The Deltones.

"That was the hot item around our way. I used to see this van with 'Deltones' written on it, and I loved the name, and they also had pink jackets, which I thought was great. Then I was asked to go down to see them, and this guy called Ian Duncan (Jim Duncombe), who was fabulous, was leaving them, and I thought, 'My God, how am I going to fill his shoes?' He said, 'Look, I'll bugger off for a cup of tea, so you have a play and see how you get on,' and from that moment on, I realized there was a job for me there, because I was playing the solos off pat - but that was what they wanted, solos like the record. If they'd asked what else I could play, I'd have been finished… so I was knocked out, skipping home, and they said, “You’re playing at Putney Ballroom.”

The Deltones had metamorphosed from a skiffle group, the Discord Skifflers, into a pop group with the arrival of their boyish new lead singer, Derek Burchell-rechristened Johnny Del by the group's manager, Roger Jarvie - who bad a nice line in Cliff Richard songs like "Living Doll". So they'd switched to successful covers of the chart-topping Cliff, featuring on lead guitar "a little lefthanded genius named lan Duncan," (Jim Duncombe) as Jarvie describes him. Their previous gigs around the jazz clubs gradually gave way to regular spots at dance halls like the Wimbledon Palais, Hammersmith Palais, Park Lane Ballroom, and Tonbridge Dance Club; they even auditioned for BBC radio's Saturday Club and financed their own private disc.

Beck's chance came when Duncan (Duncombe) accepted a job as backing guitar for a new young singer, the brother of one of Britain's already rising popstars, Eden Kane; the young singer in question was Peter Sarstedt. The Deltones knew Beck as one of the regulars in their audience, but the idea of auditioning him was another proposition altogether-the lad was an art school student of sixteen, and the rest of the band members were in their early twenties. But they had nobody else lining up for the job, so one Thursday night they asked him along to a rehearsal in Croydon at Bowaters' Canteen on Purley Way. Beck appeared with a long cardboard box under his arm, leading the skeptical Roger Jarvie to wonder what kind of junk ay inside. "Then he opened it," Jarvie continues, "and took out an instrument that made all the rest of our equipment look ready for the scrap yard: the most beautiful red and gold Burns London guitar. And when he started playing we simply froze in disbelief - he was magic."
Beck’s condition for joining the group was they had to take his school friend John Owen on Rhythm guitar...

"About that time my mate bought a Telecaster. £107 it cost him. It was a beauty, and I was stuck with this bloody Burns thing. So while I was in the group he played the Burns and I played the Tele."

(4) John Owen
"Jeff Beck and i were school friends and both liked this great sound that the Blue caps were making. .. It is true that Jeff used to play my Telecaster and i played the Burns ,he used to make it sing !Even when he got his Stratocaster he still used to use the Tele for some of the songs."

(5) Harvey Hinsley
"Our manager Paddy Jones liked Johnny Dell and stole him from the Deltones. This would be late '61 or early'62."

(6) R.G. Jones Studios
were recording studios run by Sound engineer Ronald Godfrey Jones Jr. in Morden, Surrey.
The Crescents recorded their demo disc “Wedding Bells” b/w “Morgan” there, as well as The Rollingstones "It's All Right Babe" b/w "Pretty Thing I".

(7) George Clarke
"Our main interest in the Shadows/Hank Marvin was to try to be the first group to play their hits on stage."

(8) Jim Duncombe
"Jeff Beck auditioned for Rhythm guitar part for my cover band in Germany but although we got on great, he wasn’t right for the band - much too erratic, meaning creative. Lucky for posterity I turned him down…"

(9) Derek Burchall (Johnny Del) who preferred the likes of Frank Sinatra, re-joined and left The Crescents several times between late '61 and spring '63.

Recordings
The Deltones made a demo record: "Cherry Pink Apple Blossom"
Private recordings: "Apache", "Sleepwalk" and "Driftin'".

Line ups of The Deltones

The Discord Skifflers/The Blue Caps/The Deltones (Late 1957 - Late 1960)

Jim Duncombe (Lead Guitar/Vocals)
George Clarke (Rhythm Guitar)
Ernie Able (Piano)
Mick Godfrey (Drums)

Johnny Del & The Deltones (Late 1960 - Late 1961)

Derek Burchall (Lead Vocals) "Johnny Del"
Jefferey Beck (Lead Guitar) "Jeff Beck"
John Owen (Rhythm Guitar)
George Clarke (Bass)
Mick Godfrey (Drums)

Cal Danger & The "Blue Caps" (Late 1961)

Gordon Patterson (Lead Vocals) "Cal Danger"
Jefferey Beck (Lead Guitar) "Jeff Beck"
John Owen (Rhythm Guitar)
George Clarke (Bass)
Mick Godfrey (Drums)

The Continentals #1 (Late 1962 - Summer 1963)

Jim Duncombe (Lead Guitar/Vocals)
Joe Cunningham (Rhythm Guitar)
George Clarke (Bass)
Ian Thomas (Tenor Sax)
Mick Godfrey (Drums)

The Nightshift #4 (August 1964)

Brian Wiles (Lead Vocals/Harmonica)
Jeff Beck (Lead Guitar)
Tony Finch (Rhythm Guitar)
George Clarke (Bass)
Dave Elridge (Drums)

Special thanks to Jim Duncombe, George Clarke, John Owen, Harvey Hinsley, Ed Hamilton, and many others

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Pat Cresswell & The Cresters

2011-10-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

In 1957, Pat Cresswell was working as an interior designer at Hadfields Paint Company in Western Road, Mitcham, Surrey, when he put together his first group “The Blue Hounds” with Colin Johnson on bass and Ian Robinson on Drums. After winning a Skiffle competition at the Baths Hall in Mitcham, covering Carl Perkins' "Honey Dont", Cresswell decided to play only Rock'n'Roll and reorganized the band. He then hired lead guitarist Peter Budd (who worked at Hadfields as well) and his friend Geoffrey Fraser on rhythm guitar (1). Fraser however left shortly after and was replaced by Brian Maidment.
The name was changed to “Pat Cresswell & The Crescents”, after Pat's surname, just because it was thought that the Crescents sounded better for the group (2). At the time, they were playing mostly Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran material.

In late 1958, while they were supporting Bert Weedon at a Saturday morning show at the Hammersmith Odeon Cinema, the Crescents were asked to back a new singer who had the same clothes that Pat Cresswell had: a Light Gray jacket, black shirt and black pants. His name was Brian Holden, and was later changed to Vince Taylor...

Pat Cresswell & the Crescents later recorded some demos that were never released for sales, and included "What I'd Say", "Whole lotta Of Shaking Going On", "Brand new Cadillac", "I want You To Know", "Dreaming", "Living Doll", "Never Mind", and "Cresta Run" (an instrumental written by Peter Budd).

By then they became very well known in the West London area - playing residencies at large ballrooms such as the Boat house at Kew Bridge, the Airport Bowl at Heathrow - playing five nights a week.
By mid-59, Peter Budd moved to Rodney Ward & the Hi Fi's, replacing a young Jeff Beck (3), who then joined The Deltones (as a replacement for Jim Duncombe).
As a result, Pat Cresswell recruited bass player Ray Halsey and guitarist Harvey Hinsley both from Davy & the Cats.
He later threw Ian Robinson out and brought the remaining Cat, John Aldridge in on drums. They were also augmented by saxophone player Neville Hounslow. They needed him for Duane Eddy and Johnny & the Hurricanes stuff. But this was a fairly short-lived line-up as Cresswell finally left in turn at the end of 1960 and tried to form a band with a lead guitarist and a bass guitarist plus Mitch Mitchell (Georgie Fame, Jimi Hendrix ect.) who overplayed. The quartet played for the one and only gig in Southall Middlesex but it didnt work (4). So that Pete Lindsey, promoter of gigs, wouldn't take them on.

Pat Cresswell then decided to form the Cresters , after the name "Crester Run", with Peter Budd on lead, and the remaining Cats, Sydney Hayden on Rhythm Guitar and John Aldrich on Drums, plus Dave Strugnall on Bass guitar. After this Lindsey gave them gigs. A few months later, Cresswell left and the Cresters kept together with a new singer before resuming as an instrumental band.

Peter Budd left in 1962 to join Sonny Stewart & The dynamoes in Germany. He later worked with Dave Dacosta & the Strollers, Rory Blackwell, Earl Sheridan & the House Shakers, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Gene Vincent amongst others.

In the meanwhile, Pat Cresswell joined a band called "The Starfires" as the singer... He then formed a couple of duos and finished up playing guitar and singing on his own with backing tracks (5)."

(1) Peter Budd and Geoffrey Fraser both from a South London-based outfit called the “Blue Suedes”

(2) Pat Cresswell
"After the skiffle went out of style, we started "The Blue Hounds" group. It was when Pete Budd and Brian Maidment joined that the name was changed to the Crescents because of my name Cresswell. It was thought that the Crescents sounded better for the group."

(3) Peter Budd
"When I first practiced with Rodney Ward there was a reel to reel tape recorder sitting there and I asked Rodney who is belonged to? He said the last guitar player. It had an extra head to get an echo sound so I used it for the rehearsal. Suddenly the door opened and in walks this young kid and swore at me as it belonged to him. He took it away and his name was Jeff Beck...
Jeff and I went to the same school. Elmwood Park high School in Beddington South London. He was a couple of years younger..."

(4) Pat Cresswell
"When I left the Crescents, I met a lead guitarist and a bass guitarist and we got together to try to form a band, I phoned a drummer who I think was Mitch Mitchell and we played for the one and only gig in Southall Middlesex...It was rubbish!"

(5) Pat Cresswell
"I met Peter Budd again, and with the drummer from the Crescent, the Cresters were formed, with Sid Hayden and a bass guitarist.
Peter played more instrumentals--and the same as the crescents "hits" of the day and rock/roll etc.
I think the Cresters were from the name "Crester Run".
After a while I left , the Cresters kept together and in the meanwhile I joined a band called "The Starfires" as the singer... That was the last band I was in, since then I've been in a couple of duos and finished up playing guitar and singing on my own with backing tracks."

Discography

Demo LP: "What I'd Say", "Whole lotta Of Shaking Going On", "Brand new Cadillac", "I want You To Know", "Dreaming", "Living Doll", "Never Mind", "Cresta Run"...

Line-ups of The Crescents, The Crestas and of Davy & The Cats

Davy & The Cats (1957 - Mid 1959)

Sydney Haydon (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar)
Harvey Hinsley (Lead Guitar)
Ron Maun (Rhythm Guitar)
Ray Halsey (Bass)
John Aldrich (Drums)

Pat Cresswell & The Crescents #1 (Late 1957 - Mid 1959)

Pat Creswell (Lead Vocals)
Peter Budd (Lead Guitar)
Geoffrey Fraser (Rhythm Guitar)
Brian Maidment (Rhythm Guitar)
Collin Johnson (Bass)
Ian Robinson (Drums)

Pat Cresswell & The Crescents #2 (Mid 1959 - Late 1960)

Pat Creswell (Lead Vocals)
Harvey Hinsley (Lead Guitar)
Brian Maidment (Rhythm Guitar)
Ray Halsey (Bass)
Neville Hounslow (Tenor Sax)
Ian Robinson then John Aldrich (Drums)

Pat Cresswell & The Crestas (Early 1961 - 1962)

Pat Creswell (Lead Vocals)
Peter Budd (Lead Guitar)
Sydney Haydon (Rhythm Guitar)
Dave Strugnall (Bass)
John Aldrich (Drums)

The Crestas (1962 - 1963)

Peter Budd (Lead Guitar)
Sydney Haydon (Rhythm Guitar)
Dave Strugnall (Bass)
John Aldrich (Drums)

Pat Cresswell & The Starfires (1962)

Pat Creswell (Lead Vocals)
Rich ?? (Lead Guitar)
Terry Dwyer (Rhythm Guitar)
Ron Price (Bass)
Les Green (Drums)

Special thanks to Pat Creswell, Peter Budd, Harvey Hinsley, John Aldrich, Sydney Haydon and many others

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Sonny Stewart & The Dynamos

2011-03-18T06:47:00.001-07:00

Arthur Champerlain alias "Sonny Stewart" and his professional band "The Dynamos" were very popular first in southern London and then in Western Germany during the early 60's. Their repertoire was the hits of the US charts and some Country and Western, playing Marty Robbins, Bob Luman, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Chubby Checker with his famous "Twist again" and The Fly".
The original Dynamoes consisted of guitarist Pat O'Grady, bassist Douggie Reece, pianist Les Smith who was then studying architecture, and drummer Ernie O'Malley. They all met up while working at the 2i's coffee bar in Old Compton Street, Soho. They started playing in the local clubs and the US airbases like Chicksands, Laken Heath, Brise Norton and Bushy Park and performed even on BBC Radio show "Saturday Club" during 1959.
By 1960, Tony Collins replaced O'Grady. At the end of the year, there was some unrest with Sonny Stewart and his management, so it was decided to part company. When Chris Wayne was asked to supported Gene Vincent again in early 1961, he recruited drummer Laurie Jay, from Nero & The Gladiators, and the rest of The Dynamos - apart from Ernie O'Malley (1) - to be his new set of Echoes (who later backed Dusty Springfield from 1963).
Meanwhile Stewart formed another group, recruiting guitarist Jim Duncombe (2) from the Deltones and bass player Frank Jackson formerly with Rodney Ward & the Hi Fi’s. The Dynamos then went off to find other work, first doing some gigs with Eden Cane before finally moving to Hamburg, Germany.

In August 1961, they started an engagement in Hamburg's famous scene club, the Top Ten at Reeperbahn 105, taking over from the Beatles. They played there nonstop daily from 17.00 hrs to 07.00 hrs in the morning.

After a gig in Hanau, Germany, in which Duncombe took over vocals, a local club owner called Aaron Brown supported his intention to found his own band, when finally he left the Dynamos in late 1962.
Peter Budd from The Crestas, an acquaintance of Jackson's, stepped into his shoes (3). They kept playing clubs in Hamburg, but also in Frankfurt and other towns in Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and the Scandinavian countries. They opened up for Bill Haley's band many times at American Bases.
In late 1964, drummer Dave Constable and Peter Budd went with Dave Dacosta & the Strollers.
Sonny Stewart eventually teamed up with the Tony Dangerfield's Thrills and toured Star Club circuit in Germany whilst their singer was in the UK promoting the record "I've seen sutch things."

Peter Budd kept playing guitar with Earl Sheridan & the House Shakers, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Gene Vincent amongst others. David Constable kept beating the skins for Dickie Pride. Jeff Pullem later joined Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, and he's now a reknown Language Author.
Arthur Champerlain (Sonny Stewart) left music business and now lives in Adalaide, Australia.

Notes:

(1) Ernie O'Malley later played with The Cy Laurie's jazz band, The Blues By Six and then Long John Baldry & The Hoochie Coochie Men

(2) Jim Duncombe
"Jeff beck took my place when I left the Deltones to join “Sonny Stewart & the Dynamos”...
Sonny Stewart and his professional band "The Dynamos" was already popular in southern London when I joined end of 1960. We played in the local clubs and the US airbases and came even as far as Birmingham.
In August 1961 we started an engagement in Hamburg's famous scene club, the Top Ten at Reeperbahn 105, shortly after the Beatles had played there. Certainly hard work as we stepped into their path, playing nonstop daily from 17.00 hrs to 07.00 hrs in the morning. During this time I learned a lot from Tony Sheridan, the club's singer. During a replacement due to illness of both Tony and Sonny, I started singing, too...
During a gig in Hanau, Germany, Aaron Brown, a local club owner, supported my intention to found my own band late 1962, when finally I left Sonny Steward and the Dynamos."

(3) Peter Budd
"One day I got a letter from Frank Jackson, an old friend and bass player who I played with in the “Rodney Ward and the Hi Fi’s” band some time back. The letter was from Germany and asked if I knew a guitarist that would want to replace Jimmy Duncombe who was leaving “Sonny Stewart and the Dynamos”. Jimmy was a great guitarist, and even gave Jeff Beck some lessons at one time. I left for Germany the same week!
I spent a few years with Sonny Stewart, playing clubs in Hamburg, Frankfurt and about every city and town in Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and the Scandinavian countries. One of these clubs was the Star Club - now famous as an early ‘learning’ venue for the Beatles and other (then) ‘undiscovered’ groups... By and large we were treated well, but it was still a good idea to keep an eye on the ‘backstage door’ when the patrons got “good and tanked”!... With Sonny's band we opened up for Bill Haley's band many times at American Basses.
After the stint with Sonny Stewart, Dave Constable and I went with “Dave Dacosta and the Strollers”.

(4) Ron - "The Elf" - Blackie
"I was known as the Elf in Tony Dangerfield & the Thrills!!... whilst Tony was in UK promoting the record 'I've seen sutch things' and we were working in Germany for Sonny Stewart - we were then his Dynamos and played with King Size Taylor too."

Various Line-ups of Sonny Stewart & The Dynamos

Sonny Stewart & The Dynamos #1 (Early 1959 - Late 1960)

Arthur Champerlain (Lead Vocals) "Sonny Stewart"
Pat O'Grady (Lead Guitar)
Tony Collins (Lead Guitar)
Douglas Reece (Bass/Vocals) "Douggie Reece"
Lester Smith (Keyboards) "Les Smith"
Ernie O'Malley (Drums)

Sonny Stewart & The Dynamos #2 (Late 1960 - Late 1962)

Arthur Champerlain (Lead Vocals) "Sonny Stewart"
Jim Duncombe (Lead Guitar/Vocals)
Frank Jackson (Bass)
Roger King (Keyboards)
Dave Constable (Drums)

Sonny Stewart & The Dynamos #3 (Early 1963 - Late 1964)

Arthur Champerlain (Lead Vocals) "Sonny Stewart"
Peter Budd (Lead Guitar)
Frank Jackson (Bass)
Jeff Pullem (Keyboards)
Dave Constable (Drums)

Sonny Stewart & The Dynamos #4 (Early 1965)

Arthur Champerlain (Lead Vocals) "Sonny Stewart"
John Bedder (Lead Guitar)
Ron Blackie (Bass) "The Elfe"
Mike Benson (Keyboards)
Neil Norman (Drums)

Special thanks to Jim Duncombe, Peter Budd, and many others

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Messageboard

2011-03-18T06:46:00.003-07:00

The Ealing Club Blue Plaque Gigs
To raise the final funds for the Ealing Club plaque, we have managed to put together three nights of music, featuring many musicians who realise the importance of the venue and are offering their time and input to help celebrate it.

22nd November:
The Hubcaps - Blues Covers and Original Material, with a very accomplished Harmonica Player at the helm.
The Bolaji Blues Band - Searing Blues Guitar will be on offer from this local band, who are rapidly sealing a reputation for their interpretation, of well known blues classics.
Brace Yourself - Following their brushes with Banksy in their former guise as Exit through the Gift Shop, this band entertained and went down a storm at their last Ealing Club Fringe performance. Guitar covers of 70′s/80′s 90′s and 00 $B!ls classics.

23rd November:
Live music on Wednesday, will have a tinge of Jazz with the band Fallen Heroes, who have already graced the Liverpool Jazz Festival and Ronnie Scotts. Cyril Davies may not have approved of the brass section but maybe Alexis would have given it a go.
The night will be hosted by Swamprock Dj’s Carol Lateman and Nigel Bewley. Sure to be lively, upbeat and of the highest quality. http://thefallenheroes.com/

24th November:
The Blues Tribute night on Thursday will serve up the Blues ……Robert Hokum/Guvnors, Norrie Burnett (British Blues pioneer who even played with C yril Davies) Doc Stenson (Singer, Guitar and Harmonica player, who played with Alexis Korner and entertained audiences at the July Ealing Fringe Gigs) with Ramon Goose and Geoff Garbow

Please e-mail us to reserve a place on the door, as we will limit the audience to 100 per night.

Please find enclosed a copy of the poster. More details available on the websites:

many thanks

Alistair

www.ealing-club.com
www.facebook.com/ealingclub

About The Prowlers

Alan Davies (singer) worked as a clerk then joined the British Army in the 1970s.
We heard that later he had become a journalist and was living in Denmark.
It is not known if he continued with his singing.
We would love to get in touch with him if anyone knows his present contact details.

The League of Gentlemen

Bruce Welsh from Canada is doing some work on a mid 60s British band The League of Gentlemen for his forthcoming encyclopaedya.

If you have info about The League of Gentlemen whose line-up included Jonathan Kent - vocals, Ron Cleave - guitar & vocals, Ron Thomas - rhythm guitar, Jeff Bartley - bass, Joel James - sax, Ray Steadman - drums.

This was a different band from the Bournemouth band, whose original line-up included Gordon Haskell and Robert Fripp. Those one were the backing group for various black US soul stars who toured the UK, released a couple of singles for Columbia and Planet in 1965/6, and played at Manchester Oasis in spring '66.

Please contact us at tomusicstorytellers@gmail.com

Blues by Five Resurected are playing at The Moraira Music Festival in Spain 12th June 2011.

Original members Len Ashley Vocals / Harp and Ron Faulkner Lead Guitar Vocals

Wanted

Lauren said...: Hiya, i wondered if anyone could help me, i am looking to get in touch with a John Cobb aka Johnny Vance, If anyone has any details of his whereabouts i would be extremely grateful

Thanks

Charlie B. is searching for something on an English Rock'n'Roll group that played Fontenet, Charente-Maritime, Western France in July and August 1961.
The lead singer and rhythm guitarist was a guy by the name of John Gibbs from Mitcham, England - he did look somewhat like Rory of Rory Storm & the Hurricanes (Ringo Starr's old band);
the lead guitarist was a guy by the name of George, he had red hair;
and the bassist was named Ian, all three from Surrey.
They had also a girl singer, a pianist, and probably a drummer...

The name of the group proved to be Brian Howard & the Silhouettes whose line up was:
John Gibbs: lead vocal and rhythm guitar
George Colbran: lead guitar
Dave Hollidge: bass
Ian: drums

They released 2 singles on Columbia records:
"The Worryin' Kind"/"Come To Me" (Columbia DB 7067) in July 1963 with Jimmy Page.
"Java"/"Rinky Dink" in 1964, with Jeff Beck.

