Bobby Hebb – lead vocals

Mick Stewart – guitar/vocals

Nick Simper – bass/vocals

Johnny Goodison – keyboards/vocals

Kenny Slade – drums

In late November 1966, after he’d recuperated from the car crash that had killed Johnny Kidd the previous month, Nick Simper re-joined New Pirates members Mick Stewart and drummer Roger Truth with plans to revive the group’s name.

However, as Nick Simper recounts on his website, the band was first offered a job backing American soul singer Bobby Hebb, who had arrived for a December tour.

Truth, however, dropped out to join Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound before the tour commenced. Simper and Stewart found a new drummer – Kenny Slade, a Sheffield player who’d worked briefly with west London band The Dae-b-Four and also with future rock star Joe Cocker. The line-up was completed with keyboard player Johnny Goodison who’d led his own band, Johnny B Great & The Quotations (backing band for The Walker Brothers).

The band’s tour dates below are from Nick Simper’s website unless otherwise noted:

1 December 1966 – Streatham Locarno Ballroom, Streatham, southwest London

1 December 1966 – Blaises, 121 Queen’s Gate, Kensington, west London (started at 11.30pm)

2 December 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Little People (Melody Maker/Record Mirror)

3 December 1966 – Nottingham University, Nottingham (Record Mirror)

3 December 1966 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham (Record Mirror)

3 December 1966 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire with The Eyes of Blue, A New Happening and Chapter 5 (Sheffield Star)

4 December 1966 – The Cavern, Liverpool with Lynn Randell, The Beechwoods, the States, The Hideaways, The Avengers, The Prowlers, Chapter Five and The Kids (Phil Thompson’s book “The Best of Cellars – The story of the Cavern club” and Liverpool Echo)

4 December 1966 – Top Rank, Preston, Lancashire (Record Mirror)

5 December 1966 – Pavilion Ballroom, Bath

8 December 1966 – Glenn Club, Llanelli, Wales (Record Mirror)

9 December 1966 – Gaiety Theatre, Rhyl, north Wales with The Dancing Angels, Johnny Kidd’s Original Pirates (straight from the Cavern), The Signs, The Kids and The Questions (North Wales Weekly News) Bobby Hebb billed as Bobby Hebb & His Orchestra

10 December 1966 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire with The Spectres and The Inmates (Burnley Express & News)

10 December 1966 – Queen’s Hall, Widnes with The SOS and The Unknown (Record Mirror/Runcorn Weekly News)

10 December 1966 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham with The Orlons (https://dungeonmods.wordpress.com/)

11 December 1966 – Carousel Club, Farnborough, Hampshire (Camberley News)

11 December 1966 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London (Melody Maker)

12 December 1966 – Mecca, Bristol (Record Mirror)

13 December 1966 – Palais de Danse, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)

14 December 1966 – Scotch of St James, Mayfair, central London (Melody Maker/Record Mirror)

14 December 1966 – Samantha’s, Burlington Street, central London (Melody Maker and London Life magazine)

15 December 1966 – Pavilion, Worthing, West Sussex (Worthing Herald) The singer replaced Eric Burdon & The New Animals

16 December 1966 – Floral Hall, Morecambe, Lancashire (Record Mirror) Possibly Morecambe Pier

17 December 1966 – Memorial Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire with supporting groups (Record Mirror/Nantwich Chronicle)

18 December 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)

In the new year, Simper and Stewart reformed The New Pirates.