Gethesemane, The Action, The Nice, David Booth at Eel Pie Island
Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, Middlesex has often been described as the birthplace of British rhythm and blues. Alongside the Ealing Club (where The Rolling Stones came together) and the Crawdaddy in Richmond, Surrey (where The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds both held down residencies), the hotel on Eel Pie Island featured a virtual who’s who of soon-to-be famous British artists.
However, unlike the two above venues, Eel Pie Island bridged the gap between the early 1960s R&B scene and the late 1960s British psychedelic/heavy rock period.
From 1962-1967, The Rolling Stones (who held a residency there from April-September 1963), The Downliners Sect, David Bowie (with The Mannish Boys), Jon Lord (with The Artwoods), Rod Stewart, Jeff Beck (with The Tridents), The Yardbirds, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Cream, Pink Floyd and many others graced the stage.
The hotel closed briefly in the summer of 1967 but reopened the following summer. During late 1968-early 1969, top groups like The Who, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, The Moody Blues and Joe Cocker & The Grease Band performed there. During 1969, the venue changed name and became Colonel Barefoot’s Rock Garden.
Below is a list of gigs that I have started to compile. I would welcome any additions in the comments box below and any memories people have of this historically important venue.
24 April 1963 – The Rolling Stones 1 May 1963 – The Rolling Stones 8 May 1963 – The Rolling Stones 15 May 1963 – The Rolling Stones 22 May 1963 – The Rolling Stones 29 May 1963 – The Rolling Stones 5 June 1963 – The Rolling Stones 12 June 1963 – The Rolling Stones 19 June 1963 – The Rolling Stones 26 June 1963 – The Rolling Stones 3 July 1963 – The Rolling Stones 10 July 1963 – The Rolling Stones 12 July 1963 – The Rolling Stones 14 July 1963 – The Yardbirds and Cyril Davies All Stars (unconfirmed) 17 July 1963 – The Rolling Stones 24 July 1963 – The Rolling Stones 31 July 1963 – The Rolling Stones 7 August 1963 – The Rolling Stones 14 August 1963 – The Rolling Stones 21 August 1963 – The Rolling Stones 28 August 1963 – The Rolling Stones 4 September 1963 – The Rolling Stones 11 September 1963 – The Rolling Stones 21 September 1963 – The Rolling Stones 28 September 1963 – The Rolling Stones 8 December 1963 – Manfred Mann
25 May 1964 – The Manish Boys 18 June 1964 – Manfred Mann 21 June 1964 – The Manish Boys 26 July 1964 – The Manish Boys 19 August 1964 – Davie Jones & The Manish Boys 2 September 1964 – Davie Jones & The Manish Boys 7 October 1964 – Davie Jones & The Manish Boys 23 October 1964 – The Second Thoughts 8 November 1964 – Davie Jones & The Manish Boys 21 November 1964 – Dave Hunt’s R&B Band featuring Hamilton King
30 October 1965 – The Who (unconfirmed) 15 December 1965 – The Stormville Shakers 26 December 1965 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
20 March 1966 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers 23 March 1966 – Graham Bond Organisation 29 May 1966 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers 8 July 1966 – The Stormville Shakers 24 August 1966 – Cream 18 September 1966 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers 21 September 1966 – Dave Anthony’s Moods and The Stormville Shakers (check) 27 November 1966 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (cancelled)
1 March 1967 – Pink Floyd 26 March 1967 – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede 29 March 1967 – Pink Floyd 18 June 1967 – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede 23 June 1967 – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede 28 June 1967 – Pink Floyd 5 July 1967 – Pink Floyd 26 July 1967 – Family
31 July 1968 – Spooky Tooth and Spice 7 August 1968 – Blossom Toes and Spice 14 August 1968 – Skip Bifferty and Juniors Eyes 21 August 1968 – The Crazy World of Arthur Brown 24 August 1968 – David Booth 25 August 1968 – Gethsemane 28 August 1968 – The Nice and East of Eden 4 September 1968 – The Action 11 September 1968 – The Moody Blues 14 September 1968 – Gracious 18 September 1968 – Family and The Downliners Sect 25 September 1968 – Eclection and Village 28 September 1968 – Gracious 2 October 1968 – Joe Cocker & The Grease Band and Terry Reid 5 October 1968 – Gracious 6 October 1968 – John Thomas Blues Band 9 October 1968 – Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera and Freedom 16 October 1968 – Colosseum and July 23 October 1968 – Alan Bown, Gethsemane, Proteus and David Booth 30 October 1968 – The Who and East of Eden 6 November 1968 – Crazy World of Arthur Brown 13 November 1968 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
23 January 1969 – Eire Apparent 24 January 1969 – Van Der Graaf Generator 7 February 1969 – The Pretty Things and Ian Whitcombe with Turnstyle
14 February 1969 – Roy Harper, Juniors Eyes and Edgar Broughton
Most of the late 1960s gigs were sourced from Melody Maker and Mick Capewell’s Marmalade Skies. Other useful sources were Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, Richmond & Twickenham Times and Time Out. Thanks also to Andy Neill, Ken Baxter, Alan Clayson and Greg Russo
Opened by brothers Rik and John Gunnell in mid-February 1966, the Ram Jam Club (named after Geno Washington’s Ram Jam Band) was situated on the Brixton High Road.
The famous venue hosted most of the top UK acts of the 1960s as well as visiting US blues and soul artists. I have started to compile a gig list and would welcome any additions in the comment below.
1966
Photo: Melody Maker
17 February – The Animals (open the club)
19 February – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
Photo: Melody Maker
24 February – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames
25 February – The Gass
26 February – The Shevelles
27 February – The Gass
Photo: Melody Maker
3 March – The Spencer Davis Group and Paul Fenton & The Crowd
4 March – The Graham Bond Organisation
5 March – Tony Knight’s Chessmen and The Loose Ends
6 March – The Gass
Photo: Melody Maker
10 March – The Who and The Train
11 March – The Gass
12 March – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band and The Peter B’s
13 March – The Gass
18 March – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
24 March – The Peter B’s and Wilson Pickett
31 March – The Peter B’s, Don Covay and The League of Gentlemen
1 April – Screaming Jay Hawkins
2 April – The Peter B’s, Arthur Alexander, The Jimmy Brown Sound, The Shevelles
7 April – Martha & The Vandellas and The Gass
8 April – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
9 April – The Peter B’s and Gary Farr & The T-Bones
Photo: Melody Maker
14 April – The Vibrations and The Peter B’s
15 April – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames and The Amboy Dukes
16 April – The Gass and The Peter B’s
17 April – The Gass
Photo: Melody Maker
21 April – Lee Dorsey and The Peter B’s and The League of Gentlemen
22 April – Freddie Mack’s This and That Show
23 April – Jimmy Witherspoon and The Shevells
24 April – The Gass
29 April – The Action
30 April – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
5 May – Patti La Belle & Her Belles (with Bluesology?)
7 May – The Shotgun Express and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
12 May – The Drifters and The Chessmen
13 May – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
21 May – The Shotgun Express
26 May – Ben E King and The Chessmen
27 May – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
28 May – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds and The Stormsville Shakers
2 June – The Steampacket
3 June – The Gass
4 June – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and The Amboy Dukes
9 June – The Yardbirds (cancelled)
10 June – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
18 June – The Shotgun Express
24 June – The Moody Blues
25 June – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
30 June – The Graham Bond Organisation
Thanks to Colin Forster
1 July – The Five Proud Walkers
2 July – The Yardbirds and Tawny Reed Heatwave
3 July – The Rick ‘N’ Beckers
Photo: Melody Maker
7 July – The Alan Price Set
8 July – The Shevells
9 July – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
10 July – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
14 July – The Amboy Dukes
Photo: Melody Maker
15 July – Dave Anthony’s Moods
16 July – The Shevells
17 July – Solomon Burke
21 July – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames
22 July – The Stormsville Shakers
23 July – The Nightimers with Herbie Goins
24 July – The Gass
28 July – The Graham Bond Organisation
30 July – The Amboy Dukes and The Objects
4 August – Solomon Burke
5 August – O’Hara’s Playboys and The Eyes of Blue
6 August – The Gass and Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
7 August – The Rick ‘N’ Breckers
9 August – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds
Photo: Melody Maker
11 August – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
12 August – The Gass
13 August – Dave Anthony’s Moods and Rik ‘N’ Beckers
14 August – The Amboy Dukes
18 August – The Alan Price Set
19 August – Mark Barry
20 August – The Shotgun Express
21 August – The Amboy Dukes
Photo: Melody Maker
25 August – The Blues Healers (with Malcolm Magaron)
26 August – Mark Barry and Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
27 August – Cream
28 August – The Amboy Dukes
29 August – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
Photo: Melody Maker
1 September – The Spencer Davis Group
2 September – Mark Barry
3 September – The VIPs
4 September – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames
Photo: Melody Maker
8 September – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
9 September – The Carl Douglas Set
10 September – The Amboy Dukes
11 September – The Blues Healers (with Malcolm Magaron)
Photo: Melody Maker
15 September – The Loose Ends
16 September – The Five Proud Walkers
17 September – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
18 September – Otis Redding
Photo: Melody Maker
22 September – The Eyes of Blue
23 September – The Shevelles
24 September – The Gass
25 September – The Gass
Photo: Melody Maker
29 September – The Knack
30 September – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Photo: Andrew Czezowksi collection
1 October – The Shevelles
2 October – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
Photo: Melody Maker
6 October – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
7 October – The Shevelles
8 October – The Playboys (not clear if this is The Manchester Playboys)
9 October – The Rick ‘N’ Beckers
13 October – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers
14 October – The Knack
15 October – The Amboy Dukes
16 October – The Rick ‘N’ Beckers (Poster above lists Garnet Mimms)
20 October – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Photo: Melody Maker
21 October – Diane Ferraz & Nicky Scott and Simons Triangle
22 October – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band
Photo: Andrew Czezowksi collection
23 October – Ike & Tina Turner Revue (with Ike – Ettes, Bobby John, Jimmy Thomas, Kings of Rhythm Orchestra)
27 October – The Drifters
28 October – The Shevelles
29 October – The Shogun Express
30 October – The Gass
Photo: Melody Maker
3 November – Cream
4 November – The Shevelles and The Anzacs
6 November – The Gass
8 November – The Rick ‘N’ Beckers
Photo: Melody Maker
10 November – Gary Farr & The T-Bones
12 November – The Amboy Dukes
13 November – Paul Butterfield’s Blues Band and Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
17 November – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
24 November – The Action
25 November – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
26 November – The Shotgun Express
27 November – The Amboy Dukes
29 November – Julian Covey & The Machine
6 December – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
9 December – The Action
10 December – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and The Jimi Hendrix Experience
11 December – Bobby Hebb and Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
13 December – Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers Show
23 December – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
24 December – The Blue Healers (with Malcolm Magaron) and Dave Anthony’s Moods
25 December – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (afternoon and evening)
Photo: Andrew Czezowksi collection
26 December – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays
27 December – Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers
1967
1 January – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
6 January – The Alan Price Set
7 January – The Eyes of Blue
8 January – Felder’s Orioles
10 January – Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers
Photo: Melody Maker
13 January – The Shotgun Express
14 January – The Amboy Dukes
15 January – The Gass
17 January – Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers
20 January – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band
21 January – The Shevelles
22 January – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays
24 January – Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers
27 January – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
28 January – Cream
29 January – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
31 January – The Fireballs
3 February – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
4 February – Jimi Hendrix Experience and The All Night Workers
5 February – The Amboy Dukes
9 February – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds
11 February – The Shotgun Express
12 February – Maxine Brown & The Q-Set
17 February – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays and The All Night Workers
18 February – Georgie Fame
19 February – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
24 February – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
25 February – The Amboy Dukes and The Main Line
26 February – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
3 March – The Shevelles
4 March – The Fenmen with Felders Orioles
5 March – The Q-Set
