Paul Dean & The Dreamers

Paul Nicholas is better known for his acting career, playing the leading roles in major productions, including, Barnum, the Pirates of Penzance but also appearing in the rock-related movies 'Grease', 'Stardust', 'Tommy' and 'Lisztomania'.

Nicholas, whose proper name was Paul Beuselinck, began his career as a singer at age 15, fronting a North London based outfit called Paul & the Venoms which also included Bob Gray on guitar, Al Jarman on bass and Mike Wells on drums. They used to play Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Eddy Cochran, Conway Twitty and Cliff Richard's numbers such as "Move it", "20 flight Rock", "Heartbreak hotel", "I'ts only make believe"... Paul sang with the Venoms for about six months, and then replaced Gene White as new frontman of another local band called The Phantoms in mid-1960 (1).
At this stage, the line up of The Phantoms featured drummer Pete Phillipps and 2 future Tornados, bass player Ray Randall and lead guitarist Stuart Taylor.
The name change to Paul Dean & The Dreamers came at the end of the year. They thus were augmented by another guitar player Paul Hughes and Saxophonist Ashton "Toots" Tootell whose father had played with Johnny Kidd in the mid 50s. They were managed first by George Dark and later by Dave Oddie who secured them their better wages (2).

On June 25, 1962, Paul Dean & The Dreamers supported Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages at Wembley Town Hall. That night a young Keith Moon was among several hundred who attended the show.

In fact, it was so crowded that many of the girls stood on the bench seats around the hall perimeters to see the bands properly and promptly punctured the leather with their stiletto heels, causing a mile furore that made the local papers... The Dreamers disbanded at the end of the year.

Early 1963, Paul Nicholas was brought in The Premiers to replace Ronnie Harwood who had left to front “The New Premiers”, a brand new band whose bass player was Ray Randall. Randall was later head hunted to replace Brian Gregg in the Tornados of "Telstar" worldwide fame. Nicholas and Phillipps joined briefly Jackie Lynton & The Jury.

By May 1963, "Toots" Tootell was brought into the Savages who took up a residency in Hamburg Star Club, backing Screaming Lord Sutch and and then toured North Germany on their own as "The Raving Savages" from Summer to Winter’ 63. Ronnie Harwood brought in by Tootell as a replacement for Freddie ‘Fingers’ Lee in late 1963.

Meanwhile, Screaming Lord Sutch recruited Paul Nicholas as pianist, Stuart Taylor and Pete Phillipps to become his new set of Savages until the end of the year, when Ray Randall poached Stuart Taylor in the Tornados.

So Nicholas and Phillips teamed up with Ronnie Harwood, and ex-Savages’ guitarist “Pussy” Mew to become Michael Black’s backing group. When Screaming Lord Sutch lost his crew of Savages featuring Tony Dangerfield on bass, Carlo Little and Tony Marsh on piano, after Joe Meek had signed Dangerfield as a solo artist, he would ask the members of the Michael Black’s band to take over them. They helped him out to launch his own pirate radio station "Radio Sutch" in May 1964 (3) and toured with him until early 1965, when Paul Nicholas decided to give up playing full-time in favor of studying drama and developing his acting skills and then took the opportunity to begin a career as a solo act.

In February 1965, Paul Dean & The Soul Savages comprising ex-Dreamers, Stuart Taylor and "Toots" Tootell, who had both just been elbowed from the Tornados, and drummer Pete Phillips, supported but also backed American acts Del Shannon and the Shangri Las on their UK tour. They also recorded a rendition of “You Don't Own Me” as The Thoughts (not to confuse with the Liverpool band of the same name which recorded “All Night Stand” in 1966). Nicholas reinvented himself as “Oscar”, recording novelties produced by Robert Stigwood such as “Over The Wall We Go”.

Stuart Taylor and "Toots" Tootell reunited with Paul Nicholas in The London Cast of Production Hair from 1968 to 1970, after a brief spell in the Echoes (backing Dusty Springfield).

(1) Meanwhile the Venoms replaced him by Barry Younger before becoming Dave Martin & the Martells and then Cliff Adams & the Twilights.

(2) Paul Nicholas from "Me and my money" - 6 February 2008: "When I was 15, I was in a group called Paul Dean And The Dreamers - I was Paul Dean, of course. We did three or four gigs a week, earning about £60 between us."

(3) A photo of the event was taken when Sutch's party boarded the London Tower Bridge. Paul Nicholas fell into the Thames, on that day. In fact, he was pushed in the drink by Colin Dale, one of the disc jockeys on Radio Sutch.
Colin Dale: "The photo that most newspapers use is one of the cornucopia with us all on it, Paul Nicholas stood in front of me you can just see my head, but I got him back later when I pushed him in the drink..."

Geoff Mew:
"I always believed that Paul already had an interest in acting and developing his stage craft. His Father was a famous show business Lawyer and Paul was exposed to show business at a very early age."

Line-ups of Paul Nicholas earliest bands

Paul & The Venoms #1 (1960)

• Paul Nicholas (Lead Vocals)

• Bob Gray (Lead Guitar)

• Dave Tenenbaum (Rhythm Guitar)

• Al Jarman (Bass)

• Mike Wells (Drums)

Paul Dean & The Dreamers #1 (1960 - 1961)

• Paul Dean (Lead Vocals)

• Stuart Taylor (Lead Guitar)

• Ray Moxley (Rhythm Guitar)

• Ray Randall (Bass)

• Pete Phillipps (Drums)

Paul Dean & The Dreamers #2 (1962)

• Paul Dean (Lead Vocals)

• Stuart Taylor (Lead Guitar)

• Paul Hughes (Rhythm Guitar)

• Ray Randall (Bass)

• Ashton Tootell (Tenor Sax)

• Pete Phillipps (Drums)

Special thanks to Colin Dale, Ronnie Harwood, Mike Wells, Val and Pete Phillipps for providing corrections and additional info

Dave Anthony & The Ravers

Tony Head "Dave Anthony" joined a Bournemouth-based outfit called The Furies, replacing their singer Les Fisher, in 1960. The group consisted of Al Kirtley on lead guitar (who had previously been in a band called The Stormers with Zoot Money on vocals and Andy Summers, later of the Police), John "Jet" Berryman on bass and Howard "Eddie" Parsons on drums.

