Fat Daughter, late 1969. Left to right: Ian Miller, Phil Hearn, Mike Reed (obscured), Pete Hicks and Dennis Lascelles. Photo: Ian Miller
Ray Edwards (lead vocals)
Ian Miller (lead guitar)
Dennis Lascelles (Hammond organ)
Steve Fields (bass)
Del Coverley (drums)
+
Pete Hicks (lead vocals)
Phil Hearn (bass/vocals)
Mike Reed (drums)
Formed around March/April 1969, this group from the Bexleyheath area of southeast London included some notable individuals in its ranks during its short tenure together.
Del Coverley had started out with school band The Millionaires in 1963 and then progressed on to The Scimitars before joining The Big Wheel in late 1965. After working in Switzerland with The Big Wheel, Coverley joined Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede in October 1966 but left in late July 1967 to join the final incarnation of The Fenmen, who gigged as Kindness (reuniting with keyboard player/singer Andy Clark from The Big Wheel).
When Kindness split in late 1967, Coverley reformed The Big Wheel with original members, Del Grace (guitar), Barry Nicholls (bass) and Mike Manners (keyboards) plus new singer Pete Hicks.
Photo: Melody Maker, December 1968
In late 1968, Coverley left The Big Wheel to reunite with Andy Clark and his new collaborator guitarist Mick Hutchinson (both ex-Sam Gopal Dream and Vamp) in the short-lived Dogs Blues. Barry Nicholls who’d recently worked briefly with Pete Hicks in Promise joined the outfit but in January 1969 he was replaced by American Jerome Arnold (ex-Paul Butterfield’s Blues Band) and guest tabla player Sam Gopal.
Photo: South East London Mercury. Dogs Blues, January 1969Dogs Blues featured in South East London Mercury, 28 January 1969
However, the group split in early February when Arnold formed his own group and Andy Clark and Mick Hutchinson decided to continue as a duo and record their debut LP.
Coverley then joined a reformed version of The Royalists with guitarist Ian Miller, keyboard player Dennis Lascelles (who had briefly played with Del Grace in The Rifle) and bass player Steve Fields, who had previously worked with local bands The Kinetics and The Abstracts. The band’s singer was Lascelles’ cousin Ray Edwards.
Herbie & The Royalists. Left to right: Ian Miller, Steve Fields, Herbie Hunte and Brian Cooper. Photo: Ian Miller
As Miller explains, The Royalists had started out as a soul band around 1966 with singer Herbie Hunte from Barbados. Originally known as Herbie & The Royalists, the group also included Dennis Lascelles, Steve Fields and drummer Brian Cooper. The band’s equipment was supplied by South Eastern Entertainments in Catford.
Herbie & The Royalists gig (1968). Photo: Ian Miller
Herbie & The Royalists released a rare LP Soul Of The Matter on Saga Records in 1968, which Miller says was recorded on four-track over two Sundays in a studio in Finchley. However, by the time the LP was released, Lascelles and Miller were pushing for a more progressive rock sound and so Herbie Hunte departed around December 1968. Lascelles brought in his cousin Ray Edwards as a replacement but by February 1969 Brian Cooper had also departed.
The reformed Royalists, circa March 1969. Left to right: Del Coverley, Ray Edwards, Steve Fields, Dennis Lascelles and Ian Miller. Photo: Ian MillerThe reformed Royalists gig (1969) shortly before becoming Fat Daughter. Photo: Ian Miller
With Del Coverley taking Cooper’s place, the band gigged as The Royalists before adopting the name Fat Daughter. However, not long after the band’s singer departed.
In Ray Edwards’s place, Del Coverley brought in singer Pete Hicks who had started out in 1965 fronting The Down & Outs. In 1966, he joined The South East London Blues Band who played a few times at Happening 44 in central London.
When that group split in 1968, Hicks worked with Coverley in Big Wheel (bringing in Alan Fuller from The Down and Outs to replace Mike Manners during the year) and then joined the band Promise.
During this period Miller remembers the band playing alongside Jon Hiseman’s Colosseum at Erith Polytechnic.
Promise with Pete Hicks (centre) and Barry Nicholls (far right)
Around early June 1969, Del Coverley and Steve Fields departed Fat Daughter and subsequently joined forces with Andy Clark and Mick Hutchinson in Clark-Hutchinson after they had cut their debut LP.
Before he hooked up with Clark-Hutchinson, Coverley briefly worked with Rust who had just recorded an LP in Germany called Come With Me. The only surviving member from the LP was John Thomas and other new members were guitarist Eric Lindsey and bass player Alex Alexander.
Miller remembers Coverley leaving Fat Daughter to help Carl Douglas on a tour, so this would have been his first job before playing with Rust.
Fields, who changed his name to Stephen Amazing, also spent a brief time with The Skatalites, which may have been just before Clark-Hutchinson. Amazing played in Upp (who featured Jeff Beck as guest guitarist on their LPs) in the Seventies but later died.
Bass player Phil Hearn, who had worked with Coverley in his early 1960s bands The Millionaires and The Scimitars, and drummer Mike Reed both joined at this point and their first gig was opening for Fleetwood Mac.
Photo: Melody Maker, 1969
Later that year, the group opened for Alexis Korner (at Eel Pie Island) and Free (most likely Dartford Grammar School) among others.
Fat Daughter are uncredited for this support gig in late 1969. Photo: Melody MakerPhoto: Melody Maker, 1969
Miller says the band played at Eel Pie Island a few times. He also remembers gigs at the Scotch of St James in Mayfair, the Marquee on Wardour Street, central London and the Black Prince Hotel in Bexley.
Fat Daughter gig (1969). Photo: Ian Miller
He also recalls playing at Mildenhall USAF Airforce base with Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen, Avery Hill Teachers Training College with The Peddlers and Bromley College of Technology with Pink Floyd (most likely 26 April) where Syd Barrett joined his former band.