If you can have information about them
Please contact us with any further information at: tomusicstorytellers@gmail.com

If you are searching for something on bands of those faraway decades too,
you can also leave a message here or at the bottom of this page

Alan James about Buddy Britten & The Regents
"I played bass for the Simon Raverne Trio 1968-1969.We toured Europe doing us bases ect. and was resident band at Les Arches in Jersey.I have very fond menories of that time...It would be nice to hear from Simon (Geoff or Eddie Thorpe) or anybody else who knew us or played in the band before or after me"
http://www.forgottenbands.blogspot.com/2009/10/buddy-britten-regents.html

LEE JONES about Winston G The Wicked
"Hi my old man was the bass player in the fox... I'm not sure what era of the band he falls into but his name is Chris Jones and did record with the band and toured Germany with them. I'm actually trying to find out which recording he is featured on. If anyone could help please contact me." LEE JONES

LINKS

2011-03-18T06:46:00.001-07:00

OTHER MUSICSTORYTELLERS PUBLICATIONS

The 2 I's Coffee Bar
Reg Calvert
Royston Ellis
Rick Hardy
Vince Taylor & The Playboys
Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages
The Forgotten Savages in 1960

Check also
about Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages
about The Presidents
The British Music Archive

British Beat Eras
Bradford Music Timeline (Bradford)
Brightonbeat (Brighton)
Brumbeat (Birmingham, Black Country)
Birmingham musicarchive
Cumbrian Bands of The Sixties
Derbybeat
Kent Band Family Tree (Kent)
Kent Music Biz (Kent, Folkestone)
Lankybeat (Lancaster)
Manchesterbeat
Merseybeat (Bill Harry, Merseyside/Lancashire)
Merseybeat Nostalgia (Merseyside/Lancashire)
Merseypedia on Liverpoolbeat (An A to Z of Mersey Beat Bands)
Portsmouthbeat
Rydebeat (Ryde)
scunthorpe
Southamptonbeat (Southampton)
Swindon Music Scene (Swindon)
Tamworth Bands
Stan Laundon site (Hartlepool-Teesyde)
Vintage Sixties Live (60s Semi-Pro Bands in North-East England, Darlington)
Rock 'n' Roll Wiltshire
Rocking Scots (Scotland)
Scotbands Moonfruit (Scotland)

Other sites dedicated to 60s Semi-Pro Bands
Old Wild Men
Vintage Hofner

60's Overseas Beat Bands
Beatsessanta (60's Beat boom in Italy)
Cuxhaven-beat (Germany)
Rock Made In France (France)
Shakin-all-over (60's Beat boom in Germany)
Australian Rock Database
HowlSpace (Australia & NZ)

60's Venues
19th Century Theatres (First Rock Venues in England)
Coffee Bars (London, England)
The 2 i's Coffee Bar, The Birthplace of british Rock'n’Roll
California Ballroom (Dunstable, England)
Cavern Club (Liverpool, England)
The Story of The Cavern by Bill Harry
Club-A-Gogo (Newcastle)
Eel Pie Island
Golf Drouot (Paris, France)
Iron Door Club (Liverpool, England)
Kinema Ballroom (Dunfermline, Scotland)
La Locomotive (Paris, France)
Marquee Club (London, England)
Oasis (Manchester)
Olympia (Paris, France)
Pavilion Ballroom (Glasgow, Scotland)
Piper Club (Rome, Italy)
Royal Albert Hall (London, England)
Star Club (Hamburg, Germany)
Star Palast (Kiel, Germany)
Twisted Wheel (Manchester)
Waldbühne (Berlin, Germany)

50s-60's Beat Musics & Design
The Book Of Bands
The British Sound (Line-ups)
Chrome Oxide Music Collectors
Classicwebs (Line-ups)
Garage Hangover
Instromania (Instrumental bands)
Making Time: British Beat Groups Of The 1960's
Marmalade Skies (Psychedelic bands)
Pete Frame "Rock Family Trees"
“Revolver”
Skiffle Groups

Musicians Index

2011-03-18T06:45:00.006-07:00

·Guitarists

Jeff Beck [The Yardbirds, Jeff Beck Group]

Johnny Del & The Deltones (1960-1962)
Brian Howard & The Silhouettes (1962)
The Crescents/Nightshift (1963)
Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (1964)

Ritchie Blackmore [Deep Purple, Rainbow]

Bobbie & The Dominators (1959-1961)
Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (1962/1965/1966)
The Outlaws (1962-1964)
Heinz & The Wild Boys (1964)
Rikki Maiocchi & The Trip (1966)

Pete Budd [Gene Vincent Band]

Pat Cresswell & The Crescents (1957-1959)
Pat Cresswell & The Cresters (1961)

Jim Duncombe [Jimmy & The Rackets]

Johnny Del & The Deltones (1960-1962)

Ed Hamilton [The Outlaws, Black Claw, Fast Buck]

The Crescents (1961-1963)
Nightshift (1963)
The Outlaws (1965)

Harvey Hinsley [The Doves, The Rebel Rousers, Black Claw, Hot Chocolate]

The Crescents (1959-1963)
The Outlaws (1964-1965)
Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (1965)

Mick Jones [Foreigner, Wonderwheel]

Nero & The Gladiators (1963-1964)

Jimmy Page [The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin]

Malcolm Austin & The Whirlwinds (1959)
Red E. Lewis & The Redcaps (1960)
Neil Christian & The Crusaders (1961-1962)
Carter-Lewis & The Southerners (1963-1964)
Mike Hurst & The Method (1964)
Mickey Finn & The Blue Men (1964)
Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (1964)

Dave Wendells [Tom Jones, Black Claw,Hot Chocolate]

The Crescents (1959-1963)
Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (1962)

Bass

Rod Clark [The Moody Blues]

Carter-Lewis & The Southerners (1963-1964)
Mickey Finn & The Blue Men (1965)
The Ivy League (1967)

Noel Redding [Jimi Hendrix Experience, Fat Mattress]

Neil Landon & The Burnettes (1962/1964-1965)
Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (1966)

Keyboards

Freddie Fingers Lee [Charlie Woolf, Freddie Fingers Lee Band]

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (1961/1962/1967)

Nicky Hopkins [Jeff Beck Group, Silver Messengers]

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (1960/1961/1966)
The Outlaws (1965)
Neil Christian & The Crusaders (1967)

Paul Nicholas ("Paul Dean")

Drums

Pete Carter (Peter Kirscher) [Status Quo]

Neil Landon & The Burnettes (1962/1964-1965)
Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (1966)

Mick Burt [Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers]

The Johnnie Reb's Rock Group (1960-1961)
The Crescents (1961)

Tornado Evans

Red E. Lewis & The Redcaps (1960)
Neil Christian & The Crusaders (1961-1965)
Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (1965)

Carlo Little [The Rollingstones, Hurricane]

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (1960/1961-1964/1965/1966-1967)
Buddy Britten & The Regents (1964)
Neil Christian & The Crusaders (1965)
Chris Lamb & The Universals (1965-1966)

Mitch Mitchell [Georgie Fame's Blue Flames , Jimi Hendrix Experience]

The Crescents (1961)
Chris Sandford & The Coronets (1965)
Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (1965)

Mick Underwood [The Episode Six, Quatermass, Gillan]

Mickey Waller [Georgie Fame's Blue Flames , Jeff Beck Group]

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Flee-Rekkers (1961)
The Crescents (1961)

If you have any further information and want to contribute to this site, please email us at: tomusicstorytellers@gmail.com

The Ivy League

2011-03-18T06:45:00.005-07:00

This vocal group, that cut 11 singles for Piccadilly records from 1964 to 1967, and that is still touring nowadays, was really the brainchild of John Carter and Ken Lewis who had been together as a singing and songwriting duo since their School days.

John "Carter" Shakespeare (born on October 20th 1942) and Kenneth "Lewis" Hawker (born on December 3rd 1942) were both from Birmingham, and came down to London with a burning self-belief in their talent in 1959.
They were offered a deal by manager Terry Kennedy (who had previously fronted his own band, The Rock’n’Rollers and had been guitarist for Terry Dene's Dene Aces) and moved with him to Southern music at 5 Denmark Street. He re-christened them "Carter & Lewis" and produced the 7 singles they cut for Piccadilly, Ember and Oriole, between 1961 and 1964.
They had developed a close harmony style similar to that adopted by the Everly Brothers.
They were soon established as a popular radio team, appearing on BBC Light Programme shows "Saturday Club" and "Easy Beat" from February 1962. They gradually began to augment their line-up with various musicians who backed them on these radio dates, at which point they evolved into Carter-Lewis & the "Southerners" after Southern music. The group became a vehicle for publishing the songs that stemmed from the Carter-Lewis partnership...
Carter-Lewis & the Southerners split in summer 1964, when both Carter and Lewis decided to concentrate on writing and doing sessions.

By July 1964, they decided to expand, becaming three part harmonies, and teamed up with another session singer and songwriter, Brian Pugh aka "Perry Ford". Pugh was from Lincoln and starded out, under the moniker "Lou Bryan", playing piano for Vince Taylor & his Playboys, Colin Hicks & The Cabin Boys, and the Echoes. He cut 3 singles for Parlophone in 1959-60, all produced by George Martin and wrote hits for Adam Faith ("Someone Else's Baby"), the Fortunes (Caroline)...
He was running a studio for Reg Calvert in Denmark Street, when John Carter and Ken Lewis approached him.
He would soon play the piano part on “You Really Got Me” by the Kinks.

The trio had developed a clear liking for high-pitched vocals (falsetto), and somehow contrived to cross the Four Freshmen with the Beach Boys and the Four Seasons.

They called themselves "The Ivy League" (1), and began providing backing vocals on other artists' sessions: Sandy Shaw's “Always Something There To Remind Me”, Tom Jones “It’s Not Unusual”, The Who's “Can’t Explain”and "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere"...

As a harmony trio, recording on their own, they signed to Pye's Piccadilly subsidiary.
Their debut single failed to chart, but the follow-up “Funny How Love Can Be”, which was basically written for the Rockinberries, went Top 10, prompting the need to form a backing group and go out on tour.
So Micky Keene and Dave Wintour left The Tony Colton’s Crawdaddies to join The Ivy League backing band, the Division Two (2), poaching the keyboardist of the band, Mike O'Neill (former leader of Nero & The Gladiators).
They were joined by drummer Clem Cattini, an acquaintance of Terry Kennedy's (they were together in The Rock’n’Rollers and in Terry Dene & The Dene Aces) who had definitly left the Tornados in February 1965.
“New style, new sound” sid the advert, “Hair by Phillips, Clothes by Alexandre of Oxford St.”
However, on 19 July 1965, John Carter, Perry Ford and Ken Lewis were injured in a car crash near Baldock, Hertfordshire. The original trio managed to release only a single full-length album, "This Is the Ivy League".
Preferring writing and producing to touring, John Carter and then Ken Lewis decided to pull out.
Tony Burrows (ex-Kestrels) and Neil Landon (ex-Burnetts) came in as replacements.
At this time, the band cut the best record they ever made - “My World Fell Down” - a John Carter/Geoff Stephens composition which Gary Usher and LA group Sagittarius turn into a masterpiece in 1967.
The Ivy League toured the UK and Europe unflaggingly throughout 1966 with a new backing band: The Jaybirds from Nottingham who were later successful as 'Ten Years After'.

In 1966, John Carter and Ken Lewis formed The Ministry Of Sound with the cream of Southern Music studios house team, including the former Division Two. By the summer of 1967, they recorded a song they wrote to articulate the sentiments of the flower-power movement and entitled "Let's Go To San Francisco" under the artist name 'Flowerpot Men'...
As there was no true group of this name, Carter and Lewis summarily 'rented out' the band name to Tony Burrows, who put together a tour ensemble to satisfy the popular demand generated by The single which made #4 in the UK charts in September 1967.
Burrows teamed up with Robin Shaw and Peter Nelson, who could boast Star Club experience with the 'Travellers', and the other remaining Ivy League Neil Landon. They signed with Spencer Davis Management and used Billie Davis’ band plus keyboardist Billy Parkinson as back up (3).

The follow-up, "A Walk In The Sky", didn't sell as well. The 'Flowerpot Men & Their Garden' appeared almost daily, until keyboardist Jon Lord and bass player Nick Simper departed the band in February 1968, to join 'Roundabout', the group from which 'Deep Purple' was to emerge... Their later efforts were more ordinary and even a change of name to Friends late in 1968 failed to revive their fortunes. Whilst Landon departed to Fat Mattress, the rest of the band became the White Plains...

(1) concerning their choice of name, Carter recalls Piccadilly had given it some thought:
"We took the identity from the look, the style we'd want to be if ever we had a hit record...Ivy League jackets, college boy haircuts, smart-looking, and all that": The Ivy League - a preordained image!"

(2) Division Two recorded a great instrumental beat/R&B album, "Discotheque" (Society SOC 1016) in 1965.

(3) Nick Simper from the Chapter 15 of his Biography: "Savages & Flowerpot Men"
From out of the blue, Carlo Little had a telephone call from Spencer Davis Management. It appeared that hey needed musicians to support a vocal act that they had signed, named the Flowerpot Men. A single called “Let’s Go To San Francisco” was riding high in the charts, so the logical next move was to get the act on the road, and Billie Davis’ band was in the frame for the job. Sensing a good earner, Carlo swiftly arranged a time and place to rehearse together. The only snag was that Arthur Regis and landed a gig with top soul act Jimmy James and the Vagabonds, so a keyboard player had to found quickly. I immediately thought of Billy Davidson, the amazingly gifted organist who I had met at Joan Watson’s shop. Luckily, he was free to complete the line-up, and so Bill, Ged Carlo and I assembled at a London rehearsal room, where we were introduced to the four vocalists who had been appearing on TV shows all over Europe as the Flowerpot Men. We soon learned that the hot record had resulted from one of the many studio sessions regularly carried out by my old favourites, Carter and Lewis. They had given up performing in order to concentrate on recording their many compositions, some of which were leased out to various touring bands, who then changed their names accordingly. This they had done with their own group, the Ivy League, following many chart hits, and were now doing the same thing with the name Flowerpot Men, borrowed from a 1950’s children’s television programme. John Carter himself had sung the lead vocal on the record, with harmonies provided by a great session singer names Tony Burrows. Ken Lewis had supplied keyboard and piano, with my old mate Robin Scrimshaw playing bass. John and Jen had for many years written songs in varying styles and had now been able to use their skills to capitalise on the current ‘flower power’ rage which had recently arrived here from the USA. Tony Burrows, currently in a new Ivy League line-up, together with Robin, quickly recruited two other singers. Tony brought in Neil Landon, also from the Ivy League, and Robin brought in Pete Nelson, one-time front man of my old mates the Travellers, so it was a pleasant surprise to find that I knew two of the four singers.
The rehearsal was overseen by Ken Lewis in person, and whilst I was knocked out to meet him once more, he was equally pleased to meet Carlo Little, who he greeted with the words “My, what a reputation you have got!!” Carlo blushed at this. “Have I?” was the best he could reply. The four singers than produced a list of 3 and 4 part harmony material by artists such as the Four Tops and the Four Season. They had obviously rehearsed their parts, and the whole package was sounding pretty slick after a two hour run through. Everyone seemed happy with the result, and so several more rehearsals were scheduled before taking to the road.
The next day saw us arrive at the Spencer Davis office where we were introduced to the staff, and provided with cash to buy some suitably “flowery” stage clothes. Following several more rehearsals we supplied with a truck for us and our equipment. Armed with a full gig list, we were ready to hit the road! …

Discography

Singles by The Ivy League
1. What More Do You Want/Wait A Minute (Piccadilly 7N 35200) - November 1964
2. Funny How Love Can Be/Lonely Room (Piccadilly 7N 35222) - January 1965 UK#8
3. That's Why I'm Crying/A Girl Like You (Piccadilly 7N 35228) - April 1965 UK#22
4. Tossing And Turning/Graduation Day (Piccadilly 7N 35251) - June 1965 UK#3
5. Our Love Is Slipping Away/I Could Make You Fall In Love (Piccadilly 7N 35267) - October 1965
6. Running Around In Circles/Rain, Rain Go Away (Piccadilly 7N 35294) - February 1966
7. Willow Tree/One Day (Piccadilly 7N 35326) - June 1966 UK#50
8. My World Fell Down/When You're Young (Piccadilly 7N 35348) - October 1966
9. Four And Twenty Hours/Arrivederci Baby (Piccadilly 7N 35365) - 1967
10. Suddenly Things/Tomorrow Is Another Day (Piccadilly 7N 35397) - 1967
11. Thank You For Loving Me/In The Not Too Distant Future (Piccadilly 7N 17386) - 1967

E.P.s by The Ivy League
1. Funny How Love Can Be - Funny How Love Can Be/Lonely Room/What More Do You Want?/Wait A Minute (Piccadilly NEP 34038) - March 1965
2. Tossing And TurningTossing And Turning/That's Why I'm Crying/A Girl Like You/Graduation Day (Piccadilly NEP 34042) - September 1965
3. The Holly And The Ivy League - The Holly And The Ivy/Once In Royal David's City/Good King Wenceslas/Silent Night (Piccadilly NEP 34046) - December 1965
4. Our Love Is Slipping Away - Our Love Is Slipping Away/Don't Think Twice/Don't Worry Baby/Make Love (Piccadilly NEP 34048) - April 1966

L.P.s by The Ivy League
This Is The Ivy League (Piccadilly NPL 38015, 1966): Almost Grown/That's Why I'm Crying/Floral Dance/What More Do You Want?/Lulu's Back In Town/We're Having A Party/Don't Worry Baby/Make Love/Don't Think Twice/Funny How Love Can Be/My Old Dutch/Dance To The Locomotion
Major League - The Collector's Ivy League (Sequel NEDCD 289,1998): What More Do You Want/Wait A Minute/Funny How Love Can Be/Lonely Room/That's Why I'm Crying/Girl Like You/Tossin' And Turnin'/Graduation Day/Our Love Is Slipping Away/I Could Make You Fall in Love/Running Round In Circles/Rain, Rain Go Away/Willow Tree/One Day/My World Fell Down/When You're Young/Four And Twenty Hours/Arrivederci Baby/Suddenly Things/Tomorrow Is Another Day/Thank You For Loving Me/In The Not Too Distant Future/Almost Grown/Floral Dance/Lulu's Back in Town/We're Having A Party/Don't Worry Baby/Make Love/Don't Think Twice It's All Right/My Old Dutch/Dance To The Locomotion/My Baby/Nancy (With the Laughing Face)/ Lonely City/Mr. Ford's Boogie/Friday/Busy Doing Nothing/Rock & Roll/Humpty Dumpty/Holly And The Ivy/Once In Royal David's City/Good King Wenceslas/Silent Night

The Flowerpotmen: Let's Go To San Francisco Part 1/Part 2 (Deram DM 142) - August 1967

First Class
Beach Baby/Both Sides Of The Story (UK UK 66)
Bobby Dazzler/Lavender Man (UK UKR 73)
Dreams Are Ten A Penny/Long Time Gone (UK UKR 82)

The Ivy League made vocal harmonies on
Sandy Shaw's "Always Something There To Remind Me" (10/1964)
The Who's "I Can't Explain" (01/1965)
Tom Jones "It's Not Unusual" (02/1965)
Chris Farlowe's "Out Of Time" (07/1966)

John Carter Compilations
Measure For Measure: The John Carter Anthology, 1961-1977 (RPM D268)
As You Like It: The Denmark Street Demos, 1963-1967 (Westside WESM 523)

Various Line-ups of The Ivy League

The Ivy League #1 & Division Two (February - October 1965)

John Shakespeare (Vocals) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals) "Ken Lewis"
Brian Pugh (Vocals) "Perry Ford"
Mickey Keene (Lead Guitar)
Dave Wintour (Bass)
Mike O'Neill (Keyboards) "Nero"
Clem Cattini (Drums)
Roger Pinner (Drums) "Solly"

The Ivy League #2 & Division Two (October 1965 - January 1966)

Tony Burrows (Vocals)
Ken Hawker (Vocals) "Ken Lewis"
Brian Pugh (Vocals) "Perry Ford"
Mickey Keene (Lead Guitar)
Dave Wintour (Bass)
Mike O'Neill (Keyboards) "Nero"
Clem Cattini (Drums)

The Ivy League #3 & The Jaybirds (June - November 1966)

Tony Burrows (Vocals)
Patrick Cahill (Vocals) "Neil Landon"
Brian Pugh (Vocals) "Perry Ford"
Alvin Lee (Lead Guitar)
Leo Lyons (Bass)
Chick Churchill (Keyboards)
Ric Lee (Drums)

The Ivy League #4 (1967)

John Shakespeare (Vocals) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
Tony Burrows (Vocals)
Patrick Cahill (Vocals) "Neil Landon"
Brian Pugh (Vocals) "Perry Ford"
Mickey Keene (Lead Guitar)
Dave Wintour (Bass)
Clem Cattini (Drums)

The Ivy League #5 (Late 1967 - 1970s)

John Shakespeare (Vocals) "Bob Carter"
Brian Pugh (Vocals) "Perry Ford"
"Schadel" (Vocals)
Bill Clarke (Bass)
Dave McDonald (Bass) "Dave Robin"
Roger Hall (Drums)

The Ivy League #6 (1980 - 2000)

Mike Brice (Guitar/Vocals)
Jon Brennan (Bass/Vocals)
Dave Buckley (Drums/Vocals)

John Carter & The Ministry Of Sound/The "Flowerpot Men" (1966 - 1971)

John Shakespeare (Musical Direction/Vocals) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
Russ Alquist (Vocals)
Tony Burrows (Vocals)
Patrick Cahill (Vocals) "Neil Landon"
Robin Scrimshaw (Vocals/Bass) "Robin Shaw"
Mickey Keene (Lead Guitar)
Dave Wintour (Bass)
John Ford (Bass)
Clem Cattini (Drums)
Richard Hudson (Drums)

The Flowerpot Men & Their Garden #1 (September 1967 - Mid 1968)

Tony Burrows (Vocals)
Patrick Cahill (Vocals) "Neil Landon"
Peter Lipscomb (Vocals) "Peter Nelson"
Robin Scrimshaw (Vocals) "Robin Shaw"
Ged Peck (Lead Guitar)
Mick Stewart (Lead Guitar)
Nick Simper (Bass)
Tony Makins (Bass) "Tex Makins"
Gordon Haskell (Bass)
Billy Davidson (Keyboards)
Jon Lord (Keyboards)
Johnny Carroll (Keyboards)
Carlo Little (Drums)

The Flowerpot Men & Their Garden #2/White Plains (Mid 1968 - November 1969)

Tony Burrows (Vocals)
Peter Lipscomb (Vocals) "Peter Nelson"
Robin Scrimshaw (Vocals/Bass) "Robin Shaw"
Robin Box (Lead Guitar)
Ricky Wolff (Keyboards/Flute/Sax)
Tony Hall (Tenor Sax)
Roger Hills (Drums)

First Class (1974)

John Shakespeare (Vocals) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
Robin Scrimshaw (Vocals/Bass) "Robin Shaw"
"Chas" Mills (Vocals)
"Del" John (Vocals)
Spencer James (Lead Guitar/Vocals)
Clive Barrett (Keyboards)
Eddie Richards (Drums)

If you have any further information and want to contribute to this site, please email us at: tomusicstorytellers@gmail.com

The Plebs

2011-03-18T06:45:00.003-07:00

The birth of this mid 60's beat group, named after the word that signified the urban proletariat in Ancient Rome, can be traced back to another two great outfits: The Nashville Teens and The Screaming Lord Sutch's Savages.