Thus began Tony & the Ramrods, shortly to be renamed Dave Anthony & the Ravers. For an instrumental trio plus vocals it delivered a big, professional sound, backed up by stage movements, copied from The Shadows, with a bit of Johnny Kidd & the Pirates’ high kicking thrown in.

Reg Calvert became their new manager and put them on the road throughout Southwest England (Devon and Dorset) backing Screaming Lord Sutch as he wouldn't pay for The Savages to tour. They set sail to Exmouth after having practised a week at “The Calverts’ School of Rock’n’Roll” in Clifton Hall, near Rugby.

Al Kirtley, Guitarist of The Ravers in 1961 (later with Zoot Money):
“Reg Calvert and his wife, Dorothy, liked our band (the Ravers), and gave us progressively more work. We began occasionally backing "major" acts, such as Screaming Lord Sutch...
We did a few gigs backing "Screaming Lord" Sutch, but the only venue I can remember was the Small Sydney Hall in Weymouth, Dorset, on the south coast of England. I remember him as being a complete lunatic, but good fun and he knew more obscure facts about Chuck Berry than anyone I'd ever met.
At the time he was on a mini-tour of the South of England, and it may be that the promoter, Reg Calvert wouldn't pay for The Savages to tour, instead letting other bands on the same bill, like us, do the backing. For our set we had Tony Head (aka "Dave Anthony") on vocals and I remember Lord Sutch doing his best to disrupt Tony's singing. He was very funny.”

Dave Anthony & The Ravers were finally rewarded by Reg offering us a week’s tour of the Midlands.

In the summer of 1961, they took up residency at Bournemouth’s first cellar club, The Downstairs Club. The "Ravers" became the "Rebels" after Jet and Eddie moved away, and were replaced by Mike and Pete Giles. As 1961 dawned, Al Kirtley was approached to join a new band, this time as pianist, Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band.
The Ravers finally broke up shortly afterwards.

After Dave Anthony & The Ravers
Dave Anthony met up again the following year with Kirtley in another band called the Sands Combo. Incidentally Zoot Money supplemented Dave as second vocalist of the band. The Sands Combo split up due to a dispute over pay some months later.

By 1964, Dave Anthony replaced vocalist Reg Matthews aka "Tony Matthews" in a band called The League of Gentlemen, whose lead guitarist was Robert Fripp and who had a residency at the Majestic Hotel in Bournemouth. Robert Fripp eventually left to be replaced by Terry Squires. Fripp would later become successful with King Crimson alongside Mike and Pete Giles.

In mid 1965, Dave Anthony put a band together called Dave Antony’s Moods with the members of a group called The Trackmarks (featuring drummer Lee Kerslake): Tim Large on guitar, Bill Jacobs on bass, Bob Michaels on keyboards, supplemented by Pete Sweet on tenor sax, Graham Livemore on trombone, Andy Kirk on trumpet and John Devekey on drums. Saxplayer Pete Sweet was later replaced by Bob Downes who was formerly with The John Barry Seven and Julian Covey & The Machine. They backed female singer Goldie (from The Gingerbreads) at The Marquee in early 1966 then eventually relocated to Italy in 1967 where they cut singles for Joker records including a cover of the Procol Harum classic “A Whiter Shade Of Pale.”

By 1968, Dave Anthony started a solo career and released “Race With The Wind” on Mercury.

Tony Head sadly passed away for an heart attack on October 1, 2006

Discography

Dave Anthony's Moods

UK Singles
· New Directions/Give It A Chance (Parlophone R 5438) 1966

Italian Singles
· My Baby/Fading Away (Joker M 7000) 1967
· A Whiter Shade Of Pale/Talking To The Rain (Joker M 7001) 1967

Dave Anthony
· Race With The Wind/Hide And Seek (Mercury MF 1031) 1968




Various Line-ups of Dave Anthony’s Bands

The Furies (1960)

· Tony Head (Lead Vocals) "Dave Anthony"
· Al Kirtley (Lead Guitar)
· Jet Berryman (Bass)
· Eddie Parsons (Drums)


Dave Anthony & The Ravers (1960 - Summer 1961)

· Tony Head (Lead Vocals) "Dave Anthony"
· Al Kirtley (Lead Guitar)
· Jet Berryman (Bass)
· Eddie Parsons (Drums)


Screaming Lord Sutch With Dave Anthony & The Ravers (Early 1961)

· Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
· Dave Anthony (Vocals)
· Al Kirtley (Lead Guitar)
· Jet Berryman (Bass)
· Eddie Parsons (Drums)


Dave Anthony & The Rebels #1 (Summer - Late 1961)

· Tony Head (Lead Vocals) "Dave Anthony"
· Al Kirtley (Lead Guitar)
· Mike Giles (Bass)
· Pete Giles (Drums)


The Sands Combo #1 (August 1962 - 1963)