Fat Daughter, Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, late 1969. Left to right: Ian Miller, Phil Hearn, Mike Reed (obscured) and Pete Hicks. Photo: Ian Miller
Fat Daughter late 1969. Left to right: Ian Miller, Phil Hearn, Mike Reed and Pete Hicks. Photo: Ian MillerDennis Lascelles, late 1969. Photo: Ian Miller
When Hicks and Lascelles departed in early 1970, Hearn brought in a singer called John and a Hammond organist called Alan from his previous group Isis.
However, the new band didn’t last long and Phil Hearn and Mike Reed reunited with Pete Hicks in a new version of southeast London band Justin Thyme alongside guitarist Tony Pearman and organist Geoff Hurrell. That band’s original drummer Dave Neal went on to join Suzie Quatro.
Phil Hearn, who later moved to guitar, remained with Justin Thyme throughout the Seventies. He then became a sound engineer and worked with The Who, Aerosmith, Captain Beefheart, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Michael Jackson among many others.
Original keyboard player Dennis Lascelles later became a noted artist and lives in Brighton. Mike Reed later ran his own entertainment agency named Mike Reed Promotions.
Thanks to Phil Hearn, Pete Hicks, Ian Miller and Del Coverley for information
When The Scimitars split in late 1965, Phil Hearn was invited to join another Bexleyheath area group, The James Set with the above line-up.
During 1966, Ian Mingham replaced the original drummer and keyboard player Derek Johnson succeeded Richard Holdaway. The band shortened their name to The James and played regularly in the local area with some gigs further afield.
Sometime around 1968, Phil Hearn left to form a group called Isis and later played with Fat Daughter.
Hailing from the Bexleyheath area in southeast London, Phil Hearn and Del Coverley had started out in 1963 with school band, The Millionaires alongside guitarists Ron Cochrane and Stuart Robinson.
One of Hearn’s friends, Mike Inkster was looking for a bass player and drummer to replace outgoing members and invited Hearn and Coverley to join.
According to Hearn, the group mainly played youth clubs and social gatherings in Bexleyheath and the surrounding areas. However, they did play the famous 2 I’s coffee bar in Compton Street, Soho before they split up in late 1965.
The Motion 1966. Left to right: Greg Peck, Martin Jarvis, Alex Macpherson and Kerry Watson
Martin Jarvis (lead vocals, guitar)
Greg Peck (vocals, guitar)
Kerry Watson (bass)
Alex Macpherson (drums)
This north London group started in 1964 as The Henchmen with Bernie Holloway on bass. Bernie was from Liverpool and had played with some well-known Liverpool groups pre The Beatles. He was replaced in early ‘65 by Kerry Watson and the same line up lasted until late 1967.
After the band split Kerry Watson went on to tour Germany with Jackie Edwards who wrote the hits ‘Keep on Running’ and ‘Somebody Help Me’ for The Spencer Davis Group. Kerry failed an audition for Cupids Inspiration but the manager of both these groups, who auditioned him, gave him the job with Jackie Edwards. Kerry died in 2014.
Martin Jarvis is still in the business as the UK’s foremost Tom Jones Tribute act. He worked in various bands over the years and did session work for a couple of record labels. He went to Las Vegas with Anthony Newley’s show. At Newley’s suggestion he started doing Tom Jones songs (Tom was the big hit in Vegas at the time). Martin has been doing them ever since.
Portsmouth News, 12 October 1967. Top to bottom: Drachen, Vincent and Arthur. Image may be subject to copyright
Arthur Brown (lead vocals)
Vincent Crane (keyboards)
Drachen Theaker (drums)
1965
Photo may be subject to copyright
November Arthur Brown (b. Arthur Wilton, 24 June 1942, Whitby, West Yorkshire, England) has been active on the music scene for the past year and graduated from Reading University with a philosophy degree in the summer. Brown has first become interested in pursuing a career in music while studying law at King’s College, London six years earlier. Exposed to traditional and modern jazz and art movies, he is also inspired by a Ken Colyer concert and picks up the banjo. While he never masters the instrument (nor completes his law degree), it leads him on a music path and he starts attending rhythm and blues evenings in Leeds. In 1963, he enrols at Reading University initially to study English, economics and social studies before switching to philosophy. While at Reading, he learns the basics of double bass and plays with The Yellow Dog Trad Band from Southampton who are playing the university circuit. However, after catching a Manfred Mann show at the university, he changes musical direction and becomes lead singer with his own R&B group, Blues and Brown. During this period, he issues his debut recording, a Rag week flexi-disc on Reading Rag Records in mid-1965, comprising two tracks: “You’ll Be Mine” by The Diamonds and “You Don’t Know” by Arthur Brown with The Diamonds. Brown subsequently relocates to Fulham, London and, after answering an advert in Melody Maker, joins mod group, The Swinging Machine, who comprise guitarist Paul Brett, bass player Roy Stacey, keyboard player Arthur Regis, sax players Tony Priestland and Derek Griffiths and drummer Jim Toomey. The group gigs as Arthur Brown & The Machines and then The Arthur Brown Union and are joined by backing singer Heather Swinson.
Photo: Paul Brett. The Arthur Brown Union without Heather Swinson in Fulham. Left to right: Brett, Griffiths, Toomey, Stacey, Regis and Priestland. Arthur Brown seated
December Brown leaves to form The Arthur Brown Set with keyboard player Robin Short, guitarist Martin Kenny and bass player Barry Dean, who plays with Patto’s People in late 1966. Together with a young drummer, the band moves to Paris, France and takes up a lengthy residence at the Ange Rouge club in Montmartre where the musicians perform with strippers and naked transvestites! The drummer finds the whole experience too much and French drummer Christian Deveaux takes over. The Arthur Brown Set provides two tracks – “Baby You Know What You’re Doing” and “Don’t Tell Me” to Roger Vadim’s film, La Curee, which is released in the US as The Game Is Over. Paul Brett joins the group in June 1966 and The Arthur Brown Set takes over from The Ingoes at the Bus Palladium in Paris before working at a club in Marbella, Spain. Brett returns to England later that year and joins The Overlanders but will reunite with Brown in 1967.
