Categories: DJ and Radio gigs, Press

Chris Bishop interview and mix on DJ Small Change’s Stark Reality

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Chris Bishop for DJ Small Change on Jason CharlesMy good friend Jim (aka DJ Small Change) interviewed me (pictured above) about politics and music for JasonCharles.net, and I made a short mix of Hudson Valley records to accompany it.

The mix features five 7″ ballads, an album cut by jazz saxophonist Nick Brignola, and an acetate – all recorded at Kennett Sound Studio. I also included both sides of 45s by the Dirty Elbows and the Teddy Boys because they’re Hudson Valley artists and sound right here.

Tracklist:

The Cleaners – How I Feel
Riccardo & the Four Most – There’s a Reason
The Kynds – So If Someone Sends You Flowers Babe
The Dirty Elbows – I Love You Girl
Teddy Boys – She’s So Sweet and Kind
Teddy Boys – Don’t Mess With Me
The Dirty Elbows – To Carry On
The Cleaners – Walking Through the Fields
The Villagers – Cry On
Nick Brignola – The Mace

Categories: Coaldale, Pennsylvania, Samron

The Five Flys “Livin’ for Love” / “Dance Her By Me” on Samron

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The Five Flys, from left: Rich Murlo, Tony Tonon, Steve Kucey, Skip Nehrig and John Gallagher. Photo courtesy of Tony Tonon

The Five Flys released their only single “Livin’ for Love” / “Dance Her By Me” in 1966. It was the last single on Samron Records S-104, and the only one with Coaldale, PA on the label.

Members included Rich Murlo, Tony Tonon, Steve Kucey, Skip Nehrig and John Gallagher. They were from the Coaldale area in Schuylkill County, like Angie and the Citations.

Five Flys and the Chevelles at Tam-Au-Go-Go Bandstand, Mahoney City, August 1965

The Five Flys played local shows in Coaldale and Mahoney City in 1965 and 1966, and further away in Allentown and Bethlehem.

A report of an August 1966 show at St. Joseph’s in Summit Hill described “music for street dancing by the Five Flys”.

Thank you to Tony Tonon for the photo. I would appreciate more info on the Five Flys.

Five Flys at Jamaican A Go-Go, Bethlehem, July 1966, days after the King’s Ransom and the Scott Bedford Four
Categories: Dutchess County, New York

Celebrating 20 years of Garage Hangover at Do The 45 Rock ‘n’ Soul Party at Quinns, Beacon, July 12

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Do The 45 Rock 'n' Soul Party at Quinns, Beacon, July 12, 2024To celebrate 20 years of Garage Hangover I will be spinning some records at Do The 45 Rock ‘n’ Soul Party at Quinns in Beacon, NY on Friday, July 12, with old friends and fellow DJs Pete Pop (garage collector extraordinaire) and Phast Phreddie (who has known everyone cool in the music world since 1973).

Plus go-go dancers Sheba Shake and Bella Bombora!

Come out and say hello!

Categories: Washington

Calliope (featuring Danny O’Keefe)

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Photo may be subject to copyright (from Pacific Northwest Bands website). Left to right: John Simpson, Danny O’Keefe, Clyde Heaton and Paul Goldsmith.

Very little is known about Seattle rock group Calliope so Garage Hangover would welcome any additional information in the comments section below

Lead guitarist, singer and writer Paul Goldsmith formed the group after his previous band The Emergency Exit disbanded in late 1967. He also recruited Clyde James Heaton (b. 13 July 1949, Seattle; d. 2 November 2005) and drummer Paul Simpson.

Heaton had previously been a member of The Dimensions  while Simpson had worked with The Bumps.

According to singer/guitarist and writer Danny O’Keefe (b. 20 May 1943, Spokane, Washington), he was the last to join (see our interview below).

O’Keefe had worked as a solo artist for several years and, like his colleagues, issued some previous recordings.

The band signed to Buddah Records around June 1968 and recorded a lone eclectic LP in Los Angeles, which was issued around November/December that year. They also opened for Cream and Iron Butterfly at the Eagles Auditorium in Seattle.

O’Keefe dropped out soon after the LP’s release to establish a prolific solo career and bass player Luther Rabb (b. 7 September 1942; d. 21 January 2006), who’d worked with Goldsmith in The Nitesounds and The Emergency Exit joined. Rabb, incidentally, had been a sax player in Jimi Hendrix’s early group, The Velvetones.

When the band fell apart in 1969, Goldsmith subsequently played with Soldier and wrote “Southern Celebration”, which was recorded by Genya Ravan.

Heaton apparently played with The Sunday Funnies while Simpson worked with Christopher. The drummer tragically died in a plane crash in 1973.

Rabb meanwhile recorded with Ballin’ Jack and West Coast Revival. He also later worked with War and Santana.

Garage Hangover would welcome any more information plus photos, which we will credit.

Nick Warburton interviewed Danny O’Keefe by email on 31 May 2024 about his time with the group.

Prior to the formation of Calliope in 1968, you’d been working as a solo artist and had recorded quite prolifically – a 1966 LP on the Panorama label and a clutch of singles for Piccadilly. Your songs had also been covered by other artists, such as “Blackstone Ferry”, which The Daily Flash recorded. Most, if not all, of these recordings subsequently appeared on The Seattle Tapes LP and tracks like “Baby” and “Graveyard Pistol” sound like they were recorded with a band. Did any of the other soon-to-be members of Calliope appear on any of these recordings?

Danny O’Keefe: No. Calliope was a band that Paul Goldsmith put together with Clyde Heaton and John Simpson. They needed a singer and I needed a gig. I hadn’t known them before I joined the band.

The LP that you did for Buddah Records only lists the four of you, but I understand that bass player Luther Rabb, who’d worked with Paul Goldsmith in his previous bands, was also involved with the group?

Danny O’Keefe: Luther Rabb joined after I left the group, and wasn’t involved in the Buddha recording.

I have read somewhere that Calliope was very well received on the local Seattle live scene. Did you play extensively in Seattle and the Washington state before landing the record deal with Buddah Records and were there any shows that stand out, perhaps opening for better known bands?

Danny O’Keefe: I think we opened for Iron Butterfly and I notably threw out a lid’s worth of joints to the audience before we started. We also opened for Cream on one of their last shows. Both shows were at the Eagles Auditorium. I think we were only together for a few months before we got the Buddha deal.

How did the deal with Buddah Records come about? It looks like the LP came out around November 1968, so I guess the recording sessions took place that summer?

Danny O’Keefe: Denny Rosencrans was a local record promoter who took an interest in the group, largely because he was Paul Goldsmith’s friend. He contacted Neil Bogart at Buddah who came out to see a performance at the Seattle Center, I believe.

What can you recall of the recording sessions? Buddah is a New York label, but I presume they didn’t fly you to the Big Apple to record? Also, it’s a very eclectic album that showcases a huge breadth of styles. Did the final product reflect what you all envisaged for it from the outset?

Danny O’Keefe: The recording sessions were produced by Lew Merenstein for Buddah. I don’t remember the name of the studio but it was a well-known studio in LA that Jimi Hendrix had recorded in. I don’t remember much about the sessions, of which there were three, I think. I had throat problems during the sessions and have always felt my vocals could have been much better. I didn’t like the recording when it came out, as it wasn’t really what I was interested in at the time, and I quit the band after I heard it. I went back to LA (from Seattle) to pursue a different route and eventually landed on Atlantic Records.

You were clearly a very prolific writer, even during this period, but only two of your original songs (and two from Paul) appear on the LP. How did you come to choose “The Rainmaker’s Daughter”, which had already been demoed and later surfaced on The Seattle Tapes, and “Atlas” and what were they about?

Danny O’Keefe: I liked “The Rainmaker’s Daughter”. It was only a demo on The Seattle Tapes, which were never intended for release except for a couple of singles. “Atlas” was a performance song and was the number we closed our sets with. “Atlas” was always assumed to have been about the Ayn Rand book. When those who uphold the world shrug their obligations the Earth becomes chaotic. “The Rainmaker’s Daughter” was from a short story by Hermann Hesse. Both early attempts to learn the craft of songwriting.

Did the band members have any say in the choice of covers, which, in themselves, are quite varied – everything from a raunchy version of “Hound Dog” to brilliant interpretations of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” and Lee Michaels’ “Hello, Hello”, the latter released as a US and Dutch single?

Danny O’Keefe: The material was picked by Paul Goldsmith. Again, I was only the vocalist in the band, which was Paul’s.