Vocalist Terry Crowe and guitarist Michael Dunford had been in The Nashville Teens while
Danny McCulloch and Derek Sirmon were respectively bass player and drummer of The Savages.

Dunford was previously the lead guitarist for The Cruisers Rock Combo, a rock band got together in Weybridge, Surrey, in 1960 with Tony Gallagher, Kenny King and Chris Wing on vocals, John Hawken on piano, Pete Harris on bass, and Dave Maine on drums. They turned into The Nashville Teens in 1962 when they split from their singers and teamed up with Ray Phillips and Arthur Sharp.
The following year, Dunford exited to be replaced by John Allen, and Terry Crow joined during the group's extended stay in Hamburg, West Germany.

Meanwhile Derek "Degsy" Sirmon, an acquaintance of Ritchie Blackmore's, replaced Carlo Little as Savages’ drummer in October 1962,. He had previously played drums with The Conchords, whose line-up included vocalist, Ray Dorset, who was later to form Mungo Jerry, and then Mike Dee & the Jaywalkers, which were both managed by DJ Phil Jay. He brought in The Savages bass player Daniel McCulloch from Frankie Reid & the Casuals, another band managed by Jay.
This new set of Savages finally left Screaming Lord Sutch after a a two week booking at the Star Club in Hamburg in May 1963 and then toured North Germany on their own as "The Raving Savages", from Summer to Winter’ 63.
They recorded an E.P. intitled "Everybody Surf with The Surfing Savages" which was produced by Mike Smith at DECCA. They eventually broke away from their manager Mannfred Woitalla and went back to England before splitting up in late '63.

In early 1964, Derek Sirmon and Danny McCulloch subsequently teamed up with former Nashville Teens members vocalist Terry Crowe and guitarist Mick Dunford to form The Plebs. McCulloch recruited keyboard player Chris Dennis who had put the notice up in a local music shop.
They then went on the road, first providing back up for Joe Meek's protégé, Jess Conrad.
As Mark Wynter' backing band, they supported The Dave Clark Five on their 6-Week UK package Tour from 29 March
to 13 May 1964 along with the Hollies, the Trebletones, the Mojos, and the Kinks.
By June 1964, The Plebs began touring with guest american artists such as bluesmen Jimmy Reed and John Lee Hooker.
The members of the band also spent time win the Orchestra pit with an American Modern Ballet company called The Alvin Ailey Dance Troup in a theatre in London.

Touring on their own, The Plebs opened for the Roadrunners and the Notions at Liverpool Cavern Club on Sunday 21 June 1964.

The band also turned up in the film 'Be My Guest' as Jerry Lee Lewis' backing band, alongside the Nashville Teens.
They actually accompanied "the killer" on his UK tour from November 19th to December 7th 1964, doing Ready Steady Go with him on November 20th 1964.
They also backed Gene vincent, sharing the bill with The Yardbirds at London Golden Green Hippodrome on 1 December 1964 and at Birmingham Town Hall on 12 December 1964.

The Plebs made a single: a cover of a Coasters song called "Bad Blood", composed by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, and the B-side was an RnB-flavoured version of "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", a folky song they got from Joan Baez, that represented the sound of the band much better according to keyboard player Chris Dennis (1). Both sides were produced by Mark Wildey. They were first released in the UK in late 1964 on Decca, and then in the US on MGM K13320 in 1965. Their sole record has now become a minor collectable.

In January 1965, The Plebs ended up in Hamburg, playing at the Star Club on a one-month contract, which was extended for two weeks. They went there with a new drummer (who was not from the south-east, like the rest of the band).

As Chris Dennis recalls, when their contract there expired, the prospects back in England weren't particularly good and there was a vibrant music scene in Hamburg, so he decided to stay on, playing with a variety of bands such as Lee Curtis & the All Stars, Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays, and The Bad Boys. The others went home...

Dennis relocated later in Italy, playing with Dave Anthony's Moods, The Rags, I Nomadi and Modena City Ramblers.
Dunford became a key member of the second lineup of Renaissance, and Danny McCulloch worked with Eric Burdon & his New Animals.

(1) Chris Dennis In fact the Plebs were my first band. I had put a notice up in my local music shop and not a week later there was Danny McCulloch standing at my door, inviting me to an audition. This was in 1964. We made a single - a cover of a Coasters song called Bad Blood. But the B-side was a much better song, and represented the sound of the band much better. It was an RnB-flavoured version of Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, a folky song we got from Joan Baez.

Discography of The Plebs

Singles:

Bad Blood/Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You - UK (Decca F 12006) November 1964
Bad Blood/Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You - US (MGM K13320) 1965
Both sides were available on LP Compilation "Broken Dreams", Vol. 4
CD Compilations: "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" on "The R&B Scene" and "That Driving Beat"

Line Up:

The Plebs (January 1964 - January 1965)

Terry Crowe (Lead Vocals)
Mick Dunford (Lead Guitar)
Chris Dennis (Keyboards)
Danny McCulloch (Bass)
Derek Sirmon (Drums) "Degsy"
?? ?? (Drums) Hamburg Star Club

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The Prowlers (Birkenhead, Cheshire)

2011-03-18T06:45:00.001-07:00

The Prowlers were a Birkenhead-based R&B/Blues group, formed in early 1964, with Alan Davies on Vocals & harmonica; Phil Norman on Lead guitar; Dave Stanton on Rhythm guitar; Ian Macdonald on Bass and Malcom "Mally" Coram on Drums. They travelled all over the country and spent 3 separate months at the Star Palast, Kiel, Germany, in January, April and July 1965.
By the summer of 1965, Dave Stanton and Alan Davies left to be replaced by Peter Wharton (ex-“The Deerstalkers”) and Phil Munro. They then ceased to be full-time musicians but kept the band going on a semi-professional basis and were managed by Max Wilson aka "Mr Trendy", an acquaintance of Wharton's, a very eccentric person.
Dougie Hughes took over from Wharton in 1967.
The Prowlers did not release any records, but made three double-sided demo records including "Cadillac" which was used by Radio Caroline on the adverts it broadcast for Liverpool Cavern Club.
Although They had a fair bit of success locally, playing the Cavern regularly and various local venues, the band was nowhere near as good as the original line-up and finally broke up in late 1967.
Here are Their complete Stories...

Their Story by Lead Guitarist Phil Norman

"The Prowlers were a five-piece, formed early in 1964 with the idea of playing Chicago style electric blues, rocked up a bit - the sort of the thing the Stones and other bands were doing in their early days. We all lived in Birkenhead and rehearsed in the cellar of the bass-player's house. We started playing around the area in the spring; youth clubs, students' and other dances, clubs like the Kraal, Cubik, Left Bank and even the River Mersey cruise ship, Royal Iris. There were ballrooms including the Tower in New Brighton and the Majestic Birkenhead. We built up a good following and late in the year got the chance to go to Germany. This was an opportunity to become full-time musicians so we went for a month to the Star Palast, Kiel in January '65.

During that month we backed black American singer, Davy Jones, for one night because his band got stuck in the snow coming from Sweden. In 1961 Davy played a gig at the Cavern and was backed by the Beatles before they became famous (see photos below). We also played alongside Goldie and the Gingerbreads who were a very classy American girl band (who later did well in the UK) and alongside Freddie Fingers Lee’s band with Ian Hunter as its bass player. Ian emerged in the 1970s as Mott the Hoople's frontman. He and Freddie got part way through writing a song for us but it didn't get finished. Ian and Freddie shared our apartment for a week or two while their van was being fixed.

When we came back after our first month away we were anxious to find out if our popularity had suffered while we had been away but we played a great show at Birkenhead Technical College Hall to an over-capacity audience (mainly screaming girls) and a lot of people had to be turned away. The local paper published an excellent article.

We had a proper manager/agent by this time and back in the UK we were sent all over the country. We went down particularly well around the Birmingham area, Scotland and Dublin. We opened for Manfred Mann on one occasion in Stirling, playing to a 2000+ audience and the Swinging Blue Jeans a couple of times. Nice guys as I remember. At a local dance we were we supported the Pete Best 4.

Back in Germany in April and July, with a steadily growing following, we were offered recording contracts by both Philips and Polydor (German divisions) but it would have meant staying in Germany long term and we were convinced we were going to become successful in the UK. We opened for Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages for one week in Kiel.

Back in the UK we still had our strong local following but weren't playing in our home area as often because we were working around the country. Unfortunately our agent was sending us to quite a lot of venues, more like cabaret clubs that weren’t really suitable for our band.

Early in 1966, Dave Stanton and our singer Alan Davies left as things weren't working out as well as we had hoped and we were back doing day jobs. We found replacements but it was never the same although we played the Cavern many times in 1966/67 including a couple of sessions on the day that the Cavern reopened after a short closure on July 23rd 1966. Solomon Burke and Rufus Thomas were on the bill. Prime Minister Harold Wilson was there along with just about everyone else. “Pirate”

Radio Caroline used to use a demo of ours (Cadillac) on the adverts it broadcast for the Cavern. We had a near-miss with Decca who told us that they liked the demo of Cadillac and were going to record us, then they had a change of heart.

I think we played our last gigs sometime in 1967 and by then there was only Ian and me left from the original line-up as Mally had got fed up travelling over from Liverpool (where he now lived) for practice sessions with Alan and Dave's replacements who, we quickly discovered, didn't really share our ambition or musical aims."

After The Prowlers

"Although extensive searches have been made we were unable to find copies of any of these demos except for our first one Lost & Alone/King Bee which was on tape. It was recorded in mono by a mobile unit in a local club and the technical quality is not good but we had it cleaned up and put onto a CD. Lost & Alone was not like our usual music - it is a pop song deliberately written to be commercial.

Alan Davies (singer) worked as a clerk then joined the British Army in the 1970s. We heard that later he had become a journalist and was living in Denmark. It is not known if he continued with his singing. We would love to get in touch with him if anyone knows his present contact details.

Phil Norman (lead guitarist) spent much of his working life in the public sector (HM Customs & Excise), although he spent some time with an interior design company (he is a trained designer - Liverpool Art College) and had his own design business for 10 years. He is now retired. He joined Ian & Mally in the late 80s/early 90s in a six-piece blues band Out of the Blues which lasted about 4 years. He has a small recording studio at home and produces records (as a hobby)with a singer/partner under the name Upturned Collar. Their recordings get played regularly on local radio.

Dave Stanton (guitarist) was originally a shop display artist and later went into the building industry specialising in joinery. He is now retired.

Ian Macdonald (bass) trained as a joiner and has had his own building firm for many years. Ian has played in numerous local bands since the 60s.

Mally Coram (drums) obtained a music degree and taught music at a Liverpool college. He played in numerous local bands. He emigrated to Australia in 2005, formed a band there and set up a recording studio but died suddenly in February 2008.

Phil, Ian and Dave live within a few miles of each other and are in regular contact."

Recordings

The Prowlers made three double-sided demo records:

Lost & Alone (written by Alan and Dave)/King Bee (Slim Harpo)
I Believe to my Soul (written by Alan and Dave)/You Don’t Own Me
Cadillac/Motor Car (written by Peter Wharton)

Line up of the Prowlers

The Prowlers #1 (Early 1964 - Late 1965)

Alan Davies (Lead Vocals/Harmonica)
Phil Norman (Lead Guitar)
Dave Stanton (Rhythm Guitar)
Ian Macdonald (Bass)
Malcom Coram (Drums) "Mally Coram"

The Prowlers #2 (Early 1966 - Late 1967)

Phil Munro (Lead Vocals) "Poxy"
Phil Norman (Lead Guitar)
Peter Wharton then Dougie Hughes (Rhythm Guitar)
Ian Macdonald (Bass)
Malcom Coram (Drums) "Mally Coram"

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BLUES BY FIVE 1960 - 2008

2011-03-18T06:44:00.003-07:00

"Blues By Five" sounds like a name the Rolling Stones might've chosen in less imaginative and daring circumstances noted Bruce Eder in his All Music Guide, considering that they may be descended from the "Blues By Six" band that Charlie Watts exited, for a gig with Alexis Korner, in 1961.

They were actually a seperate band from Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex.

The nucleus of Blues by Five was born under the guise of The Men of Mystery all from Belmont School in Harrow, originally put together in 1960 by Ron Faulkner (aka "McQueen") on Lead Guitar, Ken Morgan on Rhythm Guitar, Jim Whitaker on Bass Guitar and Phil Wainman on Drums (1). They were later joined by singer Len Ashley.

The Men of Mystery played around the London area at various clubs, did well working American bases for agent Jack Fallon (Cana Variety), and then Toured Scotland and the North of England.

They backed Marty Wilde and Duffy Power at The Marquee. They supported Joe Brown at The State Kilburn.

On 17 September 1963, they also opened for The Rolling Stones at their local venue South Harrow British Legion Hall where they were later seen by producer Joe Meek and offered a recording test. Singer Len Ashley was offered an opportunity to record Eddie Cochran type numbers but he turned this down to stay with the band (Heinz later took on this role and recorded "Just like Eddie").

By 1963, Ron and Len were then joined by Dick Bryce on drums, Mick Wright on Bass, Bill Blisset on Keyboards and Noel Chartres McManus on Sax (2). This was the Birth of Blues by Five.

From spring to summer '64, they Toured Britain backing American singer Big Dee Irwin ("Swinging on a Star"), starred with The Hollies - Little & Large - Shane Fenton and Screaming Lord Sutch.

In November 1964, they took part of the Brenda Lee/Manfred Mann UK tour.

They had one single release on Decca in December 1964: the 'A' side was a powerful rendition of John Lee Hooker's R&B classic "Boom Boom", the B side was an original "I Cried" written by Rolling Stones Manager Andrew Loog Oldham and arranger Mike Leander. This is now a sought-after 45.

During 1965, they kept touring UK, supporting PJ Proby in April and The Spencer Davis Group in September 1965. The Band broke up late 1965 after a CSE tour of the Middle East with Michael Cox ("Angela Jones").

In the late 60’s / 70’s, Ron and Len formed a new band called Fascination with Terry Williams - Trumpet,Guitar,and Vocals - Ian Williams - Bass Guitar and Vocals - Steve Dunkley - Drums. It was a change in direction for them musically doing more vocal harmonies (Beach Boys etc).

Later the personnel changed bringing in Trevor Goarge - Keyboards,Vocals - Eddie Majwick - Bass Guitar they continued to do college gigs etc and were then joined by John Hamilton - Guitar - Keyboards - Vocals (Later ran EQ Studios)

They were joined briefly by Christopher Rainbow who later had hits with Give me what I cry for and Solid State Brain and also recorded Jingles for Tony Blackburn on Radio One. Later produced various bands Jon Anderson being one.

In the late 1970.s Ron and Len formed a recording band called TAN and released several singles and a Country Album on the White Dove Label. The personnel were Len Ashley - Vocals - Ron Faulkner - Guitar & Bass Guitar - John Hamilton - Keyboard & Backing Vocals - Terry Williams - Trumpet and Backing Vocals - Roger Rettig - Guitar and Pedal Steel Guitar (He was an original on Rutland Weekend TV - The Rutles and played with Fatso and various good country bands.

In 1992, Len Ashley and Ron Faulkner reformed Blues by Five with John Barry (JJ) on Lead Guitar and Vocals, John Abbot on Bass Guitar, Nigel Clegg on Drums. Blues by Five continued to play through the 1990's in Blues clubs and Pubs until they finally split with people going in different directions.

Ron and Len are still together writing and recording their own songs and Jingles when they get together.

Ron is now based in Spain and does the odd gig with local bands. Len joins him on his frequent visits.

Blues by Five Resurected are playing at The Moraira Music Festival in Spain 12th June 2011.

Original members Len Ashley Vocals / Harp and Ron Faulkner Lead Guitar Vocals

(1) Phil Wainman Later went on to join Sandie Shaw & The Paramounts, Johnny B. Great & The Quotations, and then Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System. He inspired Keith Moon, playing on stage with 2 bass drums. He subsequently went on to become a successful record producer, producing Sweet, The Boomtown Rats...

(2) Noel McManus left in late '64. Was he the saxophone player of the same name who joined Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages from February 1965 to March 1966???

Discography

Singles:
Boom Boom (John Lee Hooker)/I Cried (Andrew Loog Oldham/Mike Leander) (Decca F 12029) December 1964

Various Line-ups of Blues By Five

The Men of Mystery (Harrow, 1960 - 1963)

Len Ashley (Lead Vocals/Harmonica)
Ron Faulkner (Lead Guitar) "Ron McQueen"
Ken Morgan (Rhythm Guitar)
Jim Whitaker (Bass)
Phil Wainman (Drums)

Blues By Five #1 (Late 1963 - Late 1965)

Len Ashley (Lead Vocals/Harmonica)
Ron Faulkner (Lead Guitar) "Ron McQueen"
Mick Wright (Bass)
Anthony Blisset (Keyboards) "Bill Blissett"
Noel McManus (Tenor Sax)
Dick Brice (Drums)

Blues By Five #2 (1992 - 2011)

Len Ashley (Lead Vocals/Harmonica)
Ron Faulkner (Keyboards/Rhythm Guitar) "Ron McQueen"
John Barry (Lead Guitar/Vocals) "JJ"
John Abbot (Bass)
Nigel Clegg (Drums)

Special thanks to Len Ashley

If you had a better photo than this, it would be nice!!!

More on Red-E Lewis

2011-03-18T06:44:00.001-07:00

Red-E Lewis - real name William Stubbs - was born in 1936 and was nicknamed "Red" because of his ginger hair [as his son Danny explains "over here we sometimes call ginger people red heads hence the nick name."]

Red-E Lewis is now aged 75.

His brother Mickey was in The Blue Rondos and The Syndicats in the 60's, and in a band called Home in the 70's [feat. Laurie Wisefield [Wishbone Ash] and Cliff Williams [AC/DC] and on their first album is a track called "Red E Lewis."

Danny Stubbs (Red-E Lewis' son):

"Band signed to CBS, release first lp in 1970. Titled "Pause for a hoarse horse" was named after the tour van they used which finally had to be replaced. This album features the song "Red E Lewis" with lyrics pertaining to the fact that Micky watched the band rehearsing in my nan's front room. The album was country rock style with most of the songs written about our family.

The second album titled Home,released in 1972 more rock orientated with Cliff Williams playing his bass with a bow cello style on a track called Lady of the birds.

Third album took everybody by surprise as it was a concept album called The Alchemist released in 1973.

Home toured all over Europe and had a good following and actually supported Led Zeppelin. In 1974 CBS wanted the band to go to America to support Al Stewart but my uncle at that time had a wife and small child so he didn't go this basically split the band who did go to America but on their return did split up. As I mentioned Laurie Wisefield [Lead Guitar] went to Wishbone Ash, Mick Cook [drummer] went to the Groundhogs and at some point Cliff joined AC/DC. Their were two part time members of the band Jim Anderson [piano] and Dave Skillern [writer]. Micky had a few publishing deals with various record companies with his best success having Lulu cover one of his songs. Sadly both Micks are now deceased.

All albums now available on cd through Rewind records plus a live BBC sessions cd."

Brian Howard & The Silhouettes

2011-03-18T06:43:00.006-07:00

Most notable for including Jeff Beck (1) and recording with Jimmy Page, Brian Howard & The Silhouettes were an English Rock'n'Roll group from Mitcham, in Surrey, put together in late 1960 by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Phil Somerville, with red haired lead guitarist George Colbran, bassist Dave Robertson-Hollidge (2), a drummer named Ian, and a pianist whose name is long forgotten.

By 1961 Somerville moved to “Im & the Uvvers” and was replaced by John Gibb (4), who did look somewhat like Alan Caldwell of Rory Storm & the Hurricanes (Ringo Starr's old band) according to former American GI Charlie Blute (3), then stationed in Fontenet, France, where The group was booked during the summer.
They were indeed booked in the Enlisted Men's Club at Fontenet Ordnance Depot, during the months of July and August 1961. They also had a girl singer who was hired for the tour of Western France.
At the end of summer '61, they returned to England without her. In December 1961, Charlie Blute went to John Gibb's home, in Mitcham, for Christmas as a guest of his parents and they became firm friends...
So he went out to gigs with the band to clubs in Guilford and Epping.

Brian Howard & The Silhouettes released a pair of singles for Columbia and one on the Fontana label.
The first, 'Somebody Help Me' b/w 'Young And Evil' was released in October '62. The follow-up, 'The Worryin' Kind' b/w 'Come To Me', issued in July 1963, featured Jimmy Page on lead (5). But they were best known for their cover of Chuck Berry's 'Back In The U.S.A.' which was released in April '64 (6).

