Blaises Club was located in the basement of the Imperial Hotel at 121 Queen’s Gate, SW7 (now demolished) and was a magnet for musicians, agents, managers and writers.
The Byrds played here on their debut UK tour in 1965 and many top acts of the day performed on the stage in the mid-late 1960s, most notably Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and Yes.
I have started to compile a list of acts that played here and would welcome any additions plus memories of the venue.
6 August 1965 – The Byrds
3 October 1965 – The Stormville Shakers
20 October 1965 – The Riot Squad
3 August 1966 – The Creation
8 September 1966 – In Crowd
28 September 1966 – Brian Auger & The Trinity
8 or 9 November 1966 – Paul Butterfield Blues Band
13 December 1966 – The Farinas (became Family)
21 December 1966 – Jimi Hendrix Experience
13 January 1967 – Savoy Brown Blues Band
17 January 1967 – Roaring Sixties (Family)
28 February 1967 – Pink Floyd and The Majority
18 March 1967 – The Hush
1 May 1967 – The Web
9 May 1967 – Herbie Goins & The Nightimers (starts this Tuesday)
11 May 1967 – Coloured Raisins
11 May 1967 – Jack Hammer & His Hammer Jammers
16 May 1967 – The Web
16 May 1967 – Herbie Goins & The Nightimers (every Tuesday)
23 May 1967 – Herbie Goins & The Nightimers (every Tuesday)
30 May 1967 – The Web
5 June 1967 – Amen Corner
20 June 1967 – Coloured Raisins
25 June 1967 – Jose Feliciano
7 July 1967 – Denny Laine’s Electric String Band
25 July 1967 – Amen Corner
1 August 1967 – Donnie Elbert
18 August 1967 – Granny’s Intentions
26 August 1967 – Chicken Shack
12 September 1967 – Herbie Goins & The Nightimers
14 September 1967 – Big Maybelle & The Majority
19 October 1967 – Freddie King
24 October 1967 – Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll
2 November 1967 – Coloured Raisins
3 November 1967 – Deuce Coup
4 November 1967 – Mike Stuart Span
6 November 1967 – The Majority
7 November 1967 – Ferris Wheel
8 November 1967 – Ten Years After
9 November 1967 – Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation
10 November 1967 – The Maze
11 November 1967 – Dr K’s Blues Band
28 November 1967 – Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas
1 December 1967 – Glady’s Knight & The Pips
12 December 1967 – The Vibrations
14 December 1967 – Eddie Floyd
8 May 1968 – Ray King Soul Band
23 May 1968 – Spooky Tooth
9 June 1968 – Fairport Convention
30 June 1968 – Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation
3 July 1968 – Ray King Soul Band
20 July 1968 – The Sweet
28 July 1968 – Terry Reid & The Fantasy
17 August 1968 – Juniors Eyes
27 August 1968 – Jethro Tull
6 September 1968 – Juniors Eyes
15 September 1968 – Yes
18 September 1968 – Yes
25 September 1968 – Glass Menagerie
13 October 1968 – Yes
19 October 1968 – Mint Tulip
22 October 1968 – Yes
30 October 1968 – Yes
5 November 1968 – Yes
8 December 1968 – Yes
15-22 December 1968 – The Flame (plays one week)
26 December 1968 – Yes
24 January 1969 – The N’Betweens
9 March 1969 – Terry Reid
16 March 1969 – The Pretty Things
4 May 1969 – King Crimson
1 July 1969 – The Majority
2 July 1969 – Babylon
4 July 1969 – The New York Public Library
5 July 1969 – The Fire
7 July 1969 – The Entire Sioux Nation
8 July 1969 – Arcadium
10 July 1969 – Jo Jo Gunne
11 July 1969 – Spirit of John Morgan
12 July 1969 – The Majority
13 July 1969 – Audience
14 July 1969 – The New York Public Library
15 July 1969 – Samson
18 July 1969 – Ashton, Gardner & Dyke
21 July 1969 – East of Eden
22 July 1969 – Circus
25 July 1969 – The Majority
26 July 1969 – Velvet Opera
28 July 1969 – Shy Limbs
30 July 1969 – The Nite People
10 October 1969 – Hawkwind
13 October 1969 – Ashton, Gardner and Dyke
21 October 1969 – Skin Alley
8 December 1969 – Quatermass
30 December 1969 – Hawkwind
Sources:
Thanks to Marmalade Skies website. Also Melody Maker proved an invaluable resource.
The Revolution Club was a top rock venue in central London that opened in 1968. Yes were regulars and other notable outfits like Deep Purple and Hawkwind also played there.
Most of the gigs below are from Melody Maker and the Marmalade Skies website. I’d welcome any additional gigs as well as memories of the venue.
25 April 1968 – Ray King Soul Band
28 June 1968 – Circus
24 September 1968 – Glass Menagerie
30 September 1968 – Greatest Show on Earth
14 October 1968 – Yes
22 October 1968 – Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas
23 October 1968 – Greatest Show on Earth
1 November 1968 – Shy Limbs
12 November 1968 – Greatest Show on Earth
13 November 1968 – Yes
25 November 1968 – Yes
13 December 1968 – Yes
16 December 1968 – Yes
19 December 1968 – Locomotive
14 May 1969 – King Crimson
28 June 1969 – Deep Purple
2 July 1969 – The Majority
3 July 1969 – Jo Jo Gunne
4 July 1969 – Arrival
5 July 1969 – Cressida
7 July 1969 – Babylon
8 July 1969 – Samson
9 July 1969 – The Majority
10 July 1969 – The New York Public Library
14 July 1969 – Spirit of John Morgan
16 July 1969 – The Majority
17 July 1969 – The Web
19 July 1969 – Phase of Reality
21 July 1969 – Velvet Opera
23 July 1969 – The Majority
24 July 1969 – Brian Auger Trinity
25 July 1969 – Circus
28 July 1969 – Entire Sioux Nation
30 July 1969 – The Majority
31 July 1969 – Audience
18 August 1969 – Ashton, Gardner & Dyke
20 August 1969 – Deep Purple
24 October 1969 – Skin Alley
13 November 1969 – Skin Alley
27 November 1969 – Graham Bond Organisation
Hatchetts Playground, located at 67a Piccadilly, was one of the happening clubs in the late 1960s and played host to rock bands every night, including Edwin Starr, The New Formula, Amen Corner, Status Quo, Timebox and The Greatest Show on Earth, to name just a few.
I’ve started a gig below and would welcome any additions as well as memories of the venue
25 December 1967 – The Penny Peep Show
1-6 January 1968 – Family
12 January 1968 – Ray King Soul Band
13 January 1968 – The Quotations
15-16 January 1968 – The New Formula
17 January 1968 – Timebox
18 January 1968 – The New Formula
19 January 1968 – The Three Sounds
20 January 1968 – Timebox
22 January 1968 – The New Formula
23 January 1968 – The Web
24 January 1968 – The New Formula
25 January 1968 – The Web
26-27 January 1968 – The Three Sounds
29-30 January 1968 – The New Formula
31 January 1968 – Timebox
15 February 1968 – Timebox
16 February 1968 – Copycats
17 February 1968 – Pussyfoot
19 February 1968 – Timebox
20 February 1968 – Jo Jo Cooke & The Racket
21 February 1968 – Little John & The Shadocks
22 February 1968 – Timebox
23-24 February 1968 – Jo Jo Cooke & The Racket
26 February 1968 – The New Formula
29 February 1968 – Rainy Day Women (Swedish)
14 April 1968 – Ray King’s Soul Band
19 April 1968 – Ray King’s Soul Band
25 April 1968 – The Penny Peep Show
12 May 1968 – Flowerpot Men
19 May 1968 – Status Quo
22-23 May 1968 – Lemon Tree
26 May 1968 – Unit 4 Plus 2
29 May 1968 – Edwin Starr & The State Express
14 July 1968 – Cherry Smash
17 July 1968 – Two of Each
23 July 1968 – Moon’s Train
24 July 1968 – The Lee Group
25 July 1968 – The Penny Peep Show
30 July 1968 – Unit 4 Plus 2
31 July 1968 – Moon’s Train
1 August 1968 – Greatest Show on Earth
5 August 1968 – Greatest Show on Earth
6-7 August 1968 – Simon K & The Meantimers
10 August 1968 – Circus
19 August 1968 – Skip Bifferty
26 August 1968 – Greatest Show on Earth
28 August 1968 – Greatest Show on Earth
29 August 1968 – Greatest Show on Earth
30 August 1968 – Mud
1-2 September 1968 – Cherry Smash
4 September 1968 – Orange Seaweed
6 September 1968 – Wild Uncertainty
8 September 1968 – Pepper
10 September 1968 – Tuesday’s Children
13 September 1968 – Horace Faith
16 September 1968 – Circus
21 September 1968 – Tuesday’s Children
23 September 1968 – Katch 22
24 September 1968 – Tony Rivers & The Castaways
25-26 September 1968 – The Mooche
1 October 1968 – Flirtations
2 October 1968 – Jo Jo Gunne
5 October 1968 – Renaissance Fayre
6 October 1968 – Moving Finger
9 October 1968 – Toast
11-12 October 1968 – Horace Faith and Wild Uncertainty
13 October 1968 – Cherry Smash
14-15 October 1968 – Mint Tulip
15 October 1968 – Timebox
16 October 1968 – The Sweet
17 October 1968 – Pussyfoot and The Sweet
18 October 1968 – Rainbow Folly
19 October 1968 – Timebox
20 October 1968 – Cherry Smash
22 October 1968 – Timebox and Katch 22
26 October 1968 – The New Formula
27 October 1968 – Cherry Smash
27-28 October 1968 – Toast
29 October 1968 – The Sweet
1-2 November 1968 – Vamp
3 November 1968 – Lions of Judea
7-12 November 1968 – Lions of Judea
16-17 November 1968 – Lions of Judea
19-20 November 1968 – Lions of Judea
24 November 1968 – Lions of Judea
27 November 1968 – Iveys
27-28 November 1968 – Greatest Show on Earth
28 November 1968 – The Mojos
1 December 1968 – Toast
4 December 1968 – Flirtations
16 December 1968 – Jo Jo Gunne
18 December 1968 – Toast
Sources:
The gigs listed above were largely sourced from Melody Maker and also the Marmalade Skies website.
The Bromel Club was initially a jazz venue that was located in the Bromley Court Hotel in Bromley, south east London. During the 1960s, it hosted most of the top British bands of the day, including Cream, Pink Floyd and The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Drawing on dates from Melody Maker and the South East London Mercury plus the Marmalade Skies website, I’ve started to compile a gig list and would welcome any additions as well as memories of the venue.
10 April 1964 – Graham Bond Organisation
29 June 1964 – Graham Bond Organisation
22 July 1964 – Graham Bond Organisation
24 July 1964 – The Soul Agents
5 August 1964 – Graham Bond Organisation
23 August 1964 – Graham Bond Organisation
21 October 1964 – Graham Bond Organisation
9 November 1964 – Graham Bond Organisation
20 December 1964 – The Soul Agents
18 January 1965 – Themselves
11 February 1965 – The Second Thoughts
11 March 1965 – The Drovers
8 April 1965 – The Tribe
23 May 1965 – Manfred Mann
26 May 1965 – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
29 September 1965 – Bo Diddley
17 November 1965 – The Riot Squad
29 January 1966 – David Bowie & The Lower Third
31 January 1966 – The Breed
1 February 1966 – Ken Colyer
2 February 1966 – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
6 February 1966 – The Untamed
7 February 1966 – The Soul System
9 February 1966 – Chrispian St. Peters
10 February 1966 – The Board Walkers
14 February 1966 – The Name
16 February 1966 – The Soul Show
17 February 1966 – The Deck Hands
28 February 1966 – L Henderson’s Soul Band
2 March 1966 – The Action
3 March 1966 – The Subjects
23 March 1966 – Gary Farr & The T-Bones
26 March 1966 – The Kinks
30 March 1966 – The Action
1 May 1966 – The Kinks
18 May 1966 – Steampacket
26 May 1966 – John Brown’s Bodies
15 June 1966 – The Moody Blues
29 June 1966 – The Yardbirds
27 July 1966 – The Loose Ends
August 1966 – The Tribe
12 August 1966 – Cream
14 August 1966 – Downliner’s Sect
17 August 1966 – Alan Price Set
24 August 1966 – The Creation
7 September 1966 – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
5 October 1966 – The Herd
23 October 1966 – The Loose Ends
5 November 1966 – The Tribe
20 November 1966 – The Loose Ends
23 November 1966 – The Herd
30 November 1966 – The Herd
14 December 1966 – Cream
21 December 1966 – Eric Burdon & The Animals
26 December 1966 – The New Loose Ends
4 January 1967 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
15 January 1967 – The New Loose Ends
18 January 1967 – The Coloured Raisins
20 January 1967 – The Motivation
25 January 1967 – Georgie Fame & Blue Fames and the Little Joe Set
8 February 1967 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
22 February 1967 – Cream
1 March 1967 – The Action
8 March 1967 – The Loose Ends
22 March 1967 – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
19 April 1967 – Pink Floyd
26 April 1967 – Herbie Goins & The Nighttimers
3 May 1967 – The Move
10 May 1967 – Jeff Beck Group
17 May 1967 – Prince Buster
24 May 1967 – P P Arnold
24 May 1967 – Pink Floyd
27 May 1967 – The Sassenachs and The New Breed
31 May 1967 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
The Big Wheel, Switzerland, late 1966, left to right: Mick Holland, Del Coverley (front), Andy Clark (wearing glasses), Paul Stroud and Ron Bryer
Paul Stroud – lead vocals
Del Grace – lead guitar (replaced in 1966 by Ron Bryer)
Mike Manners – organ (replaced in 1966 by Andy Clark)
Barry Nicholls – bass (replaced in 1966 by Mick Holland)
Del Coverely – drums
Formed in the Bexley, Kent area in mid-1964, the original line-up included former Carl Lee & The Epitaphs guitarist Del Grace, who joined longstanding lead singer Paul Stroud, bass player Barry Nicholls and organist Mike Manners. Towards the end of the year, former Scimitars sticks man Del Coverley replaced the original drummer.
Big Wheel gigged incessantly around the London area and played regularly at the Black Prince Hotel in Bexley, working with notable acts like John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and The Graham Bond Organisation. In March 1966, the musicians played at a festival in Berlin, Germany.