From this writer’s perspective, the production on the LP is very punchy and the arrangements are dynamic; I particularly love the horns and strings on “Atlas”. What role did Lewis Merenstein have on the final recordings?

Danny O’Keefe: He took the tapes back to Chicago and put the strings on and mixed the recordings. I had virtually no say in any of the production and, as I said, I quit the band when I heard the final recording.

By 1968, you’d already written and recorded such classics as “3.10 Smokey Thursday”. Did you record any more of your songs that were never issued at the time or perform them live? I heard rumours that a second LP was cut but subsequently shelved. Is that true?

Danny O’Keefe: I didn’t record any more songs for Buddha and asked Neil Bogart for release from my contract. He was hopeful I would stick around for another record, but I had other interests. I wasn’t involved in any recordings except those on the “Steamed” recording.

The back cover also credits your road manager. Was there any significance in listing him?

Danny O’Keefe: His name was Scott Strong, and he was a member of the band in every sense, and also a good player.

The LP came out late 1968 and one 45 was issued. Did you do much promotion of the release in Seattle or play elsewhere in the US or did the band pretty much fall apart as soon as the LP came out?

Danny O’Keefe: I left the band when the recording came out. The band persisted in the Northwest for a while, but eventually the members went their own ways.

What prompted the band’s split in early 1969 and did you keep in touch with the other band members, who all appear to have kept a relatively low profile in the aftermath? 

Danny O’Keefe: John Simpson went to Alaska and worked in his grandmother’s bank. He was with his twin brothers (if I remember correctly) in a small plane that crashed in the Alaska bush. He tried to go for help but never made it. I don’t believe his body was found, but it’s a long time ago and I’m not sure of all the facts. I lost touch with the other members of the band. I’ve tried to find out what happened to Paul Goldsmith but haven’t been successful. I don’t think he’s still alive.

Fans of your music will probably be surprised that you worked with a heavy rock band in the 1960s, but when you look back at Calliope, what are your best memories of that brief period in your career?

Danny O’Keefe: A couple of shows at the Eagles Auditorium where I got to do a couple of “art rock” pieces, and smoking a joint in the stairwell with Clapton when we opened for Cream in an afternoon show. Other than that, as I mentioned, it was just a gig and I left as soon as I had other prospects.

Copyright © Nick Warburton and Danny O’Keefe. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author.

 

 

 

Categories: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Miami, New Orleans, White Cliffs

The Canadian Legends on White Cliffs

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Here’s a little-known group, the Canadian Legends, who recorded on New Orleans labels, and whose only member I know of is Ronald Buro.

Canadian Legends White Cliffs 45 Just One GirlTheir first record contains two crude covers, “I’m a Believer” (spelled “I’m a Beleiver”) with lyrics rewritten for U. of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football (tip of the hat to Kip). This release presumably dates to shortly after Alabama’s victory in the Sugar Bowl on January 2, 1967 against Nebraska, which is mentioned in the song.

The flip a version of the Knickerbockers’ “Just One Girl” that is almost unrecognizable from the original. This version does have a lot of charm, however.

Later in 1967 came their second, “Happy” by Ray Stevens backed with an original by Ronald Buro, “One and Only”.

Their last record has two originals by Ronald Buro, “Can’t You Spare the Time” / “Where Were You When I Needed You” on Polar 102.

This Canadian Legends group is considered unrelated to the Legends, a Wisconsin group sometimes based in Miami that had been recording since 1961, including “Just in Case” / “If I Only Had Her Back” and “Alright” / “How Can I Find Her” on Parrot in 1965, and “How Can I Find Her” / “Raining in My Heart” on Thames (and Date) in 1966.

By February 1965, they were being billed in Miami as the Canadian Legends (“originally from Ontario, Canada” according to the Tampa Times), with Sam McCue on lead guitar, Larry Foster on guitar, Jerry Schils on bass and Jim Sessody on drums. Rick Jaeger from the Beau Gentry also played drums with the group from about October 1965 to early 1966. The Beau Gentry also had Wisconsin connections, recording on Ken Adamany’s Feature label.

To further the confusion, a version of “One and Only” shows up on the B-side of the Chessmen’s “The Lycra Stretch” on Suncrest, a label who had only one other release, by The Invaders, a Miami group who were good friends of the Legends.

I have heard the Chessmen version but not the Canadian Legends version yet, so I can’t tell you if it’s the same performance or not.

Categories: England, London

Orange Bicycle gigs 1967-1970

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Welcome to another posting of a series of gig listings for 1960s bands. None of these lists is exhaustive and my idea is to add to them in the comments section below over time. They are here for future researchers to draw on and, where possible, I have added the sources used, whether they are newspapers or websites.  I have also added a few interesting bits of information and will add images in time.

I’d like to encourage band members to get in touch to share memories, or for anyone to send corrections/clarifications to my email: Warchive@aol.com 

Equally important, if you attended any of the gigs below or played in the support band, please do leave your memories below in the comments section for future historians to use. If you know of any missing gigs, please add them too, if possible, with the sources.

Photo may be subject to copyright. Clockwise from top: Wil Malone, Gary Hooper, John Bachini and Robert J Scales

Robert J Scales (aka Robb Storme) – lead vocals

Gary Hooper – keyboards/guitar

John Bachini – bass/vocals

Pete Wilson (aka Wil Malone) – drums/keyboards/vocals

In September 1967, The Robb Storme Group changed name to Orange Bicycle.

Halifax Evening Courier and Guardian, 7 September 1967, page 4

24 September 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)

30 September 1967 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex with supporting group (Mid Sussex Times) Billed as Robb Storme & The Orange Bicycle

6 October 1967 – Klik, Brighton, Sussex (Mid Sussex Times) Billed as Robb Storme & Orange Bicycle

9 November 1967 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex with The Switch (Mid Sussex Times) Billed as Robb Storme & The Orange Bicycle

21 December 1967 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times) Billed as Robb Storme & The Orange Bicycle

1968

6 January 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel) Billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

 

10 February 1968 – Faculty of Tech Union, Students’ Union Building, Manchester University, Manchester with The Pretty Things (Manchester Evening News)

24 February 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel) Billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

Photo: Bill Wilson

15 March 1968 – Eastbourne College of Education, Eastbourne, East Sussex with The Skatalites (Poster from Bill Wilson)

 

3 April 1968 – Grand Spa Ballroom, Bristol (Bristol Evening Post)

4 April 1968 – Caesar’s Discotek, Arno’s Court Country Club, Bristol (Bristol Evening Post)

13 April 1968 – Pier Ballroom, Hastings, East Sussex with Pete Kelly’s Solution (Melody Maker)

 

11 May 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel) Billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

26 May 1968 – Crawdaddy, Reading, Berkshire (Reading Evening Post)

 

3 June 1968 – Rainbow Suite, Co-op, Birmingham with Ultra Sounds (Birmingham Evening Mail)

7 June 1968 – Georgian Club, Manchester with The Choice (Manchester Evening News)

8 June 1968 – Domino Club, Openshaw, Greater Manchester (Manchester Evening News) Billed as Rob Storm & The Orange Bicycle

8 June 1968 – Princess Club, Chorlton, Greater Manchester (Manchester Evening News) Billed as Rob Storm & The Orange Bicycle

 

6 July 1968 – St Joseph’s College, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire with The Reg James Explosion (Evening Sentinel)

20 July 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel) Billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

 

10 August 1968 – Le Metro, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)

25 August 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel) Billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

31 August 1968 – Isle of Wight Festival, Ford Farm near Godshill, Isle of Wight with Jefferson Airplane, The Move, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, T-Rex, Fairport Convention, The Pretty Things and others (poster)

 

11 September 1968 – The Grand, Frome, Somerset with The Derek Jones Discotheque (Somerset Standard)

 

4 October 1968 – Community Centre, Sydenham, south London (Marmalade Skies website)

5 October 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel) Billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

6 October 1968 – Maerdy Workingmen’s Club, Maerdy, Rhondda, Wales (Marmalade Skies website)

11 October 1968 – Owens Park College, Manchester (Marmalade Skies website)

13 October 1968 – Coatham Hotel, Redcar (Marmalade Skies website)

20 October 1968 – Dugout Club, Bristol (Marmalade Skies website)

23 October 1968 – Grand Spa Ballroom, Bristol (Bristol Evening Post)

24 October 1968 – RNAS Yeovilton, Ilchester, Somerset (Marmalade Skies website)

25 October 1968 – Woolaston Memorial Hall, Woolaston, Gloucestershire (Marmalade Skies website)

26 October 1968 – Lafayette Club, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Marmalade Skies website)

27 October 1968 – Golden Diamond Club, Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire (Marmalade Skies website)

28 October 1968 – Exeter College, Exeter, Devon (Marmalade Skies website)

29 October 1968 – Michinhampton Youth Club, Michinhampton, Devon (Marmalade Skies website)

 