1966
October Brown organises a rehearsal at Marquee Studios with horn players Lyn Dobson and Henry Lowther with the intention of forming a new group to return to France to play club residencies. Brown invites Drachen Theaker (b. John “Drachen” Theaker; 16 April 1948, d. 1992), who he met in September after answering an advert that the drummer placed in Melody Maker, to join the outfit. Theaker has previously played briefly with Manchester groups, The Measels and The Wheels before doing equally short stints with Jimmy Powell and Wynder K Frog.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
November (5) Brown’s group (billed as The Crazy World of Arthur Brown) is advertised as providing support for The Herd at the Marquee on Wardour Street in Soho, central London.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(12) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown appear at the Shoreline Club in Bognor Regis, West Sussex with The VIPs. However, when the opportunity to play the promised gigs in France falls through, Brown and Theaker decide to go their separate ways, with the drummer gigging with Jimmy Cliff and then The VIPs. Brown meanwhile meets former Trinity College of Music graduate Vincent Crane (b. Vincent Rodney Cheesman, 21 May 1943, Reading, Berkshire, England; d. 14 February 1989) at a flat in West Kensington and talks his way into the keyboard player’s latest group, The Vincent Crane Combo, which has a residency at the Witches’ Cauldron in Belsize Park. Crane has been active on the music scene for a number of years, having made his stage debut during an interval in a show by jazz player Humphrey Lyttleton at the Marquee in 1963 billed as “the loudest piano player in the world”. While at Trinity, he also plays with a short-lived piano jazz trio known as The Vincent Cheesman Trio and a blues band variously known as The Simon Magus Band or The Vincent Cheesman Blues Brothers. After leaving the music college in 1964, Crane and sax player Peter Gifford join Lew Hird’s Australian Jazz Band for a European tour and after returning that autumn, the pair form The Big Sound, who record some demos. Over the next two years, Crane (and his band) also work as a backing group for Crane’s old friend Paul Green and others in Word Engine (also known as Poetry Unlimited). In mid-1965, Crane plays with Mod/R&B outfit, J C (aka Julian Covey) & The Machine and then forms Vincent Crane’s Freedom Riders and latterly The Vincent Crane Combo, which comprises bass player Binky McKenzie, sax player John Claydon and drummer Gordon Hadlow.
Photo: Melody Maker. Vincent Crane has residency at Witch’s Cauldron. Image may be subject to copyright
December Brown debuts with The Vincent Crane Combo at a gig in Brighton where Drachen Theaker is in the audience. Short of work, however, the band breaks up before the year is out. Intrigued by each other’s musical ideas, Brown and Crane forge plans to work together on a more ambitious project in the near future, but in the meantime, hook up with other groups in order to make a living. Crane joins ailing pop group Hedgehoppers Anonymous for short spell in late February 1967.
1967
January Brown hooks up with The Ramong Sound (which later finds fame as The Foundations), working with the group for a month before reuniting with Crane in the aptly named, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown.
February The ambitious new group is completed late in the month with the addition of Drachen Theaker and Crane’s old friend, Peter Gifford, who departs early on. Crane has just left Hedgehoppers Anonymous.
March The Crazy World of Arthur Brown debuts at the 7 ½ club in Shepherd’s Market, Mayfair, where they are spotted by producer Joe Boyd, who invites the group to appear at the underground club, the UFO on Tottenham Court Road, central London.
(31) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown make their debut at the UFO with The Alberts in support.
April (14) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown appear at the UFO club with The Social Deviants.
(29) The recently formed band makes one of its first major appearances at 14-Hour Technicolour Dream event, held at the Alexandra Place in north London with many other artists.
May (5) Returning to the UFO, they play on a bill with The Soft Machine.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(19) Back at the UFO, they perform on a bill that also includes Tomorrow, The People Show and The Sun Trolley.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(20) The next day, the group appears at the Ram Jam in Brixton, south London with The Shevelles.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
June The Crazy World of Arthur Brown play two shows at the Electric Garden in Covent Garden, central London, during the month. The first is with The Apostolic Intervention. The second one later in the month features both groups with The Tomorrow and The Herbal Mixture.
(16) The group plays at the UFO with The Soft Machine and The People’s Blues Band.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(24) The band appears at the London School of Economics with The Soft Machine, 117, Sugar Simone & The Programme, The Barbados Steel Band and Nisar A-Khan.
July (1) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown play at the 117 club with Apostolic Intervention.
(9) They appear at Tiles on Oxford Street, central London.
(14) Back at the UFO, the band is joined by Alexis Korner and Victor Brox. Joe Boyd expresses an interest in signing the band but instead it attracts the attention of Who guitarist Pete Townsend, who records some tracks at his home studio, which are subsequently used in the film, The Committee. Later in the month, Townsend encourages his managers Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert to sign the band to the Track label.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(29) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown joins a stellar cast of artists at the Alexandra Palace in north London, including Eric Burdon & The Animals, Pink Floyd, The Creation and Blossom Toes.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
August (11) The group plays at Tiles on Oxford Street, central London with Embers.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(12) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown appears at the 7th National Jazz Pop Ballads and Blues Festival, Balloon Meadow, Royal Windsor Racecourse, Windsor, Berkshire with Paul Jones, Pink Floyd, Zoot Money, Amen Corner, Ten Years After, Timebox and many others.
(13) The band plays at the Swan in Yardley, West Midlands with Varsity Rag.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(18) Another show at the UFO finds the group sharing the bill with The Incredible String Band.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(21) The band returns to the Marquee in central London for the first time since November 1966 with The Studio Six in support.
(27) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown play at Saville Theatre on Shaftsbury Avenue with The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Tomorrow, Georgie Fame, Eric Burdon & The Animals, Denny Laine’s Electric String Band, Dantalion’s Chariot and others.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(28) Brown’s group appear at the Festival of Music, held at Hastings Stadium in Hastings, East Sussex with The Kinks, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch, Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, Robb Storme & The Whispers, Winston’s Fumbs and The Hip Hooray Band.