Around April 1966, Mike Manners dropped out and Andy Clark took his place. On 6 June, the new formation left England to tour Germany and Switzerland. On the band’s return, both Del Grace and Barry Nicholls both departed.
Del Grace joined The Carl Douglas Set in July 1966, which morphed into Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede. Barry ‘Baz’ Nicholls, years later, joined heavy metal band, More, with whom he continues to gig.
With further gigs lined up in Switzerland, the remaining members brought in former Carl Douglas Set guitarist Ron Bryer, who’d previously worked with Lewisham group, The Loose Ends and bass player Mick Holland.
The new configuration developed quite a following in Switzerland, playing at the Tanzrad in Basel before moving on to Zurich. Big Wheel even issued a hopelessly rare (Swiss-only) mod single, Andy Clark’s “Don’t Give Up That Easy” c/w “You’re Only Hurting Yourself”, released on the Eurex label in February 1967.
However, in early October 1966, Del Coverley left to join Del Grace and original Big Wheel organist Mike Manners in Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede.
It’s likely that the remaining Big Wheel members stayed in Switzerland until at least May 1967 whereupon all of the musicians except Ron Bryer returned to the UK.
Bryer joined Dee Dee Barry & The Movements before forming Brainticket in 1968. The band cut a lone album “Cottonwoodhill” in 1971, shortly after which Bryer died of a drug overdose.
Back in the UK, Andy Clark reunited with Del Coverley in The Fenmen (aka Kindness). This proved to be short-lived and after working with Sam Gopal’s Dream and Vamp, he formed Clark-Hutchinson, which brought Coverley in for its 1970 and 1971 albums, “Retribution” and “Gestalt”.
Original member, Mike Manners would record two singles with Johnny Young in 1967 after leaving Carl Douglas in July 1967. Del Grace, meanwhile, would record solo material for United Artists and Liberty before moving to Spain and cutting solo CDs.
Many thanks to Del Coverley, Del Grace and Mike Manners for helping to piece this story together. Thanks also to Rolf at Feathered Apple Records in Switzerland for the use of the Eurex single scans
Formed in early 1967, the original line up played regularly at the Railway Hotel, Greenford on Sunday mornings. Tony Bramwell had previously played with The Fantoms.
The Hum Drum Band also performed regularly at the White Bear in Hounslow where they often ran into Dave Cousins who played there before The Strawbs became famous.
When John Iggleden left (possibly to join The Downliners Sect), the group subsequently brought in a sax player called Brian (Marshall?).
The Hum Drum Band broke up in 1969 and Steve Dunkley went on to play with several local bands before drumming on cruise ships. He later ran his own roofing firm.
Jon Guyett, who was an industrial chemist, went on to run his own business. Tony Bramwell, who subsequently married Jan Ball, qualified as chartered quantity surveyor.
Norman Rowe became a well-respected draughtsman in an architect’s practice.
Garage Hangover would be interested to hear from anyone who can provide more information on this group.
Thanks to Tony Bramwell for the information and photos.
Originally known as The Velours, US soul band, The Fantastics had enjoyed Stateside success before being brought to the UK by promoter Roy Tempest in late 1967.
Billed as the “Fabulous Temptations” (even though there was no connection with the more famous Motown act), the group’s debut UK tour took place in September 1967.
The Sovereigns, circa 1966. Sitting on elephant, left to right: Mich Tomich, Freddie Tillyer, Pip Williams and Keith Franklin. Standing: Roy St John (pic: Pip Williams)
To support the soul act on the road, Roy Tempest’s agency hired West London band, The Sovereigns, who had been formed in mid-1965 and comprised singer Roy St John (real name: Roy Thwaites), lead guitarist Pip Williams, bass player Mick Williams, tenor sax player Freddie Tillyer and drummer Keith Franklin.
When the band turned professional, Pip’s brother Mick dropped out and Mick Tomich took over on bass. Shortly after, sax player Freddie Tillyer also left. Just before the band got picked up by Roy Tempest’s agency, Scotsman Brian Johnson, keyboard player in The Senate, came on board.
Pip Williams, circa 1966.
Selected gigs:
1 September 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Hertfordshire (billed as “Fabulous Temptations”) (possibly debut show)
2 September 1967 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Equals, The Sovereigns and The Rubber Band (billed as “Fabulous Temptations”)
3 September 1967 – King Mojo, Sheffield (billed as “Temptations”)
5 September 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, London (billed as “Temptations”)
Within weeks of the tour starting, Mick Tomich departed and Ron Thomas was brought in from Hamilton & The Movement. Tomich went on to play with Pickettywitch among others. By this point, the group had changed name from The Sovereigns to The House of Orange.
Selected gigs:
16 September 1967 – The Place, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
14 November 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, London (billed as “Fabulous Temptations”).
17 November 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire (billed as “Fabulous Temptations”)
3 December 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Army (billed as Temptations)
5 December 1967 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, London (billed as “Fabulous Temptations”)
17 February 1968 – Princes Pavilion, Falmouth, Cornwall with Peace & Quiet
25 February 1968 – Beau Brummel Club, Nantwich, Cheshire (bills backing group, The House of Orange) with The Jaytree Organisation
2 March 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Gospel Garden, The Reformation (bills backing group, The House of Orange)
2 March 1968 – Brave New World, Portsmouth, Hampshire (billed but replaced by Mike Cotton & Lucas)
3 March 1968 – Ram Jam, Brixton, London
17 March 1968 – Beau Brummel Club, Nantwich, Cheshire (bills backing group, The House of Orange) with The Jaytree Organisation
26 April 1968 – Clockwork Orange, Chester, Cheshire (bills backing group, The House of Orange)
27 April 1968 – Ram Jam, Brixton, London with Duke Reid Sound
6 May 1968 – Belfry, Wishaw, West Midlands with Immediate Pleasure
13 May 1968 – Cromwellian, London
3 June 1968 – Queen’s Hall, Leeds with The Herd, Bill Haley & The Comets, Alan Bown, Edwin Starr, Amboy Jukes, Gospel Garden, Clockwork Orange and others
3 June 1968 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Action (unlikely with gig in Leeds on the same day)
10 June 1968 – Carlton Club, Warrington
11 June 1968 – Klooks Kleek, London
15 June 1968 – Bulmershe College of Education, Woodley, Berkshire
11 August 1968 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, Kent
16 August 1968 – Fishmonger’s Arms, Wood Green, London
22 August 1968 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, London
24 August 1968 – “Middle Earth”, Torquay Town Hall, Torquay, Devon (bills backing group, The House of Orange) with The Royals and Howard Stephen Shape
1 September 1968 –Queen’s Hall, Leeds with Ben E King, Clyde McPhattter, Flirtations, Tim Rose, Timebox and The World of Oz
2 September 1968 – Brave New World, Portsmouth, Hampshire
14 September 1968 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with Same Brothers and Confusion
17 September 1968 – Hatchettes Playground, London
11 October 1968 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham
12 October 1968 – Links, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire with Fragrant Blend
29-31 October 1968 – Rum Runner, Birmingham with Catz
31 October 1968 – Birdcage, Harlow, Essex
1 November 1968 – Bird Cage, Harlow, Essex with Chuck Jackson and Carla Thomas
2 November 1968 – Rawtenstall Baths, Rawtenstall, Lancashire
5 November 1968 – Concord, Southampton, Hampshire
8 November 1968 – Swimming Baths, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
22 November 1968 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire
23 November 1968 – Odeon Manchester (or was this Manchester Free Trade Hall?) with Diana Ross & The Supremes and others
24 November 1968 – London Palladium, London with Diana Ross & The Supremes and others
29 November 1968 – Cue Club, Paddington, London
30 November 1968 – New Century Hall, Manchester
1 December 1968 – Princes and Domino clubs, Manchester
3 December 1968 –The Place Club, Henley, Berkshire (sure not The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire?)
6 December 1968 – City Hall, Sheffield
7 December 1968 – Elm Court Ballroom, Botley, Hampshire
9 December 1968 – Ramsgate Coronation Ballroom, Ramsgate, Kent
12 December 1968 – Pavilion, Worthing, West Sussex
13 December 1968 – Top Rank, Doncaster
15 December 1968 – RAF Mildenhall
16 December 1968 – Tithe Farm, Harlow, Essex
20 December 1968 – Tabernacle, Stockport, Greater Manchester
21 December 1968 – Cliffs Pavilion, Southend, Essex
22 December 1968 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, Kent
23 December 1968 – Golden Torch, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
24 December 1968 – Plaza Ballroom, Newbury, Berkshire
26 December 1968 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire
27 December 1968 – Newmarket Hotel, Bridgewater, Somerset
28 December 1968 – Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire with The Hideaways
29 December 1968 – Mercers Arms, Coventry, West Midlands
30 December 1968 – Belfry Hotel, Wishaw, West Midlands
31 December 1968 – Morecambe Pier, Morecambe, Lancashire
2 January 1969 – Sloopy’s, Middlesbrough
3 January 1969 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham
4 January 1969 – Civic Hall, Winsford, Cheshire
17 January 1969 – Town Hall, Birmingham
18 January 1969 – Town Hall, Glastonbury, Somerset
19 January 1969 – Surrey Oval Rooms, Kennington, Surrey
21 January 1969 – King’s Hall, Aberystwyth, Wales
24 January 1969 – White Lion, Edgware, Middlesex
25 January 1969 – Winter Gardens Pavilion, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset
1 February 1969 – New Astoria Ballroom, Rawtenstall, Lancashire and Bin Lid Club, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
2 February 1969 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire
7 February 1969 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham
14-15 February 1969 – Scene 2 Club, Scarborough
16 February 1969 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, Kent
22 February 1969 – Cliff’s Pavilion, Southend, Essex
23 February 1969 – Good Companion’s Hotel, Slough, Berkshire
In late February, Keith Franklin and Brian Johnson both departed. Pip Williams and Ron Thomas brought in drummer James Smith from The Nashville Teens and organist Martin Woodward from Tapestry.
Selected gigs:
19 March 1969 – The Lyceum, the Strand, London with The Move (debut show with new line up)
Martin Woodward remembers playing the following venues but doesn’t remember the dates:
April – US airbases in Germany and then Zurich, Switzerland with Gun
Selected gigs:
25 April 1969 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham
25 May 1969 – Skegness Seaside Soul Festival, Skegness, Lincolnshire with Amen Corner, Inez and Charlie Foxx, Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band and Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
According to James Smith, the Fantastics had problems with UK work permits around this time and had to work in Europe for six months. Just before the following gigs in Germany, Ron Thomas left (later to play, most notably, with The Heavy Metal Kids) and one of the roadie’s mates joined on bass.
Selected gigs:
June-July 1969 – US airbases in Germany
July 1969 – NATO airbase in Naples, Italy
Martin Woodward in Rome
Pip Williams, who wasn’t long married and needed to return home, left while the band was in Naples and returned home, later joining Jimmy James & The Vagabonds. A guitarist called Fred was flown out to Majorca after the bass player filled in briefly for shows in Cannes, France.
Pip Williams later became a top session player, working with producer Phil Wainman among others. Later on, he became a successful producer, and is best known for producing Status Quo and The Moody Blues, among others.
August 1969 – Majorca (for one month)
Aquila (L-R: Phil Childs, Ralph Denyer, George Lee, Martin Woodward, James Smith)
When the band folded in 1970, Martin Woodward and James Smith formed Aquila who, after gigging around the UK, Rome, Paris and Amsterdam, recorded a lone ‘prog rock’ album for RCA. They then teamed up again backing Geno Washington for a short time. Woodward then joined the Tommy Hunt Band and Smith hooked up with a German-based American soul band working in Spain.
A huge thanks to Pip Williams, Martin Woodward, Ron Thomas and James Smith for their help piecing the band history together. Thank you to Pip Williams for The Sovereigns photos. Thanks to Martin Woodward for personal photo and to James Smith for Aquila image.
Pete Frolich – guitar (replaced original guitarist)
Martin Woodward – keyboards
Dave Moses – bass
Chic – drums
This five-piece harmony band was formed at Warlingham School in Surrey during 1968. The group recorded two singles for NEMS, kicking off with “Like the Sun” c/w “Florence”, which was released in September 1968. Both sides were produced by guitarist Pete Gage, who co-wrote “Like the Sun” with the band. “Florence” was written by Mike Hutson with a school friend.
A second single, “Heart and Soul” c/w “Who Wants Happiness” came out on 24 January 1969 by which point the band had split up. Produced again by Pete Gage, “Heart and Soul” was composed by R MacDonald and M Green while Dave Moses penned “Who Wants Happiness”. Pete Gage made the decision that Pete Frolich rather than Mike Hutson should sing on “Heart and Soul”.
Martin Woodward joined The Fantastics’ backing group, The House of Orange and later recorded with Aquila before working with the Tommy Hunt Band. Mike Hutson subsequently took up a post in promotions at United Artists and RCA.
Thank you Martin Woodward for providing information about this band and also to Pete Gage. Garage Hangover would be interested to hear from anyone that can add more information about the group.
Freddy Mack’s album recorded in 1967 (not 1966). Thanks to Dave Tedstone for image
Retired American light-heavyweight boxer Freddie Mack, sometimes spelt Freddy Mack and also known as Mr Superbad, relocated to the UK in 1965 and established a second career as a soul singer and disc jockey.
Between late 1965 and the mid-1970s, Mack fronted a succession of bands featuring a staggering number of notable British R&B and soul musicians.
Originally called The Mack Sound, the singer’s bands also worked under the names The Freddie Mack Sound, The Fantastic Freddie Mack Show and the Freddie Mack Extravaganza.
In December 1965, Freddie Mack was briefly paired with The Phil Wainman Band for a Christmas/New Year show with female singer Cleo Sylvester. The group’s line up at the time comprised lead guitarist Mick Stewart; bass player Ron Thomas; organist Mick Fletcher; sax players Mel Wayne and Dave Mahoney; and drummer Phil Wainman.
Mel Wayne says that if he recalls correctly, Mick Fletcher was staying with him in Twickenham and the pair had problems with the trains and arrived late. Mack was going to fine them but the rest of the band rallied and said they’d leave if he did.
Unfortunately, the show proved to be a one off and Wainman’s band went on to work with a succession of Jamaican artists, including Millie, Owen Grey and most notably Jimmy Cliff.