14 November 1968 – Tall Trees Club, Newquay, Cornwall (Cornish Guardian)

15 November 1968 – Tiffany’s, The Quay, Exeter, Devon with The Showstoppers (Herald Express)

16 November 1968 – Rainbow Suite, Co-op, Birmingham with The Johnny Neale Band (Birmingham Evening Mail)

29 November 1968 – Listers Hall, Dursley, Gloucestershire (Marmalade Skies website)

30 November 1968 – Clouds, Manchester (Manchester Evening News)

30 November 1968 – Manchester University, Manchester with The Who (Marmalade Skies website)

 

5-7 December 1968 – Club Camelot, Taunton, Somerset (Marmalade Skies website)

8 December 1968 – Plymouth Top Rank, Plymouth, Devon (Marmalade Skies website)

9 December 1968 – Town Hall, Nailsworth, Gloucestershire (Marmalade Skies website)

13 December 1968 – RAF Locking, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset (Marmalade Skies website)

14 December 1968 – NUM Club, Tonypandy, Wales (Marmalade Skies website)

15 December 1968 – Tynewydd Club, Tynewydd, Rhondda, Wales (Marmalade Skies website)

18 December 1968 – Severn View Club, Caldicot, Wales (Marmalade Skies website)

19 December 1968 – RNAS Yeovilton, Ilchester, Somerset (Marmalade Skies website)

20 December 1968 – Sydenham Club, Bridgwater, Somerset (Marmalade Skies website)

21 December 1968 – Polikoff’s Club, Treorchy, Wales (Marmalade Skies website)

22 December 1968 – Maerdy Workingmen’s Club, Maerdy, Rhondda, Wales (Marmalade Skies website)

27 December 1968 – Corn Exchange, Bristol (Marmalade Skies website)

28 December 1968 – Top Rank, Brighton, Sussex with The Nice (Marmalade Skies website)

1969

Photo may be subject to copyright. Left to right: John Bachini, Gary Hooper, Kevin Currie, Wil Malone and Robert J Scales

Sometime in 1969, Liverpool (and future Supertramp) drummer Kevin Currie joined, allowing Wil Malone to move to keyboards

24 January 1969 – Stamford Hall, Altrincham, Greater Manchester (Manchester Evening News)

30 January 1969 – Red Balloon, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times) Orange Bicycle with Robb Storme

 

14 February 1969 – Nottingham University, Nottingham (Marmalade Skies website)

16 February 1969 – Tredegar Workingmen’s Club, Tredegar, Wales (Marmalade Skies website)

20 February 1969 – RFU, Bridgwater, Somerset (Marmalade Skies website)

21 February 1969 – Lydney Town Hall, Lydney, Gloucestershire (Marmalade Skies website)

22 February 1969 – Hereford College, Hereford, Herefordshire (Marmalade Skies website)

23 February 1969 – Maerdy Workingmen’s Club, Maerdy, Rhondda, Wales (Marmalade Skies website)

24 February 1969 – Assheton House Country Club, Twycross near Atherstone, Leicestershire (Birmingham Evening Mail/Hinckley Times)

27 February 1969 – St Paul’s College, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Marmalade Skies website)

28 February 1969 – Hardley Youth Club, Southampton, Hampshire (Marmalade Skies website)

6 March 1969 – Red Balloon, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

15 March 1969 – Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset (needs source)

 

10 April 1969 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times) Orange Bicycle with Robb Storme

 

31 May 1969 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel) Says ex-Robb Storme

 

2 June 1969 – Regal Cinema, Ringwood, Hampshire with Wedgewood Wing (needs source)

7 June 1969 – Room at the Top Club, Redruth, Cornwall with Hopscotch (West Briton)

27 June 1969 – Exeter University, Exeter, Devon with The Moody Blues, Colosseum, The Pyramids, Alex Walsh, Bob Kerr’s Whoopee Band and others (Melody Maker)

28 June 1969 – Room at the Top Club, Redruth, Cornwall (West Briton)

 

3 August 1969 – Sunday Club, Top Rank, Bristol (Bristol Evening News)

16 August 1969 –Room at the Top Club, Redruth, Cornwall (Cornish Guardian)

31 August 1969 – Top Rank, Bristol (Bristol Evening Post)

 

21 September 1969 – Cock Hotel, Ripley, Derbyshire (Derby Evening Telegraph)

 

25 October 1969 – Tin Hat, Kettering, Northamptonshire (Kettering Evening Telegraph)

 

15 November 1969 – Kinema Ballroom, Dunfermline, Scotland with The Change and The Shadettes (Marmalade Skies website)

 

10 December 1969 – The Silver Horse, Reading with The Image (Reading Evening Post)

14 December 1969 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)

1970

Photo may be subject to copyright. Clockwise from bottom: John Bachini, Kevin Currie, Wil Malone, Robert J Scales and Bernie Lee

Sometime in early 1970, Bernie Lee joined on lead guitar (taking over from Gary Hooper) 

17 January 1970 – Flying Bowman Club, RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire with The Midnight Blue and Teak (Lincolnshire Echo)

 

1 April 1970 – Hucknall/Linby Miners’ Welfare, Nottinghamshire (Nottingham Evening Post)

 

22 May 1970 – Lafayette Club, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (needs source)

 

20 June 1970 – Ionians RFU, Elloughton, Brough, Humberside (Hull Daily Mail)

 

11 July 1970 – Yate’s Carnival Dance, Entertainment Centre, Yate, Bristol with Dool-Lally Cat (Bristol Evening Post)

 

8 August 1970 – Aquarius Club, Lincoln, Lincolnshire (Lincolnshire Echo)

21 August 1970 – Wedmore Harvest Home, Wedmore, Somerset with Cupid’s Inspiration and The Dipps (Wells Journal)

 

31 October 1970 – Flying Bowman’s Club, RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire with Edison Lighthouse, The Troggs and Virgin Glory (Lincolnshire Echo)

 

20 November 1970 – Hayle Rugby Club, St Ives, Cornwall (West Briton)

21 November 1970 – PJ’s Disco, Truro, Cornwall (West Briton)

The Marmalade Skies gigs may be from Fabulous 208 magazine

Copyright © Nick Warburton. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author.

Categories: England, London

Robb Storme Group gigs 1966-1967

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Welcome to another posting of a series of gig listings for 1960s bands. None of these lists is exhaustive and my idea is to add to them in the comments section below over time. They are here for future researchers to draw on and, where possible, I have added the sources used, whether they are newspapers or websites.  I have also added a few interesting bits of information and will add images in time.

I’d like to encourage band members to get in touch to share memories, or for anyone to send corrections/clarifications to my email: Warchive@aol.com 

Equally important, if you attended any of the gigs below or played in the support band, please do leave your memories below in the comments section for future historians to use. If you know of any missing gigs, please add them too, if possible, with the sources.

Robb Storme – lead vocals

Tony Ollard – lead guitar

Jim St Pier – saxophone, keyboards

Gary Hooper (aka Garry Peterson) – bass

Pete Wilson – drums, keyboards

Previously known as Robb Storme & The Whispers, this north London band changed name around June 1966 but was billed under its former name from time to time. 