Photo: Melody Maker
10 March – The Real McCoy
11 March – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
12 March – The Gass
Photo: Melody Maker
17 March – Ronnie Jones & The Q Set
18 March – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds
19 March – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
Photo: Melody Maker
24 March – Julian Covey & The Machine
25 March – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
26 March – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
27 March – The All Night Workers
31 March – The Urchins
Photo: Ken Baxter
1 April – The Artwoods and Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
2 April – Ronnie Jones & The Q Set
7 April – The Main Line
8 April – The Eyes of Blue and Rick ‘N’ Beckers
9 April – Herbie Goins & The Nightimers
Photo: Melody Maker
13 April – Mary Wells & The Playboys
14 April – The Shevelles
15 April – The Pretty Things and The All Night Workers
16 April – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
Photo: Melody Maker
21 April – Julian Covey & The Machine
22 April – Felder’s Orioles and The Main Line
23 April – Nina Simone and The Peddlers
28 April – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
29 April – The Shevelles and The Gass
30 April – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (may not have happened)
4 May – The Len Marshall Show
5 May – The Duke Lee Sound
Photo: Melody Maker
6 May – Julian Covey & The Machine and The All Night Workers
7 May – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set
12 May – The Duke Lee Sound
13 May – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band and Ferris Wheel
14 May – Prince Buster & The Bees and Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers
Photo: Melody Maker
19 May – The Duke Lee Sound
20 May – The Shevelles and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
21 May – The Gass
27 May – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames and Felders Orioles
28 May – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band and The Hunky Chunk Band
Photo: Ken Baxter
2 June – Nat Cole Show
3 June – Cream and Impact Blues
4 June – Lucas and The Mike Cotton Sound
5 June – The Duke Lee Sound
9 June – Nat Cole Show
10 June – John Lee Hooker, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, The Savoy Blues Band and Mad Movies
11 June – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
12 June – The Duke Lee Sound
16 June – Nat Cole Show
17 June – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede, The Soul Meeting Band, Duke Lee Sound and Mad Movies
18 June – The Gass
19 June – The Duke Lee Sound
23 June – Nat Cole Show
24 June – Felder’s Orioles, The Chiffons & Rhythm and Blues Inc, Duke Lee Sound and Mad Movies
25 June – Ronnie Jones & The Q Set
26 June – The Duke Lee Sound
Photo: Melody Maker
1 July – The All Night Workers (evening), then John Lee Hooker, The Savoy Brown Blues Band and The Duke Lee Sound (late night session)
2 July – PP Arnold (& The Nice)
3 July – The Duke Lee Sound
8 July – Ferris Wheel
9 July – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
Photo: Melody Maker
15 July – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede with Mad Movies
16 July – Joyce Bond Show
22 July – Georgie Fame
23 July – The Coloured Raisins
29 July – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
30 July – Jackie Edwards
4 August – The Wages of Sin
Photo: Melody Maker
5 August – O’Hara’ Playboys
6 August – The Gass
Photo: Melody Maker
12 August – Ferris Wheel
13 August – Rick ‘N’ Beckers
19 August – The Skatalites
20 August – The Shell Shock Show
25 August – The New Jump Band
27 August – The Human Instinct and The Triads
Photo: Melody Maker
2 September – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
3 September – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
9 September – Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac
10 September – The Coloured Raisins with Honey Darling and Earl Green
16 September – The Bees
17 September – Ferris Wheel
23 September – The Shevelles
24 September – Jimmy Cliff & The Shakedown Sound
25 September – Maxine Brown & The Q-Set
28 September – The Soul Vendors starring Roland Alphonso, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, Johnnie Moore and Jackie Mitto
30 September – The Amboy Dukes
1 October – Jackie Edwards
Photo: Melody Maker
5 October – Vanilla Fudge
7 October – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
8 October – The Soul Vendors (starring Roland Alphonso, Alton Ellis and Ken Boothe)
14 October – The Skatalites
15 October – Horatio Soul & The Square Deals
19 October – Freddie King
21 October – Joey Young & The Tonics
22 October – The Bees
23 October – Junior Walker & The All Stars
Photo: Melody Maker
28 October – The Delroy Williams Show
29 October – PP Arnold & The TNT
4 November – Johnson’s Dynamo Set
5 November – Junior Smith
6 November – Ben E King
11 November – The Sound Casters
12 November – The Soul Vendors
19 November – Little John & The Shadrocks
25 November – Eddie Floyd and his American Group, Sounds Incorporated and The Peppermint Men
26 November – Ferris Wheel
Photo: Melody Maker
2 December – The Official Receivers
3 December – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
9 December – Watson T Brown and The Lastic Band
10 December – Joey Young and The Tonics (Joe Tex was originally advertised)
16 December – Dr Marigold’s Prescription
17 December – Jackie Edwards
23 December – The Vibrations and The Kingston By-Pass
24 December – The Delroy Williams Show
Photo: Melody Maker
30 December – The Peppermint Men and The Duke Reid Sound
31 December – The Pyramids
1968
5 January – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
Photo: Melody Maker
6 January – Owen Gray and Youth and Rudy and The Shell Shock Show Band
7 January – PP Arnold & The TNT
13 January – Joyce Bond and The Duke Reid Sound
14 January – John L Watson & The Web
20 January – Jimmy McGriff and Nepenthe
21 January – Dandy
27 January – The Skatalites and Sir Coxon Sound
28 January – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set
3 February – James and Bobby Purify and The Duke Reid Sound
4 February – Jimmy McGriff
10 February – Robert Parker & The Quotations and The Sir Coxon Sound
11 February – Rupert’s Rik ‘N’ Beckers
17 February – Dandy & The Missions and The Duke Reid Sound
18 February – Nepenthe and The New Nadir
24 February – Little John & The Shadrocks and The Sir Coxon Sound
25 February – Joey Young & The Tonics
2 March – The Coloured Raisins and The Duke Reid Sound
3 March – The Fantastics (& The House of Orange)
9 March – Sir Coxon Sound
10 March – The Dave Davani Four
16 March – Jackie Edwards and The Duke Reid Sound
17 March – Horatio Soul & The Jokers
23 March – The Duke Reid Sound
24 March – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
30 March – Joyce Bond and The Sir Coxon Sound
31 March – The Chico-Bailey Show and The Night Hawks Band
6 April – The Original Impressions and Joey Young & The Tonics
7 April – The Sonny Burke Show
12 April – The Ethiopians with The Healers
14 April – The Original Drifters
20 April – Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers and The Sir Coxon Sound
21 April – Garnet Mimms
27 April – The Fantastics (& The House of Orange) and The Duke Reid Sound
28 April – Sugar Simone & The Programe
5 May – J J Jackson
Melody Maker stopped advertising from this point on
Most of the gigs were sourced from Melody Maker and gig posters. Thanks to Tony Webb for use of the club posters and to Ken Baxter for some Carl Douglas gigs from his contracts. Thanks also to Bruno Ceriotti and Mick Capewell for providing dates.
The (Jazz) Cellar in Kingston Upon Thames was an important music venue in southwest London from 1962-1966. Many notable local bands played there in their formative years, most notably The Yardbirds and The Nashville Teens. The Animals also played there regularly in the early months of 1964 after moving down to London from the northeast.
I have started to compile a gig list and would welcome any additions/corrections in the comments section. I would also welcome any memories and photos/flyers/posters.
1962
I have only a few entries for 1962 and would welcome any additions
14 July – The Nashville Teens (Surrey Comet)
21 July – The Nashville Teens (Surrey Comet)
28 July – The Nashville Teens (Surrey Comet)
6 September – Mike Berry & The Outlaws (Surrey Comet)
Ritchie Blackmore didn’t join The Outlaws on lead guitar until mid-October 1962
1 November – Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (Surrey Comet)
1963
I have only a few entries for 1963 and would welcome any additions
17 July – The Roosters (with Eric Clapton) (Surrey Comet)
24 July – The Roosters (with Eric Clapton) (Surrey Comet)
Confusingly, there were two local bands called The Roosters. The first, led by Ben Palmer, included Eric Clapton and future Manfred Mann guitarist Tom McGuiness between January-August 1963.
The second (less celebrated one) featured Pete Jeffries (lead guitar), Del Turner (rhythm guitar), Ron Jefferies (bass) and Jim Strachan (drums). The other gigs below are by this version.
I don’t have a complete listing for 1964 so would welcome any additions
The Pieces of Four performed at the Cellar Club during 1964. Photo: Keith Read. Keith lists the personnel as Keith Read (lead guitar), Ian Duffell (lead guitar), Robin Clements (bass) and Ian Clements (drums)
5 January – Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (Surrey Comet)
12 February – The Animals (regular Wednesday residency) (Kim Chester research)
14 February – Im & The Uvvers (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
16 February – Gene Vincent & The Shouts (Surrey Comet)
17 February – The Yardbirds (Gus Smith recollections from attending)
18 February – The Presidents (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
19 February – The Animals (regular Wednesday residency) (Kim Chester research)
21 February – The Mastersounds (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
22 February – The Cracksmen (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
23 February – The Nashville Teens (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
24 February – The Yardbirds (Gus Smith recollections from attending)
25 February – Wayne Gibson & The Dynamic Sounds (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
26 February – The Animals (regular Wednesday residency) (Kim Chester research)
28 February – The Zephyrs and Robb Storme & The Whispers (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
29 February – The Presidents (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
Photo: story on Cellar Club, Clapham Advertiser, 6 March 1964, page 4
1 March – Grant Tracey & The Sunsets (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
2 March – The Yardbirds (Gus Smith recollections from attending)
3 March – The Stereos (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
4 March – The Animals (regular Wednesday residency) (Kim Chester research)
6 March – The Moquettes (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
7 March – The Pentagons (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
8 March – The Nashville Teens (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
10 March – The Beat Syndicate (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
11 March – The Animals (regular Wednesday residency) (Kim Chester research)
13 March – Steve Marriott & The Wandering Ones (Surrey Comet)
The Kingston & Malden Borough News says that Steve Marriott’s backing band are called The Frantics. The Clapham Advertiser also has this listing, but with Jimmy Powell & The Dimensions in support.
14 March – The Senators (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
15 March – The Gamblers (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
16 March – The Yardbirds (Gus Smith recollections from attending)
17 March – Ronnie Webb & The Phantoms (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
18 March – The Animals (regular Wednesday residency) (Kim Chester research)
Photo: Clapham Advertiser
20 March – Bridgette Bond (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
21 March – The Cracksmen (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
22 March – Wayne Gibson & The Dynamic Sounds (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
23 March – The Yardbirds (Gus Smith recollections from attending)
25 March – Unit 5 (Teddington, west London band) (Kingston & Malden Borough News) Kim Chester says The Animals played a regular Wednesday residency
Photo: Norman Sheers. Jerry Lee Lewis, 26 March 1964
26 March – Jerry Lee Lewis (backed by The Nashville Teens) (Norman Sheers’ recollections)
Photo: Norman Sheers
Jerry Leech (see comments section below) confirms that Jerry Lee Lewis played on 26 March
Photo: Norman Sheers
The Kingston & Malden Borough News lists Jerry Lee Lewis for this date with The Nashville Teens and The Original Checkmates
25 May – The Yardbirds and The Grebbels (Surrey Comet)
27 May – The Tridents with The Plebs (Surrey Comet and John and Paul Lucas’ diaries)
29 May – Phil & The Stormsville Shakers (Surrey Comet)
30 May – The Karnells (Surrey Comet)
31 May – The Micky Finn (Surrey Comet)
1 June – The Yarbirds (Surrey Comet)
3 June – The Animals (regular Wednesday residency) (Kim Chester research)
Record Mirror says that John Lee Hooker played on 3 June supported by John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and with The Plebs opening. Surrey Comet confirms
5 June – The Pitmen (Surrey Comet)
6 June – The Road Runners (Surrey Comet)
7 June – The Satins (Record Mirror)
8 June – The Yardbirds (Surrey Comet)
10 June – Group Four + One (Surrey Comet)
12 June – The Plebs (Surrey Comet)
13 June – Group Four + One (Surrey Comet)
14 June – Tony Holland & The Packabeats (Surrey Comet)
15 June – The Plebs (Surrey Comet)
17 June – Group Four + One (Record Mirror)
19 June – The Henchmen (Record Mirror)
20 June – The Plebs (Surrey Comet)
21 June – The Tridents (Record Mirror) replaced by The Vincents (Surrey Comet)
Lindsay Bex, who played drums with the band at the time, notes in his diary the following “Off – A O’Donnel”, which suggests that the gig was cancelled. Surrey Comet confirms as they have The Vincents.