Around April 1966 Freddie Mack approached Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages to form a new (and larger) stage show, which already had Cleo Sylvester plus another American singer, Ronald Bertram Greaves (aka Sonny Childe) lined up to join (although Melody Maker lists Sonny Childe playing with The Charms at the Cue Club, Paddington on 11 May 1966).
Screaming Lord Sutch had been using Liverpool band, Derry Wilkie & The Others as a backing group for several months but the musicians were keen to break away from Lord Sutch.
The entire outfit – singer Derry Wilkie; lead guitarist Ernie Hayes; tenor sax player Phil Kenzie; baritone sax player Ashton Tootell; bass player Derek Bond; and drummer Billy Adamson accepted Mack’s offer and signed up, debuting at the Ram Jam in Brixton on 22 April 1966 under the name Freddie Mack’s This ‘N’ That.
The excellent Derry Wilkie website also lists a number of other players that were part of this larger show: singer Jo Baker; lead guitarist Geoff Krivit; tenor sax player “Nobby Clarke”; trumpet player Mark Charig; organist Mike Vaughn-Jones; and percussionist Eddie Lincoln.
Krivit, incidentally, had briefly been a member of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers in 1965 and would go on to play with Dr K’s Blues Band. Charig meanwhile had been a member of The Sidewinders (recently playing at Count Suckle’s Cue Club in Paddington) and later worked with Bluesology (alongside Elton John).
Billed as This ‘N’ That, the line-up recorded a lone single, “Get Down With It” c/w “I Care About You” for the Strike label, which was released on 10 June 1966.
Judging by an advert printed in 11 June 1966 edition of Melody Maker, the single features singers Derry Wilkie, Sonny Childe, Cleo Sylvester and Leon plus “the explosive sound of TNT and Mack Sound”.
But Derry Wilkie didn’t hang around long and briefly embarked on a solo career (possibly when Sonny Childe came fully on-board).
The rest of Mack’s group left in early July 1966 to work as Sonny Childe & The TNT. According to Ernie Hayes, when Sonny Childe returned to the US around August 1967, the guitarist, plus organist Mike Vaughan-Jones and drummer Billy Adamson joined forces with bass player Jet Harris and singer Pete Gage for a few months. Phil Kenzie meanwhile joined Tuesday’s Children for four months.
In December 1967, Ernie Hayes, Mike Vaughan-Jones, Billy Adamson and Phil Kenzie reunited in TNT to back American singer PP Arnold with former Creation’s member Eddie Phillips on bass. Adamson later played with The Searchers while Kenzie returned to Freddie Mack’s band in spring 1968 (see forthcoming entry).
Back in late August 1966, Derry Wilkie returned to sing with The Mack Sound. By this time, Freddie Mack had brought in baritone sax player Roger Warwick, whose CV included spells with The Tornados and Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages, to put together a new formation.
Drawing on a number of web sources, and accounts from several musicians, it looks like the new line up’s formation, which signed to Dumont Associates (as advertised in Melody Maker’s 15 October issue), comprised the following at some point between September 1966 and January 1967:
Freddie Mack – lead vocals
Derry Wilkie – lead vocals
Tony Morgan – lead vocals, congas
Kenneth Harry – lead vocals
Kookie Eaton – lead vocals
Ged Peck – lead guitar
Billy Davidson – organ
Art Regis – organ (most likely from January 1967)
Alan Cartwright – bass
Roger Warwick – baritone saxophone
Dick Morrisey – tenor saxophone
Clarence Jackson – trombone
Bernie Wehrman – tenor saxophone
Chris Burdett – alto saxophone (possibly joined later in 1966)
Jeff Bridge – tenor saxophone (possibly joined later in 1966)
Phil Presland – baritone saxophone (possibly joined later in 1966)
Eddie ‘Tan Tan’ Thornton – trumpet (joined October 1966)
B J Wilson – drums
Art Regis with The Defenders
Hammond organist Art Regis, who’d previously performed with Mel Turner & Rupert and The Red Devils, Dutch band The Defenders, The SW5 and The Arthur Brown Union, remembers Derry Wilkie, Tony Morgan, Kookie Eaton, Dick Morrisey, Bernie Wehrman, Clarence Jackson and Eddie Thornton being in the band at the same time as him.
Clarence Jackson was a member of Otis Redding’s touring band when the singer had made his UK debut in September 1966, so it’s probably safe to assume he joined after the tour had finished.
Eddie ‘Tan Tan’ Thornton, however, was still working with Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames until October 1966, and therefore it’s possible that another trumpet player was there before.
Thanks to recollections from Ged Peck, it appears that the first keyboard player was Billy Davidson (who later worked with The Flowerpot Men among others) but he was replaced by Art Regis at some point.
One thing is clear from tracing Freddie Mack’s bands during the 1960s, the line-ups tended to be pretty fluid and (particularly) horn players appeared to come and go on a regular basis, making pinning down definitive formations almost impossible.
Of the other musicians listed above, lead guitarist Ged Peck had been a member of The Favourite Sons before briefly playing with Chris Lamb & The Universals. Dick Morrisey came from The Ian Hamer Sextet while B J Wilson had played with The Paramounts and George Bean & The Runners.
In late February 1967, Wilson joined Sands and then Procol Harum, so would only have been there a matter of months. Alan Cartwright was an old friend of Wilson’s and would later play with Procol Harum in the Seventies.
Art Regis recalls Freddie Mack coming to his flat in Portobello Road and discussing the possibility of forming “an extravagant international soul show”. The Hammond organist also remembers playing at Silver Blades Ice Rink in Streatham and a trek down to Cornwall to play an air sea rescue base in Falmouth (possibly gig listed below on 30 March 1967).
More importantly, Art Regis also recalls performing with Freddie Mack at Billy Walker’s The Upper Cut in Forest Gate, which opened on 21 December 1966. According to Melody Maker, Mack’s band was the resident support band at this notable venue until early February 1967.
Throughout this period, musicians appear to have come and gone on a regular basis. According to Nick Simper’s excellent website, Roger Truth, who had played with the future Deep Purple bass player in Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, took over the drum stool in late November 1966.
Like B J Wilson, Roger Warwick also left in the winter of 1966. Warwick moved to Italy to form a band for Lebanese singer Patrick Samson.
The New Pirates in February 1967. Mick Stewart (far left) who played with Mack in December 1965 and Nick Simper (second from right) who briefly played with Mack in early 1967. Photo: John Kerrison
Nick Simper also spent a week with the band when it was resident support act at the Upper Cut (most likely the first week in January 1967) after working with Bobby Hebb’s touring band. However, Alan Cartwright was soon back and Simper formed The New Pirates the following month.
Art Regis would reunite with Nick Simper and Ged Peck June 1967 in Billie Davis & The Quality before working briefly with Engelbert Humperdinck. Regis confirms that he then joined Jimmy James & The Vagabonds on 27 July 1967.
The Loose Ends in 1966 with Roy Davies (far left). Photo: Alan Whitehead
Another keyboard player that is often associated with Freddie Mack during this time is future Gonzalez member Roy Davies, who’d previously been a member of Southeast London band, The Loose Ends. It looks most likely that Davies came on-board when Art Regis left.
Notable gigs:
10 September 1966 – The Cavern, Liverpool with Eddie Cave & The Fix, The Kop, The Hideaways, The Seftons and The Rocking Vicars
1 October 1966 – Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth, Cornwall with Jaguars
8 November 1966 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire
26-27 November 1966 – Tofts, Folkestone, Kent
4 December 1966 – Douglas House, London (listed as 13-piece band) with Herbie Goins & The Nighttimers)
5 December 1966 – Whisky A Go Go, London
10 December 1966 – King’s Hall, Stoke-on-Trent with In-Betweens and Lonnie’s Few
11 December 1966 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire
11 December 1966 – Esquire Club, Sheffield with The Orginators Creed, The Hobo Flats and The Chicago Line
16 December 1966 – Tofts, Folkestone, Kent
21 December 1966-12 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate:
21 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with Who
22 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with Easybeats
23 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch
24 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with Eric Burdon & The Animals
26 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with Jimi Hendrix Experience (day)
26 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with Pretty Things (evening)
27-29 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate
30 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with Spencer Davis Group
31 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
1 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with The Move
2-5 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate
6 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with The Small Faces
7 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with The Bitter End Singers
8 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with The Mindbenders (Nick Simper’s website says Pink Floyd replaced them)
9-12 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate
13 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with Four Pennies
14 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with Terry Lightfoot’s Jazzmen
15-19 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate
20 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with Sounds Incorporated
21 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with The Fourmost
22-26 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate
27 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
28 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with Jimi Hendrix Experience
29-31 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate
1-2 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate
3 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with Winston’s Fumbs (now listed as 15-piece band)
4 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate
5-12 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest
13 February 1967 – Winter Gardens Ballroom, Penzance, Cornwall with The Jaguars
14 February 1967 – Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth, Cornwall with The Dissatisfied
25 February 1967 – Tofts, Folkestone, Kent
18 March 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Kool Combination, The Bone and The Steel Band
23 March 1967 – Cleethorpes
24 March 1967 – Scotland
25 March 1967 – Scotland
26 March 1967 – Scotland
27 March 1967 – Scotland
30 March 1967 – RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall (Art Regis a member?)
1-2 April 1967 – Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth, Cornwall with The Hoboes
Other changes around this time included another drummer (possibly B J Wilson), who would have filled in when Roger Truth temporarily bailed to rehearse with Nick Simper’s New Pirates but then had a change of heart and returned. Also, some sources note that West Indian trumpet player Sonny Corbett joined during early 1967.
Ged Peck certainly was gone sometime in late March/early April 1967 and joined Nick Simper in Billie Davis & The Quality that May before going on to a number of notable acts, including Warhorse (alongside Simper). His temporary replacement was former Tornados and Echoes guitarist Stuart Taylor.
Lead guitarist Dave Tedstone, who had previously been a member of The Doc Thomas Group, remembers going to Eel Pie Island to see Freddie Mack’s band and says that it was one of Roger Truth’s final gigs (before he left to join Simon Raven Cult). Tedstone also recalls that Stuart Taylor was on guitar. Thanks to Pete Watt’s excellent research this gig can be confirmed as 4 April 1967.
This is the start of a short timeline covering the career of The Flowerpot Men, famous for the UK hit “Let’s Go To San Francisco”.
I’d like to thank Miguel Terol for helping to piece together the following timeline. I would welcome any input from anyone who can add or correct information below. The following sources were also very useful:
Neil Landon and Pete Nelson replace John Carter and Ken Lewis who sang on the single, ‘Let’s Go To San Francisco’.
+ Ged Peck – lead guitar (ex-Billie Davis & Quality)
+ Nick Simper – bass (ex-Billie Davis & Quality)
+ Billy Davidson – keyboards (ex-Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound)
+ Carlo Little – drums (ex-Billie Davis & Quality)
Notable gigs (most sourced from Melody Maker):
29 September 1967 – Floral Hall, Southport
Tour with Traffic, Tomorrow, Art, The Mindbenders and Vanilla Fudge:
1 October 1967 – Mr Smiths, Manchester
4 October 1967 – Finsbury Park Astoria, Finsbury Park, London
6 October 1967 – Rugby Benn Memorial Hall, Rugby, Warwickshire
6 October 1967 – ABC, Chesterfield
7 October 1967 – City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne
8 October 1967 – Empire, Liverpool
10 October 1967 – ABC Croydon, Surrey
11 October 1967 – Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham
13 October 1967 – Colston Hall, Bristol
14 October 1967 – Gaumont, Wolverhampton
15 October 1967 – De Montfort Hall, Leicester
17 October 1967 – Gaumont, Ipswich, Suffolk
25 October 1967 – King’s Hall, Derby (needs confirmation)
28 October 1967 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley
4 November 1967 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire
14 November 1967 – King’s Hall, Derby (needs confirmation)
15 November 1967 – Locarno, Stevenage
19 November 1967 – Saville Theatre, London with The Bee Gees and The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band
20 November 1967 – Stokley S&S Club
25 November 1967 – German TV Beat Club (most likely broadcast date)
NME announces in its 18 November issue that The Flowerpot Men have formed a four-piece backing group called The Sundial. The magazine reports that the group performs at the following venues:
November – Flowerpot Club, Birmingham (Saturday)
26 November 1967 – Week’s cabaret split between Latino, South Shields and Wetherall’s, Sunderland
The following gigs are from Melody Maker:
8 December 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable
9 December 1967 – Nottingham University
12 December 1967 – Keele University
16 December 1967 – St George Ballroom, Hinckley
23 December 1967 – Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire with Sun Dial and Sound Society
30 December 1967 – German TV Beat Club
Billy Davidson is ill and various keyboard players fill in, possibly John Carroll
+ Jon Lord – keyboards (ex-Artwoods)
3 February 1968 – California Ballroom, Dunstable
24 February 1968: Nick Simper and Jon Lord leave for Roundabout on this date
+ Tex Makins – bass
+ John Carroll – keyboards
24-30 March 1968 – La Dolce Vita, Birmingham
Early May 1968:
Tex Makins and John Carroll both leave. Carroll goes to Germany to play club in Essen for three months. Makins will reunite with Peck and Little shortly
+ Gordon Haskell – bass (ex-Fleur De Lyes)
12 May 1968 – NME awards (one of Haskell’s first shows)
12 May 1968 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, London
18 May 1968 – California Ballroom, Dunstable with O’Hara’s Playboys
Circa mid-July 1968:
Gordon Haskell leaves to join Cupid’s Inspiration
+ Tex Makins returns
11 July 1968 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with Bystanders and Sam’s Brothers Band
Circa late July/early August 1968:
Ged Peck, Tex Makins and Carlo Little join David Garrick’s band in Switzerland
+ Mick Stewart – lead guitar (ex-James Royal Set)
Also another drummer and bass player
17 August 1968 – The Marquee, Baston with The Iveys and Muffin Bank
Circa late August 1968:
+ Carlo Little rejoins on drums after David Garrick show
30 September 1968 – Club Cavendish, Birmingham (play for a week?)
Circa early October 1968:
Mick Stewart leaves to rejoin James Royal Set. The bass player leaves too
+ Robin Box – lead guitar
+ Ricky Wolff – keyboards, flute and sax
+ Tony Hall – saxophone
+ Gordon Haskell – bass rejoins from Cupid’s Inspiration
8 March 1969 – Grand Hall, Kilmarnock, Scotland with Ambrose Slade
Many thanks to John Carroll and Gordon Haskell for providing information
GARAGE HANGOVER WOULD WELCOME ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS BELOW
Dave Martin Group, 1966. Left to right: Dave Martin, John Chinnery, Roger Flavell and Albert Woodward. Photo credit: Roger Flavell
This West London band’s roots can be found in The Dave Martin Group, which was formed around September 1966.