· Tony Head (Lead Vocals) "Dave Anthony"
· Graham Douglas (Lead Guitar)
· Roger Bone (Bass)
· Al Kirtley (Piano)
· Nigel Street (Sax)
· Pat Sheehan (Drums)


The Sands Combo #2 (1963)

· Dave Anthony (Lead Vocals)
· Zoot Money (Organ/Vocals)
· Graham Douglas (Lead Guitar)
· Roger Bone (Bass)
· Al Kirtley (Piano)
· Nigel Street (Sax)
· Pat Sheehan (Drums)


 

The League of Gentlemen #2  (1965)

· Tony Head (Lead Vocals) "Dave Anthony" 
· Terry Squires (Lead Guitar)
· Tino Licinio (Rhythm Guitar)
· Gordon Haskell(Bass)
· Stan Levy (Drums)

The League of Gentlemen #2 (1965)

1. Tony Head (Lead Vocals) "Dave Anthony"

2. Terry Squires (Lead Guitar)

3. Tino Licinio (Rhythm Guitar)

4. Gordon Haskell (Bass)

5. Stan Levy (Drums)

Dave Anthony's Moods #1 (1965 - 1966)

· Tony Head (Lead Vocals) "Dave Anthony"
· Tim Large (Lead Guitar)
· Bill Jacobs (Bass)
· Bob Michaels (Keyboards) "Ken Macmaels"
· Pete Sweet (Sax)
· Graham Livemore (Trombone)
· Andy Kirk (Trumpet)
· John Devekey (Drums)


Dave Anthony's Moods #2 (1966 - 1969)

· Tony Head (Lead Vocals) "Dave Anthony"
· Roger Peacok (Vocals)
· Tim Large (Lead Guitar)
· Chris Dennis (Bass)
· Bob Michaels (Keyboards) "Ken Macmaels"
· Bob Downes (Sax)
· Graham Livemore (Trumpet)
· Andy Kirk (Trumpet)
· John Devekey (Drums)

Many thanks to Philip Norman and Luca Mathmos of italian revue “Revolver” (see http://www.retrophobic.com/images/revolver/revolver11.pdf) for providing new info
Does anybody know the complete line-up of The League of Gentlemen and what did become Pete Sweet after leaving Dave Anthony's Moods?
Please contact us: tomusicstorytellers@gmail.com

A message from Andy Sweet about his brother Pete
After being on the R&B scene with Dave Anthonys Moods he returned to freelance work, becoming highly regarded on the modern jazz scene around the Bournemouth area. He stopped playing due to ill health in 1990 and died in 2001.

Johnny Dark & The Midnighters

This band was based in Muswell Hill, North London, and featured three musicians who had worked with Johnny Kidd: Tenor saxophone player Pete Newman, baritone saxophonist Jeff Wickens, and guitarist Vic Clark.
Indeed they had played in the Mike West Group and did stand-ins for Johnny Kidd & the Pirates for whom Mike was a back-up singer until late 1959 ("Please Don't Touch" and "Feelin").

Pete Newman and Jeff Wickens first met at a local school called Dudden Hill, in Willesden, North London. They formed their very first band there with Ray Edmunds (aka "Ray Taylor") on drums, John Welsh on clarinet, and Terence "Jet" Harris... also on clarinet, in the early 50s (1). Harris later switched to upright double bass and went on to do many great things as bass player of The Shadows.

Newman and Wickens both joined up The Fabulous Freddie Heath Band in September 1957, before moving to the Mike West Group which were rechristened "Johnny Kidd & the Pirates" while recording at abbey road studios (2).
When Johnny Kidd decided to work with a power trio, in late 1959, Pete Newman and Jeff Wickens teamed up with Vic Clark, who stood-in several times for Pirates' guitarist Alan Caddy, to form the Midnighters.

The rest of the band consisted of Charles "Charly" Parker on piano (not related to the Black American pianist) and the late Brian Norman on drums.
Basically, they were an instrumental band just covering American records such as Johnny & the Hurricanes hits. Then they added singer Johnny Dark whose father owned a pub called The Black Bull in Whetstone, North London, and that allowed them to have free rehearsals and then a residency there.

They used to cover songs of Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Cliff Richard and even early Johnny Kidd's numbers, and some instrumentals: "Johnnie B Goode" (Chuck Berry); "Sweet Little Sixteen" (Chuck Berry); "That'll Be The Day" (Buddy Holly); "Peggy Sue" (Buddy Holly); "Move It" (Cliff Richard); "Please Don't Touch" (Johnny Kidd); "Red River Rock" (Johnny & the Hurricanes); "Beatnik Fly" (Johnny & the Hurricanes); "Wild Child" ect. But they also played numbers of their own such as "The Werewolf" which inspired Johnny Kidd's "Feelin" (2).

Unfortunately, as Vic Clark recalls, their material was never released because they had a sound unlike anything in England at that time and The record companies considered them un-commercial (3).

Between June 1960 and early 1961, they used to back Screaming Lord Sutch as his new Savages.
In fact, according to Vic Clark, Dave Sutch, an old crony of Pete Newman’s from his 2I's Coffee Bar time, approached them one night, while they had a residency at The Black Bull (4). He introduced himself and said he had this fantastic Act inspired from the American performer Screaming Jay Hawkins but he needed a band. So the members of the Midnighters invited him to their next rehearsal at The Black Bull.
According to Vic Clark, Screaming Lord Sutch did his first live gig ever with them the following Saturday at 'The Athenium' at Muswell Hill, North London, the place where Emil Ford had been discovered and where they were playing once a month.
Once They became The Savages, Johnny Dark went, then Pete Newman and Vic Clark took over the vocals With Dave Sutch finishing off the shows.