22 June – The Yardbirds (Surrey Comet)
24 June – The Smokey Beats (Record Mirror)
26 June – The Countdowns (Record Mirror)
Surrey Comet has The Plebs instead of The Countdowns
29 June – The Yardbirds and The Grebbels (Surrey Comet)
1 July – Five’s Company (Surrey Comet)
3 July – Group Four + One (Surrey Comet)
4 July – Five’s Company (Surrey Comet)
5 July – Cops & Robbers (Surrey Comet)
8 July – Johnny & The Spirits (Surrey Comet)
10 July – The Echoletts (Surrey Comet)
11 July – The Laurie Jay Combo (Surrey Comet)
12 July – The Stereos (Surrey Comet)
13 July – Group Four + One (Surrey Comet)
17 July – The Plebs (Surrey Comet)
18 July – Earl Sheridan & The Houseshakers (Surrey Comet)
19 July – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
20 July – The Yardbirds (Surrey Comet)
22 July – Group Four + One (Surrey Comet)
24 July – The Presidents (Record Mirror)
25 July – Mickie Finn & The Blue Men (Record Mirror)
26 July – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
27 July – Group Four + One (Record Mirror)
29 July – The Impacts (Surrey Comet)
31 July – The Original Topics (Surrey Comet)
1 August – The Web (Surrey Comet)
2 August – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
3 August – The Yardbirds (Surrey Comet)
5 August – The Animals and The Plebs (club flyer)
7 August – The Plebs and The Denims (club flyer)
Surrey Comet has Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages on 7 August
8 August – Group Four + One (club flyer)
9 August – The Nite Shift (club flyer)
Jeff Beck was the band’s lead guitarist but would join The Tridents in early September.
10 August – The Mike Cotton Sound (club flyer)
12 August – The Nashville Teens and The Beat Syndicate (club flyer/Surrey Comet)
14 August – The Jet Set (Surrey Comet)
15 August – The Playboys (Surrey Comet)
16 August – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
17 August – The Mojos (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
19 August – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
21 August – Wayne Gibson & The Dynamic Sounds (Surrey Comet)
22 August – The Bumblies (Surrey Comet)
23 August – The Cheaters (Surrey Comet)
24 August – Group Four + One (Surrey Comet)
26 August – The Moonrakers (Surrey Comet)
28 August – The Plebs (Surrey Comet)
29 August – The Presidents (Surrey Comet)
30 August – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
31 August – The Mike Cotton Sound (Surrey Comet)
5 September – The Plebs (Surrey Comet)
7 September – The Mojos (Surrey Comet)
9 September – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
11 September – The Druids (Surrey Comet)
12 September – The Bumblies (Surrey Comet)
13 September – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
14 September – The Roosters (Surrey Comet)
This gig (and the remaining ones below) were performed by the second version of The Roosters and not the one that featured Eric Clapton and Tom McGuiness between January-August 1963 (see entries above from July 1963).
16 September – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
18 September – Linda Crane & The Cosmic Sounds (Surrey Comet)
19 September – The Profits (Surrey Comet)
20 September – Guest groups (Surrey Comet)
21 September – Group Four + One (Surrey Comet)
23 September – Two groups (Record Mirror) Surrey Comet has The Cheaters
25 September – The Cosmic Sounds with Linda Crain (aka Crane) (Record Mirror) Surrey Comet has The Wranglers
26 September – The Roosters (Surrey Comet)
27 September – Two groups (Record Mirror)
28 September – Group Four + One (Record Mirror)
30 September – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
2 October – The College Boys (Surrey Comet)
3 October – Little Richard & The Objects (Surrey Comet)
4 October – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
5 October – The Mike Cotton Sound (Surrey Comet)
7 October – Rock ‘n’ Roll competition (Record Mirror/Surrey Comet)
9 October – The Roosters (Record Mirror)
10 October – Im an The Uvvers (Record Mirror)
11 October – The Jaguars (Surrey Comet)
The Orbits, 1964. Photo: Trevor Bennett. Left to right: Todd Tyrell, Ted Cunningham, Brian Edwards and Trevor Bennett.
12 October – The Mojos and The Orbits (Record Mirror)
14 October – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
16 October – The Roosters (Surrey Comet)
17 October – Earl Sheridan & The Houseshakers (Record Mirror)
18 October – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
19 October – The Mike Cotton Sound (Record Mirror)
21 October – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
23 October – Neil Christian & The Crusaders (Surrey Comet)
24 October – The Challengers (Surrey Comet)
25 October – Guest group (Surrey Comet)
26 October – Little Eva, The Stereos, The College Boy, The Rockin’ Welsh Boys and Danny Storm & The Strollers (Surrey Comet)
28 October – Unit 5 (Teddington, west London band) (Surrey Comet)
30 October – The Exciting Stereos (Record Mirror)
31 October – The Roosters (Surrey Comet)
1 November – The Group Survival (Record Mirror)
2 November – Themselves (Record Mirror)
4 November – The Roosters and XL5 (Surrey Comet)
7 November – Cosmic Sounds (Surrey Comet)
13 November – The Impacts (Surrey Comet)
16 November – Jimmy Reed, The Plebs and John Lee Groundhogs (Surrey Comet)
18 November – Carl Perkins and The Cosmic Sounds (Surrey Comet)
21 November – Themselves (Surrey Comet and Gus Smith recollections from attending)
24 November – The Yardbirds (Gus Smith recollections from attending)
27 November – Unit 5 (Teddington, west London band) (Surrey Comet)
28 November – The Jaguars (Gus Smith recollections from attending)
4 December – The Bo-Sneakers (Gus Smith recollections from attending)
12 December – The Roosters (Gus Smith recollections from attending)
18 December – The Roosters (Surrey Comet)
26 December – The Roosters (Surrey Comet)
1965
I don’t have a complete entry for 1965 and would welcome any additions
The Impalas performed at the Cellar Club during 1964-1965. Left to right: Keith Read, Keith Mott, Tony Claiden and Oonagh Ellis. Photo: Keith Read.
2 January – The GTs (Gus Smith recollections from attending)
4 January – Alex Harvey & His Soul Band (Melody Maker)
9 January – The John Smith Group (Gus Smith recollections from attending)
15 February – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (Melody Maker)
20 February – John Brown’s Bodies (Gus Smith recollections from attending)
5 March – Alex Harvey & His Soul Band (Melody Maker)
6 March – The Rising Suns (all-nighter session) (Gus Smith recollections from attending)
1 May – The Shondells (Surrey Comet)
8 May – Teddy & The Dymes (Surrey Comet)
15 May – The Shondells (Surrey Comet)
22 May – Davey Sands & The Essex (Surrey Comet)
29 May – The Tribe (Surrey Comet)
3 June – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Surrey Comet) This may have been 2 June
5 June – The Shondells (Surrey Comet)
12 June – Ancient Britons and Twinkle (Surrey Comet)
19 June – The Just Five and The Exciting Rippers (Surrey Comet)
4 August – Sugar Pie Desanto, The Shevelles and The Backbeats (Surrey Comet)
7 August – The Small Faces (Surrey Comet)
15 August – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Surrey Comet) This might be 14 August
20 August – Unit 4 Plus 2 (Surrey Comet)
21 August – Davey Sands & The Essex (Surrey Comet)
25 August – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Surrey Comet)
28 August – The Shondells (Surrey Comet)
3 September – The Small Faces (Surrey Comet)
10 September – The Moody Blues (Surrey Comet)
11 September – Heart and Souls, The Valkeries and The Right Track (Surrey Comet)
15 September – Lou Johnson (Surrey Comet)
24 September – The In Crowd (Surrey Comet)
1 October – The Artwoods (Surrey Comet)
2 October – The Valkeries and The Geordies (Surrey Comet)
9 October – The Lonely Ones, The Shakedowns, The Flashbakks and Kiko 6 (Surrey Comet)
15 October – Steampacket with Long John Baldry, The Brian Auger Trinity, Rod Stewart, Julie Driscoll and Next of Kin (Surrey Comet)
23 October – The Lonely Ones (Surrey Comet)
30 October – The Fetish Crowd (Surrey Comet)
3 November – Hedgehoppers Anonymous and Randy’s Incaras (Surrey Comet)
5 November – The Lonely Ones (Surrey Comet)
19 November – The Phil Wainman Sound (Surrey Comet)
20 November – The Lonely Ones and Junior Ervin and The Midnite Hours (Surrey Comet)
24 November – The Small Faces (Surrey Comet)
26 November – The Clayton Squares (Surrey Comet)
3 December – The Burnettes (Surrey Comet)
10 December – The Clayton Squares (Surrey Comet)
11 December – The New Breed (Surrey Comet)
17 December – Sons of Fred (Surrey Comet)
23 December – The New Jump Band (Bob Hodges’ diary)
1966
This is an incomplete list and I would welcome any additions
7 January – The Lonely Ones (New Musical Express)
8 January – The Anteeks (New Musical Express)
14 January – The Anzacs (New Musical Express)
15 January – Next of Kin (New Musical Express)
22 January – The Flashbacks (New Musical Express)
28 January – Big Jump Band (aka New Jump Band) (Bob Hodges’ diary)
29 January – The Anzacs (New Musical Express)
4 February – The Big Sound (New Musical Express)
5 February – Group Survival (New Musical Express)
11 February – Jimmy Winston & The Rebels (New Musical Express)
12 February – The Lonely Ones (New Musical Express)
16 February – The Small Faces (New Musical Express)
18 February – The Lovin Kind (New Musical Express)
19 February – Rey Anton & The Peppermint Men (New Musical Express)
25 February – Jimmy Winston’s Reflections (New Musical Express)
The Candles. Photo: Colin Stoddart
26 February – The Marvels (New Musical Express) Colin Stoddart says his band The Candles also played on this date
4 March – Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours (New Musical Express)
5 March – The Night Society (New Musical Express)
12 March – The New Jump Band (New Musical Express)
18 March – Jimmy Winston’s Reflections (New Musical Express)
19 March – The John Warner Sound (New Musical Express)
23 March – The Nashville Teens (New Musical Express)
25 March – Jo Jo Gunne (New Musical Express)
26 March – The New Jump Band (New Musical Express)
30 March – The John Warner Sound (New Musical Express)
1 April – The Lonely Ones (New Musical Express)
2 April – Jo Jo Gunne (New Musical Express)
8 April – The Lonely Ones (New Musical Express)
9 April – The Beat Syndicate (New Musical Express)
10 April – The Silence (New Musical Express)
15 April – The Sons of Fred (New Musical Express)
16 April – The Night Society (New Musical Express)
17 April – Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (New Musical Express)
22 April – The Silence (New Musical Express)
23 April – The New Jump Band (New Musical Express)
29 April – The Protest (New Musical Express)
30 April – The Silence (the group changed name to John’s Children) (New Musical Express)
5 May – The Pages Five (New Musical Express)
6 May – The Troggs (New Musical Express)
8 May – The Jaguars (New Musical Express)
13 May – Jimmy Winston & The Reflections (New Musical Express)
13 May – Jo Jo Gunne (New Musical Express)
20 May – The Voyd (New Musical Express)
21 May – Time-Flys (New Musical Express)
27 May – The Legend (New Musical Express)
28 May – The Void (New Musical Express)
3 June – The Daisys (New Musical Express)
4 June – John Brown’s Bodies and Jesse Hector (New Musical Express)
10 June – John Hilton Starr & The Savages (New Musical Express)
11 June – Jo Jo Gunne (New Musical Express)
12 June – Froy Talbert (New Musical Express)
13 June – The Small Faces (New Musical Express)
17 June – The Voyd (New Musical Express)
18 June – The Anzacs (New Musical Express)
24 June – John Hilton Starr & The Savages (New Musical Express)
25 June – The Rick ‘N’ Beckers (New Musical Express)
1 July – The Lonely Ones (New Musical Express)
2 July – The Anzacs (New Musical Express)
8 July – The Troggs and The Wild Uncertainty (their debut) (New Musical Express)
16 July – The Wild Uncertainty (New Musical Express)
22 July – The Wild Uncertainty (New Musical Express)
23 July – The Flashbacks (New Musical Express)
29 July – The Night Society (New Musical Express)
30 July – The Subjects (New Musical Express)
6 August – Jo Jo Gunne (took part in London Palladium competition around now)
12 August – Jo Jo Gunne (New Musical Express)
13 August – The Missing Links (New Musical Express)
19 August – Cream (New Musical Express)
20 August – The Night Society (New Musical Express)
26 August – The Graham Bond Organisation (New Musical Express)
27 August – Four Plus a Bit (New Musical Express)
The Kingston & Malden Borough News ran an article on the club’s closure which was published in its 9 December 1966 issue on page 4 with the headline: “Cellar club ‘killed by drugs’ is sold to bingo syndicate”.