1 July 1966 – Gig in Rushton, Northamptonshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

3 July 1966 – Princess Theatre, Torquay, Devon with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich and Billie Davis (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

9 July 1966 – Gig in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

10 July 1966 – Oasis, Manchester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

10 July 1966 – Warmingham Grange Country Club, Sandbach, Warmingham, Cheshire (Evening Sentinel) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan (not listed as backing them on Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

14 July 1966 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

16 July 1966 – Flamingo, Redruth, Cornwall (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

17 July 1966 – Princess Theatre, Torquay, Devon with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick &Tich, The Emeralds and Kim Davis & The Del Five (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

20 July 1966 – Gig in Hemel Hempstead, Herts (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

22 July 1966 – Gig in Bath (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

23 July 1966 – Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Action, The Ferry Boys and The James Royal Set (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

24 July 1966 – ABC, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, The Koobas, Billie Davis & The End (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

27 July 1966 – Locarno Ballroom, Stevenage, Herts (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

30 July 1966 – New Century, Manchester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

31 July 1966 – Olympia Ballroom, Cromer, Norfolk with The Barry Lee Show (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

 

6 August 1966 – Victoria Gallery, Wantage, Oxfordshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

7 August 1966 – Gigs in Sandown and Shanklin, Isle of Wight (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

8 August 1966 – Gig in Cardiff, Wales (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

12 August 1966 – City Hall, Perth, Scotland (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

13 August 1966 – Market Hall, Carlisle, Cumbria (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

14 August 1966 – Top Rank, Preston, Lancashire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

19 August 1966 – Hotel Metropole, Brighton, Sussex with Weston Gavin, Graham Bond Organisation, The Mike Stuart Span and The Mercats (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

20 August 1966 – Corn Exchange, Leicester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

21 August 1966 – ABC, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

Photo may be subject to copyright. Left to right: Lewis Collins, Pete Wilson (aka Wil Malone), Robb Storme, Jim St Pier, Tony Ollard

This is the most likely point that Lewis Collins from The Mojos started on bass, taking over from Gary Hooper. The Lancashire Evening Telegraph’s 27 August issue, has a photo of him and mentions him as the newest member

24 August 1966 – Fiesta Ballroom, Stockton-On-Tees, Teesside (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

25 August 1966 – Astoria, Oldham, Greater Manchester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

26 August 1966 – Floral Hall, Hornsea, Humberside with The Strollers (Hull Daily Mail) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan (not listed on Jim St Pier’s gig listing as backing them)

27 August 1966 – Glen Ballroom, Llanelli, Wales (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

28 August 1966 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

Photo: Mid Sussex Times

14 September 1966 – One week doubling at the Cavendish Club in Newcastle Upon Tyne and Wetheralls in Sunderland (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

14 September 1966 – Town Hall, Stourbridge, West Midlands (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

15 September 1966 – Locarno Ballroom, Burnley, Lancashire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

17 September 1966 – Oasis, Manchester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

17 September 1966 – Warmingham Country Club, Warmingham, Cheshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

18 September 1966 – One week doubling at La Bamba in Darlington and Marimba in Middlesbrough (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan (Ed. I have Flamingo Club in Darlington and with Johnny Kidd & The Pirates). Billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

30 September 1966 – Strand Ballroom, Port Stewart, Northern Ireland (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

1 October 1966 – Arcadia, Bray, Republic of Ireland (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

2 October 1966 – Abbey, Drogheda, Republic of Ireland (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

2 October 1966 – TV show, Dublin, Republic of Ireland (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

6 October 1966 – Palais, Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

7 October 1966 – Gaiety Ballroom, Grimsby, Lincolnshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

8 October 1966 – Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, Kent (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

10 October 1966 – Silver Blades, Streatham, southwest London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

15 October 1966 – ABC Cinema, Aldershot, Hampshire with The Hollies, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

16 October 1966 – ABC Cinema, Romford, Essex with The Hollies, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

18 October 1966 – Odeon Theatre, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

19 October 1966 – Capitol Theatre, Cardiff, Wales with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

20 October 1966 – Gaumont, Taunton, Somerset with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

21 October 1966 – Gaumont Cinema, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

22 October 1966 – ABC Theatre, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

23 October 1966 – ABC Cinema, Kingston upon Hall, East Riding of Yorkshire with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

24 October 1966 – Gaumont Theatre, Ipswich, Suffolk with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

26 October 1966 – ABC Cinema, Northampton with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

27 October 1966 – Regal Cinema, Cambridge with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

28 October 1966 – ABC Cinema, Lincoln, Lincolnshire with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

29 October 1966 – ABC Cinema, Chester, Cheshire with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

30 October 1966 – Gaumont Theatre, Coventry with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

 

1 November 1966 – Gaumont Theatre, Worcester with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

2 November 1966 – ABC Cinema, Wigan, Lancashire with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

3 November 1966 – Odeon Theatre, Manchester with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

4 November 1966 – Odeon Theatre, Leeds, West Yorkshire with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

5 November 1966 – Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

6 November 1966 – Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones, Peter Jay & The New Jayhawks and The Nashville Teens (various sources) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan and billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

18 November 1966 – Corn Hall, Diss, Norfolk (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

19 November 1966 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsay, Cambridgeshire with The Original Dyaks (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

20 November 1966 – Clifton Hall, Rotherham, South Yorkshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

25 November 1966 – High Wycombe College, High Wycombe, Bucks (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

26 November 1966 – Plaza Handsworth, Birmingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

27 November 1966 – One week doubling Dolce Vita, Newcastle upon Tyne and Latino, South Shields (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

 

9 December 1966 – Grand Ballroom, Coalville, Leicestershire with Ignition (Leicester Mercury/Hinckley Times) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan (Jim St Pier’s gig diary does not list them backing them)

10 December 1966 – Civic Hall, Barnsley, South Yorkshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

11 December 1966 – Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

13 December 1966 – Clarence Pier, Southampton, Hampshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

16 December 1966 – Gig in Shrewsbury (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

17 December 1966 – Winter Gardens, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset (Bristol Evening Post) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan (Jim St Pier’s gig diary does not list backing them)

18 December 1966 – Belle Vue, Manchester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

23 December 1966 – Top Rank Suite, Brighton, Sussex with Syd Dean and His Music (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

24 December 1966 – Public Hall, Harpenden, Herts (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

26 December 1966 – Keys Hall, Brentwood, Essex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

30 December 1966 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) Billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

31 December 1966 – Hilton, Park Lane, central London with Tom Jones (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

1967

7 January 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

14 January 1967 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

18 January 1967 – Church Hall, Stonehaven, Scotland (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) This looks very unlikely unless it’s Stonehouse in Gloucestershire

19 January 1967 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

20 January 1967 – Philippa Fawcett College, Streatham, southwest London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

21 January 1967 – Town Hall, Lewes, East Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

27 January 1967 – Hereford Training College, Hereford (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

28 January 1967 – Leeds Training College, Leeds, West Yorkshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

4 February 1967 – Colchester University, Colchester, Essex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

5 February 1967 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) Billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

12 February 1967 – Oasis, Manchester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

18 February 1967 – Bal Tabarin, Bromley, southeast London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

23 February 1967 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

24 February 1967 – Dancing Slipper, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

25 February 1967 – Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Wales (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

3 March 1967 – Astoria, Finsbury Park, north London with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, The Jeff Beck Group, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (Hackney Gazette) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

4 March 1967 – ABC, Exeter, Devon with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

5 March 1967 – ABC, Plymouth, Devon with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

7 March 1967 – Kingsway, Hadleigh, Suffolk with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

8 March 1967 – Birmingham Odeon, Birmingham with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (Birmingham Sunday Mercury) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

9 March 1967 – Bolton Odeon, Bolton, Lancashire with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (Bolton Evening News) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

10 March 1967 – Odeon, Manchester with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (Manchester Evening News) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

11 March 1967 – ABC Chesterfield, Chesterfield, Derbyshire with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

12 March 1967 – Empire Theatre, Liverpool with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

15 March 1967 – Ritz Cinema, Luton, Bedfordshire with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

16 March 1967 – Gaumont, Southampton, Hampshire with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

17 March 1967 – Tooting Granada, southwest London with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

18 March 1967 – Gaumont, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

19 March 1967 – City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle, Tyne &Wear with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (Newcastle Sunday Sun) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

20 March 1967 – ABC Cinema, Edinburgh, Scotland with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

21 March 1967 – Odeon, Glasgow, Scotland with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

22 March 1967 – ABC Cinema, Carlisle, Cumbria with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

23 March 1967 – Odeon, Leeds, West Yorkshire with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

24 March 1967 – Gaumont, Doncaster, South Yorkshire with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

25 March 1967 – Lincoln ABC, Lincoln, Lincolnshire with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (Lincolnshire Echo) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

26 March 1967 – Coventry Theatre, Coventry with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (David Else research) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

27 March 1967 – Odeon, Blackpool, Lancashire with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

29 March 1967 – Capitol Theatre, Cardiff, Wales with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

30 March 1967 – Colston Hall, Bristol with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

31 March 1967 – Cheltenham Odeon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (Melody Maker) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

 

1 April 1967 – Winter Gardens, Bournemouth, Dorset with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, The Creation, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

2 April 1967 – De Montfort Hall, Leicester with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

5 April 1967 – Gaumont, Ipswich, Suffolk with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

6 April 1967 – Adelphi, Slough, Berkshire with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces and The Settlers (Windsor, Slough & Eton Express) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