September The band’s debut single, “Devil’s Grip” (which features Paul Brett, who has recently left The Overlanders to join The Warren Davis Monday Band), is released but does not chart. After another former Arthur Brown Union member, bass player Roy Stacey, fails the audition at the Middle Earth in Covent Garden, Nick Greenwood aka Sean Nicholas (b. 2 March 1948, Hertford, Hertfordshire) joins and appears on sessions for the band’s debut album alongside session drummer John Marshall, who is brought in to replace Theaker on some tracks. The resulting album is not released until spring 1968. Nicholas has started out with Mickey Mann & The 3 Dimensions before playing with Cufley and The Soul Concern.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(1) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown participate in the UFO festival, held at the UFO club, playing the first night alongside Pink Floyd and Tomorrow.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(2)The group performs at Pearce Hall, Maidenhead, Berkshire.
(3)The Crazy World of Arthur Brown travel to Nottingham for a show at the Britannia Rowing Club before returning to London.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(4) Following the success of its Marquee show in August, the band returns for another show with Ten Years After in support.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(9)The Crazy World of Arthur Brown play at the Ricky Tick in Hounslow, west London.
(11) The group returns to the Marquee the following week for a show with The Nite People in support.
(16) The band appears at the Corn Exchange in Chelmsford, Essex.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(18) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown make another appearance at London’s famous Marquee club backed again by The Studio Six.
Photo: Southern Evening Echo. Image may be subject to copyright
(19) The band plays at the Concorde club, the Bassett Hotel, Southampton.
Photo: Cityweek. Image may be subject to copyright
(22-23) The band travels to Northern Ireland for two shows. The first is at the Electric Honeypot in Bangor with The High Wall. The following night, they appear at Club Rado in Belfast.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(30) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown play at the Middle Earth in Covent Garden with The Exploding Galaxy, Mabel Greer’s Toyshop and The Kult.
October (1) They appear at Middle Earth in Covent Garden, central London with Exploding Galaxy, Mabel Greer’s Toyshop and Kult.
(3) With Ron Wood from The Jeff Beck Group on bass, the band records its debut show for John Peel’s BBC radio show. The session, which comprises recordings of “Witch Doctor”, “Nightmare”, “Devil’s Grip”, “I Put A Spell On You” and “Time”, is broadcast later that month.
Photo: Worthing Gazette. Image may be subject to copyright
(12) They play at the Pier Pavilion in Worthing, West Sussex.
November (10) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown play at the Carlton Ballroom in Erdington, West Midlands.
(18) The band play at Floral Hall, Southport, Lancashire.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
December (9) The group appears at Middle Earth, Covent Garden with Rainbow Reflections and The Misfits.
1968
January (6) The band plays at St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire.
Photo: Eastern Evening News. Image may be subject to copyright
(17) Arthur Brown’s group appear at the Gala Ballroom, Norwich.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(20) The group appears at the End of Rag charity event, held at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, north London with Fleetwood Mac, The Move, Fairport Convention, Geranium Pond and Paper Blitz Tissue.
February (9) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown support Cream at Leicester University Arts Ball, Leicester.
March (29) The band plays at Middle Earth in Covent Garden with Blonde on Blonde.
April (8) A second John Peel session is recorded with the tracks “Fire”, “I Put A Spell On You”, “Child Of My Kingdom” and “Come And Buy” captured on tape.
(13) The band plays at the Marquee in central London with Timebox. With Nick Greenwood as permanent bass player, the band undertakes a brief Italian tour.
(28) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown play their final show before embarking on their debut US tour with a gig at the Middle Earth in Covent Garden.
May (3-4) On its debut US tour, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown open for Jefferson Airplane at the Fillmore East in New York.
(5) Canadian Jeff Cutler (b. Rowland Jefferies Cutler, 8 September 1941, Toronto, Ontario), previously a member of Toronto R&B outfit, Jon and Lee & The Checkmates and New York-based David Clayton-Thomas & The Phoenix, takes over from Drachen Theaker who is suffering from nervous exhaustion. Cutler has recently subbed for Spencer Dryden in Jefferson Airplane on some New Jersey area dates and was playing with that group when it headlined over The Crazy World of Arthur Brown at New York’s Fillmore East. Theaker leaves and heads for Los Angeles where he subsequently does session work for Love, appearing on Four Sail, before backing Warren Zevon. Theaker will return to the UK in mid-1969 and reunite with Arthur Brown in a new version of the group.
(11) Cutler makes his debut with The Crazy World of Arthur Brown at Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan where the band appears with The Doors, James Cotton Blues Band and Jagged Edge. During the show, Crane attacks Brown and Cutler on stage and has to be restrained.
(18-19) The group plays at the Miami Pop Festival, Gulfstream Racetrack with The Mothers Of Invention, Blue Cheer, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry and others.
(29-30) The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown appear at the Grande Ballroom, Detroit, Michigan.
(31) – June (1) The band joins Love for a show at the Grande Ballroom.
June (13) The group is supported by Big Brother & The Holding Company at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium.
(14-15) The band performs at San Francisco’s Winterland with Big Brother & The Holding Company.
(21-22) The group plays at the Kaleidoscope in Los Angeles with The Byrds and Fruminous Bandersnatch. Crane returns to England and British keyboard player Dick Heninghem is drafted in to fulfil the remaining tour dates. Heninghem has previously worked with Nick Greenwood in Mickey Mann & The 3 Dimensions, Cufley and Soul Concern.
(28-29) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown join The Who, Fleetwood Mac (and for the second night only) The Steve Miller Band for a show at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. Brown breaks two bones in his foot after falling unexpectedly into the lighting pit and only plays one set.
July While on tour in the United States, the group’s second single, “Fire”, tops the UK charts and subsequently hits #2 on the US Billboard charts. The band’s debut album, named after the single, also tops the UK charts. The band returns to England this month and Heninghem is dropped.
(20) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown play at Ryde Castle Hotel on the Isle of Wight backed by Uriel (featuring Steve Hillage). The line-up is Brown, Greenwood, Heninghem and a stand-in drummer. Heninghem has been rehired for the gig while Brown plans a new version of the group. Melody Maker reports on this day that Arthur Brown is rehearsing a new version of the group with former Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds drummer Carl Palmer (b. 20 March 1950, Handsworth, Birmingham, England). Bill Davy reportedly fills the keyboard position briefly before Palmer’s colleague from Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds, Pete Solley (b. 19 October 1948, London) takes over after working with Los Bravos. Former drummer Jeff Cutler and his New York partner Marvin Sylvor buy Brown’s contract following the US tour and together take on the task of representing, managing, negotiating, handling finances and booking gigs for the band. They also help visually develop, design and fabricate Brown’s North American tour later that year. The new line up begins work on recording a second album, provisionally titled, The Trials Of The Magician.