The Army, mid-February 1968 at The Grange Club in Hayes, left to right: Richard Herring, Steve Priest, Alan Bennett, Anita (surname? – our go-go dancer), Richard Bennett, George Russell, Ron Lewingdon, John Barter and Dennis White. Photo: Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett – lead vocals
Tony Tacon – lead guitar
Ian Orton – keyboards
John Barter – tenor sax
George Russell – tenor sax
Ron Lewingdon – trumpet
Steve Priest – bass/vocals
Alan Bennett – drums
West London R&B/soul connoisseurs The Army have the distinction of being the group that spawned future Sweet bass player/singer Steve Priest.
The Army’s roots can be traced as far back as 1962 when cousins Richard Bennett (lead vocals) and Alan Bennett (drums) decided to form their first band, The Satellites in Hayes, west London.
The Satellites in Hillingdon Mirror, 16 November 1965
Joined by Dave Harris (bass) and siblings Ian Orton (lead guitar) and Mick Orton (rhythm guitar), The Satellites had an early brush with fame when they appeared on the set of the James Bond movie Goldfinger in 1964.
The Army was formed from this band, The Satellites, formed in 1960. Left to right: Richard Bennett, Dave Harris, Alan Bennett, Ian Orton and Mick Orton. This photo was taken at the opening scene of Goldfinger, The James Bond movie with Sean Connery. Photo: Richard Bennett
Around mid-July 1966, however, The Satellites underwent a significant reshuffle, starting with the addition of lead guitarist Tony Tacon, whose main claim to fame is that he had been a member of local rivals, The Javelins with future Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan during 1962-1964.
Gillan left to join Wainwright’s Gentlemen in November 1964 (Ed: future Sweet drummer Mick Tucker joined during late 1965) and Tacon joined Ealing band, Four Jacks and a Joker before hooking up with West Drayton outfit, The Ways & Means for a few months.
“I got a knock on my door from Clem [Clemson] who had been a part-time manager of The Javelins,” remembers Tacon. “He said that The Satellites were looking for a new lead guitarist if I was interested. I went down to Uxbridge for an audition and joined.”
With Tacon’s arrival, Ian Orton moved on to keyboards. At the same time Mick Orton dropped out. The following month, the band decided to remodel itself on Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers by bringing in some horn players.
For the proposed horn section, Tacon recommended his friend, sax player John Barter, who had played alongside the guitarist in Four Jacks and a Joker. Barter in turn introduced his friend, fellow sax player George Russell, a former member of Twickenham-based R&B outfit, Jeff Curtis & The Flames.
Not long after Dave Harris departed and future Sweet bass player Steve Priest took his place.
“Steve Priest joined as our new bass player,” continues Tacon. “I remember us going around to see him at his parents’ house in Hayes. I was familiar with him from his Countdowns days but someone else in the band had made contact with him.”
According to Steve Priest’s book Are you Ready, Steve? it was Richard and Alan Bennett who approached him to join. Priest would later recruit future Army members, guitarist Richard Herring and organist Dennis White from his former group The Countdowns.
Tacon remembers one of his first gigs with the group (still billed as The Satellites) was in south Wales.
“I remember playing Afan Lido (Port Talbot) probably in their gym. It was early on after I joined The Satellites. Straight down the M4 and back the same day. Beautiful sunny day (so not winter) and I remember us relaxing on the nearby beach until the gig started. I reckon it was a regular dance venue as girls told us that they came down each week.” (Ed. The Port Talbot Guardian lists this as 23 July 1966 with Something Else in support)
Photo: Tony Tacon
Renamed The Army, in view of the increased number of personnel in the band, Richard Bennett, who worked as a sign writer, painted the new moniker, surrounded by instruments, on the sextet’s new purchase, an old 30cwt van.
“The van was so big that we used to have to take it in turns to have it for a week and park it outside our homes,” says Tacon.
From the outset, The Army’s repertoire was entirely comprised of cover material, mixing popular US R&B/soul numbers like Lee Dorsey’s “Ride Your Pony”, The Four Tops’ “Reach Out, I’ll Be There”, Larry Williams’s “Slow Down” and Wilson Pickett and Steve Cropper’s “In the Midnight Hour” (which Steve Priest sang) with British classics, such as Zoot Money’s “Big Time Operator”.
At first, the revamped and renamed outfit found gigs at its local haunt – the Grange Club in Hayes. Interestingly, they were also invited to perform at several garden parties for the Tory party.
“I was impressed by the sort of gigs that we did,” recalls Tacon. “The band was well in with the Young Conservative Association, how I don’t know, and played at many of the functions in London and the Home Counties.”
Tacon remembers the band playing at the Bell House Hotel in Gerrards Cross, a venue in Harpenden with a Liverpool band that might have been The Undertakers and also at an RAF base at Dawes Hill near High Wycombe.
During this time, the guitarist also remembers the band landing a gig at the Queen’s Building in the centre of London (Heathrow) Airport and sharing the dressing room with Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen.
In late October, The Army played at a Halloween Party at a hotel opposite the airport, which was put on by a film producer.
Photo: Tony Tacon
More significant, the sextet started performing on London’s busy club scene, including shows at the Starlite Ballroom in Greenford and the 100 Club (Ed: this might have been Tiles) on Oxford Street.
“One night we played a dance hall in the Amersham area… then went straight off to the centre of London where we played [at Tiles] in the early hours of the morning. The Birds may have been on before us,” recalls Tacon.
“I remember that Steve [Priest] had some friends with him at that gig and one of them was robbed on the dance floor. My fiancée (now my wife) saw it happen and says that the gang turned Steve’s friend upside down to empty his pockets.”
Priest’s book doesn’t mention this incident but does note that the venue the group played after the Amersham area gig was Tiles on Oxford Street. Interestingly, The Army did play the Legion Hall in Amersham on 25 February 1967 and later that evening appeared at Tiles on Oxford Street (see selected gig list below).
As the band’s popularity grew, The Army ventured further afield, including shows in Cardiff (3 February 1967), Dunstable, Birmingham and Nottingham among others.
Cardiff gig, 3 February 1967
Tacon remembers the sextet playing a converted warehouse in Birmingham and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers were in the dressing room when they arrived [Ed: this was Midnight City on 19 November 1966, although the group is not advertised in Birmingham Evening Mail].
“I remember John Mayall sitting there smoking a spliff. The window at the end of the room looked out on to a large intersection and bang opposite was Digbeth police station,” continues the guitarist.
“We left our gear and all went off to the Bullring for something to eat, missing the Bluesbreakers’ set. I have often wondered if Eric Clapton was in the room that night, but after comparing notes with Steve Priest; he assures me that it was the first gig [sic] for Peter Green, who he saw frantically practising in readiness having just taken over from Clapton.”
Tacon adds that The Army played at the Dungeon Club in Nottingham the next evening, a venue that he recalls playing at least twice during his time with the band. [Ed: this would have been 20 November 1966. Again, the local paper, The Nottingham Evening Post does not list them, but rather The Amboy Dukes]
Another notable gig took place on Christmas Eve when The Army opened for their idols, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers at Burton’s in Uxbridge.
“I must have left in my own van earlier than the others after the gig because the next morning (Christmas Day), two of the band, probably Richard and Alan turned up with my share of the money,” recalls the guitarist.
“They were good lads in that band. I went all over the place with them and do not remember any upsets at all.”
The Army, Dungeon, Nottingham, 5 March 1967
During January 1967, Tacon introduced trumpet player Ron Lewingdon and The Army became a seven-piece act.
“He approached me about joining when he saw me driving the band’s van one day in the company car park,” explains the guitarist. “I was working in the tool room at the same company at the time. I put it to the others and he was in.”
With Lewingdon on-board, The Army played at the Adelphi Ballroom in Slough (18 March 1967) and Tacon’s old mate from The Javelins, Ian Gillan turned up and ended up taking photos of the group performing from the side of the stage.
“Ian came with me in my car to see the band for the first time,” continues the guitarist. “I had been going to see him in Episode Six, so he repaid the compliment. He was best man at my wedding later that year.”
At The Adelphi Ballroom in Slough, above the cinema. Left to right: Steve Priest, Tony Tacon, Richard Bennett on lead vocals, Ron Lewingdon and George Russell. Photo: Richard Bennett
On this particular night Richard Bennett’s PA played up and the singer remembers borrowing one from Ian Gillan. Tacon adds that the future Deep Purple singer also took the photo.
However, not long after, Tony Tacon handed his notice. The guitarist was indeed engaged and got married soon after; it was time to hang up his rock ‘n’ roll boots. In fact, Tacon didn’t play in a band again until The Javelins reformed in the early 1990s to record a CD. He currently plays with Lincoln band, Something Else.
The guitarist remembers that his last gig with The Army took place at the California Ballroom in Dunstable on 25 March 1967.
“There were three bands on that night,” he says looking back. “The Troggs were top of the bill and we shared the dressing room with them. I remember being impressed that they arrived in an Austin Princess and brought a portable black and white TV with them that was set up in the dressing room.”
The Army at the Adelphi Ballroom, 18 March 1967. Photo: Tony Tacon
With former Countdowns guitarist Richard Herring taking over on lead guitar and ex-Countdown Dennis White subsequently replacing Ian Orton on electric organ, The Army cut two tracks in late 1967 that were shelved until 2014 when this author helped secure the release of the band’s cover of the Joe Tex hit, “Sugar” on Acid Jazz’s Rare Mod Volume 5. The band’s cover of the Sam & Dave hit “You Don’t Know Like I Know” remains unreleased.
On 14 October, The Army returned to the California Ballroom to support Georgie Fame. Two months later, they played two shows at Burton’s in Uxbridge, the latter on New Year’s Eve, opening for Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers.
Sometime around this period, the group turned up at Chelsea Barracks to audition for Opportunity Knocks.
The Army continued to gig during early 1968, playing venues like Walton Hop. However, behind the scenes, Steve Priest began rehearsing with The Sweetshop (aka Sweet) on the side.
“I was a fan of smaller bands like Cream,” says Priest on his decision to explore new avenues. “The Army and Wainwright’s Gentlemen played at Ealing Town Hall on the same night. Mick [Tucker] was fired that night and Brian [Connolly] resigned.”
Left to right: Ron Lewingdon, George Russell, John Barter, Richard Bennett and Steve Priest. Opening for Marmalade (circa late 1967/early 1968). Photo: George Russell
Not long after playing a show at the Grange Club in Hayes in mid-February (see date stamped top picture), Priest announced his decision to leave The Army, playing his debut gig with The Sweetshop (subsequently shortened to The Sweet) on 9 March at Hemel Hempstead Pavilion.
Taking on a new bass player called Chris from Ealing, The Army continued to gig, including a clutch of shows at the New Pink Flamingo in Soho, Cooks Ferry Inn in Edmonton, north London and also opened for The Easybeats at St Albans City Hall.
By this point, Richard Herring had also departed and former Casuals’ lead guitarist Geoff Foster had joined. Not long after Dennis White left to join Merlin Q.
The group continued to pick up gigs, playing venues like Samanthas in New Burlington Street in London
Then, around September 1968, Pete Burt took over the drum stool from Alan Bennett. Burt had worked with George Russell in Jeff Curtis & The Flames during 1965 and had stuck with the group when it became The Kool. Bennett’s departure prompted Ron Lewingdon to also drop out.
Alan Bennett and Ron Lewingdon stuck together. Reunited with former member, the late Ian Orton on rhythm guitar and lead vocals and siblings Ray Spiteri (lead guitar) and Bob Spiteri (bass), they formed The Occasions and landed a prestigious gig at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane the early 1970s.
The remaining members continued into early 1969 before splintering. Pete Burt briefly gigged with Bob Brittain and then formed Hogsnort Rupert, the house band at the Clay Pigeon in Eastcote.
Geoff Foster joined soul band, The Orange Rainbow (John Barter and George Russell both guested). Russell (and later Richard Bennett) emigrated to Australia but Russell subsequently returned to the UK.