By late 1960, their association with Dave Sutch broke off because The manager of the 2I's Coffee Bar Tom Littlewood wanted to save on cost and booked Vince Taylor's backing band, the Playboys, instead of them.

Pete Newman went on to join local Harrow based semipro group Douggie Dee & The Strangers, and then worked with Joe Meek as session musician, recording on Screaming Lord Sutch's debut single "Till the Following Night", and subsequently touring with the Tornados for a while before they backed Billy Fury who replaced the brass section by an organ.
He still worked with Screaming Lord Sutch in the late 1980's, backing him with the band he formed with his son Paul and that became known as "Some Like It Hot."

Vic Clark also worked with Joe Meek, at first with Chris Dors & the Del Fi's, who recorded at RGM studio and Phillips from june 1961 and had a couple of releases on the Fontana Label, then with the Sack'o'Woes who supported
The Rollingstones and Jerry Lee Lewis in Brighton Hippodrome in late 1964. Then Vic teamed up with Pete again in a band called The Beat Society who evolved into Felders Orioles.

Vic Clark now lives in Australia since 1966. He's actually the father of Malcom Clark, drummer of Aussie band Sleepy Jackson. Pete Newman still play saxophone for various acts. Brian Norman, who went to live in Africa, passed away a few years ago.


(1) Pete Newman:
"I had a very old sax given to me by a school friend and was told that the sax I learned to play on once belonged to a very famous English sax player called Freddie Gardner."

(2) Pete Newman and Jeff Wickens wrote an instrumental called "The Werewolf" which inspired Freddie Heath to write the B side of the his debut release, "Feelin". Mike West and Pete Newman did the backing vocals on both sides of that record - "Please Dont Touch" as well as "Feelin" - which was made at abbey road studios and became the first Johnny Kidd's hit single.

(3) Vic Clark about their sound: "We had a sound unlike anything in England at that time. We were probably ahead of our time. The record companies considered us un-commercial. I guess the best way to describe our sound was the same genre as George Thorogood, but remember we were more than 20 years ahead of him! So the Midnighters sound became the Screaming Lord Sutch sound."

(4) Pete Newman knew Dave Sutch since late 1957, thanks to his sister Pat who had met him at Cricklewood Rollin Skating Rink, in North london, and brought him back to their house in Cobbold road, Willesden, because at that time he had just started playing with Freddie Heath & his Rock & Roll Combo... Therefore Dave became Pat's boyfriend, and Pete occassionally backed him at the Two Eyes between jobs with Johnny Kidd...


Johnny Dark & The Midnighters (Late 1959 - Early 1960)

• Peter ?? (Lead Vocals) aka "Johnny Dark"
• Vic Clark (Lead Guitar)
• Charlie Parker (Keyboards)
• Pete Newman (Tenor Sax)
• Jeff Wickens (Barytone Sax)
• Brian Norman (Drums)

More on the line-up of The Midnighters that became The Savages in 1960 here

Special thanks to Vic Clark and Pete Newman for providing recollections and photos

Karl & The Vampires

Another Screaming Lord Sutch’s tribute band from Urmston, Lancashire, fronted by Brian Gilbert and managed by his brother Geoff. The band frequently appeared at Shaw Hall, in Urmston as well as Taylor Bros Club, Eccles.
The Vampires from Liverpool were a different band from the previous one but equally obscure.
Karl & The Vampires (1964 - 1965)

· Brian Gilbert (Lead Vocals) "Karl"
· John Featherstone (Lead Guitar)
· Phil ?? (Bass)
· Pete ?? (Bass)
· Peter Hughes (Drums)

Frankenstein & The Monsters

One of the Screaming Lord Sutch’s copycat groups that started up in the mid-sixties and evolved out of a R&B group originally called The Vampires then rechristened The Sheffields after their hometown. They backed Little Walter and Memphis Slim on their 1964 British tour and cut 3 singles for Pye records that are now very rare and sought-after.
During 1965, they teamed up with vocalist Ray Stuart aka “Frankenstein” and appeared on stage with horror make up. They used to play only 1 or 2 numbers the entire show - usually 'Great Balls of Fire' & 'Good Golly Miss Molly'.
In late 1965, The Sheffields went their own way before splitting and Ray Stuart recruited Dave Robinson, Phil Galley on guitars, and drummer Spud West to form a 'new' Monsters. The band became very popular in Sheffield during 1966.Spud West played the part of The Mummy in the horror show and introduced the new trick of setting himself on fire as he left the coffin, until it got out of hand at Worsley Civic Hall when the fire hose had to be employed.The band frequently played at The Oasis, Jung Frau, Top 20 Club at Droylsden as well as Bolton Palais. They also appeared at The California Ballroom, Dunstable in April 1966, supported by The Flashbacks and The Avengers
They often did 2 spots in a gig, the other one as a conventional beat group "Ray Stuart & The Floorboards". Sometimes the punters never realised it was the same mob, out of make-up.
They did record the Sanford Clark song “Go On Home” for EMI, but it was never released.
The line up of The Monsters fronted by lead guitarist Dave Robinson eventually became the fourth generation of Dave Berry's Cruisers in Spring 1966.