August (3) The new formation (with Palmer and Solley) appear at the Torbay Blues and Beat Festival, Middle Earth, Torquay Town Hall, Torquay, Devon.
(3) With Palmer on drums and Solley on keyboards, Arthur Brown and Nick Greenwood records a BBC session for The Saturday Club.
(6) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown play at the Marquee in central London with East of Eden in support.
(10) The new line up headlines the second night at the National Jazz & Blues Festival held at Kempton Racecourse, Sunbury, Middlesex with The Nice, Jeff Beck, Ten Years After, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Joe Cocker, Deep Purple, Clouds, The Nite People and Ginger Baker.
(14) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown record another BBC session for The Parade of Pop.
(16) Brown’s group travel to the southwest for a show at Tavistock Town Hall, Tavistock, Devon.
(17) The band performs at the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, north London. Later that evening, it also appears at the Middle Earth club with The Writing on The Wall and Sam Apple Pie.
(21) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown play at Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London.
(24) They perform at Dunstable’s California Ballroom in Bedfordshire.
(31) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown appear at the Isle of Wight Festival, held at Fishbourne with The Move, T-Rex, Fairport Convention, The Pretty Things and many others. On the same day, the group’s performance on West German TV programme, Beat Club is aired.
Photo: Western Gazette. Image may be subject to copyright
September (6) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown play at County Ballroom, Taunton, Somerset with Vikki Marauder & The Mirrors and The Levitation.
(7) The band returns for a show at the Roundhouse, sharing the bill with The Doors, Terry Reid, Jefferson Airplane and Blonde on Blonde.
(23) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown appear at the Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts.
(26) The group performs at Liberal Hall, Yeovil, Somerset with Blues Incident.
Photo: Middlesbrough Evening Gazette. Image may be subject to copyright
(29) The band plays at Redcar Jazz club, Coatham Hotel, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Elastic Band.
October (12) They appear at Sheffield University with The Who.
(18) The band appears at Brunel University with The Who, Alan Bown, Elmer Gantry & The Velvet Opera (with Paul Brett) and Skip Bifferty. The same day, the group also appears at the Lyceum in central London.
Photo possibly Chester Chronicle. Image may be subject to copyright
(19) The group appears at Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire with The Executives and Hockers Green.
(28) The band performs at Mecca Dancing, Locarno Ballroom, Southgate, Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
November Vincent Crane returns to the line up replacing temporary fill-in, Pete Solley, who joins Terry Reid’s group.
(6) The reshuffled line up plays at Eel Pie Island with July and Proteus in support.
(7) They appear at Porchester Hall, central London.
(8) The band kicks off a UK tour supporting the Who alongside The Small Faces, Joe Cocker & The Grease Band and The Mindbenders at the Granada Cinema, Walthamstow, north London.
(9) The tour takes in Slough Adelphi, Slough, Berkshire.
(10) The Who tour moves on to Bristol for a show at Colston Hall.
Image may be subject to copyright
(15-16)As part of the tour, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown play the Middle Earth at the Roundhouse.
(17) The group plays at the Birmingham Theatre as part of The Who tour.
(18) The tour moves on to northeast for a show at Newcastle City Hall.
(19) On the penultimate night, the package tour arrives in Glasgow for a show at Paisley Ice Rink.
(20) The final night of the tour is a show at the Liverpool Empire.
December (15) Back Stateside for the second US tour, the group joins Fleetwood Mac for a show at the Music Hall, Houston, Texas.
(23) The band plays at Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan with MC5, SRC and The Rationals.
(27-28) The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown appear at New York’s Fillmore East with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield’s Supersession and Sweetwater.
1969
February (4-5) The group appears at the Saugatuck, Michigan with The MC5, The SRC, The Stooges, Procol Harum and others.
(27) Back home The Crazy World of Arthur Brown perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
(28) Melody Maker lists The Crazy World of Arthur Brown appearing at the Rag Ball, Ealing Tech College, Seymour Hall, west London with Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera and The Spirit of John Morgan.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
March (8) The band performs at the Polytechnic on Little Titchfield Street, central London with Killing Floor.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
(23) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown appear at Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands.
May (31) The band appears at the Rock Pile in Toronto, Canada with Raven.
June (28) While on their third US tour, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown join Rhinoceros for a show at the Wollman Skating Rink, Central Park, New York, as part of the Schaefer Music Festival. Crane and Palmer leave the band separately in New York but meet on the plane home and decide to form a new group, Atomic Rooster, named after the nickname given to Peter Hodgson, the bass player in Rhinoceros and Jeff Cutler’s former band mate in Jon and Lee & The Checkmates. Brown is forced to continue the tour using whatever local band he can recruit that “fits the bill”. On one occasion, the singer arrives in Canada to find the musicians hired have learned all of the numbers he usually plays in the set but he tells them to forget all of it and after improvising the whole set, the group is rapturously received.
July (4) The band appears at the Saugatuck Pop Festival in Pottawattaimie Beach, Saugatuck, Michigan with Procol Harum, MC5, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, The Stooges, The Amboy Jukes, Bob Segar, The Rotary Connection and many others.
August (1-3) The group performs at the Atlantic Pop Festival with Chicago, Iron Butterfly, The Mothers of Invention, The Grateful Dead, The Byrds and many others.
October (31) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown play at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit, Michigan with The Amboy Dukes, The Stooges, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Bob Seegar, Teegarden & VanWinkle and many others.
November Back home, Brown reunites with former member Drachen Theaker, who has been working with High Tide since leaving the US. Through Cream lyricist Pete Brown, the pair meet sax player George Khan and synth player Jonar Mitchell, who are recruited for a new version of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown alongside bass player Dennis Taylor (b. 11 May 1950, Leytonstone, London), a former roadie for the group during Vincent Crane’s tenure and then the band’s lighting man during the same period. The new line up, which is completed with guitarist Andy Rickell, records the album, Strangelands, which is not released at the time.