The original formation comprised:
Martin Thomas (aka Dave Martin) – lead vocals
John Chinnery – guitar/vocals
Roger Flavell – bass/vocals
Albert Woodward – drums
The Dave Martin Group was managed by John Chinnery’s older brother Geoff, who’d played with Mike Forde & The Fortunes in the late 1950s and early 1960s and briefly managed The Tridents (with a young Jeff Beck).
Guitarist John Chinnery had started out in a Hillingdon school band with Richard Walker and John Morgan. Albert Woodward, who attended another local school, completed the group.
Woodward introduced Martin Thomas and Roger Flavell and together with John Chinnery, the quartet began rehearsing at Ickenham Hall near Ruislip, Middlesex.
According to John’s brother Geoff Chinnery’s detailed gig list (complete with earnings for each performance), the new outfit’s debut show appears to have taken place on 28 October 1966 (most likely) at the Fisheries in Harefield, Middlesex. The gig list notes that The Dave Martin Group played at the same venue on 11, 18-19 and 26 November and also 3-4, 11 and 17 December.
The following gigs are then listed (during which period Roger Flavell was briefly replaced on bass while he had his tonsils out. John Chinnery suspects it was his school friend John Morgan, who covered Flavell’s absence).
Dave Martin Group gigs:
21 December 1966 – Ickenham Hall, Ickenham, Middlesex
23 December 1966 – Warburton Arms, Hackney
24 December 1966 – Harefield Football Club, Harefield, Middlesex
30 December 1966 – Warburton Arms, Hackney
31 December 1966 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
6 January 1967 – Warburton Arms, Hackney
7 January 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
14 January 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
21 January 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
24 January 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
28 January 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex (Roger Flavell returns after this show)
29 January 1967 – Hesden Hall, Ruislip, Middlesex
31 January 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
4 February 1967 – Warburton Arms, Hackney
5 February 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
8-9 February 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
10 February 1967 – Warburton Arms, Hackney
11 February 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
13-16 February 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
17-18 February 1967 – Warburton Arms, Hackney
19 February 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
20-23 February 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
26 February 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
27 February-2 March 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
4 March 1967 – Hanwell Sports Club, Hanwell, Middlesex
5 March 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
6-9 March 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
12 March 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
13 March 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
Dave Martin Group, 1967. Left to right: Lindsay Bex, Roger Flavell, John Chinnery and Dave Martin. Photo credit: Roger Flavell
At this point, Lindsay Bex replaced Albert Woodward on drums, who later became a percussion lecturer.
Older than the others, Lindsay Bex had worked with Geoff Chinnery in Mike Forde & The Fortunes during the late 1950s and early 1960s. In early 1964, Bex joined Chiswick band, The Tridents (who were managed by Geoff Chinnery). He remained with the group until about September 1964 during which time Jeff Beck joined on lead guitar.
In early 1965, Bex went to Germany for three months with The Redcaps and then played with various scratch bands before returning to Germany in 1966 to play American air bases with The Kathy Sampson Set. When Albert Woodward left suddenly, he accepted the call to join.
Dave Martin Group gigs (continued):
14-16 March 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
18 March 1967 – Wedding reception, Teddington, Middlesex
20-23 March 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
24 March 1967 – Blue Coat Boy, Bishopsgate, City of London
25 March 1967 – Wedding reception, Old Kent Road, London
26 March 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
27-30 March 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
31 March 1967 – All Stars Club, Artillery Passage, Liverpool Street, London (audition)
2 April 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
3-6 April 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
7 April 1967 – West Dulwich Sports Club, West Dulwich
8 April 1967 – Derwentwater Club, Acton, Middlesex
9 April 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
15 April 1967 – The Pheasant, South Oxhey, Watford
17 April 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, London (audition)
22 April 1967 – Saracens Rugby Club, Finchley, Middlesex
23 April 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
27 April 1967 – Byron Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex (audition)
30 April 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
7 May 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
8 May 1967 – St Moritz Club, Wardour Street, London (audition)
13 May 1967 – Rank Xerox private party, Denham, Buckinghamshire
14 May 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
19 May 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
20 May 1967 – Rank Xerox, Denham, Buckinghamshire
27 May 1967 – Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey with Five Proud Walkers
28 May 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, Middlesex
3 June 1967 – Wedding Reception, Tea Rooms, Kenton, Middlesex
4 June 1967 – Byron Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
8 June 1967 – RAF Northwood
9 June 1967 – Unknown venue, Purfleet, Essex
10 June 1967 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
12-15 June 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
16 June 1967 – ILI Co, Wembley, Middlesex
17 June 1967 – Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
19-23 June 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
23 June 1967 – UKAEA, Harwell, Oxfordshire with Brian Poole & The Unity
24 June 1967 – Wedding reception, Hendon, Middlesex
26-29 June 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
30 June 1967 – Greenway School, Uxbridge, Middlesex
During 1967, the band recorded a couple of demos at a studio in Denham, Buckinghamshire comprising Martin Thomas/Roger Flavell co-writes.
Dave Martin Group gigs (continued):
3-6 July 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
8 July 1967 – Rank Xerox, Denham, Buckinghamshire
20 July 1967 – Pinn Club, RAF Uxbridge
28 July 1967 – Epsom Youth Club, Epsom, Surrey
29 July 1967 – Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
5 August 1967 – Thames Boat Trip, Westminster to Teddington
6 August 1967 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
12 August 1967 – Thing-a-me-jig, Reading, Berkshire
31 August 1967 – Sword & Wheel Club, RAF Northolt
At midnight, immediately after finishing the gig at RAF Northolt near Ruislip, the band had to pack up in order to drive down to Dover to catch the ferry to the continent and only just made the boat by the ‘skin of their teeth’. Having just turned professional, The Dave Martin Group changed its name to The Magic Roundabout and headed to Germany and then Switzerland.
Magic Roundabout in Bad Vilbel. Left to right: Roger Flavell, Dave Martin, John Chinnery and roadie Stuart Cook. Photo credit: Roger Flavell
The Magic Roundabout gigs:
1-30 September 1967 – Ritterkelleer (9 performances) and Western Club (11 performances), Bad Vilbel, Frankfurt
1-15 October 1967 – Haus Der Music, Wuppertal, Germany (15 performances)
Arriving in Zurich, Switzerland, the band now briefly includes organist Dave Eldridge, a musician from Leicester, whose group has returned home after fulfilling commitments in Frankfurt.
16 October-1 November 1967 – ‘Beat Club’, Hotel Hirschen, Zurich, Switzerland (17 performances) (Eldridge leaves after this gig)
3-6 November 1967 – ‘Taverns Bar’, Ingolstadt, Germany (4 performances) (the band’s final night is cancelled; a fight had broken out the previous night between US servicemen and German police and the club was wrecked. The club is closed for refurbishment and The Magic Roundabout head home to the UK.)
On the band’s return to the UK, organist John Elliott joined. Elliott had previously played with Ealing band, Magnus Pike with lead guitarist/singer Jerry Smith, bass player Roger Searle and drummer Tony Haslam. Searle and Haslam will later go on to work with The Who’s road crew.
Magic Roundabout’s new line up comprised:
Martin Thomas (aka Dave Martin) – lead vocals
John Chinnery – lead guitar/vocals
John Elliott – organ/vocals
Roger Flavell – bass/vocals
Lindsay Bex – drums
The Magic Roundabout gigs (continued):
17 November 1967 – Women’s teachers’ training college (location not known)
18 November 1967 – Young Conservative’s Club, Twickenham, Middlesex
25 November 1967 – YMCA, Baldock, Hertfordshire
4-7 December 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
8 December 1967 – Guild Hall, Ilford, Essex
9 December 1967 – The Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
15 December 1967 – Gillettes, Great West Road with Fortunes and Episode Six
16 December 1967 – RAF Feltwell
23 December 1967 – Rugby Club, Upton Park, Slough, Berkshire
26 December 1967 – Halfway House, Dunstable, Hertfordshire
31 December 1967 – Sword & Wheel Club, RAF Northolt
1-4 January 1968 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
5 January 1968 – Youth Club, West Drayton, Middlesex
6 January 1968 – Baker’s Row Club, Cardiff (Bex’s bass drums falls off the roof rack on the way)
12 January 1968 – USAF Woodbridge, Suffolk
13 January 1968 – Hanwell Community Centre, Hanwell, Middlesex
20 January 1968 – Mildway Tavern, Highbury
24-25 January 1968 – Mildway Tavern, Highbury
26 January 1968 – Scotch of St James, Mayfair
27 January 1968 – Kodak Hall, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
30 January 1968 – BBC Maida Vale (audition)
31 January-1 February 1968 – Mildway Tavern, Highbury
Magic Roundabout, spring 1968. Left to right: Miki Anthony, Lindsay Bex, John Elliott, John Chinnery and Roger Flavell. Photo credit: Roger Flavell
2 February 1968 – Northcote Arms, Southall, Middlesex
3 February 1968 – Queen’s Hall, Halstead, Braintree, Essex
10 February 1968 – Thing-a-me-jig, Reading, Berkshire
12-15 February 1968 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
16 February 1968 – Northcote Arms, Southall, Middlesex
17 February 1968 – Rank Xerox, Denham, Buckinghamshire
21 February 1968 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle Upon Tyne
29 February 1968 – Bluebell Inn, Hackenthorpe, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
1 March 1968 – County Ballroom, Carlisle, Cumbria
2 March 1968 – Sheridan Rooms, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
3 March 1968 – Woodhouse WMC, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
8 March 1968 – RAF Club, Tredegar, Wales
9 March 1968 – Howard Winstone Club, Merthyr, Wales
10 March 1968 – Beech Grove, Pengham, Wales
13 March 1968 – Faculty of Technology, Manchester
14 March 1968 – Bluebell Inn, Hackenthorpe, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
15 March 1968 – Northcote Arms, Southall, Middlesex
18 March 1968 – Quaintways, Chester, Cheshire
24 March 1968 – The Pheasant, South Oxhey, Watford, Hertfordshire
25-27 March 1968 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
29 March 1968 – Brighton Tech College, Brighton, West Sussex
After the above gig, singer Michael Derrick (aka Miki Anthony) took over from Martin Thomas and brought his own manager with him (which would see the band split with Geoff Chinnery).
The Magic Roundabout gigs (continued):
20 April 1968 – Northcote Arms, Southall, Middlesex
21 April 1968 – Warmingham Grange Country Club, Sandbach, Cheshire
26 April 1968 – Kiosk Ballroom, Castleford, West Yorkshire
27 April 1968 – Sheridan Rooms, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
28 April 1968 – The Pavilion, Bournemouth, Dorset
29 April-2 May 1968 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
3 May 1968 – Bluebell Inn, Hackenthorpe, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
4 May 1968 – Morley Town Hall, Morley, West Yorkshire
5 May 1968 – Woodhill, WMC, Normanton, West Yorkshire
11 May 1968 – Bradford University with Jeff Beck Group
17 May 1968 – Board of Trade, Eastcote, Middlesex
18 May 1968 – Faculty of Technology, Manchester with Fleetwood Mac
19 May 1968 – Warmingham Grange Country Club, Sandbach, Cheshire
23 May 1968 – Arundel WMC, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
24-25 May 1968 – Raven Club, RAF Waddington
26 May 1968 – Kiosk Ballroom, Castleford, West Yorkshire
30 May 1968 – Kimbleworth Park Social Club, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
31 May 1968 – 270 Discotheque, Barnsley, West Yorkshire
Sometime around this time, the group recorded a cover of The Bee Gees’ “I Am The World”, which is never released.
Magic Roundabout, 1968. Left to right: Roger Flavell, John Elliott, John Chinnery, Miki Anthony and Lindsay Bex. Photo credit: Roger Flavell
The Magic Roundabout gigs (continued):
1 June 1968 – Manchester University
8 June 1968 – The Pavilion, Weymouth, Dorset
14 June 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire
15 June 1968 – Alexander Hall, Halifax, South Yorkshire with Jackson Union
20 June 1968 – Kimbleworth Park Social Club, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
21 June 1968 – Woodhill, WMC, Normanton, West Yorkshire
22 June 1968 – Morley Town Hall, Morley, West Yorkshire
24-27 June 1968 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
28 June 1968 – Shades, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
29 June 1968 – University of Aston, Birmingham
30 June 1968 – Arundel WMC, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
1 July 1968 – Wilbeck Country Club, Hatfield, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire
2 July 1968 – Top Ranke Suite, Southampton, Hants
5 July 1968 – Cossack Club, Sir James Altham School, Oxhey, Watford, Hertfordshire
6 July 1968 – Bellpunch, Uxbridge, Middlesex
14 July 1968 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
18 July 1968 – Cossack Club, Sir James Altham School, Oxhey, Watford, Hertfordshire
19 July 1968 – Victoria & Bull, Dartford, Kent
20 July 1968 – Bourne School, Ruislip Manor, Middlesex
25 July 1968 – Oasis Club, RAF Biggin Hill, Kent
26 July 1968 – Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex
28 July 1968 – A Train, Hayes, Middlesex
29 July-1 August 1968 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
2 August 1968 – Harrow Inn, Woolwich
3 August 1968 – Thing-a-me-jig, Reading, Berkshire
10 August 1968 – Airman’s Club, USAF, West Ruislip, Middlesex
11 August 1968 – Wake Arms, Epping, Essex
16 August 1968 – Kiosk Ballroom, Castleford, West Yorkshire
17 August 1968 – Black Swan, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
18 August 1968 – Manor House, near Skipton, North Yorkshire
20 August 1968 – Almonbury WMC, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
21 August 1968 – Ponderose, Barnsley, West Yorkshire
22 August 1968 – Blue Bell, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
24 August 1968 – Morley Town Hall, Morley, West Yorkshire
30 August 1968 – RAF Whitton, Middlesex
Michael Derrick’s manager informed the band that he would take the singer away unless he can assume sole management and the musicians begrudgingly agreed as Geoff Chinnery had been managing them from the outset. Soon afterwards, Lindsay Bex and John Elliott both departed following the RAF Whitton gig, which (ironically) Chinnery believes was the band’s best performance to date.