Discography

Singles of The Sheffields
· It Must Be Love/Say Girl (Pye 7N 15600) - January 1964
· I Got My Mojo Working/Hey, Hey Lover Boy (Pye 7N 15627) - April 1964
· Bag's Groove (Skat Walking)/Plenty Of Love (Pye 7N 15767) - February 1965


Various Line-ups of Frankenstein & The Monsters

Frankenstein & The Monsters #1 (Late 1964 - Late 1965)

· Ray Stuart (Lead Vocals) "Frankenstein"
· Roy Ledger (Lead Guitar)
· Dave Fawcett (Rhythm Guitar)
· Paul Jarvis (Bass)
· Richard Smith (Drums)


Frankenstein & The Monsters #2 (Late 1965 - April 1966)

· Ray Stuart (Lead Vocals) "Frankenstein"
· Dave Robinson (Lead Guitar)
· Phil Galley (Rhythm Guitar)
· Paul Jarvis (Bass)
· Spud West (Drums)


Dave Robinson ” Frankenstein & the Monsters played only 1 or 2 numbers the entire show - usually 'Great Balls of Fire' & 'Good Golly Miss Molly' or something similar. I was told that the Monsters without Frank or horror make up were actually The Sheffields, but I've never been able to confirm this, although I did see them both together on one show… The band frequently appeared at The Oasis, Jung Frau, Top 20 Club at Droylsden as well as Bolton Palais and similar surrounding venues. I was lead guitarist in that line up before we became the fourth generation of Dave Berry's Cruisers”


Brian Smith
“I recall they often did 2 spots in a gig, the other one as a conventional beat group "Ray Stuart & The Floorboards". Sometimes the punters never realised it was the same mob, out of make-up. They did record one disc for EMI (as Ray Stuart & The Floorboards, the Sanford Clark song Go On Home, but it was never released to my knowledge.”



Karl & The Vampires
Another Screaming Lord Sutch’s tribute band from Urmston, Lancashire, fronted by Brian Gilbert and managed by his brother Geoff. The band frequently appeared at Shaw Hall, in Urmston as well as Taylor Bros Club, Eccles.
The Vampires from Liverpool were a different band from the previous one but equally obscure.
Karl & The Vampires (1964 - 1965)

· Brian Gilbert (Lead Vocals) "Karl"
· John Featherstone (Lead Guitar)
· Phil ?? (Bass)
· Pete ?? (Bass)
· Peter Hughes (Drums)



Thanks to Paul Gschliesser for completing info about The Sheffields

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages in the 60’s

Screaming Lord Sutch (1940-1999) was one of the most eccentric British pop star: the first of the longhairs a freak years before the hippies and the heavy metal singers came along. His band, The Savages had been a breeding ground for many great young musicians such as Nicky Hopkins, Freddie Fingers Lee, Paul Nicholas, Ritchie Blackmore, Nick Simper (both of Deep Purple), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Jeff Beck, Adrian Gurvitz (Gun), Danny McCulloch and many more. Although he was basically a Britain’s Answer to American "Screaming Jay Hawkins", starting his shows by coming out of big coffins and entertaining his audience with a repertory of horror songs, he was himself emulated by some of his contemporaries: e.g. Karl & The Vampires, Count Lindsay the 3^rd & The Skeletons, Frankestein & The Monsters, The Mersey Monsters or the french rocker "Hector The Chopin of Twist". He would eventually inspire more well known acts such as Arthur Brown, Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson among others. He was also one of the UK's longest serving political leader since 1963. He released about 20 singles and 4 original albums in Britain from 1961 to 1994 but never achieved a hit. His most well known song was his tribute to “Jack The Ripper”, the guy with a big bag and black top hat.

David Sutch aka “Screaming Lord Sutch” was born in Hampstead, London, on 10th November 1940. He grew up in South Harrow, Northwest London in the early 50s. In early 1959, he started singing at the 2 I's Coffee Bar in Old Compton Street, Soho, London, disguised with a pair of buffalo horns glued to his crash helmet and his aunt's leopard skin jacket, which he tored the sleeves off.

In February 1960, Sutch met drummer Carlo Little, who was fresh out of the army at The Cannibal Pot Coffee Bar in Sudbury, Harrow.

They got a Rock & Roll group together, recruiting pianist, Nicky Hopkins, and guitarists Rick Brown aka “Fenson” and Bernie Watson. They became the Savages after The Shadows’ hit “Apache”.

In June 1960, Screaming Lord Sutch & his Savages got their first gig in Camberley for promoter Bob Potter. However they parted company soon after and Sutch teamed up with a North London-based semi-professionnal band outfit called the Midnighters for more than 6 months, before being backed on tour by Vince Taylor’s Playboys, because Tom Littlewood, the 2I’s manager, wanted to save on cost. Pete Newman was the only one member of the Midnighters who still worked with Lord Sutch, playing saxophone on his debut single "Till The Following Night /Good Golly Miss Molly " (HMV POP 953), produced by the late Joe Meek and released in december 1961. The other musicians on these recordings were, of course, Carlo Little on drums, Ken Payne on bass, Roger Mingay on guitar and Andy Wren on piano.They became full-time professional and played all over the country, then toured Scotland in Summer 1961. They carried Lord Sutch in a coffin on stage and he used to chase some of them with a big knife, generally the pianist dressed as prostitute during "Jack the Ripper". That’s how Andy Wren had been injuried and Britain’s answer to Jerry Lee Lewis, Freddie Fingers Lee took over him. Then the original Savages finally came back to the fold in September 1961. They starred an extravaganza called 'Twist Around The Tower' at the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton on Friday 12 January 1962, but didn’t show up and an unknown liverpuldian quartet called the Beatles played instead. Reg Calvert became his new manager and put him on the road in a tour of Southwest England. They recorded "Jack the Ripper" as single.

In April 1962, Watson and Hopkins left the Savages to take up a residency with Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers in Hamburg Star Club, in Germany.