1970
February (28) The band supports Love at London’s Roundhouse during that group’s debut British tour, along with Matthews Southern Comfort, Jody Grind and May Blitz.
June (23) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown appear at Commemoration Ball, St Johns & Trinity Colleges, Oxford with The Moody Blues, Family and Fotheringay. The group tours France under the managerial guidance of Giorgio Gomelsky but it is a riotous affair and after returning to home, Brown, Theaker and Rickell leave. The trio rent a farm in Dorset and joined by keyboard player Roy Sharland, they play various concerts, including the Maryland in Glasgow, using the name The Puddleton Express. Soon afterwards, Brown leaves to form Kingdom Come with former member Dennis Taylor while Theaker and Rickell continue with the name briefly before splitting.
Sources include:
Art Of Rock – Posters From Presley To Punk, by Paul D Grushkin, Artabras, Cross River Press Ltd, 1987.
Mothers 1968-1971 by Kevin Duffy, Birmingham City Council, 1997
Strange Brew – Eric Clapton & The British Blues Boom 1965-1970, by Christopher Hjort, Jawbone Press, 2007
The Castle – Love #2, by David Peter Housden, 1993.
The Castle – Love #9, by David Peter Housden, 1995.
The Peel Sessions, by Ken Gardner, BBC Books, 2007.
Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers, by Richie Unterberger, Miller Freeman Books, 2000.
White Bicycles by Joe Boyd, Serpent’s Tail, 2008
Newspapers and music paper resources include: Nottingham Evening Post, Toronto Telegram, Western Evening Herald, Western Gazette, Wakefield Express, Disc & Music Echo, Fabulous 208, Melody Maker, Variety, RPM
Many thanks to Arthur Brown for his personal recollections. I would also like to credit Olaf Owre for his work on Drachen Theaker’s early career with Manchester bands and specially thank Paul Green for his input on Vincent Crane’s pre-Crazy World of Arthur Brown career. Thanks also to Danny Hardman, Pete Solley and Miguel Terol. Thank you too Jeff Cutler for his personal insights to the band.
This is article is an updated and corrected version of an article that appears on the Marmalade Skies website.
I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections. Email: Warchive@aol.com
Thanks to Roy Stacey for the photo. The Uptown Band plays the Cromwellian around July 1966
Ralph Denyer (lead vocals, guitar)
Graham Wilson (lead guitar)
Art Regis (keyboards)
Tony Priestland (alto sax)
Roy Stacey (bass)
Jim Toomey (drums)
The Uptown Band linked up with Ralph Denyer after he’d ditched The Rockhouse Band in mid-July 1966.
Stacey recalls that the band was booked by Georgie Fame and Zoot Money’s managers Rik and John Gunnell, who ran the Flamingo Club in Soho’s Wardour Street as well as the Bag O’Nails in nearby Kingley Street and Brixton’s Ram Jam. The Uptown Band played all three venues regularly during the latter half of 1966.
He also remembers that the band played at the Roaring Twenties in Carnaby Street which was run by Jamaican Count Suckle, owner of the Cue Club in Paddington.
Another notable gig took place at the Cromwellian in November 1966 when Mike Love from The Beach Boys sat in on Hammond organ, together with Georgie Fame’s percussionist “Speedy” Acquaye.
Around Christmas the band folded and Jim Toomey formed Jon with former Rockhouse Band and Gass member Stuart Cowell (guitar/vocals) plus Tom Tierney (bass) from Lulu’s backing band; Ron Reynolds (keys); and singer Chris Simmons (who left during 1967).
Jon became Still Life in February 1968 when Con Byrne took over bass and Tom Tierney moved to rhythm guitar. In March, however, Still Life joined forces with Warren Davis (and his two sax players) and worked as a new version The Warren Davis Monday Band from March-September 1968.
In February 1969, Cowell and Toomey joined forces with Bernie Holland (guitar) and Jerome Arnold (bass) to form The Jerome Arnold Band who played together until late May 1969.
Next, Toomey reunited with former Uptown Band sax player Tony Priestland in Titus Groan. Toomey later found fame with The Tourists, featuring Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart.
Ralph Denyer initially worked as a solo singer/songwriter before joining Welsh rock band, Blonde on Blonde. Later he joined Aquila and co-wrote The Guitar Handbook with American guitarist singer/songwriter Isaac Guillory. He died in 2011.
Art Regis meanwhile joined Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound in January/February 1967. He didn’t stay long, however, and in June that year briefly worked with Billie Davis & The Quality followed by a month with singer Engelbert Humperdinck.
In late July, Regis joined Jimmy James & The Vagabonds where he reunited with Nat Fredericks from his early 1960s band, Rupert & The Red Devils. He stayed until September 1968 and then worked with Art Regis & The Brass Cannon.
Tony Priestland briefly joined Jimmy James in July 1968 but it’s not clear how long he stayed before he reunited with Toomey in Titus Groan.
Roy Stacey, who’d filled in for John Treais in The Five Proud Walkers during late 1966, including a show at the Ram Jam in Brixton, also covered for his successor John Ford in January-February 1967 when he was ill. Later that year, Stacey worked with that band’s drummer Richard ‘Hud’ Hudson and backed American guitarist Champion Jack Dupree for several gigs at Eel Pie Island (most likely in August).
After auditioning for the bass player’s spot in The Crazy World of Arthur Brown at the Middle Earth in Covent Garden in September 1967 (he lost out to Nick Greenwood), Stacey briefly reunited with Art Regis in Jimmy James & The Vagabonds in March 1968, playing a handful of dates.
Stacey next worked with an unnamed gypsy rock eight-piece group who recorded two songs at Radio Luxembourg that year.
“It was quirky and ahead of the time,” he says. “We had a girl singer; two cellists, who doubled on bassoon and other wind instruments; singer/songwriter and guitarist Andy Rae; second guitarist Terry O’Leary; Alistair Fielder on various range flutes; me on electric bass; and drummer Iain Clark.