Notable gigs:
3 September 1966 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with The Simon Dupree Sound (billed as The Satellites)
9 September 1966 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, west London with The Jimmy Brown Sound (billed as The Satellites)
27 October 1966 – Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe, Dorset (billed as The Satellites)
19 November 1966 – Midnight City, Digbeth, Birmingham with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Tony Tacon’s memories: they must have replaced either Wynder K Frog or The Times who were also advertised)
20 November 1966 – The Dungeon, Nottingham (Tony Tacon’s memories: they must have replaced The Amboy Dukes who were advertised in Nottingham Evening Post)
24 November 1966 – Stereo Club, Wycombe, Bucks (billed as The Satellites)
25 November 1966 – Wy-Key Club, Burnham Lane, Slough, Berkshire (billed as The Satellites)
26 November 1966 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with The Blackout (billed as The Satellites)
10 December 1966 – Harpenden Public Hall, Harpenden, Herts with The Riot Squad (Tony Tacon confirmed)
24 December 1966 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, northwest London with Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers
Thanks to David Else for providing the scan
4 February 1967 – Thames Hotel, Windsor, Berkshire (replaced The All Night Workers)
11 February 1967 – Kookoo-Byrd Discotheque, Cardiff, Wales
25 February 1967 – Legion Hall, Amersham, Bucks
25 February 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Gamblers and The Essex Five
5 March 1967 – Dungeon, Nottingham
18 March 1967 – At the Union, Manchester with St Louis Union and Sound Venture (Tony Tacon doesn’t recall this gig at all, even though it was advertised)
18 March 1967 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire
25 March 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Troggs
1 April 1967 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
23 April – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire
29 April 1967 – Legion Hall, Amersham, Bucks
29 April 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Lemon Line and The Penny Blacks
11 May 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The Jokers and The Afex
28 May 1967 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire
2 July 1967 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, west London with The Toys
15 July 1967 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire
16 July 1967 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire
29 July 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Gass and The Fraternity
19 August 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Coloured Raisins and Tiles Big Band
20 August 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The Maze and The Art Movement
23 August 1967 – Drayton Hall, West Drayton, west London
23 August 1967 – Town Hall Park, Hayes, west London
3 September 1967 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire
14 October 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Georgie Fame & Four Point Five
24 November 1967 – Private engagement (according to Melody Maker)
25 November 1967 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London
26 November 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set
27 November 1967 – Private engagement (according to Melody Maker)
Photo: Melody Maker
30 November 1967 – RAF Northwood, Hertfordshire
1 December 1967 – Private engagement (according to Melody Maker)
2 December 1967 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, northwest London
3 December 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Temptations (this was The Fantastics not the Motown group)
31 December 1967 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, northwest London with Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (this requires confirmation)
5 January 1968 – The Hub, Marlow, Bucks
13 January 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
20 January 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with Radio Disc Show with Stuart Henry
According to Frank Torpey’s diary, Steve Priest was rehearsing with The Sweetshop (aka The Sweet) by 5 February and would have left a few weeks later.
Frank Torpey’s final gig with Wainwright’s Gentlemen was 20 January and Mick Tucker was fired shortly afterwards so the Ealing Town Hall gig where Wainwright’s Gentlemen and The Army both appeared was probably in the last week of January 1968.
10 February 1968 – The Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset
Mid (13?) February 1968 – The Grange, Hayes, west London (picture has Steve Priest in it, so one of his final gigs with the band)
3 March 1968 – Slough Adelphi, Slough, Berkshire (Priest may have played this but very unlikely)
10 May 1968 – Dunstable Civic Hall, Dunstable, Beds with Spectrum
25 May 1968 – Nags Head, Motown Club, Wollaston, Northamptonshire with Alfred The Great
26 May 1968 – New Pink Flamingo, Wardour Street, central London
Photo credit: Geoff Foster
30 May 1968 – St Andrew’s Hall, Uxbridge, northwest London
2 June 1968 – New Pink Flamingo, Wardour Street, central London with The All-Nite Workers (billed as Army Soul Show)
14 June 1968 – Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset
21 June 1968 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire with The Easybeats and The Hello
6 July 1968 – Flamenco Club, Folkestone, Kent
Photo credit: Geoff Foster
10 August 1968 – Styx Discotheque, Luton, Bedfordshire
23 September 1968 – Penny Farthing Club, Southend-on-Sea, Essex with Kingsize Keen and His Rockin’ Machine
I would like to thank Tony Tacon, Richard Bennett, Alan Bennett, Ron Lewingdon, Steve Priest, John Kerrison, Geoff Foster, George Russell, John Barter and Keith Kendall for providing some information about this band. Thanks to Richard Bennett, George Russell and Tony Tacon for providing images.
Gigs were sourced from various national newspapers and Melody Maker (some sources are noted in the comments below).
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
Jimmy Marsh – lead vocals Allen Bevan – lead guitar Tony Rowland – bass Malcolm Tomlinson – drums
The Motivation, 1967 with Jimmy Marsh (second left) and Malcolm Tomlinson (far left)
Lead singer Jimmy Marsh (b. 9 April 1941, Salem, Carmarthenshire, Wales; d. 13 April 2020) had started out around 1961 with Fulham band, The Fairlanes, comprising lead guitarist Allen Grey, rhythm guitarist David Beach, bass player Terry Gore and drummer John Warwick. The band played US air bases and sometimes backed cabaret acts like Kathy Kirby and Vince Hill.
During 1962, Marsh formed the first Del Mar Trio with lead guitarist Allen Bevan, who worked at Sound City on Shaftesbury Avenue, rhythm guitarist Terry Toatal, plus a bass player and a drummer. On 1 June 1963, the musicians backed Jimmy Marsh on the “Rock Twist Jive Channel Crossing”, a rock extravaganza that took place on-board the Channel ferry, the M V Royal Daffodil, which sailed from Southend, Essex to Boulogne, and also featured Jeff Curtis & The Flames, whose drummer was Malcolm Tomlinson (b. 16 June 1946, Isleworth, Middlesex; d. 2 April 2016).
Photo: Worthing Gazette, December 1964
Bevan and Tomlinson ran into each other again while working at Sound City and around late June 1964 the drummer left The Flames to join Marsh’s band. Tony Rowland, who hailed from Doncaster, completed the second version of The Del Mar Trio, which was formed around the early summer.
After rehearsing between the occasional gig, the quartet headed to the south coast and found work with Bob Gaitley’s Beat, Ballad and Blues agency, working his clubs, the Top Hat in Littlehampton and the Mexican Hat in Worthing.
Cornish gig, January 1965
In January 1965, the group headed to Cornwall for a short tour, which included St Austell and Penzance.
Part of the same Cornish tour, 15 January 1965
The band also played along the southcoast, including in Brighton, appearing there after the Cornish gigs.
Advert for Brighton gig, 23 January 1965. Photo: Evening Argus
Gaitley was impressed enough with Marsh’s singing to arrange for an audition at Abbey Road, which led to the recording of four tracks – “You Know How”, “Pocket Full of Rainbows”, “Like A Baby” and “Haunting Me”, with producer, the late Bob Barrett in February 1965, and listed under the name James Deene & The Del Mar Trio.
Just before the German tour
The band continued to gig around the London area, including in Northwood with The Mark Four and a show at the Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex.
When nothing happened to the tracks, the band signed up for a tour of West Germany and headed off in late April/early May 1965.
Interestingly, the Worthing Gazette‘s 21 April 1965 issue, page 11, has a snippet that says the band is off to Turkey on 15 May and has a first record released on its return in June. This must have been a mistake as they went to West Germany instead, but suggests that one of the Abbey Road recordings was being considered for a single release when they returned to the UK.
West Sussex gig. Photo: Brighton Evening Argus
Over the next year, the band, working as James Deene & The London Cats, underwent various personnel changes, including seeing another former Jeff Curtis & The Flames member, lead guitarist Louis McKelvey join briefly, and would ultimately see all of the members return home except Jimmy Marsh who found work on a US air force base outside Munich.
Around May/June 1966, Marsh was contacted (via the British Consulate) by bass player Bryan Stevens, a former member of Johnny Devlin & The Detours, which had shared the bill with The Del Mar Trio at one of Gaitley’s clubs on the south coast, to join a new version of Stevens’ latest band, The Noblemen. Marsh accepted and recommended Malcolm Tomlison as a drummer. The pair stuck with The Noblemen from June until November 1966 when the band changed name to The Motivation. Working under the new name, The Motivation headed to Rome in late March 1967 and worked at the famous Piper Club but Marsh became ill and returned home.
Tomlinson remained with The Motivation until August when the revised line up changed name again to The Penny Peep Show/Penny Peeps. The band recorded two singles for Liberty in 1968 – “Little Man With A Stick” c/w “Model Village” and “I See The Morning” c/w “Curly, The Knight of The Road”, before becoming blues band Gethsemane in August of that year. After splitting in December 1968, Tomlinson reunited with Louis McKelvey, who’d returned from Canada in July of that year and the pair relocated to Canada in January 1969 where they formed Milkwood.
In 1973, Tomlinson recorded an unreleased album with Rick James & The Stone City Band and two solo albums, issued on the A&M label in the late 1970s.
Many thanks to Jimmy Marsh and Malcolm Tomlinson for information.
First lineup, circa early 1961, from left: Roger Bluck, Frankie Reid, John Donald, Pete Stretch and Danny McCulloch
Originally published November, 2010, revised June 2012
From Ealing in West London, R&B band Frankie Reid & The Casuals were notable for containing several musicians that went on to fame and fortune in later years.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #1 (Late 1960)
Frankie Reid – vocals Mick Cosgrave – lead guitar (replaced before first gig) John Donald – rhythm guitar Danny McCulloch – bass Mick Revelle – drums (replaced by Peter Stretch early on)
Born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Frankie Reid and his brother Ralph started performing in 1957 as the Reid Brothers. In February 1960, they moved to London and in their first week in the capital entered and won a talent contest, held at the Shepherd’s Bush Hotel.
In September, Frankie Reid was introduced to the manager of the Kew Boathouse in Kew, Middlesex, who hired him to sing at the club with the three resident bands – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Pat Creswell & The Crescents and Ray & The Riversiders. Signed up for six months, he performed six songs a night, split between each band.
Turning down an offer to play another six months at the Kew Boathouse, Reid chose instead to form his own group. Hearing about The Casuals who needed a new singer after Tony Craven had left; Reid met the musicians – John Donald, Mick Cosgrave, Danny McCullough and Mick Revelle – at a rehearsal hall in Askew Road, Shepherd’s Bush.
Originally known as The Avro Boys, who had won a talent contest at the Gaumont in Shepherd’s Bush, the group appeared in a BBC documentary on how the guitar had taken over from the piano in the home. Produced by Ken Russell, “Guitar Craze – From Spain to Streatham” was screened on BBC TV’s “Monitor”, presented by Huw Weldon. Soon afterwards, the group linked up with singer Tony Craven and became Tony Craven & The Casuals.
Not long after Frankie Reid had joined forces with The Casuals, the band took on Bill Dunton as their manager. Dunton sold his Ford Zodiac/Zephyr to buy a van, which was painted with the band’s name and the individual group members’ names on the side.
Despite rehearsing about 60 songs, Mick Cosgrave left before a single gig and Roger Black (aka Bluck) took over on lead guitar. Soon after, Peter Stretch came in for Mick Revelle.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #2 (Late 1960-late 1961)
Frankie Reid – vocals Roger Bluck – lead guitar John Donald – rhythm guitar Danny McCulloch – bass Peter Stretch – drums
One of the group’s earliest gigs was at the Pitshanger Lane Youth Club. The second line up also played at Battersea Town Hall and was regulars at the Brixton Maccabi Jewish club, St Mary’s Hall in Putney, the White Hart in Southall, Middlesex and the Clay Pigeon in Eastcote, Middlesex.
Sometime in late 1961, Peter Stretch left and a very young Mitch Mitchell took over. Originally from Ealing, Mitchell had taken drum lessons at Jim Marshall’s shop and was recommended to Reid by Marshall. Mitchell had briefly worked with The Crescents before joining The Casuals.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #3 (Late 1961-spring 1962)
Frankie Reid – vocals Roger Bluck – lead guitar John Donald – rhythm guitar Danny McCulloch – bass Mitch Mitchell – drums
In early 1962, Roger Bluck, who worked at EMI as a record cover designer, got the opportunity to do some session work backing a pianist on an instrumental single and called the other Casuals to see if they could participate. Unfortunately, only Donald could make it and subsequently the session was cancelled.
A few months later both Donald and Bluck departed. While Donald would join Brian Connell & The Countdowns for about six months in 1963, Bluck would go on to become a member of David Bowie’s early group Davey Jones & The King Bees in November 1963. From there, he went on to play with The Spectrum from 1964-1968. Ian Holland came in on lead guitar and the band continued as a four-piece.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #4 (spring 1962)
Frankie Reid – vocals Ian Holland – lead guitar Danny McCulloch – bass Mitch Mitchell – drums
The new line up played gigs at St Mary’s Hall, Putney, the Ealing Club, Acton Town Hall, Ealing Town Hall, Wembley Town Hall, the White Hart in Southall, Middlesex and Southall Community Centre.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #5 (May-circa July 1962)
Frankie Reid – vocals Ian Holland – lead guitar Brian Mansell – rhythm guitar Danny McCulloch – bass Mitch Mitchell – drums
Brian Mansell, a rhythm guitarist from Whitton, Middlesex had been playing with Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers, who changed name to The Condors in April 1962 for one tour. When the band’s guitarist Ritchie Blackmore left to join Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages, The Condors split and Mansell got a job with Frankie Reid & The Casuals. Soon after he joined, Mansell lobbied for his former band mate, Terry Mabey, to take over from Mitch Mitchell.