Ritchie Blackmore, who later founded Heavy Metal bands Deep Purple and Rainbow, became their new guitarist for 7 months. It was a very formative stint according to him: he learnt to act like an imbecile. At that time, The Savages use to dress in animal skins on stage and Ritchie really didn’t like it. By May 1962, Andy Wren, Nicky Hopkins’ replacement, was asked by future Rolling Stones Brian Jones to join the band he built up, standing in for Ian Stewart who was visiting his family in Scotland. During Summer 1962, Carlo Little started giving drum lessons to a young Keith Moon, who later stood in for him in the Savages (just for odd gigs), the following Summer, and became the crazy drummer of the Who from 1964 to 1978. Carlo Little and bass player Rick Brown deputised for the Rolling Stones in late 1962 and it was Little who recommended them drummer Charlie Watts. Little, Brown eventually teamed up with Watson and Hopkins again to become the core of Cyril Davis & His R&B All Stars in November 1962. Nicky Hopkins was to become a prolific session man, recording with the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Beatles and many more.

Ritchie Blackmore then left to join The Outlaws and was replaced with Godfrey "Geoff" Mew from a Newcastl-based outfit called The Jestreams.

Derek "Degsy" Sirmon, an acquaintance of Blackmore's, replaced Carlo Little as Savages’ drummer from October 1962 to May 1963. He brought in the band bass player Danny McCulloch (from Frankie Reid & The Casuals), who later worked with Eric Burdon & his New Animals. This new set of Savages, headed by pianist Freddie Fingers Lee finally left Screaming Lord Sutch after a residency at Hamburg Star Club, and then toured North Germany on their own as "The Raving Savages" from Summer to Winter’ 63. They also released an EP covering Californian hits of this summer and untitled "The Surfin' Savages". Meanwhile Sutch started a career in Politics, forming The 'Sod Em All Party' after the "Profumo Affair" in mid’ 63, and then recruited future movie actor Paul Nicholas and 2 members of his previous band, Paul Dean & the Dreamers, Stuart Taylor on guitar and Pete Phillipps on drums. Their sax player Ashton "Toots" Tootell had been previously in the Savages then went to Germany with The Raving Savages. Their bass player, Ray Randall joined the Tornados of "Telstar" worldwide fame and then poached Stuart Taylor. So Paul Nicholas and Pete Phillipps teamed up with bass player Ronnie Harwood, who replaced Freddie ‘Fingers’ Lee in The Raving Savages, and ex-Savages’ guitarist "Geoff" Mew to become the core of the Purple Hearts, a band groomed by Michael Black at the Astor Club. When Screaming Lord Sutch lost his set of Savages featuring Tony Dangerfield on bass, Carlo Little and Tony Marsh (acquaintance of Keith Moon's) on piano, after Joe Meek had signed Dangerfield as a solo artist, he would ask the members of the Purple Hearts, who had recently worked with Johnny Apollo (Winston G), to become his new Savages. They helped him out to launch his own pirate radio station "Radio Sutch" in May 1964. Screaming Lord Sutch first toured Australia and New Zealand, backed by a local band featuring future Easybeat Tony Cahill on drums in Summer’ 64. He finally sold the station to Reg Calvert who installed better equipment and changed its name to "Radio City". Meanwhile Paul Nicholas took the opportunity to begin a career as a solo act, recording on his own like Dangerfield did some month earlier, backed by Pete Phillipps on drums and Stuart Taylor on guitar (see Paul Dean & The Soul Savages). Dave Sutch then got Geoff Mew a job with The Johnny Cliffe Five Show Band doing the American bases in Turkey. Ronnie Harwood then formed a new line up with guitarist Brian Hammick from Burnt Oak (previously with The Stanmore-based Easybeats) but soon after they were both hired by Robert Stigwood to become the core of Winston G & The Wicked. As a result Ritchie Blackmore eventually returned to the Savages, rolling his mates of Neil Christian & The Crusaders, bass player Arvid Andersen and drummer Jim "Tornado" Evans in early 1965. Augmented by 4 Saxophonists (featuring Ashton Tootell, Dick Errington and Noel McManus), they recorded "The Train Kept A Rollin’ "/"Honey Hush" for CBS records. 

After a short stay in France, Screaming Lord Sutch first visited the USA in July 1965, alongwith Ron Kellerman, vice president of the Jerry Lee Lewis fan club promoting “The Train Kept A-Rollin’”.
However Lord Sutch would loose again his band this once to Jerry Lee Lewis who was touring Germany in the summer of 1965 (1).
As the rhythm section of the Savages had taken a gig in France (2), Screaming Lord Sutch went to see Liverpool band Derry Wilkie & The Others in Esher, Surrey, in search of a new band. Phil Kenzie remembers him talking and laughing with Derry Wilkie and then The Others were at his house in North London rehearsing - with two member of the Four Saxes, Noel McManus and Ashton Tootell - to be the new Savages.

They were the set of Savages that backed him on the recording session of "One Eyed Flying Purple People Eater" (5) - with Nicky Hopkins on piano - and during a German TV Show called "Die Drehscheibe", filmed at Kiel Star Palast and aired on ZDF in January 1966, that almost turned into a riot as their roadie Bazz Ward recalls (4).

They also accompanied Dave Sutch during a 3 date trial package tour with 5 acts including The Who, The Fortunes and The Merseys, over a week end in February, starting at the Astoria Finsbury Park, London, and ending up at Liverpool Empire (3).

Wilkie was formerly lead vocalist of the Seniors, the first liverpuldian band who went to Hamburg and eventually paved the way for the Beatles and all the other Mersey Sound Bands.

Sutch made him dress up as a woman for one part of the act so he could chase him around the club with an axe. Derry did it as a good sport for a while but he didn't really enjoy having to but the pay was good and they all needed the money.

