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 Billie J Kramer & The Dakotas, The Dancing Angels, Johnny Kidd’s Original Pirates (straight from the Cavern), The Signs, The Kids and The Questions (North Wales Weekly News/Rhyl & Prestayn Gazette) 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/Warrington Guardian)

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

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