7 April 1967 – ABC Aldershot, Aldershot, Hampshire with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

9 April 1967 – ABC Cinema, Romford, east London with Roy Orbison & The Candymen, The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, PP Arnold & Four of a Kind, The Settlers and Sonny Childe & The TNT (needs source) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

Jim St Pier thinks the shows on 7 and 9 April may have been cancelled

13 April 1967 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex with Eddie Singh & The West Indian Tornados (Mid Sussex Times)

15 April 1967 – Town Hall, Lewes, East Sussex with Peter Jay & The New Jaywalkers featuring Terry Reid and The Beachcombers (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

16 April 1967 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) Billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

19 April 1967 – Church Hall, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

20 April 1967 – RAF St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

21 April 1967 – Discotheque, Bristol (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

22 April 1967 – St George’s Hall, Exeter, Devon (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

23 April 1967 – Khyber Club, Taunton, Somerset (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

29 April 1967 – St Mark and St John, Chelsea, southwest London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

5 May 1967 – Top Rank, Brighton, Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

6 May 1967 – Hereford Teaching Training College, Hereford (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

Melody Maker’s 13 May issue, page 14, features an advert for the band looking for a new bass player/singer so this must be when Lewis Collins departed and John Bachini from The Symbols took over bass.

25 May 1967 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times) Jim St Pier’s gig diary says this was cancelled and the band Camp replaced them

1 June 1967 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex with support (Mid Sussex Times)

3 June 1967 – St George’s College, Winchester, Hampshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

Jim St Pier departed at this point

8 July 1967 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, central London (Evening Standard)

20 July 1967 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

29 July 1967 – Witchdoctor, Catford, southeast London with The Amboy Dukes (South East London Mercury)

24 August 1967 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex with Precisely This (Mid Sussex Times)

28 August 1967 – Festival of Music, Hastings Stadium, Hastings, East Sussex with The Kinks, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Titch, Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Winston’s Fumbs and The Hip Hooray Band (Melody Maker) Billed as Robb Storme & The Whispers

 

9 September 1967 – Witchdoctor, Catford, southeast London with The Fireballs (South East London Mercury)

Sometime around now Tony Ollard left, subsequently to work with The Creation and The Warren Davis Monday Band among others and was replaced by former bass player Gary Hooper on guitar. The group changed name to Orange Bicycle.

29 September 1967 – Witchdoctor, Catford, southeast London with The Outrage (South East London Mercury) Billed under the old name but this would have been Orange Bicycle

Jim St Pier gigs sourced from this site: https://bigsixties.blogspot.com/2020/01/robb-storme-and-whispers.html

Copyright © Nick Warburton. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author.

 

Categories: England, London

Robb Storme & The Whispers gigs 1964-1966

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Welcome to another posting of a series of gig listings for 1960s bands. None of these lists is exhaustive and my idea is to add to them in the comments section below over time. They are here for future researchers to draw on and, where possible, I have added the sources used, whether they are newspapers or websites.  I have also added a few interesting bits of information and will add images in time.

I’d like to encourage band members to get in touch to share memories, or for anyone to send corrections/clarifications to my email: Warchive@aol.com 

Equally important, if you attended any of the gigs below or played in the support band, please do leave your memories below in the comments section for future historians to use. If you know of any missing gigs, please add them too, if possible, with the sources.

The band was formed in Crouch End, north London by Robb Storme (aka Robert J Scales) and Pete Wilson (aka Wil Malone) in late 1950s. The group went through numerous changes over the years

By late 1963 the line-up was:

Robb Storme – lead vocals

Chuck Hardy – lead guitar

Jim St Pier – saxophone, keyboards

Gary Hooper (aka Garry Peterson) – bass

Pete Wilson – drums, keyboards

 

1964

24 January 1964 – Loughborough College, Loughborough, Leicestershire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

31 January 1964 – Winchester Lido, Winchester, Hampshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

7 February 1964 – Villa Marina, Douglas, Isle of Man (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

22 February 1964 – Starlite Ballroom, Herne Bay, Kent (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

28 February 1964 – Jazz Cellar, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

6 March 1964 – Exeter University, Exeter, Devon (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

7 March 1964 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, Middlesex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

14 March 1964 – Woodmans Hall, Lyme Regis, Dorset (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

15 March 1964 – Royal Pier, Southampton, Hampshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

19 March 1964 – Bradford University, Bradford, West Yorkshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

20 March 1964 – Locarno (Ballroom?), Sale, Greater Manchester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

24 March 1964 – Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

26 March 1964 – Regency, Bath (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

28 March 1964 – Public Hall, Harpenden, Herts (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

2 April 1964 – Majestic Ballroom, Luton, Bedfordshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

8-12 April 1964 – Scottish tour (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

17 April 1964 – Gig in Milford Haven, Wales (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

18 April 1964 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

21 April 1964 – Stage Show County Theatre, Haverfordwest, Wales (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

24 April 1964 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

30 April 1964 – Lyons Corner House, Leicester Square, central London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

4 May 1964 – Town Hall, Bridgwater, Somerset (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

15 May 1964 – Leeds University, Leeds, West Yorkshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

22 May 1964 – Sankey Ballroom, Wellington, (possibly Shropshire) (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

29 May 1964 – Windsor Ballroom, Redcar, North Yorkshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

1 June 1964 – Civic Hall, Solihull, West Midlands (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

3-7 June 1964 – Scottish tour (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

13 June 1964 – Scala Ballroom, Dartford, Kent (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

14 June 1964 – Hippodrome, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk with The Swinging Blue Jeans (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

25 June 1964 – Mayfair Ballroom, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear with Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

26 June 1964 – Locarno (Ballroom?), Liverpool (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

3 July 1964 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

12 July 1964 – Spa Hall, Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

17 July 1964 – Gig in Stonehaven, Scotland (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

18 July 1964 – Queens Hall, Dunoon, Scotland (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

19 July 1964 – Hippodrome, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

26 July 1964 – Winter Gardens, Blackpool, Lancashire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

31 July 1964 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

2 August 1964 – Victoria Hall, Chesterfield, Derbyshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

3 August 1964 – Corn Exchange, Brighton, Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

11 August 1964 – Bishops Park Theatre, Fulham, southwest London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

14-22 August 1964 – Scottish tour (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

20 August 1964 – Two Red Shoes Ballroom, Elgin, Scotland (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

29 August 1964 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

4 September 1964 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

6 September 1964 – Palais, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

17 September 1964 – Majestic Ballroom, Luton, Bedfordshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

18 September 1964 – Dungeon, Nottingham with The Orients (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

24 September 1964 – City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

30 September 1964 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

3 October 1964 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

6-14 October 1964 – Polish tour with Helen Shapiro & The Trebletones. This included three nights at the Palace of Culture in Warsaw (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

17 October 1964 – Loughborough College, Loughborough, Leicestershire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

24 October 1964 – Hull University, Hull, Humberside (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

25 October 1964 – Coventry Theatre, Coventry with The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Barron Knights, The Escorts and The Cockneys (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

1 November 1964 – Dungeon, Nottingham with The Mansfields (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

2 November 1964 – Private party (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

5 November 1964 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire with Herman’s Hermits (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

7 November 1964 – Starlite Ballroom, Herne Bay, Kent (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

13 November 1964 – Windsor Ballroom, Redcar, North Yorkshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

14 November 1964 – Gig in Spennymoor, County Durham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

19 November 1964 – City Hall, Cardiff, Wales (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

20 November 1964 – Leeds University, Leeds, West Yorkshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

21 November 1964 – Bangor University, Bangor, Wales (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

22 November 1964 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

25 November 1964 – Town Hall, Fulham, southwest London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

26 November 1964 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

29 November 1964 – Palais, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

11 December 1964 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

12 December 1964 – Westfield College, Hampstead, north London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

18 December 1964 –Village Hall, Hoverton, Norfolk (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

19 December 1964 – Starlite Ballroom, Herne Bay, Kent (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

26 December 1964 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

31 December 1964 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, Middlesex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

1965

2 January 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

9 January 1965 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, Middlesex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

22 January 1965 – Leicester College, Leicester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

23 January 1965 – City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire with The Four Tones (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