Soon after the departure of Noel McManus, the Savages were approached by heavy-weight boxer Freddy Mac to form a larger "Soul" stage show which included American vocalists Cleo Sylvester and Ronald Bertram Greaves aka "Sonny Child".

As a result, the whole band - Phil Kenzie, Derek Bond, Ernie Hayes and roadie Bazz Ward and Billy Adamson ended up involved with this project and left Dave Sutch.
Not only that, when Screaming Lord Sutch decided to run for Parliament against Harold Wilson, who was the Liverpool candidate - as they were from that area - they decided not to continue.

Fortunately Ronnie Harwood (wafter their stint with Winston G & The Wicked) and Pete Phillipps reunited with Sutch and backed him during some gigs in France and a tour of Italy in July 1966.

Meanwhile Carlo Little had joined an Irish showband called Chris Lamb and the Universals that evolved, firstly, into the Circles, recording “Take your Time” on Island records produced by Guy Stevens, then into the new Savages during Summer’ 66. The lead guitarist of the band Bill Parkinson presented some original material of his own such as "Lost Soul" and it would eventually become one of their opening numbers. Later Deep Purple covered it on their first LP as “Mandrake Root”.

Tony Dangerfield, Tony Marsh and Ritchie Blackmore returned to the Savages during 1966.

As 1966 drew to close, Dave Sutch reinvented himself as “Lord Caesar Sutch & the Roman Empire” and the members of his band, featuring among other both Blackmore and Dangerfield, were required to dress as Roman Gladiators even during winter in Sweden where they toured. As a result, Sutch’s continuing desire for ridiculous group images was losing favour with these 2 musicians who finally defected to Neil Christian in April. Dangerfield eventually rejoined the Savages, having recruited a young Adrian Gurvitz (who would later become successful with Gun) on guitar. But this new crew left Sutch once again to back singers Billie Davis and Crispian St Peters then emerged as “Rupert People” in June 1967.

By Summer 1967, Lord Sutch was brieftly backed by a trio consisting of Carlo Little, guitarist Ged Peck and another founding member of Deep Purple, bassist Nick Simper. They all three came from the Billie Davis back up band (The Quality), and then they were hired for playing as the live band for The Flowerpot Men in October 1967.

From late 1967 to early 1968, the eccenctric "Lord" toured Holland & Germany
with a new band called "The Beautiful Quality", consisting in 2 former Wheels, Herbie Armstrong on guitar and Rod Demick on bass, plus drummer Spud Davies. After the tour, Demick & Armstrong left and carried on as a duo (The James Brothers).
So Dave Sutch decided to leave Britain and spent the rest of the decade in America where he would eventually record his debut album that was released only in 1970 and on which he was backed by many of his former Savages acting as “His Heavy Friends”.

An interesting compilation untitled "Screaming Lord Sutch Story" covered most of the singles he released from 1961 to 1966.
Check out a more complete site about their story here.

(1) Indeed Jerry Lee had to find new musicians because guitar player Charles « Redman » Freeman, bass player Herman « Hawk » Hawkins and drummer Robert “Tarp” Tarant were arrested by Texan police after a gig at Grand Prairie Private Function,Texas, on October 11th 1965.

(2) After a gig at the Olympia, Paris, Ronnie Harwood was asked by a french promotor to form a new line up and he booked them for a week in Rouen, France.

(3) These concerts were organised by The Who's managers, Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert, and promoted by Robert Stigwood, with a view to a future 4-5 week tour...

In those days, the Lord's Day Observence Society BANNED stage props on a Sunday, which rather screwed Screaming Lord Sutch's act. When he tried to use props at Liverpool Empire, they dropped the curtain on him, so he started swinging on it. Caused a small riot with the theatre blokes trying to get him off.

(5) Bazz Ward later worked as roadie and Sound Engineer for The Nice, Santana, The Band, Derek & the Dominoes, Medicine Head, Iron Maiden, The Sex Pistols, Gary Glitter, and Gary Moore, French rock band "TRUST" to name but a few...

DISCOGRAPHY

British Singles

1. Till The Following Night / Good Golly Miss Molly (HMV POP 953) 12/1961
2. Jack The Ripper / Don't You Just Know It (Decca F11598) 3/1963
3. I'm A Hog For You / Monster In Black Tights (Decca F11747) 9/1963
4. She's Fallen Love With A Monster Man / Bye Bye Baby (Oriole CB 1944) 7/1964
5. Dracula's Daughter / Come Back Baby (Oriole CB 1962) 10/1964
6. The Train Kept A Rollin’/Honey Hush (CBS 201767) 6/1965
7. Black And Hairy / The Cheat (CBS 202080) 5/1966

(4) One Eyed Flying Purple People Eater / You Don't Care (Hep House HS04) was released only in Germany in 1966 but it became Screaming Lord Sutch's best seller there.