John Gibb remembers another guitar maestro, Jeff Beck playing with them for a bit (7). Beck did fill in for them but also in the early days as he was in fact an old crony of Phil Somerville’s from his his junior art school (1). He eventually played lead on Somerville’s release in 1964, as The Johnny Howard Band, 'Java' c/w 'Rinky Dink'.

John Gibb later went on to live in Ontario, Canada and played in the band Battered Wives (who made some records and one of them went gold in Canada).
He is now living in Canada and owns a metal fabricating company.
His brother Chris played bass with Canadian bands the Deserters and Wanka in the 80's. He now lives in Florida.

Dave Eldridge (real name David Robertson-Hollidge) spent 6 years in the pro music business, went on to live in Spain, then moved to Wales, back to music full time for a few years in 1985. He started his own carpet business and ended up in Canton Cardiff. He started playing again a few years ago with Blues Central...

(1) "Crazy Fingers" by Annette Carson:
An irregular contact was vocalist Phil Somerville, an old crony of Jeff Beck’s from his his junior art school. Somerville formed a group, Brian Howard & The Silhouette, and Beck played guitar on a few of their gigs. Later, when Somerville moved to “Im & the Uvvers”, he put the word out for Beck to stand in for their lead guitarist, who had upped and left…

(2) Not to be confused with bassist Dave Elvidge (see the Crescents):
incidentally Jeff Beck's paths have crossed with 2 musicians called Dave Elridge in the same period. The bass player with Brian Howard & The Silhouettes and the drummer of the Nightshift...

Annette Carson's "Crazy Fingers":
The Nightshift started playing regurlarly at Eel Pie Island and some of London’s leading club venues like the 100 Club; Phil Somerville recalls they once headlined a bill with opening for them...

(3) Charlie Blute: "I was stationed at Fontenet Ordnance Depot, France which was an Army Base. I was there for 2 1/2 years, from January 1960-May 1962. I was in Special Services and then assigned to CID (Criminal Investigations) as a clerical support specialist. Prior to going into the service. I did some disc jockeying for the local YMCA and did the same for the Army in France, on my free time."
"...I was a GI when I met the guys in the band. They were booked in my EM Club in Fontenet, during the summer of 1961. They stayed there for two months and then returned to England and I had no contact with any of the band until later in December when I went to John's home for Christmas as a guest of his parents... John and I became friends and I became close to his family when they came to France for vacation that year. I had some contact with John's mom for a while until I got settled back in the US.

...Incidentaly Rory Storm & the Hurricanes played the same club the next year! It was then I met Ringo [Starr]... I thought both groups had great potential to go someplace. John and Paul had come to France to see Ringo in order to hire him to join their band. I was present at that meeting. But it was a quiet chat over tea I think...."

(4) Charlie Blute: "I figured out John's old street address in Mitcham, it was Hatfield Close. John did look somewhat like Rory, but he surely did not stutter like Rory did. Gosh when he introduced a number at the club it took longer than the song to say the title. Yet he could sing like a bird. Later learned in my course of studies that stuttering can be helped by breathing like you sing."

(5) One of earliest Jimmy Page recording sessions

(6) Back In The U.S.A. and Hooked were both included on CD Compilation Rare 60's Beat Treasures, Vol. 4, on Beat Im Star Club (Dble LP) and Beat Merchants (Dble LP).

(7) Rob Stearns
Re your question Jeff Beck playing with Brian Howard....I can personally confirm this as being true .... I saw him playing with them on several occasions. Some history here...There used to be a venue just down the street from Wimbledon Park railway Station (Central line) known as "The Rock and Twist Club"…
On alternative Fridays Brian Howard and the Silhouettes would play....Being a budding musician myself during the early 60's I stood mesmerized as I watched a very young Jeff Beck bedazzle us with his playing on an old blonde Telecaster through an old Vox AC30, at that time we'd only ever heard those lame old guitar solos by the likes of USA's Bill Haley's (and the comets) lead guitarist... then along comes this young fellow wearing an old black tee shirt and a black leather vest, blistering speed and just a blowing the doors off the place.....magical times indeed.

Discography

Singles:
Brian Howard & The Silhouettes
Somebody Help Me/Young And Evil (Columbia DB 4914) - October 1962
The Worryin' Kind/Come To Me (Columbia DB 7067) - July 1963 with Jimmy Page
Back In The U.S.A./Hooked (Fontana TF 464) - April 1964
Bald Headed Woman

The Johnny Howard Band
Java/Rinky Dink - 1964, with Jeff Beck.

Various Line-ups of Brian Howard & The Silhouettes

Brian Howard & The Silhouettes #1 (1960 - Early 1961)

Phil Somerville (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar) "Brian Howard"
George Colbran (Lead Guitar)
?? ?? (Piano)
David Robertson-Hollidge (Bass)
Ian ?? (Drums)

Brian Howard & The Silhouettes #2 (July - August 1961)

John Gibbs (Vocals/Rhythm Guitar) "Brian Howard"
?? ?? (Lead Vocals)
George Colbran (Lead Guitar)
?? ?? (Piano)
David Robertson-Hollidge (Bass)
Ian ?? (Drums)

Brian Howard & The Silhouettes #3 (1962)

John Gibbs (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar) "Brian Howard"
Jeffery Beck (Lead Guitar) "Jeff Beck"
Phil Childs (Bass)
Ian ?? (Drums)

Brian Howard & The Silhouettes #4 (1963 - 1965)

John Gibbs (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar) "Brian Howard"
Johnny Patto (Lead Guitar)
Phil Childs (Bass)
Barry Gilford (Drums)

Special thanks to Tim, Shirley & John Gibb (Brian Howard); Charlie Blute from Massachusetts, USA; Bruce Welsh from Victoria, Canada; Barry Gilford and Rob Stearns

More on Geoffrey Glover-Wright aka Simon Raverne

2011-03-18T06:43:00.004-07:00

Geoffrey Glover-Wright relocated back to Jersey, fronting The Simon Raverne trio, with Alan James (Rowell) bass, Eddie Thorpe on drums From 1968 to 1969. They were resident band at Les Arches Hotel, Gorey, each winter, and at The Sunset Strip and The Cabin in The Watersplash on Five Mile Road, St. Ouen's, during the summers.

From 1972 to 1974, his band became a quartet including Richard Melhuish (lead guitar, electric violin & vocals, ex-The Kult), Taffy Edwards (bass guitar & vocals), and Martin H. Samuel (drums, ex-Heatwave and Crew).

As back-up band for Simon Raverne, They were known by many names: The Sound, Country Sunshine, The Eternal Triangle ... Between gigs with Geoff, Richard, Taffy and Martin played as a trio unto themrselves, and went by the name of 'Cigarette and Burning Boots' at The Deep, St. Helier.

In December 1974, they were contracted to play for 6 months at The Sahara, Dubai, but after 3 months, Geoffrey Glover-Wright quit to manage The Safari club.

He finally ended up returning to Jersey, playing The Watersplash from 1981 till 1994.
Geoff became the Entertainment Manager at the Merton Hotel, St Helier, Jersey.

He still playing there as Simon Raverne & The Star Band featuring the Starlettes...

http://www.seymourhotels.com/MertonHotel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRfK_IOwSuQ

Nick Simper

"Geoff continued to play at the Van Gogh for a few years, and I dropped in from time to time for a beer and a blow! I played with him once more, deputising fro his regular bassist on July 8th 1967, just before he relocated back to Jersey, where he still performs to this day, although the name has been changed slightly to Simon Raverne."

"On July 8th (1967), I stood in for one night with the Simon Raven trio, with Roger 'Solly' Truth back on the drums. It was just like old times, and still a buzz to play with those guys!"

Alan James (Rowell) : "My name is Alan James. I played bass for the Simon Raverne trio 1968-1969. We toured Europe doing us bases ect. and was resident band at Les Arches in jersey. I have very fond menories of that time. Simon showed me how to be not only a musician but how to be a showman. He's influence still helps me run a good show and I thank him for the lessons he gave me."

Martin Samuel

"I played drums with Geoffrey Glover-Wright for 3 years when he was Simon Raverne in Jersey, CI and Dubai, UAE...

At the time, he was married to a blonde lady named Spring ~ whose family lived in the house that had been the Nazi or Gestapo headquarters during the WW II occupation of Jersey.

Richard Melhuish who played guitar, electric violin, pedal steel and sang back-up vocals auditioned me in England (to replace Roger) where I was playing with Heatwave.
We flew to St. Helier, Jersey to meet Geoff who played guitar, piano and sang and Taffy Edwards who played bass, keyboards and sang. We stayed at Les Arches Hotel, Gorey where we rehearsed and played each winter.

As back-up band for Simon Raverne, we were known by many names: The Sound, Country Sunshine, The Eternal Triangle ... Between gigs with Geoff (as Simon Raverne's band), Richard, Taffy and I played as a trio unto ourselves, we went by the name: 'Cigarette and Burning Boots' at The Deep, St. Helier.

When asked for a name by the manager of The Deep nightclub in St. Helier, Taffy Edwards came up with it on the spur of the moment and it had nothing to do with my fire-eating stunt at the end of most evenings.

We had to wear black suits and bow-ties and would open the show as a trio. Taffy would sing whatever were current hits (Eagles).
One night, just for the fun of it, Taffy and I were dressed in 'drag' by our girlfriends and went on stage without telling Geoff.
Normally, he would not look at us ~ just step up on stage and start playing but when he finally noticed us, he said nothing at all.

During the summers, we played at The Cabin in The Watersplash on Five Mile Road, St. Ouen's (where I used to surf).

We were contracted to play for 6 months at The Sahara, Dubai, but after 3 months, Geoff quit to manage The Safari club.

Simon and the band did no original music whatsoever ~ despite my asking them to.
Simon Raverne's material consisted of old rock 'n' roll (Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley), Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond.
The only time Geoff asked me what song I thought would start the audience dancing, I replied, "Superstition by Stevie Wonder" so he learned it and it was always popular.

From Steve Bottomley in Jersey:

'I live on St Catherines Hill, not far from Les Arches (it’s gone now and there’s a “yuppie palace” been built there). Another co-incidence - my Dad was a fan of Simon Raverne (particularly the song, “Me And Bobby McGee”), and in the mid eighties he and Mum often went to see them play.'

The Simon Raverne Sound , Country Sunshine, The Eternal Triangle (1972-74)

Les Arches, Jersey, CI (Feb. 1972) - as The Simon Raverne Sound
Les Arches, Jersey, CI (Dec. 1972) - as Simon Raverne & The Drag Queens
Les Arches, Jersey, CI (28 Feb. 1973) - as The Simon Raverne Sound
Sunset Strip, Jersey, CI (1 June 1973) - as The Simon Raverne Sound
Les Arches, Jersey, CI (17 Nov. 1973) - as Simon Raverne & Country Sunshine
The Deep, Jersey, CI (27 Feb. 1974) - as Cigarette & Burning Boots
The Cabin, Jersey, CI (1 June - July 1974) - as Simon Raverne & Country Sunshine
Sahara, Dubai, UAE (3 months from Dec 1974) - as Simon Raverne & The Eternal Triangle

See the posters

Thanks to Alan James, Martin Samuel, Ed Mrkvicka, Gordon Dyson and Alain From Jersey

Simon Raverne Trio (1968 - 1969)

	Geoffrey	Glover-Wright	(Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar)	"Simon Raven"
	Alan	James	(Bass)	"Rowell"
	Eddie	Thorpe	(Drums)

Simon Raverne (February 1972 - December 1974)

	Geoffrey	Glover-Wright	(Lead Vocals/ Keyboards)	"Simon Raven"
	Richard	Melhuish	(Lead Guitar/Vocals)
	Taffy	Edwards	(Bass/Vocals)
	Martin	Samuel	(Drums)

See other photos

Ed Mrkvicka

"The Simon Raverne Trio used to play at the Cigli Air Force Base NCO Club in Turkey (around 1967). We'd see them every 6-10 weeks and they were great! They always closed the show with their SUPER rendition of Morning Dew."

Pat Cresswell & The Crescents

2011-03-18T06:43:00.001-07:00

Notable as having great guitarists in their ranks such as Jeff Beck, Harvey Hinsley and Dave Wendells, The Crescents were one of the top bands in the London area from 1957 to 1963.

In 1957, Pat Cresswell was working at Hadfields Paint Company in Western Road, Mitcham, Surrey, when he put together a Skiffle group with Colin Johnson on string bass and Ian Robinson on Drums. They were first known as “The Blue Hounds” and won a Skiffle competition at the Baths Hall in Mitcham, covering Carl Perkins' "Honey Dont". After that Cresswell decided to play only Rock'n'Roll instead of Skiffle and reorganized the band. He then hired lead guitarist Peter Budd who worked at Hadfields as an interior designer, and used to play guitar in a South London-based outfit called the Blue Suedes. Budd convinced Cresswell to let his friend from this band Geoffrey Fraser play rhythm guitar.
Fraser however left shortly thereafter and was replaced by Brian Maidment. The name was changed to “Pat Cresswell & The Crescents”, after Pat's surname (1). At the time, they were playing mostly Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran material.
At the beginning, they had an old Hudson American car that they all took to many gigs, but none of them had driving licenses (2).

About that time (late 1957 or late 1958), while they were supporting Bert Weedon at a Saturday morning show at the Hammersmith Odeon Cinema, the Crescents were asked to back a new singer who had the same clothes that Pat Cresswell had: a Light Gray jacket, black shirt and black pants... (3)

Pat Cresswell & the Crescents later recorded some demos that were never released for sales, and included "What I'd Say", "Whole lotta Of Shaking Going On", "Brand new Cadillac", "I want You To Know", "Dreaming", "Living Doll", "Never Mind", and "Cresta Run" (an instrumental written by Peter Budd).

By then they became very well known in the West London area - playing residencies at large ballrooms such as the Boat house at Kew Bridge, the Airport Bowl at Heathrow - playing five nights a week. Therefore they attracted the attention of future local luminaries such as Jeff Beck and Harvey Hinsley, who impressed a lot Budd with his self-made guitar and tremolo arm and would eventually step into his shoes (6).
By mid-59, Peter Budd walked out and formed his own band, the Crestas, with Sydney Hayden on Rhythm Guitar and John Aldrich on Drums, both from Davy & the Cats, plus Dave Strugnall on Bass guitar (4).
Thus Pat Cresswell recruited the remaining Cats, bass player Ray Halsey and guitarist Harvey Hinsley (7).
He later threw Ian Robinson out and brought John Aldridge in on drums. They were also augmented by saxophone player Neville Hounslow. But this was a fairly short-lived line-up as Cresswell finally left in turn at the end of 1960 and reunited with Peter Budd, fronting briefly the Crestas.

Shortly thereafter Budd moved to Rodney Ward & the Hi Fi's, replacing a young Jeff Beck (5), who then joined The Deltones (as a replacement for Jim Duncombe).

Meanwhile, Maidment, Hinsley, Halsey and Aldrich shortened their name to the “Crescents” and got various singers including Alan Rose before becoming an instrumental band and covering the Shadows hits.

In the summer 1961, singer Derek Burchall aka "Johnny Del" became the new frontman of The Crescents. Their manager Paddy Jones actually stole him from the Deltones, their main rivals (8).

Shortly after, Dave Wendells from Johnny Harris & The Shades (9) took over from the original guitar player Brian Maidment. At the time, the band had various drummers including Terry Searley (ex-Rebel Rousers and Terry Dene's Aces), Mickey Waller, Mick Burt (later of the Rebel Rousers) and Mitch Mitchell (Georgie Fame, Jimi Hendrix ect.) (10).

The Crescents became the resident band at the Boat House, Kew, where they supported twice Screaming Lord Sutch & his Savages in September and October 1961. Dave Sutch asked Harvey Hinsley to join his Savages, but Hinsley was apprenticed at his engineering firm, and turned it down.

About that time, Johnny Dell & The Crescents recorded a demo in R.G. Jones studio, in Morden (11), which included “Wedding Bells” (one of the The Deltones’ best loved songs) and Duane Eddy's “Morgan”. These songs were recorded with Harvey Hinsley on lead and not Jeff Beck as some erroneously quoted (15-D). They also went up to Joe Meek's studio, on Holloway Road, and played a couple of covers instead of the song he'd written for them to work on.

However Burchall, who preferred the likes of Frank Sinatra, left the band for the 1st time at the end of the year. He actually re-joined and left them several times until spring '63. He was replaced by Ivan Love.

In late 1961, while The Crescents were resident at Kew Boat House, 2 new members joined up: Mike Ledger aka "Mike Allen" on vocals and Mick Underwood on drums, both from Mike Allen & The Sidekicks, whose lead guitarist was Vic Briggs (12). By this time, they had two singers, but Love was no longer around, so Ed Hamilton, from Lee Corvett & the Lyrics, took over from him (13). They also had a 14-year-old girl called Sue Green who did Brenda Lee and Wanda Jackson songs for a while.

In May 1962, Dave Wendells left The Crescents to replace Bernie Watson temporarily in the Savages, as Ritchie Blackmore had to fulfill his commitments with Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers and recommended him to fill in (14). Incidentally Wendells would replace Watson in The Rebel Rousers, 7 months later. They would play at blues venues like the Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, and the 100 Club with Ed Hamilton on lead vocals after Derek Burchall (Johnny Dell) had rejoined the band then left again.

By July 1962, Ray Halsey quit and Mick Underwood moved to Jet Harris new band, The Jetblacks. So Hamilton brought his mates from Lee Corvett & the Lyrics, drummer Dave Elridge and bass player Fred Morris.

The following year, Harvey Hinsley left in turn, and Ed Hamilton took over lead guitar. Thus they carried on as a three piece.

By spring 1963, Ed Hamilton wanted to concentrate on a bluesier type of material in line with what was happening at the time, but Paddy Jones (the manager) didn't agree. So the other two wanted to carry on earning the money and opted to stay with Jones who got Derek Burchall in to replace Hamilton. Burchall brought his mate Jeff Beck in the band who made his debut in Turnbridge Wells with them (15).

As Burchall didn't want to do blues and left again, a guy Beck knew through Ian Stewart (the Rolling Stones roadie) called Brian Wiles was brought in on vocals. After a couple of months they changed their name to The Nightshift (16).

Fred Morris left soon afterwards and was replaced by Hugh McGaw.

Apart from playing regurlarly at Eel Pie Island and the 100 Club, The Nightshift often performed at the Ivy Leaf Club, in West Drayton. They also took part of the 3rd National Jazz & Blues Festivals, at the Richmond Athletic Grounds, Richmond, Surrey, on August 10-11^th 1963, alongside the Rolling Stones (17-A).

They played several times at the Marquee Club between August and December 1964, supporting The Mike Cotton Sound, The Moody Blues, The T-Bones, The Yardbirds and Long John Baldry & the Hoochie Coochie Men. Jeff Beck brought his mate bass player George Clarke in the Nightshift for the 4th Richmond Jazz & Blues Festival, on August 7th 1964 (17-B).

When Jeff Beck left to join the Tridents in October 1964, Ed Hamilton replaced him (18).
The last gig Ed Hamilton played with them was at the Marquee on Christmas Eve 1964, which they had to do as a three piece because Hugh McGaw, who had fallen out with Brian Wiles, didn't turn up. Hamilton then moved to The Macabre and was replaced by Tony Finch from The Presidents, another acquaintance of Ian Stewart's (19). Colin Golding, the bass player of The Presidents who deputised for the Rolling Stones several times from 23rd November 1962 to 18th January 1963 at Sutton Red Lion Pub, also played with them on one occasion. As well as their own bookings, The Nightshift also backed other artists, in particular Rod Stewart, and supported The Who at The Marquee.

They released a couple of singles for the Piccadilly label in 1965, including a rendition of “Corrina, Corrina”. The band lasted for a couple of years before becoming disillusioned and called it a day.

Upon the demise of The Nightshift, Keith McGregor briefly reunited with Ed Hamilton in The Second Hand, teaming up with Norman Evans (Keyboards) and Harvey Hinsley.
Peter Budd kept playing guitar with Rory Blackwell, Earl Sheridan & the House Shakers, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Gene Vincent amongst others.
Mick Underwood later played with The Outlaws, The Herd, The Doves (also known as The Clockwork Oranges), The James Royal Set, The Episode Six, Quatermass, Gillan ect.
Harvey Hinsley also played with The Outlaws and The Doves, and then joined the Rebel Rousers (which became Black Claw), before gaining charts success with the group Hot Chocolate in the 70s.
Dave Wendells went on to play with Jackie Lynton & The Jury, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Lulu & The Luvvers, Tom Jones & The Squires, The Krew, Jo Jo Gunne, The Roy Young Band, Hurricane and Love Affair to name but a few...
Ed Hamilton also joined The Outlaws and Black Claw like Hinsley. He later toured with The Young & Moody Band, Fast Buck, and the Bonnie Tyler Band ect.

Brian Whyles sadly died in 2003.

Unfortunately The Crescents hadn't released any material apart from the 2 aforementionned demos. Basically they were mainly a rock band doing some of the hits of the day (20) prior to concentrating on blues and eventually recording it as the Nightshift.

They are not to be confused with Phil Ryan & The Crescents from Crewe who released "Mary Don't You Weep" b/w "Yes I Will" on Columbia in 1964 (21).

Patrick V. aka "Paddivy"

(1) Pat Cresswell
"The Crescents started from Mitcham, Surrey, just after the skiffle era: Pat Cresswell led the band, with Pete Budd lead guitar, Collin Johnson bass guitar, Brian Maidment rhythm guitar and Ian Robinson drums.... After the skiffle went out of style, we started "The Blue Hounds" group. It was when Pete Budd and Brian Maidment joined that the name was changed to the Crescents because of my name Cresswell. It was thought that the Crescents sounded better for the group."