Two weeks later, it was clear that the group’s career had ground to a halt and the band broke up. While Chinnery briefly abandoned a musical career and returned to work in insurance, Flavell subsequently joined Grand Union, the backing band for US soul act, Johnny Johnson & The Bandwagon in 1969.
In late 1970, Flavell briefly played with Geno Washington before working with Tony Hazzard/Richard Barnes, Judd, Kris Ife and The Tommy Hunt Band. In the early Seventies, Flavell joined Christie and then went on to Johnny Wakelin & The Kinshasha Band, The Lonnie Donegan Band and The David Byron Band.
Miki Anthony meanwhile established a highly successful solo career.
John Chinnery and drummer Roger Willis, who have known each other since childhood and are Arsenal FC fans, decided to reform The Magic Roundabout around February 1969 with John Elliott, who has been working in a bank since the band’s break up in September 1968.
The Kool, 1967, featuring Ray Brown (far left). Photo credit: Ray Brown
Ray Brown, who had previously played with Jeff Curtis & The Flames and The Kool agreed to join after his next band, Champagne appeared on the same bill as The Magic Roundabout.
Ray Brown (centre) with Champagne in 1968. Photo credit: Ray Brown
Lead guitarist Ian Hollands, who had previously played with Frankie Reid & The Casuals and The Legends answered an advert in the music press and completed the new formation.
The new Magic Roundabout formation now comprised:
Ian Hollands – lead guitar/vocals
John Chinnery – rhythm guitar/vocals
John Elliott – organ/vocals
Ray Brown – bass/vocals
Roger Willis – drums/vocals
The Magic Roundabout gigs (continued):
9 May 1969 – Harefield Youth Club, Harefield, Middlesex
17 May 1969 – R&B Club, Feltham, Middlesex
18 May 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, Middlesex
23 May 1969 – Lorraine Club, Chingford, Essex
31 May 1969 – Wake Arms, Epping, Essex
6 June 1969 – Salvatorian College, Wealdstone, Middlesex
7 June 1969 – White Hart, Tottenham
13 June 1969 – Lorraine Club, Chingford, Essex
21 June 1969 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
27 June 1969 – Woodford Youth Club, St Barnabos School
28 June 1969 – St Annes School, Hanwell, Middlesex
3 July 1969 – New Penny Disco, Watford, Hertfordshire
4 July 1969 – Pinkwell Youth Centre, Hayes, Middlesex
6 July 1969 – Cambridge Hotel, Edmonton, Middlesex
12 July 1969 – Bourne School, Ruislip Manor, Middlesex
13 July 1969 – the Cherry Tree, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire
18 July 1969 – King’s Head Disco, Harrow, Middlesex
19 July 1969 – Wake Arms, Epping, Essex
26 July 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
1 August 1969 – Lorraine Club, Chingford, Essex
2 August 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
7 August 1969 – Top Rank Suite, Watford, Hertfordshire
15 August 1969 – El Grotto, Ilford, Essex
16 August 1969 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, Middlesex
22 August 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
23 August 1969 – Spa Ballroom, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
24 August 1969 – Cambridge Hotel, Edmonton, Middlesex
30 August 1969 – Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk
31 August 1969 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
26 September 1969 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
27 September 1969 – New Penny Disco, Watford, Hertfordshire
28 September 1969 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, Middlesex
3 October 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
4 October 1969 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, Middlesex
10 October 1969 – Grange Youth Centre, Hayes, Middlesex
11 October 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
24 October 1969 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
25 October 1969 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
1 November 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
2 November 1969 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, Middlesex
7 November 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
8 November 1969 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, Middlesex
9 November 1969 – Hunter’s Club, Horn Hotel, Braintree, Essex
14 November 1969 – Lorraine Club, Chingford, Essex
21 November 1969 – Kettering WMC, Kettering, Northamptonshire
28 November 1969 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
5 December 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
6 December 1969 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, Middlesex
7 December 1969 – Headstone Hotel, North Harrow, Middlesex
11 December 1969 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, Middlesex
12 December 1969 – Harefield Youth Club, Harefield, Middlesex
13 December 1969 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
19 December 1969 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
Magic Roundabout in 1969. Left to right: Ian Hollands, Ray Brown, John Chinnery and John Elliott. Photo credit: Ray Brown
2 January 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex (Hollands ill)
8 January 1970 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, Middlesex (Hollands ill)
16 January 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
17 January 1970 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, Middlesex
23 January 1970 – El Grotto Disco, Ilford, Essex
24 January 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
30 January 1970 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
7 February 1970 – Gillettes, Isleworth, Middlesex
8 February 1970 – Cambridge Hotel, Edmonton, Middlesex
12 February 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
13 February 1970 – Cook’s Ferry Inn, Edmonton, Middlesex
14 February 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
20 February 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
22 February 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
24 February 1970 – Civic Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire
27 February 1970 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
6 March 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
7 March 1970 – Spotlight Club, RAF Brize Norton
12 March 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
14 March 1970 – Civic Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire
20 March 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
21 March 1970 – Airmen’s Mess, USAF Wethersfield
26 March 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
28 March 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
Ray Brown (left) and Roger Willis on stage with Magic Roundabout. Photo credit: Ray Brown
3 April 1970 – AYA USAF West Ruislip, Middlesex
4 April 1970 – Andromeda Club, Colchester, Essex
10 April 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
11 April 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
16 April 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
18 April 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
19 April 1970 – Links, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire
24 April 1970 – West Ham College, West Ham
2 May 1970 – Airmen’s Club, USAF Mildenhall
9 May 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
14 May 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
26 May 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
29 May 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
30 May 1970 – NCOs Club, USAF High Wycombe
1 June 1970 – King’s Head, Edmonton (audition)
The band auditioned for the John Edwards Agency (most likely the above date), performing three songs, including a cover of The Moody Blues’ “Ride My See-Saw”.
The Magic Roundabout gigs (continued):
4 June 1970 – Galaxy Club, RAF Northwood
6 June 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
13 June 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
18 June 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
19 June 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
20 June 1970 – Braintree College, Braintree, Essex
26 June 1970 – Oases Club, RAF Biggin Hill, Kent
1 July 1970 – NCOs Club, USAF High Wycombe
3 July 1970 – Beaconsfield Youth Club
4 July 1970 – Airmen’s Annexe, USAF Upper Hayford
9 July 1970 – Angelique, King’s Road, London
10 July 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, Middlesex
11 July 1970 – North Park, WMC, Kettering, Northamptonshire
15 July 1970 – Winston Churchill Hall, Ruislip, Middlesex
16 July 1970 – RAF High Wycombe
24 July 1970 – Spotlight Club, RAF Brize Norton
25 July 1970 – Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
31 July 1970 – The Pheasantry, King’s Road, London
PLEASE NOTE: There are some missing gigs from this list. John Chinnery believes that the group played until at least November 1970.
Sometime in 1970, the new line up got the opportunity to record two tracks at Abbey Road, which are never released. One is a cover of a song called “Everything Under The Sun”. The other is an early cover of Neil Diamond’s “Red, Red Wine”.
Around October 1970, John Elliott was invited to sing lead on a backing track – the Findon, Shelley, Hazelwood and Hammond collaboration, “Dark Side of the Moon”. Incidentally, Elton John had earlier cut a version.
Not long after, the rest of the band was brought into the studio and recorded an instrumental track composed by Ian Hollands. For some reason, Ray Brown was not available and former member Roger Flavell, who named the track “Black Boots”, provided bass. However, the song was later credited to producers Ben Findon and Pete Shelley.
Tragically, the band’s career then came to a dramatic halt after returning from a gig in Bedford around late October/early November 1970. Stopping off at Toddington Services on the M1, the band’s roadies went into the service station to get some food and someone broke into the van and stole much of the band’s equipment. Only John Chinnery was insured!
All of the remaining the gigs were cancelled but The Magic Roundabout did play its final gig on 31 December 1970 on borrowed gear because the money (£100) was too good to give up.
In the meantime, Findon and Shelley brought John Elliott back into the studio to add more vocals to “Dark Side of the Moon”.
With the band no longer active and unable to use The Magic Roundabout name, the producers released the single on Decca in May 1971 under The Outer Limits name.
Ian Hollands later played with a group called Mobius. Ray Brown briefly played with a harmony group from Tooting from January-February1971 before joining Easy Virtue and then Crackers.
Roger Willis meanwhile joined Capability Brown in 1972. After several albums, Willis and two other band members joined Christie, which featured original Magic Roundabout bass player Roger Flavell in the group.
Willis later played with a number of groups, including Crazy Kat, before reuniting with Ray Brown in Crackers.
In recent years, John Chinnery, Roger Flavell, John Elliott and Lindsey Bex have held four reunions.
A huge thanks to John Chinnery and Lindsay Bex for providing the gig lists (from Geoff Chinnery) and to Roger Flavell, John Chinnery, Lindsey Bex, John Elliott, Ray Brown and Ian Hollands for helping with the group’s history. Thank you Roger Flavell, Lindsay Bex and Ray Brown for photos.
Lead guitarist Gary Boyle, bass player Roger Sutton, keyboard player Ray Deville, drummer Clive Thacker and sax players Dave Quincy and Ian Thomas had backed singer Brian Bentley as Brian Bentley & The Kingsmen during 1962.
In early 1963, the remaining members (minus Quincy and Thomas) became The Five Embers after ditching Brian Bentley and recruiting sax player Ron Foster. Initially, the musicians played under their own name and then in March 1964 started backing Jamaican singer Millie.
Notable gigs as The Five Embers:
22 March 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
24 March 1964 – Café Des Artistes, Fulham, Middlesex
Notable gigs with Millie Small:
25 March 1964 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, Kent
28 March 1964 – Café Des Artistes, Fulham, Middlesex
29 March 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
31 March 1964 – Peter’s Club, High Wycombe, Bucks
5-11 April 1964 – Cavern, Liverpool
16 May 1964 – City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire with The Initials
17 May 1964 – Blackpool ABC, Blackpool, Lancashire
18 May 1964 – Scarborough Futurist, Scarborough with others
5 June 1964 – Palace Ballroom, Maryport, Cumbria with The Defenders
16 June 1964 – Locarno, Swindon, Wiltshire with The Soul Agents
27 August 1964 – ABC Theatre, Plymouth, Cornwall with Rolling Stones and others
After splitting with Millie, The Five Embers continued to gig into 1965 before breaking up that spring.
In August 1966, Clive Thacker joined Julie Driscol, Brian Auger & The Trinity and was joined two months later by Roger Sutton.
While Thacker remained with Brian Auger and Julie Driscol throughout the late 1960s, Sutton left in May 1967 and played with several groups before briefly joining The Krew in August 1968.
Roger Sutton subsequently played with a number of notable bands, including The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, Nucleus, Mark-Almond and Riff Raff.
Gary Boyle initially played with Lulu’s backing band during 1965. Then, in 1966, he worked with Dusty Springfield’s support group, The Echoes before reuniting with Roger Sutton and Clive Thacker in Julie Driscol, Brian Auger and The Trinity in January 1967.
After leaving in November of that year, Boyle subsequently played with Eclection in March 1969 and then returned to Julie Driscol and The Brian Auger Trinity that June.
Ray Deville meanwhile joined The Missing Links in February 1966 and stayed with this band when it took on the name, The All Night Workers in October 1967. He left in January 1968 and is rumoured to have worked with Dusty Springfield. Deville died in 2013.
Please note: this is a very brief overview of the band and its history. Garage Hangover would welcome any additional material and corrections.
Mike Collins’s interviews with Roger Sutton and Gary Boyle were really useful resources. Please see above links to his work.
Chiswick band The Tridents were formed in 1963 with the above line up and are best known for containing Jeff Beck in their ranks from around July 1964-March 1965.
According to Christopher Hjort and Doug Hinman in their excellent, Jeff’s Book, Mike Jopp left The Tridents when the musicians decided to go professional.
Lead guitarist Pete Hammerton says that he played with The Tridents for a few weeks in 1963 before the band went to Germany to play some dates. He adds that the singer was Barry Bunting and the drummer was Dave Nibblett, who had previously played with Hammerton in another Chiswick band called The Blue Jays. It’s not clear, however, whether he replaced Ray Cook or whether another drummer was there at the outset.
Soon after, Hammerton left to play with Unit 5 before joining Hampton, Middlesex band, The Others in the summer of 1964.
In February 1964, The Tridents signed up with The Rik Gunnel Agency by which point, lead guitarist Leslie Jones had replaced Hammerton and Lindsay Bex, who’d previously played with Mike Forde & The Fortunes, had joined on drums.
It was this formation that sent an application to the BBC on 9 March to request an audition, which, according to Hjort and Hinman in their book, was politely rejected. The group also started playing regularly at Eel Pie Island during this time.
During the summer of 1964, the Lucas brothers asked Jones to leave after seeing Jeff Beck playing with The Nightshift, who had shared the bill with The Tridents at Eel Pie Island.
Around September, Lindsay Bex was also given the elbow and Ray Cook returned to the band’s line-up. Lindsay Bex later worked with Magic Roundabout.
When Jeff Beck left to join The Yardbirds in March 1965, original lead guitarist Mike Jopp returned and remained until the band split in spring 1966. Ray Cook then joined Sands (featuring former member Pete Hammerton) while Jopp later played with Affinity.
