US soul singer Big Maybelle was booked to arrive in Britain on 8 September1967 for a two-week tour. Disc & Music Echo, however, reported she was due to fly directly to Manchester but ended up in Paris, so that may have meant the first gigs in Manchester had to be rearranged?
For this tour, she was predominantly backed by Glasgow band, The Senate (https://grokipedia.com/page/the_senate_band), although Hull outfit The Majority did back her at Blaises in Kensington. This may have been due to the fact that The Senate also backed Garnet Mimms around this time on a British tour as well as Ben E King.
The Senate comprised Sol Byron (lead vocals); Alex Ligertwood (lead guitar/vocals); Bob Mather (saxophone); Anthony Rutherford (trumpet); Mike Fraser (keyboards); Bill Irving (bass); and Robbie McIntosh (drums).
The following gig list is probably incomplete:
8 September 1967 – Princess Theatre, Chorlton, Greater Manchester with The Senate (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) Need to confirm this happened
8 September 1967 – Domino Club, Openshaw, Greater Manchester with The Senate (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) Need to confirm this happened
9 September 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with James & Bobby Purify, Ferris Wheel and The Senate (Lincolnshire Standard/Nottingham Evening Post)
10-11 September 1967 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with Ben E King and The Senate (Birmingham Evening Mail)
14 September 1967 – Blaises, Kensington, west London with The Majority (Melody Maker) It looks like The Majority backed her on this gig
17 September 1967 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
17 September 1967 – Cue Club, Praed Street, Paddington, west London (Melody Maker)
21 September 1967 – Recordings made for John Peel’s Top Gear with The Senate: https://peel.fandom.com/wiki/Big_Maybelle
23 September 1967 – Cue Club, Praed Street, Praed Street, Paddington, west London with The Senate (Melody Maker) A photo of this night can be found here, erroneously credited to 1966: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1225385/big-maybelle-cue-club-photograph-phillips-charlie/
24 September 1967 – Princess Theatre, Chorlton, Greater Manchester with The Senate (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) This may have replaced the gig earlier in the month
24 September 1967 – Domino Club, Openshaw, Greater Manchester with The Senate (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) This may have replaced the gig earlier in the month
We’d welcome any comments, particularly around the songs performed and other standouts from the tour in the comments section below