Mitchell was given his marching orders and joined Peter Nelson & The Travellers with lead singer Pete Nelson, bass player Tony Ross, rhythm guitarist Tony Hall and lead guitarist Vic Briggs (who years later joined Eric Burdon & The New Animals). In subsequent years, Mitchell played with Johnny Harris & The Shades, The Soul Messengers, The Next 5, The Riot Squad and Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames before ultimately finding fame and fortune with The Jimi Hendrix Experience in September 1966.
Notable gigs:
26 May 1962 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex
27 May 1962 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
31 May 1962 – Gifford School, Northolt, Middlesex
2 June 1962 – St Mary’s Hall, Putney, Surrey
9 June 1962 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex
11 June 1962 – Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
14 June 1962 – Hatfield College (Hatfield, Hertfordshire?)
15 June 1962 – Poplar Town Hall, Poplar, London
16 June 1962 – St Mary’s Hall, Putney, Surrey
17 June 1962 – Invicta Ballroom, Chatham, Kent
18 June 1962 – Howard Hall, Ponders End, Enfield
22 June 1962 – Poplar Town Hall, Poplar, London
23 June 1962 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex
25 June 1962 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
26 June 1962 – Roxeth School, South Harrow, Middlesex
29 June 1962 – Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon
30 June 1962 – St Mary’s Hall, Putney, Surrey
2 July 1962 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
6 July 1962 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex
7 July 1962 – Atheneon, Muswell Hill, London
8 July 1962 – Irish club, Cricklewood, Middlesex
13 July 1962 – Woking (Atlanta Ballroom?), Surrey
14 July 1962 – Royal Oak, Dagenham, Essex
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #6 (Circa July-September 1962)
Frankie Reid – vocals Ian Holland – lead guitar Brian Mansell – rhythm guitar Danny McCulloch – bass Terry Mabey – drums
Having only joined the band a few months earlier, Brian Mansell handed in his notice at the end of September and dropped out of the music scene for several years, returning in 1966 with Sunbury, Middlesex band, The Missing Links.
The following year, he joined The All Night Workers and stuck with this group until 1969.
When Mabey wasn’t well enough to perform, Derek Sirmon, who had attended Kneller school in Twickenham, Middlesex with Brian Mansell and Terry Mabey, filled in on drums.
Notable gigs:
19 July 1962 – Hatfield College, (Hatfield, Hertfordshire?)
20 July 1962 – Hendon, Middlesex
21 July 1962 – Stanwell, Middlesex (afternoon)
21 July 1962 – Atheneon, Muswell Hill (afternoon)
22 July 1962 – Irish club, Cricklewood, Middlesex
24 July 1962 – Park Ballroom, Southampton, Hants (Southern Daily Echo)
25 July 1962 – Hillingdon, Middlesex
27 July 1962 – Crayford Town Hall, Crayford, Kent
28 July 1962 – Tiptree, Essex
29 July 1962 – Invicta Ballroom, Chatham, Kent
1 August 1962 – Hillingdon, Middlesex
3 August 1962 – Hendon, Middlesex
4 August 1962 – Botwell Club, Hayes, Middlesex
9 August 1962 – Hatfield (Hatfield, Hertfordshire?)
10 August 1962 – Woking (Atlanta Ballroom?), Surrey
11 August 1962 – St Mary’s Hall, Putney, Surrey
15 August 1962 – Hillingdon, Middlesex
17 August 1962 – Lido Ballroom, Winchester, Hants with Pete Mystery & The Redcoats (Southern Daily Echo)
18 August 1962 – St Mary’s Ballroom, Putney, Surrey
19 August 1962 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, Middlesex
22 August 1962 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
24 August 1962 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex
25 August 1962 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex
31 August 1962 – Park Ballroom, Southampton, Hants with Ricky & The Hi-Lites (Southern Daily Echo)
1 September 1962 – Botwell Club, Hayes, Middlesex
5 September 1962 – Hillingdon, Middlesex
7 September 1962 – Finchley, Middlesex
9 September 1962 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire
14 September 1962 – Dormers Pioneer Club, Southall, Middlesex
15 September 1962 – St Mary’s Ballroom, Putney, Surrey
16 September 1962 – Invicta Ballroom, Chatham, Kent
22 September 1962 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex
28 September 1962 – Crayford Town Hall, Crayford, Kent
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #7 (October 1962)
Frankie Reid – vocals Ian Holland – lead guitar Danny McCulloch – bass Terry Mabey or Derek Sirmon – drums
Reduced to a four-piece, this was another short-lived line up of Frankie Reid & The Casuals.
In October 1962, Derek Sirmon and Danny McCulloch left to join Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #8 (October 1962-circa February 1963)
Frankie Reid – vocals Ian Holland – lead guitar Steve Hargreaves – bass Terry Mabey – drums (replaced by Bill Dunton)
This was yet another short-lived line up of the band. In early 1963, Terry Mabey left to join Ealing band, James Royal & The Hawks.
Bill Dunton took over the drums for a while but didn’t stay long.
Notable gigs:
2 November 1962 – Park Ballroom, Southampton, Hants with Ricky & The Hi-Lites (Southern Daily Echo)
17 November 1962 – Bishopstoke Memorial Hall, Eastleigh, Hants with Ricky Dean ;& The Rivals (Southern Daily Echo)
19 January 1963 – Hedge End, New Village Hall, Southampton, Hants with Tony Benson & The Skylanes (Southern Daily Echo)
21 January 1963 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex (the band plays every Monday)
28 January 1963 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex (the band plays every Monday)
Photo: Surrey Advertiser
2-3 February 1963 – Plaza, Guildford, Surrey (Surrey Advertiser)
Ealing Town Hall, early 1963, from left: Ian Holland, Frankie Reid and Steve Hargreaves with John Kerrison at back
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #9 (Circa February-April 1963)
Frankie Reid – vocals Ian Holland – lead guitar Chris Jackson – rhythm guitar Steve Hargreaves – bass John Kerrison – drums
John Kerrison attended Mellow Lane in Hayes in Middlesex where Keith Grant of The Downliners Sect also went to school.
At the age of 14, Kerrison played with The Cossacks from Greenford, Middlesex. The group’s line up also included Keith Lewis (lead guitar/vocals) and Merv Lewis (bass).
From there, he hooked up with Paul & The Alpines, featuring Paul Lonergan (vocals); Ray Kirkham (lead guitar); Dave Dove (bass) and Alf Fripp (rhythm guitar).
Managed by Sid Foreman, the band worked quite a bit for the Roy Tempest Agency. It was while he was drumming with this band that Kerrison got the call to audition for Frankie Reid & The Casuals at the Viaduct Pub in Hanwell, Middlesex after Bill Dunton left.
Soon after he joined, the band reverted to a five-piece by adding Chris Jackson on rhythm guitar.
Ian Holland and Steve Hargreaves both left in spring 1963, although Hargreaves would re-join Frankie Reid in later years in his group, The Powerhouse.
Ian Holland (sometimes known as Hollands) went to record with The Legends and also played with The Magic Roundabout.
Notable gigs:
23 February 1963 – Park Ballroom, Southampton, Hants with The Teenbeats (Southern Daily Echo)
25 March 1963 – King George’s Hall, Esher, Surrey
30 March 1963 – Bishopstoke Memorial Hall, Eastleigh, Hants with Riccardo & The Sleepwalkers (Southern Daily Echo)
Botwell House, Hayes, Middlesex (late 1963), from left: Chris Jackson, Reg Bodman, Frankie Reid, John Kerrison and Mick Liber. Thank you to John Kerrison for the use of the photo.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #10 (Circa April 1963-December 1964)
Frankie Reid – vocals Mick Liber – lead guitar Reg Bodman – bass Chris Jackson – rhythm guitar John Kerrison – drums
Scots-born lead guitarist Mick Liber’s first notable band was Ealing group Clay Alison & The Searchers led by guitarist and future lawyer, Andre de Moller.
Liber was also friends with Pete Townshend, who had rented a flat off Liber’s dad in Sunnyside Road in Ealing during his time at Ealing Art College, and taught Liber how to play feedback.
Originally from Peckham in south London, Reg Bodman had started out in 1960 with local band, The Talismen, which included drummer Al Alison from Emile Ford & The Checkmates for a while.
When Frankie Reid & The Casuals broke up in the December 1964, John Kerrison joined The Rocking Eccentrics and then went on to work with The Horizons, The Dae-b-Four, The New Pirates, Episode Six and The Beachcombers.
Reg Bodman filled in for a number of bands around the Ealing area, including The Ealing Redcaps, The Pirates and Morgan James before joining a soul band in Southeast London called The Sassenachs, who played top Soho clubs like the Flamingo and the Marquee.
After playing with this band for over ten years, Bodman relocated to Kent and worked with the blues band TwoSixNine. He then went on to work with a soul band in Dorset (where he currently lives) called Soul Intention.
Mick Liber had guested with Ealing group, The Unit 4 led by his friend Frank Kennington from mid-1964.
The pair reunited in Sydney, Australia in January 1965 and formed a new (Australian) version of Unit 4 (see pic below).
Photo may be subject to copyright: Frank Kennington (second left) and Mick Liber (far right). Unit 4 in Sydney, Australia 1965.
They also worked together in The Denvermen before forming the original Python Lee Jackson in Sydney, Australia in December 1965.
Liber returned to the UK with a new version of Python Lee Jackson in October 1968 and subsequently reunited with Frankie Reid (see below).
Frankie Reid dropped out of the music scene briefly before returning in 1968 with a new band, The Powerhouse, which he led until 1974.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals at Botwell House, 1964. Thank you to Frankie Reid for use of the photo.
Notable gigs:
23 May 1963 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
1 June 1963 – Hedge End, New Village Hall, Southampton, Hants with The Trendsetters (Southern Daily Echo)
13 June 1963 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex with Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Thursday)
20 June 1963 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex with Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Thursday)
30 July 1963 – Top Twenty Nite Club, Swindon, Wiltshire
20 August 1963 – Park Ballroom, Southampton, Hants (Southern Daily Echo)
5 October 1963 – Hedge End, New Village Hall, Southampton, Hants with Barry Sorrell & The Deputies (Southern Daily Echo)
20 December 1963 – Park Ballroom, Southampton, Hants with Dave Curtis & The Companions (Southern Daily Echo)
24 January 1964 – Hedge End, New Village Hall, Southampton, Hants (Southern Daily Echo)
9 February 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday)
11 April 1964 – Rock Stars, Adeyfield Hall, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with Sounds Five (Hertfordshire and Hemel Hempstead Gazette and West Herts Advertiser)
20 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Monday) (Billed as The Casuals)
27 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Monday) (Billed as The Casuals)
18 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
25 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
30 June 1964 – Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, Middlesex with Mark Leemen Five (billed Frankie Reed & The Casuals)
2 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
9 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
16 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
23 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
25 July 1964 – “The Cavern” at the West Cliff Hall (near Ramsgate), Kent with The Satans
30 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
17 September 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday) (special guest Jimmy Royal)
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
24 September 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex with Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Thursday)
25 September 1964 – Lynx Club, Borehamwood, Herts with The Fenmen (Simon Gee research – see comments section below)
26 November 1964 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex with The Second Thoughts
28 November 1964 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Applejacks
29 November 1964 – Rocky Rivers Top 20 Club, Conservative Club, Bedford
The original Powerhouse in 1968/1969 from left: Steve Hargreaves, Peter Abbot and Frankie ReidThe original Powerhouse in 1968/1969 from left: Steve Hargreaves (obscured, on bass), Peter Abbot, Frankie Reid and Mick Liber
Frankie Reid & The Powerhouse (1968-1969)
Frankie Reid – lead vocals Mick Liber – lead guitar Steve Hargreaves – bass Peter Abbot – drums
Frankie Reid returned to the West London live scene with The Powerhouse, featuring former Casuals bass player Steve Hargreaves.