24 January 1965 – Palais, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

28 January 1965 – Cocked Hat, Aspley, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

30 January 1965 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

5 February 1965 – Leeds University, Leeds, West Yorkshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

6 February 1965 – Sandringham Hotel, Hunstanton, Norfolk (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

10 February 1965 – Winter Gardens, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

11 February 1965 – Smethwick Baths, Smethwick, Sandwell, West Midlands (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

12 February 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

14 February 1965 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex with The Hellions (Jim St Pier’s gig diary/Mid Sussex Times)

17 February 1965 – Locarno Ballroom, Stevenage, Herts (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

20 February 1965 – Hull University, Hull, Humberside (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

27 February 1965 – Savoy, Catford, southeast London and private party (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

28 February 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham with The Hookey Walkers (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

3 March 1965 – Winter Gardens, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

6 March 1965 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

13 March 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

20 March 1965 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsay, Cambridgeshire with The Rebounds (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

25 March 1965 – Training College, Hull, Humberside (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

27 March 1965 – Starlite Ballroom, Herne Bay, Kent (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

1 April 1965 – RAF High Wycombe, High Wycombe, Bucks (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

11 April 1965 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

17 April 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham with The In Crowd (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

23 April 1965 – Corn Exchange, Exeter, Devon (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

25 April 1965 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex with The Jades (Jim St Pier’s gig diary/Mid Sussex Times)

30 April 1965 – Town Hall, Axminster, Devon (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

7 May 1965 – Southampton University, Southampton, Hampshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

9 May 1965 – Empire Pool, Wembley, northwest London with The Animals, The Barron Knights, Manfred Mann and Frankie Vaughan (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

15 May 1965 – Top Rank, Brighton, Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

22 May 1965 – Public Hall, Harpenden, Herts (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

25 May 1965 – Bell Hotel, Leicester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

28 May 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham with The Red Squares (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

29 May 1965 – Hull University, Hull, Humberside (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

3 June 1965 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

12 June 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

15 June 1965 – Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Wales (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

18 June 1965 – Goldhawk Social Club, Shepherd’s Bush, west London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

28 June 1965 – St Luke’s College, Exeter, Devon (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

3 July 1965 – Ifield Grammar School, Crawley, West Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

9 July 1965 – Glenlyn Ballroom, Forest Hill, southeast London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

10 July 1965 – Shooting Lodge, Newbury, Berkshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

11 July 1965 – Princess Theatre, Chorlton, Greater Manchester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

11 July 1965 – Domino Club, Openshaw, Greater Manchester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

15 July 1965 – Training College, Hull, Humberside (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

17 July 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham with The Rondos (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

25 July 1965 – White Lion, Edgware, north London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

27 July 1965 – Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

29 July 1965 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

 

8 August 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

10 August 1965 – Bishops’ Park Theatre, Fulham, southwest London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

10 August 1965 – Café Des Artists, Fulham, southwest London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

14 August 1965 – King’s Hall, Aberystwyth, Wales (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

19 August 1965 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire with Lulu & The Luvvers (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

22 August 1965 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex with The Five Aces (Jim St Pier’s gig diary/Mid Sussex Times)

28 August 1965 – Town Park, Harlow, Essex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

29 August 1965 – Ritz Ballroom, Skewen, Wales (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

30 August 1965 – Luciano, Haverfordwest, Wales (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

4 September 1965 – Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis, Dorset (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

10 September 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

19 September 1965 – Tavern Club, East Dereham, Norfolk (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

9 October 1965 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

10 October 1965 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

15 October 1965 – Exeter University, Exeter, Devon with Bo Diddley (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

16 October 1965 – Festival Hall, Kirby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

18 October 1965 – Gig in Bletchley, Bucks (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

22 October 1965 – Glenlyn Ballroom, Forest Hill, southeast London with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)

23 October 1965 – Keys Hall, Brentwood, Essex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

24 October 1965 – Palais, Wimbledon, southwest London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

28 October 1965 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

29 October 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

30 October 1965 – Hull University, Hull, Humberside (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

31 October 1965 – Essex University, Colchester, Essex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

Sometime in November (or possibly earlier) Tony Ollard replaced Chuck Hardy on lead guitar. The Herald Express newspaper’s 19 November issue, page 14 mentions him in the band

2 November 1965 – Red Lion, High Wycombe, Bucks (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

5 November 1965 – Golf Club, Brooksmans Park, Hertfordshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

7 November 1965 – White Lion, Edgware, north London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

13 November 1965 – Marlborough Hall, Halifax, West Yorkshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

18 November 1965 – Caroline Club, Oxford Street, central London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

19 November 1965 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Jim St Pier’s gig diary/Herald Express)

20 November 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

21 November 1965 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex with The Mike Stuart Span (Jim St Pier’s gig diary/Mid Sussex Times)

24 November 1965 – John Lewis, Oxford Street, central London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

25 November 1965 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex with The Mike Stuart Span (Mid Sussex Times) Missing from Jim’s gig list

27 November 1965 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

28 November 1965 – Starlite Ballroom, Wembley, northwest London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

1 December 1965 – Fulham Town Hall, Fulham, southwest London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

3 December 1965 – Essoldo, Loughborough, Leicestershire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

4 December 1965 – Leyton Baths, Leyton, east London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

5 December 1965 – Palais, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

9 December 1965 – Hull College, Hull, Humberside (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

10 December 1965 – John Lewis, Oxford Street, central London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

11 December 1965 – Catacombs, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

12 December 1965 – Starlite Ballroom, Wembley, northwest London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

13 December 1965 – St Luke’s College, Exeter, Devon (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

15 December 1965 – King’s Hall, Aberystwyth, Wales (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

19 December 1965 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times) Missing from Jim’s gig list

24 December 1965 – Public Hall, Harpenden, Herts (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

26 December 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

28 December 1965 – Community Centre, Basildon, Essex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

31 December 1965 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

1966

1 January 1966 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Epics (Jim St Pier’s gig diary/East Kent Times & Mail)

2 January 1966 – Florida Ballroom, Brighton, Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

8 January 1966 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, northwest London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

13 January 1966 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times) Missing from Jim’s gig list

14 January 1966 – Diamond, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

15 January 1966 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

17 January 1966 – Caroline Club, Oxford Street, central London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

21 January 1966 – Town Hall, Lewes, East Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

22 January 1966 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

23 January 1966 – Taunton Cricket Club, Taunton, Somerset (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

28 January 1966 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

30 January 1966 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

4 February 1966 – White Lion, Edgware, north London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

5 February 1966 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, northwest London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

9 February 1966 – Church Hall, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

11 February 1966 – Colchester University, Colchester, Essex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

12 February 1966 – Rolle College, Exmouth, Devon (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

14 February 1966 – High Wycombe College, High Wycombe, Bucks (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

17 February 1966 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

19 February 1966 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

20 February 1966 – Palais, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

23 February 1966 – Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex with The Victors (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle/Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

25 February 1966 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

26 February 1966 – Gig in Aberystwyth, Wales (King’s Hall?) (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

4 March 1966 – Corn Exchange, Brighton, Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

5 March 1966 – Pier Pavilion, Colwyn Bay, Wales with The Mojos (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

9 March 1966 – Hull University, Hull, Humberside (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

11 March 1966 – Gig in Edmonton, north London (Cooks Ferry Inn?) (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

12 March 1966 – Brighton College, Brighton, Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

17 March 1966 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire with The Troggs (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

18 March 1966 – Glenlyn Ballroom, Forest Hill, southeast London with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)

19 March 1966 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

22 March 1966 – Town Hall, Stourbridge, West Midlands (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

24 March 1966 – Town Hall, Kidderminster, Worcestershire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

26 March 1966 – Wrexham College, Wrexham, Wales (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

27 March 1966 – The Mod Place, Victoria Rooms, Bristol with The Exiles (Jim St Pier’s gig diary/Bristol Evening Post)

31 March 1966 – The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

1 April 1966 – Winter Gardens, Penzance, Cornwall (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

2 April 1966 – Winter Gardens, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

3 April 1966 – Wembley Arena Record Star Show, Wembley, northwest London with Sandie Shaw, The Moody Blues, Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames and Cliff Richard (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

7 April 1966 – Currys Radio, Reigate, Surrey (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

8 April 1966 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

9 April 1966 – Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

11 April 1966 – Majestic Ballroom, Wellington, Somerset (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

15 April 1966 – Central Pier, Morecambe, Lancashire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

16 April 1966 – Marlborough Hall, Halifax, West Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

22 April 1966 – Gaiety Ballroom, Grimsby, Lincolnshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

23 April 1966 – Royal Hall, Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

24 April 1966 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

27 April 1966 – Corn Exchange, Bristol (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

29 April 1966 – Pier Ballroom, Hastings, East Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

 