“Albert Hammond produced the acetate. We took the band to Tony Viscounti, who said the line-up wouldn’t work.”
In August 1968 Iain Clark auditioned for Danny Kirwan’s band but when the young guitarist joined Fleetwood Mac, the drummer joined Cressida (and later Uriah Heep) in October. The gypsy rock group carried on but folded around 1971.
However, during late 1968 (or possibly 1969), Stacey reunited with Art Regis again in an early jazz rock group that recorded material with the intention of playing some gigs in Sweden. Featuring jazz singer Bobby Breen and tenor sax legend Dick Morrissey (whose wife was Swedish), the project proved short-lived.
In the early 1970s, Stacey reunited with Paul Brett and worked with him alongside Johnny Joyce from Paul Brett’s Sage, recording some BBC Radio sessions.
Regis who lives in Germany and Stacey continue to pursue music projects. Toomey lives in Australia and also continues to play as well as act.
Notable gigs:
15 July 1966 – Beachcomber Club, Nottingham with Solomon Burke (backed by Bluesology) (Nottingham Evening Post) Billed as Ralph Denyer’s Uptown Band
16 July 1966 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) Billed as Ralph Denyer’s Uptown Band
23 July 1966 – New Spot, Gosport, Hampshire (Portsmouth News)
5 August 1966 – Britannia Rowing Club (Nottingham Evening Post)
6 August 1966 – Beachcomber Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) Says from Rufus Thomas tour
Photo: Roy Stacey. The Union before Dave Terry took over from Arthur Brown. Not all of the band are pictured. Left to right: Roy, Heather, Paul, Tony and Derek
Dave Terry (aka Elmer Gantry) (lead vocals)
Heather Swinson (vocals)
Paul Brett (guitar)
Art Regis (keyboards)
Tony Priestland (alto sax)
Derek Griffiths (tenor sax)
Roy Stacey (bass)
Jim Toomey (drums)
When Arthur Brown left The Union around December 1965, the group brought in blues singer Dave Terry (aka Elmer Gantry), who’d previously worked with Stacey, Regis and Swinson in Barnes R&B band, The Impacts.
After The Impacts split up, Dave Terry worked on the folk/blues circuit with Simon Lawrence. The pair had a regular gig at Studio 51 in Leicester Square and, according to Melody Maker, played a gig there as late as 2 December 1965.
Gantry recalls that The Union worked as The High Society for a while. According to Melody Maker, The High Society played at the Pontiac in Putney on 18 December 1965 and this would have been the same band. The High Society also performed at the Galaxy (in Basingstoke Town Hall) on 19 February 1966.
Photo: Melody Maker
As The Union, the band recorded two tracks at Tony Pike’s studio in Putney – covers of “In the Midnight Hour” and “Shake” in spring 1966 which have recently surfaced on Paul Brett’s anthology CD Stone Survivor.
Photo: Melody Maker. Possible Union gig from 1966 but needs confirmation
Soon after Dave Terry left, followed in quick succession by Heather Swinson and Derek Griffiths.
Terry joined The Five Proud Walkers in June 1966 and remained with this band as they morphed into Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera. During this period, he changed his name to Elmer Gantry.
In late 1968/early 1969, after splitting with The Velvet Opera, Gantry recruited members of The Downliners Sect – Johnny Sutton, Paul Martinez, Bob Taylor and Nat Dumaine to become The Elmer Gantry Band. Later, in the 1970s he fronted Stretch and later still, recorded with The Alan Parsons Project, Jon Lord, Cozy Powell among others.
Photo: Art Regis. Guitarist Paul Brett
Also in June 1966, Paul Brett left to re-join Arthur Brown and the second incarnation of his Paris-based Arthur Brown Set. The group moved on to work in Spain but by October Brett had returned to England where he subsequently joined The Overlanders alongside Laurie Mason (lead vocals); Paul Petts (bass); Ian Griffiths (rhythm guitar); and Brian Middleditch (drums). Middleditch was replaced by Phil Wainman (ex-Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement) around March 1967 for a few months then Vic Lythgoe before splitting in August/September.
Brett then played with The Warren Davis Monday Band from September-December 1967; Tintern Abbey from January-June 1968; (Elmer Gantry’s) Velvet Opera from June 1968-spring 1970 and later Fire and Paul Brett’s Sage.
With Brett gone, Stacey remembers that the band recruited an Australian guitarist called Graham Wilson.
Stacey recalls that the remaining members of The Union – guitarist Graham Wilson; keyboard player Art Regis; sax player Tony Priestland; and drummer Jim Toomey changed name to The Uptown Band and worked at the Cromwellian before linking up with Brett’s former band mate from The SW4, Ralph Denyer when the future Blonde on Blonde guitarist/singer split with his previous outfit, The Rockhouse Band in July.
Thanks to Elmer Gantry (aka Dave Terry), Roy Stacey and Paul Brett for helping with the story
The future Crazy World of Arthur Brown front man formed this group around December 1965 after leaving The Arthur Brown Union.
The line-up above headed to Paris around early 1966 and played at the Ange Rouge Club in Montmartre until about May/June. The group’s performance on French TV can be seen on You Tube. At one point French drummer Christian Deveaux took over from the original sticks man.
During this time, the group recorded two tracks for the Roger Vadim/Jane Fonda film La Curee (aka The Game is Over) – “Don’t Tell Me” and “Baby You Know What You’re Doing”.
However, around June 1966, Brown returned to England briefly and convinced former Arthur Brown Union guitarist Paul Brett to join his band. It’s not clear, however, if it was the same formation as above with Brett succeeding Martin Kenny.
Brett recalls that the group played at the James Palladium for several months before landing some work in Spain and working there for several months at a club in Marbella. Arthur Brown’s band also worked at the Bus Palladium, taking over from The Ingoes according to that band’s guitarist Jim Cregan.
Around October 1966, Brown returned to London and formed the original Crazy World of Arthur Brown with Drachen Theaker. Barry Dean joins the remnants of The Bo Street Runners in Patto’s People.