Notable gigs:
18 March 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (start playing Wednesdays)
25 March 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (needs confirmation)
1 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (needs confirmation)
8 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (needs confirmation)
14 April 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street with Mark Leeman Five and The Pretty Things
22 April 1964 – Cellar Club, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey
6 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (could be when Jeff Beck joins – needs confirmation)
20 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
27 May 1964 – Cellar Club, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey (may also play Ealing Club today)
29 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
3 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
17 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
24 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
1 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
2 July 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street
10 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
13 July 1964 – The Attic, Hounslow, Middlesex
15 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
16 July 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street
17 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
23 July 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street
28 July 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street
3 August 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street
10 August 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street
12 August 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
13 August 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square
14-15 August 1964 – All Nighter Club, Windsor, Berkshire
17 August 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street with The Birds
19 August 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
20 August 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square
22 August 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square
23 August 1964 – Flamingo Club, Soho, London with Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames
23 August 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square
24 August 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street with The Birds
27 August 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square
31 August 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street
3 September 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square
10 September 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square
17 September 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street
17 September 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square
19 September 1964 – Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
24 September 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square
26 September 1964 – The Cavern, Olympia, Reading, Berkshire
29 September 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street with Brian Knight’s Blues By Six
15 October 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street with The Epitaphs
29 October 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street with Blues By Night
7 November 1964 – Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
10 November 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street with Brian Knight’s Blues By Six
17 November 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street
24 November 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street
4 December 1964 – East Ham Town Hall with The Herd
8 December 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street with The Long and The Short and The Tall
15 December 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street with King B Four
26 December 1964 – Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
30 January 1965 – Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
6 February 1965 – Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
9 February 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street
13 February 1965 – Waterfront Club, Southampton, Hants
15 February 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street
23 February 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street
6 March 1965 – Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
This is a very brief overview of The Tridents career and Garage Hangover would welcome any further information for a more complete story. Please contact the writer at Warchive@aol.com or nick_warburton@hotmail.com
Gig sources:
Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames (Woking Herald), Cellar, Kingston Upon Thames (Surrey Comet), Ealing Club (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette), 100 Club and Studio 51 (Melody Maker). Remaining gigs sourced from Christopher Hjort and Doug Hinman Jeff’s Book.
Many thanks to Lindsay Bex for providing some more information on The Tridents
Cover of Freddy Mack’s Live album, re-released by Acid Jazz
Retired American light-heavyweight boxer Freddie Mack, sometimes spelt Freddy Mack and also known as Mr Superbad, relocated to the UK in 1965 and established a second career as a soul singer and disc jockey.
Between late 1965 and the mid-1970s, Mack fronted a succession of bands featuring a staggering number of notable British R&B and soul musicians. Originally called The Mack Sound, the singer’s bands also worked under the names The Freddie Mack Sound, The Fantastic Freddie Mack Show and the Freddie Mack Extravaganza.
Thanks to the recollections of former Doc Thomas Group lead guitarist Dave Tedstone, who took over from Stuart Taylor on 5 April 1967, the band’s formation comprised the following when he joined:
Freddie Mack – lead vocals
Derry Wilkie – lead vocals
Tony Morgan – lead vocals, congas
Kenneth Harry – lead vocals
Kookie Eaton – lead vocals
Dave Tedstone – lead guitar
Roy Davies – organ
Alan Cartwright – bass
Dick Morrisey – tenor saxophone
Sonny Corbett – trumpet
Roger Truth – drums (replaced days later by Ron Berg and Terry Stannard on dual drums)
While this line-up appears to have remained quite stable, until at least November 1967, there were a few changes throughout the year.
Dave Tedstone remembers that Dick Morrisey departed sometime during the summer. Derry Wilkie left in June 1967 to pursue a solo career.
Ron Berg, who later went on to Blodwyn Pig among others, and Terry Stannard, who later played with Kokomo among others, both played drums after Roger Truth departed days after Tedstone joined.
Back cover of the Acid Jazz re-release. The album was recorded in 1967 not 1966
Mistakenly credited to 1966, it was this formation (minus Derry Wilkie) that appeared on the album, The Fantastic Freddy Mack Show – ‘Live’ at ‘Toft’s Club’ Folkestone. Tedstone says that not many venues at the time had stages large enough to accommodate both drums so on the album, Stannard played the first set, and Berg the second.
However, future tenor sax player Geoff Driscoll reports that the album wasn’t recorded live but was in fact cut at Tony Pike’s studio and the crowd noise was dubbed on later.
Notable gigs:
5 April 1967 – Birmingham gig (marks Dave Tedstone’s debut)
6 April 1967 – Overseas Visitors Club, London
19 April 1967 – Weymouth, Dorset (most likely Steering Wheel)
20 April 1967 – Stafford (most likely Dorset)
21 April 1967 – Dorchester, Dorset (most likely Steering Wheel)
22 April 1967 – Nottingham (possibly one of the boat clubs)
23 April 1967 – Cromer, Norfolk
24 April 1967 – BBC recording
25 April 1967 – Concorde, Southampton, Hampshire
5 May 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, London with Bohemians
11 May 1967 – Overseas Visitors Club, London
12 May1967 – Hitchin, Hertfordshire
13 May 1967 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire
13 May 1967 – Nite Owl, Leicester
14 May 1967 – Garden Club (location not known but possibly London)
16 May 1967 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
17 May 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, Middlesex
18 May 1967 – Tiles, London
19 May 1967 – King Alfred’s College, Winchester, Hampshire
20 May 1967 – Maple Ballroom, Northampton
21 May 1967 – Swan, Yardley, West Midlands
22 May 1967 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands
23 May 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington
24 May 1967 – Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
26 May 1967 – Golden Diamond, Sutton in Ashfield
27 May 1967 – Tofts, Folkestone, Kent
29 May 1967 – Belfry Hotel, Sutton Coldfield
30 May 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham
31 May 1967 – RANS Lossiemouth, Scotland
1 June 1967 – RANS Arbroath, Scotland
2 June 1967 – Hawick, Scotland
3 June 1967 – Kelso, Scotland
4 June 1967 – Cosmo Club, Carlisle
5-8 June 1967 – Paris, France
9 June 1967 – Lee West Lanes, Bedford
10 June 1967 – Ad-Hocs Festival, Norwich
11 June 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham
12 June 1967 – Three Horseshoes, Letchworth
13 June 1967 – Concorde Club, Southampton
14 June 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, Middlesex
17 June 1967 – Matlock Bath, Matlock, Derbyshire
18 June 1967 – Le Metro, Birmingham
19 June 1967 – Carton Club, Warrington
20 June 1967 – Ritz, Bournemouth
21 June 1967 – Princess Pavilion, Falmouth, Cornwall
22 June 1967 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall
23-24 June 1967 – Winter Gardens Ballroom, Penzance, Cornwall
25 June 1967 – Steering Wheel, Dorchester, Dorset
26 June 1967 – Cook’s Ferry Inn, Edmonton
28 June 1967 – De Valance Ballroom, Tenby
30 June 1967 – Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
1 July 1967 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, Middlesex
2 July 1967 – Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent
4 July 1967 – Concorde, Southampton, Hampshire
6 July 1967 – Huntington Youth Centre, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire
7 July 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Hertfordshire
8 July 1967 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire
9 July 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham
10 July 1967 – Melody Maker says they are recording
11 July 1967 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
14 July 1967 – Grammar School, Gravesend, Kent
15 July 1967 – Tofts, Folkestone, Kent
16 July 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire
18 July 1967 – Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
19 July 1967 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall
23 July 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, Middlesex
25 July 1967 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands
27 July 1967 – RAF Witham, Lincolnshire
28 July 1967 – Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
29 July 1967 – Memorial Hall, Barry, Glamorgan, Wales
30 July 1967 – Swan, Yardley, West Midlands
1-2 August 1967 – Paris, France
9 August 1967 – Princess Pavilion, Falmouth, Cornwall with Modesty Blues
10 August 1967 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Californians
12 August 1967 – Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth, Cornwall
14 August 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, London
15 August 1967 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
16 August 1967 – Scotland
18 August 1967 – Gay Tower Ballroom, Edgbaston with Bobby Johnson Big Band
19 August 1967 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, Middlesex
21 August 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire
22 August 1967 – Beau Brummel Club, Nantwich, Cheshire
25 August 1967 – Caesars, Bedford, Bedfordshire
26-27 August 1967 – Tofts, Folkestone, Kent
28 August 1967 – Hemel Hempstead Town Hall, Hertfordshire
29 August 1967 – Ritz Ballroom, Bournemouth, Dorset
30 August 1967 – Tropicana Club, Croydon, Surrey
31 August 1967 – Scottish tour commences to 8 September
8 September 1967 – Ballerina Ballroom, Nairn, Scotland
8 September 1967 – Civic, Wrexham, Wales with Dynamic Honey and System 5 (unlikely considering other Scottish dates)
9 September 1967 – Aberdeen
10 September 1967 – RNAS Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland
11-12 September 1967 – Scotland
13 September 1967 – Belgium
29 September 1967 – Flamingo, London with The Gabb and Scots of St James
30 September 1967 – Tin Hat, Kettering
1 October 1967 – Co-op Hall, Warrington, Cheshire
2 October 1967 – Park Hall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands
4 October 1967 – Hemel Hempstead Town Hall, Hertfordshire
6 October 1967 – Il Rondo, Leicester
7 October 1967 – Enfield College of Technology
8 October 1967 – Le Metro, Birmingham
9 October 1967 – St Matthew’s Bath Hall, Ipswich
12 October 1967 – Brays Grove Youth Club, Harlow, Essex
13 October 1967 – Pavilion Ballroom, Weymouth, Dorset
14 October 1967 – Tofts, Folkestone, Kent
15 October 1967 – Corn Exchange, Maidstone
16 October 1967 – 100 Club, London
17 October 1967 – Concorde, Southampton
18 October 1967 – Travel to Paris
19-30 October 1967 – Belgium
31 October 1967 – Shenley Green Youth Club, Birmingham
2 November 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire
3 November 1967 – Apex Club, Ashford, Kent
4 November 1967 – Earlham Park, Norwich
5 November 1967 – Cosmo Club, Carlisle
6 November 1967 – Quaintways, Chester
7 November 1967 – Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset
8 November 1967 – Skyline Ballroom, Hull
10 November 1967 – Mayfair Ballroom, Birmingham
11 November 1967 – Bradford University, Student Union
12 November 1967 – South Bank Jazz Club, Grimsby
13 November 1967 – 100 Club, London
15 November 1967 – The Catacombs, Eastbourne
17 November 1967 – Topspot Ballroom, Ross-on-Wye
18 November 1967 – Royal Lido, Prestayn, Wales
19 November 1967 – Beau Brummel Club, Nantwich, Cheshire with Jaytree Organisation
20 November 1967 – Bamboo Club, Stockport
21-26 November 1967 – Dates in Scotland
21 November 1967 – Two Red Shoes, Elgin (billed as Freddie Mack & His Road Show) (advert lists 16-piece band) (Source: https://tworedshoes.wordpress.com/)
27 November 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire
29 November 1967 – Reading Town Hall, Reading
Around December 1967, Colin Davy, who’d briefly been a member of Georgie Fame’s post Blue Flames band, took over the drum stool.
However, sometime in January 1968, Dave Tedstone departed to join Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (and briefly reunited with Colin Davy in Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band in July/August 1968 for some recordings).
Notable dates:
7 December 1967 – Medway College of Art, Rochester, Kent
8 December 1967 – Southampton University
9 December 1967 – Clacton Town Hall, Clacton, Essex
10 December 1967 – Samantha’s, Bournemouth, Dorset
11 December 1967 – St Matthew’s Bath Halls, Ipswich
12 December 1967 – Keele University
14 December 1967 – RAF Whitton
15 December 1967 – Red Spot Club, Leicester
16 December 1967 – Night Prowler, Yarmouth, Norfolk
17 December 1967 – Leofric Hotel, Coventry
19 December 1967 – Queen’s Hotel, Grays, Essex
13 January 1968 – Winter Gardens Ballroom, Penzance, Cornwall
Cover of Freddy Mack’s Live album, re-released by Acid Jazz
Retired American light-heavyweight boxer Freddie Mack, sometimes spelt Freddy Mack and also known as Mr Superbad, relocated to the UK in 1965 and established a second career as a soul singer and disc jockey.
Between late 1965 and the mid-1970s, Mack fronted a succession of bands featuring a staggering number of notable British R&B and soul musicians. Originally called The Mack Sound, the singer’s bands also worked under the names The Freddie Mack Sound, The Fantastic Freddie Mack Show and the Freddie Mack Extravaganza.
Thanks to tenor sax player Geoff Driscoll, it’s possible to pin down the line-up for Freddie Mack’s band from about February 1968 through to about January 1969.
According Driscoll, drummer Colin Davy left shortly before he joined (later playing with Joe Cocker among many others). The band, he adds, had just returned from playing the Blow Up club in Munich. When he hooked up with Freddie Mack, the band comprised:
Freddie Mack – lead vocals
Tony Morgan – lead vocals
Sonny Gibbons – lead vocals
Tony St Clair (Sinclair) – lead guitar
Roy Davies – organ
Alan Cartwright – bass
Sonny Corbett – trumpet
Phil Kenzie – tenor saxophone
Dave Potter – tenor saxophone
Geoff Driscoll – tenor saxophone
Dave Coxhill – baritone saxophone
Pete Hunt – drums
Of the new line-up, Pete Hunt came from the Southampton area and had worked with a number of bands, most notably The Quik, The Meddyevils and The Soul Agents.
Tony St Clair, who came from Hackney, had joined Phil Wainman’s band literally a few weeks after they’d played the Christmas/New Year show with Freddie Mack in 1965. He would remain with Wainman’s band as it became The New Generation and backed Jimmy Cliff during 1966. The formation then joined forces with Gary Hamilton and became The Hamilton Movement. When St Clair left in late 1967, it’s reported that he played with Lace.
Phil Kenzie of course had worked with Freddie Mack in 1966 and had gone on to play with Sonny Childe & The TNT, Tuesday’s Children and PP Arnold & TNT in the interim.
Geoff Driscoll recalls that the new line-up soon returned to the Blow Up club in Munich via a gig in Belgium and then travelled to Rome (around April/May 1968) to play at the famous Piper Club for three weeks. Some of the band met an RCA record executive who informed the musicians that the label was about to release a single by an actor that was going to be an enormous hit – it was Richard Harris’ “McArthur Park”.
However, after nearly a year of playing with Mack and moaning about not getting paid, the band split from the singer whereupon they were approached by Dave Hadfield to work as the house band (The Breed) at his Maximum Sound Studio on the Old Kent Road. The Breed backed a few reggae singers on Hadfield’s label before Manfred Mann got involved and lured the horn section away for Manfred Mann Chapter 3.
While Dave Coxhill and Sonny Corbett remained with Manfred Mann Chapter 3, Geoff Driscoll and Phil Kenzie reunited with Roy Davies and Alan Cartwright in Sweet Water Canal. Pete Hunt later worked with The Jess Roden Band among many others.