(2) Peter Budd
"We had an old Hudson American car that we all took to many gigs. None of us had driving licenses. One day as we went around a busy street in London, the driver lost control and it went through a shop window! We all ran away with our instruments, and came back a few minutes later to see what had happened? They never found us and the police towed the car away."

(3-A) Peter Budd
"we were playing at a Saturday morning show at the Hammersmith Odeon Cinema... When my guitar solo came for What I'd Say, I stepped forward with all the lights shining on me and the chord came out of my guitar. It was too late to plug it back in so I faked the solo with no sound. My mum and Dad and Brother Roy Budd said after wards. You looked good, but we couldn't hear you.
The same show we were asked to back a new singer up. His name was Harry Webb, and Pat got mad because Harry had the same cloths that Pat had. This singer really sounded pretty good!"

(3-B) Pat Cresswell
"On that gig at the Hammersmith Odeon Cinema, the singer was "Vince Taylor".... We did a song he had recorded... We were on the same bill as Vince Taylor at the Sheperds Bush"

(3-C) It's unclear who was the mysterious singer and when the event really took place: Cliff Richard or Vince Taylor? late 1957 or late 1958? Peter Budd and Pat Cresswell obviously disagree about that. Vince Taylor supported Cliff Richard who was headlining at Hammersmith Comodore Theatre in early 1959.

(4) Peter Budd
"There was quite a bit of infighting with the Crescents. I wanted to play more gigs, and the others - as they had full-time jobs - didn’t want to commit very much time to the band thing. I had a feeling that a major move for me would soon be in the works - and it was!..."

(5) Peter Budd
"When I first practiced with Rodney Ward there was a reel to reel tape recorder sitting there and I asked Rodney who is belonged to? He said the last guitar player. It had an extra head to get an echo sound so I used it for the rehearsal. Suddenly the door opened and in walks this young kid and swore at me as it belonged to him. He took it away and his name was Jeff Beck...
Jeff and I went to the same school. Elmwood Park high School in Beddington South London. He was a couple of years younger..."

(6) Peter Budd
"Harvey was a friend of mine, and he had made his own guitar and tremolo arm, which actually worked - which was an engineering feat at that period of time; most tremolo arms immediately de-tuned a guitar. When he eventually bought a Fender Stratocaster, I bought the tremolo arm off of him."

(7) Harvey Hinsley
"I was in a band called Davy & the Cats in 1959... Pat Creswell wanted our bass player Ray Halsey, and when Pete Budd left, I joined the Crescents along with Ray Halsey... Pat threw Ian Robinson out & we brought John Aldridge in on drums. this was late 1959"

(8) Harvey Hinsley
"Alan Rose was replaced by Johnny Dell, as our manager Paddy Jones liked Johnny Dell and stole him from the Deltones. This would be late '61 or early'62."

(9) Johnny Harris & the Shades also included Mitch Mitchell on Drums

(10) Harvey Hinsley
"we also had various drummers including Terry Searly, Mick Underwood, Mitch Mitchell, Mick Burt and Mick Waller. These guys were never permanent and only helped out after John Aldrich left... Mitch Mitchell helped out and was experimenting with us and lost time a lot!! [He told me once to change my strat for a Burns Black Bison[??] I told him to stick to his drums!"

(11) R.G. Jones Studios
were recording studios run by Sound engineer Ronald Godfrey Jones Jr. in Morden, Surrey.
The Deltones recorded their rendition of "Cherry Pink Apple Blossom" there, as well as The Rollingstones a demo including "It's All Right Babe" and "Pretty Thing I".

(12) Vic Briggs aka "Antion Meredith"
"Mike Allen and Mick Underwood left us for a very remunerative but soul destroying gig with a band called The Crescents who were resident at Kew Boat House."

(13) Ed Hamilton
"I was in a band called Lee Corvette and the Lyrics... My band broke up and I auditioned for the Crescents and got the job as
vocalist in late 1961."

(14) Dave Wendells
"I left The Crescents when Ritchie was going to replace Bernie in the Savages but, as I recall, couldn't be there for a while because of a previous commitment, so he recommended me since we were friends."

(15-A) Harvey Hinsley
"I left The Crescents in about' 63... The Crescents later became The Nightshift and Jeff Beck replaced Ed Hamilton. Ed thinks Jeff played with the band when it was still the Crescents but Jeff denies this...."
"I went round Jeff's house about 3 years ago with John Owen. We were talking about the old days & Jeff said "I wasn't in the Crescents" "

(15-B) Ed Hamilton
"They got Jeff Beck in to replace me on lead guitar and Johnny Dell rejoined the band again, but didn't want to do blues as he preferred Frank Sinatra so he left AGAIN!"

(15-C) Beat Merchants by Alan Clayson p.51
Jeff Beck made a debut at Turnbridge Wells with The Crescents...
...Tired of imitating Hank Marvin in The Crescents , Jeff Beck had moved on to Him And The Others...

(15-D) Crazy Fingers by Annette Carson p.27
The Crescents operated around the West London area… and for a while Beck was persuaded to play Shadows-style guitar again.
His first professional appearance may have referred to his debut in Turnbridge Wells. While playing with The Crescents, Jeff cut his first record “Wedding Bells”

(16) Ed Hamilton
"A guy Jeff knew through Ian Stewart (the Stones roadie) called Brian Wiles was brought in on vocals to replace me on vocal.
After a couple of months they changed their name to The Nightshift."

(16-B) Crazy Fingers by Annette Carson p.28
Nightshift seems to have been formed in 1962 or early 1963 - by which time he’d fallen in with Stu Stewart of the Rollingstones… Around the same time he also came under the spell of Patricia Brown. They would married in July 1963... Nightshift was his first regular R&B group...
The Nightshift started playing regurlarly at Eel Pie Island and some of London’s leading club venues like the 100 Club. Phil Somerville recalls they once headlined a bill with opening for them... Jeff was approached to join the Roosters but said no, the job was taken by Clapton.

(17-A) Some sources quote they had taken part of the 3rd National Jazz & Blues Festivals on August 10-11th 1963, alongside the Rolling Stones. however, it might be a confusion with the following edition as Dave Elridge can't remember this.

(17-B) Richmond Jazz Festival - Friday, 7th August 1964
The Nightshift were scheduled at the Richmond Athletic Grounds from 7.55 pm to 8.20 pm, after The Grebbels, and before The Authentics, The T-Bones, and The Rolling Stones.

(17-C) George Clarke
"After returning from Germany I resumed playing with Jeff Beck and the band must have been the Nightshift because I recall that we had obtained a major booking at the Richmond Jazz Festival. I had been looking forward to this gig, as there were a few big names appearing... The date was Friday, 7th August 1964, which is imprinted in my mind due to the fact that on that morning, at 7.30 am I was on my way to work on my Triumph T100 when a lorry came out of a side turning and hit me, throwing me accross the road in the path of another lorry coming the other way... My first thought was "S...t, I'm going to miss the gig at Richmond".

(18-A) Some sources quote that Jeff Beck left the Nightshift to join the Tridents in late 1963 (Crazy Fingers, Annette Carson p.29) or February 1964 (The Guiness Book of Rock Stars, Dafydd Rees & Luke Crampton), and rejoined for the 4th Richmond Jazz & Blues Festival in August 1964. Beck probably played in both bands at the same time during 1964, sessioning secretly with the Tridents.

(18-B) Crazy Fingers - Annette Carson p.30
Beck joined the Tridents, from Chiswick, around late Summer/autumn of 1963 and stayed with them a year and a half, although oddly enough during this time he was photographed playing with the Nightshift again when the group appeared at the 4th Jazz & Blues Festival in Richmond, in August 1964 - "perhaps" filling in for this one gig...

(19-A) Tony Finch
"After leaving The Presidents I joined a group called The Night Shift. As well as our own bookings we also backed other artists, in particular Rod Stewart, and supported The Who at The Marquee Club in Wardour Street, London. We made a couple of records, one called “Corrina, Corrina”. I played with them for a couple of years before becoming disillusioned and I haven't really played since."

(19-B) Robin Mayhew
"Tony Finch played rhythm guitar for us till just after we had release our only single Candy Man in '64. He went to play rhythm for The Nightshift for some time. We, at that time, were so busy with South London gigs that we had decided to play our regular Friday night Club at the Red Lion in Sutton once a fortnight and had invited our good friend Ian Stewart to put his band, The Rolling Stones, on when we weren't doing it. The Nightshift filled the gap when the Stones went to Eel Pie Island and started to break. I clearly remember Tony playing with Jeff Beck on one Friday that The presidents had off..."
"Colin Golding, our bassist, did play with them on one occasion... I do know that Brian Whyles who I believe formed the band, singing and playing harmonica, sadly died a couple of years ago."

(20-A) Harvey Hinsley
"The Crescents basically played whatever was popular and when we did Poetry in Motion 3 or 4 times, I wanted to pack up!...
I played some Shadows stuff, but I prefered Cliff Gallup stuff..."

(20-B) Dave Wendells
"The material for The Crescents was early Elvis, Gene Vincent, Ricky Nelson, Cliff & the Shadows....etc..."

(20-C) Ed Hamilton
"The Crescents used to do thing like Orange Blossom Special, Sleep Walk and All Night Diner because
Harvey also the odd Shadows tune (Because Harvey played steel guitar too). They were mainly a rock band doing some of the hits of the day."

(21-A) Crazy Fingers - Annette Carson p.37
Beck did a session with his old pals The Crescents, now backing singer Phil Ryan, on the songs "Mary Don't You Weep"/"Yes I Will"

(21-B) Phil Ryan & The Crescents were a Beat/folky/soul band from Crewe, formed in 1962 with Phil Ryan (vocals), Bernard Hibbert (lead guitar), Roger Keay (bass), and Dave Birkenhead (drums).
They released a couple of singles for Columbia: Mary Don't You Weep/Yes I Will (Columbia DB 7406 - Dec 1964) and Gypsy Woman/Be Honest With Yourself (Columbia DB 7574 - May 1965).

(21-C) Dave Birkenhead, drummer with Phil Ryan & The Crescents
"As a member of Phil Ryan and the Crescents I decided to see what I could dig up about my old group on the Internet. I was amazed to find a claim that Jeff was a member of said group and recorded on both their records. Whilst I find this extremely flattering it is also untrue unless I was asleep on those days when we recorded. I was equally amazed to find that quite a few sites ran this same inaccuracy... Did Norrie Paramor use Jeff without telling us?"

Discography

Demo Single:
The Crescents: “Wedding Bells” b/w “Morgan”

The Nightshift:
“Corrine Corrina” b/w “Lavender Tree” (Piccadilly 7N 35243, 1965)
“Stormy Monday Blues” b/w “That's My Story” (Piccadilly 7N 35264, 1965)

Demo LP (The Crescents): "What I'd Say", "Whole lotta Of Shaking Going On", "Brand new Cadillac", "I want You To Know", "Dreaming", "Living Doll", "Never Mind", "Cresta Run"...

Various Line-ups of The Crescents, The Crestas & The Nightshift

Pat Cresswell & The Crescents #1 (1957 - Mid 1959)

Pat Creswell (Lead Vocals)
Peter Budd (Lead Guitar)
Geoffrey Fraser then Brian Maidment (Rhythm Guitar)
Collin Johnson (Bass)
Ian Robinson (Drums)

Pat Cresswell & The Crescents #2 (Mid 1959 - Late 1960)

Pat Creswell (Lead Vocals)
Harvey Hinsley (Lead Guitar)
Brian Maidment (Rhythm Guitar)
Ray Halsey (Bass)
Neville Hounslow (Tenor Sax)
Ian Robinson then John Aldrich (Drums)

Pat Cresswell & The Crestas (Early 1961 - 1962)

Pat Creswell (Lead Vocals)
Peter Budd (Lead Guitar)
Sydney Haydon (Rhythm Guitar)
Dave Strugnall (Bass)
John Aldrich (Drums)

The Crescents #3 (Early - Summer 1961)

Alan Rose (Lead Vocals)
Harvey Hinsley (Lead Guitar)
Brian Maidment (Rhythm Guitar)
Ray Halsey (Bass)
Neville Hounslow (Tenor Sax)
Terry Searly (Drums)

The Crescents #4 (September - December 1961)

Derek Burchall (Lead Vocals) "Johnny Dell"
Harvey Hinsley (Lead Guitar)
Dave Wendells (Rhythm Guitar)
Ray Halsey (Bass)
Neville Hounslow (Tenor Sax)
Terry Searly (Drums)
Mickey Waller (Drums)

The Crescents #5 (November 1961)

Ivan Love (Lead Vocals)
Harvey Hinsley (Lead Guitar)
Dave Wendells (Rhythm Guitar)
Ray Halsey (Bass)
Neville Hounslow (Tenor Sax)
Mick Burt (Drums)

The Crescents #6 (December 1961)

Mike Ledger (Lead Vocals) "Mike Allen"
Ivan Love (Lead Vocals)
Harvey Hinsley (Lead Guitar)
Dave Wendells (Rhythm Guitar)
Ray Halsey (Bass)
Mick Underwood (Drums)

The Crescents #7 (December 1961 - May 1962)

Mike Ledger (Lead Vocals) "Mike Allen"
Ed Hamilton (Lead Vocals)
Harvey Hinsley (Lead Guitar)
Dave Wendells (Rhythm Guitar)
Ray Halsey (Bass)
Mick Underwood (Drums)
Mickey Waller (Drums)
Mitch Mitchell (Drums)
Dave Elridge (Drums)

The Crescents #8 (May - July 1962)

Sue Green (Lead Vocals)
Harvey Hinsley (Lead Guitar)
Ed Hamilton (Rhythm Guitar/Vocals)
Ray Halsey (Bass)
Mick Underwood (Drums)

The Crescents #9 (July 1962 - February 1963)

Derek Burchall (Lead Vocals) "Johnny Dell"
Harvey Hinsley (Lead Guitar)
Ed Hamilton (Rhythm Guitar/Vocals)
Fred Morris (Bass)
Dave Elridge (Drums)

The Crescents #10 (February - May 1963)

Ed Hamilton (Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar)
Fred Morris (Bass)
Dave Elridge (Drums)

The Crescents #11 (May - June 1963)

Derek Burchall (Lead Vocals) "Johnny Dell"
Jeff Beck (Lead Guitar)
Fred Morris (Bass)
Dave Elridge (Drums)

The Crescents #12 (June - July 1963)

Brian Wiles (Lead Vocals/Harmonica)
Jeff Beck (Lead Guitar)
Fred Morris (Bass)
Dave Elridge (Drums)

The Nightshift #1 (July 1963 - October 1964)

Brian Wiles (Lead Vocals/Harmonica)
Jeff Beck (Lead Guitar)
Fred Morris then Hugh McGaw (Bass)
George Clarke (Bass)*
Dave Elridge (Drums)

The Nightshift #2 (October - December 1964)

Brian Wiles (Lead Vocals/Harmonica)
Ed Hamilton (Lead Guitar)
Hugh McGaw (Bass)
Dave Elridge then Keith McGregor (Drums)

The Nightshift #3 (December 1964 - Late 1966)

Brian Wiles (Lead Vocals/Harmonica)
Tony Finch (Lead Guitar)
George Clarke (Bass)
Colin Golding (Bass)
Keith McGregor (Drums)

*George Clarke first joined for the 4th Richmond Jazz & Blues Festival, on Friday, 7th August 1964

Special thanks to Pat Creswell, Peter Budd, Harvey Hinsley, Dave Wendells, Ed Hamilton, John Aldrich, Sydney Haydon, George Clarke, Vic Briggs, Tony Finch, Robin Mayhew and many others

If you can improve this article by providing further info or corrections ect.
Please contact us: tomusicstorytellers@gmail.com

The Echos/Some Folks (1964 - 1966)

2011-03-18T06:42:00.004-07:00

Some Folks were a German short-lived mid 60s Beat combo. They were a continuation of The Echos, formed by multi-instrumentalist Volker Schütte and 3 of his lads, in Lüchow, Northern Germany. During the 3 years they spent together they had a fair bit of success locally, playing regularly various local venues such as Cuxhaven Studio-Tanzbar, Nürnberg Lido-Tanzpalast or Saarbrücken Atlantis-Hit-House, but never released a record.

Their story by Volker Schütte, 2011:
The Echos were founded in Lüchow in August 1964 by Werner Voss on lead guitar, Dieter Burmester on backing vocal and bass, Volkmar Schulze on drums and backing voc, as well as on sax (I played drums, whenever he played sax) and Me, Volker Schütte, on main vocals and rhythm guitar. We played twice (on Saturday and Sunday) almost every weekend until March 1966.

In spring 1965 we won the first prize in a Niedersachsen-contest of beat-bands in Uelzen. Ulf Krüger [of The Resounds] was in the jury!

In March 1966 we turned professional; this means we played for a whole month every night at the same club (2nd half of April 1966: “Studio-Tanzbar” in Cuxhaven, May 1966: “Lido-Tanzpalast” in Nürnberg).
Werner Voss did not want to turn professional with us, so he was replaced by a guy called "Yogi".

After 6 weeks, while playing in Nürnberg, we had a big dispute with Yogi and replaced him by Bruno Frenzel, guitar and backing voc and a guy whose name was Peter “Bonny” Powalla, keyboards and backing vocal. Bruno and Peter just happened to have left another band, while playing in Nürnberg. We met them in mid-May and they played with us on stage on the very same evening after only a few hours of practicing!

In the first half of June 1966 we played at the “Club 99” in Cuxhaven. In the 2nd half we practiced in Lüchow.

Thereafter we played at the “Café Wilhelmshöhe” in Trier, at the “Atlantis-Hit-House” (July 1966), Saarbrücken (1st half of August) and at the “Florida And Atlantic” in Salzgitter (2nd part of August). At that time we changed our name to Some Folks.

After that we changed personal again. Dieter Burmester and Peter Powalla left the group. Ulf Krüger [from William Thornton & The Randalls] played drums from now on, John Irvine played lead guitar (he had previously played with Screaming Lord Sutch), Volkmar Schulze only just played sax from now on, I played keyboards and rhythm guitar, Bruno Frenzel bass.

In a certain way it was a little bit a kind of a move from “beat” to “soul”, which started to become popular at that time (James Brown etc).

This line up only existed from the beginning of September 1966 until the end of October 1966. In September 1966 we practiced in Lüchow and had different one night gigs in the area of Niedersachsen. In October 1966 we played once more at the “Café Wilhelmshöhe” in Trier. Then the group split up.

What do they become after?

After fronting various Berlin Rock bands, Volker Schütte sings with Past Perfect since 1999.
Their Homepage is: http://www.past-perfect-berlin.de
and their YouTube-Videos are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJENoKHl0EY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKcDVk9313U
better than these 2 links would be this link to all 8 Past-Perfect-You-Tube-videos:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL44C3B98A07CB97DF

Dieter Burmester now is a manufacturer of highly priced hifi nowadays and has a video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkacHkMTSa0 and this is his homepage: http://www.burmester.de

Peter “Bonny” Powalla now is the producer of a girl group http://www.banana-mama.de now.

Ulf Krüger worked with Lonnie Donegan & Leinemann in the late 60s and then The Neil Landon Five in the 90s.

Bruno Frenzel later played guitar with Birthcontrol http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_Control and http://www.birth-control.de , and he composed most of their hits. He died in 1983.

Sadly Volkmar Schulze also passed away in 2007.

Various Line-ups of The Echos & Some Folks

The Echos #1 (August 1964 - March 1966)

Volker Schütte (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Drums)
Werner Voss (Lead Guitar)
Dieter Burmester (Bass/Vocals)
Volkmar Schulze (Drums/Vocals/Sax)

The Echos #2 (March - May 1966)

Volker Schütte (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Drums)
"Yogi" (Lead Guitar/Vocals)
Dieter Burmester (Bass/Vocals)
Volkmar Schulze (Drums/Vocals/Sax)

Some Folks #1 (May - September 1966)

Volker Schütte (Lead Vocals /Keyboards/Rhythm Guitar)
Peter Powalla (Keyboards/Vocals) aka "Bonny"
Bruno Frenzel (Lead Guitar/Vocals)
Dieter Burmester (Bass/Vocals)
Volkmar Schulze (Drums/Vocals/Sax)

Some Folks #2 (September - October 1966)

Volker Schütte (Rhythm Guitar/Keyboards/Drums/Vocals)
John Irvine (Lead Guitar/Vocals)
Bruno Frenzel (Bass)
Volkmar Schulze (Sax)
Ulf Krüger (Drums/Vocals)

Special thanks to Volker Schütte & Ulf Krüger

The Johnnie Reb's Rock Group

2011-03-18T06:42:00.003-07:00

The Johnnie Reb's, named after the national personification of the Southern states in the American Civil War of the 1860s, were formed in 1956 at the Red Lion Pub, North Lambeth, by the Taylor brothers Vince and Barrie, while they joined the resident drummer and pianist, and did skiffle with them.

The first big venue they did after the pub circuit was Streatham Locarno as resident band with skiffle bands filling up the evening (The Karl Denver Trio also did a gig there).

When Rock'n'Roll took over from skiffle, in 1958, their line-up changed: now including Ted Page on lead guitar, an Indian guy named Eddie Bowers on Rhythm guitar, and 2 sax players Charlie Pelling and Willie Garnet.

Incidentally another British Rocker used the stage name Vince Taylor from late 1958 and they had a problem once or twice with an agent but nothing came of it.

As many skiffle bands, they first did the pub circuit.
During 1960, the Johnnie Rebs were the resident band in various venues such as Club Perdido, Grandison ballroom, Norbury on Fridays; at the Clay Pidgeon Pub, Eastcote, on Saturdays; at Kew Boathouse; and at the Southall Community Centre, on Sundays (1). They played there until September of 1962 (2).

They mainly played all the current popular hit parade: e.g. the likes of Duane Eddy, Fats Domino, Larry Williams, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochrane etc. (2).

They had a manager called Jim Marshall, not to be confused with the inventor of the Marshall amplifier (4).

Barrie Taylor aka "Whip" played bass occasionally for Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages after they had supported The Johnnie Reb's at the Clay Pidgeon, about July 1960, and as they had no bass player at the time. He also used to freelance at the 2 I's Coffee bar where he often sat in with The Savages (3).