After arriving back in England from Australia in late 1968, Liber reunited with his old band leader.
In 1969, the latest version of Python Lee Jackson, which included drummer David Montgomery, recorded the classic “In A Broken Dream” with Rod Stewart.
In 1970, Liber introduced Montgomery, keyboard player David Bentley and former Easybeats drummer Tony Cahill, who was now playing bass, all current members of the UK-based Python Lee Jackson, to the latest line up of Frankie Reid’s Powerhouse. The second incarnation recorded some material that remains unreleased.
The 1970 Powerhouse, photo courtesy of Frankie Reid, From left: Tony Cahill, Dave Montgomery (on drums, obscured), Frankie Reid and Mick LiberFrom left: Frankie Reid, Tony Cahill, Dave Montgomery and Mick Liber. Photo courtesy of Frankie Reid
Frankie Reid & The Powerhouse (1970)
Frankie Reid – lead vocals Mick Liber – lead guitar David Bentley – organ Tony Cahill – bass David Montgomery – drums
(Early-mid 1970s) John Hawken – piano Neil Korner – bass
While working with The Powerhouse, Liber also toured and recorded with Ashton, Gardner & Dyke. Together with Bentley, Cahill and Montgomery, he continued to record with Python Lee Jackson, and later did studio work with Third World War and live work with Thunderclap Newman. In 1973, Liber returned to Australia and continued to perform with a number of artists, most notably Dana Gillespie and Blerta.
After The Powerhouse split up in 1974, Frankie Reid formed The Frankie Reid Band. In 1978, he formed Flying Fox with drum legend Carlo Little and bass player Nick Simper, best known for being an original member of Deep Purple. In November 1979, however, he emigrated to Australia and currently lives in Perth.
Many people helped piece this story together. Thanks to Frankie Reid, particularly for the use of photos/images.
Thanks to Brian Mansell for the list of concert dates from May-September 1962, which were taken from his diary.
I’d also like to credit John Kerrison, Mick Liber, John Donald, Colin Reece, Nick Simper, Reg Bodman and Terry Mabey for their invaluable input.
Concert dates were also taken from several newspapers, including the Ampthill News & Weekly Record, East Kent Times & Mail, Harrow Observer, Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, the Middlesex Chronicle (Hounslow Edition), Surrey Comet and Swindon Evening Advertiser.
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.
The Eccentrics, 1965, back row, from left: John Kerrison, Bruce Watts (sitting) and Mick Liddell (sunglasses) Front row, left to right: Roy Robinson and Peter Maggs
Mick Liddell – vocals Peter Maggs – lead guitar Roy Robinson – bass Bruce Watts – rhythm guitar John Kerrison – drums
Middlesex County Times and Gazette, May 1965
Originally called The Henchmen, this Ealing group included lead singer Dave Kaye (real name: Dave Tregwin), bass player Roy Robinson, rhythm guitarist Bruce Watts and drummer Clive Buckie, who had played alongside Ritchie Blackmore in The Dominators.
In 1962, Peter Maggs, who’d been a very early member of The Downliners with Don Craine from 1959-1962, took over lead guitar.
Mick Liddell replaced Dave Kaye on lead vocals in mid-1964 and the group changed name to The Rockin’ Eccentrics. In late November/early December, John Kerrison from Frankie Reid & The Casuals took over from Clive Buckie.
Eccentrics Pye promo for “What You Got”Sometime around April-May 1965, they shortened the name to The Eccentrics and recorded a cover of Gerry Goffin and Carole King’s “What You Got” backed by “Fe Fi Fo Fum” for Pye Records. After playing the UK scene, The Eccentrics were allegedly the first British band to pass an audition for the famous Piper Club in Rome.
Travelling to ‘Italy, The Eccentrics played the Rome club in June 1965 and later returned to Italy.
At the Piper Club, Rome, June 1965. Photo may be subject to copyright
During July Kerrison left to return to the UK and was replaced by John “Speedy” Keen from Ealing band, The Second Thoughts. Keen, of course, later went on to found Thunderclap Newman.
Liddell also left at this point and the remaining members brought in singer Romano Morandi (ex-Equipe Ottanta Quattro) and played gigs in northern Italy before returning to the UK in January 1966 and disbanding. Liddell meanwhile put together a new band called Gli Atomi, who recorded a number of singles in 1965-1966.
Back in England, John Kerrison joined Slough-based band The Horizons with singer Rod Evans, lead guitarist Colin Butt and bass player Len Hawkes.
Evans would later become lead singer with Deep Purple after working with The Maze while Hawkes would join The Tremeloes after playing with Davey Sands & The Essex.
The Horizons had work lined up in Berlin during August-September 1965 and played gigs for a few months after which Kerrison returned to the UK. In October 1965, he joined Hounslow favourites The Dae-b-Four.
Kerrison would later reunite with Mick Liddell in Italy for a one-off recording during 1966.
John Kerrison (far left) reunited with Mick Liddell in Italy in 1966
However, in February 1967, he joined The New Pirates alongside lead guitarist Mick Stewart, bass player Nick Simper and keyboard player Johnny Carroll.
By the summer, however, the band had split and Kerrison worked with Episode Six and then The Beachcombers (Keith Moon’s early 1960s band).
Notable gigs (as The Rockin’ Eccentrics unless noted)
30 November 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Monday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)
The Unit 4, from left: Ian Gomm, Martin Davis and Frank Kennington
Frank Kennington – lead vocals Ian Gomm – rhythm guitar/lead guitar and vocals Martin Davis – bass Simon Behar – drums
+ Mick Liber – lead guitar
Ian Gomm
The band started around 1962/1963 and was formed by Ian Gomm, Martin Davis and Simon Behar, who were all pupils at Ealing County School for Boys (another student was Lee Brilleaux who later formed Dr Feelgood).
Soon after forming, Frank Kennington, who was older than the others, joined as lead singer and they became Unit 4 (not to be confused with the Unit 4 + 2).
One of the bands Unit 4 opened for around 1963 was Del Angelo & The Detours, which included singer Del Angelo, lead guitarist Roger Daltry, rhythm guitarist Pete Townshend and bass player/horn player John Entwistle. The latter three went on to become The High Numbers and more famously, The Who.
Kennington became a close friend of The Who and would work with that band in later years. Mick Liber, who was playing with Frankie Reid & The Casuals and (and previously) Clay Alison & The Searchers (Ed. Liber had been taught feedback by Pete Townshend), guested with Unit 4 from the summer of 1964.
Simon Behar and Frank KenningtonFrank Kennington
Around October 1964, Kennington left England and moved to Sydney, Australia, and Unit 4 broke up.
Liber subsequently re-joined Frank Kennington in Sydney on 28 January 1965 after leaving Frankie Reid & The Casuals.
The pair formed a new version of Unit 4 (see pic below), who included (at various times) Australians Lloyd Hardy (bass), Roger Homan (rhythm guitar) and John Webber (drums) plus British expat, Shane Duckham (harmonica). However, the revived band was short-lived.
Photo may be subject to copyright: Unit 4 in Sydney, Australia during early 1965. Frank Kennington (second left) and Mick Liber (far right). Photo also shows John Webber (far left) and Roger Homan (second right).
By mid-1965, Kennington had briefly joined Sydney group, The Missing Links and then reunited with Liber in The Denvermen.
They then left to form the original version of Python Lee Jackson in December 1965, named by Liber’s former band leader from Clay Alison & The Searchers – Andre de Moller, who was living in Sydney at the time.
Kennington was subsequently deported and returned to the UK, where he roadied for The Who and eventually moved into rock management. He was Motorhead’s first road manager and moved out to California in the 1970s. He died in 1998.
Liber kept Python Lee Jackson going with various different line ups and recorded a string of singles for CBS. After working with Australian rock legend, Billy Thorpe, he reformed Python Lee Jackson and returned to the UK around October 1968.
After the London-based Unit 4 broke up in late 1964, Ian Gomm and Martin Davis went on to work with local band, The Unknowns.
Gomm subsequently played with West London bands The Triangle, The Generation and The Daisy Showband before joining Brinsley Schwarz in September 1970.
He co-wrote Nick Lowe’s worldwide hit “Cruel to Be Kind” with Lowe when they were both members of Brinsley Schwarz. He also had his own US top twenty hit “Hold On” in 1979 when the Ian Gomm Band supported Dire Straits on their epic “Sultans of Swing” US tour. “Hold On” was Stiff Records’ only US chart success.
Great thanks to Ian Gomm for supplying the photos (apart from the Australian Unit 4) and background information. Also, thanks to Mick Liber for his contributions and putting me in touch with Ian.
The Dae-b-Four, spring 1965, from left to right: Iain Pitwell, Rex Brayley, Bobby Dean, Brian Brayley and Roger SideyThe Dae-b-Four, live, early 1966. From left to right: Rex Brayley, Iain Pitwell and Brian Brayley
Rex Brayley – lead guitar/vocals
Brian Brayley – rhythm guitar
Roger Sidey – bass
Kenny Slade – drums
Jimmy Trimmer – lead vocals
Bob Carpenter – drums
Bobby Dean – drums
Iain Pitwell – lead vocals
Malcolm Randall – drums
John Kerrison – drums
Brothers Rex and Brian Brayley had first come to prominence with Tony Liddle & the Lads, a Hounslow band formed in 1962. The band also comprised singer Tony Liddle, bass player Roger Sidey and drummer Yan Kuttlevasher.
In mid-1964, Sheffield drummer Kenny Slade replaced Kuttlevasher after playing with Dave Berry & The Cruisers. When Tony Liddle left soon after, the group became The Dae-b-Four.
Not long after the name change, the musicians were joined by new lead singer Jimmy Trimmer. Then in early 1965, Bob Carpenter took over from Kenny Slade on drums. Slade joined The Sheffields and later worked with Joe Cocker.
Carpenter didn’t stay very long, however, and Bobby Dean from rival Hounslow band, The Stringbeats took over that spring. Dean introduced his friend, singer Iain Pitwell, who took over from Jimmy Trimmer when he departed.
However, Dean left in August 1965 to work with another local group, The Valkeries. Malcolm Randall from Rey Anton & The Peppermint Men took his place briefly. The line-up remained steady until November 1965 when John Kerrison came in on drums after playing in Germany with The Horizons. Kerrison had previously been a member of Frankie Reid & The Casuals and The Rocking Eccentrics.
Malcolm Randall later reunited with Pitwell in The All Night Workers in October 1967 after working as a freelance drummer and The Missing Links in the interim.
The new line up lasted until about August 1966 when Kerrison departed and subsequently joined Mick Liddell & Gli Atomi in Rome, Italy. The band recorded the track “La Mia Inghilterra”, after which Kerrison returned to the UK. By February 1967, Kerrison had linked up with Johnny Kidd’s former band, The Pirates. He then played with Episode Six and The Beachcombers. The Dae-b-Four carried on with another drummer.
In March 1967, Rex Brayley struck gold when he joined The Love Affair.
Iain Pitwell meanwhile reunited with Malcolm Randall in The All Night Workers in October 1967.
Notable gigs:
30 March 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, Middlesex with Distortion
20 April 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, Middlesex with Bluesology (featuring future Elton John on piano)
2 July 1965 – London Cavern, Holland Park, west London with The Initial Four (Kensington Post)
6 July 1965 1965 – London Cavern, Holland Park, west London with The Tribe (Kensington Post)
24 August 1965 – Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, west London
Many thanks to Rex Brayley for the photos and input. Thanks also to Iain Pitwell, John Kerrison and Malcolm Randall. Thanks to Don Hughes too for his help in piecing the story together.
Don Hughes is selling a three-track picture sleeve single, with three previously unreleased tracks. For more information, email: donhughes345@btinternet.com
Kenny Slade lineup, 1964. From left to right: Rex Brayley, Roger Sidey, Kenny Slade and Brian BrayleyNewspaper clipping, 1 October 1965Gig, 25 September 1965
Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement, clockwise from front: Ron Thomas, Mick Fletcher, Gary Hamilton, Tony Sinclair, Mel Wayne, Dave Mahoney and (sitting down) Phil Wainman. All except Gary Hamilton (and John Droy, not in photo) were in The New Generation (version 2) backing Jimmy Cliff.
Jamaican reggae singer Jimmy Cliff is best known to international audiences for the songs “Sitting in Limbo”, “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “Many Rivers to Cross”, taken from the 1972 soundtrack album The Harder They Come. One of the first artists to introduce reggae to a wider audience, Cliff started performing in his native Jamaica during the early 1960s where he was spotted by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who brought him to England in October/November 1965.