Notable gigs:
10 February 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Informers and Plus 2
23 February 1968 – Birmingham University with Elmer Gantry
16 March 1968 – Chateau Impney, Droitwich, Worcestershire
31 March 1968 – Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands
12 April 1968 – Flamingo Ballroom, Penzance, Cornwall (listed as 7-piece Mac Sounds)
13 April 1968 – Winter Gardens Ballroom, Penzance, Cornwall
14 April 1968 – Flamingo Ballroom, Penzance, Cornwall (listed as 15-piece)
15 April 1968 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with Vigilantes (listed as 15-piece)
Most likely travelled to Munich via Belgium and then Piper Club, Rome here
8 June 1968 – Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands
16 June 1968 – Mothers, Birmingham
25 June 1968 – Droitwich Winter Gardens, Droitwich, Worcestershire with Breakdown
6 July 1968 – The Swan, Yardley, West Midlands with Soul Express
20 July 1968 – Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth, Cornwall
14 August 1968 – Winter Gardens Ballroom, Penzance, Cornwall
15 August 1968 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with Fire and Sons and Lovers
23 August 1968 – The Factory, Birmingham, West Midlands
7 September 1968 – Princess Pavilion, Falmouth, Cornwall with The Mood
6 October 1968 – Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands
26 October 1968 – The Factory, Birmingham
4-6 November – Hatchettes Playground, London
13 December 1968 – The Factory, Birmingham with The Gun
21 December 1968 – The Swan, Yardley, West Midlands
GARAGE HANGOVER WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM ANYONE THAT CAN PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE 1969-1970 PERIOD.
I would personally like to thank Geoff Driscoll for helping to piece together this part of the band’s story. Thanks also to Greg Russo and Bruce Welsh.
PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS BELOW TO ADD/CORRECT INFORMATION
Live gig sources:
During my research on Freddie Mack from 1965-1969, I have found gigs from the following sources:
The Cornish Guardian, Derby Evening Telegraph, Evening Sentinel, Melody Maker, West Briton & Royal Cornwall Gazette, Lincolnshire Guardian, Birmingham Evening Mail, NME, Northwich Chronicle, Sheffield Star, Warrington Guardian, Wrexham Leader
The Sugar Band was formed in late 1966 out of the ashes of West London R&B/soul outfit, Colin Shane & The Shannons. Coxon had joined the outfit that summer after working with Hampton, Middlesex group, The Others.
Around September 1967, the group’s agent linked the band with Jamaican singer Delroy Williams and they worked initially as Delroy Williams & The Sugar Band before becoming The Delroy Williams Shows. Go go dancers Una and Paula joined them on stage.
During 1968, Dave Mumford and Dick Merrit departed and were replaced by new members. However, a combination of poor management and artistic differences led to a split in early 1969 when Coxon left to join The Kool. He subsequently reunited with Dave Mumford in Calum Bryce alongside sax player Mel Wayne, who had been Colin Shane & The Shannons from 1962-1964.
Mumford had recorded the track ‘Love Maker’ under the name Calum Bryce and needed a group to tour to promote the single. The band recorded a second single, “In My Valley”, which was never released.
Notable gigs:
8 October 1967 – Flamingo, London
20 October 1967 – Flamingo, London
29 January 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire
10 February 1968 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with Spirit of John Morgan
1 March 1968 – Galashiels, Scotland
2 March 1968 – Glasgow, Scotland
3 March 1968 – Edinburgh, Scotland
4 March 1968 – Aberdeen, Scotland
5 March 1968 – Elgin, Scotland
6 March 1968 – Stonehaven, Scotland
7 March 1968 – Dundee, Scotland
8 March 1968 – Forfar, Scotland
9 March 1968 – Edinburgh, Scotland
10 March 1968 – Glasgow, Scotland
11-16 March 1968 – Playboy, London
17 March 1968 – Leytonstone, Essex
18-23 March 1968 – Playboy, London
24 March 1968 – Burton-on-Trent
25 March 1968 – Recording
26 March 1968 – Bournemouth, Dorset
27 March 1968 – Catford, Kent
28 March 1968 – Ealing, Middlesex
29 March 1968 – Flamingo, Soho, London
30 March 1968 – Gloucester, Gloucestershire
31 March 1968 – Gillingham, Kent
1 April 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire
11 April 1968 – Colchester, Essex
12 April 1968 – Eastbourne, East Sussex
13 April 1968 – Yeovil, Somerset
14 April 1968 – Stockport, Greater Manchester
15 April 1968 – Leeds
16 April 1968 – Hanley, Staffordshire
17 April 1968 – Revolution, London
18 April 1968 – Abingdon, Oxfordshire
19 April 1968 – Perton
20 April 1968 – Waddington
21 April 1968 – Silver Ends
22-23 April 1968 – London
26 April 1968 – Weymouth, Dorset
27 April 1968 – Torquay, Devon
29 April 1968 – London
14 September 1968 – Alex Disco, Salisbury
Most gigs were sourced from Melody Maker.
Many thanks to Geoff Coxon for background information on the Sugar Band.
Garage Hangover would love to hear from anyone who can provide more information on the band and its members.
Simon K & The Meantimers, circa spring 1967. Left to right: Bill Pitt, Mick Armes, Kenny Simon, Rick Thomas and Paul Hewson. Photo: Michael Armes
West London six-piece horn band Simon K & The Meantimers recorded a Hammond-drenched dance-floor classic called “Bring Your Love Back (To Me)”, which was coupled with “You Know I Do” for a UK single on the B&C label in November 1969.
Fronted by current Hot Chocolate lead singer Kenny Simon, The Meantimers had originally formed around late 1964/early 1965 in West Hampstead before linking with Simon (most likely around March 1967).
Managed by Arthur Armes, father of the band’s drummer Michael, the original Meantimers also comprised lead guitarist Rick Thomas, classically trained organist Bill Pitt, bass player Warwick Rose and a rhythm guitarist called Tony, who also handled lead vocals.
According to Michael Armes, his father turned the basement of his shop on Belsize Road in Kilburn into a rehearsal and recording room. It may well have been here that Simon cut some demos with West London band, The Tribe, including future Sweet guitarist Frank Torpey, that were picked up by Arthur Armes.
Notable gigs (prior to Kenny Simon):
7 August 1966 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire (billed as Meantimers)
21 August 1966 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire (billed as Meantimers)
9 October 1966 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire (billed as Meantimers)
13 November 1966 – Tofts, Folkestone, Kent (billed as Meantimers)
14 January 1967 – Tofts, Folkestone, Kent (billed as Meantimers)
19 January 1967 – Tiles, London (billed as Meantimers)
22 January 1967 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire (billed as Meantimers)
11 February 1967 – Witchdoctor, Hastings, East Sussex (billed as Meantimers)
26 February 1967 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire (billed as Meantimers)
12 March 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, Essex with Pussyfoot (billed as Meantimers)
Michael Armes, 1967
When Kenny Simon replaced the original singer, prompting a name change to Simon K & The Meantimers, former Overlanders’ bass player Paul Hewson had already taken over from Warwick Rose, who’d moved on to join The Soul Survivors, an early incarnation of The Love Affair.
The new line up lasted until about July 1967 when former Quiet Five drummer Ray Hailey succeeded Michael Armes.
Notable gigs:
12 April 1967 – Flamingo, London
28 April 1967 – Witchdoctor, Catford, Kent with The Groove (billed as The Meantimers)
17 May 1967 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
21 May 1967 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire (billed as Meantimers)
6-7 June 1967 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
24 June 1967 – Witchdoctor, Catford, Kent (billed as The Meantimers)
2 July 1967 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire (billed as Meantimers)
22 July 1967 – Witchdoctor, Hastings, East Sussex
Simon K & The Meantimers, circa spring 1967. Photo: Michael Armes
However, the changes did not end there and in the summer of 1967 an entirely new line up came together, starting with lead guitarist George Teo.
Originally, from Singapore, Teo had migrated to the UK in the early 1960s with friends Sam Young on bass and brothers Andrew and John Gwee on guitar and drums respectively and formed The Etceteras. After two singles on the Oriole label in 1964, Teo next joined the Ying Tongs before hooking up with The Meantimers.
Also on board were siblings, bass player Mick Glyde and drummer Tony Glyde (brothers of Major Glyde, the lead sax player from Sounds Incorporated) and sax players Brent Carter, Alan Wherry and Ken Hendy, who was later replaced by former Cliff Bennett Rebel Rousers’ baritone sax player Sid Phillips in late 1967/early 1968.
Tony Glyde had previously worked with Southeast London bands, Bob ‘N’ All, The Loose Ends and Bern Elliott’s former group, The Fenmen while Alan Wherry had come from The Richard Henry Sensation (with David O’List) and Harlem Shuffle.
Wherry remembers that the group also had a keyboard player but it wasn’t Bill Pitt. He also recalls that he had left before Sid Phillips joined. Wherry later moved in to publishing, as director of Corgi, Penguin and then as co-founder of Bloomsbury in London in 1986.
The new formation was active until about spring 1968, during which time former Quiet Five drummer Roger “Tex” Marsh took over the drum stool from Tony Glyde.
Simon K & The Meantimers, late 1967. Left to right: George Teo, Brent Carter (shades), Mick Glyde, Kenny Simon, Alan Wherry, unknown organist, Tony Glyde. Ken Hendy is not pictured. Photo: Alan Wherry
Notable gigs:
2 September 1967 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
16 September 1967 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire with Jeanette and Abee
7 October 1967 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
4 November 1967 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
2 December 1967 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
17 February 1968 – Chelmsford Corn Exchange, Chelmsford, Essex with Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
20 April 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire
11 May 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire
2 August 1968 – Samantha’s, London (billed as Meantimers)
3 August 1968 – Town Hall, Clacton, Essex (billed as Meantimers)
4 August 1968 – Surrey Rooms, Oval, London (billed as Meantimers)
6-7 August 1968 – Hatchetts Playground, London (billed as Meantimers)
24 August 1968 – Savoy Rooms, Catford, Kent
14 September 1968 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, Middlesex
By the autumn of 1968, Kenny Simon had reshuffled the pack, bringing in Marsh’s former band mate from The Quiet Five, Roger McKew on lead guitar. Sid Phillips had already left by this point to go on to Redwind and his place was taken by Tony Hall, whose CV including Peter’s Faces, Wainwright’s Gentlemen and Rupert’s Spoon.
The new formation then comprised:
Kenny Simon – lead vocals
Roger McKew – lead guitar
Tony Hall – saxophone
Brent Carter – saxophone
Mick Glyde – bass
Roger ‘Tex’ Marsh – drums
The new-look formation resumed gigging. Bringing former keyboard player Bill Pitt back, Simon also added Irish trumpet player Ron Carthy, who’d previously worked with The Blue Aces and Wynder K Frog to the six-piece line up that came together in time to cut the group’s lone ‘45 in November 1969.
In March 1970, however, Brent Carter and Tony Hall also departed at this point and joined Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band.
When the band finally splintered in the early 1970s, Pitt ended up working with Espirit de Corps, while Carthy joined Gonzales and also did a multitude of sessions for artists like Freddie King, Slade and Suzi Quatro.
Notable gigs:
26 October 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire
23 November 1968 – Fellowship Inn, Eltham, Kent
30 November 1968 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, Middlesex
10 December 1968 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, Kent with Olaf Groups Kneed
28 December 1968 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, Middlesex
22 February 1969 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Jon James & The Swamp and The Western Kind
4 April 1969 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
19 April 1969 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Sir Percy Quintet
17 May 1969 – Alex’s Disco, Salisbury, Wiltshire
22 May 1969 – Klook’s Kleek, London
26 July 1969 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
2 August 1969 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Sir Percy Quintet
9 August 1969 – Savoy, Catford, Kent
6 September 1969 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
4 October 1969 – Savoy, Catford, Kent
25 or 29 October 1969 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Lovin’ Spoonful
8 November 1969 – Alex’s Disco, Salisbury, Wiltshire
25 November 1969 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
29 November 1969 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
31 December 1969 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
7 February 1970 – Cloud 9, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
Many thanks to Kenny Simon, Michael Armes, Tony Hall, Alan Wherry, Ken Hendy, Sid Phillips and Bruce Welsh for their help. Thank you Michael Armes and Alan Wherry for the photos.
Very little is known about the personnel in Simon K & The Meantimers. The author would be interested to hear from anyone that can provide more detail on the group for a future, updated version. Please email the author, Nick Warburton at Warchive@aol.com
Del Paramor – tenor sax (ex-Warren Davis Monday Band)
Jack Drew – trumpet
Roy Peen – drums
This soul R&B outfit was formed in early 1968 and played until early 1971 when Sketto Rich and Roy Peen left. Johnny Wright was succeeded by Dennis Brown during this period as well.
Bobby Morris joined around April 1968 and rehearsed with the band throughout May and June at the Railway Tavern, Plumstead.
Morris’s first gig with the band took place on 3 August 1968 at the Aurora Hotel in Gillingham, opening for Unit 4+2. The musicians also played regularly at the Harrow Inn in Abbey Wood.
Sketto Rich & Sonority also began to play further afield. Morris recalls playing at the Locarno Ballroom in Swindon on two occasions – 9 August 1969 with The Red Squares and 27 December 1969 with Spectrum. He also remembers playing at Queen Mary’s College in Mile End Road with Clarence “Frogman” Henry on 18 October 1969.
Del Coverley joined briefly in 1971 as new lead singer alongside incoming drummer Pete Mole (also ex-Warren Davis Monday Band) and they became Brass Lungs, performing jazz rock similar in style to Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears in Soho clubs.
When Coverley departed, the musicians linked with Freddie Mack and played their debut show at the Thomas A Beckett Pub on the Old Kent Road in London.
However, as the band started picking up more regular work, the line-up became increasingly fluid with only Brian Morris and Don Shepherd staying the course.
Musicians that joined throughout 1971-1973 included:
Johnny Orlando – lead vocals
Dave Newman – drums (ex-Sounds Incorporated and The Fenmen)
Ray Lewis – bass (ex-Barbette and Memphis Mail)
Dave Roffey – lead guitar (ex-Barbette and Lee Hawkins)
Mel Day – lead vocals (ex-Orange Rainbow)
Roy ? – trumpet (ex-Johnny Jackson & The Band Wagon, J J Jackson, Del Vikings, Otis Redding, The Temptations)
Mick Eve – tenor sax (ex-Georgie Fame, Alan Price, Zoot Money)
Eddie Thornton – trumpet (ex-Georgie Fame)
Buddy Bownes – trumpet (ex-Roy Orbison)
Carl Douglas – lead vocals
Huge thanks to Brian Morris for providing the band information.
Please email me at Warchive@aol.com if you can add or correct any information.