Whip also later played bass for Jerry Lee Lewis (1), Jess Conrad, Marty Wild & the Wildcats, Emile Ford & The Checkmates (1963), The Flee-Rekkers (1963-1964) and Joe Brown & The Bruvvers (1964-1965) among others.
Micky Burt later joined The Crescents, Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers and Chas & Dave.
Willie Garnet is still doing the rounds of the Brit jazz scene nowadays.

Notes: (1) Barrie Taylor aka "Whip"
"The Johnnie Rebs were the resident band at the Southhall Community Centre, this venue had a lot of big name appearing there. I played with Jerry Lee Lewis there on bass as he didn't have a band only a drummer!!"
"It looks great The first big venue we did after the pub circuit was Streatham Locarno as resident band with skiffle bands filling up the evening. Karl Denver Trio also did a gig there. "

(2) Antion Meredith aka Vic Briggs
"During my teenage years, before I turned pro, if we were not working on a Sunday night, we would be at Southall. They played every Sunday night at the Southall Community Centre. That would be from late 1960 until September of 1962...
They were a band of what seemed like middle aged men in a time when being 25 was very old in the Brit rock world...
They would do whatever was on the charts. Like I remember them doing "You're Sixteen" by Neil Sedaka. They also always
used to play two songs by Charlie Rich, "Lonely Weekends", and the flip side, "Everything I do is Wrong."
The promoter, Peter Lindsey had asked them to make the songs longer - pop songs were all about two and a half minutes in those days - as the guys in the audience had asked him for more time to dance with the girls. So just about every song they did had two full on sax solos; one from Willie and one from Charlie."

(3) Pete Newman:
"We have a bass player at one time called "Whip"... He was in fact Whip Taylor who played with a band called the Johnny Rebs at the same place we did gigs in, The Clay Pigeon Pub, near Harrow. The drummer of that band was none other than the now world famous Jim Marshall inventor of the Marshall amplifier!"

(4) Barrie Taylor aka "Whip"
"We had a manager for a short while whose name was Jim Marshall, not the one of the Amp Fame !! I did know Jim Marshalls son and Pete Fleerackers used to make the cabinets for the amps for the Marshall amps."

Line ups of The Johnnie Reb's:

The Johnnie Reb's Skiffle Group (1956 - 1957)
Vince Taylor (Rhythm Guitar/Vocals)
Barry Taylor (Upright Bass/Vocals) aka "Whip"
?? ?? (Piano)
Terry Woods (Drums) aka "Woofer"

The Johnnie Reb's Rock Group (Early 1958 - Late 1962)
Vince Taylor (Rhythm Guitar/Vocals)
Barry Taylor (Bass/Vocals) aka "Whip"
Eddie Bowers (Rhythm Guitar)
Ted Page (Lead Guitar/Vocals)
Willie Garnet (Tenor Sax)
Charlie Pelling (Tenor Sax)
?? "Honker" (Tenor Sax)
Frank ?? then Micky Burt (Drums)

More on The Johnnie Reb's

Thanks to Barrie & Jay Taylor, Pete Newman, Harvey Hinsley, Antion Meredith (Vic Briggs)

See the posters

2011-03-18T06:42:00.001-07:00

See other photos

2011-03-18T06:41:00.002-07:00

Winston G & The Wicked

2011-03-18T06:41:00.001-07:00

Who’s the mysterious “Mr.G” behind this 60s outfit which released 6 Singles for Parlophone, Decca and CBS labels from 1965 to 1968, credited to The Whip, Fox, The Winston G Set, Winston G & The Wicked or simply Winston G?
His real name was Winston Beresford Gawk or Gork, a suntanned singer with indian roots. Sadly for such a cooly named character, his releases are mostly weak soul-flavoured efforts. In spite of this, Winston G played an important role as a pivotal point in British rock as his material crossed from heavy rock to psychedlia.
His band included, at various times, such great musicians as Tony “Top” Topham, the original lead guitarist with The Yardbirds, Ronnie Harwood who penned “You Drive Me Crazy” for Shakin’Stevens in the early 80s, Peter Beckett later of Player, or Huw Lloyd Langton of Hawkwind and Widowmaker.

Winston G starded out as a solo act, first under the moniker “Johnny Apollo”, and was managed by Robert Stigwood.
In August 1963, he was backed by The New Premiers, a Rock outfit from North London, whose lead singer, Ronnie Harwood switched to bass and then was asked to join “The Ravin Savages” (who had left Screaming Lord Sutch and taken the new name for themselves).
It is highly possible that The New Premiers used the name "The Wickeds" to back Winston at the time...
Shortly thereafter they had broken up with guitar player John Gilbey joining Screaming Lord Sutch’s Savages.

Following the demise of the Raving Savages in late 1963, bass player Ronnie Harwood and lead guitarist Geoff Mew returned to England from Germany and met up with pianist Paul Nicholas and drummer Pete Phillipps who had both just left Screaming Lord Sutch.
They had formed up a new band and were groomed by Michael Black, brother of Don Black, rehearsing at the Astor Club in Berkeley Square in London in early 1964. Harwood got them connected with Winston Gork there. They were initially to be called "Johnny Appollo & the Purple Hearts" but the relationship was not a smooth one and Winston parted company from the quartet. They were subsequently fired by Bertie Green the Boss of the Astor and then became the backing band for Screaming Lord Sutch.

In January 1965, Stigwood put him on the road in a 24-date UK package tour headlined by Chuck Berry. Support acts on that tour also included The Graham Bond Organization with Jack Bruce on bass and Ginger Baker on drums. As they shared the same manager, they backed Winston G on his debut single "Please Don't Say", a Charles Blackwell’s composition, released 3 months later on Parlophone, the same label as The Beatles.

The follow-up, "That Way Too"/ "Until You Were Gone", issued in September 1965, was produced by Stephen Komlosy and credited to Winston G & The Wicked. Indeed Robert Stigwood wanted Winston G to front his own band, and asked former frontman of The New Premiers, Ronnie Harwood to form it.
The first incarnation of The Wicked consisted of 2 ex-Savages, Ronnie Harwood on bass and Brian Hammick on guitar (previously with The Easybeats from Burnt Oak), and Tony McIntyre on drums, formerly with Steve Marriot & the Moments.

In October 1965, Ronnie Harwood returned to the Savages and was replaced with Jeff "Rivens" Watkins.
By 1966, Winston G switched to Decca, which issued his third release, "Cloud Nine", recorded with session musicians (1), enhanced by funky horns, and produced by Les Reed (who had also penned the song with Barry Mason). Sadly this single failed to chart as the previous one did.

In early 1967, the band was renamed "The Winston G Set" with the addition of a piano/organ player nicknamed "Tony Poser".
After the release of "Mother Ferguson's Love Dust"/ "Judge And Jury" in April 1967, original guitar player Brian Hammick left (2) to be replaced first with another ex-Savages, John Bedder then later with Tony “Top” Topham.
Topham, who stayed in the band for a couple of years, had earlier been with The Yardbirds in 1963 (he was actually their original lead guitarist and was replaced with Eric Clapton…).

The Winston G Set, later to be named Fox dabbled with psychedelic rock and their stage act caused some raised eyebrows up and down the country. Bobby Graham produced their next release "Bye Bye Baby", the last one for Decca records, issued in late 67.
By this time a younger bass player called Chris Jones (not related to the Brummie lead guitarist with The Chucks and The Way Of Life) took over from Jeff Rivens. Their schedule took them on a tour of Europe, particurlarly in Germany where they became very popular.
"Hey! Mister Carpenter", released on the CBS label, in April 1968, was a number written by Nicky James with ex-Traffic man, Dave Mason guest-starring on sitar. It’s very poppy with a repetitive chorus and some catchy guitar. The 'B' side, "Seek And You Find" is much heavier.
In late 1968, another band started using the name Fox, so they changed their name to The Whip...

(1) Donna Reed
"Les did write and produce the Winston G. recording of "Cloud Nine" way back in the late 60's.
The line up was
3 trumpets (Stan Roderick/Eddie Blair/Bobby Haughey);
2 Baritone saxes (Joe Timperly/Don Honeywell);
2 Guitars (Vic Flick/Big Jim Sullivan);
Bass Gtr (Eric Ford);
Drums (Ronnie Verrall) Piano (Les Reed) Percussion (Stan Barrett);
Main girl singer (Miriam Stockley) and b/g( The Breakaways)."

(2) Brian Hammick
"on 'Judge And Jury' close friend Steve Marriott can be heard singing backing and during my solo"
"I left the band due to getting engaged and my then girlfriend (now wife) couldn"t take the attention I used to get from female fans."

Discography of Winston G

Singles:

Please Don't Say/ Like A Baby (Parlophone R 5266) - April 1965 as Winston G
That Way Too/Until You Were Gone (Parlophone R 5330) - September 1965 as Winston G & The Wicked
Cloud Nine/ I'll Make You Cry Tomorrow (Decca F 12444) - July 1966 as Winston G
Mother Ferguson's Love Dust/ Judge And Jury (Decca F 12559) - February 1967 as Winston G
Riding With The Milkman/ Bye Bye Baby (Decca F 12623) - October 1967 as The Winston G Set
Hey! Mister Carpenter/Seek And You Find (CBS 3381) - April 1968 as Fox

Various Line-ups of Winston G’s Bands

Johnny Apollo & The New Premiers (August 1963)

Winston Gork (Lead Vocals) "Johnny Apollo"
John Gilbey (Lead Guitar) "Nervous"
Ronnie Harwood (Bass)
Brian Whelan (Drums) "Pretty Boy"

Johnny Apollo & The Purple Hearts (Early 1964)

Winston Gork (Lead Vocals) "Johnny Apollo"
Geoff Mew (Lead Guitar)
Ronnie Harwood (Bass/Vocals)
Paul Beuselinck (Keyboards) "Paul Dean"
Pete Phillipps (Drums)

Winston G & The Wicked #1 (April - September 1965)

Winston Gork (Lead Vocals) "Winston G"
Brian Hammick (Lead Guitar)
Ronnie Harwood (Bass)
Tony McIntyre (Drums)

Winston G & The Wicked #2 (September 1965 - January 1967)

Winston Gork (Lead Vocals) "Winston G"
Brian Hammick (Lead Guitar)
Geoff Watkins (Bass) "Jeff Rivens"
Tony McIntyre (Drums)

Winston G Set #1 (January - April 1967)

Winston Gork (Lead Vocals) "Winston G"
Brian Hammick (Lead Guitar)
Geoff Watkins (Bass) "Jeff Rivens"
Tony Poser (Keyboards)
Tony McIntyre (Drums)

Winston G Set #2 (April - September 1967)

Winston Gork (Lead Vocals) "Winston G"
John Bedder (Lead Guitar)
Geoff Watkins (Bass) "Jeff Rivens"
Tony Poser (Keyboards)
Tony McIntyre (Drums)

Winston G Set #3 (Late 1967)

Winston Gork (Lead Vocals) "Winston G"
Tony Top Topham (Lead Guitar)
Geoff Watkins (Bass) "Jeff Rivens"
Tony Poser (Keyboards)
Tony McIntyre (Drums)

More about Winston G: Fox & Whip

Special thanks to Ronnie Harwood, Brian Hammick, Geoff Mew, Tony “Top” Topham, Peter Beckett, Donna Reed, Lee Jones, Huw and Marion Lloyd Langton

If you have any further information and want to contribute to this site, please email us at: tomusicstorytellers@gmail.com

Obscure Bands Of The 50's & 60's

2010-10-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

Messageboard

2010-10-15T08:46:00.003-07:00

Bruce Welsh from Canada is doing some work on a mid 60s British band The League of Gentlemen for his forthcoming encyclopaedya.

Please contact us at tomusicstorytellers@gmail.com

Blues by Five Resurected are playing at The Moraira Music Festival in Spain 12th June 2011.

Original members Len Ashley Vocals / Harp and Ron Faulkner Lead Guitar Vocals

Wanted

Charlie B. is searching for something on an English Rock'n'Roll group that played Fontenet, Charente-Maritime, Western France in July and August 1961.
The lead singer and rhythm guitarist was a guy by the name of John Gibbs from Mitcham, England - he did look somewhat like Rory of Rory Storm & the Hurricanes (Ringo Starr's old band);
the lead guitarist was a guy by the name of George, he had red hair;
and the bassist was named Ian, all three from Surrey.
They had also a girl singer, a pianist, and probably a drummer...

The name of the group proved to be Brian Howard & the Silhouettes whose line up was:
John Gibbs: lead vocal and rhythm guitar
George Colbran: lead guitar
Dave Hollidge: bass
Ian: drums

They released 2 singles on Columbia records:
"The Worryin' Kind"/"Come To Me" (Columbia DB 7067) in July 1963 with Jimmy Page.
"Java"/"Rinky Dink" in 1964, with Jeff Beck.

If you can have information about them
Please contact us with any further information at: tomusicstorytellers@gmail.com

If you are searching for something on bands of those faraway decades too,
you can also leave a message here or at the bottom of this page

Rikki Maiocchi & The Trip

2010-10-15T08:45:00.003-07:00

A Trip to Milan

Enrico (Riki) Maiocchi (1940-2004) was one of the most talented singer in Italy in the Sixties; founder and leader of "I Camaleonti" a band formed in Milan in 1965. In the Summer of the following year Riki leaves the band and gone to London in search of musicians for his new own project. He meets Scouser drummer Ian Broad (1), previously member of various groups - Rory Storm & The Hurricanes, The Seniors and The Bigs, an English combo relocated in Italy during 1965-66.
Broad suggested Riki to hire a talented guitarist named Ritchie Blackmore, who at this moment plays with Neil Christian & The Crusaders; and he brings also his bass player in the Crusaders: Arvid "Wegg" Andersen. To complete the new group they needs a rhythm guitarist and their choice was Billy Gray, previously member of Scottish band The Anteeks and, for a short time, in the Buzz with David Bowie. When they came to Italy in September of 1966 someone referred to this experience like "A trip to Milan" so the new name for the band was found.
After only few weeks Maiocchi decided to goes solo and the band continued with Ian Broad as drummer and lead singer. In December Ritchie Blackmore quits to come back in London (rejoining Screaming Lord Sutch, of course later he founded the Deep Purple) and the remaining trio - Ian, Billy and Wegg - hired an Italian keyboardist named Joe Vescovi (from Savona) who became the leader of the Trip.

When Broad was sacked from the group in Autumn they found a new drummer in Pino Sinnone, from Turin and The Trip continued his history as a progressive band in the Seventies.

Luca Mathmos

A Trip in the Seventies
The Trip is going on, releasing their debut single, “Bolero Blues”, originally lined up to be included into the Piper club compilation in 1969, then their first homonymous album on RCA label, the following year. This album was considered as “impressionist music”: their music sounded like a mix of beat vibes and progressive sessions of singular instruments. Although it was recorded in Italy and destined to the Italian market, the lyrics were in English apart from the song “Una pietra colorata” (“A coloured stone”) previously entitled “Take Me” and penned by Pino Sinnone.
They then picked to compose “Fantasia/Travelin’ soul”, the soundtrack of an italian film “ Third channel-adventure in Montecarlo” directed by Giulio Paradisi.

Their second LP “Charon”, that came out in 1971, was thought to be a “concept album” dedicated to Charon, Dante’s Inferno mythologic ferryman. It included some progressive hard rock music such as “Two brothers” and a tribute ballad to Jimi Hendrix “L’ultima ora e ode a Jimi Hendrix”.But after its release, Billy Gray, who went on to publish a solo blues album, and Sinnone quit the band. As a result,the band kept on as a trio with new drummer, Furio Chirico from Turin, who'd earlier been with rock groups I Ragazzi del Sole and Martò e i Judas in the 60's.
Their 3dr album “Atlantis”, which was dedicated to Atlantis, the mythologic continent, is now regarded as their magnum opus. The map of Atlantis on the cover was drawn by the Up & Down Studios. The very first copies of this album it was comprised a band’s advertising interview.

By 1973, they switched to Trident. After their 4th and last album "Time of change", Furio Chirico left to form Arti & Mestieri, Andersen and Vescovi tried to revive the band with the help of Osage Tribe's drummer Nunzio Favia.
But in 1974, Andersen had a serious car accident that caused him a paralysis for a long timethe and the band split.
Joe Vescovi briefly joined Acqua Fragile at the end of 1974 and later both he and Favia joined Dik Dik.
Ritchie Blackmore, whom he had briefly met in 1972 through Arvid Andersen (2), invited him to sessions for the Rainbow album "On Stage 507" in LA and to replace keyboards player Tony Carey in November 1976.

More than 30 years after their demise, they are starting playing again together in 2010.

(1) Arvid Andersen:
"Ian Broad showed up in London after touring Spain & Italy in a band called The Biss. Ian contacted Ritchie saying there was a stack of work in Italy… I went over to the Blackmore’s flat in Holloway Road… Only problem was Jimmy Evans. We couldn’t go with 2 drummers… So we settled with Jimmy because we thought we would be back in 6 weeks… we were due for a month’s residency in a club on the Adriatic… "

(2) Arvid Andersen:
“Ritchie called me about the organist’s job he was trying to fill. He had heard Joe on one of our records… I told him he was shit hot and arranged for Joe to make a tape with some of demos we had written and played on together as the start of the new album we were preparing before my enforced repatriation from Italy …”

· Discography
Singles
1. Bolero Blues (RCA, 1969)
2. Una pietra colorata / Incubi (RCA, 1970)
3. Fantasia / Travellin' Soul (soundtrack of Terzo canale - RCA, 1970)

4. Believe in Yourself / Little Janie (RCA 1971)
5. Intervista (RCA 1972)
6. Corale/Formula nova (Trident 1973)

LPs
1.The Trip (RCA, PSL 10460 - 1970)
2.Charon/Caronte (RCA, PSL 10509 - 1971)
3.Atlantis/Atlantide (RCA, PSL 10540 - 1972)
4.Time of change (Trident Music, TRI 1002 - 1973)

· Lineups of The Trip

Ricky Maiocchi & The Trip (October 1966)

· Enrico Maiocchi (Lead Vocals) "Ricky Maiocchi"
· Ritchie Blackmore (Lead Guitar)
· Arvid Andersen (Bass) "Silas Wegg"
· Billy Gray (Keyboards)
· Ian Broad (Drums)

The Trip #1 (November - December 1966)

· Ritchie Blackmore (Lead Guitar)
· Arvid Andersen (Bass) "Silas Wegg"
· Billy Gray (Keyboards)
· Ian Broad (Drums)

The Trip #2 (December 1966 - 1968)

· Arvid Andersen (Bass) "Silas Wegg"
· Billy Gray (Keyboards)
· Ian Broad (Drums)

The Trip #3 ( April 1968 - April 1969)

· Roger Peacock (Lead Vocals)
· Arvid Andersen (Bass) "Silas Wegg"
· Billy Gray (Keyboards)
· Ian Broad (Drums)

The Trip #4 (Autumn 1969 - 1971)

· Billy Gray (Lead Guitar/Vocals)
· Arvid Andersen (Bass/Vocals) "Silas Wegg"
· Joe Vescovi (Keyboards/Vocals)
· Pino Sinnone (Drums)

The Trip #5 (1971 - 1973)

· Arvid Andersen (Bass/Vocals) "Silas Wegg"
· Joe Vescovi (Keyboards/Vocals)
· Furio Chirico (Drums)

The Trip #6 (1973 - 1974)

· Arvid Andersen (Bass/Vocals) "Silas Wegg"
· Joe Vescovi (Keyboards/Vocals)
· Nunzio Favia (Drums)

Special thanks to Luca Mathmos and Daniele Nuti

Carter-Lewis & The Southerners

2010-10-15T08:45:00.001-07:00

Based upon the hit song-writing duo of John Carter and Ken Lewis, this group, that only cut 7 singles between 1961 and 1964, enjoy something like minor cult status nowadays, as musicians like Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Big Jim Sullivan, Lome Green, Bobbie Graham, and Viv Prince (Pretty Things) passed through their ranks.

John "Carter" Shakespeare (born on October 20th 1942) and Kenneth "Lewis" Hawker (born on December 3rd 1942) were both from Birmingham. Shakespeare formed a skiffle group while still at school in South Heath, and taught himself acoustic guitar. By 1958, Hawker joined him in his local skiffle band and they both began songwriting, inspired by Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers.
In 1959 both came down to London with a burning self-belief in their talent and were signed initially to music publisher Noel Gay in London's Tin Pan Alley, then to peermusic as exclusive songwriters. They were offered a deal by manager Terry Kennedy (who had previously fronted his own band, The Rock’n’Rollers and had been guitarist for Terry Dene's Dene Aces). He re-christened them "Carter & Lewis". They began singing as a vocal duo, demo-ing songs for other writers, doing backing vocals and even duplicating the latest pop hits of the day for Embassy and Cannon labels.
They had developed a close harmony style similar to that adopted by the Everly Brothers. When Kennedy drafted over to Southern music at 5 Denmark Street in 1961, they went with him.
In summer 1961, they began recording in small studios, backed by the Outlaws and first cut two singles for Piccadily, engineered by Joe Meek: "So Much In Love"/"Back On The Scene" and "Here's Hoping"/"Poor Joe".
By 1962, they switched to Ember label, and released "Two Timing Baby"/ "Will It Happen To Me" and "Tell Me"/ "Broken Heart".
They were soon established as a popular radio team, appearing on BBC Light Programme shows Saturday Club from February 1962. They gradually began to augment their line-up with various musicians who backed them on these radio dates, including ex-Rock’n’Rollers, Ron Prentiss on Double Bass, and ex-Outlaws, Lome Green on guitar and Bobbie Graham on drums, at which point they evolved into Carter-Lewis & the "Southerners" after Southern music.
The group became a vehicle for publishing the songs that stemmed from the Carter-Lewis partnership: they wrote and demo-ed "Sweet And Tender Romance" which was recorded by John Leyton...
Their own version was issued on Oriole, coupled with Who Told You? which was covered by Freddie Starr and many more.
They had first tasted success with "Will I What", a summer 62 top 20 hit for Mike Sarne, which featured Billie Davis and was co-writed, in fact, together with another friend, Bill Bates.