1 May 1966 – Gig in Aberystwyth, Wales (King’s Hall?) (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

13 May 1966 – Princess Club, Chorlton, Greater Manchester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

13 May 1966 – Domino Club, Openshaw, Greater Manchester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

14 May 1966 – Oasis, Manchester (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

20 May 1966 – Club Continental, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

21 May 1966 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsay, Cambridgeshire with The Endeavours and The Mulberry Blues (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

23 May 1966 – Pavilion, Bath (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

24 May 1966 – Winter Gardens, Malvern, Worcestershire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan

25 May 1966 – Corn Exchange, King’s Lynn, Norfolk (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

28 May 1966 – Glastonbury Town Hall, Glastonbury, Somerset with The Package Deal (Shepton Mallet Journal) Backing Paul & Barry Ryan (not listed in Jim St Pier’s gig diary as backing them and gig also listed as 27 May)

 

1 June 1966 – Pier Pavilion, Southampton, Hampshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

4 June 1966 – Supreme Ballroom, Ramsgate, Kent (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

10 June 1966 – Palais, Wimbledon, southwest London (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

12 June 1966 – Gig in Morecambe, Lancashire (Central Pier?) (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

17 June 1966 – Colchester University, Colchester, Essex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

18 June 1966 – Maple Ballroom, Northampton (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

19 June 1966 – Conservative Club, Bedford, Bedfordshire (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

25 June 1966 – Gig in Douglas, Isle of Man (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

30 June 1966 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)

 

Around this time, they changed name to The Robb Storme Group

Jim St Pier gigs sourced from this site: https://bigsixties.blogspot.com/2020/01/robb-storme-and-whispers.html

Copyright © Nick Warburton. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author.

Categories: Capitol, Detroit, Michigan, Orchard Lake

The Shaggs of Orchard Lake, Michigan, “Mean Woman Blues” / “She Makes Me Happy”

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The Shaggs: Bottom Left/Clockwise: Jim Gilliam/bass; Stan Burger (glasses)/drums; Perry Rouse/guitar and lead vocals, bottom center; Roy Rouse, guitar and lead vocals; Doug Preston/lead guitar, right corner

In March 2024—ironically, on the 50th anniversary of the release of the Phantom’s Divine Comedy effort—we received an email from drummer Stan Burger, in response to our March 2023 posting regarding his band, the Revolvers, and their connection to that infamous “Jim Morrison solo album” from 1974.

Stan tells us that, prior to their joint tenure in the Revolvers, he and guitarist Don Hales, along with guitarist John McDaniel, formed the 3 Deuces.

“We were just these kids forming our first band. Don lived a few houses down from me, while John lived past Don and was friends with him. Our sets were all covers, featuring stuff from the Byrds and the Hollies. We did ‘Eight Miles High,’ which sounded great because Don played a 12-string and we were great at harmonies. We played at places like the White Oaks Inn. A few school dances, too.

The 3 Deuces, Left to Right: John McDaniel (vocals), Stan Burger, and Don Hales.

“I wasn’t in the Revolvers that long, so I don’t remember much, I’m sorry to say. I knew Ted [Pearson] from Oxford High School. I didn’t know Harold [Beardsley] and met him through Ted and they knew Don through me. Ted was always the tallest guy in the room and was on the school’s baseball team.

“I know that Limberlost flyer for the Revolvers show you posted [November 04, 1967] says the band was releasing a ‘new single,’ but I don’t recall us ever recording or doing original material. We did a lot of covers. Ted particularly loved Cream and we did a lot of Doors tunes. I believe I was in the Shaggs at that point [their earliest documented show was in November 1967]. So maybe they kept going and did something with another drummer.

“The Revolvers played The Limberlost a lot, as it was a popular teen hangout in the day. We went to [the] Mount Christie [ski resort] in Oxford quite a few times and The Roostertail [for their “Upper Deck” and “Saturday Night at” all-ages events]. I had no idea of Ted’s career accomplishments with the [Capitol] album, and after that [Pendragon] until seeing your article on the Revolvers.”

While most Detroit garage bands disappeared without recording a long-forgotten single, Stan Burger was fortunate enough to have his drumming last via overseas-bootleg compact disc compilations dedicated to ’60s U.S teen bands [a fate that plagued Detroit’s the Ascots and the Sincerely Yours with their own, one-off 45-singles]. After leaving the Revolvers, Burger joined Orchard Lake’s the Shaggs, which released their one-off single on Capitol Records—both on U.S shores and select European markets.

German issue

“Those were some exciting times playing in the Shaggs,” continues Stan Burger. “Ray Skop, our manager, was enthusiastic, ambitious and had some big plans for us. He was obsessed with Brian Epstein and wanted that type of success, so the Shaggs did a lot of Beatles covers. We idolized the Thyme out of Kalamazoo [Michigan, 1966 to 1968; three singles] and tried to be like, sound like the Thyme. They opened for Jimi Hendrix and Cream and we wanted that for ourselves.

“Since we had a single on a big label, Ray booked us into a lot of clubs, like the Silverbell Ski Lodge [Hideout], the Mount Holly Ski Lodge in Oakland County, the Grande Ballroom, the Crow’s Nest, the Village Cave in Lake Orion, and there were a lot of high school events. The Silverbell was particularly memorable: It was a fixed up old barn out on Bald Mountain Road that had a dance floor on the second level with a stage at the other end. The first floor had a stage and dance floor with a big working fireplace. Most nights bands played on both stages. We saw everyone there: Bob Seger, SRC and Tea, so the Shaggs playing there was exciting.

Shaggs “Mean Woman Blues” / “She Makes Me Happy,” June 1969, Capitol Records“You mentioned Pioneer Recording Studios in Detroit [where the Rationals and the Detroit Vibrations, aka Frijid Pink, recorded] as where we [possibly] recorded our Capitol single. It does seem to ring a bell; maybe the Shaggs tried to record there after I left. I do remember, when recording the single, the three of us, me, Roy and Perry, standing in the booth, under the microphone, singing vocals over the backing track. I thought, ‘I’m recording for Capitol Records like Bob Seger. This could be big.’ [Seger released his Capitol debut single, “2 + 2=?” from Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man, in 1968].

“As far as the Shaggs from Miami, Florida, you’ve told me about, that Ray Skop brought them to Detroit to record [“Ring Around the Rosie” b/w “The Way I Care,” 1966, on Palmer Records]: I don’t recall that piece of history. We were the Shaggs and Ray didn’t name us. I don’t recall covering those songs in our sets as a ‘continuation’ of that band, either. I never heard of this story until you told me. We did, however, in addition to Beatles covers, do a lot of Roy Orbison and Elvis covers at Ray’s request, which is probably why we recorded ‘Mean Woman Blues’ as our A-Side. Roy [Rouse] of course, was great, sounding like Roy Orbison and Elvis; even Jerry Lee Lewis tunes. Perry [Rouse] was great with the Beatles songs.”

5. Tim Buckley Shaggs Newsprint Ad 1967-07-21

A part of the Detroit Shaggs’ history is their connection to the city’s rock royalty that is embodied by Bob Seger, as well as making a coveted appearance on WKHM disc jockey Robin Seymour’s popular, CKLW-TV Channel 9’s television show.

“During the early, local days of Bob Seger’s career, he needed a backing band for one of his dates at the Silverbell, so the Shaggs did that gig,” tells Stan Burger. We also did our Byrdsy B-Side, ‘She Makes Me Happy,’ on Swingin’ Time.

“As far as this story you’ve told me about Ray Skop being the first manager of the Amboy Dukes and his co-writing ‘Journey to the Center of the Mind’ with Ted Nugent and Steve Farmer, at the same time he managed the Shaggs, that’s wild . . . if it’s true. It’s the first time I am hearing it. I never met Ted and we never did any shows with the Amboy Dukes. I’d think I’d remember an Amboy Dukes show! If Ray did work for Hideout Records [Ed “Punch” Andrews’s label], as you’ve said, that must have been after the Shaggs, too.

“The Shaggs met Ray Skop through Bob Burwell who produced the record and was the bassist in the Wilson Mower Pursuit [with Rick Stahl of the Sincerely Yours]. He was the bassist on the single and wrote ‘She Makes Me Happy.’ Our original bassist was Jim Gilliam; I don’t recall why he wasn’t on the record. Doug Preston was on lead guitar, I was on drums and backing vocals, and then the brothers Ray and Perry Rouse. Again, Ray sings lead on our Roy Orbison cover, ‘Mean Woman Blues’ [the A-Side], and Perry sings ‘She Makes Me Happy.’ I went to Oxford High School with Ray and Perry; we were in the school choir, together. The Rouse family was a large one with seven brothers, as I recall.