Today, Elton John is one of rock music’s most revered artists but during the early-mid 1960s he struggled for recognition, learning his trade as Reg Dwight with West London R&B outfit, Bluesology.
Below, I have started to piece together a timeline on this band’s history, including the period after Reg Dwight/Elton John left in March 1968 to start his solo career.
In particular, I need to credit the invaluable work carried out by Keith Hayward, who has written the excellent book, Tin Pan Alley: The Rise of Elton John, for some of this material. He has been a huge help. I have also reference below sources that I have drawn on for live dates.
I would welcome any additions and corrections in the comment box below.
Bluesology was formed in 1962 after Reg Dwight and Stu Brown had played in Pinner, Middlesex group, the Corvettes. The original line up comprised:
Stu Brown – guitar/vocals
Reg Dwight – keyboards/vocals
Geoff Dyson – bass
Mick Inkpen – drums
Circa May 1965 – Reg Dwight’s ‘Come Back Baby’ recorded
6 May 1965 – Elms Club, Corbins Lane, South Harrow (every Thursday)
13 May 1965 – Elms Club, Corbins Lane, South Harrow (every Thursday)
20 May 1965 – Elms Club, Corbins Lane, South Harrow (every Thursday)
27 May 1965 – Elms Club, Corbins Lane, South Harrow (every Thursday)
(Source: Harrow Weekly Post – stopped advertising after above date)
June 1965: Dyson leaves to join Mockingbirds
+ Rex Bishop – bass
Circa June 1965 – ‘Times Are Getting Tougher Than Tough’ recorded
17 May 1966 – Marquee, London (Patti La Belle & Her Belles with The Clayton Squares) (Source: London Live: Tony Bacon) (probably with Bluesology backing Patti La Belle)
17 May 1966 – Whisky A Go Go, London
21 May 1966 – Cue Club, Paddington (Source: Melody Maker)
21 May 1966 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire (Patti La Belle & The Bluebelles with Bluesology and The Ultimates (Source: The Day Before Yesterday: Steve Ingless)
3-19 June – Ink Spots tour (Source: Melody Maker)
3 June 1966 – RAF West Ruislip, Middlesex
4 June 1966 – Douglas House, London
4 June 1966 – New All Star Club, Liverpool St with Admiral Ken Sound System
5 June 1966 – Plaza Ballrooms, Birmingham
7 June 1966 – Whisky A Go Go, London
10 June 1966 – Orchid Ballroom, Purley, Surrey
10 June 1966 – New All Star Club, Liverpool St with Admiral Ken Sound System (Source: Melody Maker)
16 June 1966 – Streatham Locarno, Streatham, London
17 June 1966 – Royal Tottenham, Tottenham, London
18 June 1966 – Marcam Hall, March, Cambridgeshire
18 June 1966 – Mojo Club, Sheffield (Source: Melody Maker)
Circa June 1966:
+ Neil Hubbard – guitar (joins around this time)
25 June 1966 – Marquee, London (Source: London Live: Tony Bacon)
8 July 1966 – Marquee, London with The VIPs
14 July 1966 – Marquee, London with The Move (Source: London Live: Tony Bacon)
6 August 1966 – Marquee, London with The Soul Agents
11 August 1966 – Marquee, London with The Move (Source: London Live: Tony Bacon)
29 August 1966 – Nottingham Blues Festival, Sherwood Rooms, Nottingham with Jimi Hendrix Experience, Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, Jimmy Cliff & The Shakedown Sound and Wynder K Frog (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)
Mid-August-mid-September, Bluesology travels to St Tropez for a month (Papagayos).
26 September 1966 – Marquee, London with Jimmy James & The Vagagonds (Source: London Live: Tony Bacon)
7 October 1966 – Marquee, London with Gary Farr & The T-Bones
20 October 1966 – Marquee, London with The Move
29 October 1966 – Marquee, London with The Herd (Source: London Live: Tony Bacon)
29 October 1966 – Shoreline, Bognor Regis with Long John Baldry, The Action and David Bowie & The Buzz (Source: Bognor Regis Post)
5 November 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with Deadly Nightshade (billed as Long John Baldry – not sure if they have linked up with Baldry yet?) (Source: Crawley Advertiser)
12 November 1966 – Marquee, London with The Herd (Source: London Live: Tony Bacon)
Mid-November 1966: Neil Hubbard departs
Around mid-late November – Bluesology travel to Sweden for mini-tour???
Late November 1966: Paul Gale departs while the band is in Sweden
+ Pete Gavin – drums (ex-Soul Pushers)
11 December 1966 – Saville Theatre, London with Little Richard and Alan Price Set (Source: Melody Maker)
Around this time, Bluesology become Long John Baldry’s back-up band
+ Long John Baldry – vocals
+ Alan Walker – vocals (ex-Roadhogs)
30 December 1966 – Marquee, London (billed as Long John Baldry Show) with The Good-Goods (Source: London Live: Tony Bacon)
31 December 1966 – Blue Moon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (billed as Long John Baldry featuring Alan Walker, Stuart Brown & Bluesology) (Source: Gloucestershire Echo, 1966)
15 January 1967 – Gyro Club, Troutbeck Hotel, IIlkley, West Yorkshire (billed as Long John Baldry with Bluesology) (Source: Yorkshire Evening Post)
31 January 1967 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead (billed as Long John Baldry) (Source: Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek: Dick Weindling and Marianne Colloms)
17 March 1967 – Marquee, London with The Long John Baldry Show and Timebox (Source: London Live: Tony Bacon)
3 April 1967 – Feathers, Ealing, Middlesex (billed as Long John Baldry & Bluesology) (Source: Melody Maker)
21 April 1967 – Marquee, London (billed as The Long John Baldry Show) with Timebox (Source: London Live: Tony Bacon)
22 April 1967 – Blue Moon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (billed as Long John Baldry featuring Alan Walker) (Source: Gloucestershire Echo, 1967)
2 May 1967 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead (billed as Long John Baldry)
11 May 1967 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead (billed as Bluesology) (Source: Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek: Dick Weindling and Marianne Colloms)
Mid-May 1967: Pat Higgs and Dave Murphy both left immediately after this gig (Higgs also working with Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement during late 1966/early 1967)
21 May 1967 – Co-op, Warrington, Cheshire (billed as Long John Baldry Show) (Source: Manchester Evening Post, 1967)
1 June 1967 – Clouds, Derby ‘for Derby College Students’ Rag Week’ (billed as Long John Baldry Show with Bluesology and Pepper’s Machine) (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)
9 June 1967 – Marquee, London (billed as The Long John Baldy Show) with C-Jam Blues (Source: London Live: Tony Bacon)
16 July 1967 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, Middlesex (billed as Long John Baldry Show)
28 July 1967 – Marquee, London (billed as The Long John Baldry Show) with The Workshop (Source: Melody Maker)
11 August 1967 – Bluesville ’67, Manor House, London (billed as Long John Baldry Show)
14 August 1967 – Marquee, London (billed as The Long John Baldry Show) with Jimmy Powell & The Dimensions (Source: Melody Maker)
20 August 1967 – Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands (billed as Long John Baldry Show) (Source: Birmingham Evening Mail)
26 August 1967 – New All Star Club, Liverpool Street, London (Source: Melody Maker)
September 1967: Around this time Reg Dwight took part in Scottish tour with Simon Dupree
3 September 1967 – Beau Brummel Club, Nantwich, Cheshire (billed as Long John Baldry, Bluesology, Stewart A Brown, Marsha Hunt and The Scorpions) (Source: Northwich Chronicle)
10 September 1967 – Hotel Leofric, Coventry, West Midlands (billed as Long John Baldry Show with Stuart A Brown and Marsha Hunt and Deuce Coupe) (Source: Coventry Evening Telegraph)
12 September 1967 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead (billed as Long John Baldry)
15 September 1967 – Marquee, London (billed as The Long John Baldry Show) with The Remo Four (Source: Melody Maker)
Back row left to right: Alan Marshall, Alan White and Kenny Craddock. Front row, left to right: Peter Kirtley and Brian Rowan. Photo: Peter Kirtley
Alan Marshall – lead vocals
Peter Kirtley – lead guitar
Kenny Craddock – organ
Brian Rowan – bass
Alan White – drums
Happy Magazine was soul/R&B band that was formed during August 1967 by singer Alan Marshall and lead guitarist Peter Kirtley and was managed and produced by former Animals keyboard player/singer Alan Price.
The two musicians have previously played together in Southeast London R&B group, The Loose Ends from around July 1965 to October 1966 when Kirtley departed to join The Alan Price Set.
Alan Marshall meanwhile formed a new version of The Loose Ends, drawing on Croydon, Surrey band, The Subjects, which featured Malcolm Rudkin (vocals); Alan Griffin (lead guitar); Phil Lanzon (organ); John Manderson (bass); and Roy Manderson (drums).
After a few months, John Manderson and Malcolm Rudkin, who did not want to turn professional, departed and the band’s manager Bryan Mason recruited sax player/guitarist Mick Patel, who had previously worked with Carl Douglas and bass player Colin Pullen from Kent band, Bob ‘N’ All. Not long after, Roy Manderson was succeeded by another Bob ‘N’ All member, Tony Glyde.
In early December 1966, Bryan Mason expanded the formation by adding another Bob ‘N’ All member – singer Bob Saker and the group played regularly at the Playboy Club.
The Loose Ends then landed a residency at the Bang Bang Club in Milan’s San Guiliano district, which kicked off in the third week of January but Alan Griffin departed just before the group left for Italy and Colin King from Bob ‘N’ All took his place.
During early March 1967, The Loose Ends returned to London and played at the Scotch of St James and the Speakeasy. At one of the venues, Otis Redding spotted Alan Marshall and Bob Saker and invited them to Muscle Shoals to record, and during May/June the singers cut two tracks – “Johnny B Goode” and “Keep on Pushing”, which were never released. Marshall and Saker then returned to the UK.
By this point, Peter Kirtley was ready to leave The Alan Price Set to team up with Alan Marshall and around August the pair formed Happy Magazine. Initially, Marshall’s friend Bobby Sass was going to play keyboards but he departed after initial rehearsals.
Kirtley, who was originally from Tyneside and had played with Shorty & Them during the early 1960s, introduced his old friends from Jarrow, the late Kenny Craddock on organ from Tyneside bands The Elcorts and New Religion, and Brian Rowan on bass from Shorty & Them. He also recruited drummer Alan White, formerly a member of Tyneside outfits, The Bluechips and The Gamblers.
Kicking off with Alan Price’s excellent “Satisfied Street”, backed with “Beautiful Land” in December 1967, featuring a horn section that may well be Amboy Dukes members Buddy Beadle and Steve Gregory (also ex-Alan Price Set), the label re-issued the track three months later coupled with the Dan Penn/Spooner Oldham soul classic “Do Right Woman – Do Right Man”. During this time, the group also became regulars at Rasputin’s club in Bond Street.
During 1968, Alan Price recruited Alan White for his backing band, and Malcolm Wolffe from West London bands, The Tribe and Dream took over. The band then cut its third and final outing, a brilliant reading of the Dee/Potter collaboration, “Who Belongs To You” (again with horns), coupled with the previously available “Beautiful Land”. Issued on 14 February 1969, the single should have catapulted the band into the charts.
With the single failing to grace the charts, Alan Marshall departed to form the experimental jazz/funk/blues band, One, who cut a brilliant lone album for Fontana later that year.
Left to right: Peter Kirtley, Brian Rowan, Kenny Craddock, Malcolm Wolffe and Alan Marshall
Joined by lead guitarist Kevin Fogarty (originally a member of Southport R&B group, Timebox); his old friend and keyboardist Bobby Sass; bass player Brent Forbes from Salford bands, The Rogues and Sunshine; sax and flutist Norman Leppard; and drummer Conrad Isidore, One should have been a huge success but the album (which featured Peter Kirtley on lead guitar) sank without a trace.
Peter Kirtley, Kenny Craddock and Alan White meanwhile brought in two friends from Newcastle – ex-Skip Bifferty members, singer Graham Bell and bass player Colin Gibson, and signed to Bell Records for a one-off single as Griffin.
Produced by Alan Price and issued on 25 September 1969, the Kirtley-Gibson-Craddock collaboration, “I am The Noise in Your Head,” coupled with Kirtley’s “Don’t You Know” was an impressive outing but failed to trouble the charts.
Griffin soon splintered and Kirtley went on to record with several notable bands, including Riff Raff, Radiator and Pentangle. Later he appeared on albums by Liane Carroll and Bert Jansch.
Kirtley has also issued two solo albums, Peter Kirtley and Bush Telegraph as well as the charity single, “Little Children”, for Jubilee Action, to raise money for street children in Brazil and featuring Paul McCartney.
Having fronted new versions of One, Alan Marshall surfaced as a solo artist on Fontana in 1970. In France, the label issued a rare single that coupled One’s excellent cover of Richie Havens’s “Don’t Listen To Me” with a solo outing – “How Much Do You Know”, adapted from “Adagio Royal” by F de Boivallee.
When that single failed to chart, Marshall ended up joining Strabismus, which subsequently changed its name to Riff Raff when the singer’s former band mate from The Loose Ends/Happy Magazine, Peter Kirtley joined. However, Marshall quit before Riff Raff’s debut album was recorded and pursued a solo career before recording with Zzebra. He then joined Gonzalez in the late Seventies in time for their 1979 release, Move It To The Music. Marshall continues to perform in London.
Alan White became a top session player, working with John Lennon and George Harrison among others and later joined Yes, with whom he continues to play.
White’s replacement Malcolm Wolffe meanwhile joined Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band.
Notable gigs:
9 September 1967 – Tiles with Winston G Set and Heart and Souls
23 September 1967 – Clouds, Derby
7-9 March 1968 – Hatchetts Playground, London
8 June 1968 – Clockwork Orange, Chester with Watson Brown Band
1 August 1968 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, London
8 August 1968 – Bag O’Nails, London
9 August 1968 – The Grotto, Ilford, Essex
10 August 1968 – Beachcomber, Nottingham
7 September 1968 – Rainbow Suite Co-Op, Birmingham with The Baron
19 September 1968 – Klooks Kleek West Hampstead, London
Thanks to Alan Marshall, Peter Kirtley, Alan Griffin, Phil Lanzon, Bob Saker and Colin Pullen for helping piece the story together. Thanks to Peter Kirtley for the photos.
Please contact the author at Warchive@aol.com with further information/corrections