Singer Dave Terry (aka Elmer Gantry) who’d replaced Arthur Brown in The Arthur Brown Union remembers that he later shared a house in Putney with Brown, Theaker and Vincent Crane alongside former Arthur Brown Union sax player Tony Priestland.
Thanks to Arthur Brown, Paul Brett, Elmer Gantry (aka Dave Terry), Jim Cregan and David Else for helping with the story
Photo: Roy Stacey. The Arthur Brown Union live. Pictured: Roy Stacey, Heather Swinson, Paul Brett, Tony Priestland and Derek Griffiths. Missing from the photo: Jim Toomey (behind Swinson), Art Regis and Arthur Brown
Arthur Brown (lead vocals)
Heather Swinson (vocals)
Paul Brett (lead guitar)
Art Regis (keyboards)
Tony Priestland (aka Tony Crane) (alto sax)
Derek Griffiths (tenor sax)
Roy Stacey (bass)
Jim Toomey (drums)
While still studying at Reading University and recording with The Diamonds, Arthur Brown joined The Swinging Machines around April 1965 (Ed. Arthur Brown says he had previously sung with The South West Five).
The band minus Heather Swinson outside Brett’s parents’ house in Fulham. Left to right: Brett, Griffiths, Toomey, Stacey, Regis and Priestland with Brown on the floor. Photo: Paul Brett
Stacey remembers that the group opened for The Spencer Davis Group at the Ricky-Tick in Hampshire (possibly Basingstoke) and went down a storm. (Ed. This gig is likely to be at the Galaxy Club at Basingstoke Town Hall on 27 August 1965.)
“There were lots of foreign students. Spencer opened the first and closing sets with The Arthur Brown Union in the middle,” he recalls.
“Once Spencer started up the students left the dance floor moving into the bar. When The Union opened the middle set old ‘Brownie’ introduced us in French then went into medley of up-tempo soul and funk. The dance floor was heaving. They loved us. When Spencer returned for the closing set the students vacated the dance floor.”
The bass player also remembers that Don Arden booked the band for a gig near Manchester but failed to tell them that he’d booked the gig under the name The Echoes, Dusty Springfield’s backing band.
“When we arrived, the promoter looked somewhat puzzled,” remembers Stacey. “To our surprise, Arden had booked us out as Dusty Springfield & The Echoes. We said, ‘Dusty’s ill’, couldn’t come’. Less than pleased he was. We did the gig and didn’t get paid.”
Sometime around late November (possibly mid-December), Arthur Brown departed and Dave Terry (aka Elmer Gantry) from The Impacts took over as front man. The group then briefly worked as The High Society before reverting to the name, The Union.
Notable gigs as Arthur Brown & The Machines:
8 May 1965 – Galaxy Club, Victoria Hotel, Basingstoke, Hampshire (Hampshire and Berkshire Gazette) Spelt Machenes (says seven piece)
15 May 1965 – Co-op Rainbow Suite, Birmingham with The New Tones and The Taverners (Birmingham Evening Mail)
29 May 1965 – New Brompton Football League, Kent Alloys Canteen, Strood, Kent (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham News) Billed as Arthur Brown and his band so may be a different group
5 June 1965 – Galaxy Club, Town Hall, Basingstoke, Hampshire (Hampshire and Berkshire Gazette) (Says eight piece)
6 June 1965 – Galaxy Club, Addlestone, Surrey (Woking Herald) Opening night
Notable gigs at The Arthur Brown Union:
27 August 1965 – Plug Hole, Tottenham Court Road, central London (Melody Maker)
3 September 1965 – Plug Hole, Tottenham Court Road, central London (Melody Maker)
13 September 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Melody Maker)
6 October 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker)
9 October 1965 – Galaxy Club, Town Hall, Basingstoke, Hampshire (Hampshire and Berkshire Gazette)
13 October 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Downliners Sect (Melody Maker)
20 October 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Downliners Sect (Melody Maker)
31 October 1965 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex (Sussex Evening Express)
11 December 1965 – Galaxy Club, Town Hall, Basingstoke, Hampshire (Hampshire and Berkshire Gazette) This may have been with Dave Terry although it is billed as with Arthur Brown
Thanks to Paul Brett, Arthur Brown, Roy Stacey, Art Regis and Elmer Gantry (aka Dave Terry) for helping with the story
Guitarist Paul Brett put this band together around February 1965 after playing in The Southwest Four (aka SW4) with future Blonde on Blonde guitarist/singer Ralph Denyer, who’d gone on to play with Rag Men & Women.
Having started out playing with some local groups around the Fulham area, Brett’s first big break had come in early 1963 when he took over from Jimmy Page in Neil Christian & The Crusaders joining Neil Christian (lead vocals); Matt Smith (piano); Jumbo Spicer (bass); and Tornado Evans (drums). He left in June 1963.
The SW4 may have evolved into The South West Five who played at the Ealing Club on 29 November, 6 December and 24 December, but this needs confirmation. The South West Five also played at the Bromel Club in Bromley on 4 January 1965.
Art Regis came on-board after playing with The Impacts but it’s not clear what the other members had done before. Toomey, however, was from the Catford area in southeast London.
Early on it became clear that the group needed a strong lead singer and after bringing in back-up singer Heather Swinson and bass player Roy Stacey (both ex-The Impacts), Brett recruited singer Arthur Brown who was studying at Reading University and had recorded a flexi disc with The Diamonds comprising the Brown sung “You Don’t Know”.
Photo may be subject to copyright
Stacey recalls one gig at Reading University supporting The Nashville Teens where they upstaged the headliners. It’s quite possible that this gig was organised by Brown if he was studying at the university at the time (he’d leave summer 1965).
With Brown joining the group, they became Arthur Brown & The Machines.
Thanks to Paul Brett, Roy Stacey, Art Regis and David Else for helping with the story
This site is a work in progress on 1960s garage rock bands. All entries can be updated, corrected and expanded. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly.
I am dedicated to making this site a center for research about '60s music scenes. Please consider donating archival materials such as photos, records, news clippings, scrapbooks or other material from the '60s. Please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com if you can loan or donate original materials