“Sadly, Perry passed some years ago. I reconnected with Doug Preston from the Shaggs in our next band, Circus. He’s a longtime friend of Bob Sexton, who was also in Circus, as well as with Don Hales from the Revolvers. Don knew everyone since he worked at [Frank Merwin’s] Pontiac Music [and Sound] in Sylvan Lake. That opened around 1973, when Circus got started. Those were the days of the Firebird Lounge where I remember [Johnny Heaton’s] White Heat being a very good band.”

Circus, 1972/73: Left to Right: Stan Burger, bottom; Doug Preston, middle; Bob Sexton, right.

As is the case with most teen bands on the Detroit scene, such as Waterford’s the Coronados, the Shaggs’ career momentum—that chance “to make it big,” as Stan Burger reflected during the recording of their single—was lost as result of the Vietnam War.

“I was drafted into the Army in 1969. I served from September 1969 to September 1971. So, I was out of the scene for two years and lost touch with everyone. That’s why there was never another single for the Shaggs. I understand Ray Rouse got together with Robert Burwell again in the Roustabouts [most likely inspired by Elvis’s 1964 movie of the same name, with the other “Rouse” about-brothers, Perry and Randy].

“The Rouse brothers formed a country-rock band, Summit, which was Roy and Perry on lead vocals, and their brother Randy. They released a nice album; Life’s a Dream [1981; rounded out by Marty McCarrick on drums and Ed Kubilus on piano, saxophone, and trumpet. As of 2021, the album is available on You Tube via CD Baby].

7. Summit Newsprint Ad

“When I returned from the war, I got back into music with Circus, which was, again, Doug Preston, Bob Sexton, and, for the life of me, I can’t recall his name, but he was a relative of Doug’s. That was the earliest version of the band. As with my previous bands, Circus covered popular songs. We were around for a while and played Lake Orion’s Royal Oak Inn, Waterford’s 300 Bowl, and the Mount Holly Ski Lodge, with its Swiss Chalet-styled building and big wood trusses. It was there I’d seen early shows by Bob Seger and Terry Knight and the Pack.

“As you wrote on the Revolvers post, yes, Don Hales did end up in Jacob’s Folly, but I think the band’s name was Jacob’s Kelly and they were from Flint. I haven’t spoken to him in ages, but I believe he is still alive in Clarkston, Michigan. I am sorry to hear that Harold Beardsley passed and sad about how Ted Pearson died. Don had a duo with someone named Jim Davis, and then did a rock ‘n’ roll oldies revival show with the Fast Eddie Band for many years. Roy Rouse is still around, I believe; he was a popular Elvis tribute artist in the area [You Tube] for many years.”

Jacob’s Kelly, Left to Right: Bill Douglas, bass guitar; Don Hales, guitars; Bob Frakes, drums; Randall Curtis, lead vocals.

Ex-Revolver Don Hales joined the Ted Nugent-cum-Grand Funk Railroad-inspired, AOR-driven Jacob’s Kelly in 1972, which started in 1967. The band dissolved in1984 after twelve years of regional Midwest touring, during which they released three independent singles and one vanity-press, ten-song album. Hales and the band issued their debut single, “Confusion” b/w “Same,” in 1977.

As the “house band” at Pat’s Northview Lounge on Portage Avenue in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Jacob’s Kelly memorably entertained officers at Kinchloe AFB, in addition to’80s head bangers at Flint’s beloved “metal bar,” Contos, Mr. G’s Lounge on Bristol Road, Good Times on Clio Road, and The 300 Bowl in Waterford. They consolidate their local success opening for Bob Seger at the IMA Auditorium (Industrial Mutual Association) in Flint.

The Shaggs: Detriot Club Dates

* Images Provided with Source Credit

Top Row: Left to Right:

* July 22, 1967: Grande Ballroom (Detroit): Opening for Tim Buckley on the second date of two dates held July 21-22. Birmingham, Michigan’s Ourselves opened first night. Credit: Rock Posters.com, San Francisco. (Newspaper Print Advert for the same show, above.)

* August 19, 1967: Grande Ballroom: Headlining/Saturday Night local show w/Mothers Little Helper and the Troyes, opening. Credits: (2) Poster & Newsprint Advertisement/Mike Delbusso’s Splatt Gallery.

* August 24, 1968: Silverbell (Ski Lodge) Hideout (Auburn Hills): Opening for SRC. Credit: Artist James Render’s Archives Facebook.

Bottom Row: Left to Right:

* November 02, 1968: Silverbell Hideout (Auburn Hills): Opening for the Bob Seger System, with Asian Flu. Credit: Artist James Render’s Archives Facebook.

January 10, 1969: Something Different (Southfield): Undercard for Ted Pearson’s post-Revolvers concern, Madrigal, with Popcorn Blizzard (Meatloaf’s band), Train, and the Underground Wall.

January 17, 1969: Hideout #3 (Clawson): Opening for Toronto, Ontario’s Mandala.

* February 7, 1969: Something Different: Opening for Wilson Mower Pursuit. Credit: Mike Delbusso’s Splatt Gallery.

* February 9, 1969: Village Pub (Birmingham): WABX-FM Benefit Concert for the Birmingham Youth Assistance Program (with nine other Detroit bands). Credit: Vernon Fitch of Pink Floyd Archives: Birmingham Michigan Poster.com.

February 14, 1969: Crow’s Nest West (Westland): Opening for Plain Brown Wrapper.

* March 28, 1969: Village Pub: Headlining, with Poor Richard’s Almanac. Credit: Vernon Fitch of Pink Floyd Archives: Birmingham Michigan Poster.com.

June 27, 1969: Village Cave (Lake Orion): Headlining, with Licorice Philosophy.

Article by R.D Francis

Credits:
All band images/Stan Burger
Tim Buckley 1/4 newsprint /Mike Delbusso’s Splatt Gallery
Rouse Brothers’ Summit Newsprint/Ron Course
Shaggs poster graphic/R.D Francis
Dates/The Concert Database.com
Jacob’s Kelly images/Bob Frakes

Categories: Florida, Riverview, Sarasota County

The Villagers “Joann” / “Glad You’re Back” on Dale Records

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The Villagers Sarasota Herald Tribune July 7 1964The Villagers came from Sarasota County in Florida, just south of Tampa. Some or all of the members graduated from Riverview High School class of ’65.

Villagers Dale Records 45 JoannThey cut one fine record “Joann” / “Glad You’re Back” on Dale Records 107. “Joann” is a fine teen-type original by Jim Spoto. “Glad You’re Back” is an excellent fast-tempo original by Neal Larson, with neat harmonies and driving drumming.

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune featured a photo of the band on July 7, 1964, describing them as:

… a recently reorganized ensemble … a formerly all male group, now includes the talents of Gretchen Holland at the drums. Other musicians, from left, include, Ken Larsen, Jim Spoto, Neil Larsen and Bill Burgsteiner.

The Tampa Bay Times reported on May 6, 1965 that the Villagers came in third place at the Suncoast Star Parade talent contest at Bayfront Center, with members listed as Gretchen Holland, Kent Larson, Jim Spoto, Wally Kirsten and Neil Larsen.

Villagers Dale Records 45 Glad You're BackA notice in the Tampa Tribune on September 23, 1965 gives a different lineup:

Bradenton – A free concert will be given at Cortez Plaza Shopping Center Saturday at 5 p.m. by “The Villagers.”
The rock ‘n roll recording stars consist of Kent and Neil Larsen, Jim Spoto, Grechen Holland and Wally Kirstin and have won many honors through the state.

The record and articles have variations in spelling, Neil or Neal, Larsen or Larson.

At a 45th reunion at Riverview High School class of ’65, the Villagers played with a lineup of Bill Burgstiner, Jim Spoto, Harold Harms, and Kent Larson.

Somehow the record ended up on a New Orleans label, Dale Records 107, with mastering codes 133-3552/3. The code prefix 133 is unfamiliar to me.

It was recorded by Rick Jarmon, who is also unfamiliar to me. I cannot find any other credits for his engineering or production.

They were a talented group, and I wish they had made more records.

Anyone have a better photo of the group?

The site for '60s garage bands since 2004