“That’s What I Want” became a top 30 hit for the Marauders, the next summer and featured the latest arrival in the Southerners: Jimmy Page on guitar, replacing Lome Green (1).

Incidentally Carter-Lewis & the Southerners notched up a Top 20 hit in late 1963 with a song called "Your Momma's Out Of Town" by another top writer of the time, Mitch Murray. With a new bass player, Rod Clark, and a new drummer Viv Prince, they performed for the BBC's "Easy Beat" and toured with Duane Eddy, Gene Vincent and The Shirelles.

In late 1963, Rupert Ross from the Flintstones took over from Rod Clark (who later replaced Clint Warwick in the Moody Blues). As Jimmy Page quit the road to bury himself in studio work, Ross drafted in ex-Downbeats Micky Keene.
Bobby Graham returned to the fold when Prince left to join the Pretty Things.
On 15 February 1964, Carter-Lewis & the Southerners had a guest spot on the Beatles' BBC radio show (Saturday Club #280). In March 1964, "Skinny Minnie"/"Easy To Cry".
Whilst they were touring Holland, Rupert Ross died of cancer on May 29, 1964, and was replaced with Dave Wintour.

The band split in summer 1964, when both Carter and Lewis decided to concentrate on writing and doing sessions. Several would become hits: “It is True” for Brenda Lee; “Big Bad Bass” for Jet Harris; “How Can I Tell Her” for the Fourmosts; “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeats”, which was basically written for Goldie & The Gingerbreads, and became a million selling Us #2 for Herman’s Hermits...
They eventually became a trio with the addition of Brian Pugh aka "Perry Ford", who’d been pianist for Vince Taylor & his Playboys, Colin Hicks & The Cabin Boys, and the Echoes, and recorded with George Martin, under the moniker "Lou Bryan" in the 50s.
They called themselves "The Ivy League", and romped on to great success with "Funny How Love Can Be", “That’s Why I’m Crying”, and "Tossing And Turning"...

Bobby Graham also concentrated on studio work, and was to become a prolific session man like Jimmy Page.
Micky Keene and Dave Wintour joined The Tony Colton’s Crawdaddies before moving to The Ivy League backing band, the Division Two.

In 1966, John Carter and Ken Lewis formed The Ministry Of Sound with the cream of Southern Music studios house team.
By the summer of 1967, they recorded a song they wrote to articulate the sentiments of the flower-power movement and entitled "Let's Go To San Francisco" under the artist name 'Flowerpot Men'...

Their songwriting partnership continued to bring success, with further hits by other artists, including "Semi-detached Suburban Mr James" for Manfred Mann, "Sunday For Tea" by Peter & Gordon, "Peekaboo" for The New Vaudeville Band, "Sleepy Joe", "My Sentimental Friend" and "Sunshine Girl" for The Herman's Hermits, and "Little Bit O' Soul" by the Music Explosion which became a US million-seller in 1967.

John Carter wrote the 1970 British Eurovision entry "Knock, Knock, who's There" for Mary Hopkin, which came second, and was another worldwide success. He produced the UK hit "Beach Baby" for First Class in 1974.
In the mid-eighties, he founded his own independent Sunny Records label.
From the nineties, he served on the Council of the British Academy of Composers and songwriters and the council as a writer-member of the Performing Right Society.

Meanwhile Ken Lewis moved over to working with peermusic in an A & R capacity, before retiring from the music business due to ill health and devoting his energies to charity work in Cambridge.

(1) Bruce Welsh, Canada: The Lorne Greene referenced in this band is NOT the same Lorne Green who released the single ‘Ringo’ in the U.S. That Lorne Green was a Canadian actor who rose to prominence playing the character Ben Cartwright on the long running TV Western ‘Bonanza’. He released the single while doing the T.V. Series and it went to #1 in the Billboard Charts in November ’64.

Discography

Singles by Carter-Lewis:
1. So Much In Love/Back On The Scene (Piccadilly 7N 35004) - 1961
2. Here's Hoping/Poor Joe (Piccadilly 7N 35084) - 1962
3. Two Timing Baby/Will It Happen To Me (Ember EMBS145) - 1962
4. Tell Me/Broken Heart (Ember EMBS165) - 1962
5. Sweet And Tender Romance/Who Told You? (Oriole CB1835) - July 1963
6. Your Momma's Out Of Town/Somebody Told My Girl (Oriole CB1868) - October 1963
7. Skinny Minnie/Easy To Cry (Oriole CB1919) - March 1964

Singles by The Ivy League
1. What More Do You Want/Wait A Minute (Piccadilly 7N 35200) - November 1964
2. Funny How Love Can Be/Lonely Room (Piccadilly 7N 35222) - January 1965 UK#8
3. That's Why I'm Crying/A Girl Like You (Piccadilly 7N 35228) - April 1965 UK#22
4. Tossing And Turning/Graduation Day (Piccadilly 7N 35251) - June 1965 UK#3
5. Our Love Is Slipping Away/I Could Make You Fall In Love (Piccadilly 7N 35267) - October 1965
6. Running Around In Circles/Rain, Rain Go Away (Piccadilly 7N 35294) - February 1966
7. Willow Tree/One Day (Piccadilly 7N 35326) - June 1966 UK#50
8. My World Fell Down/When You're Young (Piccadilly 7N 35348) - October 1966
9. Four And Twenty Hours/Arrivederci Baby (Piccadilly 7N 35365) - 1967
10. Suddenly Things/Tomorrow Is Another Day (Piccadilly 7N 35397) - 1967
11. Thank You For Loving Me/In The Not Too Distant Future (Piccadilly 7N 17386) - 1967

E.P.s by The Ivy League
1. Funny How Love Can Be - Funny How Love Can Be/Lonely Room/What More Do You Want?/Wait A Minute (Piccadilly NEP 34038) - March 1965
2. Tossing And TurningTossing And Turning/That's Why I'm Crying/A Girl Like You/Graduation Day (Piccadilly NEP 34042) - September 1965
3. The Holly And The Ivy League - The Holly And The Ivy/Once In Royal David's City/Good King Wenceslas/Silent Night (Piccadilly NEP 34046) - December 1965
4. Our Love Is Slipping Away - Our Love Is Slipping Away/Don't Think Twice/Don't Worry Baby/Make Love (Piccadilly NEP 34048) - April 1966

L.P.s by The Ivy League
This Is The Ivy League (Piccadilly NPL 38015, 1966)
Major League - The Collector's Ivy League (Sequel NEDCD 289,1998)

The Flowerpotmen: Let's Go To San Francisco Part 1/Part 2 (Deram DM 142) - August 1967

The New Vaudeville Band: "Winchester Cathedral" - 1966

First Class
Beach Baby/Both Sides Of The Story (UK UK 66)
Bobby Dazzler/Lavender Man (UK UKR 73)
Dreams Are Ten A Penny/Long Time Gone (UK UKR 82)

Carter & Lewis made vocal harmonies on
Sandy Shaw's "Always Something There To Remind Me" (10/1964)
The Who's "I Can't Explain" (01/1965) and "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (05/1965)
Tom Jones "It's Not Unusual" (02/1965)
Chris Farlowe's "Out Of Time" (07/1966)

John Carter Compilations
Measure For Measure: The John Carter Anthology, 1961-1977 (RPM D268)
As You Like It: The Denmark Street Demos, 1963-1967 (Westside WESM 523)

Various Line-ups of Carter-Lewis’ Bands

Carter-Lewis & The Outlaws (Recording Sessions, Summer 1961 - Early 1962)

John Shakespeare (Vocals/Rhythm Guitar) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
Geoff Goddard (Keyboards/Clavioline/Vocals)
James Tomkins (Lead Guitar) "Big Jim Sullivan"
Billy Kuy (Lead Guitar)
Lorne Greene (Lead Guitar)
Reg Hawkins (Rhythm Guitar)
Ken Lundgren (Rhythm Guitar)
Chas Hodges (Bass)
Robert Neate (Drums) "Bobby Graham"
Don Groom (Drums)
Charles Blackwell (Musical Direction/Arrangement)

Carter-Lewis & The Southern Session Band (Summer 1961 - Early 1962)

John Shakespeare (Vocals/Guitar) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
Freddy Webb (Musical Direction)
Marion Montgomery (Backing Vocals)
Marion Ryan (Backing Vocals)
Roy Deltrice (Bass)
Kenny Clare (Drums)

Carter-Lewis & The Southerners #1 (Early - Late 1962)

John Shakespeare (Vocals/Rhythm Guitar) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
Lorne Greene (Lead Guitar)
Ron Prentiss (Double Bass)
Robert Neate (Drums) "Bobby Graham"

Carter-Lewis & The Southerners #2 (Early 1963)

John Shakespeare (Vocals/Rhythm Guitar) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
James Tomkins (Lead Guitar) "Big Jim Sullivan"
Jimmy Page (Rhythm Guitar)
Ron Prentiss (Double Bass)
Robert Neate (Drums) "Bobby Graham"

Carter-Lewis & The Southerners #3 (June - November 1963)

John Shakespeare (Vocals/Rhythm Guitar) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
Jimmy Page (Lead Guitar)
Rod Clark (Bass)
Vivian Prince (Drums)

Carter-Lewis & The Southerners #4 (November 1963 - February 1964)

John Shakespeare (Vocals/Rhythm Guitar) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
Mickey Keene (Lead Guitar)
Tony Ross (Bass) "Rupert Ross"
Vivian Prince (Drums)

Carter-Lewis #1 (February - May 1964)

John Shakespeare (Vocals/Rhythm Guitar) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
Mickey Keene (Lead Guitar)
Tony Ross (Bass) "Rupert Ross"
Robert Neate (Drums) "Bobby Graham"

Carter-Lewis #2 (June 1964)

John Shakespeare (Vocals/Rhythm Guitar) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
Mickey Keene (Lead Guitar)
Dave Wintour (Bass)
Alan Skipper (Drums) "Skip Alan"

Session Band (Summer 1964 - Early 1965)

John Shakespeare (Backing Vocals/Rhythm Guitar) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Backing Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
Brian Pugh (Backing Vocals/Keyboards) "Perry Ford"
James Tomkins (Fuzz Guitar) "Big Jim Sullivan"
Jimmy Page (Fuzz Guitar/Harmonica)
Alan Weigle (Bass)
Jon Lord (Keyboards)
Robert Neate (Drums) "Bobby Graham"

The Ivy League #1 & Division Two (February - October 1965)

John Shakespeare (Vocals) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals) "Ken Lewis"
Brian Pugh (Vocals) "Perry Ford"
Mickey Keene (Lead Guitar)
Dave Wintour (Bass)
Mike O'Neill (Keyboards) "Nero"
Clem Cattini (Drums)
Roger Pinner (Drums) "Solly"

The Ivy League #4 (1967)

John Shakespeare (Vocals) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
Tony Burrows (Vocals)
Patrick Cahill (Vocals) "Neil Landon"
Brian Pugh (Vocals) "Perry Ford"
Mickey Keene (Lead Guitar)
Dave Wintour (Bass)
Clem Cattini (Drums)

The Ivy League #5 (Late 1967 - 1970s)

John Shakespeare (Vocals) "Bob Carter"
Brian Pugh (Vocals) "Perry Ford"
"Schadel" (Vocals)
Bill Clarke (Bass)
Dave McDonald (Bass) "Dave Robin"
Roger Hall (Drums)

John Carter & The Ministry Of Sound/The "Flowerpot Men" (1966 - 1971)

John Shakespeare (Musical Direction/Vocals) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
Russ Alquist (Vocals)
Tony Burrows (Vocals)
Patrick Cahill (Vocals) "Neil Landon"
Robin Scrimshaw (Vocals/Bass) "Robin Shaw"
Mickey Keene (Lead Guitar)
Dave Wintour (Bass)
John Ford (Bass)
Clem Cattini (Drums)
Richard Hudson (Drums)

First Class (1974 - 1976)

John Shakespeare (Vocals) "John Carter"
Ken Hawker (Vocals/Keyboards) "Ken Lewis"
Robin Scrimshaw (Vocals/Bass) "Robin Shaw"
"Chas" Mills (Vocals)
"Del" John (Vocals)
Spencer James (Lead Guitar/Vocals)
Clive Barrett (Keyboards)
Eddie Richards (Drums)

Mike Berry & The Outlaws

2010-10-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

Mike Berry was born Michael Bourne in Northampton on September 24th 1942.
He left school at the age of fifteen and became a compositor’s apprentice.
By this time, he formed his own skiffle group ‘The Rebels’ with friends Peter Chilks and Ray on guitars, plus Terry Lyddington on tea chest Bass. He later fronted Rock'n'Roll band "Kenny Lord & The Statesmen" and made a demo with them in a recording studio in Wandsworth, South West London. He then met Peter Raymond, who sent copies of their demo to Jack Good (the producer of TV rock ‘n’ roll show “Oh Boy”) and Joe Meek (the first independent record producer in the UK), both of whom were interested in signing him up. Though Good had already arranged a recording session for the following week, telling him he would be the next Adam Faith, Mike Bourne preferred to sign a three year recording contract with Meek who immediately saw potential in him and wanted to make him the British Buddy Holly. This was much more to Bourne's liking. Meek thought of the name "Mike Berry" because it had closer "Buddy Holly" connotations than the name previously adopted by Bourne. He had ideas for an album featuring a picture of Bourne superimposed on a ‘ghostly’ picture of Holly. He however didn't like his backing band.

By late 1960, Peter Raymond had teamed Bourne up with The Stormers which consisted of Billy Kuy on lead guitar, Reg Hawkins (born Reginald Hawkins, in 1942) on rhythm guitar, Chas Hodges (born Charles Nicholas Hodges, 28 December 1943, at the North Middlesex Hospital, Edmonton, England) (ex The Horseshoe Skiffle Group, The Horseshoes) on bass, and drummer Bobby Graham (born Robert Francis Neate, 11 March 1940, at the North Middlesex Hospital, Edmonton, England, died 14 September 2009, in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England) (1).
The Stormers had originally backed Billy Gray (William Halsey) who left when he got married in September 1960, after a summer season at Butlins Holiday camp in Filey, Yorkshire (2). They were renamed The Outlaws by Joe Meek who thought it was a good idea to promote them with a 'Wild West' image, the group dressed accordingly (3).
The Outlaws first recorded with Meek as instrumentalists, doing a couple of test recordings and backing Danny Rivers (David Lee Baker) on a couple of demos. Rivers went on to have a small hit in early 1961 with ''Can't You Hear My Heart.''
The first release of Mike Berry & The Outlaws, produced by Joe Meek, was a cover version of the Shirelles’ "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", on Decca. The follow up, "A Tribute to Buddy Holly", this time on HMV, came out nine months after and reached the top 30. A month earlier The Outlaws had achieved a better score, backing another Meek's protégé, singer John Leyton on his number one hit ''Johnny Remember Me''.
By this time, The Outlaws had indeed became Meek’s in-house backing band at Holloway Road studio, recording with his stable of artists: Carter-Lewis, Gunilla Thorne, Michael Cox, Jess Conrad, Freddie Starr, Dave Kaye, Dave Adams (Burr Bailey,Silas Dooley Jr) and Houston Wells (Andy Smith) among others.

They were also recording on their own and released 3 singles on HMV during 1961: "Swingin' Low" b/w "Spring Is Near" in March; "Ambush" b/w "Indian Brave" in May 1961; and "Valley Of The Sioux" in September.
Meek wrote the majority of their singles (all cowboy oriented) under the name of Robert Duke. His unusual approach to songwriting (4) and recording (5) made an impression. He even had them riding around London in a stagecoach to publicise their records.

Mike Berry & The Outlaws were also touring the length and breadth of the UK performing in clubs and dance halls which were mostly ‘Corn Exchanges’ and town or village halls. The Outlaws only real competition in Britain at the time was Cliff Richards' The Shadows.

In August 1961, following the departure of Billy Kuy, Heinz Burt (Henry George Schwartz from Southampton) was lined up to join The Outlaws on bass and Chas Hodges was going to take over on lead guitar. As Hodges wanted to know what the new bass player was like as a musician Meek replied, "Well, he's tall, quite good looking and very smart!" A week later, Hodges finally decided to come back to the bass and Heinz was slotted into a new Meek project, as bassist with The Tornados, his new house band which eventually would record "Telstar" the following year.
Rodger Mingaye, from Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages, joined up as new lead guitarist while Big Jim Sullivan still played with them on records.

The B-side of the Outlaws third single, "Crazy Drums", was credited solely to Meek, although Bobby Graham had devised it as a drum showcase. A way out of the Outlaws came from Meek's arranger, Charles Blackwell, who told Graham that Joe Brown needed a drummer for his band, the Bruvvers. After passing the audition, Graham left for Brown in September 1961. Clem Cattini, who was the drummer in Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, auditioned for the Outlaws but Joe Meek chose him to be one of the Tornados instead (6). Graham's replacement was Don Groom from The Tuxedos. By 1962, Groom brought his brother-in-law in, Ken Lundgren who had been playing on the radio as Ken 'Steel Guitar' Lundgren (8) and fronting a rock band 'The Pacers' in British Colombia, Canada (7).

By October 1962, Don Groom left to tour with the Crickets in Britain, and Lorne Greene went on to join Carter-Lewis & The Southerners along with Big Jim Sullivan and Bobby Graham. So The Outlaws were seeking a replacement drummer and guitarist, and held auditions at the "Two I's" coffee Bar in Soho. At the time, they thought about changing the line-up to make it a piano-guitar thing… They thus auditioned Nicky Hopkins and Bernie Watson, who had just been elbowed from Cliff Bennett's Rebel Rousers. But the 2 former Savages didn't get the job because Chas fancied moving from bass to piano himself. Jimmy Page was also eliminated because he was so shy he didn't want to even be seen on stage but play his parts in the background.
Mick Underwood had just taken over Groom’s stool instead of Carlo Little (a choice of Rodger Mingaye to become an Outlaw) (9) and told Joe Meek about his mate from the Dominators, Richie Blackmore, who was 17 year-old too (11).
Blackmore showed just as much speed and vertuosity but (as another ex-Savage) was well used to dancin' and prancin' on stage (10).

Strangely, when Heinz embarked on a solo career in early 1963, The Outlaws became his first backing band with Blackmore on stage as well as on records ("Just like Eddie").

In the event, they subsequently worked with the Don Arden organization and were propelled onto a number of package tours including backing American rockers Jerry Lee Lewis and Gene Vincent (15) from May to September 1963 (13).

Ritchie Blackmore was a very strange character. Not only he was into spirituals, believing in the ghosts (12) but also, when not performing, he relieved his boredom by indulging in a variety of pranks (14-A). He started throwing things at people (14-B) and later, the flour bags thrown at everyone especially Heinz with whom they were touring, or from the back of their van ect. (14-C)
As a result, Chas Hodges did cover for him when the band was taken to court in Shrewsbury and Ken Lundgren lost his driving licence. Blackmore even got them fired from some tours...
This was one of the reasons Mike Berry decided to part company with them and preferred to work with Billy Kuy's new band... The [more] Innocents [than The Outlaws].

In April 1964, Ritchie Blackmore moved to Heinz' new backing band, The Wild Ones, and was replaced by ex-Crescents Harvey Hinsley (16).
In the Summer of 1964, Ken Lungren returned to his native Canada where he got into radio broadcasting and record producing.
The Outlaws then went on as a 3 piece for a while until Rodger Mingaye returned to the fold before emigrating to Australia. They then had a keyboardist for a short time. Another former Crescent, Ed Hamilton came in at the last short time in before they finally called it a day in mid-1965.
Hinsley can be heard on "Don't Cry", the A-side of The Outlaws final release on Smash records, for the US market and produced by Derek Lawrence (Ritchie Blackmore is on the B-side). Hinsley and Hamilton played on the unreleased cover version of Neil Sedaka's song "I go Ape".

Chas Hodges joined Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers in July 1965.
Ed Hamilton returned to The Macabre, an obscure outfit led by ex-Detours Peter Vernon-Kell. Mick Underwood went on to join the Herd and later found The Clockwork Oranges with Harvey Hinsley.
Joe Meek committed a suicide with Heinz' gun on 3 February 1967, at 304 Holloway Road.

Ken Lundgren went back to England in 1974 to help put the first commercial radio stations on the air and in the process, helped reform the Original Outlaws and began touring again with them to support Mike Berry's reissue of "Tribute to Buddy Holly' and 'Your're So Square', which were charted in Europe (20).

The original 'Outlaws' - Billy Kuy, Reg Hawkins, Chas Hodges and Bobby Graham - reunited once again in 1999 for the 40th anniversary.
Sadly Bobby Graham died on 14 September 2009.

(1) The Stormers had meet Berry through his manager Peter 'Yak' Yaquinandi, who also managed Rivers. Yak went round to Hodges' parents house to ask if The Stomers would like to back Berry. Yak played Hodges a demo tape of Berry and Hodges said that Berry really sounded like one of his heros Buddy Holly. He was all for it and so were the rest of the band.

(2) Bobby Graham
"Billy knocked on my door and said 'do you fancy going off to Butlins Holiday camp in Filey in Yorkshire for a summer season gig' remembers Graham. He declined -no, I'm a jazz musician". so the offer was made more attractive. there will be plenty of booze, plenty of girls' -'no, no' - 'it's 20 pounds a week'. Suddenly I became a rock 'n' roll musician".

(3) Bobby Graham(
"In September I960, after the Butlin's season, the Stormers split when Halsey got married. Joe Meek was interested in Mike Berry, but didn't like his backing band, so the Stormers were talked into reforming. Meek renamed them The Outlaws in late I960, "I thought (The Outlaws) was a bit camp. At the time we did what we were told"

(4) Chas Hodges
"He used to come to us with demos of him singing what he thought he heard in his head, but he would use strange backing tracks that were nothing to do with the song."