Albums

• LORD SUTCH AND HIS HEAVY FRIENDS (ATLANTIC 2400) 1970
• LORD SUTCH & HEAVY FRIENDS: HANDS OF JACK THE RIPPER (ATLANTIC K 40313)
• ALIVE AND WELL (BABYLON B 80010) 1980
• ROCK AND HORROR (ACE CHA 65/CDCHM 65) 1982
• SCREAMING LORD SUTCH STORY (SKULL N'BONES 7777) - compilation 1961-1990 1991

Line-ups of Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #1 (Feb’ - June 1960)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• Bernie Watson (Lead Guitar)
• Rick Brown (Rhythm Guitar)
• Nicky Hopkins (Keyboards)
• Carlo Little (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #2 (June - December 1960)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• Vic Clark (Lead Guitar)
• Barry Taylor "Whip" then Chris Dors (Bass)
• Charlie Parker (Keyboards)
• Pete Newman (Tenor Sax)
• Jeff Wickens (Barytone Sax)
• Brian Norman (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #3 (May - Sept’ 1961)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• Roger Mingay (Lead Guitar)
• Ken Payne (Bass)
• Andy Wren (Keyboards)
• Carlo Little (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #4 (Sept' 1961 - May 1962)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• Bernie Watson (Lead Guitar)
• Rick Brown (Rhythm Guitar)
• Nicky Hopkins (Keyboards)
• Carlo Little (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #5 (May - Oct’ 1962)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• Dave Wendells (Lead Guitar)
• Ritchie Blackmore (Lead Guitar)
• Ricky Brown (Bass)
• Andy Wren (Keyboards)
• Carlo Little (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #6 (Oct’ 1962 - June 1963)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• Geoff Mew (Lead Guitar)
• Danny McCulloch (Bass)
• Freddie Fingers Lee (Keyboards/Vocals)
• Ashton Tootell (Tenor Sax)
• Derek Sirmon (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #7 (June 1963 - Jan’ 1964)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• Stuart Taylor (Lead Guitar)
• Rick Brown (Bass)
• Paul Dean (Keyboards)
• Pete Phillipps (Drums)
• Carlo Little (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #8 (Jan’ - May 1964)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• John Gilbey (Lead Guitar)
• Tony Dangerfield (Bass)
• Tony Marsh (Keyboards)
• Carlo Little (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #9 (May 1964 - Febr’ 1965)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• Geoff Mew then Brian Hammick (Lead Guitar)
• Ronnie Harwood (Bass)
• Paul Dean (Keyboards)
• Pete Phillipps (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #10 (Feb’ - Mid 1965)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• Ritchie Blackmore (Lead Guitar) then John Irvin, Malcom Longstaff
• Arvid Andersen (Bass)
• Jim Evans (Drums)
• Ashton Tootell (Barytone Sax)
• Dick Errington (Tenor Sax)
• Noel McManus (Tenor Sax)
• ?? (Tenor Sax)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #11 (Mid 1965 - Mid 1966)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• Ernie Hayes (Lead Guitar)
• Derek Bond (Bass)
• Mike Holmes then Billy Adamson (Drums)
• Phil Kenzie (Tenor Sax)
• Noel McManus (Tenor Sax)
• Ashton Tootell (Barytone Sax)
• Derry Wilkie (Backing Vocals, Sport) also Nicky Hopkins (Keyboards)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #12 (June - July 1966)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• George "Smelly" (Lead Guitar)
• Ronnie Harwood (Bass)
• Peter Green (Tenor Sax)
• Peter Mundy (Barytone Sax)
• Pete Phillipps (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #13 (August - Sep’ 1966)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• Bill Parkinson (Lead Guitar)
• John Lawson then Tony Dangerfield (Bass)
• Paul Raymond (Keyboards)
• Brian Keith (Trombone/Vocals)
• Carlo Little (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #14 (Oct’ - Dec’ 1966)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• John Bedder (Lead Guitar)
• Tony Dangerfield (Bass)
• Tony Marsh (Keyboards)
• Peter Green (Tenor Sax)
• Carlo Little (Drums)

Caesar Sutch & The Roman Empire #1 (Dec’ 1966 - April 1967)

• Dave Sutch (Vocals)
• Ritchie Blackmore (Lead Guitar)
• Tony Dangerfield (Bass)
• Matt Fisher (Keyboards)
• Joel James (Tenor Sax)
• Carlo Little (Drums)

Caesar Sutch & The Roman Empire #2 (May 1967)

• Dave Sutch (Vocals)
• John Bedder (Lead Guitar)
• Tony Dangerfield (Bass)
• Matt Fisher (Keyboards)
• Joel James (Tenor Sax)
• Pete Phillipps (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #15 (June 1967)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• Adrian Gurvitz (Lead Guitar)
• Tony Dangerfield (Bass)
• Freddie Fingers Lee (Keyboards/Vocals)
• Carlo Little (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages #16 (July - August 1967)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• Ged Peck (Lead Guitar)
• Nick Simper (Bass)
• Freddie Fingers Lee (Keyboards/Vocals)
• Art Regis (Keyboards)
• Carlo Little (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Beautiful Quality (September 1967 - January 1968)

• Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
• Herbie Armstrong (Lead Guitar)
• Rod Demic (Bass)
• Spud Davis (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Beautiful Quality #2 (USA, Early - Summer 1968)

     • Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)

     • Tony Macrini (Harmonica/Vocals)

     • Hal Hollander (Lead Guitar)

     • Ron Kellerman (Organ)

     • Kenny Eichles (Bass)

     • Dennis Connaughton  (Drums)

Screaming Lord Sutch & The Beautiful Quality #3 (USA, Summer 1968)   

    • Dave Sutch (Lead Vocals)
    • Tony Macrini (Harmonica/Vocals)
    • Hal Hollander (Lead Guitar)
    • Glen Maynard (Rhythm Guitar)
    • Kenny Eichles (Bass)
    • Dennis Connaughton  (Drums)
    • "Lady Paulette"  (Dance/Vocals)



Does anybody know the line-ups of the Savages from June 1965 to June 1966?
Please contact us: tomusicstorytellers@gmail.com


Special thanks to Ronnie Harwood, Brian Hammick, Harvey Hinsley, Bazz Ward, Phil Kenzie, Geoff Mew, Ged Peck, Val and Pete Phillipps for providing corrections and additional info