Over the next four years, Cliff worked the UK club scene with a series of backing groups – The New Generation, The Sound System, Dave Anthony’s Moods, The Soul System (aka The Attack), The Shakedown Sound (December 1966-February 1968) and The Wynder K Frog Band, playing a mixture of soul and R&B.
Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation
(November 1965-February 1966)
Jimmy Cliff – lead vocals Dave Pegg – lead guitar Graham Gallery – bass Dave Brown – organ Frank Devine – drums Ayshea Brough – vocals Pete Hodge(s) – vocals
Cliff’s first band, The New Generation, was a Birmingham group known as Roy Everett’s Blueshounds, whose most notable member was future Fairport Convention bass player Dave Pegg.
Photo: Blueshounds
The Blueshounds were good mates of The Spencer Davis Group, who put in a good word for the band when Chris Blackwell was looking for musicians to support Cliff on the road. In November 1965, Blackwell released The Spencer Davis Group’s “Keep on Running”, the band’s first number one single.
Photo: Melody Maker, April 1966
Around the same time, Blackwell signed The Blueshounds to the agency he co-ran, West End Promotions Ltd, which also represented The Steampacket, Hedgehoppers Anonymous, The Alex Harvey Go Soul Show, Millie Small, Ayshea Brough and the newly arrived Jimmy Cliff.
With Pete Hodge(s) taking over from Roy Everett, The Blueshounds attended an “audition” recording session at Cecil Sharpe House in London on 23 November 1965 with promoter George Webb (The Spencer Davis Group’s agent) and DJ Alan Freeman.
Also in attendance that day were Jimmy Cliff and Ayshea Brough, a young singer that George Webb was trying to launch on the scene, who’d been working with future Hedgehoppers Anonymous drummer Glenn Martin.
Passing the audition, The Blueshounds were renamed The New Generation and Cliff travelled up to Birmingham to stay with Dave Pegg’s family for about two weeks while rehearsals took place to ready the band for the road. Singers Ayshea Brough and Pete Hodge(s) were also added to the touring band and had their own vocal spots in the show.
The (incomplete) gig listing below, which is taken from Dave Pegg’s scrap book unless otherwise noted), shows that the band’s debut took place at the Ritz Ballroom in King’s Heath, West Midlands in mid-December.
For most of these gigs, the band was billed as The New Generation, although the Marquee gigs list them as The Jimmy Cliff Big Sound. The only exception is a show at the Cue Club in Paddington, central London on 28 January where the band was billed as The Sound System, which may originally have been assigned for Cliff’s second support group (see below), although Dave Pegg’s version did honour this gig.
Notable gigs (from Dave Pegg’s diary unless noted)
15 December 1965 – The Ritz Ballroom, King’s Heath, West Midlands
17 December 1965 – The Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands with Steampacket and Graham Bond
17 December 1965 – Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham with Steampacket and Graham Bond
23 December 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Steampacket (billed as Jimmy Cliff Big Sound)
24 December 1965 – Jigsaw, Manchester with Jimmy Powell 5 Dimensions (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) (Billed as Explosive Jimmy Cliff, The New Generation, Ayshea and Pete Hodges)
26 December 1965 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds and The Tribe (Evening Sentinel) (billed as Jimmy Cliffe, Ayshea, Peter Hodges and The New Generation). This is missing from Dave Pegg’s list
31 December 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Nottingham Evening Post)
3 January 1966 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Tottenham Weekly Herald)
6 January 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
8 January 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph) Says back by demand
14 January 1966 – Il Rondo, Leicester with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Leicester Mercury)
15 January 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Manchester Evening News) (billed as Jimmy Cliff plus New Generations Plus Ashea Plus Pete Hodges)
16 January 1966 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, south east London (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation with Ayshea and Pete Hodges)
22 January 1966 – Mr McCoys, Middlesbrough (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
23 January 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Manchester Evening News) (billed as the Explosive Jimmy Cliff with New Generation, Pete Hodges and Ayshea) Replaced Manfred Mann
27 January 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Steampacket
28 January 1966 – The Cue Club, central Paddington (billed as Jimmy Cliff, Owen Gray, Ayshea and The Sound System)
29 January 1966 – The Ricky Tick, Clewer Mead, Windsor, Berkshire
30 January 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
4 February 1966 – Bluesville R&B Club, Manor House, Finsbury Park, north London (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation featuring Ayesha and Pete Hodge)
5 February 1966 – Chelsea College, south west London with The Spencer Davis Group
It’s not entirely clear why Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation went their separate ways in early February 1966. Dave Pegg’s diary shows that a gig planned for 6 February was cancelled and on 13 February he was back in Birmingham working with a new band – The Uglys.
Aldershot News does list Jimmy Cliff playing at Farnborough Town Hall on 9 February but this may not have happened.
The decision to find a second band to back Cliff on the road was probably made in mid-late January and Chris Blackwell already knew who he wanted for the job.
Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System/New Generation
(February-July 1966)
Jimmy Cliff – lead vocals Tony Sinclair – lead guitar Ron Thomas – bass Mick Fletcher – organ John Droy – trumpet Mel Wayne – sax Dave Mahoney – sax Pete Hodges – vocals Ayshea Brough – vocals Phil Wainman – drums
The next group to back Jimmy Cliff on the road was also, somewhat confusingly, initially billed as The New Generation, although they also used the name The Sound System. Promoters added to the confusion by sometimes billing the band as The Jimmy Cliff Big Sound and The Jimmy Cliff Sound.
The Sound System, as they became around early January, had originally been called The Phil Wainman Band/Set. Phil Wainman, who years later found fame as a noted producer among other things, had first started out as a drummer in the early 1960s, working with The Hi Grades in Sweden and The Paramounts before linking up with the remnants of west London band, The All-Nite Workers around October 1965.
Ron Thomas, Mel Wayne and Dave Mahoney had all been members of this group, which had morphed out of Mike Dee & The Prophets in early-mid 1965. Mick Fletcher joined from The Epitaph Soul Band when it became The Phil Wainman Band/Set around October 1965 after briefly playing in The Herd while Tony Sinclair and John Droy came in soon after, the former from Johnny Halliday’s band in France.
According to David Katz’s excellent book, Jimmy Cliff – An Unauthorised Biography, The Phil Wainman Band/Set secured a residency at Dolly’s Club in Jermyn Street in central London around November of that year. One night Chris Blackwell dropped in and introduced himself.
After be-friending Wainman, he kept the musicians in mind as a support band for the Jamaican acts on Island Records’ roster, including Jackie Edwards, Millie Small and Owen Gray.
Changing name to The Sound System, Wainman’s band started rehearsing with these acts in late January and one early gig, backing Owen Gray, took place at the New All Star Club in Artillery Passage near Liverpool Street station, London on 5 February 1966.
Around this time, it became clear that Cliff and the original New Generation would be separating so Wainman’s band started rehearsing with the singer when he wasn’t gigging with Dave Pegg’s group. After a few weeks’ rehearsals, Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System/New Generation debuted at the Marquee on 10 February, billed as The Jimmy Cliff Big Sound.
Over the next four and half months, Wainman’s band backed Cliff on the road, which included a package tour with The Who and The Spencer Davis Group in April 1966. It was during this time that Keith Moon spotted Wainman’s Red Sparkle Premier drum kit with two bass drums and decided to switch to the same set up two months later.
According to Wainman, Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System/New Generation were particularly popular in Grimsby and played there at least once a month. They also played four nights at the Penthouse.
However, some time in late July 1966, Jimmy Cliff and The Sound System/New Generation went their separate ways.
It’s not clear who backed Jimmy Cliff for a series of gigs that took place at London’s Whisky A Go Go on 9, 16 and 23 August as no support band is listed in Melody Maker, but he was joined by Dave Anthony’s Moods and The Soul System (aka The Attack) at some point during this period.
In December 1966, Jimmy Cliff hooked up with his next group, The Shakedown Sound with whom he worked with until February 1968. He then joined forces with Wynder K Frog.
As for The Sound System, the musicians joined forces with singer Gary Hamilton who was putting together a new version of Hamilton & The Movement (see future entry).
Notable gigs:
10 February 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Steampacket (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Big Sound)
13 February 1966 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
15 February 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) (billed as Explosive Jimmy Cliff, The New Generation, Pete Hodges and Ayshea)
19 February 1966 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation, with Ayshea and Pete Hodge)
20 February 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
21 February 1966 – Wall City Jazz Club, Quaintways, Chester, Cheshire with Lee, Eddie Showgroup, The Wall City Jazzmen and The Style (Cheshire Observer) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation with Ayshea and Pete Hodges)
24 February 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Steampacket (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Big Sound)
25 February 1966 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, west London (Hayes Gazette)
3 March 1966 – Blue Moon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Gloucester Citizen)
4 March 1966 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Bromwich, West Midlands with The Ugly and The Craig (Birmingham Evening Mail) Dave Pegg from the first New Generation was on bass with The Uglys
8 March 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Spencer Davis Group (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
10 March 1966 – R&B Burton Manor, Stafford, Staffordshire with The Soulmates (Staffordshire Newsletter)
11 March 1966 – Rialto, Derby (Derby Evening Telegraph)
12 March 1966 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Newcastle Evening Chronicle) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation with Ayshea)
19 March 1966 – Union Rave, Union Ballroom, Newcastle University, Tyne & Wear with The Guild (Newcastle University’s student paper – The Courier) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation and Ayshea)
19 March 1966 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star) (billed as Jimmy Cliff, Aysha and The New Generation)
25 March 1966 – Mr McCoys, Middlesbrough with The Warriors (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
26 March 1966 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation and Pete Hodge)
27 March 1966 – Shakespeare Hotel, Woolwich, south east London (South East London Mercury) (billed as Jimmy Cliff)
3 April 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
4 April 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
8 April 1966 – El Partido, Lewisham, south east London with The Raisons (South East London Mercury)
10 April 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (Pete Watt’s research) (billed as The Jimmy Cliff Show)
11 April 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle) Billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System
14 April 1966 – Gaumont Theatre, Southampton, Hants with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
15 April 1966 – Fairfield Hall, Croydon, south London with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
16 April 1966 – Odeon, Watford, Herts with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
17 April 1966 – Regal Theatre, Edmonton, north London with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
10 May 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Spencer Davis Group (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Sound)
13 May 1966 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Newcastle Evening Chronicle)
15 May 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes (Grimsby Evening Telegraph) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & Package Show)
16 May 1966 – The Beachcomber, Preston, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post) Billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound Systems
20 May 1966 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)
21 May 1966 – Marcam Hall, March, Cambridgeshire (Cambridgeshire Times) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation and straight from the Flamingo, central London)
22 May 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (Pete Watt’s research) (billed as The Jimmy Cliff Show)
2 June 1966 – Black Horse, Northfield, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail) (Billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
4 June 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Show)
6 June 1966 – Wall City Jazz Club, Quaintways, Chester, Cheshire with The Max Colley Jazzband, The Wall City Jazzmen and The Connoisseurs (Cheshire Observer) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & Group)
8-11 June 1966 – Penthouse, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Show) Says direct from Tiles
12 June 1966 – Hotel Leofric, Coventry (Coventry Evening Telegraph) (billed as the Explosive Jimmy Cliff)
14 June 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Spencer Davis Group (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Sound)
18 June 1966 – Stamford Hotel, Stamford, Lincolnshire (Stamford Mercury) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
19 June 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (Pete Watt’s research) (billed as The Jimmy Cliff Show)
25 June 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generations)
26 June 1966 – Le Metro Club, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System with Pete Hodges)
1 July 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Him & The Others (website: https://www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
2 July 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
8 July 1966 – Hull College of Technology Students’ Union, Skyline Ballroom, Hull with The Small Faces, The Mike Cotton Sound, Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers, The Mode and Eddie Gray & His Band (Hull Daily Mail) (Billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
16 July 1966 – Twisted Wheel, Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
17 July 1966 – Central R&B Club, Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham News) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generations)
22 July 1966 – Royal Oak, Hockley Heath, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
23 July 1966 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) Says with New Generation
23 July 1966 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Melody Maker)
30 July 1966 – The Beachcomber, Preston, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post) Possibly the band’s final gig before split with Cliff and teaming up with Gary Hamilton
I’d like to thank the following for their help in piecing this story together: Dave Pegg, David Katz, Laurie Hornsby, Andy Neill, Ron Thomas, Phil Wainman, Mel Wayne and Brian Hosking.
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