(5) Chas Hodges
“I could hear a girl singing but I didn’t know where she was. I remember thinking she must have been in the bathroom. I heard Joe saying, ‘Oh, the violins have arrived’, but I never saw them- they were on another floor in the flat”. Geoff Goddard laughs as he remembers, ‘the boy on the rhythm guitar’. “It took so many takes to get it right that he played until his fingers bled. There were cables all over the place and people squashed in corners. I remember some old boy trying to find enough space to drag the bow across his violin in the corner”.

(6) Ken Lundgren
"Clem Cattini was the drummer in Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. He auditioned for the Outlaws but Joe Meek chose him to be one of the Tornadoes (Telstar) instead."

(7) Ken Lundgren
"I met the Outlaws when I came to England with a high school friend, Ian Hancock, now a unniversity professor in Austin Texas. He introduced me to Roger Mingaye, a school chum of his, who was playing in the Outlaws who wre touring in support of a couple of hit records in Engand by John Leyton and Mike Berry (Tribute to Buddy Holly and Don't Your Think It's Time) I hit it off with Chas Hodges and he asked me if I would like to join the Outlaws as their rthymn guitarist. I had been playing on the radio as Ken 'Steel Guitar' Lundgren and fronting a rock band 'The pacers' in British Colombia, Canada and welcomed the chance. Joe Meek was glad to see the Outlaws with a member who knew a little about studio work (from radio) and played steel guitar and it went on from there."

(8) Ken Lundgren
"The steel guitar I used at Joe Meek's studio and, of course, on stage was a twin neck Fender "Stringmaster" ( a precursor to pedal instruments), the same instrument employed by Hank Williams band, the Drifting Cowboys in the 1950's. It was the same Fender guitar that all the Western Swing bands used in the same era."

(9) Ken Lundgren
"Crasher Carlo Little was almost joined the Outlaws when Don Groom left to tour with the Crickets (Buddy Holly's group) in Britain. He played with Sutch and was a choice of Roger Mingaye to become an Outlaw but this was not to be. We instead got Mick Underwood who was a friend of Ritchie's... When Roger imigrated to Australia, we ended up with Ritchie Blackmore and Mick Underwood - which, as it turned out, was the lineup that finally worked best for us."

(10) Ken Lundgren
"When guitarist Rodger Mingaye (formerly Screaming Lord Sutch's Savages) and Don Groom, drummer (my brother in law now) left for various reasons, Chas and I held auditions at the now legeandary "Two I's" coffee house in Soho. Page as well as Nicky Hopkins and Bernie Watkins showed up - the Outlaws were a name group at the time. Nicky and Bernie didn't get it because Chas fancied moving from bass to piano himself, a fact that is mentioned in his book, "My Rock n Roll Years of Chas before Dave". Page was eliminated because he was so so shy he didn't want to even be seen on stage but play his parts in the background. Ritchie, on the other hand, showed just as much speed and vertuosity but (as another ex Savage) was well used to dancin' and prancin' on stage. So Ritchie got the job. As a backing group for acts like Jerry Lee, John Leyton, Gene Vincent and Mike Berry, the Outlaws had to put on a show of their own and that was an important consideration in selecting our new guitarist. Also, he and Mick Underwood had played together in a semi pro band in Ealing (where they were both from) and that helped us to give them the nod."

(11) Ritchie Blackmore
"Joe Meek heard about this and said, ‘how about joining the Outlaws? So I said OK, it sounds good to me. The Outlaws were more well-known than the Savages. So I was quite pleased..."

(12) Ken Lundgren
"Borely Rectory was featured in a book in the '60's about the most haunted places in England and was rated the 'most' haunted out of the lot. It just so happened it was on our route home after a gig in Yarmouth or somewhere, so we stopped to have a look. Ritchie wouldn't get out of the van but Chas, Mick Underwood and I walked all around the place at midnight and felt nothing more than an extreme since of peace and wellbeing. I found out later that shortly before our visit, Borely rectory had been exorcised."

(13) Ken Lundgren
"As the backing group on John Leyton's two top ten hits, "Johnny, Remember Me" and "Wild Wind" and Mike Berry's "Tribute to Buddy Holly" , in the space of a few months, The Outlaws only real competition at the time was Cliff Richards' The Shadows, so we were propelled onto a number of package tours including backing American rockers Jerry Lee Lewis and Gene Vincent... The Outlaws were law abiding citizens who took our job as a backing group for the Stars from the Joe Meek stable and the subsequent work with the Don Arden organization (Jerry Lee Lewis and Gene Vincent) very seriously."

(14-A) Ken Lundgren
"The Outlaws lived up to their name. Although many of the pranks associated with the group were in fact record company or Joe Meek publicity stunts to gain attention from the media...
One of the best pranks was in Great Yarmouth when we convinced a stage hand at the Regal Theatre that Gene Vincent got his start by running on stage during an Elvis Presley show and singing an impromptu number. So the kid did Chuck Berry's "Johnny B Good" and we gave him all the musical support we were famous for and it got him fired, got us fired from the tour and made the New Musical Express and other publications...."

(14-B) Ken Lundgren
"As for the pranks, Ritchie started throwing things at people - a policeman in Guernsey doing point duty, a pedestrian on Oxford Street and later, the flour bags thrown at everyone especially Heinz with whom we were touring. Chas did cover for him when the band was taken to court in Shrewsbury and I lost my driving licence. Ritchie did have a mischievious bent and the rest of us, especially Chas, were called to account for it."

(14-C) Ken Lundgren
“he had a penchant for shit” and laid a series of turds around Brenda Lee's dressing room toilet.

(15) Ken Lundgren
"Gene wanted Ritchie to play more like the original record but Ritchie would tend to overdo it."

(16) Harvey Hinsley
I replaced Ritchie in Outlaws,-spring '64.
Mick Underwood got me into The Outlaws,& I had a great time,& first met Chas Hodges.
Prob; was -not enough money or gigs & I was the only driver after Ken Lundgren left.Also The Stones Beatles etc were popular, & we were more country.This lasted a year & finished when Chas joined The R Rousers in summer '65.... By the way Dave Wendels replaced Micky King,who got him the job.

(17) Harvey Hinsley
I remember recording A rock classic with the Outlaws.But I dont know if it was released or not,& cant remember song... The song we did in Outlaws was "I go Ape"--Maybe only a demo?
Chas joined Rebel Rousers in summer '65....

(18) Harvey Hinsley
we went on as a 3 piece for a while then had Rog Mingaye, then a keyboard guy for a short time. Ed came in at the last short time in '65, before it packed in!

(19) Ken Lundgren
"Chas later worked with Jerry Lee on the London Sessions album and I met Gene in Vancouver some years later when he wanted me to join him on dates in North America. Unfortunately, Gene died shortly thereafter."

(20) Ken Lundgren
"When Mike Berry and Original Outlaws began touring again in the 70's after a reissue of some Mike Berry 's material had become a hit in Europe and I had returned to persue my career in radio broadcasting and helped reform the band"

Discography

Singles

Mike Berry with the Outlaws (1961 - 1963)
1. Will You Love Me Tomorrow / My Baby Doll (Decca F11314) - January 1961
2. Tribute To Buddy Holly / What's The Matter (HMV POP 912) - September 1961 [#24]
3. It's Just A Matter Of Time / Little Boy Blue (HMV POP 979) - January 1962
4. Every Little Kiss / How May Times (HMV POP 1042) - June 1962
5. Don't You Think It's Time / Loneliness (HMV POP 1105) - December 1962 [#6]
6. My Little Baby / You'll Do It. You'll Fall In Love (HMV POP 1142) - March 1963 [#34]

Mike Berry with the Orchestra (1963)
7. It Really Doesn't Matter / Try A Little Bit Harder (HMV POP 1194) - August 1963

Mike Berry with the Innocents (1964)
8. This Little Girl / On My Mind (HMV POP 1257) - January 1964
9. Lovesick / Letter Of Love (HMV POP 1284) - April 1964
10. Who Will It Be / Talk (HMV POP 1314) - June 1964

The Outlaws (Instrumental releases)
1. Swingin' Low / Spring Is Near (HMV POP 844) - March 1961 [#46]
2. Ambush / Indian Brave (HMV POP 877) - May 1961 [#43]
3. Valley Of The Sioux / Crazy Drums (HMV POP 927) - September 1961
4. Ku-Pow! / Last Stage West (HMV POP 990) - February 1962
5. Sioux Serenade / Fort Knox (HMV POP 1074) - September 1962
6. The Return Of The Outlaws / Texan Spiritual (HMV POP 1124) - February 1963
7. That Set The Wild West Free / Hobo (HMV POP 1195) - August 1963
8. Law And Order / Do-Da-Day (HMV POP 1241) - January 1964
9. Keep-A-Knockin' / Shake With Me (HMV POP 1277) - April 1964

The Chaps
Poppin' Medley Part 1 / Poppin' Medley Part 2 (Parlophone R4979) - December 1962

The Rally Rounders
The Bike Beat 1 / The Bike Beat 2 (UK, Lyntone Flexi-single, LYN 574) - 1964

The Outlaws (For Us Market)
Don't Cry / Only For You (US, Smash S 2025) - February 1965

The Ritchie Blackmore Orchestra
Getaway / Little Brown Jug (Oriole CB 314) - April 1965

Album & Compilation:
The Outlaws, Dream of The West (HMV) - December 1961
Dream of the West/The Outlaws/Husky team/Rodeo/Smoke Signals/Ambush/Barbecue/Sping is Near/ Indian Brave/Homeward bound/Western Sunset/Tune for Short Cow Boys
[Now available on CD: BGO CD 118 with 2 bonus tracks: Don't Cry/Only for You]

The Outlaws the A and B's See For Miles (CD SEE 303)
Swingin' Low/Spring is near/Ambush/Indian Brave/Valley of the Sioux/Crazy Drums/Last Stage West/Ku Pow/Sioux Serenade/Fort Knox/The Return of the Outlaws/Texan Spiritual/That Set the Wild West Free/ Hobo/Law and Order/Do Da Day/Keep A Knockin'/Shake with Me/Don't Cry/Only for You.

Various Line-ups of The Outlaws

The Rebels (1958 - 1959)

Mick Bourne (Washboard/Vocals) "Kenny Lord"
Peter Chilks (Rhythm Guitar)
Ray ?? (Rhythm Guitar)
Terry Lyddington (Tea Chest Bass)

Kenny Lord & The Statesmen (1959 - 1960)

Mick Bourne (Lead Vocals) "Kenny Lord"
Tony Franchi (Lead Guitar)
Siro Andreoli (Rhythm Guitar)
Pete Richardson (Bass)
Terry Prudente (Drums)

Billy Grey & The Stormers (Edmonton, May - October 1960), reunited in 1999

Billy Halsey (Lead Vocals) "Billy Gray"
Billy Kuy (Lead Guitar)
Reg Hawkins (Rhythm Guitar)
Chas Hodges (Bass)
Robert Neate (Drums) "Bobby Graham"

Mike Berry & The Outlaws #1 (December 1960 - August 1961)

Mick Bourne (Lead Vocals) "Mike Berry"
Billy Kuy (Lead Guitar)
Reg Hawkins (Rhythm Guitar)
Chas Hodges (Bass)
Robert Neate (Drums) "Bobby Graham"

Mike Berry & The Outlaws #2 (August 1961)

Mick Bourne (Lead Vocals) "Mike Berry"
Chas Hodges (Lead Guitar)
Reg Hawkins (Rhythm Guitar)
Heinz Burt (Bass)
Robert Neate (Drums) "Bobby Graham"

Mike Berry & The Outlaws #3 (September 1961 - March 1962)

Mick Bourne (Lead Vocals) "Mike Berry"
Roger Mingay (Lead Guitar) "Scrape & Scratch Bailey"
Ray Byhart (Rhythm Guitar) "Biffo"
Chas Hodges (Bass)
Don Groom (Drums)

Mike Berry & The Outlaws #4 (March - October 1962)

Mick Bourne (Lead Vocals) "Mike Berry"
Lorne Greene (Lead Guitar)
Ken Lundgren (Rhythm Guitar/Steel Guitar/Keyboards)
Chas Hodges (Bass)
Don Groom (Drums)

Mike Berry & The Innocents (February 1963 - August 1965)

Mick Bourne (Lead Vocals) "Mike Berry"
Billy Kuy (Lead Guitar)
Colin Giffin (Rhythm Guitar)
Dave Brown (Bass)
Don Groom (Drums)

The Outlaws #5 (Mid October 1962 - April 1964)

Ritchie Blackmore (Lead Guitar)
Ken Lundgren (Rhythm Guitar/Steel Guitar/Keyboards)
Chas Hodges (Bass)
Mick Underwood (Drums)
Nicky Hopkins (Keyboards)

The Outlaws #6 (April 1964 - February 1965)

Harvey Hinsley (Lead Guitar)
Ken Lundgren (Rhythm Guitar/Steel Guitar/Keyboards)
Chas Hodges (Bass)
Mick Underwood (Drums)

The Outlaws #7 (March - June 1965)

Harvey Hinsley (Lead Guitar)
Roger Mingay (Rhythm Guitar) "Scrape & Scratch Bailey"
Ed Hamilton (Rhythm Guitar/Vocals)
Paul Goddard (Keyboards/Clavioline) "Geoff Goddard"
Nicky Hopkins (Keyboards)
Chas Hodges (Bass)
Mick Underwood (Drums)

The Sessions (Recording Sessions, Mid-1965)

Mikki Dallon (Lead Vocals)
Ritchie Blackmore (Lead Guitar)
Harvey Hinsley (Rhythm Guitar)
Nicky Hopkins (Keyboards)
Chas Hodges (Bass)
Jim Evans (Drums) "Tornado"

Mike Berry & The Original Outlaws #5 (1974)

Mick Bourne (Lead Vocals) "Mike Berry"
Billy Kuy (Lead Guitar)
Reg Hawkins (Rhythm Guitar)
Chas Hodges (Bass)
Robert Neate (Drums) "Bobby Graham"

Mike Berry & The Outlaws #6 (October 1989)

Mick Bourne (Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar) "Mike Berry"
Russ Ballard (Lead Guitar)
Reg Hawkins (Rhythm Guitar)
Chas Hodges (Bass)
Clem Cattini (Drums)
Nik Hodges (Drums)

Mike Berry & The Outlaws #7 (August 1993)

Mick Bourne (Lead Vocals) "Mike Berry"
Billy Kuy (Lead Guitar)
Gary Leport (Rhythm Guitar/Lead Guitar)
John Barber (Bass)
Bobby Graham (Drums)
Mick Underwood (Drums)

Mike Berry & The Outlaws #8 (February 1997)

Mick Bourne (Lead Vocals) "Mike Berry"
Billy Kuy (Lead Guitar)
Alan Lovell (Lead Guitar/Vocals)
Reg Hawkins (Rhythm Guitar)
John Barber (Bass)
Bobby Graham (Drums)

Mike Berry & The Outlaws #9 (1997 - 2006)

Mick Bourne (Lead Vocals) "Mike Berry"
Mark Lewis (Lead Guitar)
Jim Rodford (Bass)
Alan Jones (Bass)
Alan Jackman (Drums)

Mike Berry & The Outlaws #10 (2006 - 2010)

Mick Bourne (Lead Vocals) "Mike Berry"
Ron Beynon (Lead Guitar)
Brian Hodgson (Bass)
Pete Wigfield (Keyboards)
Gary Baldwin (Keyboards)

Special thanks to Rodger Mingaye, Ken Lundgren, Harvey Hinsley, Ed Hamilton, John A.Warburg and many others

Mickey Finn & The Blue Men

2010-10-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

This band, which was named after the lead guitarist, Micky Waller aka "Mickey Finn", evolved out of a Shadows-like instrumental band called The Strangers, put together in Bethnal Green, East London, in Summer 1961 with Bevis Belmour rhythm guitar, Mick Stannard on bass, and Richard Brand on drums. The following year, they became a much more R&B-oriented group and enlisted vocalist Harry Bates.

By 1963, Waller and Brand left to form a more 'mod' sound band while the remainder of the group carried on as The Mates with a new drummer called Albert Smith.

In fact, they were both bitten by the Jamaican Blue Beat bug whilst hanging out at the Crypt Club, Aldgate, and then decided to concentrate on this music.

They therefore formed a new band, recruiting John Cooke aka "Fluff" on Keyboards, John Burkitt on bass and Alan Marks on vocals. After having heard about a drummer of the same name, with Cyril Davis & His R&B All Stars, Waller changed his surname to Finn. They called themselve "Mickey Finn & The Blue Men" and their agent, Don White, secured them a recording contract with Blue Beat records which released their debut single including a rendition of Elias & The Zig-Zag Jive Flutes "Tom Hark" coupled with "Please Love Me", composed by Alan Hawkshaw of Emile Ford & the Checkmates, in January 1964.

They would have recorded on Casey Jones & The Engineers single "One Way Ticket" b/w "I'm Gonna Love"...

After a couple of months, they switched to Oriole, and began recording with Jimmy Page on harmonica, after meeting him at Hackney Club 59.

The follow up, covering Bo Diddley's "Pills" and Jimmy Reed's "Hush Hush" (not to confuse with Bo Diddley's "Hush Your Mouth" as credited on its sleeve), was released in March 1964, which was banned after the police had discovered some purple hearts stashed in Mickey Waller's amp during a raid on The Scene Club.

Mid 1964, ex-Stranger, Mick Stannard replaced Burkitt on bass, and they became known as simply "The Mickey Finn".

Their final 45 for Oriole was a Chuck Berry number Reelin' And Rockin', but failed to chart though it was tipped as a hit on "Juke Box Jury".

Through their new manager, Chris Radmall, they got a deal with Columbia, and began recording with producer Shel Talmy in 1965: "This Sporting Life" (a smash hit for Ian Whicomb in US) /"Night Comes Down".

Their 5th single, "I Do Love You"/"If I Had You Baby" was produced by Cy Paine and released in July 1966 on Polydor
The Mickey Finn spent the summer of 1967 in Southern France, where they had a residency at the Voom Voom Club, St-Tropez.
Their most well known song was probably "Garden Of My Mind", with its Jimi Hendrix-influenced growling bass and pounding guitar work.

They decided to call it a day in 1971, with Micky Waller and John Cooke going on to The Heavy Metal Kids (penning "Hangin' on" and "Kind Woman", 1974).

Waller relocated in France and became a sought-after session musician, recording with Nino Ferrer (LPs: "Nino Ferrer & Leggs", 1973; "Blanat", 1979; "Treizième LP"; "Ex-Libris", 1983; "Nino Ferrer & Cie"; "La Désabusion", 1993) and Jacques Higelin (LPs: "Champagne pour les uns, Caviar pour les autres"; "Higelin à Mogador", 1979; "Higelin 82", 1982). He eventually returned to the UK and joined Steve Marriott’s All Stars in 1976, and then ex-Pretty Things, Phil May & the Fallen Angels in 1977 ("The Return of the Electric Banana", 1978).

By 1999, Mickey Waller reformed Mickey Finn & the Blue Men with new musicians: Chris Lynn from the USA, on vocals and harmonica; Alain "Merlin" Gouillard from France (ex-Hubert Félix Thiéfaine and Louis Bertignac) on drums; and Alejendro Malassi from Argentina, on bass. The quartet recorded "Black Hole" LP.

From 2000 to 2003, they were joined by french bass player, Laurent Saligault, and american show man, Leroy Jones (ex-Tubes). Their final release was "Go Clean" EP, in June 2004, for Ten Minutes Productions.

From 2004 to 2011, Mickey Waller teamed up with Joane Calice, forming a blues-rock duet...

Discography of Mickey Finn

Singles:

As Mickey Finn & The Blue Men

Tom Hark/Please Love Me (Blue Beat 203) - January 1964
Pills/Hush Your Mouth (Oriole CB 1927) - March 1964

As The Mickey Finn

Reelin' And Rockin'/I Still Want You (Oriole CB 1940) - June 1964
The Sporting Life/Night Comes Down (Columbia DB 7510) - March 1965
I Do Love You/If I Had You Baby (Polydor 56719) - July 1966
Garden Of My Mind/Time To Start Loving You (Direction 58-3086) December 1967
Ain't Necessarily So/God Bless The Child (Noiseburger ) - April 1995

EP & LP:
As Mickey Finn & The Blue Men

Black Hole LP (Ten Minutes Productions) - 1999
Go Clean EP (Ten Minutes Productions) - 2004

As Mickey Finn & Jo

Lucky Like ThatLP(Ten Minutes Productions) - 2010

Various Line-ups and evolution of Mickey Finn & The Blue Men

The Strangers #1 (Summer 1961 - 1963)

Harry Bates (Lead Vocals)
Micky Waller (Lead Guitar) "Mickey Finn"
Bevis Belmour (Rhythm Guitar)
Mick Stannard (Bass)
Richard Brand (Drums)

Mickey Finn & The Blue Men #1 (1963 - January 1964)

Alan Marks (Lead Vocals)
Micky Waller (Lead Guitar) "Mickey Finn"
John Burkitt (Bass)
John Cooke (Keyboards/Organ) "Fluff"
Richard Brand (Drums)

Mickey Finn & The Blue Men #2 (January - March 1964)

Alan Marks (Lead Vocals)
Micky Waller (Lead Guitar) "Mickey Finn"
Jimmy Page (Rhythm Guitar/Harp)
John Burkitt (Bass)
John Cooke (Keyboards/Organ) "Fluff"
Richard Brand (Drums)

The Mickey Finn (April 1964 - 1971)

Alan Marks (Lead Vocals)
Micky Waller (Lead Guitar) "Mickey Finn"
Mick Stannard then Rod Clark (Bass)
John Cooke (Keyboards/Organ) "Fluff"
Richard Brand (Drums)

Mickey Finn & The Blue Men #3 (1999 - 2004)

Micky Waller (Lead Guitar) "Mickey Finn"
Chris Lynn (Lead Vocals/Harp)
Leroy Jones (Lead Vocals...)
Joane Calice (Lead Vocals/Bass)
Alejendro Malassi (Bass)
Laurent Saligault (Bass)
John Cooke (Keyboards/Organ) "Fluff"
Alain Gouillard (Drums) "Merlin"

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